Kael Valerion woke to the sound of rain.
Not the harsh, cold rain of the frontier.
Not the kind that soaked through leather and made a man's bones ache.
This was soft.
Gentle.
It pattered against the glass like a quiet reminder that the world was still spinning—whether Kael wanted it to or not.
His eyes opened slowly.
The ceiling above him was high, white, and decorated with gold lines that formed the Valerion crest—an elegant dragon curled around a sword.
A noble's room.
No.
His room.
The smell hit him next. Clean sheets. Warm wood. Expensive incense.
Kael sat up, and the blanket slid down his chest.
His chest.
Smooth. Unscarred.
He stared at it like it was someone else's body.
His hands followed—pale, lean, and young. The knuckles didn't have the thick calluses of a mercenary. The fingers weren't split and rough.
His arms were thin.
Weak.
He clenched his fist.
A memory surfaced—his last breath.
The empire's soldiers.
The Dragon's Heart.
The burning pain.
The moment his body collapsed, and the world went black.
Then…
That voice.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE.]
His eyes narrowed.
It wasn't a dream.
This was real.
He was back.
Kael swung his legs off the bed.
His feet touched the cold floor, and the sensation was almost foreign. He stood, walking toward the mirror mounted on the wall.
The reflection staring back at him was unmistakable.
A boy.
Sixteen.
Black hair falling in messy strands over sharp brows. His eyes were the same color—deep brown, almost black.
But the gaze was wrong.
Too heavy for a teenager.
Too cold.
Kael stared at himself for a long moment, then smiled faintly.
A mercenary's smile.
Not joy.
Not relief.
A predator recognizing the second chance fate had handed him.
"Kael."
The voice came from behind the door.
A maid.
No—his maid.
The name that followed struck him like a blade.
"Young Master Kael Valerion… are you awake?"
Kael's fingers tightened around the edge of the dresser.
Valerion.
One of the five noble houses that held the Empire upright like pillars.
House Valerion: the dragon-blooded.
The most feared military family in the Empire.
And Kael Valerion…
…was their shame.
He inhaled slowly.
Then spoke in a calm voice.
"Come in."
The door opened carefully, as if whoever stood outside expected something unpleasant.
A young maid stepped in. She was maybe nineteen, wearing the Valerion uniform—black and crimson.
Her eyes avoided his.
Kael recognized that look immediately.
Disgust mixed with pity.
He'd seen it from nobles.
From mercenaries.
From people who thought they were better.
The maid bowed quickly.
"Breakfast has been prepared, Young Master. Lady Selene requests you attend the morning hall."
Lady Selene.
Kael's stepmother.
The woman who smiled like a saint in public and sharpened knives in private.
His gaze sharpened.
Morning hall.
That meant…
His mind raced through his past.
Sixteen.
This was the year everything truly began.
The year he was humiliated publicly.
The year the family confirmed he was worthless.
The year he was pushed further into isolation until he eventually ran away and became a mercenary.
And later…
The year he found the Dragon's Heart.
His eyes flicked down instinctively.
To his chest.
Nothing.
No glow.
No burning pulse.
Good.
The Dragon's Heart wasn't here.
Not yet.
It hadn't fused with him.
Which meant…
Kael's lips curved slightly.
He could prepare.
He could move first.
He could take it before the Empire ever touched it.
And this time…
He wouldn't die with it.
He would climb.
He would rule.
Kael looked back at the maid.
"What time is it?"
She blinked, startled by the calmness.
"Eight bells, Young Master."
Kael nodded.
"Tell Lady Selene I'll arrive shortly."
The maid hesitated, then bowed again and left.
The moment the door closed, Kael's expression vanished.
His eyes turned flat.
He moved fast, searching the room.
His old habits returned like instinct.
He checked the drawers.
A few sets of noble clothing.
A training uniform.
A wooden practice sword.
A small pouch with coins.
And tucked beneath the second drawer—
A thin book.
Kael pulled it out.
'Arcane Fundamentals: A Beginner's Guide.'
He stared at it.
Then laughed under his breath.
So even his past self had tried.
He remembered reading this book over and over, trying to awaken even the smallest arcane spark.
But his body had been weak.
His core had been empty.
The Valerion bloodline was known for fire and dragon aura.
But Kael had none.
He'd been born with a defective arcane core.
Or so they said.
Kael flipped the book open.
The words were simple.
Too simple for him now.
He'd lived ten more years than this boy.
He'd fought monsters.
Killed men.
Survived wars.
Seen true power.
The Empire's elites weren't gods.
They were just people with better resources.
Kael closed the book.
Then paused.
His mind went quiet.
He felt it.
A faint sensation.
Like something behind his thoughts.
A presence.
He focused.
And the air in front of him shimmered.
A translucent screen appeared.
Kael's eyes widened slightly.
There it was.
The system.
[ARCANE HEIR SYSTEM]
Host: Kael Valerion
Status: Regressed — Year 16
Arcane Core: Dormant (Sealed)
Dragon's Heart: Not Yet Acquired
Objective: Ascend to the Throne
Main Quest: Become Emperor
Failure Condition: Death
Kael stared at the words.
His heartbeat slowed.
His mercenary mind analyzed instantly.
This wasn't some divine blessing.
It was a tool.
And tools could be exploited.
He reached out, touching the air.
The screen responded.
New text appeared.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
A sealed core can be reopened through:
Bloodline AwakeningArcane CatalystLife-and-Death Trial
Kael's gaze hardened.
Life-and-death.
He'd already died once.
That must be why the system awakened.
But the Dragon's Heart…
That was the catalyst.
He exhaled.
So the system wasn't random.
It was tied to the artifact.
Meaning…
The Dragon's Heart wasn't just a relic.
It was something that could rewrite destiny.
Kael dismissed the screen.
His thoughts sharpened.
He needed information.
And he needed it fast.
The Dragon's Heart was hidden somewhere in the Empire.
In his previous life, he found it by accident during a mercenary job.
A job that only happened because he was desperate.
Because he had nothing.
Because he had been cast out.
This time, he wasn't desperate.
He was a noble.
He had money.
He had influence.
He had access.
Kael walked toward the wardrobe.
He dressed quickly—training uniform, dark and clean.
Then he strapped the wooden practice sword to his belt.
It was light.
Almost insulting.
But it would do.
He left his room.
The Valerion estate was massive. Stone corridors, tall windows, crimson banners hanging like warnings.
Servants moved quietly.
Guards stood like statues.
Kael walked through it all with a straight back.
But inside…
He was measuring.
Counting.
Memorizing.
Exits.
Blind spots.
Patrol routes.
He didn't walk like a noble.
He walked like a man who expected an assassin at any corner.
And that alone drew attention.
Several servants glanced at him.
Whispers followed.
Kael ignored them.
He reached the great hall.
The doors opened.
Inside, House Valerion's morning assembly was already in progress.
At the center sat the head of the family—
Duke Roderic Valerion.
Kael's father.
A man with broad shoulders and eyes like burning coals.
Even seated, he radiated pressure.
Beside him sat Lady Selene.
Elegant.
Beautiful.
And poisonous.
Kael's half-brother stood near the front.
Lucian Valerion.
Eighteen.
A genius.
The family's pride.
The one who had crushed Kael's life without even trying.
Kael stepped forward.
The room went quiet.
Dozens of nobles turned to look.
Some smirked.
Some frowned.
Kael could almost hear the thoughts.
Why is the failure here?
Kael bowed politely.
"Father."
Duke Roderic's gaze landed on him.
Cold.
Heavy.
The pressure in the room rose.
Kael felt it.
Dragon aura.
Even without using arcane energy, the Valerion bloodline had a presence.
In his past life, Kael would have trembled.
He would have lowered his eyes.
He would have shrunk.
But now?
Kael looked straight back.
The Duke's eyes narrowed slightly.
Selene's smile widened, like she'd found a new toy.
Lucian's lips curved.
Amused.
Duke Roderic spoke.
"Kael."
His voice was deep.
Judgmental.
"You are late."
Kael bowed again.
"My apologies. It won't happen again."
A murmur spread.
Selene tilted her head.
"Oh? Our young master is suddenly disciplined?"
Kael didn't look at her.
He kept his gaze on the Duke.
Selene's smile faltered for a fraction of a second.
Duke Roderic leaned forward.
"Today is the first day of the spring evaluation."
Kael's mind flashed.
Spring evaluation.
Yes.
This was it.
The day he was publicly declared unfit.
The day Lucian humiliated him.
The day his father's disappointment became permanent.
Duke Roderic continued.
"All heirs will demonstrate their arcane progress. Those who fail will be reassigned."
Reassigned.
A polite word for exile.
Kael's hands clenched.
He remembered the pain.
The shame.
The way the nobles laughed.
The way servants whispered.
The way his own blood treated him like filth.
But this time…
Kael's eyes gleamed.
This time, he wasn't here to beg.
He wasn't here to be crushed.
He was here to mark the beginning of his climb.
Duke Roderic's gaze pierced him.
"Kael Valerion."
"Yes, Father."
The Duke's voice was merciless.
"Step forward."
Kael took one step.
The hall felt like a battlefield.
And Kael felt something else too.
A familiar sensation.
The one that always came before bloodshed.
The calm before violence.
The Duke spoke.
"Show us what you have."
Kael inhaled slowly.
Then…
He smiled.
Not with warmth.
With certainty.
"Understood."