Elder Rakul’s eyes narrowed.

“A proposal that would change your life?”

“Yes. I can’t tell you exactly what the offer was or who gave it, but it was the kind of offer that would have changed my life completely.”

“Are you making fun of me? Speak the name and the details!”

Behind him, Andromeda drew a sharp breath.
She lifted one finger and pointed at herself—
a silent gesture meaning, Use my name. Say it was me.

I can’t. That would be ruining my own shield with my own hands.

“I beg your pardon, Elder. But one who would be knighted cannot sell out the name of the one who showed him grace.”

“So you persist to the end!”

“You’ve already guessed, haven’t you? Besides, I turned that offer down.”

“What?”

Elder Rakul blinked.

Andromeda tilted her head slightly, and the other direct and collateral heirs, as well as my academy peers, all looked confused.

“I know my skill and my place. I had no choice but to refuse.”

“Then why perform a bodily-mutilation vow?”

“Because once I’d refused, I was furious with myself. I had been given a chance to change my life, yet I lost it through my own inadequacy. I swore I would never let that happen again. I am an Astrios, too. Forever, like thunder— I wish to live a life vivid enough to be remembered in the house’s history.”

“So you admit your base desire blinded you to the Family Head’s authority.”

“Is it a base desire to hone myself and devote that strength to the house? If I were truly a creature of greed, I would never have been able to reject the offer that was given to me.”

I locked horns with Elder Rakul in open debate.
Andromeda’s face—and those of everyone around her—were worth seeing.

“Why didn’t you tell me first?”

“Such insolence!”

“He’s defying the chain of command—cut off his head!”

“Why? I like him. A Blue Knight should have that much nerve.”

Andromeda bit her lower lip in frustration.
The direct lines and adoptees looked as if they might faint.
Trisan, in particular, loudly insisted I should be executed on the spot.

Elder Rakul clicked his tongue.

“And how would you prove it? Prove that your vow wasn’t for personal ambition but born of pure loyalty? Words are cheap. You refuse to name the person who approached you—why should anyone believe a word you say?”

Then I destroyed, with my own mouth, the comfortable tower I’d built so far.

“After receiving my knighthood, I volunteer for the most perilous unit—the Border Patrol Corps, the one with the highest death rate.”

“What?”

“I’ll serve there for at least five years, until the next round of regular reassignment. I won’t request transfer beforehand.”

…There.
I said it.

The very unit I had sworn I’d never join—
I’d volunteered for it myself.

My sweet, easy life was over.
It felt like falling straight into the abyss; even the air hurt to breathe.

No. This is right.

Because this was the only possible way out of this situation.

The Border Patrol Corps has the highest chance of adoption into the main line. And it’s the only place I can accomplish the first mission the Star of Thunder gave me.

“I see your resolve isn’t shallow.”

Rakul’s tone softened slightly.

“But you still defied order and profaned the Family Head’s authority. You’ll pay the price.”

“I’ll accept it.”

He turned to a senior Blue Knight beside him.

“The main estate’s Electrokinesis Training Hall—did it finish its expansion?”

“Yes, sir. Room Six is ready.”

Rakul’s voice hardened again, crisp and judicial.

“Kyrie of Astrios, your punishment for mocking the Family Head’s authority: you’ll oversee the calibration of the new training device.”

I bowed my head.
“Yes, Elder. As you command.”

I followed the senior knight toward the Electrokinesis training ground.

“Gahhh!” “Ughhh!” “Kkhh—!”

Even from afar, screams echoed.
Apparently others had been sentenced to the same punishment.

Calibration punishment meant testing a new training machine’s voltage output—with your own body.
Unlike normal drills, it poured an immense, uncontrolled surge of electricity all at once.
Agonizing. Dangerous.

Normally no one conducted punishments on the day of the Oath Ceremony, so this was unusual.

“You’d have been better off taking the whip or a penal mission,” the senior knight said. “Calibration’s just torture. People piss themselves when their muscles lock up—hope you visited the latrine first.”

“Yes, sir, I did.”

“If you’ve got some girl watching, tell her not to come. You’ll look pathetic.”

“Thank you for the advice.”

Even in training, one mistake could make you black out.
Under punishment output, I probably would lose control of my bowels.

If I wanted to be adopted, such disgrace would ruin me.
Andromeda would have no reason to recommend me again.

But I had one source of confidence.

The pain in my eye is gone.

That unbearable neural overload had already vanished.
Must be the effect of that “Heavenly Thunder Body” privilege.
I could also feel a general strengthening in my electrokinesis.

If that was true, then even if I did falter a little, I might still impress Andromeda.

With that hope, I entered the training hall.

Inside the stone building stretched rows of circular chambers.
At the center of each stood a cylindrical machine, encircled by paired copper wires that branched outward like veins—
the electrokinesis training apparatus.

“Nereus and seven others—charges: mutual assault. Calibrate ports nine through sixteen. Begin.”

It was the group that had entered before me.
They gripped their assigned copper wires.
Most faces were familiar—upperclassmen and top cadets from the academy.

Among them, one I knew well—Nereus, my longtime rival.

Those guys again. Looks like a six-on-one this time. Must’ve fought earlier today. No wonder they’re being punished.

They still hadn’t grown up.

“Phase One: maximum-output test,” said the technician flatly, pulling the lever.

Woom—!

The cylinder glowed gold from within.

Crackle!

Yellow lightning ran along every wire.

“Pull up your current! Brace for it!”

“Don’t absorb it—this isn’t practice!”

“Reinforce the nervous system!”

“Protect your head and heart!”

Screams filled the room as each raised their own electrokinesis—violet, light-blue, green currents flaring around their bodies.

“Aaahhh!”
“Gghk!”
“Urghhh!”
“Ah, ah, ah!”

Four of the seven broke instantly as the high-voltage current struck.

They convulsed, eyes rolling back, spines arched, pants darkening.
Their nervous systems simply collapsed.

“Pathetic. Can’t last even one of three stages.”

“They’re fresh graduates, sir. Even sworn Blue Knights hate calibration.”

By now the direct lines and adoptees had come down to the observation hall.
They wanted to watch my turn.

Leading them was Trisan, his mustache trimmed to perfection.
He had been acting heir while Andromeda was still underage.

A man who doesn’t know his place.
He kept trying to stay in that seat. That was the problem.

“Kyrie,” Trisan called, smirking.
“You’ve already sacrificed an eye. Let’s see you show something worthy of it. You understand what I mean.”

“Feel with your own body how worthless the power you sought really is.”

I didn’t even glance at him.

Soon, Elder Rakul and Andromeda entered the hall as well.

“Phase Two: endurance test,” the technician announced.

He raised the lever again.

Assistants in thick insulating gloves dragged out the three unconscious men.
Four remained.

Two thrashed, one clenched his teeth and held on, and Nereus didn’t flinch at all.

“Ten-minute run,” said the technician.

Crackle!

Yellow lightning poured again.

“Two minutes.”

“Uuuuurgh!”
“Khhhk!”

The two struggling men fainted.
One’s body twisted grotesquely in spasm; another leaked fluids from every orifice.

“Five minutes.”

“Ghhk!”

The one who’d endured with grit finally collapsed—
an older Blue Knight, by the looks of him.

Now only Nereus remained.

At six minutes his face distorted.

Crack, crackle!
The pale blue current wavered violently around him.

“Seven minutes.”

“Damn it—!”

He too fell unconscious.

“Nereus and seven others—ports nine to sixteen, calibration complete. Detach them,” the technician said impassively.
Assistants rushed in to drag them away.

“Next—Kyrie, solo, port seventeen. Prepare.”

He pointed toward a pair of copper lines.

I stepped into the chamber and attached the wires to my hands.

“How far do you think that brat can last?” one of the adoptees asked.

“He topped the academy overall, so maybe he’ll grit his teeth through two stages,” Trisan mused.
“But Nereus—the runner-up—was first in electrokinesis itself. If he lasted seven minutes, Kyrie won’t make it past stage two.”

“A shame. After a bodily-mutilation vow, he’ll still faint like the rest.”

Laughter rippled through the observers.
Trisan’s was loudest.

Then Andromeda stepped into the chamber.

“Lady Andromeda?”

All eyes turned to her—adoptees, direct heirs, even Elder Rakul.
Even the technician froze mid-motion.

“Switch his punishment to lashes,” she said.

“Milady—”

“Are you insane? Why did you do this? I told you I’d take care of it! All you had to do was ask me—why go around like this?”

Blue sparks leapt from her crown, tousling her perfectly kept bangs and side hair.
The aura of the heir apparent—absolute.

“You said you couldn’t lie!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Was it pride? You wanted to prove yourself? Or did you just not want my help?”

Her hands trembled.
She reached up, touching carefully around my right eye.

“I liked your eyes. Both of them.”

The leather strap of my black eyepatch stretched taut beneath her fingers, then eased back.
But the flickering light in her eyes wouldn’t settle.

“I’m sorry.”

And I meant it. She’d looked out for me, one way or another.
She had every right to be angry.

“You just didn’t want to trouble me, did you?”
Her tone softened, though firm.

“Yes.”

“Next time, tell me. At least don’t make me find out like this, understand?”

“I’ll tell you everything—from what I eat in the morning to who I talk to in the afternoon.”

I forced a small grin.
She took a deep breath, swallowing the words she wanted to say, and changed the subject.

“Fine. Then let’s switch this to lashes now. That machine will wreck your nerves. I’ll apologize to Elder Rakul myself, even to Father if I must—”

“It’s fine. Really.”

“It’s not! This is torture! You burned your own eye without asking me and now—!”

Ordinarily she’d be right.
But I had a plan.

“It’s fine, noona.”

I gripped her shoulder lightly.

“W-what?”

I bent my knees to meet her eyes.
Smiled—just a little crooked, just the way she liked.
She always took a bit of impertinence as closeness.

“The Star of Thunder took my eye for a high price. Honestly, I feel incredible right now. I’ll be fine.”

Andromeda let out a long sigh.

“If it looks bad, I’ll stop it myself,” she said, and left the chamber, glancing back until the door closed behind her.

From the corridor came low voices.

“Seems she’s awfully agitated,” one man murmured.

“What?”

“Even Lady Andromeda crossed a line, bringing up adoption so openly. Elder Rakul knew she favored him—that’s why he handed down this punishment. You see? Kyrie’s paying for her sin too.”

“I’ll fry that bastard someday,” Trisan muttered.

I could just make out their conversation.

So that’s it.
Trisan wanted to break me—and drag Andromeda’s dignity down with it.

“Begin,” Elder Rakul commanded solemnly.

“Phase One: maximum-output test,” said the technician, hand on the lever.

Andromeda was right. Even sworn knights barely last five minutes. The academy’s best, Nereus, lasted seven. Normally I’d never survive stage three. Trisan’s not wrong.

I focused on the eye beneath the patch.

But now…

I blinked, feeding a trickle of mana through it.

【Base Privileges】

1. Heavenly Thunder Body
– Electrokinesis training efficiency +150%
– Further enhancement possible through training

2. Voice of Transmission
– Enables communion with the Constellation through the Stigmata
– Additional functions unlockable through training

【Hero’s Journey — 12 Stages】
Stage 1: Adoption
Enter the Astrios main house.
Failure Penalty: Death
Success Reward: Thunderstrike

Stage 2: (Locked)
⋮

I still couldn’t fully grasp what was happening.
Maybe that nightmare wasn’t just a dream. Maybe the Constellation truly had done something.

But if this “Heavenly Thunder Body” really boosted my training efficiency by more than one and a half times—

“Begin.”

—then this punishment might turn out to be the most efficient training session of my life.

Chapter 4

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