The Fall of the Dukedom

The battlefield was silent. The once-magnificent Dukedom of Michelle, a household that once rivaled the House of Phoenix, now lay in ruins. Only ashes remained where towering fortresses once stood, and the proud banner of Michelle was torn and scattered in the wind.

Min Hee, the heir to this fallen dukedom, walked through the remnants of her home, her boots crunching against the charred rubble. She had been gone for two years, training in isolation, pushing herself beyond her limits to reach the pinnacle of magic. Now, she was on the verge of becoming the youngest archmage in history, an 8th-circle magician—but what was the use of power when everything she held dear had been stolen from her?

Her father, Hyun Suk, the man she admired most, was dead. The powerful army of Michelle, an elite force of one hundred 5th-circle magicians capable of toppling a kingdom, had been wiped out overnight. Even more terrifying, there was no trace of her mother.

Min Hee's voice trembled as she asked the elders of the household, the few survivors, "Who did this?"

But no one had an answer.

It had taken just one night—a single person had destroyed the Michelle household. The only other rival force, the House of Phoenix, had not arrived in time to help. Enraged, Min Hee stormed to their estate, confronting Elvin Phoenix, Leywin's grandfather.

"You let my family be slaughtered?" Min Hee's mana erupted like a storm, shaking the grand halls of the Phoenix household.

Elvin's expression remained solemn. "By the time we arrived, there was nothing left. The army was annihilated—only your father and his soldiers perished, while the civilians and unrelated members were left untouched. We searched for survivors, but only your mother's disappearance remains a mystery."

Min Hee clenched her fists, feeling helpless rage consuming her. Who was strong enough to slay an 8th-circle archmage and obliterate an entire force in hours?

There was only one way to find out—the Clairvoyant Ball. A relic possessed only by the Head of the Mage Army, capable of peering into the past to reveal the truth of any event.

Determined, Min Hee turned to her most trusted friend, Nichole. "I need to reach the top of the Mage Army. Will you help me?"

Nichole, now a formidable 7th-circle magician, smirked. "I was waiting for you to say that."

Three Years Later…

The world was shaken once again. A prodigy had emerged.

Min Hee, the heir of Michelle, had become an 8th-circle magician—the youngest in history.

Alongside her, Nichole had risen to the rank of 7th-circle magician, and together, they had climbed to the top of the Mage Army. Min Hee was now Head of the Army, the youngest person to ever hold such a position. Finally, she had the power to uncover the truth.

The Clairvoyant Ball was brought before her. A cold, magical sphere filled with the memories of the past. Taking a deep breath, Min Hee placed her hands on the orb, activating its power.

And what she saw shattered her world.

The night of the attack, a single man had brought ruin to her family.

A figure in a dark cloak, standing alone in the heart of the Michelle estate.

One man versus a hundred elite magicians.

One by one, they fell. He moved like a ghost, his spells flawless, his magic undeniable. The flames of destruction, the howling winds, the shattering earth—he wielded every element, something only a legendary mage should be capable of.

Her father, Hyun Suk, stood before him—the last one standing. An 8th-circle archmage.

But even he was powerless.

In just five hours, the dukedom was reduced to nothing.

And then, the hooded man turned to the ball, revealing his face.

Min Hee's heart stopped.

The man who destroyed her home… the man who killed her father…

Was Leywin.