The Duke’s face darkened, and even the Duchess seemed slightly embarrassed. The North was vast and sparsely poputed, with a fiercely independent people. If it were about gathering a group to fight, the Northmen’s bold, fearless nature would not pose a problem. But when it came to wealth… that was another matter. According to what Brandon had read in the records, the Southern folk called the Northmen barbarians, savages, and even beast-like—nothing that could be associated with civilization.

  The traditional adulthood trial, designed to weed out the weak and leave only the strong, had made the Northmen sturdier with each generation, their bodies tougher, but their minds less developed. The Northmen had sharp instincts, and they were incredibly sensitive to malice. This made it nearly impossible for foreign merchants to operate in the North, as any attempt at deceit would quickly lead to a sharp response. What was reason? What was evidence? The Northmen’s motto was simply, Let’s judge together. However, when a group of instinct-driven, no-nonsense people surround you, reasoning doesn’t matter. This led to the North’s well-known xenophobia and isotion. Outsiders struggled to adapt, and Northmen couldn’t easily adjust to the outside world. In such an environment, accumuting wealth was nearly impossible…

  Brandon smirked inwardly. The Northmen could manage food, clothing, and shelter just fine, but weapons and armor were always crafted with great care and attention to detail—not for appearance, but for quality. So, while North weapons might look crude, they were far from cheap. Brandon had often wondered if the Northmen focused so much on quality that they couldn’t afford to decorate their weapons and armor.

  Brandon believed his father could afford two sets of weapons and armor, but it would definitely be a painful choice. With a mischievous grin, Brandon observed the Duke’s facial expressions, mentally counting down: 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...

  The Duke finally gave in. With the pride of a Northman, there was no way he would let his son publicly criticize him in front of everyone, especially in a setting like the dining hall. Though the Duke was well-traveled and experienced, his Northman pride and temperament couldn’t be completely shed.

  As Brandon basked in the amusement of the moment, his older sister couldn’t hold back any longer. “I want an attendant too.”

  Brandon quickly added, “Sister should definitely have one! After all, second brother can’t even beat her, and he gets an attendant, so why shouldn’t she?”

  Second brother, Aki, shot back, “Who says I can’t beat her?”

  But when he saw his sister, Lily, gring at him, he quickly shrank back.

  Brandon, thoroughly enjoying the situation, added, “In fact, I don’t think even eldest brother could beat third sister.”

  At that moment, both eldest and second brothers finally realized the malicious intent behind Brandon’s words and nearly shouted in unison, “You! Shut up!”

  Brandon lowered his head and spoke in a light tone, “If you can’t beat third sister, then what’s the point of taking out your frustration on me?”

  At this, third sister Lily proudly looked at the Duke. Soon enough, the Duke was defeated by her gaze. He truly had a remarkable daughter—perhaps it was because girls matured earlier, but Lily had already surpassed second brother in height and was exceptional in martial skills.

  Brandon watched his sister, sensing a faint magical aura within her. Based on her usual performance, Brandon suspected that Lily might be an awakened individual with a power-oriented ability. Her magic could be influencing her body, but perhaps she hadn’t realized it yet. Brandon focused on the knife in his hand, feeling an invisible force wrapping around it, as if a magic was subtly interacting with the weapon. If the magic were simply circuting within her body, then it might only cause physical sensations like warmth or numbness, which could be difficult for an awakened individual to notice.

  Lily was the one who should have received a personal attendant first, not the others—including himself. Was this fate? Different people, different destinies.