"Damn it! Those blood-sucking parasites! The Empire sent them here to expand and explore the unknown sea… not to burden us with useless nobles!"
Duke Smith's shout echoed through his large office, bouncing off the stone walls as if they complained along with him. On his wide desk—made of rare wood bought specially from the system shop—several reports with noble family seals were scattered everywhere, fluttering angrily as if mocking the Empire's current state.
Duke Smith's face was tense, his eyes burning with a fire that had never faded… not since the great attack two years ago.
Two years earlier, the raging sea had shaken violently. From its depths emerged armies of Sea Sirens attacking the border islands. The entire archipelago had almost been lost. The attackers even broke through the outer walls of Storm City—the central island and the Duke's seat of power in the sea.
Duke Smith had led his elite forces in a battle that lasted three long months—three months of blood, screams, chaos, and death—before they barely managed to stop the invasion.
But… at what cost?
The border forts were destroyed. The storage houses were burned. Half the army died. And the worst of all… his only son was killed. Even now, order had not fully returned.
The Duke took a deep breath, but even the air felt heavy.
A few months ago, the Emperor finally realized that relying only on the military was not enough. So he created a plan: send the children of noble families to explore the sea, open new islands, and guard the borders.
But… what a joke!
These foolish noble families!
Did they really intend to send their best heirs to risk their lives at sea?
Of course not!
They sent useless troublemakers instead. Even though a few were talented, they were extremely rare.
The Duke picked up one report and let out a cold, angry laugh.
"Look… look at the kind of trash they sent us!"
– The third son of House Alvin: a gambling addict, buried in debt—debt large enough to buy three mansions in the capital.
– The boy from the Grant family: only fifteen, yet already a regular in the capital's brothels!
– The ninth son of Duke Maclain: lazy and weak, only reached low-level basic knight rank thanks to his family's resources.
"Are these really noble heirs?! Spoiled idiots—gamblers, womanizers, failures! Their ancestors were extraordinary talents who used the tower's resources to build this empire with iron and blood… and now? All they know is how to scheme for power and money!"
He slammed his fist on the desk, and the rare wooden surface cracked.
A heavy silence filled the room. The advisors lowered their heads, afraid to even breathe.
After a long moment, the Duke slowly sat down, closed his eyes, and opened them again with a cold, deadly calm.
"Fine… since they've come, they can deal with their own problems. As for protecting the sea borders and expanding deeper into the raging sea… that remains our responsibility."
But before he could finish—
BOOM!
The entire castle shook. A muffled explosion—but very close.
The Duke jumped from his seat.
"What is happening?!"
A knight rushed inside, panting.
"Sir! The barrier… it's under attack!"
The Duke's eyes widened.
"By who?! Who dares? Are the Sea Sirens back?!"
The knight shook his head nervously.
"No, sir… it's… it's only two people… two masked individuals."
Silence fell.
"Two people?" the Duke repeated, shocked.
The knight swallowed hard.
"One of them has blue skin and a strange body structure… the other is a girl with destructive mental power. But because of their special masks… we cannot identify them."
The Duke's expression froze. As if he suddenly understood something.
"Damn it… this must be a scouting mission from someone. But who would dare… who would dare provoke us at a time like this?!"
And at that very moment…
the castle shook again, as if the sea itself was ready to swallow everything.