The Aslon Empire, which bordered the Kingdom of Verona, was the most powerful nation on the continent.

Ever since the emergence of the new races, it had possessed the greatest number of Uno.

Since an Uno could only be born from the bloodline of another Uno, no nation had ever amassed enough Uno to rival Aslon, even after all these years.

That, however, was only how things appeared from outside the Empire.

Within its borders, the situation was quite different.

The problem was House Eberhardt.

A family powerful enough to threaten the Imperial Family itself.

House Eberhardt was one of the founding houses that had helped establish the Empire alongside its first Emperor.

Like the Emperor, the first head of House Eberhardt had been an Uno.

Bound together as both close friends and comrades-in-arms, the two had relied on one another while working to build a prosperous empire.

Even as the generations passed, the Imperial Family and House Eberhardt maintained a close relationship.

But gradually…

The number of Uno born into House Eberhardt surpassed those born into the Imperial Family.

Although House Eberhardt had sworn eternal loyalty to the Imperial Family, the Emperors who followed never trusted them as the first Emperor had.

They repeatedly sent House Eberhardt to battlefields where defeat seemed all but certain.

They were forced to participate in countless military campaigns, from small-scale subjugations to full-scale wars of conquest.

Every single time, House Eberhardt returned victorious, earning one military achievement after another.

But loyalty that was never trusted was destined to fade.

That was when the invisible war between the Imperial Family of Aslon and House Eberhardt truly began.

As time passed, however…

One side gradually gained the upper hand.

The victor was House Eberhardt.

From the moment the Imperial Family began keeping them in check, House Eberhardt poured enormous amounts of wealth into searching for Cero.

The Imperial Family searched for Ceros as well.

Yet fortune always seemed to favor House Eberhardt.

With Ceros by their side, House Eberhardt produced Unos even stronger than those of the Imperial Family.

By the present day, they even outnumbered the Imperial Family’s Unos by more than two to one.

The Imperial Family still sought to restrain House Eberhardt.

But unlike before…

They could no longer act against them so freely.

One wrong move could ignite a war that would reduce the Empire to ruins.

And should that happen…

The Imperial Family could no longer be certain of victory.

House Eberhardt, too, would undoubtedly suffer devastating losses.

In the end, an unspoken truce settled between the two powers.

Even so…

House Eberhardt never stopped searching for Ceros.

There was no telling when an enemy might bare its fangs.

Nor was the Imperial Family House Eberhardt’s only enemy.

It was true that they had fought in dozens of wars under imperial command.

But that did nothing to erase the fact that countless massacres had been carried out in the name of House Eberhardt.

And if one counted only the nations they had wiped off the map to elevate their family’s prestige…

There were enough to found two entire empires.

Because of that…

There were countless people, both within and beyond the Empire, who trembled at the mere mention of House Eberhardt.

It only takes a single moment…

For fear to become hatred.

The current head of House Eberhardt, Rajes, understood that better than anyone.

That was precisely why, just like his predecessors, he poured enormous sums of money into searching for Ceros.

House Eberhardt had to remain untouchable.

No matter where.

No matter by whom.

Even if that person was the Emperor himself.

“So, where is this Cero?”

It had been roughly six months since he’d last received a report that a Cero had been found.

They had managed to locate one before.

Unfortunately, she hadn’t been his destined partner.

Nor had she been destined to anyone else in House Eberhardt.

In the end, after collecting a hefty brokerage fee, they had sent her to another Uno.

“In a village called Eden, within the Kingdom of Verona.”

“Verona, hm? That’s close enough. How much are they asking?”

“Fifty thousand gold.”

Rajes raised an eyebrow at the butler’s reply.

Fifty thousand gold was enough to purchase two mansions in the Imperial Capital.

House Eberhardt’s usual offer for a Cero was around thirty thousand gold.

Even that was considered an enormous sum, especially if the Cero turned out not to be one’s destined partner.

Yet a citizen of a minor kingdom like Verona had the audacity to demand an absurdly inflated price from House Eberhardt.

His crimson eyes gleamed.

Setting aside the document he had been reading, Rajes turned his gaze toward the elderly butler.

“They’ve got some nerve. Are they from some border noble house with more pride than sense?”

“According to our investigation, they belong to a noble family that fell into ruin quite some time ago. At this point, they’re hardly worthy of being called a noble house. They’re an ordinary Cuatro family. A few days ago, the girl’s father visited the Crow Guild in the Kingdom of Verona, saying he wished to sell his daughter, who had manifested as a Cero.”

In most nations across the continent, there were guilds operating under House Eberhardt’s name.

On the surface, they appeared no different from ordinary guilds where Dos and mercenaries accepted paid commissions.

In reality, they served as House Eberhardt’s network for gathering intelligence and locating Ceros.

It was an open secret that House Eberhardt purchased Ceros for exorbitant sums.

Even so…

Almost no one ever came to sell one.

The appearance of a Cero’s mark was exceedingly rare.

And even when it did appear, there were even fewer people willing to sell a member of their own family.

Most of the Ceros who eventually came into House Eberhardt’s care had sought them out of their own accord, after growing exhausted from searching for their destined partner.

“The moment he discovered his daughter bore the mark, he caused quite a scene. He demanded that we pay him immediately and take her away.”

“Selling his own daughter the instant he learns she’s a Cero…”

A faint smirk tugged at Rajes’s lips.

“What an impressive family. Though if that Cero happens to be my destined partner, I certainly won’t complain.”

Rajes had no intention of keeping a Cero by his side.

He saw no value in dragging one around for the rest of his life.

Instead, he intended to use his own ability to absorb every last one of that Cero’s unique powers.

If that Cero truly was his destined partner…

Then it was even better if her family didn’t care about her.

There would be no one to object after he killed her.

“How long will it take to reach the village?”

“If we travel quickly, four or five days. However, a heavy snowstorm is currently sweeping through Eden, so it may take longer.”

The unwelcome news made Rajes frown.

Rising from his chair, he slipped on the fur coat the butler handed him.

“A snowstorm? Why now of all times?”

“We’ve packed plenty of potions, so there’s no need for concern. Besides, if that Cero truly is your destined partner, then you have even less to worry about.”

The butler gave a small smile and bowed.

Wearing an expression of mild displeasure, Rajes acknowledged the bow before leaving his office.

Without delay, he set out for the Kingdom of Verona…

To find his destined partner.

💝 Support the Team

strawberrymilk

✍️ Translator

🍵 Ko-fi