William reflected on the grading of his bloodline and quickly realized something felt off.
Inside his mind, the dragon chuckled.
"That old bastard did a good job with your grading."
"You mean… Grade Zero?" William asked.
"Yes," the dragon replied calmly. "According to my standards, your bloodline isn't even close to Grade One yet. So technically, Grade Zero is accurate."
William raised an eyebrow.
"Don't worry," the dragon continued. "Once you digest the remaining essence blood sealed in your heart, your bloodline will grow naturally. It will rise as you grow."
A brief pause.
"More importantly—don't you feel any change in your physique?"
William stretched his arms, rotated his shoulders, then jogged lightly across the hall.
He felt it immediately.
His body was lighter. Stronger. More responsive.
"The awakened bloodline has begun circulating dragon essence through your cells," the dragon explained. "Every second."
William acknowledged it—but showed no excitement.
He had already planned months of brutal training to rebuild his body to the peak of his former life.
This world has no limits, he thought calmly.
I can go further than before.
The dragon fell silent.
Back in the court, the king finally spoke.
"That went well," King Midas said. "Today is a good day for the Drake Clan."
The elders clapped in agreement.
Despite the undercurrents of rivalry, politics, and tension, no one could deny the truth—the results were impressive.
Midas continued, "You children performed well. From now on, it is the responsibility of us elders to guide you and provide proper resources."
"You will each receive rewards befitting your bloodline grades."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the youths.
"But remember—grades only reflect potential. True strength is forged through effort and discipline. Cultivate well."
With that, he concluded his address.
For a moment, the court felt unified.
He's good, William thought. Calm. Strategic. Knows when to pull people together.
Then King Midas spoke again.
"One more matter."
The room quieted instantly.
"Now that all princes and princesses have awakened their bloodlines—by the laws of the Drake Clan and the mandate of heaven—it is time to select a Crown Prince."
A low murmur spread through the court.
Everyone understood what this meant.
A political storm.
Alliances would form.
Schemes would unfold.
Some would rise—and others would die.
Each faction would choose a prince to support.
William felt a spark of interest.
He leaned toward Silver and asked softly, "Do you know how the Crown Prince Selection works?"
Silver nodded.
"Father has nine sons and four daughters," she said. "The competition is among the nine princes—including you."
"Based on overall performance, Father will choose his heir within the next year."
She smiled and added, "Don't worry, Seventh Brother. I'm always on your side."
William's gaze sharpened.
Interesting…
Not long ago, someone had already tried to assassinate him—using his maid as a pawn.
If this was the opening move…
Then the Crown Prince Selection would become a battlefield.
King Midas called out, "Grand Eunuch."
Eunuch Frankie stepped forward and bowed in proper palace etiquette.
"This concludes this year's Blood Awakening Ceremony. The court is adjourned."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Everyone clasped their palms toward the king and exited the hall in an orderly manner.
Elder Gyro bowed deeply before leaving. As he did, his eyes flicked toward William several times, cold and calculating, before he disappeared beyond the doors.
Soon, the vast hall emptied.
Only the elders of the First Family remained.
And on the stage, only four youths stood.
Gon had regained consciousness not long ago and was rubbing his head, still slightly dazed.
King Midas smiled and spoke casually, "Relax. It's family time now."
He leaned back lazily, propping one foot on the arm of his throne, looking more like a carefree rogue than the ruler of a great kingdom.
Shanon Drake snorted and grabbed his seat—a massive stone slab embedded into the floor. He dragged it closer to the throne and dropped it down beside the king before sitting heavily.
Pandit Drake did the same, settling on the other side.
Seeing this, the king's smile deepened.
"Second Brother," Shanon said.
The king turned to him.
Shanon grinned. "The Seventh Prince did well today. I was damn satisfied watching those bastards panic when the needles flew."
He burst into laughter.
The elders of the First Family followed suit, laughing openly, no longer bothering to hide their emotions.
For the first time since the ceremony began—
The court felt warm.
When the laughter finally died down, King Midas spoke.
"It's time to reward them."
He continued, "Each of you will be granted a pavilion of your choosing within the palace. Other rewards will follow standard protocol."
With a flick of his wrist, four scrolls flew out from his ring and landed before the four youths.
"Fire Dragon Scrolls," he said. "Practice them well."
Then his gaze settled on William.
"To every prince, I grant one wish upon their awakening," King Midas said seriously.
"Now it is your turn, Seventh Prince. What do you want?"
William didn't hesitate.
"I want to establish my camp for the Crown Prince Selection," he said evenly.
"And I want these three in my team."
The hall froze.
Shock rippled through the elders.
Princess Ashley was the first to explode.
"No!" she shouted. "That's ridiculous! I won't join a loser's camp—especially yours!"
"I share Princess Ashley's opinion," Wilson Drake said coldly.
Shanon slammed his hand on the stone seat.
"Shut up, brat!" he barked. "It's your luck the Seventh even chose you. Watch your mouth."
Gon burst out laughing.
"So the Seventh Prince finally woke up?" he said cheerfully. "I knew it! Come here—let your brother give you a hug!"
He dashed forward and wrapped William in a tight embrace.
William pushed him away without ceremony.
Silver, meanwhile, was beaming. She ran circles around William, clearly thrilled.
King Midas raised a hand, silencing the noise.
"Your request is… excessive," he said calmly.
William met his father's gaze without flinching.
"Why?" he asked. "You are the king—and the current head of the Drake Clan. Do you lack the authority?"
Ashley and Wilson's expressions darkened.
If the king forced this decision, they would comply—but they would never be loyal. At best, they would become spies for other princes.
The king studied William carefully.
"Give me a reason," King Midas said. "Convince me."
William didn't bother sugarcoating it.
"I'm a late bloomer," he said flatly. "My brothers are already far ahead. I need momentum."
He gestured casually at the three.
"They're young. Inexperienced. I don't expect results from them."
The words stung.
"They're simply my starting point."
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Deliberate.
King Midas broke it with a lazy tone.
"Convincing enough," he said. "But your biggest flaw is this—how exactly do you plan to convince them?"
"That's easy."
William walked straight toward Ashley and Wilson.
"Stay away," Ashley snapped. "I hate you."
"Why?" William asked calmly. "Why don't you want to join my camp?"
Ashley and Wilson answered at the same time.
"Because you're weak."
William nodded. "Fair."
He met Ashley's eyes. "If I prove I'm not weak—will you reconsider?"
"No," Ashley replied coldly. "I'm not buying it."
William stepped closer.
"Little Ash," he said casually, "do you think Uncle Shanon is strong?"
"What kind of stupid question is that?" she shot back.
"Of course Uncle Shanon is strong. He's the greatest warrior in the clan—second only to Father."
"Good."
William turned his head toward Shanon.
"The two wishes you promised earlier—are they still valid?"
Shanon blinked, then grinned. "Of course."
A ripple of confusion passed through the hall.
What is the Seventh Prince planning?
William's voice rang out clearly.
"Then here's my first wish."
"I challenge you to a physical duel."
He paused.
"With one condition—your strength will be suppressed to my level."
The hall exploded in disbelief.
Even with sealed strength, Shanon could crush him with a finger.
Had the Seventh Prince gone insane?
Then—
Shanon burst into wild laughter and leapt to his feet.
"Good!" he roared. "I accept!"
He pointed at William, eyes blazing.
"But listen carefully, lad—I never hold back in a fight."
He turned toward the king.
"Second Brother, don't even think about stopping this. We already agreed."
King Midas stood up.
He didn't object.
He didn't frown.
He walked toward the exit.
As he reached the door, he spoke without turning back.
"Who said anything about stopping it?"
He glanced over his shoulder.
"Everyone—get your asses to the Duel Pavilion."