The grand hall fell into complete silence as a group of men entered. Their presence alone demanded respect, and even the most talkative among the nobles found themselves speechless.
These men were from the Holy Church, and at their head walked an elderly priest, draped in a long winter robe, his frail hands hidden within the heavy fabric.
He was here to perform the Assessment Ritual and to bestow a name upon the infant girl.
Behind him, three figures followed closely—his personal guards. But they weren't just any guards.
Gasps rippled through the crowd, and hushed whispers filled the hall as people recognized them.
"Wait… those three…!"
"They're—"
"Impossible! Three of the Twenty Heroes?"
Indeed, these were not ordinary warriors. They were legends, known across the lands for their unmatched strength.
Eria Shioban—A prodigious mage and the strongest magic user in human history. Her silver white hair and piercing blue eyes made her look almost ethereal, like a goddess of magic incarnate.
Devon Ashworth—A man whose body was a fortress, known as the greatest martial artist to ever live. He stood like an unshakable mountain, his muscles dense like iron.
And lastly…
A man wearing a long black trench coat, his flat cap casting a shadow over his expression. He walked with a presence so deadly that the air around him felt heavy.
"The Bloodmoon…!" someone whispered, barely audible.
His real name? Unknown. But his reputation? Infamous. He was the strongest assassin in history—the same man who slew the demon empress' child.
Women in the hall whispered excitedly amongst themselves, some even trembling in admiration. Even Julia, the lively maid, was practically shaking with excitement.
"Holy crap… he's even cooler in person!" she whispered under her breath.
Standing beside her, Agnes—the reincarnated middle-aged man trapped in a child's body—rolled his eyes.
"This guy thinks he's cool? Please. Sorry, but you're not a sigma," he muttered, chuckling at his own joke.
Julia, too excited to contain herself, suddenly waved both hands in the air, trying to catch Bloodmoon's attention.
"Hey! Over he—"
THUD.
In her excitement, she had dropped Agnes—who she had been holding in her arms—straight onto the floor.
Pain shot through his body as he landed, his tiny childlike hands slamming into the ground first. His bones, still soft due to his age, absorbed most of the impact… but his right arm snapped.
His vision darkened.
And then—everything went black.
When Agnes awoke, a faint warmth spread through his body. He blinked up at the blurry faces gathered around him.
"You're awake."
It was Eria Shioban.
Her slender hands hovered over him, glowing with a soft blue light. The moment he realized what had happened, he clenched his jaw.
"Damn it… I got healed by some overpowered mage lady. And why is she so beautiful?" Agnes thought, groaning internally.
Once everyone saw that he was fine, the crowd turned on Julia.
"You clumsy fool!" one of the nobles scolded.
"How could you drop a child like that?!"
Julia scratched her head, looking away. "Oops…"
Eventually, the room calmed again, and the ritual continued.
The priest raised his hands and proclaimed in a deep voice:
"Her name shall be—Lily Elowen!"
A noble murmured, "A simple yet elegant name."
Agnes, however, had other thoughts.
"Damn. That's such a basic name. I would've named her Silly Billy Or Hilly Millie."
His thoughts amused him so much that he started laughing like a lunatic.
Everyone stared at him.
The event concluded soon after.
Three Years Later…
Time passed. Agnes and Lily became close friends. But with friendship came responsibility.
One day, Duke Lucian holding Agnes in his arms whispered.
"Will you be Lily's future bodyguard? "
Agnes, now a three-year-old boy with the mind of a middle-aged man, sighed.
"Babysitting a brat for life? Great."
But he had no choice nor a job.
And so, their days continued.
One rainy evening, Lily and Agnes were playing in the grand hall. The storm outside howled through the trees, raindrops splattering against the tall windows.
She carefully climbed the chair.
And looked outside the window through the glass. Rain drops at the windows glass blurring her vision.
She pressed her tiny hands against the glass.
"Augus, look!" she giggled, pointing outside. "Puppy!"
Agnes furrowed his brows. "A puppy? In this weather?"
Curious, he climbed up beside her.
Then—he froze.
His breath hitched. His body went cold.
Something was in the garden.
There was a large hole in the earth, freshly dug.
And from that hole… something was crawling out.
A red, circular head peeked from the darkness. Thick, curly black hair clung to its wet skin. Part of the muddy ground was stuck on its grotesque face.
It had long fingers gripping the hole's edge.
Its eyes—blood red.
Its lips—huge and black.
And it was grinning.
Then—its finger slowly pointed at Lily.
And it licked its lips.
"LILY, RUN! THAT AIN'T NO DWAG!" Agnes screamed.
He grabbed her and bolted.
They ran down the halls, their tiny feet slamming against the marble floor.
Bursting into Aurelia's room, they dove into her bed, shaking.
"Ugh… what are you two doing?" she groaned, rubbing her eyes.
Agnes yanked her up and pointed at the window. "LOOK!"
Aurelia blinked, then sighed.
Instead of looking alarmed, she blushed.
"You two are too cute," she said, ruffling their hair.
Annoyed, Agnes pulled her to the window.
But when they all looked out—
The creature was gone.
All that remained was the gaping hole in the garden.
And to this day, they never found out what had crawled out.
Some Years Later…
Lily and Agnes turned thirteen.
Duke Lucian and Aurelia had 2 more child during this time period. One girl and a newborn boy.
Lily attended school, while Agnes focused on his training.
But something had changed.
Lily, once warm and friendly, now treated Agnes like a mere servant.
One day, a grand carriage bearing the Wioure crest arrived at the Elowen estate.
Julia was resting in the garden looking at Agnes.
"He sure as become stronger. " Julia thought with pride and satisfaction.
Stepping out was Duke Arden—and his son, Lamin.
Agnes saw Julia running to greet them.
But not to his suprise kid started
badmouthing Julia.
"Yes, Young lord..." she replied to every sentence with a weird smile.
Lamin, who had always bullied Agnes, was Lily's fiance. Their parents decided it when Lily and Lamin were young.
The moment Lamin saw Agnes, he smirked.
"Still playing bodyguard, servant boy?"
Agnes sighed. "I hope this dumbass has matured."
Moments later—a fight broke out.
And Lamin?
He was left with two broken arms, a swollen face, and on the verge of unconsciousness.
Agnes rubbed his temples. "Maybe I went overboard."
Duke Arden was furious.
He stormed into Lucian's chamber.
"Lucian! Your servant has beaten my son to a pulp! He used magic as well! What will you do about it?"
Agnes gulped.
Lucian tried to ask for forgiveness, but instead of forgiving him, Arden suggested cutting off both of Agnes's hands."See this as a mercy kid as attacking a Noble means death penalty" Arden told to Agnes.
Lucian tried to argue "Is there any proof of Agnes being the culprit?"
Arden smirked "Yes, there is a proof"
Julia entered the room.....