In the Kingdom of Centralis, magic is everything—the measure of a person's worth, their station, their very right to exist. Those stripped of it are called "Empty," and they are less than nothing.
Celestia Valdrene knows this better than anyone.
Once the daughter of an earl, she lost everything when her father's debts consumed their family—including her magic, sealed away in an iron bracelet around her neck. Now she lives alone in a crumbling mansion, fighting off debt collectors with nothing
The Fallen Lady Speaks with Her Fists - The Fist That Spares, Morning in the Lower Town — Opening the Dojo and an Unknown Crest
The old canal always smells of oil in the morning.
An iridescent film floated on the water, smearing the rising sun into rainbows. Celestia Valdrene sat on the stone steps in front of a rented warehouse. Her pale, silver-tinged blonde hair stirred in the still-chilly wind. Her ash-blue eyes were fixed on the old smokestack across the canal, as if taking its measure.
A thick bundle of papers rested on her knees.
Drang's personal assets, and the deeds to the magic he'd stolen. Alvin had recovered them from the warehouse. The night before, after finishing with the captives sheltered in the empty house, the four of them had met here and spent until dawn going through the contents.
Her fingertips traced the frayed edges of the paper, over and over.
"Milady, are you not cold?"
A quiet voice came from behind her.
She turned. Gareth stood there, white hair smoothed back, his deeply lined face wearing its usual gentle smile. Perhaps because his left ear was a little hard of hearing, he had a habit of tilting his head slightly. Bandages were wrapped around his chest, but he no longer used a cane. Since leaving the clinic, his recovery had been astonishingly quick for a man his age.
"I'm fine."
Celestia answered briefly.
"Is that so. Still, the mornings are cold. Please, do not push yourself."
Gareth slowly lowered himself onto the steps beside her. The old stone creaked.
"So, how did the contents look?"
"...I haven't gone through all of it yet. But there's a fair amount of valuables."
Celestia pulled a small leather pouch from the bundle. Silver and copper coins spilled out. They clinked softly against the stone steps.
"Ha, with this, we won't go hungry for a while!"
Luca had crept up behind them at some point. His reddish-brown curls stuck out in every direction from sleep. His freckled brown eyes caught the glint of the silver coins and sparkled. The small scar on his left cheek lifted slightly every time he smiled.
"Luca, how long have you been there?"
"Been here a while! You two didn't even notice!"
Luca puffed out his chest proudly.
"There's no way Milady wouldn't notice. She noticed and simply chose to ignore you."
Gareth said it with a perfectly straight face.
"Wha—?! That's harsh!"
Luca made an exaggerated wounded face.
"...You're loud. Sit."
Celestia gave Luca a light tap on the head.
"Hehe!"
Luca grinned happily and sat down on her other side.
The three of them gazed out at the old canal in the morning light.
After a while, footsteps approached, tapping against the cobblestones. Light, jaunty, and somehow theatrical—those footsteps.
"Hey there, good morning. You three are awfully cozy this early."
Alvin Rayford appeared from around the corner of the alley. His chestnut hair swept carelessly, and behind his monocle, his blue eyes narrowed with amusement. His fingers were fiddling with his coat buttons, as always.
"You're late."
"I was doing a bit of research. While you all were resting, I was busy in my own way."
Alvin shrugged.
"So, what will you do? Drang's personal fortune was quite a sum, wasn't it? You won't have to worry about money for a while. You could buy back the estate, or move somewhere entirely different—the options are open."
At Alvin's words, Celestia fell silent.
The estate.
The Valdrene estate. An eighty-year-old wooden two-story house. Once home to twenty servants, the residence of a martial count's family. Her father's business had failed, their magic had been taken as collateral, and yet that place alone had been home to the three of them.
But it was gone now. The collateral deeds had been stolen, and the estate would never return.
"...No."
Celestia shook her head slowly.
"I'm not going back to the estate."
"Big sis...?"
Luca looked up at her anxiously.
"I'm renouncing my noble status."
Celestia's voice was quiet. But her words made the morning air tremble.
"Milady..."
Gareth drew a small breath.
"That house is no longer my home. Clinging to that house, clinging to its name, I thought I was protecting something. But I was wrong. What I wanted to protect wasn't the house. It was you two, who lived in it."
Celestia looked at Gareth and Luca in turn.
"So I'm renouncing it. That name means nothing anymore. I'll protect you with my fists. That's all."
Gareth gazed at Celestia's face for a long moment.
Then he bowed deeply, deeply low.
"...Understood. If that is what you have decided, Milady, then I, Gareth Aldridge, shall serve you as before—no, more than before—serve you personally. Not the house. You."
Gareth's voice did not waver. It was calm and certain.
Celestia stared at Gareth's white hair.
(This man is always like this.)
Whatever I choose, whatever I lose, this old butler simply stays by my side.
"...The paperwork for renouncing status can be done at the Royal Capital's civil registry office. But if I go, there'll be trouble. Sorry to ask, but can you handle it?"
"Leave it to me. This old man may not look it, but I know my way around government offices. I'll prepare all the necessary documents."
Gareth raised his head and smiled.
"Alright! Then I'll help out at the dojo!"
Luca suddenly jumped to his feet.
"...Dojo?"
Celestia furrowed her brow.
"Come on, big sis, you said it yourself! You said you'd protect people with your own fists. You said it'd be great if there was a place to teach fists that protect. I heard you! In that alley, watching the sunrise!"
At Luca's words, Celestia caught her breath.
That night.
The sunrise she'd watched with Luca outside the clinic.
(With these fists, I'll keep someone alive.)
That was the vow she'd made in her heart.
"...You were awake then?"
"Hehe, just a little!"
Luca laughed, embarrassed.
"A dojo, huh."
Celestia stared at her own fists.
Her knuckles were large, and old scars marked the base of her fingers. With these fists, she had defeated many enemies. But she would kill no more. Fists that stop without killing. Fists that protect.
"...Not bad."
Celestia murmured softly.
"Interesting. Truly interesting. Renouncing your noble status to open a dojo in the lower town—you always manage to go one step beyond anything I imagine."
Alvin laughed, delighted.
"...Do you have a problem with that?"
"Not at all. I welcome it. If you open a dojo in the lower town, my information network will get all the more interesting."
Alvin pushed up his monocle with a finger.
"So, what about the location? If you're opening a dojo, you'll need a decent amount of space. Rent in the Soil District is cheap, but it isn't free."
"...I have somewhere in mind."
Celestia looked across the old canal.
"The northern edge of the Soil District. There's an old blacksmith's shop there. The owner hurt his leg last year and closed up. It's been empty ever since."
"Ah, the one with the crooked smokestack. Yes, that would be perfect for a dojo. It's set back a bit from the street, so there'd be fewer noise complaints."
Alvin nodded.
"Alright! Then let's go clean it up right away! I'm raring to go!"
Luca clenched both fists, full of energy.
"...First, we eat."
Celestia stood up.
"Ah... r-right. Can't fight on an empty stomach, after all!"
Luca's stomach growled.
"Hmm. Then let me prepare something warm. I'll buy some beans fresh from this morning's market and some freshly baked bread nearby."
Gareth started to rise.
"Wait. You're still supposed to be resting. Luca and I will do the shopping."
Celestia gently pressed a hand on Gareth's shoulder.
"Milady, I'm quite all right now. As you can see, I can walk without a cane."
"No. What if your wound opens? You stay here and rest. Or can't you follow my orders?"
Celestia's ash-blue eyes looked straight at Gareth.
Gareth opened his mouth for a moment, then eventually smiled softly.
"...Understood. Then I'll take you up on that and behave myself here. But Milady, please, do not overdo it."
"Mm."
Celestia nodded briefly.
"I'll come along too. There's something I want to ask about at the market anyway."
Alvin said.
"...Do as you like."
Celestia started walking.
Luca stuck close to her side. Alvin followed behind at an easy, unhurried pace.
The path along the old canal, lit by the morning sun, was gradually coming to life.
The market was already bustling with people.
The Soil District market sprawled along the south bank of the royal capital, Luminas—a crowded jumble of wooden stalls. Vegetables, fish, secondhand clothes, magical tool parts. Everything was for sale. The merchants' booming voices rang out from every direction.
"Step right up! Today's beans are plump and perfect!"
"Fresh river fish! Come take a look!"
Celestia wove through the crowd. Luca's eyes were drawn to every stall.
"Big sis, look, look! Those skewers look amazing!"
Luca pointed at a stall wafting a savory aroma.
"...Skewers first thing in the morning are bad for your stomach."
"Aww! But they look so good!"
Luca whined.
"Wait until noon."
"Tch."
Luca pouted.
"Ha, you're full of energy. But for breakfast, bread and bean stew really are the best. Here, how about that shop?"
Alvin pointed to a small shop in one corner of the market.
"That place is pretty famous around here. They start baking fresh bread early in the morning. Their bean stew is excellent too."
"Wow, Alvin, you really know your stuff!"
"I'm an informant. Knowing where the good food is in the lower town is part of the job."
Alvin grinned.
The three of them bought bread and bean stew at the shop.
The bread was still steaming hot. The bean stew gave off a rich, appetizing aroma.
"...Delicious."
Celestia took a bite of bread and murmured softly.
"Right?! I've never had bread this good!"
Luca said happily, his cheeks stuffed.
"Glad to hear it. The shopkeeper will be pleased too."
Alvin ate his bean stew elegantly.
The three of them sat on an empty wooden crate at the edge of the market and ate their breakfast.
The morning market was full of life—just watching it was energizing.
"By the way, Alvin, what was it you wanted to ask about?"
Luca asked, munching on his bread.
"Ah, nothing major. I just wanted to poke around for any strange rumors going around this area lately. If you're opening a dojo, knowing the neighborhood gossip can't hurt, right?"
"Strange rumors?"
Luca tilted his head.
"Like, say, someone hearing screams from the warehouse district along the old canal at night—that sort of thing. Well, don't worry about it for now. If I find anything out, I'll let you know."
Alvin deflected the topic lightly.
Celestia glanced at Alvin's profile.
(This man is hiding something.)
But she wouldn't press him now.
After breakfast, the three returned to the rented warehouse where Gareth was waiting.
Gareth had done as told and sat quietly on the stone steps.
"Welcome back, Milady."
Gareth rose with a smile.
"Mm. Here, eat."
Celestia handed Gareth the bread and bean stew.
"Thank you. Then I won't hold back."
Gareth accepted the bread politely.
After the four of them finished breakfast, Celestia picked up the bundle of deeds again.
"Alvin. I want to go through this bundle once more. Help me."
"Sure. There were a few things bothering me too."
The two sat on the stone steps and began checking the deeds one by one.
Gareth and Luca watched quietly.
"This is the title deed for a rented warehouse in the Soil District. This one's a deposit certificate from the Royal Magic Bank, Golden Ledge. A transaction record for twenty gold coins' worth of refined magic stones... I see. Drang's personal assets were heavily concentrated in this warehouse."
Alvin read the deeds aloud.
"...What's this?"
Celestia held out one document to Alvin.
Alvin took it, removed his monocle, and stared at it intently.
"...What in the world is this?"
The lightness had vanished from Alvin's voice.
A seal stamped on the edge of the document.
A strange crest—three thorns entwined around a ri
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