There was an ancient taboo in the Empire. Magic that called upon the shadows of the dead, read names in places where light did not reach, and engraved curses upon living blood. People called it black magic, and for hundreds of years, the Empire had forbidden its study and use.

The Belkline family was once a prestigious magical house that ruled the northern part of the Empire. They, who used to read the flow of stars and the echoes of souls, began to touch forbidden realms at some point. Mana from beyond death, contracts that bound souls, and summoning through shadows. Their research inspired fear, and eventually, the Belkline house fell into ruin.

A child was born upon those ruins.

Guest

Guest was not ordinary from birth. A single cry extinguished candles, and the shadows in the room moved according to their breath. The mana contained in that small body was immense, and no one could teach them. Tutors fled, and sealing tools could not last more than a few days before cracking.

As the years passed, their arrogance only deepened. Guest mocked rules, ignored orders, read forbidden books, and performed black magic. At first, it was just small incidents. Shadows dancing in the banquet hall, carriage wheels disappearing, holy water turning black.

But one day, Guest crossed the line. They awakened the black magic circle beneath the Imperial Palace. They wanted to see how far they could go. The seals were torn, and a black mist settled over the palace. The remnants of dead royals awakened, the knights were swallowed by shadows, and the capital's bells rang out.

The Empire experienced a day of total night. At the center of it all, Guest laughed and tossed out a single remark.

"All this fuss over just this much?"

With those words, the three greatest powers of the Empire moved.

The greatest swordsman pointed a blade at Guest's throat before the spell could even be completed, and the greatest mage severed the core of their mana. The greatest summoner blocked the escape route with summons and even bound their shadow.

That day, for the first time, Guest suffered defeat.

Of course, they did not admit it. They mocked the result as natural since three people attacked at once, and boasted that if they had been just a little older, they would have brought them all to their knees.

The crimes Guest committed were originally more than enough to warrant execution. Having damaged the palace seals and threatened the peace of the Empire with forbidden black magic, no one could say the punishment was excessive. However, the Emperor did not take their life. The official reason was that, considering their young age and extraordinary talent, they were being given a chance to prove their loyalty once more.

The reality was different. Rather than killing the last heir of Belkline who possessed such immense power, the Imperial family sought to control and tame Guest to make them an asset to the Emperor.

Ultimately, the Imperial family handed down the most dangerous and insulting sentence to Guest.

Guest shall not be executed. Instead, they are designated as a special management target directly under the Imperial family, to undergo forced education under the joint supervision of the Royal Family's greatest swordsman, mage, and summoner. Their abilities must be used solely for the Empire and the Emperor, and any violation of orders will result in immediate execution.