Finn was very familiar with the Noble Clan known as the Nine Ice Family. That was because this clan had once been close to the Azure Wood Family. In the past, the Azure Wood Family and the Nine Ice Family shared a close bond. The reason behind their connection was Creed, Finn's father.
Fifteen years ago, while Creed was traveling through an abandoned forest in the Sacred Dragon Kingdom—he wasn't yet an Elder of the Azure Wood Family at the time—he came across an injured man inside a cave. Out of curiosity, Creed quickly checked on the unconscious man, and upon realizing he was still breathing, he let out a sigh of relief.
Luckily, Creed had some basic medical knowledge and had brought medicine with him. Because of his kind and compassionate nature, he didn't hesitate to treat the man's wounds and cared for him for seven days. When the man finally awoke, he frantically asked Creed to help him escape the area, saying that there were Adventurers trying to kill him.
Without a second thought, Creed helped him up and brought him to the nearest city to seek help from the local Adventurers' Guild branch. There, he learned the man's name—and was shocked. The man he had rescued was none other than a member of the Nine Ice Family, a Noble Clan. He introduced himself as CleoFrois, one of the most important members of the Nine Ice Family.
While waiting for members of the Nine Ice Family to arrive and escort Cleo, the two of them conversed at the Adventurers' Guild. They learned much about one another, and upon finding out that Creed had a one-year-old son, Cleo made an unexpected decision—to arrange a future marriage between his daughter and Creed's son. When both children turned eighteen, they would be married.
Naturally, Creed was stunned by this. But Cleo explained that this was his way of repaying his life debt and asked Creed not to reject it. With no choice, Creed accepted the proposal.
In this world, it was not uncommon for parents to arrange their children's marriages. But this case was different: the girl came from a Noble Clan and was a key figure in it, while the boy belonged to an ordinary clan. The difference in influence and power between their families was vast, making Cleo's intentions clear—he wanted to marry his daughter to Finn as a form of protection for the Azure Wood Family.
Creed knew the decision wouldn't be easy for Cleo, especially since the Elders of the Nine Ice Family would likely oppose it. He was about to withdraw his acceptance, but Cleo insisted and promised that no one would go against his personal decision.
A few days later, some Elders of the Nine Ice Family arrived, and the two men parted ways to return to their respective clans. When Creed returned to the Azure Wood Family, he received news that Cleo Frois had officially announced the engagement between his daughter, Tiffanya Frois, and Creed's son, Finn Doria.
Members of the Azure Wood Family were stunned when they heard the news. Everyone wondered why someone like Cleo would arrange his daughter's marriage with someone from a common clan. But after Creed shared what had happened, everyone rejoiced. Because of this great contribution, Creed was officially named the Third Elder by the Azure Wood Family's leader.
Cleo would frequently visit the Azure Wood Family with gifts, a practice that continued for two years. But one day, he suddenly bid farewell to Creed, saying he would be gone for several years. He wanted to travel the continent, but promised to return in time for their children's wedding.
Before Cleo left, relations between the Nine Ice Family and the Azure Wood Family were warm. But as time passed, the Nine Ice Family's treatment toward them grew colder—and that was when the Black Tiger Family began to stir trouble.
--
Finn stared intently at Kiden and asked in confusion, "But why do they want to destroy the clan I belong to? What wrong has our ordinary family done to them?"
"To be honest, none," Kiden replied, pausing for a breath before continuing. "But… they are not willing to sacrifice Tiffanya Frois, who holds a special status within the Nine Ice Family."
"Because I was so curious to understand why the Nine Ice Family wanted to wipe out your clan, I personally investigated—and what I discovered shocked me."
"Tiffanya Frois, the one you were destined to marry, was found to possess an Ice Sky Pathway. This is an extremely rare and extraordinary type of soulforce pathway. An Adventurer born with it only appears once every thousand years. Anyone born with an Ice Sky Pathway is fated to become a SkyRank in the future—even without wealth or training."
The soulforcepathway is the channel through which soulforce flows. According to the books Finn had read, some fortunate Adventurers are born with special pathways. The more special the pathway, the faster their cultivation and advancement become.
"You do know what a Sky Rank Adventurer is, don't you?" Kiden asked, locking eyes with Finn. "As far as I know, there are no more than fifty Sky Rank Adventurers in the entire Sacred Dragon Kingdom. Seven of them are the Faction Masters of the Seven Great Factions. I don't need to list them—you'll come to know them yourself someday. That is, if you survive the calamity your clan is about to face."
Kiden's explanation made Finn clench his fists. But thanks to that explanation, the young man began to understand the bigger picture.
"Why not just cancel the marriage? Why do they need to ruin my clan?" he asked.
If the Nine Ice Family no longer wanted to marry off Tiffanya, why not just void the engagement?
"You still don't understand," Kiden said, shaking his head slightly. "An engagement between two Adventurers cannot be broken easily. Doing so would be a great disgrace to the Nine Ice Family. Other Adventurers would see them as ungrateful, and they'd face mockery and criticism that would ruin their reputation. And besides, could you accept such disgrace, Finn Doria? You're a man—backing out of the engagement would be deeply humiliating."
"So they want to use another clan to destroy us? Cowards!" Finn growled. He wanted to stay calm, but couldn't—not after learning so many harsh truths.
"If only Cleo Frois were here, none of this would have happened. But if he doesn't return soon, your clan is doomed—especially you, Finn Doria. Now that you've revealed your 9th Level Gold Rank, your enemies may become more aggressive. They'll try anything to kill you, afraid that you might grow into a threat someday."
"Hmph! Even if I have to give my life, I won't let them harm my clan. I may not be strong enough yet, but I'm no coward. If they want war, I'll fight them to the death!" Finn shouted, his clenched fists now bleeding from his nails digging into his palms.
"If you truly want revenge," Kiden said seriously, "you could wait several decades. When you've grown strong enough, you can return and get the justice you seek."
"When Altair Doria died in this very institution, and I failed to fulfill my duty as Institution Master, I deeply regretted it. That's why I want to make amends. I can help you, Finn Doria. I could send you to a distant kingdom to lie low and wait for the right time to—"
"You want me to run away and let my clan be destroyed? I owe my life to them. I will never abandon them," Finn interrupted.
"Thank you, Institution Master. But I cannot accept your offer. From this day on, I'm leaving this institution for good—to protect my clan. Thank you for everything, Institution Master Kiden Sylveria," Finn said, bowing slightly.
Now that Finn knew the truth, he no longer blamed Kiden for the misfortunes that had befallen him and his clan. After all, Kiden had no real connection to the Azure Wood Family and no obligation to defend them from the Nine Ice Family.
He was about to walk away when Kiden spoke again.
"There's one more thing I forgot to mention. Like me, only a few Adventurers know about Tiffanya Frois' special soulforce pathway. One of them is Sheeha Orobus, the leader of the Ice Feather Sect, who is a Sky Rank. The Ice Feather Sect is one of the Seven Great Factions. Because of Tiffanya's special pathway, Sheeha wants her to marry the most talented core member of her faction. And because of the prior engagement between you and Tiffanya, they're now rushing everything," Kiden explained, halting Finn in his tracks.
Finn didn't know much about the Seven Great Factions of the Sacred Dragon Kingdom. He only knew their names—not who led them. This was the first time he had heard the name of a Faction leader.
The Seven Great Factions are: Alchemist Association, Immortal Sword Pavilion, Burning Heaven Sect, Ice Feather Sect, Soul Puppet Sect, Ancient Darkness Island, and Cloud Soaring Sect
Everyone knew that the Alchemist Association was the most influential of the seven—but not necessarily the strongest.
Finn turned again to face Kiden, looking at him solemnly.
'Who are you really, Institution Master Kiden Sylveria? Why do you know so many things that you shouldn't?' he wondered.
After a few seconds of silence, Kiden sighed and met Finn's eyes directly.
"There's one way to ensure your clan's safety."
Finn's face hardened, and he asked quickly, "What is it, Institution Master? Please—tell me!"
Kiden looked into Finn's determined eyes and said slowly:
"Become one of the most important members of one of the Seven Great Factions."