27. The Exiled Rogan

Around the time Reet was playing with the young dragon at Dragon’s Sanctuary…

At a certain prestigious noble house, a single man held his head in despair.

His name was Rogan Bentley.

The very man who had lost to the Classless Reet in the knight recruitment exam and was exposed for cheating.

As the heir to the prestigious Bentley family and a Mage-class holder, his future should have been assured.

But now that was all gone.

If he had merely failed the knight exam, that would have been manageable.

But it didn’t stop there.

At first, when Reet had begged the princess to forgive him, Rogan had escaped without any punishment.

But then, through the actions of a third party, word of his cheating had somehow spread throughout the knight order.

Rogan’s father held a high position in the knight order’s personnel bureau.

He was even called the rising star destined to become the next knight commander.

But with news of his son’s cheating spreading throughout the knight order, his reputation was utterly destroyed.

When Rogan heard that word of his cheating had spread, his heart nearly stopped.

Right now, his father was away from the house on business.

But once he heard the rumors, he would definitely return.

And when that happened—he couldn’t even imagine what would become of him.

And that moment came sooner than expected.

“Young Master Rogan. Your father has returned.”

“—!!”

Rogan stiffened.

The butler spoke with cold precision.

“Your father is calling for you. He asks that you come to his study at once.”

Rogan’s throat went completely dry.

His limbs trembled, his head spinning, yet somehow he managed to make his way to his father’s room.

“…Father.”

Rogan entered the room fearfully.

His father looked at his son with cold eyes.

“To fail the exam alone would be a disgrace to our entire family, and yet you cheated as well?”

At his father’s words, Rogan collapsed to the ground, rubbing his forehead into the floor so hard it left marks.

“Please forgive me! I swear I’ll never do it again!”

But the father simply watched his son’s desperate plea with cold indifference.

And then, a single word.

“From this day forward, you are no longer a member of the Bentley family. Leave immediately.”

“N-No! Father! Please, forgive me!”

Rogan crawled toward his father.

But—

“Silence!! You disgrace to this house!!”

The father drew his sword and pointed it at Rogan.

“—Hhhhgg!!”

Rogan fell backward when the sword was thrust at him.

“Because of you…the path to becoming knight commander is closed to me!! If you don’t leave this house right now, I’ll kill you!!”

Looking at his father’s bloodshot eyes, Rogan knew that the threat was genuine.

Instinctively, he ran from the room at full speed.

Outside the house was a downpour.

Rain pounded down, mud clung to his feet, and Rogan ran for his life.

But along the way, his foot caught on muddy ground and he fell face-first into a puddle mixed with mud and water.

The cold seeped through him, washing away his fear.

And in its place, something else was born: a hunger for vengeance.

Reet.

That Classless bastard.

It was all his fault.

“I swear…I’ll kill him…”

In the rain, Rogan whispered those words.