Chapter 2 White Swan

Inside the house, Howard paced back and forth, his rage palpable. His voice echoed through the room as he cursed uncontrollably. “Norton, you b*stard! I want you dead! Five years ago, you should've been finished off! And now you dare to ask me for money? Just you wait!” As the privileged heir of a third-class family, Howard had never faced such humiliation. His pride was bruised beyond repair, and his fury consumed him. “Howie, you can't let this slide!” Lillian said through clenched teeth, her face swollen and streaked with dried blood from Norton's blows. “He dared to hit you! You've got to act fast and teach him a lesson!” Lillian's family, the Yandolfs, were a small, ninth-class family in Yarburn. But ever since she got involved with Howard, their fortunes had turned. Over the last five years, the Yandolf family had experienced remarkable growth, edging closer to becoming a third-class family. She couldn't allow this humiliation to stand. She wouldn't give Norton a dime! Howard sneered, his anger now replaced with a twisted grin. “Don't worry, Babe,” he said coldly. “Taking care of Norton is child's play. Even if I can't kill him, getting him locked up will be no problem!” He smirked. “Didn't his mother move to the suburbs? That area's under Bjorn's jurisdiction. I'll make a call and have some men sent over to deal with her!” Howard reached for his phone and made the call. No sooner had he hung up than it began to ring again. His father was calling. After a brief conversation, Howard's eyes lit up with excitement. He turned to Lillian, barely able to contain himself. “That was my dad. My uncle's coming back tomorrow, and he mentioned that the newly appointed seven-star War Goddess—White Swan—is heading to Yarburn! My dad told me to go home early tomorrow so I can join him and my uncle to meet her.” He continued, “My uncle was once a revered nine-star Warrior. If we can establish a connection with White Swan, our family might rise to become a second-class or even a top prestigious family!” “And there's more,” he added, his grin widening. “My uncle's already promised my father that he'll personally ask the White Swan to be our wedding witness!” Lillian's eyes sparkled with excitement. She threw her arms around Howard and planted a passionate kiss on his lips. “Howie, you're so amazing!” she gushed. “By the way, is White Swan's rank higher than your uncle's?” Howard nodded smugly. “Of course. My uncle's a Warrior, but White Swan is a seven-star War Goddess. There's no comparison.” Lillian gasped as the weight of his words sank in. Her heart swelled with pride and joy. She was so grateful she had chosen Howard over Norton all those years ago. “Howie,” she said tearfully, “you've been so good to me. I want to have your children… lots of them!” Overcome with emotion, Lillian burst into tears and clung to Howard, showering him with affection. At the bar, Norton sat in a private room, a table full of bottles in front of him. With music blaring in the background, he drank himself into a stupor and eventually passed out on the couch. A while later, the door creaked open, and two strikingly beautiful cool women stepped into the room. “I finally found him,” one of them said, her voice tinged with disbelief. “General, are you sure this drunk mess is the man you've been looking for? Your so-called fiancé? He's a drunkard though...” “Serene, be quiet.” The general was breathtakingly beautiful, her long hair tied back in a ponytail, and her posture straight and commanding. Her aura was cold and formidable, her large, expressive eyes filled with unspoken pain. Her pale, delicate face carried the weight of exhaustion, as though she were clinging to life by sheer willpower. Her name was Lucille Jadeling—recently recognized as a seven-star War Goddess of the Military Department. Her code name was White Swan. Lucille sighed softly as she gazed at Norton, who was slumped unconscious on the couch. “Four years ago,” she began, her tone heavy with emotion, “my father and I were ambushed by over a dozen skilled experts from a rival family. We were gravely injured, barely clinging to life. If not for a passing savior who saved us, we would have died that day.” “That savior went on to help my family many times, but he refused any form of repayment. Out of gratitude, my father arranged for me to be engaged to his descendent, but our savior said he only had a single disciple—Norton.” Lucille pulled an antique ring from her pocket and slipped it onto her finger. It matched the one Norton wore perfectly. “The ring on his finger matches mine. I'm certain he's the one I'm looking for.” After saying so much in one go, her face turned a bit pale, and she started having trouble catching her breath. Serene Anderson scoffed. “General, this is ridiculous. We're in the twenty-first century! Why should you marry someone like him just because of a family promise? Look at him—he's a nobody! He doesn't deserve you. He's been to jail, and his girlfriend just cheated on him. If his master could see the sorry state he's in now, I'm sure they'd slap him and regret ever taking him on as a disciple!” She continued, “General, you're the legendary seven-star War Goddess! Just three months ago, you took on three War Gods from the northern border all by yourself. You killed two of them and left the other one critically injured! But you paid a steep price. Your injuries were so severe that Dr. Wurzbeck, the National Miracle Doctor, and the best doctors at the Military Department, made a pledge to heal you, no matter what. Why won't you follow the Military Department's plan? Instead, you insist on coming to Yarburn to chase after Norton!” “General, I'm begging you, don't let your emotions take control of your actions,” Serene pleaded. “Come back to base with me! Let Dr. Wurzbeck and his team take care of your injuries!” Serene dropped to her knees in front of Lucille, tears streaming down her face like rain. Lucille coughed lightly, her face pale, a small streak of blood appearing at the corner of her mouth. Gently, she placed a hand on Serene's shoulder. “It's no use,” Lucille said softly. “Yes, Dr. Wurzbeck and the others are exceptionally skilled. But they can't heal this wound. Only my savior can. But where would I even find him? I've never repaid him for all he's done for me. How could I possibly bother him again?” “My life is reaching its end,” Lucille continued, her voice steady despite her fragile state. “I have no regrets—neither for my country nor my family. I already agreed to be Norton's wife. How could I go back on my word now? All I want, with what little time I have left, is to be an ordinary woman by Norton's side. Even if he's a good-for-nothing, I'll stay with him. I'll be a fleeting part of his life, and when the time comes, I'll leave quietly.” She smiled faintly, her expression softening for the first time. “Serene, take him away.” The next morning, Norton woke up with his mouth dry and his head pounding like it was about to burst. The first thing he asked for was water. But something wasn't right. This wasn't the bar. “Where am I?” Groaning, he rubbed his head and looked around, his confusion growing with every passing second. He quickly realized he wasn't on a couch anymore. He was lying in a large bed. And this was clearly a woman's room. Just then, the door creaked open, and a tall woman stepped inside. She was carrying a glass of water. “You're awake,” Lucille said calmly. “Here, drink this.” Norton blinked in shock, scrambling to sit up. “Wait, w-who are you? Where am I? What time is it? Last thing I remember, I was at the bar...” He trailed off mid-sentence, his eyes widening as he took in her appearance. Lucille was dressed in a thin, nearly transparent nightgown. Her graceful figure was faintly visible, and it was hard to look away. Huh? This woman is clearly gravely injured, but she's definitely a combat artist. Who is she?