The ‘dog fighting arena’ the Emperor spoke of was a secret place where boys were chosen to become the shadows of the imperial family. It was said that only one would survive here to become the shadow of the imperial family.

The ‘proof’ the Emperor mentioned meant to prove one’s survival value beyond mere ability.

Enoch Callendt was a boy skilled with the sword among his peers. However, that was only among noble boys, and among those fighting for survival, he had inadequate skills.

According to his roommate, every year a battle was held to rank the boys in the dog fighting arena. Only half of the existing boys would survive, while the other half would be eliminated and face death.

The roommate’s scornful remark that he wouldn’t survive long remained vividly in his memory. It was similar to Emperor Letius’ sneer when he shouted that he would become a dog.

The following year, at ten years old, Enoch barely survived by ranking 97th. He felt the threat to his life, that he might die before even taking revenge.

Enoch devoted himself to training, reducing his sleep time. He gripped the sword, not minding the blood and sweat flowing like water. It was a struggle to survive.

At eleven, Enoch ranked 24th, placing in the middle among the survivors.

The roommate who had sneered that he would be eliminated quickly was eliminated after ranking 53rd. He was a boy who, despite grumbling, had taken good care of Enoch.

Enoch secretly wiped away tears looking at the empty room. Sadly, there wasn’t much time to cry, as he had to keep up with training from the next day. He was so busy he didn’t even notice the chrysanthemum on the child’s bed had rotted.

At twelve, Enoch made his appearance in the upper ranks by ranking 5th. The Emperor, who had treated him as non-existent, suddenly invited Enoch to a meal.

He praised that his impression had become much fiercer when he wasn’t looking, saying that he seemed to have finally become closer to a ‘dog’.

Returning to his room, Enoch vomited blood several times.

He felt a dizzying sensation as if his lifeline was being cut. He overcame the pain by pounding the floor and clutching the blanket. He finally understood the Emperor’s words that if he wanted to live, he would have to become even stronger.

Damn bastard, Sieghart cursed for the first time. It was another language his roommate, whose face he could barely remember, had taught him.

At thirteen, he gained the upper hand in the dog fighting arena. He received the imperial sword atop a pile of corpses stacked like a tower. He realized he had come one step closer to revenge, but felt no joy at all.

He hadn’t seen a mirror during his stay in the dog fighting arena. They didn’t keep mirrors for fear of sudden situations where someone might break the glass to harm a comrade.

Enoch saw a mirror for the first time in years. His face in the mirror looked just like that of a beast. His red eyes, once said to be a symbol of elegance, now seemed like cursed objects condensed with blood.

How dreadful.

God had not allowed him to become human. Enoch Callendt also decided that rather than becoming human, he would remain a beast and carry out his revenge.

Returning to the imperial palace, he received high praise from Letius XXIV. He was pleased that the noble boy who once showed signs of gentle upbringing had now become a beast with eyes perfectly suited to be his shadow.

Afterwards, Enoch attempted to negotiate with the Emperor.

“Yes, so please promise me, Your Majesty. That you will give me a chance for revenge. In return, I will dedicate my abilities and life to you.”

If he provided a safe place to live out the rest of his life, he would become the only loyal dog the imperial family could trust. He would willingly carry out whatever they ordered without any resistance.

The Emperor found the child’s unwavering resolve admirable.

Afterwards, Letius XXIV had him sign a contract that couldn’t be terminated without imperial permission, then promised him – if he performed well as a shadow for the next five years, he would grant Enoch a new name and title.

From that day on, Enoch Callendt, who had become the imperial family’s dog, carried out all tasks the Emperor demanded. He did not refuse any dirty or vile task.

He didn’t mind even if it harmed his humanity and dignity.

Those were things he had discarded over and over while crossing swords with his comrades in the dog fighting arena. The teachings of the noble Callendt family about integrity remained only in the distant past.

The man’s sword was imbued with the smell of blood. Terrible screams echoed in his ears all day. His skin bore scratches left by those writhing in pain.

And five years later, Enoch Callendt finally received a new name.

“Sieghart Asthart.”

“……”

“That’s your new name. Do you like it, my dog?”

The name Sieghart Asthart.

Sieghart Asthart attracted much attention when he first appeared at the Emperor’s birthday banquet and was granted the title of duke.

Nobles who were certain he was backed by the imperial family pushed forward their daughters and submitted marriage proposals.

Marriage, he had no interest in such things. The Callendt lineage would come after revenge.

If revenge was not achieved, Callendt would also disappear into the abyss. Sieghart continued his revenge with such firm resolve.

It was when he turned twenty.

The crown prince, Kyle Letius, who always ignored the imperial dog, secretly approached him.

“You know what? You’ve dedicated your life to Letius.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Then do you know that applies even after your revenge is complete?”

Kyle appeared, pouting his lips and provoking him.

It was news to him that he had to assist Letius even after his revenge was complete. Sieghart stared at him with an expressionless face, demanding an explanation.

“I read the contract, and it seems an innocent boy from over a decade ago wrote that he would be loyal to the imperial family for ‘life’?”

“What do you mean……”

“Even if you succeed in your revenge, you’ll have to keep cleaning up Letius’ mess. What you get is not freedom, but the shackles of suffering, haha!”

“……That’s an unfair contract, so I don’t have to keep it.”

“Don’t keep it? What do you take the imperial contract for? As written in the contract, you must be loyal to Letius for life. Even after your revenge is complete, even after your hair turns white, even after you can barely move and only skin remains. Forever.”

The cold-blooded man who seemed to know no fear rarely showed fright. Kyle snorted, as if finding it funny how Sieghart stepped back as he approached.

“Shall I help you?”

“……”

“To break free from the contract.”

Kyle Letius, the likely heir to the throne, proposed a contract to Sieghart Asthart.

In exchange for assassinating the current emperor, Letius XXIV, he would guarantee Sieghart’s freedom. Kyle was the likely heir to the Letius imperial family, but his position was precarious due to incompetence.

The public was clamoring that he should be deposed and the second prince should be appointed as crown prince.

At this rate, even the Emperor’s heart might change, and he might lose the crown prince position to his damned younger brother.

Thinking of an extraordinary measure, Kyle approached a man and proposed: if he would nullify the contract, he should quietly eliminate the current emperor.

A year later, the current emperor died of sudden heart failure. The tea he always drank when meeting with Sieghart had been laced with small amounts of poison.

It was a weak poison that wouldn’t harm the human body if drunk, but as it gradually accumulated, it dealt a great blow to the aging Emperor Letius’ body.

After Emperor Letius’ funeral, Kyle Letius ascended to the throne. It was when Sieghart was approaching twenty-two years old.

Sieghart, who had gone on a business trip to the Galonde Empire by Kyle Letius’ order, happened to meet a woman named Ash Callendt in the imperial palace. She introduced herself as the Emperor’s fifth concubine, a commoner woman.

But Sieghart instinctively realized. That she was a collateral branch of the Callendt family derived from the Galonde Empire.

After revealing his affiliation to Ash Callendt, he began to communicate with her. Sieghart often called her aunt, the only blood relative left in the world. It was to build a bond.

And a year later, he received shocking information from Ash Callendt that ‘the rebellion was a false accusation’.

When a spy who came to the Galonde Empire was tortured, he revealed that he was a long-time subordinate of the Charliee royal family.

While thoroughly investigating the spy’s actions, the shocking news that he had led the rebellion of the Callendt family was also revealed.

He had expected it, but facing it directly was a different matter. Sieghart felt indescribable anger and went to find Kyle.

“I want to start my revenge now. Please cooperate.”

Sieghart led the invasion, promising to bring Charliee into the empire as a vassal state.

The man’s plan succeeded neatly. Although they couldn’t take the entire Charliee Kingdom and only took half, that wasn’t Sieghart’s concern.

His goal was only one thing: the annihilation of Charliee.

‘So these are the ones who took away my happiness……’

He hung the heads of the Charliee royalty killed by Kyle on the castle walls. He gazed for a long time at their hair swaying in the wind. He stared blankly at the red eyes visible beyond their open eyes.

For some reason, it wasn’t satisfying. A bitterness that stung his tongue struck his mind.

Only then did the man admit. That he felt no joy at all.

Was it for this that he had dedicated his body to the imperial family? Was it to see this scene that he had led others’ misfortunes using his own misfortune as justification?

My enemies and at the same time the motivation that made me live my life.

The demise of those who had taken his entire life did not return Sieghart Asthart’s life. The man who had completed his revenge would still rot as Sieghart Asthart.

Enoch Callendt would never return. All that remained for him was the fake name Sieghart Asthart, and a body stained with guilt and loneliness.