Hours passed after Freya announced the end of the Tenth Trial, and the earlier excitent inside the hall had finally begun to settle down.
The injured candidates who had been taken away earlier were now back after receiving treatnt, alongside the mbers of their groups who followed them to the recovery tents.
The atmosphere no longer carried the sa explosive tension from before.
Instead, a heavy sense of anticipation slowly filled the hall. Everyone’s attention rested toward the seat of the Family Head.
The candidates all stood in orderly lines facing Valentin’s direction.
Veda’s arms, forehead, and one leg were wrapped in white bandages, even though he looked exhausted, the smile on his face still had not disappeared.
Vera also had bandages wrapped around both arms despite her injuries being lighter than his.
Felix’s body was bandaged heavily as well, almost comparable to Veda’s condition, while Lyra and Page carried visible injuries too.
Small whispers still floated through the audience and candidates occasionally.
So discussed the final battle while others still argued about whether Vera intentionally surrendered.
Then...
Valentin slowly raised one hand and imdiately...
The entire hall beca silent.
Even the candidates unconsciously straightened their backs further.
Valentin stood up, the black military coat of Ashenlocke moved slightly as he stepped away from his seat.
His cold black eyes slowly scanned across every candidate standing below him while his expression remained exactly the sa as when he first entered earlier.
Cold, unreadable and unmoved.
Even after everything that happened during the ceremony...
Not a single emotion could be clearly seen on his face.
His gaze briefly paused on Vera, then shifted toward Veda.
"Children of Ash."
His deep voice echoed calmly throughout the hall with heavy authority behind it.
"I personally want to say congratulations."
The mont those words entered their ears...
Many candidates imdiately brightened.
Several Lowline candidates even looked shocked.
The Head of Ashenlocke personally congratulating them carried enormous aning.
"You were all rely children at the beginning of this journey."
Valentin continued calmly.
"But now..."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"You are true Alchemists."
The hall remained completely silent while listening to him.
"And not rely Alchemists like the young children from other families."
His words instantly made several nobles sitting in the audience straighten proudly.
"You are Alchemists who have experienced death and survived it."
He raised one hand and pointed toward the candidates.
The pressure in his voice alone made several younger candidates unconsciously tense up.
"Outside this place..."
Valentin continued.
"Is the true world of Alchemy that awaits you. There, you will encounter greater geniuses, stronger young Alchemists, and enemies far beyond what you currently understand."
His voice remained steady.
"But..."
His fist slowly tightened.
"I believe Ashenlocke will never stand inferior to anyone again."
The air inside the hall itself seed to grow heavier.
"Born from steel while our blood falls like ash..."
His black eyes slowly swept through everyone.
"We Ashenlocke helped build Britannia into what it is today. We were among the pillars that raised this kingdom’s power."
He paused briefly.
"With the foundation you have now received..."
Valentin’s voice deepened further.
"You must go out there and remind the world exactly what Ashenlocke ans."
The pressure from his presence quietly spread through the hall.
"For steel to remain unbreakable..."
His eyes narrowed.
"And for your trigger to fire ahead of everyone else."
"All for the rise of Ashenlocke."
He raised his fist upward.
"ALL FOR ASHENLOCKE!"
The candidates instantly shouted together while standing straight.
"ALL FOR ASHENLOCKE!"
Their voices shook the hall loudly.
Imdiately after his speech, several guards and maids carrying trays stepped toward the candidates in perfect order.
The guards picked up the tal stars resting on the trays while the maids slightly bowed their heads.
One after another...
The stars were attached onto the shoulder side of the candidates’ coats.
The tallic stars reflected the light from the lamps above.
This was no simple decoration.
It signified acknowledgnt and recognition.
Proof that they were now official Alchemists of the family and it also represented their rank in Alchemy.
Once the stars were attached, the soldiers stepped backward sharply and saluted the candidates, then they turned toward the Elders, the Head, and his wives.
Saluting again before marching away cleanly.
The atmosphere beca solemn afterward.
The candidates simultaneously placed one hand over the Ashenlocke symbol on their caps before lowering it toward the left side of their chests.
Then together...
They shouted loudly.
"BY THE SCHOLARS..."
"WE PROMISE TO BEAR FRUIT FOR THE FAMILY AND THE GLORY OF BRITANNIA!"
Their voices echoed proudly throughout the hall while the audience watched them in silence from above with their eyes burning with joy and excitent.
Imdiately after the chant ended...
The audience holding back, now all stood up erupting into applause.
Many nobles nodded with pleased expressions, others looked toward the candidates with excitent and expectation.
"Now..."
Elder Portia stepped forward, the applause calming down.
Valentin remained standing in the middle while Astraea stood on his left side.
Behind them stood the remaining Elders alongside Valentin’s two wives.
"Veda Ashenlocke... step forward."
Her calm voice spread throughout the hall.
Veda walked out from the line afterward.
Despite the bandages covering parts of his body...
His posture remained upright.
"You have co a long way, child."
Portia smiled softly.
Veda respectfully bowed toward her words.
Portia’s smile deepened slightly, then she turned toward the others standing beside her.
"Let us begin the Scholar’s Wisdom Passage."
The atmosphere beca even quieter as Veda slowly lowered himself onto one knee while looking upward toward the Elders and Main bodies of the family.
"Veda Ashenlocke..."
Elder Yestin stretched one hand toward him first.
"May you continue remaining hardworking and steadfast forever."
The old man’s voice sounded calm yet approving, then...
Elder Paul stepped forward slightly.
"Veda Ashenlocke..."
A faint smile rested on his aged face.
"You should never stop dreaming, even when the world might stand in your way."
He sighed softly afterward.
"I admit... these old eyes of mine failed to see you properly before. But you proved both my experience and judgnt wrong. Continue moving forward."
He stretched his hand toward Veda.
"Veda Ashenlocke..."
Elder Ivanhoe adjusted his glasses calmly.
"An Alchemist should endlessly seek greater knowledge. So, from now onward..."
His sharp eyes focused on Veda.
"I expect your intelligence to grow even further."
Elder Tabitha spoke next.
"As I watched your group..."
Her expression remained mostly plain.
"I saw how deeply your people trusted you. That alone proves the qualities of a leader."
She slowly stretched her hand toward him.
"Continue proving yourself until every remaining doubt disappears completely."
"Veda Ashenlocke..."
Elder Branthwaite calmly stepped forward.
"Your talent should have been diocre."
His old eyes narrowed slightly.
"Yet you managed to reach the ister Rank at this age...That alone has shattered my common belief."
A faint approving smile appeared afterward.
"So beco soone who continues breaking those beliefs and raise this family higher with your strength when you enter the Royal Academy."
Then...
Elder Fredrick stepped forward with visible reluctance still lingering on his face.
"Veda Ashenlocke..." He paused briefly. "You struggled really hard to reach this point."
His tone carried little enthusiasm.
"So, continue struggling."
Even several candidates below could sense how forced the blessing sounded.
"Veda Ashenlocke... your heart burns like a candle that refuses to go out no matter how hard the storm blows against it. I watched you fall to the ground again and again during these trials, watched your body break, watched your confidence shake, yet every single ti... you still stood back up."
Elder Gram’s calm voice echoed through the hall as he looked directly at Veda with clear approval in his aged eyes.
"That determination..."
He slowly adjusted his posture before continuing.
"That stubborn will to keep moving forward even when your talent falls behind others... that is the kind of quality this family truly needs."
His gaze briefly shifted toward Vera for only a mont before returning to Veda again.
"Not talent alone."
Elder Gram, the elder who had remained quiet throughout almost the entire ceremony, finally spoke with a pleased tone.
Unlike the others who openly showed excitent or disappointnt during the trials, Gram had always stayed neutral, focusing only on observing everything silently from the side of the internal affairs of the family. Yet now, as he looked toward Veda, the satisfaction on his aged face could clearly be seen.
His gaze briefly shifted toward Vera.
Only for a mont.
But that single glance already carried enough aning.
It was obvious he belonged among the elders and people of the family who disliked Vera’s personality.
Her emotionless behavior, her unreadable nature.
The way nobody could truly tell what she was thinking even while staring directly into her eyes.
To people like Elder Gram, that kind of person could never properly lead others.
And that was why...
The joy on his face after Veda’s victory didn’t look hidden at all.
But... of course, this wasn’t sothing people didn’t know about.
Several nobles glanced awkwardly toward Vera knowing the aning behind his words, but Vera herself remained completely unbothered.
She simply looked bored as always.
"As expected..."
She quietly muttered under her breath.
"Old people really enjoy motivational speeches."
Nina almost choked after hearing her, but cald herself.
"Make sure to lead us with your beautiful heart and wisdom."
Gram stretched his hand proudly toward Veda.
His voice carried far more warmth compared to earlier.
Ever since Veda returned from his harsh training under Val, Gram had quietly begun paying attention to him more and more.
Veda’s talent had never impressed him and his intelligence also was not monstrous like Vera’s.
But the determination the boy carried, the way he constantly stood back up after falling over and over again, slowly gained the old man’s approval, that’s why he made sure to watch his progress in the trial.
Gram himself had always been soone who remained neutral in family matters.
He focused on work, handled his duties, and avoided involving himself deeply in internal conflicts.
Yet now...
He willingly gave his blessing toward Veda’s rise.
Elder Portia stepped forward once again.
"Veda Ashenlocke..."
Her calm elderly voice spread throughout the place.
"As the forr Head of this family, I once gave your sister a title."
She looked toward Vera briefly before returning her gaze toward Veda.
"The Jewel of Ash."
Several people unconsciously glanced toward Vera after hearing that title again.
Vera herself remained standing with her usual bored look, like none of this concerned her.
Portia slowly pointed toward Veda.
"And now...I shall give you your own title."
The atmosphere beca more serious instantly.
Even the audience on the second floor leaned slightly forward.
Portia spread her hands wider while increasing her voice enough for the entire hall to hear clearly.
"From this day onward... Veda Ashenlocke shall be known as the Unbreakable Steel of Ash!"
The words echoed loudly through the hall.
A few candidates widened their eyes, others imdiately began whispering among themselves.
Portia continued proudly.
"You have shown us the true embodint of steel that refuses to break...And a bullet that cannot be blocked."
She slowly lowered her hands toward her stomach side again.
"Please continue remaining strong willed."
Then she stretched one hand softly toward him with a pleased smile.
Veda’s chest tightened slightly after hearing those words.
The title felt heavy.
Not because of pride alone, but because of the responsibility that has been passed on to him.
"Veda Ashenlocke..."
Astraea suddenly spoke next.
Her arms remained folded while she looked at him with a plain expression.
Even standing among the Elders, her presence still felt sharp enough to pressure people unconsciously.
"I still don’t know what your future will beco."
Her cold eyes narrowed slightly.
"And I also don’t know if you can continue growing with your weak talent."
Several nobles instantly beca awkward hearing her blunt words again, but Astraea continued without caring.
"But right now..."
She slowly stretched her hand toward him.
"Your Master and your mother would be proud of you."
The instant those words entered Veda’s ears...
His eyes twitched.
Warm emotions imdiately surged through his chest. His breathing almost beca unstable.
Even though these words ca from Astraea...
The sa woman who once hurt him badly...
The ntion of the two people he treasured most still struck deeply inside him.
Val.
His Master.
The person who pushed him harder than anyone else and the person who believed in him before many others did.
He was the only important figure absent from the ceremony.
Not because he refused to co, but because he currently remained outside Britannia.
Then...
The dark gray-haired woman beside Valentin stepped forward softly.
Her elegant red gown moved lightly as she smiled toward Veda.
"Veda Ashenlocke...Please continue being kind toward your older siblings... and your younger siblings as well."
Her voice sounded gentle.
Unlike Astraea’s sharp tone, hers carried warmth that relaxed people naturally.
She stretched her hand toward him softly while smiling.
The second woman stepped forward next.
Her snow-white hair reflected the hall lights beautifully while her green eyes carried a playful gleam.
A smirk appeared on her face as she raised one finger upward dramatically.
"Veda Ashenlocke...You should also begin thinking about finding the perfect spouse."
Several younger nobles instantly looked awkward hearing her words.
"As a wise man once said..."
She smiled wider.
"Finding love at a young age is much better than finding it late."
A few chuckles spread through the audience.
"May you also succeed properly in this area of your life."
She stretched her hand toward him while the teasing smirk remained on her face.
Veda laughed awkwardly after hearing that.
Both Linda and Mariam both unconsciously glanced toward him multiple tis before quickly looking away again.
Their ears had already turned slightly red.
"Veda Ashenlocke..."
Valentin finally spoke as the atmosphere beca heavier again.
His expression remained completely emotionless as he looked down at Veda.
"As everyone here has already said... Now that you are the Heir...You must understand sothing clearly."
His black eyes locked onto Veda’s.
"You are now the spearhead of this generation and the spearhead of this family."
Veda unconsciously straightened his posture further.
"Everything you do from this mont onward..."
Valentin’s deep voice echoed calmly.
"Will either affect this family positively...Or negatively."
The pressure behind his words felt enormous.
Veda felt slightly nervous being stared at directly like this.
"Make sure..." Valentin’s eyes sharpened slightly. "That you never make us regret you becoming the Heir."
"I WON’T!"
Veda shouted imdiately with confidence.
His voice echoed loudly throughout the hall.
Valentin stared at him for a few seconds, then he nodded once.
"Good. Congratulations on becoming the Young Lord of Ashenlocke."
He stretched his hand outward.
At that sa mont...
The Elders and the two wives all spoke together.
"May the great Scholars bless you with wisdom and power."
Their voices overlapped solemnly.
Veda lowered his head respectfully once more, then he slowly stood back up.
At the side of the stage...
Freya stepped forward again.
"The ceremony has officially co to a close."
She bowed respectfully before stepping away from the platform.
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