Seventh

In a world of swords and magic, where the Goddess is revered, Lyle Walt was fortunate enough to be born the first son and heir to an earldom. That is, until his parents disown him for losing pitifully in a fight with his younger sister, Ceres. Lyle had once been hailed as a prodigy—a wonder child—but the birth of his sister changed everything. After Ceres wounds him in their duel, an enigmatic old man swoops in to rescue Lyle and bestows upon him a necklace containing a jewel that has been blessed by the goddesses and passed down through the last seven generations of Walt leaders. As Lyle sets out, necklace in hand, will he be able to prove himself despite his humiliating loss to his sister? And moreover, will he be able to solve the mystery behind Ceres’s monstrous strength and the strange sway she seems to hold over his entire family?

Disgraced nobleman Lyle Walt has finally started to make a name for himself as an adventurer after leading the charge to defeat a group of bandits plaguing the city of Darion. He’s even started to gain the respect of the seven generations of ancestors whose spirits reside inside the pendant he wears around his neck. But learning a few Arts and earning some respect hasn’t helped much with his current goal: finding a way to support himself and the growing cast of women in his life. As Lyle forges on, he finds himself tangled in the intricate web of Darion’s local politics and fighting to survive the dangers of his first dungeon. He even grows closer to a man he once thought despised him—Basil Walt, the fierce warrior and barbarian tamer who founded his house. But as Lyle’s understanding of Basil deepens, he begins to realize that the founder's future might not align with his own...

Lyle Walt and his party have only recently returned to Darion, but once they hear a new dungeon has appeared in the area, Lyle decides he’s going to be on the subjugation team—no matter what. Before long, he’s enlisted the aid of Rondo and his party and schemed his way onto the expedition. Unfortunately, the team’s excitement is quickly deflated by reality, and Lyle realizes that dungeon subjugation is far more perilous than he’s ever imagined. Trapped between a group of hot-blooded, competitive adventurers and an enemy lurking among the Guild personnel, Lyle’s party finds themselves struggling to make any money in the dungeon at all, let alone conquer it! Lyle’s left with no choice but to trust his ancestors’ advice to keep them all afloat. And as their time at the dungeon draws to a close, the question remains: will Lyle’s party actually be able to battle monsters, gain experience, and get themselves some treasure? Or will they fail to even recoup their initial investment...?

Now that Lyle and his party have found a new home in the Academic City of Aramthurst, a location known for its underground dungeon and where any trade can be picked up for a fee, they’re ready to tackle their next objectives—expanding their party and gaining new skills. There’s only one problem: how are they going to keep themselves in funds? Lyle’s initial plan is to make coin within the lucrative halls of Aramthurst’s dungeon, but this idea is quickly quashed when he finds out entrance to it is strictly controlled by the Academy. And with a party that’s way too small and a list of achievements that’s about one line long, Lyle doesn’t stand a chance of impressing them. In fact, his prospects only get worse when he manages to run afoul of some Academy nobles. As always, Lyle turns to his ancestors for help, but all they do is nag and complain. Still, Lyle is determined to blaze forward. Is he...entering his rebellious phase?!

Lyle Walt is struggling. His ancestors have given him a challenge to conquer thirty floors of Aramthurst’s dungeon without using their Arts, but with his party divided, it’s proving impossible. Aria and Sophia bicker with one another constantly, and Miranda only fuels the flames. Meanwhile Novem watches on without intervening, fending off Lyle’s new automaton, who treats her with open hatred. And all the while, Lyle sits with his head in his hands, unable to see a way to fix the problems laid out before him. That is, until he finally discovers a possible solution—a new comrade.

After learning his fill in Aramthurst, Lyle heads to Central, where he receives an invitation to visit the Circry estate. There he meets Miranda and Shannon’s father, Ralph Circry, who...isn’t Lyle’s biggest fan. But just as tensions start to rise, a surprising new visitor arrives: Lionel Walt, a nobleman from the Central branch of House Walt. All of sudden, Lyle is forced to navigate dealing with a distant relative—a complicated task made even more complex by his disownment. It’s in this dubious, slightly hostile atmosphere that Ralph steps forward and offers both boys the opportunity to join a subjugation force. The reward? Some gold coins, and the implied heirship to House Circry for whoever distinguishes himself the most. How will Lyle handle this new rivalry with Lionel? Is he even up to the challenge before him while still coping with the grief of watching yet another of his ancestors fade away?