Chapter 366: Consolation Prizes?!

Words : 1422 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

Chapter 366: Consolation Prizes?! Guard Terrance did not imagine he could have such luck in his life. For one, he was once an orphan left to die on some numbered planet. But who could’ve thought he’d end up rescued and accepted into a ducal house? Yes, he was raised by the people of the House of Kyros, and while it wasn’t the Duke or the Duchess who actually took him in, they all knew that the orphanage’s generous support came straight from the couple’s hands. He and the other orphans had never wanted for food or shelter. They were given education, encouraged to develop hobbies, and when the time came, they were even provided better mechas if they wanted to join the military as mecha pilots. So, when the time came to choose which sector he’d want to be assigned to, in his mind it was a no-brainer to choose the House of Kyros. But the then fresh-faced soldier was surprisingly met with many warnings about not being able to progress because that house had gone into seclusion and had only been doing the bare minimum. The funny thing was that Terrance couldn’t understand what they were getting at because, like the soldiers under the other houses, all the soldiers he knew from Planet Kyros were still battling in the contaminated zones, just like everyone else. Then he learned that it was mostly because they were all preparing and envisioning the house’s eventual fall once the leader died. Now that was something Terrance had nothing to say about because even he knew just how many people died due to contamination, which would generally lead to Spiritual Power Imbalance. But even then, this was his only way to give back to the house that supported him through most of his life. And so, even when the actual people from the house encouraged him to go elsewhere to further his career, the young soldier decided to stay. And what do you know? It was the best and smartest decision he had made in his short life. Because right now, Guard Terrance, one of the youngest soldiers in this house, was receiving his prizes for being among the Top 10 survivors in that all-out battle royale. In his case, "survivor" was the perfect word, because if that veteran opponent hadn’t accidentally disqualified himself by breaking a chunk of the arena with a punch too strong for the bounds, Terrance knew he wouldn’t have lasted another minute. It was an accidental win, sure. However, it was all worth it. And after realizing what they were getting, the young guard felt like he could possibly survive another round. It would be deadly, but he would manage. Because he was dead sure that no other house, and probably not even the Imperial family, would be able to provide them with anything close to what the heir of a supposedly washed-out house was handing them now. Luca started with the consolation prizes. This was unheard of. But it was in part because the surviving winners had to go through a round of first aid treatment; after all, they really did not hold back. So everyone received participation prizes, which were baskets brimming with fresh fruits, vegetables, a dozen eggs, and even jars of fruit jam. Not just a token apple or carrot, but enough to make real food, meals, and feasts. Like several decent salads. If they only knew. The guards, even those who had lost, practically vibrated with excitement. But to Luca’s horror, as he watched from the side, he saw several of them about to eagerly bite straight into raw vegetables, ready to chew through them like starved rabbits. Oh no. It hit Luca like a lightning bolt. They didn’t know how to cook! It was a painfully obvious detail the golden-eyed heir had completely forgotten. Outside of the manor’s newly trained kitchen staff, most of these people didn’t cook; they just ate whatever they were handed, exactly as is. Luca’s heart lurched into full-blown panic. He realized that his carefully prepared prize might have been, well...a bit insensitive. But just as Luca was about to spiral further into his panic, Ollie burst in, grinning from ear to ear like a golden-haired savior. "Wait, wait, wait! Hold up everyone!" the blonde called out, waving his arms dramatically to stop everyone from excitedly chomping down on their precious ingredients. Everyone froze mid-motion, blinking in surprise as their Young Lord’s best friend puffed up proudly. "I’ve got videos!" Ollie declared, chest out, hands on his hips. "Luca’s cooking instructions! All recorded! I’ll share them with everyone so you can actually make something good out of what you’ve got! So don’t just randomly chew on them!" The crowd blinked up at him. Then they turned to blink at the golden-eyed heir. And then, like a sudden wave, the room exploded in cheers. Guards whooped and pumped their fists. Others jumped up in celebration—only to promptly groan as they pulled random muscles mid-cheer, clutching their backs or shoulders while still trying to convey their happiness. And even that one guard who managed to take a small bite of his carrot was glad he only took an itty-bitty bite! Ollie beamed, visibly basking in the glory of his advanced thinking, practically radiating smug satisfaction as he gave a thumbs up to his relieved brother. Around them, the unfortunate non-combatants could only sigh and lament their fate as they watched these bloodhounds rejoice. But maybe they should’ve closed their eyes and ears, for Luca was just getting started. The initial shock came from the hurting participants receiving a low-grade or a mid-grade healing pill, depending on their current condition. And this wasn’t even part of the prize; it was more like something Luca thought of as he wondered how they would be able to guard anything when they’re all hurting like that. It’s just that he didn’t expect them to enter into this sort of buzzing yet stunned frenzy as people started taking the pill that was given to them. Guards were eyeing each other, unsure of whether it was a placebo effect or if they were really getting healed by a tiny ball. But they were. And everyone looked at the Duke and Duchess as if they were expecting a gag order or a confirmation. But the couple only nodded slowly, and the guards almost wanted to kneel. If not for Luca suddenly taking out little bottles with different colored balls inside them. There was a beat of stunned silence. Apparently, the Young Lord prepared sets of healing, stamina recovery, spiritual recovery, and even guiding pills, specifically for the top ten winners. It was chaotic. And understandably so. Because everyone who’d already tested even one pill now knew how lucky those top ten were. And when Luca explained that the spiritual recovery pill was best taken before any expected heavy spiritual exertion because it could enhance rapid recovery while fighting, jaws slackened across the room. The Mylor couple exchanged looks, both thinking the same thing: As expected. In a universe starved for spiritual energy, being told such a pill existed was like being told they’d been living a lie. But then Luca turned serious, cradling a bottle of guiding pills carefully in his hands because the heir wasn’t done giving his people mini heart attacks. "These...are meant for combating corruption. If you get contaminated in the middle of a battle and have no other choice, use them." His voice softened. "But please—don’t push yourselves recklessly. Go back. Recuperate. Don’t waste your life fighting through it when the odds aren’t that great. You can always come back stronger, provided you stay alive." He looked sincerely at them all, his golden eyes shining. "We’re still trying to figure out if we can prepare these for everyone. Right now, we’re not sure. But I promise...I’ll do my best to find a way to increase production." The room fell into a heavy, touched silence. Terrance, standing among the crowd, felt his throat tighten. He clenched his fists, chest swelling with fierce loyalty. Many of the elite would likely keep something like this for themselves, but here was their very Young Lord giving it away to them. And in bottles too! This—this was why he could never walk away from a house like this. This was why he was pretty sure he would fight, bleed, and even die for them. Because this was no ordinary noble house. This was the House of Kyros.

Chapter 366: Consolation Prizes?!

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