Chapter 23 – Kirian’s Awakening (2)


    ‘Count Arsene is like me.’


    It was a feeling I had always had.


    Not in terms of appearance or personality, but disposition.


    He neglects his household affairs and immerses himself in outside matters.


    Only after losing something truly precious does he regret and regret again.


    Only after facing the worst of the worst, something that can never be undone.


    ‘So, don’t follow in my footsteps. Don’t you already feel it, too?’


    Perhaps, in the midst of misfortune, there was a silver lining.


    Count Arsene had an opportunity toplete his realization.


    Because he had lost his dearly beloved wife in the past.


    ‘This is my heartfelt advice to you.’


    As a fellow father and head of the family, I sincerely hope you do not repeat my mistakes.


    -It’s not toote.


    -……What……?


    -Your two mischievous sons are young enough to reform, and your other son is flexible as a willow, not yet broken.


    Step, step, step.


    Having finished the mana message, I slowly stepped up to the training ground.


    Kirian hade to me of his own will.


    So, now it was my turn to respond in kind.


    ‘What is needed is motivation.’


    From now on, I must make sure hees to his senses.


    With Lady Isabelle and the troublemakers watching, the educational environment was perfect.


    “So, in the end, were you just another child of a noble family?”


    I could feel the fearful gaze of Jan.


    But, my eyes were fixed only on Kirian.


    “Why didn’t you say it sooner?”


    “What……?”


    “You just wanted to indulge in self-constion. You’re starting to worry about what happens if you fail the test, right? So, you’reying the groundwork. ‘I did my best,’ ‘This is enough.’ Like that.”


    Flinch.


    Kirian’s body trembled.


    ‘He’s starting to react.’


    I could feel it.


    The quickening breath.


    The racing heartbeat.


    The goosebumps rising all over his body.


    A sarcastic smile formed on my lips.


    “That’s no different from the justifications nobles usually make.”


    “……You’re wrong.”


    “I’m not ming you, though. If you’re a noble, you might as well act like one.”


    “I said, you’re wrong……!”


    Pfft.


    Myughter deliberately seeped through my teeth.


    “Effort, my foot.”


    Grit.


    At this, the veins on Kirian’s forehead pulsed.


    It was a natural reaction.


    If he had truly been giving his all, he couldn’t help but be angry.


    ‘Because it’s like I’m denying all the effort he’s put in.’


    And, right now, in front of his stepmother andpetitors, no less.


    “Come to think of it, I wonder if your mother would have been pleased with someone like you.”


    “……!”


    “You’re so kind, after all; worrying about your brothers getting hurt.”


    That was hisst straw.


    Kirian’s face contorted in rage.


    Jan, who had been watching the situation closely, bit down on a triumphant smile.


    “Oh? Look at that expression of yours. What are you going to do, huh?”


    He raised his wooden sword again.


    At that moment.


    Thunk!


    “What?!”


    A crisp sound of impact and a streak of bewilderment echoed simultaneously.


    Kirian, who had struck Jan’s descending wooden sword with his own, staggered to his feet.


    His eyes now held a fierceness that hadn’t been there before.


    “I said you’re wrong!”


    A savage roar burst from Kirian as he charged towards his brother, who instinctively stepped back.


    Jan showed clear signs of panic at the sight of this unfamiliar spectacle.


    And over the head of that rascal.


    Smack!


    A sturdy wooden sword was brought down.


    “……Ugh!”


    Jan, groaning, barely managed to raise his sword to block it.


    “What do you know!”


    “This bastard……!”


    Bam!


    Though the attack failed, Kirian didn’t panic.


    The awakened Kirian moved in a way that even impressed me.


    Tumble!


    “Argh!”


    Jan lost his bnce for a moment, and fell to the ground.


    Stance broken, he raised his wooden sword to block another blow from Kirian.


    At that moment, Kirian inserted his foot into Jan’s wobbly legs,pletely breaking his bnce.


    ‘He’s quite a natural at using his body.’


    I couldn’t help but be impressed.


    That was a naturally gifted talent.


    Young kids who have just started learning the sword tend to focus only on the shy movements.


    The truly importantponent isn’t the weapon, but the body that holds it.


    ‘As expected, he’s flexible.’


    In a sh, an educational curriculum for Kirian formed in my mind.


    If Harun’s talent was optimized for quick swordsmanship, Kirian’s was optimized for soft movements.


    In other words, he was a type specialized in using the opponent’s strength against them.


    Thud!


    “……Ugh!”


    As he fell, Jan’s sr plexus received a heavy blow from the wooden sword.


    The unexpected ambush left Jan unable to lift his head.


    He just rolled around on the ground with a pained expression.


    “Brother!”


    Hersen hurriedly ran to his fallen brother.


    Lady Isabelle stood frozen in ce like a statue.


    p, p, p.


    “Look at that. See? You can do well if you try.”


    Finally, a genuine smile formed on my lips.


    But an unexpected situation arose just at that moment.


    “……Did you really have to do that?”


    “Huh?”


    “Did you really have to belittle and undermine someone else’s effort? Are you happy now?”


    Kirian muttered each word deliberately.


    “To an outsider like you, I must seem incredibly pathetic.”


    Before I could respond, Kirian quietly looked up at the sky.


    “But I have no regrets. That was my mother’s dying wish.”


    Wait a minute.


    “Dying wish?”


    “……She told me not to hate my siblings and stepmother. Not to hurt them.”


    For the first time, Isabelle reacted.


    Her trembling gaze turned to Kirian.


    “She said it’s a blessing to have a family in this vast world. That we should love and care for each other because family is a bond to be cherished. Only then could Father focus on his work outside with peace of mind.”


    “……What a wonderful mother.”


    “Wonderful? No, my mother thought it was natural. Because they are my family. Because hating your family leads to your own unhappiness.”


    Who wouldn’t hate another because they didn’t know that?


    The saying that life is unpredictable exists for a reason.


    In life, situations inevitably arise where you can’t help but hate someone.


    Even if that person is a blood rtive.


    “Is it so wrong to not want to hurt my family? To want to take care of my family?”


    “Yes, it’s wrong.”


    “What……?”


    “No matter what your mother’s intentions were, what you’re saying now is a typical loser’s logic.”


    “……!”


    Kirian’s eyes widened at my reply.


    “Who do you think you are, to take care of anyone? That’s a choice for the strong and powerful.”


    “You, you bastard……!”


    “Don’t you get it? Everyone keeps telling you that the world follows the survival of the fittest. In my experience, people like you are the first to die and walk among the dead.”


    What I said was an undeniable truth.


    On the battlefield, those with sensitive personalities like Kirian’s were the first to die.


    “Do I need to give you a history lesson? Are you going to justify yourself in the afterlife too? ‘Ah, but I kept my mother’s will.’”


    “Shut up! What do you know……!”


    “Get a grip!”


    For the first time, I put emotion into my voice.


    “Your so-called family doesn’t even consider you family.”


    “……!”


    “Are you deaf? You’re just an obstacle in their path to power. Your stepmother would tear you apart to be the family head.”


    Would Kirian’s mother really have left such a will if she wanted her child to meet such a miserable end?


    Of course not.


    “She just wanted you to grow up straight and true even without her. That’s why she said those words.”


    “……!”


    “What good is being an angel if your family are demons?”


    Kirian’s eyes filled with tears.


    “Then…… What do you even want me to do?”


    “What do you mean, ‘what’? The answer is simple.”


    “Simple……?”


    “If the cause of family discord is a demon masquerading as family, you don’t solve it by eating away at your own soul. You either beat or reform the demon. After that, you can forgive and foster harmony, or follow your mother’s will to your heart’s content.”


    Of course, achieving reform is much harder than a beating.


    “Of course, you’ll have to work yourself to death for that, right? But what can you do? It’s the path you’ve chosen.”


    I nced at Lady Isabelle before continuing.


    “In my life, I’ve realized something. Consideration for others only has meaning when you have power. When weaklings cower, no one thinks of it as consideration. They just mock and ridicule it as the helplessness of a loser.”


    I had said everything I wanted to say.


    ‘Considering I only know about war andck eloquence, I believe I’ve done enough.’


    With that thought, I was about to nce in the direction where Count Arsene was hiding.


    “Stop.”


    The person in question appeared at just the right time.


    “D-Dear?”


    “W-We greet the head of the family!”


    The mother and her three children, shocked, froze in ce.


    But Count Arsene didn’t even nce at them.


    “……We’ll talkter. You, follow me.”


    His gaze was fixed solely on me.


    At that moment, Isabelle, having grasped the situation, furrowed her brow.


    “Think carefully about what your mother would truly want.”


    “……”


    There was no response.


    I waved my hand once and followed Count Arsene.


    ***


    Even after returning to the head’s quarters, we didn’t speak for a long time.


    He must have had many thoughts.


    I waited quietly, allowing him to organize his thoughts.


    “……You told me three reasons why I should force a territorial war.”


    Finally, Count Arsene broke the silence.


    “Did any of them resonate with you?”


    “No.”


    Without a moment’s hesitation, Count Arsene shook his head.


    “Because there are ‘four reasons’ why I can’t force a territorial war right now.”


    “……?”


    My disappointment quickly turned to curiosity.


    ‘So, he’s going to add one more reason to my three and argue against it?’


    I immediately sat up.


    “I’m listening.”


    “First, even if we present a legitimate reason and request a territorial war, the royal family won’t allow it.”


    “But we have sufficient justification, don’t we?”


    “It’s not a matter of justification. It’s a more practical issue.”


    A thought shed through my mind like lightning.


    Come to think of it, I remember hearing from the Mask of Night that the Arsene family is a representative pro-royalist force.


    “A fight we are certain to lose. Is it because we cannot afford to waste the precious forces of the royalist faction?”


    “Even if you have some miraculous n, it doesn’t matter. From the royal family’s perspective, you’re just a mere child. Moreover, without their permission, a territorial war is impossible.”


    “Then let’s say the n came from you, Count. You can pretend I never existed from the beginning.”


    I wasn’t particrly disappointed by this.


    What use would it be for me to earn credit for strengthening the royal power of this country?


    ‘Ah, maybe it is a bit disappointing? I was nning to participate in the Master Tournament as a representative of the Hart Kingdom.’


    As I licked my lips in regret, Count Arsene presented another reason.


    “Second, rumors snowball.”


    “Rumors?”


    “No secret is kept forever. Eventually, the source of this n being you will be revealed. You argued that we mustunch a preemptive strike for the sake of our reputation, but if it gets out that we went to war based on the words of a mere child, it would genuinely damage our reputation.”


    Just like in any other era, nobles worry about things that haven’t even happened yet.


    “And the third reason?”


    “Before that, let me ask you something.”


    “Yes?”


    “I’ve never heard of a monster reaching Expert level at your age. Not even in the vast empire.”


    Count Arsene’s eyes held an unconcealed wariness.


    “Could it be that you are perhaps the reincarnation of an absolute being?”


    Naturally, his tone became more respectful.


    It was a usible hypothesis.


    When mana reaches its extreme, the body ispletely reborn.


    One’s flesh and bone are restructured, transforming into the optimal state that even surpasses one’s prime.


    Count Arsene was referring to this phenomenon of rebirth.


    “Don’t I look too young for that?”


    “……And that’s the third reason.”


    Count Arsene’s tone returned to normal.


    tter, tter.


    Immediately, the knights around us intentionally made noise as they ced their hands on their sword hilts.


    “I cannot trust you. And I do not keep uncontroble variables by my side.”


    “Aha.”


    For the first time, I nodded clearly.


    “A distrust of me as a person. That, I can understand.”


    This wasn’t something to feel wronged about.


    It simply meant that Count Arsene was a careful person.


    In different circumstances, he should be praised for it.


    Constantly thinking and doubting.


    That is a fundamental quality needed to survive in this harsh world.


    “Of course, our fault is clear. We have no intention of just brushing it off. If you want anything, we willpensate you adequately in mary terms. So, I’d like you to leave my house by today.”


    It was a tant order to leave.


    “Oh, well.”


    Without any hesitation, I stood up.


    “For that reason alone, I understand the Count’s feelings clearly.”


    “……Thank you for understanding.”


    “Just out of curiosity, what is the fourth reason?”


    At my question, Count Arsene hesitated for a moment before sighing.


    “……Though I may be an ipetent man, I am still a father.”


    “Huh?”


    This was an entirely unexpected answer.


    “Your life-defining examination is approaching, isn’t it? If a territorial war between families breaks out now, wouldn’t I be taking away the chance for those children to prove their efforts?”


    “They would all understand. The future of the family is more important than the exam.”


    “That’s not for me to judge.”


    Well, thinking about it, this isn’t so bad either.


    At least it seems that Count Arsene won’t follow the same path I’ve taken.


    “I will take my leave.”


    “I won’t see you out.”


    “Onest thing…… Do you know this?”


    I turned my head slightly to finish speaking.


    “No matter how much you n and try to proceed with things, sometimes they don’t go as intended. That’s just how the world works.”


    “What exactly are you trying to say?”


    “I had no intention of doing so, but when I opened my eyes, I found myself at the eye of a storm! Something like that.”


    I turned around and walked out through the door.


    “People call that ‘fate.’”


    ***


    “I’m going to kill him.”


    Isabelle’s eyes were filled with murderous intent as she returned to her room.


    There was no way her husband had appeared at that moment by chance.


    “You, I will definitely……!”


    She bit her lip so hard that now blood was seeping out.


    Even though she had talked about turning herself in, that child had ultimately thwarted her final n.


    In the end, she had shown an embarrassing side of herself, and the situation was beyond repair.


    “Lady, I heard you were looking for me.”


    The person she had been seeking entered the room.


    On the surface, this person was a servant of the count’s household, but in reality, they were a spy for the marquis’ family.


    Naturally, Isabelle’s eyebrow twitched.


    She couldn’t bepletely calm after hearing that assassins might be sent to kill her.


    Grit.


    But that was all.


    She had decided not to be swayed by that wretched brat any longer.


    “……I have an urgent request.”


    “Please, speak freely.”


    “Before that, if the marquis would allow it, I will go into the prison myself to deal with the witness.”


    “……!”


    Jake’s eyes widened instantly.


    There was only one witness.


    Vigri de Foltaine.


    Though an illegitimate child, he was still a blood rtive of the marquis’ family.


    Removing someone like him would naturally require the marquis’ permission.


    “Is it possible?”


    “Don’t worry. I have a n.”


    “……Understood.”


    “In return, you must grant my request.”


    With that, Isabelle took out a sealed letter she had prepared and handed it to him.


    “Please deliver this.”


    “I can deliver the message myself……”


    “No. Just deliver this.”


    “……Understood.”


    Jake stared at Isabelle with a peculiar look for a moment before bowing his head.


    “In that case, may I also make a request of you, Lady?”


    “What is it? I must warn you, I no longer have much power.”


    “It doesn’t require much power. It’s just……”


    At that moment, Isabelle felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.


    Thunk!


    “……!”


    And that unease quickly became reality.


    “……Cough!”


    Isabelle looked down in disbelief.


    Bright red blood blurred her vision.


    The searing pain gradually took over her mind.


    Her thoughts turned nk.


    “Please die here. It’s a simple request, isn’t it?”


    “Y-You……!”


    Blood rapidl


    y stained Isabelle’s upper body.


    Her pupils quickly lost their light.


    ‘Ah……’


    In her fading consciousness, Isabelle felt a sense of futility.


    What a meaningless life it had been.


    She had never imagined such an end.


    Thud!


    Like a puppet whose strings had been cut, her lifeless body copsed onto the floor.