Chapter 43
Inside a dark, cramped, dim room, in the deepest parts of Locke Castle, a secret space for Viscount Vig, two men sat facing each other. The first was Viscount Vig himself; the second was…
"Sir Chiffon, does sister Vanessa know about this?"
"She is well aware."
Vig grimaced.
"Was it just recognizing that it could jeopardize their position in the future?"
"She couldn't do anything about it; she didn't even have a chance to respond."
"Is there anything else to it? This is the first time I've even heard of him!" Vig furrowed his eyebrows. "Do you have any more information on him?"
"That's not surprising. He was a dung cleaner till not long ago."
"What?" Vig couldn't believe it.
"He wasn't allowed to set foot inside the mansion since he was born. Then he suddenly had this huge aptitude for mana before he was even ten years old, like everything else was all a lie."
"How does that make any sense?" Vig didn’t know if he should laugh or cry. “It's fine. I can't believe it, and I don't want to believe it, but let's say, as Lord Chiffon said, that he really was born with such great skill. Did he really achieve it himself, is the question?”
“....”
"Young Master Babel grew up taking many elixirs. His training was systematically managed and he was personally mentored by the Duke, and he became a mana user at the age of fourteen! Today he's recognized as the Empire's finest talent… but then that horseshit bastard showed up…" Vig trailed off into a dejected sigh.
Vig wouldn’t have said anything if he hadn’t seen it with his own two eyes. He simply refused to believe it. Joshua—the child of a maid, no less—had more talent than his beloved nephew.
"Let me ask you something." Vig's eyes lit up.
"Say it."
"I heard he was recognized as a C-Class Knight by the Imperial family only a few days ago."
"That's true." Chiffon nodded with an affirmative.
"All C-Class Knights are the same when it comes to the monsters in the Black Monster Forest. Is there anyone else who can make the same claims as Joshua?"
Chiffon's face tightened.
.
Was that a skill a C-Class Knight could boast of? No. Joshua was godlike. It was simply impossible for anyone else—only a B-Class technique could have such a widespread effect.
If someone were to ask Chiffon if he could do the same thing…
Chiffon shook his head at the thought. He didn’t think that he would be able to do it.
‘The other knights must be having the same thoughts. And that’s why they mentioned the magic swordsman.’
A magic swordsman… was supposed to be impossible with all known conventions of mana utilization. A swordsman created a mana hall in his lower belly, while mages formed their mana into a ring around their heart. Creating both at the same time caused them to continually clash, making it entirely impossible to control one’s mana. As such, no matter how talented someone was, they wouldn’t risk their life to try and achieve that.
‘Well, it's not like nobody in history ever succeeded…’?Chiffon’s expression hardened as he was reminded of a certain individual. One lord of the Nine Stars; a high-ranking mage, but also an Absolute of Master status.
‘Only a few people are born each generation with such an unusual constitution. That's why magic swordsmen are almost unheard of throughout history—but did that child have such a lucky constitution?’
It was virtually impossible without divine providence.
“You’ve been thinking about it for a long time. I know the answer just by the look on your face.” Vig’s sudden remark jolted Chiffon out of his thoughts.
"I don't think he's a mage with a sword. You'd have to be at least a 3rd-Class Mage, according to Armand, to display that kind of power. Is it even true he did all that? The opposite would be more believable."
"…But what if he did?" Chiffon retorted.
"One day, he awoke with tremendous power. Didn’t that happen in history before?"
"No way…" Chiffon's eyes widened.
"It's conceivable he made a contract with a demon, and not just any demon, but a high-ranking one, one in the top 100."
"That's—!" Chiffon gaped at him. The Viscount was making some dangerous claims. The affairs of demons, warlocks, and the Demon Realm were best kept to the shadows. Their reign of terror, brief as it was, had swept across the continent like a savage wind.
"People were taken aback, even in Karius. I'm confident there are 'Demons of Lightning' who can wield the thunder attribute."
"This is ridiculous! All of the Imperial Knights, including the Duke, have already recognized Young Master Joshua. I was there too. The mages—"
"It doesn't really matter if he made a deal with a high-ranking demon or not."
Now, Chiffon understood what Viscount Vig was driving at.
"It's amazing what a nine-year-old bastard can do. Are you certain that Aden von Agnus will be succeeded by Young Master Babel?" Vig muttered with an icy glare.
"That—" Chiffon struggled for words. He didn’t want to admit it, but even he was astonished. Indeed, what he saw that day was bordered on the divine.
"Fortunately, I don't believe his mentality is as mature as his gift. Kids his age don't know how to hide their power—they just want to flaunt it. So, I just have to prove that his immature actions will put his life in jeopardy."
Vig's deeply buried eyes glittered in the dim lamplight.
"I don't know what sister Vanessa is thinking. I'll say it again: I'm not sure what she's really thinking. But even if he immediately departs for Arcadia, there's still a way to get to him."
"And the way is …?"
"My daughter will also be attending the Imperial Academy."
"Ah, yes." Chiffon nodded with understanding.
"Sir Chiffon, I'd like you to pay closer attention to this part, however you choose to approach it. If that child wants to claim succession… it's going to be a nightmare. Before that happens, we need to get our hands on him.
“I’ll make preparations just in case.”
"I'm confident you'll be ready."
Vig stood up and walked out of the room, leaving Chiffon alone.
"A demon…" Chiffon’s voice rang out in the room.
***
The day the Red Knights returned from the Locke Territory, the first grand dinner in a long time was held in the Agnus Estate to congratulate them on their safe return and to pray for the safety of those who would soon be departing.
Joshua wasn't one for those kinds of things and slipped away, with the not-actually-untrue excuse that he was feeling unwell.
"Is it okay for today's protagonist to run away, master?"
"Your choice of words is interesting. 'Master,' huh." Joshua chuckled at Cain. "Don't you think it would raise eyebrows if someone heard?"
Until they swore the Knight's Oath, all knights of the Agnus Duchy belonged to Duke Agnus and Duke Agnus only.
"It's not like I'm making things up." Cain shrugged. "This makes my heart ache… and so, I now appoint you as my lord."
"Don't I get a choice? You do know that I can decline the Knight's Oath?"
"I don't believe my lord would deny a subordinate who will become a Master in the future."
"… You're more thick-skinned than I had imagined."
"I appreciate the compliment," Cain said with a wide grin. Joshua could only shake his head.
When they arrived before Joshua's chambers, Cain looked around carefully before politely bowing.
"Please rest comfortably. And… I meant what I said. Beyond even your enormous abilities, I believe you have incredible potential. I hope you will grant me the privilege of serving under someone like you."
Joshua stared down at Cain's head and smiled.
"I'll think about it."
“I’ll take my leave then…”
‘Not bad.’ Joshua watched Cain walk away before reaching for the doorknob. ‘Not bad at all.’
Even in his past life, a fair number of people gathered around him. Of course, Joshua had gently pushed them away—he'd promised himself he would spend the rest of his life under the one who had protected him. Joshua thought that he would be on the alert for people flocking to him, particularly those superior to his own ability.
‘That's why I got rid of them, but…’ Joshua chewed on his lip. ‘Kaiser, why?’
His heart shook. Broken friendship, broken trust.
Naturally, his mind went to the conversation he'd had with the Duke the night before.
‘Draxia bel Grace.’ A man he'd once called friend.
"Damn it." His grip on the doorknob tightened. A searing headache was pressing down on his skull. He just wanted to crash on his bed immediately.
"Young Master Joshua?" An old butler had come up behind him with a troubled expression. "Are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm fine," Joshua said. He tried to push the door open.
"The table is set for Young Master Joshua," the butler ventured. "Everyone is looking forward to you—"
"If that's the case, could you please inform them that I'm not feeling well and won't be able to attend?" Joshua didn't bother to turn around.
"This isn't a dinner party," said the butler with a shake of his head. "This dinner is prepared for you by Duchess Vanessa. Your mother, Lady Lucia, is already there."
Joshua's eyes darkened.
"What?"
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺