Chapter 20: Morg Camus (1)
Ten men have ten lives, a hundred men have a hundred lives.
A person's life is unique and cannot be measured by a single formula.
But.
In Baskerville, the Ironborn, a person's life can be schematized and organized like a formula.
A typical formula is as follows
Sword Expert junior = 1 mage circle.
Sword Expert Intermediate = 2 Mage Circles
Sword Expert Advanced = Mage 3 circles
Graduator Low = Mage 4 circles
Graduator Intermediate = Mage 5 circles
Graduator Advanced = Mage 6 circles
Swordmaster = Wizard 7th circle
Sword mastery has been replaced by magical mastery.
In addition, the young hounds of Baskerville are not allowed to eat at an age when others would.
Their training is grueling, with every moment a firing squad.
In the process of digesting them, they usually go through a series of schematic growth spurts.
To reformulate it, it goes like this
Sword Expert Lower = 15 years old
Sword Expert Intermediate=18 years old
Sword Expert Advanced=20 years old
Gradient Lower = 30
Gradient Intermediate=35
Gradualtor Advanced=40
Swordmaster=?
Most young hounds of House Baskerville progress according to the following formula.
Children of House Baskerville typically first become in touch with mana around the age of seven or eight, at which point they can, at best, concentrate it in their hands and feel its warmth.
It's not until around age 15 that they can truly channel mana into a sword and emit an aura.
This is called the lower level of Sword Expert.
Most members of the Baskerville family learn a sword technique called the Baskerville Style, which is divided into three levels: first, second, and third ....
It starts with Baskerville 1, which is the level where you can draw a single tooth with the trajectory of the blade tip, then Baskerville 2, where you can draw two teeth, and then 3, 4, and 5, where you can draw three teeth....
Considering that most 15-year-old Baskervilles who reach the rank of Sword Expert are trained in Baskerville 1 swordplay, the following formula is established
Sword Expert Low = 1 Baskerville, 1 Tooth
Sword Expert Intermediate = Baskerville 2, two teeth
Sword Expert Advanced = 3 Baskerville, 3 Teeth
Gradator Low = 4 Baskerville, 4 Teeth
Gradient Intermediate = 5 Baskerville, 5 Teeth
Gradator Adv = 6 Baskerville, 6 Teeth
Swordmaster=7th Baskerville, 7 teeth
However, the elite of the elite are those who can master more than five styles of swordsmanship.
That is, only the true heirs of the House.
It is no secret that the current patriarch, Hugo Les Baskervilles, can draw the Seven Teeth.
It is also no secret that his eldest son, now away on assignment in the far reaches of the country, can draw five teeth, and his second son, now in training, can draw four.
On the other hand, those with "van" surnames, such as bastards and illegitimate children, who are not recognized as legitimate, cannot learn more than five sword techniques, no matter how much mana they have accumulated or how old they are.
As a result, there is a definite limit to the number of teeth they can draw, even when they become a Gradient.
But no one is complaining about this.
No one. None. None. None.
For the swordsmanship of the Baskervilles was so great, and the mastery of the four styles was enough to make the world tremble.
...But.
There is.
Even within the great Baskervilles, there are Irregulars who occasionally deviate from the formula.
The bad ones are the hounds that don't follow the formalized progression and fall through the cracks.
These were nothing special, really. They were disposed of on the spot.
Those who die in training and disappear into the experience of their brothers, those who die or go missing on a mission and become nothing more than numbers on a damage report, those who are assassinated for family interests, and those who are rarely soldiers....
The casualties of the Baskervilles are many, but they become fewer with each passing year.
The older they get, the more seasoned they become.
However.
There are few, if any, Irregulars who deviate from the formula in a somewhat different way.
Even within the Baskervilles, a family of geniuses, there are those who are recognized as geniuses.
Such was the case with Osiris Les Baskervilles, Hugo Les Baskervilles' eldest son and head of household.
A little sunshine who will lead the Baskervilles in the future. A genius, by all accounts.
Until now, Osiris has been the greatest genius in the family.
But lately, a rumor has been spreading.
A mother-of-pearl cloud floating in the infant star. A tiny sun that floated beneath the sun.
Rumors circulated within the family that another genius had emerged to succeed Osiris Baskerville.
Vikir van Baskerville. Eight years old.
A prodigy who, according to the patriarch himself, Hugo Lé Baskerville, recently reached the rank of Sword Expert Intermediate.
A swordsmanship that could draw two teeth and a mana that would be two circles in mage terms.
He has perfected at the tender age of eight what his siblings would have to wait until they were eighteen to accomplish.
So much so, that whenever three or more of them got together, even the most disinterested of Baskervilles, they were talking about Vikir.
"...Yes, you mean there's such a kid?"
"Where's he from? Is it the van's surname? Hmm, so we don't even know where it came from."
"Well, it's worth keeping, if not, then early...."
He listened with interest, or indifference, sometimes weighing his own interests.
And with that, Vikir had already bared his sharp fangs.
Meanwhile.
"Stupid people.
Vikir himself, the subject of the rumor, was not concerned with the gaze or reputation of those around him.
He already knew where the family's power struggles and dirty tricks were headed.
How could he not? He had spent the last few decades as a dog dealer, bouncing from one line to the next.
...Chulpuduk! Chulpuduk!
Vikir thought as he watched the haggis fall to the table.
'I was only going to show two teeth anyway, I've had enough of this.'
Now that we've clearly exposed the true colors, we may be able to utilize some of the House's infrastructure on our own.
As I've said before, it's good to be recognized in moderation if you want to make sure you stay off Hugo's radar.
Vikir sat in the far corner of the dining room and began to nibble at his haggis.
As the salty, fishy gruel slides down his throat, he thinks about many things.
First, about her true skill set.
"Currently, my official skills are Baskerville 2nd Class and Sword Expert Intermediate."
However, Vikir's true strength is already at the level of a Graduator Low, and in terms of swordsmanship, a Fourth Teeth Baskerville.
With his profound cultivation in the Great Library, he is on the verge of reaching Intermediate Graduator.
If he continues on this path, he should be able to break through to the fifth level of swordsmanship without difficulty.
"I'll reach the upper Graduator before I turn 17.
By then, my swordsmanship will be able to reach the Sixth Form. Unlike before the regression, when you were stuck at just four.
What's more.
...Wiggle!
The spoon that was unwrapping the haggis suddenly flinched.
Beelzebub, lurking in the artery of his right wrist, had moved.
<Binge Fly 'Beelzebub'> / Awl
-1 slot: Burn – Cerberus (A+)
-2 slot: Bleed – Hellhound (B+)
Slot -3: Super Regeneration – Troll (C+)
Beelzebub removes the Rats from slot 3 and fills the void by taking the skills of the recently killed Troll.
His opponent was bleeding, he was regenerating. It was a terrible combination.
Add this ability to the mix, and he'd probably be even more formidable than the average Graduator.
Vikir thought to himself as he continued to devour his haggis.
It was his sixth serving already, and he felt that his appetite had only grown stronger since absorbing Beelzebub.
Then.
"... Hey, hey."
A voice called out from behind him, and Vikir turned his head.
"?"
Unexpected figures stood behind him.
The triplets. Highbrow Les Baskervilles, Midbrow Les Baskervilles, and Lowbrow Les Baskervilles.
The trio that would come to be known as the Trident of Baskerville stood behind Vikir.
Vikir's brow furrowed.
"Look at these as*holes?"
Why bother asking? The harsh words come right out.
Vikir narrowed his eyes, and the triplets instinctively reacted with fear.
Is there anything in the world easier to handle than a frightened dog?
Vikir clutched the spoon he was using to scoop up the haggis, and the triplets immediately waved it away.
"Oh, no, not that one!"
"We just want...!"
"That, that, that, that, that, catching the troll and Cerberus was cool!"
...?
Viktor frowned, not realizing what was going on.
"Is this a two-faced tactic or some kind of trick?
But looking at the trio in front of me, I don't see any signs of advanced psychological warfare.
As I stare at them, I can't help but feel a chill run down my spine.
...Boom!
Vikir had just finished preparing to send a spoon flying toward the foreheads of the three puppies.
"Master."
Another voice came from beside him.
He turned to see Butler Barrymore standing at attention.
He had appeared out of nowhere and addressed Vikir in his usual polite tone.
"My lord seeks you."
Hugo Les Baskerville.
He was now seated on a couch by the window in a state of great irritation.
"Is the butler here yet?"
The maid inclined her head groggily at Hugo's question in search of Barrymore.
"I looked under the window and it looked like they were just coming into the lobby on the first floor, with Master Vikir."
"They should be coming up any minute now."
Hugo nodded, then shifted his gaze to the side of the couch.
On the couch next to it sat a middle-aged man with a handsome mustache.
Morg Adolf.
A delegate from House Morg, a martial family known as the rival house of Ironblood Baskerville.
The younger brother of Morg Respane, the head of House Morg, he is a key figure in House Morg, always present as the acting head of the house whenever there is an outside event.
Adolf lifted the teacup in front of him and drank.
Then he looked directly at Hugo with a wry smile.
"I hope this year's annual event goes off without a hitch."
The annual event Adolf was referring to was the friendly tournament between Baskerville and Morg.
The Morg and the Baskervilles train together once a year, in accordance with a decree from the previous Emperor, who said that "magic and swords are complementary.
Though it was only for children between the ages of eight and fifteen, it was a show of force for the imperial family.
Even then, the atmosphere was frosty, with Hugo, the current Lord of Baskerville, and Lespane, the current Lord of Morg, at odds over the ownership of a newly discovered ruby mine in the middle of their territory.
It was in this atmosphere that Adolf, the younger brother of the Morg family, came to visit.
The purpose of the visit is said to be to socialize through an annual event, but... it remains to be seen if that is really the case.
Hugo shrugged it off.
"It's just a joint exercise, it's always been that way."
"Heh heh heh. Didn't we have two children seriously injured last year, one from Baskerville and one from Morg?"
"They survived, and were treated in time. How can you call that a loss?"
Hugo's nonchalant words brought a line of blood to Adolf's forehead.
After a moment's grimace, he coughed a few times and changed the subject.
"Hmmm. Hum. So, let's talk about this joint exercise, shall we? Oh, by the way!"
Just as he was about to cut to the chase, Adolf had a sudden thought.
"I heard that there's a supernova over Baskerville, and I'd really like to see it, I'm looking forward to it."
" ...I'm just calling it up now anyway."
Hugo replied, feigning nonchalance.
But the observant Adolf didn't miss the slightest twitch of the corners of Hugo's mouth.
"That lizard man responds to his child's praise. That's unusual."
It is a surprise in its own way. Adolf thought for a moment that he should go back and report to his lord, but then he continued.
"It is a great blessing for the Empire to have a once in a hundred year genius in Baskerville."
"I would not go so far as to say that."
Hugo bowed, at least formally.
However, Adolf's next words were quite provocative.
"Well, it's a double whammy, actually, because we have a once in a hundred year genius in the Morg family."
Hugo's eyebrows shot up at that.
Adolf smiled politely, then motioned toward the door to the parlor off to one side of the room.
"Come in, little Camus," he said, "and say hello to the head of House Baskerville."
Then, as if by magic, the door opened of its own accord.
In walked a small girl, trailed by servants.
Her hair flaming red, her eyes sparkling like rubies.
A fair face with a small nose, full lips, and white, even teeth.
Morg Camus.
The girl, who had just turned eight years old, walked over and stood beside Adolf without a trace of embarrassment.
Hugo's brow furrowed slightly.
A supernova of the Morg family, born only once every hundred years or so.
A girl who could hear the sound of genius even within the prestigious Morg, where only magical geniuses gathered.
Morg Camus.
The sight of her clutching at the hem of her uncle's cloak, her eyes shining brightly, made even the mighty Hugo soften his expression a little.
But cuteness aside, Adolf's statement was quite provocative.
"We also have an 8-year-old genius. Let's see your level of eight-year-old genius.
The Morg family had come to play.
'... Hey. You're not worthy of such a flirtatious provocation.'
Hugo tried to turn his head away as if he wasn't worth the trouble.
The Morg Camus bombshell pinned his head back.
"Are you the thief who stole our ruby mine?"
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