Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Avid Reader's Reformation Life
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Once the Margrave gave his approval, everything proceeded smoothly after that.
It was enough to throw anyone off to suddenly face an outsider in a duel, but the knights were in high spirits instead.
They seemed thrilled, viewing it as a welcome break from their monotonous routine of constant self-training in preparation for the day enemies might invade.
‘But seriously, Kim Yu-hyun, why the hell did that guy suddenly pick Lilite as his opponent?’
Sion clutched his head and groaned.
He wanted nothing more than to call bullshit and cancel the duel, but with the territory’s lord—the Margrave—having approved it, he couldn’t exactly object further.
On top of that, if North Knight had refused, it might’ve been different, but.
Instead, Lilite had smirked coldly and fanned the flames of Kim Yu-hyun’s competitive spirit by agreeing to give it a go.
‘Shit, this is driving me insane.
Why does everything keep going sideways?’
It felt like things were following the novel’s flow roughly as expected, but then again, not quite.
No matter how he tried to think positively, the anxiety wouldn’t fade, leaving him utterly frustrated.
As Sion chewed his lip in restless worry, someone approached him.
“It’s been a while since the Young Lord has visited the knights’ training grounds.”
Sion turned at the voice of the middle-aged man.
Standing there in simple attire, sword at his hip, was a man whose body looked far sturdier than most young men’s, despite the wrinkles etched on his face.
Sion looked up at him for a moment before sighing and speaking.
“Knight Commander Lion.”
“Yes.
Young Lord Sion.”
“Weren’t you inspecting the knights’ training?”
“Well, they’re all capable enough to handle it themselves.
You know how even solid training goes awry when someone important is watching.”
“...”
“Besides, with the duel coming up soon, it’s probably best I step aside.
Hahaha!”
The man bursting into hearty laughter was Lion, the Knight Commander of Klauzen Margrave Territory and one of the two swordsmen described in the novel alongside Sebastian.
Of course, Sebastian was officially the family butler, so among the castle staff, Lion the Knight Commander was the known powerhouse.
“Looks like what the Margrave said about you changing wasn’t wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“You, Young Lord.
The Margrave told me yesterday that you’ve suddenly turned over a new leaf—unexpected, but a relief all the same.”
For reference, Knight Commander Lion was the Margrave’s longtime comrade and trusted friend.
Knowing the man’s tight lips, the Margrave must have confided in him about his son.
‘Well, yeah.
Sion Klauzen never had the knights’ support.
If he couldn’t win over the retainers, he should’ve at least had the knights, but crippled by an inferiority complex over his inability to use mana, he ended up snubbing and ignoring them instead.’
Mocked by retainers and knights alike, and ultimately a patricidal wretch.
Klauzen Margrave Territory, which had guarded Hispania Kingdom’s borders for over a century across three generations, crumbled because of one man who was less than trash.
And that trash didn’t even realize what he was, throwing tantrums to the end.
‘Sharing the same body makes me want to puke. Worse than a dog.’
If he’d possessed some other villain instead of Sion Klauzen, what would’ve happened?
For starters, right from the beginning, Kim Yu-hyun would’ve lopped off an arm, and he’d be whimpering as an invalid for the day.
“Speaking of, a duel with an outsider out of nowhere.
I can’t fathom what the Margrave is thinking.
Especially now, with war right on our doorstep.”
“You think he’s an enemy spy?”
“No.
I don’t doubt the Margrave’s judgment.
But to the knights or soldiers, he could easily seem suspicious.”
“Don’t worry about that.
After seeing that man duel today—and rampage on the battlefield—they’ll realize how baseless those suspicions were.”
Kim Yu-hyun, who massacred demon armies with a grin.
Against ordinary humans, he was a monster, plain and simple.
Among humans who could hold their own or even gain a slight edge against him, you could count them on one hand.
“You seem to trust this Kim Yu-hyun fellow, Young Lord.”
“The Knight Commander will see for himself once he meets the man.
There’s nothing to suspect.”
“Nothing to suspect?”
“He’s a man who’s been through hells we can’t even imagine.”
“How can you be so certain?”
Sion paused at the question, letting out a thoughtful hum.
He couldn’t exactly spill the novel’s plot, and any other excuse would sound too flimsy.
“The moment I met him in the reception room, I knew.
He’s not someone to take lightly.”
“...You made that call—and felt that sure—just from a brief encounter?”
“I trust my instincts.
And I trust they’re right.”
“...”
Lion the Knight Commander was left speechless by the confident reply.
Having been in the territory since Sion was born, he’d watched the family heir grow up.
With every passing year, his feelings toward Sion had been disappointment—and pity for the Margrave, his dear friend, for having such a son.
When the heir to such a vast territory like Klauzen Margrave spoke lightly and thoughtlessly; when he bullied his much younger half-brother instead of protecting him.
When he skipped basic swordsmanship and military training to guzzle booze at a young age.
Lion had genuinely worried for the territory’s future—and his friend’s.
But a few days ago, the shadow that had hung over the Margrave’s face lifted.
And it wasn’t just that.
The little young master who used to avoid his half-brother was now grinning and seeking him out, while whispers spread through the castle of Sion’s subtly shifting reputation.
‘Could he have finally grown up late?
Or is it really as the Margrave said...’
Had a perfectly sane person deliberately acted broken all this time?
If so, the reason might be to weed out sycophants clinging to a surefire future powerhouse early on.
At first, Sion had his share of flatterers hovering, betting on his guaranteed rise.
But as his shallow words and actions piled up, and the Margrave’s worries deepened, those who sensed the change naturally drifted away.
The ones drawn not to the person but to power vanished over time, leaving no one by his side.
‘If that was truly his aim, and he acted that way on purpose...’
Gulp.
Lion swallowed unconsciously.
If he’d really schemed with such intent, it was chilling.
To deceive everyone around him, twist every situation, and secretly shape his future bit by bit for the ‘perfect’ picture he envisioned.
The scorn and vile rumors pouring from all sides must have made him want to quit countless times.
Yet Sion endured, honing himself and fooling those around him until adulthood—until every last leech had fallen away.
And the moment he judged the time right...
The crouched being spread its wings.
“Your confidence has me very curious, Young Lord.”
Sion could only pray that curiosity was all it remained.
Sebastian and even Lido had put up a fight but failed to defeat Kim Yu-hyun.
Lion, who lagged just a touch behind them, could end up getting utterly thrashed by someone young enough to be his son.
“By the way, Young Lord.
I heard you’ll be joining the war against Nudia soon.”
“...”
Oh god, Father!
This son just wants to live quietly and slim!
No need for all that—just let me live in peace!
He was the type who’d strip down and pee his pants at the mere sight of a street brawl, and now war?
“Yeah.
It happened suddenly.”
“The soldiers don’t know yet, but some knights do—and they’re quietly excited.
They figure the Margrave wouldn’t drag his son into such a dangerous battlefield just because he’s his boy.
There must be something you’re hiding, they say.”
“...”
Shit, don’t get your hopes up.
There was never any hope to begin with!
I’ve got nothing prepared—what’s to expect!
“...Well, they’re free to expect, but tell them not to set the bar too high.
The bigger the hope, the greater the disappointment.”
“No matter what anyone says, you’re the Margrave’s firstborn and—barring anything unusual—the future lord of Klauzen Margrave Territory.
Expecting is natural, and even if we’re disappointed, we fix it step by step and move forward.”
Birds of a feather, indeed.
Like the Margrave of Lichten, Knight Commander Lion tended to view the world and people with a touch of optimism and hope.
Unlike the cool-headed Sebastian, or Lido and Kim Yu-hyun, who went without saying.
“Ah, Young Lord.
Time to head over.
The duel preparations should be just about done.”
“Right.
Knight Commander Lion?
Do you know the order of opponents?”
“Hm, I hear it’s three knights total.
First up is probably Knight Rodem.
He’s solid in both offense and defense—especially with a shield, far better than his peers.”
Putting a shield expert first was a smart move.
It let them clearly observe the enemy’s sword paths, attack patterns, and minor habits.
“What surprised me was Knight North being in the lineup.
No intent to belittle his skill, but he’s no standout.”
“Who knows.
Maybe he realized his shortcomings and is working to change now.”
“There must be a reason you held him back when you left and named him your guard knight.
If he proves it in this duel, the other knights will see him differently.”
Unfortunately, that won’t happen.
The ‘content’ in that uncle’s body is a scary big sis, after all.
Once the war ends, Knight North—Lilite—will leave as originally planned.
Muttering that inwardly, Sion headed to the castle’s inner training arena with Lion, where the duel would take place.
They exchanged a few more words on the way, but nothing major.
The most useful tidbit was that Aden seemed to be smiling a lot more lately.
“Young Lord, Knight Commander.”
Upon arriving at the arena, two knights bowed in greeting.
Lion returned the gesture, glancing at Sion.
The Young Lord Sion Klauzen had always treated the family knights with disdain.
Knights prided themselves on honor and respectful treatment, no matter their station, but being constantly ignored by their lord’s son bred quiet resentment.
Yet Sion—their future lord—had changed.
He accepted their greetings with a faint smile.
‘Sion really was a total udon bagel back then.’
Nothing was as vital for a family heir as the knights’ support.
Even he, a novel reader, knew that basic fact, yet Sion Klauzen hadn’t.
Reminded again of the content, Sion couldn’t help but reasonably suspect the author held a grudge against the name ‘Sion’.
“This way.”
Knight Commander Lion guided Sion to the arena’s spectator seats.
The Margrave of Lichten was already there.
And sitting beside him were others.
‘Whoa.
Aden and even Countess Leona?’
Aden Klauzen, his half-brother.
And Leona, the countess—Sion’s stepmother.
With only a 12-year age gap, she felt more like a sister than a mother, but she’d married his father, the Margrave of Lichten, so mother she was.
“Father.”
“You’re here.”
Sion bowed respectfully in greeting, then looked aside.
Aden watched him with a mix of excitement and worry.
Worried his brother might revert to his old self.
“You call me ‘brother’ with that creepy tone again, and you’re in trouble.”
“Ah, yes!
Brother!”
Aden’s face bloomed into a grin at Sion’s playful words.
As Aden whined about when they’d play ball again, Sion broke into a cold sweat and suggested maybe brother needed a break too.
‘And... damn, this one’s hard to say out loud.’
Struggling inwardly, Sion finally forced it out.
“Mother.”
Countess Leona’s eyes widened as she stared at him.
Sion froze, wondering if he’d messed up, but she smiled and bowed her head.
Just then, Kim Yu-hyun stepped into the arena’s center.
Dressed in his usual simple clothes, he held a wooden sword instead of his everyday blade.
Knight Commander Lion was about to call the first opponent.
“I’d like to choose my first opponent myself.”
Kim Yu-hyun looked at the Knight Commander as he spoke.
Lion glanced at the Margrave of Lichten for guidance, who nodded as if to say let him have his way.
“Very well.
Name your opponent.”
“...Knight North.”
What the fuck!
Why is that guy so fixated on Lilite!
He’d hoped, since she didn’t know much about Kim Yu-hyun yet, she’d gauge his skill visually and spar lightly.
But our protagonist wouldn’t even allow that.
Kim Yu-hyun stared straight at North—Lilite.
Unhappy with the gaze, she tilted her head but stepped forward.
“You’ve been pointing at me from the start.”
“I want to face you.”
“...Do as you like.”
Lilite, in North’s transformed body, raised her wooden sword.
Kim Yu-hyun did the same, facing her.
And so the duel began.
‘Fuck, fuck, fuck!’
Leaving Sion on edge, fretting that Lilite’s true nature might be exposed.
[Author's Note]
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