Chapter 5
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Proof of Change
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The creak of the door opening echoed, grating on the nerves.
He was on edge, anticipating the state he would find his son in.
‘He’s bound to be a mess.’
Count Cazar grit his teeth.
Stomping out any last shred of hope, he pushed the door fully open.
“!!!”
Count Cazar’s eyes widened.
“You…?”
An unbelievable sight unfolded before him.
“You’ve arrived.”
His son, Christian, was sitting in a chair.
His demeanor was calm, his gaze deep—a stark contrast to before.
“I’ve been waiting.”
* * *
Silence fell.
Count Cazar stared at him for a long moment, as if in disbelief.
‘He must be surprised. He never would have imagined I’d make it through unscathed.’
Chris twisted his lips into a smirk.
“Didn’t I tell you? That I would come out a changed man.”
“……”
Count Cazar couldn’t manage a reply.
Contrary to his worries, there was no sign of him being intoxicated by the Dream Stone.
No, what was with that confident gaze?
‘Have I ever seen him with that look in his eyes?’
He couldn’t recall.
It was the first time he’d seen it since the boy had outgrown his sharp-witted childhood days, long ago.
But Count Cazar didn’t let his expression soften.
The disappointment that had piled up over the years was too great to trust his son based on this one moment.
“It seems you managed to endure. Or perhaps the curse of the Punishment Cave simply suits your constitution.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“I’m telling you not to get cocky.”
Count Cazar’s voice was still icy.
“I still don’t trust you.”
“……”
“There’s no telling when you’ll revert to your scoundrel ways. Just like before.”
In truth, this wasn’t the first time his son had shown some semblance of remorse.
But every time he’d gotten his hopes up after a brief flash of good behavior, his son had invariably delivered a disappointment several times greater.
‘But this time seems a little different… No, no. Why am I getting my hopes up again?’
Count Cazar forcibly suppressed the budding expectation in his heart.
Chris shrugged.
“I have a favor to ask of you, Father.”
“A favor?”
“Yes. I held out quite well, so I think I’m entitled to a small request. Please allow me to use the training grounds of the Black Swamp Knights.”
“!!”
A look of surprise crossed Count Cazar’s face.
The Dark Magic House commanded three branch knight orders.
They were known as the Trident of Darkness, and one of them was the Cazar County’s Black Swamp Knights.
“The Black Swamp Knights are not a place for the likes of you to enter freely.”
The Black Swamp Knights belonged to the branch family of Cazar County, but they also belonged to the Main House.
So, even though Christian was Count Cazar’s son, he couldn’t just enter the Black Swamp Knights as he pleased.
He needed permission from the Dark Magic House’s Main House, and they were unlikely to grant it to someone as infamous as him.
“I’m not asking to be accepted as a squire. I’m just asking for permission to use the training grounds.”
“……”
“Seeing the valiant Black Swamp Knights in action might serve as motivation. Surely, that much is possible?”
First, he needed to build up his stamina.
Even after his Body Reformation, he still had to train his physical body separately.
But that wasn’t the only reason.
He planned to learn the secret techniques of the Black Swamp Knights while using the training grounds with them.
How?
It was simple.
‘I’ll just steal their techniques.’
They wouldn’t easily teach the family’s secret arts to a scoundrel like him, so he planned to learn by watching from the sidelines, starting with the basics.
Chris had always learned more by stealing skills this way than by being formally taught.
Instead of answering, Count Cazar stared at Chris for a long while before replying.
“If you show a disgraceful side of yourself in front of the Black Swamp Knights, be prepared for the consequences.”
Chris grinned.
That was a yes.
“There’s one more thing.”
“What is it?”
“Please grant me access to the Black Swamp Library.”
The library.
A place where books were collected.
However, the Black Swamp Library was different from ordinary ones.
‘It’s where the black magic secrets of the Cazar County are gathered.’
Naturally, only those with permission could enter.
Count Cazar let out a dry laugh.
“You want me to open the library for you? You must be mad.”
“I am of the family’s bloodline. Don’t I have the right?”
“You threw that right away yourself. Have you forgotten you tried to sell a secret text from the library on the black market before!”
“……”
A suspicion even crossed Count Cazar’s mind.
Perhaps this clean-cut act was just a ploy to gain access to the library to steal something.
It might be overly suspicious, but with Christian, it was entirely possible.
“Bring me a letter of recommendation from Melin. Then I’ll open the library for you.”
Melin.
The Vice-Commander of the Black Swamp Knights.
She was a Majin from the Main House of the Dark Magic House, known for her extremely cold personality and her view of the weak—especially pathetic scoundrels—as vermin.
Asking for a recommendation from such a person was the same as saying he would never open the library.
However,
“Very well. I’ll do that.”
Chris nodded.
As if it were a matter of course that he could accomplish such a thing.
“Then I’ll be on my way. I can start using the training grounds today, correct?”
“…Yes.”
Chris turned and disappeared toward the mansion. Watching his distinctly different gait, Count Cazar was seized by confusion.
* * *
After washing up and eating, Chris headed straight for the training grounds.
The moment he arrived, the grounds fell dead silent.
The knights stopped their training and stared at him.
‘It feels strange, seeing so many Majin gathered in one place.’
As befitting the pride of the Dark Magic House, they were all elite Majin.
Not just humans, but as was typical of the Magitech Empire, there were quite a few demi-humans of the dark attribute as well.
Lycanthropes, vampires, dark elves, and so on.
All of them looked to be at least 2-Star, with a good number being 3-Star or higher, and even a few powerful 4-Star individuals scattered about.
‘To think a mere branch knight order is at this level. Elsewhere, only the most renowned knight orders of a kingdom would reach this standard.’
As Chris shook his head, the rough voices of the Majin reached him.
“What the hell? Who’s that punk?”
“Isn’t that the worthless Young Master? What’s he doing here?”
To curse the son of a Count so openly.
It was unthinkable outside, but this was the Magitech Empire.
A place where might makes right.
Therefore, the weak were not respected.
No matter how high their station.
Especially when their conduct was as abysmal as this body’s original owner.
‘Even this body’s original owner supposedly never dared to cause trouble with the Black Swamp Knights.’
Then, a sharper voice cut through.
“How dare someone like you set foot here. Get lost, now.”
Turning his head, he saw a familiar face.
His younger brother, TERN.
‘So he was training with the Black Swamp Knights. Well, he is being treated as the de facto heir in my place.’
TERN growled, his eyes flashing with anger.
“This is not a place for vermin like you to enter so freely.”
Chris crossed his arms.
He wasn’t particularly scared, though.
‘Letting him keep growling like that will get tiring.’
“TERN, is that remark a criticism of the Count?”
“…What did you say?”
Chris’s lips twisted.
Into a sneer.
“It was the Count who granted me permission to enter the training grounds. Your statement… sounds as if you’re disparaging the Count for making a poor decision.”
TERN was struck dumb.
He might become a notorious Majin later, but for now, he was just a greenhorn. It was only natural he couldn’t win a battle of words against Chris.
But then another voice spoke up.
“I respect the Count’s decision, but frankly, I don’t find you trustworthy.”
“!!”
Chris flinched.
He had felt a potent Magi, incomparable to the others.
He turned his head to see an alluring woman with beautiful features standing there.
‘Vice-Commander Melin!’
The infamous Vice-Commander of the Black Swamp Knights.
Melin wore a faint smile, but her intense Magi pressed down on Chris.
She was trying to dominate him with her presence.
The original Christian would have wet his pants from the pressure, but…
Chris steadied his breath and calmly bowed his head.
“It is an honor to meet you, Vice-Commander.”
“……”
Vice-Commander Melin’s expression shifted for an instant.
‘He withstood it?’
Vice-Commander Melin had deliberately unleashed her presence.
Being told to train alongside the scoundrel Young Master… she had reluctantly agreed, but her intention was to make him wet himself and run away.
But he didn’t even flinch.
Seeing Melin’s surprised look, Chris sneered inwardly.
‘I’m used to this kind of intimidation.’
The strong always showed off their power with their presence whenever they met someone new.
Having been subjected to such displays so often during the Age of Ruin, he had naturally learned how to deal with it.
“In any case, I understand. Since you’ve said as much, Vice-Commander, let’s make a condition. I will prove that I am qualified to use these training grounds.”
“Prove it, how?”
“For a Majin, proof means only one thing.”
Chris shrugged.
“Power.”
“!!”
“I will face one of the Majin here, right now, and claim victory.”
The grounds stirred at his words.
Everyone reacted as if the damn scoundrel had finally lost his mind.
Melin’s face showed her displeasure.
“Your joke is in poor taste. You may be a precious young master, but surely you don’t think you can insult the Black Swamp Knights and walk away unscathed?”
She seemed to regard Chris’s challenge as an insolent prank from a ruffian.
“This is no joke. However, I have two conditions. First, allow us to duel using only our pure physical abilities, without Magi. As you know, I’ve lost my vessel for Magi due to a life of debauchery.”
“……”
“Ah, and it would be best if we fought bare-handed, without weapons. As you also know, it’s been too long since I last held a sword.”
Melin looked dumbfounded.
“You ask for a lot. What’s the second condition?”
“Let me choose my opponent.”
Melin nodded.
Even if he picked the weakest of the Black Swamp Knights, that person would still be several times stronger than the scoundrel.
Chris spoke to the young boy standing next to Melin, scowling deeply.
“TERN, it’s you.”
“…What did you say?”
“You’re my opponent.”
TERN had a blank expression on his face.
Chris grinned and said,
“Let’s take this opportunity to have a deep conversation, brother to brother.”
A conversation with our fists, of course.
* * *
The training grounds fell silent.
Everyone blinked, unable to process Chris’s words.
A moment later.
“Has that crazy Young Master finally gone completely insane?”
“Is this how scoundrels try to commit suicide these days?”
The knights of the order chattered in disbelief.
Everyone’s reaction was that Chris had lost his mind.
The chosen opponent, TERN, had a face flushed crimson.
He looked utterly furious, as if he’d been gravely insulted.
“You… How dare you.”