Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Proof of Success?
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What the hell is this? A bolt from the blue?
“My opponent isn’t you… it’s the outsider.”
What I’d thought was a family squabble had, at some point, turned into a one-on-one duel between the Duke of Delbar and a masked outsider.
Of course, that masked outsider was none other than me.
‘How did it come to this?’
Carnel was the one who started the mess.
…But as always, the responsibility came back to land squarely on my shoulders.
Carnel looked genuinely sorry, fiddling needlessly with her long hair, twisting it this way and that.
*Slap.*
The loach smacked the forehead of my mask.
The rhythm had gone from familiar to ominous.
*Swish…*
It then curved its body atop my head, peering down at me with its round eyes.
‘Good luck.’
Its expression was utterly shameless and utterly irresponsible.
When I glared up at it, the loach covered its mouth with a fin and snickered.
Didn’t it know winning this would be good for it too?
If I lost to the Duke of Delbar here?
There would be no returning to the dorms—I’d be a vagrant on the spot.
Sleeping on the streets, not knowing when I could get back to the dorms…
But Loach acted like it couldn’t care less, flopping down on my head once more.
“Are you prepared to fight?”
The Duke of Delbar addressed me like that.
His words were utterly indifferent.
“Father… Adel is…”
Carnel tried to say something, but…
“Cornelia. It would be best if you went inside and rested first.”
The Duke cut her off decisively.
Carnel hesitated, mumbling at her lips, but in the end, she bowed her head without another word.
Then she trudged away, toward the mansion.
…She really left.
“Follow me.”
The Duke turned his back to me and walked away from the ducal estate.
I followed silently.
Dragging my resentment and exhaustion behind me.
Even if he was her father, wasn’t challenging the guest his daughter brought home to a duel a bit much?
And that daughter couldn’t even say a word… she just left…
*Clack.*
The Duke’s footsteps halted.
When I looked up, an old training hall came into view.
“You can’t speak from birth?”
Can’t speak from birth…
No.
It wasn’t from birth—it was the effect of the [Stigma].
[It's an acquired condition.]
“Acquired… I see.”
The Duke asked no more.
The moment he finished speaking, he opened the door to the rundown building and stepped inside.
I followed behind.
“Do you know why the Delbar Ducal House is called a sanctuary?”
In that instant, an extreme chill rose from the floor.
Air so cold it could freeze even the slightest breath.
“Because it permits no intrusion.”
Freezing began to spread from behind the door.
The entrance to the building I’d just entered was sealed in ice in the blink of an eye.
“Even if permission is granted, only those who have devoted decades to Delbar may cross that threshold.”
With those words, the entire building was engulfed in profound cold.
Frost leaked through the gaps in my mask, a biting chill that made my fingertips feel like they’d freeze solid.
“The knights you saw… are merely those who devoted their lives to Delbar.”
*Crackle…*
Slowly, above the Duke’s head, a crown of ice began to form.
“Delbar’s gates are not so soft that riffraff like you can stroll through unscathed.”
*Crackle…! Crackle!*
“Prove yourself if you wish to pass Delbar’s gates.”
Thorns bearing frigid frost formed all at once.
In the wink of an eye, they surrounded me on all sides, emanating a chill that could freeze even my breath.
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
[ Kaiderion von Delbar ]
Favorability: [Outsider]
Status: [□]
□□□□□□□□□□ (0/10)
Info:
[Testing if Adel is worthy of crossing Delbar’s gates.]
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
Something was definitely off.
I’d finished my exams and was in the middle of vacation—my rest period…
So why was I taking another test?
*Snore.*
The Loach, who’d been on my head, had vanished into the abyss at some point.
‘…….’
…I really should’ve just holed up in the dorms.
***
“Cornelia. It would be best if you went inside and rested first.”
Carnel nodded silently at her father’s words.
…Adel beating Father?
Absurd.
Of course, she could beat him.
But that was only possible because she was Carnel.
Forcing that on someone else would just be irresponsible whining.
“…….”
Her body felt heavy as lead.
“…In the end, it's just me whining again.”
The words made her cringe at herself, the conclusion so ridiculous.
Her whining had put Adel in a tough spot.
A sigh escaped her automatically.
“Haah….”
She didn’t even know what she’d been hoping for.
Having Adel stay at the ducal estate… that was off the table now.
With no choice—truly no choice—she’d have to spend the vacation at the cradle, pretending to mull it over… while having already decided inside.
“Eh~?”
As she hung her head, a familiar face popped into view.
“…Mother?”
“Yeees~ Correct! I’m Carnel’s mother, Amelia~”
The woman blinking innocently and smiling was none other than… Carnel’s mom.
Amelia von Delbar.
“Why the bowed head~? You didn’t get scolded by your father and start crying again, did you?”
“…I’m not crying.”
“Aww, why not~? It’s fine to cry, you know? Mom’s hugs are open 24/7.”
Carnel’s face flushed slightly as she stepped back.
Amelia giggled and playfully poked her daughter’s cheeks with her fingertips.
“Hee hee~”
Behind Amelia, Thanatos and Violet stood awkwardly…
But Amelia ignored them, continuing to tease her daughter.
“Heh heh hum… Our Carnel’s cheeks are still so soft and squishy~”
“…Please stop, Mother. Please.”
“The more embarrassed you get, the more I wanna poke~?”
Even Violet averted her eyes slightly at the sight, whistling awkwardly.
Carnel turned her gaze away with effort and spoke.
“A-hem… More importantly, are you feeling all right, Mother?”
“Oh, you're changing the subject!”
“…N-no, I’m not.”
Amelia raised her lips higher, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
“Hmm… I’ll let it slide this once.”
“Ah… Yes.”
“Now then… You’re wondering why I came all this way, right?!”
Amelia dramatically thrust up a finger with a *ta-da!*
And then…
“I came to rescue our Carnel’s boyfriend!”
“…Huh?”
Thanatos nearly fainted at the bombshell statement, while Violet nearly choked holding back a cough.
“Oh, I mean her male friend. I mixed up my words. Oops.”
“…R-right? Mother?”
“Yeees~ Of course.”
Amelia slapped a hand on Carnel’s shoulder.
“Alright, let’s head out again!”
***
To be honest… I had no reason to go all-out in this fight.
I could sleep on the streets just fine.
Even if it took days to get back to the dorms, the vacation would still be there.
But the reason I was putting my all into this fight anyway…
Was Carnel’s sincerity.
The feelings that brought me this far.
‘…Tch, that sounds weird somehow.’
Anyway… Ignoring that sincerity and just leaving felt wrong.
‘And above all….’
I was curious.
This place called a sanctuary was an unknown realm even in ‘Aka Calamity.’
No info, no records—a place shrouded in mystery.
So I wanted to know.
What reward awaited at the end of this fight.
An achievement?
Maybe a trait or skill.
…Or maybe nothing at all.
That was fine too.
You can’t gain anything without checking.
That one nugget of curiosity.
It was reason enough to give this fight everything I had.
- *Crackle!*
As the frost-wreathed thorns flew at me all at once, I reached out into the air and gripped the space.
──────!!
The air screamed.
I drew out the ‘Space’ attribute’s essence to the max, artfully twisting and weaving my mana.
In that instant, the incoming frost thorns bizarrely curved, scattering in different directions.
My fingertips blackened from the backlash, searing pain burning through them.
“…You handle natural mana.”
The Duke’s eyes widened slightly.
It was such a faint tremor you could hardly call it a change in expression… but it was the first time I’d seen his face shift, at least as far as I knew.
But the surprise was fleeting.
“That much won’t cut it.”
The Duke raised his hand, drawing a magic circle in the air.
A flawless motion without hesitation, a perfect trajectory without tremor.
[Extreme / Low-tier Magic]
「Snowball Barrage」
As the magic circle completed, dozens of snowflakes burst forth.
I twisted my body, weaving threads of mana around my wrist.
Kicking off the air as if stepping on solid ground, I crossed lines to combine spells.
[Abyss / Mid-tier Magic]
「Corroding Water Tendrils」
Shadows spread from my feet, soon turning to abyss.
From within, water streams flowed out like tentacles, ensnaring the snowflakes.
However…
- *Crackle!*
The moment they touched, the water streams froze solid.
The cold even began slowly encroaching on the abyssal shadows at my feet.
‘What the….’
Was it a bad attribute matchup? Or the tier difference?
None of that mattered before the ultimate perfection that devoured all.
I hurriedly wrapped mana threads around myself and yanked myself upward into the air.
‘Conventional methods… won’t work.’
Then…
“…Gone.”
I activated [Silent Steps].
My presence vanished.
Footsteps, breathing, even the sense of my existence sank into silence.
And soon…
[ [Daydream] is dispelled! ]
The ring on my finger morphed into a black mask, which I placed over my face.
[ Equipped [Mask of Illusion]. ]
A *click* as it locked into place.
I reached into the air, tuning the mana’s flow.
[ [Daydream] is activated! ]
Space layered over itself.
The training hall’s structure remained, but illusions draped over reality.
- *Crackle!*
The Duke’s frost thorns shattered against the phantasm.
The Duke’s eyebrow twitched faintly.
“…An illusion.”
I cautiously dispelled [Silent Steps].
Staying hidden too long could get me swept by an AoE spell.
[ [Daydream] is activated! ]
Truth and illusion began to blur together.
Mist rose, obscuring vision.
I pulled a random item from my inventory and tossed it, overlaying an illusion on it.
Slowly…
A white mask floated up from the mist.
In the exact same spot, looking just like ‘me.’
[Extreme / Mid-tier Magic]
「Frostblade Corridor」
Frost blades surged like waves.
But…
- *Boom!!*
The icy blades cleaved empty space, shattering apart.
“…”
Illusion, illusion, more illusions.
But that alone wasn’t enough.
Beyond the lingering phantasm, I darted swiftly behind the Duke.
“…Not bad.”
*Boom!!*
A burst of cold exploded.
My left shoulder froze over.
However…
“…….”
[ [Daydream] is dispelled! ]
“…Above.”
The Duke slowly raised his head.
A freezing gaze, I met his piercing golden eyes.
I pointed my finger at the Duke.
──────!!
Mana attuned.
One line atop another, etched in.
An endless void holding no claims, no justice, no wishes.
- *Sizzle… Ssss…*
Space rippled.
Cold air sank, sounds sucked into the gap.
- *Craaaackle!!*
Frost bloomed from beneath the Duke’s feet, trying to invade the black-sinking singularity space.
*Tap.*
I touched the mask’s mouth area.
And… the moment my lips parted.
[Space / Unique Magic]
「Event Horizon───
“──”
“Wait!”
*Crash!*
The frozen door shattered like glass.
At the same time, someone burst into the building.
*Whirr…*
The frost blooming from the Duke’s feet vanished instantly, and the spatial singularity I’d been tuning closed.
Simultaneously… the ice crown above the Duke’s head disappeared.
“…You.”
“Kaider! Isn’t that too much?!”
A clear voice.
Platinum hair, clear and transparent blue eyes.
‘…Carnel’s mother?’
The hair color and eyes were different, sure…
But her face… was exactly like Carnel's.
She stood with hands on hips, glaring at the Duke like she was furious.
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
[ Amelia von Delbar ]
Favorability: [Son-in-law]
Status: [Positive]
■■■■■■■■■■ (10/10)
Info:
[Came to save Carnel’s boyfriend!]
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
…What?
What boyfriend?
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
[ Amelia von Delbar ]
Favorability: [Son-in-law]
Status: [Positive]
■■■■■■■■■■ (10/10)
Info:
[Came to save Carnel’s male friend!]
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
Ah… male friend.
Must’ve misread that.
“The son-in-law—er, the junior!—our daughter brought home… treating him so harshly!”
“…….”
The Duke met Amelia’s rebuke with wordless silence.
“Apologize right now!”
“……….”
Our eyes met.
Then his gaze shifted behind me.
*Swish…*
I turned too.
Peeking through the broken door were three people: an old butler-looking guy, Violet, and Carnel.
“…Thanatos.”
When the Duke called the butler’s name, the old man straightened up and entered the building.
“…Escort them.”
“Understood, Your Grace.”
Butler Thanatos approached me with precise movements and bowed.
“Please follow me.”
Then he gestured with utmost courtesy, like treating a state guest.
…Just like that?
All because of one word from Carnel’s mother?
“You two as well.”
Thanatos added to Violet and Carnel, still peeking around the shattered doorframe.
“Y-Yes.”
“…Yes.”
They answered in unison, shuffling their feet awkwardly before slinking after us.
*Tap tap.*
Violet nudged my arm with her elbow.
I turned, wondering what was up.
“Solid.”
Violet whispered, flashing a thumbs-up.
“…?”
Unsatisfied with my reaction, she nudged my arm again.
“Solid.”
This time with a bit more emphasis.
But I was still out of it.
Mid-fight with the Duke, Carnel’s mom bursts in…
And now i was suddenly being politely led in to the Delbar mansion…
And Violet keeps whispering ‘solid’ at me.
“Solid.”
Violet whispered ‘solid’ a third time.
Finally, I figured I should respond, awkwardly raising my hand with a thumbs-up.
Violet nodded in satisfaction.
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