Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Magic (2)
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The way to contact the Rosnet family.
The best option is just to ask my father.
Ellisia will be coming to the mansion anyway, so our paths are bound to cross. Better to give him a heads-up.
Knock knock.
"Father."
"Come in."
I open the door to the family head's office and step inside.
Father is seated at his desk, reviewing paperwork.
Mountains of documents piled up everywhere.
Is it because we're the empire's most prominent house? There's just so much work.
For some reason, imagining myself buried under a similar pile if I become family head makes me break out in a cold sweat.
Maybe I should just leave it all to Ariel.
"This is unusual. No Ariel by your side."
"My little sister locked herself in her room, saying she had some thinking to do on her own."
"Enough to leave your side?"
"Oh, that? Lately, Ariel's been developing a bit of independence. It's a good thing."
"......"
Father's expression turns peculiar.
Does the word "independence" really not suit Ariel that much?
By the way, when Ariel heard I was summoning Ellisia, she grilled me relentlessly about the reason.
I finally told her I needed to learn magic, and only then did she seem satisfied and shut up.
Then she said this:
-Yeah. Wait there, bro. I'll teach you magic.
After that, she holed up in her room and hasn't come out.
It's rare, just like Father said. Who knew Ariel could focus more than when she's sticking by my side.
But when it comes down to it, does Ariel even know how to use magic?
'The original story didn't mention anything like that.'
Honestly, if she handles magic at the world's top level too, it'd be straight-up broken.
No, she's already plenty broken as is, but that would make her truly untouchable.
Damn it, Ariel Leonhart, are you the absolute best even in magic...?
"Enough chit-chat. What is it you need?"
"Could you contact the Rosnet family for me? There's someone I want to meet."
"Rosnet family? ...Ah, yes. You mentioned meeting a young lady in the capital. Is it her?"
"Yes."
"......"
Father's expression turns peculiar again.
This time, it feels like his personal opinion of me has dropped a notch.
No, why?
Why are you looking at your son like that, Father?
"...It's not my place to say, but as a young master with a fiancée, wouldn't it be wise to conduct yourself properly? Meeting Lady Ellisia could bring you trouble."
Ah.
So that's it. With Adel in the picture, is it okay to meet Ellisia?
Honestly, it was something I pondered too.
We're engaged, and if my fiancée met another man...?
I might get mad too if I were Adel.
But I had my reasons.
'Pure love route's probably off the table anyway.'
Ariel is precious to me.
Ideally, forever by my side.
Of course, once we're adults, that might not happen—and probably shouldn't.
But if Ariel ends up alone, unrecognized by anyone...
To prepare for that, I want her close.
For that, my wife needs to accept it.
Call it what you will, but yeah, I'm aiming for a harem angle, more or less.
"It's fine. I've thought it through."
"Hah. Very well, do as you wish. You're no longer swayed by my advice anyway. Far more mature than your years."
"Thanks for the praise."
"Contacting the Rosnet family is no issue. But I'd like to know why. Makes conversation easier, and lets me understand your intentions."
"Ah, that."
Hm.
I pause for a moment.
I mentioned the harem angle, but meeting Ellisia isn't about chasing women.
It's purely to learn magic.
And that's because my path as a swordsman has already diverged sharply from the norm.
If I tell Father that—how would he take it?
"I want to learn magic."
"Magic?"
"Yes."
I laid it all out honestly.
The changes I felt during the battle with Bloodied.
The path of the magic swordsman, infusing swords with magic, opening up before me.
And how far removed it was from the standard path of aura-wielding knights.
"......"
Father didn't respond right away.
He furrowed his brow slightly, deep in thought.
Even when I reported nearly dying in the capital, he just nodded.
But this—walking the magic swordsman's path—he wasn't accepting lightly.
"The magic swordsman's path, you say. You'll walk a different road from ordinary knights."
"Yes. I could go that way, but I think playing to my strengths is right. Handling swordsmanship and magic together. No one else can copy that."
"Your logic holds. However."
Father rises from his seat.
Just that exudes overwhelming pressure.
'Is he angry?'
Anger. Tension. Worry.
Father steps around the desk toward me.
Even compared to my now-grown height, Father's imposing stature is formidable.
This is one of the empire's three great swordsmen.
"Kline. You don't yet know the fate of swordsmen who forsake established forms to forge their own."
"Pardon?"
"Follow me. I'll contact the Rosnet family soon enough. But first, I'll test you."
"???"
Test?
What test out of nowhere?
Father's aura is intense. No joke.
He heads straight to the family training grounds.
I watch for a moment, then follow.
"Uh-oh."
Did I mess up somehow?
**
Standing alone with Father on the training grounds.
We grip blunted swords and face off.
Father's presence is razor-sharp.
Not quite killing intent, but far beyond what you'd direct at your son.
Is he angry? Or does he really have something to test?
Whatever it is, if I want to meet Ellisia, I have to go along.
"Do you remember the sword arts I taught you?"
"Yes. Azure Dragon Soaring Sword. Fierce Tiger Strike Sword. Of course."
"What do you think their purpose is?"
"Hm. To wield aura effectively. Plain swordsmanship can't fully utilize aura."
"Correct. Then why didn't I tell you to practice alone? Why teach established arts first?"
"Well... Learning established ones first, then creating your own, is more efficient."
"No."
Father shakes his head.
That's not it.
"There are many aura-infused sword arts. Knights learn those suiting them, expanding their repertoire. But those arts are over a century old. Modern knights don't create new aura sword arts."
"Why not?"
"Partly because mastering existing ones is more efficient and faster, as you said. But more so, forging your own sword art as a knight to reach mastery devours too much time."
Father's explanation went like this:
Most swordsmen start with basic techniques.
Then awaken aura and learn aura-infused arts.
To achieve mastery, simply emulate established arts to the utmost.
The reason is clear.
Aura-infused arts aren't just about swordplay.
Aura itself matters.
How well you control aura counts too.
Knights must raise mana-related stats separately, so they can't pour all time into swordsmanship.
Thus, creating your own is inefficient.
"Some tried forging their own, but they failed to use their limited time wisely and stagnated."
"Importance of focus and prioritization."
"Yes. That's why I worried when you spoke of playing to your unique strengths. You were born with overwhelming talent. Nurturing it wisely will make you peerless. How could I not fret?"
"Mm."
He's right.
Father's saying it's a waste.
Don't squander your time; hone your talent fully.
Drop the magic swordsman nonsense.
'Hm.'
I concede.
Father makes sense.
I'm in a body with the world's second-best talent. No desire to waste it.
I could nod along—
'No. That's not it.'
That was for the original Kline.
This world's Kline Leonhart is different.
I have the Path of the Heaven-Defying Son.
The system rewards defying conventions.
The magic infusion perk came from it.
It's a unique talent surpassing even world #2.
Ariel might not match it here.
"No."
So I reject Father's words.
I must become a magic swordsman.
"I want to be a magic swordsman. I believe it'll elevate me beyond a pure knight."
"...I see."
Father closes his eyes.
Accepting my stubbornness?
No way.
He dragged me to the training grounds for this.
Not yielding so easily.
Father gestures, summoning a servant.
The servant hands him a potion.
"Prepared after hearing you. You handle light magic? Show me."
Whoosh—
Father tosses the potion.
I catch and inspect it: glowing powder inside, as he said.
Open the vial, sprinkle the dust, and magic activates, apparently.
"One attack. Block it with your so-called magic sword, and I'll contact Rosnet."
No room for slacking.
Father assumes stance.
Whoosh!
Overwhelming aura erupts.
It pricks the skin.
Not killing intent for his son, but facing it steals your breath.
One of the empire's three great swordsmen.
Gerard Leonhart grips his sword, glaring at me.
"Intense, Father. Planning to go easy?"
"No. I want my son to master knighthood. When you reach my level, I'll show peak techniques. Block them."
"Haha."
Zero mercy.
I take stance too.
Thought of Azure Dragon Soaring Sword, but no.
Using taught arts won't convince him.
My own swordsmanship.
Magic-infused, using the perk.
Create it here and now.
"......"
Father's aura converges.
Pinpoint focus.
All gathers into ferocious intensity.
Grrrr...
Tiger's roar.
No doubt.
Fierce Tiger Strike Sword's final technique.
I instantly uncork the potion and sprinkle on my sword.
Shhh—
The light dust meant for casting seeps into my blade as intended.
Light swirls along the sword, glowing.
Hummm—
Grip it.
Ready to slash forward.
That instant.
ROAR!
House-sized tiger lunges—vision shakes with the roar.
Tatata!
Father's aura.
The slash bursts from his sword, ripping air toward me.
'Whoa.'
Really trying to kill me, Father?
No, I won't die, but one wrong hit and I'm bedridden.
Fresh off Bloodied, no hospital stays.
So block properly.
Vmmm!
Swing sword forward.
Light dust expands into a circular barrier.
My mana fused with the dust's—into aura-magic.
It unfurls like heavenly shield, blocking Father's aura.
Kwaaaa...!
Two energies clash, unleashing torrent of light.
I endure the eye-dazzling rush.
"Urgh..."
Heavy.
The empire's top swordsman's sincere strike.
At 14, I thought I'd grown, but road's long.
Just this clash drains my whole body's mana.
How much time passed?
Seconds, or minutes.
As light torrent fades, sword slips from my hand.
Clang!
Exhausted muscles refuse to hold.
Hard to even stand.
"Huff. Pant."
The light barrier before me is gone.
Swirling dust wind.
Beyond it, Father stares with stone face.
"Heh."
Laughter escapes unwittingly.
Can't help it.
Body drained blocking his attack.
But not a scratch on me.
"So, Father? Convinced now?"
I hold back collapse, ask.
Cheeky grin?
Father frowns slightly, displeased.
"I acknowledge it."
Then nods calmly.
"To cast such magic from mere potion dust. And I clearly saw your aura mixed in. ...As you said, you have the talent for magic swordsmanship."
"Haha. Told you. It's my real strength."
"Yes. Not pleased, but fate, I suppose. My son is a vessel I can't fill."
And done.
Father sheathes and turns.
"I'll contact Rosnet. Meet Lady Ellisia and learn magic as you wish."
"Thank you, Father."
"For what? I tried to stop you."
"Still, you tested me out of worry. Wanted your son to succeed, so the trial. I get it."
"......"
Father's steps halt abruptly.
Embarrassed? Faint crack in stone face.
"...Mind your words. I merely—"
But Father's words don't finish.
Tatata!
Pounding footsteps charging the ground.
Before reaction, it launches like a cannon at Father.
Whoooosh—
Fast.
Even Father can't react—bomb slams him.
BOOM!
Father's body tumbles across training ground.
Impossible.
Empire's three great swordsmen. Overwhelmed me moments ago.
Powerless, no response.
"......"
Obviously, only one in mansion who could.
"Bro. You okay?"
Tiny girl in pure white.
Ariel rushes to me.
"Yeah? Not hurt? No wounds? Face okay? Dizzy?"
"No, sis. Hold on."
"That damn guy's bullying you, right? Yeah? Didn't kill him just in case. Might not be. But if he dared hurt you—"
"I'm fine. Fine. Calm down first. Call a healer?"
I soothe Ariel's prodding hands, sigh.
Far-off Father lies still.
Good she didn't intend murder.
Seeing Father, who tested son with good intentions, suffer this... heart aches a bit.
Sorry, Father. You know your daughter's a handful.
Go easy, please.