Chapter 98
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Karmic Ties (4)
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Roselin, who had been diligently swinging her sword, paused to catch her breath and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
It was then that the sweltering air of the training ground began to settle ever so slightly.
Suddenly, a single thought brushed through her mind.
'Come to think of it, they said I'd be invited to the banquet soon.'
A banquet.
She had attended a few similar events during her time at the Academy, but those had merely been ceremonial affairs for the students.
She had never even glimpsed a proper banquet from afar.
Even the Academy events were ones she participated in half-heartedly most of the time.
She had always kept a step back from such gatherings.
But this time, she couldn't do that.
This was a banquet hosted directly by the Imperial Family.
And they were inviting two others her age who had reached similar heights as the main guests.
The first name that came to mind was Ivan Vieirn.
The reason his name surfaced was that she had recently learned the 7th-circle mage who had helped her at the Academy was none other than Ivan.
The name Ivan was already renowned far and wide.
She had no personal acquaintance with him, but rumors had reached her ears.
A 7th-circle mage. A genius in magitech engineering.
No, he had transcended even the realm of engineering now.
He had become one of the Empire's foremost authorities on magic itself.
Not only the Communication Orb, but pattern recognition technology was also sparking heated discussions lately.
Recognizing patterns meant distinguishing them.
Everyone was born with talents, but ordinary people gradually awakened to them through long training.
But if distinction were possible, those talents could be identified from childhood. Or even from birth.
'Didn't that stele ask me to input my unique mana pattern the first time I touched it?'
In truth, she had felt a vague sense of familiarity from the very first glimpse, but the fleeting text hadn't given her time to dwell on it.
'...Is there a connection?'
This stele she had discovered already contained pattern recognition functionality.
Had he embedded this feature into the stele himself?
If so, was Ivan also tied to this stele?
Or had he merely stumbled upon an ancient existing function and claimed it as his own invention?
'No way he's a fraud?'
A whirlwind of thoughts tangled and wandered aimlessly in her head.
Yet one thing was clear: a powerful curiosity had been ignited.
An opportunity had opened to find clues to worries she couldn't share with anyone.
On the other hand, she couldn't help thinking how much of the world she still didn't know.
She had seen Ivan as just a fleeting connection, yet even he was entangled somewhere in this.
Banquets had always been uncomfortable, tedious affairs, but this one was different.
She found herself looking forward to it.
We arrived at the Vieirn territory.
The place where Father served as lord. But soon, my brother would inherit the position.
"Son!"
As the carriage halted before the castle gates, the guarding soldiers spotted me and hurriedly swung them open.
Not long after, a familiar voice called from afar.
Father had come out to greet me personally.
He must have known of my arrival from the letter, yet he had descended all the way to the gates, so he was clearly delighted.
He had even heard the rumors of my reaching the 7th circle.
The man who had been overjoyed, calling me a once-in-a-century genius when I first began learning magic.
Somehow, I had ascended to the 7th circle around the same time as that friend of mine who was hailed as the era's genius.
"I've heard the stories."
After embracing me, Father clapped my shoulder.
Following him was my sister, Abella Vieirn.
He hadn't come alone; my sister and brother had accompanied him.
"You really reached the 7th circle? For real?"
As a mage herself, that was naturally her top curiosity.
I nodded.
My brother Ulbain, standing beside her, let out an exclamation of awe.
"For our family to produce a once-in-a-century genius... That famous Eldis Family granddaughter reached it later than you, right?"
He was probably referring to Oz.
The Eldis Family was so renowned for Grandfather Parovian that even after his son inherited the family, members were still spoken of with Parovian at the center.
I had met the Eldis Family Head once before, and he was no pushover.
The epitome of a mage: rational and cool-headed.
We had met briefly to secure land in Eldis territory for training. The Communication Orb matter had made approval easy.
Normally, in the atmosphere I remembered, my brother would tease my sister around now, but there was none of that.
Come to think of it, back in the day, just standing together would spark visible tension between them, but now things were vastly different.
Perhaps because the successor was firmly decided.
"Oh, right, you're getting engaged?"
"Yes."
My sister's response was short and matter-of-fact. Her expression matched—utterly neutral.
I had felt something impersonal even in the letter announcing the engagement.
It was common in noble families, but it still felt off somehow.
For a baron's daughter to marry into an earldom was a major event.
She had no choice but to go along, even if reluctant.
Besides, my sister had always loved the family enough to truly want to become its head, so she would doubly so.
"How did you end up meeting?"
My brother answered that one.
"It's all because of you, really."
He looked dissatisfied too, for some reason.
"Marriage proposals flooded in the moment rumors of your 7th circle spread."
"...Isn't that a bit too blatant?"
"Shamelessness is basic for nobles, no?"
A mage reaching the 7th circle at a young age. From a baron's family. And that family had a woman who had stepped aside from succession and remained unmarried.
Could there be better prey?
Of course, my sister had accepted for comparable benefits.
A family member who reached the 7th circle young. Anyone could see the high chance of becoming a Transcendent.
But that also meant distancing from the family once true transcendence occurred. They couldn't bask in that glory forever.
For now, though, marrying into an earldom meant no need for much scrutiny. She had me as backing.
With such mutual interests, she had accepted the engagement despite reluctance.
Though it was surprising to see even my brother, the heir, wearing a displeased expression.
"Will your future brother-in-law be at the banquet too?"
"Uh... probably? Most high nobles will attend."
Neither my brother nor sister seemed keen to dwell on it and quickly changed the subject.
"How does reaching the 7th circle feel? Like power surging, you can do anything?"
"Do you think higher circles turn your brain to muscle too?"
My sister shot back, and my brother sighed in mild reproach.
"You... watch your mouth. If you talk to them like you do to us after marriage, it'll be trouble."
This level of bickering was actually quite good. It felt like the old days before succession worries.
My sister ignored him, scanning me up and down.
"But you look even more handsome now?"
"Yeah... now that you mention it, you seem different."
Honestly, she's the only one who calls me handsome. I knew it was familial affection, not genuine admiration.
Like parents praising their child.
Mother had passed soon after my birth, so my sister had often filled that role.
I brushed off the physical changes vaguely and headed inside for a meal together.
After eating, I decided to take a long-overdue stroll around the castle.
Back when I was very young and struggling to adapt to medieval hardships, holing up in the castle with occasional walks had been my sole hobby.
The castle grounds looked the same as ever. Not that much time had passed anyway.
The wind was cooler than expected, so I settled right there on the ground.
The sun was slowly setting.
Then I sensed someone approaching. It was my brother.
"Mind if I sit?"
"Go ahead."
Seeing him plop casually on the dirt, I asked,
"You must be busy these days?"
He leaned back on his arms, gazing at the sky.
"Honestly, what's there to do here? Not that busy."
With that, he lay fully back. Grass rustled beneath him.
He was usually so neat; this was unexpected.
I followed suit, tilting my head back to lie down.
"I even told Abella not to marry if she doesn't want to, just do what she wants, but she won't listen."
His voice flowed calmly, laced with genuine frustration.
He didn't like her marrying out of duty either.
This was a far cry from their old rivalry over succession—a face full of familial concern.
Rare for nobles, perhaps.
Usually, once succession battles ended, anxiety over future grudges led some to even eliminate rivals...
As we silently watched the sky, he chuckled softly.
"Forgot to ask earlier—what can you do at 7th circle? I don't know much about magic, so it's hard to imagine."
"Well... if drought hits the territory, I could summon a grand rain."
His eyes widened.
"...What?"
He propped himself up halfway, staring at me in earnest shock.
"Whoa... you be the Family Head. That's practically a god."
I'm pretending to be godlike...
"Family Head? Who'd block a future Archmage's path?"
That was my sister, who had quietly joined us.
She settled beside me casually, then lay back to gaze at the sky too.
Now the three of us lay side by side, watching the sunset.
"Would someone who might become a Transcendent be content with this little territory?"
"Whoa, first time hearing 'Transcendent' outside Grandpa's fairy tales from childhood. But it'd be cool if someone close—my little brother—became one."
They truly believed I could become a Transcendent.
This was preparation, to accept it as natural when I did.
No demands, just quiet acceptance—very much like our family.
In this blood-soaked medieval world, we'd lucked out with them.
'Tying up these bonds is trickier than expected.'
If I weren't already transcendent in mind, unshakeable, I'd have wavered hard.
The sun dipped, painting the sky in sunset hues.
Once I adjusted here, lying in the fields outside to watch sunsets became a hobby, often joined by sister or brother.
Though later, as we grew and rivalry intensified, their bond soured.
'No, it wasn't great even then.'
I was always the buffer between them.
Then my brother spoke—not to me.
"Don't marry if you don't want to."
My sister shot up, glaring at him.
"Ugh... bringing it up on purpose with Ivan here."
"Ahem."
For him to say it so directly, something was definitely up.
Good thing I'd be at the banquet.
'Time to check out his face.'