The Hero's Blade and the Exiled Prodigy
I had once heard those words, casually delivered by someone who must have feared it might stir the Duke's displeasure.
"Unrest is brewing within the Empire, Your Grace."
It was no exaggeration. The baseless insults aimed at the newly ascended Duke of Havertz, Isaac Havertz, and his younger sister had been whispered in every corner. Not that I had not anticipated them.
Yet, had there been no sting at all, I would be lying. It was one thing if I stood alone; here, with Lottie at my side, the very word "incestuous" had been bandied about.
Isaac Havertz had slain his father for the sake of territory, and his own blood sister had been cast aside by the Emperor's army in pursuit of power.
It was not universal opinion. In every way that mattered, it had been the Emperor's handiwork.
Those who truly understood remembered Duke Douglas's true nature and the decade of secret conflict between him and the Emperor.
Amid such clarity, how could the Emperor's words have any weight? The manipulation to keep the new Duke in check was obvious even to a fool.
The Emperor… Perhaps he genuinely believed a few stirring words from commoners would harm me.
Maybe, just maybe, the ripples were deeper than I thought.
Look at this very moment, for instance.
*Clang!*
The silver-haired man with golden eyes strode toward me, sword already drawn. It was Eiden Cashmil, the one I knew all too well.
I narrowed my eyes and fixed my gaze on the blade.
“…Holy Sword.”
A single silver line had been etched into the matte edge. The sacred relic of the Holy Church, slumbering in its depths. A weapon that should never have left those vaults.
Yet here it was, gripped in Eiden's hand. Not the Grimoire of Pride, nor Greed, nor Wrath, nor even Gluttony. A holy blade.
It had once cast doubt on his connection to the Holy Church. But that doubt had long since dissolved.
The Grimoire? Not even a single fragment.
If Eiden had somehow reached the 9th Circle and transcended history itself, that would explain the anomaly. Otherwise, how could he have hidden the book from my eyes?
The question was simple: had he chosen not to wield a Grimoire, or had the book itself rejected him?
The presence of a holy item in the Emperor's appointed hero was not entirely shocking. After all, the current Pope enjoyed a closeness to the imperial family far beyond even Duke Teyran.
But Eiden possessed no Grimoire. I had even scanned his soul bond, and nothing remained.
*Perhaps the latter.*
I pressed my fingers to my forehead, stunned. A man chosen by a Grimoire, yet denied the very artifact that should have defined him. How suffocating.
What butterfly effect would the absence of a single book unleash? I could not guess, but the headache was inevitable either way.
"…"
I lowered my hand from my brow and met Eiden's gaze. The emotionless stare made him flinch for the briefest instant, but that was all.
*Shing!*
He activated the Holy Sword without hesitation and leveled the tip at me.
The surrounding students recoiled in shock. Before I could speak, Hella had already stepped forward, her voice dripping with distaste.
"What is the meaning of this, Student Cashmil? Drawing your blade on the eve of the entrance ceremony?"
"I, on the other hand, would ask you the same, Lady Hella. What thoughts does the Green Dragon hold? Accepting such a villain as a special entrant?"
Despite Hella's cold rebuke, Eiden's expression did not change. His eyes sharpened further as he brought up Tiamat's intentions as well.
At those words, Hella's gaze, which had only moments ago shown respect for Eiden, suddenly cooled.
"…You would do well to guard your tongue, Eiden Cashmil. The Dean is not a being whose words you may speak lightly. Nor any of his decisions."
It was the warning of a high-ranking mage expected to reach the 8th Circle soon. Yet Eiden, unmoved, showed no sign of sheathing the blade.
"I have no intention of insulting him, but… words must be said. I cannot accept the Academy's decision."
"…What do you intend to do about it?"
"…"
Hella had asked the question, and Eiden fell silent. Then his eyes, those of one who truly beheld horrors, fixed upon Lottie and me.
"On behalf of the Hero, I request that these two incestuous wretches be expelled from the Academy. Is this not a holy place of education?"
*Incestuous wretches.* The term, usually reserved for me, had finally spilled from his lips.
"…"
Lottie's eyes, which had stood quietly behind me until now, sharpened.
The cold gaze that occasionally flicked toward me carried not even a flicker of life, nothing that could be dismissed as mere indifference.
Two crimson eyes burned with no hostility, no murder. But their surface was only skin-deep.
Red mist swirled from her entire body, and Hella, who noticed it a half-beat too late, stiffened rigidly.
"…Lady Charlotte. That power…"
This was the first time the Blood Witch's might had been revealed in the presence of the Emperor's army since that day. The freshman and upperclassmen watching from the crowd paled, then flushed with sudden color.
I caught Lottie's wrist firmly.
Lottie trembled and looked up at me.
"…Brother."
"Don't."
I spoke softly, shaking my head side to side.
Now was not the time for her to unleash her power. Not only because of overprotection, but because the situation itself demanded resolution without violence.
I pushed her gently toward Elena, then stepped forward.
A fool stared at me, uncertain what form I might take.
The Holy Sword remained in hand, but the hero's bearing was still lacking. A 6th Circle at best. Anything higher or lower was impossible. At this age, even that would earn one the label of genius.
"Eiden Cashmil. Is that correct?"
"…Yes."
I answered in a flat voice. Eiden frowned, replying as though I were the true villain.
He genuinely believed I had broken the natural order.
In truth… I had no intention of denying patricide. After all, it was the truth. What was there to explain?
I simply had no desire to do so point by point.
My subjects in the territory were already close to the truth. What outsiders thought was none of my concern.
What mattered to me lay only within my domain.
I saw no need to respond to the Emperor's chosen hero's shouting.
I spoke calmly.
"I do not know what words the Emperor has planted in your ears, Eiden Cashmil."
"…"
"It is a fact that His Majesty urged my admission. To draw me within his gaze."
How absurd. The Emperor had ordered me to enroll out of tradition, yet the recipient of the Hero title now demanded my expulsion?
I let my lips curl slightly.
"Carlos, that man truly loves to reverse his positions. Why, after all, was it not my own admission that posed a threat, but rather my sister drawing close to the capital?"
"…!"
Eiden's eyes flipped. He gripped the Holy Sword more tightly and took a step forward.
"…Guard your mouth, you incestuous wretch. Do not forget your place. Have you forgotten that you are a subject of His Majesty?"
"And you, have you not forgotten yours? Howard Cashmil's son, Eiden. How dare a commoner address a Duke so freely?"
"I…! I hold the title of Hero!"
So what? What exactly would you do about it?
I looked down at him with a disinterested expression. Thinking yourself a hero? At best, you are the Emperor's and the Pope's hunting dog.
The power Eiden Cashmil possessed in the original story came solely from the Grimoire and the Academy's diligent training.
The so-called hero title was nothing more than a hollow label, offering no contribution whatsoever.
"…How pitiful. Truly."
I exhaled a deep sigh, filled with disappointment. A man like this as the protagonist, Eiden Cashmil? My expectations had been reduced to less than ten percent. The plans I had for the Academy would require major revisions.
The Holy Sword had at least piqued my interest, but now even that spark had died.
I walked past Eiden quietly.
"Hey, my words aren't finished yet……!"
"Whether you think so or not."
The awkward hand reaching to grab me was swatted away. I turned back one last time and murmured, "Speak no more of Douglas Havertz before me. Not until I personally split that worthless blade of yours."
"…!"
It was a warning laced with killing intent. As expected, Eiden, who had only a year ago been a commoner's son, shrank back……
I clicked my tongue once and dismissed him. I had wanted to say more, but today was the entrance ceremony.
Stirring trouble in the heart of the Academy would only upset Tiamat.
After all, our encounter with that man would not end today. It was not too late to wait and crush him later.
Perhaps he had reached the same conclusion. Hella let out a small sigh of relief.
"…I was waiting for it."
I approached Lottie, who remained held by Elena. She needed careful handling so she would not lose control.
"Haa… huaaa…"
"…Lottie?"
Yet when I scanned her face, it seemed there was no cause for worry.
Lottie looked up at me with a flushed face and touched her cheek lightly.
"Brother, you were so cool just now……."
"Eh…?"
"Maybe I went too far."
I raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise.
What exactly had I heard?
I glanced at Elena, who had reacted with wide pupils the moment Lottie spoke. She must have heard it properly.
It was slightly… no, quite dizzying. I pressed my fingers to my forehead and tried to cover her mouth.
"Lottie, such words are inappropriate in a place like this……."
"…Ha!"
And then, the young man's laughter that had been building up finally erupted.
I wiped away the frustrated expression and turned around.
Eiden, who had been trembling earlier, was now staring at the girl with light blue hair standing beside me.
"…I understand now, Isaac Havertz…… and Charlotte Havertz. His Majesty's words did indeed include such tales."
He still held the Holy Sword, but the blade tip trembled faintly.
In his eyes, fixed on Lottie and me, a mix of emotions swirled. But at least some were clear.
Primarily defeat and humiliation.
Interwoven within them was…
"The two siblings of the Havertz family have not only betrayed the natural bond between parent and child, but have also trampled upon the human decency between siblings. Filthy animals."
Unquestionable contempt.
"…That man is a criminal who killed his own father with his own hands, Charlotte Havertz. Do you wish to create a bastard with such a brother of yours?"
Eiden's gaze swept over Lottie's entire body, lingering on the curves of that woman's form, dripping with revulsion.
"At least beg His Majesty for forgiveness now. Then you may still hope for leniency from him, rather than that man."
I raised my right hand, lightning crackling.
Eiden, still oblivious, continued ranting, but it was irrelevant.
There would be no more talking now.
"…Duke!"
Hella's face had paled as she tried to stop me. I brushed her aside and snapped my fingers.
Lightning flashed across the sky.
*Thunk!*
And.
"…Eh?"
Eiden's arm, still gripping the Holy Sword with false pride, fell to the ground.
With a sound as light as nothing at all.