Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: The Six Weeks of Despair
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The Bednicker Council of Elders rarely gathers in one place.
They are all busy men, each with their own duties.
Of course, a grand event like the Blessing Ceremony was reason enough to bring them all together.
But after the ceremony, most had returned to their posts.
That was why only five elders were now present in the [Chamber of Judgment].
“Ruan Bednicker won.”
Agenor Bednicker, who had convened today's meeting, spoke first.
“It wasn't just a simple victory; it was a complete one.”
“An astonishing result, but Hector was unable to perform at his best.”
“Even so, the outcome remains unchanged.”
“Still, I found the way Ruan fought... a little concerning.”
Agenor looked at the one who had spoken.
“Meaning?”
“...He intentionally provoked Hector, didn't he? Then he focused on defense and deliberately made remarks to shatter his composure. It was far from a fair fight.”
“A fair fight, you say.”
Agenor smiled faintly.
“My dear Zenon.”
“Yes.”
“Is this the Goodspring family?”
The middle-aged man called Zenon's expression hardened.
“In a fight, victory is all that matters. Of course, if he had poisoned his opponent before the duel or given him a rusted sword, such dirty tricks would indeed be despicable. But simply provoking an opponent, focusing on defense, and then shattering their composure is a type of strategy, a tactic.”
“…”
“I know how much you care for Hector. But this is the Bednicker Council of Elders. Maintain your impartiality.”
“…My apologies.”
Zenon Anatos.
The head of the Anatos family—one of Bednicker's vassal families—and Hector Bednicker's maternal grandfather, bowed his head.
The Council of Elders is fundamentally a council of equals, but there is one exception—Agenor Bednicker.
The man, a blood relative of the family head from two generations prior, was effectively the chairman of this council.
Thus, every member of the Council of Elders held Agenor in high regard.
With the exception of the honorary member, Asad.
“Even so, it was clearly a distasteful victory, was it not?”
A sharp voice interjected.
It was Phyllis, the youngest among the elders.
“At the beginning of this year, Ruan Bednicker's skill was below that of an average knight. In contrast, everyone here is well aware of Hector's talent and genius.”
Zenon nodded emphatically.
“I know Ruan's personality well. He was not the type to engage in bold psychological warfare through provocation, nor was he one to cruelly trample an opponent who had already admitted defeat.”
“That's right.”
“I agree.”
Agenor glanced at the faces of those who had agreed.
“What are you trying to say?”
“Do you remember what happened in the Jewel Mountains?”
“Are you referring to the matter Ruan Bednicker reported?”
“Yes. Ruan said at the time that an assassin sent by the cult was disguised as a knight of the Fang Knights. He claimed that was how he survived a near-death situation.”
“Are you questioning that incident? The Family Head himself verified all of Ruan's testimony as truth.”
“Yes, that's true. However, we can only verify the truth of what he said. We have no way of knowing what he might have hidden.”
Only then did Agenor realize what Phyllis was getting at.
“That Ruan might be a pawn of the cult?”
“It's just a hypothesis, but I believe the probability is high enough. You are aware, Chairman, that the cult possesses dark arts capable of transferring souls.”
“…”
“A year is certainly not a short time, but even considering that, Ruan's transformation has been dramatic. There is more than enough room for suspicion.”
“I understand your point, but there are a few far-fetched parts.”
Agenor said, shaking his head.
“If what you say is true, it means Ruan killed a subordinate who was deliberately planted, all to infiltrate the Bednicker family. Isn't that too extreme, even for a cultist?”
“He wasn't necessarily a subordinate. Everyone here is aware that there are multiple factions within the cult. They wouldn't hesitate to kill a member of a rival faction. They might form temporary alliances, but the moment they turn their backs, they are no different from enemies.”
Agenor couldn't openly refute Phyllis's words.
Because when it came to the cult, Phyllis was more of an expert than anyone else present.
Just then, an elder who had remained silent spoke up cautiously.
“Requesting another truth verification from the Family Head would be…”
“Difficult. Besides, if the subject has received the [Calamity God's Curse], the [Blessing of Truth] cannot be considered fully effective.”
“Hmm…”
Agenor thought with a blank expression.
Five members, including himself, were attending the council today.
Among them, three were determined to push Ruan out.
Agenor and one other were neutral.
The council's decisions were usually made by a majority vote, so normally, their opinion would carry more weight, but…
‘…’
Agenor felt a sense of unease.
‘A pawn…’
Agenor knew.
There was a rat in the Bednicker family.
But even Agenor, who had lived for over 200 years, had no clue as to the person's identity.
There were only two people he could be completely certain were innocent.
The Iron-Blooded Duke and the Archmage Asad.
Which meant…
The members of the Council of Elders before him were not exempt from suspicion.
‘Difficult.’
Their demands were both suspicious and reasonable.
If the traitor had planned this far ahead, they were not an opponent to be dismissed as a mere rat.
Agenor finished his deliberation and opened his eyes.
“I understand what you're saying. However, Ruan has already proven himself. We have no grounds to pressure him again.”
“For now, how about we refrain from taking any overt action? Let Ruan believe he has allayed our suspicions.”
“And?”
“We can continue to apply pressure while observing him. We'll have Ruan participate in the main family's training program, which starts tomorrow.”
The Bednicker training program—that meant the infamous [Six Weeks of Despair].
“The Grand Masters will surely grant our request.”
“…I suppose so.”
Agenor nodded.
The motion had passed.
Agenor felt a slight pang of guilt for the young Bednicker, but it was fleeting.
This training program would be an ordeal for Ruan, but depending on how he handled it, it could also be an opportunity—
And a scion of the Bednicker bloodline should be able to do just that.
* * *
After completely crushing Hector Bednicker in the duel.
I left the silent dueling grounds, which rang with neither cheers nor applause, and rested soundly for the rest of the day.
The mental toll of the duel wasn't great, but I had lost some blood because of the Afterimage Sword.
Of course, thanks to the Flame Arts of the Greatest, this much blood loss was nothing I couldn't recover from in a day.
Surprisingly, those bastards from the Council of Elders were quiet.
I expected them to throw another fit, but their silence was unsettling.
Did they acknowledge me?
Or did the Iron-Blooded Duke intervene?
I couldn't know yet.
In any case, crushing Hector brought about a change in my life at the main estate.
When I walked down the hallways, the servants would greet me politely.
When I passed the training grounds, the knights would salute me.
The main estate's chef would serve me the particularly delicious cuts of meat.
For me, the last one was the best.
“It's all become quite overwhelming lately.”
That was how I felt, but it seemed my mother did not.
“In what way?”
“It's just... the way everyone in the mansion has suddenly changed their attitude, like flipping a switch...”
“Because they're snobs?”
I chuckled and said.
“It's not their fault. A strict meritocracy is the Bednicker way, isn't it?”
“That's not wrong, but…”
Lucia sighed and looked at me.
“Are you really going to be all right?”
“I told you, I'm fine. I won't be getting beaten up anywhere anymore. You saw it yourself yesterday, Mother.”
“Yes. It seems you've received a truly outstanding Blessing.”
My mother seemed to think my sudden increase in strength was due to the Blessing.
In fact, that's what most people probably thought.
After all, the incompetent fool of the Bednicker family from the beginning of the year had just defeated the so-called genius, Hector.
It was a misunderstanding I had no reason to correct just yet.
“Still, I just wonder if there's any reason for you to stay here any longer.”
There was a reason.
I still had things to discuss with the Iron-Blooded Duke.
Of course, if I went home now, they wouldn't send a Collector after me again, but my new goal was to gather information about the forgotten era and the Demon King.
‘There should be plenty of it at the Bednicker main estate.’
“…Alright. Take care of yourself, Ruan.”
I nodded, then looked at Arjan standing beside my mother.
Arjan was tasked with escorting my mother safely back to our manor.
After that, she was to return to the main estate and officially begin serving me... which, to be frank, felt a little burdensome.
It's because I didn't really need a subordinate right now.
Of course, Arjan was competent in many ways, so having her around would certainly be convenient, but…
In any case, this trip home didn't involve crossing the mountains, so it would take her some time to return.
I decided to think about it then.
…Speaking of the mountains, someone came to mind.
Kaljak.
‘What the hell happened to that old man?’
Of course, his opponent was the High Priest, and he would have been exhausted right after subduing the Jewel Beast, so logically, Kaljak's chances of survival weren't high.
But still, he was a Grand Master Teacher.
I couldn't imagine that a man acknowledged even by the Iron-Blooded Duke would die so easily.
“I will see you again, Young Master.”
“Right.”
Anyway, after a brief farewell with my mother and Arjan, only Keian remained by my side.
“…Hmm. You've been through a lot too, Sir Keian.”
Being alone with him felt a little awkward.
Maybe because he was the one who had once severed the tendons in my arm.
Hiding such feelings was a bother, so I spoke my mind directly.
“To be honest, this situation is a bit bewildering.”
“In what way, sir?”
“The reason you're standing next to me right now.”
Besides that, his sudden retirement, helping my mother in my absence…
These were things I'd wanted to ask for a while, but the circumstances hadn't been right until now.
“What brought about this change of heart?”
“There wasn't any particular change of heart.”
As I waited silently for him to continue, his voice followed.
“Some people call me 'Iron-Blooded' or 'the Perfect One.' They're undeserved titles. In truth, I'm not such a remarkable person. I worked as a Collector for so long not for some grand reason, but simply because I had nothing else to do.”
I was slightly taken aback by Keian's unexpected confession.
“So you quit being a Collector because you've found something to do now?”
“You could say that.”
“And what is that?”
At that, hesitation flickered across the stoic old man's face for the first time.
“…Someday, when you have perfected the White Sun Eclipse, Young Master.”
“Yes.”
“Could I ask you to meet my daughter?”
“What?”
His words were far beyond anything I had expected.
“You had a daughter?”
“An adopted daughter, yes.”
“Ah.”
Collectors generally don't have families. Their work earns them too many grudges.
The fact that Keian had an adopted daughter was probably not widely known.
I was both flustered and intrigued by this sudden, unexpected secret.
“Who is your daughter?”
“Her name is Kaela. You may have heard of her, Young Master.”
“…”
I blinked and asked.
The moment I heard that name, someone suddenly came to mind.
“…You don't mean Kaela, the Mercenary Queen, do you?”
Keian looked slightly surprised.
“How did you know? She has only been called by that name for a short time. You wouldn't know unless you were interested in the mercenary world…”
“…”
I guess that was true at this point in time.
But there was no way I wouldn't know.
Because it was a name I'd heard until I was sick of it, back when I was working as a mercenary after being kicked out of the family.
Kaela, the Mercenary Queen.
A powerhouse who was called a queen in that damn wide and harsh industry.
Not yet, but within a few years, she would become such a big name that she would be mentioned in discussions of the empire's strongest.
Which means…
In some respects, she was a monster on the same level as the Iron-Blooded Duke.
“What do you want me to do when I meet this daughter of yours?”
“I would like you to fight her, and if possible, defeat her.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Keian said.
“I have seen countless geniuses in the Bednicker family, but I never thought any of them could defeat that child.”
“What about the Family Head?”
“I am speaking of the talents who are still developing.”
“Then you, sir…”
I trailed off intentionally, and Keian nodded as if he had been waiting.
“Yes. When I witnessed the White Sun Eclipse, I felt that you, Young Master, would be more than capable.”
“…I don't get it. Isn't it a good thing if your daughter is successful? Why would you wish for her defeat?”
“I made a promise to that child's biological father.”
“…”
This was a signal not to ask any more, but I felt if I didn't ask now, I might lose the chance forever, so I asked anyway.
“What promise?”