Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: A Seat at the Table
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The moment I passed the fourth-floor staircase and set foot on the fifth.
The surrounding scenery changed in a flash.
It happened the very instant I stepped onto the final stair. The view, which until that moment had been the mansion's interior, transformed into the edge of a sheer cliff.
It was a sight I couldn't believe even as I saw it with my own two eyes.
“…How peculiar.”
Was it an illusion?
It felt too real for that.
The dusky sky, the birds flying across it…
Birds? Looking closer, they seemed to be bats.
In any case, it was a cliff with a rather dark atmosphere.
“You, this must be your first time on the fifth floor.”
For some reason, Hector began to speak in a patronizing tone.
“The scenery on the fifth floor changes every time. The last time I was here, it was a beach at sunset.”
“Is it illusion magic?”
“Well…”
Though the space was vast, thankfully, it was easy to find where we needed to go.
A table and chairs were placed inexplicably at the edge of the cliff.
I wasn’t sure if anything would go down my throat in a place like that, but then again, I had eaten just fine at the summit of the Spirit Mountain.
Hector and I exchanged a look, then walked toward the spot.
“You’ve come.”
The Iron-Blooded Duke, seated at the table, spoke in his characteristically impassive voice.
“Yes. I have.”
I nodded and glanced to either side.
The Iron-Blooded Duke wasn’t alone.
People were seated on both sides of the round table, and as it happened, they were familiar faces.
The eldest son, Hiiro Bednicker.
The second daughter, Nero Bednicker.
By reputation alone, they surpassed Hector, being the two most famous of the Iron-Blooded Duke’s children.
‘Were these two at the main house as well?’
That was unlikely.
Both were active heroes who had already built reputations so great that their names were known throughout the empire.
As far as I knew, they should be just as busy as the Iron-Blooded Duke.
This meant the cliff was not an illusion but an entirely separate place.
Could it be a subspace, something only a great archmage could create?
A subspace was a place that anyone could…
freely enter and exit…
from anywhere,
at any time,
as long as they had the owner’s permission, the coordinates, and the magical tool that served as a medium.
In other words, it was the perfect way to gather people scattered in different locations.
Of course, it was an advanced magic of immense difficulty, and I had heard that fewer than ten people in the entire empire could use it…
But in the Bednicker family, there was one extraordinary individual capable of such a feat.
The Guardian, Asad.
An archmage of his caliber would likely be able to use subspace magic without difficulty.
It was a bit chilling that he had transported me so naturally that even I hadn't noticed.
But my opponent was a monster among monsters who had protected the Bednicker family for 300 years.
“I haven’t seen you before.”
A dry voice cut in.
Turning my gaze toward the voice, which sounded weary just listening to it, I saw a drowsy face that looked as if it had just woken up.
The eldest son, Hiiro.
Even before my regression, he had never caused me any harm.
To be precise, he probably hadn't even cared that I existed.
In any case, how should I describe this man?
Though it might be an odd expression, he was not at all ‘Bednicker-like.’
Meaning, his impression was far from insidious, gloomy, or dark.
If the Iron-Blooded Duke weren’t here right now, he looked like he would immediately sprawl out and sleep on the table.
“…”
The second daughter, Nero, on the other hand, was quintessentially ‘Bednicker-like.’
Amidst an aura of gloom that could be felt just by looking at her, she sipped her tea without so much as a glance in my direction.
Just then, Hiiro suddenly tilted his head and asked the Iron-Blooded Duke.
“Did you summon them both?”
“No.”
“Then one of them is an uninvited guest.”
Nero spoke.
“It was Ruan who answered Father’s call. Which means he was the one summoned here—Hector, by what right are you here?”
“…I have something to say to Father.”
I looked at Hector with fresh eyes.
For some reason, this insolent brat was showing an intimidated attitude.
It didn't seem to be just because he was in front of the Iron-Blooded Duke.
‘Is he on bad terms with those two?’
That seemed to be the case.
A look of pity flickered across Nero’s face for a moment, and Hiiro spoke in a low voice.
“You have no right. I always figured you’d be kicked out eventually anyway.”
“What does that mean…”
“You. You have no talent.”
Hector’s face hardened.
“It’s earlier than I expected, and the replacement is a surprise, but that doesn’t give you the right to run your mouth.”
“…I am.”
Hector said, his eyes hardening.
“Speaking to Father, not to you, Brother Hiiro.”
‘Oh?’
I was inwardly impressed.
Despite his intimidation, he was asserting his opinion quite well.
Hector may have been a wretch, but his courage in the face of fear was not wretched at all.
“And I’m telling you… you don’t have the right.”
Hiiro rose from his seat with a bothered expression.
Tension filled Hector’s face.
I could feel him sharpening his focus to the extreme, his eyes fixed on his opponent's every move so he could react instantly.
So, the outcome was simple.
*Thud!*
“…?!”
A clear difference in level.
He didn't seem to realize what had happened until Hiiro’s palm struck his solar plexus… That move wasn’t exactly a martial art.
It was just that Hiiro’s basic physical specs were overwhelmingly superior to Hector’s.
If ‘genius’ was the word used to describe Hector among the Iron-Blooded Duke’s children…
Then ‘monster’ was the word for Hiiro.
And now, I could clearly see the distance between a genius and a monster.
“Cough…!”
Hector collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath.
“Leave now. Don't disgrace yourself any further.”
“I, I am…!”
Hector struggled to his feet again, then suddenly let out a roar and charged.
It seemed today was a day for seeing the many sides of this guy.
I never thought he would display such pathetic tenacity.
Hiiro, on the other hand, remained expressionless, seemingly interpreting Hector’s struggle not as tenacity but as a desperate flailing.
Hiiro effortlessly dodged Hector’s simple but fierce charge and immediately grabbed him by the throat.
“Gak!”
“Please stop being a nuisance… or do you want to die here?”
*Crrrk.*
I could see the strength he was putting into his grip.
The color drained from Hector’s face in an instant.
I instinctively frowned.
‘This is a bit much.’
Hiiro wasn’t holding back.
He wasn’t treating him like a brother, but like an insect he was crushing to death.
Even Hector, when fighting me, hadn't been this extreme.
Though he was immature in many ways, he had shown a minimal effort to stay within bounds, but I couldn't sense any such restraint from Hiiro now.
I glanced at the Iron-Blooded Duke for a moment.
I was curious what this man was thinking right now.
The Iron-Blooded Duke was staring at the tabletop, his face completely unreadable.
He seemed lost in thought.
Or perhaps he was thinking nothing at all.
I couldn’t tell his true intentions, but for now, he showed no sign of moving.
“Keuk, cough…”
Hector’s complexion grew increasingly pale.
Damn, what a crazy family.
“Brother Hiiro, that’s enough.”
I grabbed Hiiro’s wrist as I spoke, but he didn’t even pretend to look at me.
Needless to say, no one likes to be ignored.
My grip naturally tightened.
*Crack.*
“I said, that’s enough.”
“…”
Only then did Hiiro look at me.
A flicker of faint curiosity seemed to dance in his half-closed eyes.
“…And why should I?”
“Brother Hector has gotten the message.”
“I doubt it. I know this one better than you do.”
“I’ll make him understand.”
“Hmm.”
Hiiro looked at me with interest, then said, “Fine, have it your way,” and released his grip.
I looked down with pity at Hector, who was collapsed on the ground, coughing.
“Why did you have to charge at him? You don’t even seem to be in your best condition.”
“…Move.”
“Move, and then what? What will you say to the Family Head?”
“Just once—.”
“‘Give me one more chance’?”
“…”
A bullseye, it seems.
I openly clicked my tongue.
“Brother, you’re so desperate for the Family Head’s approval, yet you still don’t know him?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Do you really think anything you say right now will reach the Family Head’s ears?”
“…”
“If anything, you’ll only disappoint him further. So for today, don’t disappoint him anymore and just retreat. That’s the right move for you, too.”
“But still…!”
I whispered, my voice low enough for only Hector to hear.
“Or should I beat you up in this spot, instead of Brother Hiiro?”
“…”
“Would you be okay with that? It’d be far more humiliating than getting beaten by Hiiro. And Father’s disappointment would surely be greater.”
Hector’s expression hardened, and he gritted his teeth as he rose to his feet.
He then turned to face the Iron-Blooded Duke and bowed respectfully.
“…”
The Iron-Blooded Duke gave no reply, no reaction.
In a way, it seemed as if his interest in the person named Hector had already vanished.
Hector hadn't seemed to expect a response either, as he simply turned and left the way he came.
I wondered how he would exit, but after walking a short distance, Hector vanished from sight.
Just like magic.
I hadn’t noticed anything out of place in the scenery, but it seemed there was an exit somewhere over there.
Hiiro asked, sounding intrigued.
“What did you say to him?”
“I just reasoned with him.”
“Unlikely. That guy was known for his stubbornness.”
“…”
“Well, if you don’t want to say, then fine.”
Hiiro shuffled back to his seat.
He then slumped onto the table and let out a jaw-splitting yawn.
What was strange was that the Iron-Blooded Duke had no particular reaction to such behavior.
‘Ludwig was somewhat relaxed in front of the Iron-Blooded Duke, but…’
Compared to Hiiro, it was nothing.
Did this mean the Iron-Blooded Duke trusted Hiiro that much?
“Then, shall we begin eating?”
The Iron-Blooded Duke spoke in his characteristically impassive voice.
Hiiro, who had been slumped over the table, and Nero, who had been sipping tea, instantly straightened their postures.
And the moment Nero placed her teacup on the table.
*Pop-.*
The teacups on the table vanished in an instant, and a variety of dishes appeared in their place.
The appetizing aroma tickled my nose.
Come to think of it, I hadn't even had breakfast.
“Let’s eat.”
“Thank you for the meal.”
“Thank you for the meal.”
The two responded to the Iron-Blooded Duke’s words, and I, a beat later, also said, “Thank you for the meal.”
I took a bite of a steak that looked freshly grilled, its juices flowing, and put a forkful of salad dressed with a sauce I’d never seen before into my mouth.
I generally prefer meat to vegetables, but this salad was as delicious as the meat.
‘Eating delicious food is nice, but…’
…Was this really just a meal?
Feeling a sense of doubt, I continued to put food in my mouth.
For a while, only the quiet sound of utensils echoed at the table.
I wasn’t one to overeat, but the food was so delicious that I ended up eating a bit too much.
There was simply too much food to begin with.
In any case, after the quiet meal ended, the Iron-Blooded Duke wiped his mouth and spoke.
“Hiiro.”
“Yes.”
“I heard the news that you won the martial arts tournament hosted by the Second Prince. And that you reached the finals without a single scratch.”
“That is correct.”
And the moment I heard the Iron-Blooded Duke’s next words, I realized what kind of occasion this was.
“If there is something you desire, speak.”
This was a place for rewarding merit.