Chapter 598
Chapter Title: A Grandfather's Gift
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"A Llewellyn!"
"Absolutely unacceptable!"
"To think the Jerdinger bloodline would mix with that detestable Llewellyn family!"
Reina's statement sent the Council of Elders into a near-frenzy.
Llewellyn.
The most renowned magical hero family in Rodren and, along with the Jerdingers, one of the two great pillars supporting the empire.
Knights and mages have been rival classes since the very dawn of Aura and magic.
Consequently, the Jerdinger and Llewellyn families, having coexisted as Rodren's two pillars for ages, naturally became like oil and water.
‘Come to think of it, Abad did say that Celia and Chelsea are on good terms.’
Although the two often snarled at each other, he had said they got along well for direct descendants of the Jerdinger and Llewellyn families.
The same was true for Celia and Abad.
‘Well, those two worked together to overcome challenges since the entrance exam.’
Even among their classmates, the two were seen not as rivals, but as partners who had each other's backs.
‘Besides, most of the Llewellyns I’ve met have been friendly toward me.’
Because of this, Leo hadn't truly grasped the nature of the relationship between the Jerdinger and Llewellyn families.
He had simply assumed it was a relationship with a strong sense of rivalry.
‘But seeing the elders’ reaction, it seems that’s not quite it.’
What Leo didn't know was that the animosity was particularly fierce among the branch families of each house.
If the disputes between the direct lines were a matter of honor to determine who was the empire's greatest hero family…
The conflicts between the branch families were often ugly squabbles over their own interests.
A branch family of the Jerdingers couldn't maintain its status simply by blood.
Only by proving their worth as knights could they finally earn the title of a branch family.
Once recognized, the benefits were numerous.
As a result, the branch families strove to increase their power to maintain their status by any means necessary.
In the process, they would inevitably clash with the Llewellyn branch families, who were in a similar situation.
A direct conflict between the Jerdinger and Llewellyn main houses could shake the Rodren Empire to its core, so disputes rarely escalated to that level.
Furthermore, if a conflict grew too severe, the heads of the Jerdinger and Llewellyn families would personally intervene to mediate.
But even so, frequent clashes were unavoidable.
‘I remember hearing about a major conflict between the Jerdinger and Llewellyn branch families about twenty years ago.’
Some branch families had their fortunes decline in the process.
Among the Elder Knights in the council now, there were some who had fought Llewellyn mages back then.
As Leo was lost in thought, watching the incensed council, a voice rang out.
"Reina Jerdinger! Are you saying you'll abandon the family and make an enemy of the Jerdingers for your own selfish desires!"
Ecgason shouted, his face contorted with rage.
At his words, Reina's perpetually smiling face instantly changed.
"Watch your words. I am not Reina Jerdinger, but Reina Flove. And do you truly believe I'm doing this out of personal greed?"
"What did you say?"
"How can you, the esteemed members of the council that leads the Jerdinger family, be more ignorant of world affairs than I, who retired long ago?"
The Elder Knights flinched, startled by the intensity in Reina's blazing red eyes.
The spirit of a knight who had lost her Aura long ago was now overwhelming those who had either reached the pinnacle of heroism or possessed comparable power.
*Goooooooo-*
‘The surrounding mana is reacting?’
Leo stared at Reina in surprise.
The ambient mana was responding to the will of a knight who had lost her Aura.
In response, the surrounding temperature rose sharply.
It was an unbelievable display for a knight who had lost her Aura.
"Enough."
Regas, who had been observing the situation until now, spoke up.
"Reina. Though you may have cut ties with the family, I do not believe you have forgotten the Jerdingers."
"..."
"For the sake of the family, I hope you will share your opinion without reservation."
At his words, Reina reined in her spirit and spoke.
"This is an age of chaos, where Tartaros is making its move and the Great Heroes are reappearing in this world."
Reina looked at Leo.
"In such an era, Leo possesses the same ability as the Hero of the Beginning. Do you, members of the council, truly not understand what this means? As a hero, Leo is already one who carries the weight of the era on his shoulders."
Throughout the long age of heroes, few have been judged to carry the weight of their era.
And it was only a matter of time before Leo stood shoulder to shoulder with them.
It wasn't that the council was unaware of this fact.
But they were deliberately ignoring it.
"Like the great Great Heroes and the Hero of Genesis, Leo will leave behind an immortal name. A hero family should recognize this child's value and help him realize his ambitions. By doing so, the reputation of the Jerdinger family will rise as well."
"Ahem!"
"Hmph!"
The Elder Knights showed their displeasure at Reina's words.
‘The family’s reputation would rise, certainly.’
‘But is that all?’
Rodren was already a massive empire occupying most of the western continent.
And the Jerdingers held significant interests within the empire.
The only thing they could gain from the fame Leo brought was more fame.
Unless the Rodren Empire adopted a policy of expansion, there was no tangible profit for the Jerdinger family.
‘Besides, in the end, doesn’t this just benefit the direct line?’
Leo clicked his tongue as he watched the elders' eyes dart around.
‘The more people have, the more they ignore external crises.’
During the Age of Gods.
Countless royals and nobles ignored the world's impending doom until the very last moment.
The price they would have had to pay to fight the disaster was simply too great.
By the time those with the power to confront the world's crisis realized its severity, it was already too late.
‘It's the same with them.’
The Council of Elders didn't realize how dangerous this era truly was.
Great Heroes had reappeared, and the Demon Queen, who had threatened the world for millennia, had been vanquished.
Flames of disaster had ignited across the world, and finally, a fragment of Erebos had been resurrected.
A series of cataclysmic events that, had it not been for Leo, could have spelled an unknown fate for the world.
But most people were unaware of the gravity of the situation.
Because the crisis had ended before they even knew it existed.
‘And now, even a god thought to have vanished has reappeared.’
For those who had fought Erebos directly, this was a terrifying crisis.
But for those who had only heard the stories from a place of peace, it might have seemed like a hopeful miracle.
‘Even after the Age of Heroes began, there have been many world crises.’
It wasn't just the return of a great calamity.
The world had been thrown into great chaos by the movements of Tartaros countless times.
Each time, great heroes had saved the world.
Perhaps, just like when the Age of Gods ended…
‘To those clinging to power, these events might not seem like signs of a crisis, but rather the complete end of all disasters.’
"We are well aware that Leo Flove is remarkable. But an age of chaos? That's an overstatement."
Ecgason said.
"Calm your excitement, Reina Flove. Do not be disappointed that what Leo Flove is receiving this time is small. If your son dedicates himself to the Jerdinger family, he will naturally enjoy many privileges from the family."
"Indeed, Reina. We are not discriminating against you or your son. Are we not kin, sharing the same blood?"
"If a Jerdinger scion goes to the Llewellyn family, you'll be scorned for turning your back on the family, blinded by wealth."
"In the first place, the All-Class ability belongs to the Jerdingers. Allowing the blood of one who has manifested it to flow outside is a great loss in itself."
The elders shifted their strategy to persuasion.
"It's not good for one so young to receive such a large territory. He's still young, so it won't be too late for him to receive it after graduation."
At those words, Reina looked exasperated.
"When disaster could strike the world at any moment, is the family more important to you than the world?!"
"A world disaster is merely your own speculation. And even if one were to occur, making a fuss now is just a pointless waste of resources. When the crisis comes, we can join forces with the many other hero families to stop it. Just as we always have."
"What about those who die after the crisis has already begun? We are a family of knights before we are a hero family, are we not? Aren't we meant to be protectors of the weak?"
"Reina Flove."
Ecgason smiled faintly.
"You lost your Aura chasing such idealistic dreams. Are you still dreaming?"
*Squeeze-*
Reina's hands clenched into fists.
Regas, who had been watching, opened his mouth.
"Things have become too heated. Let's suspend this meeting for a moment."
At his words, the Elder Knights looked at Regas, then nodded and left the Elder's Hall.
"Leo."
"Yes."
"Marry Chelsea."
"Shouldn't we hear Chelsea's and the Llewellyn family's opinions on that first?"
Leo replied calmly as he helped Reina into a chair.
At the same moment, Reina covered her mouth with her hand.
"Cough— Cough—"
As Reina began to cough violently, Leo channeled his mana into her.
A moment later, Reina, having calmed down somewhat, removed her hand from her mouth.
"You overdid it."
The price for using her spirit was steep.
As Reina smiled bitterly at the blood pooling in her palm, Leo took out a handkerchief and wiped it clean.
"My son is so filial."
As Reina patted Leo's head, Regas approached them.
"That was impressive. It was like seeing the you of old."
"If it were the me of old, I would have drawn my sword by now."
Regas gave a bitter smile at Reina's reply.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help."
"That's the job of the Supreme Elder."
That was the role of the Supreme Elder.
An arbiter who maintains strict neutrality and mediates the family's disputes.
The Supreme Elder holds absolute power to punish wrongdoers.
But it is a power that cannot be used in normal circumstances.
It can only be used to judge those who have committed a crime, regardless of their status.
It was an essential position in a great family like the Jerdingers.
"I'm proud of a father like you."
In a great family, political marriage is a duty.
A duty for those who enjoy the many privileges of being a Jerdinger.
A knight might be exempt from that duty, but since Reina was not a knight, she was bound to it.
But Reina had defied the family's will, and for that sin, she was cast out.
At that time, Regas must have wanted to protect Reina.
In truth, Regas had the power to do so.
But Regas chose to uphold the family's law.
To some, he might have seemed like a cold-hearted man who chose his family over his daughter, but Reina knew.
She knew that when she left, no one had shed more tears of blood than Regas.
"You sacrificed yourself for the sake of the family, didn't you, Father?"
"..."
"I'm proud of a father like you."
At those words, Regas gave a wry smile and spoke.
"Reina, I cannot condone sending Leo to the Llewellyn family either. So please, do not use that to threaten the elders."
"Are you speaking as Leo's grandfather? Or as a member of the Jerdinger family?"
"Both."
Regas's calm expression twisted.
"What exactly do the Jerdingers lack that we must send a direct descendant to marry into another family? Will you commit the unfilial act of letting me hear from that witch that the Jerdingers can't even keep their own house in order and have to send away a direct heir! If anything, that girl Chelsea should be the one marrying into our family!"
Regas's face contorted in disgust as he recalled the previous matriarch of the Llewellyn family, his contemporary.
"Then, Father, you persuade the council to give Leo a territory befitting his stature."
"That cannot be done."
"As if the Llewellyns would marry a direct descendant to a Jerdinger heir who inherited some worthless piece of land."
"Truthfully, if that girl were to marry into our family in the current situation, it would also be a disgrace to the house."
"Then what are you suggesting?"
"So, Leo."
Regas took a small paper envelope from his coat.
"This is the first and last gift your grandfather will give you."
"Thank you."
Leo accepted the paper envelope with a puzzled expression.
"Carving off a piece of the family's territory is a problem, but there's no issue at all with me passing down my personal property to my grandson."