Snowfall's Disgrace
Cain was the shame of the Valenos family in Snowfall. One might ask how the second son of any family could be worse than a bastard child, but Cain was the most pathetic among the Valenos kids. At just fifteen, the worthless punk was already sneaking women into his room. And that was hardly the end of it. He never put effort into anything worthwhile. He skipped literature and magic lessons to roll around with girls. He couldn't even earn a basic mage qualification, and he had no talent for swordsmanship. Was he at least smart? Hardly. His head was filled with nothing but beds, food, and women. He didn't even know basic history that anyone else would. Because of this, the education overseer, Butler Biden, was constantly tearing his hair out.
Biden glanced at the empty seat where Kadan, who had left the North to handle duties in the imperial capital, should have been. It had already been eight years. Eight years since the reports of strange movements in the southern continent of Arkanthia. Kadan occasionally visited Snowfall to show his face to the children.
"That's been two years ago now," Biden thought.
Before leaving Snowfall, Kadan had entrusted the children to him. "Protecting the young masters and lady is my duty." That's why he had no choice but to worry. No matter how many letters he sent, there was no reply, and no news of Kadan came. The last word he'd heard was from last summer: that all was well and not to worry. But the ominous feeling lingered, settling firmly in his chest. As time passed, the sense of déjà vu grew stronger, leaving him no choice but to fret.
"Trade hasn't been going smoothly lately."
Kadan would be aware of Winterer's financial state from his reports in the imperial capital. Yet the merchants' complaints were reaching Biden's ears.
"...Something must have happened to the master in the empire."
Should he go meet him in person? Or stay in Snowfall by the children's side? That was the dilemma.
"If something happened in the empire, word would have reached us. But why hasn't he returned?"
Biden stroked his white beard, deep in thought. Many things were starting to drift away from Winterer. He couldn't worry the children, who knew nothing yet. So he had to stay by their side. But he couldn't sit idle forever. He needed to see his master with his own eyes.
"If something happens while I'm away..."
There was Arahan, the former top-tier adventurer, so he didn't worry too much. But Kael, now deputy leader of the Frost Knight Order, had gone to investigate the icy regions. With unsettling rumors coming from there too, it only gave Biden more headaches. The number of knights currently stationed in Snowfall was barely 150. Far too few to defend the territory. Most knights had headed to the northern frontier, likely joining the barbarians. Thus, Snowfall was practically an empty house right now. And in this situation, Cain was still bringing in women.
'If he could at least learn one spell to bolster our forces.'
Biden gazed at the pure white snow. Even in summer, it snowed in Winterer. Warmer than last year, but still cold. He closed the window and smoothed his clothes. In times like these, he needed to stay sharp. As always, Biden wore a smile. For the children's sake, so they wouldn't worry. With that, he clapped his hands, saliva flying as he mobilized the servants.
"Time to work, everyone to your posts."
*
"Hey, bastard."
Rowen ignored the voice of the idiot. As usual today, he closed his eyes and felt his mana. Imbuing his arms with attributes and creating weapons was now second nature.
"You ignoring me right now? Huh?"
"..."
He didn't know when the fool had rolled into this building with the study, but Cain's voice shattered Rowen's focus. He'd been stabilizing his core by rotating it within his body. It had been a while since his last training session. Arahan had given him the day off, creating this rare holiday. So he'd dived into mana stabilization, something he'd put off. In the midst of calming his monstrously vast mana, Cain had ruined the flow.
Cold frost mana swirled around Rowen. He sighed, grinding his teeth.
"You just ground your teeth at me?"
"Can't you just fuck off, please?"
Rowen shot back a question at Cain's question. He hadn't meant to grate on the guy's nerves, but Cain scowled deeply anyway. What could he do? Sincere words carried weight.
"What the hell are you saying to your brother?"
"Brother my ass. When have you ever acted like one? You're just older by a few months."
"Whatever, I'm still the older one!"
"Oh yeah? Yesterday you said bastards like me don't have brothers."
"That was..."
"Go make a fool of yourself somewhere else. Don't bother me and give Uncle Biden a headache."
Rowen closed his eyes again and spun his core. He wondered if he really needed to control the overflowing mana. But the more stable the flow, the greater the power. If the mana was unstable like now when the core rotated, spells could feel off. It might even interfere with rune language, causing the magic to collapse mid-cast. But if the flow was stable? No stray mana wandering the body. It would circulate properly through the right paths, stabilizing the body and boosting spell success rates. Mastering mana like that was the shortcut to top-tier mage status.
Ignoring the family disgrace screaming behind him, Rowen began dominating the cold frost once more. With eyes closed, he couldn't see ahead, but he could see inward. He breathed evenly. The steadier his breathing, the calmer his mind, the more focused on mana.
'I've created ten weapons so far.'
Few for years of work. But Ice Blade was Rowen's original magic. Not consumable like normal weapons, but a permanent substance he could manifest anywhere. Ten wasn't a small number.
He peered into the core of his mana nucleus. His Mana Flower was on the verge of blooming. Three years until the coming-of-age rite at eighteen. Deep beneath Snowfall, the Valenos family had a traditional adult ritual since ancient times. He'd seen it in his past life, and the sight was unforgettable.
The Soul Spring in some deep underground cave glowed on its own. The dark ice cavern let in no external light. The reason the ice cave could hold transparent light was the spring. The Soul Spring held the Valenos guardians—the souls of ancestors. The proper way was to bury the dead body and send the soul to the heavens. But they stayed, not going to the gods, to bless their descendants directly.
In his past life, Rowen had witnessed it and seen countless spirits. Among them, the ancestral souls, and the first family head. He was mighty and righteous, king of spirits. This was why Valenos children were born with immense mana generation after generation. The blessed birthed the blessed, who received new blessings to accumulate power. Over decades, centuries, mana grew ever stronger. Even Rowen, with his unbloomed Mana Flower, had mana beyond ordinary people.
Valenos were born with the Spirit King's accumulated blessings and received more. That's how they survived this harsh land. In his past life, Rowen wasn't Valenos but had visited the Soul Spring.
'Uba Kaliarun.'
The hero and comrade named after the great warrior. With Uba's help, he'd come here.
'We tried everything.'
Mana-poor Rowen had used every means. Still, his mana didn't grow, core stuck walnut-sized. So they'd visited the Spirit King's abode, the Soul Spring. But it was a total failure. The ancestor refused to bless past-life Rowen—Rian. Even if only kind to descendants, emotional appeals didn't work. Of course, Rian's Mana Flower was fully bloomed, so blessings wouldn't help much. But even 1% would count. In three years, that Spirit King would personally bloom his flower. Thinking of seeing the guy's face again brought a hollow laugh.
'He screamed I'd never come back.'
"Can't wait."
Whatever. The Spirit King wouldn't remember him anyway, and his face was different now. He just looked forward to a future stronger than his past life—stronger than his current self.
Weeeeng—
His core's rotation soon synced with steady breaths. For great magic, the frost magic core craved stability—the family DNA fused with mana into a perfect ring. Bloodline made user and mana intimately bonded, drawing deeper power. Not stormy as usual, but serene like a calm lake. Mana didn't scatter; it softly, naturally pulsed through his body. The mana circulating cleanly was cold.
'Colder mana means perfectly stable.'
The family's attribute itself exuded chill—a good sign.
"Shit..."
"Hm?"
Heat contrasting the inner cold came from behind. Cain, face twisted, gripped a wooden sword. Rowen shook his head in disbelief at the sight. As always, he'd charge to "teach a lesson."
This was the problem. Bastard image led to discrimination. Times like this, he resented Kadan.
'Thanks for the blessed body.'
"But I wish I'd been born normally too."
If his unknown mother had been in some shady business, it'd be shameful no matter what. As a legitimate heir, not bastard, he wouldn't be sneered at by trash like this. Not by someone weaker, stubborn, and utterly lazy.
Rowen sighed, eyeing Cain's awkward wooden sword grip.
"You've been ignoring me this whole time..."
"You gotta learn to wait when someone's busy."
"A whore's spawn dares talk back! I don't like your attitude!"
"Dog's barking."
"Yeah, that's it! That's what I don't like!"
"Does our house dog not even know 'wait'? Might need to hire a trainer soon."
"Argh!"
Cain swung his wooden sword, yelling. Rowen dodged lightly.
"You're just here to pick a fight out of boredom anyway."
"...So what?"
"Tired of women already? Premature little shit?"
"What?"
"See? That's why I ignore you."
"You, a mere bastard..."
Cain trembled. Anyone would think he was the tragic hero of the world's greatest injustice. Rowen sneered at him.
"Gotta pee?"
"No!"
"Then why you shaking?"
Rowen raised his hand. Some call it the "mountain" sign. Simple gesture that crushes opponent's mood instantly. Deadly effective.
Rowen flipped him off.
"You bastard!"
Cain scowled at the crude yet glorious middle finger.
"That damn bastard, bastard. Not tired of it yet?"
"Shut up. You just gotta crawl under me quietly..."
"The real issue is you're rated lower than me. Family disgrace. When you gonna grow up?"
"Shut your mouth! You got no mom anyway!"
Uh... crossed the line? This wouldn't end quietly. Usually he'd disarm him with a wooden sword and send him packing, but this idiot wouldn't learn.
'Dare touch my missing mom?'
Today, time to scare him. He'd held back plenty. Planned to crush his ego someday anyway. At fifteen and still clueless.
"Back in my day, insulting a mom got your head on the walls next day."
Not knowing who she was pissed him off enough, but poking the wound? That guy's a demon. Demon in a boy's face.
"Demons are heroes' enemies, right?"
"What bullshit! You crazy?"
"Right?"
"He's totally lost it!"
"Dare touch my missing mom?"
Cain knew Rowen could use magic. But he'd never used it on him. Maybe Rowen was bluffing. Wishful thinking.
Rowen grinned, infusing attributes into his arms.
Kaduduk!
In an instant. As Cain blinked, ten weapons swirled in the air. He grabbed one longsword. The blue-glowing blade emanated chill and deathly aura.
"Wasn't touching a missing mom anyway."
"...No mom means no problem!"
"What? Say it again."
Rowen taunted with a smirk.
"Hic!"