Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: A Father's Test
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Reina walked quickly, avoiding the eyes of the other maids, and knocked on the door of the office located on the fourth floor.
*Knock, knock—*
"It's Reina."
"Come in."
Gaiel, the Head of the Reinhardt Family, immediately granted her entry upon hearing her voice.
She opened the door and entered silently, making no sound.
"What is it? The time for your regular report has already passed."
His face was filled with curiosity.
"My apologies. I had to come, as I have an urgent matter to report."
"And that is?"
As the curiosity on his face deepened, Reina quickly continued.
"It seems Lord Allen has apologized to Young Master Julius."
"That boy, Allen? He apologized for his own words?"
An expression of utter surprise on his face, the argument he'd had with Allen just a few days ago came to mind.
"I reassured Young Master Julius, but considering Lord Allen's usual behavior, I thought it impossible… I reported this because I thought it might be a case similar to Young Master Julius's."
She wore a grave expression.
"If that's the case, should we add more personnel to watch him...?"
"No."
"Pardon?"
"Leave it."
Though her tone was tinged with confusion, Gaiel had no intention of changing his order.
"And..."
The events of a few days ago came to mind.
On the surface, he'd seemed unable to control his emotions, but his eyes had been placidly calm. And the last words his eldest had spoken.
"Then, I would appreciate it if you didn't interfere with my actions either."
He gave a bitter smile and commanded.
"Do not interfere with anything that boy does."
"But that's..."
"We've already hurt him enough. Besides, it won't affect the grand plan ahead of us, will it?"
After a moment of silent contemplation at his words, she nodded.
"Understood. However, please understand that I have no choice but to report this matter to Lady Kasha."
"Do as you wish with that."
As soon as he finished speaking, she left the office with the same quiet footsteps as when she arrived.
Alone in the office, Gaiel murmured softly.
"My son."
This was the greatest kindness he could offer.
So...
"...I hope my choice was wrong."
His expression, as he spoke these calm words, remained unreadable.
* * *
Allen closed his eyes and slowly inhaled.
The black book he obtained after regressing.
Based on the book's contents, Allen had intercepted the elixir that Julius was supposed to have 'coincidentally' obtained in the city.
And as a result, the magical power that had resonated with the elixir now inside him was roiling as if to tear his body apart.
'I've already finished planning what to do with him.'
This is just one part of those preparations.
It was still so far away that it was unclear if he could ever reach it, but Allen had no doubt that he could.
"Hoo..."
The morning meditation, a habit he'd kept for decades as a mage, continued even after returning to the past.
However, this meditation was clearly different from his usual practice.
His mind slowly began to settle.
His consciousness, drawn inward, saw only one thing amidst the pitch-black darkness.
The ring of the heart.
A round ring, following the shape of a perfect circle.
Mages call the ring of the heart a Circle, and their rank increases according to the number of these rings.
'Therefore, with only one ring, I am merely a First-Circle mage...'
Well, what about a different magic system?
*Vwooom—*
The single ring near his heart began to spin rapidly.
The powerful attractive force emanating from the ring forcibly pulled the magical power circulating through his body toward his heart.
A movement clearly different from that of an ordinary mage.
'From the First Circle to the Second, from the Second to the Third, Fourth, Fifth...'
Time is finite. When will I raise my rank? Will my opponent wait for me to grow stronger?
I, him,
Kim Woojin.
'Can I kill him?'
The mana drawn from outside did not spread throughout his body but gathered at his heart, beginning to form a massive circular ring.
The sensation of the magical power circulating through his body reversing its flow momentarily caused his mind to go blank.
"...This much is."
Within the expected range.
The Circle Magic system used by mages today is merely a product of the era's flow.
Naturally, in the past, countless methods were attempted and researched by those who could be called geniuses.
It's impossible for a single system to exist permanently from the very beginning.
The era is constantly evolving.
The Circle Magic system was merely one of thousands of established and devised methods, universally adopted only because it allowed for the stable use of magic without side effects.
Different methods were used in the past, and new systems will be established in the future.
But... are all the failed magic systems created in the past useless?
If you ask that, then of course.
"They are useful."
For it is up to each individual to gain something from failure.
*Vwooom—*
The ring vibrated continuously.
The magical power drawn from within his body did not scatter but gathered at his heart, forming a massive vortex.
How much time passed like that?
The ritual, which had begun at dawn, finally concluded successfully when the morning sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting shadows on his face.
"Hah... Hoo."
Now, the basic preparations were complete.
After washing his face in the basin a servant had brought at dawn, a smooth-surfaced mirror reflected his face.
A young man with curly blue hair, a neat appearance, and a slightly cold impression was staring blankly at himself.
Seventeen years old.
Too young to be called a man, too old to be called a boy.
At the sight of himself on that boundary, he needlessly touched his face with his fingertips.
The skin that had been wrinkling just a few weeks ago was nowhere to be seen, and the eyes once tinged with anxiety were now placidly calm.
"...I'm still not used to being young again."
While he couldn't be called old before his regression, being completely young again was a different story.
He couldn't describe how flustered he had been at first by the sheer sense of disparity.
As he briefly recalled the time he'd been startled by the mirror, someone knocked on his door.
*Knock, knock—*
"Young Master. The Head of the Family is waiting, so let's depart."
"Alright. Wait a moment. I'm almost finished."
"Yes, understood."
Allen slowly changed into the clothes that had been prepared for him.
If he had a handmaiden, she would have helped him prepare, but there was no handmaiden to assist him.
A count's family that began its decline three generations ago.
They were at a point where even maintaining their title was precarious.
What young lady would try to enter such a household as a handmaiden to seize an opportunity? No, if they bought an expensive slave, it might be possible to have a dedicated handmaiden, but...
'If we had that kind of money, we'd use it on the domain's internal affairs.'
They could bring in any commoner to serve as a handmaiden. However, few nobles acted that way.
This was because the class of a handmaiden reflected the dignity of her master.
At least, the Allen before regressing had thought so from a typical noble's perspective, which was why he had refused his mother's offer to select a handmaiden for him.
In a situation like this, Julius...
"...Has the family already arrived?"
When will that guy finally feel a sense of incongruity about having a handmaiden that even his older brother doesn't possess?
"Yes, everyone is waiting."
"Then let's hurry."
"Yes, I will guide you."
Having changed into clothes that prioritized practicality and neatness over fancy decorations, Allen let out a smirk and followed the maid's guidance toward the office.
* * *
In the dining room, everyone in the family except for him was already seated.
"I apologize for being late."
"It's fine, Allen. Come and sit."
As Allen gave a small bow, his father merely nodded once. At this, his mother shot his father a glare before smiling and replying.
Julius looked slightly sleepy, as if from what he'd been doing yesterday.
"Yes, Mother."
Once Allen was seated, the meal began—a rather simple breakfast for a count's family.
The atmosphere during the meal was decent.
The ruffian younger brother was demonstrably changing, and the older brother, after seeming to quarrel with him, had been the first to bow his head. On the surface, there were no worries.
Allen found it amusing that the morning proceeded as usual, as if nothing had happened.
During the quiet meal, his mother cautiously spoke up.
"Julius, you can just eat comfortably."
His mother said to him with a benevolent expression.
"Huh? Ah, no. I'm a noble too; it wouldn't do if I couldn't even observe proper dining etiquette."
"It hasn't even been a month since you injured your head. You can eat comfortably for a while."
The boy, his earlier struggle to maintain dining etiquette now gone, shook his head in embarrassment.
However, as his mother kept insisting, he—perhaps finding noble etiquette difficult—glanced around before cautiously opening his mouth.
"Then, I will do my best to become accustomed to it as soon as possible."
"Please do."
His mother smiled as if pleased, while his father paid it no mind, as if it didn't concern him.
Inwardly, Allen let out a dry laugh at the sight but didn't interfere.
He simply had a question.
His father handled matters related to the domain, while his mother was in charge of the major and minor affairs within the mansion.
His mother, who had always wisely managed things despite their limited finances.
Really.
'Could she really not have known that he was strange?'
It had been a question since before.
Isn't it strange in itself that he suddenly fell into extravagance?
A person who had received the family's thorough education since childhood.
Was she the type of person to be tempted by mere wealth and abandon her family?
'...The type to indulge in pleasure like a street beggar? Impossible.'
As he silently continued his thoughts and was about to finish his meal, his father, who had been quiet until now, called out two names.
"Allen, Julius."
"Yes, Father."
"Oof, yes. Father."
Julius hastily swallowed his food and answered.
It was a breach of etiquette, but Gaiel simply addressed them calmly and rose from his seat.
"I have a task for you two, so come find me before lunch."
"Understood."
His father disappeared after saying his piece, and his mother, seemingly frustrated by his attitude, added a word before getting up to follow him.
"It probably won't be anything harmful to you, so don't worry."
With both their father and mother gone, only Allen and Julius remained.
"...Brother, what do you think is the reason Father is summoning us?"
Julius, perhaps feeling awkward being alone with Allen, was the first to ask him a question.
Still, Allen suppressed a smile at the meaningful change—unlike before, Julius wasn't avoiding his gaze.
"Well, it's probably for the purpose of a domain inspection."
"A domain inspection... you say."
"Yes, a domain inspection. Father probably wants to publicly instill confidence regarding the rumors circulating nearby."
The boy looked puzzled by his answer, but when Allen pointed a finger at himself and then at him, he exclaimed as if he finally understood.
"Ah!"
"So you don't need to worry too much."
"I understand, Brother."
"Well then, I'll be leaving first."
"Yes, I'll see you later."
Allen gave him a smile and, as he left the dining room, muttered softly so that no one could hear.
"An inspection..."
What a joke.
Allen sneered.
It's almost time. The moment that guy's name began to spread.
Father will entrust him with a case under the pretext of a test.
Using his resolution of that case as a starting point, he will begin to soar.
'There's nothing to be gained by interfering with him now. It would only delay things a little.'
And if he has that strange luck and special ability, as if the world itself is helping him, then it's impossible to stop his name from becoming known soon.
'So... interfering is meaningless.'
Being human, it was difficult for him to gauge the exact timing of the event, but thanks to the black book that described the boy's actions, he could make plans accordingly.
Allen recalled the man who had moved at a speed he couldn't even react to just before his death, and his expression hardened.
He had to get stronger, had to catch up.
"To save my brother."
He had long been thinking of a plan in preparation for this day.
All that was left was a reason to act; that alone would be enough.
His pace quickened even more.