Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Diverging Paths
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Julius passed through the inner gate leading to the industrial district.
He felt it was about time he acquired a decent weapon.
‘The weapon I have now won't cut it.’
The sword he currently used was a fine one, purchased from a blacksmith in the capital, but it wouldn't be enough for what was to come.
In the original story, numerous incidents occurred at the academy, so he needed to prepare in advance.
Amidst the loud ringing of hammers, he could hear snippets of conversation.
“Did you see the entrance exam? I don't know much about the Kailus family, but... they must be celebrating now, having produced such a genius.”
“I thought Allen was better than Haizel. It felt like he was holding back a little, you know?”
“Even so, he barely scraped by with the second-place spot... For me, Lady Maria stood out the most. She's even more beautiful than the rumors say.”
“A shame for the Dragias family. Even if he's the youngest, he's nothing compared to his brother.”
The voices of merchants.
The chatter of passing mercenaries, the idle talk of apprentices killing time.
The excitement from the entrance exam, which ended yesterday, had yet to cool.
Long-armed streetlights drove back the twilight, taking the place of the vermilion sunset that had faded beyond the horizon.
What a waste. Julius's expression turned irritable.
‘Damn it, if it weren't for that fateful opportunity...’
He had taken a potion that disrupted his mana to get into the remedial class, where a unique opportunity awaited.
He'd done it because he couldn't predict how the original story might change if he earned a high score and ended up in the same class as the protagonist.
But now, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret over that choice.
What if he made a mistake and the original story diverged? What if the flow of events changed?
That couldn't happen.
The potential loss of the original story's opportunities was too great a risk, and it was far more convenient for events to unfold as they were written.
‘I need to be careful about how much I interfere.’
If he acted too recklessly from the start, there was no telling what deviations might occur.
He was surprised that Brother Allen had taken second place. But if he had gone all out, that spot might have been his.
However, he wasn't brave enough to take such a risk.
Julius suppressed his disappointment and quickened his pace.
He had someone to find today.
A pitiful blacksmith from the original story.
Someone whose skill far surpassed their age but was held back from truly blossoming by a single factor.
Those who became villains because of one wrong choice.
The Sindri siblings.
‘Around now, they should be debating whether to sell their dilapidated smithy.’
Later, driven by the discrimination they'd faced and their festering resentment, they would join the cult that terrorizes the academy.
He had wanted to meet them this morning, but other visitors had delayed him.
“Thank you for visiting! Please come again!”
I need to collect them quickly.
He could have recruited them months ago, but gave up because it would have taken too much effort to extend his reach this far.
Instead, he'd done something else.
‘They need to have some suitably painful memories.’
If he reached out to them too soon, they might not come to rely on him.
Julius wanted them to have blind loyalty to him. People only learn to cherish things after they've suffered. That's why Julius had sent someone in the early stages.
To spread malicious rumors.
‘If their lives are destined for ruin anyway, what does it matter?’
It wouldn't matter if they were ruined a little sooner.
A few months later, when he checked on the results, he heard the Sindri siblings had experienced an even more miserable failure than in the original story.
Now, it was time to be rewarded for his efforts.
A smile wouldn't leave Julius's lips at the thought of collecting them.
‘I've even prepared some insurance, just in case.’
The earring on his ear felt unfamiliar.
An artifact that made people feel a slight fondness for the wearer, eventually leading to mental subjugation.
On sound-minded individuals, it had only a negligible effect that could be easily shaken off...
But they, who had found warmth amidst a difficult life, would be easily swayed.
“Please visit again! Welcome to Valhöll!”
But the smithy was hard to find.
It was supposed to be a dilapidated smithy in a corner of the industrial district, near the research district.
It was strange that he couldn't find it after hours of searching, even with a written description of its location.
“What was the name of the smithy again? Val, Val...”
“Welcome to Valhöll!”
“That's it, Valhöll!”
Julius's eyes widened, and he turned his head toward the voice.
“Our smithy's weapons boast the finest quality in Elpis!”
The place he had passed several times, never imagining it was the one he was looking for.
There stood a three-story building that was a stark contrast to the surrounding shabby structures.
Despite the dimming sky, it was bustling with people, its exterior clean as if newly built.
A young girl was cheerfully greeting customers at the entrance.
Julius entered with a shocked expression, as if he couldn't believe his eyes.
The interior was as clean as the outside.
The first floor was filled with countless weapons, neatly categorized, while the second floor displayed weapons of even higher quality on its walls.
“This is...”
He examined one of the swords closely and became certain.
This was a weapon they had made.
It had their unique hammer emblem engraved just below the hilt.
Julius furrowed his brow.
“No, why is this...”
Why has the original story changed?
If this was the case, his plan to take them in would fall apart.
He approached a nearby clerk.
“I wish to see the owner of this smithy.”
“Pardon?”
“I said I wish to see the owner.”
The clerk, who had looked puzzled at first, sighed as if this were a common occurrence.
“I'm sorry, sir, but Miss Sindri is not accepting visitors at the moment.”
Sindri. The name he was looking for. His heart began to race.
“I am Julius Reinhardt! I wish to see the owner, so...”
“Guards, the gentleman is leaving.”
At the clerk's call, two mercenaries guarding the interior grabbed Julius's arms.
“Do you know who I am! I am of the Reinhardt family...”
“Yes, yes, I'm sure you are. My name is Bill.”
His tightly gripped arms throbbed with pain.
He tried to summon his mana in response to the clerk's annoyed expression, but it wouldn't budge. Ah.
“You son of a...”
The effects of the potion hadn't worn off yet.
“I'm a student at the academy. A student! Let me go this instant and take me to her!”
“Haaah.”
His face turned red as he shouted. Bill just waved his hand silently at the sight of him thrashing his arms and legs like a madman.
Julius didn't stop shouting even as he was dragged out.
“Farewell.”
Thud—
This continued until he was thrown out of the building.
“Fuck—!”
* * *
The sounds of the night echo louder than those of the day. Despite the room being soundproofed, faint noises from downstairs could still be heard.
“It's quite noisy outside.”
“I-I'll go tell them to be quiet right away!!”
“It's fine. This has happened several times before.”
Catherine shook her head nonchalantly. It was just another incident that had occurred many times since the smithy had been renovated.
“Claiming to be someone from some merchant guild, or the son of a noble. It's obvious they're just people who rely on their authority, isn't it?”
Snap—
A fully opened fan covered her mouth.
“Wouldn't you agree, Young Master Allen?”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
Allen gave a strange smile. Was she saying that knowing who was shouting outside?
*—Julius carefully approached a wary Sindri. Perhaps she still couldn't trust people. The walls of the dilapidated smithy were riddled with holes of various sizes...*
Allen glanced at the black book, which depicted a future different from the present.
“They must be an uncultured, ill-mannered person. You can tell just by the fact they've come at this hour.”
“That's right. Probably the son of some nouveau riche.”
“Th-that's right! He m-must be a r-rude, terrible person!!”
A stuttering voice. Its owner possessed a powerful volume that didn't match her small frame.
Allen looked at the window, which was blocked to let in not a single speck of light, and spoke.
“More importantly, how is the smithy doing?”
“Yes, surprisingly well. Better than we first expected. When you first told me to help them, I was suspicious of your motives...”
Catherine folded her fan again.
A gentle smile graced her fully revealed face.
“But now, I can't help but trust your insight, Young Master.”
“Th-thank you so, so much f-for your help!!”
Could she not speak without stuttering?
Allen studied the girl sitting next to Catherine.
She was short, not even reaching his chest. Red, bobbed hair and brownish skin.
Her small hands were covered in calluses, and her eyes darted about as if trying to avoid his gaze.
“I-if it weren't for you, Y-Young Master, we w-would have surely died.”
She was the illegitimate child of a human and a dwarf—a half-dwarf.
Discriminated against by both sides.
“I may have been the one to suggest it, but Young Lady Catherine was the one who acted. You should thank her more than me.”
“Oh my, how kind of you.”
Half-dwarves are different from half-elves.
Unlike elves, who are known to be fundamentally good, the blood of dwarves is said to be petty and narrow-minded.
“O-of course, I am also indebted to Lady Catherine for a kindness I c-can never repay in my lifetime. B-but if it weren't for you, Young Master, n-nothing would have ch-changed!!”
They have the advantage of being dexterous, but they hold grudges over the smallest things, and the things they create with their excellent craftsmanship are cursed weapons for settling those scores.
Dwarves, who live in dark, gloomy underground caverns without seeing the sun, were not a very welcome race.
To put it simply, they were less trustworthy than humans.
“S-so you are o-our savior!!”
Because of this, as a half-dwarf, she belonged neither to humans nor to dwarves.
“Hyak!”
Startled by her own outburst, Sindri covered her mouth with both hands and glanced around nervously.
“What do you think? She's not so bad, is she?”
“...Indeed, she is.”
She was completely different from the rumors he'd heard in his past life.
Different from the stories of her slavishly supplying countless weapons to Julius out of loyalty.
The black book said that the Sindri siblings from the original story had also fallen in with the cult.
‘Does this mean the events of the past few months had such a profound impact that they would blindly follow whoever took them in?’
Recruiting her early was the right choice.
The last time he met with Catherine alone, Allen had told her what needed to be done and asked her to look after Sindri.
He had wondered if he could win over the person who was said to have tripled the cult's military strength.
“M-my brother will surely a-agree with me!”
“Your brother... I heard he was badly injured. Is he alright now?”
“Y-yes. I-I thought he'd n-never walk again... b-but thanks to the support you provided, Young Master, he survived.”
Her expression darkened as if recalling that time. The muscles in her small, tensed forearm stood out clearly.
“That's a relief.”
This was his first time meeting her, but they had corresponded several times through letters with Catherine, so they weren't complete strangers.
Just as the sky turned completely black, a sudden silence fell.
A deliberate silence.
“So...”
Catherine casually pierced through the silence.
“Isn't it about time you told us the real reason you called us here, Young Master?”
“Why? Is it too late for a grown man and woman to be together?”
She gave a soft laugh at his words and shook her head.
“No, it's just that sleep is essential for a beauty. You were the one who told me to take special care of myself, weren't you?”
The gesture of sweeping back her well-kept blonde hair was quite elegant.
“For 'him'.”
There was no reason to delay any longer. Allen nodded.
“Sh-should I leave?”
Had she sensed something? Sindri half-rose from her seat, ready to leave without hesitation if he asked.
“I would appreciate that.”
“Y-yes, sir!”
“I have something to ask of you as well, so could you wait for a moment?”
“I-I'll do whatever you ask!!”
Allen thanked her with a smile. The small figure quickly left the room.
Thump—
Without looking at Catherine, Allen began to speak.
“After the entrance ceremony, I'll tell you what you need to do starting next week.”
Starting tomorrow, he planned to go to the Grand Library, his original destination, to research magic related to soul tracking.
Linbelle and Inellia were also away, gathering information on the same subject.
“Julius... winning his heart won't be easy. You've felt it too, haven't you? His personality, and...”
“He seems to have a lot of women around him.”
She shrugged.
“Yes. Perhaps because he's handsome, many seem interested in him. How many is it now? Three? Four?”
“...”
“There will be a lot of competition. Besides, no matter how hard you try, it will be difficult for him to look your way again after casting you aside once. He seems to prioritize other things.”
Talent.
He judges a person's worth with that mysterious ability of his.
“That's why you need to aim for something else.”
“What?”
“If he wants people, give him people. If he wants weapons, give him weapons. If he wants opportunities, give him opportunities. If what he wants is, by some chance...”
He imagined the unseen sky beyond the drawn curtains.
The same moon would rise, and the stars would turn as they always did. The day would end, and the sun would rise again.
On and on.
“Even love.”
Allen's lips twisted.
He sharpened a blade in his heart.
“So that he has no choice but to look back at you, even if you don't meet his standards. Become someone indispensable to him.”
If he wants a good older brother, I'll be one.
If he wants to pretend we're a normal family, I'll play along.
But in return.
“Give him everything and earn his trust. I will help you with that.”
One day, he will have to pay the price for it.
He will.