Verifying Ability (2)
Verifying Ability (2)
Well, if it was hard to get close, I could just attack from a distance.
Hyah!
After pouring mana into my sword until it was brimming, I hurled it at Manuel with all my might.
"Aaargh!"
Seeing the sword flying toward him, Manuel hurriedly reached out.
Crackle!
Electricity crackled from Manuel's hand and coiled around the oncoming sword.
Incredibly, the sword, wrapped in electricity, gradually slowed until it stopped right in front of Manuel's nose.
He blocked that? Even a sword filled with mana? And one thrown with more force than a knight could muster, at that.
"Ha! Did you think my ability was just creating lightning?! I can stop or move objects made of metal, too!"
Oh, so his ability could even create electromagnets with electricity? It was surprisingly versatile.
I admired it inwardly, but unfortunately, my admiration ended there.
That was because, to block the flying sword, he had discharged all the electricity surrounding his body into it.
And I had already closed the distance and reached his side right after throwing the sword.
I had already thrown my sword, so I had no weapon, but that didn't mean I couldn't attack.
I clenched my fist.
Then I swung with all my might.
Thud!
"Aaargh!"
To be safe, I aimed my fist at his jaw, sending him spinning spectacularly through the air before he crashed straight onto the floor.
Fortunately, he didn't pass out immediately.
"Ugh, wh-what!"
But the electricity that had been emitting from his hands was nowhere to be seen. Far from generating it again, he looked as though he was struggling just to stand.
"Ugh! Cowardly bastard!"
Hey, you shouldn't talk like that.
Besides, knights learn martial arts in preparation for when they lose their swords. How can you know less about that than I do, when I'm the one who came from another world?
I helped Manuel, who was struggling to get up, and said to him,
"Please surrender."
I said it in a gentle voice, like a younger brother worried about his brother's well-being.
"Ugh! Do you think I would surrender?!"
As expected, my words seemed to have pricked his pride as a noble.
"I think it would be better for you to surrender."
I took a step back from him as he barely managed to stand, then spoke again—this time with a hint of sarcasm.
"Never! You'll never get me to surrender!"
He tried to spark electricity again as he spoke, but not even a trace of a spark appeared on his hands.
Abilities began in the mind, after all. It was difficult for someone whose head had just suffered a mild concussion from a punch to the jaw to manifest an ability so soon.
It didn't seem like he would surrender easily.
In that case, I just had to beat him until he surrendered.
Since I was holding back as much as I could to prevent any major injuries, the Knight Commander wouldn't stop us until a surrender was declared.
This was exactly what I wanted.
Thud!
"Surrender!"
Thud!
"I'll even let you off if you just fall down and pass out."
Thud!
"Or you could just raise your hands."
After that, I joyfully beat up my second brother.
Fortunately, Brother Manuel had considerable endurance.
Thanks to that, I was able to fully enjoy the satisfying sensation of hitting someone, something I hadn't experienced in this life.
And I managed to give him a dose of physical persuasion strong enough that he wouldn't be able to ignore me, even when we reached the capital.
As expected, fists were an excellent tool for conversation.
Time passed after the duel ended.
The year changed, and I turned 15. Finally, it was time to depart for the capital.
Many things happened in the meantime, but only a few remained in my memory.
Only things like the Duchess calling me aside after the duel, or Lady Adria, Brother Simon's fiancée, coming to visit, remained in my memory.
Flora packed my bags on my mother's behalf, wiping away the tears she'd been shedding since the day before.
"To think the Young Lord is going to study in the capital! I've heard it's a truly dangerous place. How is our still-so-young Young Lord going to survive there?"
She diligently packed my bags while continuing to say things that weren't particularly pleasant to hear.
Well, her words weren't wrong. Even though I had awakened, no one was going to acknowledge a half-blood like me, and His Grace the Duke certainly wasn't going to protect me.
Honestly, it was no exaggeration to say that my only remaining prospect was a bleak one: I would have to survive on my own.
Had I been an ordinary illegitimate son, I might have thrown a tantrum out of fear and refused to go.
"I gave birth to you, but you're truly a difficult child to understand."
My mother, who had been quietly watching from the side as the packing went on, sighed as she looked at my unchanging expression.
"I was grateful that you grew up so well on your own, beyond my expectations. But looking at you now, even that seems regrettable."
It seemed she had a lot on her mind now that I was leaving to study abroad.
Indeed, once I left, my mother would be all alone, so she might feel lonely.
But honestly, my mother was getting along well with the Duke, and since I had already sent the second wife—who would have been a source of trouble—far away, there didn't seem to be much to worry about.
Although the first Duchess was still around, that wouldn't be a problem either.
I hugged my worried mother tightly. Although I hadn't grown as tall as she was yet, I could still hug her.
My mother seemed surprised by my unexpected action, but soon she hugged me back with both arms and let out a sigh.
"Yes, you are a child who will do well wherever you go. There's no point in me worrying myself sick. I will trust you and wait for you here."
As expected of Mother. She put my well-being before her own worries.
She was completely different from that icy Duke of a father.
The maids had already carried out the luggage, and I headed toward the main gate with my mother.
As we walked down the hallway, the servants stepped aside and bowed to us, mother and son.
Although some still hesitated before bowing or quickly avoided us, it was worlds apart from how things had been when I was young.
As we stepped out through the main gate, the morning sunlight dazzled.
The weather was incredibly clear, as if blessing my departure.
In front of the main gate stood the family carriage, engraved with the crest of the Gracia Dukedom, the carriage for the servants, and the luggage wagon, all side by side.
There were soldiers on horseback, too.
Among them, I could see Juan, whom I knew all too well.
Perhaps because their son Manuel was leaving to study abroad, the entire ducal family was out today.
The Duke, the Duchess, the eldest son Simon, and his fiancée, Lady Hierro.
She seemed glad to see me, but because of the circumstances, she couldn't show it any further.
Thinking back to how close we'd become before my death in my previous life, it was a shame, but I was satisfied just to see her alive and well.
I gave her a small nod, too.
With all the luggage loaded, it was time for the final farewells.
As always, I stepped aside from the carriage, and Manuel stepped forward to bid farewell to the ducal couple and the gathered crowd.
"I will do my absolute best in the capital so as not to bring shame upon the name of the Gracia Dukedom."
Manuel delivered a splendid farewell in a clear voice. It truly had the air of a child from a high noble family.
He seemed like a completely different person from the one he'd been during our duel not long ago. As expected of a noble child educated almost to the point of brainwashing.
Afterward, I politely bowed my head. I couldn't afford to make a bad impression here and cause trouble for my mother.
After Manuel's farewell, the Duke spoke.
"Have a safe trip. That place is where competitors and enemies coexist, so always act with caution."
As expected, those were words befitting the Duke. He was no different in front of his legitimate son than he was in front of me.
After speaking to Manuel, he turned his gaze toward me.
It didn't seem like he wanted me to say anything, so should I just bow my head again?
The Duke hadn't called for me even after my duel with Manuel.
I couldn't tell whether he was uninterested or had expected it all along. It was comfortable not being summoned, but also a little disappointing.
"Make sure to keep in touch even after you go to the capital, and if you have any difficulties, ask your maternal family for help. And..."
After the Duke finished speaking, the Duchess approached Manuel, stroking him as she rambled on about various things.
It was unlike her, but it was understandable for a mother sending her son away.
Was it because he was the youngest? Unlike the eldest, Simon, who had grown into a proper noble, Manuel was still so immature—perhaps because of her.
I caught the Duchess's eye for a brief moment while she was speaking to Manuel.
When she saw me, her face stiffened slightly.
Her stiffened expression brought back the memory of the Duchess I had met in her drawing room the day after the duel.
She had seemed far colder and icier than usual that day.
While the Duke hadn't called for me after the duel, the Duchess had.
Perhaps displeased by Manuel's defeat, she glared intently at me as I entered the drawing room.
When I bowed my head, she waved a hand.
"Skip the greetings. Sit in front of me."
Though her expression screamed that she didn't even want to look at me, she still maintained her aristocratic dignity to the letter.
Once I sat down, she closed her eyes for a moment and sipped her cold tea.
After some more time had passed, she opened her mouth.
"I have heard many stories about you acting mature beyond your years. Indeed, the things you have done so far certainly prove that."
"To be honest, given Maria's personality, I didn't expect you to survive. Yet, on the contrary, Maria and her daughter Elena were kicked out of the mansion."
"Despite obtaining an inherited ability that isn't all that impressive, you showed skills at a young age that would surprise even knights."
"I don't know how you persuaded my husband, but I hear you even tagged along to the Marquis's estate and played quite an active role, didn't you?"
"And on top of that, you even defeated my son Manuel in a duel."
"You might indeed be a genius. It is truly rare to display such abilities when you have a non-ability user for a mother."
She continued speaking in a calm voice, her words sounding like praise and sarcasm at once.
"There were various rumors, but honestly, you were never a concern of mine. After all, there's no way a half-blood like you could ever inherit the Gracia Dukedom, and you would only end up as a somewhat useful pawn, just like the illegitimate sons of other families."
Having spoken up to that point, she raised her teacup, only to frown when she realized she was out of tea.
The maid standing behind her quietly approached and refilled her teacup, and she continued speaking.
"But because you are leaving for the capital with Manuel and even defeated him, I can no longer ignore you."
I knew something like this would happen. I didn't regret defeating Manuel, but, as expected, it seemed a troublesome matter was brewing.
I hope it doesn't go as far as killing each other.
After that thought flashed through my mind, I realized the Duchess was looking at me with a strange expression.
"You're an even stranger child than I'd heard. You look frightened, but your eyes don't match that expression. Looking into them, you actually seem quite bored."
Oops, did I let my guard down? No, that wasn't it...
I quickly bowed my head.
"Well, though it is intriguing, this doesn't seem to be the time to talk about that."
As if to make my worries pointless, she immediately changed the subject.