Mischief and Perfection
“Hah. Luke. Your defiant attitude actually isn’t half bad.”
Amian glanced at Ellis nearby and spoke.
“Even though you’ve been hiding behind the nanny’s skirts, you’ve grown quite a bit.”
His light provocation did nothing to rattle Luke; he stood his ground with perfect composure.
…Amian.
Meanwhile, Luke recalled the information he had on him.
Amian Cerberki.
The notorious rascal and thorn in the side of the Cerberki family. Despite his reputation, his abilities were solid enough that he was frequently mentioned as a potential successor.
In short, a “talented rascal.”
However, in Go Jungwoo’s previous life, there had been no information whatsoever about Amian.
It was only natural, since the character had already appeared before the game began and had died by the starting point.
Given that the family’s records had been lost, any knowledge of Amian simply didn’t exist in Luke’s memories as a high-level player.
So Luke thought.
A chance.
A chance to learn about Amian Cerberki, one of the suspicious siblings.
“Well, I can grow too, brother. For example.”
Luke gave Amian a sly wink.
“Like beating some older brother who was pushed aside by raw strength three years ago.”
“Cheap provocation.”
The eldest son smiled at the jab and reached for the sword at his waist to teach the youngest a lesson.
“No need to trade more barbs. Let’s see who wins.”
***
…Young Master.
Ellis stood on one side of the training ground, holding Nia’s hand as the girl slowly woke up.
In front of her, two swordsmen gripped their blades and stared each other down.
“This could get ugly… If one of them gets hurt, it’ll be trouble for us too.”
“Shh. This person. Even if you don’t know about other things, you shouldn’t interfere when the family’s young masters are sparring. Have you forgotten the Cerberki family’s ironclad rule!”
“…Ruthless.”
A commotion broke out among the nearby servants, but Ellis kept her gaze fixed only on Luke.
She alone knew whether that look was a mother’s worry for her child or a nanny’s concern for the one she protected.
While Ellis stared at Luke for a long time, Nia spoke.
“Young Master will win, Ellis-nim.”
At Nia’s words, Ellis looked down at her.
“Is that so?”
“Of course there are many factors to be cautious about.”
Nia, without her usual absent-minded demeanor, began speaking with a serious expression.
“Of course, depending on the opponent, the exchanges will differ. Against someone who uses qi, the minimum condition is to form qi blades. There are also countless variables in real combat. It’s different from sword debates.”
Nia’s eyes sharpened.
“However, Young Master has sufficient talent to respond to those real combat variables. Most importantly, he defeated me.”
“…I see.”
“Ueeeee…”
“?”
As soon as the words ended, Ellis saw Nia whining “Neeeeeeng” and let out a soft laugh.
What a peculiar child.
***
“Please be careful. My sword has no eyes.”
Despite Amian’s quiet warning, Luke didn’t react much.
It was probably just a light attempt to provoke his temper before the fight.
Luke grabbed the sword handle without saying a word.
For a moment, the two faced each other.
It was a situation that could turn into real combat instead of practice, but the servants here didn’t say a word.
It was because they knew what kind of ironclad rule the Cerberki family lived by, and the countless blood pools under the name of that rule.
At that moment when tension peaked with both of them.
Amian moved first.
Amian didn’t hesitate. He immediately poured mana into his legs and shot forward like an explosion.
His sword was imbued with the Cerberki family’s signature move, the Crimson Blood Dragon Sword.
Amian’s blade raced towards Luke, aiming for the middle.
Luke didn’t hesitate either. He immediately raised his sword to block Amian’s blade.
Whoosh!
A sonic boom echoed as the two clashed for a moment.
Clang. Clang.
Luke’s dual swords and Amian’s dual swords clashed, producing a ringing sound.
“You’re not going to raise your mana? Relying only on your innate strength to face me?”
“If you use mana along with your innate ability, the outcome isn’t clear, is it?”
“Arrogant!”
Instantly, red mana blazed from the sword Amian held.
Mana surged from the mana core created by the Cerberki family’s qi method, the so-called Cerberki qi method.
Boom!
With explosive power, Amian’s sword pushed Luke’s sword back strongly.
Luke didn’t hesitate. He immediately rotated his wrist to block Amian’s shooting sword.
Soon, the exchanges continued without end.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Amid the continuous clashing of swords, someone’s voice rang out.
[Kid. Don’t hold back.]
At Baekgyeong’s words, a smile formed at the corner of Luke’s mouth.
Luke didn’t hesitate. He immediately stepped forward with his left foot.
At the same time, he recalled the Baekgyeong sword technique taught by Baekgyeong.
The first of the Baekgyeong sword techniques. Birth.
It contained the nature surrounding that birth.
One of the Baekgyeong sword techniques Luke had drawn now.
White Whale. First Sword Technique. Fire Bloom Peak.
Fire.
Among the many things surrounding nature, the movement of fire. Moreover, the sword that imitates the birth of fire.
Red mana blazed from Luke’s dual swords as he swung them.
“Guk!”
Amian felt a long scar engraved on his left arm. It wasn’t the only thing.
Boom!
Targeting the neck.
The previous attack was clearly an attack aimed at the neck.
Each subsequent attack was precisely targeting Amian’s vital points.
At the moment sweat flowed down Amian’s back.
Clang!
A strong explosion rang out as Amian’s sword was violently repelled backward.
And.
Clang.
“Uhm… Brother, you didn’t hold back too much, did you?”
Luke’s blade was placed just below Amian’s chin.
“You only use the Crimson Blood Dragon Sword from the Cerberki family’s swordsmanship, yet you don’t even draw the secret sword technique you’ve mastered. Moreover, you don’t properly unfold qi. Have I underestimated you?”
“…I thought I could easily defeat you even without sincerity toward someone like you.”
Boom!
Amian poured mana into his fist and flicked Luke’s sword away.
Luke’s hand was still holding it, but the tip of the sword was already pointing towards the floor.
And Amian strode forward to approach Luke.
Swish.
Amian, slightly lowering his head to match eye levels with Luke, muttered while looking at one of them.
“…Luke. Be careful of Eden.”
“…Huh?”
“It’s my older brother’s advice.”
With those words, Amian sheathed his sword, waved his clothes, and walked somewhere.
In the meantime, someone suddenly appeared.
“Luke! Luke!!! Are you okay?!”
He rushed over, bent his waist, and quickly caught his breath.
It was none other than the second son of the Cerberki family, Eden Cerberki.
Eden took a deep breath for a long time, then raised his head and looked at Luke.
“Even you, brother! Fighting with the youngest with swords! Are you after the successor position…!”
Eden scanned Luke’s body here and there, checking for any injuries.
Meanwhile, Luke, looking at such Eden, thought to himself for a moment.
…Be careful of the second brother…?
Strange.
The representative rascal of the ducal family giving such an out-of-the-blue warning?
Amian is known as a rascal who has caused countless troubles both internally and externally.
Yet, why would he warn about Eden?
It could be an attempt to sow discord due to his rascal nature, but Amian’s eyes looking at Luke just now were incredibly clear.
Luke had no choice but to stare intently at Eden who was thoroughly checking his body.
***
Swish. Swish.
After the sparring, Luke returned to his room and twirled a pen, lost in thought.
Let me organize this. The current state of this family.
Luke pondered the situation of the family.
After observing the family atmosphere subtly for three years, the current family was in a three-way conflict.
The eldest, Amian Cerberki, a rascal but with excellent skills.
The second, Eden Cerberki, a model student but with slightly lacking skills.
The third, Terre Cerberki, overwhelming in both character and skills.
Amian’s lacking character is filled with skill. Eden’s lacking skill is filled with upright character.
Lastly, Terre fills the third’s shortcomings in character and skills.
These three were in a three-way war for the family’s succession, and the other children were dreaming of escaping to some mercy or the family.
The family’s thick forces lined up behind these three narrowed-down individuals.
There was also a view that the youngest Luke could occasionally join this three-way war, but Luke was only 13 years old.
It was still somewhat lacking in skill and age to join the three-way war.
Anyway, the person Luke needed to be cautious about now was the family’s second, Eden.
Is there something about the second brother?
Luke thought about Eden.
Second brother. Eden Cerberki. Characteristic: model student. And…
Luke paused the pen for a moment.
His maternal family’s power is particularly strong.
The head of the family, Belemian, had four wives.
Among them, Eden was different from Amian and Terre and his mother.
Scarlet Karos.
Eden’s mother, the daughter of the Karos Duchy, which boasts a fairly large holy see even in the empire.
In my memory, the Karos Duchy has considerable financial power. And it’s remembered as a place with relatively high influence in imperial politics. And it had some ambition. Then… it could exert influence in the Cerberki Duchy’s succession war. For example, by affecting the three major forces of the duchy essential for becoming the head of the family.
Luke’s brows furrowed.
Unfortunately, everything thought so far was speculation.
The assumption that the Karos Duchy would support Eden, and that Eden would have to be careful about the target. All speculation.
“Phew. Information is lacking. Moreover, power is lacking.”
Luke, who had been quietly thinking while aware of his previous life, was not idle.
Even during training, he had contacted information organizations through Ellis, and had even tried to create organizations.
However, there was a reason he couldn’t do it right now.
“…I don’t know the current whereabouts of the talents I want.”
Luke had several talents he wanted.
But he didn’t know their actions in the world seven years before the game started.
He wanted to catch them and place them in important positions.
Luke self-mockingly said. If I knew I was reincarnating, I would have carefully read the wiki that recorded their actions!
…Can I somehow recruit Mikhail? No. The Red Dragon’s Shadow doesn’t support specific forces.
Unfortunately, even if I approached them, I would only get help commensurate with the status of the youngest young master of the ducal family.
For now. This issue is on hold. I’ll raise my guard against the second brother. After all, there’s no harm in being cautious.
If you don’t stop being cautious in this family, you die.
Fortunately, so far, no killings have occurred between siblings, but caution is still necessary.
At the moment Luke put down the pen he was holding.
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
“Eh. Come in.”
Clunk.
The one who came in was Ellis. She approached Luke and said.
“Young Master. The schedule has been set.”
“…What schedule?”
“The head of the family ordered all children to be delivered. It’s a command for all Cerberki family children to attend the empire’s founding day commemorative banquet.”
“…Wait a minute. Debuting in society…?”
“That’s right. Young Master is now old enough to take on your first mission, isn’t it?”
“…From what I know, the family tradition is not to debut in society until the successor is determined?”
“The head of the family’s order.”
It seemed the head of the family had spoken firmly.
At that moment, a thought flashed in Luke’s mind.
“…Wait a minute. This…?”
Perhaps it could be the answer to the problem he had been pondering just now.
If there are insufficient limbs to move within this family…
Bring in the outside? Moreover, if it’s a society debut, I can intervene in events that I haven’t been able to join until now.
For example, for example…
“Nanny. Is the imperial family in turmoil because of the succession war?”
“That’s right. I heard it’s fierce. Even people who died for unknown reasons…”
“…Really?”
Luke knows.
The Repelheim Empire’s imperial family succession war, where the attention of the entire empire is focused along with the imperial family.
Luke knew the winner of that imperial family succession war.
“…The sixth princess.”
“Eh?”
“No. Nanny.”
Luke’s lips curved into a smile.
Perhaps this society debut could be the starting point to solve the problem that has arisen now.