The Genius Youngest Son of a Prestigious Family in a Dark Fantasy Wants to Live
Man, Nia. How is your mouth still unbeatable after all this time?
His right arm’s wrist had been cleanly severed, and a gleaming steel gauntlet fused with a hidden blade now capped that stump. The man twirled the reinforced limb lazily as he glared at the small girl before him.
One-Armed Jack.
He muttered the words while spinning his metal forearm in a lazy arc, eyes locked on the child.
The little girl kept her eyes tightly shut, concentrating everything into a single point.
Her ash-gray hair and gray eyes were the only thing that remained visible as she slowly opened them.
“I won. Pay up.”
“Oh Nia, got it. Grass Clothes Tongue Sword, you are truly extraordinary. Not even the Nine Dragons could beat you. Where did you get that brain?”
“Smarter than yours, Jack.”
“No kidding.”
Jack sighed and handed Nia a pouch of silver coins.
She accepted it, then passed the heavy bag to Riana, her family head who was waiting nearby.
“See? One hundred ninety-seven wins out of a hundred ninety-seven debates! I drained every coin from Jack’s pocket!”
Riana pulled her in for a hug, and Nia—looking like a crumpled sheet of paper—stumbled around with the hug.
Jack just shook his head at the sight.
“Waaaah…”
“No way! You’re the sharpest tongue on the debate ground, yet now you’re just a weak little kid!”
Riana kept squeezing her while scanning the crowd. Her eyes suddenly narrowed.
“…Huh? Bana?”
“Bana?”
Mirang and Dab, Riana’s other family members, looked around too.
“…Eh? Where’d Bana go?”
“Yeah, she probably wandered off bored while watching Nia debate.”
Riana’s face turned ashen.
“Mirang! Dab! Stop babysitting the youngest and start searching! Bana’s probably causing trouble again—someone will get hurt!”
“Wah!”
“Yeah, last time she did the same thing and Jack saved us!”
“You kids… am I your nanny now?”
One-Armed Jack clicked his tongue while watching Riana’s crew. Then, far off, someone slowly emerged from the shadows…
“AAAAAAAAAAAH! Riana unnieeee!!!”
“…Huh? Bana! Banaaaa! What happened to you?!”
The sight that greeted One-Armed Jack and the entire Riana family was priceless.
Bana, the youngest, was being held by some thug with a knife pressed to her throat.
“Uncle! Jack uncle! Save our Bana!”
“You brats… I’m not your nanny.”
Click.
Jack clicked his tongue, yet his subordinate whispered urgently beside him.
“…What is it? It’s Nia’s client?”
“Jack uncle! Hurry! Hurry! Bana’s hurt!”
“Got it. Riana, stay put.”
Jack sighed and headed straight for Luke and Mikhail.
“Sigh… I somehow became their nanny. Listen up, two young masters from the Cerberk Ducal Family. You came here for Nia’s debate, right? Save the show and just let us handle it.”
Jack’s gaze turned razor-sharp.
“Otherwise, even the Cerberk family heirs might not escape.”
The pressure rolling off Jack was immediately threatening.
Yet he showed zero harm to little Bana, proof of his skill.
“Fine. Let her go.”
His grip on Bana’s wrist released instantly.
“Waaaaah! Riana unnie!”
Bana bolted straight into Riana’s arms.
Riana’s next move was an enthusiastic smack on the back.
“Ouch! Listen, if you keep stealing like this, there will be trouble!”
“Waaaaah! Sorry, unnie!”
As the family reunion continued, Mikhail looked at Luke and spoke.
“You let her go again, young master.”
“Why? I was going to eat that little brat.”
“The family rules aren’t exactly lenient, are they?”
“True, but killing a child makes me uneasy.”
Luke’s gaze drifted to Nia in the distance.
Found it. At last.
Jack gave a quick signal, and his subordinates backed away.
“…The Duke’s youngest master visiting such a backwater place.”
Jack’s words made Luke smirk.
“I have plenty of business here. And this is business.”
Luke pointed at Nia.
“I came to debate with someone worth my time.”
Nia’s gray eyes locked onto Luke.
***
“Nia.”
“Yes, Jack?”
Jack stepped close and whispered.
“That guy is a big deal. Is he from the Cerberk family?”
“…One of the Empire’s Three Great Ducal Houses.”
“Look at him. That’s the youngest master. I don’t know why he’s here in Stygna, but he wants to debate with you. I’m a bit worried. Of course you’ll win, but that young master might cause trouble. There are always weirdos who swing their swords after losing debates. I’ll keep a light eye on them. The family name is at stake, so they won’t be reckless.”
“Thank you, Jack.”
“Hmph. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have developed my sword any further. Consider it repayment.”
While they chatted, Luke and Mikhail approached.
Jack immediately raised his arm into a defensive stance. The other kids tensed too. Even the hidden subordinates kept them in their sights.
But Luke remained calm. Mikhail stayed relaxed as well.
“Relax. I only want to debate. If you insist, I can swear a mana oath that we won’t fight after.”
“I can’t make a dangerous oath to the youngest master of the Cerberk family. Understood. But if you lose the debate and throw a tantrum, you’ll rot in this trash heap. Those kinds of people exist. I’ve seen them demand their swords be called ‘unbeatable’ and refuse to lose.”
“I remember.”
The pressure slowly eased.
Meanwhile, Luke’s eyes shone with clear intent toward Nia.
“Nia, right? I’ve heard you’re incredible at debating.”
“…I only honed my skills here in Stygna to survive.”
Nia stepped out of Riana’s embrace and walked forward proudly.
Her appearance was ragged—she wore patched, tattered rags. Stains covered her skin and clothes. She looked like any other street orphan.
Yet Luke knew. This girl held a blade more brilliant than any other in the world.
He knew her talent wasn’t just genius—it was a calamity of the single sword.
But he himself carried the same sky-reaching talent.
That was why Luke was certain he would take her away.
“Alright. Shall we begin? I heard ‘the nail that breaks the coffin’ applies here. Where do we debate?”
Nia pointed to a spot beneath a dying tree—the usual place she always chose.
“Good. Let’s go.”
They walked. Mikhail, Jack, and the entire Riana family followed.
Soon Luke and Nia stood beneath the dead tree.
“Please sit on the mat. It’s not much.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ve waited for this moment with you.”
“Really?”
“Mhm.”
Luke chuckled, thinking to himself:
In the game, there was never a debate event with Nia. The developers said her debate skill was on par with her swordsmanship.
His heart raced.
The heart of Go Jungwoo, the hardcore gamer who died playing Sacred Souls, raced.
The heart of Luke Cerberk, the genius youngest son of the Cerberk family, raced too.
Come on. Let’s do it.
Nia, the undefeated Debate First Sword, who would one day become one of the Eight Calamities.
Her tongue blade had cut down even the Empire’s greatest swordsman.
Could Luke reach that height?
Possible. Easily. Nia hasn’t even reached her game peak yet.
His eyes sparkled.
I am also a heaven beyond heaven.
Luke waited calmly for the moment to begin and smiled.
***
“Haa… Our young master seems to be enjoying himself properly.”
Mikhail muttered, and One-Armed Jack slipped in beside him.
“Hey… Sir Mikhail?”
“Call me Mikhail. Jack. I’ve heard of your reputation.”
“…Understood. I’ll call you Sir Mikhail.”
Jack, who thought knights were all stiff, soon relaxed and started talking.
“Sir Mikhail, though it’s rude, Nia’s talent is truly the greatest. Not a single Nine Dragon boss in Stygna has beaten her.”
It was true. The so-called Nine Dragons had all lost to her, one after another. Some had even tried to kill her, but when they realized it only made them look worse, Jack stopped them.
Nia’s name spread. People who couldn’t defeat her paid her and left. That was the famous sight in Stygna.
Thanks to that, Nia and the family could survive here.
“I see.”
Mikhail nodded.
His eyes never dimmed despite hearing Jack’s words.
“You know this? Our young master started training three years ago. But he mastered every allowed martial manual in the family. He studied like a madman, memorizing every detail and understanding the hidden principles.”
Mikhail shrugged with a look of pure amazement.
“You also know this? Our young master succeeded in reading every single manual. Do you know what that means?”
“…That means…”
Mikhail nodded.
“Our young master is also a genius. Not the ordinary kind. In my opinion, he’s the pinnacle of all geniuses. So between these two geniuses, who will win? I’m very curious.”
Everyone’s gaze turned to the two of them.
This was the moment the debate between two geniuses finally began.