Chapter 64
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Seventeen Years Old
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1.
The Lord Head wishes to see Master Karron. Urhan. Go and escort Master Karron here.
Urhan, a butler of Azure Castle, walked briskly toward the training hall to carry out the order from the head butler, Heinrich.
...Its already been four years.
Urhan muttered to himself, looking down at the butler uniform he was wearing.
It had been a year since hed started wearing these clothes.
Who would have thought that a deserter from the south would become a butler for a family as grand as the Leston Duchy?
Of course, he was still in his probationary period, but for a commoner to have come this far was an incredible achievement.
The offer his young master had made to him while he was doing odd jobs around Azure Castle for three years was still vivid in his ears.
Youve finally shed that deserter look. From now on, youre my personal butler. I was originally just going to work you as a servant for life, so you should feel honored.
The butlers of such prestigious families were usually men of high standing.
The Leston Duchy was no exception.
Wasnt even the head butler, Heinrich, of noble birth?
Because of this, the senior butlers of noble descent all sneered at and ignored him, but Urhan couldnt care less.
Harsh treatment? Group bullying?
Those pansies are just pansies, no matter what they do. Heh heh. Compared to the barracks culture of the Keas Kingdom, this is downright adorable.
He had left that sort of thing far behind him.
No matter how much his seniors harassed him, to him, Azure Castle was the ultimate paradise.
A land of opportunity where hard work was rewarded and he didn't have to fear for his life!
That was Azure Castle.
Good morning, seniors.
Urhan greeted the senior butlers as he passed by.
One of them replied, his voice dripping with scorn.
Looking at your face ruins my mood, so try to stay out of my sight. Tsk. Where did the Third Young Master find a mutt like this...
Ah! So you believe Young Master Karron has poor judgment? Understood! Ill be sure to relay your words to him! Have a good day!
Hey, hey! Wait a minute!
The flustered senior tried to stop him, but Urhan had already broken into a full sprint.
Urhan had received military training and hadnt skipped a single day of physical conditioning since coming to Azure Castle.
There was no way a mere butler could catch him.
Having easily shaken off his seniors, Urhan soon arrived at his destination.
This was the training hall, usable only by the direct bloodline of the Leston Ducal Family.
Access to the training hall had been restricted for the past year, and the reason was Karron.
The young masters confinement ends today.
A year ago, Karron had declared he would devote himself entirely to mana training and entered the hall alone.
A kind of secluded training, was it?
After that, he hadnt stepped outside the training hall for a whole year.
So, every mealtime for the past year, Urhan had personally delivered Karrons food.
Urhan would leave the food, and Karron would eat it and place the empty dishes outside.
I even brought him alcohol, just in case.
A truly loyal subject must provide for his master even without being asked.
A year had already passed like that, and it was time for the young master to emerge from the training hall.
Ahem.
Urhan cleared his throat, stood before the door of the training hall, and softly called his young masters name.
Young Master. The Lord Head is looking for you.
But there was no response from within.
...Young Master?
For a moment, an ominous thought flashed through his mind.
Could something have happened to the young master? What if something had gone wrong during his mana training?
Young Mas
Just as Urhan was about to call out again in urgency.
KABOOOOM!
The entire door of the training hall was blown to smithereens.
And from beyond it, a boyno, a young manslowly walked out.
His golden hair, shimmering in the sunlight, was choppy as if cut haphazardly with a sword, but even that couldn't hide the young man's striking good looks.
And what about that imposing height?
He seemed well over 180 centimeters tall, with perfect proportions.
On top of that, there was the intense aura radiating from his entire body.
It was truly the bearing of a hero.
Young Master!
Urhan called out the name of his remarkably grown young master, overcome with emotion.
This was the man.
The benefactor who had not only saved him from the depths of hell but had also given him a new life.
The one he would serve with lifelong loyalty...
Ugh, dammit. Hey. Urhan. Didn't you bring a parasol?
A p-parasol?
Have you lost your touch because I haven't been managing you for a year? Seriously. You wanna run laps around the training grounds in full armor under this scorching sun? This is the problem with deserters. Give them an inch and they lose their minds.
...You rotten bastard.
Urhan immediately bowed his head and said.
...My apologies! I will correct my ways, Young Master!
Sensibly, properly, precisely, cleanly. How many times do I have to emphasize it? Ah, but thanks for slipping me the booze. That was a good move.
The handsome young Karron smiled with satisfaction as he patted Urhan's broad back.
Urhan rubbed his hands together and replied.
Hehe, I'm glad you were pleased, Young Master. You've become even more handsome in the time I haven't seen you! I think I'm the one who needs the parasol.
Why?
Because your radiance is more blinding than the sun's... Goodness. I can hardly bear to look at you!
A flattery technique honed through years of military service and life in Azure Castle.
Karron chuckled at Urhan's sudden, full-force sycophancy.
Youve got some skills, you little punk.
From now on, the sun's name is not the sun, but Karron...
That's enough, Urhan.
Yes, Young Master!
Karron shielded his eyes with his hand and glanced up at the sky.
A clear sky without a single cloud.
Nice weather.
Karron Leston, seventeen years old.
Today was the day his four-year confinement ended.
2.
Halo Leston, the master of Azure Castle and the head of the great Leston Ducal Family, sat in his office chair, waiting for someone.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the office door, and soon, the voice of the old butler, Heinrich, came from beyond it.
Lord Head. The youngest young master has arrived.
Let him in.
Yes, my lord.
Creeeak.
The door opened, and a young man stepped inside.
Halo turned his gaze to the young man. He spoke in a low voice.
Youve worked hard, Karron.
Yes, Grandfather.
Come and sit.
Karron sat in the seat Halo offered, a faint smile on his lips.
Will you have tea, or alcohol?
Is alcohol all right, even in the middle of the day?
Of course.
Then Ill have alcohol.
At his words, Halo pushed a glass in front of Karron and poured whiskey into it.
Gurgle, gurgle.
The amber liquid half-filled the glass.
Your expression tells me you've achieved what you set out to do.
Halo leisurely observed Karrons body.
His eyes could see the fruits of Karrons training.
The brink of the 6th Star.
An achievement that was, for lack of a better word, astounding.
Searching through all the history of the continent, there was only one person who had reached the brink of the 6th Star at that age.
Rael Leston, the founder of the Leston Ducal Family, and him alone.
Just reaching the sixth sea was incredible, yet Karron was in complete command of it.
But what was even more surprising was...
I didn't quite achieve what I wanted. What I wanted was the seventh sea.
...the fact that Karron was still not satisfied.
Some might call such an attitude arrogant.
But Halo knew Karron's words did not stem from arrogance.
A relentless desire for improvement.
A greed to reach for even greater heights, despite already being at the top.
That was the very essence of Karron.
Drink.
Thank you.
Halo took a sip of the whiskey in his glass. Watching him, Karron followed suit and tilted his own glass.
Hot alcohol slid down his throat.
Karron let out a light breath and then spoke to Halo.
So, is my confinement over now?
Halo nodded in response.
Had your achievements been lacking, your confinement would have been extended until your coming-of-age ceremony at nineteen.
Thats a relief.
...This should be more than enough.
Halo set his glass down on the table.
His youngest grandson had always delivered more than expected. And this time, too, he had far surpassed all expectations.
Now, no one in the family could touch Karron.
The situation was already set.
Peil had taken a considerable amount of power within the family, and he would use that power to protect Karron with all his might.
And the Leston Ducal Family was, at its core, a martial family.
Meaning it was a place that respected great strength.
At this point, was there anyone who didn't know that Karron would one day become the strongest on the continent?
There cant be.
Halo slowly nodded his head. He then casually asked Karron.
Now that your confinement is over, what do you wish to do?
Hm, lets see. I havent thought that far ahead yet. For now, I plan to rest a bit and look for a mission I can take on. Maybe its because Ive been in Azure Castle for four years, but I feel like I want to get away.
You may go if you wish. I will find a suitable mission for you.
Thank you.
The four years Karron had been confined in Azure Castle.
During those four years, so much had changed in the empire.
The Leston Ducal Family now wielded influence across the entire empire, but that also meant they had made just as many enemies.
Things had become incomparably more dangerous than before Karrons confinement.
Of course, all those changes were what he, Halo, had intended.
Although you were confined, Karron, I know you have heard enough of the outside world. The wars between the southern kingdoms have grown more brutal, and the Pajar Sultanate is in the midst of a war over the sultans throne.
The situation on the continent was nearing its worst.
The peace that had been precariously maintained was already over, and the clouds of war were gathering over the entire continent.
And that was not all.
The other races, including the elves and dwarves, have begun to shun humans even more. At the same time, demons are also revealing themselves in various places across the continent.
The succubus that had appeared in the Imperial Palace four years ago.
The inside collaborator had been one of the Imperial Guard.
Completely seduced by the succubus, soul and all, he had handed over every piece of information he knew.
Fifty years of peace had dangerously lowered the empire's sense of crisis. The incident where the Imperial Palace was breached so easily was the prime example.
Halo quietly looked into Karrons eyes.
This is the era you must now live in.
And it was the fate that the master of the Guillotine would have to face.
Perhaps it was too heavy a burden for one individual to bear.
Are you prepared?
And so, he asked his grandson.
If he was prepared to accept his destiny as the master of the Guillotine.
If he was prepared to accept the era.
Prepared...
The grandson fiddled with his glass, lost in thought for a moment. But the hesitation was brief.
I think Im prepared to bite the head off anything I see, Grandfather.
A clear-cut answer.
Karron said, his blue eyes shining.
Theres no need to overthink it, right? If it gets in my way, I bite. That's what a Blue Wolf should do.
At that answer, Halo let a slight smile grace his lips.
He closed his eyes and nodded.
Yes, that is the way of the wolf.
No matter where the era was headed, the Blue Wolves would go their own way as a pack.
Just as Karron said, they would bite whatever got in their way and simply move forward.
Karron Leston. Rise.
Halos voice changed.
A voice filled with Azure Mana.
Karron immediately rose from his seat at Halos command and answered.
Yes, Lord Head.
Halo slowly stood up. He looked at Karron and said.
I hereby announce that as of today, your period of confinement is over. From now on, you will devote all your strength to the brilliant future of our family.
I will obey your command.
At last, the four years of confinement were over.
A Mad Dog Lives in the Duke's House