Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: A Dangerous Misunderstanding
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...Drip!
Ian could feel cold sweat trickling down his cheek.
No matter how composed he was, how could he not panic in this situation?
To think that Paon had seen right through his condition.
'...No, stay calm.'
He just had to play dumb and act like he had no idea what the man was talking about.
What should he say?
...Nothing came to mind.
Ian had experienced just about everything in life, but this was the first time anyone had ever sniffed out that his soul belonged to Lucas.
And the Paon standing before him now was a supreme master who surpassed even his past self.
He wasn't some lightweight who could be fooled with a half-baked lie.
What's more, he'd already gone too long without responding.
'I have to say something.'
"Uh..."
The moment Ian opened his mouth,
Paon, having observed his reaction in that brief instant, spoke with firm conviction, as if his suspicions were confirmed.
"Look at you, startled like that. From your reaction, it's clear you've learned some fragment of the martial arts that the Hegemon himself practiced."
"...?"
What nonsense is this?
Ian's eyes widened at Paon's utterly unexpected conclusion.
"No need to be so shocked. The fact that Midas—that senile parrot of Lucas's—handed over the Silver Moon Armor means he saw the same thing in you."
Paon's misunderstanding only deepened at Ian's stunned expression, solidifying his assumption into certainty.
"Impressive, though. I've heard tales of derivative works floating around from the Hegemon's process of crafting his arts up north, but how did one end up in your hands?"
As Paon continued, Ian gathered his wits, wiped away the sweat trickling down his face, and replied calmly.
"...When I felt cooped up, I went for a stroll in the village. I happened upon a book at the market by chance. As you know, the Hegemon's experimental arts leaked out through all sorts of channels."
This was true, in fact.
In the past, the Blood Demon Iron Chain Art that Hegemon Lucas had mastered wasn't an art with a long history.
It had come after unifying the north and opening ties to other continents.
It was a masterpiece born from compiling countless martial arts and concepts from across the continent.
In that process, numerous failed attempts had spread across Agena.
Still, Ian hadn't bothered to stop it.
Not many had the talent to master the Blood Demon Iron Chain Art anyway, and botching a failed art was a surefire way to end up crippled.
But fate has a way of connecting people.
Rarely, a few had even blossomed their talents after picking up those failed works of the Hegemon.
Ian was claiming to be one such rare case.
'...That was a scare. Of course no one could possibly detect a soul swap.'
Was it guilt from his "crime"?
Ian, rattled by Paon's not-so-joking jab, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
If the truth ever came out, who knew what might happen.
He could end up dragged to the Magic Tower for all sorts of experiments.
"Hmm... So a derivative of the Blood Demon Iron Chain Art happened to suit your body perfectly by chance."
It was the kind of flimsy excuse ordinary folk wouldn't buy, but paradoxically, Paon—having reached the pinnacle of mastery—found it plausible enough to nod along.
'The Hegemon Lucas's Blood Demon Iron Chain Art is an intensely domineering, rigid yang technique. Who knows, it might synergize with Ian's Solar Meridian Blockage.'
Even if they were failures, their completion levels varied.
A sloppy one might have left Ian a cold corpse by now.
But if it overcame the Solar Meridian Blockage, it had to be near a perfected version.
'Nothing but a stroke of fate.'
Misunderstandings piled upon misunderstandings, breeding even more.
Looking at Ian sweating bullets, Paon began to see his second son—who he'd always dismissed as lacking—in a new light.
'With the Alexandros Empire fallen, practicing their arts is taboo across Agena. So he endured years of neglect while secretly training a derivative of the Blood Demon Iron Chain Art?'
Ian, unable to suppress his thirst for strength, had even resorted to forbidden arts.
But revealing his claws when his skills were still weak would mean getting uprooted before he could sprout.
So he'd waited.
Once acknowledged as a full-fledged warrior by the clan after the Gate Opening Ceremony, no one could touch him carelessly once he showed his power.
Patiently enduring, biding his time.
Easier said than done.
Especially at Ian's young age.
'All to escape the Solar Meridian Blockage in secret?'
Paon's eyes sparkled.
'Wait. Come to think of it... He self-taught that derivative art, plus Four Directions Swordsmanship, to this level.'
Self-teaching the Hegemon's arts to such proficiency—no one else would believe it, but Paon, knowing Ian's Solar Meridian Blockage, found it all clicked.
Above all, it was his own bloodline.
A tiger sires a tiger, after all.
'If he overcomes the Solar Meridian Blockage via the Blood Demon Iron Chain Art and makes that energy his own... he could become a pillar of the Martial Clan.'
Now that he knew the truth, his greed grew.
With the clan already stirring and his once-useless second son showing promise,
Paon was the patriarch of the Lichtenauer Martial Clan.
Not one for complacency—he thrived on competition.
No way he'd let this opportunity slip.
"Ian, how old are you turning this year?"
"I'll be eighteen once winter passes."
"Eighteen. Eighteen..."
The age was perfect, too.
Swoosh!
Paon released Ian's shoulder and returned to his throne, rubbing his temple as if troubled.
"Hmm... What to do. I fully understand your desire to grow stronger. But a direct descendant of the Lichtenauer Martial Clan practicing northern continent arts—no less, from someone on par with your father. Tricky."
"Uh..."
As Ian tried to speak, Paon cut him off preemptively.
"I'd love to let it slide, but the warriors of other families would see it as favoritism. To smooth things over... shouldn't you do something in return?"
Paon's face seemed to smirk ever so slightly.
Realizing what that smile meant, Ian sighed.
"...What would you have me do?"
"Oh, excellent question."
Paon answered as if he'd been waiting.
"This spring marks the seventeenth birthday of Princess Isabel Aslan, the king's blessing. I need you to attend."
Paon's position as clan head was so unassailable that most across the continent overlooked it, but his title was merely marquis.
In other words, the ruler of Bestrika—the sole kingdom on the southern continent—was someone else.
Demur Aslan.
A wise king who led the kingdom to prosperity amid clashes with the Great Cataclysm, his reign renowned even on other continents.
Intelligent and astute, he'd raised affectionate princes and laid the foundation for a bright future for Aslan.
Yet heaven doesn't grant all gifts to one man.
Even Demur Aslan, one of the greatest kings in Aslan's long history,
had one failure.
The education of his youngest daughter, Isabel Aslan.
Princess Isabel was a notorious hellion beyond mere tomboy.
A true loose cannon who saw no rank or elder when things didn't go her way.
But with her innate magical genius and untouchable backing, she was a walking natural disaster no one dared approach.
"...Wasn't the royal event supposed to be attended by my eldest brother, Alex?"
Ian blankly echoed Paon's unexpected proposal.
Royal events drew powerhouses like no other.
Thus, Alex had always attended meticulously.
The clan's influence spanned not just the family but the southern continent and Agena entire.
They had to pay close attention to royal affairs.
But among all those events, the one Alex dreaded most was Princess Isabel's birthday—hinting at just how much of a disaster she was.
"Hmm, nothing set in stone. Alex just covered for you at every one. You're a direct Lichtenauer blood too, aren't you? More than enough to show your face at court."
Truth be told, considering ages, it was almost overdue.
Alex had first appeared at royal events at just ten.
"But this is Princess Isabel's coming-of-age birthday—an important milestone. For me to go instead of brother..."
"Alex left for the northern Great Cataclysm border."
"...!!"
"Lately, the Great Veil's been acting up. With the northern border unsettled, the heir's presence alone will boost morale immensely. To me, guarding against the Great Cataclysm for the kingdom outweighs a princess's seventeenth birthday."
Paon patted Ian's shoulder again.
"The Magic Tower mission must've been rough. Treat this as a break—head to Shurton at leisure and enjoy the breeze."
"...Understood."
With reasoning like that, refusal was impossible.
Ian said no more and slowly exited the audience chamber.
Once Ian left, Paon alone in the chamber.
Nedyr, who had watched from outside, approached quietly.
"Heh! Patriarch, is practicing northern arts really such a big deal?"
As a mage, Nedyr couldn't quite grasp the issue with Krohoka martial arts.
"Hm... Depends on whose. Eastern continent folk, who revere martial arts, would treat northern ones—especially Lucas's—like demonic arts. They'd protest furiously if they found out."
The Kahn Empire dominated Agena.
Their complaints wouldn't end as mere nuisances.
"Then shouldn't you tell the Second Young Lord to abandon it?"
Nedyr voiced mild concern.
The Martial Clan revered martial arts too, albeit differently from the east.
If word spread of a direct descendant practicing a taboo art, clan unity might waver.
"Nah. He chose this path without fretting over backlash. If he hadn't even considered that far, he's just that mediocre."
It was his own path to overcome his curse.
As a father, he couldn't sabotage it, even if he wouldn't cheer it on.
"What if the Kahn Empire finds out?"
"Hm? Kahn Empire?"
Paon echoed Nedyr's question.
"Nedyr. Have you forgotten the land you shelter in?"
Paon's short query.
"This is the Lichtenauer Martial Clan."
That was answer enough.
Meanwhile, Ian exiting the chamber.
"Hmm... That guy's no slouch. Smart choice."
Ian gave high marks to Alex, off to the northern border.
This was the time when the once-ignored him was skyrocketing.
Mediocrity would self-destruct at the sight of an unexpected rival.
Tripping the riser was easier than honing one's edge.
With things not going his way since the Gate Opening Ceremony,
any fool would narrow their vision in anxiety.
But Alex headed north instead.
Dumping the kingdom's tedious chores and earning heir cred with the clan.
Considering he was barely in his twenties, Alex's caliber was the real deal.
'Alex, Sophia... This clan has more talent than I thought.'
Talent, brains, capacity.
In a normal house, any one could usher in a golden age.
But despite all that, they lacked one thing.
Timing.
'They met me.'
Whatever merits Alex racked up anywhere,
he'd be the next clan head.
With Solar Meridian Blockage fused to Blood Demon Iron Chain Art,
that fact wouldn't change.