Chapter 7
Chapter 7
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: The Measurement Ceremony (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Sion!”
The moment we stepped into the grand banquet hall, Kurt came rushing over to me in a panic.
“What the hell happened with you? Fighting with Cain and Robel?!”
“It just kinda turned out that way.”
“And then you got summoned by Grandfather! I told you to stay out of trouble, so what did you do…!”
“It all wrapped up fine.”
“Wrapped up fine my ass…!”
Ignoring Kurt, I turned my head and spotted Helena sitting at a nearby table, her face twisted like she’d just bitten into something bitter.
She must have heard that Cain and Robel got beaten by me.
‘Did Cain and Robel get slapped by Mom?’
Next to Helena sat Cain and Robel, one side of their faces red and swollen, looking utterly dejected.
Of course, they’d changed clothes by now.
‘I wanted to talk to Serxes, Est, and the other cousins too… but no time for that.’
The host ascended the dais, and the family meeting began.
* * *
“I’m Hamilton Aleyas, head of the eastern branch. I’ll report on negotiations with Cardinal Yops and solicit your opinions.”
As the relative on stage began his speech, Sena Aleyas subtly turned her head.
‘Sion Aleyas…’
Watching the boy sitting primly next to Kurt, Sena felt a swirl of complicated emotions.
‘Twelve years old? No way.’
To Sena, Sion seemed like a seasoned man who’d been through thick and thin.
‘No way a Dialogue Church mage is disguised as Sion with some weird spell, right?’
Sion was such an odd kid that she even entertained absurd thoughts like that.
‘And… he can use sword aura?’
Sword aura was something even many Grade 1 Knights couldn’t wield. It was that advanced.
In truth, Sion had only recently mastered it.
‘Using sword aura means he has that much mana. A twelve-year-old?’
Everyone was born with roughly the same amount of mana, but it could be increased through training.
As mana quantity grew, it condensed and compressed into ring shapes.
These were called circles, and knights who formed one were commonly known as 1-star knights.
‘But 1-star isn’t enough for sword aura.’
The more mana grew, the denser the circles became.
There were ways to infinitely increase mana density, but generally, one added another circle—a new ring to store more mana.
A knight with two circles was a 2-star knight. Three circles made 3-star, four made 4-star, and so on.
‘Sword aura means… at least 3-star!’
A kid that young being 3-star? Unbelievable.
Sena herself, at twenty-one, was only 3-star. A mere twelve-year-old at 3-star?
Something was off.
‘Is Grandfather mistaken about something?’
When they met Grandfather, Sion hadn’t denied knowing sword aura.
She doubted he’d dare lie to Grandfather’s face…
‘I don’t get it. What the hell is that guy?’
Lost in thought, she realized the relatives’ presentations had ended, and it was time for the next event.
As Ianus Aleyas took the stage, all the family members straightened up and focused.
“It’s time for the measurement ceremony again this year.”
Tension rippled through the room.
The measurement ceremony was the event where the Aleyas family assessed its members’ strengths.
Specifically, it measured the number of circles each possessed to determine their star rank.
This allowed the family to precisely gauge members’ abilities and use the data for knight order operations.
Those twenty or older were obligated to reveal their circle count.
‘Among my peers, I’m the only 3-star.’
There’d be plenty of 1-stars and 2-stars, but currently, only Sena had reached 3-star.
‘Still… Sion’s too young for it.’
At just twelve, Sion wasn’t eligible.
So there was no way to check his circles at the ceremony.
“However.”
Then Ianus said something strange.
“Doing the measurement the same way every time is getting kinda boring.”
Murmurs spread through the hall.
Ianus was known for occasional bold moves, but he’d never changed the ceremony format before.
“You all know I take a lot of interest in the children who’ll shape the Aleyas future.”
Sena knew that too.
Ianus favored grandchildren over his own children and planned to choose his successor from them.
That’s why Sena always tried to impress him.
“The old folks are all mediocre anyway, no real growth… So today, let’s measure the kids under twenty for a change.”
“……!”
The banquet hall erupted in chaos.
“Under twenty?!”
“My kid hasn’t even formed a circle yet!”
“I haven’t started mana training with my daughter!”
“Damn, what if I rank below my nephew?!”
Relatives with young kids freaked out.
Most weren’t in the running for next knight order leader, but they still competed internally in the family and Holy Knight Order.
Having their kids’ levels exposed publicly was daunting.
“You’re all making fools of yourselves.”
“Exactly, Mother.”
“No embarrassment for us.”
Meanwhile, Helena, Cain, and Robel sat nearby, looking relaxed.
Cain and Robel had apparently reached 2-star already.
‘And Sion…’
Kurt was clutching his head and groaning for some reason, but Sion sat calmly in his seat.
Only twelve, but with Grandfather’s words, Sion would be measured too.
‘I’ll finally see how much mana that kid has.’
Swallowing in anticipation, Sena watched.
* * *
“We’re screwed… totally screwed.”
Kurt groaned beside me, clutching his head.
“Father, don’t overdo it.”
“Kid, do you know how hard I worked to hide your strength…?”
Measuring my mana would reveal I had enough for sword aura.
That’s what Kurt was worried about.
“You’re still too young. Revealing it now is dangerous.”
“Don’t worry too much.”
After over ten years together, I knew Kurt fretted endlessly over his kids.
The bravely battlefield Kurt turning into this for his son was kinda funny, but it showed how much he loved his child.
“It’ll be fine.”
“You carefree punk…”
Leaving the sighing Kurt behind, I stepped forward with the other kids.
Dozens of children—not just my cousins, but from branch families—lined up on stage.
“We’ll go by age. Who has the earliest birthday?”
“Schott Aleyas, daughter of Marus Aleyas.”
“Very well. Line up starting with her.”
Schott Aleyas, my eighth cousin, was first.
In the lineup, I ended up dead last at twelve.
“Sion…”
“Robel bro.”
Right in front of me stood sixteen-year-old Robel.
He flinched when our eyes met but quickly glared.
“Hey… know how much shit I got from Mom because of you?”
“Really? My dad hardly ever scolds me.”
“What? Lucky— I mean, that’s not the point.”
Robel cleared his throat awkwardly and blabbered on.
“You learn to handle mana yet?”
“Just practiced a bit on my own.”
“Hmph, so you’re probably mana-less then.”
Mana-less.
The term for having zero circles.
“I’m 2-star, punk.”
“No kidding? Impressive.”
It really was.
Even Archbishop Hausel only had one circle at sixteen. Most kids this age didn’t even reach 1-star.
Aleyas bloodline? Or Helena drilling her kids early?
“My brother’s 2-star too, obviously.”
“You must’ve worked hard.”
“Hmph, Mom personally taught us the Heavenly Eight Emperors Method.”
As we chatted, measurements began.
Mana measurement involved placing a hand on the Aleyas family’s artifact.
It automatically detected and displayed the info.
“Schott Aleyas! Two circles! 2-star!”
“Woo!”
The first, Schott, being 2-star drew cheers.
She bowed proudly to Ianus.
“That sister’s 2-star too.”
“Urk…”
But after that, 2-stars were rare.
Over half were 1-star, the rest mostly mana-less.
“Cain Aleyas! Two circles, 2-star!”
Seventeen-year-old Cain’s 2-star brought cheers.
Glancing back, Helena looked triumphant.
‘She’s gotta be thrilled.’
With Robel’s 2-star next, cheers would swell, and she’d feel on top of the world.
“Heh heh. Soon it’ll be my—ack.”
Robel, puffing up with excitement, startled.
A girl with pale sky-blue hair stepped up to the artifact.
‘Est’s daughter.’
I recognized her instantly.
Daughter of Ianus’s second daughter, Est.
She had the same quiet, composed vibe as her mother.
‘Same age as Robel, sixteen. Birthday a bit earlier.’
She approached calmly and placed her hand on it.
A red circle appeared on the mirror-like artifact, and the measurer shouted.
“L-Liz Aleyas… three circles! Three circles, 3-star!”
“Ooooh!”
The hall shook.
Cain’s 2-star at seventeen was impressive, but Liz at sixteen was 3-star.
Everyone cheered.
“3-star at sixteen? Genius!”
“The Aleyas future’s right there!”
“Next knight order leader’s Est’s for sure?”
Whispers flew, but Est sat calmly.
‘Est… raised her daughter well.’
Serxes’s daughter Sena: 3-star at 21.
Helena’s sons Cain and Robel: 2-star at 17 and 16.
Est’s daughter Liz: 3-star at 16.
‘Serxes was leading, but Est just took the lead.’
With Sena already a Grade 1 Knight at 3-star, Serxes topped successor race.
But Liz’s reveal shot Est ahead. 3-star at 16 meant 4-star possible by Sena’s age.
‘Helena’s the loser now. 2-stars look meh next to 3-star.’
Robel followed soon after, confirmed 2-star, but reactions were lukewarm.
After a 16-year-old 3-star genius, 2-star seemed ordinary.
‘The Aleyas family… seriously high level.’
I knew they were elite from Hausel Archbishop days, but even the kids?
Fitting for the family leading the Holy Church’s “most sacred blade.”
“Now, finally… Sion Aleyas!”
My turn.
I mentally called out to Igzard.
‘Hey, Igzard.’
[What?]
‘Your existence won’t get exposed here, right?’
[How many times do I gotta say it? No way.]
Igzard was a spirit body with immense energy.
He could convert it to mana for me, but the energy itself differed from mana.
[Modern human tech can’t detect me! This’ll only measure your pure mana!]
‘Alright, I trust you.’
I glanced around.
Most watched without much expectation.
Only Kurt, Ianus, and Sena watched intently—they knew about my sword aura.
‘Sorry, Father.’
I glanced at tense-faced Kurt.
‘I could hide it… but I’ll show it all.’
Apologizing inwardly, I placed my palm on the mirror.