Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Growth - 6 (Revised November 18)
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‘Chris wasn’t making a fuss for nothing.’
The fusion of mana training and physical conditioning was nothing short of revolutionary.
“But even so, kidnapping me...”
Frankly, this kind of kidnapping didn’t fully make sense.
He wasn’t the only one who had learned Mana Physical Training, and attacking a house knight wasn’t exactly a safe bet either.
“...It was a wiser call than kidnapping the Family Head’s lady.”
That much was true. Snatching a knight was far more stable than going after the lady of the house.
“Knights dying to protect the lady are a dime a dozen. The Blood Shadow probably planned to grab you in a setup like that.”
A clichéd playbook.
Assassins who botched kidnapping Ariasfil would slaughter knights just to silence them.
It was a little odd, but hardly the sort of incident to raise a formal objection over.
“And they’d pry the martial art out of you. Persuasion, torture—whatever it took.”
He could shrug off persuasion or torture with his mental fortitude; he’d endured it countless times before. But advanced magic to extract memories, or drugs combined with hypnosis? Not impossible.
[Drugs and hypnosis are a bit...]
[Whatever you’re imagining, it won’t be that.]
Why’s an inexperienced guy jumping to conclusions like that?
“So you gave me a weapon as insurance.”
Ambush attempts like this would repeat endlessly. He could handle them, but at Leo’s current level, there was still that nagging unease.
Leo felt it himself.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not out of worry for you. Just didn’t want unsavory types getting their hands on that power.”
[He’s been quiet, but now he’s calling it a misunderstanding.]
[Yeah.]
Defending Marken was getting exhausting, so Leo chimed in. Just syncing up like that washed away ten years of heartburn like a splash of cold water.
“But handing over a weapon doesn’t fix the root issue. Most would need ages to back off.”
Spot-on prediction. If anything, they might start eyeing Leo’s gear, ramping up the attacks.
“Then what should we do?”
“...That’s when I had an idea. Christina’s proposal popped into my head.”
Chris(tina)’s proposal—the one she’d hammered home repeatedly when Leo first demonstrated Mana Physical Training.
“No way... Mana Physical Training...”
“...Yeah. Doesn’t sit right with me, but we’ll fold your mana training method into the House of Reinhardt’s official curriculum.”
Despite the obvious displeasure, it was the kind of proposal you could scream about and still get.
[Is it that big a deal?]
Way beyond big. Slotting a ten-year-old boy’s technique into a centuries-old knight order lineage from the Hero Family? Unprecedented didn’t even cover it.
[Like the Magic Tower adding a kid’s spell to the adult textbook curriculum.]
Sharp analogy, snarky tone aside.
“With that in mind... take this.”
Marken pulled a black card from his wallet and offered it to Leonardo.
“...This is...”
“You can pull cash from accounts like this these days. Just in case you didn’t know?”
As if. He knew perfectly well.
But this card was leagues beyond a standard account.
[...What the heck?]
[...Unlimited-limit card.]
[Limit?]
[Money...]
[Oh... damn...]
The black card. VVIP unlimited-limit status symbol—even in his past life, he’d only glimpsed it a handful of times.
“...You’re giving this to me...”
“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not for blowing on fun.”
Marken continued.
“Heard you want to study magic under Rios. Magic lessons cost a fortune—use this to cover it.”
Stiff delivery, but the intent was pure support for Leo. He’d gained plenty so far, lost nothing.
And handing over a black card just for intermediate spells? Basically full recognition.
“...And hate to admit it, but Christina was right. Mana Physical Training’s got real legs as official instruction. Polish it up, and it’ll eclipse every past method. This is your reward.”
[Then just admit it already. Why fight your own damn personality?]
“Kh... huh...”
Too refreshing a zinger—Leo bit his lip till it turned blue, stifling the laugh.
[But incorporating it changes what, exactly? They can still assassinate me.]
Not quite. Because...
“You’re wondering how that changes anything, right?”
His face barely hid the grin, but the misread was a blessing.
“Put differently: stealing that training method now isn’t swiping your personal notes. It’s stealing the House of Reinhardt’s martial arts.”
Kidnapping a lone knight? Response options get limited fast. Even a Hero Family buckles under pressure from rival great houses or the kingdom.
[Steal a martial art lineage, though? Game changer.]
Stealing even one technique from a house’s core gives carte blanche to strike back at the organization.
It’s an insult and declaration of war on House Reinhardt.
“Threats via kidnapping won’t fly anymore. No fool’s dumb enough to piss off the entire Reinhardt.”
In other words: Leo wasn’t just a knight anymore. He was family.
Treatment like this? Unheard of without marriage or adoption.
“...Thank you so much.”
“Not doing it for your thanks. Grateful? Use those insurances I gave you wisely.”
Unpacking the subtext wasn’t hard.
‘We can fend off overt threats, but shadow ops? No full-proof block.’
Outliers like demons or black mages laughed at safeguards.
They’d cross any line for their greed.
Hence the magic gear and black card.
“I’ll put ’em to better use than insurance.”
He’d make sure Marken never regretted the black card or black gear.
Such a golden chance—wouldn’t squander it.
“Oh, and one more thing.”
Marken paused at the cave mouth, turning back. Asura gleamed in his eyes.
“Don’t think ‘recognized’ excuses laying a hand on Aria. No weapon or card’ll save you—got it?”
“...Pardon?”
“I don’t hear stupid answers. So...”
“Ah... but back in the armory, you said you hadn’t recognized me.”
Delivered with such deadpan venom, hard to forget.
“...F-fine. Think what you want.”
[If it was a woman, sure—but a shriveled old prune like that? Cringe city.]
“Puhup...!”
This one he couldn’t hold.
The laugh drew the shriveled Asura charging in.
No clean exit, apparently.
“Wow~ Didn’t think Grandpa would actually acknowledge him.”
Rios popped the last of his duel-munching popcorn and spoke up.
“Figured he’d throw a fit and hold out.”
“The Execution Knight Commander talks tough, but he keeps his word. One of those misconceptions people have.”
“Gotcha. Wise words—thanks! Chris...!”
Black Rock vanished into shadow. Her shadow had already hoisted her nephew by the neck.
“Title etiquette lacking? What’s my name?”
“D-Dad... Father!! Mercy...!”
“That’s enough. Chris. What if Aria picks it up?”
Calling her Chris again? She dropped Rios.
“Th-thanks...! Father...! I’ll be the best son ever...!”
“Good. Start with a month’s ban on romance novels. No related chatter either.”
“Fire-attribute filial piety okay?”
“No.”
Rios’s face darkened at the ironclad refusal.
“But what’ll Leonardo pick?”
Sirica tossed out a martial topic to shift gears.
“Hm... Lava Sword Hwacheong, I reckon. Matches his firepower-loving style.”
“Mirror Shield’s solid too. Reflect attacks, opens strategic plays.”
“Nah, Thunder Spear Pul Golr after that fight. Lightning body buffs are stabler than spells.”
Opinions deadlocked. But the one prodigy kid among them stayed mum.
“Aria, your take?”
“...Why...”
Aria didn’t reply. Not just ’cause it was Rios.
“Aria? You listening?”
“...Huh? Sorry, zoned out.”
“Deep in thought? Tough puzzle? I’ll help.”
Chris’s prompt drew out Aria’s buried worry.
“...How’d Leo’s sword land first when mine missed? No clue.”
Not denying Leo’s strength.
Proper analysis of the how—for countermeasures. Research mode.
“...Speeds even, power too... why...”
Impressed by the diligence? Chris flexed her Black Rock veteran cred with a breakdown.
“Height difference.”
“Height...?”
“Yup. Leo’s built bigger than you, Aria.”
In fights—especially 1v1 slugfests—height factors in big. Bigger frame means longer reach.
“You two differ by 6-7cm. Reach gap decides it, no shock.”
The breakdown clicked—Aria nodded. Height gaps? Effort alone won’t bridge ’em easy.
“Eat right, sleep solid—you’ll shoot up. Kids that age sprout overnight.”
“But Leo shot up too...”
The Family Head’s glare shut even fool Rios up. One wrong word, and bard love ballads’d be banned.
“...Still... gotta be a workaround...”
Mid-brood, lightning struck Aria’s mind.
Intel from early days training with Leo, pre-duel.
“Leo’d know!”
“Leonardo?”
“Wandering life—he’s gotta have growth hacks. Foods, drills...”
Not wrong, but heavy overestimation. If he knew secrets that good, he’d have leaned on his build.
“Hey! That’s Leonardo, right?”
Mid-chat, two knights descending caught their eyes.
“But... why so beat-up?”
No major wounds, but scratches galore—clothes shredded to rags.
“What happened?”
“Nothing. Tested if the kid could handle his new gear.”
Leo nodded wordlessly. Barely-plausible excuse, but truth enough.
Believe it, or feel extra ripped off.
“So, what’d you get?”
Leo raised his arm confidently. Black bracelet gleamed.
“...New one. Expedition haul, Father?”
“Look close. Didn’t expect it to shift like that myself.”
Marken chin-nodded. Leo transformed: bracelet to orb, one-hand sword, spear, shield.
“...Oho, shapeshifter. First live look.”
“Like a holy sword—picks its wielder. So, Christina.”
Marken warned the slack-jawed, black-stone-staring Chris.
“No coveting.”
“...What am I, five?”
“Worse, sometimes.”
Chris flushed red, embarrassed. Rios laughed—then got necked again.
“H-hey...! Leo...!!”
In the mess, Aria approached Leo, clinging to her hazy memory for the ask.
“Yes, Lady Aria.”
“Got a favor... cool?”
“Of course—if it’s in my wheelhouse, I’ll give it my all.”
Aria beamed, dropping her long-awaited request.
“Make me... taller...?”
Air went arctic.
“...Pardon?”
Leo’s neck hairs stood up.
Blame the two patriarchs lurking behind.
Dead certain.
“That thing from before—first training sesh. You said it was thug lingo...!”
Leo’s lifeline iced over.