The Weight of a Branch
In the end, Lunia remained perched on the wall until dusk, watching my training and offering various bits of advice before finally heading back.
None of her advice was particularly useful, but the mere act of training alongside her had undoubtedly left a deep impression on my mind.
"Am I... smiling?"
That evening, the reflection in the mirror showed the corners of my mouth slightly turned up.
"Has my mental age regressed along with my physical body...?"
Seeing how giddy I was just from reuniting with an old companion, I realized I still had a long way to go.
But then again, it was only natural.
To me, the woman named Lunia Erahan von Benheim was a companion who had shared a lifetime with me.
It was impossible not to feel deeply moved.
"Now is not the time for this."
I wiped the wry smile from my face and composed my expression.
What I needed to focus on right now, even more than my relationship with Lunia, was raising my realm.
To be accepted as a true member of the Benheim family, I had to become a proper mage in my own right.
Above all, the Archduke of Demonic Magic was likely building his power even at this very moment. To surpass him, there was not a single second to waste.
My next goal was the 3rd tier.
The next day, I threw myself back into my magic training. I focused on mastering Rune Magic to the best of my ability while also learning common spells.
I had been engrossed in my training for some time when a voice interrupted me.
"Excuse me..."
My maid, Sheryl, approached and spoke.
It was highly unusual for her to initiate a conversation when it wasn't time to ring the dinner bell.
"My apologies, Young Master Raygan, but I believe you need to step outside."
"What's going on?"
"Well... a mage of the family has come to see you."
Sheryl wore a troubled expression. There was only one reason a mage of the main family would seek me out here at the annex. It was hardly surprising.
Lunia had even gone out of her way to warn me about this just yesterday.
Are they here to cause trouble?
Lunia had told me to hide, but avoiding a fight was not in a mercenary's nature.
After wiping my face with a damp towel handed to me by Sheryl, I stepped out into the garden. A young boy stood there waiting for me, his arms crossed.
Golden hair and purple eyes. He was a direct descendant of the Benheim line.
"Ahem! Sinner Raygan, fall to your knees at once!"
The boy, clumsily mimicking the grand declarations of a royal guard, looked every bit as naive as his age suggested.
Having dealt with all walks of life during my mercenary days, I could tell at a glance that he was merely trying to play-act.
"Excuse me, but may I ask your name?"
"I am Arno von Benheim!"
"I see. I am Raygan. I am of humble birth, so I have no family name."
"I-I see..."
I approached Arno and offered my hand. He almost reached out to take it as if possessed, but quickly snapped out of it and shook his head vigorously.
"How insolent! How dare you attempt to touch the successor of the Benheim family with those filthy hands! Have you lost your mind?!"
"The successor of Benheim... Then you must be the Lord's son?"
"Indeed I am."
Sure enough, Arno von Benheim was Stern's eldest son.
Just as Lunia had warned, her older brother had come looking for me.
Lunia's brother...
Arno von Benheim.
The name was not unfamiliar to me.
Lunia had spoken of him often before my regression.
"My brother was a brilliant mage. But he was not a brilliant successor."
"What do you mean?"
"He lacked depth. And he was a coward. He did nothing but procrastinate when it came to confronting the Archduke of Demonic Magic."
Just as Lunia had described, the Arno von Benheim standing before me now seemed somewhat lacking to be called the successor of a prestigious magic family.
Though one could excuse it as youth, the weight of the title of successor was by no means light. A true genius should already show their potential at this stage.
Even so, I did not look down on Arno.
"My brother, you see... he died a heroic death fighting the Archduke of Demonic Magic on our family's estate."
The expression Lunia wore when she said those words had been so heartbreakingly sorrowful that I hadn't known how to comfort her.
To Lunia, Arno was a deeply precious person. In that case, it would be best for me to show him proper respect as well.
After all, he was technically my brother-in-law.
"In your eyes, Young Master Arno, why exactly am I a sinner?"
"Not only did you steal Benheim's treasure, but you also attacked Lunia! And now, you're using that as a pretext to deceive us and waste our family's resources! As the successor of this house, I cannot stand by and watch this happen!"
"...Ah, so that's your pretext."
I clapped my hands together.
"So, what do you want me to do about it?"
Arno's eyes wavered at my blunt response.
"Even if I am a sinner, what can you possibly do about it, Young Master?"
"W-What?!"
Clearly not expecting such a brazen attitude, Arno's brow furrowed in sheer bewilderment.
"Whether you are the successor or not has nothing to do with me. As a benefactor of this family, I received my rightful due from the Lord. Are you trying to deny the decision your father made after careful consideration?"
"N-No... that's... not what I meant..."
"Is that so? Then what is the reason you have come to find me, Young Master Arno?"
As I systematically dismantled his arguments, Arno's eyes darted around anxiously.
In the end, he resorted to the stubbornness typical of a child.
"You cunning bastard! I came to expose the dark intentions you're hiding...!"
"...To expose them?"
"K-Kuh... Yes! We will follow the laws of Benheim!"
Arno shouted triumphantly.
Sheryl, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, narrowed her eyes.
"Hmm... I haven't been here very long, so I'm not entirely familiar. What law are you referring to, specifically?"
"Combat! True achievement is proven through real combat! That is the way of Benheim!"
"Real combat... Do you mean a duel?"
At my question, Arno hesitated for a moment before nodding vigorously.
"Are you being serious?"
"Of course!"
"A duel means putting your life on the line. Are you prepared for that, Young Master? Before we talk about winning or losing, are you prepared to die?"
Arno flinched at my words.
Of course he would. How could a boy his age truly understand the weight of a life?
But his hesitation was brief. Perhaps he truly was the successor of Benheim after all. Arno beat his chest with his fist and took a step forward.
"Yes! A duel! You had better prepare to risk your life according to the laws of Benheim as well!"
"Young Master, surely this is..."
Sheryl quickly tried to intervene, but I raised a hand to stop her.
I had been feeling a bit bored lately anyway, so this was perfect timing.
I let out a soft chuckle and nodded.
"Very well. I shall accept your duel, as you wish."
I picked up a tree branch from the annex garden that felt decent enough to swing.
Arno's current tier was at the very peak of the 3rd tier.
On the other hand, I was a commoner without even a tier to my name.
By all common sense, the outcome of this match was as good as decided before it even began.
By common sense, that is.
I was a regressor.
Before my regression, I had traversed countless battlefields and cut down many of the most renowned mages in the world. To me, a difference in tier was never enough to dictate the flow of a battle.
I intended to teach Arno that lesson in a way he would never forget.
Arno von Benheim was highly displeased with the recent series of events unfolding within the family.
It was shocking enough that the family's heirloom had been stolen, but his precious younger sister, Lunia, had even been attacked by mysterious assailants.
Yet, his father, Stern, defended the mysterious outsider who had saved Lunia, calling him a benefactor. Even though the stolen heirloom had been found in the man's possession, he faced no punishment or interrogation.
It was an absurdly lenient treatment.
I cannot accept this.
Benheim was a prestigious and powerful family.
The power of Benheim was meant to be shared only by those of the same bloodline.
Allowing an outsider to enjoy it was no different from dragging the family's authority through the mud.
As the successor of a magic family and as a mage himself, Arno could not comprehend his father's decision.
"Cunning bastard."
If it were an external mage who had entered through official examinations, that would be one thing, but he could not stand by and watch some random nobody waste the family's resources.
That was why Arno had taken matters into his own hands.
He intended to thoroughly expose the man's true colors.
He had heard that this man, Raygan, was a mere novice who hadn't even formed a mana core yet.
Though ominous rumors circulated that Raygan had killed the assailants who attacked Lunia, those stories did not cause Arno even a moment's hesitation.
Yet, when he actually stood face-to-face with Raygan, Arno was secretly taken aback.
"Very well. I shall accept your duel, as you wish."
The duel he had so boldly proposed.
Raygan had accepted it without showing a hint of panic.
Arno had never expected him to agree so readily.
Does he have something up his sleeve?
Arno examined the density of the mana surrounding Raygan's body.
There wasn't a single speck.
No mana was gathered in his dantian, nor did his body appear to be exceptionally trained. His clothes were ordinary, and the branch he held was completely average. It wasn't an artifact, nor was it a rare item inscribed with magic.
He's definitely bluffing.
Arno's current tier was the 3rd tier. Moreover, he was on the very cusp of reaching the 4th tier.
No matter how he looked at it, Arno could not conceive of a way he could lose.
Having reached his conclusion, he spoke triumphantly.
"Very well, sinner Raygan. Are you ready?"
"I'm always ready, but do you really have to keep adding 'sinner' to everything? Aren't you taking this hero-of-justice roleplay a bit too seriously?"
Arno was momentarily left speechless. For a mere dependent to show no remorse and instead sneer at him with every word was utterly unacceptable.
"S-Shut up! You are tarnishing our family's honor! I will bring you to justice!"
Despite Arno's shouting, Raygan didn't flinch in the slightest and merely let out a soft sigh.
"You can do whatever you like, Young Master. But before we begin, may I confirm one thing?"
"Confirm what?"
"In this duel, what does the winner get? If it's a duel, shouldn't there be something at stake?"
Arno frowned at the question. Believing it to be a bluff, he still played along.
"If I win, you will pack your things and leave this estate on your own two feet!"
"Understood."
"...What?"
Raygan agreed without a moment's hesitation. Before the bewildered Arno could even process the response, Raygan asked his own question.
"Then, it's only fair that I get something in return if I win. What will you give me, Young Master?"
"What... can I give you?"
"Yes. I suppose you hadn't even thought about it."
Arno believed with absolute certainty that he would win.
In fact, he had no reason to doubt it. It was a duel between a 3rd-tier mage and a complete novice. Even Sheryl, who was quietly watching from the sidelines, wouldn't doubt the outcome.
Yet, Raygan continued to speak with a sly smirk plastered across his face, as if he were lecturing a child.
"Just in case, if I win, will you hand over your position as the family's successor?"
"Nonsense!"
"Yes, I figured as much. You wouldn't have the authority to decide that anyway."
His tone was polite, but the meaning behind it was anything but. Arno gnashed his teeth in irritation. Unbothered, Raygan spoke with an easygoing expression.
"Then how about an elixir?"
"An elixir?"
"Yes. The high-grade elixir kept in the Benheim family's treasure vault. I don't recall the exact name, but I believe it was three syllables."
"The Elixir?"
"Ah, yes. That's the one."
Only then did Arno realize Raygan's true motive.
"You bastard! You were targeting our elixir all along! How does an outsider like you even know of the Elixir's existence?!"
"I wasn't targeting it, per se. I simply heard about the Elixir from someone I know."
"Bullshit!"
Arno was furious.
The existence of the Elixir, kept deep within the family's treasure vault, was a secret known only among the prestigious magic families. For someone of unknown origins to know about it meant Raygan had to be a spy.
In that case, he would simply bring him to justice.
"Y-You foolish bastard! Fine! Have it your way! If I lose, I will hand the Elixir over to you! But if you lose, you will leave this family on your own two feet!"
"Understood. Then, let me ask just one last thing."
Raygan lightly tapped the tree branch in his hand. It was the stick he had picked up from the annex garden moments ago, which couldn't even pass for a wooden sword.
"Can I use this?"
"...A tree branch? What do you plan to do with a toy like that?"
"Since I've never been properly educated, I'll have to make do with a toy like this."
Arno found it utterly absurd. Bringing a tree branch to a magical duel was beyond ridiculous.
"Do as you please. If you're hoping to win with a toy like that, your skills must be pathetic indeed."
Arno snorted.
As Raygan stepped up to face him, Arno stretched out both hands with a triumphant expression.
Perceive, construct.
Immediately, three runes materialized at Arno's fingertips simultaneously. The mana swirling around each rune caused the surrounding air to tremble.
And finally, manifest.
Rumble.
Fierce flames, flesh-shearing winds, and a shifting, trembling ground.
Three runes. And cast simultaneously.
How's that?
Arno was only eighteen years old. At his age, casting even a single spell without chanting would earn someone the title of a genius. Yet, Arno was manifesting three distinct spells through simultaneous casting.
Furthermore, the execution of each spell was flawless.
Looking at the three runes forming a semi-circle before him, Arno was certain.
This duel was already over.
The highest tier of magic Raygan could possibly cast was the 2nd tier. Even then, with a body lacking a mana core, the construction phase would take an eternity.
For such a person to dismantle the Rune Magic of Benheim?
It is utterly impossible.
The outcome of this battle was already set in stone.
There was absolutely no way he could lose.
And yet—
"Well, not bad."
Confronted with the formidable Rune Magic, Raygan merely stared back at Arno with a perfectly serene expression.
A sense of incongruity washed over Arno.
Something was wrong.
How... is he still standing?
He realized it too late. The destructive power of the magic Arno had unleashed was truly immense. The wind pressure, capable of blowing a grown man away, and the shifting ground should have knocked Raygan off his feet long ago. Yet, he stood there, maintaining his balance as if it were nothing.
Just how is he doing that?
Just as that thought crossed his mind—
Raygan made his move.
Crack!
The tree branch whipped through the air in a flash.
In the very next instant, Arno's mana completely unraveled.