Lloyd's gaze sharpened at the sight of Hailed barging into his room and drawing his sword without warning.
"You would be wise to put that sword back. I have never let someone who showed hostility toward me live."
As he spoke, an oppressive presence that could not belong to a fourteen-year-old emanated from Lloyd's entire body.
Hailed cowered again for a moment, but this time, rather than retreating, he raised his voice.
"D-Do you think that's going to scare me!? This time, I'll make it so you can't get out of bed for a month!"
At the same time, Hailed swung his sword.
It was quite fast for a thirteen-year-old, but to Lloyd's eyes, it seemed slow.
'This is all the skill that earned him the name of prodigy?'
It was quick and accurate, but perhaps because he lacked experience, his sword was far too straightforward.
The trajectory of the blade was as clear as day.
Lloyd leisurely dodged Hailed's sword.
Then he kicked the bastard hard in the stomach.
With Telekinesis, of course.
THUD!
With a dull sound, Hailed's body flew into the air, then sailed backward through the open door. It did not stop until it struck the corridor wall.
"Urgh!"
After striking the wall, Hailed took a powerful impact to his back and head, let out a short cry, and collapsed onto the floor.
"Ugh."
Hailed tried to rise, but perhaps he had suffered a concussion from hitting his head against the wall. His vision spun, and his body would not obey him.
'What on earth...... is happening?'
He could not understand the situation at all.
Lloyd was the one who should have been crawling across the floor here.
'Then why am I......?'
Still unable to get up, he struggled to understand his current situation.
Lloyd slowly approached Hailed.
Hailed barely lifted his head, glared at Lloyd, and spoke.
"You, what cowardly trick did you use?"
Lloyd let out a snicker.
It seemed that Hailed could not admit that he had lost and had concluded that Lloyd had used a cowardly trick.
No longer wanting to listen to Hailed's nonsense, Lloyd kicked him in the jaw.
"Urgh!"
Although he had apparently bitten his tongue when his jaw was struck and blood flowed from his mouth, Hailed still raised his voice.
"How dare an illegitimate bastard like you!!"
"You still have not come to your senses."
Lloyd said that and stomped on Hailed's hand that held the sword.
"Aagh!"
When Hailed screamed and dropped his sword, Lloyd picked it up.
Then, as though admiring a work of art, he carefully examined the sword.
An ornate design that was practical as well.
A sharp, well-forged blade.
It was an excellent sword that, at a glance, appeared to have been made by a skilled artisan.
"You use a good sword for someone with your skill."
"Urgh, that sword is not something a bastard like you should touch......"
Hailed could not finish speaking.
The tip of the sword was pointed at him.
Hailed was briefly flustered. But he soon snorted and spoke.
"Are you trying to stab me with that sword? If you can stab me, then go ahead and try."
Hailed naturally thought Lloyd would not be able to stab him.
The Lloyd of the past had been so soft-hearted that he could not even kill an insect.
But,
SQUELCH—.
With the chilling sound of flesh being pierced, an enormous, stabbing pain came from his shoulder.
"AAARGH—!!"
At the extreme pain he had felt for the first time in his life, tears and snot poured out on their own.
"Y-You really stabbed me......"
"I told you, did I not? I have never let someone who showed hostility toward me live."
With those words, Lloyd raised his sword high.
He looked ready to swing it at any moment.
Even as he trembled in fear, Hailed partly reassured himself with the thought that Lloyd surely would not truly swing the sword.
'He can stab me, but he cannot really kill me.'
It was only natural that he would think so.
If Lloyd killed him, the legitimate son of the family, Lloyd would not be safe either.
However, the instant their eyes met, his thoughts changed.
Eyes devoid of any emotion, nothing but cold.
Only then did Hailed realize.
The person before him was not the weak and timid Lloyd he had known.
'I-I do not know what happened, but the Lloyd I see now might k-kill me.'
Once his thoughts reached that point, Hailed waved his hands with a deathly pale face.
"W-Wait! Let's stop now. You stabbed me in the shoulder, so is that not enough?"
However, without giving any answer, Lloyd brought down his sword with an impassive expression.
The instant before the sword touched Hailed's neck, Anna's urgent voice rang out.
"No!"
Anna had returned to clean Lloyd's room. She threw down her cleaning tools, rushed over, and desperately tried to stop Lloyd.
"I do not know what happened, but this will be a disaster if this continues! Please put away your sword, Young Master Lloyd!"
Anna's eyes and voice were filled with desperation as she spoke.
"......"
Lloyd looked at Hailed without a word.
Hailed was trembling, pale as a sheet, his dirty face smeared with tears and snot.
His trousers were wet, as though he had even wet himself.
At that sight, Lloyd's enthusiasm completely evaporated, and he lowered the arm holding the sword.
'......There is no need to kill him.'
Following his usual habit, he had tried to kill Hailed for swinging a sword at him, but upon reflection, there was no need to do so.
No, he must not do so.
'When I belonged to the Institute, it covered for me even when I killed other Hunters. But that is no longer the case.'
Moreover, was he not now an illegitimate son without any power?
Even if he killed Hailed, the legitimate son of the family, it would only make matters bigger and more complicated, with no benefit to him.
Lloyd threw the sword he held to the floor and issued a low warning.
"Remember: there will be no second time."
With that, he turned around and entered his room.
Once the door closed and Lloyd was no longer in sight, Hailed let out a sigh of relief.
"Young Master Hailed, are you all right? Please wait here for a moment. I will quickly get someone......"
"I do not need anyone!"
Hailed shook off Anna's hand and staggered to his feet.
His trembling had not yet subsided, and he forced his disobedient body to move.
Right now, more than examining the wound pierced through his shoulder, he only wanted to get as far away from Lloyd as possible.
***
The household was in an uproar over the news that Hailed had returned to his room injured, but the commotion quickly died down.
No matter how much anyone asked, Hailed only said that it was nothing and kept his mouth tightly shut, as though honey had sealed it.
However, no one even imagined that Lloyd had pierced a hole in Hailed's shoulder.
Common sense made it impossible: Hailed, called a prodigy, had mana, while Lloyd had neither mana nor any training in swordsmanship.
Of course, the knights who knew even a little of Lloyd's swordsmanship could make some guesses, but they did not bring it up.
They did not like Hailed's arrogant personality very much, either.
Some even felt a sense of satisfaction at the news that Hailed had been defeated.
Thanks to that, Lloyd was living as he normally did.
Today as well, he was building knowledge of this world through books in his room.
While organizing the stacks of books piled in the room, Anna glanced at Lloyd as he read.
'He certainly looks like Young Master Lloyd on the outside, but......'
She could not get the events of several days ago out of her mind.
The sight of him stabbing his younger brother in the shoulder with a sword without the slightest hesitation.
For a while, she had only stared blankly at the shocking scene. She came to her senses only when Lloyd was about to swing the sword.
'At that time, he really looked as though he was going to kill Young Master Hailed.'
Of course, she might have been mistaken, but at the time, she had no choice but to desperately stop Lloyd.
'In any case, it is fortunate that it passed without anything happening, but......'
After that incident, it became difficult for her to deal with Lloyd.
Until now, she had thought that his personality had changed a little because of his head injury, but now, there were times when he seemed like an entirely different person.
Perhaps Anna's feelings had unknowingly shown on her face.
"Anna."
At Lloyd's sudden call, Anna started and answered.
"Y-Yes!?"
"You look unwell. If you are having a hard time, go in and rest. I will tidy up here."
His dry, even tone was unchanged, but Lloyd's words were full of consideration, and only then did Anna's face brighten.
"No, I am fine!"
"......If you are ill, tell me. Do not endure it for no reason and make matters worse."
Those words slipped out without thought because he remembered a companion who always suffered alone whenever they were ill or something happened.
However, Anna, who had no way of knowing that, smiled with deep emotion.
"Young Master Lloyd......"
What noble would care about a maid's health?
Even if his personality had changed, his kindness and consideration for her, his maid, had not changed.
'Right. Young Master Hailed had been bothering Young Master Lloyd too, had he not? Last time, Young Master Lloyd was angry, so that must have been why.'
Swinging the sword must have been only a gesture meant to frighten Hailed.
Once she thought that, all the worrying she had done until now seemed ridiculous.
'I will not entertain useless thoughts from now on! No matter what happens, I am on Young Master Lloyd's side!'
As she made that firm resolve in her heart, someone knocked on the door outside.
Knock, knock.
"Young Master, are you in?"
"Come in."
The person who had come to see Lloyd was none other than Martin.
It had been several days since he had begun waiting for Lloyd's response that he would think about it.
Unable to wait any longer, he had finally come all the way to Lloyd's room.
"You arrived at a good time."
Lloyd sent out Anna, whose eyes had widened in surprise at the knight's sudden visit, then continued.
"Are you someone who can keep a secret?"
"Pardon?"
Martin was slightly flustered at the unexpected question.
He had only come to hear Lloyd's answer, yet Lloyd was suddenly asking whether he could keep a secret......
Although puzzled, Martin decided to answer Lloyd's question first.
"I consider myself quite capable of keeping secrets, but why do you ask......?"
"Because my answer will change depending on how well you can keep a secret."
Martin, who had caught on to what Lloyd meant, spoke urgently.
"I may seem frivolous, but I keep promises and secrets well!"
"Hmm."
At his confident reply, Lloyd nodded as though he agreed to some extent.
After all, Martin had persistently followed him until now just to keep a promise that had been made in a mere wager.
"If you truly cannot trust me, I will stake my sword and swear to keep the secret!"
Lloyd decided to trust Martin.
Even Lloyd did not think Martin looked like someone who would easily break a promise.
"Good. I will accept your Oath of Loyalty."
"Really!?"
When Lloyd nodded, Martin swiftly knelt on one knee.
Before Lloyd changed his mind.
"Martin Claude swears here and now to become the sword and shield of Lord Lloyd von Bledra."
And so, Lloyd gained Martin, a knight who would later become renowned for his outstanding skill and loyalty.
***
"I will say this one more time. Now that you have become my knight, you must keep my secrets without fail."
Then Martin struck his chest as though telling Lloyd not to worry and spoke.
"I will never do anything that would betray you, Young Master, so please do not worry!"
Only after hearing Martin's answer did Lloyd stand up, open his Inventory, and take out the Dungeon Key.
Martin, who had been watching closely, could not help but be surprised.
A key had suddenly appeared from empty space!
"Could it be...... a Spatial Storage Artifact?"
Even ordinary nobles found Spatial Storage Artifacts difficult to obtain, yet an illegitimate son known to be incompetent possessed one.
However, that was not the only surprising thing.
When Lloyd used the key, a door shimmering red suddenly appeared.
"W-What in the world......?"
Looking at Martin, who was so surprised that he could barely speak, Lloyd said,
"From now on, we are going into a dungeon."