I gradually learned a little about my brothers through the maids’ chatter. I could not understand every word they said, but judging from the context, this was what I gathered.
First of all, I had two older brothers.
My eldest brother’s name was Mabel Esterji.
The maids’ assessments of Mabel were that he was handsome, had a high nose bridge, possessed a wonderful voice, and had sexy short-cropped orange hair.
The reason their character assessment focused solely on his appearance was that the source of my information was contaminated.
Mabel was seven years older than me and was apparently undergoing training to become a knight.
My second older brother’s name was Chris Esterji.
Whenever the maids spoke about Chris, their voices rose a full pitch higher than when they spoke about Mabel. According to their testimony, he was practically not of this world.
“Isn’t it amazing that his Awakened Ability is called ‘Veritas’?”
“They say he is the greatest genius in the history of the Esterji family.”
“And he is unbelievably kind, too. He is gentle, considerate, and his voice is so soft….”
“His features are truly exquisite. When my eyes first met the Young Master’s, I thought my breath had stopped.”
Looks, talent, and character.
This fellow could only be described as a trinity of all three, and he was currently the leading candidate to inherit the ducal title, despite being the second son.
I did not particularly covet the ducal title. If my second older brother was truly that remarkable, I thought I could support him as much as he needed.
My goal was to survive past twenty, not seize power. Power was the sort of luxury enjoyed by people without the Cold Yin Severed Meridian.
Still, I wanted to benefit from my family’s support in this life. Traveling the world with the old man had been enjoyable, but on the other hand, scouring an enormous land on foot for a spirit creature hidden somewhere within it had seemed absurd.
“What about the Third Young Master?”
The conversation about the young masters naturally turned to me.
“The Young Master is cute.”
“He is cute.”
“He is so white that he looks like a little ball of fur.”
Right. What kind of serious assessment could I expect when I was just a baby?
I withdrew the Eavesdropping Art I had used to listen in on their conversation. There was no need to think about anything else right now. I was merely a little wriggler wrapped in swaddling clothes. No one expected anything great of me, so I only needed to diligently gather Dao Power.
Eat, sleep, shit, gather.
Those days repeated for about two months. Then, one day, a small boy suddenly entered my room. He was fairy-like and adorable, with a beauty that could not help but stand out anywhere.
The maids happened to be out of the room. The boy approached the cradle where I lay, stood at my head, and asked with shining eyes.
“You’re Iden?”
“…….”
I did not answer. I had decided to keep my mouth shut rather than awkwardly pretend to be a baby.
“My name is Chris Esterji. I’m your second older brother.”
So this was the fellow. The greatest genius in the Esterji family’s history.
Up close, he was certainly striking. His appearance was one thing, but the aura he exuded was as pure and clear as could be.
Could this be what Master had meant by Immortal Aptitude?
“Mother opposed me coming to see you, but I could not bear it. I wanted to see my little brother no matter what, so I sneaked out of the palace.”
He continued speaking with an innocent smile. Each time he smiled, his orange hair swayed beautifully.
“It looks like you cannot speak yet. Right?”
“…….”
“Ah, I brought you a present.”
He reached into his pocket, pulled something out, and shyly held it out to me. A small, round treat rested on his adorable palm.
“Try it, Iden.”
You want me to eat this?
“Come on.”
For a moment, I had no idea how I should react. If it had been almost anything else, I would have simply accepted it, but his gift happened to be food. I had not even been weaned onto solid food yet.
“Come on, Iden.”
He urged me again.
“I’m telling you to stuff it in your mouth!!”
He gripped my chin tightly and tried to force the treat into my mouth. Even then, he did not lose his smile. At that point, I realized this was not a normal situation.
“Ow!”
I twisted his finger only hard enough not to break it. He stumbled back while clutching it, then glared at me with a venomous look that seemed ready to kill.
“How dare you hurt me, you worthless worm!”
It was as though he had suddenly become someone else. No, it was as though a ghost had possessed him.
“You will regret this, Iden. You will think it would have been better to take the medicine and die. Understand? Everything that happens from now on is something you brought upon yourself!”
His eyes flashed wildly as he continued his threats.
Just then, I heard the maids murmuring outside the door. As though he had planned it in advance, he quickly slipped out of the room through the balcony.
I stared blankly at the orange back of his head.
I thought I had avoided being cast down into the Animal Realm, but perhaps I had actually been born a beast that merely looked human.
Otherwise, how could such an ill-bred beast be my brother?
Besides, he said everything that happened from now on would be something I brought upon myself. That was exactly what I wanted to say to him.
***
I would no longer doubt that Chris was a genius. To put a plan to assassinate his own younger brother into action at the age of five—such talent could not possibly be common.
But when it came to genius, I was no slouch either. I reached the Incarnation Realm in ten years, and I even defeated the flower-thieving bastard who claimed to be the Greatest Under Heaven, did I not?
The question was whether that bastard really was the Greatest Under Heaven or merely all talk.
I had little experience fighting with other people, so I did not know exactly where I stood.
“Oh my!”
Lily spoke loudly as she lifted my diaper.
“Oh dear, look at our Young Master! It looks like we need to change your diaper again. It is all right, that happens. It is a natural part of growing up. Now, will you stay still for me?”
……My spirit is breaking.
When I was lying around filling my diapers with shit, I sometimes thought it would be better to fight the flower thief again.
There was no helping it. I had to set aside my human dignity for the moment and concentrate on what I could do now.
The most urgent matter was preparing a countermeasure against Chris.
First of all, the situation itself was unfavorable to me. I had knowledge from my previous life, but it meant little in an immature body that could not even control its own shit and piss.
My tongue was too short for me to hold a proper conversation, I had to eat whatever food I was given, and my range of activity was limited to this small room…….
Meanwhile, he was a promising child favored by the family. Now that he had been burned once, his next attempt would likely be more cautious.
Still, I was not without options.
“Lili.”
She was too busy removing my diaper to hear me.
“Lili!”
“Oh my! You already called my name! How clever you are.”
“Lili, that…!”
“Yes? What do you mean, that?”
She looked in the direction I pointed. There hung a portrait of my father, Drek Esterji.
“Do you wish to see His Grace the Duke?”
“No, that! That!”
I flailed my arms and threw a tantrum.
“You want to see the picture up close?”
“No!”
“Young Master, are you all right? Your cheeks are very red right now.”
What I wanted was paper to draw on and writing tools. Damn it, I had not learned those words yet. Paper and writing tools!!
I had to combine only the roughly twenty words I had learned so far to convey that I wanted to draw. Why had I been reborn only to bring this ascetic ordeal upon myself?
For about two hours, I threw tantrums, lay on the floor flailing my limbs, and made every humiliating display imaginable. At last, I succeeded in obtaining paper and drawing tools.
I was not happy. I had gained what I wanted, yet I felt as though I had lost something more important.
“How strange. He was not usually like this…….”
“Do you think he ate something wrong? He seems much more sensitive than usual today.”
Amid the maids’ whispers, I gripped a pen. The writing tool I held for the first time in my life was much smaller and more delicate than a brush.
Because of that, mishaps kept occurring. Too much ink would spill, or I would apply too much pressure. My first attempt was completely ruined, but Lily thoughtfully brought me another sheet of paper, so I did not have to throw another tantrum.
This time, I began carefully drawing the shape I wanted with relative accuracy.
“What on earth is that a drawing of?”
“Have we ever shown the Young Master a children’s book with pictures like that?”
“No, never.”
For a full hour, I displayed a level of concentration unthinkable for a child and finished a single drawing. The completed image was an intricate diagram filled with pictographs and highly symbolic meaning.
In the language of that world, it was an object called a talisman.
I did not know what it was called in this place.
This talisman was called a Guardian Talisman. It was generally used to ward off misfortune, but when made by a Daoist with high Dao Power, it became a medium for an art that repelled intruders.
“This, there.”
“Yes?”
“There!”
“Do you want me to stick the drawing onto the wall over there?”
“Mm-hm!”
Once again, Lily caught on quickly. She took my talisman and carefully attached it beside my father’s portrait.
Because I had not perfectly recovered my previous life’s power, I could not expect much from a single Guardian Talisman. To show that arrogant little brat true hell, I needed as many talismans as possible.
I settled into place and quickly began drawing talismans. The maids tried to distract me with toys and milk bottles, but I did not even glance at them.
You only think the kind and considerate Young Master is harmless because you do not know how vicious he is. If I die, you will be held responsible. I doubt that is something you want.
My baby arms had no muscles to speak of, but with Dao Power supporting them, they could endure the long work. As I continued, I got the hang of it and my speed increased.
“All done!”
In the end, even my room was not enough, so I covered the corridor with talismans as well.
“Young Master, how can you draw so well? At this rate, you may truly become a painter. Now that you have played enough, we will clean everything up for you. That is all right, is it not?”
“No!”
“Then, no!”
“We will let you draw again tomorrow, all right?”
“No! No!”
I abandoned my dignity as a Daoist and flopped onto the floor.
I had not attached them carelessly. I had placed them only after calculating their directions with blade-like precision. Each Guardian Talisman guided the flow of qi from its own direction. The systematically guided flow of qi formed a single formation that encompassed the entire building.
It was called the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation.
I set the Life Gate, the exit, and the Death Gate, which led to a dead end, at the two far ends of the corridor.
That meant anyone who entered or left this building without my permission would wander the halls until they died.