Twelve years had passed since I was reborn as Sion Ares.
I had more or less adapted to my new life.
To be honest, every day had been difficult at first.
After all, I had been trapped in the body of a child who could neither speak nor move properly.
I could move with Igzad's help, but…… I still had to worry about other people's eyes.
Once I reached an age where no one found it strange for me to run around freely, however, life became much easier.
That was because I could train my body without constantly watching what other people thought.
‘As expected of a body that inherited the blood of House Ares.’
This body had an almost ideal physique.
His frame was sturdy, his muscles developed quickly, and even his flexibility was excellent.
Whenever I trained, I could feel my physical abilities improving by leaps and bounds, making every day deeply rewarding.
‘And unlike when I was Hauzel, I get fed extremely well too.’
Hauzel's childhood had been horrific.
I had been given only the bare minimum of food. Since the training was so intense, I had always been starving.
Compared to those days, this life was practically heaven.
‘Still, this is suffocating in its own way.’
I lived in the estate of my father, Kurt Ares, a Heaven-Rank Knight.
But whether it was my father's policy or the policy of House Ares as a whole, the atmosphere in the household was far too rigid.
When we woke up in the morning, everyone prayed together in the chapel attached to the estate.
After that, we prayed at the table before each of the three daily meals, and we also had to pray in our bedrooms before going to sleep.
For someone like me, who had no particular religious faith, it could not help but feel stifling.
‘And on top of that…….’
I was swinging a wooden sword in the estate's backyard when I wiped the sweat from my forehead and subtly turned my head.
A response came immediately.
“Young Master, do you need something?”
“No, I do not.”
The graying man watching me train was Hazel.
He had retired from the Holy Knight Order several years ago and taken a position as the butler of this estate.
Hazel normally followed me wherever I went.
It was not merely to attend to me, but to protect me.
‘Being watched every single time I train is seriously uncomfortable.’
He seemed like a decent person.
But it was still burdensome.
‘Of course, a twelve-year-old kid is supposed to live under adult supervision…… but this is still suffocating.’
I kicked off the ground and leaped high into the air.
While spinning in midair, I swung my sword three times, then landed and let out a ragged breath.
‘I'm growing quickly, but I'm still nowhere near enough.’
When would Father finally look at me and think, ‘That boy will be fine even if I leave him on his own now’?
With that thought in mind, I continued swinging my wooden sword.
***
“Young Master Sion is a genius.”
“So you think so too?”
As he listened to Butler Hazel's report, Kurt Ares laced his fingers together.
“From what I can see, I believe he already possesses skill on the level of a Second-Class Knight.”
“He is only twelve years old, yet he is already at the level of a Second-Class Knight…….”
Ordinarily, a newly inducted holy knight began as an ‘Apprentice Knight.’
After gaining real combat experience and having their abilities recognized, they became a ‘Second-Class Knight.’ One more promotion made them a ‘First-Class Knight.’
“Then…… does that not mean that, among everyone currently in this estate, only you and I can spar with that child?”
“That would be correct. Even the stronger men in the estate would end up beaten down if they sparred with Young Master Sion.”
“Hazel, when was the last time you sparred with Sion?”
“Two years ago.”
“Right. You have not sparred with him since you accidentally sprained his wrist back then.”
“I have no excuse. Before I realized it, I…….”
“No, I am not blaming you. It was because of the killing intent that boy revealed for an instant.”
Kurt sighed as he said that.
“The fact that he is a genius only makes me worry more.”
“Lord Kurt…….”
“My brothers and sisters must not find out.”
“The Commander has still said nothing about his successor, correct?”
“Correct. But he may say something at the gathering that will be held soon.”
The current commander of the Holy Knight Order was Ianus Ares, head of House Ares…… Kurt's father.
Ianus had four children, and one of them was expected to become the next commander of the order.
But Ianus seemed to be paying more attention to his grandchildren than to his own children.
Apparently, Ianus intended to make whichever child raised someone worthy of becoming the Knight Commander after next into the next Knight Commander.
“Hazel, I do not want Sion to become the Knight Commander after next. I only want him to grow into an excellent holy knight.”
“Lord Kurt…….”
“The position of next commander? I can give that to one of my brothers or sisters as well. I have little interest in it.”
“But the others do not feel the same way. They continue to remain wary of you, Lord Kurt.”
“Yes…… that is the problem.”
Kurt had gone without children for a long time.
Because of that, he had fallen behind in the succession struggle, but twelve years ago, Sion had been born.
If Kurt raised Sion well, he would become a major threat in the competition for succession.
Someone who thought that way might try to harm Sion.
“In any case, Lord Kurt, I believe it would be best to continue spreading the rumor that the young master is dull-witted, just as we have been doing.”
“Yes. Tell them that he neglects scripture study and does nothing but cause trouble.”
“That part is true as well. He does not seem particularly devout.”
To protect Sion, Kurt had spent years telling others that his son was a good-for-nothing fool.
He believed that doing so would keep his brothers and sisters from seeing Sion as a threat.
Kurt himself had also avoided conspicuous activity and lived a half-reclusive life.
“At least until Sion can protect himself, we have to keep him safe.”
“Understood, Lord Kurt.”
“Even if he already has the skill of a Second-Class Knight, he is still only a twelve-year-old child.”
Sion had talent.
But for now, he was still only a child who needed the protection of adults.
With that, Kurt and Hazel reaffirmed their course of action.
“Ah, one more thing.”
“What is it?”
“Never teach Sion the Holy Heaven Eight Desolations Art.”
The Holy Heaven Eight Desolations Art.
It was one of the training methods used to condense mana within the body.
To become a proper holy knight, one had to be able to control mana, and among all the training methods recognized by the Church of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Heaven Eight Desolations Art was regarded as the finest.
Only members of House Ares and the family's closest retainers, such as Hazel, were permitted to learn the Holy Heaven Eight Desolations Art.
“The same goes for other mana training methods. You understand, do you not?”
“I understand.”
“Considering that boy's talent…… if we taught him the Holy Heaven Eight Desolations Art, he would probably reach 1-Star in no time.”
When mana was condensed through training, it compressed into the shape of a ring.
This was called a Circle, and the state of possessing one Circle was known as 1-Star.
To be recognized as a proper knight, one needed mana at the 1-Star level or higher.
“That is too soon. I will personally teach him the Holy Heaven Eight Desolations Art when the proper time comes. For now, let him do nothing more than practice swordsmanship.”
“Yes. I will keep that in mind.”
There was a reason Kurt was so overprotective of Sion.
Several years earlier, one of the branch families had been torn apart by a bloody succession struggle.
Jealous of their talented youngest brother, the elder brothers and sisters had joined forces and slaughtered him.
Kurt feared that something similar might happen to Sion.
***
“Then sleep well, Young Master.”
After the maid extinguished the light and left, I lay on my bed, lost in thought.
‘What is happening with the Great Flame Cult?’
There was inevitably a limit to how much information a twelve-year-old kid could gather.
Because of that, I still had not been able to find out in detail what had happened to the Great Flame Cult.
From conversations I had overheard, Grand Patriarch Aquilast seemed to still be sitting in the same position…… but I knew almost nothing about anything else.
‘Maybe nothing major changed except for my removal.’
For now, there did not seem to be any major fighting like there had been when I was around.
Since they had lost an important fighting force in Archbishop Hauzel, even Grand Patriarch Aquilast would find it burdensome to wage war against the Church of the Holy Spirit.
‘I don't have any particular attachment to the Great Flame Cult, but I am curious about what happened to my subordinates.’
Archbishop Hauzel had possessed trusted subordinates within the Great Flame Cult who were deeply loyal to him.
Had they been purged by Archbishop Gatheus, or……?
‘I want to get out of this situation soon, if only so I can gather information.’
Right now, my freedom of movement was far too limited.
It was unavoidable since I was only a twelve-year-old kid, but I was starting to feel restless.
‘In that case…….’
Staring up at the dark ceiling, I slowly opened my mouth.
“Isn't it about time we started moving?”
I was alone in the room.
So there should have been no one there to hear my voice.
But an answer came.
[Hm. You're twelve now, so it should be about time.]
The insolent voice echoed inside my head.
The presence within me that had spoken to me ever since I began my new life as Sion Ares.
The being that had been with me for more than ten years since my reincarnation—the Demon Sword Igzad.
[You were far too young until now. That is why we focused on building up your body…… but it should be about time to start moving.]
“Good.”
With that, our course was decided.
It was time to start taking action in earnest.
“Then let's begin today's routine.”
[Go ahead.]
I rose silently from the bed.
Then, in the darkness, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
“Whew…….”
Immediately afterward.
Dark crimson energy began to ripple across my entire body.