During the day, I was always under the watch of adults like Hazel.
But while I was supposed to be asleep, there was no one watching me.
Of course, there were guards standing night watch outside…… but no one noticed me moving quietly inside my room.
‘Father doesn't seem to have any intention of teaching me a mana training method, but…….’
A haze-like energy was wavering around my body.
Its true nature was the mana I had accumulated over the past twelve years.
‘I already learned all the mana training methods in my previous life. I've been gathering mana since I was a newborn.’
Even without Kurt and Hazel teaching me a training method like the Holy Heaven Eight Desolations Art, I had been able to condense mana on my own.
A proper Circle had already formed within my chest.
‘And…….’
I raised one of my small twelve-year-old hands and focused.
FLASH.
An intangible sword of rippling dark-crimson energy appeared.
It was the true form of the Demon Sword Igzad—something that would undoubtedly have sent Kurt into an uproar if he saw it, shouting, ‘My son is using evil power!’
And now, it was resting in my hand.
‘If the holy knights find out, I'll lose my head.’
The Church of the Holy Spirit had designated the Demon Sword Igzad as ‘a symbol of evil that must be eradicated from this world.’
That meant I had to conceal the fact that I possessed Igzad no matter what.
‘Still…….’
I moved without making a sound.
Using the reasonably spacious room to my advantage, I began to perform proper swordsmanship.
Not the level of swordsmanship expected from the twelve-year-old child I showed Hazel…… but the swordsmanship of Archbishop Hauzel, once counted among the strongest in the Great Flame Cult.
[It seems you've become accustomed to moving in a child's body.]
Igzad spoke as it watched my movements surpass the limits of an ordinary twelve-year-old.
[I want to begin acting in the outside world in earnest as well. I would like us to get out there soon…… and find a proper ‘shell.’]
A shell.
If only to obtain that, it was time for me to start making moves.
***
“Hazel.”
“Yes, Young Master Sion.”
As usual, Hazel was watching Sion practice swordsmanship in the backyard.
“I think my wooden sword broke.”
“What? Your wooden sword?”
When Hazel examined the wooden sword Sion held out to him, it really was broken.
“It truly is. That is unusual…….”
This was not an ordinary wooden sword.
It was a wooden sword made exclusively for House Ares by a method passed down through generations.
It was not some common practice sword carved from just any piece of wood.
“Could this one be defective?”
“That cannot be.”
The person who made these wooden swords was a weapons artisan who had maintained ties with House Ares for a long time.
He was highly skilled and would never supply defective goods.
“It seems your strength was simply too great, Young Master. I will have to place an order for a new wooden sword.”
There were other wooden swords in the estate.
But those were made for adults and were too large for Sion.
“Hazel, would it be possible for me to meet the person who makes the wooden swords in person?”
“What? You, Young Master?”
“I want to tell him directly what kind of wooden sword I'd like.”
“Hmm…….”
Hazel thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Understood. Then I will invite him to the estate soon.”
“Thank you.”
This much should not cause any particular problem.
Having judged that, Hazel contacted the weapons artisan.
***
“My, my. This is our first time meeting in person.”
Three days later, the weapons artisan Hazel had summoned arrived at the estate.
“But you really are handsome. Do you take after your father, or perhaps your mother, who is recuperating far away?”
“I believe I inherited only the best features from both of them.”
“My goodness, you speak so well too!”
The weapons artisan seemed to take a liking to Sion.
“But Young Master, I heard your wooden sword was damaged. Is that really true?”
“Yes, it is.”
“How strange. That sword was made to last for generations.”
“But it broke.”
“Hmm…….”
“Hazel, please show him the broken wooden sword.”
At Sion's words, Hazel showed the artisan the wooden sword he had set aside.
“Huh? Why did it break like this?”
“Is something strange about it?”
“Young Master, did you perhaps do something unusual with the wooden sword?”
“Of course not.”
“Then how did it break?”
“Well…….”
Turning his gaze toward the bundle of belongings the artisan had brought, Sion spoke carefully.
“It looks like there's another wooden sword over there. Would you lend it to me for a moment?”
“That one is made for adults…….”
“That's fine.”
“Then…….”
Sion gripped the wooden sword the artisan handed him with both hands.
“Young Master Sion, even if it is only a wooden sword, you must not recklessly swing a sword indoors…….”
“Don't worry. I won't swing it.”
Hazel relaxed at that answer.
If Sion displayed extraordinary swordsmanship in front of this artisan, rumors could spread outside the estate.
‘Still, the young master may do something unexpected…… If he tries to use a technique, I'll stop him immediately.’
With that thought, Hazel watched Sion closely.
But Sion truly did nothing more than hold the sword in both hands.
“You asked how it broke.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“It broke while I was doing this.”
CRACKLE!
Suddenly, sparks flashed across the wooden sword.
No, to be precise, they were not sparks.
This was something an Apprentice Knight or Second-Class Knight could not even attempt—something only a First-Class Knight could begin to reach…….
“S-Sword Aura?!”
At the same moment the artisan cried out in shock, the wooden sword split apart with a series of cracking sounds.
No matter how specially made it was, a wooden sword was still a wooden sword.
It could not withstand Sword Aura.
“Could this one be defective too?”
“Th-that's impossible. How can you use Sword Aura……?”
The artisan sank to the floor, muttering in disbelief.
Hazel was equally bewildered.
A child only twelve years old was using Sword Aura?
“Y-Young Master, just now, what in the world…….”
“Is there some problem?”
Sion tilted his head with an expression that suggested he had no idea why they were reacting this way.
“I didn't swing it.”
***
“Hazel…….”
“I apologize, Lord Kurt.”
Kurt Ares clutched his head as Hazel bowed before him.
“You made sure he would keep quiet, right?”
“Yes. I warned him firmly, but…….”
“Yes. It probably will not matter.”
The weapons artisan was also close to other members of House Ares.
Kurt's son, Sion, had manifested Sword Aura at the age of twelve.
The artisan knew better than anyone just how valuable that information was.
“Still, he will not deliberately spread the rumor.”
“I know. He will not let it reach my brothers or sisters.”
“Yes, probably…….”
“He'll tell only Father.”
The weapons artisan would secretly pass the information to Kurt's father alone.
To Ianus Ares, head of House Ares and commander of the Holy Knight Order.
“Lord Kurt, even so, there is no need to worry that much. There is still a chance the Commander will simply let it go in one ear and out the other. He may say that a twelve-year-old using Sword Aura is impossible.”
“Yes, that could happen, but…….”
From a common-sense perspective, that would be the natural reaction.
It was simply too unrealistic.
Even Kurt himself found it difficult to believe.
He had never taught Sion the Holy Heaven Eight Desolations Art, so how in the world had the boy condensed mana and even manifested Sword Aura?
Was the boy truly a once-in-a-generation genius?
“Hazel, you know as well as I do. The meeting is in two weeks.”
“Ah…….”
“There is a chance Father will tell me to bring him because he wants to confirm it for himself…….”
A heavy silence settled over the room.
The talent of his only son, which Kurt had concealed so carefully all this time, might finally be revealed to the world.
***
Several days passed.
“Sion.”
“Yes, Father.”
Kurt entered my room.
His expression was full of worry.
So I lowered the scripture I had only been pretending to read and tilted my head.
“Is something wrong?”
“The family head has invited you.”
“The family head?”
“Your grandfather.”
As he said that, Kurt held out a letter to me.
“It is a formal invitation.”
“An invitation……?”
“You must have heard of it. The Family Council.”
The Family Council.
It was a year-end event that brought the members of House Ares together.
Officially, it was a gathering centered on the family head, Ianus Ares, meant to strengthen the unity of the entire house.
In reality, I had heard it was a battlefield of political maneuvering where all sorts of subtle power struggles unfolded.
“Normally, children are required to attend only from the age of sixteen…… but your grandfather personally ordered that you be brought this time.”
“What an honor.”
“An honor…… ah, my head.”
I took the letter from Kurt as he clutched his head.
It was unmistakably an invitation sent by Ianus Ares.
[Just as planned.]
Igzad's voice sounded inside my head.
[Now you can attend the Family Council exactly as you wanted.]
That's right.
This was something I had planned.
I had known for a long time that the artisan who made my wooden swords had connections to Ianus.
It had been easy to predict that if I showed him Sword Aura, he would run straight to Ianus and quietly inform him.
Ianus had probably ordered him not to spread the story around, and the rumor would go no further.
‘The information I gathered back when I was Archbishop Hauzel is coming in useful.’
Information obtained through the Great Flame Cult's spies.
Using it, making events unfold according to my intentions was not particularly difficult.
‘It's been a while. Maybe I'll go see Ianus's face.’
I smiled without letting Father notice.