“Sion!”
The moment I entered the enormous banquet hall, Kurt hurried over to me.
“What in the world happened to you?! You got into a fight with Cain and Robel!”
“It just happened.”
“And I heard Grandfather summoned you too! I told you over and over to behave yourself, so what exactly did you do……?!”
“It ended well, so it's fine.”
“What do you mean, it ended well……?!”
Leaving the flustered Kurt behind, I turned my head and spotted Helena sitting at a nearby table with an expression as though she had bitten into something foul.
It seemed she had already heard that Cain and Robel had lost to me.
‘Cain and Robel…… did their mother slap them or something?’
Beside Helena sat Cain and Robel, both looking dejected, with one side of each of their faces swollen red.
Of course, they had already changed their clothes.
‘I want to talk to Sershes, Est, and the other cousins too…… but it looks like there won't be time.’
A host stepped onto the platform.
The Family Council began.
***
“I am Hamilton Ares, head of the Eastern Branch. I will report on the negotiations with Cardinal Yobs and hear your opinions.”
As Sena Ares listened to the relative speaking from the platform, she subtly turned her head.
‘Sion Ares…….’
Looking at the neat profile of the boy sitting quietly beside Kurt, Sena was overcome with complicated feelings.
‘He's twelve? That's impossible.’
To Sena, Sion looked like a seasoned man who had already been through every hardship life could offer.
‘Surely he isn't a magician from the Great Flame Cult who transformed himself with some strange spell and is pretending to be Sion?’
Sion was such an unusual child that even that absurd possibility crossed her mind.
‘And he can use Sword Aura?’
There were many First-Class Knights who could not use Sword Aura.
That was how high a level it represented.
In fact, even Sena had only learned Sword Aura recently.
‘Being able to use Sword Aura means he has that much mana. Is that really possible for a twelve-year-old?’
Everyone was born with roughly similar amounts of mana, but training could increase that amount.
As one's mana increased, the mana itself condensed and compressed into the shape of a ring.
This was called a Circle, and a knight who possessed one Circle was commonly called a 1-Star Knight.
‘But 1-Star isn't enough to use Sword Aura.’
As one's mana increased, the Circle became a denser mass of mana.
There were said to be methods of endlessly increasing the density of a single Circle, but ordinarily, one simply added another Circle.
In other words, another ring was added to store mana.
A knight with two Circles was called a 2-Star Knight.
Three Circles meant 3-Star, four Circles meant 4-Star…… and so on.
‘Using Sword Aura means he has to be at least 3-Star.’
A child that young being 3-Star was difficult to believe.
Sena was twenty-one this year and was still only 3-Star, yet a mere twelve-year-old was 3-Star?
Something was strange.
‘Could Grandfather have misunderstood something?’
When Sion met Grandfather, he had not denied being able to use Sword Aura.
It did not seem likely that he would have lied in front of Grandfather…….
‘I don't know. What exactly is that boy?’
While she was lost in thought, the presentations from several relatives came to an end, and it was time to move on to the next event.
When Ianus Ares stepped onto the platform, every relative straightened their posture and focused.
“It is time for this year's Measurement Ceremony.”
Tension spread through the room.
The Measurement Ceremony was an event for assessing the abilities of House Ares's members.
More specifically, it measured how many Circles each person possessed and revealed their Star level as a knight.
Through this, House Ares could determine the general abilities of its members and use that data in the operation of the Holy Knight Order.
Anyone aged twenty or older was required to reveal their number of Circles during the Measurement Ceremony.
‘Among people my age, I'm probably the only 3-Star Knight.’
There were quite a few 1-Star and 2-Star Knights, but Sena was the only one who had reached 3-Star in her early twenties.
‘But Sion…….’
Sion was still only twelve years old, so he was not normally subject to the Measurement Ceremony.
That meant it would ordinarily be impossible to confirm his number of Circles during the ceremony.
“However.”
At that moment, Ianus began saying something strange.
“Doing the Measurement Ceremony in exactly the same format every year has become rather dull.”
Murmurs spread through the room.
Ianus occasionally did something unconventional, but even so, he had never changed the format of the Measurement Ceremony before.
“You all know that I take a great deal of interest in the children who will become the future of House Ares.”
Sena knew that as well.
Ianus was known to be more interested in his grandchildren than in his own children and intended to choose his successor after observing them.
That was why Sena, too, worked hard to show Ianus her best side.
“Anyway, all the older ones seem more or less the same, and none of you appear to be making much progress…… so today, let us measure the children under twenty, whom we have never measured before.”
“……!”
The banquet hall erupted into noise.
“Under twenty?!”
“My child hasn't even formed a Circle yet!”
“I haven't even started my daughter's mana training!”
“Damn it, what if I end up with a lower result than my nephew?!”
Relatives with young children began to panic.
They were far removed from the competition for the position of next Knight Commander, but each of them still competed with others for standing within House Ares and the Holy Knight Order.
Having the level of one's own child publicly revealed to everyone was naturally a burden.
“Everyone looks rattled.”
“They really do, Mother.”
“At least we won't have anything to be embarrassed about.”
Meanwhile, Helena, Cain, and Robel, who were sitting nearby, looked relaxed.
Apparently, Cain and Robel had already reached 2-Star.
‘And Sion…….’
For some reason, Sion's father, Kurt Ares, was clutching his head and groaning, while Sion himself sat there with a perfectly calm expression.
He was only twelve, but now that Grandfather had said that, Sion would be included in the mana measurement as well.
‘I can finally find out how much mana that boy actually has.’
Sena swallowed dryly.
***
“It's over…… we're finished.”
Kurt sat beside me, clutching his head and groaning.
“Father, don't be like that.”
“You little brat, do you have any idea how hard I worked to hide your abilities……?”
If my mana was measured, it would become clear that I possessed enough mana to use Sword Aura.
That was what Kurt was worried about.
“You're still far too young. Revealing your abilities at this point is too dangerous.”
“Don't worry so much.”
After spending more than ten years with him, I had learned that Kurt was the sort of person who became restless and worried about absolutely everything when it involved his child.
It was a little funny to see Kurt, who had been braver than anyone on the battlefield, grow so anxious over his son. Still, it only showed how deeply he cared as a father.
“Everything will work out.”
“You carefree little…….”
Leaving the sighing Kurt behind, I walked toward the platform.
“We will proceed from oldest to youngest. Who has the earliest birthday?”
“Shote Ares, daughter of Marus Ares.”
“I see. Have her stand at the front, then.”
Shote Ares, one of my more distant relatives, was first in line.
Once everyone was arranged by age, I, being only twelve years old, ended up at the very back.
“Sion…….”
“Brother Robel.”
Standing directly in front of me was sixteen-year-old Robel.
The moment our eyes met, Robel looked slightly intimidated, but he immediately raised his eyes and glared at me.
“Hey……! Do you know how badly Mother scolded me because of you?”
“Really? My father hardly ever scolds me.”
“What? I'm jealous—no, that's not the point.”
Robel cleared his throat and continued.
“Have you learned how to handle mana?”
“I've only practiced a little on my own.”
“Hmph. Then you're obviously Zero-Star.”
Zero-Star.
That was what they called someone who had not formed a single Circle.
“I'm 2-Star, you know.”
“Really? That's impressive.”
That really was impressive.
Even Archbishop Hauzel had possessed only one Circle at sixteen.
Most people around that age had not even reached 1-Star.
Was it thanks to the blood of House Ares, or had Helena driven the boy relentlessly from an early age?
“And of course my brother is 2-Star too.”
“You must both have worked very hard.”
“Hmph. Mother personally taught us the Holy Heaven Eight Desolations Art.”
While we were talking, the measurements began.
Mana measurement was performed by placing one's hand on an artifact owned by House Ares.
The artifact automatically detected mana and displayed the information.
“Shote Ares! Two Circles! 2-Star!”
“Whoa!”
When Shote Ares, the first to be measured, was revealed to be 2-Star, cheers erupted around the room.
Shote looked proud as she bowed to Ianus.
“She's 2-Star too.”
“Urgh…….”
But after that, 2-Star results were rare.
More than half were 1-Star, while almost all the rest were Zero-Star.
“Cain Ares! Two Circles! 2-Star!”
When seventeen-year-old Cain was revealed to be 2-Star amid those results, cheers rose from the crowd.
I glanced over and saw Helena wearing a triumphant expression.
‘She must be over the moon.’
Once Robel was also revealed to be 2-Star, the cheering would grow even louder, and Helena would probably feel as if she owned the entire world.
“Heh heh, once it's finally my turn…… huh?”
Robel, who had been puffing up his shoulders in anticipation, suddenly flinched.
A girl with pale sky-blue hair had stepped in front of the measuring artifact.
‘She must be Est's daughter.’
I recognized it at a glance.
She was the daughter of Est, Ianus's second daughter.
She had the same quiet, composed air as her mother.
‘She's sixteen too, just like Robel. Her birthday is a little earlier, though.’
She approached the artifact with calm steps and held out her hand.
Three red circles appeared on the mirror-shaped artifact, and the examiner reading it raised his voice.
“L-Liz Ares…… three Circles! 3-Star with three Circles!”
“Oooooh!”
The banquet hall erupted.
Cain being 2-Star at seventeen had already been impressive, but Liz was 3-Star at sixteen.
Of course everyone reacted with excitement.
“Sixteen and already 3-Star? Is she a genius?”
“So the future of House Ares was right there!”
“Does this mean Est will become the next Knight Commander?”
People murmured among themselves, but Liz's mother, Est, remained seated with a calm expression.
‘Est…… you've raised your daughter very well.’
I organized the situation in my head.
Sena, daughter of the eldest son Sershes, was 3-Star at the age of twenty-one.
Cain and Robel, sons of the eldest daughter Helena, were 2-Star at seventeen and sixteen.
Liz, daughter of the second daughter Est, was 3-Star at sixteen.
‘Sershes had been ahead until now, but has Est just moved one step in front?’
Sershes had been leading the succession competition because his daughter Sena was already active as a 3-Star First-Class Knight.
But now that Liz's 3-Star level had been revealed, Est had suddenly emerged as a major contender.
At sixteen, 3-Star meant she could realistically aim for 4-Star by around the age of twenty.
‘Helena is the only one who ended up at a disadvantage. Now that a 3-Star has appeared, 2-Star doesn't look like much.’
Not long afterward, Robel stepped forward and was confirmed as 2-Star, but the reaction around him was lukewarm.
Now that a genius who had reached 3-Star at sixteen had appeared, 2-Star looked almost ordinary.
‘House Ares…… really is on another level.’
I had known since my days as Archbishop Hauzel that House Ares was extraordinary.
But I had not realized even its children were this exceptional.
It truly was fitting for the family that led the ‘holiest blade’ supporting the Church of the Holy Spirit.
“Finally…… Sion Ares!”
At last, it was my turn.
I spoke to Igzad inwardly.
‘Hey, Igzad.’
[What is it?]
‘There's no chance they'll discover your existence here, right?’
[How many times do I have to tell you? That won't happen.]
Igzad was a mental entity possessing an enormous amount of energy.
It could convert that energy into mana and supply it to me, but the energy itself was somewhat different in nature from mana.
[Modern humanity's technology cannot measure my existence! So the only thing that will be measured here is your own pure mana!]
‘Good. I'll trust you.’
I subtly looked around.
Most people were watching me without much expectation.
The only ones observing seriously were Kurt, Ianus, and Sena.
They knew I could use Sword Aura.
‘I'm sorry, Father.’
I glanced at Kurt, who wore a tense expression.
‘I could hide my abilities here…… but I'm going to show them everything.’
Apologizing to Father inwardly,
I placed my palm on the mirror.