“…What did you say?!”
The Marquis could scarcely believe his ears.
Just as Evan had said, he led the territorial army into the Behamag Mountains twice a year to conduct monster subjugation campaigns.
It was impossible to eliminate monster attacks entirely, but reducing their numbers in this manner at least lowered the frequency of those attacks.
‘Where did he even hear about the subjugation campaign……?’
More importantly, the Marquis could not begin to guess what had suddenly possessed Evan to ask to accompany them.
“What brought this on all of a sudden?”
The Marquis’s thoughts grew increasingly complicated.
Whether or not he understood his father’s inner turmoil, Evan answered with perfect composure.
“Now that your son has been formally accepted into House Verdin, is it not my inescapable duty to participate in the subjugation of monsters? Although I have two exceptional elder brothers above me, the day will eventually come when I, too, must shoulder that grave responsibility.”
Evan claimed that, in preparation for that day, he wished to witness with his own eyes how his father and the soldiers of the territory fought.
“Huh―”
The Marquis stared blankly for a moment, only then realizing that his mouth had fallen open.
‘He may be unlike ordinary children, but to think he is already this thoughtful at only ten years old….’
He was astonished.
And proud.
At the same time, however, he could not help but worry.
“Evan. Your resolve is admirable, but accompanying us on the subjugation campaign would be far too dangerous.”
“I will remain in a safe location behind the lines and only observe, so I will not interfere with the battle. Father, please allow me to go.”
“Hmm…….”
The Marquis sank even deeper into thought.
In truth, the earlier one gained actual combat experience, the better.
“The journey will be far more difficult and exhausting than you imagine.”
“I will be fine.”
“You may witness people dying before your very eyes, and monsters are far more ferocious and terrifying than you believe.”
“I have already prepared myself for that.”
The Marquis spoke sternly, but Evan did not waver in the slightest.
…….
The two stared into each other’s eyes for a long while.
But in the end, there was no parent who could overcome his own child.
“Phew… Very well. I understand. However, you must prepare yourself thoroughly.”
“Wow! I understand! Thank you, Father!”
As Evan’s face lit up, a faint smile escaped the Marquis as well.
“Ahem, does it please you that much?”
“Yes! Of course!”
This monster subjugation campaign would completely transform the Verdin Marquisate.
Monsters.
I would turn those troublesome creatures into a source of profit.
At that moment.
The youngest young master of House Verdin had a gleam in his eyes like a mischievous child moments before causing trouble.
* * *
The rumor that the Third Young Master would accompany the upcoming monster subjugation campaign spread in an instant.
People said that he was intelligent and exceptionally gifted, excelling in everything he learned, yet also remarkably thoughtful for his age.
Soon, there was no one in the castle who had not heard the news.
The Marchioness heard it as well.
“What?! That lowborn brat? Are you certain?”
“…Yes, my lady.”
“Head Maid! How does that make any sense? What in the world happened?!”
There was no possibility that she would welcome a situation in which an illegitimate child who had suddenly appeared from nowhere received more attention than her own children.
GULP.
The tense Head Maid swallowed hard.
More than a few servants had been expelled after getting on the Marchioness’s bad side when she was angry.
“W-Well… the Third Young Master personally went to see the Marquis. He said that, as a member of House Verdin, he wished to witness the monster subjugation for himself…….”
“Ha! That little brat is already putting on airs despite his age. What an insufferable little schemer!”
She chewed furiously on her lip as she considered what to do.
She wanted to send her own children along as well, but both of her sons were currently attending the Academy in the imperial capital.
“Argh! If that lowborn thing received the grace of being brought into the lord’s castle, he should have kept his head down and lived as though he did not exist! How dare he forget his place and make a spectacle of himself?”
CRASH―
An innocent glass was hurled onto the marble floor and shattered into pieces.
And there was no guarantee that the next thing to shatter in that room would be an object.
The Head Maid herself might be next.
But had it not been said that every crisis was also an opportunity?
Having served the Marchioness for more than ten years, she understood that fact very well.
“You are absolutely right, my lady! Those born low never know their proper place!”
“Tsk! Precisely.”
The Marchioness’s anger seemed to subside somewhat.
After carefully gauging the atmosphere, the Head Maid cautiously broached the subject.
“However… the way the Marquis has been treating that lowborn child lately is quite troubling.”
“Yes, exactly… He is so indifferent toward our Charles and Ronan, yet he dotes endlessly on that filthy bastard!”
Just as the Marchioness said, Marquis Verdin had never shown much interest in his children.
Not since a certain ‘incident’ ten years ago.
Yet after Evan was formally accepted into the family, the Marquis had changed so drastically that it was almost shocking….
The Marchioness was furious.
At the same time, she was afraid.
She worried that the illegitimate child might somehow interfere with her own sons inheriting House Verdin.
“My lady, perhaps this is an opportunity instead.”
The Head Maid saw through those feelings perfectly.
Lowering her voice as though sharing a secret, she spoke furtively.
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“This time… why not simply get rid of him?”
The Marchioness’s eyebrow twitched.
“Do you have a suitable method?”
“It would go something like this…….”
Seizing the opportunity, the Head Maid’s eyes gleamed as she rapidly explained the plan she had devised.
The corners of the Marchioness’s lips slowly rose.
“Hehe… That is quite a good idea.”
“Then may this humble servant proceed accordingly?”
“Very well. Should everything go smoothly, I shall reward you handsomely.”
“Hohoho, my lady~! You need not even ask.”
The Head Maid’s eyes immediately sparkled.
Expectation and greed were plainly visible within them.
After all, this was far from the first time she had done something like this.
The moment she left the room, she hurried straight toward the Knights’ quarters.
* * *
CLANG― CLANG!
It was time for my swordsmanship training with Haver.
Unlike before, however, the training ground no longer echoed with the dull impacts of wooden swords.
Instead, the sharp metallic ringing of cold blades colliding filled the air.
How had this happened?
The Marquis had ordered Haver to intensify my training in preparation for my attendance at the monster subjugation campaign.
“Young Master Evan! Here I come again!”
SWISH―
A blade flashed.
Haver’s sword descended vertically from a high guard.
Because he was using a real sword, he was paying even closer attention to controlling his strength, but the attack still carried a fierce momentum.
“Urgh…!”
CLANG!
Just as I had done with the wooden sword, I struck his blade at an angle and redirected the sword strike.
“Wooooah! As expected! That was magnificent!”
Was another barrage of praise about to begin?
However, the atmosphere of our lessons had changed considerably of late.
More precisely, it had changed immediately after I announced that I would accompany the subjugation campaign.
“However! Considering that you will be joining the campaign, this is still not enough! Haaaaaaah! Hah!”
He pushed forward with brute force and immediately followed with another attack.
CLANG― CLANG, CLANG!
“Urgh… Haver, could you take it a little easier?”
I narrowly dodged or blocked Haver’s sword and widened the distance between us.
I desperately needed a moment to catch my breath and regain my balance, but Haver had already kicked off the ground and was charging toward me again.
“Hahaha! Monsters will not take it easy on you!”
WHOOOOOM―
Even the sound of the wind was different this time.
It was a heavy blow on an entirely different level from his previous attacks.
‘Seriously?! Are you trying to kill me before the monsters can?’
I knew the instant I saw it.
There was absolutely no way I could block that attack in my current state.
‘Damn it, if only I could use Heavenly Demon Qi…!’
I had only reached the First Stage, but if I strengthened my body with Heavenly Demon Qi, I could easily withstand a blow of this level.
Unfortunately, without any way to conceal the pitch-black Aura that would rise from my body, it remained nothing more than an unattainable option.
“Damn it!”
SWISH―
The moment I determined that evasion was my only choice, I threw myself aside and rolled across the ground.
In Murim, this technique was mockingly called the ‘Lazy Donkey Roll,’ as it resembled a lazy donkey tumbling over the earth.
But what was wrong with rolling across the ground?
Those who wasted time worrying about pride and appearances rarely lived long.
As long as I could win in the end, the ground?
I would gladly roll across it as many times as necessary.
“Gah! Young Master Evan?!”
Haver appeared slightly startled by my decisive movement.
I did not let that opportunity pass.
Like a released spring, I immediately leapt back to my feet and rushed inside his guard.
“What? Were we not training as though this were a real battle?”
SWOOOOOSH―
The instant I seized the opening, my sword shot sharply toward Haver’s heart.
It was a killing technique aimed precisely at a vital point, intended to finish the opponent in a single strike.
Haver’s heart sank.
‘Th-This is dangerous…!’
RUMBLE―
Blue Aura unconsciously surged from his body and enveloped him from head to toe.
It was an ‘Aura Shield(Aura Shield).’
It was a technique used by the Knights of Arvania, who wrapped their entire bodies in Aura for defense.
BANG―
“Argh!”
Had I used Heavenly Demon Qi, I could have pierced through it without difficulty.
But with no other option available, I was struck by the powerful burst of Aura and sent flying backward.
‘Ha, how unbelievably frustrating!’
As my body floated through the air, only one thought filled my mind.
This was so infuriating that I could die from frustration alone.
“Gasp?! Y-Young Master!”
Haver suddenly came to his senses.
His face turned deathly pale as he realized what he had done.
‘This man truly is an incurable fool when it comes to me. It is not as though I am going to die. There is no need to look that horrified.’
At worst, I would roll across the training ground and suffer a few bruises.
I had already begun preparing myself mentally for the imminent impact when……?
SOFT.
Someone caught me gently.
“Are you all right?”
It was the Marquis’s rough, low voice, which had now become quite familiar.
Marquis Verdin.
His unexpected appearance caught me slightly off guard.
“F-Father? What brings you here?”
“Ahem! You will be joining the subjugation campaign in a few days, so I wanted to see how capable you were.”
The Marquis gave his characteristic awkward cough and attempted to conceal his expression, but a satisfied smile lingered around his lips.
“M-Marquis! You see, this was… well…….”
Haver hurried over and frantically began explaining the situation.
However, the Marquis’s gaze remained cold.
“You will have to reflect deeply upon what happened here. Carelessness or not, how could you allow such a situation to occur?”
“I-I apologize…….”
Indeed.
Even if Haver had ten mouths, he would have no excuse.
Had he paid even the slightest attention, he could easily have blocked my attack, no matter how unexpected the surprise assault had been.
Considering the current difference in combat ability between Haver and me without Heavenly Demon Qi, my chances of victory approached absolute zero.
‘Being unable to use Heavenly Demon Qi is even more inconvenient than I imagined….’
I resolved to find some way to solve this problem as soon as possible.
But just then.
SWISH.
The Marquis took something from inside his coat and held it out to me.
“…What? What is this?”
“It is a defensive magical device. Since you will soon be joining the subjugation campaign, I thought I would prepare one for you.”
What he handed me was a bracelet.
It had a black base made from an unfamiliar special material, with twisting silver letters engraved across its surface.
Even at a glance, it was clearly an expensive and precious item.
“Try putting it on.”
“Yes.”
CLICK.
I fastened it around my left wrist.
To my amazement, it automatically adjusted its size and wrapped comfortably around me.
Oh.
Even the fit was extraordinary.
“When you recite the activation word, the defensive spell will activate.”
The spell enchanted into it was Reflect Shield.
It was a Fourth-Circle spell that not only blocked an opponent’s attack but also repelled it.
‘Something of this quality must have placed a considerable burden on the territory’s finances.’
Honestly, I was surprised.
It was a far better item than I had expected.
But there was something else that was truly astonishing—
“Ahem! And… it is nothing particularly noteworthy, but the bracelet also carries a passive spell that remains active at all times.”
“Wh-What kind of spell is it?”
To be honest, I did not expect much.
Since the primary enchantment was defensive magic, I assumed the other effect was merely an inexpensive addition.
“It is a spell that conceals the attribute of your mana.”
“…What???”
That was the bracelet’s ‘true’ value.