Chapter 22 - Damn Reincarnation

The Proposal

Eugene lowered his sword when he saw Gerhard approaching in the distance. His face was miserable, his steps listless. It was easy to guess what he had discussed with Gilead, how he felt, and why he was coming here.

“Father, why the long face?”

Even so, rather than act on his own assumptions, Eugene asked Gerhard directly. At his words, Gerhard raised his bowed head. What kind of annex was bigger than their mansion in Gidol?

At least the training grounds were smaller than those in Gidol, but the sword in his son's hand made Gerhard's shoulders slump. Wynnyd, the Storm Sword. He had heard about it from Gion—the sword his son had personally chosen from the main family's Treasury.

Even selling every asset his family had possessed throughout its history would not buy a sword like that.

“... Son.”

Feeling smaller than ever, Gerhard spoke.

“... The head of the main family told me he wishes to adopt you.”

“I know. He told me beforehand.”

Eugene shrugged as he answered.

“But why do you look like that, Father? It's not as though I'm going alone. You'll be joining the main family with me.”

“... I heard that as well. But... I... don't know. For the sake of your future, letting the main family adopt you is the right thing to do. But if that happens...”

Gerhard hesitated, unable to continue. Opposition from the main family. An uncertain future. He could easily imagine such things, but he wondered whether his son, still only thirteen, could take in what he had to say.

“... If... the main family adopts you, you may face hardships later on.”

“I'm sure I will.”

Gerhard had not gone into detail, but Eugene understood exactly what he meant.

“But Father, what's so bad about that?”

“... Hm?”

“There might be hardships later, but there'll be just as many good things, too.”

“...”

“Father, I'm fine either way.”

Eugene sheathed Wynnyd, then walked over to Gerhard with a grin.

“If you don't want me to be adopted, I'll just go back to Gidol.”

“...”

“Really. I told you, I'm fine either way. Father, I'm already doing incredibly well.”

He had grown up well. Eugene nodded to himself at the thought.

“I haven't trained my mana or learned from some great teacher, but I still beat the main family's children. I've done well as your son. Even if the main family doesn't adopt me, I'll keep doing well.”

Gerhard felt his son's sincerity, and his eyes brimmed with tears.

“I don't resent you, Father.”

Gerhard swallowed a sob.

“I was born your son. I'm who I am today because of you.”

Eugene acknowledged that himself. If Gerhard had been obsessed with an authority far beyond his abilities, his childhood would have been a nuisance in any number of ways. But Gerhard was not that sort of person. He respected Eugene's wishes and had accommodated his requests ever since he was little.

“So please don't blame yourself for no reason, Father. You should be proud instead. This happened because you raised your son well, and because I turned out so well.”

“... Eugene...”

Gerhard finally lost his struggle to hold back his tears.

“I... I... want to follow your wishes. Rather than glory for myself, I want glory for your future.”

“I'm confident I can achieve glory in the future, whether I'm in Gidol or with the main family.”

Eugene answered confidently. His words held not only confidence, but certainty. Becoming the main family's adopted son would offer many advantages. But it was not absolutely necessary.

'It'll only make a difference of a few years.'

He only needed to cultivate the minimum amount of mana required to summon spirits. He could easily do that in Gidol. If Gerhard's family's mana-training method was inadequate, he could use Hamel's. This absurdly gifted body would see sufficient results even from the cheap mana-training methods mercenaries learned.

And afterward? Even the lowest-grade spirit could be useful in the right hands. Simply wrapping a blade of wind around his sword would substitute for sword aura. With that alone, Eugene was confident he could wipe the floor with most knights.

“... But Eugene, if the main family adopts you, you'll have more opportunities.”

“Of course I will.”

“I'm just worried they might dislike you...”

“Father, you've watched me since I was little.”

Eugene chuckled and poked Gerhard's belly.

“I'm not the type to let people beat me up. Didn't you hear? I made Cyan cry on my first day here.”

“I nearly fainted when I heard that...”

“As if that's anything new. Anyway, you don't need to worry about me. You should worry about yourself instead.”

“About myself...?”

“This belly.”

Eugene stopped poking and lifted Gerhard's belly fat with both hands.

“The food here is much tastier than what we have at home. You already don't exercise, Father. If you eat all the different food here, your belly will grow in no time.”

“Ha... haha.”

“If you want to see my future, take care of your health first.”

“Yes... you're right.”

His son's untroubled manner made Gerhard burst out laughing. The worries that had left him feeling so helpless and insignificant suddenly seemed ridiculous.

“Eugene.”

Only then did Gerhard assume a solemn expression.

“... Your name is Eugene Lionheart. The son of Gerhard Lionheart—my son.”

“That's right.”

“Your name... was chosen by me and your late mother together. Never forget that.”

“I'm not an idiot. Why would I forget my own name?”

Eugene chuckled and nodded.

“Even if the main family adopts me, Gerhard Lionheart will still be my only true father, the one who brought me into this world.”

Gerhard nodded silently. Despite his solemn expression, tears kept falling. Without a sob, he pulled Eugene into his arms.

'So I'm getting adopted after all,' Eugene thought in Gerhard's embrace.

'It'll be a nuisance in all sorts of ways, but there'll be plenty to gain, so it's worth putting up with.'

Eugene had no desire to become the head of the Lionheart family. He did not know whether that would remain true later, but showing ambition for the position already would only invite a great deal of troublesome opposition.

'Not that I know whether anyone else will believe that.'

Theonis, the principal wife, and Anisilla, the concubine. Their positions left them no choice but to keep him in check.

'... Their resentment and opposition... I can either crush it head-on or just ignore it.'

Of course, Eugene preferred the former.

* * *

The banquet marking the end of this Bloodline Succession Ceremony took place that night.

Gerhard was not the only guest invited. Everything that had happened in the ceremony had disgraced the main family, but Gilead invited the families of every participating child to the banquet as though he had nothing to be ashamed of.

He intended to make this ceremony a celebration of a collateral branch's victory, rather than a disgrace to the main family.

Anisilla approved of her husband's decision.

Eugene Lionheart's victory.

She had considered it the next-best outcome, but had not truly wished for it. Yet Eugene had defeated the main family and won. Now that they were even holding a banquet to publicize it, Cyan's defeat had become insignificant by comparison.

“Hold your head high.”

Dressed in elaborate formal attire, Anisilla stood with her back straight. Cyan, who had been slumping miserably, flinched and looked at her.

“There's nothing you can do about defeats you've already suffered. That goes for both the duel and the Bloodline Succession Ceremony. But don't let your discouragement show.”

“... Mother...”

“You are my son. The son of Anisilla Caines. Even if you lost the duel and embarrassed yourself in the Bloodline Succession Ceremony, that doesn't change the fact that you are my son.”

Cyan did not fully understand what she meant. But he sensed something of it, and nodded as he squared his shoulders.

“... Cyan.”

“... Yes.”

“From now on, you'll always be compared to that boy. Everyone who looks at you will first remember that you lost your duel with Eugene. They'll laugh at you for being the first in the main family's history to fail to win the Bloodline Succession Ceremony.”

“...”

“That cannot be helped, Cyan. Feel ashamed. But don't despair. Whoever laughs at you, you are my son, and you belong to the Lionhearts' direct line of descent.”

“Yes.”

“You can't change the past. So, Cyan, what matters is what comes next.”

Anisilla spat out the words as she glared at Eugene. She gripped Cyan's hand tightly, and he felt her hand trembling faintly.

“I'll work hard.”

“... Good. My darling son.”

Eugene had become the main family's adopted son.

Theonis and Anisilla had heard about it the day before. Naturally, they had objected. But they had been unable to change their husband's mind. For the glory of the Lionhearts, of the main family. Everything he said was steeped in the greater good of the Lionheart family.

Anisilla wanted glory for her children rather than the greater good. Yet she also desired to raise the Lionheart name to greater heights. She considered her own ambitions, her wishes as a mother, and the reality of the main family, which placed such importance on the direct bloodline.

“Eugene cannot become family head.”

Anisilla lowered her voice.

“But Cyan, don't let that make you complacent. No one knows what the future holds. You are at many disadvantages, so you must work all the harder to become family head.”

“Yes.”

Cyan kept his shoulders squared. He nodded and looked toward Eugene.

“... But don't make an enemy of Eugene needlessly.”

“... Because we're brothers now?”

“Yes.”

Brothers. Anisilla did not want to acknowledge that. But her answer differed from her true feelings.

“Build a brotherly bond with him. Make that boy someone who can lend you strength. You have... time.”

“... Time...”

“Don't look down on him because he's adopted. Treat him as your equal. Play together, train together, make memories together. Don't give him reason to resent you. That way... someday, he can be of help to you.”

“... Yes.”

Cyan nodded quietly. The young boy had complicated feelings toward Eugene.

Humiliation at his defeat. Irritation. Anger.

The overwhelming skill Eugene had displayed during the Bloodline Succession Ceremony. Admiration for it. Envy. Awe...

'... Be friends...?'

Only a few days earlier, those words would have made him angry first. But not now. Instead, he felt a quiet embarrassment.

“... M-Mother.”

“Speak.”

“How... do I become friends with him? C-couldn't you tell him, Mother? To get along with me...”

It was a childish thing to say, but Anisilla looked at her son as though he were pathetic.

“Talk to Ciel.”

If there had been no one watching, she would have given him a stern scolding.

Anisilla heaved a sigh and shook her head.

Ciel was with Eugene.

Gerhard was surrounded by the adults from the other collateral branches, talking about all sorts of things. Gargis's and Dezra's parents were particularly overbearing.

“You have an excellent son.”

“I hear the main family has adopted him?”

“What sort of training has the boy done?”

“I heard you'll be joining the main household as well, Sir Gerhard.”

“My son tells me his strength is astonishing for his size.”

“Could you give us some advice on educating our children?”

“Our family's secret muscle-growth formula is something even the main family doesn't have. Interested?”

“Fate has brought us together like this. We should arrange more gatherings to build friendships among our fellow collateral branches.”

“This formula works on adults as well as children. Of course, the proper dosage must be combined with exercise, but I think you could use it, Sir Gerhard.”

“Oh, then that's perfect. The men were planning to go hunting next month, weren't they? You should come too, Sir Gerhard.”

“Once you've worked up a good sweat running through the mountains, you'll be hooked on it too.”

With people talking at him from every direction, Gerhard could do nothing but keep saying, “Yes, yes.”

Eugene did not want those overbearing adults to single him out, so he had left long before. Ciel had trailed after him.

“They say we're brother and sister now.”

“Doesn't that bother you at all?”

“It feels strange.”

Ciel smiled and took hold of Eugene's collar.

“I only had my older brothers Cyan and Eward before, and now I suddenly have a little brother.”

“What the hell are you talking about? Little brother?”

“Your birthday's later than mine.”

“What does that matter? We're not even a year apart. How do a few months make anyone an older or younger sibling?”

“I became the younger sister because I was born five seconds after my brother.”

Eugene was at a loss for words.

“... That's a little different.”

“Why? I became the younger sister over a few seconds. You were born a few months after me, so you're my little brother.”

“I'm telling you, it's different.”

“How?”

How was it different? Even with memories of his previous life, Eugene could not come up with a suitable answer.

“... Well... I'm not your biological brother. We have different parents... so I can't be your little brother.”

“But we're brother and sister.”

“In name, yes, but fundamentally we're unrelated. So I'm never calling you my big sister.”

“Can't you call me Big Sis?”

“Not even if it kills me.”

“Aww.”

Ciel pouted. She tugged Eugene's collar this way and that, wheedling.

“Say it just once.”

“No.”

“It's not hard.”

“No means no.”

“Keep that up and your big sister will have to scold you.”

“Cut the bullshit.”

“You have such a foul mouth. I'm telling Mom.”

“Go ahead. And why do you keep grabbing me, anyway?”

Eugene snapped irritably and shook off Ciel's hand. Her pout deepened.

“Why are you being so mean?”

“I'm not being mean. You're doing something ridiculous...”

“I'm going to cry, you know?”

“Stop... just stop.”

Eugene's fists trembled as he spoke. Ciel stared at him sulkily, then stuck out her tongue.

“I'm not going to cry, stupid.”

“I thought not...”

“I wanted to hear you call me Big Sis. Is saying it once really that hard?”

“For me, it's incredibly hard.”

Call a thirteen-year-old girl his big sister?

'I'd rather die.'

Eugene meant that sincerely.