Chapter 26 - Damn Reincarnation

Aroth

Time really does fly.

The thought suddenly came to him early that morning as he looked in the mirror. Eugene roughly swept back his shaggy hair and stared at his reflection.

Seventeen.

Four years had already passed since the Bloodline Succession Ceremony ended and he became the main family's adopted son. His face still retained a touch of boyishness, but his body was almost fully grown. Examining his broad chest and shoulders, Eugene indulged in a moment of reflection.

'This really is an incredible body.'

He had realized that countless times over his seventeen years in this body, but he never tired of it.

First, his face. He was handsome. Not merely because it was his own face—he was handsome even by an objective assessment. Hamel's face in his previous life hadn't been all that ugly, as far as he remembered, but next to his reincarnated face as Eugene, the difference would be like that between an elf and a human.

'Not an orc, at least.'

He didn't want to disparage his old face quite that much. Eugene gave his smooth cheek a light tap, then tried out various expressions.

His ill-tempered-looking eyes hadn't changed since childhood. That, too, was part of his nature. He had gone around glaring since he was little, so perhaps he should be grateful he hadn't developed wrinkles.

'My eyes looked meaner in my previous life.'

Eugene smoothed out his frown and smiled broadly.

Was this really him?

He had long since outgrown such ridiculous thoughts, but even after seventeen years, that handsome face amazed him every time he saw it.

'You really did have good blood.'

Eugene lifted his ash-gray hair as he thought. As his body grew, his hair grew thicker too. Whenever he saw that color, it reminded him of Vermouth.

There was a reason he was getting sentimental first thing in the morning.

Since beginning mana training at thirteen, Eugene had practiced every morning without missing a single day.

And today, he had reached three stars in the White Flame Formula.

'Fast.'

He could feel the divided cores near his heart. Three stars. The three-star level of the White Flame Formula.

'Too fast.'

He had realized it time and again since beginning his mana training.

The White Flame Formula was a mana-training method whose performance was beyond comparison with what he had learned in his previous life. It drew optimal efficiency from even small amounts of mana, and accumulated mana rapidly. The process of spreading that accumulated mana throughout his body and turning it into strength was equally free of waste.

But his progress was so rapid... not merely because the White Flame Formula was excellent, but because Eugene's body absorbed mana so 'well.'

'... It's great that this body performs so well, but...'

Sometimes, it sent a shiver through him.

'I'm already progressing this fast. What... will happen later?'

It wasn't subtle, but blatant.

A delightful shiver. Eugene grinned at his reflection.

'The strength I had in my previous life won't be enough.'

Eugene Lionheart. This body gave him all sorts of hopes. It felt as though the memories and experience of his previous life alone couldn't satisfy it. He had been certain of that for several years now.

Hamel had been tremendously skilled. Though not to Vermouth's extent, he knew how to wield all manner of weapons. He had never received formal instruction, but his techniques had been honed and sharpened on battlefields where he killed or was killed. They were skills refined entirely through actual combat.

Those alone had earned Hamel fame, and he had mistakenly believed himself a genius. Then he met Vermouth... and realized he wasn't one.

As Vermouth's companion, he had experienced many things. His skills had risen to ever greater heights, incorporating much along the way.

'It's not enough.'

Simply regaining the strength of his previous life wouldn't do. To make full use of this exceptional, greedy body, he needed to add something beyond his old memories.

'I know how to do most things.'

And he knew how to do them very well.

Swords, spears, axes, bows, and more. He could handle most weapons with proficiency. Things he had learned to kill, to survive. Skills he had gained confidence in within the demon lands.

It wasn't enough. It was only a question of sooner or later: everything remained intact in his mind, so he was certain to accomplish those things with this body eventually. If he was already assured of being able to do them, shouldn't he use his time more efficiently?

* * *

"I should learn magic."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

Cyan lifted his head, panting. Despite all that exertion, that monster didn't show the slightest sign of fatigue.

At first, it had infuriated him... but after four years of looking up at that unruffled face, he was used to it now.

"I said I should learn magic."

"And I said, what the fuck are you talking about?"

Cyan spat the words out with an incredulous expression. Eugene wasn't the only one who had grown over the past four years. Cyan had grown considerably too. Of course, he didn't really feel it. They were the same age, but Cyan was just a little shorter than Eugene.

And the gap in their skills was enormous.

"This morning, you see..."

Eugene didn't help Cyan to his feet. That proud little brat refused to admit defeat even when he lost, and wasn't grateful for an offered hand. Though he no longer bristled and carried on about insults as he had at first, he still stored up resentment in a corner of his heart.

"I was practicing the White Flame Formula as usual."

"Don't tell me you..."

Cyan's eyes trembled with apprehension. Gritting his teeth, he sprang to his feet. Eugene chuckled at the sight.

"And I found I could do this."

The mana spread throughout his body gathered in one place: his heart. The three stars formed there resonated. Revolving in concert, they amplified his mana explosively.

FSSSH!

Mana took shape as pure white light and coiled around Eugene's body. Cyan watched with wide eyes. White flames wrapped around his entire body. A lion's mane streaming in the air.

"No... fucking... way...!"

Cyan's voice shook. Having trained in the White Flame Formula himself, he knew what the form of Eugene's mana meant. Wrapping mana around his body like that, producing white flames worthy of the formula's name.

It meant he had reached three stars in the White Flame Formula.

"How does that make any sense?"

Cyan felt he might die from the sheer unfairness. He had begun mana training and practicing the White Flame Formula seven years before Eugene. Three years ago, he had reached two stars.

And he was still at two stars today. The stars gathered in his heart always seemed on the verge of increasing, but never did. Yet... that irritating bastard, who had begun mana training seven years later than him, had already reached three stars.

"It makes perfect sense."

Eugene dispersed his mana with an easy smile.

"I'm a genius."

It was embarrassing to declare that about himself. Or so he had once thought. Now, however, he acknowledged that putting on false modesty was ridiculous. This body had been born a genius, and he even possessed memories of his previous life.

Hamel hadn't been a genius, but Eugene certainly was.

"I want to kill you."

"Brothers shouldn't do that to each other."

"Shouldn't, my ass. You beat me half to death every morning."

"You're the one who asks me to spar every morning. Stop if you don't like it. I don't mind."

Cyan clenched his teeth and glared at Eugene. Sparring every morning was his own way of resisting despair.

Honestly, Eugene liked that attitude of his.

At first, he'd thought Cyan was nothing more than an idiotic brat. Perhaps it was because they had spent so much time together since his adoption, but Cyan had become considerably less of an idiot.

"... But why magic, of all things?"

"Because I've never learned it."

"So you're going to learn magic? Ridiculous bastard... How will you learn it? Are you going to ask them to bring in a tutor from the capital?"

"I'll have to discuss that with the family head."

"Are you serious? I mean, why learn magic now, of all times?"

Cyan couldn't understand Eugene. With that much talent in martial arts, why dabble in magic instead of concentrating on what he did well? Especially when he was already this old.

"Aren't you too old to learn magic?"

"Seventeen is plenty young."

"Like hell it is. Have you already forgotten what happened to Eward?"

Cyan gave a disbelieving laugh and brushed the dirt from his clothes.

"He got all cocky about learning magic at fifteen, two years younger than you are now, and they're treating him like an idiot in Aroth."

"You little bastard, there's nothing you won't say about your older brother."

"Am I wrong?"

Despite his protest, Cyan flinched under Eugene's gaze, shrinking his shoulders.

"... Don't get cocky about learning magic for no reason. Stay here with the main family. ... Father will weep tears of blood if you tell him you want to learn magic."

That did seem likely.

Eward Lionheart. Four years ago, immediately after the Bloodline Succession Ceremony, the main family's eldest son had gone to Aroth with Lovellian, the Red Tower Master.

... He hadn't become Lovellian's apprentice. His aptitude apparently wasn't bad, since he had remained in Aroth, but he hadn't distinguished himself nearly as much as expected. Even now, four years later, Eward was still there.

From what Eugene had heard, he was learning magic from a mage affiliated with the Red Tower... but apparently had made no great progress. That put both the Red Tower Master and the main family's prestige in an awkward position. They had gone to the trouble of providing their eldest son with connections and sending him to the Red Tower, only for him to cling to it with unremarkable talent.

"The family head might weep tears of blood, but Lady Anisilla will cheer."

"... Mother might, I suppose."

Mumbling, Cyan glanced needlessly toward the main mansion.

"B-but Mother doesn't dislike you either."

"Sometimes she gives me a murderous glare when we run into each other."

"That's because you beat me like a dog."

"But I can't just stop beating you. You're the one who asked for it."

"Bastard."

Cyan was the one who had asked Eugene to fight seriously during their sparring matches. He had believed that his skills wouldn't improve if Eugene went easy on him, but he had deeply regretted saying that for a long time now.

Eugene showed no mercy in sparring. The moment he saw even the smallest opening, he drove straight into it and beat Cyan down. All the while, he pointed out where Cyan fell short. His explanations were easy to understand and entirely correct, which made Cyan's blood boil every time he heard them.

"... Are you going to Aroth?"

"If I'm going to learn, I should learn properly."

Aroth was the best place to learn magic properly.

'And there are things I want to investigate.'

He wanted to trace Senya's footsteps in Aroth. He had wanted to do so for a long time. Not just Senya, either. Anise and Moron too. He wanted to know exactly how his companions from three hundred years ago had lived after returning from the demon lands, and what... their ends had been like.

'Even the main family had almost no records about them.'

Even the records of their ancestor, Vermouth, were hopelessly vague. Eugene had investigated various things over the past four years, but almost no records remained of the Hero and his companions after their return from the demon lands.

'This necklace, too.'

Eugene became conscious of the necklace around his neck. He had worn it ever since taking it from the Treasury four years ago. The Red Tower Master had personally examined its mana memories, but had failed to read any memory identifying it as something Hamel had left behind.

Someone else had painted over the necklace's memories.

In Eugene's estimation, only Senya or Vermouth could have done such a thing. But why? He didn't know.

Still... if he had to guess, he felt Senya was more likely than Vermouth to have tampered with the necklace. The Vermouth he remembered wasn't the sort to do this.

"... Well... if you go to Aroth..."

Cyan cleared his throat, looking uneasy.

"... Ciel will be upset."

"Oh, really?"

Eugene laughed in disbelief.

"Ciel, who can't stand the sight of me?"

"That's not how she really feels."

Though he said it, Cyan wasn't convinced by his own words.

Ciel Lionheart.

That sly little brat had been going through puberty since the beginning of the year. She no longer clung to Eugene or spoke to him first as she used to. Perhaps her puberty was particularly severe, because she rarely left her room. She never skipped training, but she no longer practiced with Eugene and Cyan.

'I don't like smelling sweat.'

That was her reason. It had only made Gion and Gilead busier. Accommodating Ciel's adolescent symptoms, they spent half the day concentrating on teaching her and the other half teaching Cyan and Eugene.

"... Anyway, Ciel will be upset if you go to Aroth."

"Do you think I'll change my mind just because Ciel is upset?"

"Smug bastard."

At Eugene's taunting, Cyan's fists trembled.

"Aren't you thinking about Lord Gerhard?"

"My father will get along just fine without me."

Cyan thought so too. Though Gerhard had initially been uncomfortable with life at the main estate, over the years he had grown completely accustomed to it. Now he regularly went hunting with the heads of other collateral branches, and occasionally drank through the night with Gilead or Gion. Even Anisilla got along quite well with him.

Of course, Eugene knew the reason very well. Anisilla didn't display much hostility toward him. She wasn't entirely without wariness, but she understood perfectly well that maintaining an amicable relationship was more beneficial than being openly hostile.

Theonis, however...

Eward's mother and the principal wife... openly regarded Eugene and Gerhard with suspicion. Ever since Eward had failed to become Lovellian's apprentice, her irritable disposition had only grown sharper.

'I'll have to keep an eye on Theonis.'

If Eugene announced that he was going to Aroth, she was certain to become even more sensitive. That wasn't something he could resolve merely by being careful himself. He would have to discreetly mention it to Gilead, the family head.

"... Where are you going?"

"To see the family head."

"You're going right now?"

"I should get permission as soon as possible."

With that reply, Eugene left the training grounds. Cyan stared at his retreating back, then let out a deep sigh.

"... Why the fuck does he have to learn magic?"

Grumbling, Cyan followed him.