Chapter 27 - Damn Reincarnation

Aroth

Although Eugene had gone straight to see Gilead, he did not simply barge into his room. He casually acknowledged the main family's servants as they greeted him and explained his business. Before long, the head servant came to escort him personally.

"Think it over carefully before you decide."

"I've already thought it over plenty and made my decision."

Cyan suppressed the sigh rising in his chest. On reflection, trying to stop Eugene from leaving was ridiculous. If that monster started dabbling in magic and became absorbed in it, wouldn't he neglect his martial training that much more?

'This might actually be a good thing.'

Eugene was ahead of him for now, but Cyan would also reach three stars in the White Flame Formula within the next few years. He decided to see this as an opportunity. Of course, he had no intention of settling for three stars. Somehow, he wanted to reach four stars before coming of age.

'... Can I?'

Honestly, he probably couldn't. In all of Lionheart history, no one had ever reached four stars in the White Flame Formula before adulthood. Even the ancestors renowned as geniuses—and Gilead and Gion themselves—had only managed to reach three stars before coming of age.

In other words, reaching three stars at his age would already demonstrate talent on par with the geniuses of previous generations.

But that thought left a bitter taste in Cyan's mouth. He and Eugene were seventeen. And Eugene had reached three stars today.

An unprecedented pace... It wasn't as though this was the first or second time that monstrous bastard had rewritten the main family's history, but... Cyan let out a deep sigh and stared at Eugene's back. Having heard an answer from beyond the door, Eugene was entering the room.

'... I, too...'

Cyan forced down another sigh and turned away. In the four years since Eugene had joined the main family, Cyan had suffered countless defeats at the hands of this absurdly gifted brother with whom he shared not a drop of blood.

Those defeats had taught young Cyan a clear lesson. Despair only nourished further despair. Shedding a single drop of sweat was far more useful than spending that time wallowing in frustration.

"... Tch..."

Even that wasn't something Cyan had realized on his own. When he was younger, he had once pulled the blankets over his head and wallowed in misery after a defeat. Eugene had suddenly opened his door, come in, and kicked him in the ass.

["Do you think I'm sitting around playing while you're pulling this shit?"]

Even while Cyan despaired, Eugene kept training without taking a single day off. Naturally, the gap between them only widened. Reminding himself of that, Cyan headed for the training grounds.

"What brings you here so early?"

Gilead greeted Eugene with a bright smile as he entered the room. Rather than immediately getting to the point, Eugene first bowed his head.

"I came to pay my respects and report something."

"Report?"

Gilead tilted his head, his eyes shining with curiosity. He looked forward to discovering how his adopted son would surprise him this time.

"This morning, I reached three stars in the White Flame Formula."

Eugene opened the conversation as he sat on the sofa. At those words, Gilead sprang from his chair before he knew it.

"Is that true?"

"Yes."

Gilead hurried over. Eugene responded by making the stars near his heart resonate. White flames wrapped around his body, and Gilead caught his breath.

"... Ha... Haha."

Since adopting Eugene, Gilead had experienced enough extraordinary things that most things no longer surprised him. Yet this time, too, he couldn't help being astonished. Three stars in the White Flame Formula at seventeen? Not even their ancestors had reached three stars as young as Eugene. Gilead sank into a seat opposite him and shook his head.

"... Taking you into the main family as my adopted son... may be the best thing I've ever done in my life."

"It's all thanks to your support, sir."

Eugene answered with a faint smile. Four years had passed since his adoption, but he still did not call Gilead Father. The only person he called that was his birth father, Gerhard.

Gilead took no offense. If anything, he found Eugene's devotion to his birth father admirable and was proud of him. Still, he felt a small pang of regret. If that remarkable boy had been his biological son... no one would have opposed Eugene becoming the next family head. Everyone would instead have agreed that Eugene should lead the family.

'... I mustn't think that way.'

Gilead shook his head, dispelling the thought. Such ideas could lead to bloody conflict within the family. It was partly for the family's sake, of course, but he also did not want to make those young children turn their blades on one another.

"... My support... I haven't done anything so extraordinary for you. That achievement is entirely the product of your own hard work."

"Your support is what allowed me to work so hard."

Gilead gazed at Eugene's smiling face for a moment, then gave a hearty laugh.

"It seems there's something you want."

"I'd like to learn magic."

Eugene answered without hesitation. In the past, he had consciously tried to act like a child around Gilead, but that was no longer necessary. He was older now, and after four years, Gilead had grown accustomed to his boldness.

"... Magic?"

But this was not something Gilead could dismiss as familiar behavior. He felt exactly the same bewilderment Cyan had. Why magic, all of a sudden? Eugene had never once expressed a desire to learn it in the past four years.

"... Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Why? No one in previous generations reached three stars in the White Flame Formula at your age. If you keep working as hard as you have, you might even reach four stars before coming of age."

"I can keep working hard while learning magic."

Eugene did not hedge his words. It might sound arrogant, but he felt someone of his abilities had every right to say it.

"Sir, in the four years since I became the main family's adopted son, I've never once left its shelter."

Eugene sat up straight and looked Gilead in the eye.

"Reaching three stars today made me realize something. If I stay here and keep training the way I always have, I don't think I'll be able to grow any further."

"... Hmm..."

"I'm sorely lacking in experience."

Eugene's voice was calm, but Gilead sensed the youthful fervor befitting his age. His voice was filled with sincerity and yearning.

"I want to learn more. Magic is something I've never studied, but I know it's a discipline that uses mana. I don't yet know whether I have much talent for it, but if I begin studying magic, I'll be able to see mana from a different perspective."

"..."

"Even if I don't make much progress, learning a new discipline will be a valuable experience in itself. I'm certain none of it will be meaningless. That's why I've taken the liberty of making this request."

Eugene stopped there and fixed Gilead with shining eyes. Then he placed both hands on his knees and bowed his head.

"Please."

"... Haha."

Gilead gave another hearty laugh. Shaking his head gently, he continued.

"Raise your head. This isn't something you need to bow and plead for."

"Sir."

"I may be the family head, but how could I dampen such a thirst for learning? Eugene, I understand what you want. If you want to learn magic... then you should."

With his head still bowed, Eugene grinned. Of course, by the time he lifted his head, no trace of that grin remained.

"So. How do you intend to learn magic?"

"Well..."

"You came to ask me, so surely you've already thought about that."

"I'd like to go to Aroth."

Gilead had expected it, but he could not accept it with an easy heart. Aroth, the magical kingdom. It was the best place to go if one wanted to learn magic. ... If only his eldest son, Eward, hadn't been there, those words would not have troubled Gilead.

"... Aroth..."

"I won't ask for anything beyond your permission."

Eugene quickly continued. From this point on, he had to choose his words carefully. Eward was Gilead's sore spot.

An eldest son with no great talent for martial arts, who had shown an interest in magic from childhood but had failed to distinguish himself in that, either.

A son who had spent four years in Aroth, yet instead of bringing glory to the Lionheart name, had prompted nothing but sneers that he relied on his connections for everything.

Eugene did not want to become entangled with Eward. He was going to Aroth solely to learn magic—and to follow Senya's traces.

But whenever anyone mentioned Aroth in the main family, everyone thought of Eward. He had no choice but to be careful. Eugene did not want to invite unnecessary misunderstandings.

"... If that's what you want, I should let you go. I'll send word to Master Lovellian."

"I appreciate that, but I'd rather not receive too much support."

Eugene paused to study Gilead's expression.

"... Honestly... it would feel rather burdensome, too. Master Lovellian must be busy. If possible, I'd like to try learning on my own, without his help."

"That will be difficult."

Gilead could only smile wryly.

"Even if you leave the main family, you're still a Lionheart. Once you arrive in Aroth, countless mages will take an interest in you. Whether you want them to or not, many people hoping to establish ties with Lionheart will approach you."

"I won't be the one reaching out to them."

"... That's an admirable attitude."

If only his eldest son were like that. Gilead shook his head, dismissing the thought he should not have entertained.

"... Eugene, promise me just one thing."

"What is it?"

"Don't get involved with black magic."

Aroth had the Black Tower, where black mages gathered. There were no sinister rumors befitting their true nature, and unlike in the distant past, their reputation was not particularly bad. But Lionheart was the family of Vermouth the Great. Some of its collateral branches specialized in magic, yet excluding black magic remained an unwritten rule.

"I don't like black magic, either."

Eugene answered without hesitation.

"If you promise me that, I'll arrange for you to leave for Aroth whenever you wish. I'll also send word to Master Lovellian... and tell him he needn't go to any personal trouble, as he did for Eward. Is there anything else you want?"

"Just give me plenty of spending money."

"How long do you intend to stay in Aroth?"

"I won't know until I get there and start learning, but I think I'll return before I come of age."

"So you'll be gone for a few years."

"I'll need that long to learn anything."

Eugene replied with a smile.

"Hmm, quite right. Magic is entirely different from anything you've studied so far... A halfhearted introduction would be worse than not learning it at all."

Eugene had never learned magic in his previous life. He was not about to be overconfident.

He finished his conversation with Gilead and left the room. As he walked down the hallway, a sound came from behind a firmly closed door.

KNOCK, KNOCK!

"What?"

Eugene stopped without surprise. He knew whose room that was—one of Ciel's several rooms. In the throes of a particularly fierce adolescence, she had stopped going to the training grounds several months ago and was using one of the mansion's rooms as her training room.

"Are you really going to Aroth?"

Ciel did not open the door. Her voice came through the gap instead.

"Did Cyan tell you?"

"Yes. He also told me you reached three stars in the White Flame Formula."

"So you've heard everything."

"I asked if you're really going to Aroth."

"The family head gave me permission."

"Why are you going?"

KNOCK, KNOCK!

Ciel knocked on the door again as she spoke. Eugene chuckled and knocked back a couple of times.

"Because I want to learn magic."

"You don't have to go all the way to Aroth for that. Invite a mage from the capital."

"They wouldn't be as good as the mages in Aroth, would they?"

"If you pester Father, he'll even bring you a court mage."

"I don't think a court mage would teach me better than a mage from one of Aroth's towers."

"A court mage is guaranteed to be skilled."

"I don't want a skilled mage. I want a mage who's good at teaching."

"Do you really have to learn magic?"

Ciel's voice grew sulky. She opened the door a crack and poked only her head out. At seventeen, little remained of her former mischievous appearance. But that was only her appearance. Eugene knew perfectly well how sly the girl could be.

"It's not something you have to learn."

"There's no harm in learning it, either."

"Can't you just use spirit magic? And while you're gone, my brother and I might catch up to you."

It was a blatant provocation, but Eugene only chuckled.

"That would be great."

"... What's great about it?"

"The main family would be stronger. Sparring with you two would be more fun, too. Oh, though it's been ages since I sparred with you."

"If I start sparring with you again, will you stay instead of going to Aroth?"

"No, I'm still going."

"Jerk."

Ciel pouted and drew her head back a little. She had been absorbed in training until just now, leaving her hair disheveled and her body unpleasantly sticky with sweat. She hated letting anyone see her like that, or catch her scent.

"... How long will you be gone?"

"I won't know until I get there."

"You must have some idea."

"More than a year, at least."

"Why so long? Life away from home is a bitch. And what about Master Gerhard?"

Perhaps because they were twins, she was saying exactly the same things as her brother.

"Father will do fine without me."

"... Uncle Gion will miss you."

"He might."

Sparring with Gion was something Eugene enjoyed, too.

"You two can keep him entertained while I'm gone."

"What about my brother?"

"Why are you bringing Cyan into this?"

"He likes sparring with you, too."

"If he likes getting the shit beaten out of him by me, there's something wrong with your brother."

"Anyway, he'll miss you if you're gone. When he told me earlier, he made it pretty clear he didn't want you to leave."

"I'm still going, though."

"I don't want you to go, either."

"I told you, I'm still going."

"You bastard."

Ciel's face twisted. Eugene was the only person in the main family who brushed her words aside like that. She glared at him, then shut the door.

SLAM!

"... When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

"Why so soon?"

"Is there any reason to wait? I've got permission, so leaving right away means I won't waste time."

"Heartless jerk. We should at least have a farewell party."

"What the hell do I need a farewell party for?"

Eugene gave the door a few heavy knocks and resumed walking down the hallway. Only after he had gone some distance did Ciel crack the door open.

"Are you really leaving tomorrow?"

Her voice came from behind him. Eugene merely waved without looking back.

Now that he had Gilead's permission, he acted without hesitation. He returned to the annex and knocked on Gerhard's door.

"Go, then."

The announcement that Eugene would leave for Aroth tomorrow was sudden, but Gerhard did not deliberate for long.

It wasn't that he did not worry about his son. He simply did not want to restrict the freedom of a son who had grown so much.

"Don't fall in with bad children there. And don't neglect your studies."

"You shouldn't get up to anything bad just because I'm gone, either, Father. And don't neglect your exercise."

Gerhard burst into laughter at that reply. His four years with the main family had done him a world of good. He had lost considerable weight and even gained some muscle, thanks to regular hunting trips with the heads of collateral branches and walks through the main family's vast forest.

"And if anyone tries to look down on you because I'm not here, send me a letter right away. Don't suffer in silence."

"The family head will look after me."

"Still, wouldn't it feel better to have your only son looking after you than the family head?"

Gerhard smiled silently and patted Eugene's shoulder. This remarkable son was his pride and treasure. If he hadn't had his son... Gerhard nodded, remembering the scenery of Gidol, where he had lived a few years ago.

"I don't want to get in your way."

"Get in my way? Please stop saying things like that. I've never once thought you were in my way."

Eugene answered brusquely and pinched Gerhard's side.

"Anyway, I'm leaving tomorrow. I'll be healthy and do just fine there, so you stay healthy, too. Understood?"

"Yes, yes."

Eugene was taller than Gerhard now. Looking at the son who had grown up so splendidly, Gerhard smiled with satisfaction.

That night, the main family's household, including Eugene and Gerhard, gathered around the large dining table. Even Ciel, who seldom showed her face, took a seat in a neatly arranged outfit.

It wasn't anything as grand as a farewell party, but they could hardly fail to arrange a gathering to wish Eugene well when he would be leaving for several years.

All manner of well-wishes accompanied the sumptuous dishes served at the table.

"To think you'll be studying magic in Aroth... You have such extraordinary talent for martial arts, I'm sure you'll do well with magic, too."

The news that Eugene had reached three stars in the White Flame Formula had made Anisilla chew her lip, but she could not have been happier that the monstrous boy would be leaving the main family for a while.

"I envy you, Master Gerhard, having such a wonderful son."

"Haha, you flatter him."

Anisilla's attitude had not changed much in four years. She had never tried to make enemies of Eugene or Gerhard. Instead, she smiled openly, reached out to them, and cultivated friendly relations with both.

Her attitude was the exact opposite of Theonis's, the principal wife.

Deep shadows beneath her eyes and gaunt cheeks gave Theonis a bleak appearance. For several years, she had scarcely left the main family's mansion, and she snapped irritably at even the servants' smallest mistakes.

It was inevitable. Theonis was being driven further and further into a corner. Eward had failed to become Lovellian's apprentice as she had hoped, and had not established connections with Aroth's high-ranking mages. Even Gilford and his wife, who had at least been friendly toward her, had left the main family several years ago. Theonis now had no allies in the household.

'It's her own fault for being such a bitch.'

Eugene ignored Theonis's intense stare and cut his meat. Gilead did not discriminate against her. He had not forcibly recalled Eward, either. If anything, he was giving Eward more support to make up for his shortcomings.

Theonis was simply baring her claws and lashing out at everyone around her.

"Eugene."

As the meal drew to a close, Theonis suddenly spoke. Anisilla treated Eugene warmly whenever she saw him, but this was the first time this year that the irritable mistress of the household had addressed him by name. They had not spoken often before that, either.

"When you go to Aroth, look after your older brother, Eward."

"..."

Caught off guard, Eugene could only blink, unable to find an answer.

"He's been alone in Aroth for years. He must have been lonely. ... You haven't had the chance to live as brothers, but Eward is still your older brother."

"... Yes."

"Even if you're adopted, you're Eward's brother. So, as his younger brother..."

Theonis's gaze slid away. She glared at Cyan and Ciel, seated a little farther down the table, and continued.

"... Look after him. You can do that, can't you?"

"... I'll try."

"Oh, Theonis, really. I'm sure Eugene will do just fine."

Anisilla laughed lightly, shielding Cyan and Ciel from Theonis's gaze. Theonis glared at her through narrowed eyes, then pushed back her chair and stood.

"I'm tired. I'll retire first."

"... Please do."

Gilead nodded, his expression troubled.

'Being the family head is a shitty job.'

Over the past few years, Eugene had spent a great deal of time close to Gilead. Thanks to that, he had reached a firm decision.

He did not want to become the family head.