Chapter 74 - Damn Reincarnation

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The spar was entirely one-sided.

Cyan’s sword force was astonishingly good for his age, but he could not put Eugene under pressure. He swung his sword ferociously without retreating, yet he could not make Eugene so much as take a step back.

It felt like swinging his sword through empty air.

That was what Cyan thought at first, but his impression gradually changed. He pictured sticky mud and a bottomless swamp. Eugene’s sword seemed to let his attacks slide past, yet it clung to them, dragging them where Cyan did not want them to go, as though drawing them into a swamp.

Then the mud and swamp became an ocean. Enormous waves of mana shook Cyan’s sword force, guiding his blade and sending it astray.

He shouldn’t be getting tired this quickly...

Cyan felt his breathing grow ragged and heard the pounding of his heart.

Reaching the White Flame Formula’s third star had greatly improved Cyan’s control over his mana.

In the past, even producing sword aura had required intense concentration. Now he could naturally draw out sword force without conscious effort.

Maintaining that sword force for a long time was not difficult, either. Cyan Lionheart—as befitted a member of the prestigious Lionheart main family, he had trained his mana from an early age and received all manner of support. Across the entire continent, very few people his age would possess mana reserves as vast as his.

Cyan knew that and had taken pride in it. Now, however, that pride was crumbling like a sandcastle.

“Fuck...”

He could no longer maintain his sword force. Panting, Cyan spat out the curse and slumped to the ground.

The dust drifting through the training grounds settled. Cyan’s relentless barrage had gouged deep furrows into the ground with sword force, splitting it and tearing it up.

Yet the area around Eugene was untouched. There wasn’t even a jumble of footprints. Eugene had stood in that same spot from beginning to end, without moving a single step.

‘... This is absurd...’

It had begun as a one-on-one spar, with only Eugene and Cyan present. The moment it started, however, the main family’s knights had gathered. It was not a private match, so they watched from a distance.

Thanks to that, the knights were reminded just how absurd a person Eugene Lionheart, the family’s adopted son, truly was.

Two years ago, when Eugene was seventeen, he had already been notorious among the main family’s knights. So notorious, in fact, that an unwritten rule circulated among them:

Never give it your all when sparring with Young Master Eugene.

It was not out of consideration for the young master’s tender age. It was an unwritten rule meant to protect the knights’ pride.

The knights here took immense pride in their abilities.

If they fought with everything they had... and were still overwhelmed, especially by a boy far younger than themselves, they could not help feeling crushed—even if their opponent was a young master of the Lionheart main family.

‘He was strong two years ago... but now...’

‘Could I beat him?’

The knights’ eyes wavered. Sword force was rarely used in spars intended for training. What if they used it and fought in earnest? Could they still win?

They did not know. Most of the younger knights instinctively knew they would lose. Even the more seasoned knights could not be certain.

Hezar was no exception.

He belonged to the White Lion Knights, who were loyal to the Lionheart main family, and was among their younger members. But age did not necessarily correspond to ability. Hezar had surpassed many other knights to become deputy commander of the White Lion Knights’ Second Division.

He had never felt lacking in innate talent. In a few more years, he would become commander of the Second Division. Given more time, he could even aspire to lead the entire order.

Yet even Hezar could not help keenly feeling how insignificant he was beside Eugene. Was there a single knight here who could claim to have been as accomplished as Eugene at nineteen?

Hezar looked at the other knights.

The main family’s White Lion Knights numbered 160. The ten finest formed the First Division, while the remaining 150 were divided into five units of thirty each.

Hezar looked at the five commanders. Their expressions were just as rigid as his own. These were skilled warriors who would be treated with respect anywhere on the continent, yet none could hide their astonishment at that adopted son from a collateral branch.

‘The First Division’s knights... would be no different. I’ve never felt this overwhelming gulf in ability from any of them.’

The White Lion Knights’ First Division and its commander, who also led the order, were at Black Lion Castle with Gilead. Hezar suppressed a groan as he thought of those absent elite knights.

“... What was that?”

Cyan lifted his head from where he sat catching his breath. Shaking out his wrists, Eugene looked back at him with a grin.

“What was what?”

“That thing you did. Knocking my attacks all over the place.”

“It’s parrying. Can’t you tell?”

Who didn’t know that? Every knight watching knew Eugene had used parries. It was a technique that could be used with any weapon, not just a sword—even barehanded—and one they had to train themselves to use.

But not a single knight could confidently claim to be capable of parrying exactly as Eugene did. Those were no ordinary parries.

Instead of knocking sword force away, he redirected it. That alone was an advanced technique, but he redirected it inward rather than outward, breaking his opponent’s stance.

By mixing those methods, he had neutralized every one of Cyan’s attacks and made him burn through excessive amounts of mana—all without taking a single step back.

“... Teach me.”

“Whaaat?”

“I said teach me... you son of a bitch.”

“Reeeally? You want me to teach youuu?”

Grinning, Eugene held out a hand to the seated Cyan. His shoulders trembling, Cyan imagined grabbing that hand and driving a fist into Eugene’s face. No, that would not be enough.

‘I’m still holding my sword... I could just shove it into his gut...’

“Are you going to loosen your grip or not? Want me to refuse to teach you?”

“Huh? Uh... huh? You’ll... teach me?”

Flustered, Cyan relaxed his grip on his sword.

“You asked me to, didn’t you?”

“... Yeah.”

“Then sure, I’ll teach you.”

Eugene spoke as though it were nothing. Teaching him would hardly be difficult. In the first place, this technique depended more on the learner’s ability and instincts than on the instruction.

“Follow me for now.”

Eugene pulled Cyan to his feet and turned away. Cyan stared blankly as Eugene headed back toward the annex, then hurried after him.

After leaving the training grounds, Eugene headed for the forest beyond the mansion. Cyan followed, panting, but could hardly close the distance between them.

And so the two entered the deserted forest.

“If you get strong enough, there’s no need for me to become family head, right?”

After making sure no one else was around, Eugene abruptly turned to Cyan and spoke.

“Huh...?”

“That settles it, doesn’t it? You won’t get stronger than me, but if you become strong enough to hold your head high as the Lionheart family head, there’s no problem, is there?”

“... That’s...”

“Watch what you say. Whether you can accept it or not, I don’t want to, and that’s that. You can push all you like, but how am I supposed to become family head when I don’t want the job?”

“With your abilities...”

“What about them? The family head should be from the legitimate Lionheart line, and they need dignity, too. Let’s be blunt: what would you do if I stripped naked and took a shit in the middle of the capital? However strong I am, do you think a naked shitter could become the Lionheart family head?”

Strip naked and take a shit in the middle of the capital? Born into the main family and raised in luxury, Cyan could not even imagine such a thing. He swallowed hard and stared at Eugene.

He recalled when Eugene had first come to the Lionheart estate five years ago. Eugene had dismissed it as bullshit, but Cyan had genuinely smelled cow dung on him back then. No, perhaps it had not been cow dung after all.

The smell of the sticks. Did Gidol, that rural place on Kiel’s outskirts, even have toilets? Cyan gave the matter serious consideration.

“... Are you... really going to take a shit...?”

“No, I’m not saying I will... I’m saying I might. I’d rather take a shit than become family head.”

“That’s... unacceptable. For the head of the prestigious Lionheart family to do something so vile...”

“Right? It’s unthinkable, isn’t it? That’s why you need to become family head, for Lionheart’s sake. Don’t worry. I’ll teach you well enough that you won’t get beaten up wherever you go.”

Cyan hesitated, then nodded.

Normally, he would have had to compete for the position with Eward, the legitimate heir, but hadn’t Eward brought about his own downfall?

If Cyan simply did nothing, he was certain to become family head. He had only been unable to accept that because of the gulf between him and Eugene. That was why he had tried to yield the position, but his desire to become family head was genuine.

“... Ahem. If you really don’t want to become family head, there’s nothing I can do.”

How many times had he offered? More than three. If Eugene still refused, what else could he do? Cyan cleared his throat and shrugged.

“Besides... your abilities may be incredible, but you lack the dignity befitting a family head. You haven’t even received proper training as an heir, have you? You’re not prepared, in other words. Having spent half your life in the sticks, you couldn’t possibly be familiar with the high-society culture expected of the Lionheart family hea—”

Eugene listened quietly, then kicked him in the shin. Cyan let out a sharp scream, clutched his leg, and rolled around on the ground.

“Wh-why did you hit me?”

“Because you’re obnoxious.”

“The crap you were spouting was much more obnoxious...!”

“I know. If you don’t like it, try kicking me, too.”

“... Brothers shouldn’t fight.”

Rubbing his stinging shin, Cyan got up.

“But... how are you going to teach me? Are we starting now?”

“Your big brother’s a busy man.”

“... Since when are you my big brother? We’re the same age, and going by our birthdays, I was born months before you. That makes me the big brother.”

Twins really were twins, it seemed. Cyan said exactly the same thing Ciel had. Eugene wanted to argue, but could not quite bring himself to do so. His lips merely twitched.

“... Anyway. I’m pretty busy, so I’ll write down what I want to teach you and give it to you.”

“Write it down? It’d be much faster to learn from you direc—”

“No, I’m telling you, that won’t work. How can you learn directly when you don’t have the basics down? Are you a genius like me or something? Can you even imitate what I did earlier?”

“... No.”

“That’s why I’ll write it down. Once you get it and train hard, you’ll be able to use it on your own.”

Would he really?

Eugene had said it, but he could not be certain himself. He had never taught anyone, even in his previous life. As a mercenary, he had had no reason to teach, and after becoming Vermouth’s companion, he had had no need to. Senya, Anise, and Moron had all been skilled enough not to require his instruction.

If he could enjoy his reincarnation in peace and leisure, he might have tried it for fun. Right now, however, he could not spare precious time for Cyan.

“... You’re not lying just because you don’t want to become family head, are you?”

“I do not want to become family head, but I’m not lying.”

As he had told Ciel, Eugene liked Cyan. The way he kept challenging him without succumbing to despair reminded him of Hamel in his previous life. Eugene understood the discouragement, frustration, and yearning Cyan must be feeling.

‘And we’re brothers.’

Even if they shared no blood. Eugene nodded and walked past Cyan. Cyan followed as Eugene strode off ahead, grinning to himself.

‘Right. What can I do if he doesn’t want it? It’s what Mother wants, too. I really should be the family head.’

That was pleasing, too, but what truly set Cyan’s heart fluttering now was the prospect of learning Eugene’s techniques.

For now, he would be learning from that bastard, but couldn’t he someday build on those teachings and surpass Eugene?

Nursing that hope, Cyan rubbed his still-stinging shin.

* * *

Mount Uklas, in southern Kiel.

This vast, rugged mountain had been designated the Lionheart family’s private property three hundred years ago.

In that distant past, Vermouth the Great, the Kiel Empire’s last grand duke, had taken this region as his domain and lived in a castle deep in the mountains. He stayed there for decades. Though Vermouth eventually relinquished his title and moved to a mansion in the capital, Mount Uklas remained Lionheart property even now, three hundred years later.

Black Lion Castle stood deep within the mountains.

It was where Vermouth the Great had lived the longest, and where the great hero’s body was laid to rest.

At the top of Black Lion Castle, a dozen or so people sat around a black round table in the center of a spacious room.

“... Eugene. It seems the boy has returned to the main estate.”

Gilead lowered the letter he had been reading and spoke. He looked ahead through narrowed eyes.

“I thought he would return a little later.”

“I think his timing is quite appropriate.”

The man sitting across from Gilead spoke, stroking his short beard as he regarded him.

“There are only two months left in the year, after all.”

“... Is it really necessary to summon him here? There is no precedent for this, either.”

“You were the one who did something unprecedented, Family Head.”

The man smiled as he spoke. Though Gilead was the Lionheart family head, his voice carried little weight compared to those seated around this table.

That could not be helped. Apart from Gilead, all ten people seated at the round table were Lionheart elders.

Giants who had left their mark on Lionheart history, regardless of whether they came from the main family or a collateral branch.

“Never before has a child from a collateral branch been adopted into the main family.”

The man continued.

“Of course, you vouched for his worth. Unfortunately... there have been all sorts of troubling rumors surrounding this generation of main-family children. We must therefore examine the matter more rigorously ourselves.”

“The family head wasn’t the only one.”

Carmen spoke. Unusually among the elders, she had not retired from active duty and still commanded the Black Lion Knights’ Third Division.

“Eugene Lionheart. I’ve seen that boy for myself, too. Why should his origins in a collateral branch matter? What matters is his potential.”

“I am not trying to dismiss him because he comes from a collateral branch.”

The man smiled as he spoke.

Gilead felt uncomfortable around him. He had ever since childhood.

The Immortal White Lion.

Doynes Lionheart.

He was the oldest member of the sprawling Lionheart family, and the brother of Gilead’s grandfather. A monster who had lived well over a century. Yet age had not left him frail or shabby; he reigned over Black Lion Castle and led the Council of Elders.

“Carmen. Your eye may be unerring... but your judgment cannot speak for all the Black Lions.”

“... Hmph.”

Carmen was equally uncomfortable around Doynes. As Gilead’s aunt, she was no spring chicken herself, but Doynes belonged to a generation senior to hers.

Not merely within Lionheart, but across the entire continent, the only beings of comparable seniority were the demons of Helmuth, who were not constrained by lifespans.

“That is why we must see him for ourselves. We can do so alongside his coming-of-age ceremony.”

Doynes looked around the table as he spoke. No one questioned his words.

Gilead let out a long sigh. He had expected this outcome ever since the Council of Elders summoned him, but hearing it said aloud still left him uneasy.

The Council of Elders placed an obsessive importance on Lionheart tradition. They had accepted Gilead’s adoption of Eugene because they acknowledged the potential Gilead had so passionately argued for.

Now Eugene was no longer a young child. As Doynes had said, he would come of age in two months. At that point, the selection of the next family head would begin in earnest.

“The boy visited Nahama, I hear.”

“... Yes.”

“Before that, he studied magic in Aroth. I hear his talent is remarkable. Enough for the Red Tower Master to personally take him as a disciple, and for him to associate with Aroth’s crown prince.”

“...”

“Family Head. Those of us who bear the Lionheart name are one great pride of lions. It is good that you raise your children freely, but it would be troublesome to let a lion you have worked so hard to raise leave the pride as he pleases.”

“... That choice belongs to him.”

“Of course it does. I intend to give him due respect. Still, we must narrow his options. Surely you do not intend to put him forward as family head?”

“... If Eugene wishes it, I would like to leave that possibility open.”

“He won’t want it.”

Carmen answered. Opening and closing a pocket watch she did not even use, she continued.

“Ciel told me. Eugene is adamantly refusing the position of family head.”

“I hope he doesn’t change his mind.”

Doynes smiled and nodded.