Chapter 9 Consecutive Visits (4)
After filling my stomach to my heart’s content.
While I was leisurely resting, the identity of that male student finally came to mind belatedly.
‘Hmm, he was the guy who was defeated by Jace……’
It’s not that he was weak.
It means he was strong enough to face off against Jace.
His ranking was roughly in the top 20…… almost in the highest tier.
I suddenly felt a sense of crisis.
What if that guy had attacked me out of the blue?
Forget about resistance, I would have collapsed within 10 seconds.
“……”
This time it passed without incident.
But I can’t hope for such luck again.
I needed countermeasures, but there wasn’t a proper way to handle it.
At this point, my only reliable ally is Seria.
But asking her for help would be embarrassing.
No matter how strong she might be.
I can’t hide behind a girl’s skirt, can I?
There’s no other way.
No matter how difficult it gets, I have to endure it to the end.
Even if I’m defeated, even if I taste humiliation, it’s okay.
I just need to become stronger based on that experience.
“……”
Actually, my real concern was elsewhere.
Jace was originally destined to be expelled from the Academy.
Not only would the engagement be broken off, but he would be expelled as well.
But my possession made the outcome unpredictable.
Since I somehow managed to fix the Dantian.
It seems like both the broken engagement and expulsion would be postponed, but that was merely speculation.
Indeed, what would happen?
I wanted to understand the family’s situation, but currently I had no means to do so.
Maybe……
They might come looking from their side.
They would probably send someone to check.
‘The head of the family wouldn’t come personally……’
They would likely send a trusted retainer.
Getting through that process well was the key.
I need to properly show them ‘Our child has changed!’
*****
At that time.
Seria welcomed a guest.
“It’s been a while, Hector.”
At an age where his hair was turning gray.
The old knight Hector was a retainer of the Crodaine family.
Among the numerous retainers, he was almost the senior-most.
In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say he was the head of the family’s right-hand man.
“I greet the young lady. You’ve become even more beautiful in the meantime. CHUCKLE CHUCKLE.”
Seria smiled slightly.
Despite being old enough, he was still the same.
To put it nicely, he was as warm as a neighborhood grandfather, and to put it badly, he was a simpleton.
When she was young, she often visited the Crodaine family.
Whenever she was spending time with Jace, he would always appear and play pranks.
Anyway.
His unchanged appearance put her mind at ease.
“I’m glad you still look healthy.”
“Oh my! Healthy? I’m still active even now. HAHAHA……”
He certainly looked young compared to the years he had lived.
By consistently training his body, he was no less than a young person.
“Since you’ve come a long way, how about resting a bit? I’ll serve you tea.”
“That sounds good to me. I was waiting for you to say that.”
In the Academy’s reception room, they chatted amicably.
At the same time, Seria calculated in her head.
He must have come looking for Jace.
Having heard bad rumors, he would take him away if things went wrong.
‘I must prevent that at all costs.’
Jace had already come to his senses.
He was making efforts to become strong again like before.
All he needed was time.
If we wait, everything will return to normal.
“I’d like to see the young master soon. Could you call for him?”
At that sudden remark.
The warm atmosphere dropped abruptly as if it had never been there.
The true nature of a knight who had received orders from the head of the family.
Seria slowly explained the whole story.
“Actually……”
There was no need to mix in lies.
She would only convey the facts as they were.
After listening quietly, Hector briefly summarized.
“So the rumors were true, and he ended up on trial……”
“The expulsion is on hold.”
“Why?”
“Because he can handle Mana again.”
“───??”
“Isn’t it amazing? Even though his Dantian was broken, he overcame it by himself.”
Though she seemed to speak casually.
To Hector’s eyes, it looked completely different.
My fiancé is this amazing!
It felt like that, so he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Recently, some troublemakers attacked Jace, but he resolved it on his own.”
“Hmm, is that true?”
“Of course.”
The appearance of a proud girl.
From what he could guess, it didn’t seem like the worst-case scenario.
Hector stroked his chin and then asked suddenly.
“Do you still trust the young master now?”
“Of course. We swore to spend our lifetime together.”
Hector had devoted his entire life to serving the Crodaine family.
He had watched over Jace from his side for as long as Jace had lived.
He had grown up really well.
Not only his abilities but also his character was excellent……
The girl before his eyes was the same.
Despite being the daughter of a noble family, she was well-mannered.
She was as intelligent as she looked, so her judgment was trustworthy.
‘Still, I should check directly.’
Above all else, the head of the family’s orders took priority.
Having received full authority, everything would be decided by Hector’s judgment.
“Where is the young master?”
“Follow me. I’ll guide you.”
*****
[Emergency Quest]
[Hunt Target: Bear]
[Reward: Achievement Points +50,000]
Do you have some grudge against bears by any chance?
You keep tempting me to beat up bears.
Before I knew it, the reward had increased from +30,000 to +50,000.
Huh? Is this a bounty? It feels like that.
Anyway, I didn’t want to attempt it right now.
The power of a front paw strike is a whopping 1 ton.
If I get hit wrong, it would be no different from a traffic accident!
No matter how excellent this body’s physical condition is.
It wasn’t to the extent of competing with apex predators.
Well, no……
Surprisingly, it seems like I could fight, but the problem is that I’d have to risk my life.
“……”
I’m not alone.
I have a fiancée who wouldn’t hurt even if I put her in my eyes.
Especially since my goal’s main premise is survival, how could I take such an adventure?
I’ll keep dodging for now.
If I can manifest Sword Energy even clumsily, the difficulty would drop dramatically.
That day wasn’t far off.
I was getting stronger day by day, so probably a week would be enough.
A rock bathed in sunlight.
While I was meditating at the prime spot I had arbitrarily chosen.
“Look at that. He really can’t be seen resting.”
Seria came looking for me.Â
Accompanied by someone……
Before the memory could surface, I instinctively recognized his identity.
A person sent from the family.
He was definitely a knight who was the head of the family’s close associate.
As if that guess was correct, memories gradually filled in.
The old knight Hector.
He once defeated the Demon King’s army with ruthless swordsmanship.
Though his prime might have passed.
He still possessed top-tier skills.
Additionally, he was the retainer the head of the family trusted most.
Perhaps he intended to judge me through his eyes.
Since I had guessed to some extent.
I was able to greet him with a calm attitude.
“I greet the young master.”
“You must have had a hard time coming all the way here.”
“HAHA, what hardship could there be? I set the schedule leisurely with the feeling of traveling.”
Yeah. I don’t believe that.
He might not have rushed extremely, but he would have still traveled without rest.
At first glance, he might seem frivolous.
But when handling important matters, he becomes sharper than anyone else.
That’s probably his true nature.
An opponent who doesn’t allow even a moment’s carelessness.
The answer comes from just seeing that he has the head of the family’s trust.
If I were to hypothesize……
If Hector reports ‘This bastard is hopeless, you know?’
Nine times out of ten, I’d be kicked out of the house.
Well, I didn’t need to worry too much.
Perhaps because Seria was with us, the atmosphere was just warm……
“I’ll be going now. It doesn’t seem like a place for me to interfere……”
No! Don’t go! Please save me……
Well, I understand.Â
She’s just a third party.
Since it was ultimately a family matter.
It was natural for Hector and I to face each other alone.
Hector sat down across from me with a THUD, then slowly opened his mouth.
“You don’t seem to have any ailments…… and it looks like you’re living quite well.”
“As you can see……”
“The head of the family was very worried about the young master.”
“You can tell me the truth as it is.”
“Part of the mansion was destroyed. The garden turned into a mess.”
“……”
I tried probing once and it was indeed so.
Though he spoke as if it was nothing, the content was truly terrifying.
Jace had caused a ruckus at the Academy where everyone was gathered.
He had tarnished the reputation of a family that had no blemishes.
If it were me, I would have been furious too.
Because it was a son he had trusted, his heart must have been even more broken.
If I were dragged home, I’d get beaten to death, right?
Even if I wasn’t expelled, I’d have to prepare for secluded training.
‘That would be troublesome……’
Secluded training would actually be poison.
If I’m locked up, both quests and achievements would all fly away.
In other words, I had to stay at the Academy by any means necessary.
“I intend to take responsibility for what I did myself.”
“Are you saying you need time?”
“Yes. I will definitely clear my karma and elevate the family name. Please convey that to father exactly as I said……”
Would this be enough?
I boldly declared a man’s aspirations, so I hoped it would just pass.
However……
I couldn’t quite read this gentleman’s mind.
While staring intently at my face.
He showed a faint smile, but I couldn’t distinguish whether it was pride or mockery.
“Ah, that’s right. How did you fix your Dantian?”
Once a Dantian is broken, it’s impossible to fix.
Occasionally it recovers naturally, but it requires decades.
How should I get around this?
Actually, I had prepared a plan long ago.
“I ate a lot of elixirs when I was young, didn’t I?”
“You did. Now that I mention it, the head of the family took care of you excessively. To digest all that amount, you’d need to be at least thirty……”
“Recently, the energies that had been clumped up in corners of my body harmonized.”
“───??”
“I don’t know well, but thanks to that, my Dantian recovered. Along with that, the elixir’s energy melted and I’m rapidly gathering Mana.”
“Hmm, how fast is this ‘rapid’……”
“Don’t be surprised. It easily exceeds 10 times that of a beginner.”
“───!!”
“Of course, it seems to be a temporary phenomenon…… but just having the blocked door opened gives great expectations for results.”
“Then how much time do you need?”
“One year…… within one year, I will recover the level I had achieved.”
“……”
To be honest…… I don’t know well either!
It could take 2 years, or it could take 3 years.
I couldn’t predict the variables of achievements and quests.
‘If things go smoothly……’
I could confidently claim to be the heir of the Crodaine family anywhere.
Anyway, Hector’s expression became serious.
Only that fact was important right now.
“A miracle has truly happened…… Actually, I was going to take the young master away.”
Ah, so that was indeed the plan!
It was good that I prepared for it, otherwise I would have almost been dragged away.
“Looking again, you’ve become quite dependable. Now I can understand the young lady’s faith.”
He suddenly mentioned Seria.
She seemed to have spoken well of me in advance.
As an opinion from his fiancée, it would have been grounds for judgment.
This should be reassuring.
Since I’ve won over Hector, the possibility of him watching over me for a while has increased.
“I will report what I have seen and heard. Though the judgment is the head of the family’s, in my personal opinion, there shouldn’t be any particular problem.”
Done. I’ve obtained a grace period this time too.
Thereby, my freedom was guaranteed.
“This old body will be going now. I can only hope that you become the best.”
Hector is a retainer of the family.
Having devoted his loyalty for such a long time, even someone who would become the next head of the family should show proper respect.
I should see him off.
As I was about to get up from my seat following him.
As if something had suddenly occurred to him, he slowly opened his mouth.
“Ah, but I should check directly after all. Excuse me for a moment.”
When I was trying to understand what that meant, everything was already over.
“……”
A sharp blade energy grazed past my face.
A few strands of hair cut off and fluttering in the air.
If it weren’t for that, I would never have realized it.
A frighteningly quick draw and sheathing.
That large movement was completed in the blink of an eye.
Wait, how can you swing a sword out of the blue?
You should have given me time to prepare…… even if you had, I wouldn’t have been able to react, TISK……
“Good. You pass.”
Why? How come?
I just stood there dumbfounded and got hit, but instead of disappointment, he shows a satisfied expression.
“Next time we meet, you’ll have become an adult. I’m really looking forward to it.”
I don’t quite understand what’s what.
He chuckles and leaves after giving words of encouragement.
From that appearance, it seemed like I could put my mind at ease.
*****
Hector had served two heads of the family so far.
In the future, if Jace also became the head of the family, it would increase to three.
So much so that he looked forward to that moment coming.
The Crodaine family was identical to his own life.
“There’s no need to worry.”
He swung with full power in an instant.
However, Jace didn’t even flinch, let alone blink his eyes.
It meant he hadn’t forgotten the teaching to never take his eyes off the sword.
It was a thought that could arise because Jace’s Dantian had been fixed.
But Hector actually thought it was rather fortunate that the unexpected accident had occurred.
“The young master had never experienced setbacks before……”
His talent was so outstanding that he had been on a winning streak.
But that process couldn’t be seen as unconditionally good.
People become strong by overcoming trials.
It seemed like that condition had finally been met now.
Perhaps the head of the family with the greatest skills in history might be born……
The glorious future that would be achieved under Jace’s rule was already flickering before Hector’s eyes.
