Book 1 Chapter 5

[5]4

Leo returned to the mansion, leaving Celia in her unconscious state.

In the mansion's living room, Reina and Jis were talking.

Around them, Zerdinger's knights stood in formation.

Reina smiled upon seeing her son.

"Have you finished your training for today?"

"Yes, Mother."

Answering Reina's question, Leo glanced at Jis.

'He kept talking about Zerdinger, Zerdinger. He is quite impressive.'

Even in his past life, it was rare to see such a martial artist.

'It seems the name "Heroic Noble Family" is not in vain.'

"Leo, this is Jis Zerdinger. He is a guest who has recently come to find the family."

"I am Leo Flov."

"I am Jis Zerdinger. As you probably already know, I am your uncle. Treat him comfortably."

"May I ask what you mean by 'treat him comfortably'?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I have Zerdinger blood flowing through me. But even so, I am not a Zerdinger."

Jis's eyes sparkled at Leo's clear demarcation, and Reina shook her head.

'My son has no charm.'

Jis Zerdinger.

Currently the second-in-command of the Zerdinger family and officially ranked second in power.

For someone Leo's age, meeting such a person who would affectionately call him 'uncle' would usually make them excited.

However, even though they might be related by blood, they were strangers according to the family registry.

The Zerdinger family law was very strict.

It was for that reason that Reina had not introduced Jis as 'uncle'.

Leo, having guessed this, asked.

"In public, I won't be able to call you nephew."

"I understand."

Jis burst into laughter watching Leo answer so precisely.

"I can't believe you're my sister's son."

"Ho ho ho. What do you mean by that?"

Reina, laughing while stepping on Jis's foot, asked.

"Leo, did you not see a girl named Celia at the training grounds?"

"Her?"

Leo glanced towards the mansion's main gate.

Celia was being carried in on a stretcher, foaming at the mouth.

"Hah! A-miss!"

"What is this!"

Zerdinger's knights were shocked.

"Huh."

Jis let out an exclamation of admiration.

'Did he defeat Celia without using Aura?'

"Sir Whitten, what happened?"

In response to Jis's question, Whitten recounted what had happened at the training grounds.

Jis shook his head after hearing the story.

The cause of the defeat was obvious.

'Arrogance.'

Celia underestimated Leo simply because he couldn't use Aura.

Of course, from a common sense perspective, it wasn't a wrong assumption.

The difference in combat power between an Aura user and a non-user is immense.

But it remained that Celia was defeated because she was careless.

'And that is not the Zerdinger way.'

Jis stood in front of Leo.

"To defeat Celia, you are quite remarkable."

"She underestimated me."

"Yes. But it seems there was a promise between you and Celia."

"Yes. I made a bet with Celia Zerdinger. The loser becomes the winner's servant."

"What!"

"Do you think that makes any sense?"

The Zerdinger knights reacted indignantly, as if it were unacceptable.

For a direct descendant of Zerdinger to become a servant?

The Zerdinger knights glared at Leo.

But Leo didn't flinch.

"From now on, Celia Zerdinger will be my maid for a week."

Reina chuckled.

Her son was the type to follow through with his actions.

Still, she hadn't expected him to say such a thing so calmly in front of the watchful eyes of the Zerdinger knights.

'Who could stop that kind of personality?'

Meanwhile, Jis smiled softly.

"Celia is a Zerdinger. You cannot make her work as a maid."

He continued, as if advising.

"I wish you would reconsider the promise. Instead, I will offer you other compensation. For example, perhaps…"

Jis stroked his chin.

"How about our family's advanced Aura technique?"

"I refuse."

"What?"

"This bet is a promise between Celia Zerdinger and myself."

Leo glanced at Celia.

"Lord Jis referred to her as 'Zerdinger'. If one carries the name of a heroic noble family, they must be able to take responsibility for their words."

Leo averted his gaze and met Jis's eyes again.

"Even if we negotiate, it is a matter between her and me. And…"

Leo laid down his terms.

"I don't think there is any value in learning an Aura technique that would be used as an excuse to cover up your nephew's disgrace."

The knights, who had been grinding their teeth, flared up.

"Unacceptable!"

"How dare you insult the Zerdinger!"

The knights shouted in outrage.

Whitten, enraged by their reaction, scolded them.

"In what safe place are you raising your voices!"

"B-but, Captain!"

"Is there any reason to stay silent after hearing such words!"

"It seems…"

Reina, who had been observing the situation, shook her head expressionlessly.

"It seems the standards of Zerdinger have fallen considerably during my absence from the family."

"Even if you are Reina Zerdinger, those words cross the line!"

One knight warned.

Then, a killing intent flashed in Whitten's eyes.

"How dare you!"

As Whitten was about to unleash his fury, Reina raised her hand to stop him.

Then, she stood before the knights.

"Cross the line? Then I shall ask you. What exactly are you to so brazenly interrupt a conversation with the second-in-command?"

The knights' faces showed bewilderment at her chilling question.

"Th-that's…"

"I have certainly left the family. Nevertheless, Zerdinger is still a source of pride for me. So I feel I must say what I have to say."

A chilling aura emanated from Reina.

"A mere knight dares to interrupt a conversation with the second-in-command? Are you knights? Or are you beasts who bark regardless of the situation?"

"Gulp!"

The knights gasped.

Reina's dignity.

It was too similar to that of the head of the family.

Jis, watching her calmly, spoke in a gentle voice.

"Sir Whitten."

"Yes, Second-in-command."

"These individuals seem to lack the qualifications to be Zerdinger knights yet."

"I understand."

The knights' faces turned pale.

Whitten, with a grim expression, led the knights away.

"Still, isn't stripping them of their knightly status a bit much?"

Reina chided slightly, knowing how difficult it was to become a Zerdinger knight.

"There is nothing wrong with what my sister said. A knightly title is wasted on beasts."

Jis smiled gently.

He was a person who overlooked mistakes made by his subordinates gently.

However, he was also someone who would decisively cut ties if the mistakes continued.

The knights should have realized their mistake and backed down when Reina warned them.

After the storm had passed.

Jis looked at Leo again.

"Leo Flov. You declared that you would make a direct descendant of Zerdinger your servant and stated that the Zerdinger Aura technique has no value. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Do you not think those statements were rash?"

Jis asked in a gentle voice.

Reina watched him intently.

Jis was in charge of educating the Zerdinger family's bloodline members.

The teacher of all Zerdinger children.

Therefore, he was skilled at discerning the capacity of children.

'He must be assessing Leo's capacity even now.'

Leo had probably already met Jis's standards.

Yet, the reason he was pushing Leo was.

It was because he had not yet grasped how deep Leo's capacity truly was.

Leo also understood Jis's intentions.

So he inwardly smirked.

"If you took it as an insult to the Zerdinger, I apologize. However, I did not necessarily disrespect the Zerdinger."

"If making a direct descendant of the family a servant and saying the family's Aura technique has no value is not an insult, then what is?"

"As I said before, Celia Zerdinger's issue is a transaction between her and me. I believed that if she is a true Zerdinger, she should be able to take responsibility for her words."

"Ho ho?"

Jis nodded.

"And when I said the Aura technique has no value, it does not mean that the Zerdinger Aura technique is insufficient."

"Then?"

"If you had bestowed the Aura technique as compensation for defeating Celia, I would have gladly accepted it."

Jis's lips began to curl upwards.

"But you said you would give me the Aura technique to cover up Celia's mistake, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"You believe Celia would not have lost to me if she hadn't been careless."

He raised his chin as if stating a fact.

"But even if Celia had engaged in the sparring seriously, I would have won."

'In summary… you rejected it because you didn't like my attitude? Haha, what kind of person is this?'

Laughter escaped him naturally.

When he turned to look at Reina, his sister was smiling as if to say, 'See?'

'I understand what my sister meant.'

Jis chuckled, looking at Leo who boldly looked up at him.

'What an incredible potential. If this child were a Zerdinger!'

The Zerdinger family would have gained another hero.

'I must tell my older brother.'

This child is one that the family must nurture.

"Send Celia to the servant's quarters."

"B-but, Second-in-command!"

The servants who had been attending to Celia on the stretcher looked flustered.

"It is an order."

The servants hesitated and then took Celia to the servant's quarters.

"I understand what you mean. I will follow your wishes."

"Yes, Lord Jis."

"Leo. When I said 'in public,' I did not call you nephew, meaning that in private, I will treat you as my nephew."

Jis smiled gently.

Regardless of what kind of potential Leo possessed, these words were sincere.

Because Leo knew this, he followed along obediently.

"Yes, Uncle."

"Indeed. You seem tired from training, so go in and rest."

"Have a pleasant night."

Leo bowed his head.

"Mother, have a good night too."

"Yes. Rest well, Leo."

Leo left, and only the two of them remained.

"Sister."

"Why?"

"I will try to persuade my older brother so that Leo can learn 'Phoenix Breath'."

"Phoenix Breath?"

The symbol of Zerdinger is a blazing flame.

In keeping with this symbol, Zerdinger's Aura takes the form of flames.

Among them, Phoenix Breath was special.

An Aura completed by the first head of the Zerdinger family after drinking the blood of a phoenix.

All of the family's Aura techniques are derived from Phoenix Breath.

Its power was sufficient to recognize Zerdinger as a heroic noble family.

Therefore, only those recognized among the bloodline can learn it.

Reina, who never expected him to bring up Phoenix Breath, was astonished.

"Yes. Of course, whether the head of the family, my older brother, will permit it is uncertain."

Jis said with seriousness.

"However, Leo is a more Zerdinger-like child than anyone else."

The swordsmanship talent that defeated Celia.

An immeasurable and vast potential.

"Therefore, we need a plausible reason to persuade my older brother."

"You don't mean…?"

"Yes."

Jis nodded.

"He will enroll in Lumern."

"It's dangerous."

Anyone who yearned to be a hero dreamed of entering Lumern.

However, to enter Lumern, one needed a commensurate resolve.

There is a saying that all students at Lumern are geniuses.

However, the number of graduates is very small.

Of course, students who fall behind are not expelled.

Rather, they are generously supported to move forward.

But even so, if they cannot keep up with the classes.

Students are given two options.

Withdrawal, or death.

This is how harsh life at Lumern is.

And just as harsh is the entrance exam.

The exam is conducted in actual combat.

People lose their lives in the entrance exams every time.

Therefore, Reina wished for Leo to take the entrance exam after learning the Aura technique.

"Leo has his limits in actual combat, even if he's good at sparring."

"There is sufficient potential. There is no other way to persuade my older brother."

Jis clenched his fist.

"What kind of person do you wish Leo to become, Sister?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you not wish for him to become a hero?"

"If that is the path that child desires."

"Then we cannot choose only the safe path. I think challenging trials is not a bad idea."

"…"

"What do you decide?"

Reina closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"I will follow Leo's wishes."

'That child will surely say yes.'

Jis was certain.

'That child has eyes that do not hesitate to move forward.'

Remembering Leo's gaze, Jis smiled.

'Heh heh. I'm looking forward to it.'

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