Book 1 Chapter 598
598.
“Lewalin, you say!”
“We absolutely cannot tolerate it!”
“The Gerdinger bloodline mixing with that abominable Lewalin!”
The Elders Council reacted to Reina’s statement with an almost convulsive response.
Lewalin.
The greatest magical hero family in Rodren and, along with Gerdinger, one of the two pillars supporting the empire.
Knights and mages have been competing classes since the moment the history of aura and magic began.
Because of this, Gerdinger and Lewalin, who had existed as Rodren’s two main pillars for a long time, naturally became like oil and water.
‘Now that I think about it, Abbad said something, didn’t he? That Celia and Chelsea get along well.’
Although the two snarled at each other frequently, they were said to get along well for direct descendants of Gerdinger and Lewalin.
The same was true for Celia and Abbad.
‘Well, those two worked together to overcome the railing challenge even during the entrance exam.’
Even among their classmates, the two were seen as partners working side by side, not rivals.
‘Moreover, most of the Lewalin people I met were friendly to me.’
Because of this, Leo hadn't truly grasped the relationship between Gerdinger and Lewalin.
He simply thought it was a relationship with a strong sense of rivalry.
‘But looking at the Elders Council’s reaction, it seems that’s not the case.’
Leo didn't know, but the collateral relatives of each family had an especially worse relationship.
If the disputes between direct descendants were about honor, determining who was the empire’s greatest heroic family,
Among collateral lines, disputes over their own interests were common.
The status of a Gerdinger collateral line cannot be maintained simply by inheriting the blood.
One must prove their worth as a knight to finally gain collateral status.
Once recognized as a collateral line, there are many benefits to be gained.
As a result, collateral families worked to build strength and somehow maintain their collateral status.
In that process, they inevitably clashed with the collateral lines of Lewalin, who were in similar situations.
Clashes between Gerdinger and Lewalin could shake the very foundation of the Rodren Empire, so they never escalated into disputes between the direct families.
Also, if disputes intensified, Gerdinger and Lewalin would often directly mediate the situation.
However, even so, frequent clashes were unavoidable.
‘Now that I think about it, there was a big clash between the Gerdinger and Lewalin collateral families about 20 years ago, wasn’t there?’
In that process, there were also collateral families whose fortunes declined.
Among the Elder Knights of the Elders Council today, some fought against Lewalin mages at that time.
It was when Leo was lost in thought, watching the Elders Council in an uproar.
“Reina Gerdinger! Are you saying you’re abandoning your family and turning against Gerdinger for your own ambition right now?!”
Exgerson roared with a face full of fury.
At his words, Reina’s smiling face suddenly changed.
“Watch your words. I am not Reina Gerdinger, I am Reina Flobe. And do you think I’m doing this because of my personal ambition?”
“What?”
“How can the Elders Council, who lead Gerdinger, be more ignorant of world affairs than me, who retired a long time ago?”
The Elder Knights flinched as Reina’s red eyes flashed.
The presence of a knight who had lost her aura long ago overwhelmed those who had risen to the rank of hero or possessed comparable power.
Goooooo-
‘Mana around me is reacting?’
Leo also looked at Reina with surprised eyes.
The mana around them reacted to the will of a knight who had lost her aura.
Accordingly, the surrounding temperature rapidly grew hotter.
It was unbelievable for a knight who had lost her aura.
“Stop.”
Legas, who had been observing the situation until now, finally spoke.
“Reina. Although you disowned your family, I don’t believe you’ve forgotten Gerdinger.”
“…….”
“I hope you will express your opinions without reservation for the sake of the family.”
At his words, Reina withdrew her imposing aura and said.
“This is an age of chaos, where Tartaros is moving and great heroes are appearing in this world again.”
Reina looked at Leo.
“In such an era, the one with abilities like the Hero of Beginnings is Leo. Does the Elders Council truly not understand what this means? As a hero, Leo is already considered a hero who bears the weight of the era.”
Heroes who are said to bear the weight of their era are few, even in the long Age of Heroes.
And it was only a matter of time before Leo would stand shoulder to shoulder with such individuals.
The Elders Council was not unaware of that fact.
But they tried to ignore it.
“Like the Great Heroes and the Hero of Genesis, Leo will leave an immortal name. A heroic family should naturally recognize the value of this child and allow him to fulfill his destiny. If that happens, Gerdinger’s reputation will also rise.”
“Ahem!”
“Hmm-hmm!”
The Elder Knights showed uncomfortable expressions at Reina’s words.
‘If that happens, the family’s reputation will rise.’
‘But is that all?’
Rodren is already a vast empire, occupying most of the western continent.
And Gerdinger holds a considerable amount of vested interests within the empire.
Based on the reputation gained through Leo, all that can be gained is honor.
Unless the Rodren Empire pursues an expansionist policy, Gerdinger has no profit to gain.
‘Moreover, isn’t it ultimately only beneficial to the direct line?’
Leo clicked his tongue, watching the elders’ eyes darting around.
‘Those who have much tend to ignore external crises.’
During the Age of Gods.
Countless royals and nobles ignored the world’s disaster until the very moment the world plummeted towards destruction.
This was because the price they would have to pay to confront that disaster was too great.
By the time those with the power to confront the world’s crisis realized its seriousness, it was already too late.
‘These people are the same.’
The Elders Council does not realize how dangerous this era is.
Great heroes have appeared, and the monster queen who threatened the world for thousands of years has been subjugated.
Flames of disaster have erupted in various parts of the world, and finally, a fragment of Erebus has resurrected.
A series of major events where it would have been impossible to know what would happen to the world if Leo hadn’t been there.
But most people did not realize the seriousness of the situation.
This was because the crisis ended without them knowing.
‘And now even gods, who were thought to have disappeared, have revealed themselves.’
For those who had fought directly against Erebus, this was a chilling crisis.
But for those who only heard about it in peaceful places, it might have seemed like a hopeful miracle.
‘Even after the Age of Heroes began, there were several world crises.’
It wasn’t just the recurrence of disasters.
There have been countless times the world has faced great chaos due to Tartaros’s uprisings.
Each time, great heroes saved the world.
Perhaps, just like when the Age of Gods ended.
‘Could it be that those who hold power are seeing these current events not as signs of crisis, but as the complete end of disaster?’
“We know that Leo Flobe is remarkable. But an age of chaos? That’s too extreme a thought.”
Exgerson said.
“Calm yourself, Reina Flobe. Don’t be disappointed if what Leo Flobe receives this time is small. If your son devotes himself to Gerdinger, he will naturally enjoy many things from the family.”
“That’s right, Reina. We are not discriminating against you and your son. Are we not relatives sharing the same blood?”
“If Gerdinger’s bloodline goes to Lewalin, you will be pointed at for being blind to wealth and abandoning your family.”
“Originally, the All-Class ability belongs to Gerdinger. Leaking the blood of the one who manifested it outside is itself a great loss.”
The elders changed their approach to mollify Leo and Reina.
“Receiving too large a territory at a young age is also not good. Since he is still young, it’s not too late to receive territory after graduation.”
At those words, Reina made a frustrated expression.
“We don’t know when disaster will strike the world, do the elders value the family more than the world?!”
“The world’s disaster is merely your thought. Even if a world disaster strikes, making a fuss about it now is just a wasteful expenditure of power. When a crisis comes, we can unite with many heroic families and stop it. As we have always done.”
“What will you do about those who die after the crisis strikes? We are a knight family before we are a heroic family, aren’t we? Aren’t we supposed to protect the weak?”
“Reina Flobe.”
Exgerson smiled faintly.
“You lost your aura talking about such dreams, are you still dreaming?”
Squeeze-
Reina’s hand tightened.
Legas, who was watching, opened his mouth.
“It seems things have gotten too heated, so let’s pause the meeting for a moment.”
At his words, the Elder Knights looked at Legas, then nodded and left the Elder’s corridor.
“Leo.”
“Yes.”
“Marry Chelsea.”
“Shouldn’t we also hear Chelsea’s and Lewalin’s opinions?”
Answering calmly, Leo helped Reina sit in her chair.
At the same time, Reina covered her mouth with her hand.
“Cough- Cough-”
Leo channeled his mana into Reina, who began coughing roughly.
After a moment, Reina, having calmed down somewhat, took her hand from her mouth.
“I overdid it.”
The cost of using her aura was high.
Seeing the blood soaked in her hand, Reina smiled bitterly, and Leo pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the blood for her.
“My son is such a good child.”
While Reina patted Leo’s head, Legas approached.
“You were amazing, it was like seeing you in the old days.”
“If it were the old me, I would have drawn my sword already.”
Legas smiled bitterly at Reina’s answer.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of help.”
“That’s the job of the Chief Elder.”
The Chief Elder is such a position.
A judge who strictly maintains neutrality and mediates family disputes.
The Chief Elder possesses absolute power to punish those who commit wrongs.
However, it is power that cannot be used in normal times.
This is because they can only judge those who have committed crimes, regardless of status.
An essential position in a great family like Gerdinger.
“I am proud of such a father.”
In great families, arranged marriage is a duty.
The duty of one who enjoys much as a Gerdinger.
A knight would be exempt from that duty, but Reina was not a knight, so she had no choice but to bear the duty.
However, Reina went against the family’s wishes and was cast out of the family as punishment.
At that time, Legas must have wanted to protect Reina.
In fact, Legas had the power to protect Reina.
But Legas chose to uphold the family’s law.
To some, he might appear heartless for choosing the family over his daughter, but Reina knew.
That Legas was the one who shed more tears of blood than anyone when she left the family.
“You sacrificed yourself for the family, didn’t you, Father?”
“…….”
“I am proud of such a father.”
At her words, Legas gave a wry smile and opened his mouth.
“Reina, I also cannot tolerate sending Leo to the Lewalin family. So don’t threaten the elders with that.”
“Are you saying that as Leo’s grandfather? Or as a person of Gerdinger?”
“Both.”
Legas’s face, which had been speaking calmly, contorted.
“What does Gerdinger lack that we have to send a direct descendant as a son-in-law? Are you going to commit the filial impiety of making me hear from that witch that Gerdinger can’t even manage its household and sends its direct descendant as a son-in-law?! Rather, that child, Chelsea, should marry into our family!”
Recalling a former Lewalin family head like herself, Legas made a disgusted expression.
“Then, Father, persuade the Elders Council and give Leo a suitable territory.”
“That cannot be done.”
“Lewalin would surely marry off a direct descendant to a Gerdinger direct descendant who inherited a worthless piece of land.”
“Actually, in the current situation, if that child were to marry in, it would also be a disgrace to the family.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“So, Leo.”
Legas took out a small paper bag from his pocket.
“This is the first and last gift from your grandfather.”
“Thank you.”
Leo received the paper bag with a puzzled expression.
“Giving away family territory is a problem, but passing on my private property to my grandson is no problem at all.”