1-Second Invincible Player in the Game

33. The End (3)

Dealing with a family that appeared out of nowhere is no easy task.

Fortunately, the fact that the lady of the house was a stepmother meant I could bare my teeth and be done with it, and the siblings were not too difficult to deal with, as I could treat them with the affection one would a niece or nephew.

“Heck… Heck… I was just resting from training, I feel like I’m going to die. I’ll support you if you need, so please come down.”

“Stay strong, Erusel. We’re not far from the top floor.”

But the existence called ‘father’ is different, isn’t it?

I had a real father, and calling a complete stranger ‘father’ felt sinful.

It would have been easier if he had been as harsh as the lady of the house, but he wasn’t detestable enough to be a bystander at the festival, let alone a stepfather.

“Hmm.”

If it had been reincarnation, there would have been a time to adapt and accept.

But I, who had not been reborn, was not yet ready in my heart, so the steps I climbed felt heavy.

Yet, I had my own business to attend to, and I couldn’t avoid this uncomfortable encounter forever.

As I gathered my thoughts and resolved firmly, I arrived at the top floor.

“Phew, it was quite tough getting here…”

“Heave… Heave… It was really tough.”

“Not you, me.”

As Erusel collapsed in the corridor, an aged voice was heard.

“Tsk, tsk, still tormenting your younger sibling, I see.”

To denigrate brotherly affection in such a manner.

Annoyed, I furrowed my brow.

But the moment I saw the gaunt old man before me, my anger was tempered, returning to an expressionless state.

Knight Commander Kowlo.

The next strongest in the world after Aol.

“……”

Not knowing how to deal with such a man, I kept silent for the moment.

However, since he initiated the conversation, I couldn’t stay quiet forever.

For now, I wisely observed Erusel, biding my time.

“Ugh, my lord, I feel like I’m dying. Sir Kowlo……”

“Tsk, you think I’m taking your side? As always, the third young master is too much of a drama queen. Ah, get up already!”

Kowlo kicked Erusel’s behind lightly.

Indeed, even if one is part of the family, he is still the Knight Commander.

And a terribly strong human at that, so even if it were Hersel, he would have been treated with some respect.

Then, I too should play along appropriately.

“You look robust, Sir Kowlo. You’ll live a long life.”

“Eh?”

Was my greeting, mixed with well-wishes, too forward?

His eyes widened in surprise.

“Ah, ah… Well, yes. The first young master seems to have recovered quite a bit from his injuries.”

“Then, I have matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.”

Worried about making more blunders, I tried to continue on my way.

But Kowlo narrowed his eyes and cautioned me.

“Be careful, the Duke is in a very bad mood right now, so don’t rub him the wrong way. Don’t make a mistake.”

“Did something unpleasant happen to my father?”

“Hmm, the second young master has left home, so it’s natural for him to be upset. Plus, there’s the matter of the treasures in the basement. Seems like the beast devoured them all, adding insult to injury, he’s quite furious.”

Damn, that’s not good news.

Feeling the tension rise, I pretended to be in more pain and walked away slowly.

* * *

With a puzzled face, Kowulo watched Hersel’s retreating back and then turned to Eruzel with a question.

“Have I grown so old that I’m going deaf? That insolent fellow’s words, surely I must have heard wrong?”

“Just as you heard,” Eruzel replied.

“What, what did you say?”

Eruzel didn’t seem to be lying.

Kowulo, shocked by the turn of events, stepped back without realizing it.

‘Polite words from that brazen mouth?’

Such compliments were the complete opposite of what he was used to hearing.

Hersel usually called him ‘a blustering old man, a frothy elder,’ so it was no wonder Kowulo was surprised.

“To see something this bizarre in my lifetime. What on earth has been happening?”

“I’m not quite sure of the details, but it seems his mind has been rather unsettled lately,” Eruzel said, massaging his trembling legs.

“But don’t let your guard down, Sir Kowulo. His vile nature remains unchanged. He’s still a dark-hearted scoundrel. I will certainly…”

Kowulo nodded at Eruzel’s words, filled with distant anger.

There was no other way to explain the situation except that the man had gone mad.

‘Yes, that must be it. I thought I had missed a gem, but there’s no reward for waiting…’

He had stayed put until Hersel arrived to assess his discretion as a knight.

And yet, it seemed his personality had changed a bit.

But the essence appeared to be the same as ever.

“Well, this has its own way of being amusing,” Kowulo mused.

He smirked as he watched Hersel enter the reception room.

Indeed, if he entered the academy in such a state, it would be interesting to see what would unfold.

* * *

Upon entering the reception room, the first thing that caught his eye was the two glasses and a bottle of liquor on the table.

Aol, seated at the head of the table, looked at the cabinet full of liquor bottles and began to speak.

“Not much has changed since my time.”

This place was originally the annex where Aol had lived before becoming the head of the family.

Now, he was expressing his nostalgia out loud.

I greeted him first.

“Did you call for me, Father?”

While I inwardly hesitated to call him ‘father,’ voicing it out loud proved to be surprisingly easy, perhaps due to the ‘noble remnants of blood’ within me.

“Take a seat.”

Aiol pointed to the spot where the glass was placed.

The atmosphere suggested a drink together.

For someone who had resolved to quit, it was an unwelcome situation.

“Actually, I’m abstaining from alcohol.”

To my honest reply, Aiol blinked.

“That’s indeed a good thing.”

He seemed subtly pleased as he poured himself another drink.

Chink-chink—

One glass, then two.

He kept drinking alone.

Until the bottle was empty…

Pop!

That was when he uncorked the second bottle.

Watching him drink in silence, I wondered if I had made some mistake.

His mouth, which felt so heavy, finally opened.

“Do you resent me?”

His voice was calm and deep.

The ambiguous question from the start made my head spin.

Was he talking about a friction I was unaware of, or about the fact that I had turned a blind eye to the hostess’s massacre?

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“I’d like to say it’s something trivial. But what I’m asking about is the time I gambled with your life.”

I didn’t know how to respond, so I remained silent.

Aiol interpreted my silence in his own way and emptied another glass.

“To be honest, you and I have always had a love-hate relationship. If you were to die, I thought that must be your fate.”

…Wasn’t that a bit harsh?

“Perhaps I should call it a sore spot. Resenting you was also resenting myself. I too had a period of wandering, so I had no right to be strict, and being the first child, I didn’t know how to raise you. Despite that, I’ve always been disappointed in you, even though I had no right to be…”

“…”

As I listened to the continuing words, I felt awkward.

It seemed like he was trying to convey his apologies with the courage from alcohol, but I could only think that there must have been such circumstances rather than resentment.

Hershel must have really troubled him.

“Now that I’ve said it out loud, there’s no excuse.”

Aol said with a bitter smile, pouring another drink.

“But it seems I was wrong. Maybe I never even tried to understand you.”

At this point, I felt I should respond, so I finally opened my mouth that had been shut.

“I don’t dwell on the past.”

It was an honest feeling.

It was unfair to be possessed by such a character, but that wasn’t Aol’s fault.

I had just been harshly rejected and driven away.

In truth, his reaction was within the realm of what I had anticipated.

– “The Tenest family is built on swordsmanship. But what should I say when you, the eldest son, want to learn magic?”

As the saying goes, beans sprout where beans are planted, and red beans where red beans are.

In a world where families are established on either swordsmanship or magic, diverging paths are not permitted.

– “I don’t mean to belittle magic, but it doesn’t suit our bloodline.”

I had thought that Mirsel could one day bring glory to the Tenest name, and I could overlook a good-for-nothing if he had no expectations.

But it seems that the bizarre incident has burst that bubble.

– “I have high hopes for you. Didn’t you also contribute to capturing the monster? So stop the nonsense and devote yourself to the sword.”

For me, whose core has been damaged, this is a bitter reality.

Thus, ironically, I’ve come to genuinely want to learn the magic I was forced to study.

Above all, the biggest motivation was Aoal’s pitiable reaction.

– “And Hersel, it’s awkward to say this, but magic… well, you need to be smart for that, ahem. No, it’s nothing. You may leave now.”

Dare to compare my intelligence to someone like Hersel?

I’ve never been so wounded in my pride.

To be compared to a barbarian who does nothing but read smut and get drunk, as if my modern intellect is on the same level, means my life is worthless.

That’s why I must prove it.

That I can become a magician.

* * *

“What do you think about him learning magic?”

Aria asked, twirling her pen, and Dellerger, buried in the sofa, scratched his head and replied.

“Well, he’s become strong enough, so maybe he’s looking for something different?”

Aria asked with a skeptical look.

“…I still don’t get it. Is Hersel really stronger than you?”

She had heard about the incident in the mines from Dellerger, but it was still hard to believe.

However, Dellerger’s immediate response came without a hint of hesitation.

“Yes. Incomparably so.”

“…”

Aria was at a loss for words at his firm answer.

Dellerger, noticing her reaction, added an explanation.

“Miss, you’ve heard too, haven’t you? The tale of someone surviving the monster’s breath.”

“Can’t believe that. Isn’t it just an exaggerated rumor?”

“Exaggerated? The townsfolk saw the mountain melt. Plus, there are continuous eyewitness accounts.”

Aria rested her chin on her hand and closed her mouth.

There was nothing to say with the evidence so clear.

“But I wonder if it’s okay.”

“What is?”

“The request to send a magician. That house is known for its swordsmanship; the Grand Duke would never allow it.”

That was a headache in its own right.

No matter how many eccentrics there are among magicians, there aren’t many crazy enough to teach the son of the Grand Duke, known as the conqueror of the east and north.

But then again, what can’t be done with money in this world?

Aria chuckled.

“Just teach in secret. I’ve figured out a way.”

“In secret? Even so, would any magician be crazy enough to do such a thing?”

“Yes, and one of the best in this field.”

“You don’t mean a magician from the Tower, do you? That would cost a fortune.”

As Dellerger blinked in surprise, Aria pulled out an old book that had been carefully stored in the drawer.

It was the ‘Ancestral Ledger’ she had found thanks to Hershel.

“If we’ve received something, we should give a grand gift in return, shouldn’t we?”