Chapter 11. It’s Hard to Look Anymore
“Kardein, how could this happen…!”
At the miserable sight of Kardein returning to the Yuterus main house, Ollsted Yuterus cried out in despair.
Ollsted was Kardein’s father and a skilled member of the 6th Circle who commanded the forces of the Yuterus family.
“I heard you were attacked by the youngest son of the Regell family. Is that true?”
“Yes, it is, Father….”
Kardein’s face was torn, and his teeth were all knocked out.
And… he lost his right hand, as vital as life, to a sorcerer.
“Brother…!”
Ollsted turned his head and shouted.
“Let’s attack the Regell family right now! We must eliminate not only the youngest son but all members of the Regell family!”
“Do not act hastily, foolish one.”
The cold response came from an old man with wrinkles all over his face.
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He was Ollsted’s elder brother and a mage of the 7th Circle… Nael Yuterus, the head of the Yuterus family.
“What do you think will happen if we attack the Regell family now?”
“That’s…”
“The Rigel family might be subdued overnight. However, what about dealing with the aftermath?”
Olstead flinched.
“Although they’ve fallen, they are one of the five major families on the continent. If it’s known that we, who have been the protectors of the Rigel family, led troops to attack them, other families won’t stay idle.”
“B-but, what if Cardine from the other side…”
“Would other families believe that Cardine, a 5th Circle mage, was defeated by a frail 0th Circle scholar and turned into a laughingstock?”
“…!”
In front of Olstead, who was holding his breath, Naiel clicked his tongue.
“To be honest, even I find this situation hard to believe. Other families won’t be easily convinced. They will think that the Yuterus family is spreading outrageous lies about attacking the Rigel family.”
“Brother, still…”
“If the other four major families decide to act… it will be difficult for us to handle.”
“…”
Olstead closed his mouth.
While the Rigel family is in ruins, the other major families remain strong.
The Yuterus family, though considered an emerging power, is only making a name for itself in the northeast.
They are not at the level to stand against the prestigious families of the continent.
“Olstead, do you know why we have been gradually taking control of the Rigel family?”
“That was to take over the Rigel family in a way that other families couldn’t catch on to.”
“Yes, we need to peacefully take over the Rigel family. As part of that, we attempted to secure Yustia, the youngest daughter of the Rigel family…”
Naiel shot a cold look at Cardine.
“You incompetent fool, failing to kill the heir and instead being bested by him?”
“My lord!”
Cardine looked indignant.
“Something is off about him!”
“Off?”
“I clearly gave him the potion you provided! And yet, he didn’t die! He even seemed healthier than before!”
“He became healthier after taking it?”
Naiel furrowed his brow.
“That’s odd. It shouldn’t have happened.”
“I couldn’t understand it either! So, I tried to talk to him to figure out what happened, but then he…”
Cardine trembled.
“Moreover, he dodged the fire spell I cast and ran at me, cutting my wrist! He didn’t act like a feeble scholar but more like a skilled swordsman!”
“…”
“Just to make it clear, I initiated the attack first! And still, he dodged my spell and cut my wrist!”
Cardine was a skilled mage from the 5th Circle.
He could cast spells faster than most swordsmen could swing their swords.
Dodging Cardine’s spell and cutting his wrist…
“Brother.”
As Naiel pondered, Olstead cautiously spoke up.
“I understand that directly attacking the Rigel family is difficult. But shouldn’t we do something about Sirius?”
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of just leaving him alone.”
Naiel said, furrowing one of his eyebrows.
“I will send someone to the Regal family and demand that the culprit be sent here. I want to hear an explanation for this incident.”
“What? Summon them here?”
“To make it difficult for the Regal family to refuse, I will politely write a letter. Noble families are susceptible to such things.”
If the Regal family refuses, the Yuterus family will have a reason to act.
They could bring their troops and pressure the Regal family.
Rutvein Regal must be aware of this, making it hard for them to refuse.
“If he leaves the Regal family and comes here, we can handle him as we see fit.”
“Very well! Let’s proceed that way!”
Olsteed nodded.
But at that moment.
“Ba, breaking news just came in!”
A man who burst into the room raised his voice.
“It’s reported that all the people dispatched to the Regal family have been driven out!”
“What?”
“Mr. Harris has suffered a severe injury to his right hand, rendering him unable to use magic! And it seems Valeon and Catus have lost their lives…!”
“…!”
Is this also the doing of Sirius Canisruth?
Tension spread through the Yuterus family.
* * *
In the end, Naiel Yuterus sent a letter to the Regal family.
He expressed a desire to speak directly with Sirius, requesting him to be sent to the Yuterus family.
With such a shocking event unfolding, he claimed the right to judge right from wrong face to face.
Of course, the plan was to lure Sirius there and then kill him.
Blaming everything on Sirius, they would pressure the Regal family.
Knowing all this… as soon as the letter arrived, Sirius set off towards the Yuterus family.
Rutvein offered to assign people, but Sirius declined.
He asked for reinforcement of the Regal family’s defenses with that manpower.
“In the end, they met all my demands.”
Originally, Sirius was just a mere son-in-law.
Compared to the family head and his daughter, his power of speech was inevitably weak.
But Sirius had already gained control within the Regal family.
“Don’t worry, my lord.”
Riding on horseback, he said to himself.
“I will take care of the Regal family under my responsibility.”
After riding through the forest path for a while, a gate began to appear.
He took out the map from his pocket and checked the instructions Yustia had written.
“From there onwards is the territory of the Yuterus family.”
They said that once he reveals his status there, they will guide him all the way to the Yuterus main house.
Guarding the gate was Kalteon Yuterus… a 4th Circle mage of the Yuterus family.
“He won’t be welcoming.”
Sirius approached the gate.
Without hesitation, he revealed his identity to the vigilant guards.
“I am Sirius Canisroot, son-in-law of the Rigel family.”
“…!”
Shortly after, a man with a mustache appeared.
“Pleasure to meet you. I am Kalteon, guardian of this gate.”
“I heard you would guide me to the Yuterus main house if I came here, is that correct?”
“….”
Kalteon frowned as he replied informally.
“It’s too late today. I’ll provide you with accommodation, so please wait until tomorrow morning.”
The day was already fading.
Sirius nodded and entered inside the gate.
“Sorry, this is the only accommodation we have. I hope you understand.”
The building Kalteon led him to had a bed covered with hay.
But Sirius didn’t mind.
“It looks comfortable.”
“Are you serious?”
“I usually sleep on the floor in my lab.”
“…?”
Sirius usually slept on the lab floor with a blanket.
So, he had no reason to complain.
“Sirius.”
“What is it?”
“Did you really… defeat not only Kardein but also Harris, Valen, and Katus alone? With your own strength?”
“Haven’t you heard from the parties involved? They must have passed through here.”
“….”
Kalteon glared at Sirius while biting his lip.
But soon, he averted his gaze.
“We’ll depart at sunrise. Rest until then.”
“Understood.”
Sirius unclasped the sword at his waist and leaned it against the wall.
After a brief glance, Kalteon left the room.
“Hmm….”
Stretching lightly, Sirius reflected on Kalteon’s attitude.
Though Kalteon’s gaze was wary, his actions showed no hesitation.
There must have been instructions on how to act from above.
“I should get some sleep for now.”
Muttering to himself, he lay down on the hay bed.
And he lay down with good posture, falling asleep.
“….”
About two hours passed.
The door opened silently, and the villains entered the room.
Sirius was in a state of sleep, but he could sense this much even in his dreams.
‘About three people.’
One was Kalteon, and the other two seemed to be Kalteon’s subordinates.
They were trying to attack Sirius with their swords.
‘I heard a resonating sound when magic was used. Are they trying to kill me with a sword in case I wake up?’
The idea isn’t bad, but their attempt to eliminate the presence is too clumsy.
“Do not kill him. Aim for his limbs.”
“Yes.”
Suddenly, the villains even started whispering.
It was pitiful to witness such incompetence.
“Stop it. It’s getting harder to tolerate.”
“…!?”
When Sirius, who was deeply asleep, suddenly spoke, the villains were taken aback.
“Darn it! Subdue him!”
“Yes…!”
As Kalteon urgently shouted, his subordinates moved simultaneously.
However, their swords never pierced Sirius.
He had kicked the straw bed, launching himself away.
“…!”
Reaching out through the fluttering straw, he struck the closest villain on the head.
The man couldn’t even scream before collapsing.
“This… this guy…!”
“Don’t get excited! He’s unarmed!”
Kalteon calmed down the remaining subordinate.
“No matter how skilled he is, if he’s unarmed….”
“Are you saying that even after seeing him take down your subordinate barehanded?”
“…!”
He moved using magic.
After silencing a hesitant villain with a blow to the head, he turned his gaze back to Kalteon.
“Darn it!”
Hum!
A vibrating sound filled the air.
And a bluish energy began to envelop the sword held by Kalteon.
“You seem to excel not only in swordsmanship but also in martial arts.”
Unfurling his magic sword, Kalteon aimed at Sirius.
“But no matter how agile you are, you cannot block a magic sword with your bare hands!”
“…..”
With a look of confident victory, Kalteon charged forward.
His movements were quite decent. He must have trained hard not only in magic but also in swordsmanship.
However, Sirius did not find him particularly threatening.
Though he exerted power similar to darkness, there was a lack of skill in his movements.
“What!?”
Thud!
With a loud noise, the ground shook.
Sirius had caught Kalteon’s magical sword with his hand.
The resonance from the clash shook the space.
“H-How did you catch it barehanded…!?”
In this darkness, it wouldn’t be seen clearly.
The first stage of the Divine Celestial Art, the aura of the Northern Light, shimmered dimly… something Kalteon couldn’t recognize at all.
“M-My magic… it’s being absorbed…!”
The Northern Light refers to the North Sea that swallows everything.
Just like the North Sea, the force of the Northern Light devours the opponent’s energy.
Kalteon tried to pull out his sword, but it wouldn’t budge.
Abruptly, he let go of the sword and took a step back.
However, Sirius didn’t allow Kalteon to escape.
Closing the distance in an instant, he extended his right hand infused with the Northern Light force.
“Ugh…!”
Sirius’s right palm struck Kalteon’s chest.
As the circle in his chest shattered, Kalteon coughed up blood.