Chapter 4
A year had passed, and Rowen was now sixteen.
Kael still hadn’t returned from the northern edge of Wintera.
Occasionally, messengers would bring news, but at times, I found myself missing him.
Other than the youngest, Karin, we siblings got along well, so it was natural to miss him.
He was in a place where ominous rumours constantly circulated.
They said that the seal of the King of Harsh Winter was breaking.
To confirm that, Kael had led the Frost Knight Order to the northernmost edge.
A land covered in ice on all sides.
I remember the King of Harsh Winter emitting a bloody crimson hue between the four pillars.
It was the sanctuary sealed by the strongest Hero in history—Lian’s father.
They had left it under the care of the northern wildlings.
Rowen didn’t believe in the rumours of the seal breaking.
He could tell because he had seen it with his own eyes.
‘Father’s seal is strong.’
Unless someone interferes, there’s no need to worry about it breaking.
‘But…’
Why is it getting colder?
The harsh cold winds blowing from the northern edge were pounding Snowfall.
“It’s cold.”
Rowen pulled the blanket up to his head and closed the window.
Maybe it was because he had thought of his father from his past life after such a long time.
The face of Kadan, who hadn’t been heard from in the last two years, kept coming to mind.
‘Even with my memories of my past life, a father is still a father.’
The lack of news was worrying.
A father who brought him to Snowfall but didn’t bring his mother along.
He didn’t like Kadan for that.
But he knew that Kadan was trying to make an effort to face him, so he kept quiet.
The last time he showed his face was two summers ago.
Since then, there had been no news of Kadan.
I asked Biden, hoping he knew something, but his response was negative.
‘I don’t know either.’
‘Pardon?’
‘We’ve lost contact with the Imperial Capital. However, do not worry. If anything happens, this old man will protect you.’
They said he headed to the Imperial Capital because of the suspicious movements in Arcanxia.
The continent is divided into four regions.
Each region is managed by a lord.
People call Kadan the King of the North.
That’s how powerful the lord of a region is—like the king of a continent.
But there’s a reason they can’t be called kings.
Each continent may seem like its own nation, but there’s an overarching authority that governs them all.
The Pentagon of the Imperial Capital.
The ruler of the Pentagon is the Emperor.
Because the Imperial Capital exists, the lords cannot be called kings.
In the end, they are all part of one nation.
Even though they bear different names, it’s ultimately the Emperor’s land.
Despite that, they compete with one another.
The North (Wintera) and the East (Calia Run) have always maintained neutrality.
This hasn’t changed from before.
But Arcanxia has invaded neutral countries as well.
As someone from Calia Run, Lian had witnessed countless deaths at the hands of the Arcanxians.
And so—
“I’m worried.”
I’ve always had good instincts at times like these.
It’s a completely useless instinct, but—
Whenever I have this feeling, it never leads to anything good.
“Because it happened then, too.”
Every time I close my eyes, that scene plays out before me.
I’d curse and open my eyes, but it would flash through my mind again.
The sight of the Demon King, disguised as a human, leaving a box behind.
Young Lian opened the box without thinking.
He had a bad feeling, but curiosity got the better of him.
‘Aaaaaah!’
Dry heaving.
Disgust.
Sadness.
And that wasn’t all.
Rage and Fear wrapped around my entire body like a violent storm.
It was the first time.
The first time I’d seen the severed head of a corpse.
‘…Dad?’
No.
It couldn’t be.
I tried to deny reality, telling myself it wasn’t real.
But the rotting flesh covered in maggots, emitting a foul stench—no matter how much I looked,
It was Lian’s father.
I had the same feeling back then as I do now.
The severed head of the Hero, once called the strongest, filled the house with a rancid odour.
Back then, too, a strong sense of foreboding had filled the air when Father had been gone for a long time.
That was the beginning of it all.
The start of Lian’s demon-slaying.
Rowen muttered to himself softly.
“There’s no way that’s going to happen again, right?”
He pulled the blanket over his head and closed his eyes, trying to shake off the thoughts.
*
Karin Balenos had lived her life receiving all the love she could get.
As the youngest and only daughter of the family, she monopolized all the affection.
Of course, compared to other families, there were many men in this household.
But that fact worked in Karin’s favour.
Kadan wanted to raise Karin like a delicate flower in a greenhouse.
He didn’t allow her to be near any weapons and hoped that she would grow up to be more beautiful than anyone.
But Karin was different.
She liked swords.
She liked bows.
She liked spears and shields even more.
Kadan didn’t assign her a sword master.
However, Karin’s swordsmanship skills only grew day by day.
“Move a little faster.”
“Haah!”
“Good. Don’t forget to watch your opponent.”
“Okay!”
Did the men of the family know that they were weak against her?
Karin had used her advantages to the fullest to get Rowen and Kael to teach her.
Usually, it was Kael who helped her with swordsmanship, but that was already two years ago.
When Kael left for the northern edge, Karin turned to Rowen.
And so, now—
She was exchanging blows with her half-brother in front of her, not knowing what kind of existence he had been in his previous life, innocently sparring with him.
It was too cute to ignore the little sister who kept clinging to him.
She was only eleven years old.
For Rowen, who had the memories of his past life, having a younger sister was an entirely new experience.
Honestly, it was annoying.
He was busy researching and exploring magic.
Yet here he was, secretly training her behind their father’s back.
With every passing day, it made him sigh more and more.
But he also found Karin’s determination admirable.
Unlike someone who usually lazed around on the second-floor terrace.
Ah, not that he ever said it was Cain.
‘That bastard.’
His opinion of Cain hadn’t changed.
Even after getting beaten so badly a year ago, he still hadn’t learned his lesson.
At this point, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that his brain had been reset.
Karin’s swordsmanship skills had already surpassed Cain’s mediocre abilities.
Karin had talent.
And those who have talent but don’t put in the effort or find joy in their skills are truly pitiful.
But Karin was different.
Like the Hero Lian in his previous life, she had talent and loved the sword.
Rowen shook off his stray thoughts and pointed his sword at Karin.
Her clear and bright eyes met his gaze.
“Karin, aren’t you tired?”
“Nope! This is fun.”
“Remember, you have to keep this a secret from Father, okay?”
“Of course! I’ll carry it to my grave.”
“Where did you even learn to say things like that?”
“Big brother!”
Rowen waited for Karin to come closer.
A breeze brushed through their hair.
The white strands of hair from the two siblings swayed gently.
Red rose petals that had bloomed in the courtyard scattered and twirled in the air.
Slowly.
Very slowly, they floated about gently in the air.
The moment they touched the stone ground, Karin pushed off with a burst of speed and drew her sword.
Pang!
The sound that echoed didn’t seem like it could come from a ten-year-old girl kicking off the ground.
The passing servants flinched at the noise.
Feeling the wind rush past her, Karin aimed for the opening in Rowen’s stance.
In one quick motion, she bent and extended her arm.
Her strike was complete, but Rowen turned his body and blocked it easily.
“Tsk.”
“Hey, no clicking your tongue.”
“You’re not going easy on me, brother.”
“I’m already going easy on you. Besides, if you keep staying still like that, you’ll get hit.”
He took a step back and swung his sword.
Karin bent her knees and ducked, evading the blow.
She seized the opportunity and charged.
Rowen quickly switched his sword to his other hand and successfully blocked the attack.
Not missing a beat, Karin spun her body.
She added strength to her spin and kicked with all her might.
“!”
Rowen looked at her, a bit surprised.
That combination just now could be used in real combat.
If you don’t have a weapon on the battlefield, you have to use your body.
That’s why Karin’s use of close combat techniques was a sign of excellent battle sense.
It was a vicious genius, something she sensed on her own and put into practice without anyone teaching her.
That battle sense had come to fruition right in front of Rowen’s eyes.
“That was really good just now!”
“Hehe.”
“Karin, what did I say?”
“Never let your guard down!”
“That’s right.”
He lightly kicked Karin.
Her cute face twisted for a moment.
He felt a strange sense of his heart being torn, but this was what Karin wanted.
She needed to know how to defend as well as attack.
No one will save you on the battlefield.
Unless there’s a saint, which is rare in this era.
That’s why Rowen hoped Karin would learn to use both offense and defense freely.
The better your skills, the longer you survive.
“Urgh!”
“Get up!”
“Uraaaah!”
Karin charged while catching her breath.
There were no gaps.
It was a perfect stance for attack.
That’s why it felt a bit lacking.
Of course, there’s still plenty of time, and she’s still very young, so there’s no need to rush.
But—
“Karin, don’t forget your defensive stance.”
“Ugh!”
There’s nothing wrong with learning it early.
He himself had grown up training like that at her age.
Karin was prepared.
Her eyes resembled Lian’s when he was young.
Lian, who had extremely limited mana, thirsted for swordsmanship.
He lived solely for the sword and moved solely for the sword.
Thirst for knowledge.
He moved to understand things he had yet to experience.
It was the same for Karin.
Every time she faced Rowen and crossed swords, she could feel herself improving.
As a result, her thirst for knowledge grew larger and larger.
“Never forget that look in your eyes.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t forget the pain either.”
“Okay.”
“The tip of your sword should always aim at your target.”
“I understand.”
And so, their swords clashed once again.
*
It had been quite an enjoyable time, but the sky gradually darkened.
The sun set behind the snow-capped mountains in the distance.
The pure white snow was dyed red by the sunlight.
Even as it retained its clear beauty, it continued to glow brightly.
“It’s just like snow, isn’t it?”
“You’re here?”
“White hair is said to be a symbol of the Balenos family.”
“I’m just a mixed-breed mutt with bits of gray mixed in.”
“Don’t belittle yourself. No matter what others say, you are still the young master to me.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but it’s the truth. Mixed-breed, illegitimate, unwanted—no matter where I go, the label of a bastard won’t disappear. It’s not like I asked to be born.”
“Have you ever been outside of Snowfall?”
“…A long time ago.”
At some point, Arahan had come closer and was staring at Rowen’s hair.
Her breath was visible in the cold outside air.
It was still summer in the North, though.
Arahan shook her head, seemingly dissatisfied with Rowen’s reply.
“That’s what I don’t like. You speak as if you’ve seen everything in the world at such a young age. It’s quite baffling.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Yes, young master. You should act a bit more like a child. Look at the young lady. She’s so carefree.”
“I think I’m living a pretty carefree life myself.”
“You are. Always thinking of ways to skip classes every day.”
“It’s not like I do that every day.”
“Sure, if you say so.”
Arahan stopped staring at Rowen’s back and took a seat beside him, watching the sun disappear behind the snowy mountains.
“Young master, am I doing well as your teacher?”
“Why ask that all of a sudden?”
It was a question completely unrelated to the flow of their previous conversation, making Rowen ask back.
Arahan’s answer came a bit late.
But something sorrowful was mixed in her words, causing Rowen to hold his breath.
“I also had a teacher. A muscle-brained pig, but the best when it came to wielding weapons.”
Muscle-brained pig.
With those words, someone flashed through his mind.
In his past life, Lian’s companion, Uba Calia Run, had been that muscle-brained pig.
Muscle pig.
It was hard to believe that anyone else could fit that description other than Uba, but hearing Arahan’s words, it seemed such a person did exist.
“So?”
“When I was young, I realized I couldn’t become strong on my own.”
“That’s true. No matter how much you try on your own, it’s no use. It’s hard to reach that level without help.”
“Anyone who hears you would think you’ve reached such a high level yourself?”
“…It’s just an expression. I read it in a book. Even heroes all had teachers.”
It was the same for Lian in his past life.
The greatest hero of his era—his father—had been his teacher.
“That’s true. That idiot—no, my teacher taught me how to fight. No matter how much of a muscle-brained idiot he was, he was an excellent teacher.”
“That doesn’t seem right.”
“What?”
“People say a disciple resembles their teacher.”
“True.”
“With such a brutish teaching method, your teacher must have been…”
Rowen stopped speaking mid-sentence.
A silent pressure was felt from Arahan’s smile.
“Please continue. What exactly about my teacher?”
“…I mean he was a true mentor.”
“I know better than anyone that he was not a true mentor. More than anyone else.”
Memories of being beaten by Arahan during training flashed by.
Since long ago, Rowen had wondered what kind of lunatic would teach someone in such a manner.
Because Arahan mentioned the word ‘teacher,’ he had wanted to dig a bit deeper.
‘It seems I’ve dug my own grave, though.’
“Well, whether the young master curses him or not, it’s no longer relevant to me.”
“Really?”
“He’s dead.”
“What? Oh… um, sorry.”
Arahan cleared her throat lightly and continued speaking.
“In any case, he was a true teacher to me.”
“Oh… I see.”
“That’s why I’m asking. As you said, my training methods are twisted. I have no interest in beating a boy who hasn’t even undergone his coming-of-age ceremony to the point of excitement.”
“I didn’t go that far in my thoughts.”
“I’m sure you did, deep down. No need to make that terrified face. I won’t eat you.”
Rowen let out a small chuckle and played along with Arahan’s joke.
His lips curled into a mocking smile.
“Earlier, you asked if you’re doing well as a teacher, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“To be honest, I don’t like your intense training methods.”
It was the same when he faced Uba with swords in his previous life.
No matter how much the training was meant to resemble actual combat, bones would break for the slightest reason.
Maybe it was because his past friend was a warrior with a body covered in muscles.
Thinking about his past friend, Rowen turned his gaze back to Arahan.
“But I don’t hate it that much. At least, my bones don’t break.”
‘Unlike that brutish Uba who was only ridiculously strong.’
Of course, it was still tough, but enduring and persevering through this training made him feel his growth.
When one feels the sense of accomplishment and growth.
That’s probably when one feels the happiest in the world.
Rowen had tasted that sense of achievement in his past life.
But he never experienced the same with magic.
Reborn as an illegitimate child of the Balenos family, he now had overflowing magical talent.
He was experiencing a new realm that he couldn’t reach in his previous life.
Arahan made a strange expression at Rowen’s response but soon broke into a smile.
“That’s more than enough for me.”
“So, who’s your teacher?”
“Are you curious?”
“Yes, I know someone with muscles for brains, so I’m curious.”
“Do you even have acquaintances?”
“…I do.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter to me whether you have them or not.”
“So who’s your teacher? If he’s that strong, I might know his name.”
Arahan placed her index finger on her lips.
It was a gesture indicating she could not reveal any more.
“It’s a secret.”
She whispered softly.
—
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