Genius Gamer, Reincarnated into a Heroic Family Episode 52
The face of a hero (2)
Only seven years had passed since Harang left the palace of Calambrinho and officially returned as a ‘Folden Knight’.
It was an excessively fast pace, considering that it took the youngest member of the clan to leave Baekya Castle nine years ago.
Of course, it would be difficult to expect a grand parade or welcome just because you returned from the White Night Castle. Although Kaladan was a noble family, he did not particularly like such unnecessary decorations.
To be exact, it would be right to say that Duke Kal-El was not very fond of it. After all, a lot of the culture had changed since he took over as head of the household.
“You have arrived, Young Master.”
Entering the palace and passing through the long garden path, I reached the main palace, where two knights and a butler were waiting. The butler stepped forward and bowed his head politely. It wasn’t a knightly salute, but it was enough to show courtesy.
“His Majesty is waiting.”
“… … The lord of the house?”
Harang was slightly flustered because she didn’t expect to see his face right after returning.
Even, you’re waiting?
Duke Kal-El is not good at waiting for someone. If you call him and make him wait, he might not know.
That’s how precious his time was.
‘I said that the report about the demonization article was uploaded in advance.’
There were plenty of long-distance communication methods on the continent of Astera. It was safe to say that most noble families, merchants, and other large groups had them, although there were no cell phones.
When delivering the emperor’s message, the culture of having a delegation or messenger personally visit and politely convey the message verbally is still maintained, but most urgent matters are reported by phone.
Therefore, he instructed his knights to keep an eye on each other so that information about the maid Soirin would not be leaked to the outside world.
Since they all belonged to different affiliations anyway, they had no obligation to protect each other, and Harang knew how to take advantage of that.
‘I thought it wouldn’t be my turn for a while since I submitted the report in advance… … .’
I felt the need to meet Duke Kal-El in person and talk to him anyway, so it’s better that this opportunity came to me all at once.
“Let’s go right away.”
The main palace has a royal chef personally prepare a sumptuous banquet. If two blood relatives are dining together, he will be especially careful.
Harangdo was reincarnated into Kaladan and only had one meal at the main palace. It was the day he passed the Kaladan Proof Ceremony and was given the Cheongwolhun right before leaving for Baekya Castle.
Squeak…!!
The large iron door of the main palace restaurant opened, and a long, straight table, unlike the previous round tables, was the first to greet Harang.
Duke Kal-El sat at the very end of the dining table, his fingers folded, staring at Harang.
Right behind him stood Kal-El’s most trusted butler, Tyrn Aradela, whose presence was so obscured that no one even noticed that he was there.
No. Maybe Duke Kal-El’s presence is so strong that the presence of others is erased like a blank space.
“You came, youngest grandson.”
Since he was not equipped with a sword, he bowed instead of saluting.
“Harang Paul Caladan. He has returned to the palace after serving three months of probation.”
“Okay, sit down.”
“yes.”
After waiting for a while, the servants brought out the food. It was tempting to smell the fragrant smell that she had not smelled in a long time, but Harang did not even look at the food.
“Have you had a good rest?”
“… … .”
I was going to say that I rested since I had been on probation, but I answered honestly.
“It was three months that allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the discipline of magic.”
“Is that so?”
As expected, Duke Kal-El didn’t really scold him.
“Once I understood magic, I felt the sharpness of my sword become even sharper.”
“Hoo… … .”
When Harang added, Kal-El’s eyes lit up. It sounded a bit strange to hear that studying magic made one’s sword skills sharper.
He seemed a little curious, but that wasn’t the point of calling me to talk about it now.
“Okay. First, since you’ve finished your training, I’ll give you the item you were supposed to receive from the second prince of Herael.”
As I made a light gesture, the butler who had been waiting behind me brought a silver cart and handed me a gold armor with the emblem of the Herael royal family engraved on it. I took it and opened the armor, and inside was a gold bead so smooth that my face was visible.
“Do you know what that is?”
To be honest, Harang was so surprised that she couldn’t open her mouth right away.
“… … It appears to be the Golden Wheel, which even the royal family of Herael can only receive once in their lifetime.”
I wanted to win the bet from the Prince of Castia and receive a reward that could rival his right-hand man, but honestly, it was hard to predict what he would send. At best, I thought he would send a precious sword.
‘Something this precious… …?’
Duke Kal-El spoke to Harang, who was looking at the Geumryundan with a bewildered expression.
“The prince has made a big decision. He has set the value of his right arm very high.”
Even for ordinary people, the right arm is very precious.
Moreover, how precious would a right arm be to a growing genius prosecutor?
It will have a value that cannot be exchanged even for ten million dollars.
The value of Geumryundan was also like that.
It is known that ordinary people’s lifespans can be greatly extended simply by consuming it, and it is also a magical elixir comparable to an elixir that cures all diseases.
There are few illusions in the world that can be compared to the Geumryundan. No, it could be said that it is the most valuable illusion that can be made with human technology.
In fact, there was a case in history where a great wizard gave up his limbs in exchange for the legendary illusion.
Wizards had a way to use spells even without arms, and while it might be inconvenient, it wasn’t impossible for them to pursue knowledge.
It is said that the great wizard attained enlightenment through the rite of passage, and later transformed into a new being, regenerating all of his limbs.
However, since a miracle of transformation to the point of regenerating limbs does not come to everyone, it can be said that Prince Castia truly boldly gave up on the Golden Wheel Sect.
‘It is said that the true value of the Golden Wheel is its ability to help one see through and overcome the limitations of one’s own talents.’
There is a story that a swordsman who could not break through the 3-star barrier no matter how much he trained became a 5-star swordsman after taking a miraculous elixir, showing that the possibilities of this elixir are endless.
“Are you going to use it right away?”
Duke Kal-El asked a meaningful question. If it were the usual Harang, he would have intelligently figured out the question and chosen an answer, but he answered as if he was possessed by the Golden Wheel.
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“No… … Later, someday. When a wall is built for me, then I will use it.”
A truly pure answer that did not hide his true feelings at all. However, Duke Kal-El burst into laughter as if he was satisfied with that appearance.
“Hahaha! I knew you would answer like that. That was a very wise decision. Let’s save the Golden Wheel for the future.”
“… … I will do so.”
Harang closed the gold lid tightly and put it in her bosom.
‘I’ll have to store it in subspace later.’
Harang, who tried to calm her pounding heart, looked at Kal-El with eyes that sparkled even more than before. Kal-El, who had always had a mature and serious air about him, felt a strange feeling as he saw the appearance of a young boy for the first time.
That feeling was something Duke Kal-El had never felt before in his life, and he had no idea that this was the feeling of looking at a child as a parent should.
“Then… … I guess I can’t help but talk about what happened at the villa.”
As Duke Kal-El began to get to the point, a young butler approached him like a shadow from behind and whispered quietly.
“I see. That’s it.”
The butler disappears without a trace, just like when he came, with a light wave of his hand.
“I heard that the adopted son of the Kezel family was ‘demonized.’ He tried to feed you poison but failed and revealed his murderous intent. Is that true?”
“Yes. I had one of my maids add a small amount of sanggong-dok to my potion.”
Duke Kal-El’s face hardened coldly.
Although he wasn’t as fiery as usual, Harang felt an even greater chill when he saw the fiery man’s expression frozen so coldly.
It wasn’t my imagination.
Even though it was midsummer, there was frost on the windows and some of them were even cracked.
Harang painfully opened her lips as she watched the food she hadn’t even touched growing cold.
“… … How about going to Kezzle?”
It wasn’t the right question to ask in this situation, but it had to be asked.
In response to Harang’s question, Duke Kal-El stared at him for a moment, then calmed down and stroked his beard.
A look of deep thought.
“Youngest grandson. How would you dispose of the Kezel family?”
“… … !”
That was the answer and question that Harang had been hoping for! However, he didn’t know it would come so easily, so he was nervous. That question was one of the ways to acknowledge and test Harang’s ‘qualities as a king’.
The most exemplary answer here would be to tell the next head of the Kaladan family and king, who has neither blood nor tears, to exterminate House Kezzle.
But, while that was the answer Duke Kal-El wanted, at the same time… … it was also an extremely ordinary answer.
Also, Harang did not want to become that kind of king.
No matter what the Duke of Kaladan was like in history, that kind of culture was not Harang’s business. What Harang wanted was not the head of the ‘Kaladan, the strongest swordsmanship family without blood or tears’ that had always been the case.
“As punishment for attempting to harm the pureblood of Kaladan, the Kezzle family is destroyed and all families related to them are stripped of their vassal status… … .”
“hmm.”
Kal-El nodded and tried to move on since it was the expected model answer, but Harang did not finish speaking.
“If I were the current ‘King’ of Kaladan, I would do the same.”
Kal-El showed shallow curiosity as he looked at Harang, whose eyes were shining as if the story wasn’t over yet.
“… …Tell me more.”
“I have nothing now, and I have nothing to protect. Since you, my lord, are the sky of Kaladan, the pillar, and the very being of Kaladan, I think it is natural to exclude the Kezzle family in order to protect the honor and prestige of Kaladan. However, I… … would rather forgive the Kezzle family with a generous heart.”
“I forgive you… … ?”
Suddenly, the atmosphere became heavy. It was no joke, Harang almost groaned at the weight that seemed to be pressing down on her shoulders, but she barely managed to hold it back.
“… … I’ll hear the reason.”
If you talk nonsense here, things won’t go smoothly.
This was also a matter of concern for Caladan’s prestige.
Letting those who dared to harm Kaladan live? That might make you think, ‘Is it okay to mess with Kaladan? Is it not like before?’
It meant that his image as the strongest Kaladan, who was so fearful and terrifying that he even dared to look at it, could be in danger!
One wrong answer could destroy all the image you’ve built up and been recognized for.
However, Harang thought that she had to say something this time, if only for the sake of the ‘direction’ she wanted her future to take, so she tried hard to keep her lips shut.
“If we leave this situation as it is, it could be said that we were harmed because we spared the group that tried to harm the Duke of Kaladan, but from my perspective… … it’s a little different.”
“What’s different?”
“Whoever tried to harm me knew what would happen if he touched the bloodline of Kaladan. So, such showy threats will do me no good. The threats will continue, and killing them all will do no good.”
Harang’s thoughts were like this.
The cold-blooded, heartless Kaladan is of no use in protecting my current self.
In that case, rather than the ruthless swordsman Kaladan… … .
“… … I would like to follow the example of my deep-rooted ancestor, ‘Hero Kaladan’, and forgive those who have sinned against me.”
Actually, this conversation itself was funny.
In the first place, the crime was committed only by Myron Kezzle, and the Kezzle family itself was likely innocent. Why would the Kezzle family like to do something so crazy as transporting mountain ash with their family name on it?
Moreover, there was evidence for it. Harang took out the broken emblem of the Kezel family from his bosom.
“Hoo, isn’t that the emblem of the Kezle family’s knighthood?”
The knightly emblem of the family never breaks itself. No matter how much it is demonized, the honor of being a knight who has received the ceremony will not be abandoned even at the moment of death.
Many demon knights throughout history have carried their family’s knightly emblem on their chests, proving that they wanted to die ‘as knights’ even up until the moment they sold their souls to the devil.
Harang, who had lived as an Earthling, couldn’t understand it, but that was the way the knights of this world lived.
No matter how much your soul becomes tainted and falls into the abyss… … .
Never abandon your identity as a knight,
so.
“This is the emblem of Myron Kezzle, but he broke it and carried it in his bosom. It means that he has abandoned his honor as a knight and will no longer follow his family.”
“… … .”
Duke Kal-El’s expression changed strangely. Harang had been anticipating his reaction.
‘It wasn’t my fault for going to Kezzle in the first place, but I forgive you anyway.’
This situation was an opportunity for Harang to change her image, which only benefited her.
Just by forgiving the innocent, he could show the ‘qualities of a merciful king and hero’ not only to Duke Kal-El, but to everyone in his family, and even to the unknown culprit who tried to poison him.
That’s not all. Kezelga must be trembling now that they realize their current situation. They brought in the wrong child and their clan was wiped out.
In a situation where he was already on the guillotine, his life was saved out of nowhere due to Harang’s judgment?
You will develop a strong sense of loyalty towards the young master whose face you have never even seen.
Harang’s goal was to create a ‘force that supports me’ beyond the family.
‘It’s a good opportunity to sit back and do nothing and build up power.’
Harang finished speaking, feeling her throat dry.
“… …Is that so?”
Duke Kal-El, who understood all of this, thought deeply about Harang’s words that had led to his decision to dispose of the Kezzle family in a way he had never imagined.
‘I want to emulate the hero Kaladan.’
The words themselves were unfamiliar to Duke Kal-El, but they came as quite a fresh shock. Up until now, he had always wanted to reign as the overlord Kaladan and the absolute ruler, but he had never once thought of living as a descendant of a ‘hero’.
Of course, Harang’s thoughts are unfamiliar, but Duke Kal-El will not change his policy now.
However… …even if it’s not you.
If the successor wants to carry on the will of the hero Kaladan.
There is no reason or need to stop it.
Harang has not yet fully acknowledged his intention to become king as a hero.
It is much more difficult and arduous to be a king as a hero than to be a king as an absolute ruler.
Because it requires more to embrace and make them your own than to dominate your subordinates with force and power.
The heavy atmosphere subsides.
‘Can you really become a king as a hero?’
Duke Kal-El had such a delightful question.
Although his talent for swordsmanship was undoubtedly outstanding, it was still unclear whether he had the qualities to become a king.
But isn’t it okay to say that the mindset of making people follow him from the training camp and wanting to wisely protect those who could become enemies is already showing a certain degree of ‘heroic aspect’ in itself?
“Haha, okay. Good.”
At first, I really only intended to listen to Harang’s thoughts. After all, I thought that as the next king of Kaladan, his thoughts would provide a model answer.
“……thank you.”
Harang let out a sigh of relief when the picture was drawn just as he had wanted. But he had no idea.
‘Oh my goodness, His Majesty has changed his mind… …!’
Steward Tirne Aradela, who had been with Kal-El his entire life, was very surprised to see this situation.
Because this was the first time that the great Duke Kal-El Pol Caladan had ever listened to his blood relatives and changed his mind!
Moreover, after receiving and quickly scanning the individual reports of the knights who had been dispatched to the villa, Tirun learned that they had a very high opinion of Harang.
They are all secretly infiltrated knights, the offspring of other clans. Why do they hold other clans in such high regard, when they are no different from their rivals?
‘What on earth moves the little lord’s heart…?’
While Tirn was genuinely curious about the existence of Harang, he suddenly thought of his youngest granddaughter as the head of the Aradela family that had served Kaladan for generations.
Saeran, the youngest granddaughter, who causes trouble by saying she wants to hold a sword instead of doing the administrative work she is told to do.
‘… … If that child meets you, Master, he might feel something.’
fantasy,
