[Translator - Kiteretsu]

    [Proofreader - Kyros]

    Chapter 14

    “Your bodyguard was caught at the academy.”

    Evan’s voice, calling for Lina, was calm and emotionless, as if he was stating a mere fact.

    “W-what? Caught...?”

    “They say the princess’s bodyguard was detained by the guards.”

    “Ah... no...”

    Lina, who had given Alkas the order and had been unable to sleep due to anxiety over whether it would succeed or fail, collapsed to the floor after hearing Evan’s words.

    “Lina. Your magical talent is quite impressive, but your judgment is severely lacking.”

    “For this matter, I’ve set a price of 30,000 gold. Normally, this would be considered a large amount, but when I think of the losses our family will face because of this, it could be seen as a small sum.”

    “I didn’t expect you to drastically reduce the price when I entrusted this to you.”

    Tap. Tap.

    Evan tapped his fingers on the desk.

    His gaze towards Lina was so cold that it was hard to imagine it came from a father looking at his daughter.

    “I had intended to observe how you, potentially the next head of the family, would act in such a situation. But the result far exceeded my worst expectations. How it pales in comparison to Princess Violet, who had prepared in advance...”

    Princess Violet.

    The princess born of the same mother as the first prince, renowned for her exceptional beauty, 4th-circle magical ability, and sharp intellect.

    Her involvement in the first prince faction, coupled with her role as the mastermind behind stopping the assassination attempt, was something Lina hadn’t considered.

    Having completely botched this mission, Evan couldn’t help but sigh.

    “I-I’m sorry... Father.”

    “You’re done.”

    “...”

    “You’re not fit to participate in the succession. You have magical talent, so focus on research and stay out of the family affairs.”

    “Ah... Father!”

    “I’m done speaking. Leave.” Evan, with a look of disdain, waved his hand, signaling for her to leave.

    Lina bit her lip, finally lowering her head and leaving the room.

    ‘I’ll have to meet him directly.’

    Before this matter gets further amplified by Princess Violet and the first prince faction, he needed to find a way to patch things up.

    What weighed on his mind was, of course, the assassination attempt.

    Would he even meet with someone from the Florence family who had tried to kill him?

    With that question lingering in his mind, Evan headed out...

    “I’ve been waiting for you.”

    To his surprise, Kaylen welcomed him.

    “Please, have a seat.”

    And he was able to face him.

    As soon as Evan faced Kaylen, he realized.

    ‘Lina was not even on his level.’

    Despite the assassination incident, Kaylen remained calm and unruffled.

    He was completely at ease, not showing any signs of tension, even with Evan before him.No?v(el)B\\jnn

    “There was an unfortunate incident yesterday, wasn’t there?”

    “About that matter, I truly apologize.”

    At Evan’s apology, Kaylen raised a single finger.

    “One high-grade mana stone.”

    “If you give me that, I will agree to the terms.”

    A high-grade mana stone.

    It was a commodity that traded for 50,000 gold in the market.

    This was exactly the same amount that Kaylen had initially wanted from Lina.

    Evan had expected Kaylen to ask for a higher price due to the assassination attempt, but his demands had not changed significantly.

    “Are you sure that’s all?”

    With some skepticism, Evan questioned him, to which Kaylen casually responded.

    “Ah, and I would like you to give me the knight who was caught this time as well. These two conditions will be enough.”

    “The knight?”

    Lina’s bodyguard, Alkas.

    He was the top graduate from the Knight Academy, but lacked the talent to become a ''Meister,'' and thus, was not a particularly useful individual.

    That’s why he had only served as Lina’s bodyguard.

    “Why do you want him?”

    “I have an experiment I want to conduct with him.”

    “An experiment?”

    “Do you know how that door came off?”

    Kaylen pointed to the door of the infirmary, which had fallen off its hinges.

    “I haven’t heard the details yet. I only heard that traces of a powerful wind magic were found.”

    “I did that.”

    “...You?”

    Evan, who had heard that Kaylen’s mana circle had collapsed, looked at him in confusion.

    Kaylen spoke calmly.

    Kaylen smiled and reassured her that there were no issues.

    He never used terms like ‘accident’ or ‘agreement’ when referring to his dealings with the Florence family, making it unclear if he was already fulfilling the terms of their agreement.

    Jane, glaring at the snake-like Kaylen, pushed the bound Alkas toward him.

    "You missed a good opportunity to prove loyalty to the royal family."

    Loyalty to the royal family.

    It was Kaylen who had raised Bormian, who was of commoner descent, to become the founder of the royal family.

    Kaylen lightly responded to the remark.

    "Indeed. It’s a shame. There will be another opportunity next time."

    "...Princess Violet showed interest in your magic, Lord Kaylen. We may visit you again regarding this matter."

    "That sounds good. The Count of Florence also showed interest in my magic and has been generous in his sponsorship. I hope the princess’s grace will reach me as well."

    His words were polite, but the underlying message was clear: if you’re interested, you should sponsor him.

    Jane furrowed her brow and bluntly asked,

    "How much did the Florence family sponsor?"

    "They gave me five mid-grade mana stones."

    "And if I become a Meister, they’ll provide five more mid-grade mana stones, and even promised to lend me a mana suit."

    "A mana suit too?"

    Jane’s eyes widened when the mana suit was mentioned. She hadn’t expected that part.

    "...I see. Then, I’ll visit you again later."

    After hearing that, Jane hurriedly left the room, leaving Alkas behind.

    Kaylen watched her leave for a moment before getting up and releasing Alkas from his restraints.

    "Can you stand up... now?"

    "Of course. Now that the agreement is finished, is your body all right?"

    "Yes, it’s fine."

    Kaylen examined Alkas’s body before patting him on the shoulder.

    "You’ve worked hard, Alkas. From now on, you’re my person. I look forward to working with you."

    "I’ll serve you with all my loyalty, my lord."

    "In that case, let me give you a sword."

    As Kaylen’s right hand glowed slightly, a golden aura the size of a finger appeared, forming into a sword.

    Alkas''s eyes sparkled as he gazed at the sword.

    To create something like this so easily...

    His awe for Kaylen grew immensely.

    Kaylen smiled as he watched Alkas.

    "It’s going to hurt a little."

    The golden sword pierced Alkas’s finger in an instant.

    "Ugh..."

    The golden sword didn’t stop at his finger but went deeper, entering his body. It soon found its place within his Mana Path, moving along it.

    "This sword is called the ''Sword of Training.''"

    "Ugh... uhh..."

    "The sword will guide you on where to pierce your Mana Path."

    The Sword of Training.

    It was a method devised by Ernstine, who had become frustrated when the auras of his subordinates and children didn’t improve as expected.

    The Sword of Training, guided by Ernstine’s will, would find the weak points in the Mana Path and direct the user to pierce them. At the same time, it would help develop the Mana Path and even assist with mana absorption.

    "Ugh... it’s getting better now."

    "Once it has fully settled in your body, the pain will disappear. However, when you pierce the blocked Mana Path, the pain may return."

    "If I can pierce the Mana Path, I’ll endure that pain, of course."

    "Good thinking."

    For a moment, Alkas grimaced in pain, but soon his face brightened as he moved his mana. Even though it was just one sword, the way his mana moved had noticeably improved.

    "The Sword of Training is ultimately just a support tool."

    "Yes."

    "You must establish your own sword and completely build it within your mana hall to become a true sword master. For now, you can accept the help of the Sword of Training, but one day, you must replace it with your own sword."

    "Understood, my lord."

    Alkas deeply engraved Kaylen’s words in his heart.

    His gaze toward Kaylen was full of awe and respect. Seeing this, Kaylen couldn’t help but smile slightly.

    "The Sword of Training has an effect I never intended," Kaylen thought.

    Those who wielded the Sword of Training tended to trust and revere him more. This wasn’t just because of the sword’s capabilities, though...

    "It’s not just about the effect. The way their hearts change... I think it’s related to the fact that the Sword of Training came from me."

    Was it because Ernstine himself was the origin of the Sword of Training?

    Those who wielded the Sword of Training were always loyal.

    Seeing Alkas’s eyes starting to change, resembling those of his former knights, Kaylen suddenly decided to ask something he had been curious about.

    "Alkas."

    "Yes!"

    "What exactly is a mana suit?"

    "...Huh?"

    "And you don’t even know what a Meister is, do you?"

    [Translator - Kiteretsu]

    [Proofreader - Kyros]