*Smack!*

A man who appeared slapped Miley on the forehead. It was clear that he had flicked his finger, but it sounded like he had been hit with a hammer.

'When did he appear? I didn't feel his presence.'

He had dark reddish-brown hair, the same color as Miley's.

Kyle could instinctively feel the energy of those around him by observing the mana flow in the surrounding area. This had become a habit for him since he was very young. However, he could not feel any energy until the man approached. Only now, when he was standing before him, could he faintly feel it.

Miley's eyes widened in surprise, and she turned her head around.

"What kind of brat would dare······?! Han, Brother Han-ya?"

Miley trembled when his eyes met Han-ya's.

When he heard the name, Kyle nodded his head slightly. He understood that this "Han-ya" was a powerful person who could not be sensed. He had heard from Milia that he was the eldest son of the fourth wife and one of the people to be most careful of.

"······What kind of nonsense are you doing in front of a child younger than you?"

"Ugh, I'm sorry."

"That smell······ Did you pull another immature prank?"

"······."

Han-ya's eyes flicked to the hilt of the sword in Kyle's hand and then to the Redwood. With that, he nodded as if he understood the whole situation.

"Miley. Clean up your smelly body first, then come to my room."

"Yes, sir······."

Miley was very polite, in contrast to her previous behavior. For a moment, Han-ya looked at Kyle with his gray eyes.

"It's strange. The remains of that Redwood doll. It has a similar texture to the ones I broke."

Kyle didn't bother to answer. He couldn't have said he restored it with magic, and it didn't seem like he was expecting an answer. And once again, the presence disappeared.

When Kyle lowered his head, Han-ya was already gone.

'I heard that the blood of the fourth wife has a talent specialized in assassination.'

He heard that the bloodlines of the core wives each grow with the power of Lutentus, as well as the specialized talents of their family.

For example, the bloodline of the first wife has overwhelming power.

The fourth wife is the eldest daughter of the Tabas family, known as the hunting dogs of the royal family.

Maybe Miley and Han-ya received early education related to assassination, including hiding their presence.

It is said that if the fight is not a head-on collision but a life-or-death chase, no one in Lutentus can guarantee victory against Han-ya.

'I need to train my body more.'

Lutentus is in a different category than ordinary people think. If you train repeatedly, you will have a body like steel. This is not a simple metaphor. Lavida's body could not even be pierced by the sword of a knight who gave it his all.

Kyle's heart turned cold when Miley came over. He had reverted to his original mischievous expression after Han-ya's departure.

"Oh no! My sword! The sword my mother gave me!"

Miley reacted loudly, clutching his forehead. There was a black and red lump sticking out of his forehead.

"It's been shattered······," Tanya let out an innocent comment

"Shut up! I can see it with my own eyes!"

As Tanya said, the rapier's blade was completely shattered, leaving only the hilt. Miley grabbed the hilt and shouted, veins popping out of his neck.

"You bastard! What kind of trick did you use? Yes, perhaps the Chains! You must have untied the Chains······. Let me check your back!"

"To expose your naked body in this filthy place? Miley, there is a limit to even recklessness."

The Chains carved into Kyle's back were still working, emitting hot energy. Normally, he would have taken off his shirt during the detoxification process, as the clothes could rot, but······ the air was dirty and unknown. It was unpleasant enough to have his exposed face and hands touch the air, let alone take off his shirt. It was an absurd request.

Then, unexpectedly, Molson stepped forward.

"Yes, Miley. How could a member of the indirect branch untie the Chains?"

His voice trembled slightly, and he avoided Miley's gaze but raised his head proudly. Kyle smiled slightly at this change, and Miley's eyebrows twitched.

"What? Are you supporting the indirect branch now?"

"I'm just talking about the facts. But I'm curious too, Kyle. That black rapier is strong enough to have never broken in years."

"I guess it was time for it to break."

"I saw the blade of your sword vibrating even before it touched the Redwood doll. Did you intentionally release your ki?"

"Hmm? You saw that?" Kyle was impressed. It seemed that Molson, too, had the blood of Lutentus running through his veins. He had not seen Molson's skills in action, but his ki sensitivity was clearly excellent. And unlike before, he did not seem hesitant when he spoke. It appeared that he was asking not so much to help Miley but to satisfy his curiosity.

"That's right! You bastard. You tried to break my sword!"

Molson was taken aback when Miley agreed with Kyle's thoughts as if to contradict them. He had not expected his words to come back to him like a sword from Kyle.

"That's not what I meant······!"

On the other hand, Kyle was calm.

"So you're saying that my sword is a cheap sword that could break if you wanted it to?"

"What?!"

"I just stabbed, and the sword broke. What else do you want to know?"

To intentionally break a sword? He could never even think of such a hideous thought. It was the kind of dirty thought that only that filthy man could have in this unpleasant space.

"Stop throwing tantrums."

"What? Tantrums······?!"

"If you have anything else to say, go wash that smelly body of yours first."

"Is that how a young brat like you talks to me?" Miley, her lips pursed, grabbed his neck.

"I'm your older brother by two years. Seeds are all the same. They don't have a top or a bottom."

"Shut up!!"

It's really hard to watch a child whining. Kyle turned his back, feeling that it was not worth his time.

"Where are you going?!"

"······It looks like you're going to wash your body."

"Shut up too!"

Tanya followed Kyle with her head down. When Miley tried to follow them with a menacing look, Molson grabbed his hand.

"Miley. I think you need to calm down first."

"This kid is crazy······? Do they all think I'm easy to pick on?!"

Miley tried to shake off his hand roughly, but Molson didn't let go.

'He's weaker than me.'

It was something he could not have known because they had never fought before. The thin hand did not come out of his hand. But then, Miley's knee struck his side and he had to let go of his hand.

"Ugh?!"

"Do you really want to get yourself killed?"

He felt pain, and his breath was briefly cut off, but that was all. Miley, who was sitting on top of him and punching him, was somehow not intimidating. The fearsome background of the core family members remained, but he thought he could overcome it. It's time to look ahead.

His demeanor seemed to say, 'The core family? To hell with that. I don't give a damn about such things.'

Just then, the sunlight streaming from outside the training hall door illuminated his proud figure, making it shine even more.

Kyle was about to leave the training center, putting the incident behind him. But then, a man came rushing in through the door.

"Miley! You didn't cause another accident... No, you did something great!"

The man, who was quite plump, had a swagger that was not befitting a knight. Kyle was about to ignore him and walk away, but he blocked his path.

"What the hell is this guy doing?"

If Han-ya had a subtle aura, the man in front of her had a superior amount of aura in his naturally built physique. It was being emitted as it was, as if he had no intention of hiding it. Even if his aura was of poor quality, he would have been pushed back by force to that extent.

"What the hell is going on?! I heard that Han-ya was here and already left!!"

"Bertooo..."

Miley, who had been huffing and puffing, looked up at the man named Berto with tears welling up in her eyes.

"That bastard... That bastard... He broke my mother's rapier!"

"Huh? That wouldn't be easy to break, would it?!"

Berto's eyes widened, and he turned his head around quickly. He was annoyed by the man's nonchalant attitude as if he had not meant to block his path. His gaze fell down.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you for the first time! I'm Berto! I'm a first-class knight. Haha. I'm also Miley's mentor."

A first-class knight is a skilled warrior who has been selected from among the second-class knights like Aldbert.

'I heard there are only one-tenth as many first-class knights as second-class knights.'

Kyle's nanny, Milia, was also a former first-class knight. Kyle still didn't know how much power Milia was hiding. However, as a knight of Lutentus, he had no reason to bow his head.

"I am Kyle of the Nava tribe."

Bert chuckled, his jowls quivering.

Nava is located at the very north of the continent. It is considered to be a remote area, even among remote regions... Introducing himself as being from Nava rather than Lutentus was unexpected.

"Yes, yes. You know Nava well, don't you!"

"Then get out of the way."

"Ha ha... Please, just give me a moment! That rapier is a cherished item of Miley's. How did it end up like this?!"

"I heard that to prove my worth as a Lutentus, I have to stab the Redwood with this sword."

"Berto! A sword that breaks like that······!"

Kyle looked at him with his eyes narrowed, and Miley lowered her eyes.

"No, I didn't...!"

Berto rolled his eyes as if looking at a naive child.

"Miley? I'm in the middle of a conversation right now, right?"

"Yeah, yeah! Berto. Make sure to squeeze everything from him!"

"Sigh, yes."

Berto slowly walked over to the Redwood and examined it. He also checked the rapier fragments that had fallen to the ground, broken into pieces. Judging from the shape of the fragments, the sword had cracked in a straight line, then split into several branches like tree roots before reaching the end. At the point where it started to split was a small warding stone that blocked the flow of ki. The warding stone was cracked in half and had lost its power.

'Madam had ordered me to put this warding stone here to test Miley's achievements... And that kid actually broke through it.'

This was a secret that not even Miley knew. Berto scanned Kyle from head to toe. He was barely as tall as his head.

"It seems like you've been training mainly with ki and already made great progress. Have you done any independent training?"

"Sir Berto, I find it unpleasant that you're interrogating me like this."

"Haha. Of course not! If we make sure, it'll be good for Kyle too, won't it?"

Kyle stared at Berto intently. He felt that Berto's frivolous tone was hiding a hidden meaning.

'He thinks something is going on.'

If Berto was in charge of Miley's swordsmanship training, he must be under the Fourth Lady's jurisdiction. Was it for Miley, or was it a personal interest? No matter the reason, Kyle had no reason to answer.

"I don't think it's a matter that I need to explain."

"Haha. I'm sorry if I sounded rude."

Kyle pointed to the handle in Miley's hand.

"If you're a first-class knight, you'll be able to confirm it by looking."

"Yes, yes. Of course. Just a quick look will do."

Berto, who had been smiling weakly, started to become curious about Kyle.

Why are all the Seed brat?'

The Seeds of Lutentus are basically hot-tempered and tend to swing their fists before they say a word. In addition, the young ones who were young enough to participate in the liberation for the first time did not know how to make sound judgments. The closer they are to the core, the more they are obsessed with strength while neglecting basic moral education. The indirect branch is only busy panting to follow in their footsteps.

However, even though he was from a rural border town, he did not look flustered. The fact that he justified his actions as a first-class knight and did not shrink in this situation made him different from other brats.

"Well, there were exceptions like the second lady, who valued grace."

Berto laughed and took the handle in both hands. Then he gasped and opened his eyes wide. There was a very small dot on the back of the blade where the blade had broken. The small traces next to it were probably left by Miley.

"To break through the warding stone with just one blow... I didn't think it was possible for someone of that age, even with the Lutentus' Chains activated."

Berto glanced at Kyle's body and saw that it was already quite muscular. He wanted to touch it all over and explore how it had become that way, but...

'If I did that to a Seed of Lutentus, I'd have my head chopped off. Haha.'

Berto laughed, putting his interesting feelings aside.

"I'm sure of it, Miley. Kyle did not use any tricks. He broke it through the power of his ki and his body."

"Berto! Why are you even saying that? Do you really think a Seed can do that?"

"Hah. Miley. Would you say the same if April had broken it?"

Miley lowered her head and muttered.

"That's because... April is... What? You're comparing this brat to April?"

April was the youngest daughter of the second lady. Kyle remembered what Aldbert had said to him in the mana vehicle on the way to Levido.

"He said that participating in the liberation was a hobby," Kyle thought to himself,

He didn't care much about his eccentric hobby. His only interest right now was to leave. The unpleasant air seemed to be polluting his mind.

Someone shouted, "Where are you going?!"

When Miley shouted, Kyle turned his head slightly. Miley was silenced by the strange light that flashed in his eyes.

"Fine. Go, go. What the hell... What's with your eyes?"

Tanya, who was standing next to her, followed Kyle with a quick step.

···

Kyle returned to the cultivation chamber and headed straight for the shower room without looking back. It had only been a day since he arrived in Levido, but all sorts of dirty things had happened. Even the running water couldn't easily wash away the smell that had seeped into his body.

Still.

There was some progress. He had met Han-ya for a short time. He must be one of the strongest people in Lutentus.

'He said he broke that red stone.'

Kyle could barely scratch the red stone with all his strength. The original red stone embedded in the armory was crushed to the point where it was unrecognizable. In addition, even though it was specialized in hiding its presence, Kyle could not sense it. That much difference would be vast in level.

'Even so, it couldn't be compared to Lavida.'

It wasn't just that much strength that made Yuriel show the ugly emotion of jealousy.

If you measure by strength, Yuriel could never put Han-ya above himself.

Although he was still weak compared to his previous life, Kyle was confident. He believed that only Lavida could match his growth speed.

He just needed a little time. 

 

---

Author's Note

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