[6]
"Hey, idiot."
As soon as Ethan left the lord's chamber, a voice that grated on his nerves reached his ears.
'Didn't I just go through something like this?'
Ethan felt a strange sense of déjà vu as he turned around. A rather burly man with short black hair stood there. Ethan furrowed his brow, trying to recall who he was, but the memory eluded him.
Tap, tap.
Ethan signaled to Naid. With a small sigh, Naid whispered into Ethan's ear.
"It's Master Morun, the eldest son."
"Oh, right."
Only after Naid's hint did Ethan nod slightly, realizing the man's identity.
Morun Blante. He was another minor villain with little significance. Being the eldest son, he held a superior position in the succession hierarchy, but his complacency due to his birthright led him to eventually lose all his power to his enemies. It was no exaggeration to say that the downfall of the Blante family, renowned for their swordsmanship, was primarily due to Morun's incompetence.
Morun was greedy but lacked the necessary abilities. He was always envious and belittling others, with no trustworthy allies. In a crisis, he received no proper assistance, ultimately leading to the collapse of the Blante family's great fortress.
'Thinking about it, it's absurd.'
For a family known for its swordsmanship, one of the best on the continent, to crumble because of this fool. It was laughable.
'It wasn't just one fool, though.'
The problem was that there were two other fools besides Morun.
'This fool and his younger brother.'
Ethan thought of himself and Karon Blante, the brother he had met on his way here. He couldn't help but shake his head.
No matter how poorly one raises their children, how could they all turn out so disastrously?
'Not that it was a particularly detailed novel to begin with.'
To be fair, the original story itself wasn't very coherent. It was a time-killing novel where events revolved primarily around the protagonist. Complaining about its lack of logic was meaningless.
'But now the problem is that I'm an extra.'
Ethan shook his head and looked at Morun, who was still blocking his path.
Morun smirked and looked down at Ethan.
"What kind of trick did you pull?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Are you still pretending to be clueless?"
What is this guy saying? It was irritating, but Ethan couldn't afford to cause a scene here. The lord's chamber was nearby, and more importantly, they were still inside the main house. Ethan suppressed his anger for the time being.
"I really don't understand. What trick? What do you mean?"
"Heh, I knew you were shameless. There's no way an idiot like you could beat Karon."
'Oh, so that's what this is about.'
Ethan now roughly understood what the idiot in front of him was talking about.
'He must have nothing better to do.'
As the eldest son of the family, he was meddling in the trivial incidents caused by his younger siblings.
"Are you implying I used some underhanded means?"
"Exactly. Now you're showing your true colors."
Morun sneered as he watched Ethan.
"Sigh…"
Ethan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. What should he do here? He didn't want to waste his energy on this fool. Morun was destined to self-destruct anyway. He would collapse on his own without any interference. Although he dragged the family down with him in the process, what did that matter to Ethan?
'I do need to change a few things, though.'
Since he had become Ethan, he intended to use every element to his advantage.
'To do that, I need to build my standing.'
Ethan looked at Morun. Though Ethan wasn't short, his bulk made him seem smaller in comparison to Morun's massive frame.
"Got any proof?"
But Ethan didn't falter. He glared at Morun with fierce eyes.
"W-what did you say?"
Morun couldn't hide his astonishment. It was understandable. Ethan had always been a coward in the face of those stronger or in a higher position than him.
Morun was the eldest son of the family, superior in both power and status. Because of this, Ethan had never once defied him. Morun was well aware of this.
"Are you insane?"
"No, I'm perfectly sane. I'm asking, do you have any proof?"
Ethan took a step toward Morun, who flinched and stepped back.
'Pathetic.'
Despite being the eldest son, he couldn't maintain his composure when faced with a bit of defiance. If he wanted to establish discipline and hierarchy, he needed at least some consistency. But Morun lacked everything.
"I don't need any proof!"
A loud voice came from behind. A young man with slicked back black hair was approaching. Seeing this, Morun's expression changed to one of triumphant confidence.
"Looks like Karon has a grudge against you."
'This is truly pathetic.'
It was disgusting to see his demeanor change just because his younger brother had shown up, but Ethan didn't show it.
Karon was approaching with an enraged expression.
"You bastard!"
Karon reached out as if to grab Ethan by the collar, but Ethan casually stepped back to avoid it.
"…D-Did you just dodge?"
"Did you expect me to stand there and get grabbed like an idiot?"
Ethan's nonchalant words made Karon's face turn red with anger.
"You insulted me!"
"It wasn't an insult. I was teaching you manners."
"What?! You defeated me with underhanded tricks…."
"What tricks? You started the fight in the first place."
Karon, at a loss for words, closed his mouth.
"You... duel with me," Karon finally said after a moment of silence.
"Why should I?" Ethan asked.
"Why...?"
"Why should I waste my valuable time on you?"
"No, you must duel with Karon," Morun, who had been quietly watching, stepped forward.
"I can no longer stand by and watch a disgrace to our family act so arrogantly."
Karon's face lit up as if he had found a savior.
"And what authority do you have?" Ethan asked.
"I am practically the next head of the family. Are you saying you'll defy my orders?"
"Master...!" The knight beside Morun tried to intervene, but Morun raised his hand to stop him.
"My words are as good as the Blante family's will."
"Hah, you're even more of an idiot than I thought."
"...What did you say!?"
"Naid," Ethan called, turning to look at him.
Naid stepped forward.
"Is there any problem with what he just said?"
"Of course there is," Naid replied with a cold smile.
"How dare a mere butler...!" Morun's face turned red with rage at the perceived insult.
'This is worse than I thought.'
It had been easy to overlook while reading the novel, but seeing it in person was something else entirely.
"Do you still not understand the situation?"
"...What do you mean?"
Morun asked, sensing something was off.
"You just insulted the head of the family."
"Nonsense! When did I do such a thing?"
"You said your words are as good as the head's."
"So what if I did... the head of the family?!"
"You're up to something interesting, aren't you?"
Footsteps echoed down the hallway. In an instant, the commotion was replaced by silence. The overwhelming pressure that accompanied the steps made the previous tension seem like child's play. It felt as if gravity had doubled. The urge to kneel and bow was almost irresistible.
'This is more impressive than I expected.'
But Ethan didn't lower his head. Instead, he stood tall and looked straight at Vincent.
Vincent, seeing Ethan maintain eye contact, gave a small nod of admiration.
Even for a person who can handle mana, this level of pressure was quite formidable. Yet Ethan, who hadn't even awakened his mana, stood firm.
'He really has changed.'
From their earlier conversation, Vincent had already sensed it, but now it was undeniable. Ethan had changed.
He no longer resembled the reckless fool he used to be. Instead, he carried himself like a seasoned knight.
In contrast, Morun and Karon couldn't hide their surprise and discomfort at Vincent's sudden appearance.
As they stammered, Vincent spoke first.
"Is what I heard true?"
"W-what...?" Morun managed to stutter.
"You said your words are as good as mine."
"That... that was..."
Morun tried to stammer out an excuse, but it was too late.
"No excuses. As the eldest son of the Blante family, you will be held accountable for your words." Vincent's firm tone silenced Morun.
He then turned his gaze to Karon and Ethan.
"Having a competitive spirit is good. As a family known for our swordsmanship, it's true that we strive for strength. But you've both gone too far."
"...I'm sorry," Karon said, bowing his head.
"Enough. That I have to involve myself in such a matter is embarrassing." Vincent turned to Ethan. "Ethan."
"Yes," Ethan responded, raising his head.
"It seems your brother has significant grievances. While I cannot permit a duel between brothers... how about a spar?"
Ethan sighed deeply.
"Hah... fine. But I have a condition."
Vincent's eyes narrowed.
"A condition?"
"I won't gain anything from this situation, so the least you can do is meet my terms. It's not a difficult request."
"Let's hear it first."
"I want to participate in the regular subjugation missions."
"Interesting. Suddenly volunteering for subjugation?"
"It's not just that. I want the authority to form my own personal subjugation squad."
"For what reason?"
"I can't disclose that just yet."
Vincent pondered for a moment.
Forming a subjugation squad could be seen as both a difficult and easy request.
Other siblings also had their own unofficial factions. But Ethan only had Naid, and Naid was officially just a butler. The knights avoided and despised Ethan. Gaining this authority could provide Ethan with the chance to rebuild his standing within the family.
"Very well. I grant your request."
Morun and Karon kept silent, but their faces displayed clear discontent.
"But only if you win the spar," Vincent added, causing Morun and Karon to brighten up, while Ethan showed no change in expression.
'As expected.'
Ethan had anticipated this.
'I just need to win.'
He was confident. Ethan, or rather, Ryu, had never known defeat.
'The situation is against me, though.'
His body was not fully developed, and he hadn't awakened his mana. Even if he started training his mana now, he couldn't match Karon, who was already proficient.
'Still, I only need to win.'
And there were plenty of ways to achieve that.
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