Chương 5: [5]
"...What?"
Vincent Blante, the head of the Blante family, couldn't hide his astonishment.
"Are you sure about what you just said?"
In response to Vincent's question, the knight bowed his head.
"Yes, sir. Young Master Karon fell without even a proper attempt to resist Ethan's sudden strike."
"...Huh."
Vincent leaned back in his chair.
Chen, the knight standing before Vincent, was one of the few loyal retainers Vincent trusted implicitly. There was no reason for Chen to give a false report in this situation, so the report had to be true.
Besides, there were surely several witnesses. Even if it hadn't been Chen, the news would have reached Vincent's ears.
"What did you think of it?" Vincent asked. Chen paused for a moment before speaking.
"...It was remarkable. It was hard to believe it was the movement of someone who hasn't awakened mana. He made optimal use of his heavy body."
"Was it impressive enough to warrant such high praise?"
Chen was the captain of the Black Wolf Knights, an elite unit within Blante's ranks. As someone who had reached the pinnacle of martial mastery, Chen's words carried weight. He was known for his strict and harsh evaluations.
"It seemed as though he had been deliberately hiding his true strength all this time."
"...I see. You may go now."
Chen bowed lightly and left the lord's chamber. Vincent ran his hand through his hair and sighed.
"Heh."
The troublemaking delinquent was starting to show some interesting traits.
***
Ethan walked with unwavering steps.
'This isn't important right now.'
The incident had started because of his rude younger brother. Despite being treated as an outcast by the family, Ethan was still a bloodline member and Karon's older brother. He had nothing to be ashamed of.
He had no intention of standing there and taking hits from a thrown glove. As he walked confidently down the mansion's corridor, many eyes were on him, but the gazes were still unfriendly.
'...What is it?'
Ethan stopped walking. An odd sensation had made him pause. He soon identified the source of the feeling.
'It's that guy.'
A man with short, dark blue hair and brown skin was walking slowly toward him. His face was expressionless, like he was wearing a mask. Despite his ordinary appearance, Ethan could tell.
'He's strong.'
It was a sensation he had never felt before. People had their own unique auras. It might sound like superstition or an overreaction, but Ethan didn't dismiss it. He had felt it often during his career as a fighter. Athletes with exceptional skills had their own distinctive auras.
But he had never felt anything like this before.
'Is he on the same level as Naid?'
Ethan turned to look at Naid, who was still smiling at him.
"What's the matter?"
"Who is that guy?"
"Are you talking about Sir Chen?"
"Oh."
It clicked. A memory surfaced from the jumbled mess in Ethan's mind.
'So that's what a knight commander looks like.'
Ethan looked Chen up and down.
'I'd lose in a fight.'
Ethan instinctively knew this. It wasn't a matter of competitiveness. Fighting Chen would result in a definite loss.
'Is this the difference in levels?'
A smile crept across his face. He felt a strange excitement.
He could become stronger. Stronger than he had ever been. But this time, he wasn't bored. This world was filled with unbelievable monsters.
'But I'll still be the one to reach the top.'
If he didn't know anything, it might have been different. But Ethan had confidence. He knew the fortuitous encounters the original protagonist would have.
"It's been a while, Young Master."
Chen slightly bowed his head as he passed by. Ethan glanced back and smirked, moving forward without replying.
Chen watched Ethan with a curious look.
'...Is he really the same person?'
He had doubts even from a distance. The movements Ethan had shown were too precise and quick to be dismissed as mere talent or reflexes. It was like watching someone who had trained professionally.
'It can't be...'
It was unthinkable for someone from a swordsmanship family to train in lowly pugilism or martial arts.
***
Ethan took a deep breath and looked ahead. Just standing in front of the door, he already felt a tingling sensation throughout his body. The overwhelming aura and the oppressive presence coming from inside made his skin prickle. The person inside was a monster. But Ethan was not afraid. Instead, he was thrilled.
'This really suits me.'
He had started martial arts because he liked to fight and conquer. Even after gaining wealth and fame, his essence had not changed. However, when he realized he had no more worthy opponents, a sense of emptiness took over. His fighting spirit had long since dwindled. He always won his matches without feeling desperate.
For someone like him, this sensation was both nostalgic and entirely new. Ethan raised his hand and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
A voice that sounded like a lion's roar came through the door.
"Don't be too nervous," Naid said with a smile, still watching Ethan.
"I'm not nervous."
Being nervous didn't suit him. Ethan smirked, opened the door, and stepped inside.
The room was furnished in an orderly and clean manner. The first thing that caught his eye was the man sitting in front of him. Though he couldn't gauge the man's full physique from the seated position, Ethan made a rough estimate.
'About 180 centimeters tall and around 90 kilograms.'
Despite not being overwhelmingly large, probably due to his use of a sword, Ethan could tell.
'He's ridiculously strong.'
People often compared seeing a strong person to encountering a wild beast. If Vincent were likened to a lion, the lion would tuck its tail and run. Vincent's strength was unmistakable, even without seeing it firsthand.
"I heard there was some commotion," Vincent began.
"My younger brother lacks manners, so I merely provided some guidance."
"Manners? Did you say manners?" Vincent scoffed.
It wasn't an unusual statement, but coming from Ethan, it was unexpected.
"Are you saying your past actions were mannerly?"
"Well, let's say I was wandering for a bit back then."
"Heh, you're as shameless as ever. Are you saying you've come to your senses now?"
"Precisely."
Ethan grinned. Vincent's eyebrows furrowed, clearly displeased by the smile.
'He's definitely changed.'
The old Ethan could barely raise his head in Vincent's presence. Although arrogant and unruly, he was nothing but a frightened pup before Vincent. This enraged Vincent even more. He could understand a fierce temperament, but he couldn't tolerate someone who feared and cowered before a stronger person.
Despite Ethan's unchanged demeanor, he constantly caused trouble, leading Vincent to lose interest in him. He imposed house arrests whenever Ethan created disturbances, effectively ignoring him.
Recently, however, rumors of Ethan's transformation had reached Vincent, coming from two of his most trusted sources. He had called Ethan with mixed feelings, half-believing the change.
But Ethan was different. Vincent could see it in his eyes. Ethan was not avoiding his gaze.
Vincent was subtly exerting his aura. Though a mana user could withstand it, Ethan, a non-mana user, should have found it unbearable. Yet Ethan endured it without a single change in his expression, which intrigued Vincent.
Vincent chuckled and withdrew his aura.
"So you've come to your senses?"
"I've outgrown my rebellious phase."
"You've certainly become more eloquent. Can you back up your words?"
Vincent's gaze sharpened, but Ethan didn't flinch.
"Of course."
"Then you must be ready to start mana training."
"No."
"…What?"
Vincent's eyebrows twitched.
"Are you playing games with me?"
"I never said that. Don't jump to conclusions."
"What do you mean?"
"As you know, I have no fear of the sword."
"Heh, go on."
Vincent was exasperated by Ethan's audacity, but he didn't stop him.
"I need some time."
"Time? You still need time?"
"I need to get rid of this excess weight first."
"That's nonsense. Training will naturally take care of that."
"Of course. But I can't keep up with the knights' training in my current state."
"…Continue."
"First, I need to build a foundation."
"And then you'll train?"
"That's right."
Ethan grinned. Vincent sighed and stared at him.
"Tell me honestly. What's your plan?"
Ethan shrugged.
"As far as I know, my position in the family is already near rock bottom. I don't want to draw unnecessary attention."
"You're avoiding competition?"
"Not at all. I don't avoid a fight that comes my way. I just see no point in getting involved in unnecessary conflicts. I don't want to get caught up in pointless battles with no chance of winning."
"…Are you really Ethan?"
Ethan merely grinned.
***
Ethan left the lord's chamber feeling satisfied. He had achieved what he wanted. The process had been easier than expected, likely because his request was far from a reward.
He had asked for an extension of his house arrest. What Ethan wanted was more time to get his body in shape. If the house arrest were lifted, he'd likely get caught up in troublesome matters again.
Plans were forming in Ethan's mind.
'I need to leave the estate.'
To fully utilize the information from the novel, he needed to go beyond the estate. There was no point in getting entangled in family squabbles that would ultimately lead nowhere.
'I need to acquire mana.'
He had no intention of following the traditional knight's training method. There were cheats that the protagonist used in this world.
'But first…'
Ethan looked down at his belly, still flabby with excess fat.
'I need to get rid of this damned fat first.'
It was daunting.
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