The argument that took place in the meeting room, Riezel naturally knew nothing about.
He could guess that Yuri would have some kind of argument with her father, probably not a small one, but he had no idea about the outcome of this argument.
He was busy practicing decomposition magic and swordsmanship in the courtyard, and by the time he snapped out of it, it was almost dark.
"Well, let's go back."
Glancing at the darkening sky, Riezel, who was sweating despite not having breathed heavily, returned to the manor, ready to wash himself.
At this moment, Riezel finally encountered almost all the members of the Frenzel family.
They just came downstairs and happened to meet him.
"Mr. Riezel."
Mediste was the first to greet him with a bow, the courtesy still so polite and graceful.
Isaac completely ignored him but also didn't confront him again, seemingly mindful of his family members around.
Yuri and Marilyn walked somewhat behind, and upon seeing him, their previously expressionless and cold faces relaxed slightly.
As for Alderman and Sefaz, both almost immediately directed their gaze toward his body.
"You're Riezel Brynhart?"
Alderman looked at the young man who appeared to be of Yuri's age before him, sweating all over and holding a wooden sword for some reason.
There was a slight ripple in Alderman's stern gaze as he gazed at Riezel.
"Yes, I am." Riezel nodded, his expression unchanged.
He could guess Alderman's identity, probably Yuri's father. Among the people present, only he seemed old enough to be the father figure, while the others were mostly younger than him.
However, compared to Alderman, Riezel's attention was somewhat drawn to the man behind him.
He was a man with his eyes closed all the time, never opening them, with a sword at his waist, and appeared to be over thirty years old.
Among the people present, except for Marilyn, all the others had either golden or silver hair. Yet, this closed-eyed swordsman had brown hair, and his appearance and aura were quite different from those of the Frenzel family, which made Riezel realize that this swordsman probably wasn't related to the Frenzel family.
According to Yuri, among her family members, males inherited their father's golden hair, while females inherited their mother's silver hair.
Sefaz and Isaac had golden hair, while Yuri and Mediste had silver hair.
It was truly remarkable how strong the genetics of this family were.
This also proves that the closed-eyed swordsman emitting a mysterious aura was not a direct relative of the Frenzel family, probably just like Marilyn—a subordinate or an attendant.
As it turned out, that was the case.
Seeing the closed-eyed swordsman constantly following behind Alderman, his entire aura seemed to be locked onto Alderman. If there was even a slight movement around Alderman, this swordsman would immediately react.
The others either consciously or unconsciously ignored him. Even in the meeting room just now, the swordsman's presence was pitifully low, not saying a word or making any action from start to finish.
Surprisingly, Riezel was the first to notice his presence.
There was no other reason.
Riezel could feel it, this closed-eyed swordsman was powerful. Though not enough to make him feel endangered, he still sensed a threat from this swordsman.
This swordsman, at the very least, was stronger than Ain and Ian, by quite a margin. This sensation was familiar to him since he had felt it before from the three top executives of Loki Familia—Finn, Riveria, and Gareth.
'This is getting interesting...'
Riezel felt a long-lost sense of excitement.
Meanwhile, Alderman, who didn't realize that Riezel was now paying more attention to his attendant than to himself, actually broke into a rare smile after sizing up Riezel.
"I heard about you, young man... You're pretty good." Alderman praised for no reason.
At his praise, Riezel was stunned for a moment.
'What does he mean by that?'
Unbeknownst to Riezel, he had actually become quite famous in the royal capital, Yeluvia.
While the common people might still be unaware, the well-informed nobles had received news of a Tactical-Class Magician on Yuri's side.
Alderman was aware of the significant events that happened in the royal capital and naturally knew about Riezel. Although he was very displeased with what his daughter had done, he was rather pleased with Riezel.
After all, Riezel was a Tactical-Class Magician who belonged to Yuri, which was tantamount to being a part of the Frenzel family.
After so many years, the Frenzel family welcomed another Tactical-Class Magician aboard, which was a good thing.
In its heyday, the Frenzel family had two Strategic-Class Magicians and eight Tactical-Class Magicians. Alderman, who was well aware of this history, was eager to restore the family's former glory. Therefore, he warmly welcomed and rejoiced in Riezel's addition as their family Tactical-Class Magician.
With this in mind, Alderman glanced at his daughter beside him before patting Riezel's shoulder.
"Keep up the good work."
Alderman tried to relax his demeanor, showing his goodwill toward Riezel.
"Although the Frenzel family may not offer you much at the moment, as long as you remain loyal to this family, rewards will naturally come your way."
Alderman was currently contemplating how to solidify Riezel's relationship with the Frenzel family. The bond between this young man and the family was not very strong after all.
During the Frenzel family's heyday, those eleven figures who made the entire continent tremble were either the children or the disciples of the first-generation family head, which clearly established an incredibly strong bond with the family.
But Riezel?
He had almost no direct relationship with the family.
While Riezel was considered to be Yuri's person, given her cold and aloof personality, Alderman doubted she could capture this young man's heart. So, to prevent this rare Tactical-Class Magician from slipping away, he was considering whether to marry Mediste to Riezel.
Marriage was the most convenient and powerful proof of a relationship, after all.
Any noble would consider marriage alliances to expand their family connections, strengthen their network, and facilitate alliances and cooperation.
For this relationship to truly be secured, Riezel needed to become part of their family as a son-in-law.
Alderman didn't express his idea outright.
He simply spoke earnestly with Riezel for a few moments, then intentionally or unintentionally shifted the conversation toward Mediste, causing Yuri and the others, who somehow realized something was off, to furrow their brows.
As for Riezel?
Unfortunately, his attention wasn't on the youthful and beautiful Mediste but on the closed-eyed swordsman behind Alderman.
Unaware of this, Alderman, seeing Riezel's continued gaze at his back, thought Riezel was gazing at Mediste and had taken his words to heart. Feeling quite satisfied, he added a few more remarks, and only later did he leave contentedly.
The closed-eyed swordsman immediately followed behind, eyes closed but steps steady, firmly trailing behind Alderman.
"Good luck, young man."
Sefaz finally spoke at this moment, smiling meaningfully at Riezel.
"I look forward to your future performance."
After saying that, Sefaz also left.
Mediste and Isaac exchanged a few words with Yuri before walking away together—or rather, Isaac attempted to escape, only to be caught by the ear by Mediste, who dragged him away despite his protests.
Soon, only Riezel, Yuri, and Marilyn remained.
Riezel didn't turn around to look at Yuri until the closed-eyed swordsman's figure had vanished from his sight. When he finally did, he noticed something off in her expression.
"What's wrong?" Riezel asked in confusion. "Did the conversation not go smoothly?"
"...No, it's mostly settled..." Yuri shook her head. "It's just that man's stubbornness, thinking I can't see through his scheme."
He didn't quite understand the meaning behind her words, but he grasped the general idea.
"Since it's mostly settled, you shouldn't be randomly arranged for marriage again in the future, right? That's good then." Riezel nodded with a faint smile.
Even if Yuri's father were to arrange another marriage, Riezel didn't think he would succeed. With her influence, denying any marriage arranged by her father wasn't easy, but it wasn't particularly difficult either.
If her father were sensible enough to learn from the incident that just happened and refrain from such actions in the future, they could all coexist peacefully. But if not, given Yuri's somewhat unpredictable personality, she might as well not acknowledge him as her father.
As Riezel was still in the middle of his musing, Yuri thought for a moment before shifting her gaze to his face and speaking up.
"I have something I want to ask for your help with."
Yuri looked straight at his eyes, with a hint of anticipation in her eyes.
"Hmm? Go ahead." Riezel replied casually, feeling somewhat surprised but not hesitating.
Whether it was out of gratitude for saving his life or for taking him in, he had every reason to help her unconditionally. Not to mention, she had tirelessly helped him, ensuring his safety, granting him access to her important library, and even teaching him her magic unconditionally, which led to his significant growth and accomplishments.
With their relationship, if Yuri needed his help, Riezel wouldn't hesitate to help. Even if it involved some danger, he didn't mind taking the risk.
Perhaps sensing his inner thoughts, Yuri's anticipatory eyes quickly filled with warmth.
"I want to invite you to participate in the upcoming family fighting competition hosted by my family, known as the War Festival." Yuri explained.
"War Festival?" Riezel raised his brows. "A family fighting competition?"
"Yes." Yuri nodded, then grabbed his hand. "C'mon, let's talk about it back in the more private room."
With that, Yuri led Riezel, accompanied by Marilyn, in the direction of her room.
Support and read advanced chapters at:
pat*reon.com/VALRRR
As the name suggests, the so-called 'War Festival' referred to a festival that centered on battle. This was a tradition that had been passed down by the Frenzel family for nearly two hundred years.
Originally, it had been an annual event used to validate the growth of the family's descendants and to urge later generations to continuously improve themselves. However, over time, this festival gradually evolved into a tradition used by the Frenzel family to resolve internal conflicts.
Whenever significant disagreements arose within the family or irreconcilable conflicts emerged among family members, the Frenzel family would hold this festival, and the victor would be able to make any demands they wished of the loser.
"Ahh, I see..."
Inside Yuri's room, after listening to the whole story and the general situation, Riezel nodded.
"So, in other words, you and your father ultimately decided to use this festival to resolve your conflict?"
He understood Yuri's intention.
"Well, I guess so..." Yuri said calmly, showing neither approval nor disapproval. "Although the tradition of War Festival has disappeared for decades, and we haven't held such a festival in all those years, my father is someone who regards everything the family once had as the highest ideal to pursue. It's not surprising that he would restore this family's traditions."
During the meeting earlier, when Alderman mentioned the War Festival, everyone's expressions changed, not because they were surprised, but because they hadn't expected this man to suddenly bring up their family tradition that hadn't been seen for decades at such a time.
In a way, Alderman was indeed a bit reckless.
Not only did he cause discord within the family for the sake of its prosperity, but he also had a single-minded desire to revive various deeds of the family's past, which felt somewhat crazy.
Nevertheless, Yuri herself was disdainful of this so-called family tradition.
Alderman thought he could make her compromise by the outcome of the War Festival, but little did he know that she had never considered such a thing since she also had some other ideas for this festival.
"Leaving that aside, my father values family glory and prosperity more than anything else. If he were to be defeated in the War Festival, he absolutely would adhere to the family tradition and, as the loser, accept whatever demands I make."
With this in mind, Yuri decided to participate in the War Festival.
"What do you plan to demand from your father?" Riezel was somewhat curious.
"I want him to bring back my mother and my elder sister." Yuri answered coldly. "Whether he kneels down and apologizes or seeks sympathy through self-sacrifice, he must make my mother and elder sister want to return."
Upon hearing that, Riezel could fully imagine how miserable Alderman would be then.
That man clearly had a strong sense of pride and placed great emphasis on family honor and glory. If he were to go and apologize to his wife and daughter, whom he had driven away because of his past decisions, it would be an even more unbearable ordeal for him than death.
Yuri Frenzel, this woman was truly someone who held grudges. After retaliating against the Basolo family and various forces in the royal capital, she was now beginning to retaliate against her own father.
Truly a terrifying woman.
Of course, Riezel himself didn't care.
Since Yuri had needed his help, he would naturally help as much as he could.
"What kind of festival is this going to be?" Riezel ventured to ask. "Since it's called a 'war' festival, the content should involve fighting, right?"
"Yes, it's like a fighting competition." Yuri affirmed his words and began to explain.
The outcome of the festival was decided by three rounds of one-versus-one fights.
In this War Festival, both sides sent three people into the arena, where one of the three participants must be the one who proposed the War Festival, while the other two could be chosen from outside, whether they were one's own attendants or other external supporters.
However, in those three rounds, there were corresponding restrictions.
In the first round, both sides could only send swordsmen into the arena.
In the second round, both sides could only send magicians into the arena.
In the third round, there were no restrictions, either swordsman or magician could enter directly.
The final result was determined by two wins out of three rounds, with the one who won two rounds first being declared the victor.
Having understood the rules, Riezel finally grasped why Yuri had sought his help.
"Because I'm both a swordsman and a magician, I can participate in any round, huh? Is this why you need me?" Riezel murmured.
"More precisely, it's because you're not only a powerful swordsman but also an outstanding magician that I need you." Yuri clarified with a chuckle.
In order to maximize the chances of winning the War Festival, she needed him to be the trump card on her side.
Judging by the power he has shown so far, his winning odds were extremely high no matter which round he participated in, especially in the third round, where his advantage as a master of both swordsmanship and magic was unparalleled.
At that time, whether Alderman sent a swordsman or a magician, Riezel would had a chance to win, and a significant one at that. At least, in Yuri's view, as long as her father didn't send a Sword Saint, Riezel had a good chance of winning.
However, did Alderman even have the capability to bring in a Sword Saint to assist him?
The answer was naturally no.
Although the Frenzel family held the title of marquis, they had only recently risen in the past few years, no different from newly established nobles. Compared to other marquis families that had existed for decades or even centuries, their foundation was still relatively shallow.
Within the Frenzel family, they had managed to recruit several Sword Masters, but the idea of obtaining a Sword Saint was simply out of the question. Such figures typically only served royal families, duke families, or were major nobles themselves, so it was unthinkable for the family to be able to invite them.
If it was just a matter of inviting them to attend the festival and show face, then Yuri could still handle it, but expecting them to participate in the fight was highly unlikely. If even she, who was in her current status, found it challenging, then let alone Alderman.
From Yuri's perspective, if there were no Sword Saints, Riezel's chances of winning would be quite high. In such a scenario, she wanted him to step in, represent her side, and be prepared to enter the arena in the third round of the competition, securing the final victory.
"I will participate in the second round, and I believe my father will do the same." Yuri continued.
She and her father were both magicians. Either they will make their move in the second round or in the third round.
To avoid losing two consecutive rounds right away and directly letting her father win, she had to make her move in the second round. This way, even if her side lost the first round, it wouldn't directly result in defeat.
She was certain that her father, like herself, had the same concerns and ideas. Therefore, it was almost certain that they would encounter each other in the second round.
"Could you defeat your father?" Riezel furrowed his brows.
Unfortunately, in this kind of direct one-on-one confrontation, neither tactical-class magic nor strategic-class magic could be used. Their preparation time was too long to be effective in the fast-paced battle.
However, if it were Riezel, then it didn't matter.
After all, he could use concurrent chanting, allowing him to chant magic even during combat without worrying too much about his magic not being released due to lengthy chanting and enemy disturbance.
But Yuri couldn't do what he could—or rather, people in this world couldn't.
Concurrent chanting required a calm and stable mind while fighting, using a technique similar to multitasking—fighting while chanting magic.
However, not only was the magic of this world not connected to the 'Mind', but magicians in this world also generally lacked the ability for close combat. When facing enemies, they rely on their attendants to fend off enemies, buying time to chant magic and gradually transforming the magical energy stored in their 'Gate' into magic.
Because of this, concurrent chanting couldn't be used by the magicians of this world.
In fast-paced battles, they could only use combat-class magic that could be quickly released, while tactical-class magic and strategic-class magic were of little use.
Although Yuri was a Strategic-Class Magician, without the ability to use tactical-class magic or strategic-class magic, it was truly uncertain whether she could defeat her father using combat-class magic alone.
Fortunately, Riezel was overly worried.
"What do you think I've been doing since becoming a Strategic-Class Magician?" Yuri rolled her eyes at him, then confidently smiled. "Back when I just became a Strategic-Class Magician two years ago, it was indeed difficult to say, but now..."
Even if she didn't finish her sentence, Riezel understood.
Yuri, who had taught him her magic before, constantly reminded him not to be complacent. As a Strategic-Class Magician with such an attitude, she obviously must also harbor doubts and constantly remind herself not to become complacent. After achieving the status of a Strategic-Class Magician, she must have devoted herself to enhancing her combat-class magic.
Especially the decomposition magic, a terrifying magic with devastating power, which she treated as her specialty. Once cast, this magic decomposed any object into nothingness. What could Alderman use to defend against such a formidable magic?
"With just the two of us alone, victory is definitely in our hands." Yuri stated confidently.
However, Riezel wasn't as optimistic as her.
The reason was simple.
"Will that swordsman who always followed behind your father also join the War Festival?" Riezel asked, eyeing her.
"That swordsman?" Yuri paused for a moment, then shook her head, somewhat uncertain. "I'm not sure, maybe?"
"Maybe?" Riezel asked, puzzled. "Don't you know him?"
"I don't..." Yuri replied frankly, shaking her head. "I've never seen him before. He must have been recently taken on as an attendant by my father?"
It was no wonder she believed so strongly in her victory. She had no idea that the closed-eyed swordsman who followed her father was powerful.
However, instead of worry, Riezel's lips curved into a smirk, clearly excited.
Wasn't this the perfect opportunity for a good fight?
Support and read advanced chapters at:
pat*reon.com/VALRRR