The Lacroux family estate was located far from the heart of the principality’s capital.
“It is concealed and protected by a uniquely structured barrier spell, so approaching without a guide is nearly impossible.”
Aiden nodded.
Reclusive mage families often protected their residences this way. It was the perfect method for safeguarding important research materials and maintaining secrecy.
Their guide, Ugo, spoke.
“We have arrived, Master Stroke.”
“So this is the Lacroux estate…”
Chesa stepped down from the carriage with a look of deep emotion. It was only natural for a mage to feel this way upon visiting one of the continent’s most renowned magical houses.
“You must follow me closely to avoid being mistaken for intruders. This way, please.”
The Lacroux family rarely accepted visitors. Today’s visit was unofficial, so they had to enter through an inconspicuous route.
Ugo led them to a certain door and made a small gesture. The sturdy barrier twisted, opening a passage. Chesa’s eyes sparkled with rare curiosity.
“What was that?”
“It recognized the magical fingerprint registered in the estate’s internal database and adjusted the barrier accordingly. It is considered one of the most difficult security measures to hack.”
Magical fingerprints could not be replicated by ordinary means, and they vanished the instant the mage died, making it nearly impossible to extract traces from a corpse.
Once inside the grounds, Aiden and Chesa passed through a labyrinth-like garden before entering the main building. An elderly mage with snow-white hair greeted them in the spacious entrance hall. This was none other than Po Lacroux, current head of the Lacroux Ducal House.
“Welcome, Master Stroke.”
“Thank you for the invitation, Your Grace the Grand Duke Lacroux.”
Aiden offered a courteous bow according to court etiquette.
At the same time, he checked the character sheet.
<Po Lacroux>
[Level: 49/50]
[Health: 08][Strength: 06][Agility: 06]
[Mana: 34][Spirit: 09][Sense: 16]
[Divinity: 04]
[Traits: Divine Word (S+), Circulation Veins (A), Analytical Mana Eye (A), Elemental Affinity (B) and 4 others]
[Skills: Lacroux Direct Line Vision Elemental Magic (S), Lacroux Vision Magic · Extreme (S), Lacroux Mana Cultivation Method · Extreme (S), Central Comprehensive Elemental Magic (A) and 6 others]
[Description: Seventy years old, human race. Current head of the Lacroux family and a renowned grand mage of the Wiblet Empire. He is said to possess strength equal to Kalimar Lacroux, the family’s representative among the current Continent’s Twelve Heroes.]
The body that selected the Continent’s Twelve Heroes was the Church of Struggle.
They prioritized warriors skilled in close combat. As a result, only two pure mages without combat-oriented skills had ever made the list, and both were exceptional enough to overcome the unfavorable selection criteria.
One was naturally Tristan Alabur, who had attended Aiden’s clan master inauguration ceremony. The other was the grand mage Kalimar, produced by the Lacroux family.
The current head, Po Lacroux, was also regarded as equal to the Twelve Heroes, so his stature was easy to imagine. His actual level placed him at the peak of near-Twelve Heroes tier, and his skill set was outstanding enough to match the evaluation.
“The growth of the Blispiel Clan has been truly astonishing. I myself have taken a personal interest in you as its master.”
“Hmm…”
It sounded like polite flattery.
In truth, few forces were arrogant enough to refuse a visit from Aiden at this point, but the Lacroux family was an exception. That was precisely why he had needed the Wiblet imperial family’s influence to arrange contact.
Although their near-total detachment from worldly affairs left them known simply as “a famous magical house that rules the continent,” certain powers who understood the family’s true worth during Part 2 of the original story had insisted they must be recruited for the fight against the Schnifelt family.
Incidentally, this was also connected to Chesa’s first appearance in the story. She had joined the battle following Valerie, the Lacroux family’s greatest prodigy.
Po said to him,
“I have one question.”
“Please ask.”
“From the letter I received from His Imperial Majesty, it seems you are also aware of the Schnifelt family’s existence and the shackles that bind them.”
“That is correct.”
“I will not inquire about your source of information… but it is fascinating. To think you are the one who faced the head of that snowfield family and survived. You are destined for greatness.”
“You flatter me.”
Somehow he had received another layer of gilding.
Aiden cleared his throat lightly and moved to the main topic.
“I apologize for the late introduction. This is my fiancée.”
“Chancellor of the Utland Ducal House, Chesa greets the esteemed leader of the Lacroux Ducal House.”
“A pleasure, Lady Chesa…”
Po’s previously calm expression changed noticeably as he studied Chesa’s face. What filled his features was surprise and bewilderment. Lest anyone misunderstand, it was not admiration for her beauty but something else entirely.
“…This may be rude, but may I take your pulse for a moment, Lady Chesa?”
“…?”
Chesa looked puzzled but soon accepted. The old man grasped her wrist the instant permission was granted. After a long moment of grave concentration, he let out a deep sigh and asked,
“Haa… Lady Chesa. Have you struggled with mana control since childhood?”
“…How did you know?”
“…As expected. Extreme Mana Circulation Body (S) followed by Dense Elemental Amplification (S)… Even we had only ever considered such a combination in theory.”
Po stared at Aiden.
“It seems you already had some idea of the truth, Master Stroke.”
“…That is correct.”
“Just as you suspected, Lady Chesa carries the blood of our family.”
At that moment, a message window appeared before Aiden’s eyes.
[MacGuffin No.244 / 『Birth Secret?!』 has been recovered.]
[Achievement Points + 2,000]
So this too had been a recoverable MacGuffin.
Distinctive central-continent features.
Talent that surpassed mere genius in magic.
Close relationship with Valerie.
Duke Elvio’s breeding experiments.
There had been more than enough clues to guess that Chesa carried Lacroux blood. The problem was that her origins had never been treated as an important plot point in the original story, and no clear mention had ever appeared.
“Historically, many have coveted the superior blood of the Lacroux family. There are two or three women presumed to be Lady Chesa’s biological mother. The number matches the women of childbearing age who went missing during my tenure as family head.”
Mages from the Lacroux family—whether direct or collateral—were the finest mercenaries on the continent.
But frequent dispatches outside the family inevitably led to accidents. In most cases, those incidents were schemes by outsiders seeking superior bloodlines.
The family’s exceptional tracking ability usually caught the culprits, but there were occasional exceptions. Given Duke Elvio Utland’s madness and cunning, concealing the truth would have been entirely possible.
“Judging by Lady Chesa’s innate qualities, her mother was undoubtedly a direct descendant. Most likely my daughter ‘Aynara Lacroux.’ Their appearances are strikingly similar as well.”
Po spoke calmly, yet a flicker of rage could be seen in his eyes. It seemed Duke Elvio’s fate after kidnapping and using his daughter as a broodmare would not be pleasant.
Po looked at Chesa with a gentle expression.
“You may call me Grandfather, Lady Chesa.”
“That is…”
Chesa hesitated, clearly stunned.
Even Aiden had not been completely certain of her Lacroux origins until confirming it himself, so he had not explained the truth to her in advance.
To ease the awkward atmosphere, he asked,
“Then does that make me Your Grace’s grandson-in-law?”
“Hmm… I suppose it does. When do you plan to hold the wedding?”
“Next spring.”
Originally they had planned to marry in 985, but the conflict with the Praszkeak Guild had pushed the date back considerably. After a brief moment of thought, Po said,
“I will do my best to attend.”
“You yourself, Your Grace?”
“It concerns a precious blood relative.”
Afterward, Chesa spoke with Po and received a magical token proving her status as a member of the Lacroux family.
“Should you visit the estate in the future, I will teach you our vision magic.”
“Only me?”
“…?”
He looked at Chesa with mild confusion before suddenly bursting into hearty laughter.
“Haha, Master Stroke will also be family once you are married. If he wishes, I should teach him the vision magic as well. Of course, he would need sufficient talent as a mage…”
He trailed off awkwardly. It was clear he did not expect a swordsman famous across the continent to possess the magical talent worthy of the Lacroux family.
“We still have to visit the Lilliac Magic Kingdom, and we need to return to the Lacroux family… You’ve become quite popular, Chesa.”
“…I suppose so.”
Chesa wore a dazed expression.
A few years ago she had been treated as a dropout even within the magic tower. Now events she could never have imagined were happening one after another, so it was only natural she felt disconnected from reality.
Once again, it was clear she was an astonishingly diligent person. She had never spared any effort to become a great mage and had eagerly sought out every learning opportunity. The current situation—where grand mages from all directions were beckoning her—must have felt like a dream.
“But my priority is helping Aiden.”
That was why this sudden change felt so unexpected.
Chesa had awakened to her talent far earlier than in the original story. Moreover, the environment surrounding her was now completely different from the original history. The Chesa standing before Aiden could be considered an entirely separate person from the one in the original story, whose entire being had consisted of nothing but a drive for improvement.
It was not a bad change at all, he thought.
Aiden smiled faintly and said to her,
“…Let’s head back. Everyone’s waiting.”
“Okay.”
Late January, year 986.
They returned to the clan house.
Aiden first went to the training ground to find Visanya. She was training in spirit arts under a new instructor—none other than Erendrel, whose arms had been restored. The fairy had come to them after the Great Tree revoked its blessing.
“Erendrel. How is Visanya’s progress?”
“She’s already contracted five high-ranking spirits despite having zero affinity. That little brat… does she really have the right attributes?”
After the Great Tree’s blessing was revoked, Erendrel had boldly promised lifelong obedience if Aiden simply restored his arms.
He had probably planned to flee the moment his arms were healed… but unfortunately for him, Aiden possessed the great spirit of oaths, Shambhavi.
Thanks to the “Oath Enforcement” authority, Erendrel was now little more than a slave. He spent his days teaching Visanya spirit arts and serving as a sparring partner for Blake and Arent. Being able to freely command a future near-Twelve Heroes powerhouse was an enormous gain.
Aiden nodded and spoke to Visanya.
“Visanya. Could I have a moment?”
“Y-yes, Master Stroke…”
They sat facing each other. Sensing the weight in his gaze, the girl blushed slightly and averted her eyes.
…I should get to the point before it gets any more awkward.
“The boss—Yustasio—has fallen into a coma. He is currently imprisoned in an underground facility in the empire, so he will never trouble you again.”
“………”
Visanya stared blankly after hearing about her father’s condition. It seemed she could hardly believe that the being who had tormented her for years had been defeated so easily.