I went to the private training room to find Chesa, who was in the middle of physical conditioning.
“Huff, haa…“
She was running diligently.
I sneakily peeked at her character sheet.
Her stamina was still stuck at 3.
However, thanks to consistent exercise, her agility and strength had each increased by 1.
According to my plan, I intended to raise all of Chesa’s physical stats to the 4–5 range.
Even that much would make her a usable war mage in the sub-20 low-level bracket.
Of course, once she passed level 30–40, she would be nothing more than a stationary turret until she properly learned mobility spells.
“Haa, huu… Aiden? What’s the matter?”
As diligent as ever, Chesa only noticed me after finishing the entire assigned amount of exercise.
I approached her and handed her a ring.
“Here.”
“What is this?”
“It’s an accessory that helps with mana control.”
At my explanation, she made a slightly dark expression and said,
“I’ve tried borrowing the power of equipment many times before to overcome the sensitivity disorder, but none of them worked at all. This one probably…”
“Magical equipment and elixirs both failed, right? But the Yin-Yang Tea I gave you was different. Just try it once, for me.”
“Hmm…”
Finding my words reasonable, Chesa obediently accepted it.
She examined the spotlessly pure white ring from every angle, then slipped it onto the index finger of her left hand.
Watching the half-doubting Chesa, I smiled inwardly.
Every evening after dinner, she takes the Processed Yin-Yang Tea (A) along with the other herbs I provide, then begins spell practice.
By then, she will realize the ring’s power to dramatically ease mana control and be utterly shocked.
Because this is one of the two national-treasure-grade rings that were sleeping in the Firebird’s Heart.
It is a treasure that cannot even be compared to the trinkets Duke Elvio procured.
[Ring of Eternal Snow (A)]
- Greatly corrects mana control ability
- Adjustment: Emits strong cold air
- Increases dominance over water attribute
Just looking at the first function, “Greatly corrects mana control ability,” anyone could see this item suited Chesa far more than me.
For reference, I plan to keep its pair, the 『Ring of Glacier (A)』.
The 〈Pure Freeze〉 dwelling within it will remain useful against anyone below the Continent’s Twelve Heroes.
After handing it over, a thought suddenly struck me.
Wouldn’t others see this and think it looks suspiciously like an engagement ring?
Fortunately, Chesa herself didn’t seem to care about that at all.
In other words, she was completely unaware of the implication.
For some reason, that made my stomach twist.
It’s a bit late to realize this, but Chesa Utland was an immensely popular character among the readers of Reca Chronicles.
Among the thirty die-hard fans—the so-called “30-Man Suicide Squad”—who followed that ruined novel to its end, some even put “Chesa” in their nicknames.
And I, too, liked Chesa quite a lot.
To be honest, she was one of my favorite female characters in Reca Chronicles.
It doesn’t mean much, but if I had to rank them in my heart, she would probably be around third place.
Deep inside, I had been looking forward to the day I successfully stole her away from the Utland ducal house, thinking we could start flirting sweetly from then on.
Yet even two months later, our relationship remained refreshingly platonic.
My expectations had been thoroughly betrayed.
Well, my rather unimportant love life can be set aside for now.
There is someone else’s love life that interests me far more personally.
I don’t mean I plan to go around meddling like the gossiping aunties who gather to break plates.
I simply want to properly establish the relationships of couples that the original work left ambiguously unresolved because it ended so sloppily.
If you asked which unfinished coupling in the novel I regretted the most, it would unquestionably be the one between the protagonist Epio and a certain character—the “Priestess of the Sun” who was doing great until she suddenly left the protagonist’s party midway and then completely vanished from the story afterward.
Since I have entered the world of the novel, I have no intention of letting those two part as meaninglessly as they did in the original history.
…Thinking again about the ending of Reca Chronicles still makes my blood boil.
That damn author, NonameC.
To shake off the stray thoughts, I headed to the training ground and immersed myself in practice.
Clang!
“Kuhuk!”
Kkaang!
“Ugh!”
Two men in training uniforms rolled across the floor of the training ground.
I caught my breath slowly and looked at Linfred.
The man who had been staring blankly at me suddenly came to his senses and spoke.
“…Young Master Aiden’s victory.”
Three months had passed since the envoys of the Arielldi family departed.
The current me could now easily defeat two regular knights in a many-against-one spar.
At this point, even the stone-faced Linfred was overwhelmed by my rate of growth.
“…Young Master’s achievements are growing at a speed that defies imagination. I felt the same during the spar with Julio, but in just one more year, I suspect even I will no longer be a match for you.”
Uncharacteristically high praise from him, yet I remained unfazed.
From the perspective of the natives of this world like Linfred, it might look like unimaginable growth, but to me—who knows about the true monsters that rank at the top of this world—it was still far from satisfactory.
There’s no need to even mention the power-inflated characters from volumes 3 and 4.
Even just the boyhood of the “Sword Saint,” one of the Triple Star, was faster than my growth despite all the cheats, exploits, and doping I’ve been using.
Well, there’s nothing I can do when my base talent itself is relatively lacking.
Filling that talent gap is precisely what I have to do from now on.
One month, two months, three months…
I repeated training to raise my stats and skill proficiencies while also helping Chesa overcome her sensitivity disorder and training Linia.
Time flew by like an arrow.
Thus, on the 12th of November in the Dragon God Year.
Around the time when bitter cold once again visited the north.
[Strength has increased.]
[Stamina has increased.]
[Continuous consumption of Processed Yin-Yang Tea (A) has raised potential level by 4.]
[Stroke Swordsmanship (B) has reached ‘Mastery’ stage. Efficiency greatly increased.]
[Spirit Step (B) has reached ‘Mastery’ stage. Efficiency greatly increased.]
[By mastering Spirit Step (B), you have obtained a clue to Silent Realm (A). Progress 1/3]
[Magic power has increased.]
[Agility has increased by 1.]
[Senses have increased by 1.]
[Alsigima Resonance Shatter Art (A) has reached ‘Proficient’ stage…]
These were the changes that occurred to me over the past half-year or so.
The moment any stat surpasses 5, raising it further becomes extremely difficult.
Accordingly, unlike the early possession period when I could shoot levels up in mere weeks, the growth width of my stats had become considerably smaller.
<Aiden Stroke>
[Level: 16/39]
[Stamina: 07]
[Strength: 07]
[Agility: 06]
[Magic: 11]
[Spirit: 05]
[Senses: 10]
[Divinity: 00]
[Traits: Swordsmanship Genius (A), Reverse Veins (A), Magical Talent (B), Spirit Affinity · Weak (C)]
[Skills: Alsigima Resonance Shatter Art (A), Alsigima Heart Method (A), Spirit Step (B), Stroke Swordsmanship (B), Stroke Heart Method (B), Northern Advanced Swordsmanship (C), Brandish Harmony Heart Method (C+)]
[Description: 15 years old, human. Once infamous throughout the principality as a notorious wastrel, but recently rumors say he has changed.]
My skills had already entered a stable growth trajectory.
From now on, pure effort would likely yield only gradual improvement.
That also meant the time to start operating outside the principality was drawing near.
I was thinking exactly that when—
The incident happened abruptly.
While I was doing practice spars against regular knights as part of my daily routine, Linia came to the training ground.
Her expression was unusually stiff.
“Young Master. I’ve been told that the Eldest Prince Litton has vomited blood and collapsed.”
“…What?”
My eyes widened.
Litton had collapsed far earlier than expected.
“How is the Eldest Prince’s condition? Is there any sign of improvement?”
“It’s already been a week, and he still hasn’t regained consciousness. I overheard this, so I’m hesitant to say it, but according to the diagnosis of the priest from the Life Church… they say he has less than a month left…”
“I-Is that true.”
Every single vassal wore a grave expression.
It was because the legitimate heir who was supposed to succeed Grand Duke Foden—Litton’s life hung in the balance.
Yet that was merely a mask.
Very few were genuinely grieving over the Eldest Prince’s misfortune.
Most of the seasoned nobles were already calculating in their heads.
Soon, someone entered the conference room.
The chattering retainers all shut their mouths as if honey had been smeared on them.
They cautiously watched the visitor’s mood.
Compared to a year ago, the situation was completely different.
Now they were watching the eyes of the second son of the family—who now looked nothing less than a perfect young noble—Aiden Stroke.
If Litton did not wake up like this, he was the one who would inherit the position of Grand Duke.
Although he was the second son, according to the logic put forward by the previous generation of the Croa Kingdom, there was room to claim he was the eldest.
On top of that, he had received the seal of struggle from Ebel Stroke and was drawing the attention of the knights.
Moreover, with solid external backing like the Utland family, once Litton Stroke disappeared, no one would be able to dispute Aiden’s legitimacy.
…This is troublesome!
Could he still be holding a grudge against me because of that incident?
Some among the retainers felt a twinge of guilt whenever Aiden’s name came up.
There were those who had looked at him with contempt right in front of his face, used him as a drinking story, or even openly mocked him under the guise of advice, calling him an irredeemable wastrel.
If Aiden ever seized power, that karma might come back to bite them fully.
Heh heh, what a bunch of foolish old men.
Among the young nobles of the principality, Claude had to swallow his laughter.
In the past, he had played along with Aiden’s wastrel antics several times.
He had kept the second son as insurance, just in case something happened to Litton.
Heh heh… Soon the second prince will be confirmed as heir, so I should stuff some bribes in before that.
Aiden had been the type who couldn’t resist money and gambling.
Whenever his allowance ran dry, he had borrowed considerable sums through Claude’s connections.
The “debt” accumulated that way was substantial.
It seemed that over the past year he had suddenly revealed outstanding martial talent and become absorbed in training, but Claude believed a person’s true nature never changes.
If he spent money to drag him into gambling circles and played along a bit, he was sure he could quickly rebuild their friendship.
If I do that, I might even stand at the center of the future retainers.
Claude quietly began to move.
Yet the very person at the center of all this—Aiden—paid them not the slightest bit of attention.
He simply entered the sickroom where his half-brother Litton lay, had a short audience with the Grand Duke inside, then came out again.
And instead of returning to the training ground? He went straight back to it.
The other nobles were thoroughly confused by this.
Only Claude remained calm.
To continue training without being shaken by a family crisis—he must be trying to emphasize his steadfastness as a warrior to the knights. Starting to build a favorable image already; he’s learned to use his head.
It was a little different from the Aiden he knew, but Claude decided to view it positively.
If he was going to serve him anyway, a lord with at least some basic intelligence was better.
That evening, Claude packed heaps of gold and valuables he had saved and visited Aiden’s private room.
Aiden merely looked at the sudden visitor with puzzlement.
Soon the half-elf maid approached and whispered something to him, and only then did Aiden greet Claude.
…What? Did he forget me just because we haven’t seen each other for a few months?
Claude briefly harbored that suspicion, but quickly pushed it away.
How could he forget when he owed so much money?
After exchanging various pleasantries and flattery, when he judged the mood ripe, Claude finally brought up the main topic.
“Thank you for giving me your time like this. This is a small token of sincerity for the prince who will greatly contribute to the future development of the principality.”
“I see. Thank you.”
After many honeyed words, he offered a heavy sack, and Aiden accepted it with evident satisfaction.
He had accepted Claude’s “sincerity.”
Claude left the mansion overjoyed.
In the days that followed, he practically floated with happiness.
When all the blood relatives of the Stroke family gathered for a meeting, he felt something close to ecstasy.
But right after the Stroke bloodline conference ended, the rosy future he dreamed of completely collapsed.
“Litton Stroke’s condition is irreparably critical. Accordingly, we judge that he can no longer fulfill his duties as the eldest son and heir.
Therefore, I designate the legitimate heir of the principality as the third son, Ridle Stroke—”
Because the current Grand Duke, Foden Stroke, had publicly declared that he would give successor training not to Aiden, but to Ridle.
Claude frantically rolled his eyes and searched for Aiden among the Stroke blood relatives.
When their eyes met, the second prince—for reasons unknown—was smiling broadly.