[Trantor - Pr?ks]


    [Proofreader - Kawaii]


    Chapter 19: So Am I Your Older Brother?


    "What did you say?"


    Barva looked flustered as if questioning how the conversation had turned this way.


    "How is what I said, that there ismon blood of lowly foreigners in me, any different from you, insulting father who married one of those foreigners?"


    "That''s different-"


    "Shut up. You worthless thing hanging from a rat’s waist, daring to insult the head of the illustrious House of Grunewald. It would not be enough punishment even to tear out your tongue."


    Barva''s expression became as evil as a demon''s as he btedly realized the meaning of the sentence.


    "Are-are you calling me a goddamn rat''s dick?"


    "I didn''t put it so bluntly, you vulgar creature. Please conduct yourself befitting your status as a young master."


    Having been crudely insulted and then scolded again, Barva''s eyes nearly rolled back into his head.


    "Huuuh."


    But he wasn''t such a fool, Barva replied with a trembling breath.


    "That was the gracious favor Father bestowed upon that lowly person."


    “What a strange logic.”


    “You, who have received that honor, should be grateful just for being recognized as a son, even if it is only by a little.”


    Barva seemed satisfied with his own reasoning, puffing out his chest.


    "Indeed. But how dare you, without a shred of shame, try to equate yourself with me, who shares the bloodline of the great Count of Bergen?"


    ''So your and the Second Young Master''s maternal family is the House of Bergen, is it? I will remember it.''


    This was the name of a rtive who may be my rival in the future.


    But anyway.


    "Barva, so are you saying Father brought that lowly person into his bed not out of the needs of governance, but merely out of personal desire?"


    "...What?"


    "As the younger brother whose head is still wet behind the ears, I can generously overlook your insults. But daring to insult Father is something I can no longer tolerate."


    Realizing he might not be able to match me with just words, Barva changed the subject.


    "If you find it intolerable, then what do you intend to do about it?"


    "Sometimes, as the elder brother, I may need to give you a good scolding."


    "What? Hahaha!"


    Barvaughed, finding it absurd.


    "Scold me? You?"


    "Yes."


    "It seems you''ve lost your memory and can''t grasp the situation."


    Barva thumped his own chest.


    "Look at me. While you were holed up in your room, I''ve been rigorously training in martial arts and wielding the sword."


    "I can see that."


    Even seasoned warriors could be easily defeated by Barva''s well-trained body.


    "But what about you? I''ve never heard that you''ve properly trained in any martial arts. How sickly must you have been to have caught the fever that even themon folk suffer from, and then barely survived? Yet you dare talk back to me like that."


    I chuckled.


    "Getting beaten by such a sickly kid would be so embarrassing you wouldn''t be able to show your face."


    "Hah."


    Barva let out a hollowugh.


    "This bastard, he''s gone mad."


    "Is ''this bastard, that bastard'' the only insults you know? With a tongue as immature as your head, no wonder you''re still a brat."


    "Shut your mouth. I just might kill you for real."


    "Oh, how scary. Stupid moron. You have no qualms about talking back to your elder brother."


    As I retorted while scratching my ear, Barva grabbed my cor. Of course, I let him do it on purpose.


    "You half-breed wretch, have been demanding to be treated as an elder sibling from the start, haven''t you?"


    "So am I your older brother then?"


    "That''s not what I meant, you idiot!"


    Unable to contain his irritation, Barva tried to strike my face.


    "Aaaaah!"


    I easily responded by firmly pressing and twisting the acupuncture point on his wrist.


    "My, your bones are quite sturdy."


    Even though his wrist was not fully developed, the feel of holding it was different.


    His muscles and bones were different from the usual sort. Developed or not, he was still a noble''s son and in a few years, he''d grow into a proper fighter.


    "Let… go! Aaagh!"


    Barva desperately tried to inject mana to break free, but in this position, he couldn''t muster enough strength to push me away.


    "Ugh!"


    I twisted his wrist even deeper.


    "Ugh."


    With only grunts left, I whispered in Barva''s ear.


    "Be still. Say one more word and I''ll shatter your joint."


    Sensing the chilling threat, Barva went rigid.


    "Good. Stay there. I won''t let you go until you pee yourself."


    Barva then growled.


    "You bastard! Do you think you''ll get away with injuring my body?"


    "What injury? Take a look, is there even a single bruise?"


    I easily released his wrist.


    "See? There''s no injury at all. Not even a single mark, right?"


    Gripping the acupuncture point and twisting the wrist was a technique I often used. It left no external signs.


    "Stop your Acting."


    Barva realized how pathetic he looked, or perhaps thinking it was his turn now.


    "I''ll really kill you!"


    With a bloodthirsty expression, Barva clenched his fist and slowly approached me. Look at his eyes, they''ve gone wild.


    Swoosh!


    The forceful punch made a sharp cracking sound. Even a blow from this brat could be fatal if itnded properly on the jaw or temple. Its power was quite impressive in that regard.


    But if it doesn''t hit, it''s nothing.


    I simply lowered my body to easily evade the punch.


    "Whish, whoosh, whish, whoosh."


    I made sound effects with my mouth as I dodged the attacks using only upper body movement.


    Remember, you have to start from the knees to let your upper body sway like a g. You could call it a technique from the Karzan style footwork.


    "Eek!"


    As I kept dodging his wild swings, his punches grew more forceful and exaggerated. In other words, it made it even easier to avoid them, and his defenses were opening wider.


    "Keep your elbows closer to your body when you swing. Yes, like that. Always remember to think about retracting after each punch."


    "Shut up!"


    I swept Barva''s feet, causing him to fall.


    "Ugh!"


    The technique was so subtle that from a distance, it would appear he just tripped on his own.


    ''If I strike back with my fists here, my moral high ground will be weakened.''


    I had no intention of striking Barva directly.


    Just think about it - if he had gotten injured while causing a ruckus on his own, how embarrassing would that be?


    He probably won''t be able to show his face for a while after today.


    "You''ve been ranting since earlier. Did you perhaps drink? I haven''t even touched alcohol yet, and the youngest is drinking? This is a serious matter. You''ll have to be severely reprimanded today."


    "Aaaaargh!"


    A seemingly enraged Barva eventually infused mana into his fist.


    "Wow, our youngest is quite formidable. You know how to use mana as well?"


    This meant he had at least reached the 3rd tier. If he was the same age as Peter, that would make him around fifteen, and reaching the 3rd tier at that age was quite an impressive feat. It actually worked out well.


    ''The young Master Allenvert, who just recovered from the fever, defeated the 3rd tier warrior Barva, after only a day of cultivating his martial arts.''


    This was a pleasing thought.


    ''If I were my former self, I could never have confronted him head-on.''


    Ah, if only you hade a day earlier. You''re unlucky Barva.


    "At this rate, your elder brother will be in a lot of pain, won''t he?"


    "Just die already!"


    Barva swung his fist with his whole body, but I easily evaded it.


    ''Got him.''


    Behind me was a solid brick wall.


    Crack!


    An unpleasant sound was heard.


    ''Even if he''s wrapped his fist in mana, breaking through a rock is no easy feat.''


    And as expected, the broken part was his fist.


    "Aaaaaagh!"


    A loud scream echoed like a pig being ughtered.


    "Brother, is your bone broken?"


    "Aaaaaagh! The doctor! Call the doctor!"


    It was understandable that a broken bone would be excruciating pain. A young master like him probably had never experienced it before.


    "Ugh, I''ll tell Mother!"


    Barva started to whimper.


    "Oh, what a pitiful fool. Just like Peter. Crying? What are you, not even ten years old?"


    I lightly tapped the cheek of the whimpering younger brother. The Second Young Master would be delighted to see this pathetic sight.


    "Get up. We''re not done yet."


    "What?"


    I whispered in a volume only Barva could hear.


    "Let me tell you something this time. Someone who suddenly starts acting confident, as if they have a secret, should be suspected. If you had even a little bit of caution after hearing the rumors about me, you wouldn''t have ended up in this predicament. Understand?"


    "Wh-what do you mean..."


    Barva was frightened by the sudden change in atmosphere. Instead of answering, I stepped back and said.


    "If you don''t want to die, get up."


    With that, Barva shakily stood up.


    "Good. Stand up straight."


    Now the proper hierarchy between brothers was established.


    * * *


    "It was a truly enjoyable lesson. He is so bright, you see. And not only that, but how polite he was, despite his noble status!"


    The tutor who waspletely captivated by Allenvert after just one lesson, left Aiden slightly perplexed.


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes. He was called a prodigy even as a child, and I can certainly see why."


    Aiden pushed up his monocle


    ''So he''s won over the librarian as well as the tutor to his side.''


    It was a baffling phenomenon.


    The praise for his intelligence was understandable enough.


    It was true that he had been called a prodigy as a child, earning the envy of his siblings and other wives.


    But even back then, he had never wielded the kind of... what could be called ''charisma'' to sway those around him.


    The young Allenvert was more like a beloved young master, loved for his natural beauty, talents, and kindness unbing of his status.


    But what is Allenvert like now? That youth who had once faced him with the ferocity of a young lion is now quickly drawing people to his side with his charm.


    "Hmm."


    This was a disconcerting matter. In fact, Allenvert had not promised them any rewards or wealth.


    And yet, look at these two who are actively shielding and defending Allenvert before him.


    They are not acting out of any self-interest. They have simply taken a liking to Allenvert''s personal charm and intelligence.


    If one had to name this ability ''captivation'' would be the most fitting term. Even his elder siblings did not sway those around them in this manner.


    Above all else...


    ''Polite, you say?''


    The young Master Allenvert who had eyes filled with madness?


    ''...It clearly is a facade. But it is something worth praising.''


    Living in a noble society requires adeptly switching between multiple masks.


    ‘How did he acquire such a skill?’


    "Was there anything unusual during the lesson?"


    "No, except that he seemed particrly interested in the history and current affairs of the continent."


    "Is that so?"


    ‘He''s likely quite concerned about his lost memories, it seems.’


    Aiden nodded.


    "I see. Please continue to conduct the next lesson well."


    "Then I shall take my leave."


    "I''ve taken up your time."


    "Oh, not at all."


    As the head butler overseeing all the affairs of this ducal household, and a man holding the title of count, how could he find it burdensome?


    The tutor, who had politely withdrawn, suddenly recalled the words he had swallowed.


    ''...Just once, I felt a strange chill from the young master.''


    It had been during their discussion of nders.


    ''What could that have been? Just a random shiver?''


    It was a fleeting sense of unease. When he regained hisposure, Allenvert was gazing at the map with a calm expression as if nothing had happened.


    ...But he did not report even this trivial matter to Aiden. He judged it would be better for Allenvert.


    "Hmm."


    Aiden was silently observing the spot where the tutor had sat and let out a shallow sigh.


    ''It seems he''s hiding something.''


    Exactly what, he couldn''t say. But Aiden was no one who would fail to notice the hesitant, swallowing motions as if debating whether to speak.


    ''And Ludan, that old man''s reaction is also not normal.''n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    That quiet librarian who rarely ventured outside was now shielding Allenvert, of all people.


    ''Not normal at all. The person haspletely changed.''


    His intuition had not been wrong. If anything, he had underestimated the situation. But he had no immediate ns to act on it.


    ''Someone will likely test the waters soon enough.''


    His siblings were all fierce lions. They would not remain silent in the face of this new, emerging rival.


    So how Allenvert would respond to the provocation of his brothers, who were older and more firmly established, was something worth observing.


    "Sir, I have a report to make."


    The sound of urgent knocking came as he was lost in such thoughts.


    "What is it?"


    "Young Master Barva has gone to Young Master Allenvert''s ce, and a fight has broken out between the two."


    "What?"


    Aiden''s brow furrowed.


    "And?"


    "Young Master Barva is said to be crying in a sorry state."


    "...Who is crying?"


    His usuallyposed eyes widened.


    "You''re sure the names weren''t mixed up."


    “No sir.”


    Aiden unconsciously rubbed his temple and let out a deep sigh.


    "Unbelievable."


    [Trantor - Pr?ks]


    [Proofreader - Kawaii]