Kays Translations

Chapter 10: The King’s Sword

Lord Strauss and his vassal aristocrats who were left behind still held grudges against Lucius.

Inside the hall, the name of Baron Dragon was repeatedly mentioned.

Then, without shame, all eyes turned to Lucius.

“This man is not fit for this!” A loud voice suddenly burst out.

Viscount Gaeden ranted, his hair disheveled and spitting saliva.

Lucius’ father, Robel, was standing beside him.

Now, the noble gazes were focused on the two of them.

“No, I have no idea what’s going on,” Lucius said.

“Excuses are unbecoming! I crushed six children to make two offspring that could bear magic cores! How many children did you kill by taking four magic cores?!” Viscount Gaeden shouted.

Although the surrounding aristocrats did not speak out, they were also filled with suspicion and curiosity.

–He crushed six children? He killed children?

Certainly, the Rite of Magic Bestowal was a dangerous ritual that carried the risk of losing lives.

But according to what Lucius had heard from his mother, only about one in ten people die from it. Could it really be so dangerous that six people died?

Emily spoke to Lucius in a small voice, looking pained. She must have judged that it was necessary to tell him now.

“If you bear a second magic core, the magic power from the first and the magic power given to you will reject each other, and most children cannot withstand it and die,” she said.

“Most of them die?”

“Yes. Only one out of twenty children with a second core survives. For a third core, only one out of six hundred survives, and there are no children who bear a fourth core. I’ve heard that a few attempts were made in the past, but all the children died,” she explained.

“That’s…,” Lucius was at a loss for words.

Certainly, he had felt that the ritual was life-threatening, but he did not think that bearing a second core or more would be so dangerous. No wonder most children only bear one magic core.

I simultaneously understood the contempt shown by some nobles, including his parents, when the son of Viscount Gaeden was appraised as a duet. They held a human contempt for the viscount who had subjected at least six of his legitimate children to two ‘Magic Bestowal Ceremonies’ and driven them to death. However, it was not only Gaeden who received such scorn, but now it was directed towards Robel as well. It could even be said that it was stronger towards Robel than Gaeden.

“I see. That person is a child of the territory’s people, right? You had a child with a commoner, forced all of them to undergo the ‘Magic Bestowal Ceremony,’ and then adopted the surviving child, right?” 

Upon hearing Viscount Gaeden’s words, Robel exploded in anger. 

“Don’t be ridiculous! Lucius is truly Emily’s and my child!” 

Lucius had his mother’s brown hair and his father’s red eyes, and his features resembled both of his parents. It was impossible for anyone to believe that he was an adopted child. 

“In that case… I see, that must be it! The magic corpse stone, right? With the magic corpse stone, you can create a magician with four magical cores!” 

While muttering about the ‘Magic Corpse Stone,’ Viscount Gaeden quickly headed towards the exit of the hall.

—

Against Lord Gaeden, who was trying to leave the hall alone, his son ran up to catch up with him and called out, “Father!”

“Get out of my way!”

Lord Gaeden kicked his son who had come close, and without looking back, he left the hall. The kicked child was left stunned, not even understanding what had happened.

– What a fiendish person.

– Sacrificing even his own child for the sake of honor and reputation.

– If they don’t turn out as expected, he won’t hesitate to abandon them.

Even the surrounding nobles were astonished by Lord Gaeden’s behavior, and those who had previously looked at him with jealous eyes now had contemptuous expressions.

The sound of clapping echoed.

“We will hear the details directly from Lord Dragon, my liege and I. Today’s meeting is adjourned. We have prepared a modest dinner. Please enjoy yourselves.”

Thanks to Lord Strauss’ announcement, the meeting ended while still filled with excitement.

As Lucius tried to leave the venue with his still bewildered parents, Lord Strauss called out to him. His daughter Olivia, who had been evaluated first, was clinging to Lord Strauss’ leg.

“You’re Lucius, right?”

“Yes.”

“It’s quite emotional to exchange your family’s heirloom for your child’s quartet core, I’m deeply moved.”

“I’m sorry, but I still can’t quite grasp the situation. If I’ve caused any inconvenience, I apologize.”

Along with his admiration, Lord Strauss also turned his hopeful gaze towards Lucius. Conversely, Olivia, his daughter, did not seem to like the gaze from her father and looked up at him with dissatisfaction.

“No, there’s no need to apologize for anything. Rather, like His Majesty the King, I have expectations for you. Your father, Baron Dragon, and I have a relationship of distant relatives, like godparent and godchild. Think of me as your grandfather. If you have any troubles, feel free to visit me anytime.”

“Thank you for your kind words.”

“Also, take good care of the sword given to you by His Majesty.”

All eyes turned to the sword that Father Robel was carrying.

“It certainly looks expensive.”

“It’s priceless. The royal emblem is engraved on it. It’s also proof of your status as a member of the royal family. Some people would do anything to get their hands on it.”

– I don’t really want something so heavy.

Lucius strongly felt that he wanted to be excused from this situation, but he knew he couldn’t say that.

“…I will take good care of it.”

Lucius answered quickly, eager to leave the place.

As Lucius was about to leave and Olivia clung to Lord Strauss’ leg, their eyes met.

“I hate you! Go away!”

Olivia stuck out her tongue and cursed at Lucius.

– What the hell is going on today?

Exhausted, Lucius left the venue with a feeling of wanting to curl up in bed as soon as possible.

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