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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: 2. The Eye-Opening Ceremony
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1.
After the long day ended, Karron returned to his bedroom and lay on the bed.
It had been a long day, but not a boring one.
Causing trouble was one thing, but more than anything, he was happy to have seen Halo again.
He thought of Halo, who was now his grandfather.
'I couldn't even begin to fathom it.'
The immense mana he had felt within the old man's body.
Azure Mana so deep and vast it reminded him of a boundless sea.
It felt like facing a force of nature.
'Even at the time of my death, Halo had already surpassed me.'
Forty-five years had passed since then, so in a way, it was an expected outcome.
Unlike him, who had hit his limits and despaired, Halo had overcome his limits time and time again.
Innate talent, an unyielding will, a thirst for power—the man lacked nothing.
'It's a level I can't even comprehend right now.'
A knight's level is classified from 1-star to 9-star based on their mana, and that man had already reached 8-star by the age of twenty-nine.
Considering most people could dedicate their entire lives and never reach 8-star, it was easy to see just how absurd he was.
And thinking back to how he was earlier, Halo seemed to have already reached the so-called transcendent realm, a state beyond even 9-star.
'Even I don't know much about what lies beyond 9-star.'
Karron, too, had been an 8-star knight in his past life. However, that was a level he had reached solely through demonic mana.
While he had reached it with incredible ease compared to others, it was also a limit set by the demon.
9-star and beyond was a realm he had never managed to cross.
But this life is different.
With Azure Mana, with this pure mana, he would surely be able to conquer what lay beyond.
The martial artist's ambition he had to suppress, he would achieve it in this life.
In that sense, being born as Halo's grandson was a tremendous stroke of luck.
This overflowing talent, impossible to hide, would guide him to even greater heights. Besides, he had a grandfather who had already become the continent's strongest by treading this very path.
He just needed to become a grandson who constantly piqued Halo's interest. If he could become the focus of Halo's expectations, Halo would gladly anticipate his grandson's growth and spare no advice.
'The first meeting wasn't bad.'
For now, he had succeeded in capturing Halo's attention.
The next step is to seal the deal with the Eye-Opening Ceremony. He just had to clearly imprint on everyone's minds what kind of person the youngest grandson of the Leston ducal family was.
Karron nodded and lay down on the bed.
The fragrant scent of herbs tickled his nose.
'The Eye-Opening Ceremony…'
He recalled an old story Halo had once told him. A story about the Eye-Opening Ceremony.
It had been a boring story, so the memory was quite faint, but Halo had definitely told him what happened.
-Our family has a special ritual called the
A conversation they'd had while drinking.
The procedure for the ceremony, as he vaguely remembered it, was as follows.
When you touch the
The weapon obtained in that world manifests exactly as it was in reality. The ritual ends when you present that weapon to the head of the family.
Did he say that the world one faces through the
He had listened to the story with indifference back then, but thinking about it now, he was quite grateful.
'He said there was a secret, too.'
Halo had said there was a secret hidden within the
He had probably learned that secret by now.
But Karron wasn't particularly curious about it. The only thing important to him right now was successfully completing the Eye-Opening Ceremony.
Woooong.
Azure Mana shone brightly from Karron's fingertips.
"Still, it'll be a relief to use it openly now."
Not having to hide his mana anymore was the most convenient part.
Just as Karron was playing around, manipulating his mana.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked on his bedroom door. A moment later, a trembling voice came from the other side.
"Karron. Are you asleep?"
Peil's familiar voice.
"I'm awake."
Karron got up and opened the bedroom door.
"I thought you might be troubled, so I came to see you."
"You smell of alcohol."
"I had just one drink with your mother. Let's talk for a moment."
Peil slowly entered Karron's bedroom. He sat on the sofa on one side and had Karron sit across from him.
"Karron."
His father called his name softly. Karron replied with a smile.
"Yes, Father."
"Do you know what I thought most often while raising you?"
"...I'm not sure."
"That my son doesn't act his age. I thought that a lot. You never showed me everything."
The ways he was unlike other children his age.
Professor Yuris, his son's tutor, would sometimes say things like this.
-When I speak with the young master, I often find myself confused. Am I talking to an adult, or am I talking to a child?
And Peil felt the same way.
Thinking back now, it seemed Karron had been hiding a great many things from him.
He wasn't upset about it.
His son was smart. If the boy had hidden something from him, he figured there must have been a good reason.
"I'm sorry for hiding it, Father."
"No. You must have had your reasons. I didn't come here to blame you for that."
Peil smiled gently and looked into his son's eyes.
Eyes that were just like his own.
No matter what anyone said, this child was his one and only precious son.
"Whatever happens, I want you to remember one thing."
He quietly and gently stroked Karron's head.
Although this main estate was a place of failure for Peil, it wasn't for his son.
He already knew what he had to do for his son.
Earlier, his son had said this to his grandfather.
-It seems my only family here is my father and mother.
His son already knew how his father was treated in the main house.
His son would pass the Eye-Opening Ceremony and be proudly recognized as a member of the ducal family. And it was a father's role to ensure such a son would not be lonely.
So, Peil said.
"I am your father, and you are my son. So I will support you no matter what you do. I will always stand behind you."
Just as he always had.
He would watch his son's growth from behind with a joyful heart.
Karron beamed at his father's clumsily delivered but heartfelt words. He then slowly nodded.
"Yes, Father."
Parents who gave him infinite love and support.
Karron knew better than anyone that they were the greatest gift of this life.
2.
The next morning.
'The Duke's youngest grandson beat his cousin half to death the moment he set foot in the mansion!'
A single day was more than enough time for the rumor to spread throughout the entire ducal estate.
Karron could feel the various gazes directed at him. Most of them were from the servants, who looked at him with fear.
Beating his cousin mercilessly on the very first day had effectively announced to everyone in the mansion that the youngest grandson had a foul temper.
"Still, you must be careful about everything in the main house, Son."
Peil said as he walked down the hall with his son.
Halo, the head of the family, had summoned them for breakfast.
"About what?"
"The rumors about you."
Peil, too, had heard the rumors about his son circulating through the estate. That was why he was worried.
But his son replied with a nonchalant smile.
"Everything is going according to my plan, Father."
"What on earth kind of plan did you make?"
"For a first impression, it's better to be feared than seen as a pushover."
He had no intention of tormenting the staff. But a certain amount of gravitas was essential.
This was especially true considering the status his father, Peil, held within the main house.
"I don't think anyone in the main house should be allowed to disrespect you, Father. You work so hard for the ducal family. What do those leeches who just waste money in the main house know?"
"Karron. I appreciate the sentiment, but I hope you'll restrain yourself in front of the other adults."
He had been incredibly surprised to hear his son had been hiding his mana all this time, but now, he felt more relief than anything.
Relief that his son wouldn't walk the same path as him.
Of course, along with that relief came a new worry.
His first and second older brothers would not welcome his son's appearance. Moreover, if his son proved to have dazzling talent, they would relentlessly try to keep him in check.
The two brothers Peil knew were more than capable of such things.
If such a situation arose.
'I will fight back with all my strength.'
He recalled the moment he had greeted his brothers yesterday for the first time in a while.
Both brothers had welcomed him warmly. But Peil knew it was only because he was irrelevant to the succession.
But he also remembered how they had laughed at him long before that, when he had failed his Eye-Opening Ceremony.
His brothers' true natures hadn't changed.
They simply needed his financial power for the war of succession.
"You must always be wary of your uncles."
Peil advised his son with sincerity.
And to that sincere advice, Karron nodded and replied.
"I'll keep that in mind."
As the father and son continued their conversation, they soon arrived at the dining hall where breakfast was prepared.
As the two entered the hall, the gazes of everyone already present focused on them.
Karron met their gazes as he walked alongside his father.
Halo's eldest son, Teils Leston, and his daughter, Rion Leston.
And Halo's second son, Raphael Leston, and his son, Leo Leston.
They were all direct blood relatives of the Leston ducal family who had passed the Eye-Opening Ceremony.
'What lovely expressions.'
His first uncle was looking at Karron with a smile masking his true expression, while Leo flinched and avoided his gaze.
His second uncle's face was particularly worth seeing.
That face, glaring as if ready to kill him at any moment, was quite to his liking.
And Rion, the only girl among them, was watching Karron with a look of curiosity.
Karron smiled faintly and paused. He then bowed politely to his uncles.
"I was in a rush yesterday and couldn't greet you properly. My name is Karron."
His uncles gave a slight nod, accepting their nephew's greeting. Karron savored their stares as he slowly took his seat.
Despite being a family meal, the atmosphere was chilling.
Were they a family having a meal, or enemies?
The tension in the hall was palpable.
'Life in the main house is going to be fun.'
The thought that he would be seeing these faces quite often from now on was a welcome one.
For now, they were all smiling and acting dignified, but these were the people who had tormented and ignored Peil.
The idea of messing with their heads on his father's behalf seemed rather amusing.
After Peil and Karron had entered the dining hall, the master of the empty head seat also entered.
"Father."
Everyone who was already present stood up to greet the family head.
Halo surveyed his family members before sitting at the head of the table. He then nodded.
"Be seated."
"Yes."
"Yes."
At the family head's command, everyone sat down, and Halo continued speaking.
"Last night, there was a meeting with the family elders. The agenda was about my youngest grandson, Karron's, Eye-Opening Ceremony."
Halo paused and looked at Karron.
His youngest grandson with the bright, intelligent eyes.
But Halo already knew that behind those eyes lurked a cunning old soul.
"The children of the Leston ducal family undergo various forms of training two weeks before their Eye-Opening Ceremony to awaken their Azure Mana. This is because, unlike other types of mana, Azure Mana requires the body to be completely free of impurities. You all know this well."
This 'training' was more akin to body modification.
The adults directly infuse mana into their children's bodies to remove the impurities blocking the pathways. They then continuously project mana to help the body acclimate to it.
In this way, a body accustomed to mana is created in a short period, and in that state, they stand before the
Of course, the process is not a smooth one.
The reason mana is awakened on the tenth birthday is that a child must be ten years old to endure the entire process.
"However, Karron has already awakened his Azure Mana. Of course, this is not without precedent."
Halo himself, for instance, awakened his mana at the age of seven and underwent the ceremony early.
A few family heads who left their names in the family's history also awakened their Azure Mana at an early age.
Their commonality was, in the end, one thing.
They all became figures who represented the Leston ducal family.
And Halo's sons knew well what that meant.
From the moment they heard yesterday that Karron had awakened his Azure Mana, they had a premonition.
This meeting was merely a stage for their father to solidify Karron's position.
"Karron's Eye-Opening Ceremony will be held this afternoon. All other official schedules for the ducal family today, aside from the ceremony, will be canceled. Be aware of this."
After his calm declaration, Halo quietly looked at Karron.
'Did you think I would wait for you to prepare at your leisure?'
At his grandfather's gaze, filled with so much 'love,' Karron grinned and shrugged.
'Still as impatient as ever.'
His plan to prepare for the ceremony at a leisurely pace had gone up in smoke, but it didn't really matter.
No, it was actually better this way.
'Getting it over with quickly is fine by me.'
After all, the Eye-Opening Ceremony was a spectacular bomb prepared just for him, Karron.
And that bomb was about to shake this ducal family to its very foundations.