'So it's today, huh?'
Ignotus smiled.
Runethera.
This was the name of his home, a land of Runebearers.
It was commonly known that when the Gods created this world, 'They' sent down every Rune there was. But since then… the Day of Runes, which the world now celebrated, no more Runes were sent down.
The only way more Runes came into being was when they were bestowed upon children on the Day of Runes, their 'coming of age' event.
That naturally made the world dog-eat-dog, where everyone fought for Runes, and that phrase came in almost a literal sense because there certainly were a lot of damned dogs around... especially with nobles.
One might commonly find them killing their children to bear their Rune.
Because, unlike what one might expect, the realm didn't follow the standard emperor, king, prince, and so on ranking, as it was structured around power. And that importance of power meant that obtaining it was a tough ordeal, to say the least.
Ignotus had returned straight into his first ordeal.
Ascension Halls could only awaken and bestow Runes for a certain number of mortals, and since there weren't many spots per Ascension Hall, the chosen had to be decided in a duel.
Of course, Ignotus had lost last in his past life, and no, it wasn't because he was weak, though he was.
It was because he was poisoned by his own people.
But still... thanks to his position as a child of a Main House, he was sent to awaken anyway and had gained an Ethereal Rune, Time, a rune whose presence he only comprehended now.
After all, the reason why he was compatible with the Rune was because he regressed, and yes, though back then he was far from regressing, Time wasn't such a linear concept...
In any case, that day his family lost its credibility, and Ignatious lost all of his worth in the eyes of the public, a spoiled brat with nothing but privilege, stepping over others...
If only they knew his family, or rather, his father, let him awaken despite the loss on purpose to kill his reputation and dissociate the House from him... all that just to save face and keep their reputation intact.
"Hm…"
Chuckling, Ignotus unsheathed the sword on his belt and used it as a mirror to look at himself.
"I look pretty young; what do you think, Father?"
Ignatos glanced at the floating, hulking man.
He was green-eyed with a big beard and familiar but dimmer white hair, which fell over clothes fitting of a high-class noble.
"…"
The man only glared back.
"Hm, alright."
Perhaps his father knew of the poison; maybe he didn't. Either way, Ignotus didn't care.
He'd punish the ones responsible later; for now, he had to focus on this duel.
So finally, for the first time since his return, he faced what was before him...
A somewhat muscular brown-haired boy holding a big sword.
It was obvious that he had trained a lot; he was desperate for the spot.
Desperate enough that he colluded with someone in Ignotus's House to utterly destroy him.
'I can't have that~.'
He'd teach this boy some manners; maybe it'd help him live a little longer.
Ignotus took a very practiced stance.
"I'm ready."
The boy scoffed.
"You took your damned time!"
Ignoring him, Ignotus calmly glanced at their referee.
"Ah—my apologies. May Dorian of House Ash, son of Mark, and Ignotus of House Plant, son of Genus, begin their duel."
'...Saying my name second, hm?'
Snickering at that, Ignotus braced.
The poison made him much weaker; he couldn't block, that would be an instant loss.
So instead, he planned to stay completely still, inviting Dorian to attack...
"Ha!"
Which he did, slashing horizontally at Ignotus's shoulder.
"I won't be too cruel."
Ignotus deflected the attack, letting it float past, and counterstruck.
His sword went forth, cleanly cutting through Dorian's arm.
"AAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
It shot high as the boy began to scream in pain.
"Y-YOU BASTARD!"
Though in extreme pain, Dorian still tried to strike back, but...
"Hm. What's wrong?"
Ignotus stomped his knees, making him fall to the ground.
"Do you see something on the ground, boy?"
Dorian didn't reply, or rather, he couldn't.
Pain overwhelmed him, and he was barely conscious.
Watching his struggle, Ignotus calmly took a step back.
Even with the poison, Dorian had no chance of winning; the difference between their experience was as far as life was from death, and nothing he could do would change that.
In fact, the poison wasn't too bad; it was slow-acting and would settle on its own... he only needed to release some liquid.
Anyhow, the poor boy had lost his dream, so Ignotus was somewhat sympathetic and didn't antagonize him any further.
Because yes, walking the path of Sainthood was every mortal's dream.
After all, you'd be a Saint of a God.
The strongest there was...
"Would anyone else like to lose their arm as well?"
Ignotus's gray eyes scanned the stunned crowd.
"Send over more of your sons; let's see them fall against the weakest."
His eyes landed on his older brother, Acer, likely one of the conspirators of his poisoning.
"Why don't you come here too, brother? Let's see who's—"
"That's enough, Ignotus."
Genus blinked before him, looking down on him still.
Unlike that bastard brother of his, Ignotus was a very tall man, so he, being looked down on when on even ground, even if slightly, revealed just how much of a hulking man Genus was.
"Accept your victory with grace."
That was the last thing Ignotus heard.
Everything had gone dark.