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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
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Chapter 28
Of course, it seemed that he had consumed a massive amount of energy in the process.
As a result, he was in a state close to an out-of-body experience, but before it was too late, I managed to re-anchor his soul back into his body and resonate it with his physical form, effectively bringing him back to life.
“This actually worked.”
Of course, the success rate was incredibly low without several auxiliary factors.
Nevertheless, it seemed that this third son of the Pharrell Berli family was quite fortunate.
“This doesn’t make any sense. How is this even possible? Is it based on the Berg Law? Or the Paramillus Equation? No, how could this work? It should be impossible by all rational standards...”
Watching him sink into his own train of thought made me feel uneasy.
“Hey.”
“It seems like necromancy... but there wasn’t anything like this in the necromancy I know!”
I silently watched him mutter to himself before retracting Muyeong into the shadows and turning away.
I could feel it.
The unmistakable vibe of a really bothersome kind of mage that you hear about in stories.
While he was lost in his thoughts, I attempted to leave the scene.
Thud!!!
“Brother!!”
Of course, this crazy guy had no intention of letting me go so easily.
“When did I ever become your brother? Let go of me.”
“Brother! You saved my life, so you’re my brother! How could I ever repay this kindness?”
Repaying kindness versus getting rid of trouble—it wasn’t hard to see which one outweighed the other on the scale.
“Forget about it; let’s just go our separate ways.”
“Then... at least tell me how you saved me!”
What kind of guy is this?
Annoyed to the point of frustration, I delivered a tactical nuke-level flick to his forehead.
Smack!
“Ack!!!”
As he clutched his head and rolled on the ground in pain, Muyeong, watching the scene, slowly approached him and began rolling around alongside him.
As if he thought it was some kind of game.
For an undead, Muyeong’s movements were oddly full of life.
Did something strange get mixed in during his creation as a Named?
After a while, Muyeong glanced at me, noticed my expression, and quickly stood up, lowering himself into the shadows before disappearing entirely.
“This isn’t right... I should first thank the person who saved me.”
He managed to get up with some effort.
“Brother, would you be willing to visit my estate?”
“Your estate?”
“Yes! I must repay this kindness so we can build a closer bond!”
Looking directly at this bold and shameless man, I coldly replied.
“I said, forget it. Let’s go our separate ways.”
“Ah... I apologize for my rudeness. Still, if you ever need help, please don’t hesitate to visit the Berli Ducal Family! I will never forget this kindness you’ve shown me!”
At least he wasn’t completely unreasonable.
He took out his family crest and handed it to me before retreating.
Now that I think about it, the Berli Ducal Family—wasn’t that the family of one of the two Sword Masters in the Bata Kingdom?
With my father’s passing, he would essentially be the last Sword Master of the Bata Kingdom.
The Berli family was renowned for its legacy as a swordsmanship clan.
But it was surprising to see the son of a Sword Master become a mage.
‘Well, there’s no law that says a mage can’t be born to knightly parents.’
After all, my father was a Sword Master, while I turned out to be a necromancer.
By the time I left the dungeon after spending so much time creating and enhancing Muyeong, dusk had already fallen.
Naturally, there was no need to openly flaunt Muyeong’s existence, so I kept him out of sight.
“Leon! I’m officially an Expert now!”
My younger sister beamed with pride as she announced her achievement, clearly in high spirits.
“Tonight’s banquet will begin with His Highness making an appearance. During the event, the title succession ceremony for the countship will take place.”
After that, she would officially become the Count of Cascadia.
“Unless someone with a higher title imposes restrictions, there shouldn’t be any issues with the succession.”
Why did it feel like something would definitely go wrong when it was said like that?
* * *
The royal banquet was attended by far more nobles than expected.
The kingdom’s two dukes, five marquesses, and countless other nobles and their families were all on the guest list.
Of course, due to various personal circumstances, not all of them could attend.
Dressed uncomfortably in formal attire, I gazed at my sister, Melissa, who had been unusually dolled up for the occasion, with narrowed eyes.
“Can you stop glaring at me like that?”
Her usual long, gray hair was tied back in a half-up style, and her amber eyes—resembling our mother’s—no longer showed traces of fatigue.
However, despite her elegant and demure appearance, the way she spoke hadn’t changed a bit.
“Still as rude as ever, I see.”
“How do I look? Pretty good, right?”
“No matter how much you dress up a tadpole with wings, it doesn’t turn into a swan. At best, it’s a flying frog.”
Whack!!
She replied with a low kick instead of words.
“Hey, flying frog, come here.”
When she turned away with an annoyed face, I called her back and straightened the messy part of her hair.
“A countess-to-be can’t even manage her appearance?”
“Oh, shut up. You saw it, so just fix it already.”
“What’s the point of saying anything, then?”
Despite her grumbling, she seemed oddly pleased.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
“It’s the seat Father left behind. I’ve finally reclaimed it. I’ll protect it until the three of them return. Trust me.”
Losing our parents and youngest sibling had left deep scars on both of us.
Now, six months later, she was finally starting to shoulder the burden of her duties as a countess, relieving some of her pressure.
She still firmly believed in their survival.
As for me, I wasn’t as optimistic.
A Sword Master-level fighter like our father wouldn’t fall victim to just any accident.
Melissa had found traces of the incident after much effort.
But the problem was, those traces included evidence of a Kraken, a sea monster of legend.
To put it bluntly, a Kraken wasn’t something even a Sword Master could handle. It wasn’t just a big octopus.
Just a big octopus?
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HELHEIM SCANS
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Not even close.
It only resembles an octopus in appearance but is practically a calamity.
I’ve encountered a kraken in the Hall of Swords, the Hall of Martial Arts, and the Hall of Necromancy, but in my opinion, someone at the early stages of becoming a Sword Master stands almost no chance of surviving an encounter with a kraken in the sea.
At the very least, we’d need to figure out a way to lure it out of the water.
If that doesn’t work, the only option is to risk everything and head into the sea.
It’s not like krakens are a common species among the Sea Kings, after all.
[If you find it, what do you plan to do?]
“Isn’t it obvious? Tear it to pieces.”
[Understood.]
Just before I climbed into the carriage heading toward the royal castle, I extended a hand to escort her and asked:
“Do you still believe that our parents and Arsha are alive?”
“I have to believe. I won’t force anyone else to, but I’ll keep believing to the end.”
It wasn’t a mere complaint.
Perhaps the hope that her parents and youngest sibling might still be alive was the last thing she was clinging to.
“Alright. Let’s believe that.”
“Leon.”
As I affirmed her hope in a weary voice, she looked directly at me in silence.
Her eyes widened slightly as her gaze settled on my face.
“You… you’re not getting any sleep, right?”
“Yeah. A little, here and there.”
I wasn’t fully recovered yet, so getting proper sleep was still difficult.
But thanks to my first attempts, I’d at least managed to catch bits of rest, which was progress.
She clenched her small fists and turned her gaze toward the window.
The banquet hall was already bustling with nobles.
Unlike me, who had barely participated in social activities, Melissa had occasionally attended banquets with father, so she probably had acquaintances here.
And, of course, with her succession ceremony happening, there wasn’t a single person unaware of her.
As soon as I escorted Melissa into the hall, countless gazes immediately focused on her.
“That young lady is the acting Count of Cascadia.”
“Hmph… A young Count, and exceptionally talented at that…”
It seemed Melissa was quite the center of attention among the nobles.
“Relax, will you?”
I whispered quietly enough that no one else could hear.
Slightly tense, she let out a careful sigh.
“Right. I’m a Count now.”
The succession ceremony had gathered many nobles.
However, the king, who would oversee the ceremony, had not yet appeared.
“Pleased to meet you, Acting Count. I’m Viscount Ortis…”
“We’re meeting for the first time, I believe.”
The nobles, who had been chatting among themselves, quickly surrounded Melissa as soon as she entered, initiating conversation.
Melissa responded with a practiced smile, engaging them in dialogue with composure.
“No way I could do that with my temper,”
I muttered, shaking my head and maintaining a bit of distance from her.
Of course, it wasn’t as if I, not being the acting Count, went entirely unnoticed.
“Good heavens! My lord! You’re from the Cascadia family?”
Someone approached and spoke to me as I stood somewhat apart from the crowd.
“Ah…”
It dawned on me then that this person was a noble.
“What a delightful surprise! Father! This is the man who saved my life!”
At his words, the older gentleman beside him—a man of dignified and imposing presence—turned his sharp gaze toward me, as if assessing something.
I bowed respectfully.
“It’s an honor to meet the Sword of the Kingdom, Duke Berli. I am Leon Cascadia.”
“A pleasure to meet you. I had no idea that Galeon’s son was the one who saved Farrel.”
Galeon.
Galeon Cascadia was my father’s name.
And there were only two people in this kingdom who would call him that.
“My father spoke of you often, Your Grace.”
“Did he now? I’m sorry for what happened to him. I hear he encountered a kraken.”
“Yes.”
The tragedy of my father, mother, and youngest sibling Arsha being caught in an accident while aboard a ship was widely known.
However, not many were aware of how someone as skilled as my father—a Sword Master—had met his end.
“My apologies. It pains me that I couldn’t even wield my blade for my friend’s sake.”
“It’s fine. Krakens are closer to natural disasters than living creatures.”
At my response, he smiled bitterly.
“My son told me. He said you saved him.”
“I was just lucky. Without the artifact, what I might have returned to you wouldn’t have been your son, but a keepsake.”
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HELHEIM SCANS
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