I Became the Hero While Paving a Flower Path for My Niece - Chapter 68

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Cousin Paves the Flower Path and Becomes a Hero – Episode 68
Alex opened his eyes.
It felt like he’d slept deeply.
[Refreshed!]
Ibek felt the same way.
When he emerged from the bedroom, the sound of bustling voices drifted from the living room. Most clearly audible was Leo’s bright, rippling laughter.
“Really? Uncle was truly that amazing?”
“Of course! Everyone was frozen in place, and then Alex just unleashed this magic and wiped them out. It sparkled so bright.”
Dein was here too.
[Figured he’d show up.]
Ibek chuckled quietly.
At the sense of approaching footsteps, Dein lifted his head, and Leo and Jake turned in unison.
“Uncle! You’re awake?”
Leo beamed the moment he spotted Alex.
“Yeah. Have you eaten lunch yet?”
“No, not yet! We were waiting for you to wake up so we could eat together.”
“Then let’s eat right away.”
Milo had gone off to work, so the four of them—Alex, Leo, Jake, and Dein—had lunch together.
“What are you going to do today, Uncle?”
“I was thinking of teaching you Swordsmanship. What do you think?”
Since he’d moved around busily the evening before, he’d planned to take things easy today.
“Great! Can Jake learn with me too?”
Jake was startled by Leo’s suggestion.
Of course, he’d felt a little envious of Leo getting to learn Swordsmanship.
“Of course. But since I’ll be teaching from the basics, you won’t learn much. That’s all right with you, Jake?”
“Yes, yes! That’s fine!”
Jake nodded eagerly, his eyes bright.
“Then I’ll teach you something fun too….”
“Just try it.”
At Dein’s words, Alex’s pale green eyes flashed as he picked up a knife—a blunt dinner knife, yet it somehow felt sharper than a blade.
“It’s genuinely fun.”
“Cards, dice, roulette, coins, shell games—anything but those.”
….
Then there was nothing left.
Dein quietly went back to eating.
But he couldn’t understand why someone barely twenty years old—someone who looked like he’d never stepped foot in a gambling den—knew about things like that.
At the interplay between Alex and Dein, Leo and Jake laughed softly.
Leo especially was delighted.
In truth, Alex had no friends his own age.
Belo Village had plenty of children Leo’s age, but there were none Alex’s age.
‘He said he had a mage friend.’
It was a shame he’d never seen them.
‘Uncle’s friend!’
The way his uncle and Dein bickered and teased each other looked so close that Leo found it truly heartwarming.
* * *
After lunch, they went to the common courtyard behind Jake’s house. Leo and Jake stood among the laundry their neighbors had hung to dry.
“The wooden sword’s length doesn’t quite fit, so it’ll be a bit awkward.”
“That’s okay!”
“Right then. Shall we start with some warm-ups?”
Though he’d said he’d teach from the basics, he had no intention of only drilling them on conditioning. They might lose interest otherwise.
After the children had stretched briefly.
Alex began by teaching them how to grip the sword. Leo, who’d learned it before, ran through a review.
“He’s teaching really well.”
Even Dein, who was watching from the sidelines, was impressed—Alex moved with the ease of someone who’d taught before.
Because in the ‘Future,’ he knew how Leo’s Swordsmanship instructor and other swordmasters had taught their disciples.
“All right, twenty overhead strikes. Speed doesn’t matter. But your stance must be precise, and each cut should land on the same spot.”
“Got it!”
“Yes, understood!”
Leo and Jake answered spiritedly and focused on bringing their wooden swords down in a steady rhythm.
Of course, being beginners, their stances wavered and their cuts sometimes went awry.
“For a first attempt, you’re doing quite well.”
Still, Dein was right—for something learned for the first time today, the progress was genuinely impressive.
[As expected of the future Hero!]
“Leo’s definitely the swordsman type… and Jake has excellent footwork.”
The Branch Chief of the Information Guild’s gaze shifted to Jake, interest sparking in his eyes.
[So the bonds from the ‘Future’ are continuing like this.]
Whether that was good or bad, Alex wasn’t certain, so he simply decided to watch.
“Come to think of it, I need to settle the commission fee from yesterday.”
“Huh? Forget it. Sure, yesterday was rough, but I’d count it at about sixty percent of what the Dasha Village job was worth.”
Dein waved his hand dismissively as he spoke.
[Sixty percent. He’s cut it down quite a bit.]
[Then again, I nearly died.]
“I’ll handle what Ben and the others get, so don’t worry about it. The Count’s house repays its debts, after all.”
Alex smiled and replied.
“It’s not money, though,”
“You say it’s fine, but—”
“Light Step. Unless you hate the idea.”
“!! Please, teach me! Alex!”
[Hahahaha!!]
At the sight of Dein looking ready to drop to his knees, Ibek burst out laughing, and Alex couldn’t help but join in.
Leo and Jake, who’d been swinging swords at a distance, looked bewildered for a moment, then refocused and resumed their training.
Dein knew Alex was laughing at his sudden shift in demeanor, but he couldn’t help it.
Alex was someone whose magical prowess seemed impossible for a 2-Circle Mage, and from the way he’d attacked Domeric Brodel yesterday, it was clear he could use Body Enhancement as well.
On top of that, he knew Black Magic—something even Dein hadn’t been aware of—and it seemed he might even be connected to the nation itself somehow.
[I’ve been thinking about it constantly…]
Someone with such abilities couldn’t possibly be an ordinary person.
[He must be the hidden disciple of some incredibly powerful Sage.]
And this person was going to teach him Light Step.
This was something he had to learn.
“Alright. I’ll teach you.”
Since he’d dealt with the black sorcerer, he’d probably be leaving Brodel’s domain in a few days, but he should be able to at least grasp the basics before then. He was thinking he’d even write out the secret manual later.
“This is called Turog—a Light Step technique that was once used by Phantom, a legendary master thief.”
!
Dein’s orange eyes flashed with brilliance.
There was no way he wouldn’t know who Phantom was.
The legendary master thief, who appeared and vanished like a ghost, who had walked through even the imperial palace of the mighty Knight Empire as if it were his own home!
Truly, the lineage of this Light Step technique was no ordinary matter.
“First…”
Alex began teaching Dein the Turog Light Step technique.
In the ‘Future,’ this technique was something the Hero Leo had discovered in Phantom’s tomb during his adventures, and the Hero Leo had passed it on to Dein.
The “Dein sensei” of that time had greatly regretted seeing the Turog Light Step.
‘It suits me so well, but it’s too late to learn it now. I wish I were ten years younger.’
Or so he’d said.
And now, a decade earlier,
this was precisely the right time for Dein to be learning the Turog Light Step.
[But how does he even know this?]
Well, it was because the Hero Leo and his friends had thought, “A legendary master thief’s technique! Should we try learning it too?” and read through the secret manual.
The phantom Alex had also watched the Hero Leo read and practice from the manual.
Unfortunately, it hadn’t been a good match for the Hero Leo and his companions.
In any case.
[If Dein learns from now, his skill will increase far more.]
That would make it easier to gather information, and it would be a tremendous help to Alex and Leo’s adventures.
Ideally, if Dein could soon step away from the position of Branch Chief, become the Guild Master of the Crow Information Guild, and establish Information Guild branches not just across the eastern Continent but also in the southern regions he’d controlled in the ‘Future,’ and even further to the west where the Magic Tower Federation stood and the north where the Knight Empire reigned—that would be truly wonderful.
* * *
“By the way, you were looking for me this morning?”
After Dein had heard enough theory on the Turog Light Step from Alex and was moving his feet along the footprints Alex had drawn for him, he asked.
Leo and Jake, their concentration having waned, were wandering about the common courtyard eating the snacks Dein had brought, amusing themselves.
“Yeah. I wanted to know about Marquis Adler.”
“Marquis Adler? That’s easy enough.”

As Branch Chief of the Information Guild in the Meyheti Kingdom, he could hardly be ignorant of one of the realm’s power brokers.
Right foot, left foot, right foot.
Dein spoke while carefully matching his steps to the footprints on the ground.
“You know there are two Dukes in the Meyheti Kingdom, right?”
“Yeah.”
“One is Duke Spencer’s house—they’re Royal Faction. The King’s wife’s family.”
‘Oh, the Queen’s natal house?’
‘That’s bound to be powerful.’
“The other is Duke Adler. He’s Nobility Faction. That one’s obscenely wealthy.”
‘So that one’s the rich one.’
“Dein, you need to angle your left foot a little more inward there.”
“Oh, got it.”

At Alex’s correction, Dein adjusted his stance and continued.

“The Adler house wasn’t originally that wealthy, but seven years ago they started making big money through various enterprises. And with that money, they’ve been bankrolling nobles to expand the Nobility Faction.”
‘Huh. He made that much?’
“But most of his competitors died in accidents or from illness, and the Duke picked up their businesses cheap. So there’s speculation he’s behind it all—though there’s no hard evidence.”
‘Sounds like the Duke’s definitely the culprit.’
‘That’s terrifying.’

Alex listened carefully to what Dein was saying.

“His first wife died seven years ago, the second one four years ago. He has two sons and three grandsons.”
‘The first wife lasted longer. The second one died quickly.’
‘Did he kill the wives too?’

It was possible.

“And he’s also famous for looking ten years younger than he actually is.”

Wealth and youth.
Things that someone might covet enough to pay any price for.

“He’s the head of the Nobility Faction too. But he’s moderate, so there’s no serious conflict with the Royal Faction.”
‘That’s odd.’
‘If he were truly villainous, he’d align with the hardliners and want to fight.’

Maybe he was hiding his true nature.
It was too early to make his move.
When he thought of the capital of Mitera in that chaotic Future, it made perfect sense.

“Is there any rumor that the Duke uses Magic or something like that?”
“Magic? No, nothing. Both of them are bureaucrats who don’t know the first thing about Magic.”
‘Is the Duke hiding it? Or is he not a Black Mage at all?’

One didn’t need to be a mage to become a contractor with the Demon Race.
You could meet the Demons and make a contract through other means—cursed artifacts, dreams, and so forth.
‘Still, I should meet the Duke directly and get a sense of him.’

Alex agreed with the assessment.

“Is the Duke in the capital right now?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure about his current whereabouts. You should go to the capital and ask the Guild office there.”
“Understood.”

Watching Alex’s grave expression, Dein moved his feet while thinking.
He’d heard that Alex’s destination was the capital of Mitera, and somehow he had a feeling that trouble would soon erupt there as well.
‘Hope things get chaotic in the East too.’
When things got hectic like that, gaps opened up where information became easiest to unearth.
It seemed Alex was proving genuinely helpful to him in one way or another.
“Where are Adler’s lands?”
“In the northern regions.”

He had a feeling he’d need to make a trip north before long.

[It’ll be pretty cold up there, won’t it?]
I’d better pack Leo’s clothes properly.
“Can you dig up some detailed information about Adler later and compile it for me?”
“Sure. That’s easy enough.”
He intended to examine Dein closely as well, since the Sage’s apprentice (or whatever he was) Alex was keeping watch on him.
“Is there anything else you’re curious about?”
“Hmm.”
Alex thought for a moment, then spoke in a hushed voice so Leo wouldn’t hear.
“I’m looking for someone. Even just information would be fine.”
“Someone?”
Was it another case like Milo?
Dein, who had stopped practicing the Turog Light Step, approached Alex’s side.
There had to be a reason for lowering his voice.
“My sister and her husband. Leo’s parents.”
“…!”
Dein glanced at Leo, who was playing with Jake.
“They’re both Class 3 Mercenaries. They left five years ago on a commission and haven’t returned since.”
From Alex’s words, Dein understood why the uncle and nephew were so inseparably close.
“What else do you know?”
The orange in Dein’s eyes deepened as he asked.
Since Alex had shared information about Dasha Village with him, he wanted to return the favor.
So Alex told him what he knew — though it was limited to information about his sister and brother-in-law.
“If the commission was secured that tightly… it must have been something big.”
“That’s what I think too.”
Dein nodded after a moment’s thought.
“Understood. I’ll look into it. I’ll check with the headquarters in Mitera as well. You said your destination is Mitera, right? I’ll make sure you can get the information directly once you arrive.”
[Ooh, convenient!]
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Dein grinned as he spoke.
Alex’s lips curved into a smile in return.
Even though the Hero Leo hadn’t been able to find his sister and brother-in-law, somehow Leo found himself looking forward to it.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————