Reincarnated as a Genius Prodigy of a Prestigious Family - Chapter 277

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Reincarnated as a Legendary Talent Genius of a Noble Family Episode 277

179. The Name of the Secret Arts (2)

“Countless fellows who called themselves mages have come to me.”

The wrinkles covering his aged face writhed.

“But not a single one among them could understand even a fragment of my secret arts, nor could any of them reach my mana.”

As he said this, his eyes flashed.

“But you’re different, Dane Sogress.”

With my mana drawn up to its fullest.

I stared at him intently before shifting my gaze to the purple gem I had picked up from among the broken monument pieces.

“Is this the proof of that?”

“Yes. It’s something I never expected at all. I never thought there would be someone who could understand my essence, reconstruct it, and make it their own.”

His voice and face filled with amazement were looking at me.

Extremely greedily.

“So you’re the only one who can break this centuries-long wait.”

I tilted my head at his words.

“Are you saying I should become your disciple, something like that?”

“That’s right. No matter what happens. You must inherit my secret arts and grow that power even stronger. The secret arts of me, Saul Hanston, a mage who didn’t exist in this world.”

When the name Saul Hanston was directly mentioned, Leila and Ernest, those two seemed quite shocked.

“What is that person saying right now?”

“Don’t tell me… he’s saying he’s Saul Hanston?”

“That’s impossible. There’s no way. How could a person live for hundreds of years…”

The person who answered that amazement was Saul.

“There are many things in this world you don’t know. Of course, there are many things I don’t know too. I never dreamed I would meet you all in a place I came to with thoughts of finally giving up.”

Now it’s emotion.

Hundreds of years.

Since that day he was known to have died, so Saul Hanston had been searching for someone to inherit his secret arts until now.

Saul pointed to the gem in my hand.

“You have proven yourself. And you’ve accomplished something even I didn’t expect.”

Then he added.

“You can become a mage far superior to me. If only you inherit my secret arts.”

I chuckled and asked.

“Then why are you drawing up so much mana like that? As if you’re ready to shoot something at any moment.”

Saul flinched at those words.

And asked as if he couldn’t believe it.

“…How did you know that?”

“Because I can see it.”

“How can this be visible… That’s impossible. I was being very discreet… Don’t tell me you probed me?”

Well, it doesn’t matter if he takes it as bluffing.

The point is that a mage of Saul Hanston’s caliber was flustered.

I found that sight quite amusing and let out a slight laugh.

But that was only for a moment.

“Anyway, I’ll ask again. Why are you drawing up mana?”

Saul hesitated.

Wondering if he had some other intention, I too gradually began drawing up my mana.

Thinking that if necessary, I’d blow away this legendary mage or whatever and escape from here.

But an unexpected answer came.

“…Because you can’t run away.”

Saul barely managed to continue speaking.

“I… I’ve been waiting for years!”

That cry was mixed with all kinds of emotions.

Regret.

Anticipation.

Joy.

Sadness.

Relief.

Well, it’s a pitiful thing.

However, it’s not something to look forward to.

“I’ve waited hundreds of years. Hundreds of years! During all that long time, I searched not only this place but every corner of Drenik and the continent, even going to the unknown continent across the sea!”

The people who reacted to these words weren’t me, but the two.

“A-across the sea? What’s there? I’m curious!”

“If you live for hundreds of years, what level of swordsmanship could you reach…?”

Is it because of me?

These fellows have become unimpressed by most things.

Still, if it’s true that he lived for hundreds of years, it’s somewhat interesting. It’s amazing that his body functions perfectly.

Or maybe the secret to living those hundreds of years is secret magic?

That couldn’t be the case though.

“Aren’t you… afraid of me?”

Anyway, the leisurely-looking old man Soltier was gone.

Instead, there was only Saul Hanston, who claimed to have lived hundreds of years and was showing all kinds of emotions while looking for someone to inherit his secret arts.

“I have something I’m curious about.”

“Ask me anything, my successor.”

I never agreed to succeed him, but Saul seemed to have already decided that.

“How did you live for hundreds of years?”

There’s only one possibility.

Sure enough.

Saul looked around and then rolled up his robe sleeve to show an arm so emaciated that only skin was attached to bone.

“I’m sustaining my body with mana and supplying mana with a stopped heart.”

Lich.

A mage who died but didn’t die.

Saul Hanston ultimately chose a forbidden method to find someone to inherit his secret arts.

However, one more thing.

“I heard that the method of making oneself into a lich was completely lost.”

“I discovered it. By searching through every document there was. The reward for that has appeared now.”

Then he added.

“Don’t worry. It’s not like the rumors where your nature becomes evil or you capture the living to offer as sacrifices. That’s all unnecessary thanks to my superior mana. Also… there’s the reason that I reached the 9th Circle.”

I wonder what reaction Priscilla would have shown if she were here.

“That’s impressive.”

I let out an honest impression.

Hundreds of years.

Others may say they want to live long and long, but if they actually lived for hundreds of years, they wouldn’t be able to say that anymore.

The feelings of having to remain alone even after people you know leave one by one, and the burden of having to live long with attachments.

Of course, I haven’t heard Saul’s story, but I wonder how he endured that long time.

“Well, that’s an obvious fact. So how do you feel? How does it feel to face this Saul Hanston? And a Saul Hanston who became a lich at that?”

He seems very expectant.

Is it okay for an undead to be like this?

I just shrugged my shoulders.

“Let me ask the next thing I’m curious about.”

Then I held out the gem in my hand.

“Do you know what this is?”

“I don’t know either. However, since it’s a substance created by the meeting of my mana, concentrated over a long time, and your remarkable mana… I think it might be a substance that never existed before.”

“So you don’t know either.”

“That’s right. Even though I’m quite smart, there’s no way I could know something that didn’t exist before. Well, it’s not something I covet, so take it or whatever.”

Then I should give this to Big Sister.

From what I can see, absorption would be difficult, so I’ll just extract some of the codes inside.

“C-can I ask something too? Dane?”

Actually, these guys probably had more questions than I did.

Look at that expression full of expectation with sparkling eyes, even though he clearly said he was a lich.

He’s even a human, no, an undead who was just raising his mana against us moments ago.

“Lord Saul? No, Saul? Or Sir Hanston? What should we call you?”

“Call me whatever you want, little ones.”

“By, by any chance… how exactly did you design the ‘Erat Temple’? Really, no matter how much I looked, I couldn’t understand it. It’s called a wonder now!”

Saul stared blankly at Ernest for a moment, then asked me.

“Didn’t you say he was from an exploration family?”

“He’s a fellow who has a lot of interest in various places besides exploration.”

“…It would be quite long to explain.”

Saul was going to explain that too.

At this point, Leila also asked.

“Have you ever met Sir Atar?”

“I have met him. That’s also quite a long story.”

“My goodness!”

Thanks to this, Saul was wearing a proud expression, and I was the only one here talking about the main point.

“So, what is it that you ultimately want? Saul Hanston.”

“It’s simple. Become my disciple. Inherit my secrets. Well, it’s funny for me to say this. This must be exactly what you’ve been hoping for. You haven’t become someone’s disciple at that age, have you?”

There is one person who claims me as his disciple, but that’s irrelevant here.

“Anyway, the conclusion is this. From now on, learn secret magic from me. Depending on your talent… it’s a bit different, but 10 years should be enough.”

At the mention of 10 years, I was at a loss for words.

Whether he knew this or not, Saul continued as if it were natural.

“Ah, your family will understand, but if you become my disciple, you’ll have to live with me.”

A life of secret magic transmission together with a lich.

“I’m not that picky. As you can see, since I became a lich, there’s nothing particular to take care of. I naturally don’t eat either. Compared to other foul-tempered mages, this is premium treatment.”

Saul shrugged his shoulders, which probably had nothing left but bones and skin.

“I honestly don’t know why I’m having this conversation. The answer should have already come out.”

He said with gleaming eyes.

“Now, you understand why I’m saying this much, right? It’s time to become the only mage who will carry on my name. Follow me.”

The legendary mage, Saul Hanston.

He has now appeared before my eyes as a lich.

This alone is amazing, but he’s asking me to become his disciple and live together while he transmits his secret magic.

For 10 years.

Certainly, if I went through that process, I would become an unprecedented mage that no one could approach-

And I would also gain the tremendous honor of following in Saul Hanston’s footsteps.

“When your power combines with my secret magic, you’ll surpass me and more, Dane Sogress.”

However.

That’s precisely why I cannot accept.

“That proposal would be difficult to accept.”

I saw it.

What the face of a lich who lived for hundreds of years looked like when distorted with anger and bewilderment.

And how mighty the mana he was drawing up was.

“You would reject me, this Saul Hanston, this incredible proposal?”

Instantly, the flow of surrounding mana stopped.

And that mana gathered toward Saul Hanston and began forming a storm.

Controlling the surrounding mana rather than the mana within one’s body.

That alone is an incredible feat.

By the standards of ordinary mages.

“I wandered for hundreds of years and finally found you! And yet, you’re going to reject me? This fellow…”

I continued speaking calmly once again.

“I am an Academy student.”

“So what! Such trivial studies! Is graduating from the Academy more important than inheriting my secrets?”

“And I’m also the president of the ‘Magic Summoning Exploration Spear Swordsmanship’ club.”

“…”

“Shortened to ‘Romance.'”

Saul seemed flabbergasted as he stammered and barely managed to open his mouth.

“That’s your reason for rejecting the transmission of my secret magic? Are you in your right mind!”

Whoosh!

Instantly, a storm of mana burst forth, sweeping away everything except the space where we were standing.

“D-Dane!”

A cry came from behind, and with creaking sounds, Saul Hanston’s birthplace behind us completely collapsed.

“Should I subdue you here and take you away?”

What tremendous anger.

But I know.

The fact that Saul Hanston won’t harm us here.

If he intended to harm us, he would have swept away the place where we were standing too.

So I added.

“10 years seems too long.”

“What do you mean…”

“Maybe if it were a month.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Because there’s less than a month left until the new semester starts.”

“You little…”

So that’s how a lich trembles when shaking with rage.

It’s not much different from a person.

“Are you… mocking me? How dare you mock this Saul Hanston?”

“I’m not mocking you, I’m serious. I’m quite greedy, you see.”

If my talent were only magic, I would have hesitated less than now.

But I’m honing all sorts of talents including swordsmanship, spear arts, and summoning arts.

Magic?

I do covet Saul Hanston’s secrets, but…

Well?

Abandon everything else?

Above all, I don’t like the idea of giving up this Academy life and living with that lich for 10 years.

Therefore-

“So I’m rejecting the 10 years. Saul Hanston.”

I rejected him once again.

The earnest request of a lich hundreds of years old.

“Unless I could learn it faster.”

While adding one condition.

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