Reincarnated as a Genius Prodigy of a Prestigious Family - Chapter 346
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Reincarnated as a Legendary Talent Genius of a Noble Family Episode 346
227. The One Who Lost Everything (2)
Gunter Dionil.
Once a promising figure, now a forgotten man.
A man who took no sides in the power struggles between nobles that began after the war, only to get caught up in the flames.
And now, someone who has worked as a ‘servant’ of the Imperial Palace for 10 years.
Being a servant, especially an Imperial Palace servant, wasn’t a low position, but it was strange for someone who once led a family to end up like this.
But Baron Dionil didn’t mind.
He had to preserve his life somehow.
“You saw my practice. From behind the tree.”
At Dane’s words, Baron Dionil mumbled and bowed his head deeply.
“I didn’t intend to… spy.”
Originally, he had been heading to the archive.
But when he passed near the training ground, he heard sounds and looked in…
“I saw by chance and got absorbed without realizing it. If you’re displeased… I’m sorry.”
Baron Dionil suddenly trembled.
Fear?
Or shame?
Whatever it was, this situation itself was not welcome to Baron Dionil at all.
“I’m truly sorry.”
In the end, Baron Dionil bowed his head.
Anyone who saw this might have been a little surprised.
Dane Sogress was renowned throughout the Empire as a genius boy and was also the eldest son of Count Sogress…
But it wasn’t common for someone with a title to formally bow their head like this.
Baron Dionil squeezed his eyes shut.
“If I had truly been displeased, I would have called an attendant.”
But the response he heard was a little different.
“Since you’ve apologized, it doesn’t matter.”
“…Thank you.”
Baron Dionil smiled slightly.
Was it because of relief?
Or because of the generosity shown by the fifteen-year-old boy?
Whatever it was, it had been a long time.
Since he had smiled like this.
No, it seemed like it had been a long time since he had even opened his mouth to speak.
So he felt a little good.
“We briefly talked at the archive. I was rude then.”
“What rudeness could there have been?”
That was really true.
They had just exchanged greetings and focused on their respective tasks.
Dane searched for records, and he didn’t know what the other was doing, but anyway, he would have gone to work as a servant of the archive.
“I was… surprised. I didn’t expect someone whose reputation reaches even the corners of the Imperial Palace like the archive to come.”
“I had something to look for.”
“Hmm… I’d like to help if it’s something I can assist with… but if that were the case, you would have asked Director Ut for help long ago.”
That might be true, but fundamentally, he couldn’t expect help because what he was looking for were records of Arcana.
Anyway, Baron Dionil seemed a little excited.
Without realizing it, he was drawn into conversation with Dane, and words flowed endlessly from his mouth, which he had barely opened for the past 10 years.
“By the way, your swordsmanship was impressive. How did you reach such achievement at that age?”
So he asked what he had been curious about.
“I was lucky.”
“If that’s luck, should I interpret it as your talent being even more impressive?”
Dane smiled instead of answering.
Actually, Baron Dionil was curious about something else.
“And… it strangely reminded me of someone’s swordsmanship.”
Someone’s swordsmanship.
“Of course, that person died in battle near the end of the war. I had strange feelings when I heard the story.”
“What was his name?”
“Agrik. I heard he had no surname.”
Agrik.
The name Dane had in his previous life.
Actually, it was natural.
Having clashed three times in duels and lost three times, the swordsmanship would be etched in his memory.
Hearing it from someone else’s mouth after so long brought new emotions.
“His swordsmanship was quite unique. There was nothing fixed about it.”
“How did you meet him?”
“In duels.”
This should be enough to cross-verify memories.
“As someone from Count Sogress’s family, you naturally know well, but studying all potential opponents is essential for duels.”
“Is that so?”
“Because it has such enormous impact on victory or defeat, you must win.”
He was right.
The outcome of duels determines morale for a while.
In severe cases, entire units would surrender after just one duel defeat.
“So I analyzed all other candidates perfectly, but there was only one I couldn’t.”
“It was that Agrik.”
“That’s right. He was completely unpredictable. His origins were unclear, and even the roots of his swordsmanship were unknown. Not only that? He fought with whatever came to hand, not just swords, and always slaughtered our allies before returning alive.”
Hearing about his own exploits from the mouth of an enemy knight from his previous life felt quite strange.
“He was such a person. That’s why I was defeated. Three times.”
Baron Dionil’s expression became bitter.
“Thanks to that, I was completely pushed out of the mainstream. Even one defeat brings pointing fingers and honor crashing to the ground, so how much worse were three times?”
His tone was calm, but his hands trembled.
Of course, he wasn’t sorry.
Whoever was in Dane’s situation, the need to win wouldn’t change.
Even if it were four or five times instead of three.
The battlefield was too harsh to worry about the opponent’s honor.
“But I don’t resent it. It was because I was lacking. Rather, the memory of that swordsmanship remained vivid. I was also a promising knight in my own right, but I was helpless before him. No matter what swordsmanship I used, he blocked it all.”
Dane remembered it being like that.
Impressive skill.
But at that time, Dane was growing at a frightening pace.
“Anyway… naturally that person died, and since he was even a Drenick person, seeing that swordsmanship seems like just a coincidence. I apologize if you were displeased.”
“I wasn’t displeased. Rather, I’m pleased to be told I resemble such a person.”
“Even though he was from Drenick?”
“Because Baron Dionil speaks so highly of him.”
“…High praise. That’s right. He deserved high praise. If I had the chance, I would have wanted to face him a fourth time.”
At those words, Dane looked up at the sky.
A clear sky that didn’t look like it would rain at night.
“It’s a nice day.”
Then he suddenly asked Baron Dionil.
“Even after losing three times, do you have a reason for wanting to face him again?”
“A reason… you say.”
“This might be a bit unpleasant, but I’m curious. Is it revenge?”
“….”
Baron Dionil was silent for a moment.
Revenge.
It was too late to pursue such a thing, and he was old.
He had been a young man then, but now he was past middle age.
Besides, talking about revenge seemed a bit strange.
“That was just something that could happen.”
Baron Dionil continued calmly.
“Rather than revenge, it’s just a very old wish.”
“It seems like quite an important wish.”
“Why do you think so?”
Dane pointed to Baron Dionil’s hands.
“Because you train every day without giving your wounds time to heal.”
“….”
After a moment, a sigh escaped.
“At first it was habit. But I no longer have family, any particular wealth, or honor. So I was confused about why I should continue training with the sword. Of course, nominally I was still part of the knight order, so there was that.”
But things changed a bit after he was pushed out of the knight order and went to the archive.
“From then on, I swung my sword to forget. My family was essentially disbanded, and my family members either died or left me.”
A bitter murmur.
“…Now it might be easier to duel with him again than to reunite with my family.”
That’s the kind of person he ultimately was.
He had lost in the captain’s tournament, was pushed out from the center of power because of it, and during the post-war power struggles among nobles, he didn’t take anyone’s side.
His family collapsed, and though he entered the knight order thanks to the 2nd Captain of the Royal Knights whom he knew, he was pushed out there too and went to the archive—
Now he was someone who would soon leave this place and be thrown into the outside world.
Having said all that, Baron Dionil suddenly shook his head vigorously.
“I said unnecessary things. I’m sorry.”
Then he was startled.
“The time has gotten so late… The director will scold me.”
As he hurriedly tried to leave, Dane’s voice flew toward his back.
“What will you do after work ends today?”
Baron Dionil stopped in his tracks, hesitated, then answered.
“…I’ll probably train.”
“Is that so?”
“And… since I’ll be leaving the Imperial Palace soon, I should think about what to do after I leave.”
“Then that works out well.”
What worked out well?
“This training ground can be used until midnight.”
“What do you mean?”
“I happened to want to spar.”
“Spar… you say?”
“Yes. I originally participated in the knight’s camp, but something came up and the camp was suspended. Because of that, I couldn’t even see the sparring that was the original purpose.”
He came to the knight’s camp to spar?
It was a sudden reason, but that wasn’t what was important now.
So…
“If you don’t mind, Baron, I think it would be good to cross swords together.”
He really wanted to spar?
“Ah…”
Baron Dionil was flustered.
“…If you spar with me, you might hear unpleasant things.”
The meaning was this:
A noble who had been pushed out of the power structure and only maintained his position in name.
Why would anyone bother crossing swords with someone who was about to be kicked out of the Imperial Palace?
This boy’s future was bright.
Just having a conversation could start bad rumors.
And wasn’t he from the Sogress County?
However, Dane tilted his head.
“Do you need any particular reason or justification to cross sword with sword?”
“…!”
At those words, Baron Dionil couldn’t speak.
Contrary to his excessive worry, Dane seemed completely unbothered.
It didn’t look like youthful recklessness.
He seemed to be saying literally ‘it doesn’t matter.’
“Then, I’ll see you later.”
With that, Dane left the training ground, and Baron Dionil didn’t move for a while, as if he had put down roots in the ground.
No, he couldn’t move.
Then he stared blankly at the place where Dane had been.
How long had it been?
Not only had he had a proper conversation with someone, but he had gained an opportunity to ‘spar.’
In reality, he couldn’t spar with anyone in the Imperial Palace.
There were reasons he avoided it, but also because other people didn’t bother to cross swords with Baron Dionil.
Winning was a problem, losing was a problem.
Here, in the center of politics, a whirlpool where rumors spread very quickly, Baron Dionil was that kind of existence.
However, Dane Sogress seemed like he couldn’t care less about such things.
“Ha, haha…”
His mood felt strange.
It felt like good fortune had come to him.
His swordsmanship, which he hadn’t had a chance to test against anyone for so many years.
“I heard his talent is tremendous.”
Baron Dionil recalled the rumors about Dane Sogress.
Tremendous talent—no, talents—that were hard to believe came from someone not even of age.
Plus what he had just seen from behind the tree.
“Today will pass very slowly.”
Baron Dionil, who had been muttering blankly, hurriedly moved his steps.
It was time to go to the archive.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————