The Son-In-Law of the Magician Is a Transcendent Sword Master - Chapter 13
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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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Chapter 13
“What are we going to do about my brother’s nose? It’s crooked.”
“What can we do? It’s his fault for misunderstanding and charging at me.”
Beating down Arno was purely self-defense.
Apparently, in Arno’s eyes, the sight of Renia and me training together seemed to have some impure intentions. He came at me using magic, and I hastily struck his nose with a nearby stick.
For reference, it was Captain Allet who dragged the unconscious Arno away.
“You know my brother holds really long grudges, right?”
“Tell him to try beating me with that really long grudge of his.”
“How mean.”
Renia chuckled.
“Anyway, your brother aside, let’s get back to what we were doing.”
It was already the second day since Renia and I had stayed at the mana vein.
We repeated the routine of coming to the mana vein at dawn for training and returning to the manor at sunset.
Since Sheril brought us meals, there was no major inconvenience.
“We’re almost at the final stage. I think we can complete it with just one or two more attempts.”
“Yeah.”
I signaled to Renia. She nodded and poured mana into my body.
“…Whew.”
Breathing based on Benheim’s mana cultivation method, I spread the mana Renia poured into every corner of my body.
Soon, I gathered all the mana circulating through my body into my dantian at once.
It felt like my insides were turning upside down.
Though we had learned the same mana cultivation method, Renia was at a higher tier than me. Her mana was much purer. And pure mana sometimes functioned as extreme poison.
Accepting another person’s mana into one’s body was dangerous. If one failed to control the mana and it flowed backward through the meridians, the circuits could burn out completely, risking becoming a cripple.
However, I didn’t hesitate at all.
Because it was none other than Renia’s mana, I was confident I could handle it like my own.
―Flash.
Concentrating all my mind, I manipulated the mana gathered in my dantian according to Renia’s textbook from my memories.
A technique that couldn’t be accomplished without divine mana manipulation abilities backing it up.
A mana cultivation method that only Renia had modified just for me.
“Wow…”
Renia, who was behind me, let out an exclamation.
It was because she sensed the changes occurring within my body.
“Ugh.”
I let out a small groan at the intense pain flowing through my entire body.
A tightrope walk where even the slightest mistake could lead to death.
However, I continued operating the mana without rest.
To prevent Renia’s mana from cooling, I circulated that pure heat throughout my body.
I guided the sufficiently cooled mana to my dantian. I completely separated my mana from Renia’s mana, making them coexist.
It was difficult.
But not impossible.
‘If that brat could do it.’
If Renia had done it, then I naturally had to do it too.
I poured all my mind into mana coordination. Sweat poured down like rain, and as the sweat evaporated, heat haze rose from my shoulders. Along with the sensation of all my joints twisting, the mana circuits throughout my body overheated.
How much time passed like that—
“Huff, huff.”
I dropped my head in an exhausted state.
After examining the inside of my body, I smiled with satisfaction.
I had succeeded.
Renia’s mana had firmly settled inside my mana core, forming a massive barrier. The barrier was a kind of partition wall, and within it, two completely separated cores coexisted.
It was a mana core that existed nowhere else, one that only I could use.
‘How very like you.’
One mana core, with two nuclei.
A feat that no archmage had ever succeeded in.
And now, I had accomplished it.
“Ha, haha.”
“Are you okay?”
Renia handed me a water bottle.
I quenched my thirst while looking at her.
“…Thank you.”
“Hm?”
“It’s always thanks to you.”
At my words, Renia tilted her head.
“Always?”
Come to think of it, that wasn’t something to say after knowing each other for just a few days.
When I smiled bitterly, Renia smiled brightly at me.
It was surely the innocent smile of a child—
But seeing it overlap with Renia’s smile from my memories, my heart stirred for no reason.
“Oh right.”
As I was enjoying the afterglow with Renia for a while, she spoke up.
“Can I call you oppa?”
At her sudden words, I blinked my eyes.
“What?”
“You said before that you’re older than me. And since father taught you the mana cultivation method, you’re now a member of the family, right? So I thought it would be proper to call you oppa.”
Renia’s words were perfectly reasonable.
However, it still felt awkward to me. The current situation where a woman who had been my comrade through thick and thin for several years would call me by such an embarrassing title as oppa.
“No, let’s not use that title.”
“Why?”
Renia asked. After thinking for a moment, I came up with a suitable excuse.
“You and I are only three years apart. And I’m not even a blood relative of Benheim. If you call me oppa, your real brother would be very sad.”
“Ahaha. My brother would definitely react that way. He’d pretend it doesn’t bother him while sulking inside. He might even come back to challenge you to another duel.”
“…That would be quite troublesome.”
“Right? I don’t like that either. So what should I call you?”
“Call me Reagan.”
“Okay. Reagan. That’s nice.”
Renia called my name, and seemed pleased with how it sounded as she smiled with her eyes.
“And one more thing.”
“What is it.”
“My name is Renia. Not ‘you.’ Reagan should call me by my name too. Do you know that the only time you’ve called my name was when we first met?”
“…”
– I have a pretty name called Renia, you know? How long are you going to keep referring to me as just ‘you’?
In my previous life, I never called Renia by her name until the very end.
Living as a mercenary, those I had grown attached to would often leave first.
Perhaps I was afraid of parting, afraid of giving my heart to those who would leave.
However.
“…Alright.”
There was no reason to be afraid in this life too.
“Renia.”
“Yes!”
Lyrnia von Benheim, having her name called, showed a bright smile.
That smile reminded me of the Renia from my memories, as always.
“Ah, you finally opened your eyes properly!”
“You’re noisy.”
* * *
A few days after returning to the separate residence, Family Head Stern came to visit.
“So, Reagan. I heard there’s been progress.”
Having heard from Renia that I had created a mana core, Stern’s eyes were full of interest.
Accompanying Stern was a middle-aged mage I had never seen before. The middle-aged mage scratched his golden hair roughly, looking quite displeased with the current situation.
“Brother, no matter what, I think it was too rash to teach the family’s unique cultivation method to an outsider mage.”
“Enough, Markel. It’s already done.”
At Stern’s words, the man, Markel, closed his mouth.
“Well then. Let me see the results. Since you’ve created a mana core, using magic should be easier than before.”
“Yes.”
I raised my hand and cast rune magic.
While using the flame rune Kenaz that I could already handle skillfully, I drew new mana from my mana core.
Construction, manifestation.
Whoosh.
Isa (ᛁ). A rune character that creates ice.
The two runes of opposing attributes harmonized to create a spectacular sight.
It was a technique I had learned by observation during my previous duel with Arno.
“Dual casting…”
Stern’s eyes narrowed.
Dual casting wasn’t a feat that a novice who had just created a mana core should be able to perform. Moreover, Isa was classified as a 3rd-tier rune magic. This meant that the mana core had settled well in my body.
Stern nodded with satisfaction, while Markel frowned even deeper.
“That’s enough.”
“Yes.”
“Indeed, it’s magic without any waste. The flow of mana is remarkably stable too. You’ve completed it splendidly.”
“Thank you.”
Just as I was about to bow my head politely, Stern spoke.
“However, your mana core is somewhat different from what I know.”
Indeed, a 7th-tier mage.
The pinnacle of the magic world.
Stern immediately noticed that my mana cultivation method was different from Benheim’s.
“The foundation is similar, but toward the end it became a completely different mana cultivation method. What happened?”
“…I apologize. Actually, I modified the cultivation method a little.”
When I confessed honestly, Stern fell silent for a moment.
“What on earth are you talking about, brother? Are you saying that brat arbitrarily changed a mana cultivation method with hundreds of years of tradition?”
Markel looked utterly incredulous.
Stern raised his hand to silence the room and asked me.
“Reagan, why did you modify the mana cultivation method?”
“I… um… I adapted it to my body. Just as there are no clothes that fit everyone’s body, I thought the mana cultivation method should also be tailored to each person’s constitution.”
“By yourself?”
“I received help from your daughter.”
“I see. Somehow, the mana you drew out still carries Renia’s essence.”
Stern wore a complicated expression.
Arbitrarily changing and learning the family’s secret techniques was a grave offense. Moreover, I wasn’t even a direct blood relative but an outsider.
I was prepared to face severe reprimand.
“…I’ll let this matter pass.”
However, Stern did not punish me.
“Is that… alright?”
“If you had clumsily tampered with Benheim’s cultivation method, the story would have been different. I would have destroyed your dantian and mana core and expelled you from the family.”
“…”
“However, Reagan, your body is remarkably stable. It’s hard to believe you just created your mana core – it fits your body perfectly.”
It had to be that way.
This mana core was personally created by the woman who knew me best.
“I’d like to inquire further about this, but that wouldn’t be proper conduct for a superior. Therefore, I’ll leave it unquestioned. Keep that mana cultivation method as your own from now on.”
“Thank you.”
Stern nodded as if the matter was concluded. However, not everyone was convinced.
“This doesn’t make sense, brother!”
Markel interjected with an agitated voice.
“This matter could shake the very foundation of our family! Not only did we teach an outsider the unique cultivation method that only direct descendants inherit, but now you’re going to stand by and watch this insolent brat modify our secret techniques to his liking!”
“Markel, I understand your feelings. However, we can’t keep pursuing something that has already happened.”
“Brother!”
Markel was calling Stern ‘brother.’
In other words, he was Stern’s sibling. From Renia’s perspective, he was her uncle.
The puzzle pieces naturally fell into place in my mind.
“The elders won’t stand for this either! I cannot accept this!”
After continuing his passionate speech, Markel stormed out, unable to contain his anger. Stern turned to me with a troubled expression.
“I apologize. My younger brother has a rather rough temperament.”
“No, it’s fine.”
There would likely be much debate within the family about my treatment.
I had already expected not to be welcomed anyway.
Above all, that man called Markel was particularly hostile.
After pondering for a moment, I steeled my resolve and spoke up.
“Family Head, there’s something urgent I need to tell you. Could you spare me some time?”
“What is it about?”
I looked in the direction where Markel had disappeared and carefully opened my mouth.
“That man called Markel. He’s a dark mage.”
I dropped a bombshell.
A massive bomb that would keep Benheim in an uproar for quite some time.
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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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