The Son-In-Law of the Magician Is a Transcendent Sword Master - Chapter 145

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 145
A month had passed, and the Benheim Estate underwent several transformations.
In truth, the changes were not limited to the Benheim Estate alone. The entire Great Mage Alliance began moving swiftly to adapt to the new currents.
Given that the roster of the Seven Great Mage Towers had been updated multiple times within the past year, the long-deferred redistribution of power and major issues surfaced one after another.
First, the Shadow Tower brought all branches of the Dark Mage Guild scattered across the Empire under the Tower’s direct jurisdiction. While the Dark Mage Guild and others within the Great Mage Alliance expressed concerns that the new Shadow Queen was moving too aggressively, such complaints were swiftly silenced.
– Benheim respects the Shadow Tower’s decision.
With Benheim—the de facto leader of the Great Mage Alliance—officially endorsing the new Shadow Queen’s actions, the other families and towers had no choice but to follow suit without objection.
There were many other topics of discussion as well.
The most significant news was that Aconia, the poison-master family from the Southern Forest, had relocated their base to a vast forest within the Benheim Estate.
The bitter enmity between Aconia and Maelern was a well-known fact among seasoned mages.
When word first spread through the Great Mage Alliance that Maelern’s heir was staying as a guest at Benheim, mages expressed concern that a territorial conflict might break out between the two great families.
However, Maelern’s response proved truly unexpected.
Instead, they sent courteous letters and rare local specialties as gifts, expressing gratitude that their son was indebted to Benheim.
Everyone who had witnessed Maelern’s exclusionary conduct thus far could only be astonished by this momentous development.
Thus, people naturally turned their attention to the central figure who had orchestrated all these changes.
Reagan von Benheim.
Benheim’s son-in-law and the most remarkable genius in the magical world at present. His exploits, embellished somewhat, spread like wildfire from Harfen, and soon connoisseurs throughout the Empire were speaking of him.
“Hmm….”
The very subject of these discussions—Reagan von Benheim.
That is to say, myself.
I frowned as I gazed out the window.
“So what you’re saying is….”
Within the Garden of the Benheim Estate, a massive platform had been hastily erected over the past month. It was the venue for the Grand Mage Alliance Subjugation Force’s inauguration ceremony.
Around the platform, numerous mages had already gathered—not only combat forces dispatched from the Five Renowned Mage Families, but also battle mages sent from the Seven Great Mage Towers.
This much was within acceptable limits, but the sheer number was the problem. By rough estimate, nearly a hundred people.
Of course, not all of them had come to join the Alliance Subjugation Force. Even if they had, the Imperial Palace would never permit such a military force to be assembled under Benheim’s leadership.
So the actual size of the Subjugation Force was around thirty members.
In other words….
“Most of them are spectators, then?”
“That would be correct.”
“…They’re here to see me?”
“You have quite the self-awareness. They are distinguished guests who have come to commemorate the inauguration of the Grand Mage Alliance Subjugation Force. Though, admittedly, many of them do harbor considerable interest in the person known as Reagan von Benheim… but some have also come to see Maelern’s heir, who has been shrouded in mystery, or Miss Renia.”
“Indeed.”
As I listened to Allet’s explanation, I let out a low whistle at the spectacle unfolding beyond the window.
‘I never expected this many to gather.’
When the formation of the Alliance Subjugation Force was first discussed in the Council, it had barely passed with a majority vote.
Even then, only half of the Five Renowned Mage Families had agreed, and from the Seven Great Mage Towers, only the Amber Tower had shown support.
Yet now, two years later, much had changed.
First, Iridia and Arcamen had come out in full support of the Subjugation Force, and the two Archmages of the Spiral Tower as well as the Shadow Tower had reversed their stance to align with Benheim’s will.
As a result, the inauguration ceremony of the Alliance Subjugation Force had swelled to an unprecedented scale.
“So we at Benheim are preparing a banquet to welcome them, while also planning to host an exchange meeting.”
“An exchange meeting?”
“Yes. With so many mages gathered in one place, it only makes sense to proceed. We’ve prepared quite lavish rewards for the victor.”
Thus, what Benheim decided upon was the Grand Mage Alliance Exchange Meeting.
Though it was called an exchange meeting to deepen camaraderie, it was essentially a martial arts tournament where heirs of each family and promising newcomers from the Mage Towers gathered to test their skills against one another.
“I hear that Miss Lyrnia Erahan von Benheim will also be participating in this exchange meeting. In that regard, I wanted to ask if you, Reagan, would be willing to participate as well.”
“What is your opinion, Administrator?”
“The most promising prospect drawing attention at this very moment would undoubtedly be you, Reagan. If you were to step forward, you would capture everyone’s gaze.”
After hearing Allet’s explanation, I nodded and made my decision.
“Then all the more reason I shouldn’t participate.”
“Why is that?”
“If I were to compete in an exchange meeting hosted by Benheim, wouldn’t the attention that should be focused on Arno and Lyrnia become divided? Besides, I recently fought Vice-Captain Valen to a draw. Having someone like me participate would only diminish the significance of the exchange meeting.”
As I shrugged my shoulders, Allet regarded me with a long, steady gaze.
“Don’t look at me like that. I do have some sense of propriety.”
“…Hmm. You’ve certainly become quite the adult, Reagan.”
“Well, that’s how it is.”
I refrained from telling the elderly administrator before me that I had regressed in time, and that by the years I’d lived, I was well over thirty.
“Just out of curiosity, who do you think is the most outstanding prospect among the current generation, excluding myself?”
“To speak honestly… I would like to mention Arno, the heir of Benheim, but…”
Allet continued with an enigmatic smile.
“I believe that Miss Lyrnia, your companion… is currently the most outstanding prospect of this generation.”
Lyrnia Erahan von Benheim. At merely nineteen years of age, she had reached the 6th Rank. And it was only a matter of time before she ascended to the 7th Rank, and eventually the 8th Rank.
Truly the greatest talent in the magical world. Considering her age, she possessed a vessel that could even surpass the Archmage King himself.
“…Well, I suppose that’s true.”
I carefully suppressed the corners of my mouth that kept trying to rise.
* * *
That afternoon, the curtain rose on the Grand Mage Alliance Exchange Meeting.
Around the wide stage set up in the Garden, mages gathered from all over formed a sea of humanity.
Participants were assembled in the waiting area below the platform.
From Benheim, Arno and Lyrnia participated, along with Brock from a cadet branch, and Rashek el Maelern, a guest, was also visible. Saya, the head of House Aconia, also participated in the exchange meeting by virtue of her position.
Furthermore, Yusefin, the heir of Airidd, a young alchemist sent from Arcamen, and promising talents from each of the Seven Great Mage Towers each claimed their place.
In particular, since the Shadow Tower had almost no affiliated mages, Sheril herself attended directly as the former heir, wearing a sullen expression. I desperately wanted to approach her and tease her mercilessly, but I restrained myself out of consideration for her position as the Shadow Queen.
‘Petra… isn’t here.’
I carefully scanned both the spectator stands and the waiting area.
I could see several mages from the Rucen Mage Family, but the heir Petra herself was nowhere to be found.
Indeed, if my suspicion that Kaiden, the head of House Rucen, was using forbidden magic was true, he would never expose Petra, who would be evidence of it, before so many mages.
“Reagan, how about you? I’m number two.”
While I was lost in thought, Lyrnia approached me with a skip in her step. She proudly held out her badge. A golden badge bearing Benheim’s symbol, with the number 2 engraved upon it.
It seemed to be the participant number for the exchange meeting.
Then number one must belong to Arno, the heir.
Sure enough, Arno was wearing a shoulder board with the numeral 1 embroidered on it, yet his expression was noticeably gloomy.
“Arno, why are you looking so dejected on a day like this?”
As I approached and asked, he answered with drooping shoulders.
“I’m… only 5th Rank.”
“What are you talking about? 5th Rank is already a sufficiently lofty realm.”
“But… my sister is 6th Rank.”
“That’s because Renia is special.”
Upon hearing my words, Renia’s ears perked up. She puffed out her chest with a triumphant smile.
Seeing her like that, Arno let out a deep sigh and continued.
“Even Brock, a distant branch member, recently reached 5th Rank like me…. And Rashek, who’s merely a guest, is already 6th Rank.”
“…I see.”
Certainly, the people he was comparing himself to were exceptional. However, that was merely because the environment of Benheim happened to nurture an unusual number of prodigies—it was by no means a reflection of Arno’s inadequacy.
But Arno seemed to think differently. His gaze soon fixed upon my wrist.
“And on top of that… Benheim has you.”
“….”
I had disassembled the Barrier Stone bracelet I’d been wearing on my wrist and modified it so that only the Barrier Stone hung from Eclara’s pouch.
Thus, what now adorned my wrist was Steren’s gift—one of the Seven Relics of the Divine Realm, the Ashes of Surtr. And as the heir to Benheim, Arno could hardly be ignorant of what this bracelet signified.
‘He said it was something passed down to successive heads of the Benheim Family….’
He must have felt considerable deprivation seeing me, his brother-in-law, wearing it.
In truth, I had considered the option of handing the Ashes of Surtr to either Arno or Renia. But I ultimately decided against it.
Steren had given me this artifact as a father’s request to protect Renia. To transfer it to another would diminish that intention, and it would hardly be respectful to my father-in-law.
“…I see.”
In the end, after deliberating, I patted Arno’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry, Arno. From what I can see, you’re more than a capable mage. Look over there—even Yusefin, the heir to Iridia, is only 5th Rank.”
“….”
“Besides, rank isn’t everything, is it? You said you win five times out of ten when you spar with Rashek, who’s 6th Rank.”
“Mm….”
“And you’re particularly outstanding among 5th Rank mages. Apart from Renia, there’s hardly a mage in this gathering who could best you.”
In truth, it wasn’t mere flattery.
I was simply stating facts.
Perhaps because of that, Arno drew strength from my words and finally regained a glimmer of light in his eyes.
“All right. Since it’s come to this… I’ll push myself to my limits. I’ll make everyone understand just how exceptional a mage the heir to Benheim is. I won’t lose to my sister.”
“That’s the spirit.”
As Arno was steeling his resolve, the first match of the Exchange Meeting was announced.
Silver number 1 and gold number 2.
Silver was Yusefin from Iridia, and gold was Renia from Benheim.
Yusefin, who soon ascended the platform, had her silvery-white hair neatly braided and bound. The pale and dull appearance I’d seen three years ago in Mist Valley was nowhere to be found.
‘Not bad at all.’
Yusefin’s rank was mid-5th Rank.
Though somewhat lower compared to the caliber of those attending the Exchange Meeting, I was well aware that the spectral magic wielded by Iridia’s bloodline possessed remarkable versatility and unpredictability.
It would certainly be a good match against Renia. In fact, the two seemed to have grown quite close, as they smiled broadly and exchanged pleasantries the moment their eyes met.
“When you’re ready, we’ll begin.”
Valen, who was serving as the judge, blew the whistle to signal the start of the duel.
“…I’ve lost.”
Merely ten seconds.
That was all the time it took for Renia to scatter Yusefin’s spectral magic with a few rune spells and point a spear forged from Tiwaz (ᛏ) at her throat.
The spectators fell silent as if doused with cold water, and Arno’s voice rang out clearly.
“…Damn it, how are we supposed to beat that?”
Arno cursed, his earlier resolve rendered meaningless.

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