READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 111.1
Chapter 111.1. Clyde
“Live humbly.”
The first thing Clyde von Helmut heard from his father as soon as he became aware of the world was those words.
“We possess powers greater than others. Therefore, we must not be swayed by this power, nor be arrogant. We must use it with self-discipline when truly needed, and maintain humility without being proud. Remember this. If you forget—there will certainly be a fitting punishment.”
“Yes, Father!”
The Helmut family was unique among the high-ranking nobles of the country in that they did not flaunt their magic, and were very humble, just as Clyde’s father had said.
This might also be related to the peculiar nature of certain Bloodline Magic inherited by Clyde, one of the family’s secret magical traditions.
The family kept their Bloodline Magic highly secret, revealing it only to the royal family and a few related families. Due to this secrecy and, above all, their undeniable skill in magic, they had established a so-called ‘shadowy strength’ position in the Kingdom of Eustia.
Clyde, born to inherit the family and its teachings, fully embraced this lesson.
On the surface, he grew into a boy who did not reveal his magic easily and did not flaunt his abilities—on the surface.
But, at the age of 12.
His outlook on life would become decisively twisted.
“Don’t mess with me, you cowardly family!”
It happened when Clyde was out shopping in the town below the castle.
The item he bought was sold out just as he purchased it. Soon after, another marquis’s son came looking for the same item—and, enraged that it was sold out, began to pick a fight with Clyde, who was there.
In other words—‘Give me that item.’
Naturally, he could not accept it.
Clyde protested. He explained the logic that his opponent’s argument was nonsensical and that, having purchased the item first, he had the right to it.
However—unfortunately, the opponent was a typical bad example of the country’s nobility.
And as soon as he learned Clyde’s family name, he started hurling insults at him.
“…A cowardly family?”
“That’s right! The Helmut family is just a bunch of cowards who happen to have gotten close to the royal family without relying on their proud Bloodline Magic —just a bunch of talk! The claim that they keep their Bloodline Magic secret is a lie; it’s probably not that great of magic anyway!”
“—”
“In this country, magic is everything! Even if you’re a marquis, you can’t defy me if you can’t show your magic! Just give it to me! What if this item gets further sullied by your cowardly hands!”
“…Oh. What a shameless person you are.”
Hearing that, Clyde did not hesitate to rebuke him.
“Listen up. We should be humble. That’s how a noble with power should behave. …And yet, what are you doing? Attacking someone without a shred of dignity, lacking any spirit of concession.”
Clyde did not doubt his own righteousness.
Because he had been taught this way. And it had worked well.
Therefore, it was the other side that was wrong.
He was right, and the other side was wrong. —So he could say whatever he wanted.
“Completely unfit to be a noble. There’s no reason to offer anything to someone like you—”
At that moment.
A strong shock hit Clyde’s chest.
“—Huh?”
He was pushed away.
Realizing this, Clyde fell onto his backside.
Sitting on the ground, he looked up in shock—being looked down upon with mockery by the marquis’s son who had pushed him.
“…Dust.”
He said just one word, then forcibly took the item from Clyde and left the scene with an air of composure.
It was utterly unforgivable.
After returning home, he immediately reported it to his father.
His father dealt with it promptly, protesting to the relevant marquis’s family. As a result, they also recognized the young lord’s actions as problematic, and the item was quickly returned to Clyde, who also received a formal apology from the young lord.
With that, the issue should have been resolved…or so it seemed.
But that night.
In his room—recalling the unwilling expression of the marquis’s young lord who had come to apologize—Clyde muttered to himself.
“…Is that all?”
The other party had…insulted him, who had only said what was right, with incoherent words, pushed him, and then rudely took his possession.
He had received the utmost humiliation, both physically and mentally. From someone without any sense of dignity.
Yet, the other party returned the item and apologized with a single word?
—Such a thing could not be enough.
This could not be called a ‘fitting punishment’. That young lord should receive a much harsher, more severe punishment.
Otherwise, it would not be proportional to the crime committed. He had insulted the righteous; further judgment was necessary.
…Ah, if only.
(The punishment should be given by me, the victim. That would be the most fitting—!)
He could do it.
Using his Bloodline Magic, it would likely be easy.
…But. That was expressly forbidden by his father.
The conflict between the teachings he received from his father and the restrictions imposed by his father. Caught between these, Clyde struggled deeply.
(Ah, what is this? Father, wasn’t everything supposed to go well as long as I remained humble? If I can’t use my magic for judgment—then, surely, the punishment should come from somewhere else!)
Then, he suddenly thought.
As long as it’s not traced back to him.
How pleasurable it would be to administer punishment with meticulous, precise, yet unmistakable actions that no one could suspect him of.
Of course, he immediately rejected this idea with reason and pushed it from his mind.
But, on the level of instinct. On the level of unconsciousness, that desire sought fulfillment desperately, growing more rampant with the swelling ego, and then.
‘I want to punish that man.’ That ‘pure wish’—responded with the Bloodline Magic lying deep within him.
The next day.
—A certain marquis’s young lord was caught in a mysterious explosion accident, sustaining severe injuries that left lasting effects.
“Clyde!”
Upon hearing this news, the head of the Helmut family, Clyde’s father, rushed to his son.
He then asked, perplexed and sweating.
“What did you do?”
“I haven’t done anything.”
Clyde responded coolly.
“It’s hasty to conclude that I’m responsible just because of yesterday’s events. That’s not like you, Father. Or is there some concrete evidence that I did something?”
Faced with these words, his father was left speechless.
…That’s right.
Given the circumstances, Clyde was undoubtedly the prime suspect. That much was clear.
—Yet, there was no evidence linking him to the incident. He should have been at home all night, so his alibi was perfect.
Clyde’s father knew, of course, about his Bloodline Magic.
…And thus, he understood. He understood very well.
As far as he knew, Clyde’s Bloodline Magic —could never perform such an act.
Moreover, frighteningly, there was no sign that Clyde was lying.
Thus, he had no choice but to acknowledge it. Clyde was, at this point, completely innocent.
“…I apologize, Father. I doubted you.”
Leaving his father’s agitation behind, Clyde smiled genuinely at his father.
It seemed like before—yet decisively, his smile was twisted in some way.
“That arrogant young marquis received his fitting punishment, didn’t he? Just as you said, Father—being humble is the most important thing, isn’t it?”
His father’s misjudgments were twofold.
First, not letting Clyde use his Bloodline Magic. This meant he couldn’t see that Clyde was, in fact, a magical genius of Helmut family history, beyond comparison. His talent made it possible even for unconscious activation of his Bloodline Magic.
Second, underestimating Clyde’s Bloodline Magic. He failed to realize that with great talent, this magic could become one of the most terrifying forms, capable of achieving almost anything.
The misreading and the country’s bad atmosphere fed the evil lurking in Clyde’s heart.
A monster was born, and the distortion accelerated further.
“We must be humble.”
From then on, he began to expand and interpret his own definition of ‘humility.’
First, he forced his definition of ‘humility’ onto others. In fact—he began to impose ‘humility’ on others and ensure that only he enjoyed its benefits.
“I’m putting up with so much, you know? So, you should do at least this much. That’s the spirit of mutual help, right?”
“Nobles should suppress their ego and support the people. You, who are not so shameless as to not know that, will, of course, do this too, right?”
“Oh, how arrogant you are! You’ve forgotten the noble spirit; otherwise, you wouldn’t be unable to endure such a thing!”
He showered others with fine-sounding words, moving them as he pleased.
Meanwhile, he portrayed his own minor concessions as if they were the greatest of sacrifices, creating a facade of false equality.
Naturally, some rebelled against him.
Some people directly pointed out that it was wrong.
—All of them faced punishment.
Eventually, those who opposed him vanished.
Confident in his righteousness, he sank deeper into further distortion.
“Serve me. Your magic is useful, and I will make the utmost use of it for the country.”
Even after being recognized by the second prince, Aster, as a close aide, this tendency did not stop but rather accelerated.
In fact, he even began to harbor dissatisfaction with Aster due to his arrogance.
…However, Aster was, after all, a prince of the country and the leading candidate for the next king. Additionally, he knew and valued Clyde’s magic.
On that account, Clyde swallowed his dissatisfaction and continued to serve, interpreting it as ‘humility.’
—But even that.
When Aster laid eyes on a certain girl, it shattered.
He was captivated at first sight.
Her brilliantly blonde hair seemed to radiate light. Her deep blue eyes seemed to draw you in.
Her gentle and serene beauty, with a perfect figure.
And above all, her modest personality seemed to perfectly embody the ‘humility’ he demanded of others.
Sara von Hartman.
The girl with dual aptitude whom Aster favored also stole Clyde’s heart.
Naturally, he should have withdrawn.
But—Clyde’s inflated ego could never accept such a thing.
Consequently, the parts of Aster’s arrogance that he had previously tolerated began to irritate him.
—As expected, His Highness is excessively selfish.
And Miss Sara devoted herself to such a prince. With that, His Highness will only become more arrogant.
She should belong to someone who understands the value of her humility more.
Ah, this won’t do.
Even if he is a prince, if he remains so arrogant, then surely—
—Thus, he prayed as he had before. Believing that someone, as before, would surely take care of it.
…And his prayers were answered. Aster lost to his former fiancée, the magician, and exposed himself running away from monsters, abandoning the people he should have protected.
The despicable second prince had met the most disgraceful ruin.
Watching Aster being carried away to the courthouse with a look of despair, Clyde spoke with a twisted smile.
“—See, the punishment has come.”
He reached the peak of his life.
No longer was there anything to hinder his advancement. No obstacles remained to his union with a suitable young lady.
He was different from Aster. He knew what the country lacked.
He would preach the importance of humility and mutual cooperation. Thus, he would change the country at the center of it all.
Without doubting this vision of the future at all, he confidently headed toward the school where the later term was starting.
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