Genius Gamer Reborn into a Family of Heroes

Chapter 11: Kaladan Proving Ceremony (4)

Successor.

As soon as those explosive words were spoken, three knights appeared in front of Duke Kalel as if by teleportation and knelt.

“Master!”

“Please retract your words!”

“This cannot happen!”

Kalel looked at the three knights with indifferent eyes.

Each was a master, his second, third, and sixth sons, all exuding extraordinary energy.

The second and third were 9-star knights, and the sixth, though he had lost an arm and stopped at 8-stars, could easily devastate a city if they set their minds to it.

“Accepting a bastard as a named disciple is something that has never happened in the long history of Kaladan!”

“Giving the position of successor to a bastard!”

“Until now, the successor’s position has always been passed to the eldest son. Are you planning to break the principle of primogeniture?”

“Moreover, to grant him the name ‘Paul’… Are you planning to tarnish the pure bloodline, Master?”

It was a principle that the patriarch’s disciple should be from the direct line. Usually, the ‘next patriarch’ was accepted as a disciple, and the next patriarch, barring any unusual circumstances, was passed down to the eldest son.

There had been occasional exceptions, but historically, it had almost always been this way.

What did the position of Kaladan’s patriarch entail?

Beyond just becoming a king, it also granted the qualification to challenge the ‘Pantheon.’

One who received swordsmanship from countless Kaladan heroes, finally obtaining the qualification to become the strongest swordsman.

That was the position of Kaladan’s patriarch.

Wasn’t that why countless blood relatives had engaged in bloody battles, killing each other until now?

Duke Kalel had spent years without accepting a disciple, leaving everyone in doubt about who the successor would be.

Everyone was puzzled.

‘Who will be the next blood relative to challenge the Pantheon?’

‘With the first son deceased, isn’t it reasonable for the eldest grandson to take over?’

But accepting a bastard as a successor?

As purebloods of the direct line, it was an utterly unacceptable situation!

Boom!!

‘Ugh, what an overwhelming pressure…’

As the two 9-star knights and one 8-star knight confronted Kalel’s spirit, the ground shook as if an earthquake had occurred.

Harang stepped back, sweating coldly, while Kalel remained unfazed.

Watching this scene, people could once again feel that the realm of a 10-star was beyond ordinary human levels.

Even though three superhumans, including a 9-star knight, were exuding such spirit, Kalel was unaffected!

Rather, he repelled his sons’ spirit and spoke.

“Sons.”

Boom!!

The overwhelming spirit was so intense that some nobles foamed at the mouth and fainted, yet Duke Kalel remained as composed as ever.

“If you have complaints, draw your swords.”

Extinguish Disaster, Sever with the Sword.

It meant proving one’s will with the sword instead of running their mouths. If they couldn’t do that, they were not qualified.

“Ugh…”

But who would dare aim their sword at Duke Kalel? It wouldn’t be surprising if their arm was cut off immediately.

Kalel clicked his tongue in disgust and spoke.

“If your skills weren’t so pathetic, I wouldn’t have made this choice.”

“Ugh, Father…!”

Thud, thud!

As his three sons knelt completely on both knees in succession, Kalel turned towards Harang with a look that suggested even laughing was beneath him.

“So, what do you think? Do you intend to be raised as my grandson by being named in the direct line?”

Until now, Harang hadn’t understood why Kalel insisted on ‘adoption’ rather than ‘ascension.’

But with talk of succession, he finally understood.

‘So that’s what it was.’

Harang looked up and met Kalel’s gaze once more.

Kalel’s eyes, with his spirit retracted, seemed more gentle than expected.

Harang, using the last of his strength, knelt and spoke.

“Can this humble body dare to bear the great grace of the Master?”

Harang’s eyes burned with zeal.

“Of course. However, I must give up much to accept you as my named disciple and successor. My grandson, you must prove with the sword that my choice is not wrong. If you cannot, there will only be death…”

Proving his skill?

That was the field Harang had been most confident in since his previous life.

“I will show you, beyond what you can imagine, Master.”

“Good. I declare to all blood relatives and vassal families gathered here. From today, this child will be ‘Harang Paul Kaladan,’ a direct line member, my disciple who will inherit my swordsmanship, and my cherished grandson. He will be treated and qualified as befits a pureblood of Kaladan.”

Then he smirked and added.

“Of course, I also inform you that he will bear the ‘responsibility’ that comes with it.”

Responsibility? Harang wanted to ask, as he hadn’t heard of that part, but now wasn’t the time.

All the vassal families, collateral branches, and even the pureblood direct line members stood up and knelt to receive Duke Kalel’s declaration.

‘This is… Kaladan.’

This grand scene of all nobles solemnly kneeling and receiving orders was something Harang, who had lived as a modern person, couldn’t have experienced, and it evoked a sense of awe.

“All vassal families and blood relatives gathered here, disperse and prepare for the banquet.”

“What about Your Grace?”

“I still wish to test this child one more time.”

Hearing there was one more test left, Harang remembered his true purpose for coming here.

‘To grasp the Sacred Sword, Terandal.’

He had come this far and undergone the proving ceremony to seize it.

The nobles, though curious about another test, couldn’t dare disobey Kalel’s order and dispersed promptly.

Even the pureblood direct line members all left, leaving only three people in the place.

Duke Kalel, Chief Butler Taran, and Harang.

Kalel, who had been silent until then, finally spoke.

“The Sacred Sword showed a particularly special reaction only to you.”

“Ah, I was a bit surprised.”

“So, would you like to grasp the Sacred Sword?”

The one who was more surprised at those words was Taran. There had never been a case where anyone was allowed to touch the Sacred Sword directly!

No matter how direct the line, unless one obtained the patriarch’s qualification, they couldn’t touch the Sacred Sword.

—Heh, finally, we can communicate. It’s fortunate your patriarch isn’t stubborn.

Harang glanced at Kalel’s expression as he heard Terandal’s voice.

He was still unsure whether to reveal that he could hear the Sacred Sword’s voice. Moreover, he couldn’t think of a way to prove it.

As he slowly approached the Sacred Sword, Terandal began to hum and shine.

—Now, grasp me. To grasp the Sacred Sword, Terandal, you usually have to perform a sacred ritual, but I’ll make an exception for you. If you have the qualification… Hey, listen and grasp me!

Without hesitation, Harang reached out and grabbed the hilt, and suddenly his vision blurred.

…time began to reverse.

The people around him vanished, and the buildings crumbled and shrank until nothing remained but an empty space.

Gone were the grand chandeliers and platforms, leaving the Sacred Sword Terandal standing alone in the middle of the vast structure.

In front of it stood a man with black hair. His striking appearance and long hair cascading down to his waist made it clear he was a person who embodied the word ‘justice’ with his firm and upright eyes.

His name was Kaladan.

He was the founder of the Kaladan family and the hero who had saved the world centuries ago.

‘Terandal, I failed to complete the mission bestowed upon me by the heavens.’

His voice, filled with sorrow, addressed the Sacred Sword.

– Are you really leaving?

‘I have entrusted everything to Kalantatis. One day, when my successor proves their worth, they will inherit all I have left behind.’

– Damn, Kalantatis… picking up a street sword and elevating it to a Sacred Sword, and now this is your final message?

‘I’m sorry. Kalantatis is asleep, and Estelle has scattered across the world. I don’t have the time to gather them again.’

– Damn it, that Kalantatis…

‘You will also fall asleep within a few years for my future successor. You will wake up decades or centuries later.’

Hero Kaladan’s eyes were filled with loneliness.

‘When that time comes, please, take care of my successor. I hope you find as much joy as you did in the moments we shared together.’

Terandal remained silent, and Kaladan gave a bittersweet smile.

At the same time, a message appeared.

—

[A long time ago, Hero Kaladan left the ‘Hero’s Secret’ containing all his knowledge with Guardian Kalantatis.]

[If you undertake the rightful missions and duties, you can inherit everything from Hero Kaladan.]

[Following his will, gather the ‘Estelle’ scattered across the world to prepare for the impending darkness.]

—

In other words, the ‘quest’ was a qualification test arranged by Hero Kaladan through Kalantatis to pass on his legacy to his successor.

In Harang’s case, it appeared in such a convenient manner because he brought the game system with him.

‘So that’s what it is. My purpose… is to gather Estelle according to the quest’s guidance.’

Just as Harang tried to understand his situation with a heavy heart, Hero Kaladan drew the Sacred Sword. At that moment, time began to reverse again.

“Gasp!”

Harang stepped back with wide eyes. For a moment, his mind went blank as he saw something glittering in front of him.

A dazzling silver sword in his hand.

“Uh.”

“Huh!”

“Wow.”

– Well, what’s this?

The Sacred Sword, Terandal, had been drawn for the first time in centuries, revealing itself.

—

The Legend of the Sacred Sword Terandal

Some said it was a noble sword bestowed by the gods, while others called it a blessed sword received through the prayers of a saintess for 100 days.

Each story was different, but all were sacred and noble, so the Kaladan family neither denied nor affirmed them.

But the truth was…

“The Sacred Sword Terandal was actually a street sword?”

Harang didn’t share all of Kaladan’s story with Kalel.

He only told a very small part.

Kalel vaguely sensed it but didn’t bother to scold him.

“Interesting, indeed.”

He sat at his desk, tapping his fingers. The chief steward and long-time comrade, Taran Kal Aradela, poured tea into a cup beside him.

It was known that Kalel Duke had accepted Harang as a successor for two reasons, even though the public believed it was solely to determine his successor.

The second reason was…

“What would have been the likelihood of the ‘Stigmata Curse’ appearing if we hadn’t accepted Young Master Harang into the direct line?”

It was due to the ‘Stigmata Curse’ that only appeared in the pureblood direct line of Kaladan.

“Very high.”

“Left unchecked, it would have exposed Kaladan’s weakness to the world.”

The purer the bloodline of Kaladan’s direct descendants, the more pronounced the ‘Stigmata Curse’ became.

Collateral relatives only experienced occasional headaches or nightmares, which they quickly forgot. However, direct descendants, with their deeply inherited silver eyes, suffered lifelong nightmares, their bodies slowly turning silver as they aged, leading to their gradual death.

There was only one way to prevent this.

To continually wield their sword and strive endlessly until their dying moment.

“Young Master Harang has proven himself sufficiently, and growing up in the best environment of Kaladan means the Stigmata Curse will not be revealed.”

Taran spoke with a bitter expression. He had watched many beloved Kaladan blood relatives die, their bodies turning silver with fear.

“Nonsense. Have you handled the task properly?”

“Yes, I subtly manipulated the Council of Elders’ opinion. Since Young Master Harang has been granted the qualification of successor, even the elders won’t act recklessly.”

“Hmm.”

The Council of Elders of Kaladan, consisting of twelve old monsters, all 9-stars, could make things difficult for Kalel if they unanimously decided on something.

However, the Council couldn’t interfere with the most crucial decision of naming a successor.

Thus, accepting Harang as a named disciple was also to protect him from the influence of the Council.

“Do you not intend to reveal to the public that the youngest grandson has drawn the Sacred Sword?”

The fact that the Sacred Sword Terandal had been drawn for the first time in centuries was enough to turn the world upside down.

“We’ll keep it a secret. You must keep silent as well.”

“You know my lips are heavier than the earth itself.”

This choice was also to protect Harang. Naming him as a successor and accepting him as a named disciple had already thrown him into a ‘rank battle’ with the direct line.

The middle name ‘Paul,’ which wasn’t given to collateral families, carried such a heavy significance.

If it became known that he had drawn the Sacred Sword, even Kalel’s unworthy children would try to harm him by any means.

“Should we send a high master to protect him?”

“That won’t do. It’s unfair. We must hide conspicuous matters, but ultimately, it’s up to the youngest grandson to survive and prove himself. Overprotection will only hinder his growth…”

“You believe that Kaladan grows only through life-and-death battles.”

Kalel believed that, and so did all blood relatives.

The statement that he would be left to die if he couldn’t prove himself was not a lie.

If Harang acted against the honor and belief of pureblood or failed to meet expectations, he would be mercilessly cast out. He would not be protected even if he died in the rank battle with direct descendants.

“The youngest grandson shouldn’t be content just because he has become a named disciple of the direct line.”

Would he walk the same path as other children, complacent with his rise in status?

Or would he tread the unique, true path of ‘Kaladan’?

It all depended on Harang’s choice.