Genius Gamer Reborn into a Family of Heroes

Chapter 46

The Magic Tower, Golems, and the Trial

After that, Harang’s days followed a repetitive routine: waking up at dawn, heading to the Magic Tower to challenge Natalen, losing the duel, and returning to the mansion to collapse into a sleep so deep it was almost like fainting.

About a week later, even the servants of the mansion began to notice that something was off with Harang. The young master, who had been perfectly fine before, was now sweating profusely as he struggled to fall asleep, only to leave the mansion every morning with hollow, weary eyes. It was impossible for them not to worry.

When asked what he was doing outside, the only response they got was that he was training in magic.

Although his swordsmanship training had been forbidden, there was no reason to stop him from practicing magic, so the servants didn’t interfere further.

However, this matter would eventually be reported to Duke Kalel.

‘It should be fine. He said if I’m going to challenge magic, I should aim for the top…’

As he was about to leave the mansion once again, a maid, who had been hovering nearby, quickly approached him.

“Um, young master! You’ve seemed unwell lately, so I prepared some medicine for you…”

Harang stared at the basket covered with cloth, then looked at the maid’s expression. Her face seemed shy, perhaps simply from embarrassment, but Harang noticed something slightly different.

“What’s your name?”

“Pardon? It’s Soirin…”

A single bead of cold sweat ran down her cheek. Her fingertips trembled slightly.

Harang didn’t miss these details.

“Thank you, Soirin. I’m not used to such kindness.”

“It’s nothing… I just want to see you healthy again, young master.”

“I’ll make sure to take it.”

After leaving the mansion, Harang lifted the cloth covering the basket slightly. Inside were pills made from ingredients like pine pollen, beans, and carrots, mixed with beneficial herbs and grains.

“Hm…”

Harang’s silver eyes gleamed as his lips curled slightly.

He had known that he had no allies within the family, but he hadn’t expected them to act in such a manner.

‘There’s poison mixed in.’

This wasn’t just any poison. Known as ‘Sangong Poison,’ it was one of the substances used in the creation of ‘mana-suppressing restraints,’ which were designed to subdue those who had trained their magic power.

If consumed in large quantities, it could instantly kill an ordinary person. For a mage or knight, it would cause them to lose their mana for many years.

Of course, there were ways to detoxify it, such as through special antidotes or techniques like circulating energy and regulating breathing, but… the fact that such a small amount of Sangong Poison was mixed into the pills made the intent clear.

The goal wasn’t to completely prevent him from using magic, but to gradually build up the poison in his body over time, stunting his growth.

‘This method is strictly forbidden in Kaladan…’

Harang rolled the pill around in his hand. Any attempt to interfere in the family’s internal hierarchy in such a way would result in the perpetrator’s limbs being severed and their eyes gouged out.

‘I don’t know who it is, but…’

If he ever caught the culprit, he had no intention of letting them off easily.

However, rushing to find the criminal and making a scene could also be part of the opponent’s plan. Harang had no intention of falling for such a crude tactic.

‘Finding the culprit can wait until later.’

For now, training took priority.

Today as well, Harang’s challenges were not about to cease.

* * *

After the Kaladan Bloodline Judgment ended…

Castia, the second prince of Herrael, had locked himself in his palace within Randalgates Castle for an entire week without moving.

Not only had he lost his merit, but being outdebated by Harang, who was three years younger than him, during the Judgment had been a shock too great to bear.

To make matters worse, he had learned that Harang, whom he had considered weaker than himself, not only excelled in swordsmanship but also practiced magic. It was only natural that he was deeply disheartened.

And that wasn’t all.

“Did you say my brother handed over the ‘Golden Wheel Elixir’ to that person in Kaladan?”

“Yes, Your Highness…”

“No way, that’s impossible. Something so precious…”

The Golden Wheel Elixir was an incredibly rare pill given only once to each member of the Herrael royal family. It significantly enhanced the mana of the one who consumed it and purified their bloodstream, making it extremely effective during growth. It was a legendary elixir.

Only the Herrael royal family could produce it, and each bloodline was granted just one, so it had to be treated with the utmost care.

It was no exaggeration to say that one of the reasons why the Herrael royal family’s bloodlines were particularly strong in both swordsmanship and magic for their age was due to this very Golden Wheel Elixir…

“Now that he’s lost it, won’t my brother end up being weaker than me in the future?”

The only princess of the Herrael royal family, Citrinne, twirled her golden hair around her finger.

Her eyes, resembling golden crystals, sparkled especially brightly.

“There’s no chance Father will make another one, is there?”

In response to her question, the head maid shook her head. The head maid was a noble who had served the Herrael royal family for many years and had a perfect understanding of the internal politics of the royal palace.

“No, Your Highness. Since it was given up through a legitimate wager, His Majesty would consider it unworthy to receive another. If another one were to be made, it could be seen as belittling the agreement with Kaladan.”

Each royal child received only one Golden Wheel Elixir. There were no exceptions. Besides, Castia wasn’t the crown prince, but merely the second prince, so there was no particular reason to favor him.

“It seems His Highness the Prince has taken a deep wound to his pride.”

“Hmmm…”

Citrinne had always had a certain expectation that her overconfident and sword-talented brother, Castia, might face a rude awakening during his joint mission with Kaladan.

And when she heard that his opponent from the Kaladan bloodline would be none other than ‘Young Lord Harang,’ hadn’t she secretly found herself rooting for that side more?

The genius boy of the century, Harang!

Citrinne harbored a deep curiosity and admiration for him—after all, Duke Kalel had broken family rules to take him in as his successor.

“Still, I would have liked to hear the story directly from my brother…”

She wondered what Harang looked like, what kind of impression he gave off, and if he indeed possessed the gallant and heroic bearing that the rumors suggested.

“I suppose if I had learned swordsmanship instead of magic, I might have had the chance to meet him~”

Citrinne conjured a three-star magic circle in each of her palms, one of ice and one of fire.

Fwoosh!

The multi-casting, a technique said to only be usable by wizards who had reached at least the 5-star level, was unfolding in the palm of a girl who had barely reached 3-stars at the age of fourteen.

Moreover, casting two opposing spells simultaneously, which would be impossible for anyone without extraordinary talent.

“I’m so, so curious. What kind of person could he be? Would he be interested in magic, too?”

She recalled the boy, her eyes filled with curiosity.

It was difficult to imagine him based only on the description her brother had given, so she had no choice but to open her eyes quickly.

“…He must be living a happier life than I am, right?”

She was, inwardly, a bit envious.

After all, he had already revealed his talent to the world and proven it perfectly.

People no longer saw him as just ‘Harang of Kaladan’ but as ‘Genius Swordsman Harang.’ Citrinne… someday, she wanted to be seen like that too.

“Well, I’ll be like that someday, too! Ah~ I want to meet him soon.”

Shaking off her worries lightly, she extinguished the magic and ran down the hallway with quick steps.

She looked forward to the day she could meet that boy.

* * *

In the Herrael Empire, in the royal capital Garandel, the ‘Golden Tower’ stood tall, dedicated to the great sage Relic.

The dazzlingly beautiful golden tower, incomparable to any other tower in the world, was the goal and object of admiration for all the wizards studying magic in the capital. However, in truth, Relic rarely used this place.

The only place he frequented was the small garden on the rooftop.

This garden, where the gentle breeze always blew and the warm sunlight always shone, was a place no one dared to visit. But today, there was a guest waiting.

Kalel Paul Kaladan, Duke.

He stood alone with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out at the view of the royal capital, Garandel, from the rooftop garden of the golden tower.

“Hey, have you been waiting long?”

A man with tousled hair landed in the garden, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

Kalel, despite the man being late for their appointment, didn’t scold him and got straight to the point.

“The result?”

“Hah, you’re so cold. Do you have to get straight to business with someone who hasn’t been around for a while?”

Relic pulled out a piece of paper, coated with magic, and sent it flying to Kalel.

“Well, to get straight to the point, I found the whereabouts of ‘Estelle.’”

“….”

Estelle. It was a kind of ‘divine relic,’ considered one of the most special gems on the continent of Astera.

It was known for its effect of greatly amplifying the power of its possessor, but that wasn’t its true power.

‘The one who possesses Estelle shall be chosen by the Dragon King of the Moon.’

Thinking that the time had finally come, Kalel closed his eyes.

“Until recently, Estelle didn’t emit any light. Because of that, it was impossible to track, and finding its owner was difficult, but not anymore.”

“…The light has returned to Estelle, the Tears of the Stars.”

“Yes, exactly.”

“Then, where is the first Estelle located?”

“Well, it’s unfortunate news.”

Relic sighed deeply with his arms crossed.

“The Magic Academy, Arniel.”

“….”

At the mention of that institution’s name, Kalel slightly furrowed his brow.

* * *

“I’ve confirmed that the Estelle is being transferred and stored in Arniel. You know what that means, right? It’s better to give up on that Estelle.”

Arniel Magic School, as the most prestigious institution, had been established long ago for the purpose of preparing for war against the demon army. Because of this, it was a fortress in itself.

If that were the only issue, it would be one thing, but Arniel was an institution supported by the world’s strongest magical family, Ainglass.

In other words, it could be said that the first Estelle was essentially owned by Ainglass.

“Come to think of it, didn’t we place some mages under the name of Kaladan in Arniel?”

Arniel, known by the moniker “the world’s best magic school,” might seem distant from the swordsmanship family Kaladan, but in truth, Kaladan had a significant involvement.

The reason was simple. The House of Kaladan, before being a swordsmanship family, was a family of heroes and a duchy.

The science of Earth was synonymous with magic on the Astera Continent, and naturally, to advance technology, research on magic was inevitable.

Of course, since it was research on practical magic for everyday life, rather than combat magic of sorcerers, it might not be considered a magical family, but Kaladan’s “Silver Tower of Magic” was quite famous for its technological prowess.

Based on such magical technology, they had expanded their enterprises globally, with prominent examples being the “Harana Canal,” the hub of central continental trade, the city of blacksmiths known as the “Nest of Steel,” and the economic city “Golden Week Union.”

“I’ve heard they wield considerable influence in Arniel as well. Isn’t there any way to move things?”

“It would be meaningless to try.”

It couldn’t be said that Arniel was entirely unaffected by Kaladan, but more than half of the control was monopolized by Ainglass.

It was impossible to place someone from Kaladan in key positions within Arniel, and they had very limited authority to intervene in major matters.

Most of the agents had entered as professors or researchers, but they had no authority to access the Tear.

Despite working on-site, they hadn’t even heard that Estelle had been brought into Arniel.

“Still, it wouldn’t be easy to just hand over Estelle, would it? The Dragon King of the Moon was originally the guardian of your Kaladan family, wasn’t he?”

“……”

Kalel, who had been silently meditating while gazing at the scenery of Garandel, suddenly had an amusing thought and quietly smiled.

“The agents who infiltrated as faculty are already on Arniel’s watchlist.”

“Hmm? That’s true, isn’t it?”

“Then, what about students?”

“Students…?”

Relic’s eyes widened in shock as he immediately grasped Kalel’s idea.

“You… You’re not serious, right? Really?”

Kalel didn’t answer Relic’s question. Instead, he simply smiled faintly.

“I’ll contact you again later.”

Whoosh…!!

As Duke Kalel vanished with those brief words, Relic, still wearing a shocked expression, let out a hollow laugh.

“Well, now… it looks like an unprecedented mission is about to fall upon a direct descendant for the first time.”