Genius Gamer Reborn into a Family of Heroes

Chapter 51

The Hero’s Aspect

Whooooosh…! As soon as they entered the space of the Flower Tower, the connection to the outside world was instantly and completely severed.

For the past three months, while Harang was lying on the Recovery Field after being defeated by Natalen, he had overheard snippets of the man’s mutterings. This place was said to be created by the “Guardian of Space,” making it impossible for anyone but a truly exceptional archmage to even sense the space.

‘I knew that Master Natalen was the Contractor of Arahon, but I never expected him to be using this power in such a way.’

After blindfolding Soirin, Harang took her to the Magic Tower and seated her on the Recovery Field.

“Ugh…!”

He had been worried that it might not work, but then he clearly saw the invisible chains around Soirin’s neck materialize and clang shatter.

The Recovery Field even easily broke the restraints that were notoriously difficult to dispel.

“Haa, ha… How… how did you…?”

With her eyes blindfolded, Soirin had no idea what was happening. Harang knelt down on one knee before her and quietly spoke.

“That’s not something you need to know… Now, are you ready to talk?”

“Uh…”

Soirin, trembling and hesitating, soon nodded and bit her lip.

A name slipped from her lips.

* * *

Half a day had passed since the knights had given up the chase and returned to the villa.

Finally, when Harang returned, the knights quickly stood and lined up.

Soirin, unable to withstand the powerful effects of the Recovery Magic’s curse-breaking, had fainted and had to be carried on Harang’s shoulder. Upon his return, he set her down on the floor and then started walking toward someone.

Swish!

Without warning, he swung his sword at a knight who was standing stiffly.

Clang!

“What are you doing, sir?!”

The knight, who had instinctively blocked the attack, was taken aback by the murderous intent that had genuinely aimed to kill.

“Myron Kezel. That’s your name, right?”

“…Yes, young master. May I ask why you are wielding a sword against me?”

“Why, you ask?”

Harang grinned menacingly as he sheathed his sword and turned to the other knights.

“Because you transported the San Gong Poison. Subdue him and bind his limbs. We’ll interrogate him when we get back.”

“…Yes, sir!”

Not all the knights were there to monitor Harang. Those who had been sent by Duke Kalel to assist him dutifully followed his orders.

“Ugh! What are you doing?! How can you accuse me of transporting the San Gong Poison!”

“Soirin told me. If we search your belongings, we’ll find traces of the poison. You wouldn’t have had the chance to dispose of it yet.”

If they had just returned as planned, he could have erased all the evidence perfectly. But since this was an isolated villa, he hadn’t had the chance to eliminate the traces of the San Gong Poison.

“Bring Myron Kezel’s belongings.”

Some of the knights moved swiftly at the command, and others reluctantly began to clean up the accommodations near the villa.

“Grr…!!”

Myron, now pinned to the ground by the knights, gritted his teeth in frustration. Had they really managed to lift Soirin’s curse? It had seemed impossible!

“You must have threatened and tortured the maid to get the information! This is not an honorable act for a knight! Aren’t you afraid of what will happen when the Duke hears of this?”

Myron shouted desperately, but the response he got was rather bland.

“The curse has been lifted, so there was no need for torture. She willingly gave up the information in exchange for the safety of her family, so it was a fair deal for her. But…”

His silver eyes glinted ominously.

“You will not die an easy death.”

“Grrr…!”

Once Myron was escorted back to the main estate, every possible method would be used to extract information. If history recorded even one instance of a bloodline surviving after using the San Gong Poison, it could inspire future descendants to employ similar tactics in bloodline wars.

As a Kaladan, engaging in such underhanded tactics instead of fair competition would ultimately be a cancer that rotted the family from within. No matter the cost, the culprit would be found and punished.

‘I don’t even need to use force myself. The family will handle it all.’

Harang thought this as he looked down at Myron, who was lying on the floor.

…Suddenly, a chilling sensation brushed against his intuition, and he quickly activated the Eyes of Truth.

Flash! His eyes gleamed with a silver light as they scanned Myron’s entire body.

‘What the hell is that?’

Myron’s energy, which was boiling like bubbling water, caught his attention.

‘Crimson-black mana?’

Though Harang had never seen such a color of mana before, he had heard enough about it to recognize what it was.

It was the “Dark Mana” that demons used!

Though he couldn’t understand why a knight would possess Dark Mana, Harang’s body moved instinctively.

Slash!

In an instant, he drew Cheongwolheun and slashed at Myron’s neck!

‘Damn, it’s shallow!’

But because he hadn’t cut deep enough, Myron’s neck didn’t sever completely, and his head dangled precariously.

Hiss!! Smoke billowed as Myron’s neck began to regenerate rapidly.

Just as Harang raised his sword to strike again—

“It’s dangerous, young master!”

A knight hurled himself at Harang, knocking him to the ground.

…Boom!!

At that moment, crimson-black flames erupted from Myron’s body, causing him to swell up in an instant.

SCREEEEEECH!!

A horrifying scream filled the air, a sound so disturbing it was impossible to tell if it was a scream or nails scratching a chalkboard.

“Grr…!”

The knight who had tackled Harang groaned in pain. Harang quickly scrambled out of his grasp, only to see the knight’s back scorched as if it had been burned. Thankfully, it wasn’t a fatal wound, but if Harang had taken the hit directly, it could have been catastrophic.

“G-get back, young master…!”

“Wait.”

After hastily pouring a potion over the knight’s back, Harang looked up to see Myron, now grotesquely enlarged to more than three times his original size, exhaling through his nose in rage.

However, the neck that Harang had slashed hadn’t fully regenerated yet and still hung loosely, though it seemed like it would heal completely in a short time.

‘I have to do something…!’

Harang gripped Cheongwolheun tightly and prepared to charge, but the knights stepped in front of him.

“Leave this to us!”

Whoosh!!

The six-star knights charged at the monstrous Myron, creating such a powerful backdraft that it caused small explosions in the air.

Screeeech!!

Myron, bellowing with rage, swung his massive fists wildly, but the Kaladan knights barely managed to dodge or block, inflicting wounds on his body in the process.

‘…He’s too fast. There’s no opening for me to join in.’

Harang broke out in a cold sweat as he searched for an opportunity to intervene. Myron’s punches, despite his enormous size, were incredibly swift—so fast that if Harang tried to jump in, he would be killed instantly.

Slash-!

However, Myron didn’t last long. His head was severed cleanly from his body.

Since Harang had already weakened him by nearly beheading him earlier, Myron had been unable to exert his full strength!

Before he could regenerate, the Kaladan knights swiftly targeted his neck and easily sliced through it, causing Myron’s enormous body to collapse with a hiss, releasing steam as it fell.

Hissss…!!

One of the knights approached Myron, drove his sword through the monster’s heart, and then, with a troubled expression, reported to Harang.

“He’s been demonized. Judging by his condition, it seems he sold his heart to a demon a long time ago to gain power.”

The knights who had been struck by the monstrous Myron groaned in pain, their bones likely broken. The areas where they were hit had turned a horrifying, burn-like red, making for a gruesome sight.

Harang stood up and handed out potions to the knights. Among the potions were some quite expensive ones, supplied by the Kaladan family exclusively to their bloodline, which the knights repeatedly tried to refuse.

“You saved my life. I wouldn’t be stingy with mere potions.”

Saying this, he generously poured out the potions. He injected the syringe-type potions into the soldiers, and for those with internal injuries, he gave them potions to drink.

“But…”

“I’m not a fool. I know you were sent here to monitor me.”

“…!!”

The knights’ eyes widened at Harang’s words. They had never expected him to be aware of that as well.

“But that’s a separate matter. Facing a demon without retreating is the mark of a true knight, and how could I ignore that? Even though we serve different masters, treating knights with honor is my duty as a fellow knight.”

After Harang had emptied the last of the potions and stood up, the expressions on the knights’ faces became increasingly complex.

How could they not feel conflicted? Here was a young master they had been sent to monitor, yet he displayed the true qualities of a knight, showing honor and respect.

Their own master had been narrow-minded enough to send people to keep an eye on a mere boy, and some among them had even tried to poison him.

‘…He truly has a different caliber.’

While the knights’ feelings grew more complicated, Harang casually discarded the empty potion box.

‘Hmph. They likely have their own potions, and the injuries weren’t life-threatening, so they would have recovered on their own. But if a few potions can earn me some goodwill, it’s a worthwhile investment.’

This too was a kind of investment.

Whether it would be meaningful or not, Harang didn’t really care. After all, potions could always be replenished.

As Harang approached Myron’s corpse, the knights who had been examining it stood up and reported to him, their faces somber.

“He’s completely dead.”

“A knight who sold his soul to a demon… What a disgrace.”

“…”

Honestly, Harang was slightly taken aback as well. He had only ever heard stories about demons, never expecting to encounter one so closely.

Why was there a knight in the family who had made a pact with a demon? Even more frustrating was that this made it impossible to discover the identity of the person who had ordered the poisoning.

“Now we can’t find out who ordered you to poison me.”

“Ah…”

“Whoever it is, given their connection to a demon, they probably won’t go down without a fight when their identity is revealed.”

It couldn’t be mere coincidence that the knight who was transporting the San Gong Poison had also made a pact with a demon. No, it couldn’t be. Harang was now certain that some group within the family had deep ties with demons.

“Let’s head back. We’re running late.”

“Ah, understood.”

The knights followed Harang, their expressions complex, as they watched him calmly take charge of the situation. Even after encountering a demonized knight and realizing there was someone who had plotted to poison him, he remained so composed.

After everything was wrapped up, Harang finally boarded the carriage and let out a deep sigh.

“…Damn, that was nerve-wracking.”

Despite his efforts to maintain a calm and authoritative demeanor, Harang was far from used to such experiences.

His heart was still pounding.

What was truly fortunate, though, was that his body hadn’t frozen in fear during those critical moments, instead moving on its own, even before his thoughts could catch up.

There had been times when he worried that no matter how much he trained, his body might freeze when his life was on the line.

But now, having gone through actual combat, he was somewhat reassured to realize that his body had indeed moved according to his training.

“…Maybe I’ll nap for a bit. I’m exhausted.”

He had just finished a shower while the knights were cleaning up, and his body felt heavy with fatigue. After a long and stressful day, he was starting to feel the effects of his tension unwinding, making him drowsy. Unable to resist the pull of sleep, his eyelids grew heavier, and he was about to give in to the exhaustion when—

Ding! A notification popped up in front of his eyes.

━━━[Side Quest]━━━

First Estelle

Details: Estelle has made her appearance in the world. Investigate the whereabouts of Estelle, who holds the key to unlocking the true power of the Dragon King of the Moon, Kalantatis. If possible, acquire her.

Objective: Track or acquire Estelle’s precise location

Reward: An ancient Kaladan legacy

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The sight of a critical term jolted Harang awake.

“Estelle… Estelle, you say?”

In an instant, his drowsiness vanished.