Genius Gamer Reborn into a Family of Heroes

Chapter 52

The Aspect of a Hero

Only seven years had passed since Harang had left Kalambren Palace and officially returned as a “Polden Knight.”

When considering that it had taken nine years for a blood relative who left White Night Castle at the youngest age to return, this was an exceedingly swift pace.

Of course, returning from White Night Castle wouldn’t warrant an extravagant parade or a warm welcome. While the Kaladan family was a noble house, they weren’t particularly fond of such unnecessary pomp.

To be more precise, it was Duke Kalel who didn’t particularly like such things. Ever since he took over as the head of the family, quite a bit of the culture had changed.

“You’ve arrived, Young Master.”

Upon entering the palace and passing through the long garden path to reach the main building, two knights and a butler awaited him. The butler stepped forward and bowed respectfully. Although it wasn’t a knight’s salute, it was still sufficiently courteous.

“His Grace is waiting for you.”

“…The Lord is?”

Harang was slightly taken aback at the thought of seeing him immediately upon his return.

Moreover, he was waiting?

Duke Kalel was not one to wait for others. If anything, he would summon someone and then have them wait.

Such was the value of his time.

‘They said the report on the demonic knight was already submitted.’

Even on the Astera Continent, there were plenty of long-distance communication methods. While there were no cell phones, it was safe to say that most noble families, merchants, and large organizations had their own means.

Although there remained a tradition of sending envoys or messengers to deliver the Emperor’s words in person, most urgent matters were reported via communication.

Because of this, Harang had instructed the knights to keep the information about the maid Soirin from being leaked, ensuring they kept watch over each other.

Since they all belonged to different factions, they had no loyalty to protect one another, and Harang knew how to exploit this well.

‘I thought it wouldn’t be my turn for a while since I had already submitted the report…’

Harang had felt the need to meet with Duke Kalel and discuss matters directly, so it was fortunate that the opportunity had come so quickly.

“Let’s go at once.”

In the main palace, a luxurious banquet was prepared by the royal chef. If two blood relatives were dining together, special care would be taken.

Harang had only once experienced a meal in the main palace since his reincarnation into the Kaladan family. It had been the day he received Cheongwolheun, right before leaving for White Night Castle after passing the Kaladan Proving Ceremony.

Creak…!

As the massive iron door of the main dining hall opened, a long, straight table—different from the previous round table—was the first thing to greet Harang.

Duke Kalel sat at the far end of the straight table, his fingers interlaced as he gazed at Harang.

Behind him stood Tirn Aradela, the butler whom Kalel trusted the most. His presence was so subdued that it was hard to notice there was a person standing there.

No, perhaps the presence of Duke Kalel was so overwhelming that the existence of others faded into nothingness.

“You’ve come, my youngest grandchild.”

Since he wasn’t armed with a sword, Harang bowed respectfully instead of offering a sword salute.

“Harang Paul Kaladan. After three months of probation, I have returned to the palace.”

“Indeed, sit down.”

“Yes, sir.”

After a brief wait, the attendants served the dishes. Though it had been a while since Harang had smelled such an enticing aroma, he didn’t spare a glance at the food.

“Did you rest well during that time?”

“…”

Since he had returned from probation, he hesitated to say that he had rested, but he answered truthfully.

“It was three months in which I was able to deepen my understanding of the field of magic.”

“Is that so.”

As expected, Duke Kalel did not particularly reprimand him.

“By understanding magic, I felt that the sharpness of my sword became even keener.”

“Oh…”

When Harang added this, Kalel’s eyes gleamed. The statement that studying magic had made the sword’s energy sharper sounded somewhat peculiar to him.

Though he seemed slightly curious, this wasn’t the topic he had called Harang to discuss.

“Good. Now that you’ve completed your probation, I will give you the item we were supposed to receive from the Second Prince of Herrael.”

With a light gesture, the butler who had been waiting behind stepped forward, pushing a silver cart. He handed over a gold case engraved with the Herrael imperial family’s crest. When Harang received the case and opened it, he found a smooth, golden orb so polished it reflected his face.

“Do you know what this is?”

Harang was so astonished that he couldn’t immediately respond.

“…It appears to be the Golden Wheel Elixir, which even the royal family of Herrael can only receive once in a lifetime.”

Harang had won a bet against the Prince of Castia, hoping to secure a reward equivalent to the value of the prince’s right-hand man. But honestly, he had no idea what the prince would send. At best, he expected a rare sword.

‘Such a precious thing…?’

As Harang gazed in bewilderment at the Golden Wheel Elixir, Duke Kalel spoke.

“The prince made a significant decision. He has placed a very high value on the worth of his right-hand man.”

To an ordinary person, the right arm is exceedingly valuable.

And for a budding genius swordsman, how precious must that right arm be?

It was something that no amount of money could replace.

The Golden Wheel Elixir held a similar value.

It was known that even ordinary people who consumed it would experience a significant extension of their lifespan, and it was an elixir often compared to a panacea capable of curing all diseases.

There were few elixirs in the world comparable to the Golden Wheel Elixir. No, in terms of elixirs that could be made with human skill, it was arguably the most valuable.

There was even a story in history where a great mage had given up his limbs in exchange for obtaining a legendary elixir.

A mage, even without arms, had ways to cast spells, and while it would be inconvenient in their pursuit of knowledge, it wasn’t impossible.

That great mage, after consuming the elixir, achieved enlightenment, and later, it was said that he underwent Bone Renewal and regenerated all his limbs.

However, such miraculous Bone Renewal did not happen to everyone, so it could be said that the Prince of Castia was quite bold in giving up the Golden Wheel Elixir.

‘The true value of the Golden Wheel Elixir is said to be its ability to help one penetrate and overcome the limits of their own talent.’

There were stories of swordsmen who, no matter how much they trained, could not break through the wall of the 3rd Star. Yet, after consuming the miraculous elixir, they advanced directly to the 5th Star. The potential of such an elixir was boundless.

“Will you use it right away?”

Duke Kalel asked the question with a meaningful tone. Under normal circumstances, Harang would have carefully analyzed the question and chosen his response, but his mind was so absorbed by the Golden Wheel Elixir that he answered as if in a trance.

“No… I will use it later, someday. When a wall stands before me, that’s when I’ll use it.”

His answer was utterly genuine, with no intention of hiding his true feelings. But instead of being displeased, Duke Kalel burst into hearty laughter, seemingly satisfied.

“Haha! I knew you would answer that way. It’s a wise decision. Save the Golden Wheel Elixir for the future when you truly need it.”

“…I will do so.”

Harang carefully closed the golden case and tucked it safely into his robe.

‘I’ll have to store it in my personal dimension later.’

As he struggled to calm his racing heart, Harang looked at Kalel with eyes that sparkled even more brightly than before. For the first time, Duke Kalel, who was usually dignified and carried an air of gravity, saw a glimpse of a young boy in Harang, and this gave him a strange feeling.

It was a sensation that Duke Kalel had never experienced before in his life, one that he couldn’t recognize as the feeling a parent has when looking at their child.

“Well then… I suppose we cannot avoid discussing what happened at the villa.”

As Duke Kalel began to bring up the main topic, a young butler quietly approached from the back and whispered softly into his ear like a shadow.

“Is that so? That will do.”

With a light gesture, the butler disappeared as quietly as he had come, erasing his presence completely.

“I heard that the adopted son of the Kezel family underwent ‘demonization.’ They say he attempted to poison you with San Gong Poison but failed, revealing his murderous intent. Is this true?”

“Yes. He had a maid add a small amount of San Gong Poison to my pill.”

Duke Kalel’s expression turned icy.

Though he didn’t explode in anger as he usually might, Harang felt an even greater chill in his bones because the man, who was known for his fiery temper, had allowed his expression to become so cold.

It wasn’t just his imagination.

Despite the midsummer heat, frost formed on the windows, and some even began to crack.

The food on the table, barely touched, had grown cold, and Harang struggled to open his mouth.

“…What will happen to the Kezel family?”

It wasn’t a question one should ask in this situation, but it was one that needed to be asked.

Duke Kalel gazed at Harang for a moment before letting out a breath, the cold air subsiding as he stroked his beard thoughtfully.

He seemed to be deeply considering something.

“My youngest grandchild, what would you do with the Kezel family?”

“…!”

This was the exact question Harang had been hoping for, yet its arrival was so sudden that it made him tense. This question was, after all, a way to acknowledge and test Harang’s “kingly qualities.”

The most exemplary answer here would be to mercilessly suggest wiping out the Kezel family, demonstrating the ruthlessness expected of the future head of Kaladan and its king.

But while this was the answer Duke Kalel likely expected, it was also… too predictable.

Moreover, becoming such a king was not what Harang desired.

No matter what history said about the Kaladan ducal house, that kind of culture was of no concern to Harang. What he wanted was not to be the head of the “ruthless, bloodless Kaladan,” the strongest swordsmanship family.

“As retribution for attempting to harm the pure bloodline of Kaladan, I would annihilate the Kezel family and strip all related vassal families of their titles…”

“Hmm.”

Duke Kalel nodded, as it was the answer he had anticipated, but Harang wasn’t finished.

“If I were currently the ‘king’ of Kaladan, I would do so.”

Kalel’s eyes sparked with mild curiosity as he noticed that Harang’s story wasn’t over yet.

“…Speak further.”

“At present, I possess nothing and have nothing to protect. You, the head of the family, are the sky, the pillar, and the very existence of Kaladan, so I believe it’s only natural to eliminate the Kezel family to preserve the honor and prestige of Kaladan. However, I… would rather forgive the Kezel family with a generous heart.”

“Forgive… them?”

The atmosphere grew heavy. It wasn’t just a metaphor; Harang genuinely felt the weight pressing down on his shoulders, almost causing him to groan. But he managed to hold back.

“…Explain your reasoning.”

If Harang were to say something foolish now, things would not end well for him.

This was because the prestige of Kaladan was at stake.

To spare those who had dared to harm Kaladan? Such an act could lead others to think, “So it’s okay to challenge Kaladan? Are they not as formidable as before?”

It could put at risk the image of Kaladan as the invincible, terrifying force no one dared to even gaze upon!

With one wrong answer, all the recognition and the image Harang had painstakingly built up could be wiped away in an instant.

However, Harang knew that for the sake of the future he envisioned, he had to speak his mind now, even if it meant taking a risk.

“If this situation were left as it is, some might say that the Kaladan duchy has weakened because they let those who tried to harm them live. But from my perspective… it’s a bit different.”

“What’s different?”

“The one who tried to harm me was an individual from the Kezel family, but—”

* * *

“He must have already known what would happen if he touched my family. So, such a display of threats is of no use to me. The threats will continue in the future, and killing everyone each time will not be beneficial.”

This was Harang’s thought.

The ruthless and cold-hearted Kaladan is of no help in protecting myself as I am now.

If that’s the case, then rather than being the merciless swordsmanship family Kaladan…

“…I want to follow in the footsteps of our deeply rooted ancestor, ‘Hero Kaladan,’ and forgive those who have sinned against me.”

In truth, this conversation itself was laughable.

From the beginning, it was likely that Myron Kezel alone committed the sin, and that the Kezel family itself was innocent. What good would it do for the Kezel family to blatantly carry out such a reckless act as transporting the San Gong Poison under the family’s name?

Moreover, there was evidence of this. Harang took out the broken emblem of the Kezel family from his bosom.

“Ho, isn’t that the emblem of the Kezel family knights?”

The family’s knightly emblem is never broken by its own. No matter how much one succumbs to demonic transformation, the honor of a knight who has received knighthood is not abandoned until the moment of death.

Many demonic knights throughout history have carried their family’s knightly emblem, proving that even as they sold their souls to demons, they wished to die ‘as knights.’

Harang, who had lived as a human on Earth, could not understand this, but it was the way knights in this world lived.

No matter how tainted their souls became, no matter how deep they fell into the abyss…

They never abandoned their identity as knights.

So.

“This emblem belongs to Myron Kezel, but he broke it himself and carried it with him. It signifies that he has forsaken his honor as a knight and no longer follows his family.”

“…”

Duke Kalel’s expression subtly changed. Harang had anticipated his reaction.

‘In the first place, the Kezel family did nothing wrong, but I’ll forgive them anyway.’

This situation was an opportunity for Harang to reshape his image, with nothing but gains in sight.

By simply forgiving those who were innocent, he could show the ‘qualities of a merciful king and a hero’ not only to Duke Kalel but to everyone in the family, even to the unknown person who tried to poison him.

And that was not all. The Kezel family, realizing their current predicament, would be trembling with fear. After all, they nearly faced annihilation because of a single mistake in choosing an adopted son.

But what if, while already on the executioner’s block, their lives were spared thanks to Harang’s judgment?

Their loyalty to the young lord they had never even met would grow strong.

Harang’s goal was to build a ‘faction that supports me’ beyond just within the family, but externally as well.

‘It’s a great opportunity to build power while doing nothing but sitting still.’

Harang finished speaking, feeling a dryness in his throat.

“…Is that so.”

Duke Kalel, who had comprehended everything, deeply pondered Harang’s decision regarding the Kezel family, a decision that had taken an entirely unexpected direction.

‘To follow in the footsteps of Hero Kaladan.’

These words were unfamiliar to Duke Kalel, striking him as a refreshing shock. Until now, he had only ever thought of reigning as the Conqueror Kaladan, the absolute ruler. He had never once considered living as a descendant of the ‘Hero.’

Of course, even though Harang’s perspective was novel, Duke Kalel would not suddenly change his principles.

However… even if it wasn’t him.

If his successor intended to carry on the will of Hero Kaladan…

There would be no reason, nor any need, to stop him.

He had not yet fully acknowledged Harang’s desire to become a king as a hero.

Becoming a king as a hero is far more arduous and challenging than becoming a king as an absolute ruler.

It requires much more to embrace and unite people as one’s own, rather than ruling them through sheer power and authority.

The heavy atmosphere settled.

‘Can you truly… become a king as a hero?’

Duke Kalel pondered this intriguing question.

While Harang’s talent in swordsmanship was undoubtedly exceptional, whether he possessed the qualities of a king was still entirely unknown.

However, the fact that he had already begun to gather people around him at the training camp and the wise intention to embrace those who could potentially become enemies… could this not already be seen as a ‘heroic trait’ to some extent?

“Haha, very well.”

At first, he had only intended to listen to Harang’s thoughts. After all, he had assumed Harang, as the next Conqueror of Kaladan, would present the model answer.

“…Thank you.”

Harang sighed in relief as things fell into place as he had hoped. However, he had no idea.

‘My word, His Grace has changed his mind…!’

Tirn Aradela, the head butler who had served Kalel his entire life, was deeply astonished by this situation.

This was the first time Duke Kalel Paul Kaladan had ever altered his opinion based on someone else’s words, rather than his own!

Moreover, having quickly skimmed through the individual reports from the knights who had been dispatched to the villa, Tirn realized that they all held Harang in very high regard.

These knights were all secret agents from other bloodlines, serving as their eyes and ears. Why, then, did they hold a competing bloodline in such high esteem?

‘What is it about the young master that moves people’s hearts…?’

As Tirn’s curiosity about Harang deepened, he suddenly thought of his youngest granddaughter, who was always causing trouble by insisting on wielding a sword instead of studying administration—Seran.

‘…Perhaps, if she were to meet the young master, she might feel something as well.’