Genius Gamer Reborn into a Family of Heroes

Chapter 53

The Face of a Hero

After a brief conversation in the dining hall, Duke Kalel immediately stood up from his seat.

He hadn’t even touched his food, but it didn’t matter.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

There was no need to ask questions.

Harang didn’t ask where they were going. He simply followed the path Duke Kalel took, which led them to the audience chamber of Kalambren Palace.

Kuuung…!!

The towering silver and red doors, tall enough for a giant to pass through, slid open upwards, revealing the vast audience chamber.

It resembled something out of Greek and Roman mythology—a wide-open space supported by only a few pillars with no windows or walls in sight.

The chamber was a circular shape, with water flowing around its edges. At the center, on a raised platform that was almost like a cliff, stood a single silver throne.

In front of it knelt numerous knights and nobles.

Most of the faces were familiar.

They were the knights who had guarded Harang at the villa.

However, aside from the maid Soirin, all of the kneeling individuals were faces Harang was seeing for the first time, but he quickly understood who they were.

‘The bloodline of the Kezel family…?’

Harang couldn’t help but be slightly taken aback, as he hadn’t expected this gathering to be prepared in advance.

They knelt before the unoccupied throne with the expressions of condemned criminals, trembling in fear.

Step. Step. With each step Duke Kalel took toward the throne, the sound echoed ominously, causing the kneeling figures to shrink further, as if Death itself were approaching.

When Duke Kalel finally sat upon the throne, the faces of those kneeling turned as pale as if they were condemned men already marked for execution.

At that moment, Harang hesitated.

‘…Where am I supposed to stand?’

He had never been taught how to behave in such a situation. Even the “Eyes of Truth” couldn’t guide him here.

Harang chose to stand roughly beside the head butler, on the side.

As Duke Kalel took his seat, the members of the Kezel family attempted to rise, their legs shaking uncontrollably, but none of them could do so.

Duke Kalel wasn’t emanating any sort of aura, yet just being in his presence was enough to paralyze them with fear, rendering them unable to move.

The head of the Kezel family was the only one who managed to stand and offer his respects.

He was a sinner, so he didn’t bring his hat or sword. As he was about to offer an apology, he stepped back with his right foot, placed his right hand on his chest, and bowed his head.

“I greet the sky of Kaladan, the one and only light, the master of the Sword King’s Throne…”

Despite his nearly lifeless expression, the head of the Kezel family maintained his formal demeanor. Watching him, Harang couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. It wasn’t as if he had committed a crime; he had merely chosen the wrong adopted son.

The world of nobility was still difficult for Harang to navigate.

“Kezel family, Vaalek.”

“Y-Yes!”

“You’re aware of the crime your adopted son committed, aren’t you?”

“…Yes, attempting to poison a noble bloodline of Kaladan with the San Gong Poison. This is a grave crime, one for which even offering my own life wouldn’t be sufficient penance.”

Despite trembling, Vaalek Kezel, the head of the Kezel family, forced himself to continue speaking. Watching him, Harang couldn’t help but feel a certain admiration. This not only spoke to Vaalek’s level of martial prowess but also his composure in the face of almost certain execution, not just for himself but potentially for his entire family.

If Harang found himself in the same situation, how would he have reacted?

If not just himself but his family, siblings, and even his wife were facing execution due to a child he had mistakenly taken in…

‘I think I would’ve run away in the middle of the night.’

Honor and dignity aside, preserving one’s life is most important. Although, with Kaladan’s intelligence network, they’d likely catch him before he even had the chance to flee.

“Indeed. Your life alone is insufficient. Therefore, I was inclined to erase your family entirely, ensuring that your name would be recorded in history as a warning to others.”

“…Thank you.”

Was this truly something to be grateful for, merely not being erased from history?

“However, it seems that my youngest grandchild has a different opinion.”

At Duke Kalel’s words, Vaalek Kezel’s eyes widened in surprise. What could he possibly mean by that?

“He argued that the crime of your adopted son had nothing to do with the Kezel family, and he asked me to grant you mercy.”

“T-That’s…”

Even as he faced Duke Kalel, Vaalek couldn’t help but glance briefly at Harang.

‘Why?’

A sudden question came to his mind.

The young master with that mysterious aura remained expressionless, lips tightly sealed, revealing nothing of what he was thinking.

“Thus, I have decided to honor that request. Your Kezel family need not kneel like criminals. The crime rests solely with ‘Myron Kezel,’ who acted on his own. His name will be erased from the Hall of Honor, his knighthood revoked, and his body will be cremated.”

Myron Kezel would face the ultimate disgrace as a knight by being expelled from the Hall of Honor and suffering a dishonorable death. But beyond that, there would be no further punishment.

“That is all I have to convey.”

With a nod from Duke Kalel, Head Butler Tirn gave instructions to the knights who had been waiting in the back.

“Escort the Kezel family out.”

“Yes!”

The Kezel family, who had looked as though they were on the brink of death just moments ago, now wore bewildered expressions as they exited the audience chamber, unsure of how they had been spared.

Vaalek Kezel, the head of the family, was the last to leave, his gaze fixed on Harang until the very end.

The deep emotion lingering in his eyes would, in some small way, be of help to Harang in the future.

And, though Harang hadn’t intended it, the subtle atmosphere he exuded had entirely infected the knights who had accompanied him from the villa.

The image of him, willingly staining his noble hands with blood to personally treat those who fought, even though they were not his own people, flashed through the minds of the knights.

Naturally, the knights came to a single thought.

‘…Could it be that a benevolent tyrant of Kaladan, unlike any before, is emerging?’

Given that all the bloodline members of Kaladan were known for their cold-blooded and cruel nature, Harang’s act of performing what he considered to be a “simple, natural deed” had left a significant impact on those around him.

“Youngest grandchild, how do you wish to deal with the maid who attempted to poison you?”

“…”

Harang pondered for a moment.

Though he had already decided, he pretended to deliberate on the spot, knowing that it would contribute positively to his image.

“I’ll take her under my wing.”

“You want to take in the maid who attempted to poison you?”

If the maid, Soirin, had truly tried to kill him, Harang would have never forgiven her. However, the poison wasn’t lethal, and he had noticed it from the beginning, so it didn’t particularly bother him.

On the contrary, he admired her determination.

A person who could commit such a sin, knowing they would face death for the sake of their family.

If he could reform someone like her and make her his loyal subordinate, at least within the palace, he would have someone he could trust, allowing him to feel more at ease.

“…I don’t have many people I can rely on. At the very least, someone who carries a heavy burden in their heart wouldn’t easily leave my side.”

Soirin’s body trembled as she bowed her head deeply.

‘I… I tried to harm someone like him…?’

A colossal sense of guilt settled in her chest like a heavy stone, causing her immense distress. If she could have atoned with her death, it might not have been as painful.

Seeing her reaction unfold exactly as he had anticipated, Harang felt satisfied. Planting guilt within her was both the only punishment he intended to impose and a test to see if she was worthy of becoming one of his people.

“Do as you wish.”

“Thank you.”

As Harang bowed his head in gratitude, Kalel turned his gaze toward the knights.

“I will issue a gag order regarding the Kezel family knight’s ‘Demonization.’ If this matter leaks to the outside… do not expect the same mercy that my youngest grandchild has shown. Dismissed.”

“Yes, sir!”

The knights responded loudly and quickly exited the audience chamber, while Soirin, as her interrogation and judgment were not yet complete, was escorted out by the guards.

‘…It seems the matters related to the villa have reached a resolution.’

With the knights dismissed, only Duke Kalel, Head Butler Tirn, and Harang remained in the audience chamber.

“Youngest grandchild.”

“Yes, Patriarch.”

“…”

At Harang’s response, Kalel briefly showed an expression of discontent. Had Harang done something wrong? As his heart sank in his chest, Kalel quickly wiped the expression from his face and spoke.

“Come closer.”

Harang stepped forward and was about to kneel on one knee before Duke Kalel, but the duke stopped him.

“That’s not necessary.”

“…Yes.”

“I’ll conduct a separate investigation on the demonization, so be aware of that and go rest for now. I have a special task for you later.”

A task! As soon as Harang heard those words, he immediately thought of ‘Estelle,’ but he held back for now.

He was ready to set off at a moment’s notice, but it seemed that Duke Kalel also needed some time.

“I heard that you’ve been staying in a rundown cabin and the barracks.”

“…Yes.”

“As my named disciple and grandson, I can’t allow you to live in such places.”

After saying this, Duke Kalel gestured to Tirn, then rose from his throne, his cloak billowing as he passed through the door behind him. Harang’s heart skipped a beat because he knew that the door at the back led to a sheer cliff, but seeing the way the duke’s figure flickered, it seemed to be a type of portal or warp gate.

“Shall we go, young master?”

The head butler, Tirn, spoke with a warm smile.

“I hope the gift bestowed by His Highness pleases you.”

* * *

Although Harang had been ordered to keep the incident with the ‘demonized knight’ at the villa a secret, the news spread widely within the inner circles.

There were too many witnesses for it to be completely contained.

Because of this incident, rumors began circulating among the knights, not only about Harang’s talent in swordsmanship but also about his qualities as a hero.

No matter how formidable a Kaladan might be, no one in their mid-teens could have faced a demonized knight, also known as a half-demon, with such bravery. Demonized knights were known for their overwhelming abilities, with one infamous for decapitating 100 knights in the blink of an eye.

In a situation where a single misstep could have cost him his life, Harang had been the first to act, swiftly beheading the enemy and inflicting a fatal wound, securing victory without any losses. This was undoubtedly a highly commendable act for a knight and a hero.

As Harang’s reputation within his family began to rise, albeit slowly, many of his relatives started to view him with envy.

“Have you heard the news, Eriol?”

“…Yes, of course.”

Eriol Paul Kaladan, the third granddaughter in the direct line of the Kaladan family, nodded weakly from her bed in response to her mother’s question.

At 26 years old, she had reached the level of a six-star knight and had beheaded a ‘mid-level demon,’ earning her recognition as an outstanding knight on the battlefield.

However, she had lost her right arm in the process, and despite paying a hefty price at the temple to have it regenerated, she was currently bedridden, recovering from her injuries.

“The adopted youngest played the most crucial role in defeating the demonized knight, they say.”

“……”

Even with her right arm intact, Eriol knew that the demonization of a six-star knight was a formidable opponent she could never face alone.

Now, with her right hand damaged, the feeling in it completely gone after regeneration, she could no longer wield her sword with the same skill as before. She wouldn’t even be able to inflict a proper wound, let alone a fatal one.

‘And yet, a four-star knight nearly beheaded a demonized knight?’

She’d need to hear the full story to understand, but honestly, it seemed nearly impossible. It was nothing short of a miracle.

Would a demonized knight, unless they were a complete fool, really expose their vital points to a mere four-star knight?

“My daughter, I have to ask, just in case…”

Eriol’s mother, Meriel, looked at her with a worried expression. Ever since Eriol reached the age of majority, she had thrown herself onto the battlefield, swinging her sword madly, drenched in the blood of demons. The knights sometimes remarked that her madness was such that she could be mistaken for a demonized knight herself.

Now, after losing her right arm and all sensation in it, she was forced to rest and recover… but the madness that had gripped her heart hadn’t disappeared.

“Did you have anything to do with implanting a demonized knight in the youngest?”

“……”

When Meriel asked with trembling eyes, Eriol gazed at her mother with cold, ice-like silver eyes and then smiled sweetly.

“No, of course not. I wouldn’t do such a thing.”

“That’s a relief. Truly.”

Meriel gently held her daughter’s hand.

“Even if your talent with the sword may be slightly lacking compared to other blood relatives, you are still my most precious daughter.”

The warmth of a mother’s touch should have melted her child’s heart, but Eriol felt only discomfort and disgust. Forcing a smile, she spoke.

“Mother, I’m a little tired… I’d like to rest.”

“Oh, of course. You must be exhausted. I’m sorry for taking up your time.”

As Meriel turned away, the maids approached to tend to Eriol’s body.

Although her right arm had been regenerated, the aftereffects of it being severed remained, and she suffered from phantom pain daily, causing cold sweat to drip down her face.

‘…This kind of pain is nothing.’

Suddenly, bulging crimson veins appeared and then vanished from Eriol’s right arm.

The maids showed a hint of confusion, but the incident happened so quickly that their eyes couldn’t catch it.

Eriol’s right eye turned a deep crimson as she gave a chilling smile.

“My talent is lacking? That’s something that can be more than made up for. Just wait and see…”