Genius Gamer Reborn into a Family of Heroes

Chapter 63

The Magician Days

After the mission ended, Harang intended to return immediately, but amidst the chaos, he found himself briefly resting at Rondel Cathedral, thanks to a priest who stopped him.

“Even though we’ve had nearly a month-long connection, you’re leaving just like that? That’s a bit disappointing.”

The priest Ezakt, who stood about 190 cm tall, approached Harang and extended his hand for a handshake. For Harang, this meant he practically had to reach up toward the sky.

While Harang didn’t have a complex about his height, it was inconvenient and annoying in many ways.

“Magician Days. I owe you a great debt.”

“Well… I wouldn’t call it a debt. If anything, I’m the one who owes more.”

Harang still felt awkward being called a “Magician.” He didn’t have a proper identification certificate, nor had he formally graduated from an academy. In reality, compared to magicians who had studied in a structured way and obtained qualifications, he likely lacked knowledge in many areas.

“Besides, wasn’t it your own decision to arrest the Archbishop?”

“…That’s true. But if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to stand up. I mean that sincerely.”

Ezakt’s expression was filled with bitterness as he spoke. Memories of the past days, where he had nothing, no connections, and no trustworthy people, only to be constantly oppressed by Manfred, resurfaced in his mind.

“Moreover, regardless of how things turn out, I haven’t forgotten my goal of building a future together with you. If you ever wish to enroll in the Magic Academy, just let me know. You don’t have to repay me later; I’ll invest as much as necessary.”

“…The Academy, huh.”

Harang felt a pang of guilt towards Ezakt. The reason he had approached him in the first place was to gather information from inside the cathedral, and he had exploited his emotions to siphon off a grand blessing from him for the entire month.

Despite all that, Ezakt was still envisioning a future through his relationship with Harang. Since Rondel Cathedral had no interactions with magicians, the priests here had almost no means to handle financial matters. Ezakt was planning to patiently wait, curling up quietly until the day Harang reached adulthood.

“First… I think I owe you an apology.”

Harang gave an awkward smile and pulled out a crest from his coat.

“In truth, I’m not the magician Days. I am this person.”

“…!!”

Ezakt’s eyes widened in shock. What Harang revealed was none other than the emblem of Kaladan, specifically the crest symbolizing a member of the “Polden Knight” bloodline!

“The reason I approached you was… because I needed to investigate things, including Manfred and the black magicians. It seems it will be difficult for us to envision a future together with me as the magician Days. I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

Ezakt must have planned to invest in Harang, betting on their shared future, so the sense of betrayal would surely be immense.

“Of course, I will make sure to repay you generously for the cost of the grand blessings I’ve received so far.”

“…Ah, no. There’s no need for that.”

The moment Priest Ezakt realized Harang’s true identity, he bowed his head deeply, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Was he frightened after hearing the name Kaladan? Or was he overwhelmed with disappointment, or perhaps seething with anger, struggling to keep his emotions in check?

These doubts vanished the moment Ezakt lifted his head again. His face was filled with genuine emotion, and he looked at Harang with teary eyes, completely overcome with joy.

“I never thought I would have the chance to be connected to you in my lifetime… This is truly, truly an honor!”

‘…Ah.’

It was only then that Harang realized, belatedly, what he had failed to grasp even after showing the crest.

He had revealed that he was a “Polden Knight of the direct bloodline of Kaladan.”

For Ezakt, this meant that his connection with the “talented commoner magician” had been completely severed. After all, he had invested an entire month of grand blessings!

But.

For the small cost of a month’s worth of blessings, he had gained the opportunity to meet with a “direct bloodline Polden Knight of Kaladan” and had even assisted, albeit in a minor way, in his mission… In some small way, he had formed a connection.

For Ezakt, who had lived his life without any power or influence, this was a once-in-a-lifetime stroke of luck.

Today’s feat of ousting Archbishop Manfred by his own hand and temporarily assuming the position of bishop paled in comparison to this—this was, quite literally, a “miracle” bestowed by the gods.

‘Ezakt the priest. This man is undoubtedly something special.’

Harang understood his ambition well.

Ezakt had a burning desire to rise to greater heights!

Moreover, he had the faith and determination to remain unwavering in his belief in God, despite his ambitions, as well as the bold decisiveness and wisdom to invest everything in a mere commoner.

Connections? Harang himself still lacked them terribly.

So, forging a good relationship with a “future archbishop” would undoubtedly benefit him as well.

“I lied to you, and perhaps even betrayed your trust, yet you’re responding so positively… I feel ashamed.”

As he said this, Harang dispelled the magic of the lenses, revealing his silver eyes to Ezakt.

“I also think it might be difficult to continue our relationship with me as ‘Magician Days,’ but as ‘Harang Paul Kaladan,’ I’d like to maintain our connection… Would that be alright?”

Before Harang could even finish his sentence, Ezakt clasped both of Harang’s hands, his eyes gleaming with intense fervor.

“You are welcome to visit anytime.”

To be honest, the firm grip on his hands made Harang a bit uncomfortable, so he awkwardly smiled as he gently withdrew his hands.

“Ah, right. As a direct descendant of Kaladan, I’m sure you’re also working hard to build your reputation. If you wish to reveal your real name, I can do everything in my power to assist you.”

“……”

Well, that’s a problem.

Harang had not yet revealed his magic to the public.

‘Although everyone in the family who needs to know is aware… it’s still a secret for now.’

Currently, what Duke Kalel needed wasn’t the ‘Knight Harang’ who defeated the black mage, but rather ‘Mage Daze.’ Since this was a test for that purpose, Harang had no intention of revealing his true name.

He planned to operate under the name Daze one more time in the future, so his identity had to remain hidden.

“That’s fine.”

“……Is that so?”

Naturally, unaware of these circumstances, Ezakt felt slightly puzzled.

Harang still had a low standing within the family and lacked widespread fame.

While a few martial artists had heard of his extraordinary talent… most people in the world still didn’t know who he was.

Wouldn’t it be normal to want to make his name more known, even if just a little?

“It’s not time yet. There’s something I must do under the name ‘Daze.'”

“……If that’s the case.”

Seeing the boy’s desire to keep the name Daze hidden, Ezakt, wanting to show great trust in him, smiled and said,

“I swear by God, I will keep your secret.”

It was the highest oath one could make as a clergyman. It was enough to earn Harang’s trust.

“That wasn’t quite what I was asking for, but… I’m glad to see my judgment of people was correct.”

Harang complimented his own insight, while simultaneously acknowledging Ezakt.

‘…To think that a direct descendant of Kaladan would recognize me, someone with nothing.’

Ezakt himself wasn’t aware of it, but the simple recognition from a mere fourteen-year-old filled him with pure joy and elation.

‘This person trusts me.’

To think that such a thing could bring so much happiness.

It was a truly strange and mysterious feeling.

Ezakt grew curious.

The person who killed Galik was a mage.

And the only person present at the scene was Harang, and no one else.

He was undoubtedly a direct descendant of Kaladan. But how did he use magic?

And at a level capable of defeating a 5-star black mage, no less.

‘This must be another one of his secrets, right?’

He hadn’t noticed it at first, but once Harang removed his robe, Ezakt could see it clearly. Although Harang’s frame was small, his body had undoubtedly been honed with sword training. The muscles were not clearly visible under the white shirt, but Ezakt could tell through Harang’s restrained movements.

“In that case, I will spread the tales of Mage Daze’s exploits far and wide. Under the name of Rondel Cathedral.”

“……Daze’s fame?”

Harang hesitated for a moment. Was there really a need for that, since it was just an alias? But seeing Harang’s reaction, Ezakt grinned widely.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking or what plans you have. But using the name Daze instead of your real name… it surely means you’re trying to do something as a mage.”

“…!!”

It wasn’t until Ezakt said this that Harang finally understood.

‘He’s right.’

As a mage, Harang was going to be given an important mission from Kalel in the future. When that time came, would this fame really be a hindrance?

‘No, it won’t.’

His appearance wouldn’t spread unless it made it into the newspapers, and things like hair color or eye color could be easily changed.

Since the name was an alias, it wouldn’t be a burden to spread his fame either, as he could change it whenever he wanted.

‘If my fame could be even slightly helpful for the next mission…’

Having thought this far, Harang looked up at Ezakt.

Ezakt was a man of ambition. He was clever and cunning, someone who knew how to provide help while also using it to his advantage.

‘…I see. This is all beneficial for him as well.’

Ezakt desperately wanted an agreement with the mage organizations. If he could sufficiently elevate Mage Daze’s achievements with this, the mage group of the Harana Canal might feel a bit more favorable toward the Rondel Cathedral.

‘Not bad.’

Fully understanding Ezakt’s intentions, Harang smiled slightly and extended his hand.

“Yes, I’ll be counting on you.”

Ezakt shook his hand in return.

* * *

The mission in the Harana Canal completed, Kaladan’s intelligence organization, ‘Obsidian’, wasted not a second and returned immediately to the main house to report the situation.

“Commander Maltiren of Obsidian. You’ve successfully completed the mission. However, I see you added a note that it wouldn’t have been accomplished without the intervention of Polden Knight Harang?”

Receiving Maltiren’s report, the knight and security officer, Douglas Karoff, made a peculiar expression.

Douglas was an 8-star knight and the highest-ranking knight responsible for integrating and overseeing Kaladan’s internal intelligence organization. He knew Maltiren’s abilities and tendencies better than anyone, which made this report unusual.

‘Maltiren… His abilities are useful, but he’s often overly emotional, which sometimes ruins missions. He also harbors a strange resentment toward the authority of the Kaladan bloodline. So what is this report?’

The report seemed unlike Maltiren, who usually would have minimized any praise, no matter how well a member of the bloodline had performed.

“This is not an embellishment. I simply reported the facts as they occurred…”

“Oh, so this mission has caused some change in you?”

“…”

Maltiren did not respond, but his silence was answer enough.

“Well, fine.”

Douglas smirked. Maltiren, despite his abilities, was too rebellious, constantly undermining his own achievements and hindering his prospects for advancement. He had always seemed like someone with no future.

‘Has he been won over by Harang Paul Kaladan? I’m not sure if he’ll fully realize all of Maltiren’s abilities… but it seems the already chaotic atmosphere will become even more heated.’

Recently, a peculiar atmosphere had taken hold within the family after word spread that Harang Paul Kaladan had saved a family that was about to be poisoned with ‘San Gong Poison’ and even decided to rehabilitate and take in a maid who had betrayed him.

This had caused many within the household to question their loyalty to their current masters.

Although few knights had met Harang in person, rumors spread at an uncontrollable pace.

Unlike other members of the bloodline, Harang Paul Kaladan was said to be very compassionate yet charismatic, and his outstanding talent in swordsmanship had already captivated the knights. The story had spread far and wide.

And now, even Maltiren, who had been known for his defiant attitude toward the family, seemed to have had his heart completely won over?

This could be an opportunity for even the most loyal members of the family to reconsider their views on Harang.

‘Hmm, Harang Paul Kaladan… What is it about him? I’m starting to get a bit curious myself.’

Douglas tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair as he pondered.

If this boy, who had so moved the hearts of the knights and earned their trust, truly had the qualities of a young conqueror…

‘I suppose I’ll need to make my decision soon as well.’