Genius Gamer Reborn into a Family of Heroes

Chapter 71

A Harmonious Family Meal

How could a magic book, lost long ago, suddenly reappear out of nowhere?

And why, of all places, did it end up in the hands of the youngest grandchild, just 14 years old, who had only recently completed a mission?

This was a matter of curiosity not just for the mages but also for Duke Kalel.

However, Harang couldn’t reveal the existence of the “Flower Tower.” That place was a precious haven shared only by Natalen and him.

“Hmm, it’s difficult to explain right now. It would also be troublesome if this became known publicly.”

“Oh? So, it’s a secret, even from your grandfather?”

“Of course not. It’s just that I’d prefer only you to know for now…”

Harang was hesitant to disclose anything in front of his siblings.

When Harang said this, Duke Kalel readily agreed.

“Very well. I had planned to have a private tea time with you after the meal to assign you a classified mission anyway, so I’ll hear it then.”

“A c-classified mission… for the youngest…?”

Kyle, who was seated slightly away from the others, muttered in a bewildered voice. It must have been shocking for him.

The family’s classified missions were typically of top priority, rated 1st class or higher, requiring the Kaladan family to handle extremely important matters. Naturally, they were usually very difficult.

The minimum rank was usually A, and at its highest, it could surpass S-rank, receiving an ‘Unmeasurable (N/M)’ rank.

“Why…?”

Kyle looked at Harang with a confused expression.

Certainly, achieving 4-star swordsmanship at such a young age was remarkable, but weren’t there seven other siblings here who were more outstanding than him?

If Kyle had been a bit more rational, he might have recalled that, unlike the other siblings, Harang also had the talent for magic. But at that moment, his mind wasn’t working properly.

“L-Lord…”

“Kyle. Speak.”

Duke Kalel’s voice, perhaps because he was in a particularly good mood, was much softer. This gave Kyle the courage to speak up.

“If it’s such an important mission, shouldn’t it be given to us rather than the youngest…?”

For a moment, the atmosphere grew cold—no, it wasn’t just his imagination. Was it because of Duke Kalel? No, he was still smiling, seemingly in a good mood.

The magic book that the youngest had brought seemed to have had an enormous impact on their diplomatic relations with the Mage Union.

The reason for the chilly atmosphere was none other than the fact that the siblings were glaring at him.

“Kyle! Grandfather always assigns missions to the Polden Knight who is deemed most capable and suitable for the time and situation. Are you disregarding Grandfather’s judgment?!”

In the end, Naridel, unable to hold back, stood up and shouted, but Duke Kalel just laughed heartily and told her to sit down.

“Indeed, Kyle. It’s understandable that you might feel discontent if the youngest gets a good mission first. Yes, that’s reasonable. In that case, I will slightly modify the mission I was planning to give you and assign you a different one. If you accomplish it admirably, I’ll consider giving you the same mission as your youngest sibling. Taron, are you here?”

At Duke Kalel’s gesture, Taron stepped forward and rang a bell. The back door opened, and eight butlers entered, each delivering an envelope to one of the family members.

Each of the envelopes contained a mission order, with the color of the envelope’s title varying according to the difficulty of the mission.

Garain and Naridel received golden envelopes, symbolizing the danger of an S-rank mission, while Harang’s envelope was red, indicating an unmeasurable difficulty level.

Kyle’s envelope, however, was only a D-rank mission, but Duke Kalel added a few words.

“This mission is a test for you. You are to apprehend a 4-star dark mage. Can you do it?”

“…!”

At Kalel’s question, Kyle’s face lit up. Surely, this was something he could handle with ease, wasn’t it?

“However, you must not let anyone discover that you are a swordsman, and you are not allowed to use swordsmanship in your battle against the dark mage.”

“…What?”

Kyle blurted out a dumbfounded response, and Naridel sighed, placing her hand on her forehead.

How could such a thing be possible?

Kyle looked at the envelope with a pale expression.

It was just a D-rank mission, yet facing a 4-star dark mage seemed utterly impossible.

“Why? Can you not do it?”

“T-That’s… impossible. Not being able to use my sword? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Impossible? Ha, I never assign impossible missions.”

Duke Kalel interlaced his fingers, grinning broadly, still appearing to enjoy the situation.

“The youngest grandchild accomplished that very task in his recent mission. He killed a 5-star dark mage without using swordsmanship and captured the heretic and the archbishop they had recruited.”

“…!”

Kyle’s complexion turned ashen, almost like someone on the brink of death, as his siblings looked at him with expressions of pity.

“Can’t you do it? You’re free to give up. The mission you were originally supposed to take has already been assigned to David, so you’ll have to perform a different task.”

Only then did it dawn on him.

Harang had received a punishment simply because he had quarreled with his brother, and he accepted it willingly.

Why was that? Kyle had never deeply considered the reason, but now, he thought he understood.

It was because a situation like the one he was in now might arise.

‘Ah…’

Just because Grandfather was smiling as he spoke, did that mean he was truly an angel?

No. To their father’s generation, he was more like a demon.

He was known to be so severe and merciless that even demons were said to be no match for him…

Could such a Duke Kalel possibly pamper and coddle a grandchild who had caused trouble? That was unthinkable.

Naridel placed her hand on her forehead.

Given how things had turned out, saying he wanted to give up was no longer an option.

Duke Kalel always said that he never assigned impossible missions.

There must be a way.

But… it would likely be a solution beyond Kyle’s current experience, skill, and capabilities, rendering it effectively impossible for him.

In other words, Kyle had no choice but to accept this absurd mission.

“…Yes! I-I’ll do it!”

In the end, he clenched his fist, trying to look as confident as he could.

Even though he knew the mission was almost impossible, he had no choice but to accept.

* * *

After the harmonious family meal ended, Harang was summoned by Duke Kalel for a private tea time.

“Haha, thanks to you, something very good is about to happen.”

“…”

Duke Kalel still seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood. Harang, who had always known him to be expressive with his emotions, couldn’t help but feel uplifted by seeing him so pleased.

‘Were those items really that valuable? Compared to Mythic Descent, they didn’t seem like much…’

The magic books, after all, would be handled diplomatically by Taran Aradela, who was skilled as both a diplomat and a mage.

‘I’ll have to release them little by little.’

Not all the magic books had been revealed yet.

He still had a few precious ones hidden away.

“All the political and economic benefits generated from trading your magic books will be directed to you, my youngest grandchild. It seems we might acquire some land in the southern region, and you could use it as a retreat.”

“L-Land…?”

Could those old books really be worth as much as a piece of land in the fertile southern region?

The southern region, with its beautiful plains, a large river flowing through it, and serving as a central hub for trade with merchants frequently coming and going, was far too valuable to be used merely as a retreat.

Seeing it this way, Harang felt reassured that releasing the magic books had been the right decision.

No matter how valuable the magic books were, he could never have gained land on his own.

“Well then, I can no longer avoid asking. Where did you find all these magic books?”

At this question, Harang subtly glanced around.

Seeing him looking around cautiously, Duke Kalel dismissed the servants with a light gesture.

The only people left in the room were Aran Paradell, the High Master who guarded him like a shadow, and Taran Aradela, the head butler.

“During the three months I was on probation, I had a dream.”

“A dream?”

“Yes. It was a dream where someone seemed to be beckoning me to follow.”

Taran’s eyebrows twitched.

Just hearing that, it sounded like the kind of dream where an ancestor calls you from the afterlife, making it feel like following them would be a bad idea.

“I don’t know why, but I felt like I had to follow them, so I walked after him, and when I came to my senses, I found myself in a mysterious magic tower surrounded by blooming flowers.”

“A… magic tower of flowers?”

Taran’s eyes widened, as if he had already guessed something, and he looked at Harang with an eager gaze, as if urging him to continue faster, even more excited than Duke Kalel.

“I don’t remember everything clearly, but… I learned magic from him. It was a type of magic entirely different from the existing system, so it’s hard to describe…”

“Sh-Show me! Quickly!”

Taran, rarely showing such excitement, blushed slightly as he urged Harang to demonstrate.

Duke Kalel, not seeing Taran’s reaction for the first time, gestured for him to calm down.

“Can you show us, my youngest grandchild?”

Harang nodded and rose from his seat, bringing his hands together.

The method of forming a hand seal varied depending on the element, school, lineage, rank, and even the individual. Harang had originally learned magic through a conventional, rote education, so he used to start with a simple hand-clasping gesture like most others. However, after learning Mythic Descent, his method had changed significantly.

Harang pressed all his fingers together, lowered them, and formed an inverted triangle. He then closed his eyes tightly.

Whiiiing…!

As the wind began to blow, ruffling his hair, he slowly moved one of his hands. Keeping his thumbs pressed together, he twisted his hand to form an equilateral triangle, at which point magic circles began to appear in his palms.

From there, Harang moved his hands delicately, carefully drawing out the magic circle. This was a spell he had never used before, so a slight tension crept in, causing a bead of sweat to trickle down his face.

Harang manipulated the magic circle with the precision of an artisan crafting fine work, eventually completing it into a singular, pale purple circle. He frowned as he noticed something troubling.

Crackle, crackle!

The magic circle was sparking, clearly unstable at a glance!

‘It’s not supposed to be like this, but…’

Harang reached out with his right hand and thrust it through the magic circle. The circle violently resisted, attempting to crush his right arm, but it was futile. His arm was well-trained and protected by strong muscles!

Using his left hand, Harang split the magic circle into several smaller ones, floating them above his right arm. He then pointed his index and middle fingers toward the sky. Drawing a line from left to right, he completed the spell.

“Oh…!!”

A pale purple rift opened in the sky, revealing a mystical, dreamlike dawn sky reminiscent of the Milky Way.

[Starlight of the Spring Fox]

This was a 4-star spell.

It was a level of magic that was well beyond Harang’s current abilities, but by using a forced technique, he had just barely managed to pull it off.

“This is unbelievable… Your Highness, there’s no doubt about it. This is the magic that manifests a myth into a real-world construct—a summoning spell, exactly like the legendary magic of Natalen!”

Natalen! At the mention of the name, Duke Kalel and Aran Paradell’s faces filled with shock and astonishment. The impact of that name was beyond comprehension.

“Furthermore, this spell is so famous that it’s impossible not to recognize it. Isn’t this the Starlight magic that summons six legendary figures and one animal, turning them into constellations?”

According to legend, when Natalen used the Starlight magic, the entire sky would be covered with dawn constellations. Compared to that, Harang’s magic was nothing more than a modest attempt.

“For now, my abilities are only sufficient to summon the Spring Fox constellation.”

For a 4-star mage, this level was barely within reach, but considering Harang’s age…

Taran was left speechless.

“Your Highness, the young master’s magic is truly on par with a 4-star mage. Although he seems to be barely managing it right now, the fact that he can do it at all is what matters. Once he fully masters it, it would not be an exaggeration to call him a 4-star mage.”

Duke Kalel smiled silently. Whether it was magic or anything else, the fact that his youngest grandson showed exceptional talent was certainly pleasing.

“If you’ve met the legendary magician, Natalen, I can understand the origin of such a magic book. But aren’t you planning to keep this a secret, Your Grace?”

“No matter what truth comes out of my youngest grandson’s mouth, if secrecy is desired, it will never be revealed. My youngest grandson, what do you think?”

“……”

Harang hesitated for a moment.

As long as he was within the protection of Kaladan, who would dare to target him? But it was a different story when he was engaging in activities alone outside.

Sometimes, crazy magicians would pull off insane stunts.

Harang didn’t want to get involved in such troublesome matters. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to hide one’s identity while acting outside.

But…

‘If I’m going to use magic while operating, I won’t be able to avoid using Mythic Descent.’

Although he recently understood the encryption of magic, it didn’t mean it was invincible. Mythic Descent was such a powerful and splendid weapon that it felt like a waste to not use it or keep it hidden.

“For now… I want to keep it a secret, but I don’t think it will mean much in the end.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. I have a feeling that as I carry out my missions, situations will arise where I’ll have no choice but to reveal it.”

“Kahaha! That’s right. It’s not good to hide yourself too much. If the situation allows it, reveal everything about yourself. Even if it’s dragon speech, it doesn’t matter. This old man will protect you no matter what.”

Of course, Harang had no intention of revealing himself unless he encountered a situation beyond his control, but for now, he felt he should express his gratitude.

As Harang bowed his head in thanks, Taran, flipping through a thick book, spoke with evident interest.

“Your Grace, there have been very few instances where traces of the Archmage Natalen have been found. Even then, most of the magic books have been lost, and there are no remnants of Mythic Descent, or rather, the magic called ‘Mythic Descent’ anywhere.”

“Yes, I am aware.”

“But the fact that the youngest master suddenly received guidance…”

“……”

At this point, they could only be certain.

The will of Hero Kaladan was entirely directed towards Harang.

‘In that case, even more so.’

It seemed only fitting that the mission to infiltrate the magic school Arniel, where the sacred artifact ‘Estelle’, which connected with the Dragon King Kalantatis, was kept, should be assigned to Harang.

If he was indeed the chosen one to inherit Kaladan’s will, then even in the heart of the enemy, among the five great magic families, he would make his presence known and aim for Estelle.

“I understand your thoughts. Then, I suppose it’s time to explain your mission.”

Harang, who had been waiting for this moment, straightened his posture and prepared to listen attentively. At Duke Kalel’s gesture, High Master Aran, who had been standing in the background, stepped forward, holding a document.

“Master. Before we brief you on this mission, there is one thing you must keep in mind.”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“Until the mission is completed, you must never reveal your true identity.”

So, it’s come to this.

“From the moment you begin the mission, you will no longer be ‘Harang Paul Kaladan’, but will operate as the commoner magician ‘Days’. Can you handle that?”

Harang smiled faintly and replied.

“Of course. I just completed a test for that very purpose. There’s no problem.”

Both Kalel and Aran Paradell nodded with satisfaction at Harang’s confident demeanor.

“Then, let me now brief you on the ‘Mission to Infiltrate the Magic School Arniel.'”