Genius Gamer Reborn into a Family of Heroes

Chapter 80

Staff, Mityel

The royal castle of the Herrael Empire, Randalgates.

For the first time in months, sunlight shone down on the palace of Prince Castia.

After being thoroughly defeated by Harang in achievements, swordsmanship, and even in a war of words, and having the Golden Wheel Elixir taken from him, Prince Castia had shut himself inside his palace, not emerging for several months. Today, however, he finally showed himself.

He had even stepped outside for a meal, wearing neat clothing. Yet, despite this, his dark circles indicated he still hadn’t fully recovered from the shock of that day. However, there was a slight return to his usual expression.

The maids, on the other hand, spread rumors that Prince Castia’s arrogance had diminished and that he had become a better person. No one could deny that he had changed significantly.

“Hm.”

Prince Castia stroked his chin as he looked into the mirror.

‘My mood, which had been gloomy, has improved a lot now that I’m wearing my Emperor’s Underwear Set, adorned with a roaring golden dragon pattern.’

Who in the world could pull off such dazzling and sparkling underwear? It would be hard for anyone, except the prince of Herrael, to even dare to wear something like this.

Crash!

‘Hurry, hurry! Move!’

As Prince Castia stepped outside, dressed in his uniform after admiring his emperor’s underwear for a whole hour, a commotion erupted.

“What’s going on?”

“Your Highness, Princess Citrine has come to visit.”

“My sister? Haha, she must be worried about me! She always acts cold, but when I’m sick, her true feelings come out, huh? Let her in.”

Before he could finish speaking, a small girl with golden hair burst into the hallway.

Her appearance was so stunning that if not for the rosy blush on her cheeks, she would have looked like a flawless doll. She was beautiful enough to captivate all the servants working in the palace.

“Brother! You’re finally awake!”

“Yes, sister. Were you very worried? But it’s fine. This brother of yours is ready to stand back up after overcoming the failures of the past!”

“Huh? Why would I be worried about you…?”

The head maid, who had been following behind Citrine, quickly whispered something in her ear.

“Oh, ah! Right! Yes! I was worried. But more importantly, now that you’re out, you have to tell me! About that Harang Paul Kaladan you met last time! What was he like? Hmm? His personality? His looks? Ahh, he must have looked as gallant as a hero straight out of a legend, right?”

“……”

Worried, my foot. For a brief moment, Castia had felt happy to see his sister, but now he felt utterly pathetic. As his sister squirmed with excitement, imagining her idealized version of Harang, Castia, with an elegant demeanor, illuminated by his appearance, spoke.

“Hahaha! Sister. I hate to disappoint you while you’re expecting so much from that Kaladan brat, but he doesn’t look anything like the hero you’re imagining. He’s as short as you are, and his looks? He’s so delicate that if you stood next to him, the two of you would look like sisters. Still interested in a guy like that?”

Then, Citrine’s expression suddenly turned cold. She crossed her arms and spoke in a voice brimming with disdain.

“Hmph. That’s exactly why you lost to Lord Harang.”

“Wh-what?”

“It’s common knowledge, brother, that boys’ growth is slower than girls’. Of course, his height would be similar to mine, and his youthful appearance is no surprise either. Boys start their adolescent growth around 13, while girls usually start around 11. Isn’t it obvious that he hasn’t fully matured yet? I’m at a loss for words at your ignorance.”

“Wh-what are you saying? But you just said he looked like a gallant hero…”

“Of course! That was just something I said.”

Citrine elegantly swept her hair back with her arm, her hair fluttering in the process.

“But if he’s already beautiful and charming now, just imagine how handsome and majestic he’ll be once he’s fully grown.”

“I never said anything about him being beautiful or charming…”

“Oh, brother. Even with your lack of vocabulary from such ignorance, I appreciate your effort in explaining things to me. Thanks to you, my expectations have only grown.”

“…”

While Prince Castia was trying to decide whether he should get angry at his cute little sister or laugh, Citrine beamed brightly and spoke again.

“Oh, by the way, you won’t be seeing me for a while, so don’t get too depressed from not being able to look at my beautiful face, okay?”

“…What do you mean? Are you saying you won’t see me at all anymore?”

“I’ve decided to transfer to the Magic School of Arniel. I’m curious to see what kind of education a world-class magic academy provides!”

“Wh-what did you say?!”

Magic School of Arniel.

It was the world’s top institution for magical education, but it was also affiliated with the Mage Union of the Five Great Magic Families.

Of course, there were nobles from both the Kaladan Principality and the Herrael Empire studying at Arniel, but those were still nobles. For the only daughter of the Herrael imperial family, a powerful rival to the Five Great Magic Families, to attend such a school was a completely different matter!

“You can’t! Do you have any idea what kind of image it creates for a princess to attend a school under their authority?”

“It’s not like I’m planning to graduate or anything. I’m only going to complete a major certification, so what’s the big deal? All I need to do is prove my abilities~”

The Magic School of Arniel accepted students from ages 7 to 19, with each student studying at their appropriate grade level.

To officially graduate, one had to study for at least five years or gain the recognition of five senior professors. Only then could one receive a graduation certificate, but not everyone could attain this.

It was rare for a student to maintain their academic standing for that long without being expelled, given the difficulty of the courses.

As a result, most students only stayed for two to three years to study their specialized field, obtaining an Arniel educational certificate before leaving the school.

In truth, just possessing an Arniel educational certificate alone was enough to secure a high-ranking position at any magic tower in the world, so its prestige was exceptional.

“But still…”

Even in a school filled with geniuses, every year, 30 out of 100 students were expelled from this fearsome institution. If he happened to fail after enrolling, it would be a disgrace to the imperial family!

“Think about it the other way! If I go and crush the arrogance of those nobles, it will be them who are embarrassed, not us. Why can’t you think outside the box? It’s a fundamental of magic, you know.”

“Even if you just complete your major, our imperial family will still be…”

Castia trailed off, suddenly shuddering. His expression hardened in an instant.

“You… surely you don’t mean…”

He asked his younger sister, who was still smiling innocently.

“You’re not thinking of rejecting the ‘tradition’ as a princess… are you?”

That single question.

That was all it took, but the air suddenly felt as if it had frozen over. The temperature hadn’t actually dropped, but… Citrinne’s smiling face became cold and stern.

“Brother.”

“…Go ahead, speak.”

“If you don’t know anything, keep your mouth shut. Don’t act like you do.”

Had Princess Citrinne ever uttered such harsh words before?

Even when she spoke sharply, she always did so brightly and cheerfully, so the maids, caught off guard, felt their hearts sink in shock.

It was a side of her that she had never shown to anyone before.

“…”

Castia looked at Citrinne in silence. He couldn’t show any sympathy toward his sister, who had been born under such unfortunate circumstances. That young girl absolutely hated it when people pitied her.

“…Hmph, do as you wish.”

As Castia lowered his head in reluctant agreement, Citrinne’s demeanor returned to its usual bright and cheerful self.

“Hmph~ There’s a transfer exam coming up soon, right? I’m looking forward to it! I can’t wait to see how the teachings at school compare to what I’ve learned in the palace~”

“…Yeah, just don’t cause any trouble.”

Watching Citrinne hum a tune as she walked away, Castia finally relaxed the tension in his shoulders.

To think that he’d be so on edge just talking to his younger sister… as her older brother, it was embarrassing.

‘It’s tradition. That child may struggle to reject it, but it’s a futile effort. There’s no point in me worrying about it. I have my own path to follow.’

Though he was concerned for Citrinne, it was time for him to change as well.

‘Just because I lost the Golden Wheel Elixir doesn’t mean my path with the sword is over.’

Clenching his fist tightly, Castia thought of Harang.

He would not stop his training until he defeated that arrogant genius of Kaladan.

* * *

After being assigned the mission to infiltrate the Arniel Magic School, Harang was given a month to prepare.

Although Harang had already achieved great success in magic through self-study, that alone wasn’t enough for him to infiltrate a magic school.

Unlike Kaladan, where the strong reign supreme, the magic school was a place that pursued scholarship, and its culture and atmosphere were entirely different.

Unlike martial artists who would fight at the drop of a hat, draw their swords just for making eye contact, or grab each other by the collar, the mage families rarely engaged in physical altercations. Even when disputes arose, they would settle them through knowledge and academic prowess.

Of course, Harang was warned that this idea of “rarely engaging in fights” might not apply to him.

‘Since you’ll be entering the school disguised as a commoner, there will likely be many nobles who won’t take kindly to you,’ Taran had cautioned him.

The magic school was a gathering place for the scions of noble families with long-standing traditions in magic from all over the world. If he revealed that he was of common birth, Taran assured him that it would invite frequent trouble from the noble students.

‘Young Master, no matter what, you must never pin your opponents to the ceiling or plant them into the ground like a flower, even if the nobles from mage families pick a fight with you.’

‘…Isn’t that obvious? The best fighter isn’t the one who wields a sword the best but the one who overpowers their opponent with their words. The wise Altlin always said that you should defeat those who provoke you with knowledge and wisdom.’

He still hadn’t forgotten the look of shock and admiration on Taran’s face after hearing his reply.

Harang couldn’t help but wonder what kind of lives his relatives had been leading for him to elicit such a reaction.

It was basic common sense that you shouldn’t start beating someone out of nowhere, yet simply acting in a reasonable manner was enough to win Taran’s favor…

In any case.

Harang had been given a thorough overview of what the atmosphere at Arniel Magic School was like and how best to adapt to it. It didn’t even take him a full day to read and absorb all the material.

In other words, he ended up with some free time.

So, in order to perfect his mission, he also took the time to study the interpersonal relationships at Arniel. He learned which students were tied to which families, which professors had connections with whom, and so on.

Once he read the material, it wasn’t hard for him to recall the information whenever he wanted, as if it appeared before him in holographic form in the air.

Harang, who had always been known for his excellent memory and instant search ability, could now cover the lack of time even more thanks to his Eyes of Truth.

‘If it weren’t for the Eyes of Truth and the skillbook learning system, it would’ve been impossible to train in both swordsmanship and magic at the same time…’

In addition to gathering information about Arniel, Harang also had to continue studying magic.

Though he had acquired a considerable amount of magical knowledge thanks to the skillbook learning system, Harang still lacked a solid foundation in basic magic principles.

‘I’m going in as Deis, a mage, and I have to pass the transfer exam on my own without any outside help.’

Failing to pass the transfer exam and being unable to even start the mission would be incredibly humiliating, wouldn’t it?

Not only in front of Duke Kalel but also in front of his blood-related siblings. He wouldn’t be able to show his face.

He meticulously prepared, taking several mock exams for the transfer test.

And so, the month passed quickly.

Before long, it was the day he had to leave Kalambren Palace for the mission.

As expected, he was once again placed under the care of The Elise, the master of disguise, to transform into a mage. She gave him a few important instructions.

“I’ve read your report, Young Master. It says that you lost control of your power a few times during the mission, correct?”

“Yes. It’s quite embarrassing.”

“Suppressing instincts that you’ve honed your whole life as a knight is no easy task. Considering the importance of this mission, even a minor mistake could prove fatal.”

“Hmm, is there a way to manage it?”

“How about equipping a magical tool that lowers your physical abilities? We have an artifact that can weaken and dull your strength.”

“…”

He thought about it for a moment, but ultimately dismissed the idea. Wearing something like that could be dangerous in an emergency.

Besides, Harang already had something in mind—like a weight band, for instance.

Thud!

“Hah!”

As Harang took out a weight band, he accidentally dropped one, and it left a deep dent in the floor.

Ellis’s eyes widened in shock.

“Wh-what is that?”

“It’s a weight band I use for training… I’m planning to wear it on my entire body.”

In any case, he needed significant muscle growth to properly control the Black Flame of Destruction. Thanks to his trait, his physical abilities grew at 200% efficiency, so these weight bands would help him greatly.

Just by wearing them in daily life, he could increase his strength, even if only a little! What excellent cost-efficiency.

“I-I can’t even lift that!”

“…”

The problem was that the weight was so overwhelming, even Harang found it quite burdensome.

After strapping the bands onto his ankles, waist, and wrists, Harang took a deep breath.

A normal adult wouldn’t even be able to move while wearing them, and if swung as a blunt weapon, the sheer weight could kill someone in a single blow.

“Urgh, maybe this weight is a bit too much, after all.”

Once he had the bands on, even standing upright became difficult.

In this state, running was impossible, and it seemed like he wouldn’t even be able to lift a single sack of rice.

‘…Maybe I should reduce the weight a little?’

No one had told him to do this, so why was he going out of his way to make things hard for himself?

‘No, I might not get another chance to train my stamina for the next few months. I have to endure this.’

He checked his wristwatch.

The carriage to Worspia, the lakeside city built around the Magic Academy of Arniel, was due to arrive soon.

Harang slung his backpack, which contained magical books and some daily necessities, over his shoulder and stood up.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way—”

Thud!

“…”

“…”

Harang collapsed under the weight of just a few books in his bag. He quickly stood up, pretending nothing had happened.

“P-Please have a safe trip, Young Master…”

Ellis couldn’t shake her anxiety, but Harang had always accomplished everything perfectly up until now, so she steeled her resolve.

This time too, her young master would flawlessly pull off his disguise as a magician and complete the mission in style.