Chapter 5
Leo left the unconscious Celia behind and returned to the mansion.
In the drawing room, Reina and Gis were deep in conversation.
Around them, the Zerdinger knights were lined up.
Reina smiled as she spotted her son.
“Did you finish your training for today?”
“Yes, Mother.”
Leo replied to Reina’s question, glancing at Gis.
‘Zerdinger, Zerdinger… They really are something.’
Even in his past life, warriors of this caliber were rare.
‘The name Heroic House isn’t for nothing.’
“Leo, this is Gis Zerdinger. He’s the guest from the family visiting us.”
“I am Leo Plov.”
“Gis Zerdinger. As you probably know, I’m your uncle. Feel free to speak comfortably.”
“May I ask what you mean by ‘comfortably’?”
“What do you mean?”
“I have Zerdinger blood, but that doesn’t make me Zerdinger.”
At Leo’s clear line, Gis’s eyes sparkled, while Reina shook her head.
‘My son really isn’t the cute type.’
Gis Zerdinger.
Currently the vice head of the Zerdinger family and officially second in authority.
Normally, someone Leo’s age would be excited if a person of that status called him ‘uncle.’
But even if they’re connected by blood, in the family registry they’re strangers.
The Zerdinger family laws are strict.
That’s why Reina didn’t introduce Gis as ‘uncle.’
Leo had guessed as much, so he asked.
“In official settings, I can’t call you nephew.”
“Understood.”
Seeing Leo’s crisp reply, Gis burst out laughing.
“You don’t seem much like my sister’s son.”
“Hahaha. What do you mean by that?” Reina asked, stepping on Gis’s foot as she laughed.
“Leo, did you see a girl named Celia at the training ground?”
“Her?”
Leo glanced toward the front door.
There was Celia, being carried in on a stretcher, foaming at the mouth.
“Gasp! L-Lady Celia!”
“What happened!”
The Zerdinger knights were shocked.
“Heh.”
Gis let out a sound of admiration.
‘He beat Celia without even using Aura?’
“Sir Whitten, what happened?”
At Gis’s question, Whitten explained what had happened at the training ground.
After hearing the story, Gis shook his head.
The reason for the defeat was obvious.
‘Arrogance.’
Celia underestimated Leo just because he couldn’t use Aura.
Which, in a normal sense, wasn’t even a wrong assumption.
The power gap between Aura users and non-users is enormous.
But that didn’t change the fact that Celia was careless.
‘And that’s not the Zerdinger way.’
Gis stood before Leo.
“Beating Celia is impressive.”
“She underestimated me.”
“Right. It sounds like you and Celia made some sort of bet.”
“Yes. I made a wager with Celia Zerdinger. The loser becomes the winner’s servant.”
“What!”
“Do you really think that’s acceptable?”
The Zerdinger knights bristled in outrage.
A direct descendant of Zerdinger, a servant?
They glared daggers at Leo.
But Leo didn’t so much as blink.
“From now on, Celia Zerdinger is my maid for a week.”
Reina gave a faint smile.
Her son always did what he said he would.
Still, she didn’t expect him to declare it so casually in front of the glaring Zerdinger knights.
‘Who could stop a personality like that?’
Meanwhile, Gis smiled gently.
“Celia is a Zerdinger. She can’t be made to serve as a maid.”
He continued in a gentle, coaxing tone.
“I’d like you to let go of the bet. Instead, I’ll offer you another reward. For example…”
Gis stroked his chin.
“How about our family’s advanced Aura Technique?”
“I refuse.”
“What?”
“This bet is between Celia Zerdinger and me.”
Leo glanced at Celia.
“You called her ‘Zerdinger.’ Anyone carrying the name of a Heroic House should take responsibility for their own words.”
Leo looked away from her and met Gis’s eyes again.
“Even if there’s a negotiation, it should be between her and me. And…”
Leo finished firmly.
“If it’s just an excuse to save your niece from humiliation, then your Aura Technique isn’t worth learning.”
The knights’ eyes burned with fury.
“Unacceptable!”
“How dare you insult Zerdinger!”
The knights shouted furiously.
Seeing this, the angered Whitten rebuked them.
“How dare you raise your voices here!”
“B-but, Captain!”
“How could we stay quiet after hearing that!”
“Regardless…”
Reina, observing the situation, shook her head expressionlessly.
“It seems the standards of Zerdinger have dropped a lot since I left the family.”
“No matter if you were once Zerdinger, that’s going too far!” one knight warned.
Murderous intent flashed in Whitten’s eyes.
“How dare you!”
Whitten was about to explode with anger when
Reina raised her hand to stop him.
Then she stepped in front of the knights.
“Too far? Then let me ask you—what makes you think you can so casually interrupt a conversation between the vice head and his peers?”
At her cold question, the knights’ faces turned awkward.
“Th-that’s…”
“I may have left the family, but I still take pride in being Zerdinger. So I’ll say what I have to say.”
A fierce aura radiated from Reina.
“For a mere knight to butt in while the vice head is speaking—are you knights, or just dogs barking regardless of the situation?”
“Gasp!”
The knights held their breath.
Reina’s dignity.
It was nearly identical to that of the head of the family.
Gis, silently observing, spoke in a gentle voice.
“Sir Whitten.”
“Yes, Vice Head.”
“It seems these men are still lacking as Zerdinger knights.”
“Understood.”
The knights’ faces turned pale.
Whitten gathered the knights with a stiff expression and led them out.
“Still, wasn’t stripping them of their knight status a bit much?”
Reina, who knew how difficult it was to become a Zerdinger knight, gently rebuked him.
“There’s nothing wrong with what you said, Sister. Giving the title of knight to a beast is a waste.”
Gis smiled softly.
He was someone who could gently overlook his subordinates’ mistakes,
But if those mistakes continued, he could also be coldly decisive.
The knights should have realized their mistake and withdrawn when Reina warned them.
After the storm passed,
Gis looked at Leo again.
“Leo Plov. You declared you would make a direct descendant of Zerdinger your maid and said that the Zerdinger Aura Technique has no value. Is that right?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you think those statements were reckless?”
Gis asked in a gentle voice.
Reina quietly watched him.
Gis was responsible for educating the Zerdinger family’s bloodline.
He was the teacher of every Zerdinger child.
So he was skilled at seeing through a child’s true nature.
‘He’s measuring Leo’s potential right now.’
Leo had likely already passed Gis’s standards.
And yet Gis pressed him further.
Because he still couldn’t gauge just how deep Leo’s potential was.
Leo saw through Gis’s intent as well.
So he smirked inwardly.
“If you took it as an insult to Zerdinger, I apologize. But I didn’t mean to look down on Zerdinger.”
“Then what would you call it, making a direct descendant a maid and saying the Aura Technique isn’t worth anything?”
“The matter with Celia Zerdinger was, as I said, a deal between her and me. If she truly is Zerdinger, she should be able to take responsibility for her own words.”
“Oh?”
Gis nodded.
“And saying the Aura Technique has no value doesn’t mean I think Zerdinger’s Aura Technique is lacking.”
“Then what?”
“If you’d offered the Aura Technique as a reward for defeating Celia, I’d have gladly accepted.”
A slight smile appeared on Gis’s lips.
“But you offered the Aura Technique to cover for Celia’s mistake, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You thought Celia wouldn’t have lost if she hadn’t underestimated me.”
He lifted his chin as if making a declaration.
“But even if Celia had taken the match seriously, I still would have won.”
‘So, in summary… he didn’t like my approach, so he refused? Ha, what a kid!’
Gis couldn’t help but laugh.
He glanced at Reina, who was smiling as if to say, “See?”
‘I understand what my sister meant now.’
Looking at Leo, who met his eyes with unflinching boldness, Gis chuckled.
‘Amazing potential. If only he were Zerdinger!’
Zerdinger would have another hero in their hands.
‘I’ll have to inform my older brother.’
He was a child the family should claim as their own.
“Send Celia to the maid’s quarters.”
“B-but, Vice Head!”
The servants tending to Celia, who was still on the stretcher, looked alarmed.
“That’s an order.”
The servants hesitantly took Celia to the maid’s quarters.
“I understand. I’ll respect your wishes.”
“Yes, Sir Gis.”
“Leo, what I said about not calling you nephew in public means that in private, I will treat you as my nephew.”
Gis smiled warmly.
Whatever Leo’s potential, these words were genuine.
Knowing this, Leo accepted without hesitation.
“Yes, Uncle.”
“Good. You look tired from training, so go get some rest.”
“Have a good night.”
Leo bowed his head.
“Good night, Mother.”
“Yes, get some rest, Leo.”
With Leo gone, only the two of them remained.
“Sister.”
“What?”
“I’ll try to convince my brother to let Leo learn [Phoenix Breath].”
“Phoenix Breath?”
The symbol of Zerdinger is blazing flames.
True to that symbol, Zerdinger’s Aura always takes the form of fire.
Among them, [Phoenix Breath] is special.
The first head of Zerdinger completed this Aura after drinking the blood of a phoenix.
All of the family’s Aura Techniques are derived from Phoenix Breath.
Its power alone was enough for Zerdinger to be recognized as a Heroic House.
That’s why only the most recognized blood relatives are allowed to learn it.
Reina was surprised—she never expected Gis to bring up Phoenix Breath.
“Yes. Though I don’t know if the head of the house will grant permission.”
Gis spoke seriously.
“But Leo is more of a Zerdinger than anyone.”
The swordsmanship that defeated Celia.
His immeasurable potential.
“So I need a justification to persuade our brother.”
“You’re not saying—”
“Yes.”
Gis nodded.
“Having him enter Lumene.”
“That’s dangerous.”
Anyone who aspired to be a Hero dreamed of entering Lumene.
But it took resolve to do so.
They say every student at Lumene is a genius.
But the number of graduates is very small.
They never expel students who fall behind.
Instead, they support them so they can keep going.
But if a student still can’t keep up—
They are given two options.
Withdraw, or die.
That’s how harsh life at Lumene is.
And the entrance exam is just as severe.
The test is a real battle.
Every time, there are people who die in the entrance exam.
That’s why Reina wanted Leo to learn the Aura Technique before taking the exam.
“Leo may be fine in a duel, but in a real battle, he still has limits.”
“He has enough potential. The only way to persuade my brother is through that path.”
Gis clenched his fist.
“Sister, what do you want Leo to become?”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t you want him to become a Hero?”
“If that’s what he wants for himself.”
“In that case, we can’t only choose the safest path. I think it’s good for him to challenge himself with trials too.”
“……”
“What will you do?”
Reina closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“I’ll follow Leo’s wishes.”
‘Of course, that child would say he’ll do it.’
Gis was certain.
‘He has eyes that never hesitate to move forward.’
Thinking of Leo’s determined gaze, Gis smiled.
‘Haha. I’m looking forward to it.’