Having just passed through the warp gate, Eugene froze for a moment at the sight of dozens of gazes staring right at him. Although he had been expecting this, all of the main estate’s servants and family members had really gathered in front of the warp gate to wait for him.
“...With how cold the weather has gotten, what are you all doing out here?” Eugene asked.
Eugene had been about to say, ‘I’m back,’ but for some reason, he got nervous and blurted out he was thinking instead.
A reply came immediately, “My son!”
Gerhard, whose shoulders had been shaking as he stared at his son from afar, rushed over to Eugene with tears in his eyes. Gerhard’s shout, along with his agile movements, caused Eugene to unconsciously widen his eyes as he stared at his father running over.
‘Is that really my father?’
Gerhard’s changes were so surprising that Eugene couldn’t help but ask this question. Ever since he was a little baby, Eugene remembered Gerhard as a middle-aged man with a bouncing belly.
Since they had moved to the main estate, the multiple invitations to various events, and Gerhard voluntarily starting an exercise regime had seen him successfully start losing weight. Two whole years had completely changed Gerhard and made him appear very different from Eugene’s previous memories.
“What a triumphant transformation,” Eugene praised his father.
Gerhard continued to gush with tears as he embraced Eugene. Although he was happy to be reunited with his father, more than that, Eugene felt impressed by his father’s diet. The tendons in his father’s forearms that were wrapped around his shoulders were wiry with strength, and the chest he was being held tightly against was firm and unyielding.
“...It even feels like your beard has grown a lot as well. Is this for real?” Eugene asked in disbelief.
Gerhard confidently explained, “It’s all thanks to my buddy, Stellord.”
Stellord? He was Gargith’s father. Had they really gotten close enough to call each other buddy? Eugene smelled the stench of Gargith’s body odor coming from his father’s close proximity…. As his expression twisted, Eugene escaped from his father’s embrace.
Eugene scowled at his father, “Didn’t I tell you not to take their drugs?”
“My son!” Gerhard repeated excitedly. “You’ve really grown a lot in these past two years.”
“Not as much as you, Father.”
His body had become hard, and his beard had become bushy, but it appeared that Gerhard’s personality hadn’t become any more masculine. Shaking his beard that was drenched from both his tears and runny nose, Gerhard smiled brightly at Eugene.
“You unfilial son,” Gerhard chided him. “How could you have not come back even once during these past two years?”
Eugene evaded, “I thought that I was sending you letters pretty often….”
“Do you really think that sending letters twice a year is often?”
“I made sure to send one on my birthday and one on your birthday. See, wasn’t I making sure to regularly send them on special occasions? Also, you can’t just blame me for this. You didn’t come looking for me even once during these past two years, did you, Father?”
“Isn’t that because you kept writing in your postscripts that I shouldn't come to visit you?”
“Well, that’s true,” Eugene nodded with a grin. “By the way… where’s the Patriarch?”
“He’s at the Black Lion Castle.”
This reply didn’t come from Gerhard. Instead, it came from Ancilla. Standing beside Cyan, she had wiped away her stiff expression and was now showing Eugene a bright smile.
Ancilla continued, “After all, next year is just around the corner, and you know what that means, right? It’s time for your Coming-of-Age Ceremony.”
“Ah…,” Eugene grunted in understanding.
It was one of the Lionheart clan’s traditions, like the Bloodline Continuation Ceremony. But while that was attended by all eligible members of the direct and collateral lines, the ‘Coming-of-Age Ceremony’ was only for the children of the main family.
Eward, the eldest son of the main family, had become an adult two years ago. Under normal circumstances, Eward would have been the first of the siblings to hold a Coming-of-Age Ceremony. But Eward had been practically exiled from the main family due to his involvement with black magic, and he hadn’t even been honored with a Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
“Since the last Coming-of-Age Ceremony had to be skipped, and there will be three children becoming adults next year, it looks like they’re planning to make the event a little more grandiose than usual,” Ancilla explained.
Eugene asked, “Is that what the Patriarch desired?”
“It seems that this was the Council’s decision,” this reply had Eugene clicking his tongue in annoyance.
Then, suddenly remembering that he hadn’t given Ancilla his greetings yet, Eugene bowed his head and said, “Apologies for the late greeting, Step-mother.”
Ever since he moved into the main estate, Eugene had become used to calling Ancilla ‘Step-mother’ and Tanis as Matriarch[1]. Truthfully, he hadn’t really wanted to call them by those names, but from the moment that Eugene had been adopted, Ancilla had secretly forced Eugene to call her by the title of ‘Mother.’
Once Ancilla had forced him to call her step-mother, it would seem weird if he called Tanis by a different title. Saying the words ‘step-mother’ again after two years still left a strange taste in Eugene’s mouth.
“...There’s no need for such formal greetings between family members,” Ancilla chided him.
Now that Tanis had left the main estate, wouldn’t Ancilla be dissatisfied with the title of step-mother? Eugene had held some misgiving about this, but it appeared that Ancilla didn’t feel unsettled by this at all.
‘But that’s to be expected. In the first place, it was Tanis’ own decision to go back to her parent’s house.’
By doing so, Tanis had placed herself in a position where it was impossible to return.
“The Patriarch might not have been able to make it, but we should still hold a celebration party for your return, right?” Ancilla proposed.
Eugene scoffed, “Why go so far as to hold a celebration party for a family member returning home? There’s no need for a troublesome thing like that.”
“I knew you would say that,” Ancilla replied, having only brought it up as a suggestion.
For as long as she had known him, Eugene had never once shown any enjoyment at a party.
“...By the way… who is he?” Gerhard, who had been scrubbing away his tears, slowly spoke up.
He glanced over at Laman, who seemed to be trying to shrink in on himself as he stood behind Eugene.
“He’s my valet,” Eugene declared.
“...Your valet?” Gerhard repeated questioningly.
“Yep,” Eugene confirmed. “His name is Laman Schulhov… as for his age… um…. Laman, how old are you?”
“I am thirty-two years old,” Laman replied with a cough.
If Laman was thirty-two years old, that meant he was thirteen years older than Eugene.
“So you look older than your actual age,” Eugene commented.
Laman explained, “It’s because of the harsh desert winds….”
“He’s someone that I’ve personally brought back with me, so his identity has already been verified. Even if he is my valet, I haven’t taught him anything, so I’m just taking him to the annex where he can take care of the chores,” Eugene explained.
Ancilla and all the main estate’s servants who were gathered here shot Laman wary looks. Laman flinched at all the gazes directed at him and couldn’t help but hunch his shoulders.
As a guard of the Emir of Kajitan, Laman had been ordered to escort the Emir to all sorts of events and had seen many excellent warriors. However, among all the warriors he had seen in his lifetime, very few were as skilled as the knights in the Lionheart Clan’s main estate.
Laman’s mind raced, ‘As long as you discount their numbers, in terms of individual skills alone, the guards of the Emir of Kajitan can’t compare to them at all….’
Was it really alright for the knights of a family without an official noble title to be this exceptional? According to his own common sense, Laman couldn’t understand how this could be. What’s more, the knights that he could see right now were definitely not the clan’s full power. The ‘true’ strength of the Lionheart Clan was in the Knights of the Black Lion. Even Laman was well aware of this fact.
Laman speculated, 'If they have amassed such power, they could even throw a revolt at any time….’
Of course, for the past hundreds of years, the Lionheart clan had never once attempted to revolt against the Kiehl Empire. Even so, Laman felt that the Lionheart’s clan’s power was still too much for a single family to hold.
‘So the young lord is the adopted son of such a great family.’
Laman’s chest swelled with pride as he looked at Eugene from the corner of his eyes.
He had received several instances of lifesaving grace from Eugene. If it wasn’t for Eugene, Laman would have died from either being swept away by the sandstorm or from being sucked beneath the quicksand. Even if he had somehow escaped death at that point, Laman would have been silenced by the Assassins and the Sand Shamans. Or he could have been killed by Amelia Merwin in that place deep underground, or perhaps her pet might have been the one to end him. Or he might even have been trapped deep underground and died from starvation.
All of this had happened because he had gotten involved with Eugene, but Laman still felt like he had to repay Eugene’s lifesaving grace. It was with these intentions that Laman had decided to part ways with Tairi Al-Madani and become Eugene’s subordinate.
Even if the tasks he was asked to do were just chores for the mansion, no matter what they might be, as long as they were done for the sake of serving Eugene, wouldn’t he be able to repay his master’s past grace little by little?
“Nina,” Eugene waved over Nina, who had been waiting nearby.
The twenty-two years old Nina didn’t have the same baby-faced appearance that she had had two years ago. Eugene’s eyes narrowed as he scanned Nina’s slender physique.
“Were you neglecting to eat because I wasn’t here? Or could it be that someone was bullying you? Why do you look so haggard?” Eugene questioned her.
“Young master, I’ve been a little busy because you said you would be returning so suddenly,” Nina explained.
Eugene refused to accept this, “You’re not the only one who works in the annex, so why are things particularly busy and troublesome just for you? Did someone tell you to do all that work alone? Was it the head butler?”
As Eugene’s eyes turned towards them, the face of the head butler, who was standing behind Nina, paled.
“N, not at all, sir,” the head butler quickly denied.
Nina also refuted this, “I’m the one who said I would handle it alone. But it looks like you haven’t changed at all, Sir Eugene.”
Although the head butler was in charge of all the servants who worked at the Lionheart estate, the annex where Eugene lived was a forbidden place that the chief butler did not dare to touch.
Eugene was also aware of this fact. It was just that, since he was returning after a long time, he wanted to check if the other servants might have been bullying Nina.
“If that’s the case, then I’m glad. Nina, take this old man with you and teach him how to do the chores,” Eugene instructed.
“What kind of chores should I guide him in?” Nina asked.
Eugene considered the question, “Cleaning the stables and the gymnasium… as well as, um… any chores that you don’t want to do, the bothersome ones that require a lot of strength.”
Nina hesitated, “Is it really okay for me to do that? Is he not your personal valet, Sir Eugene…?”
“It’s because he’s my valet that he should do the chores I tell him to do.” Eugene then introduced her, “Laman, this woman’s name is Nina, and she’s my exclusive servant. If you had to say it, then I guess you could call her your immediate senior.”
“My name is Laman Schulhov,” Laman introduced himself.
His senior…. Laman looked at Nina with a bitter expression. Before arriving at the Lionheart’s main estate, he had listened to Eugene talking about the Lionheart estate’s key figures. Even Nina, a servant, was one of these ‘key figures.’
‘Do I really need to take a girl ten years younger than me as my senior…?’
Although Laman had decided to give his life to Eugene, deep in his heart, there was still the pride of a warrior from the savage desert. Of course, that pride didn’t dare to lift its head from the depths of his heart.
Although the wounds from the beating that Eugene had given him had already healed, Laman was still afraid of Eugene’s fists.
* * *
Eugene asked Cyan, “Why are you acting so stiff?”
Intending to assist the two siblings resolve the tension between them, Ancilla had taken the servants with her as she left. After developing some tact during his time spent at the main estate, Gerhard had naturally left along with Ancilla. Nina followed suit, taking Laman with her as she returned to the annex.
Thanks to that, Eugene and Cyan were the only ones left in front of the warp gate.
Eugene continued speaking as he smirked at Cyan, who had an intense frown on his face, “After all, even Lady Ancilla was able to smile at me while saying that it’s been a long time. Didn’t you miss me? What’s with your expression? Are you constipated?”
“...Even though you kept calling her ‘step-mother’ while my mother was here, now it’s back to Lady Ancilla?” Cyan pointed out sarcastically.
Eugene defended himself, “I need to call her by that name to keep Lady Ancilla happy, no?”
“And who do you think you are, that you need to try and keep my mother happy?” Cyan snarled aggressively.
“Bastard, what’s with you? Did you get hit by late puberty like Ciel? But that shouldn’t be the case. You already went through puberty when you were fifteen. Have you already forgotten that time? You secretly stole some cigarettes from the knights, and when you tried to smoke them—”
“Sh-shut up!” Cyan burst out as his face flushed red.
Then after glaring at Eugene for a few moments, he let out a deep sigh.
Eventually, Cyan asked, “...You, just what the hell is your true identity?”
“Identity? What do you mean, identity?” Eugene repeated, perplexed.
Cyan took a deep breath, “You… are you really the same age as me, only nineteen years old?”
“You want me to tell you the truth? Then I’m actually not the same age as you as I’ve been reincarnated,” Eugene confessed.
“Stop with the bullshit.”
What was the point of asking for his true identity when Cyan wouldn’t believe him even when he told the truth? Eugene clicked his tongue in admonishment and patted Cyan on the shoulder.
“After having not seen me in so long, have you suddenly realized how great your brother is?” Eugene teased.
“Yeah,” Cyan confirmed.
What was going on with this bastard? Saying something so embarrassing. Eugene could only blink his eyes in surprise at Cyan’s honest reply.
“Your two years and my two years. Although the same two years have passed for both of us…. With you… it feels like twenty years have passed,” Cyan spat out in a voice boiling over with frustration.
Then Cyan let out a long sigh as he relaxed his fists which had been clenched so tightly that they had become pale from the restricted blood flow.
Cyan continued, “I had thought that I was also working extremely diligently. While you were learning magic, I just… I just swung my sword like a madman here at the main estate. At the same time, I also practiced the White Flame Formula. I converted my sword-light into sword-force, and while strengthening my sword-force, I also trained my mana….”
“You sure have worked hard,” Eugene muttered as he scanned Cyan from top to bottom.
Cyan’s mana had increased so much that it was incomparable to the amount he had two years ago, and it had been further refined as well. Although Cyan hadn’t figured it out quite yet, it looked like he was right on the verge of reaching the Third Star of the White Flame Formula.
This was an amazing feat that had only been seen a handful of times in the Lionheart clan’s history. The number of people in these hundreds of years of family history who had managed to reach the Third Star of the White Flame Formula before reaching adulthood could be counted on the fingers of one’s hands.
That said, it was still impossible for Cyan to compete with Eugene. Eugene had already reached the Fourth Star of the White Flame Formula, and not only that, he had even created the Ring Flame Formula.
There was no way for Cyan to narrow this gap. In the first place, it was an unfair competition. The support that Cyan had received from being born into the main family was nothing much compared to the fact that Eugene was Hamel in his previous life and had all his memories from that time.
On top of that, Eugene had made sure not to waste a single moment of his second life. So what was his reason for not training his mana before the Bloodline Continuation Ceremony? It was because Eugene knew that initiating his mana a few years later wouldn’t bring him any disadvantages.
Thanks to the fact that he had waited instead of going against the flow, Eugene had managed to get his hands on the Great Vermouth’s White Flame Formula and the Storm Sword Wynnyd. With these, Eugene’s growth had been accelerated explosively.
Eugene was currently stronger than Hamel had been when he first met Vermouth. At the very latest, ten years from now, he would have grown as strong as he had been in his previous life — no — even stronger.
‘I keep telling him that he’s already doing a lot better than expected,’ Eugene thought.
Eugene knew his situation the best, so he just took it for granted that he was stronger than Cyan. No matter what might happen in the future, Cyan shouldn’t be able to become stronger than Eugene.
Although Eugene knew all this, Cyan did not. To Cyan, Eugene must seem like such a monster that it wouldn’t be strange if the heavens themselves felt that it was unfair that Eugene had such strength.
And it wouldn’t be strange for Cyan to feel despair and broken-hearted because of this. Yet instead of feeling despair, Cyan just felt frustrated with himself.
Eugene appreciated Cyan showing such a reaction. In fact, Cyan was able to feel this way only because Eugene had spent several years beating him to a pulp in order to reforge his mentality. But if Cyan’s innate disposition had been poor, no matter how many beatings he took, it wouldn’t have been possible to guide him back to the correct path like that.
“You should become the Patriarch,” Cyan declared.
“I guess twins really are the same,” Eugene observed.
“I heard about it from Ciel, but after seeing you in person, I know that I definitely can’t do it,” Cyan admitted. “If there’s you, who’s incomparably superior to me, how could I possibly become the Patriarch?”
Eugene refuted him, “Why can’t you? As long as you say that you’ll do it, of course, you can become the Patriarch.”
“I said that there’s no way I can accept it!” Cyan shouted.
“If you really want me to become the Patriarch, you’ll need to duel with me first. Because if you win, I will obey you unconditionally,” challenged Eugene.
Cyan noticed something, “...If I win the duel, why would I make you the Patriarch? And that means that if you win, I’ll be the one becoming the Patriarch.”
“It looks like your head is quicker than I expected.”
“What did you say?”
As he heard Eugene mutter a slight compliment, flames lit up in Cyan’s eyes as he glared at Eugene.
Eugene decided to be serious, “Do you really think that there’ll be a good outcome from forcing someone who isn’t interested into the position of Patriarch? A position like that should be occupied by someone with the motivation for it. I have no desire for the seat of the Lionheart clan’s Patriarch.”
“...Even if it’s just as a figurehead, you should take the seat of the Patriarch. Because I’ll do all the bothersome things you don’t want to do in your stead,” Cyan eventually offered.
Eugene expressed his doubts, “Do you really understand what you’re saying? For the rest of your life, you’ll never get married and never set up your own branch of the family. You’ll just stick to the main estate and act as my servant? A prideful person like you?”
“...,” Cyan’s silence spoke volumes.
“And by the way, the words you’ve just said, you know that they can be turned back on you, right? You be the Patriarch. Because I’ll take care of the tasks that need someone to show their strength in your place,” Eugene counter-offered.
“I really can’t understand you,” Cyan sighed deeply and shook his head. “Is it because you’re from a collateral bloodline? No, as someone from a collateral bloodline, you should be even more interested in becoming the Patriarch. If you become the Patriarch… you’ll have the power to shatter the centuries-old traditions of the Lionheart Clan. Despite that, no one will be able to go against your will. Both the Knights of the Black Lion and the Council of Elders, they’ll have no choice but to listen to you.”
“That’s not really a certainty,” Eugene attempted to correct him.
“No, they will concede,” insisted Cyan. “The only ones who can compete with you are Ciel, that fool… Edward, and me. But none of us three can compare to you. So regardless of tradition or whatever, if it’s for the sake of the Lionheart clan, you should be the one to become the next Patriarch.”
“And what’s so impressive about the Lionheart clan,” Eugene harrumphed as the corners of his mouth twisted into a sneer.
Hamel’s grave had been left in ruins. The Moonlight Sword had been sealed away. Sienna had disappeared, and Anise had been forced to wander the desert, unable to find his grave.
All of this had something to do with Vermouth.
Eugene recalled that bastard’s face as he scoffed, “For you, the Lionheart clan might seem like something truly important, but from my point of view, it’s not really all that amazing.”
“...Be careful of what you’re saying,” Cyan warned him.
“What’s there to be careful about? Anyone has the right to talk smack about the home they grew up in,” Eugene defended himself.
“We are…. You shouldn’t say those kinds of things. You’ve received a lot of benefits from growing up in the main family. Can you really deny that your nonsensical talents are an expression of the fact that you’ve strongly inherited our ancestor’s blood?” Cyan argued.
“Of course, I can’t,” Eugene readily acknowledged what couldn’t be denied.
This body of his was so innately talented because he was a descendent of Vermouth. Since Eugene had the memories of his previous life, he may have been able to become strong even with a trashy body, but the reason he had been able to grow this quickly was thanks to this exceptional body that he had been born with.
If it was in the past, Eugene would have just been grateful for this. He might have been reincarnated as Vermouth’s descendant of all the people, and he might have been confronted with the confusing and fucking upsetting reality that the remaining Demon Kings were still living as happily as ever. But he still felt like it had to be a miracle that he was reincarnated with the memories of his past life.
However, what if it wasn’t a miracle?
Eugene — no — Hamel’s reincarnation had been intentional. The one who had planned this was probably Vermouth, and while the Demon King of Incarceration had known about his reincarnation, Sienna and Vermouth had clashed somewhere during the process.
These companions from his previous life….
‘In order to reincarnate me….’
But why him of all people?
“I have no intention of changing my mind,” Eugene told Cyan distractedly.
Eugene currently felt disillusioned. What exactly was that inhuman, superman, hero, Master-of-All, God-of-War, the Great Vermouth even thinking? And why had he done something like this? What was he planning to do by faking his death while clashing with a comrade with whom he had gone through countless life-or-death situations and planning Hamel’s reincarnation?
If Vermouth was really that lively, it would have been better for him to just join forces with his comrades once more to fight the Demon Kings.
“The one who will become the Patriarch is you, Cyan. I won’t do something like becoming the Patriarch. If you really want to change my mind, try convincing me by using your strength,” Eugene challenged him once more.
The Lionheart clan was Vermouth’s family. Eugene had never held any great interest or pride in the clan in the first place.
It was the same even now. Although he had lived for nineteen years as ‘Eugene Lionheart,’ he still didn’t hold much interest or pride in his role as a member of the clan.
Gilead, the Patriarch, was a good person.
As for Gion? He was also a good person. Even though they were the direct line of the main family, those two had never once looked down on Eugene.
And Ancilla, well, although there were times when she definitely wanted to look down on him, and her goodwill was only superficial. Still, compared to Tanis, you could even call her an angel.
Cyan and Ciel as well. Although their first impressions weren’t great, after spending a few years together, they might not be as close as true siblings, but they had still become attached to each other.
As for Gargith… he was built like a brick shithouse[2], reminding Eugene of Molon, and it felt like he was a good guy.
Gerhard? What was there to say? Eugene really liked his father.
But even with all that, Eugene still couldn’t hold much interest and pride in his clan.
“...A duel is a bit much,” Cyan muttered.
Cyan had to admit that he wouldn’t be able to change Eugene’s mind. In the past, Eugene hadn’t gone so far as to dismiss the ‘Lionheart’ name like this, so he had to wonder if Eugene had gone through a change of heart sometime during the past two years.
‘Or perhaps, he might just be going through puberty as well.’
With a bitter taste in his mouth, Cyan grabbed the sword hung at his waist.
“Since it’s been a while, let’s have a spar,” Cyan proposed.
Eugene warned him, “I’m telling you this in advance, but no matter what you try to do, you won’t be able to defeat me.”
“I know, you son of a bitch,” Cyan cursed.
‘Rude bastard,’ Cyan thought as he shoulder-barged Eugene on his way to the training grounds.
1. The original Korean titles translate literally into big-mother for Tanis and little-mother for Ancilla. Step-mother and Matriarch are close approximations. ☜
2. The Korean version of this phrase uses a rice cake stall. ☜
