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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After the disciplinary committee incident, in the Clarice Academy training room… A one-on-one arena for mock combat.
Having easily acquired the Essence of Immortality, I was spending the remaining vacation period with Edwin Gwynne, the protagonist of Reincarnation Brave.
-Ding.
“He’s grown a lot.”
Edwin had collected six traits.
Thanks to the blessing of the Black Dragon, he’d achieved level 7 in Sword Proficiency, a branching point for the skill.
Seeing his considerably high Divinity level, I figured he’d soon recognize the Black Dragon’s essence and use it to grow even faster.
-Dash!
At that moment, Edwin charged at me. He rushed forward, low to the ground, as if using Flash Step.
His speed and direction were significantly different from when he first sparred with me.
.
.
.
Naturally, Edwin was the victor.
‘Well, he is the true protagonist.’
If I had to justify myself, my true nature was a Demonized, Fallen Angel, and a Ranger, so naturally, I’d be lacking in a sword fight.
-Thud!
Edwin, sprawled on the floor like a scene from a shonen manga, said to me,
“Thanks. For helping me train.”
“…”
The reason I was helping this light-green-haired boy train was simple.
Abelline was under self-imposed confinement while awaiting the disciplinary committee’s decision.
-“Lev, I have to go back home…! I’ll be back soon!”
-“Me too. Please take care of yourself. Please.”
Yeriel and Aria had returned to their families.
In other words, I was the only one left to look after him.
-Deep breath!
Edwin took a deep breath, seemingly exhilarated from the intense physical exertion.
‘Hmm…’
Finally, I voiced the question I’d been debating.
“Are you alright?”
“Huh? About what?”
“Melissa, Abelline.”
“Ah… I’m fine. I’m actually just grateful to you…”
Edwin, upon hearing that Melissa and Abelline were facing disciplinary action, didn’t blame me.
On the contrary, he expressed sincere gratitude. He was, after all, a protagonist with a strong sense of justice.
So, to Melissa and Abelline, he’d said something cringe-worthy, a clear flag of his interest:
-“I’ll wait! Once you’ve atoned for your mistakes… we’ll see each other again then!”
-“!!!”
‘It’s not like they committed a mortal sin…’
I wasn’t sure how Melissa and Abelline took it, but… they’d at least have a more favorable impression of him than of me.
-Shift.
“Can I ask you a few things too?”
This time, Edwin propped himself up on his elbows and asked me. He’d been giving me these bright, expectant looks all day, like he had something to say.
“What is it?”
“Lev, you don’t need to go back to your family?”
“…Yeah. That’s why I’m helping you train, right?”
“…Really? Thanks…”
After hearing my answer, he lay back down, staring at the ceiling with a melancholic gaze.
I could roughly guess what Edwin was thinking.
He was a farmer’s son… He’d lost his father, his only family, to monsters, and inherited the Executioner role. He had a similar backstory to Aria.
However, unlike Aria, who was adopted, this guy had… nowhere to return to.
In short, he was in a similar situation to me.
‘Well… not exactly similar.’
In fact, my dorm room was overflowing with letters from the Denec family. Since I was essentially excommunicated, I had little interest in the Denec family.
If a student at the academy refused them, there was no reason to meet, so I’d stubbornly ignored them. I felt a tiny bit sorry for the real Lev Denec, but the Denec family wasn’t my family.
‘…Still, I should check.’
I’d been poking around here and there lately, and sometimes information is obtained by chance, so it wouldn’t hurt to check.
They treated me like their illegitimate child at first, but perhaps their attitude had changed now.
“Lev…”
“?”
Edwin spoke softly, his voice a little tired.
“I feel at ease when I’m with you…”
“…Must be your imagination.”
“Ugh…”
Bromance was a hard pass for me. Not really my thing.
He was all about friendship, passion, naive kindness, and being a pushover, so he was probably good at saying these embarrassing things.
“But… you know.”
“?”
“Lev, shouldn’t you be moving up to Rank A now?”
“…”
Considering the power creep, he had a point.
My abilities had already been revealed to a certain extent… and other guilds were starting to show interest.
And the reason I wasn’t directly feeling this was probably because I was still stuck at Rank B.
‘But…’
Clarice’s ranking system had promotion tests.
If you couldn’t advance during the regular rank battles, you had to aim for the promotion test.
Of course, there were many benefits to ranking up.
A private training room, a dedicated lounge, a better dorm room… And most conveniently, Rank A and S students had priority in course registration.
Thinking back to my struggles during college registration periods, this was a tempting reward.
During the first semester, the original Lev Denec had suffered through unpopular courses he was forced to take.
“…I’ll go up when the time comes.”
I got up. The demons wouldn’t just sit around idly after the Bune incident.
And in preparation for that, I’d also thought of a new way to power up.
Preparing for the promotion test, farming, groundwork, checking letters, preparing to move into the Black Dormitory…
I had a mountain of things to do.
“What, leaving already? Can you… help me just one more time…!”
“Edwin, rest is also part of training.”
As I said that and turned towards the dormitory, Edwin’s enthusiastic voice followed me,
“Got it! Then I’ll do my best to rest!”
Why did he listen to me so well…?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The Artina family mansion, located in a remote area of the Empire, untouched by human contact.
The head of the Artina family was the war hero, Dissword Artina, but he went missing during the last Demon God war, and his wife, Luciella Artina, passed away shortly after giving birth to their son.
As a result, his concubine, Penelope Artina, was acting as the head of the family.
Fortunately, Penelope had a good reputation among the people of the territory, along with Luciella’s will.
This region, with its good pastures and climate, easily maintained its status as a marquisate through fresh fruit and livestock farming.
-Clatter, clatter.
Inside the quiet and modest mansion, reflecting the former head’s personality, a sumptuous feast was being prepared to welcome Yeriel.
While the maids bustled about, Yeriel attended to her much younger brother, Aaron, before the meal.
“Aaron, have you been listening to Mother?”
“Yes!”
Aaron, the young boy with navy blue hair, resembling his father, the head of the family.
Penelope, the woman with a dignified appearance that belied her widowhood.
And Yeriel, the pure white maiden.
These three were the only members of the Artina family.
“Let’s eat.”
As the small but warm meal began, Penelope, with her ever-present gentle smile, spoke first.
“Yeriel?”
“Yes, Mother.”
“How is life at the academy?”
“Everything is good. Everyone treats me well, and I’m grateful for the constant learning.”
Considering what had happened to her during the first semester, she couldn’t honestly say it was all good.
The Flame Ghoul, Tobiel’s occupation of the Black Dormitory, the appearance of the great demon Bune…
Yeriel had experienced three dangerous incidents.
She’d tried her best to hide it, but she guessed that some of it had probably reached her family.
“I heard you’ll be in charge of the Seraphi Hall again in the second semester… is this also true?”
“Yes, because it’s a building that bears the traces of my grandparents. I requested it…!”
“…I see.”
Despite trying not to show it, Penelope was naturally worried. The only family she had left was Yeriel and the still young Aaron.
It was good that Yeriel was following her father’s will by caring for the academy that bore her grandfather’s legacy, but Penelope simply wanted the three of them to live happily together.
Besides, how terrifying were the recent incidents and accidents she’d heard about? Probably not a single parent would overlook them.
.
.
.
-“Give this to meee…!”
-“Honey, Yeriel is… so cute. Her lethality is on par with yours…! This is a serious matter.”
-“…You’re obsessed.”
.
.
.
More than anything, Yeriel… was the child who turned Dissword, known as the cold-blooded magic swordsman, into a doting father.
She seemed to take after her father, showing innate magical talent from a young age, and possessing unwavering convictions.
That’s why Penelope couldn’t stop her from going to Clarice.
But now, it was different.
‘Forgive me, Yeriel. And Dissword.’
There was no other way. If she wanted to keep Yeriel safe, even by force, this was the only option.
“Yeriel, I’m sorry to bring this up as soon as you arrived, but… you must have noticed it on your way back, right? There have been many marriage proposals recently.”
-Clatter.
At those words, Yeriel put down her utensils and focused on Penelope’s words. That was why there had been so many carriages coming and going in this quiet rural territory lately.
“This time, the Heisman family requested a meeting with you.”
Heisman.
The prestigious family that produced the greatest magic sensor and war hero, Clark Heisman.
“I hear the third son of the Heisman family has a gentle personality and a dignified appearance.”
“Ah…”
Of course, Penelope knew Yeriel wasn’t interested in such things.
However, Yeriel had a tendency to be strict and inconsiderate towards herself, yet act without hesitation when it came to others.
So, Penelope played the card of engagement or marriage as the best way to secure Yeriel’s safety.
‘Because I was once like that too…’
This was something Yeriel inherited from Penelope, and she was well aware of this trait.
Yeriel’s kindness was always unconditional, so she couldn’t help but be fair to everyone.
In other words, having observed Yeriel closely throughout her first year at Clarice, Penelope concluded that someone special wasn’t likely to appear easily in her life.
Well, there was also Dissword’s strict(?) education regarding the opposite sex…
Penelope looked at Yeriel with a gentle expression and said,
“I’ll arrange a meeting for you this time, so how about meeting him yourself?”
“That’s… I’m sorry.”
“…?”
Yeriel, in a calm voice and with a resolute gaze… confessed her true feelings.
“I… there’s someone I’m interested in at the academy…”
-Clatter.
In that instant, the utensil slipped from Penelope’s hand.
“Ye…riel?”
“So, I’ll personally tell the Heisman family…! that I decline their offer…! I’m really sorry you went through all this trouble.”
-…
A brief silence followed.
“Mother…? Sister…?”
Young Aaron just stared blankly at the two of them.
‘Yeriel…?’
Yeriel, whom she cherished so much.
Having matured considerably, she had said,
-“Because I have to remember…!”
To follow in her father’s and grandfather’s footsteps…
Even during her first year, she’d been solely focused on her studies…
‘Yeriel… Yeriel…’
Overwhelmed by an indescribable emotion, Penelope hid her surprise and said,
“Oh… I, I see!”
Although she was considered benevolent by the people of the territory, her tone was undoubtedly higher than usual.
“Good…! That’s wonderful…! Then, before the vacation ends… if you can bring him… no, if you can invite him here…”
I need to see what kind of guy he is.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Action: bring man home
How: 1)- tied by rope to her body
2)- “accidents” happened and he needs her to watch over
3) – “convince him” that marriage is good
Kinda curious about MCs family