I Became God of War’s Youngest Disciple - Chapter 318



Only Krnovel

Episode 318

As I sat in my office at the Socheoldang, I looked out the window and saw the landscape of Badniker shrouded in darkness.

A mansion located in the middle of a huge forest that was no different from a forbidden forest… … . Even when I looked at it again, I thought it was a strange place, but when I thought about it, it wasn’t that strange since Badnikker’s ancestors were fairies.

“It looks a little hot.”

A somewhat subdued voice.

Suddenly, a bird appeared sitting on a tree branch.

“I came from the North. I was dragged here without even having time to change my clothes.”

“At least take off your top.”

“well.”

It’s almost April.

Even though it was full-blown spring, it was a little chilly at Badnicker’s home.

Is it because the sun has set?

That could be the reason, but judging by the damp weather and damp air, it looks like spring rain will fall sometime today or tomorrow.

“Did you see Delak?”

You came knowing everything.

I nodded.

“yes.”

“Anyway.”

“They were all dying. They seemed to be in a much more critical condition than I thought. I can see why the elders, including Lord Asad, are talking about the next head of the family.”

“I see.”

Assad, in the form of a bird, seemed to nod.

“This is top secret, but I’ll tell you. I plan to cast an eternal sleep spell on Delak within a few days.”

“Eternal sleep magic?”

“It’s a spell that puts the target into a semi-permanent sleep.”

“That means… … .”

“Yeah. I’m going to put him to sleep until I find a way.”

“… … .”

Although it was a reasonable approach, Assad’s voice sounded somber.

I guess so.

At least for now, it’s like admitting there’s no way.

“So, if I find a way, I can wake you up anytime?”

“It’s not such a good magic. The eternal sleep magic, what should I call it… … stops the target’s time. That’s why it’s also called time freeze magic. I don’t know if you know, but space and time are concepts that even great magicians must handle with the utmost care. If you mess with it recklessly, an unbelievable disaster could occur.”

“So when can I wake you up?”

“Once every ten years.”

“… … .”

“If you miss that time, you’ll have to wait another 10 years. It’s not an efficient magic. To be honest, since there’s so little information about it, there might be side effects that I don’t even know about. But isn’t it better than dying like this?”

That’s true.

but…….

Just as I was about to think of something else, Assad suddenly spoke.

“You, don’t you want to go home?”

“… Right?”

“But in my opinion, there is no one more suitable than you.”

“That’s a difficult statement to agree with.”

I looked down from the cycad.

The outdoor training grounds were also clearly visible from here, and two men could be seen training in separate training grounds.

First the left.

Hiiro was swinging his sword.

It seemed more like sparring with a virtual opponent than simple training, but I could tell from his movements that the opponent Hiiro had assumed was Ludwig.

“First of all, isn’t Hiiro-nii’s potential amazing? It’s rare to find someone of that age who has become a top-class hero in Heroes and has achieved solid results. His influence in Heroes is also not to be ignored.”

Then, this time, I saw Hector training in another gym.

Hector was performing a swordsmanship I had never seen before. His movements were refined and formal, probably Imperial swordsmanship.

Classic swordsmanship. I thought it would be a good match for Hector.

If you fight in a set manner like that and occasionally use the shadow sword, it will be much more difficult for your opponent to deal with.

“Brother Hector is also a member of the royal family, but if it were an order from the family, he would immediately step down from his position. Since he has even formed his own faction in the system, it would not be long before the young nobles who will become the real powers of the family will lend their strength to the Badnikers.”

And I said one more name, although he is not here.

“Brother Ryzen became the owner of a large company alone at a young age. It would have been impossible without luck, momentum, guts, and skills. Compared to him, I?”

I shook my head.

“I don’t have anything. Of course, I’m stronger than those three. I ended up clashing with the sect members often and was quite active. But-.”

“You said the right answer.”

“yes?”

“In Badnikker, those two things are all you need.”

Foodduck… The sparrow flapped its wings slightly and then climbed up onto a higher branch and looked down at me.

“Do you think Delak had such outstanding abilities? Of course, he’s smart. But politics isn’t something you do with your head alone. Delak didn’t have the luxury of that… That’s why there are vassals.”

“… … .”

“You just have to keep doing what you’re doing now. Keep getting stronger and destroying those cult guys. As for the rest, we Badnikers will support you.”

The bird’s eyes began to glow more and more ominously.

A damp wind blew from somewhere, and green mana fluttered like small leaves and enveloped me.

“Influence in Heros? A noble faction? Merchant skills? We can handle all that. It won’t be difficult.”

The moment I saw those eyes and that oppressive attitude, I felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort.

It seemed like I finally understood what kind of person the head of the Badniker family was.

‘… This is.’

Isn’t this just a puppet?

When I sighed openly, Assad seemed to understand it differently and said:

“If you really don’t like it, then just take over as agent for ten years. You’re sixteen now, and when all the work is over, you’ll be twenty-six, right? You’re still young, so when that time comes, you’ll be able to do whatever you want and have everything you want.”

“… … .”

Assad, who has lived for a long time, speaks lightly of the 10 years, but in reality, it is not so.

In the next few years, the religious order will begin to reveal its true colors and an all-out war will begin.

I don’t know either.

In that chaos, how big will the absence of the Iron Blood Lord be?

And I wonder if I can fill that void.

“…When will the eternal sleep spell be implemented?”

“Within a few days.”

“Please tell me exactly.”

“Tomorrow or the day after. As you can see, Delak’s condition is getting worse every moment. It’s slowly getting worse even at this moment, so it would be better to do it while he’s still healthy.”

“… … .”

“Delak’s eternal rest will not be announced. First, they will say that he is away on a long-term mission, and then they will put you forward as his proxy.”

“I don’t think it’s a lie that will last long.”

“That’s right. This kind of thing is just a waste of time. Those lynxes who wanted Badniker to fall will come running… or Goodspring.”

Assad continued, smiling cynically.

“But there’s nothing we can do. There’s a big difference between declaring someone to be in critical condition and pretending not to know until the end.”

“… … .”

“So your succession ceremony won’t be formal either. However, I will leave the family’s treasured sword to you.”

“Sword?”

“I’m talking about [Michael], the sword of Delak.”

I burst out laughing.

Luan Badniker, who sold the sword, is now in a situation where he inherits the sword of the head of the family.

“Let’s just sleep for today. I’m going to be busy starting tomorrow.”

With those words, Assad’s mana faded and the bird’s eyes returned to their original color.

The bird looked at me with bright eyes and then flapped its wings and flew away.

“… … .”

It bit me right.

That thought crossed my mind for a moment.

I felt like I was getting really entangled with the badnikker I had been trying so hard to avoid… … .

Now I see that the Iron Blood Corps wasn’t the problem.

Rather, it felt like the existence of the Iron Blood was blocking me.

Of course, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

In any case, Badnikker’s power is essential to fight the cult guys, and that’s the same even if Iron Blood is absent.

It may be a positive thing that we are now able to deal with that huge force, even if only formally.

but…….

“…It’s hot.”

I suddenly felt hot, so I took off my coat and hung it on the chair, and at that moment, something fell.

“… … .”

It was stationery.

I looked at it wondering what kind of letter it was, and it had a black rose seal on it.

“ah.”

I remembered.

This is the letter that Iron Blood gave me.

To be precise, it is a recruitment proposal from the Heroes Clan.

-Did you read the letter I gave you?

-A letter? Oh, no.

-I see. You don’t have to read it.

A conversation we had once had flashed through my mind.

This is the letter that Cheolhyeolgong gave me.

That is, in Heroes.

“… … .”

Why is that?

A letter I had no intention of reading, an object I had even forgotten existed… … .

I broke the seal and unfolded the letter.

I thought it was just a worthless recruitment offer.

But the letter began with an introduction that was far beyond my expectations.

[I regret to greet you through a letter like this.]

[Please understand even if my handwriting is a bit awkward. I can only count on one hand the number of times I’ve written a letter.]

[I don’t know where to start, so let’s get straight to the point.]

Is the main topic about recruitment?

As I read with that thought in mind, the letter once again exceeded my expectations.

[When I met you by chance in the system and offered you a mission… … .]

[It suddenly occurred to me that maybe you don’t want to join the Black Rose.]

[I realized too late that just because other kids want it doesn’t mean you will.]

I think this is the first time I’ve seen Iron Blood’s own handwriting.

His personality seemed to be revealed in his handwriting.

First of all, his handwriting wasn’t as clumsy as he said.

Rather, it was a perfect word without any unnecessary parts, and the shape was sharp enough to be rigid.

I somehow pictured the Iron Blood worker writing a letter in a dark room with only one candle lit.

[Because you didn’t answer until the end. Maybe it was just my greed in the end.]

[At some point, I started having difficulty guessing people’s minds.]

[Is it because it is a position where even a single word must be careful?]

[I have made mistakes and regretted many times because of the results of my thoughtless words. That is why I could not easily express praise or scolding.]

[But looking at your actions, I want to praise you for doing a good job.]

[No. It seems a little different from a compliment. This is… … .]

Here the stiff handwriting has changed a bit.

It’s as if it’s expressing the troubled state of mind of the Iron Blood Knight at that time.

[…maybe it’s pride.]

[It was hard to show it. I don’t think I have the right to be proud of your growth.]

[At some point, I stopped knowing what other people thought of me. I could only feel fear or awe in their gaze.]

[That was no exception for close friends, colleagues, or even family. I had always been slow to notice such things, but after realizing that fact, I intentionally closed my eyes and ears even more.]

[Because I couldn’t guess what other people were thinking, I didn’t speak to them carelessly and lived without bumping into them as much as possible.]

[My caution could hurt them.]

[On the other hand, my affection could become a burden to them.]

[The elder council naturally took that place. The purpose of these groups was to act on behalf of the head of the household, so in principle, it was not wrong. At the time, I also thought it was the right choice, but seeing you grow up, my thoughts have changed a little.]

[Maybe I escaped after all.]

[Even if it was hard, even if it was painful, even if I made mistakes… shouldn’t I have faced my children until the end?]

[Like all parents do.]

[At a time of great confusion, Assad recommended the medium of letters.]

[I know now that I’ve tried it myself. This is the right communication method for me. I can spend a long time organizing what I want to say and then convey it.]

[Of course, even the most elaborate words can hurt. I just hope that this time it won’t.]

The image of the Iron Blood Knight comes to mind again.

A look of confusion flashed across his expressionless face, then he crumpled up the letter he had already written and threw it away.

The trash can was full of such letters.

“… … .”

At this point I realized that the letter I was holding was slightly crumpled.

[I pictured myself heading to Yeongsan with you.]

[To be honest, I was a little bit looking forward to that moment.]

[Because I’ve been waiting for a very long time. For my bloodline to grow, to be able to fight alongside me.]

[Possibility is latent in the blood.]

[Of course I will respect your wishes, but I would really appreciate it if you would come with me.]

“Heh heh.”

It made me laugh.

This is because the hidden word in the part pressed down with ink can be easily guessed.

Perhaps “It seems like it would be nice” was changed to “It seems like it would be nice.”

I sat in my office for a while and laughed heartily.

“… … .”

The time the Ironborn wrote his letter was, coincidentally, just before I was in Theon-Heros’s office, spewing out harsh words to him.

So, Iron Blood offered to recruit me so cautiously and politely that it would be surprising if anyone else knew.

But what did I say then?

-Even if I, a half-crippled man, am unable to fit in anywhere, unable to use anything I learned in Badniker, and wander around the empire like a useless person… I don’t think the Lord will show me any mercy, support, advice, or even criticize me.

-If you had any awareness as a father, shouldn’t you have given him at least one more chance?

-Don’t expect anything from me. I won’t expect anything from you either.

My face feels hot.

I felt a surge of anger at the thought that I was still a fool at this age.

I also think I know why Cheolhyeolgong told me to throw away the letter then.

“ha…….”

This time I sighed like a person suffering from manic depression.

At the same time, I felt as if a part of a lump that had been in my heart for a very long time was melting and floating away somewhere.

I got up from my seat, enjoying so many emotions at the same time.

“good.”

The hesitation disappeared.

One taste of that shitty feeling, that helplessness, that sense of inferiority that you felt while wandering through the giant’s stomach and eternal winter was enough.

This time, I will do as I please… … .

“… Let’s give it a try.”

I’m ready to accept whatever the outcome.

Any violation of this may result in criminal and civil liability.