Chapter 55

“My eldest brother is back?”

“Yes! He’s finally here! Our proud young master of the Winterbell family!”

“……”

The maid was genuinely overjoyed. Even from my point of view, she seemed truly delighted. It was fair to say that this was the kind of influence Ryan Winterbell held.

He was a man who received even greater praise than Lux Winterbell. Probably the most highly regarded among all the children of the Winterbell family.

It wasn’t just the servants—everyone in the Winterbell household spoke highly of him. Even outsiders were firmly convinced that Ryan Winterbell would become the next Patriarch.

Strength? He had it.

Strategy? He had that too.

Leadership? Unquestionable.

In every field imaginable, Ryan Winterbell, the eldest son, stood out—a well-rounded genius.

And now he had returned.

“I heard he completed all the tasks the Patriarch gave him perfectly. As expected of the first young master! Isn’t he just amazing?”

“Yeah, he’s amazing. That’s my brother for you.”

“Well then, I’ll take my leave!!”

Everyone in the household seemed quite excited. But I knew the truth.

That Ryan Winterbell hadn’t been a perfect person from the beginning. And I was sure most others knew it too.

One day, he suddenly changed—as if he had become someone entirely different.

“Looks like our eldest brother is back. Tch.”

“You don’t seem very pleased.”

“Do I have any reason to be? I hate him.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because he wears a mask.”

“A mask?”

Lin Winterbell nodded.

“Yeah. He always wears a mask. One that he never takes off, no matter when or where. It’s different from Lux’s mask, but both are disgusting in their own way.”

“A mask… I see. But do you know when the eldest brother started to change so suddenly?”

“No. I don’t remember exactly. I was younger back then, so there’s no way I could know for sure. But I do remember the feeling. He used to be a very timid person. Then, one day, the atmosphere around him changed. It was like he became a completely different person. That fragile aura of his disappeared… and something cold took its place.”

“Something cold?”

“Shit. Stop asking already! I don’t really know either! I’m just saying what I felt!”

With an angry shout, Lin Winterbell stormed off.

I watched her leave with a dumbfounded look on my face, then made my way back to the annex.

I didn’t want to think about Ryan Winterbell or Lin Winterbell anymore.

For now…

“Let’s get some proper sleep.”

---

Home really was the best. I hadn’t realized how exhausted I was until I slept for two days straight. After waking, I circulated mana throughout my body and expelled all the built-up toxins. With that, my physical abilities seemed to improve by a step, and my mind also felt clearer.

As usual, the mercenaries who were training greeted me.

“Young master! Did you return safely?”

“You look bigger than before! Did you sneak off to eat something good on your own?”

“Your face just keeps getting more handsome!”

Listening to their flattery, I walked over to Legion.

“Did you return safely?”

“Yes. What about my brother?”

“…He’s come out.”

I heard that Ron Winterbell had finally emerged. Legion was originally his knight, after all...

And sure enough.

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear—Ron Winterbell was striding toward us from a distance.

“Ran! Your brother’s back!”

“You’re finally out, brother. Looks like you’ve been through a lot. But… aren’t we past the point of greeting each other so cheerfully?”

Some might’ve said I was being a little too sensitive, but I’d been betrayed by family once again. Sure, we were related by blood, but he was no different from a stranger in reality. Still, I couldn’t deny that I’d been shocked.

After all, I’d given more affection than I realized just because she was my aunt. So it was only natural that my defenses would kick in.

“Haha. Yeah, that’s fair. I totally understand. But I’m different now. During my 100 days of seclusion under the Patriarch’s orders, I had a lot of time to think. And among those thoughts, what struck me the most was how terribly I had treated you. Thinking about you made me realize how insignificant and pathetic I’ve been as a person.”

“…Did you eat something weird?”

What the hell. Was this really the Ron Winterbell I knew? I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d hit his head or something. The Ron Winterbell I knew would never say something like this even if the sky were falling.

“I mean I finally understood how terrifying arrogance, pride, and prejudice can be. I know what you’re thinking. But it’s not that. I haven’t been poisoned, cursed, or enchanted. I’m perfectly fine. I just gained enlightenment by facing myself honestly. I owe you a great debt, and I intend to repay it fully. And to become the next Patriarch, I’ll put in even more effort than before. Let’s both do our best and face each other properly.”

Hearing that made me feel sick. No, judging by his tone and expression, he did seem to be speaking sincerely… but remembering all the crap he’d pulled on me before made it disgusting all the same.

He could talk all he wanted now about having found enlightenment or come to his senses, but all of that had happened inside his own head.

“Brother, I swear… you’re making me feel sick. Are you sure you’re not seriously ill or something?”

“I’m perfectly fine!”

And then, all of a sudden, Ron Winterbell handed me something.

“What’s this?”

“Underwear made from the core of a manticore and the thread of an arachne.”

Both were treasures that even hundreds of thousands of gold wouldn’t be enough to buy. In the underground auction house of Latix, which only dealt in rare goods, anything like this would be snatched up the moment it appeared.

And now he was giving me something that precious? Was this really not some kind of trick? What kind of bullshit was he planning this time? My head was flooded with suspicion, but I had no reason to refuse it, so I took it without hesitation.

“Well, I’ll accept it. Thanks.”

“No need to thank me. I’m giving it to you because I want to. Compared to what I owe you, this is nothing.”

“……”

“No matter what you think, no matter what you say, I’ll repay your kindness in my own way, as I’ve come to understand it.”

“If that’s how you want to repay me, then making me the next Patriarch would be the best gift you could give.”

“Of course, if you become the Patriarch after a fair and square contest, I’ll serve you loyally for the rest of my life. But that’s only if I lose to you. That hasn’t happened yet. So I’m going to give it everything I’ve got to become the next Patriarch.”

“…Do as you please.”

I was going to become the Patriarch anyway.

With that, Ron Winterbell turned his back and exited the annex. He had really come all this way just to hand over that unnecessary speech and those treasures.

I looked at Legion and asked,

“Legion. My brother’s out now—why aren’t you going with him?”

“…Lord Ron Winterbell said I could stay here if I wanted to.”

“Huh? He really said that?”

“Yes… So I told him I wanted to stay.”

“No, seriously—is he even the same person? The Ron Winterbell you know would never say something like that, right?”

“…That’s true, but…”

I didn’t know what wind had blown through him, but since I’d gotten some good stuff out of it, I decided not to overthink it.

‘People don’t change.’

Trusting others is meaningless.

That was something I had learned the hard way, which is why I still didn’t believe a word Ron Winterbell had said. People like him were always the ones to stab you in the back when you least expected it.

I went into the main building and examined the Manticore core.

The phantom beast—Manticore.

A giant creature with the head of a lion and a snake for a tail.

The species itself was so rare that most people would never even encounter one in their lifetime. But it was also the most sought-after magical beast among all hunters. The reason? The Manticore’s core.

When a martial artist consumed this core, it could lead to tremendous growth. Not only would their mana increase, but every part of their body would be strengthened. It even restored mental resilience and vitality. It was no exaggeration to call it a divine elixir.

Of course, one couldn’t just eat it raw. It had to be refined by a master of elixir-making.

But I was the disciple of the Poison King Basilie, so I already knew how to process the Manticore’s core into a potent elixir. This wasn’t on the same level as ordinary alchemy—it was far beyond that. Compared to the typical elixirs made with a Manticore core, mine would be twice as effective.

Naturally, as with all of Basilie’s methods, the power came with a price: immense pain and danger. A single misstep in the composition, and blood would pour from every orifice before the user died.

“If I were afraid of that, I wouldn’t have started in the first place.”

Relying on my memories, I immediately began preparing the elixir. I had Cecil gather the materials I lacked, and I spent every spare moment crafting the elixir.

Time passed like that.

After staying up for 48 hours straight, the elixir was finally complete.

A red liquid bubbled and boiled before me.

I took a deep breath and gulped it down, swallow after swallow.

“……”

Then, the energy coiled tightly inside me began to spread throughout my entire body, and soon, it felt like I was about to explode. My body burned as if I had swallowed molten lava.

I writhed in agony, rolling across the floor.

“GRAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!”

I felt as if my arms and legs were melting, so I looked down at my body. Thankfully, nothing was actually melting, but my skin was being torn off in strips.

Was this supposed to happen?

No, I’d never seen anything like this before.

A side effect?

I didn’t know.

But I was in too much pain to think. The sheer agony made it impossible to keep my thoughts together.

I had to endure it. Somehow, I had to hold on.

Now, not just my arms—every inch of my skin was peeling away. My muscles twisted and trembled underneath. My blood boiled. Steam-like vapor rose from my body.

It was hot. So hot. Too hot. What was I supposed to do?

I had to cool down.

The first thing that came to mind was the Winterbell family’s mana.

Just like when I used Winterbell swordsmanship, I drew upon my mana and cloaked my body in aura.

And then—SZZZZZK!—a harsh hiss sounded as even more steam burst from my body.

Hearing my scream, Cecil rushed in, shouting desperately as she ran to me.

“Young master!”