Guest (1)

The fifth child of the Heavenly Sword Lord Family, and Yuria Hisperion's older sister.

Charlotte Hisperion's bedroom.

"Dad? He took that half-wit from Greysel in as our family's guest?"

Charlotte had just heard the rumor that was beginning to spread throughout Hisperion.

"Why would Dad do that? Are you sure?"

"Yes. I just sent someone to check directly. Gray hair, black eyes. Fourteen-year-old boy. Eldest son of Greysel, a vassal family. We confirmed for sure that Young Lord Ian is staying in the guest annex."

"Hmph. So it's true."

Sitting in front of her vanity, Charlotte turned the ring on her finger and continued.

"Do you have any idea? Why Dad did this?"

The butler bowed his head.

"... I am sorry. I find it difficult to fathom the Thousand Swords Lord's grand intentions."

"Well, I suppose so."

Charlotte didn't blame the butler.

She herself had absolutely no idea what her father was thinking.

'If he's the eldest son of the Greysel family... Ian Greysel. The half-wit supposedly born with a disability in aura. He's the dullest of the dull.'

On the other hand, what does it mean to be a guest of Hisperion?

It's an honor bestowed only upon the world's most talented unaffiliated swordsmen—nothing less than dazzling prestige.

Ian, the talentless dullard, and the guest position in Hisperion are essentially polar opposites.

Then why would her Father place a half-wit like Ian in such an undeserved position?

"Dad's whims are impossible to understand~"

The butler cautiously spoke up.

"There are a few points to consider."

"Go ahead."

"If there was a moment when the Lord became interested in Young Lord Ian, it was likely the Sword Selection Ceremony. Until then, they had no points of contact at all."

"You think so too, huh?"

Charlotte had been thinking the same thing.

Public knowledge held that the only connection between the Lord and Ian was the Sword Selection Ceremony.

Their conversation at the Greysel estate, and the experiment exchanging Vladiark in the Lord's underground training hall, were not known publicly.

Some of that was to hide the embarrassment of Hugo getting beaten by Ian, and the Lord himself had no reason to make his movements public.

"Dad must have found something in that half-wit."

Charlotte fiddled with the ring on her finger.

"And if we're talking about anything remarkable at the Sword Selection Ceremony, there's only one thing."

The hunk of rusty steel that Ian called forth.

What else could there be?

"That scrap heap. To my eyes, it was nothing but rusty, broken junk. Did Dad see something else?"

As host, Charlotte had also attended the Sword Selection Ceremony.

When Ian pulled the broken sword from the Bladelake—

People just busied themselves laughing at a half-wit summoning a half-wit's sword.

"But Dad always sees what others don't."

Perhaps that discerning eye was one of the many reasons the Heavenly Sword Lord family could reign at the top.

"It's someone Dad's interested in. I'd like to see him for myself."

"Shall I summon him here?"

"Yes. Bring him over."

The butler took out a memo pad from his pocket.

"What time shall I set the appointment for?"

"Hm? Time?"

A mocking smile flickered at the corners of Charlotte's lips.

"Why bother setting a time for summoning a half-wit? Just bring him and let him wait. I'll see him when I feel like it."

"Uh..."

The butler let out a subdued sigh.

'If that's the case, young Lord Ian will have to wait in the parlor indefinitely for Miss Charlotte.'

He didn't think it was a very good idea, but the butler wasn't in a position to object.

"... As you command."

* * *

The extravagant mansion Ian stayed in, thanks to the Lord's favor.

A new morning at Lunabreeze.

"It's morning. Get up, Sophia."

Ian shook Sophia, who was lying beside him.

"Huwaaaah..."

Sophia buried her face in the soft pillow, letting out a melting sound.

"I can't get up... Sealed..."

"If you sleep late now, you won't be able to sleep at night."

"Five more minutes... No, ten more minutes..."

"..."

Since this was their last holiday before entering the Sword Dragon Hall, perhaps he should let her sleep.

"Alright, fine. I'll wake you up again after I wash up. Just sleep more."

"So soft... zZz..."

Ian gazed at Sophia, who fell asleep again within a second, smiling unwittingly.

'Thanks to the Lord... I get to enjoy such luxury. I'm truly grateful.'

Seeing Sophia so happy made his heart naturally warm.

'But I still can't figure him out. Why is he treating me so well?'

Last night, through the manager Cheryl, the Lord had even sent him a top-grade elixir.

It was packed with extremely pure mana.

If Ian completely absorbed it before entering the Sword Dragon Hall, breaking through the wall to Expert rank at his age would not be impossible.

'Expert by fourteen, huh.'

Achieving Expert at fourteen was, historically, an incredible accomplishment, only ever matched by 'Ragnar, the greatest swordsman in history,' or 'Yuria, called the talent of the heavens.'

'And the mansion itself...'

Ian headed to the bathroom.

The toilet, sink, bathtub, mirror—everything was top-class, cutting-edge.

'The bed, the food, everything... It's just unreasonable how good all this is.'

The ultra-luxury hotel suite at the Hisperion main building, which used to cost hundreds of gold for a night, now felt like a hut in comparison.

'This massive mansion is filled only with the best.'

And it wasn't just large.

Everything a swordsman could need—their own arsenal, workshop, secret cultivation room, and training hall—was basic.

There were also gardens and greenhouses for alchemy herbs, and an artifact studio for magic imbuement.

There was a library, garden, swimming pool...

There wasn't a single impractical space in the house.

'I've never had a life this good, even in my previous one.'

He never enjoyed such comfort—not when he became Yuria's knight, not even after Yuria became the family head.

Partly because Yuria's precarious standing, due to her siblings' schemes, had made things difficult, and after becoming head, the civil war's cost forced her to sell the family's treasures.

'Whatever the Lord is thinking, at least for what I received, I should repay him properly.'

Enjoying this luxury, receiving the elixir for his growth, and help in researching Vladiark.

Ian never forgot to repay kindness, just as he never forgot to take revenge.

'Yuria... If only you were with us now.'

Yuria must be living underground in the Lord's Palace right now.

She was born with 'Heavenly Energy', a light aura that only the main line of Hisperion ever inherited, and as a 'Heaven-blessed swordswoman', she'd faced countless assassination attempts from within and outside the family since she was a child. The Lord's measure was to protect her.

He understood the Lord's intentions, but living underground could never be pleasant.

He often remembered how much Yuria had suffered in those days.

"... Ugh!"

Suddenly, a scene from the past flashed before Ian's eyes.

His previous life.

The sight of Yuria desperately trying to stop him leaving for humanity's last battlefield.

Ian's mind was tormented by the vivid memory of her flailing, missing limbs and screaming.

'Come to think of it, I wasn't any different.'

He'd locked Yuria in the fortress basement under the pretense of protecting her.

He'd known she hated the underground life...

And, in the end, he'd left her there alone.

There, Yuria was mercilessly killed by the Grand Duke of Lust, Lilith, while calling out his name.

"Huuuuh..."

Ian forced down his rising panic with controlled, shaky breaths.

'I won't let the same thing happen in this life.'

Steeling himself, he reached for the Lord's elixir—

― Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the bathroom door.

"Sophia?"

"Excuse me. This is Cheryl, the mansion manager."

"Manager?"

What could this be, so early in the morning?

Ian hurriedly put on his shirt and opened the bathroom door.

"What is it?"

"You have a visitor, young Lord Ian. Lady Charlotte Hisperion, the Lord's third daughter, has sent her carriage. She wishes to see you urgently."

"Ah..."

Charlotte Hisperion.

Third daughter and fifth child of Lord Darkan.

Also known by the nicknames Charlot or Lottie.

Just hearing her name made Ian's temples throb.

'One of the worst enemies from my previous life.'

During the Hisperion civil war—

Charlotte temporarily allied with Yuria to form a joint front.

The adversaries were Hisperion's second son and eldest daughter.

Their side was at a disadvantage, but it wasn't impossible if they fought to the end.

But Charlotte betrayed Yuria before the battle even started.

She'd caved to the second son's threats and the eldest daughter's persuasion.

As a result—

That betrayal shattered their already slim chances, and Yuria was gravely injured.

'I heard Charlotte also died betrayed by her siblings.'

Was it the eldest son? The third daughter? Maybe the second son? Or the fourth?

'With all those damned bastards, it wouldn't be strange for any of them to have done it.'

Not that it really mattered.

"Please tell her I refuse."

"... Pardon?"

"Tell Lady Charlotte I have no business with her."

He didn't know why the traitor wanted to see him, and didn't care.

He had no intention of getting along with such a traitor in this life.

Still, because they'd been allies, if she stayed quiet, he'd leave her be. But if she bothered him or Yuria, he wouldn't tolerate it.

"Y-young lord? Lady Charlotte is the Lord's third daughter—if you refuse the summons..."

"Cheryl."

Ian cut her off.

"I'll handle it, so just relay the message. I have no business with Charlotte."

"O-oh..."

Cheryl hesitated in embarrassment, but seeing Ian's unwavering gaze, she finally bowed her head.

"U-understood..."

* * *

Charlotte Hisperion's bedroom.

"... What? He refused my summons?"

Charlotte snorted in disbelief.

"Hah? That half-wit. Refused. My. Summons? Is this for real? Did you convey it properly?"

"Yes. I relayed the message through Lunabreeze's manager and his refusal was delivered firmly and clearly."

"Ha. So I was turned away at the door? Unbelievable... Even being dumbstruck has its limits."

"My apologies."

It was a situation Charlotte had never expected.

Among everyone her age—from direct line to vassals—no one had ever defied her.

On the contrary, everyone busied themselves flattering her.

But Ian? What the hell was with that guy?

A talentless half-wit who couldn't even use aura—where did that confidence come from?

Getting a bit of attention from Dad makes him cocky?

"Will you visit in person?"

"What? Are you crazy?"

Charlotte glared at the butler.

"Uh..."

"He should come! Why should I go to him? Am I below him?"

"M-my apologies."

"Watch your mouth next time!"

Charlotte crossed her arms and bit her lip.

Why should she visit him?

He wouldn't even come when summoned.

Her pride wouldn't allow it.

"Whew... This is so infuriating. How dare he? What does he think he's got to ignore me? Why did Dad even take him as a guest?"

Charlotte was clearly displeased with everything.

"Anyway! Like it or not, we'll have to live under the same roof for a while. This is just an embarrassment to my status, don't you think?"

"Y-yes... uhm..."

"I need to make it clear who's on top. Don't you agree?"

"O-of course, you are right."

He said so, but the butler felt deeply uneasy.

Charlotte always made troublesome demands when she had that look on her face.

"Then I should mobilize the errand boy!"

Errand boy—

A code name for the assassin who lived in the Heavenly Gold Palace, Charlotte's residence.

"Gasp! M-milady!? The errand boy... Isn't that a bit hasty...?"

"Hah? What are you thinking? Did you think I'd do something to Dad's guest? I'm just going to give him a little scare."

"A-a scare..."

"That sword. That broken scrap heap."

After being turned away like this, she couldn't let it slide.

She'd only be satisfied when she dragged him before herself and forced him to kneel, whatever it took.

"Steal his sword."

To enter the Sword Dragon Hall, one must carry the sword received at the Sword Selection Ceremony.

If that sword is lost before entry, the qualification to enter is also lost.

One of the roads to becoming an official Hisperion swordsman would be closed forever.

"Steal the sword and discreetly reveal it's with us. He'll want to get into the Sword Dragon Hall, so he'll have no choice but to come. Like it or not."

"F-foresight indeed..."

"See?"

Charlotte tapped her red lips, then continued.

"Send Alex as the errand boy."

"A-Alex...!"

Alex.

Usually disguised as a servant in Heavenly Gold Palace, but actually a top-tier expert, an elite assassin.

He was Charlotte's most valuable asset and all-purpose problem solver.

"His specialty—the ability to make aura hooks—would be perfect for this."

Alex could form aura hooks to pull items from afar, like telekinesis.

'Top-level assassin being used for this childish squabble...'

The butler thought to himself, but voicing it was not his role.

"... I'll ready him for the task."

"Good. Handle the details. Just bring me results."

"Yes, ma'am."

As the butler bowed and withdrew, Charlotte hummed happily.

"Hm hm~"

Now, she just had to wait. Soon, she'd make that arrogant brat pay for ignoring her.

And the next day—

Alex, Charlotte's elite asset, was found dead.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】