TMFATS 24

“Commoner, I asked what that thing in your hand is.”

Kaiden’s voice was low and heavy. His eyes remained fixed on the blade in my hand.

“As you can see, it’s a sword made of mana.”

I lifted it as if to show him. Kaiden’s brows furrowed even deeper. He turned his gaze toward his daughter, Petra Luzen.

“Petra, did you reveal the family’s secret art to this commoner?”

Petra flinched hard. She shook her head desperately.

“N-no! I didn’t… I just….”

Her face turned pale, even paler than when she had faced Beron. She looked truly terrified.

Seeing that, I spoke up.

“Your daughter didn’t teach me anything. I only copied what I saw.”

“You copied Luzen’s secret art just by watching? You expect me to believe that?”

“It’s true. With no proper weapon, I thought Luzen’s sword magic was my only option.”

“Nonsense. There’s no way you can imitate Luzen’s magic after seeing it a few times.”

“If Luzen’s sword magic could be copied just by verbal explanation, then it wouldn’t be worthy of being called a secret art in the first place.”

Kaiden’s eyebrows twitched.

“Are you mocking House Luzen right now?”

“No. I think Luzen’s magic is impressive. It saved my life. But its structure is more straightforward than expected. That’s probably because it was designed for efficiency. And because of that, someone like me could barely imitate it. I just have good eyesight.”

I shrugged lightly.

In my past life, my swordsmanship was built the same way. I learned by observing the techniques of strong swordsmen and copying them imperfectly into my own blade.

A patchwork of fragments.

That was what Renia in my past life called my sword.

“…How dare a commoner speak about Luzen…”

Kaiden’s anger flared again. His face twisted. It felt like he could kill me at any moment. Petra turned completely pale.

“Enough, Kaiden. This is not the time to pressure the children.”

At that moment, the bushes parted.

Stern, the head of House Benheim, stepped out.

“Father!”

Arno’s face brightened the moment he saw him. But Stern didn’t even look at his son. Instead, he turned toward Beron, who was sitting collapsed on the ground.

“Elder.”

“S-Stern….”

All the black mages beside Beron were already dead. Kaiden’s earlier attack had turned them into pulp.

Beron had only survived because he was valuable for interrogation.

“There is no point in resisting anymore.”

Standing before him were two seventh-tier great mages and the elite forces of their houses.

Stern would not let him escape like last time with Marquel.

Beron lowered his head in resignation.

“H-how… how did this happen so fast…”

“We already anticipated movements like yours. There was no reason for you not to target this hunting festival.”

“Ha… haha….”

Realizing he had been playing into Stern’s hands all along, Beron shook his head bitterly.

This entire hunting festival had been a trap designed to root out internal traitors.

“About your backer and your motives, we will question you later.”

Stern gestured to the soldiers behind him.

“Take him to the dungeon. Make sure he cannot harm himself.”

“Yes, sir.”

They bound Beron tightly, sealing his mana and placing restraints and a gag. Even a powerful black mage was nothing but an old man without mana.

After watching him be dragged away, Stern turned back to us with a faint smile.

“Good work, Kaiden. From here, Benheim will handle the rest.”

“Wait, Lord Benheim.”

Kaiden stepped forward.

“I still have business with that boy.”

His red eyes locked onto me.

“This commoner used Luzen’s magic. As the head of House Luzen, I must deal with it.”

“Deal with it? I’m not sure what you mean by that.”

“The sword art of Luzen is our pride. This boy has stolen and imitated our secret technique. That is theft and insult to the family. He must pay for it.”

Kaiden’s tone left no room for negotiation.

In the world of mages, stealing a secret art was a crime worthy of losing a hand.

Stern glanced at the mana blade in my hand and gave a faint smile.

“Kaiden, you are too rigid. If your daughter Petra had copied rune magic, I would have called it genius. But you lack generosity.”

Kaiden frowned.

“I did not come here to be lectured.”

“Life is always a lesson.”

Kaiden clicked his tongue.

“There is no point continuing this. We will return to the main estate.”

He turned away.

“…Let’s go, Petra.”

“Yes, y-yes!”

Kaiden summoned a floating greatsword beneath him, placed Petra on it like cargo, and shot into the sky.

A crimson streak disappeared into the forest.

I watched quietly.

So that’s how flight magic can be used.

Then Stern approached us.

“No one is injured?”

“Yes.”

“I see. I apologize for arriving late. We had to handle matters outside the barrier first.”

“It’s fine. We’re alive because of it.”

Stern had already been watching everything, or so it felt. His gaze lingered on me with interest.

“I heard you used Luzen’s magic.”

“I had no choice. My sword broke, so I had to improvise.”

“Good. Using everything available is the mark of talent. Copying Luzen’s art using Benheim’s mana system… impressive learning speed.”

“If you say so. Luzen’s head didn’t look very happy though.”

“That is Kaiden’s immaturity. Do not worry. He will not be able to harm you anymore.”

“Why not?”

“You will see soon enough.”

Stern ordered the others to leave.

“You will return to the Benheim estate. I will follow after stabilizing the situation.”

“Yes.”

“And Reygan, a room has been prepared in the main house.”

I frowned.

“The main house?”

“Yes. That will be your place from now on.”

Not the outer branch quarters.

The main estate.

Meaning the place reserved for direct descendants.

So that meant…

“Welcome, Reygan von Benheim.”

Only then did I understand what Stern meant when he said Kaiden would no longer be able to touch me.

—

That afternoon, rain began to fall softly.

I stared at the raindrops hitting the window, letting out a long yawn.

I wasn’t particularly tired. Just bored.

“Reygan, you’re really part of our family now?”

Renia asked with sparkling eyes.

“Dad accepted you into Benheim’s main house. That’s what it means.”

“I see.”

“It’s a huge deal! It only happens once in decades for an outsider mage!”

She looked more excited than I was.

She kept talking about the main estate, the rooms, the library, even offering to guide me everywhere.

I smiled faintly and shook my head.

“Later. There’s no rush.”

Time.

I had plenty of it.

The Demon King would start his war in seven years.

But even now, his agents were already inside Benheim.

Even the family’s elders were black mages.

If even Benheim had been infiltrated, nowhere else was safe.

The Demon King had already begun weaving his net beneath the surface.

“Things are going to get busy,” I muttered.

A knock interrupted my thoughts.

The door opened. Steward Allet and maid Sheryl entered, followed by Stern.

“Resting?”

“Yes.”

“Father! What room is Reygan getting? Give him a room on the second floor!”

Renia clung to Stern, but he gently stopped her.

“Renia, step out for a moment. I need to speak with Reygan alone.”

“Ugh… fine…”

She pouted but left reluctantly.

Stern sat across from me.

“The interrogation of Elder Beron will begin tonight. But I doubt we will get useful information.”

“Why not?”

“He is bound by multiple layers of curses. He cannot speak anything important without triggering a death seal.”

As expected.

Black mages always used such methods.

“So we will proceed with a manhunt for Marquel. If we are lucky, we may reach the mastermind.”

Stern took a sip of tea.

“Regardless, your contribution is undeniable. You eliminated corruption within the house and saved my children.”

He set the cup down and looked at me.

“Benheim never forgets merit. So I will reward you. Reygan, what do you want?”

So it had come.

A reward… and a test.

After a brief silence, I spoke.

“Anything I want?”

“As long as it is within my power.”

“Even access to the family vault?”

“That is bold. But yes. Even that would be allowed.”

The Benheim vault.

I already knew what I wanted.

“I don’t need gold or treasure.”

Stern tilted his head.

“Then what do you want?”

I looked him straight in the eyes.

“Do you remember what I asked when we first spoke in the dungeon?”

Stern fell silent.

“It is connected to that request.”

His expression darkened slightly.

He already had a guess.

What I was going to say.

“Give me your daughter.”

As always.

That was my real goal.