Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Chapter 4. Platypus

Parched, cracked earth.

Dry grass barely managing to grow through the fissures, and rocks carved by the wind.

The outskirts of the Anper territory were little different from an uninhabitable wasteland.

Crackle.

The grasses swaying with the currents of air suddenly began trembling violently.

Because the power of thunder, which should have remained in the heavens, was ‘racing’ toward them.

Crackle!

The figure that appeared with sparks bursting beneath his feet burned the dry grass away without leaving a trace.

Movement that was swift in every sense of the word.

Its speed was enough to make one believe the god of wind himself was pushing him from behind, yet the source of that power was not wind, but lightning.

“Phew...”

A handsome platinum-blond young man wiped the sweat beneath his chin with the back of his hand and steadied his breathing.

His clear blue eyes turned toward the path he had come from.

“I’ve improved a lot.”

Somewhere between a boy and a young man.

His clean, sharp lips curved upward with satisfaction.

One month had passed since awakening the power of the grimoire.

Kawin had spent that time making up for what he lacked most.

“Unless they’re a seasoned knight, I doubt anyone could catch me now.”

Lightning Speed.

A gift granted to Kawin by the Orbis after completing its first ring.

For the past month, Kawin had run and run until the soles of his feet were soaked with sweat.

Whenever his breathing grew ragged, he switched to strength training.

And when his muscles began screaming, he ran again.

His body screamed, yet Kawin’s mind felt as though it could soar.

Being able to run.

How could that alone not be a source of happiness!

To Kawin, who had once been unable to see, even his pounding heartbeat sounded like the drums of a festival.

Kawin lowered his gaze and examined his body.

‘My lung capacity and muscle mass have both increased tremendously.’

If someone posted Kawin’s body on a fitness forum and claimed, ‘I built this in one month’?

Kawin would get roasted into dust all night.

People would accuse him of showing off or being a pathological liar.

That was how solid a body he had built in such a short time.

His dense muscles were packed with elasticity, and his sensitive reflexes gave him confidence that he could compete even with knights who had trained for decades.

It was such a balanced physique that he looked more like an aspiring knight than a mage.

‘This must be another effect of awakening.’

He had heard that a mage’s body became sturdier after completing a Circle.

Their muscles recovered more quickly, and their wounds healed faster.

But Kawin’s growth had far surpassed even those mages.

The training had been successful.

For mages, whose attacks were mostly long-ranged, the greatest danger was an enemy ‘closing the distance.’

Now that he had grown somewhat accustomed to ‘Lightning Speed,’ he could prevent enemies from approaching so easily.

It was an ability that would remain useful for a long time.

“Should I head back?”

Kawin finished his training a little earlier than usual.

Once a month.

It was the day when cheap, delicious meat appeared in the impoverished Anper Viscounty.

* * *

The decline of the Lightning branch had not happened yesterday or today.

In other words, it was not the fault of the current family head, Xymoron.

Even so, Xymoron collected only the bare minimum of taxes from those living in his territory.

Almost as though apologizing for making them live in such poor conditions.

Perhaps their feelings were mutual.

The residents’ loyalty toward House Anper was quite strong, and that affection naturally extended to Kawin as well.

“Young Master! Where have you been off to again?”

“We haven’t seen you around the territory much lately. Is something going on?”

“Whatever you do, don’t go all the way to the outskirts. Monsters might appear out there.”

“Not that you’d have the stamina to make it that far anyway! Hahaha!”

The residents overflowed with so much concern and affection that they even joked with him.

Wasn’t there a saying that a tiger father never sired a dog son?

He occasionally heard affectionate scolding directed at a son who seemed rather unimpressive compared to his father.

Kawin casually responded to their attention and headed toward the manor.

The residents could never have imagined.

That the place Kawin had just returned from training was the very same monster-infested area they had warned him about.

Or that the fertile land recently added to the Viscounty had been created through Kawin’s magic.

‘Today’s the day the Prios Merchant Company arrives, right?’

A merchant company that traveled through the northeastern empire with dozens of wagons.

The Prios Merchant Company visited the Anper Viscounty once every month.

It was thanks to them that the residents occasionally got to eat cheap meat.

Was that why?

The residents looked especially cheerful when they saw Kawin, their voices brimming with energy.

He expected his father and Vilcus at the manor to look no different.

“Young Master.”

When he reached the manor, Vilcus was unusually waiting at the front gate.

“Why are you out here? I heard the head merchant hasn’t left yet.”

“My stomach is unsettled.”

Vilcus said that while scratching an eyebrow with one finger.

Judging by everything Kawin had seen from him so far, that gesture meant it was not his stomach but his mood that was unsettled.

“Did something happen? Everyone else seems happy now that they’ve had some meat.”

“You will probably understand once you go inside.”

With that, Vilcus turned his back first.

For some reason, a bitterly cold air seemed to trail after him, prompting Kawin to quicken his pace.

* * *

“Hahahaha!”

Booming laughter repeatedly echoed through House Anper’s banquet hall.

Though calling it a banquet hall was generous. It was merely a dining room slightly larger than an ordinary room.

The owner of the voice was Prau Prios.

The head of the Prios Merchant Company and a wealthy man who wielded considerable influence throughout the northeastern empire.

He had a generally large face and somewhat greasy-looking eyes, though his well-groomed beard seemed to offset that impression.

“It truly is pleasant visiting the Anper territory again. I’ve been suffering from a runny nose lately, but the moment I breathed this clean air, my nose cleared right up!”

“That is fortunate. Thank you for always stopping by this insignificant place, Merchant Master.”

“I’m the one who should be thanking you. Thanks to how well you have managed your territory, my longstanding problem has been resolved. If I could, I would gladly stay here much longer!”

Hearing the voice from afar, Kawin smacked his lips.

On the surface, the man seemed to be praising them, but beneath it was a subtle implication that this place was some backwater village.

Judging by Vilcus’s expression, as though he had eaten spoiled raw beef, he seemed to think the same.

“My lord! The Young Master has arrived.”

“Let him in.”

The door opened with a creak.

Xymoron sat at the head of the table, with two men seated to his left.

Merchant Master Prau and a handsome young man who appeared to be around Kawin’s age.

“Oh! If it isn’t the shining hope of House Anper! Please, take a seat!”

Prau welcomed Kawin with exaggerated gestures.

Kawin bowed lightly before sitting.

His gaze shifted toward Xymoron.

‘His expression definitely isn’t good. Did Prau’s tone get on his nerves?’

No.

There was something else.

Given Xymoron’s usual personality, this alone would never be enough to make his expression harden.

‘In that case...’

It had to be this side.

Kawin’s eyes settled on the young man in his late teens.

Apparently noticing Kawin’s gaze, the young man offered him a relaxed smile.

“Come to think of it, this must be your first time meeting. Introduce yourself. This is my inadequate son, Andne.”

“A pleasure to meet you. I am Andne Prios, eldest son of the Prios Merchant Company.”

He placed particular emphasis on the word ‘Prios.’

Though he bowed politely, it was obvious that he took great pride in his family.

A fallen viscount’s house barely surviving on a handful of territory.

A merchant company roaming freely across the empire and raking in wealth.

One was noble and the other commoner, yet the invisible gap between them leaned overwhelmingly in the opposite direction.

“Kawin Anper.”

“It’s a shame you didn’t arrive a little earlier. We brought out some extra food after hearing you would be coming, Young Master. Free of charge, of course.”

Andne spread both arms as though deliberately showing off.

And indeed, the table was covered with delicacies Kawin had never seen before.

Kawin silently stared down at the table.

Then suddenly grinned.

“That’s kind of you.”

And immediately began working his fork without pause, devouring everything before him.

There was not the slightest concern for dignity in his behavior.

But Kawin was genuinely enjoying the meal.

‘If I don’t eat it, I’m the only one losing out.’

His nonchalant attitude instead made Prau and his son widen their eyes.

Ordinarily, someone in this situation would have swallowed their bitterness while pretending to remain dignified.

Even Xymoron watched his son eat with his large eyes blinking in surprise.

“Whew. As expected of goods handled by the finest merchant company in the northeast. Every dish has an excellent taste and aroma.”

“Ah... yes.”

Merchant Master Prau answered reflexively while studying Kawin.

Years of running a merchant company had given him a certain degree of insight.

To handle such an insulting situation so casually?

Normally there were only two possibilities.

Either he was an immature child too foolish to understand the hidden meaning,

or he was a man of tremendous character.

‘Well, anyone can tell it’s the first.’

Prau chuckled dismissively and took a sip from his wine.

Now that the Kawin he had been waiting for had arrived, it was time to get to the point.

“My lord. Now that my son has achieved his first accomplishment, I am thinking of sending him to a specialized institution.”

“By specialized institution, you mean the Academy?”

“Yes. Commoners like us must pay an enormous sum to enter, but what parent would hesitate over thousands or tens of thousands of gold pieces when investing in their child? He has completed a Circle, something more valuable than money, so I see no reason to hesitate.”

“Hmm.”

Xymoron slowly nodded.

Xymoron could smile without the slightest bitterness even while farming instead of carrying out noble duties.

But apparently even he found it difficult to hide his feelings when it concerned his child.

Of course Xymoron wanted to send his son to the Academy.

But as far as he could tell, Kawin had not completed a Circle and could not even properly sense the basic flow of mana.

‘So that’s what this is about.’

Kawin now understood the entire situation.

Prau’s son, Andne, appeared to have awakened his abilities as a mage.

A First Circle, the qualification needed to enter the Academy.

After graduating from the Academy and distinguishing himself as a mage, he could even receive a title from the Emperor.

He could obtain ‘status,’ something money could never buy.

For Prau, a man who possessed nothing but wealth, there could hardly be anything more satisfying.

‘He could just celebrate by himself. The reason he dragged his son all the way here to show him off is...’

An inferiority complex over what he did not possess.

Even the status of a thoroughly fallen viscount remained something beyond Prau’s reach.

People naturally became obsessed with what they could never have.

He kept babbling about respecting Xymoron and loving this Viscounty, but...

‘It’s all lies.’

Through his breathing and the scent of his sweat, Kawin could see directly through to his true feelings.

Everything coming from Prau’s mouth was deception aimed at his father, Xymoron.

Therefore,

‘I can’t just sit here and do nothing.’

It was not simply because of the deception directed at his father.

Recalling Prau’s words and the contents of the novel, Kawin remembered something he absolutely had to ‘obtain.’

Even while Kawin was making his decision, Prau continued boasting so enthusiastically that spittle flew from his mouth.

“Somehow, this boy completed a Circle of the Martial Mage branch. Perhaps he inherited his father’s impatience and prefers letting his body act first. Haha!”

“A Martial Mage. Certainly a rare branch. Rather than using long-range magic, they coat their entire bodies in mana and fight in close combat, correct?”

“Precisely. A mage acquaintance of mine said that Martial Mages are in considerable demand because of their unusual fighting style. And that is why...”

Prau curled one corner of his lips upward as he asked Xymoron,

“Would you be willing to offer him some guidance as a senior mage? Through a sparring match, of course.”

“...”

Xymoron’s Adam’s apple bobbed once.

Thick veins bulged across Vilcus’s sparsely covered scalp.

Publicly, Xymoron was known to possess one Circle.

Calling him a senior hardly meant much when they were at the same level.

And even that Circle belonged to Lightning, regarded as the weakest branch. What guidance could he possibly offer?

If he accepted, he would be humiliated by a novice mage young enough to be his son.

If he refused, word would spread throughout the region that the viscount was petty and cowardly.

Quite literally, trapped with no way forward or back.

Prau’s malice was far more persistent than expected.

“I...”

Xymoron hesitated for a long moment as though thorns were lodged in his mouth, just as he was about to speak.

A muffled voice came from the opposite side of Prau.

“Platypus.”

“...Excuse me?”

The person who interrupted was none other than Kawin.

Still stuffing the remaining food into his mouth, he continued.

“I heard they call Martial Mages ‘platypuses’ in the Iron Empire. They fight like knights, but their bodies are weak. They can handle mana, but they can’t cast magic. Neither one thing nor the other, just like a platypus.”

“...!”

Blood truly did not lie.

Just look at those vicious expressions father and son were wearing side by side.

They were no longer even trying to hide them.

Kawin turned toward Andne.

“Rather than asking my father for guidance, why don’t you teach me instead? I’d like to know how strong a mage who has only just completed a Circle really is.”

“Young Master... are you saying you wish to spar with me?”

Andne asked back in disbelief, while Prau instead revealed a triumphant smile.

Whether it was Xymoron or Kawin.

As long as he could humiliate the bloodline of a viscount, either one would do.

And if it was Kawin, his son could beat him senseless with even less hesitation.

“Kawin!”

In contrast, Xymoron’s face hardened even further.

To a degree incomparable to when Prau had been provoking him.

Instead of answering, Kawin let determination burn in his eyes.

Just this once, let me do as I wish.

“...!”

Perhaps he was overwhelmed by that determination, unable to refuse his son’s request,

or simply had no other option.

Xymoron gave a difficult nod.

“Let us go outside.”

* * *

The Anper family manor did not even possess something as commonplace as a sparring ground.

They moved instead to the field behind the manor.

Amid the slowly swaying wind, Kawin and Andne stood facing one another.

Kawin rolled his neck once and recalled [Swordmaster of the Heavenly Slaughter Star].

‘Good thing I read the book so carefully.’

Prau, a merchant master who had spent his life controlling his expressions, had reacted so violently merely to the word platypus.

Platypus was not a nickname Kawin had invented.

He had simply repeated a line spoken by knights in [Swordmaster of the Heavenly Slaughter Star].

This had made one thing perfectly clear.

Lines from the novel could actually prove useful.

“Are you ready?”

Kawin silently nodded.

There was no need to ask about Andne’s condition.

Mana surrounded his entire body like a suit of armor.

‘So that’s how Martial Mages fight.’

They surrounded their bodies with mana and used it like armor in battle.

It was essentially no different from the methods of knights and Swordmasters.

However,

‘I can tell just by looking.’

The power of thunder rooted throughout Kawin’s entire body.

The mana contained within ‘Lightning Speed’ was incomparable to what surrounded Andne.

The Circle Andne had created was only the size of a fist.

Kawin’s Orbis was as large as a house.

A completely superior version.

The difference between a single bucket painstakingly drawn from a well and a massive dam.

Recognizing an opponent’s strength was only possible when both sides were somewhere near the same level.

Andne bared his white teeth, clearly imagining himself beating Kawin senseless.

Then he confidently launched himself forward.

Bang!

The sound of his foot kicking off the ground resembled a gunshot.

“Ooh!”

Prau’s excited cheer erupted from behind Andne.

However,

CRACK!

Unexpectedly, Prau suddenly found himself making eye contact with his son.

Because with the sound of bone breaking, Andne’s body had flipped completely upside down.

Crash!

“A-Andne?”

Prau was not the only one surprised.

Xymoron and Vilcus, who had been watching nervously, stood with their mouths hanging open as though their jaws might hit the ground.

Step. Step.

“Get up.”

Kawin slowly walked toward Andne.

No one else could see it, but tiny sparks were dancing around his clenched fist.