CH 4

Leo returned to the mansion, leaving the fainted Celia alone.

Reina and Jess were conversing in the mansion's main hall.

Gerdinger knights stood lined up around them.

Reina smiled when she saw her son.

“Papi, is today’s training over?”

“Yes, Mother.”

After answering, Leo glanced at Jess.

'Gerdinger... Interesting.'

Even in his previous life, Jess-like warriors were rare.

'As expected, the name Hero family is not in vain.'

“Leo, this is Jess Gerdinger. Our guest who came to visit our family this time.”

“Hello, My name is Leo Flove.”

“It’s Jess Gerdinger. As you may already know, I am your uncle. So be more comfortable.”

“May I ask what it means to be comfortable?”

“What do you mean?”

“I have Gerdinger's blood in my veins. But still not  Gerdinger.”

Seeing Leo clearly drawing a line, Jess's eyes lit up while Reina shook her head helplessly.

'My son doesn't have the cuteness of his age.'

Jess Gerdinger.

The deputy head of the Gerdinger family and the second in command in the power hierarchy.

When such a person speaks in a friendly way and asks to call him uncle, children of his age are bound to be excited.

But Leo was different.

Although they were related by blood, they are strangers in terms of lineage.

Moreover, Gerdinger family law is very strict.

It was for this reason, Reina did not introduce Jess as his uncle.

Leo guessed that too, which was why he asked.

“And, I can’t call you my nephew in public.”

"I understand."

Jess burst out laughing when he saw Leo responding right away.

"I can't believe he's your son, sister."

"Hahaha. What does that mean, Jess?”

Reina, asked laughingly as she stepped on Jess' feet.

"Leo. Did you see a girl named Celia at the training ground?"

“Oh, you mean her?”

Leo glanced at the front door of the mansion.

Celia was being carried on a stretcher with foam on her face.

"Huh! Oh, Miss!”

“What is this!”

Gerdinger knights were astonished.

"What!"

Even Jess burst into exclamations.

'Did he beat Celia with a body that hasn't mastered aura?'

“Sir Whiton, what the hell happened?”

Whiton explained what happened at the training ground in response to Jess' question.

Jess shook his head when he heard everything.

The cause of her defeat was obvious.

'Pride.'

Celia underestimated Leo just because he can't use aura.

Of course, according to common sense, what she thought was not wrong.

There was indeed an enormous difference in combat power between aura users and non-aura users.

Still, the fact that Celia was caught off guard remains unchanged.

'And that's not the way of Gerdinger.'

Jess stood in front of Leo.

"You beat Celia, that's amazing."

“It’s because she looked down on me.”

"Indeed. But from what I heard there is an agreement between Celia and you.”

"Yes. I made a wager with Celia Gerdinger. The loser would become the winner's servant."

"What!"

“Do you think it makes sense?”

The Gerdinger knights were angry as if they heard something intolerable.

How can a Gerdinger direct descendant be a servant?

Gerdinger knights glared at Leo as their eyes burned.

But Leo spoke without being intimidated.

“From now on, Celia Gerdinger will be my maid for a week.”

Reina smiled at her son’s words.

She knew her son had a strong personality.

Still, she did not expect him to say something so calmly while the Gerdinger knights were staring at him in rage.

'Who did he take after to have such a personality.'

Meanwhile, Jess revealed a soft smile.

“Celia is a Gerdinger. You can’t take her as a maid.”

He spoke as if he was commanding.

“Your bet, I want you to turn a blind eye to it. Instead, I will give you another reward. Yes, for example... … .”

Jess stroked his chin.

“How about our family’s high-level Aura method?”

“I refuse.”

"What?"

“The bet is between me and Celia Gerdinger.”

Leo spoke as he glanced at Celia.

“Just now, Sir Jess called her 'Gerdinger'. As long as she bears the name of a Hero family, she should be able to take responsibility for her words and actions.”

Leo turned his gaze and met Jess' eyes again.

“Even if there is an agreement, it’s between me and her. And… … .”

Leo nailed it.

"I don't think it's worthwhile to learn an aura method that could be used to avoid shame for your niece."

The eyes of Gerdinger knight's eyes flared as they grind their teeth.

“Unacceptable!”

“How dare you insult the Gerdinger family!”

Knights screamed in a fit of rage.

Seeing this, Whiton became enraged and scolded the knights.

“How gusty of you guys to raise your voice at this place!”

“Ha, but Captain!”

"Why do you stay still even after hearing that?"

“Yes… that brat … .”

Reina, who was watching the situation, shook her head with an expressionless face.

“Since I left the family, the Gerdinger knights’ level seems to have dropped a lot.”

“Miss Reina, even if you were once a Gerdinger, your words crossed the line!”

A knight warned.

And at those words, Whiton's eyes turned lifeless.

"How dare you!"

When Whiton was about to vent his rage.

Reina raised her hand and stopped Whiton.

Then she stood in front of the knight who warned her.

“I crossed the line? Then what about you guys? What the hell are you doing, recklessly interfering in the conversation of the main bloodlines?”

Her chilly question made the knights feel embarrassed.

"Well, that's..."

“Obviously I left the family. But still, I am a proud Gerdinger. So I guess I have to say something.”

Bluish energy flowed from Reina's body.

“Which kind of mediocre knight intervenes in the conversation of the main lineage? Are you guys knights? Or beasts that are busy barking regardless of the circumstances?”

“Heup!”

The knights held their breath.

‘This is the majesty of Miss Reina. It’s similar to that of the patriarch.’

Jess, who had been quietly watching the scene, spoke softly.

“Sir Whiton.”

“Yes, Lord Jess.”

“It seems that they still lack the qualifications to be Gerdinger knights.”

"Yes."

The knights' faces turned pale.

Whiton took the stiffy knights and left the main hall.

“Still, isn’t it too much to disqualify their knighthood?”

Reina scolded slightly, knowing how difficult it was to become a Gerdinger Knight.

“There is nothing wrong with what you said. A knight like that is nothing but a beast.”

Jess laughed softly.

He was a man who was gentle with the mistakes of his subordinates,

However, he was also a person who cold-heartedly cuts the subordinate if the mistake continues.

The knights should have realized their mistake and backed off when Reina warned them.

As a storm passed by, Jess looked at Leo again.

“Leo Flove. You declared that you would treat a Gerdinger direct descendant as a maid, and said that Gerdinger's aura method is worthless. Is that right?”

"Yes."

“Don’t you think that statement is frivolous?”

Jess asked in a gentle voice.

Reina looked at him blankly.

Jess was in charge of educating the blood relatives of the Gerdinger family.

The teacher of all the Gerdinger children.

So he was good at seeing through children's caliber.

'I guess he's still measuring Leo's worth.'

Perhaps by Jess' standard, Leo would have already received a passing grade.

‘Why do you still push Leo?’

That was because he still hadn't figured out how vast Leo’s caliber was.

Leo also grasped Jess' intentions.

So he laughed on the inside.

“If you took it as an insult to Gerdinger, I apologize. But I wasn’t particularly insulting.”

“Isn’t it an insult if you said that you would take a direct descendant of our family as a maid and said that our family Aura method has no value?”

“It’s Celia Gerdinger's problem. As I said before, it’s my deal with her. I thought that if she was a real Gerdinger, she should be able to take responsibility for her words.”

“Hoo?”

Jess nodded.

"And saying Aura is worthless does not imply that Gerdinger Aura is lacking."

"Then?"

“If Sir Jess had bestowed an aura method in return for defeating Celia, I would have gladly accepted it.”

Jess's lips slowly began to curl.

“But didn’t Sir Jess say that he would give me an aura method in order to cover up Celia’s mistake?”

"Yes."

“It means, Sir Jess thought Celia wouldn’t have lost to me if she didn’t look down on me.”

He raised his chin in affirmation.

“But even if Celia took the fight seriously, I would have won.”

'To sum up… … Did you say no because you didn't like my attitude? Haha, what a guy?'

Jess burst into laughter.

Then he turned his head and looked at Reina, who was also smiling.

'Now, I understand my sister's words in the letter.'

Jess giggled as he saw Leo looking straight at him in a bold manner.

'He has a great capacity. If only this kid was a Gerdinger! I have to tell brother. Gerdinger would be able to create another hero with its hands. This is a child that must be raised in the family.’

"Send Celia to the maid's room."

“B… But my Lord!”

The servants who were caring for Celia on a stretcher looked puzzled.

“It’s an order.”

The servants hesitantly took Celia to the maid's room.

“We understand. We will do as you said.”

"Yes. Sir Jess.”

"Leo. Earlier I said I would not call you my nephew in public, it also means that I will treat you as a nephew in private.”

Jess laughed softly.

No matter what capacity Leo had, these words were sincere.

Knowing that Leo obediently followed.

“Yes, Uncle.”

"Good. You seem to be tired from training, so go and have some rest. Good night.”

Leo bowed his head.

“Good night, mother.”

"Yes. Go get some rest, Papi."

Leo left, leaving only the two of them.

"Sister."

"What?”

"I'll try to persuade brother to give Leo [Phoenix Breath]."

“Phoenix Breath?”

Gerdinger's symbol was a burning flame.

Befitting the symbol, Gerdinger's aura takes the form of a flame.

Among them, Phoenix Breath was special.

It was said that the first Gerdinger invented the aura method by drinking the blood of the phoenix.

The Phoenix Breath was the base for all the family's Aura techniques.

It was the power that made the first Gerdinger recognized as a hero.

That was why only those who are recognized as a genius of the family were allowed to learn it.

Reina, who didn't think Leo would be given the Phoenix Breath, couldn't help but be surprised.

"Yes. Of course, it is unknown whether the head of the household will allow it.”

Jess said seriously.

“But Leo acts more like a Gerdinger child than anyone else.”

The swordsmanship talent that could defeat Celia.

An immeasurably huge caliber.

“So I need an excuse to convince brother.”

“Excuse?”

"Yes."

Jess nodded.

“He has to enter Lumeln this year.”

"It’s Dangerous."

Lumeln was a place where anyone who aspires to be a Hero dreams of entering.

However, in order to enter Lumeln, it would require a lot of determination.

There was a saying that Lumeln's students were all geniuses.

However, the number of people who graduate was very small.

Of course, it does not expel students who are left behind.

Rather, they spare no support for them to move forward.

However, if you still can't keep up with the class.

Students are given two options.

Drop out or Death.

Life at Lumeln academy is harsh.

And the hardest thing was that even the entrance exam is also the same.

Every year, children lose their lives during the entrance exam.

That was why Reina insisted on Leo taking the entrance exam after he learned the Aura method.

"Since Leo can’t use aura, he has limitations in actual combat."

"There are numerous possibilities. This is the only way I can persuade brother."

Jess clenched his fists.

“What kind of person do you want Leo to become?”

"What do you mean?"

“Don’t you want him to be a Hero?”

"If that's what the child wants."

“Then he can't just take the safe road. I don't think it's a bad idea for him to take the exam.”

“… … .”

“What would you like to do?”

Reina closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

“I will follow Leo’s wishes.”

'Of course, he would agree to it.'

Jess was sure.

'He has eyes that don't hesitate to move forward.'

Remembering Leo's eyes, Jess smiled.

'Huhu, I am looking forward to it.'