Chapter 4

Chapter 004

2 Strong, 5 Weak.

In the continent where seven countries are gathered, the Kailum Empire holds the position of one of the two strong powers. Its territory covers more than a quarter of the continent, and it is a hegemonic state where numerous noble families govern their own territories under the leadership of a powerful emperor. Among them is the Grindhouse family, to which Aren belongs.

The Grindhouse family, located in the eastern part of the empire, is a distinguished noble family with vast lands and two mines, befitting its title as a baronial family. It is said that the family's origins trace back to the founding of the empire, and in the eastern region where the Grindhouse family is located, they wield considerable influence.

'Just so-so.'

However, Aren felt a lack of interest.

'Too weak.'

Even if Vexter, who accompanied Aren as his bodyguard, had the support of the baroness, Vexter was far from meeting Aren's standards, despite not being weak.

The problem was the two knight squads that had come to capture Aren.

'Knight squads are the military power of the family.'

While the two knight squads might not be the main force, the knights were far too weak.

Of course, Aren did not intend to underestimate the military power of this world. The memories imprinted in his mind when his consciousness opened included the history of the continent, and it was true that there had been superhumans who were hard to come by even for Aren, according to historical records.

Aren quietly looked down at his hands.

Clean and spotless, with no signs of hardship, these were the hands of a noble.

With these hands, he had wiped out an entire knight squad of the baronial family, so overturning the entire baronial family wouldn't be too difficult.

Tick. Tick.

A quiet sound resonated within Aren's body, inaudible to others.

The Dragon Subjugation Technique was gradually transforming his body in real-time.

Though extremely slow, it steadily and unceasingly transformed Aren's body into that of a dragon, making him stronger in real-time.

Aren now was stronger than he was a moment ago, and he would be even stronger tomorrow.

Turning the carriage around to head back to the baronial family and kill the baroness to claim what was his wouldn't be bad, but...

"It's troublesome."

Vexter and the servants flinched at his indifferent mutter, but Aren paid no attention.

"The bed is prepared."

Just as everyone's faces turned pale, Verona stepped forward.

"Understood."

Aren watched the servants carefully prepare the beds and then climbed into the carriage.

He lay down on the soft blanket, prepared at some point, and closed his eyes.

'...I'll have to visit later.'

He had never given up anything that came into his hands.

* * *

The group marveled at the towering, pristine castle walls, but Aren's gaze was fixed on something beyond.

'Not bad.'

In his eyes, which shimmered with a strange light, he saw a powerful flow of energy coursing through the entire wall.

Aren, who had just begun to open his Dragon Eye, observed the energy circulating according to a certain law, then averted his gaze.

Perhaps due to the strain of using his immature Dragon Eye, he closed his eyes and smiled.

'Really not bad. Is that magic?'

It took three days to reach the Academy City of Jupiter.

During the three days of travel since he regained consciousness, Aren learned about this world from Vexter and Verona.

There were many interesting stories, but what caught his interest the most was the personal military power.

The existence of magic was something even the stoic Aren couldn't help but find fascinating.

'Guess I was wrong.'

Unlike what he had expected, which was similar to incantations or dark arts, the magic he saw directly gave him a fresh shock.

Though he didn't delve deeply into it, Aren had a certain level of expertise in incantations and dark arts due to his martial arts background.

When he first heard about magic, he wondered how impressive it could be, but seeing a fragment of magic in front of him changed his mind.

'There's always something to learn, even from a street urchin... I still have a long way to go.'

With this new realization, Aren smiled as the carriage arrived at the main gate of Jupiter.

People were lined up to enter the city, but the emblem and influence of the baronial family made them step aside.

"This is Aren, the young master of the Grindhouse family."

Vexter, standing straight, spoke politely to a knight in ornate armor.

"Please wait a moment."

The knight, after verifying the emblem Vexter presented, approached the carriage and carefully opened the door.

"Excuse me."

The knight, who had been momentarily taken aback by Aren's striking appearance—his platinum hair, pale skin, and indifferent eyes that seemed too mature for a child, and the decadent aura he exuded—bowed respectfully.

"Pass!"

The soldiers blocking the road stepped aside, and the carriage slowly entered the city gates.

"Do you know him?"

"I don't."

"Excuse me?"

The soldier was surprised by the unexpected answer, and the knight chuckled.

"There's no way someone would dare to impersonate a baronial family."

Recalling Aren's presence and authority, the knight continued.

"If he's not a noble, then there are no nobles in this world."

* * *

Jupiter was meticulously planned and constructed.

During the time when the Kailum Empire was just one of many countries on the continent, a great king decided to cultivate talent for the future and devoted the nation's resources to build a city, which became Jupiter.

Built solely for the purpose of cultivating talent, the city's functions are centered around education.

"That's why everything in Jupiter revolves around the students."

Vexter explained to Aren, who was nibbling on a skewer bought from a street vendor.

"Exactly."

"Literal. At least within Jupiter, the authority of students rivals that of high-ranking nobles."

Despite still showing signs of tension, Vexter seemed to have adapted to Aren.

"Jupiter has a significant number of commoners to prevent talented individuals from being prematurely eliminated due to external pressure or unfair reasons."

Aren, who was wiping his mouth with a handkerchief given by Verona, listened as Vexter continued.

"Of course, the authority of nobles isn't completely ineffective. However, within Jupiter, commoners can challenge nobles under certain circumstances."

"Is that so."

Aren, who gave a nonchalant response, climbed into the carriage, and Laurent slowly started driving it.

While thinking that the old, loyal servant was quite skilled at driving, Aren listened as Verona, who had been sitting primly, spoke.

"I need to ask for permission."

Aren, who had been quietly watching Verona, nodded lightly.

"Originally, we should have stayed at the family's villa in Jupiter, but when I sent Send to check, it turned out the owner had changed."

Though Verona spoke calmly, the corners of her eyes betrayed her unease.

"There's still time before the academy enrollment. I'm sorry, but we'll need to find new accommodations."

Seeing her bitten lip and the tears welling in her eyes, Aren closed his eyes quietly.

Verona was a maid who came with Aren's birth mother when she joined the Grindhouse family.

She raised Aren in place of his frail birth mother and was a loyal servant who looked only to Aren, rather than the baronial family.

Despite noticing that Aren had been acting strangely over the past few days, she continued to show her loyalty.

"It's not your fault."

"…Young master."

Aren, though not overly kind, was not one to demand the impossible from his servants or subordinates.

This incident clearly fell outside Verona's capabilities, so holding her responsible would be unfair.

"What's the plan?"

"Vexter is looking for new accommodations."

Aren nodded and leaned back in the carriage as Vexter, who had been running around, began guiding the group, and they soon reached their destination.

The building that appeared before Aren's eyes as he got out of the carriage was a four-story structure.

While it was considered decent by commoner standards, it was far from suitable for a baronial family's young master.

"…I apologize for the humble accommodations."

The servants, including Vexter and Verona, looked anxious.

"…This is the best we could find with the money we have."

Seeing Vexter bow solemnly, Aren chuckled.

"Do you have a plan for funding?"

"Yes, yes! I plan to contact the elders. No matter how much influence the baroness has, she can't stop the elders from stepping in."

Aren, the legitimate heir of the baronial family, could not be ignored, even in the current tense atmosphere.

While his disappearance due to an unfortunate accident might not have been a big issue, his enrollment in Jupiter made his treatment a matter of the baronial family's reputation.

Even if the baroness tried to restrain him, the influence of the elders, who were loyal to the baronial family, could not be ignored, according to Vexter.

However, it would take some time to resolve, so they would have to stay in these less-than-ideal accommodations for now.

Aren, who had no major complaints, thought to himself, 'As long as it blocks the wind, this is fine.'

He was a self-made absolute ruler.

Starting as a wanderer and enduring all kinds of hardships to rise to the top of the martial world, the luxury of accommodations was not a concern for him.

Most importantly, he had loyal servants to assist him.

Aren thought this was more than enough.

Leaving the surprised innkeeper and staff behind, he entered the room he was shown to.

Though it didn't meet the standards of a baronial family's young master, the room was clean, and the bed was neatly made.

"Much better than sleeping on the streets."

Aren, satisfied, sat up and assumed a cross-legged position, placing his hands gently on his knees and half-closing his eyes to begin meditating.

With a deep breath, the world's energy flowed into Aren's body,

and with an exhalation, he expelled the unnecessary evil qi from his body.

This cycle of accepting the good and expelling the bad continued steadily.

Thud. Thud.

Listening to the resonance of the Dragon Subjugation Technique as it evolved his body, Aren fell into thought.

'Faster than expected. Is it the difference in environment?'

The rapid progress of the Dragon Subjugation Technique exceeded his expectations.

For Aren, who had reached the level of a grandmaster, uncertainty in progress was something to be wary of, but he found the reason while introspecting.

The density of the world's energy, called mana in this world and qi in his previous world, was different.

Aren estimated it to be at least twice as dense.

With the difference in the amount of energy absorbed at once, it was natural for the progress to differ.

This speed would only accelerate over time, meaning he would regain his original strength in a relatively short period.

"It's good to not be bored."

To Aren, everything in the world was always predetermined.

With his powerful martial arts and authority, unexpected events rarely occurred, and when he reached the level of seeing through the world's principles, he had reached the peak of boredom.

However, in just four days since his awakening, unexpected events had been happening one after another, making him quite pleased.

What new surprises would tomorrow bring?

With this thought, Aren closed his eyes.