Chapter 5

The Marquess's Magical Genius - Chapter 5 (5/324)

5

Lord Remton.

A knock was heard from inside his study.

"Leopold. May I come in?"

Shortly after, a young blonde knight opened the door and bowed before the marquess.

"Has Kyle caused trouble again?"

If there was a reason for this capable knight to visit, it could only be that.

The marquess sighed and spoke.

"What is it?"

"It's about young master."

The knight began to speak, recounting how Kyle had ignored his grounding and ventured outside the annex.

The marquess's eyes sparkled as he listened.

Exercise and a walk.

Given Kyle's usual behavior, these reasons for going out were surprisingly wholesome.

"Am I hearing this wrong?"

"That's what I just heard."

"So, you allowed it?"

"Yes."

The marquess stared at the young knight.

Leopold.

A knight known for his deep loyalty and sense of duty.

He had assigned his trusted knights to guard his four children, and Leopold was one of them.

If Leopold had disobeyed his orders and allowed Kyle to go out, there must have been a reason.

"Why?"

"Because young master has changed. He is definitely different from before."

Hearing this, a glimmer of curiosity appeared in Remton's eyes.

"Changed? In what way exactly?"

"From his gaze to his demeanor and actions, everything is different."

The marquess raised an eyebrow at this.

Kyle.

That boy could have decided to live earnestly and change his ways.

After all, nothing was impossible.

But even if he had made such a decision,

it was extremely difficult for a person to change everything about themselves in a short period.

"Are you sure?"

"To test him, I sent a contained aura at him. But his eyes didn't even flinch. He even smiled."

"..."

The marquess knew Leopold wouldn't lie, so it must be true.

'A knight at the Expert level, and he still smiled after receiving the aura?'

The ranks of knights are broadly divided into five levels.

Starting from Beginner, then User, Expert, Sword Master, and finally Grand Sword Master.

One is truly considered a knight starting from the Expert level.

Among them, Leopold was at the upper level of Expert.

He was in the top 3% of all knights, a true powerhouse.

Even a novice would wet their pants upon receiving such an aura.

What about Kyle, who was drowning in alcohol?

No matter how determined he was, his eyes wouldn't remain still.

Even seasoned soldiers who had fought for years on the battlefield would find it nearly impossible to remain calm in the face of such an aura.

What kind of change had Kyle undergone?

It was still unknown.

"Lord. I ignored my duty as a guard and sent a killing intent at young master."

"Are you asking for punishment, Leopold?"

"Yes."

"Did Kyle have anything to say?"

Driven by curiosity, Remton asked casually, wondering if the youngest had said anything to this stern knight.

Leopold's expression hardened.

After a moment of hesitation, he said,

"Young master asked me to tell you that he doesn't want you to punish me."

He added this.

A smile appeared on Remton's face.

The boy who used to think only of himself was now considering others.

Whether this was a temporary whim or not would become clear over time.

The marquess, chuckling, said to the knight,

"It's been a while since I've heard such a request. There will be no punishment. And I will allow the boy to go out. As long as he doesn't venture too far from the annex, he can roam freely."

"Understood."

Leopold then left the study.

The marquess, watching him go, fell into thought.

'Kyle.'

One of his more painful fingers.

His youngest son, who had been born with an incurable disease that made his body wither day by day.

Hermemus.

This incurable disease could not be treated by any known method on the continent.

Even if one tried to infuse external energy, the patient's body would not accept it.

If one tried to give him a potent elixir,

his fragile body, blocked on all sides, would shatter from the inside due to the immense power.

The only cure was one.

The patient must gather natural energy on their own to overcome the disease from within.

A cruel paradox.

A body that cannot gather energy must gather energy to overcome the disease.

A body dying day by day.

Kyle must have been unable to withstand the shadow of death that approached him every day.

He must have spent his nights drinking heavily and lashing out at his unfortunate fate.

He understood.

But.

As the head of the family, he couldn't turn a blind eye to the boy's behavior.

Maintaining the family's discipline was more important than protecting his fourth son.

That was why he had half given up on Kyle. Was this youngest son now showing a different path?

Time would tell.

The marquess, having finished his musings, picked up some documents.

* * * * *

After the night passed.

As soon as he opened his eyes in the morning, he went outside.

To his surprise, Leopold was waiting outside his room.

"Are you awake?"

"Is there anything to report?"

"Lord has said that you are allowed to go outside the annex. Of course, not too far."

Hmm.

Not only did he avoid a scolding, but he was also given permission to go out. The results were better than expected.

Indeed.

Life rewards those who take risks.

Should I start moving now?

"I want to go to the library."

"…The library?"

"There's a book I need to see."

Circle.

Becoming a mage in the game was not difficult at all. One could choose a class from the start.

Among the many classes, choosing a mage would naturally grant a 1st Circle.

As a game, this was to be expected.

Unfortunately, this place seemed to be a mix of reality and the game, so the Circle did not form automatically.

'I probably have to create it myself.'

NPCs said they formed Circles by gathering mana in their hearts, but this was second-hand information and couldn't be taken at face value.

Without proper knowledge, attempting to do so could lead to problems.

In the game, many people became cripples while trying to form Circles.

There was even a term for it, similar to "demonic possession."

'Hopefully, there are books in the library that explain how to form a Circle.'

If the world I know is similar, it should be possible to self-study up to 2nd Circle. There were many books on the subject.

3rd Circle and beyond would be a different story, but that's something to think about later.

Soon, he arrived at the library with Leopold.

The size of the library was enormous.

It could easily fit a small elementary school.

Inside, countless books were visible.

'Wow.'

Books here.

Books there.

Despite being a family of swordsmen, their thirst for knowledge was the same. He approached the librarian and asked,

"Do you have any books on magic?"

"…Yes?"

"Do you have books on magic?"

The librarian, who had been staring blankly, quickly replied,

"Yes. We have books up to 2nd Circle…"

Good news.

"Are there any books on forming Circles?"

"Yes. Should I bring them?"

"Sure."

The status of a troublemaker.

This was quite convenient.

Upon giving the order, the librarian, not wanting to get involved, hurriedly ran into the library.

A status that made people work hard.

A moment later,

he received a book with the content he wanted.

"Are you interested in magic?"

He smiled at the voice from behind.

"Sort of."

"…As before, it will be difficult for you to learn magic."

Turning around, he saw a knight with a worried expression.

"Why?"

"Hermemus is a disease that prevents the accumulation of any energy in the body. You know this, don't you? If you're thinking of overcoming the disease with mana instead of aura… it's best not to get your hopes up."

Hermemus.

A blocked body.

This was the term used here to describe the physical condition.

Was this just a taunt, or a warning to prevent the despair that would follow hope?

"Whatever. I know. But, you know."

He looked at Leopold and said,

"To live, you have to try something, right?"

"…Only unparalleled geniuses have overcome Hermemus. Remember when Lord personally guided you?"

Hearing this, a memory resurfaced.

A skinny, twisted child sitting cross-legged, with a large man standing nearby with his arms crossed.

The five-year-old child was concentrating.

"Exhale. Inhale deeply. Forget yourself and entrust yourself to nature. Do you feel anything?"

"…No."

"Kyle."

"Yes, Father."

"If you want to live, you must feel."

"…Feel what?"

"Aura. From now on, sit cross-legged for three hours every day. Try to feel. That's the first step."

Day one.

Day two.

A hundred days passed.

Kyle felt nothing.

He had no talent for aura.

The memories continued.

High-ranking mages from the royal court, elementals, and qi masters—various people with different abilities visited the marquess's family.

If aura didn't work, they had to find some other energy to overcome the disease.

After two years, the conclusion was reached.

The marquess's youngest son had no talent for anything.

And he would never overcome Hermemus.

"Are you worried about me?"

"…"

He had a rough idea of what the knight was thinking.

He was probably trying to prepare him for disappointment, as he had done before. The previous attempts at magic training had yielded no results.

If it were the original Kyle, he would have gone berserk at these words, but not him.

"I understand your concern, but if this method doesn't work, I won't revert to my old ways. And, by the way."

He smiled at the guard.

"Long or short, you have to try to know."

There would be no more of the troublemaker Kyle.

The greatest magical genius, capable of shaking the empire!

This would be the new descriptor for this boy.

Mana Body.

If he had this amazing talent to overcome even Hermemus, it was not impossible.

To achieve this, he had to start by reading this book.

The pages of the magic book began to turn.

'So complicated.'

A magic book filled with flowery language.

Even the most basic Circle formation magic book was difficult to understand.

This would be hard for college students to understand.

Not even a thesis.

While struggling with the book,

his inner vision suddenly activated on its own.

'Huh?'

Rotation.

Concentration.

Loop.

The core content of the book began to be understood instantly.

In a short time.

Perfectly.