Chapter 80

The Marquess Family's Magical Genius - Chapter 81 (80/324)

81

After Kyle left, Abel, sitting in the chair in his study, found his mind becoming increasingly complicated.

‘...’

Adolf.

In truth, he and I had gotten along fairly well.

Especially over the past ten years, it had been even better.

Although the family's power had split into two, he hadn't shown any teeth to me.

Moreover, this kind of situation was quite common.

If someone gave up their inheritance because they weren't the eldest and then became completely distanced from power, what would happen to their future?

Even if they were cut off while wide awake, they wouldn't be able to resist at all.

So, usually, the children with succession rights would build their own power base.

This way, even if a new head of the family was chosen, they could still ensure their rights.

Without power, one would be victimized.

The law of the jungle applied not only to beasts but also to human society. Despite the warnings from his instincts, he might have thought it unlikely.

‘I can't be the only one thinking this way.’

His loyal retainers and most of the people in the Marquess family would likely judge the situation the same way, as if it were just a passing cold.

He was no different.

Adolf.

Even if he became the next head of the family, he intended to accept it gracefully.

He wasn't without ambition for power.

However, he didn't plan to act aggressively.

He believed that preserving the family was more important than personal glory.

However, it seemed the second son thought differently.

The Ancient Light Spirit.

If what the spirit said was true, bloodshed was a foregone conclusion.

While he was lost in these thoughts,

Knock knock.

A knock came from the door.

—Brother, it's me. May I come in?

He knew immediately who it was.

He had just been thinking about this person.

“...Come in.”

“It's been almost two weeks. I'm sorry for not visiting you sooner, Elder Brother.”

“No, you must have been busy too. I'm the one who should apologize. Sit down.”

Soon, tea was placed in front of them.

“Have you been well?”

“Yes, nothing special has happened.”

Abel nodded quietly at Adolf's gentle smile.

“Have you been well, Brother?”

“Yes. Apart from the training of the 3rd and 4th regiments, nothing much has happened.”

“I see.”

“I heard there have been some incidents in the 5th regiment recently. Is everything alright?”

At Abel's words, Adolf furrowed his brow slightly.

But it was only for a moment.

He then smiled as if nothing was wrong and replied.

“Yes. It seems some soldiers couldn't control their bloodlust. Isn't that the nature of the military? When men gather in one place, fights are bound to break out.”

After taking a sip of tea, Adolf continued.

“...But it also makes them closer. I see it as a necessary process to become stronger.”

“Yes. To be honest, I was quite worried at first. When you said you would form the 5th regiment, the appointments were quite unconventional. While we've used criminals as soldiers before, most of them were just cannon fodder.”

“Yes, that's true. I was also quite worried. However, I believed that improvement was possible within the military structure, so I made that decision. The results have been good so far.”

Abel nodded quietly at Adolf's words.

“Seeing how you've managed the 5th regiment without any major incidents, I'm quite relieved. Actually, there haven't been any major issues.”

“Thank you. Whether I or you become the next head of the family, these soldiers will be a great asset. They are all strong. I've already spoken to them about it.”

Seeing Adolf's calm response, a chill ran through Abel's heart.

‘...’

Kyle Seltarion.

If he hadn't brought up the topic, he might never have imagined Adolf's true nature.

Now, Adolf seemed like a good brother who would accept any outcome.

But beneath that gentle smile, a sharp blade was hidden!

It was hard to believe even now.

Struggling to keep his face from stiffening, Abel slowly smiled.

It wasn't the time to show his emotions.

As a brief silence filled the room,

Adolf took another sip of tea and smiled. To Abel, it seemed like a rather cold smile.

“The tea you make yourself is the best.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I can't help but visit because of the taste of this tea. By the way, I heard you've been teaching Duke recently.”

“Yes. I felt I had been too indifferent to him, despite being my brother, so I decided to visit him. You also teach Duke swordsmanship, don't you?”

“...Yes, that's true. I was actually quite surprised. While Kyle's skills have improved rapidly, Duke is different, isn't he? I didn't expect you to teach him personally.”

“I plan to deepen my relationship with my brothers. While you and I are half-brothers, Kyle and Duke are different. We've been living like strangers, even though we are brothers.”

“...I see.”

Thus, their conversation continued, each hiding their true thoughts.

Thirty minutes later.

Adolf's face was quite stiff as he left after the conversation.

The reason was simple.

Abel.

While he seemed to be hiding something,

‘Hostility.’

Unlike Kyle, whose intentions were completely unreadable, some emotions were evident in his actions.

The strongest of these was hostility.

They had gotten along well over the past years, with Abel acting like a good brother.

But now, he was showing hostility?

There must be a good reason, or perhaps,

As the succession ceremony approached, his vigilance had increased.

Power?

No one was immune to its allure.

It was a temptation that could tear apart parents and children, brothers and sisters.

Just like how he planned to destroy the family to gain the sweet fruit,

Abel might be slowly opening his eyes to it.

‘You're just like me, after all.’

A faint smile spread across Adolf's lips as he finished his thoughts.

* * * * *

After the meeting with Abel,

Ten days had passed.

‘There are about ten days left now.’

The atmosphere in the family was heated due to the approaching succession ceremony.

During this time, I consistently practiced magic.

I had long memorized most of the 1st Circle spells in the library.

Now, I was practicing one 2nd Circle spell each day.

The speed was so fast that other mages would be amazed.

With the Divine Eye talent and the help of the mana conduits, my knowledge grew as I interpreted the spellbooks.

Thanks to the two rings on my hands, the mana cost for interpreting books was manageable unless they were originals.

Starting from the Target On spell, which allowed me to designate a target for a spell, the Detect spell for tracking, and the Hide Mana Force spell to conceal the mana aura of a spell,

I had created a combination of nine useful auxiliary spells.

‘Unfortunately, they weren't originals, but originals are hard to come by.’

While practicing, I also spent my free time making something.

It was the mana bomb stored in my magic bag.

The mana bomb.

It was similar to a grenade.

However, its power was entirely different.

Compared to a real grenade, which could maim dozens of people with its shrapnel, the mana bomb had almost no killing power.

‘It can't be helped.’

Creating a consumable artifact with the power of a real grenade had too many constraints.

From materials to time, everything was a challenge.

‘Actually, I could somehow get the materials, but...’

The most critical issue was time.

Creating a high-level artifact took a considerable amount of time.

A grenade-level artifact would be much higher in grade than a mana bomb.

Even if I worked tirelessly for the remaining time, I could only make about ten at most.

In a situation where over ten thousand fearless lunatics might appear, such a small number would be useless.

So, I chose the mana bomb as a substitute.

It had much less killing power, but it had one significant advantage.

‘The air pressure is extremely strong.’

Originally, it could knock down soldiers within a 1.5-meter radius, but the artifact I made had a much larger effect, extending to a 3-meter radius.

In a battle of many against many, formation was crucial. It wasn't for nothing that various formations appeared in novels like Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

If I threw a mana bomb into a group of soldiers in formation,

The results would be quite spectacular.

The materials were easy to obtain, and the production process wasn't too complicated.

In ten days, I had made 40 of them.

If I worked tirelessly for the remaining time, I could barely reach 100.

This would be enough to break formations easily.

While I was manufacturing the mana bombs in the room,

A knock came at the door. Leonhardt entered with a stiff face and said,

“Young Master, the Second Son is visiting soon.”

Hmm.

He used to burst in without knocking, but now he's trying to show some manners?

This would make tidying up the room easier.

It had been a while since I last saw his face.

By the time I had tidied up the room,

A knock came at the door.

—It's me, Kyle. May I come in?

Soon, a familiar voice echoed.

What brings him here this time?

“Yes, Brother.”

As I answered, the door opened.