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“Did you have a good conversation with Father? If you’re up for it, would you like to have a cup of tea?”

Verdan, with a gentle smile on his face, tilted his head slightly and half-turned his body.

Since he had something to hand over, Ian followed him willingly. During the walk, there was no conversation; it was probably due to the awkwardness.

Ian wasn’t sure what to say immediately. In the end, he remained silent until they entered a room.

However, the awkwardness Ian felt was just his misunderstanding. Verdan spoke in a very relaxed tone.

“This is your first time here. This is my office. If you come to Ruse, make sure to drop by often. Just sit wherever you like.”

Ian took a seat without hesitation. On the square table, which was about knee-high, there were steaming cups of tea and cookies generously coated with chocolate.

It seemed like it had been prepared in advance. Verdan soon took a seat opposite him.

“You look well, so I guess you’ve been doing fine.”

“Of course, it’s hard not to enjoy myself in such a pleasant place with good water and air.”

“Oh, I’m a bit envious.”

“You look… rather haggard, brother.”

It wasn’t a joke; Verdan looked so worn out that it was almost pitiful. Verdan gave a wry smile.

“It can’t be helped. There’s a lot to do, and I’m still learning things I lack. It’s hard to get used to. Facing new problems every time doesn’t make it any easier. Thankfully, the system is in place, or it would have been even harder.”

“Maybe things will get better when you become the head of the family?”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m holding onto.”

Ian grinned as he picked up a cookie and took a bite. The crunchiness was satisfying.

“You jumped off a cliff.”

Ian, who had been wearing a soft expression until a moment ago, furrowed his brow upon hearing Verdan’s words.

“Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t jump intentionally.”

“Dior did mention that.”

“… Hah.”

Verdan clearly didn’t believe it.

“Next time, don’t do such reckless things. If Mother had known, she would have been angry.”

It was just like something Dior would say. Ian had no choice but to give a similar response.

“It was a mistake. Truly. I swear.”

“It was a mistake, indeed. It should have been just that—a mistake.”

“… Is that why you called me?”

“As your brother, I wanted to see with my own eyes that you’re alright. It might be a bit late to say this, though.”

“It’s been a year.”

Verdan nodded, took a sip from his cup, and then set it down.

“What did you talk about with Father?”

“He just said that I handled the recent situation well and told me to speak up if I needed anything.”

“And?”

“I told him I would mention it later. I didn’t need anything immediately. Oh, and he asked if I had any intention of enrolling in Akashic.”

“Akashic? That’s a good opportunity.”

“True, but I said I wouldn’t go.”

“… What?”

Verdan looked utterly bewildered, and after a brief pause, he asked why.

“I don’t think I need to go.”

As soon as Ian gave his answer, Verdan looked at him with a sense of profound disappointment and sighed heavily.

“Are you speaking foolishly and ignorantly, Ian? I’m certain of one thing: you don’t know the ways of the world at all.”

“…….”

“The Akashic is a place where the most exceptional individuals within the Empire teach. It’s a place where you can learn things beyond your imagination. Is learning all there is? Absolutely not. The connections you make there can significantly alter and influence your life. Above all, it’s an opportunity to legally recruit proven talents. Yet you dismiss it so casually?”

Ian knew this well. Even Verdan, for instance, graduated from the Akashic and brought friends he made there into the family, assigning them important roles.

In that respect, it’s hard to find a better place to recruit talents than the Akashic.

That’s why he could understand Verdan’s disappointment as if it were his own loss.

But time was pressing.

With the rise of the Dark Mage and other forces from beyond the sea, the world would soon become increasingly chaotic.

There was only a short window of 3 to 4 years.

In that brief period, Ian needed to grow sufficiently to expand his options and increase his chances of reaching the coveted Level 6, becoming a Sovereign.

Only then would he be worthy to stand alongside her, the Hero. While Ian was thinking this, Verdan continued speaking.

“It’s not too late. Go to the head of the family. No, go to Father and tell him you’ve changed your mind.”

“Don’t bother.”

“Ian, if it’s difficult for you to bring it up, I’ll speak to him on your behalf.”

“You don’t need to. Even if Father were to ask me again to enroll in the Akashic, my answer would be the same.”

“Why?”

“I plan to properly learn the art of destroying evil this time. The bloodline of the Berger family should be able to handle such a skill.”

“…Destroying evil?”

Verdan fell silent for a moment before nodding.

“Very well. If you have a goal, I cannot force you otherwise.”

Despite showing a moment of hesitation, he seemed to reluctantly accept Ian’s decision.

Ian smiled and reached into his pocket. He pulled out something that was not wrapped but rather kept like a common coin and placed it on the table.

“What’s this?”

“A gift from Mother.”

“?”

To the bewildered Verdan, Ian recounted the events at the Garden of Rest.

By chance, or rather through a stroke of luck, he had leaked magic power into a specific part of the tombstone, revealing a secret space. Verdan was highly skeptical of this.

“If you don’t believe me, take the time to visit and see for yourself. Little Brother has confirmed it as well, so it’s probably not a one-time occurrence.”

“…I’ll verify it later, but for now, I’ll believe you. Although… hmm. Since Dior wasn’t there and there were no witnesses, if you had kept quiet, wouldn’t you have been able to keep all three magic stones?”

The stones appeared to be of very high quality. It’s rare to come across such items, so it was natural to feel a bit of greed. Yet, Ian handed them over as if he had just picked them up.

“Don’t you feel it’s a waste?”

Ian’s indifferent response struck a chord with the recently desiccated Verdan.

“We’re brothers.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t feel any greed; that would be a lie. It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about it; that too would be a lie.

These were magic stones—5th-level stones, equivalent to elixirs. If he had swallowed all three stones without a second thought, he could have grown faster than anyone.

But he couldn’t do that.

Even though Verdan could have done so in his past life, he chose not to.

Amid their sporadic correspondence, he had once sent a magic stone he found from their mother’s tombstone. It was a significant help in many ways. It was his way of repaying that favor.

“…”

Verdan, unable to find words, picked up the magic stones and stared at them for a while. Just then, someone knocked on the door and entered.

“What’s the matter? If it’s not urgent, come back later.”

“I was sent by the head of the family. He requests your presence.”

Ian, who had been listening, took a sip from the now-cold teacup and set it down.

“It looks like our conversation is over.”

“I’m sorry. We should have had a meal together. I’ll make time for it soon. And this—thank you. I’ll put it to good use.”

Ian watched Verdan’s retreating figure as he left, holding up the magic stones, and then headed back to the Lampus estate.

As he exited the station and began walking toward the main residence, he spotted some people approaching from the opposite direction.

It was Dior, Mael, and Mari.

“Ian? I see you’ve been out since this morning.”

“Ah… I visited Lusse.”

“What for? Did you meet with Father?”

Ian nodded in response to Dior’s question.

“Really? Well, it was about time he returned. Anyway, if you’ve just gotten back, you haven’t had a meal yet, have you? Let’s go.”

There was no need to ask where they were going; it was obvious they were headed to the dining hall used by the knights and servants.

Ian didn’t refuse. The food at the dining hall was prepared by the same cooks as usual, and he was curious about what others were eating.

So, he quickly followed them. Upon arriving at the dining hall, he found many people already eating.

They glanced at Ian as he followed Dior in and began whispering among themselves.

“Goodness, who is that? I mean, that person…”

“Isn’t that Ian-doryeonim?”

“Really? When did he return?”

“A couple of days ago? Mael and Mari brought him back under Deputy Commander Dior’s orders.”

Since it had only been two days since his return, it was natural that many people didn’t recognize him yet. This moment would make everyone aware of his arrival.

Nevertheless, the gazes were not particularly welcoming. Ian didn’t let it bother him.

Whether they looked at him with disapproval or not, he held his head high.

Dior, noticing the disapproving looks, scanned the room with a displeased expression. Those who had been staring quickly turned their heads or looked away as if nothing had happened.

“Tsk.”

Dior clicked his tongue and called Ian over.

“Come here.”

He handed Ian a food tray.

“This is your first time here, right? Don’t overthink it. Just take as much as you want from the food piled over there. It’s self-service, so no need to be shy. And I don’t think this will happen, but don’t be greedy and leave leftovers.”

Ian nodded in understanding and checked the food. There weren’t many options, but there was a good variety.

He took a reasonable amount and sat down in the seat Dior indicated. The food was surprisingly good.

However, a slight annoyance was that Dior kept asking questions whenever Ian tried to eat.

Dior’s main question was about what Ian talked about with their father during his visit to Lusse.

Reluctantly, Ian stopped eating and briefly explained what had happened that day.

When Dior heard that Ian had declined the invitation to the Akashic Academy, he reacted just like Verdan.

“Are you out of your mind? Rejecting that offer?”

Ian just let the comments wash over him. Frustrated, Dior slammed the dish he was holding down.

“This won’t do. We’re going back to Lusse.”

“It’s fine. Does the Akashic Academy feed you?”

“Do you really not understand? Of course, they provide meals. Being from the top educational institution in the empire, once you graduate from there, you can get by doing anything. And it’s not just meals—there are benefits beyond what you can imagine.”

“With those benefits come responsibilities.”

“…”

“And shouldn’t it be these guys who should be going to the Akashic Academy instead of me?”

Mael and Mari, who had been eating, flinched at Ian’s comment and glanced around nervously. Dior sighed.

“Don’t worry about it and keep eating. Anyway, so you’re really set on not going?”

“Yeah. Right now, my priority isn’t to attend the Akashic Academy and build connections, but to learn the Bane of Evil here. So, I was wondering if you could teach me a bit?”

“Me?”

Dior looked puzzled at the unexpected request.

“If you want to learn the Bane of Evil, Father will assign someone to teach you.”

“I suppose so. But even though I’ve lived like a mess, as a Bergan descendant, they wouldn’t just assign anyone.”

“…So?”

“They’ll assign a skilled instructor, but that’s a waste of resources.”

The instruction would indeed be provided, given it’s an order from Granod Berger, a hero and idol among the knights.

“So you want me to teach you? I’m also considered a skilled individual—4th unit’s deputy commander. It’s not a light position.”

“So, is that a no?”

“…Are you sure? I can teach you. But you’ll need to train with these guys too. They’ve become official members, so it’s time for them to learn the Bane of Evil as well.”

Mael and Mari.

Ian nodded.

“There’s no problem with that.”

“Really? In that case, let’s seize the opportunity. We’ll start right after the meal. Make sure to eat well; it’ll be intense.”

———