Do Your Own Revolution

#028.

“Kuhk, kuhak…! Wh-what is this…!”

The shockwave I used on Delling was more effective than I thought.

He couldn’t even get up from his spot, just trembling while clutching his chest.

Did the recent attack twist his respiratory system?

Such thoughts crossed my mind, but when I sensed Delling’s magical power, that wasn’t it.

Then there was only one conclusion.

This guy just wasn’t used to pain.

“You! How dare you launch a surprise…!”

While Delling tried to say something as he staggered to his feet, I didn’t give him the chance.

I immediately rushed in, kicked his jaw, and stomped on his shoulder as he fell back to amplify the pain.

“Aagh?! Aaaagh–!”

Delling’s screams echoed throughout the mansion.

The attention of late-arriving guests and collateral branch members instantly focused on me.

The legitimate heir of House Buckenheim, screaming under the foot of an unknown child.

As if feeling the shame, Delling’s face flushed red.

“Remove your foot this instant! If you don’t, I’ll have your head…!”

“Three minutes.”

Cutting off Delling’s continued ranting, I spoke in a cold voice.

“That’s how long it took from your first attack until you were subdued by me.”

“…!”

“Not only did you fail to withstand a mere shockwave and miss your chance to counterattack, but you dare to give me orders when you should have focused on getting up quickly.”

I spoke with an expression of disbelief.

“How can you be so complacent as the heir of a magic noble house? Do you think you can command the monsters of the battlefield?”

“Y-you lowly worm, how dare you try to lecture the bloodline of Buckenheim?!”

A shockwave swept through the crowd along with Delling’s roar.

Though he was shamefully subdued, he was still the legitimate heir of a magic noble family.

He was indeed a powerful figure whose magic circuit output ranked among the highest.

“I’ll kill you…!”

While I stepped back to avoid the shockwave, Delling staggered to his feet and drew up his magical power.

Magical power crystals generated from magic imprints began sprouting all over Delling’s body, eventually enveloping him completely.

He wore the materialized magical power mass like armor.

This was ‘Steel Wall Lion’, the special magic imprint used by the Buckenheim Knight Order.

When Delling took a step forward wearing his magical power armor, a shockwave traveled through the ground.

The extremely condensed magical power and the overwhelming force emanating from it.

Indeed, it was an intimidating presence worthy of the alias ‘Walking Armored Train’.

“No, Lord Delling! To manifest full body armor…”

“Are you planning to blow away the entire mansion?!”

Despite the knights’ urgent voices, Delling paid no attention and shot towards me.

What formed in his hand was a great sword made of magical power crystals.

One hit would be enough to blow away my upper body.

Of course, that’s only if I quietly let myself get hit.

“Y-you dodged?!”

When I easily avoided his attack, the other knights’ eyes widened.

The weapon Delling created was a great sword.

While each strike was powerful, there were many gaps between attacks.

Well, I understand.

Since he could deflect most attacks with his magical power armor, he focused on destructive power rather than attack speed.

‘His magical power quantity and formulas are really good… But the core using them is rotten.’

After exchanging about three moves with Delling, I made my assessment.

‘His combat techniques and martial arts are nearly beginner level, and his attack movements are full of unnecessary flourishes.’

The only thing he could do was swing his sword relying on the armor’s defense and power.

It was such a poor technique it couldn’t even be called swordsmanship.

If I had to grade it, it would be at the level of a child playing with a sword.

‘Now.’

The gaps between the ornately decorated magical power armor.

The moment I confirmed those, I immediately dove into his attack path.

“What?!”

While Delling was startled, I placed my hand on his chest and moved my fingers.

There wasn’t even a need to draw up more magical power.

All I needed was a bit of magical power to penetrate the gaps in the magical power crystals.

After infiltrating it in a thin concentrated form…

Just spread it from the inside.

“Kuh, kuuuh?!”

Part of the magical power crystals covering Delling’s body burst out.

The exploded area was his chest.

More precisely, near where his heart was located.

‘It’s over.’

After confirming that, I prepared my next attack.

The vital point clearly exposed, his sluggish movements unable to respond.

I sharpened my hand blade and reinforced it with magical power.

Delling would probably offer up his heart without even knowing what hit him.

After finishing that thought, I thrust my fist toward his heart without delay and-

…A crystal much harder than Delling’s blocked my fist.

“That’s enough.”

I turned toward the voice behind me.

Delling’s father Carlos was looking at me with an expression like he’d bitten into a bug.

***

“…Huh?!”

Eugene’s assassination attempt aimed at his heart, and Carlos’s magical power crystal blocking it.

Realizing this belatedly, Delling stepped back with a pale face.

‘If Father hadn’t blocked it in time…!’

A cold chill ran up Delling’s spine.

The first fear of death he’d felt in his life.

He couldn’t control his trembling lower jaw at all.

“…Tch.”

Seemingly noticing his son’s state, Carlos spoke to Eugene with an unpleasant expression.

“This should be enough. So stop here.”

“Should I take that as a request from Lord Carlos?”

“Yes. I can’t let my only son die after all.”

Hearing those words, Eugene slowly withdrew his magical power, and Delling’s complexion turned pale.

What did Father just say?

Request?

The legitimate heir of Buckenheim negotiated with such a lowly thing?

Be-because of me…?

“N-not yet!”

His face flushed with shame.

Beyond shame, an even greater chill and fear than before crept over his body.

He had just tarnished the names of Buckenheim and his father…!

“It was a battle that started with a cowardly surprise attack! I didn’t have a chance to respond!”

“…”

“This, this match is invalid!”

Carlos’s gaze turned toward him.

A cold gaze as if looking at a bug rather than his son.

Delling’s fear grew increasingly larger.

“Pl-please give me one more chance, Father! As the legitimate heir of Buckenheim, I’ll take that arrogant bastard’s head…!”

He had to make up for it somehow.

With that single thought, Delling desperately pleaded to Carlos, but-

“You embarrass me until the end, Delling.”

With that cold statement, Carlos simply struck Delling’s cheek.

“…Eh, eh?”

It took quite a while to realize what had happened.

He was hit.

By his father.

The cold violence that he inflicted on servants had now fallen upon him.

“Fa-fath… er…”

Though Delling finally managed to gather his wits and tried to call out to Carlos after a while…

Carlos simply continued striking his cheeks as if trying to shut Delling’s mouth.

Two times, three times, four times.

How much more time passed like that?

“Hic… Sniff…! Kuh…”

“…Hah.”

Only when Delling was about to collapse, unable to endure anymore, did Carlos finally seem to vent his anger and adjust his clothes.

“A spoiled child who can’t even accept the results of combat has no qualification to be Buckenheim’s legitimate heir.”

“So-sorry, I’m so sorr…”

“Start your training over from the beginning, Delling. I will not tolerate such humiliation a second time.”

Leaving the completely stunned Delling behind, Carlos stood before the boy called Eugene.

‘…Indeed, he has useful qualities.’

Eugene’s flowing magical power and the precision with which he controlled it. And that ruthlessness he showed in the battle with Delling.

He examined and admired Eugene’s qualities and spirit from various angles.

‘He wasn’t even using his full power. Moreover, the magical power he used was non-elemental… His magic imprint wasn’t even activated.’

Just a tiny amount of magical power.

With only that, this boy had defeated the successor he had carefully raised into such a state.

“Your name is Eugene, correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

However, more impressive than his magical power and combat techniques was his attitude.

Unlike Delling who lashed out unable to contain himself, the boy’s demeanor was serenity itself.

Seeing this, Carlos’s eyes narrowed.

‘Keiren, you’ve picked up quite a gem.’

This wasn’t simply a child with outstanding qualities.

He was a proper mage who could be deployed in actual combat right now.

Even the attack on Delling must have been a pre-planned action.

“Let me make a straightforward proposal.”

Greed flickered in Carlos’s eyes.

As a mage, this boy was talent he didn’t want to let slip away.

“Eugene. How about leaving Keiren and working for me instead?”

“What…!”

As if not expecting his words, Keiren, who had been observing the fight, bristled.

“Brother, what are you suddenly…”

“The most Keiren would have offered is probably just a letter of recommendation. But I’m different. As Buckenheim’s successor, I can give you countless opportunities you couldn’t even imagine.”

Keiren was saying something but he paid no attention.

“What do you think? Wouldn’t it be more beneficial than staying with a nobody who doesn’t even have magical power?”

He thought the boy would accept this proposal.

This child prioritized benefits above all else, and was prepared to betray anything for them.

Because he was the same type as himself.

“Hmm…”

As if it was quite an unexpected proposal, the boy tilted his head in thought, and eventually…

“I refuse.”

He rejected his proposal without any change in expression.

“…Why?”

The answer came after a while.

He couldn’t understand no matter how much he thought about it.

Carlos asked the boy standing before him.

“Is it because of the battle just now? Or have you grown attached to them in the meantime? If not that then…”

“Ah, no. Excuse me, but it’s not for such reasons.”

However, the boy shook his head with an awkward smile.

“I think… following Lord Keiren would be more beneficial than following Lord Carlos.”

“…!”

At those words from the boy, Carlos frowned unpleasantly.

“How absurd. Are you saying some soon-to-retire imperial officer is better than me, the heir of Buckenheim?”

“Yes. That’s what I think.”

“Ha.”

The boy’s words were clearly a rejection.

‘Is he trying to repay the kindness shown to him, or does he already have other schemes in mind.’

Either way, recruiting him now would be impossible.

Having finished his thoughts, Carlos clicked his tongue and turned around.

“I’m heading to the inner building.”

“Y-yes!”

“We’ll prepare some drinks. This way…”

As Carlos and his entourage disappeared into the mansion, Keiren who had been watching the situation approached Eugene.

“First, I should say thank you.”

“Not at all. As your adopted son, this much is natural given the kindness you’ve shown me.”

When the boy said that, Keiren smiled slightly and patted his shoulder.

“I hate to say it myself, but it might have been better to accept that offer just now.”

“…”

“If you want to grow as a mage, following a magic noble would be better. Though I hate to admit it, everything that guy said was correct.”

At those words, Eugene smiled slightly and shook his head.

“Even if that were true… Lord Carlos is not the one.”

The boy called Eugene thought to himself.

‘With Maximilien and Elcidore’s deaths, the original story of this game has been twisted. Despite that, the events that happened in the previous work are trying to occur again in different forms. As if some kind of forcing power is at work.’

Therefore, Eugene thought.

If this phenomenon continued.

If similar events were destined to occur even if history was changed, he shouldn’t have accepted that proposal.

Because Carlos Buckenheim…

‘Is destined to be killed by the Revolutionary Army.’