Grand Duke of the Heibern House

＜Episode 14＞

Ruin was looking at the scars of irregular shapes carved all over the valley.

I could feel the dizzy, complicated, unrefined emotions of Dane.

This time, he was cursing and scratching himself like in the past.

It was only that the object of his hatred had changed to himself instead of the Sword Saint.

The behavior of trying to find a breakthrough by torturing oneself to the limit is a characteristic of a warrior called the King of Swordsmanship.

Of course, it could be effective up to a certain level.

However, it was impossible with such a twisted ego to break free from human restraints and reach the level of a superman.

Although he himself had not experienced the life of a warrior, he could tell by looking at his colleagues who were superhuman.

All of them were free, warm, and pure.

There were countless times when his soul was almost eaten by the insidiousness of black magic, but thanks to such pure companions, he was able to hold on to his humanity to the end.

Because he has lived under the influence of his fellow superhumans, he is qualified to teach Dane even though he is a magician.

“Laugh all you want. One day I will break all of those teeth.”

Not wanting to waste any more energy, Dane closed his eyes again.

His barren emotions were palpable.

Ruin indifferently stared at the wooden sword he crouched in his arms.

“If all that sword wants to cut is just me, then your life as a knight is worthless.”

Ruin approached Dane and sat down casually.

“If you can soothe your heart by hating me, then that is fine. At that level, no one will laugh at you for being petty. But putting that twisted heart into a knight’s sword is another matter, Dane.”

Luin gently stroked Dane’s hair.

“You must have pictured the confrontation with me countless times in your head.”

He felt an intolerable insult at his brother’s sudden touch, but his words were even more disturbing.

As his older brother said, he had recalled the confrontation hundreds or thousands of times.

trajectories of the limbs.

Angle twisted body.

level of rushing power.

In order not to repeat the same mistake twice, he chewed and reflected on every move of his brother.

“If you were sure you could win, you would have raised your sword and jumped at me right now. But you can’t hold your sword right now.”

“… … .”

Dane was furious at the moment, but he couldn’t help but acknowledge his older brother’s words.

Right now, I can’t keep up with my older brother’s speed.

I can’t escape that strange trajectory.

I haven’t been able to find a timely defense yet against my brother’s rushing attack.

More than anything, the problem was that it was impossible to know the end of his brother’s capabilities.

“When do you think you will be able to raise your sword against me again?”

Dane couldn’t give a quick answer this time because he didn’t know his brother’s perfect skills.

“If the… … if so What if I was always one step ahead of you?”

Unmanned people can meet their limits.

A place that is impossible to reach.

However, you cannot train your sword while hating others in this bottomless pit forever.

In this way, Ruin was coldly pointing out the fundamental limitations of the warrior king of swordsmanship.

“Yes Dane. You will live like this for the rest of your life. When you hold your wife’s hand, when you hold your children… … Whether your friend betrays you or your subordinate dies, your mind will only be following my movements.”

A life in which all other values are rejected, and life as a human being has disappeared.

“Why are you lying here with such a pitiful look?”

Two sharp blue eyes of Ruin.

“Is it really because you lost in a confrontation with me?”

Dane finally opened his eyes.

He who had been crouching the whole time slowly sat down and glared at Ruin.

“Then what is the cause? I came here because I lost to my brother! to practice! to beat my brother! I am… … !”

“no. No Dane.”

When the gloomy light began to shine in his older brother’s eyes, Dane did not dare to open his mouth.

“You had to bless me with Deash, who came back after overcoming a long illness. I had to hold Lee hyung’s hand and rejoice as if it were my own work.”

tuk tuk-

Ruin undid the buttons and took off his shirt.

He was recovering, but it was still as rough and dry as the bark of a tree.

“You didn’t stroke your older brother’s changed face or shed tears while checking this body. Instead, what you did was draw your sword at this brother.”

“What is that… … .”

“That’s the real reason you’re spending your miserable days in this abyss, Dane.”

Ruin gazed dimly at the sword Dane was holding.

“It’s not a black knight’s sword that even I can’t pull out. A knight’s sword is a sword that gives trust to his subordinates. And it is a sword to protect Deash. It is a sword that gives pleasure to this older brother, and it is a sword to give glory to my father.”

Wearing his jacket, Ruin said as if to declare it again.

“Therefore, a knight is someone who can draw a sword without hesitation even in front of a superman. That is the blood that flows within you, Baron. Dane.”

Dane, who was sitting down, was staring blankly at Ruin, who had been standing there for a while.

My head, which had been filled with the traces of the sword, was emptied, and waves of indescribable emotions surged.

Even though he polished his swordsmanship to death, he did not know what he was training for.

shaft.

impregnable defense.

His sword was mediocre, but everyone called him a genius.

I could only move a little faster than others.

It could only exert a little more power.

It was only his own sword, but was he so happy with the title of knight bestowed by the king?

‘her… … .’

Kazen, who watched the brothers from a close distance, could not open his mouth.

It was embarrassing to talk about the responsibilities of the Archduke to Ruin.

This is because he could not find the qualifications of a father in himself.

Ruin’s harsh words pierced his heart.

Dane thought he was too young to learn noble chivalry.

Or perhaps, it was difficult to discipline his children in a situation where even he was holding on.

Having entrusted Dane’s guidance to his swordsmanship master, he had taken a step back.

Now everyone realizes how foolish it was.

If it weren’t for Ruin, Dane would have been irreversibly damaged as a warrior.

‘Louin. how do you… … .’

It was a simple metaphor, but Ruin’s words are the foundation of chivalry that the knights of the kingdom should have in their hearts.

It couldn’t be anything other than a warning to the knights who were excessively buried in swordsmanship or greedy for worldly power.

The problem is how Ruin, who has never even heard a sword, has the ego of a knight who has been completed like that.

However, Kazen soon put an end to such doubts.

I was able to clearly understand from the conversation just before.

Ruin was already the perfect Bern itself, more than any other blood relative.

So it didn’t matter what story and fate he was wrapped up in.

As long as life continues, he will always protect Hibern.

“The Archduke.”

Kazen’s voice was extremely solemn.

He accepted with all his heart that Ruin was no longer his son, but the perfect grand duke of the House of Heibern.

“I swear by the golden lion. I will never doubt the Archduke again. also.”

Immediately followed by the declaration of the head of the house leading the great Hibern family.

“In case of emergency, the operation of the Geumrin Sajagi is permitted. All the authority of the Archduke, which has not been exercised until now, will also be restored.”

Originally, he deserved to kneel and be respected, but Ruin only narrowed his brows.

Entrusting the operation of the Geumrinsajagi in case of emergency means giving away the military rights of the Heibern family.

Moreover, restoring all authority as a grand duke meant being confirmed as the next head of the Heibern family.

“father.”

“Don’t deny it. Archduke.”

The most perfect Bern he had ever seen stood before his eyes.

Kazen had no intention of giving up on this decision at all.

“No father… … .”

Kazen’s terrifyingly resolute face.

He tried to open his mouth, but Ruin was forced to remain silent.

I don’t know what to say or how much to convince my father.

In the end, the method Ruin chose was to show honesty and alternatives.

Ruin glanced at Dane.

“Wake up, Dane.”

Dane, who was silent for a moment, looked at his father’s solemn expression once and stood up.

Then, Ruin covered his shoulders.

The moment Dane was about to shout to get rid of it, Ruin’s solemn voice came out first.

“This guy is the next rider of the Golden Lion Lion, father. Don’t deny it. Your father already knows.”

“what… … ?”

Ruin’s sharp gaze scanned Dane.

“This is a formal meeting between the governor and the grand duke. Don’t open your mouth, Dane.”

Kazen, who looked at it, was rather satisfied.

Ruin was well aware of how heavy this place was to discuss the future of his family.

To think that he was trying to change his mind while choosing only the actions he liked.

“No, I don’t know. In the eyes of this family head, Grand Duke is the perfect kick rider. There is no alternative.”

Louin sighed.

“after… … This is a body that has been bedridden for over ten years. Father knows very well that if I am a warrior, I will not be able to master the Martial War Sword.”

“Nonsense!”

Kazen’s fishy laugh.

“Does such a sound come out even after defeating Dane, the swordsman genius of the kingdom?”

Dane’s body trembled slightly as he listened.

Ruin wrapped his trembling shoulders even more tightly and took the ether out of the astral world.

FIRE RURRR!

The core of the Demon God floating in the air.

In an instant, the surroundings became bright, revealing the whole view of the valley.

The energy of condensed mana was constantly swirling and burning.

“As you can see, the secret I have been hiding is magic. father.”

“Oh, how can it be! how do you… … !”

A magic orb engraved with geometric runes and wielding the power of intense mana.

What the hell the magic orb really was, Kazen couldn’t even figure out its source.

“Ah, Father! My brother is obviously… … !”

What Dane experienced was Ruin’s powerful taijutsu.

He was so obviously unmanned.

If he had been defeated by magic, he wouldn’t have come to this place like the bottomless pit.

“He said he never allowed me to open his mouth Dane!”

“Keugh!”

A bone-crunching pain ran through Dane’s body.

Ruin violently grabbed his shoulder.

“Already externally, Dane is the best gifted child in the family. I will do my best to keep his reputation alive.”

Kazen lowered his head in despair.

If you have already carved the mage’s ring on your body, you cannot forge the knight’s fighting spirit.

Hibernian knights could not follow the wizard.

“Was the Blood Mana Stone the cause?”

It must have been.

The reason contained in the Blood Mana Stone is an ancient magic science that even the wise men of the Mage Tower trembled at its distance.

It was certain that such bloodstream mana stones had some unknown effect on Ruin’s body.

“yes. father. It happened.”

Ruin’s confident voice flew back to Kazen, who stood silently with a face full of regret.

“I will raise you to be a superior knight than anyone else. We will make it the pride of the Lemadel kingdom. There are plenty of possibilities for Dane, Father.”

However, Kazen was not so comforting.

It feels like a brilliant treasure has been taken away right in front of your eyes.

Soon he moved towards the balloon and opened his mouth with a mixed feeling.

“… … I’ll try to believe it. Archduke.”

It was only then that Ruin smiled pleasantly and politely bowed.

“I will definitely prove it.”

That’s how my father goes away.

Dane blankly looks at Ruin.

“brother. why so far… … .”

Dane couldn’t understand.

Being the standard bearer of the kingdom was the dream and ideal that all of the Hibern family’s blood relatives wanted to achieve.

Even though he could enjoy all the positions and powers as a grand duke, he yielded them all to himself without hesitation.

“What do you mean when you call me brother?”

“huh?”

Ruin happily tousled Dane’s hair, which had become a little boyish.

“Don’t forget Dane. I am your older brother.”