blueteamnovel Chapter 130
Chapter 130
“So, what brings you here? You’re not exactly the type to visit just to exchange pleasantries, are you?”
The sharp remark came without giving him a moment to catch his breath, making him flinch.
“...I feel your assessment of me is rather harsh.”
“You don’t exactly have the look of someone who respects their elders, do you?”
“I’m not sure what you mean by ‘look,’ but judging from your tone, I can guess.”
“Go on, then. What do you think I mean?”
“Judging people by appearances, perhaps?”
“Exactly right. This is why it’s easy to talk to smart folks like you.”
“...Is this what they call giving someone a disease and offering the cure?”
Roen Dmitry de Lionel.
The Northern Young Lord maintained his characteristic poker face, making it difficult to read his expressions.
In general, his face rarely betrayed his emotions, but at this moment, his displeasure was clear. Ihan, noticing this, chuckled shamelessly.
“So, am I wrong?”
“...Annoyingly enough, you’re not. I suppose that’s the irony.”
“Aristocratic brats like you are always impudent to adults, anyway.”
“...I really don’t understand why you always seem to breathe discrimination against nobles like it’s second nature.”
“You should be glad it’s just discrimination. If a mage had looked at me the way you do, I’d have gouged their eyes out first.”
“Hmm...”
Roen typically maintained a calm demeanor, his emotions rarely surfacing. It was partly due to his natural temperament, but also his elevated social standing.
He had been pampered his entire life, with people either addressing him respectfully or, at worst, veiling their criticisms in formalities. Dealing with someone who spoke so bluntly and treated him so casually was challenging.
Still, if asked whether it offended him—
For some reason, it doesn’t.
There was no malice in the words, and the tone felt more like that of an older sibling scolding a younger one.
It was unfamiliar, but...
Not bad... really.
He was surprised by how unoffended he felt.
“I heard you sparred with my uncle.”
Just as Ihan had predicted, Roen hadn’t come for idle chit-chat. Without preamble, he brought up the topic directly.
“...Let’s eat first, shall we?”
Still, Ihan appreciated the gesture of bringing an extravagant fruit set and cakes crafted by a renowned patissier.
Gulp.
As he devoured a slice of cake topped with a rich almond-flavored custard cream, he muttered:
“I don’t even like sweets much, but there’s nothing to criticize here.”
“It should be worth the conversation. Even with money, this dessert isn’t easy to come by.”
“...Fair enough.”
The flavor was superb, justifying Roen’s confident claim. Ihan, reluctantly impressed, conceded:
“...If by ‘uncle’ you mean that monstrous man, then yes, I did.”
“Then it must be true.”
“He’s absurdly strong... Not a bad person, but not a particularly good one either.”
“...That does sound like him. I can imagine what happened. Allow me to apologize on his behalf.”
“No need for apologies. Just tell him next time you see him: ‘It doesn’t add up. If you stole my technique, you owe me the rest of what it’s worth.’”
“...I’ll be sure to relay the message.”
At the mention of his duel with Maximus, Roen gave a bitter smile, as if he already had a good idea of what transpired.
Ihan glanced at Roen out of the corner of his eye, confident that he had come to ask about the recent underground incident. At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel exasperated.
Why’s he asking me?
It would’ve been faster to ask his father.
Judging by their relationship last time, things aren’t exactly positive between them.
The strained—or outright hostile—dynamic between father and son was apparent. Ihan had no intention of prying into family matters, but still—
Every world has its share of dysfunctional families.
Ihan found some comfort in the fact that this kingdom didn’t have a culture of family visits.
At least he didn’t have to witness other people’s family feuds.
‘...“Curse Passing,” huh. My sister really does know some fascinating things.’
Ihan knew that his disciple no longer carried any ominous curses.
Not entirely gone, to be exact, but supposedly 90% of it had been removed.
“Curse Passing” is exactly what it sounds like—a method to pass a curse onto someone else. However, this method requires several strict conditions to be met and comes with significant costs. Be grateful, as I bore both the sacrifices and costs for your sake. In terms of money alone, it cost at least 100,000 gold coins.”
“...Why didn’t you do that for me?”
“You insolent brat! Instead of being thankful, you dare to complain?”
“No, seriously, do it for me too!!”
“Impossible. Do you think you and your disciple are the same? That child’s curse isn’t fully integrated into her body and is confined to a defined form—a tattoo. But yours? Your curse is fully fused with the blood flowing through your veins. Of course, we could extract all your blood to remove the curse, but... hmm, your survival rate would be about 2%. Want to give it a shot?”
“...Why don’t you just wish for my death while you’re at it?”
“I’m simply stating the facts. ...Hmm, let’s end the jokes here. However, you should still be cautious. It takes five years for a curse to fully settle into its new host. If the host dies during that time, the curse will return to the original bearer.”
“...So if the new host just needs to survive for five years, why not freeze them to preserve them until the curse is fully settled?”
“Sometimes, your ideas are astonishingly crude, dear brother. If you freeze meat and then thaw it, does it come out intact?”
“...So freezing humans isn’t an option?”
“As they say, the dumber the knight, the better. You must be an exceptional knight, my dear brother, hoho.”
“......Hmm.”
Recalling how a medieval princess had once lectured him on common sense, Ihan let out a groan.
It had been a deeply humiliating experience.
But still—
“Five years, huh. Hmm... Would freezing them make it easier to manage?”
“......”
“...Why are you looking at me so warmly?”
“No reason. Just thinking you really are an excellent knight.”
“?”
“It’s just something I feel.”
Ihan found himself genuinely pleased by the thought of having such an "excellent" companion.
As the conversation drew to a close, the sunset began to cast its glow over the yard, bringing with it a soft twilight.
Roen rose quietly from his seat.
“The conversation went longer than expected. I’ll take my leave now.”
“You got everything you wanted, so you’re leaving? Cold-hearted bastard.”
“...Shall I treat you to dinner instead? A new restaurant recently opened.”
“A restaurant?”
“It’s on Central Nobles’ Street.”
“...Isn’t land there ridiculously expensive?”
“The investment was significant, but I’m confident it’ll turn a profit.”
“...Why is everyone around me so rich?”
Ihan grumbled.
It seemed like he was the only poor one in his circle.
But then—
“Forget dinner. Get some pre-dinner exercise in before you go.”
Ihan, seemingly more intrigued by something else than wealth, made a suggestion.
“...Pre-dinner exercise, you say?”
“A light workout before dinner, that’s all.”
“...I have a feeling it won’t be light at all.”
“That’s what I like to hear.”
Ihan looked pleased with Roen’s reaction.
And for good reason.
“Because you didn’t decline.”
“...There are times when even I feel like loosening up.”
At some point, the dark-haired young man had drawn his sword, and Ihan, satisfied, stood up as well.