Chapter 8 – The Former Demon King, Awakening To Ancient Magic
”Someone, bring me a wooden sword! Now, a mock battle between me and Xellos will take place”
“Yes. Then allow me”
“Yuuki will stay there to watch the battle between me and Xellos”
“……yes”
”Make sure no one comes here, have Neil be thorough with it. And make sure no one in the house can see the ‘Ancient Magic’. Would that be suffice, Kachel-dono?”
“This Kachel can’t help but admire Baron-sama’s thoughts”
Thus, otou-sama and nii-sama were to hold a mock battle in front of me.
The preparations were soon over, otou-sama and nii-sama faced each other with their weapons in hand.
Otou-sama holds a thick wooden sword in both hands.
Xellos nii-sama on the other hand is one-handed.
“I’ll decide who wins and who doesn’t!”
Standing between them, the tutor Kachel shouted.
”Either one side admit defeat or lose if the sword is dropped. Is that all right?
“Yes” “No objection. Sensei”
“Well then, let’s get started!!”
“Here I come, otou-sama!!”
It was Xellos nii-sama who had made the first move.
While drawing something like a figure in the air with his finger, he also started muttering some kind of spell.
“‘Be fulfilled! I am————————————————–‘”
“Well done. Xellos-sama!”
Xellos nii-sama’s chanting is inaudible to me. It’s unlike any other words I’ve ever heard.
“Activate— ‘Body Strengthening’!!”
Xellos nii-sama kicked the ground and started running.
“—Fast!”
Nii-sama’s physical abilities have improved dramatically.
He closed the gap between him and otou-sama in a split second and swung his sword down with one hand.
*GA–*
Otou-sama caught nii-sama’s sword with his two-handed sword.
No—he can’t stop the blow. He’s being pushed back.
Otou-sama who is two heads taller than Xellos nii-sama and about twice as big, is being overpowered by Xellos nii-sama.
It was like a joke.
I’ve never seen a magic with this much of power, even in my past life.
With an ordinary magic, the strength can only be increased by a few percent at most. However, nii-sama’s strength and instantaneous power are probably many times greater now.
……it’s terrifying.
This is the power of the ‘Ancient Magic’?
“Xellos. This is the result of your learning huh”
“Yes. With the ‘Ancient Magic’, I can fight on equal terms with otou-sama!”
“That’s truly quite a feat!”
Otou-sama clenched his teeth and pushed back Xellos nii-sama’s sword.
For a moment, nii-sama withdraw then in the same timing, he jumps back.
Again, Xellos nii-sama closed the gap and swung his wooden sword.
In terms of strength and speed, Xellos nii-sama is already the superior one. Still, the reason otou-sama is able to fight is probably because of his combat experience.
Now I understand why the ‘Ancient Magic’ can only be used in the ‘Sanctuary Church’ and the ‘Rindobell Magic Guild’.
The spell nii-sama had chanted was peculiarly pronounced, with systematic breathing in between the sounds. It’s probably a language that is dedicated to the ‘Ancient Magic’.
Without deciphering that, the ‘Ancient Magic’ cannot be used.
I can’t do it.
There’s no way such a strange spell can be casted without being taught.
“How is it, Yuuki! This is my power! Do you realize even a little!?”
Xellos nii-sama cried out as he flicked the sword that otou-sama had swung down.
“It’s a power you don’t understand. I’ll use this power to become a high ranking mage in the magic guild. And then I will raise this Grossalia Baron family to the same status as the upper class noble!”
”That’s right. Yuuki-kun. This is the power of the ‘Ancient Magic’. It’s a power you can’t even imagine!”
Before I notice it, I saw the tutor Kachel is looking at me.
“The power to fight on an equal footing with the veteran Baron-sama. With this, Xellos-sama will definitely climb up to a higher height as a noble! Sooner or later, you won’t even be able to speak to me or Xellos-sama! You can see the differences in our status, can’t you!?”
“You’re right”
I paid no attention to the words of the tutor Kachel.
Nii-sama’s sword which was strengthened by the ‘Ancient Magic’ was amazing too, however, otou-sama was just barely able to cope with it.
I can clearly see how scary it is to turn against the humans of this era.
……This is the first time I’ve seen the ‘Ancient Magic’ up close and…… it’s terrifying.
Even if I used all my skills, there’s no knowing if I could win.
It’s because I don’t understand the magic theory at all to begin with. Just a moment ago, I did my best to memorize the movements of nii-sama’s fingers.
Nii-sama, have written such a crest with his finger.
In this way and this way…then adding the chanting to it too….
*DOKUN*
My heart rumbled.
My hands and feet became hot. It felt like power is welling up from deep within the body.
—What’s this?
It was as if I had returned to be the ‘Immortal Mage’ Dean Nosferatu… from my past life.
My stamina and energy seem to be overflowed—?
What is this. What, is this power!?
“I’m sorry! I don’t feel well, so I’m going to have to excuse myself!”
“……Eh?” “Are you okay? Yuuki!?”
Xellos nii-sama and otou-sama called out.
But I can’t afford to answer.
I moved my feet with all my might to get away from the three of them. To somewhere out of people’s sight.
That’s right. Let’s go to the back yard.
“Wait a minute, Yuuki! You have to see my power!!”
“Don’t chase after me! Xellos nii-sama”
Why are you chasing me? Moreover, in the state of the ‘Body Strengthening’”.
Right now…… I can’t get caught!
I increased my running speed.
“—Eh? I can’t keep up!? Why!?”
Nii-sama’s voice faded away.
I turned at the corner of the mansion and went into the back yard.
Then— I kicked the ground with all my might.
—Xellos’s Point Of View—
“Hey!? Yuuki!?”
Xellos chased after his younger brother and turned at the corner of the building.
Without a pause, he entered the back yard. But—
“…….not here”
His younger brother, Yuuki was nowhere to be seen.
“This must be a lie. How come I can’t catch up to him with my ‘Body Strengthening’. How come Yuuki is stronger than me. No way”
“What’s going on, Xellos-sama”
When I turned around, I saw my private tutor Kachel.
“Yuuki is not here. I couldn’t catch up to him. Could it be that Yuuki is also using the ‘Ancient Magic’?”
“That’s impossible”
The tutor Kachel shook his head.
”In order to use the ‘Ancient Magic’, it requires a certain action and chanting, as well as the use of internal magic power. It’s not something that can be used by the illegitimate child who hasn’t been taught of it”
“But!!”
”Xellos-sama had only just been able to use the ‘Body Strengthening’ and was probably not able to control it well. Normally, you would have overwhelmed Baron Georg-sama even in a melee match”
“……sensei”
”Come on, let’s go back to Baron-sama. The goal of showing off your power to Yuuki-dono has been achieved. Now you have to show that to Baron-sama too”
“Yes”
Xellos walked towards the front yard of the mansion.
“But…sometimes…I feel like I’m no match for Yuuki…I just do”
“Let’s have a chat later. That illegitimate child won’t be a problem. Like I always said, you have the true ability”
After saying that, Xellos and Kachel left.
—Yuuki’s Point Of View—
“…that was a close call”
. . . . .
From the room on the 2nd floor, I was looking over the back yard.
After running to the back yard, I jumped to the 2nd floor then opened the window and hid inside the room.
My ‘Flight’ skill is still incomplete. Normally, I shouldn’t be able to jump to the 2nd floor.
But the reason I was able to jump that high was because of the ‘Body Strengthening’ effect.
While watching Xellos nii-sama and otou-sama fight, my hands and feet suddenly became hot.
Power surged from deep within my body, and it was as if I had returned to the heyday of my past life.
While thinking it’s bad, I decided to run away.
”I never thought that the ‘Ancient Magic’ could be activated just by drawing the crest with blood…”
I looked at the palm of my hand.
There is the crest that I drew in my ‘Magical Blood’. <— ‘Mistel Blood’
When I saw the mock battle between otou-sama and Xellos nii-sama earlier, I unconsciously drew it.
It’s a habit that I had when I was the ‘Lone Demon King’ in my past life. Back then, whenever I had something that I wanted to write it down right away, I’d cut my fingertips and write it in blood on the palm of my hand or on a parchment.
Lyle said, ‘That’s why they called you a vampire’ while laughing.
“I’ll have to do a little more research on the ‘Ancient Magic’”
After saying that, I looked at the inhabitant of the room.
“That said, I’m sorry. I must have scared you, Martha”
“You jumped in while I was changing and that’s all you have to say?”
Inside the room, my maid, Martha was glaring at me.
In her underwear. She hugged her nearly undressed maid’s outfit.
Perhaps because she was changing, her chestnut-color hair which she usually ties up is fluffing and swaying.
“Do you know how surprised Martha was when the window was suddenly opened?”
“…I’m truly sorry”
“But I was relieved the moment I found out it was Yuuki-sama”
“No, why do you feel relieved”
Martha puffed her cheeks after I said that.
Her name is Martha. She’s 15 years old and are 2 years older than me.
She’s my personal maid who are working in the detached building.
Because her mother had worked for the Baron family, so Martha used to always come to the mansion for a long time. To me and Lumia, she is our childhood friend. Martha’s mother is now unwell and works at home doing manual labor. So to replace her, Martha now work for the Baron family as a maid in practice.
“After all, Martha has pledged her allegiance to Yuuki-sama”
Martha looked at my direction as she covered her body with the maid’s clothes that she held in her hands.
“Yuuki-sama told Baron-sama that he should hire Martha in the place of my mother when she had to resign from the Baron family’s service. If Yuuki-sama hadn’t said that, Martha and mother might be wondering around the street now”
“……That’s because Kachel haven’t come here at that time”
The Baron family was not as strict as it is now.
“Besides, Martha’s mother was the only one who would take care of me. On the contrary, Martha also has to take care of me at the detached building, so I think I’m the one who was being a bother”
“Yuuki-sama had went to visit my mother many times”
“Because I don’t feel comfortable staying in this house all the time, and I don’t know anyone else”
“My mother’s health has gotten better every time Yuuki-sama went to visit her”
“That is just a coincidence”
“Is that so”
“Yes, yes”
”Still…Martha’s allegiance belongs to Yuuki-sama”
So stubborn. Martha…
Humans are like that, aren’t they?
“For the umpteenth time, I don’t think of Martha as a servant”
“You always say that Martha are your partner living together in this mansion, didn’t you”
“Yes, that’s what I said”
With me being stared by nii-sama and the private tutor.
With Martha who lives alone with her sick mother.
It’s quite difficult to live in this Baron family.
”I understand…if you say so, Yuuki-sama”
“In the first place, Martha”
“What is it. Yuuki-sama”
“Aren’t you surprised that I came in through the window at the 2nd floor?”
“Martha is well aware of how amazing Yuuki-sama are”
“Is it”
“Martha used to be a crybaby but was well protected. You would use magic to ward off the bugs or cool my burnt hands. And each time you would say, ‘Oops I forgot. Don’t tell anyone, okay?’, so Martha is getting more and more secrets. At this point of time, there’s nothing to be surprised anymore”
“I’m sorry about that”
“This time it will also be the same, ‘Oops I forgot. Don’t tell anyone, okay?’, right?”
“Yeah. By all means”
“Well noted”
“I’m sorry”
“By the way, Yuuki-sama”
“Yeah”
“It’s a bit late to say this now, but what are your thoughts after seeing Martha changing clothes?”
“I know very well that Martha is pretty”
“Thank you very much. Afterwards, Martha will wash your hair as a thank you”
“I just washed it recently, so it’s okay”
“No—it—is—not—okay”
“……all right”
“Good”
“Well then, I’m going back to my room now. Bring me some tea later”
“Yes. I’ll come over after I finish changing my clothes”
Saying that, Martha bowed.
So I decided to head back to my room.
A few minutes later.
As I was sipping the tea that Martha had brewed for me, otou-sama came into the room.
”Yuuki, you’ve been asked to stay at an inn in town while Her Royal Highness is coming. Martha and a few others will accompany you. However, you are not allowed to return to the mansion until Her Royal Highness has left this place”
Otou-sama said that while avoiding my gaze.
“The truth is, you don’t really have to go that far. You also don’t need to seclude yourself in the room. But……since it was instructed by the private tutor dispatched from the ‘Magic Guild’……so it’s inevitable”
“I don’t really mind. Otou-sama”
I was the one who insisted on leaving the house anyway. Besides, it’s not bad to relax at an inn once in a while.
I won’t need to look at tutor Kachel’s face too.
“Martha is going to follow me, isn’t she? In that case, I don’t mind”
“……I’m sorry. Yuuki”
Without warning.
Otou-sama stretched out his arms and hugged me.
“I’m just an upstart after all. I’m probably not cut out to be a nobleman. This is silly. I never thought I’d have to put my own son through such a shameful experience……”
“Otou-sama. Martha is watching”
“I’m not”
As she said, Martha faced away.
“Please continue. Baron-sama. Yuuki-sama”
“……she got me”
It’s so embarrassing to be hugged by otou-sama in front of Martha.
I originally thought it was my job to comfort a child.
In my past life, I used to treat the crybaby Lyle and Alice like this.
But, to be done the same thing by someone doesn’t feel bad too.
In my past life, I don’t even know who my parents are.
But now I have otou-sama, my little sister Lumia, Xellos nii-sama and Martha too.
For that reason alone, it was probably a good thing to be a human.
“Thank you very much, otou-sama”
“I will not let you be inconvenienced. Let the butler Neil handle the preparations. Martha, please take good care of Yuuki for me”
”Those words alone are enough. Otou-sama”
“Please leave Yuuki-sama to me. Baron-sama”
I got out of otou-sama’s arms and bowed. Behind me, Martha also bowed her head.
I stayed that way until otou-sama left the room.
This is because I didn’t know what kind of a face that a human child would make at such a moment like this.
<< Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter >>
