**Chapter 10**
—
An unexpected stir swept through the capital.
It was a small miracle that had occurred in Bayern.
Arthur Bayern, long regarded as the sole heir, had finally overcome his illness—and was no longer stuttering.
It wasn’t an event of massive consequence, but the Bayern family was such a prominent noble house that it naturally drew attention.
Some even whispered that perhaps, through this event, the Bayern family might reclaim a renewed stature.
Time passed, and as new events emerged, this fact began to fade from people’s minds.
Then came news of Arthur Bayern’s new butler.
Anna Kraft woke at the crack of dawn. She washed her face, brushed her hair, and put on the neatly pressed uniform from the night before.
After a final inspection in the mirror, she walked past the still-sleeping halls of the Bayern estate and headed to the back garden.
*Fwish—!*
A sharp sound sliced past her ear.
Anna lifted her head and saw a young man.
No—a boy.
*Fwish—!*
The wooden sword he wielded cut through the air with unrelenting precision.
The sharpness in his movements was far beyond what one would expect from a boy his age.
Anna couldn’t help but click her tongue in disbelief.
‘…If someone told me that young master used to stutter just a few months ago, who would believe it?’
As she waited for Arthur to finish his training, that thought passed through her mind.
Suddenly, Arthur stopped mid-swing.
He looked down at the empty slot on his chest and muttered,
“Hmm… it’s gone. Is it because there was only one ring?”
Swordsmen—or more specifically, knights—manipulated mana.
That mana enhanced their physical bodies and, once they reached a certain level, allowed them to emit sword aura.
‘To release sword aura, you need to be at the 5th Circle. Until then, it’s only physical enhancement.’
And so, ever since he completed his 1st Circle, Arthur had been refining the harmony between his body and mana every day.
The fastest way to grow stronger was to accumulate mana and forge more rings. But unless one consumed powerful elixirs, that couldn’t be done in a short period.
Still, there was a way—though only slightly effective—to forcibly increase the speed of mana accumulation.
It was to completely exhaust the mana stored in the body and then refill it anew.
‘An inefficient and brute-force method… but at the moment, if I don’t do even this, I’ve got nothing else.’
Clicking his tongue, Arthur turned his head.
At that moment, Undine—who had been playing with Gnome by his side—whispered softly,
\[Arthur, Anna’s here!]
‘Mm. I guess it’s morning already.’
In response, Undine cautiously offered some advice.
\[Shouldn’t you get some sleep? You’ve barely rested for two months straight. I’m worried you might collapse.]
‘I’ll be fine. And if I do collapse, you can just heal me, right?’
Undine beamed with joy and fluttered above Arthur’s head.
Amused by her delight, Arthur shrugged and walked over to Anna.
Anna, already bowing, held out a towel as if she’d been waiting.
“Thank you, Anna.”
At his polite gratitude, Anna spoke carefully.
“Um, Young Master?”
“Yes?”
“I’ve said this before, but… you don’t have to speak so formally with me.”
Arthur tilted his head and asked,
“Does it bother you?”
“…No, not at all. I just thought you might want to consider how others perceive it.”
Arthur paused, reflecting on her words.
‘Hmm… Now that I think about it, it is strange. A noble using honorifics with a butler?’
And then it came back to him.
Why he had begun speaking formally to everyone, regardless of status.
The reason was simple—because of his past mistakes.
‘Back when I was out of my mind, I used to speak without thinking.’
He had blurted out thoughts meant to stay in his head, disrupted the flow of conversations with inappropriate remarks, and created awkward situations.
As a result, he had adopted honorifics naturally.
‘At the very least, polite speech wouldn’t come across as rude… But I don’t need that anymore.’
Now that he was in his right mind, there was no real reason to keep using honorifics.
Changing the habit wouldn’t be easy, but still.
Having decided, Arthur spoke.
“Alright, Anna. I’ll try to speak more casually from now on. It’s just a habit, so it might take some time.”
Anna smiled brightly and nodded.
After that, the two left the training grounds and made their way to the dining hall.
As the morning sun climbed toward noon, the once-sleepy Bayern estate was waking with life again.
Servants bustled about the mansion, and each of them greeted Arthur with respect.
“Good morning, Young Master.”
And each time, Arthur paused and returned the greeting just as politely.
His manners were so impeccable that even newly hired maids were taken aback, eyes widening in surprise.
Anna, ever composed, would step in to manage the moment, but they still ended up arriving at breakfast nearly ten minutes late.
Yet neither Yonel nor Irene seemed to mind, both welcoming him with warm smiles.
“Welcome, Arthur. Did you enjoy your morning exercise?”
“Yes, Mother.”
Yonel’s lips curled into a tender smile.
It was so warm, so filled with joy, that even Anna—watching from the side—felt her spirits lift.
“The knights have been singing your praises. They say awakening the 1st Circle on your own is impossible unless you’re a genius.”
“Really?”
“They’re actually a bit disappointed. They wonder why someone with such talent doesn’t have a sword instructor…”
She trailed off before subtly suggesting,
“You still don’t want a teacher?”
“Yes. For now, I’d like to train on my own a bit longer.”
Seeing his resolute answer, Yonel hesitated briefly, then nodded.
“Instruction is most effective when one is ready to receive it. This mother will always be waiting.”
And with that, the meal began.
They chatted about this and that, laughter filling the air.
It was a far cry from the rigid meals typical of noble houses, and the cheerful atmosphere made even the attending retainers smile unknowingly.
As everyone enjoyed the pleasant breakfast—
Arthur asked a question.
“Mother, may I go out again today?”
Yonel sipped her post-meal coffee and replied,
“Again? You’ve been going out quite often lately.”
“There’s just so much to see out there. Time flies when I’m watching it all.”
Yonel thought for a moment.
But soon, she nodded in understanding.
It had already been a month since Arthur began his outings.
Trying to restrict him now would be wrong, and it had been six months since he stopped stuttering. It was time he experienced the world.
‘He took the first step. I must trust him and support him.’
Finishing her thoughts, Yonel turned to Anna.
“I’ll leave my son in your care, Anna.”
Startled, Anna straightened up and responded,
“Understood, Your Grace.”
Hearing her reply, Yonel stood and wrapped Arthur in a firm embrace.
“Have a wonderful day, my beloved son.”
—
—
With Yonnel’s permission, Arthur and Anna immediately began preparations for their outing.
Dressed in a crisp white shirt and a black cloak, Arthur tilted his head at the fedora Anna handed him.
“Do I really have to wear this, Anna?”
“It’s the latest trend in the capital. It goes perfectly with the outfit you’re wearing today, young master.”
“So you’re saying I have to wear it?”
“It’s not required, but if we want to keep your face partially hidden, it’s better if you do.”
He doubted a hat like that could really conceal his face.
Still, without further protest, he placed it on his head.
From what he’d observed so far, the new butler Anna cared a lot about fashion.
And since Arthur didn’t find that a bad thing, he had no reason to refuse.
As he put the hat on, Anna gave a soft sigh of admiration.
“It really suits you, young master.”
“Thanks. Shall we head out, then?”
With that, Arthur stepped out of the room, Anna following closely behind.
Once they exited the Bayern estate, Anna asked,
“Where would you like to go today, young master?”
“To the usual tea shop.”
At his reply, Anna took the lead.
Arthur followed behind her.
After about ten minutes of walking, they reached a busy commercial district.
*Hooonk!*
*Click-click-click!*
Car horns blared. The click of high heels echoed from all directions.
They had arrived at the largest shopping district in the capital, and Anna’s nerves sharpened.
She didn’t expect anything to happen here, in the middle of a bustling main street—but the person following her was the young master of a ducal household.
Given that, even the most unlikely events couldn’t be ruled out.
‘Normally, he’d be accompanied by the house knights… but the young master refused that more than anything else.’
Her senses on high alert, cold sweat trickling down her back, Anna finally managed to guide Arthur safely to the tea shop.
“Would you prefer a window seat or a private room, sir?”
“A private room, please.”
At Arthur’s request, the server led them to a private room.
It was a small space but elegantly furnished with a plush sofa and a polished table.
As the server showed them in, he asked again,
“What would you like to drink?”
“Two cups of hot tea, please.”
At Arthur’s order, the server bowed and exited the room.
Relieved, Anna let out a quiet sigh and wiped the sweat from her brow.
Arthur looked over and asked,
“You look tired. Why don’t you sit and rest for a bit?”
“I couldn’t possibly sit at the same table as you, young master…”
“We’ve been doing this for a month now, and every time we sit together and drink tea, you say the same thing, Anna.”
Anna clamped her mouth shut.
Embarrassingly, Arthur was right.
For the past month of outings, she had always sat across from him, enjoying a rare moment of calm.
After a moment’s hesitation, she cautiously lowered herself into the seat.
“Then… excuse me.”
Arthur nodded and opened the book he had brought with him.
Ten minutes passed. Then thirty. Then an hour.
At that point, Arthur began to twirl his finger in a circular motion.
Just then, Anna, who had been valiantly fighting off boredom and drowsiness, suddenly slumped forward onto the table, eyes shut.
Once he confirmed she was unconscious, Arthur stood.
“Gnome, I’ll leave her to you.”
The dark earth spirit fluttering above Anna’s head silently beat its wings in response.
With Gnome’s help, Arthur had put Anna to sleep—and he now slipped out of the tea shop without making a sound.
*Murmur, murmur—!*
The noisy chatter of the bustling district struck his ears again.
Arthur weaved through the crowd like someone who knew the streets intimately.
After walking for about ten minutes, the sound of car horns faded, replaced by the curses of beggars.
The change in atmosphere made Arthur reach for a mask he’d secretly brought and slip it over his face.
Then he kept walking.
Soon after, a beggar approached and cautiously asked,
“You’ve arrived?”
“Yes. Is everyone gathered?”
“They’re all here. I’ll take you.”
With that, the beggar turned down a narrow alley.
Arthur followed.
After winding through the backstreets for a while, they finally arrived at Sector B-21, infamously known as the capital’s slums—a place often called the capital’s “Harlem.” There, among the top five largest beggar groups, was the one called the \[Adun Gang].
“This way, sir. Here’s a tip for your trouble.”
Arthur flicked a silver coin to the beggar.
Beaming, the beggar bowed and quickly disappeared.
Amid beggars sprawled out asleep with their bellies exposed, a man emerged from the shadows.
The leader of the Adun Gang.
Adun.
“Good afternoon, sir.”
At his greeting, Arthur replied,
“Yes, good afternoon. So, did you manage to find anything today?”
—
—
Adun didn’t answer right away. His eyes darted around.
Seeing this, Arthur flicked a gold coin his way.
As the gleam of gold flashed before him, a wide grin spread across Adun’s face.
‘This man really is something else when it comes to payment. Though… this’ll be the last time.’
Muttering to himself, Adun recalled his first encounter with this strange customer.
‘Strictly speaking, he forced his way in. One of our guys picked a fight with him.’
Despite having a voice that hadn’t even fully matured, the boy had taken down dozens of Adun’s men in a single blow.
Faced with such strength, Adun had prostrated himself, begging for his life. The boy had coolly made an offer:
‘Find one person for me, and I’ll let this go. How about it?’
That marked the beginning of their bizarre relationship—which had now continued for a full month.
Each time the boy came, he paid handsomely, requesting help in finding someone. The beggars, enticed by the generous pay, did everything they could to track the person down.
‘I did think about scamming him at first… but after seeing what he could do, that idea vanished in an instant.’
Adun, though a beggar, was sharp.
He instinctively sensed that this boy was extremely dangerous.
So he had used all his available resources to fulfill his requests.
‘If someone with power is willing to pay us, there’s no need to cheat. Greed is only worth it when you have the means to back it up.’
With that thought, Adun finally spoke.
“To get straight to the point, I believe we’ve found him.”
Arthur’s eyes widened.
“Really? Where is he?”
“It seems he’s hiding with the \[Hardon Gang]. A man with dark skin and red eyes—exactly matching your description—has been staying there for a few days now.”
Arthur’s lips curled upward.
‘Finally. The black mage, Frakil.’
As expected, he’d been hiding and moving through Sector B-21 all along.
Arthur couldn’t hide his anticipation and muttered to himself,
‘I hope you’ve preserved that bloodline well. Because I’m going to make use of it.’
The second bloodline he would absorb after returning to the past.
Its ability: to manifest *armor* over the skin itself.
—
