Chapter 19
—
Arthur blinked.
\[Letter of Recommendation – Arcane University.]
What Yonel handed him was a document.
A very complicated document, stamped with multiple official seals.
But understanding its meaning was not difficult.
Which is why all Arthur could do was tilt his head.
*Why is she giving me a university recommendation letter?*
As that thought crossed his mind and Arthur hesitated, Yonel gave an order to the retainers of House Bayern.
“Could you all give us a moment? There’s… something important I need to discuss with Arthur.”
The Bayern retainers, who had been craning their necks curiously, startled and bowed.
Then, carrying off the pouting Irene in their arms, they hurriedly left the dining hall.
Once Yonel confirmed the surroundings were clear of prying eyes, she turned her gaze back.
And smiled warmly at Arthur.
“My son… you’re seventeen now, aren’t you?”
“Yes, Mother.”
“You’ve grown so much… It’s been a year since you stopped stuttering… and even more time has passed since then, hasn’t it?”
“Oh… Has it been that long already?”
“Yes. Even I can hardly believe it. In the last year, you’ve grown far more than in the seventeen years I’ve spent watching you.”
Yonel rested her chin on her hand.
The smile that had been playing at her lips just moments ago dimmed slightly.
Arthur noticed the subtle change and was about to speak when Yonel opened her mouth first—
And made a shocking declaration.
“In three years, I intend to name you the official heir of the ducal house.”
“…What?”
“And a year after that, I’m prepared to hand this position over to you entirely. Do you understand what that means, Arthur?”
Arthur, still dazed, managed to answer.
“Uh… yes. But… why so suddenly…?”
“It’s not a sudden decision, Arthur. After seeing your talent for myself, I thought it over for several days before coming to this conclusion.”
Yonel let out a small laugh.
“Of course, if you’re not yet ready… I’ll hold this position until you are. But Arthur—you are the only heir of this family.”
She stopped smiling, her gaze sharpening.
“In the end, whether you like it or not… those who covet your bloodline and this family will come swarming in. I don’t know what choice you’ll make when that time comes, but becoming Duke would be a very good option.”
*A good option?*
Arthur echoed her words in his mind, holding his breath.
*The master of the ducal house… I never imagined this.*
It was a position he had never once desired, never once wanted.
And with good reason—in his past life, he hadn’t even been able to protect his place as heir, let alone become the Duke.
To speak of claiming the title of Duke now was absurd.
When Arthur didn’t answer, Yonel continued where she had left off.
“It’s the same with this. Arcane University… Even the most prestigious academies in the Empire can’t compare to it.”
“…”
“It’s where the most gifted people on the continent gather—royalty, nobility, the finest talents.”
Arthur nodded slightly.
He was well aware of Arcane University.
The Empire, the United Kingdoms, even the Church and many immigrant kingdoms had joined forces to build the new city of Arcane.
And its sole educational institution, Arcane University, only admitted those who possessed not only extraordinary talent and genius but also the qualifications to match.
“If you graduate from such a school, you’ll be recognized as the rightful heir to the ducal house. And as your uncle Holan said, if you enter that school, your talents will fully blossom. The very best professors in the world teach there.”
Arthur thought silently to himself.
*So… in other words, get a diploma from Arcane University to prove I’m worthy of being Duke.*
As he mulled this over, Yonel spoke again—this time with yet another surprise.
“And while you’re away at Arcane University, Arthur, I intend to rebuild our crumbling ducal house.”
“…Rebuild it?”
“Yes. As you know, the ducal house is in a very poor state right now. Do you know why?”
Arthur hesitated, then recalled the conversation between Yonel and Cain.
“…Is it because of the iron mines?”
“That’s right. The iron mines are part of it. They were originally ours, but now they’re on the verge of falling into the hands of greedy businessmen and nobles—starting with Count Dormund.”
“How did it come to that?”
“Because we became complacent. Bayern sat at the top for too long. Everything became routine… and taken for granted.”
Yonel murmured bitterly.
“Meanwhile, Count Dormund and the rising new nobles embraced challenge and innovation. That’s where the gap formed. If things continue like this, we could even lose the name Bayern itself.”
Arthur’s eyes widened.
The name Bayern.
He knew all too well what losing that meant.
*Death. For a noble stripped of their name… only death remains.*
And now Yonel was declaring she would not allow that to happen.
Arthur found himself murmuring in disbelief.
*Mother… has changed? The mother I knew wasn’t like this.*
Yonel took Arthur’s hand in hers.
The warmth grounded him.
“I have no intention of sitting back and watching. On the condition that you attend this school, I’ll restore our shaken finances and reclaim Bayern’s rightful holdings.”
“…”
“And in three years… I’ll hand it all over to you.”
Arthur fell silent.
But in that silence, his thoughts aligned.
Now he understood.
Why she had given him the Arcane University recommendation letter and created this moment.
*While she rebuilds the family, she wants me to go to university and prove I can be its master.*
If everything went well, this would be an enormous opportunity.
An opportunity to gain great power for when the time came to face Cain Dormund and the Second Prince, Khan Madrid.
And it would also solve a problem he had been mulling over for days.
*If I go to Arcane, I can collect bloodlines… and do so naturally.*
Arthur couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across his face.
So many surprising changes had come in this life, but perhaps none as thrilling as this moment.
He lifted his head to see Yonel’s expression—set with firm resolve.
Matching that resolve, Arthur answered.
“Thank you, Mother.”
Yonel’s smile returned.
“This is the best birthday gift I could have asked for. Thank you for giving me this chance.”
—
—
Truth be told, a part of him wanted to stay in the Bayern estate a little longer.
The household members he had only just begun to grow close to.
His mother and younger sister, who had regained their smiles.
He wanted to spend more time with them.
But Arthur chose to set that aside and leave.
*When Mother has made up her mind… a good son supports her.*
If he stayed, Yonel might waver.
That would help neither her nor him.
And so, once her resolve was firm, he decided to leave the Bayern estate.
Preparations were made at once.
Arcane University—
The city of opportunity, hundreds of kilometers from the imperial capital.
Traveling so far required many belongings, but Arthur himself had little to do.
So he spent the time walking through the estate, saying goodbye.
To the friendly cook.
To the knight who greeted him every day.
And to many other attendants.
Arthur spoke to each of them personally, and the Bayern servants responded with tears.
“You must come back, young master.”
“We’ll be waiting for you, no matter how long it takes.”
“May only a bright future await you…”
A pang of pain stabbed deep in his chest.
It hurt more than he expected, and that surprised him.
It had been a very long time since he had felt this way about anyone outside his family.
And so the thought of leaving the estate brought an even deeper sense of regret.
When the time came, the entire Bayern family turned out to see him off at the train bound for Arcane—the new city of guaranteed opportunity and freedom.
The official appearance of the Empire’s second-most noble bloodline made the station attendants and passengers bow in respect.
Even the train’s conductor came forward to greet Yonel with a bow.
“It’s an honor to have the young master aboard, Your Grace.”
Yonel nodded and turned.
Arthur, holding the sleeping Irene in his arms, met her gaze.
She hesitated, her lips parting—
But Arthur smiled.
“I’ll contact you when I arrive, Mother.”
“…”
“I’ll message you before I go to sleep, too. I’ll tell you what I did each day. And I’ll come visit during the holidays.”
Her lips closed again.
Then, holding back tears, she embraced him.
“I’ll be waiting. This won’t be our last goodbye.”
“Yes.”
“Take the elixirs I’m sending you, and study hard.”
“Of course. Send me lots of good ones.”
“As if I’d send you anything less. Don’t worry.”
Arthur grinned.
“Send me the best in the world, Mother.”
With that, Yonel took Irene from him.
The Bayern retainers wiped their eyes and waved.
Arthur boarded the VIP carriage.
*Pooooooot!*
The whistle blew, smoke billowing into the air—
The signal to depart.
Leaning by the window, Arthur watched Yonel and the Bayern retainers, unmoving.
*I’ll come see you soon, Mother.*
Only once the train had pulled away and she was out of sight did something break the moment.
Anna, sitting across from him, asked cautiously,
“Um… young master? Should I give you some privacy?”
“Hm? Why?”
“…It just seemed like you might want some time to yourself.”
Seeing her hesitate, Arthur nodded.
“Hmm… Then how about bringing me a coffee?”
“With… five extra shots, right?”
“Today, make it three more on top of that.”
Anna’s mouth fell slightly open.
*Eight shots in a coffee…?*
But she shook her head. This wasn’t the first time. And right now, she should be as considerate as possible.
Leaving family to head into the unknown was hard for anyone, noble or commoner.
With that thought, Anna hurried out, leaving Arthur alone with his thoughts.
And naturally, his purpose in going to Arcane came to mind.
*First thing when I get there… stop by a tailor. Then head into the underworld and collect the best bloodlines as quickly and efficiently as possible.*
Proving himself worthy of the ducal title was one reason for going to Arcane—
But bloodline collection was the bigger one.
The sprawling, abnormal city was home to countless ability users, and more rare bloodlines than anywhere else on the continent.
For someone like Arthur, it was the perfect hunting ground.
He had no intention of wasting that chance.
*And I’ll sever the heads of the enemies living in Arcane, too.*
Of course, that would take time.
But Arcane would shorten that time.
As he finished arranging his thoughts, Arthur looked up—
And saw an old man with a beard down to his chest, sipping tea in front of him.
“Greetings.”
“Hello?”
The bold greeting made the old man chuckle.
“You don’t seem surprised. I came in without permission. Do you know me?”
“No? I think this is the first time we’ve met.”
“Then why greet me so familiarly?”
Arthur blinked.
“Well… being flustered doesn’t do me any good. For now, let’s leave it at that.”
The old man laughed again.
In that moment, Arthur’s senses sharpened.
*What? Anna and the guards outside… are asleep?*
Anna might have been one thing, but the knight outside was fifth-circle—skilled enough to emit aura.
A knight like that wouldn’t just suddenly fall asleep.
Arthur’s gaze naturally shifted back to the old man.
“…If you don’t mind me asking, who are you?”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“I’m called Whitebeard.”
“Whitebeard?”
“A nickname. Have you heard of it?”
Arthur shook his head.
“No, first I’ve heard of it. Is your real name really Whitebeard?”
“Didn’t I just say it’s a nickname? Hmph… How about this, then—I’m with \[Sky Island].”
Arthur started to shake his head again—then stopped.
Sky Island.
The name rang a bell.
*Not just familiar—I know it. An organization only the worst criminals can join. A secret group spoken of like a ghost story.*
No one knew their true nature or numbers.
They were legend—known only through whispers.
Arthur’s eyes narrowed.
“You’re… a criminal?”
“Criminal? Hm… You could call it that. I’ve committed my share of crimes.”
“Why did you come to see me?”
At that, the black mage from Sky Island—Whitebeard—smiled faintly.
“Do you know someone called Frakil?”
Arthur blinked.
Then, belatedly, let out a small exclamation.
“You mean the black mage, Mr. Frakil?”
“That’s right. He wasn’t quite worthy of being called a black mage, but he was close enough.”
“What about him?”
Whitebeard lifted his fedora.
Arthur’s eyes widened.
The man’s sockets were empty.
And as Arthur blinked at the sight, Whitebeard murmured,
“That man, who ran to the capital to avoid me, suddenly turned up dead. Not the sort to just get himself stabbed to death, so I started tracing the trail… and it led here.”
As he spoke, flames flickered in his empty sockets.
Watching the strange phenomenon, Arthur scratched his head.
“…Would you believe me if I said I didn’t kill him?”
Whitebeard chuckled.
“As if I’d believe that, little angel of Bayern.”
