“I thought my father was a carpenter. I had no idea he had such a past.”
‘I didn’t know either. It’s kind of interesting, though.’
Still, he decided not to pry further.
It would be strange for the young lord, who already knew the whole story, to ask more questions.
“But do you really think I can do it?”
“Do what?”
“You said you wanted me to learn alchemy, didn’t you?”
“That’s right.”
“But even if my father was a great alchemist, what if I’m not cut out for it?”
‘A future grand alchemist saying she’s not suited for alchemy? That’s nonsense.’
If anything, he was worried she might get too into it and start demanding research funds.
‘She’ll probably turn into a money-draining monster later.’
Of course, as her skills improved, she’d create higher-value items.
‘But more importantly, she doesn’t seem completely clueless.’
Her eyes showed a mix of worry and a spark of passion to try it out.
‘Still, just in case…’
He decided to sprinkle in a little encouragement to keep her motivated.
“You’re the daughter of an alchemist favored by the king. I’m sure you’ll surpass your father. I have a good eye for talent, you know.”
“…Really?”
‘Look at her, giving me that skeptical look.’
Her expression clearly showed she didn’t fully trust his words.
But what could he do?
She hadn’t seen anything from him yet to earn her trust.
Plus, he still had the “Troublemaker Tyrant” title attached to him.
Expecting her to take his words at value was unrealistic.
“I truly believe, without a doubt, that you’ll become someone who surpasses your father.”
Sera bowed her head.
“Thank you, young lord. I’ll work hard to live up to your expectations.”
[Sera expresses gratitude for your belief in her. Loyalty increased by 3.]
“Alright, then head to the room at the far right on the second floor. That’ll be your workspace from now on.”
The room at the far right of the second floor in the lord’s estate.
Originally an empty room, it had been converted into an alchemy lab a few days ago while Sera was studying.
“There are basic alchemy books there. Read them and start learning alchemy.”
‘I spent 4 gold on tools, materials, and alchemy books.’
It was a lot, but it couldn’t be helped.
It was money that had to be spent to improve her skills.
‘It’s a shame I can’t hire a proper alchemist to teach her.’
His personal funds weren’t enough, and the estate’s finances weren’t exactly overflowing.
Since they couldn’t afford it, she’d have to learn on her own.
‘Well, according to the guides, she grows well even with this kind of training, so it should be fine.’
Since she was a well-documented talent in the game, Ian wasn’t too worried.
Ian’s Peaceful Life
Ian’s daily life was the epitome of peace.
As a troublemaker, he could do whatever he wanted without anyone questioning him.
In fact, people were just grateful if he stayed quiet and didn’t cause trouble.
Thanks to that, even after returning from monster hunts, he could hole up in his room or do whatever he pleased without anyone bothering him.
‘I’m so bored I could die.’
When he worked, he wanted to rest, and when he rested too long, he wanted to work.
He was starting to understand why people say humans are fickle creatures.
He considered going to the office to help with estate management but shook his head.
Of course, Ian knew how to manage an estate.
After all, he had played through multiple playthroughs with characters in various situations.
That included being a lord and even a unified emperor of the continent.
Managing this tiny estate?
‘That’s easy.’
But problems would arise afterward.
Estate management was the domain of the lord and his heir.
As the eldest son but not the heir, suddenly trying to take over estate affairs?
That would be a direct challenge to Hubert.
The moment Hubert saw Ian as a threat, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t try to eliminate him.
Naturally, Ian, who had no power base, would have to flee the estate.
‘That’s not what I want. I just want a stable, peaceful life where I can do as I please.’
So, from now on, he planned to try to get closer to Hubert.
“Hey.”
“Yes, Young Lord Ian!”
The servant pouring Ian a drink responded in a loud, overly formal voice.
Since black tea didn’t suit his taste, Ian had asked for something else to drink.
“Are you trying to blow out my eardrums? Speak quietly.”
“I-I’m sorry! I would never! Never!”
“….”
He had been joking, but the servant’s panicked apology made Ian feel oddly guilty.
‘I should avoid joking until my reputation changes.’
If someone saw this, it wouldn’t help improve his image.
“Alright, get up.”
The servant scrambled to his feet.
“What’s Hubert doing now?”
“You mean Young Lord Hubert? He’s probably reviewing estate matters with the lord right now.”
“What does Hubert do after work?”
“If there’s nothing special, he usually heads to the family training grounds.”
The estate had a training ground exclusively for the Schrantz family.
“Really? Then tell him I’ll be there today. I want to have a chat.”
The servant’s face turned pale the moment he heard that.
Ian didn’t understand why the servant reacted that way. He just wanted to bond with his brother.
Clearly, there was some serious misunderstanding.
“So, why did you call me here?”
That was the first thing Hubert, the heir, said to Ian after finishing his duties and arriving at the training grounds.
Since it was the reaction he had expected, Ian didn’t say much and simply tossed a wooden sword to him.
“What else? To spar with my brother, sweat together, and bond.”
Hubert, who had been examining the wooden sword, let out a scoffing laugh.
“What did I do wrong this time?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Are you pretending not to know? Just a few months ago, if I did something you didn’t like, you’d call me to the training grounds and beat me up without a second thought.”
“……”
Ian clenched his mouth shut, at a loss for words.
‘No wonder. The servant’s face turned pale as soon as I mentioned calling Hubert.’
Finally, everything made sense.
The servants’ nervousness when he had asked to call Hubert to the training grounds, and their fidgeting like puppies needing to relieve themselves.
“It seems like you’ve finally realized you’re not cut out for this, given how quiet you’ve been these past few months. Did you achieve something during the monster hunt? If so, congratulations.”
“……”
Ian was speechless as he watched Hubert mock him.
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding. That’s not why I called you this time.”
He genuinely wanted to get closer.
“Sure, whatever you say. Pick up your sword, brother.”
Hubert wasn’t even pretending to listen.
It was clear he didn’t think Ian’s words were worth hearing.
‘How can family be this estranged?’
He knew Hubert and Ian didn’t get along, but he hadn’t realized it was this bad.
It didn’t even seem like Hubert genuinely saw him as an older brother.
The fact that Hubert still addressed him as “brother” was something to be grateful for at this point.
‘The eldest son, who not only lost his position as heir to his younger brother but also doesn’t even get treated like an older brother. What an idiot.’
Being the eldest son comes with a lot of responsibility and weight, which usually gives an advantage in the line of succession.
But for the position to go to the younger brother instead…
It meant Ian was incompetent, irresponsible, and had no interest in the duties of a lord.
‘Well, it’s not like this troublemaker could handle the weight of being the eldest son anyway.’
He might have lived without a care in the world until now.
It was possible he had acted on a whim and only realized the consequences later.
‘Of course, it’s convenient for me.’
Since he didn’t have to take on the lord’s duties.
That meant he didn’t have to deal with the many complexities that came with it.
‘Still, I should start changing my image now, just in case the worst happens.’
He had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
‘I need to change my image in case the worst happens.’
This was a matter of his survival.
“Let me make one thing clear. I’m not going to do that kind of thing anymore.”
“Sure, whatever you say.”
Well, of course, that would be the reaction.
Hubert had grown up seeing Ian’s disgraceful behavior, so why would he believe him so easily?
‘It’s going to be a long road.’
It seemed like a thorny path lay ahead.
He hadn’t done anything, yet he was in the ironic position of having to fix everything.
‘Well, whatever.’
No matter what he said now, it would go in one ear and out the other.
Talking too much would only hurt him.
‘I’ll just take it slow.’
Hubert might think he had some ulterior motive now, but he’d eventually realize.
That Ian was no longer the person he used to know.
“So, do you have anything else to say?”
“If a man draws his sword, he should at least cut something. Since we’re here, let’s spar.”
“Sure, I’ll take you on, brother.”
Despite his words, Hubert’s expression was already confident of victory.
“Then let’s go with the usual rule: ‘Until one of us passes out.’”
What a brutal rule.
But Ian decided to play along and meet his brother’s expectations.
Whoosh—!
Neither of them hesitated.
The two brothers quickly closed the distance, kicking off the ground.
Clang!
The sound of wooden swords clashing echoed refreshingly throughout the training ground.
They exchanged blows, looking for openings, but neither managed to land a decisive hit.
Psychological warfare ensued, with each deliberately showing gaps to lure the other into attacking, but neither fell for it easily.
‘There’s a size difference, yet I can’t overpower him.’
Ian was surprised that he couldn’t easily overwhelm Hubert, despite the difference in their builds, and was impressed by his skill.
It spoke volumes about Hubert’s martial prowess.
‘What’s going on? Did something actually happen during the monster hunt?’
Meanwhile, Hubert was equally shocked.
Unlike a few months ago, when Ian had overwhelmingly overpowered him despite the size difference, things were different now.
‘I thought he was just boasting about some minor improvement, but…’
This Ian was completely different from the one he had known.
There wasn’t even the slightest hint of his old habit of overextending his foot when swinging the sword.
And he didn’t fall for any of the psychological traps Hubert set.
‘He didn’t fall for any of my mind games?’
That wasn’t all.
Unlike before, when Ian would get frustrated and swing wildly if things didn’t go his way, he remained calm and composed.
None of Hubert’s usual tactics worked.
It felt like he was facing a completely different person.
‘Then how about this?’
Hubert began to unleash a sword technique he had only ever imagined.
His movements became more agile, more powerful.
As they exchanged blows, both men began to sweat, and Hubert was startled to realize he was thoroughly enjoying the spar.
‘Wait. Am I actually enjoying this?’
Hubert was shocked to find himself enjoying the spar, something he hadn’t expected.
Crack!
“……”
“……”
The spar finally came to an end.
Both Ian and Hubert’s wooden swords had broken at the same time.
They still had stamina left, but the wooden swords couldn’t withstand the force.
“Tsk. The maintenance of these wooden swords is terrible. They should get sturdier ones. Anyway, I guess this counts as a draw?”
