For a new era, the revolutionary who rebelled against the Empire:
Hysteria de Strange.
In my past life, I thought this guy was insane.
After all, he killed his father and declared war against his entire family just because he found peace boring. Had his brothers not banded together to kill him, who knows how far his madness would have reached?
If left alive, he could have easily plunged the entire continent into chaos.
Now, that very Hysteria was looking at me with a ridiculous expression.
“You’re an amusing one, aren’t you? Did you come here knowing who I am?”
“You’re my second brother.”
“Then do you know why I’m here today?”
“Well, because of the assassin who infiltrated the castle this time—”
Shing!
Hysteria’s sword stopped just next to my neck.
Even though I could have blocked or dodged it, I didn’t move a finger.
How I reacted now would dictate the course of the conversation that was about to unfold.
He stared into my eyes with a cold gaze.
“Hey, little brother. The reason I came to the castle today isn’t because of the assassin. It’s because of you.”
I glanced down at the blade and responded.
“Is that so.”
“Yeah. Father told me to return to the castle no matter what today. Thanks to that, I missed an exciting fight.”
“…….”
“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have had to attend such pointless meetings. Not only did I miss out on an interesting battle, but I also had to meet those repulsive branch family members.”
Hoo—
Hysteria let out a long sigh before glaring at the fat one among the branch family members behind him, who looked utterly defeated.
He must have had his reasons for capturing him, but his state was too pitiful to ignore.
A beast-like collar was fastened around his neck, and shackles bound his arms and legs.
Family in name, but more like a toy in practice.
Still, I felt no particular emotion about it.
“Enough of that. I have something to show you, brother.”
“…What?”
“That.”
My sudden shift to the main topic without any preamble left Hysteria momentarily flustered.
He turned his head toward the yellow cloth draped over the table where I was pointing, then lowered his sword.
“…What is it?”
“You’ll understand once you see it.”
“You’re saying I’ll understand by looking?”
“Yes.”
That was the extent of our conversation.
With a curious expression, he glanced at the branch family member and gestured with his chin.
“Uncover it.”
The fat man jumped to his feet and removed the cloth.
Rustle.
“Uwaaaargh!”
Upon seeing the contents, the man screamed and staggered backward.
Under the cloth was the arm of the assassin who had tried to kill me.
Hysteria frowned deeply and asked,
“Is that… what I think it is?”
“Yes. It’s evidence that could reveal who was behind the attempt on my life. And it’s an item that will give you a justification to fight Gunter.”
A heavy silence fell.
We locked eyes, gauging each other. His gaze drifted upward as if in deep thought before returning to me.
“…You’re no ordinary brat, are you?”
No explanation was necessary.
We both understood the situation.
“This is basic, really.”
“Who told you? That I’m targeting Gunter?”
“No one told me. It’s just the answer I arrived at myself.”
“You figured it out on your own?”
“Yes, because I’m a Strange as well.”
I smiled brightly, but Hysteria’s face twisted for a moment before breaking into a wide grin and roaring with laughter.
“Kahaha!
“Five years old, and already this cunning? No wonder Father is so worked up over one assassin.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“A compliment? Well, it could be one. Hah… Little brother, what should I do about this? I think I’ll have to return your gift.”
“Why?”
“I don’t need it. I already have enough reasons to start a fight with him without that.”
It was true.
Hysteria could fabricate any excuse to challenge Gunter at any time.
But he wouldn’t. Or rather, he couldn’t.
Because Hysteria’s blade would never reach Gunter.
And that was why I could make him an offer.
Something no one else could do, but only I could.
I glanced at the family portrait hanging above the door to the conference room and continued speaking.
“Of course. Even without this arm, you could create a justification. But you wouldn’t be able to fight Gunter one-on-one.”
“…What?”
“I know you’re waiting for the right moment. But it’s impossible to get close to Gunter because of the two powerful knights guarding him. Gernot and Giselle—aren’t they the branch family’s skilled blood relatives?”
For a fleeting moment, Hysteria’s brow twitched.
It was the only part of him that betrayed his true feelings.
Without pausing, I pressed on.
“You can’t handle all three at once, so you’re trying to deal with them one by one, aren’t you? But things never go as planned.”
Hysteria glared at me, his expression stiffening. Silence followed again.
The fat branch family member glanced nervously between us.
This time, I spoke first.
“If you help me deal with the assassin and expose the mastermind to Father, I’ll make sure you get a chance to fight Gunter one-on-one.”
“Is that possible?”
“Yes, for me.”
“How?”
“I’ll tell you once you bring me the assassin’s head.”
“So, you’re proposing a deal with me?”
I smiled brightly and replied.
“Yes, brother. I’m here to make a deal with you today. A very important deal that benefits us both.”
Hysteria smirked, then suddenly stabbed his sword into the fat man’s side.
Crunch!
The sound of breaking bones was chilling.
“Argh! Spare me, please… please!”
He grabbed the man’s hair roughly and spoke.
Thud.
“A deal, huh? Okay, interesting. But how do I know I can trust you? That you can actually make it happen, or that it’s even true?”
“Trust is your choice, brother. But if I were lying, wouldn’t you kill me later? Surely, you wouldn’t think I’d take that risk.”
He smirked again and twisted the blade deeper into the fat man’s side.
Crunch.
“Argh!”
“You don’t seem to know me very well, little brother. I don’t need deals. If I wanted, I could cripple you like this pig and get the answers myself.”
It wasn’t an idle threat.
Hysteria was fully capable of doing just that.
Without hesitation, I grabbed the hilt of the sword at my waist.
“Then, this deal is over?”
Hysteria pulled the sword lodged in the fat man’s side and aimed it at me.
Thud!
“Yes, the deal is over, and so are you today.”
“The deal may be over, but I am not done today.”
“Are you saying you can beat me?”
“No, I’m just saying…”
I released my aura and spoke to him.
Sssss-
“If I explode my aura right now, Valentine will be the first to rush in and smash your head, Brother.”
Enforcer Valentine—she was still in the castle. If the aura exploded, she would undoubtedly arrive first.
Hysteria’s eyebrows twitched.
“And if you and I end up fighting now, who do you think would benefit the most?”
“…”
“It would probably be Brother Günter. He’d pin this assassin incident on you and seize the opportunity to deal with his most troublesome enemy.”
Swaaah.
Siegfried entered my body. With my combat stance ready, I threw him a challenge.
“Brother, this is my final proposal. Will you join hands with me—or draw your sword?”
A pale, white-skinned clown with a towering frame juggled as he spoke.
“Hey, why’d you let that kid live? You could’ve killed him before Valentine even realized what happened.”
Hysteria kicked the corpse of the fat branch family member as he replied.
Thud!
“Should I kill him? My youngest brother?”
“Normally, you’d have beheaded him on the spot. That kid’s smart face was especially annoying!”
“And then what? Did you not hear what he said? If I kill the youngest now, Gunter will reap all the benefits.”
That wasn’t the only reason.
In his mind, he saw not only Gunter but also Verdin, now merged with the Sword God Siegfried.
…Incredible. Truly a gem worthy of Father’s praise.
The mere presence of that boy unsettled him.
“Is that kid really five years old?”
“Yeah, an unbelievably sharp five-year-old. I’d heard the youngest was extraordinary, but I never imagined he’d come to me like this.”
“Incredible. Why is it that all your siblings are like that? One of them threatens to cut your head off, and another risks his life to propose a deal. Are they even siblings?”
“That woman? Oh, you mean Valentine?”
“Yeah, that enforcer or whatever. She warned you not to mess with the kids in the castle.”
Hysteria shrugged.
“Leave her be. Valentine doesn’t desire the family head position, and she’s tougher to deal with than Gunter. It’s better to keep our distance for now.”
“She’s stronger than Gunther?”
“Sure, I might handle a sword better, but Valentine’s spiritual guardian isn’t ordinary. We’re poorly matched. You can’t beat her.”
The clown burst into smoke with a poof, reappearing in front of Hysteria with a grotesque grin as he laughed maniacally.
Kya-hahaha!
“Saying that makes me sound useless, doesn’t it?”
“Enough. Let’s stop wasting time. It seems we need to move quickly.”
“Huh? Why? I’m having fun.”
“Find your entertainment elsewhere. Before Gunter hides the assassin, I need to capture him first.”
“The assassin?”
“If he disappears, our youngest’s little ‘gift’ becomes useless. And the deal will fall apart.”
“…Well, if you say so. Shall we begin?”
“Yeah, come on in.”
Hysteria stretched out his right arm.
The clown’s spiritual guardian turned into smoke and entered his body, emitting countless threads that connected to the assassin’s arm.
Fwoosh!
“Rise, puppet.”
Hysteria’s aura poured out, forming a humanoid figure that attached the assassin’s arm to its body.
Thud.
As the aura puppet took shape, the clown’s spiritual guardian moved from Hysteria’s body to the puppet.
Ssssh.
It bent its joints back and forth, testing its condition.
Crack, crack, crack.
With a bright grin, it handed Hysteria a sword.
“Target located! The eastern coastal cave, about half a day’s journey from here! Per the master’s command, the hunt begins immediately!”