Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“Pfft, puhahaha! Ahahaha! Ah, my apologies. I just can’t stop laughing... puhahaha!”

The second son of the Marquis family burst into laughter after hearing about me, the youngest son of the Ducal Family.

He hadn’t come as a guest of the Winterbell family. He was merely a trainee receiving education to become a knight. Yet he dared to act this way toward me.

Was he acting like this just because he had Ron Winterbell as his backer?

No.

It meant that the very existence of Ran Winterbell, the youngest son of the Winterbell Ducal Family—the one called the Overlord of the North—looked that insignificant to him.

His reaction laid bare my standing within the family.

A cripple who couldn’t even walk on his own two legs.

A useless man who couldn’t move without a wheelchair, putting on airs as he challenged someone to a duel—no wonder he found it ridiculous.

‘Not that I can’t understand his reaction. It’s not wrong to call me an abandoned child, after all.’

Because I had spent so many years confined to bed, my body barely had any muscle left.

A body utterly incapable of doing anything properly.

With this kind of body, even dreaming of revenge would be futile.

But I was—

different, because I had once been Van Descartes.

The reason I could serve as the vanguard of the Hero’s Party, even though I could only use basic-level magic and had mana reserves no greater than a child’s, was because of one thing.

“So, you find my words funny, do you?”

It was thanks to my ability to calculate without needing even a moment for incantation, and my innate mastery of mana control that not even Bestia could imitate.

A near-miraculous skill to manipulate even the tiniest trace of mana to its absolute limit.

To me, it was as natural as breathing, as ordinary as moving one’s arms and legs.

And the only advantage this otherwise hopeless body had was its immense mana capacity.

Though my body was now so damaged that I couldn’t use even five percent of it, my innate mana pool was overwhelmingly vast.

In short, if I could somehow fix this damned lower body, then becoming the family head wouldn’t be impossible—at least, that was the conclusion I’d reached.

“No, seriously, you’re challenging me to a duel? With that body that looks like it can’t even grip a sword properly? That’s absurd, Young Master Ran. You should really know your limits.”

“Are you afraid?”

“…Me? Of you? Ha! You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Legion snorted, clearly finding the whole thing ridiculous.

Well, for a man who couldn’t even walk to challenge a four-star knight—it was only natural for him to be dumbfounded.

It was something unimaginable in any other noble house.

That bastard never considered me part of this family in the first place. Otherwise, he wouldn’t dare to say such things unless he’d lost his mind.

He could act this way only because he was certain there would be no consequences for him later.

After all, the third son would smooth over most issues for him anyway.

As Legion strode toward me, radiating murderous intent, Cecil stepped in front of me.

“Step back.”

Her cold, sharp voice echoed softly through the room. Yet Legion’s expression instantly twisted with fury as he glared at her.

“You filthy wench. How dare you block my path? Shall I tear your limbs apart piece by piece?”

“I said step—”

“Cecil.”

I looked at Cecil and nodded once.

“It’s fine.”

She must have read something in my eyes, for she silently stepped aside. Legion, who had been glaring at her as if he wanted to kill her, brushed past and stood before me.

Each of his steps was full of confidence.

He acted boldly, certain that there was no one here capable of stopping him.

“Young Master. I’ll ask you one last time. Will you not regret what you just said? If you take back your words even now, I’ll pretend this never happened. Even if you were the one to request this duel first, no knight in this world would sincerely fight against someone who can’t even use his lower body. So…”

“Are you afraid that if I die during the duel, you won’t be able to handle the consequences? Don’t worry. As you well know, this duel was my own request. And I’m already someone my father has cast aside. He wouldn’t even blink if I were to die. If you’re that worried… fine. How about making a Mana Oath? Cecil will serve as our witness.”

“…You truly intend to make an oath? Do you really have a death wish?”

“I think you’re misunderstanding something. I have absolutely no intention of dying. The one who should be worried isn’t me—it’s you, Young Lord Legion. So, will you do it or not?”

Legion looked at me as if wondering whether I had gone insane.

After a moment of hesitation, he finally came to a decision.

“...Don’t regret this. I’ve already warned you.”

“Good. I swear upon mana itself. This duel was honorably requested by me, Ran Winterbell, to Legion Materion. Even if it results in my death, it will be by my own choice, and you will bear no responsibility for it. My servant, Cecil, will serve as witness to this vow.”

Cecil gave a silent nod, her expression as blank as ever.

“This should be enough, I think. But in return, you’ll have to swear as well.”

“…Say it.”

“If I win the duel, you’ll take one command from me and obey it without question. Swear it.”

“That’s absurd—”

“What’s wrong? Are you afraid you might lose to a cripple? Afraid of being beaten by someone half-paralyzed?”

“Ha! Fine then, I’ll swear it!”

And so, Legion swore upon mana.

Legion’s name began to glow faintly in the air before it took the shape of chains and wrapped around his body.

Words carried power.

And when those words formed an oath, that power became absolute.

Mana flowed through every living being in this world, and for those who possessed it, an oath sworn upon mana held unbreakable force.

If one were to break such a vow, all the mana within their body would vanish. In severe cases, the result could be crippling—or even death. Because of that, no one used it unless under truly exceptional circumstances.

“Now, are you satisfied?”

“Yes.”

Legion sighed and moved his hand.

“Ha… Honestly, how am I supposed to duel someone who can’t even walk? Out of courtesy, I’ll give you the first move. Go ahead.”

The moment Legion agreed to this duel, he must have already resolved to kill me.

From the perspective of someone who had chosen to serve Ron Winterbell, my life was the most enticing reward imaginable.

To gift my head to Ron Winterbell—the man who saw me as a thorn in his side?

That would be the perfect offering to prove his loyalty. A chance to become the closest aide to the man fated to rule the North one day.

“Fine. I won’t refuse.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I pulled the dagger from my chest pocket and hurled it straight toward his heart—its edge infused with mana.

The dagger shot forward at a fair speed, but it was still far from enough to pierce the chest of a four-star knight.

Clang!

Legion reflexively deflected it, his eyes widening slightly in surprise as he looked at me.

“Huh? So you do know how to imbue a weapon with mana. I suppose that’s the blood of Winterbell for you…”

His expression shifted as he walked toward me.

Moments ago, there had been a trace of restraint in his eyes. Now, there was only raw killing intent.

“Is that all your little trickery amounts to? Nothing else to show me?”

The distance between us was about five steps.

“Don’t hold it against me. I’m only doing what I must to survive.”

Four steps.

“You should’ve known your place. If you’d just stayed quiet, pretending to be dead, none of this would’ve happened. You have no one to blame but yourself. Honestly, am I wrong? You could’ve just rotted away here peacefully, but instead, you had to make a scene—and now look at you, with those useless legs.”

Three steps.

“Well… I suppose there’s no point in saying any more. In a family like this, you have to be ruthless enough to devour your own blood if you want to survive.”

Two steps.

“Perhaps ending it here is actually a mercy for you.”

One final step.

If he swung his sword now, there was no way I could dodge it—not with a body that couldn’t move below the waist.

“Then…”

Murderous intent flashed in Legion’s eyes.

He had made his decision.

His hand moved toward the sword at his waist.

And in that instant—

My thoughts accelerated, and everything in my vision began to slow to a crawl.

Legion’s name began to appear in the air, then twisted into the shape of chains that wrapped around his body.

Words carried power.

Especially when those words were bound to an oath.

Mana flowed within every living being in this world, and for anyone who possessed it, an oath sworn upon mana held absolute power.

If one were to break such a vow, all the mana within their body would be extinguished. In the worst cases, it could cripple or even kill them. For that reason, it was a method used only under truly exceptional circumstances.

“Now, are you satisfied?”

“Yes.”

Legion sighed, moving his hand with irritation.

“Ha… Even so, what kind of duel can you have with someone who can’t even walk? Out of the bare minimum of courtesy, I’ll grant you the first move. Go ahead.”

The moment Legion accepted the duel, he had surely made up his mind to kill me.

From the perspective of one who had already pledged loyalty to Ron Winterbell, there could be no prize more tempting than my life.

To offer my head to Ron Winterbell, who saw me as a thorn in his side—

That would be the perfect gift, the act that would make him a trusted subordinate. On a larger scale, it was a chance to become the right-hand man of the one who would someday rule the North.

“Fine. I won’t hold back, then.”

The instant I finished speaking, I drew a dagger from my chest and hurled it toward his heart.

The blade carried mana along its edge.

It streaked through the air at a fair speed—but it was far from enough to pierce the chest of a four-star knight.

Clang!

Legion deflected the dagger reflexively, his face showing a hint of surprise as he looked at me.

“Huh? You know how to channel mana into a weapon? Guess that’s the Winterbell bloodline for you…”

His face changed as he began walking toward me.

Where a trace of pity had lingered moments ago, only naked killing intent remained now.

“Is that the end of your little tricks? Nothing else to show me?”

The distance between us was roughly five steps.

“Don’t take it personally. I’m just trying to survive.”

Four steps.

“You really should’ve known your place. If you’d just kept quiet and pretended to be dead, none of this would’ve happened. Be honest—am I wrong? You could’ve just stayed here, locked away, living quietly. But you had to stir things up, and now look at you—those legs are the price you paid for it.”

Three steps.

“Well… I suppose there’s no point in saying this now. In a family like this, you have to be ruthless enough to devour your own kin if you want to live.”

Two steps.

“Maybe ending it here is actually a better fate for you.”

One last step.

If he swung his sword now, there was no way I could avoid it—not with a body that couldn’t move below the waist.

“Then…”

Murderous intent flashed in Legion’s eyes.

He had made his decision.

His hand moved toward the sword at his waist.

In that fleeting moment—

My thoughts accelerated, and everything in my vision began to slow to a crawl.

I shifted my body’s center of gravity, narrowly evading his blade, and at the same instant, drove my fist hard into his right side.

“Khuek!”

With a strangled groan, Legion dropped to his knees, clutching his abdomen in pain. I had gathered what mana I could and thrown my full strength into that punch—but with a body as untrained as mine, this was the best I could manage.

Without wasting another moment, I reached down, picked up the dagger that had fallen to the floor, and pressed its edge against his neck.

A sharp sting of metal grazed his skin, and crimson blood began to trickle down, staining the ground.

“How does it feel? Getting beaten down by a cripple who can’t even stand properly?”

“...Spare me.”

“What was that? I didn’t quite hear you.”

“...Please, spare my life.”

Legion looked up at me from where he knelt, desperation flickering in his eyes.

“And what do I gain by letting you live?”

“...You need information, don’t you?”

“Did you forget? We already sealed a pact through the oath. Since you lost the duel, you’re bound to obey one command of mine.”

After a brief pause, Legion spoke again with a serious expression.

“You’re right. From now on, I must follow one order from you, whatever it may be. But that’s only once, isn’t it? Would you truly be satisfied with just one chance? If you let me live, I’ll prove my worth by bringing you valuable information, as many times as it takes. And when you decide I’ve outlived my usefulness, you may kill me then.”

It was an interesting proposal.

‘He’s sharper than I gave him credit for.’

“How do you plan to prove yourself?”

“I’ll start by bringing you information about Ron Winterbell.”

“So you’re offering to act as a double agent?”

“Yes.”

Then, Legion began to explain why he had done all this in the first place.

Assuming everything he said was true, the reason he had hounded me so relentlessly wasn’t because he wanted to—it wasn’t even his own will.

In fact, he was closer to being a victim.

“Blackmail, huh… I see. That explains a lot.”

It had always bothered me.

Even if Legion was one of Ron Winterbell’s pawns, why would he go so far to torment me?

He had Ron’s protection, sure—but his cruelty had gone far beyond what made sense.

‘I’d just assumed he was too stupid to think for himself. But I was wrong.’

Now I understood.

He wasn’t as foolish as I’d thought.

There was a reason he couldn’t defy Ron Winterbell’s orders.

“You love her that much?”

“...Yes.”

It was because of the woman he loved.

Legion had fallen for a common girl from the countryside and wanted to marry her, but the difference in their social standing made it nearly impossible.

Ron Winterbell approached him deliberately, befriending him to turn him into a pawn. While pretending to be his ally, he secretly dug into Legion’s private life—eventually discovering the existence of the woman he loved. Then, he took her hostage, using her life as leverage to make Legion his obedient puppet.

“No matter that he’s my blood relative, that bastard is beyond redemption.”

“...”

Even though Legion was a child of the Marquis family, he could not defy Ron Winterbell.

The gulf between them was so vast it was untouchable.

If the marquis house was a boulder, Winterbell was Mount Tai.

Wasn’t Winterbell of the North someone even the imperial family dared not easily provoke?

“But there’s something I don’t understand. Even if you told me all this honestly, what good would it do you?”

“May I speak frankly?”

He nodded as a sign of assent.

“To survive.”

“To survive?”

“Yes. After dueling you just now, I became sure. You are the one who’s worth weighing my miserable life against.”

“To me? A cripple who couldn’t move his legs and was treated like an abandoned child by his own house?”

“That very cripple easily subdued me.”

“…That wasn’t wrong.”

A laugh escaped me at his brazenness.

It was easier to deal with someone who at least openly admitted their desires. That way I could be clear about what I could give and what I could gain.

“You think being Ron Winterbell’s puppet, scraping by while doing his dirty work, will end well? I don’t. That’s why I want to struggle now.”

“You’re saying you’d gamble your life and the life of the woman you love on me.”

“…Yes.”

“If that gamble fails, both you and the woman you love will die.”

“I am certain. I believe you will become the king of the North. I can say that with more confidence because I watched you for a long time.”

He hadn’t watched so much as tormented me, but I understood he meant it as observation. Even if it hadn’t been his will, my anger was unavoidable.

“What if you were wrong about all this?”

“Then my eyes were mistaken. But I will not regret it. This was my choice.”

He had more resolve than I had expected. It seemed he had learned something from the duel with me. He was a waste to rot away as Ron Winterbell’s puppet.

“Fine. Swear that what you’ve told me is true and that you will not betray me.”

Legion did not hesitate; he swore. He even added a condition that he would be killed if he so much as breathed a word about our relationship.

“Of course, you must keep silent about today.”

“Of course.”

“You must prove the value you claim for the rest of your life.”

“Yes.”

“In return, I will make sure you don’t regret choosing me over Ron Winterbell.”

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