Chapter 7.3

“Hey. What’s going on!? This child has been suffering!!”

Barnes-san carried Xellos nii-sama and ran toward us.

I looked at Kachel for a moment.

He is attempting to summon something and still putting up a huge magic barrier. 

But according to everyone, Kachel doesn’t have that much magic power.

If that’s the case, then he’s taking in magic power from somewhere else.

He has a glowing amulet in his hand. It’s just like the one that nii-sama has.

“So that’s it!”

I ran up to nii-sama.

“I’ll look after nii-sama. Please go back to escorting the princess, Barnes-san. Hurry up!”

“My apologies!”

With an axe in his hand, Barnes-san started running.

I took nii-sama in my arms and whispered in his ear.

“Xellos nii-sama. You’ve got something from Kachel, right!? Let me take a look at it!!”

“…Amulet for… strengthening magic power”

Nii-sama held up his right arm.

There was an amulet intertwined with a black crystal.

*Thump* *Thump* It was throbbing repeatedly. The chain dug into nii-sama’s arm like blood vessels.

“Sensei told me that… if I had this, it would make it easier for me to develop ‘Ancient Magic’. Sensei also said I could borrow his magic power with it”

‘Woooooooo’ 

An ominous voice reverberated in the surrounding area.

Kachel had deployed a huge barrier to defend against the soldiers’ attack.

From the magic circle in front of him, something in the shape of a human is about to emerge. As the figure became clearer, nii-sama’s face became pale.

He is leeching nii-sama’s magic power through the amulet.

In that case, could it be that this amulet is also a replica of ‘Ancient Artifact’?

“…I’m sorry, Yuuki. I saw you… as an enemy, and picked a fight with you. I deserve this. I’m…”

“I’m sorry too, but I’m not mad at you”

Barnes-san… already left. The princess and the soldiers also aren’t looking at us. Good.

I cut my finger with my dagger.

The blood that flowed out, poured into the amulet.

“It has always been my dream to quarrel with brothers like humans”

In my previous life, I only had younger companions.

And to be honest, I wanted to fight with my brother. 

“That’s why I don’t want nii-sama to die yet. I can’t laugh at the thought that the ‘Monster, Nosferatu’ had his family killed by trash like Kachel. Nii-sama”

“…Yuuki”

“‘Magical Blood, Mistel Blood’ ── ‘Erosion, Hacking’”

I activated my skill.

Blood is a part of my body.

I can move it as I see fit for a while, even after it is out of my body.

So I began pouring and filled the amulet with my ‘Magical Blood, Mistel Blood’.

It started to erode the spell cast on it.

Move the blood, deep, deep down.

The exterior of the spell ── Erosion Complete.

Magic analysis ── Successful.

The spell is made up of two configurations. One is the transfer of magic power from nii-sama to Kachel. The other is the mental attunement and message transmission from Kachel to nii-sama.

…So this was how he has been brainwashing nii-sama.

All right, let’s destroy it quickly.

Infiltrated the circuit that makes up the amulet’s spell ── Started interference with ‘Magical Blood, Mistel Blood’ ── Successful.

Eroding the technique.

Destroying the circuit of magic power.

If I can stop the flow of magic power and finally place my ‘Magical Blood, Mistel Blood’ into it and then hit it with about a hundred times the magic power that normally flows through it ── I can overload it.

“Get wrecked, you relic of the past!”

*Crack* Cracks started to appear on the black stone of the amulet.

As it is, the stone exploded. The metal fittings shattered and fell from nii-sama’s arm.

Xellos nii-sama collapsed.

He is still conscious. The outflow of magic power has stopped.

I hacked into the amulet and destroyed it.

The amulet had the effect of transmitting nii-sama’s magic power to Kachel, so I broke the circuit and destroyed it. There is no more magic power outflow.

As for Kachel, who was using nii-sama’s magic power to perform magic ──

“Gyaaaahhhh!!”

He turned completely pale and screamed.

With his pale face, he started scratching himself all over.

“Kachel has self-destructed!?”

“That’s because he tried to summon something above his caliber. Such a fool…”

The princess and Barnes-san watched as Kachel writhed in pain.

They don’t seem to know that I’ve done something.

“Gyaaaahhhh!”

‘Oooooooooo…’

The shadow of a person summoned by Kachel disappears.

Kachel collapsed while scratching his throat.

“…The magic channels throughout his body have been torn to shreds.”

After a while, Barnes spoke.

“This guy is beyond recovery now…”

“It’s only natural. After all, he used ‘Ancient Magic’ above his caliber. The thing he summoned must have drained all of his magic power”

“He may never be able to use magic again, and even his spirit may have been destroyed. As a mage, he is as good as dead…. Or worse than dead, I suppose”

Barnes-san and Princess Iris looked at me.

“He is as good as dead now. There is also no need for you to get your hands dirty anymore”

“…Is that so”

I picked up the amulet that had fallen to the ground.

During ‘Erosion, Hacking’, I noticed something. This thing was set up with a circuit to transmit  Xellos nii-sama’s magic power to Kachel. At the same time, it also can send instructions from Kachel to Xellos nii-sama.

That said, replicas or not, ‘Ancient Artifacts’ are out of my jurisdiction.

Just that while nii-sama was wearing it, he would have been more receptive to Kachel’s voice.

The story about me bad-mouthing Xellos nii-sama was probably told to him by Kachel.

“I have a question”

Princess Iris approached me slowly.

“Yuuki Grossalia-sama. Who are you?”

“Yuuki is my younger brother!”

When I turned around, Xellos nii-sama was about to stand up.

“He may be an illegitimate child, but there is no doubt that Yuuki is my younger brother. Is there anything suspicious about that!?”

“Then I will ask you this. How is it that your younger brother can use ‘Ancient Magic’?”

“That’s…”

Xellos nii-sama looked at me as if asking for help.

As for me, I was planning to disappear without a trace but now is not a good time.

…It can’t be helped, huh?

“I was taught ‘Ancient Magic’ by Xellos nii-sama. He was thinking about my future as an illegitimate child, so after learning magic from his tutor Kachel, he taught me what he had learned. I tried to use it and managed to activate it. That’s all”

“Is that true? Xellos Grossalia-sama”

“…Y-Yes”

Xellos nii-sama nodded.

“Yuuki is right. After Kachel-sensei’s lessons, I reviewed the day’s lessons and told Yuuki what I had learned. However, Yuuki seemed to have more talent than me and had learned magic one after another that I couldn’t use. I was so frustrated by this that I started to attack him”

“You attacked Yuuki Grossalia-sama?”

“…Yes. The reason why I asked Kachel-sensei to let me take the exam for the ‘Magic Guild’ was to get back at Yuuki. I really wanted… to be better than Yuuki, and that was all I needed”

“What about the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’?”

“I didn’t know anything about that. I’m speaking the truth!”

I also think so.

The ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ is taboo in this era.

There is no way that nii-sama, who is thinking of raising the status of the Baron family, would have done such a thing.

“Taking the fact that Kachel attacked Her Royal Highness during the exam, I think it’s obvious that Xellos nii-sama had nothing to do with it. If nii-sama were one of Kachel’s associates, then both of them would have attacked Her Royal Highness. That would be certain”

I held out the amulet that had fallen to the ground to Princess Iris.

Of course, my ‘Magical Blood, Mistel Blood’ has been thoroughly wiped off.

“It seems that this amulet was meant for Kachel to drain nii-sama’s magic power. This is based on the fact that Kachel had collapsed at the same time as the amulet was destroyed due to overload”

“Kachel also seems to have a similar amulet”

“Yes. If you examine his amulet, it can be proved that nii-sama was being used”

“Considering that Yuuki-sama had helped us, I suppose so”

The princess nodded at my words.

“This is without a doubt Kachel Mieghem’s own personal judgment in this incident. Now then, Barnes”

“Yes. As soon as I return to the royal capital, I will investigate the connection between him and the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’”

“I’m counting on you. Also, Xellos Grossalia-sama”

“Yes. Her Royal Highness Princess Iris”

“Due to Kachel’s rampage, this exam has been invalidated. However, a re-examination is possible. Would you like that?”

“No. I don’t have that kind of power. More than me, Yuuki is…” 

Oi.

Xellos nii-sama. What did you just say?

“I am, at best, a legitimate son of the Grossalia family. But Yuuki has talent. He also has the courage to face strong enemies. If Yuuki learns magic in earnest, he will become a mage like no other. Perhaps even to the point of changing history”

“That’s right. I also believe that Yuuki-sama has great talent”

“I would also love to have a mock battle with him”

“No. I’m going to a public school”

“I think you should make use of your talent, Yuuki Grossalia-sama”

The princess took my hand and said.

“I, Princess Iris Restia, hereby declare that Yuuki Grossalia, son of the Grossalia family, will be welcomed as an apprentice of the ‘Magic Guild’! I hope that he will learn together with me as schoolmates and eventually become my trusted retainer!!”

““““OOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!”””” 

A loud cheer was let out.

…This isn’t the kind of atmosphere where I can say no, is it?

That night.

I was in my room, thinking about my future.

“I’m going to replace nii-sama as an apprentice at the ‘Magic Guild’, huh…?”

When I thought about it, I had no problem with it.

I was originally planning to learn about the history of this world anyway. The ‘Magic Guild’ in the royal capital would probably have history books. There I can look into the history of my previous life after my death, and what happened to Lyle and the others and ‘Fila Village’.

While I’m at it, if I learn about ‘Ancient Magic’, I might also be able to find out why I was reincarnated.

I have all the time in the world, after all.

It wouldn’t be bad to spend two or three years in a human organization learning about humans.

Besides… if I turn down this offer, I will make the princess lose face.

I don’t want the royal family to keep an eye on the Baron Grossalia Household because of it. After all, I’m also a member of the Grossalia family.

“…I can’t allow the Grossalia family to go under now, can I?”

If the family is lost, Father, Rumia, and Xellos nii-sama will be in trouble, too.

It can’t be helped.

Let’s go to the royal capital to ‘observe humans’.

“Yuuki-sama. Her Royal Highness would like to see you”

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

When the door opened, Martha was standing there.

“I’ve sent her to the reception room. Please come with me, Yuuki-sama”

“Her Royal Highness is here?”

“Yes. She seems to have slipped out of the party”

“She likes to sneak around, huh?”

“Yuuki-sama and Her Royal Highness seem to be kindred spirits”

“Not as much as Martha though”

“……”

“What’s the matter, Martha?”

“Sometimes I think Yuuki-sama is trying to stop Martha’s heart”

“That’s not it. I trust Martha more than I trust myself”

“Thank you very much. To live up to that trust, Martha has decided to follow Yuuki-sama”

“Follow me? As in, to the ‘Magic Guild’?”

“Where else could it be?”

Martha sighed.

“I’ve been told that those recommended by the royal family are allowed to take their servants to the guild’s educational institution. When Baron-sama learned of this, he asked me to do it. So it has been decided that Martha will accompany Yuuki-sama”

“…I’m sorry”

“No, don’t be. It’s better than sitting here worrying about Yuuki-sama”

“I’m sorry for being such a good-for-nothing master”

On my way out of the room, I high-fived Martha.

“Take good care of me. Partner”

“If Martha is late in getting married, it will be Yuuki-sama’s fault, you know?”

“I’ll take responsibility at that time. Only if I hadn’t left the family to live a vagabond life”

“Please don’t give me hope and despair at the same time. Yuuki-sama”

Martha smiled with a troubled look on her face.