CH 5

When I came home after class, my father was waiting for me.

It was time for the class I’d been waiting for.

I hurriedly finished my shower and ran to the room where my father was waiting.

That was how the current situation began.

“Do you know about the beginning of the Helios Empire?”

It was like filming a quiz show.

When my father asked questions about history; I answered them.

“I learned that it was built on the site of the first temple.”

“Hmm…”

Father's eyes narrowed at my answer. Was my answer too short?

I clenched my sweaty fists tightly and stared at my father with a tense face.

“You studied hard. Great. In that case, I will tell you about Estella's bloodline in earnest.”

My lips were dry.

“Estella's founding ancestor was a necromancer. He was particularly good at curses and his ability has been passed down through our veins. It means that you can use some of those abilities for me, as well as for you.”

I already knew this fact from reading the original book.

However, since I had to act as if I had heard this for the first time, I opened my eyes in surprise and shivered.

“Wow, I didn’t know. The imperial family and great nobility are so special...”

My father didn't care if I shivered or was startled.

He continued talking.

“The way to use this ability is simple. Empower your words. That's it.”

It was an unclear explanation. I couldn't understand it all with just this.

“What do you mean by putting power into your words?”

My father seemed to be trying to show it with actions instead of words.

He reached for a potted plant on the table. Then he took out a bright yellow flower from the pot and held it up.

“Wither away.”

It was bizarre. The words were clearly coming from the same mouth, but the voice split into two like an echo.

Moreover, it was not heard through my ears. A voice rang inside my head.

Just as perfume leaves a lingering scent, the father's voice left a lingering sound.

I blinked.

The flower that had been in full bloom was withering little by little. The stems drooped and withered black.

The petals fell to the floor one by one.

I was watching the scene blankly, but my father stared at me and said “Depending on the size of the caster’s spirit, there are different effects on the body. At first, you will have to start small and develop your ability. So let’s start with flowers first.”

Then he pointed his chin slightly towards the flower. He meant to try it myself.

Even if I asked more questions, he would just say things I couldn't understand.

In fact, this ability itself was a difficult phenomenon to understand.

I took out a single white flower.

What did my father do?

I raised my voice. I couldn't really hear it, but something in my head could hear it...

"Flower… … Wither away. Cool!”

As soon as I cried out, I coughed up bright red blood.

The blood stained my palms red and dripped to the floor.

The pure white flower that fell from my hand landed on the bloody floor without withering at all.

I was staring at the scene with my mouth closed, but I was dazed.

My throat hurts and my mind is a little foggy...This is how my mind....

Oh.

My eyesight went black.

*

Duke Caligo Estella clicked his tongue as he watched his son being carried out on the back of an attendant.

“Tsk.”

It was good that he had seen and followed the demonstration he had shown just once, but he was unable to wither even a single flower and ended up shedding a lot of blood.

Seeing that, Caligo came to a single conclusion.

This means that Rosenta's ability is weak.

The one-year grace period was given to improve Rosenta's stamina and to make him aware that he was no longer a commoner, but an aristocrat.

But this vessel is too small to use the ability.

I didn't expect this.

It was because there had never been a single weak person among the Estella immediate family.

"Damn it. Is it because he’s mixed with the blood of commoners?”

Caligo got up and left the room nervously.

Then, he gave an order to the lady-in-waiting in front of him.

“Clean it up.”

"Yes."

I'll go check his condition first.

Thinking so, Caligo tried to take a step toward Rosenta's room.

But he couldn't move.

It was because he heard the screams of the lady-in-waiting who had just entered.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

It was a terrified, deafening scream as if something unusual had happened.

Caligo opened the door without hesitation.

"This…”

In an instant, his expression changed.

A smile formed on Caligo's lips. It was the brightest and most joyous smile ever.

Seeing that smile, even the lady-in-waiting, who was terrified, was stunned.

“The vessel is not too small…It was too big.”

All the flowers, that were fine until a while ago, were withered.

The flowers in the pots and the flowers decorating the walls. Even the wooden tables, chairs, and shelves were rotting as if that all wasn't enough.

This is why Rosenta was coughing up blood.

Now everything made sense. And he felt like he could say it.

Except for the ancestors of the Estella family, his own child, Rosenta, would have the most powerful abilities after him.

Yes. Rosenta did not need these lessons.

The first thing to learn is...

"I'll have to teach you how to control your abilities."

*

As soon as I opened my eyes, my father gave me magical tools to control my ability.

After that, as each day passed, my abilities gradually became more manageable. It could be used in many different ways.

Of course, I haven't vomited blood since the first day.

‘Is it because it was easy to see results?’

It was much more fun and interesting than any other study I'd ever done.

However, it was not always about studying. Especially on a day like today.

Today was the day before my first outing which I had been waiting for for a long time.

“The cool feels just right.”

I waited for the sun to fully rise with my eyes wide open.

Even though I couldn't sleep properly, my mind was strangely clear.

I was so excited that, even though Emma hadn’t arrived, I finished all the preparations myself.

In addition, I was outside much earlier than the time Heorin had set to meet me.

Maybe 10 minutes had passed when I heard footsteps behind me.

“Heorin.”

It was Heorin who I’d been waiting for.

I tried to welcome him, but I hesitated when I saw a strange child next to him.

He was shorter than me and had long black hair.

But what caught my attention the most was the strange wolf mask on his face.

As if magic had been applied, nothing was reflected through the sunken eye sockets of the mask.

“Who is next to you?”

Heorin got down on one knee and met my gaze.

“This is my apprentice, I’ve brought him with me.”

An assassin's apprentice.

Only then did I understand that strange mask. It must be a way to hide his identity.

“Is the disciple going to join us?”

“I’m sorry, Young Master. Something’s happened and I can’t go out with you. Instead, I received permission from the duke to allow my apprentice to escort you around the town inside the fortress walls.”

"Ah…Right."

There is a town within the walls. That was fine too.

Because I spent every day in the duchy, I was so happy, even if I could only walk around the village right outside of the castle.

More than anything else, a child who looked to be about my age would allow me to walk more freely.

"It's fine. I’ll go together with this child."

*

The scenery I saw while walking on the road was so different.

Things I couldn't easily observe from the times I rode by in the carriage caught my eye.

A row of colorful houses. The smoke from one of the chimneys gave off the smell of bread. A harmonious family, a sweet pair of lovers, and a group of friends. And merchants who were loading and carrying goods from street vendors.

It was more lively and full of color than the countryside I lived in before and it felt different.

After wandering around the village, I felt like my body was getting tired for some reason.

I stopped walking and stretched.

“It’s okay.”

Then, naturally, I removed the hood of the robe that had been covering my face.

The bright sunlight hit my eyes directly.

I squinted one eye and raised my hand to block the sun.

It stung my eyes, but taking off the hood and direct sunlight on my skin was the most refreshing.

My mouth arched into a curve.

"Oh."

A gust of wind blew my bangs lightly.

I felt like a hair had gotten into my eye, so I lowered my head slightly and rubbed my eyes.

When I felt the foreign body disappear, I slowly lifted my head.

In my field of vision, I saw Hiorin’s disciple standing in the distance.

‘Why are you so far away?’

‘It would be nice if you could walk next to me like a friend.’

I gestured toward the child.

“Let’s walk side by side together. Come by my side.”

He didn't budge even when I told him to come to my side.

He had no intention of moving.

I, too, did not get tired, and kept beckoning and shouting, “Come here!”

As a result, he slowly approached my side as if he had raised his hands in defeat against my stubbornness.

“By the way, what is your name?”

At that moment, I realized that I did not know his name, so I tried asking for it belatedly.

But soon, thinking that my question might be rude, I quickly changed my words.

“Oh, it must be difficult to name names.”

Children raised as assassins were usually abandoned by their parents or were orphans without parents.

That's why most of them gave up their own names.

Unless you were an assassin with an owner like Hiorin, the rule was not to reveal the name you had abandoned.

But I couldn't call him 'hey' or 'you'. Today, I needed a name to call this child.

After thinking about it, I came up with a solution of my own.

“Anyway, if you want to look like a friend, I’ll have to call you by name. It would be better to call you by a temporary name.”

"Temporary… name?"

Oh

“You are a boy.”

It was a very small voice, but I heard it clearly.

It was a delicate tone because he was a child, but it was clearly a boy's voice.

As if my statement was correct, Hiorin's apprentice nodded.

"Yes."

If so, I should give him a boy’s name.

I said the first pretty name that came to mind.

"Enoch. I will call you Enoch.”