Chapter 197:

Chapter 197:

T/N: Are you guys ready for this? If I hadn’t known better, I’d have thought this was a competition to see who has the most tragic past *sigh*

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“Live like a sword, Lumen. You will live quietly, protecting your older brother, who will carry on the family name.”

Before Cadel’s vision brightened, he heard a voice. It was a gravelly male voice, dry and forceful in tone as if he were lecturing someone on the way of life.

“Don’t be greedy for anything. Remember your place.”

With those last warning words, his vision brightened. In the middle of the hallway of a spacious mansion, a boy, clearly Lumen’s childhood self, was walking down the hall.

‘Wow, this egoistic jerk. Is he really just a kid?’

Cadel stuck out his tongue as he studied the young Lumen’s face. His luxurious black hair and elegant blue eyes were a constant presence. But there was an air of innocence about the boy, who was smaller and thinner than he was now. To Lumen, innocent was a label that didn’t seem to fit him at all.

The white skin that contrasted with the black hair and the delicate features that filled the small face were, as Van sarcastically put it, the very image of ‘an aristocratic boy who grew up without hardships’.

Even when Van was young, he was an absurdly handsome boy with a lot of anger, but Lumen was different. A gentle face with no trace of its current indifference or coldness. He was so gentle that even if someone tapped him on the shoulder, he would respond with a polite smile and say it was okay.

Cadel let out an exclamation that bordered on anger as he scrutinized the young Lumen’s form.

‘He’s about 14, I think, and his face is about that age, but he’s tall.......’

How many hours had passed like that? Lumen, showered with sweat, mustered the last of his strength and threw down his sword. In an instant, a flash of blue light appeared and disappeared from the blunt tip of the sword.

‘......Huh? That’s it.’

Sword energy. Cadel recognized it at once. Lumen’s sword drawing technique always left behind a blue flash of sword energy, and this must have been the first manifestation of the sword energy he would use in the future.

The appearance of the tiny sword energy was a cute discovery for Cadel, but not for young Lumen and Korver. Lumen stiffened at the sight of his tiny sword energy, and Korver’s eyes widened as if they were going to pop out of his head.

Still, elders being elders, Korver came to his senses first.

“You’ve manifested the sword energy, Young Master! You are amazing.”

“My sword energy.......”

“Manifesting sword energy at the age of 13 is a sign of immense talent. The youngest current 7-star swordsman manifested his first sword energy on his 14th birthday, so Young Master, you beat him by a year.”

Korver squeezed Lumen’s shoulder, trying to stifle the growing excitement in his voice. Lumen was still a little shaky but soon smiled expectantly at Korver’s continued praise.

“I’ll have to tell Father. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled, right?”

His blue eyes sparkled with delight. But when he turned to face him, a shallow crack spread across Korver’s face. Lumen didn’t seem to notice, but Cadel did.

“As for informing the Marquis...... Why not put that off until later?”