My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 33

§ 33. The House of Elanndur’s Degenerate

At the sound of the sudden voice, all heads turned.

Jeri looked to where the voice originated.

A man was approaching.

A familiar face.

Impossible to forget.

It was Cian, the youngest of the Elanndur family.

“You are…?”

Nathan looked surprised by Cian’s appearance.

Not only Nathan, but Roswell and the Elanndur knights as well.

Even Isabel raised her eyebrows.

Cian continued forward, undeterred by the stares.

He stopped only when he reached Jeri.

Facing Nathan and the knights of Elanndur, Cian stood his ground.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Cian didn’t answer Nathan’s question.

He slowly raised his gaze, looking past Nathan.

Roswell couldn’t hide his surprise.

Isabel, on the other hand, regarded Cian with a calm expression.

Where were Durak and Kai?

They were nowhere to be seen.

It seemed they were moving separately during the Founding Day event.

Cian quietly looked at Isabel.

Her face was unreadable.

Even with Cian’s intervention, Isabel made no move.

Cian turned his gaze back to Nathan.

“Are you going to kill a child?”

“What if I am?”

“He’s not even an adult yet. Show the virtue of Elanndur to the people – great generosity and mercy.”

Nathan scoffed.

“You’re talking about the virtue of Elanndur? Did living in Ruben drive you mad with mana? You’ve become very cheeky since I last saw you, Cian.”

Nathan drew his sword.

Nathan, who inherited the blood of Elanndur.

Though not to the extent of Kai, the Star of the Empire,

Nathan was a skilled man, having reached the intermediate level of Sword Expert [a rank indicating mastery of swordsmanship].

Considering he was only twenty-three years old,

He was a true genius.

“Get lost. If you don’t, I’ll cut you down too.”

A chilling aura erupted.

A palpable energy seized the space, and a clear murderous intent burst forth.

The aura emitted by a knight of intermediate Expert level.

Few could withstand it.

That’s why people expected Cian to be frightened and run.

A degenerate of the Marquis family.

A useless good-for-nothing.

Cian shouldn’t have been able to withstand that.

But.

“Don’t call it an accident.”

Contrary to expectations,

Cian stood calmly, as if unaffected.

“······!”

Nathan’s eyes widened.

‘He withstood my aura?’

That couldn’t be.

Cian was a useless good-for-nothing with no talent.

He should have been running away, wetting himself.

But now…

Nathan gritted his teeth and shouted.

“Accident? Did you just say accident?”

He scoffed, then pointed his sword at Jeri.

“That guy swore the magic tool would never break. So, I put this mana stone in and activated it, and it exploded right away. Can you still call that an accident?”

Nathan produced a mana stone from his chest.

A mana stone the size of a fist.

The dark blue light it emitted was extraordinary at first glance.

Wait a minute. Dark blue light?

Cian carefully examined the mana stone Nathan held.

That’s…

‘It’s the mana stone I refined, isn’t it?’

No matter how he looked at it, it was the mana stone Cian had refined.

A mana stone Cian had sold at the auction house long ago.

The quality was top-tier.

‘Why does Nathan have it…? Was it Elanndur who bought my mana stone?’

Cian easily pieced together the situation.

‘Ah… could this be…’

Cian realized the truth.

It seemed Jeri’s magic tool couldn’t withstand the highest-grade mana stone, causing the explosion.

A mana stone that had been condensing mana for at least a thousand years.

The Singijeon’s [a type of Korean rocket artillery] firepower would be greatly amplified by it.

Even the Singijeon, improved by transcendents, would suffer.

Of course, Jeri’s magic tool couldn’t withstand it.

Cian turned slightly and asked Jeri.

“Jeri, the magic tool you sold – what quality of mana stone did you design it for?”

At Cian’s sudden question, Jeri flinched.

But he answered in a trembling voice.

“I designed it for up to medium-grade mana stones. Anything more would cost a lot, and honestly, it’s useless…”

That’s because the mana stones traded in the Empire were mainly ‘lowest grade to low grade’.

Medium-grade mana stones were rare.

High grade or higher were almost non-existent.

And the highest grade was virtually unheard of.

But the mana stone Nathan held was the highest grade among the highest grades.

“I, I told you the precautions just in case. I thought you could get mana stones of medium grade or higher because you were from Elanndur…”

Cian looked at Nathan.

“Don’t call it an accident.”

“······”

Nathan shut his mouth.

He remembered hearing those words.

But he’d plugged in the mana stone, thinking it wouldn’t matter.

He hadn’t anticipated a problem.

As a result: boom.

Ultimately, it was his fault.

But…

‘How does that guy know this mana stone is the highest grade?’

Somehow, Cian seemed to know it was the highest grade.

How?

Nathan stared at Cian.

“Good.”

Nathan spoke.

“In light of my brother’s words, I will show mercy and overlook your mistake.”

“Th, thank you! Thank you so much!”

Jeri shouted, sobbing.

“But.”

Nathan continued.

“I can’t help but blame your mother.”

“Yes…? Yes?”

“Parents are responsible for their children’s mistakes.”

Nathan’s gaze turned to Cian.

He said with a bitter smile.

“I will have to hold that guy’s mother accountable.”

It was forced.

Purely forced logic.

Nathan knew that.

Even so, he was doing this.

The intention was clear.

‘Cian, I won’t do what you want.’

It was always like this.

Before being exiled to Ruben.

Even when he was in the family, it was always like this.

Nathan gestured to one side.

Intending to have Jeri’s mother dragged away.

The knights moved in unison.

Right then.

“Don’t move.”

Cian shouted quietly.

The knights paused, but only for a moment.

Prioritizing Nathan’s orders, they continued.

And right then.

Cian’s shout echoed again.

“I, Cian Elanndur, order you! If anyone moves even one step from now on!”

Clang!

“I will cut off your heads here.”

Cian pointed his sword at the knights.

The pure white S-grade blade gleamed in the sunlight.

The knights stopped abruptly, stunned by Cian’s aura.

They couldn’t understand their own hesitation.

Cian Elanndur.

A degenerate and incompetent good-for-nothing of the Marquis family.

But why?

At that moment, the knights felt as if they were facing the head of Elanndur himself.

“What… what is this?”

Nathan’s expression contorted.

Cian said, looking at him.

“Where does it say that parents are to blame for their children’s sins?”

“What’s wrong with parents taking responsibility for their children’s mistakes?”

Nathan gestured to the knights again.

Cian shouted again.

“Even if there is such a law!”

Cian slowly turned the tip of his sword.

He pointed it towards Isabel.

“······!”

“······!”

Everyone was surprised.

Pointing a sword at the mistress of Elanndur.

This was unacceptable for any reason.

“Are you really crazy!”

Nathan raised his sword.

A force that seemed capable of killing Cian erupted.

However.

“Then now.”

Cian simply opened his mouth calmly.

“Who can I blame for this unfilial sin of pointing a sword at my mother?”

Stunned.

Speechless…

He was speechless.

Cian was clearly a descendant of Elanndur.

And Isabel was Cian’s mother, even if only nominally.

Parents are to blame for their children’s sins.

According to Nathan’s logic.

Nathan had to cut off Isabel’s head right now.

A silence fell.

No one spoke.

Right then.

“Stop.”

A noble voice was heard.

Isabel was moving slowly.

With everyone’s attention focused on her.

Isabel stood in front of Nathan.

And.

Slap.

Isabel slapped Nathan on the cheek.

“M, Mother…?”

Nathan looked at Isabel in confusion.

She spoke with a colorless expression.

“Don’t disgrace Elanndur any further.”

Isabel’s gaze turned to Cian.

Cian met her gaze.

“You’ve changed a lot since I last saw you.”

Isabel stared at Cian before turning away.

The knights followed her.

“······ See you later.”

Nathan muttered.

Cian shrugged.

#

The social world was in an uproar.

No, this time, not only the social world, but the capital of the Empire itself was turned upside down.

“Pointing a sword at the Marquis’s wife! How could he do that?”

“Elanndur seems to have let it go because he’s still their son.”

“Anyway… like the Crowd incident last time, the rumors of him being a degenerate are not for nothing.”

The social world generally blamed Cian.

His actions were clearly unfilial.

And it was for a commoner…

No, not even a commoner, but a pariah living in a slum.

Moreover, a pariah who harmed Elanndur.

Cian pointed his sword at his parents for the sake of such a lowly child.

This was unheard of among nobles who valued honor.

Cian’s actions were those of a degenerate.

On the other hand.

“Is Cian really a degenerate?”

“Well, I don’t know. I honestly think the rumors are false.”

The public’s view was different.

Cian’s actions were unimaginable.

Pointing a sword at parents to save a child.

Even for the sake of a lowly child.

What noble would do that?

The nobles just thought of them as tools.

This shattered the public’s image of nobles.

As rumors about Cian split into two camps,

The center of the Imperial capital, the Imperial Palace.

“Your Majesty, most of the descendants who received invitations have arrived in the capital. Unfortunately, the Velle and Vermouth families have replied that they are currently ill and unable to attend.”

“It can’t be helped if they are ill. Tell them I wish them a speedy recovery.”

Conrad nodded regretfully at the chief steward’s report.

As he was about to resume his duties,

“By the way, what about that one?”

As if suddenly remembering,

Conrad asked the chief steward.

Conrad didn’t specify who he was talking about.

However, the chief steward knew.

“That is…”

He hesitated.

The social world was buzzing with Cian’s story.

‘As expected, he is a degenerate of the Marquis family. He is a disgrace to Elanndur,’ etc.

The atmosphere was negative.

And it was Conrad who invited him.

It was a situation that could make Conrad’s position difficult.

That’s why the chief steward hesitated.

However, the decision was Conrad’s.

The chief steward reported everything that happened in Lucia.

And what happened here in the capital.

Conrad listened.

“Hahahahahahahahaha!”

Conrad burst into laughter.

“He’s already made a big scene!”

Cian, who caused a disturbance even after receiving his handwritten invitation.

In a way, it tarnished Conrad’s reputation.

He could have been angry.

“Hahahahahahaha!”

Conrad just laughed.

“The descendant of Crowd cannot be completely cured even after receiving treatment from a priest.”

“That is what they say.”

“Count Crowd must have been quite upset.”

Conrad shook his head, imagining Count Crowd swallowing his anger.

“Besides, he pointed a sword at the Marquis’s wife of Elanndur?”

“······ That is correct.”

“Hahahahahahahahaha!”

Conrad really burst into laughter.

“The degenerate of Elanndur…”

His actions were those of a degenerate.

He threw the first punch in a dispute between nobles.

And he even pointed a sword at his own mother.

If this isn’t a degenerate, then what is?

But…

Is he really a degenerate?

‘Well…’

Unlike the rumors,

The chief steward’s report provided all the circumstances.

Conrad knew why Cian did what he did.

A different Cian from the rumors.

‘I’m even more curious about what kind of person he is.’

Is that why?

“Are there any other special notes?”

“There is one important thing. The Saintess has arrived as a guest of honor from the Holy Empire.”

“The Saintess? She hasn’t shown her face in public until now… that’s unexpected.”

Conrad was very much looking forward to the upcoming Founding Day event.