The Story Of The Second Son Of The Baron Family [EN]: Chapter 57

“Did you lie to me?”

Jojo’s expression shifts at my words. He looks as if he doesn’t grasp my meaning, as if he doesn’t understand why his actions could be harmful to me. Some people are like that—acting without considering the consequences, or only thinking from their own perspective without truly considering others’.

“I understand your position, Jojo. Why you crossed the sea, why you need to meet Renil. But that’s *your* position. Doesn’t that contradict your claim that it won’t harm him?”

Indeed, there’s no faster way to make a name for oneself than the method Jojo is considering. Knights and mercenaries often seek out famous individuals for duels, hoping to achieve precisely that.

However, what benefit does the target receive? Winning is merely breaking even, while losing means their reputation is tarnished. Rationally, there’s no reason to accept such a proposal. Of course, people aren’t always rational, so these precedents continue because the potential benefits outweigh the losses.

“If he wins, there’s no problem. But if he loses to you, Jojo, his reputation will diminish as much as yours rises.”

“…How does that relate to the statement that it won’t cause harm?”

That absurd answer surprised me. Looking at Jojo’s face, I saw he genuinely believed it.

“Think about your teacher, Jojo. Ultimately, this is to restore his tarnished honor, so how can you say it won’t cause harm?”

“Honor and fame are different. Even if he loses to me, his honor won’t be diminished. On the contrary, he might accept it readily, contrary to your worries. This might sound arrogant, but I’m walking a different path. If he’s a true magician, he won’t miss the opportunity for a valuable experience simply because he values mere fame.”

Honor and fame are different. Those words revealed how far I still have to go as a magician. If I had truly dedicated everything to magic, I wouldn’t have thought as I did. Perhaps the reason I haven’t reached my full potential is because I haven’t truly given it my all.

“…I see. I suppose so.”

Jojo is right. Even if I hadn’t met him here, if we had spoken at the Magic Tower as planned, I wouldn’t have wanted to miss an opportunity that could be a stepping stone to the 6th Circle [a high level of magical achievement].

#

In the end, the gun [a metaphor for conflict or confrontation] didn’t get to taste the outside air. Jojo and I quietly continued our journey, leaving Oslow as I had requested.

I could have revealed that I was Renil on the spot, but that was undesirable for both of us. Jojo would want a public setting, and I wanted to be fully prepared. Moreover, returning now would make it difficult to embark on another journey, as I had already committed to leaving.

“This is like this…”

“That is like that…”

Besides, traveling with him was as beneficial as I had imagined. As he said, even with the same destination, our different paths meant he saw scenery and perspectives I didn’t. This difference wouldn’t have existed if we had seen, experienced, and learned the same things.

Perhaps Jojo felt the same. Even if we started similarly, our paths diverged in the past few years. From an outsider’s perspective, I was an undeniable ‘elite,’ which was partly true. Consequently, even when seeing the same things, our opinions differed compared to Jojo, who was more of an underdog.

So, we traveled south, then east.

We visited Lake Caspian, the largest lake on the continent, the endless plains of the Prairie, and climbed the Roche Mountains, which boast tremendous height alongside the Terra Barrier [a magical defense system] surrounding it.

It wasn’t ideal to travel in winter, but the southern part of the Empire was warm enough to lack snow even in winter due to its location, so it wasn’t a major issue. As we traveled through the south and headed east along the Roche Mountains, the weather gradually warmed, and the cold could be managed with a small amount of magic.

After traversing about a third of the Empire, I turned my steps, which were gradually heading north, to the west.

I saw and experienced a great deal. I could have experienced different things in the northern and eastern parts of the Empire, but the efficiency wouldn’t have been as good compared to the time required. Having reached the eastern part of the Empire, I considered stopping by the Zeke territory, but I soon abandoned the idea.

Currently, Jojo knows me as a magician named Untrue. If I stayed in the Zeke territory, my true identity as Renil would inevitably be revealed. It wouldn’t matter much since I was nearing the end of the journey, but I had lived with him for nearly half a year. I wanted to reveal it with my own words, at least for the last time.

However, that thought came to an unintended end when we were a day away from the capital after finishing the journey.

“Untrue.”

“Why?”

The age difference is two years, but we stopped using honorifics long ago. We matched well in many ways. But I had to stop at his next words.

“No, Renil, you are Renil, aren’t you?”

#

“You are Renil, aren’t you?”

“…How long have you known?”

I paused. The thought of denying it briefly surfaced and disappeared. There’s less than a day left until the capital. Denying it now would only delay the inevitable. It was better to reveal it now than to deny it and blush later.

Besides, we’re a day’s distance from the capital. The fact that he’s bringing this up now means he didn’t just figure it out. Jojo must have had his own calculations and convictions, asking because he thought this was the best moment. Denying it wouldn’t be wise.

“Not long. But not recently either.”

As expected. I could feel undeniable conviction in Jojo’s question—a conviction that couldn’t form in just a day or two. He must have checked over several days or weeks to reach that level of certainty.

“I thought I wasn’t showing it.”

“You couldn’t hide the words that came out unconsciously.”

I didn’t just travel for half a year. While walking, eating, and sleeping, Jojo and I discussed magic, from simple to complex topics. It would have been different if we were just skimming the surface, but people with similar levels and different opinions exchanged discussions based on years of accumulated knowledge, inevitably revealing their true selves.

“I’m sorry for deceiving you. I was going to reveal it as soon as I arrived in the capital, but I was a step late.”

“I won’t ask why. I understand how I might have looked from your perspective. I must have seemed suspicious, so you were trying to gauge my sincerity.”

Whoosh—

A cool breeze swept between us. The distance the wind cut through felt longer than the physical distance. Jojo readjusted his staff.

“Prepare yourself.”

“…Here? No matter how it ends, it won’t be the ending you want.”

The ending he wants is to restore his teacher’s honor. For that, he needs to make his existence known. A confrontation with me would achieve that, regardless of the outcome. However, fighting here would inevitably separate us, regardless of who wins.

“It’s not the only way, and I can’t exploit a friend for my own greed.”

“Exploiting? Shouldn’t we say we’re receiving what we need from each other?”

“We’re already giving and taking. This is different. If I gain something through you, you have to gain something from me too. That’s how we maintain an equal relationship.”

“Why are you so rigid…? Besides, isn’t friendship about reaching out regardless of profit or loss when a friend is in trouble?”

But Jojo didn’t seem to want to change his mind. It’s a pity. It would be different if what he was trying to gain through me was wrong. Wasn’t it for the restoration of the honor of a pioneer who left behind another great achievement?

“Then let’s do this. If I win, I’ll explain the complements not written in [a specific magical text]. How you were able to succeed unlike other magicians, what the differences are. If you win, I’ll help you restore your teacher’s honor by any means possible.”

I still haven’t figured out how the flawed could succeed. Only when the incomplete parts of the book are supplemented through the experience of the person involved can it be successfully applied. That’s why I also took out my staff—to compete using only magic, without engravings [magical enhancements].

#

“Indeed, is this how you handled the parts that were difficult to express in theory?”

I returned to the Magic Tower after half a year. Only half a year. Nothing had changed. Jojo allowed research on his body. At the same time, he began writing a revised edition of .

My teacher also helped, realizing that the path he had once abandoned actually continued to the end. If the revised edition is published and Jojo proves its validity, restoring his teacher’s honor won’t be difficult.

And I was slowly planning how to transplant Jojo’s achievements into my body. It’s absurd to switch methods now, and it’s not a superior version of the existing one.

However, Jojo’s method has its own advantages and disadvantages, and I’m researching how to maintain the existing advantages while incorporating the new method’s benefits. Thanks to this, the lights in the lab have been burning late into the night.

Like that, day after day. In the last winter of my mid-twenties, I was able to reach the end of the slightly high wall, filling in the missing bit.

End of Baron’s Family Second Son Story – 57