The Story Of The Second Son Of The Baron Family [EN]: Chapter 80

Siggy Zick.

She was a beautiful woman. Even though she didn’t actively seek attention or spend hours on her appearance, she was still one of the most beautiful women in the Empire.

Her looks, personality, and family background were all perfect. The reason she hadn’t married until she was almost thirty was a frequent topic of conversation. Of course, she was the only one who truly knew the reason. When she dressed up for her wedding day, her beauty was simply breathtaking.

Her golden hair sparkled in the sunlight, and her jewel-like blue eyes and already fair skin, combined with her pure white dress, gave her an almost ethereal, untouchable quality.

Was it just my imagination, or did her surroundings seem to glow with an extra brilliance on that clear, cloudless day? It didn’t seem like a simple illusion, considering that all the guests who had gathered to celebrate her marriage were completely captivated by her.

“Didn’t I tell you? Problems only arise when you get distracted. Have you steeled your resolve?”

“…Perhaps I should have prepared more thoroughly.”

“Hahaha! That’s a relief! A relief! I won’t have to worry about unnecessary things in the future!”

I don’t remember much of what happened after that. I answered the priest’s questions during the ceremony, and before I knew it, we were in the banquet hall. I received congratulations from the invited guests, accepting a glass of wine from each of them, and with so many guests, I quickly became tipsy.

It would have been easy to sober up by manipulating mana [magical energy], but since it was a special day, I allowed myself to enjoy the feeling. However, when I recognized the person leading a group approaching me, I quickly sobered up.

“Congratulations. It’s a great pleasure to celebrate such a happy occasion so soon after I ascended the throne. I believe only good things will come in the future.”

“I am honored that you took the time to attend. I will dedicate myself to the Empire with all my heart and soul.”

“It’s good to hear, even if it’s just lip service. Oh, that’s right. How is the research progressing? I told you to ask for anything you needed without hesitation, but I haven’t heard from you since.”

My ears perked up—

I could see the ears of those accompanying the Emperor, who were hoping to exchange a few words with him, perk up at his words.

The research that the Emperor was watching with interest.

It didn’t matter to them what the research was about or its purpose. The important thing was that the Emperor himself was interested in it and had even told me to ask for anything I needed. Moreover, the fact that I, virtually the second-in-command of the Magic Tower [organization dedicated to magical research and practice], was conducting the research was an added bonus.

If they played their cards right, it could be an opportunity to gain favor with both the Emperor and me, the leading candidate for the next Magic Tower Lord.

“It’s progressing smoothly. I will submit the necessary materials separately later.”

“Hmm, I’ll look forward to it.”

My conversation with the Emperor was brief. However, afterward, I had to endure more congratulations and inquiries from those who approached me.

They wanted to know about the research, why the Emperor was interested, what I needed, and so on. Of course, I couldn’t give them the answers they wanted. It wasn’t time yet. It wasn’t time for it to come to light.

And so, the eventful day passed, and the bustling mansion was shrouded in darkness. As the event concluded, the main participants headed to their shared quarters to end the day.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Young master, no, you too.”

It’s awkward. It was really awkward. Of course, until yesterday, we had talked and grown closer over a long period. Normally, it wouldn’t be difficult to have a conversation on any topic, but perhaps because a new relationship—marriage—had been established between us today, it was difficult to find the right words.

“Uh, um······.”

“······.”

The night was late. There was only one thing left to do, but I couldn’t bring myself to take the first step. It might be a step that some people wouldn’t think twice about, but for me, it was a very difficult and significant one.

“P, please take care of me.”

“······Yes.”

#

If you travel endlessly south from the center of the continent, you’ll find not only warm and mild climates but also a tropical rainforest with a hot and humid climate year-round, stretching as far as the eye can see. Along with the land of monsters, it’s one of the few areas where humans haven’t ventured. The people there call it ‘Labyrintho,’ meaning a maze where you can’t see even an inch ahead.

In this place where only the strong survive, where the law of the jungle reigns supreme, even monsters, beasts, and plants do their best to eliminate their rivals. However, even in this place, there must be apex predators, and a huge shadow was rapidly approaching the area where the predators of Labyrintho lived.

An overwhelming size of about 30 meters from head to tail, red scales reminiscent of flames, and outstretched wings. The name of this being, which would leave anyone who saw it in awe, is Serena. The reason she, who had disappeared after meeting Renil, appeared in Labyrintho was simple.

This place was home to the largest number of her clan. At the same time, the person she wanted to meet was also in this place.

Flap-

As soon as she landed on the ground, her massive form vanished, and a human body slightly less than 2 meters tall appeared. She didn’t care much about her appearance, but she needed to reduce her size to a more manageable one since the place where the person she was trying to meet lived was relatively small.

Bang-

“Uncle!”

A wooden house stood in the middle of the rainforest. A house in a place where people don’t visit might seem ironic, but this house is where the predator of Labyrintho resides.

“Are you not here? You’re old enough to feed yourself, but where are you wandering around? Where did you go?”

Tak-

“I’m here. You little brat.”

As soon as she grumbled, a small stone tapped the back of her head through the opened door. It was a stone with such force that it would have shattered an ordinary person’s skull, but for her, it was only enough to register that something was flying.

“Uncle!”

The blonde man, presumably the owner of the house, frowned with a very unpleasant expression and greeted the guest as the owner.

“Eat this and get lost. Just looking at your face annoys me.”

“It’s spicy. I feel like I’m losing sensation in my tongue a little bit. It’s a taste I’ve never encountered before?”

“So, what’s your business here? Don’t beat around the bush. Otherwise, a tragedy will occur where the number of our tribe decreases by one.”

Serena and the man were not on good terms. Nevertheless, the reason she came to find this particular member of their tribe, the reason she came all the way to this place despite the presence of other tribes, was because he was the one who could most accurately answer her question.

“Take a look at this.”

The claw snatched from Renil—Serena would say she borrowed it—reappeared. It was clear that this object was the reason for Serena’s visit, so he examined it carefully but soon returned it to her as if throwing it away.

“What is this trash? Did you make it?”

“Trash!”

“Then what else would you call it? A failure? A toy? You wouldn’t have brought it to show off, would you? No, that’s right. You might have actually brought it to show off at your level.”

If he had to give an evaluation, it was… fresh? Fresh in a bad way. The method was certainly new, but there was no need to use such a method. The power, efficiency, and even the level were terrible. It was like having a well-made sword but hitting the enemy with the handle instead of the blade. There was no rule against doing that, but there was also no reason to do it.

However, despite the harsh evaluation, Serena wasn’t discouraged at all. In the first place, she wasn’t the type to be easily discouraged, and she knew the secret that could change his opinion.

“I didn’t make that.”

“You didn’t? Except for you, it’s hard to imagine anyone in our tribe making such trash.”

“You’ll be surprised when you hear who made it, Uncle?”

He would be surprised, but in a bad way. However, Serena’s next words weren’t just a bluff.

“Because this was made by a human.”

“A human?”

That was certainly a bit surprising. He had been critical, but only because he was comparing it to the standards of their own tribe.

But if the creator was human, the story was different. He would have to praise them for clumsily imitating the Dragon Words [ancient language of dragons, imbued with magical power], and he couldn’t criticize them for their low level. Everyone praises a baby who has just learned to walk, but they don’t scold them for not being able to run. However, he soon looked at Serena with a bitter expression.

“So what?”

“Ah, no! Why are you reacting like that? A human handled Dragon Words! Isn’t it amazing?”

“What’s so amazing about handling Dragon Words? If you look at the Three Realms [likely refers to different planes of existence] as a whole, there are quite a few people besides us who can handle Dragon Words.”

“No, that’s different. A human?”

“What’s wrong with being human? If they were handling proper Dragon Words, I don’t know, but since the number is small and the history is quite old, it’s not strange for one anomaly to appear. At best, they’ll live for about a hundred years and die. Anyway, is that the end of your business? Then… get lost!”

The eviction order didn’t end with mere words. In an instant, she was outside the house and somewhere in the rainforest. All that remained in front of her was the [Claw] that she had confidently presented, now lying on the ground while she replayed his criticism.

“Haha, haha······.”

The original purpose was to find out how humans were able to do this through him, who was known to be the smartest among their tribe. But at this moment, that purpose vanished without a trace, like a sandcastle swept away by the waves.

“It’s not very surprising, is it?”

The only thought that filled her head, after being dismissed with those words, was how to get back at him by any means.

“It’s not very surprising because it’s something similar to Dragon Words? …Then let’s see if you can be indifferent even if a human uses proper Dragon Words!”

#

Scratch- Scratch-

“Is someone talking about me?”

At that time, Renil was scratching his itchy ear and enjoying a fulfilling day. However, he had no idea that something that would greatly affect his life was happening in a place he had never been to and would never go to.

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