Chapter 191 : Chapter 191
Chapter 191 - Joint Training
The location for the joint training was decided to be the Mujin Plains.
The vast plains, with nothing to obstruct the view, had almost no terrain to consider.
Therefore, one could focus solely on oneself and the enemy.
“This is truly the first time our family has gathered all together outside the banquet hall. Although the Youngest Son couldn't come, this alone seems sufficient.”
He didn't bother to state the reason why it was sufficient, but all the blood relatives who had arrived by messenger knew.
“Yes, yes. The Youngest Son does well on his own~.”
Although she drew out the end of her sentence, it held no sarcastic meaning.
Because he really did do well on his own. It was a statement filled only with pure acknowledgment, and the other blood relatives did not deny it. The Family Head smiled faintly to himself.
“Didn't you all say you couldn't stand the sight of your other siblings doing well, even in your dreams? You've become quite generous with your acknowledgment of the Youngest Son.”
“The Youngest Son is nice~.”
“The Youngest Son is warm.”
Nod-!
“The Youngest Son is different.”
Starting with the Fourth Son, the Third Daughter agreeing with her older sister, and finally the First Son.
As if their minds were in sync, the four of them glared at each other almost simultaneously.
The sight was quite a spectacle. But it was not a sight to be seen even during a war.
The Family Head, with his hands behind his back, spoke.
“There is about a week until Wisdom reveals its movements. In the meantime, to receive my teachings, you must first defeat Ransis.”
The messenger stepped out from a ghost dimension. The ghost sisters and the First Son watched her appearance. In contrast, the Fourth Son's reaction was a tad slower.
Unlike the other three, it was because he had not detected Ransis within the ghost dimension.
However, the one they had to defeat now was not the her inside the ghost dimension, but the Ransis in the outside world.
“The standard for victory will be forcing Ransis back into the ghost dimension with the four of you working together. Keep this in mind.”
Perhaps for what was to come, the messenger had changed into an outfit far more comfortable than the one she wore in the conference hall.
It was a black attire more suited for a private occasion than a public one.
“Until you defeat Ransis, do not even think of leaving this place.”
The Family Head left only those words and turned his back. At the same time, he disappeared.
His direction was the Skeleton Giant Horse, and it became an obvious fact where the Family Head would be spending his time.
“He’s going to his son’s house without even getting his son’s permission.”
“Phew. I’m so glad I live in the gorge~.”
“So the marsh had this kind of advantage.”
The other siblings, who had avoided their father's visit, each threw in a word and swept their chests in relief.
That's how unreasonably burdensome the Family Head's visit to one's residence was, and they just wished he wouldn't come.
At the very least, the First Son had to overcome Ransis, if only to kick the Family Head out of his room.
Srrng—
A gray blade slid smoothly from its scabbard.
In front of the eerie killing intent that seemed ready to unleash a slash at any moment, Ransis calmly held out her palm. It was a stop sign.
“Only a joint attack by all four of you will be acknowledged.”
“……”
“……”
Even the talkative Fourth Son and the other blood relatives became as silent as the Third Daughter in an instant.
“What do you mean, joint attack~. How am I supposed to work with such selfish people?”
“Even if we were to work together, aren't you the most selfish one, who would just swing the Skeleton Giant's fists?”
“Is a Spirit Sorcerer acting up in a joint attack now~? Isn’t Spirit Sorcery the one that can’t mix with any other sorcery?”
“Melaine and I always work together. We can coordinate well enough with other sorceries.”
The ghost sisters and the Fourth Son bickered, while the First Son, holding his sword, watched them. Then he turned his eyes to Ransis.
“What does the Family Head want from us? Mutual destruction, or to die of frustration?”
“The Family Head desires only victory. He has moved for victory, and today's gathering is no different.”
“Trying to mix water and oil will only lead to anger.”
“There's no need to mix water and oil.”
At that answer, the First Son’s eyebrows furrowed. Then why are we sitting here trying to mix them now. His gaze was filled with such a meaning.
Ransis smiled comfortably.
“From the beginning, you blood relatives are not water and oil. All four of you are water, and all four of you are oil, but because your colors and uses are different, you feel like you are polar opposites.”
“...I wonder how the Youngest Son managed to handle their personalities.”
“He handled the First Son’s personality, so would they be difficult?”
“……”
Smiling faintly, she walked forward and clapped her hands lightly.
The heads of the two, who were still arguing over who was the weaker link in a joint attack, turned this way.
“Since you all seem to have no clue about joint attacks, I’d like to give you a hint.”
“Ooh! Give it! No, before that, choose first! Between my Skeleton Giant and this ghost here, who is more useless in a joint attack!”
“I will include that as well. However, in order to give you a hint, I must change my attitude to how I treat the Fifth Son.”
Like how she treats the Fifth Son? Is that somehow different?
“If you agree to this, I will give you the hint.”
“Agreed! I agree!”
“Us too.”
“I don't mind.”
How different could it be. No, what could be different.
The Youngest Son was also a blood relative, and Messenger Ransis was a loyal servant of the family who had served the blood relatives her entire life.
She was a retainer whose body was thoroughly ingrained with the etiquette a subordinate should have towards a superior.
That was surely the case.
“Hey, you bastards.”
“…?”
“...What?”
The blood relatives’ expressions went blank for a moment. Words they had only ever spoken, never heard, struck their ears.
The shocking blow of those words did not end with just one.
“What do you mean, what. The Family Head’s intention is for you all to fight together because you’re so damn weak on your own, isn't it? Why make it so complicated.”
Melaine’s mouth opened slightly, and from behind her, Melisende spoke.
“Does the Family Head know you’re acting like this?”
“If it means we can win the war, I could beat you up right here and be found innocent, you know? Listen while I'm being nice. Oh, and the answer to your earlier question.”
Ransis’s eyes turned to the Fourth Son.
“The answer is that you’re all useless. Both Spirit Sorcery and Skeleton Giant Sorcery, if not mastered, will only get in each other’s way and end there. Just like you all would.”
The Fourth Son, who was stammering at words he had never even heard from his mother, was struck by her words once again.
“That’s why the Family Head sent you here, isn’t it? To make you lot into proper people so you don't die.”
“You treated Dante like this too.”
“Yep. This is how I taught Dante Exploding Bone.”
“…!”
“……!”
Another wave of shock washed over the blood relatives’ faces.
For a moment, the shock faded, and determination took its place. They were the ones who had directly experienced the effects of this method.
“Within these plains, you will call me Teacher. I will not allow informal speech either.”
They could take the insults, but the respectful language just wouldn’t stick, and the blood relatives’ expressions were not good.
“You don’t like it? Then beat me. I’m telling you to chase me into the ghost dimension. I don’t know if you can, though.”
Shock. Determination. Next was venom.
They called each other water and oil, but they were kin who grew up together in the same family.
The blood relatives, raised in a great family where competition, obstruction, and ambition were the norm, were tough nuts to crack, and they didn’t know how to back down from such an insult.
Because the moment they backed down, they would be admitting to the insult.
Srrng—
The First Son drew his sword. The bones of a wyvern intricately clung to the blade.
Kuuuuung—
Three small, 3-meter-class Skeleton Giants fell from a spatial artifact and landed on the ground.
Shwaaaaaa—
The Gale Demon King and the Giant Knight Mhul overlapped like the ghost sisters and held a ghost sword from which a gale raged.
“Come on.”
Ransis, standing askew, only beckoned with her hand.
Before long, without anyone needing to go first, different sorceries poured out from different directions.
The different things, being different, interfered with each other and reduced their power. Ransis clicked her tongue.
‘They’re a long way off.’
Still, the bunglers in front of her were fairly smart, so if she played with them for a few days, they would come to their senses.
That kid who learned Exploding Bone in a single go after being hit a few times was the crazy one; this was normal.
‘Ah. I want to see a genius.’
As expected, if it wasn't a genius, it wasn't fun to teach.
***
The Youngest Son did not wake even after three days.
Just when I thought he might be dead, the Head Maid would come in intermittently and place a finger under his nose.
Fortunately, he was breathing. And quite steadily at that.
Compared to the beginning, his physical condition had improved a lot, and the dokdan in his body was also intact.
He had fortunately managed to contain the poison called Elixir and was now paying the price for it.
“Do you know how many people are worried sick because of you? Please wake up soon.”
The Head Maid muttered to herself as she wiped the Youngest Son’s body again today.
“What would you like to eat when you wake up? You won’t fly off to the Empire as soon as you wake up, will you? If so, I will force you to sit at the dining table.”
“I have no intention of sending him right away either.”
“……”
A voice came from not far behind.
It was a voice she had never heard before, but for some reason, it felt like a voice she should know, a voice she must not fail to recognize.
“How is the Youngest Son now?”
“...Family Head.”
She put down the towel and knelt.
The Family Head, who was sitting on the wall with a window made for ventilation, gestured moderately.
“Excessive courtesy is unnecessary. I am the one who knows the least etiquette here.”
“Not at all. I only apologize that the members of Eclipse were unable to welcome you.”
“I said excessive courtesy is unnecessary.”
The Family Head, who cut her off, pointed to the lying Youngest Son with his chin.
“I asked about his condition.”
“He has created a dokdan and embraced the Elixir within it. He has now entered a stable period, but just yesterday, he was in danger several times.”
“Is that so.”
The Head Maid could not see the Family Head’s face, but for some reason, she felt that he was pleased. He continued.
“Tell the Youngest Son to form the envoy at his own discretion.”
“I will relay the message as soon as he wakes up.”
After her answer, the Family Head was silent for a while. Then he asked suddenly.
“Are you the Grade 1 Agent who volunteered for memory erasure?”
“...That is correct.”
“Judging by your answer, it seems you have regained quite a few of your memories now.”
“I could not speak a falsehood.”
“It does not matter. If you intend to stay by the Youngest Son’s side anyway, there will be no reason for family information to leak.”
Thud— Thud—
The Family Head pushed his back off the outer wall he was leaning on and walked a few steps forward.
“I ask you, who has cared for the Youngest Son since he was young.”
“Please ask me anything.”
“What does the Youngest Son do in his free time when he has no work?”
As instructed, the Family Head asked. Nevertheless, the answer did not follow immediately. She couldn't, out of surprise.
“...Are you asking about his hobbies?”
“You could call it that. Anything is fine. As long as it's something he normally pays attention to.”
“In the past, he was close to books, but since settling in Eclipse, he spends more time outside than inside.”
“Books.... I'll keep that in mind for now.”
The Family Head, who had nodded, crossed his arms.
“Then, is there anything needed in this place?”
Anything needed? Of course, there was.
“I recently requested a replenishment of maids from the Butler's Department, but I received a reply that there are currently no personnel trained enough to care for a blood relative's residence.”
“How long did they say it would take?”
“They said it would be at least a year.”
“That won't do. That just won't do.”
The Family Head, who was pondering with his chin on his hand for a moment, soon opened his mouth.
“I can solve this for you. The personnel will arrive by tomorrow, so open the door when they knock.”
“Yes. I understand.”
With the house cleaning problem solved, the Head Maid's expression became much more relaxed.
In any case, a sense of satisfaction also filled the face of the Family Head, who had played the role of a father.
“Where is Kairos? I'd like to have a conversation with him while I'm here.”
“I will guide you.”
“I won't be long, so don't dislike it so much.”
“Dislike it? I've never had a more glorious moment in my entire life.”
...How did he know?