Access to Duke Agnus’s small training hall was restricted to a select few. One of the two men standing in front of it opened his mouth.

“You’re here,” Cain said. 

Joshua nodded silently in response.

A group of people, including Duke Agnus, approached in the distance; five men and two women. Duke Agnus, Chiffon, Count Rebrecca, Count Wagen, the two ladies, and…

“Young Master Babel?” Cain’s eyes widened when he noticed an unexpected addition to the group, trailing behind the ladies. 

Cain felt his stomach drop.

“You’re here early.”

“I greet the Duke.” Cain crisply made his greetings. Chiffon, however, was watching Joshua, waiting for him to fumble with his greeting. Unfortunately for him, Joshua’s slow salute was picture perfect.

‘How could this boy manage such a perfect salute?’ Astonishment flickered through Chiffon’s eyes. Especially since the boy had still been clearing dung at the stable not that long ago.

“I don’t remember teaching him etiquette, but he’s really good at it.” Duke Agnus’s eyes held a different sort of light than Chiffon.

“I just learned by watching.” Joshua stood firm and looked the Duke square in the eyes.

Duke Agnus chuckles lightly, then straightened up and asked, “Were you informed?”

Joshua nodded. “They said you wanted to test me.”

“A test....” Duke Agnus trailed off into a fresh bout of laughter.

“Please be careful with your choice of words, Young Master.” Chiffon stepped forward, watching Joshua with narrowed eyes. “It’s not a test.”

Joshua gave Chiffon a placid stare.

“It’s not a test, but a thoughtful concern. The Duke only wishes to cure the Young Master’s disability,” Chiffon explained.

“Disability?” Joshua was briefly flustered, but then he suddenly understood.

Chiffon’s slowly escalating mockery, Babel’s unexpected appearance, the “congenital mana disorder”, and Duke Agnus’ sudden appearance to test Joshua when he was supposed to wait until a year later—the puzzle pieces were falling into place.

‘Right… Valderas den Chiffon was one of Babel’s people.’ 

In his last life, Joshua had left the Duke’s family before he had reached adulthood, so he didn’t know the specifics of the family’s internal circumstances. He was much better informed about the events in the distant future.

“Are you ready?” Duke Agnus asked.

“Yes.” As Joshua answered, Cain took a step forward.

“You don’t have to come forward.” Duke Agnus slowly shook his head.

“Pardon?” Cain asked blankly.

“A match between an adult and a child less than ten years in age. The difference in basic strength is quite obvious, isn’t it?” the Duke stated.

“Ah.” Cain nodded in agreement. He did not want to fight someone who might become his own master in the future. It was as if all his worries had been washed away in an instant.

“This is thanks to Young Master Babel. He said he would help his brother by sparring with him.” Chiffon chimed in.

Joshua didn’t miss the sly smile that danced across Babel’s lips for a moment.

‘These guys…’ Joshua’s eyes turned cold. ‘Now I know for sure what these guys are thinking.’

They intended to make a cripple of Joshua under the guise of sparring. However, Duke Agnus and his family was never in Joshua’s future plans. This was because the family, which was renowned to be the strongest knight order in the empire, would be completely destroyed fifteen years later.

‘If that’s what you really think…’ Joshua’s eyes were freezing cold. ‘Let me show you.’

Originally, Joshua hadn’t had any plans for the Duke of Agnus in mind. In spite of their fearsome reputation, the Duke of Agnus and his army would collapse in about fifteen years.

A great war would begin in ten years. This war would last for three years and would result in the highest recorded number of casualties in history. Duke Agnus would die in battle on the vast plains of Kraden.

After the war, Babel von Agnus, the Duke’s treasure, would struggle to rebuild the family’s glory alone. But when the First Civil War would break out in the weakened Empire, Babel would support the ill-fated Second Prince instead of the powerful First Prince. After that…

‘I heard the First Prince destroyed his mana hall and he became a cripple.’ Joshua smiled bitterly. 

At the time, Joshua was working as a wandering mercenary, when the Fourth Prince, Kaiser von Britten, caught his eyes before the outbreak of the Second Civil War.

‘If that’s what they were planning…’ Joshua’s eyes were slowly turning into a cold stare. ‘I’ll take this family in then.’

Joshua was confident that he could achieve his goals even without support from the Duke’s family, and that was why he could leave them without any regrets. It was the minimum of politeness to the family where he was born and raised.

His childhood memories that were filled with disdain and being ignored as the bastard born of a concubine had disappeared without a trace when the Duke’s family collapsed.

But that was then, and this was now.

Now that he was back in the past, Joshua planned to use whatever he could to reach his objectives.

‘Now with the Duke’s support, my work here would be easier. Right, Kaiser ben Britten?’ Joshua’s fists clench tightly as Kaiser’s face appeared in his mind.

“As it is sparring, you will be using a wooden sword instead of the real one,” Duke Agnus said quietly.

“I have already prepared mine,” Babel replied, holding up a wooden sword. 

Duke Agnus then turned to Joshua.

“You—”

“This is fine.” Joshua picked up a long pole lying around on the ground. 

For a moment, everyone was flabbergasted.

“Is he kidding? Sparring with a stick...” Charles muttered.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes,” Joshua replied to Duke Agnus without hesitation.

“Fine.” Duke Agnus watched Joshua with curious eyes and nodded in response. Everyone but Joshua and Babel took a few steps back.

“Babel, you already know this, but do not use mana,” Duke Agnus reiterated.

“Don’t worry,” Babel said. “I won’t need it to beat this bastard,” he muttered under his breath.

“Do you think you can parry my attacks with something as pathetic as that?” Babel glared at his opponent. “I think a bag of horse dung is more suitable for a worm like you… since you’ll be a mess anyways.” Babel stepped forward with a grin.

“Begin.” As the Duke’s voice boomed across the quiet hall, Babel’s grin widened.

‘Just a touch of this will make your bones cry.’ Babel had a reason for preparing this sword in advance. This sword had an iron core beneath the wood—he was sure that it would hurt far more than a normal wooden sword.

“HAH!” Babel planted his feet firmly on the ground. ‘I’ll beat you into a pulp!’

Babel shot toward Joshua with a mocking smile on his lips. He hefted his sword over his head, poised to strike Joshua’s skull. 

Babel, the famed C-Class Knight, put all of his power into this strike aimed at a presumed cripple.

‘The movement is just fast, and therefore simple.’ Joshua’s eyes lit up. It was an ignorant move that didn’t even consider Joshua’s possible counterattack.

Joshua’s arm stretched out just in time for Babel’s approach.

Tak!

The sound of a light strike filled the hall. Everyone’s eyes flew open.

Joshua had deflected the sword with the tip of his stick. Babel’s arms were flung into the air, leaving him exposed. It was a god-like, awe-inspiring move, and the concentration and alertness it required were equally impressive.

Babel couldn’t hide his bewilderment at the sudden turnaround.

Joshua spun to the side and, using the rotational force, slammed his staff into Babel’s open side.

“Ow!” Babel grit his teeth, suppressing a moan from reaching the audience. He could not let himself be disgraced after just one blow from a mere worm.

‘This…’ Joshua was disappointed. ‘This is pure strength, without mana.’ 

The body of an untrained nine-year-old child had its limits.

‘If this goes on—’ 

Joshua clenched his weapon. It was only a stick in the eyes of others, but it would allow him to fully leverage his knowledge of the spear.

‘Keep my distance. Hit and run using the long reach—’ Joshua’s meditations were interrupted.

A subtle change was taking place before his eyes. He could feel it; with a subtle vibration, mana gathered on Babel’s wooden sword. It was not fully corporeal, more like a hazy mist, but Joshua knew better than anyone how dangerous it was. This hazy mana was exclusive to a Class-C mana user.

“Die!” Babel’s anger boiled over.

‘Not only my father, but also Iceline and the others are watching!’ A single blow from a mere worm had left a gaping wound in Babel’s pride.

Babel ran straight at Joshua, roaring wildly.

“This—!” Duke Agnus leaped from his seat. Count Rebrecca also reacted with a stiff expression.

“STOP!”

But Duke Agnus was the one who stopped in his tracks.

There was another flow of mana. It was small, but a second stream of mana could be felt from the other boy.

“No way.” Duke Agnus raised his hand to prevent Count Rebrecca from moving further forward, staring straight ahead.

Mana gathered slowly. It was merely the size of a coin, but even from the distance, there was no way that Duke Agnus and Count Rebrecca—the finest in their fields—could not feel the peculiar air.

After a moment, dumbfounded words spilled from Duke Agnus as his gaze was fixed on the scene in front of him.

“Joshua von Agnus…”

The place where the mana gathered...was the tip of a stick. A wooden pole held by the hands of none-other than his son. His nine-year-old descendant.

“Oh my goodness…” 

Astonishment swept the audience.

A timeless genius, never before seen in history.

His small steps echoed quietly.