Chapter 13
Leo silently followed Camila through the corridors of the main residence. He was perceptive enough to realize that his mother had tried to belittle Caron in the dining hall.
"Mother," he called out quietly.
Camila turned back right away as if she had been waiting for this moment. "That boy openly disrespected you. Don't you have any pride? You should have confronted him right there, at that moment. This is why you got beaten up so badly three years ago."
Her anger exploded and she ranted at Leo with a flushed face. "Why are you like this? How can you support your father if you're like this?"
Leo understood the expectations his mother had for him. His father was competing with his elder uncle for the sake of the succession. Hugo, his elder uncle's son, was gaining fame in the empire for his exceptional talents; meanwhile, his sister Leon was actively involved in her own duties. In such a competitive environment, Caron had emerged as a new variable. The dynamic at Azureocean Castle had changed the moment the first ancestor's sword chose Caron.
It was true that Caron had beaten him mercilessly the first day he arrived. But Leo didn't hold a grudge; he knew he deserved it for what he'd said. Besides that, after successfully passing the Awakening Ceremony, Caron had made a wish, asking for Leo to never be punished again for that incident. That was a wish Leo was incredibly grateful for.
"I'll try harder," Leo said.
"I'm very dissatisfied by how close you've become with Caron. He's your rival. Even if your youngest uncle doesn't have a claim to succession, Caron is different. Do you understand?" Camila asked.
Leo's mother didn't know what Caron meant to him. She would never understand. Over the past three years, Leo had spent most of his time with Caron and had realized a lot of things.
Caron wasn't his rival. Leo had realized a long time ago that he wasn't even in Caron's league. Initially, he had struggled to try and keep up with Caron, but it was a futile effort from the start. Caron's talent was dazzling, even to a young boy like him. Not even Hugo, who was considered a genius, was comparable.
"Do you know how much your grandfather cherishes him? He even arranged for Aunt Sabina to mentor him," Sabina said.
"...I'm learning from her too," Leo said quietly.
"That's the problem. How will you ever surpass Caron if you only learn alongside him? Leo, for your father's sake, you must—"
"Mother!" Leo interrupted, stopping in the middle of the hallway and looking at his mother.
Camila was taken aback by his sudden outburst. Her son had never defied her before, but had always followed her instructions without complaint, so this reaction was utterly unexpected.
"Mother, Caron and I aren't like what you think. Rivals? Me? How could I even be compared with him?" Leo continued.
By the time Caron was thirteen years old, he had reached 4-Star in the Ocean Dominance Arts. His achievements were among the greatest in the Leston family's history, and his talent was so dazzling it was almost blinding. In comparison, Leo had reached 3-Star when he was fifteen years old. While it seemed lackluster next to Caron, it was still a significant accomplishment. However, no firefly could shine next to the sun.
Even Hugo, who was called a genius, had only reached 3-Star when he was fourteen. The Ocean Dominance Arts took considerable time to master, which made Leo's achievements commendable.
"Leo, you must let go of your inferiority complex," Camila began.
"Mother, what I feel isn't inferiority," Leo interrupted.
No one still felt inferior when faced with an incomprehensible phenomenon. At least to Leo, Caron had always been such an existence. Over the past three years, Caron had often helped him in both mana training and swordsmanship. Whenever Leo struggled, Caron grumbled but still demonstrated it for him repeatedly, even as he complained about how easy it was. Despite being older, Leo had never felt like Caron's elder brother.
"Yes, Caron is my goal. But not as a rival," Leo continued.
Initially, Leo had felt the same way his mother did. He had felt inferior and resentful of Caron's talent, but not anymore. Caron was someone who would lead him to greater heights. By following Caron, Leo believed he too would eventually reach those heights.
"I'll go in alone. See you later," Leo said, taking a deep breath before entering his room. His mother would never understand him because she was just the way she was.
"Leo!" Camila called out. She stood alone in the hallway with her fists clenched, biting her lip. While her soft-hearted son seemed to have given up, she still hadn't.
I'm not going to let things go on like this, she thought.
Camila couldn't stand by and let a newcomer displace her family. Although Sabina's presence made it impossible for now, she knew her opportunity would come. Sabina would soon return to the North Sea. Camila sighed softly as she looked at the door Leo had just entered.
***
A heavy thud echoed through the training ground. A young boy, Caron, relentlessly pushed back an adult man with his wooden sword. His attacks were relentless. The knight, Hans, was forced into a defensive stance; he tried to twist his sword's angle to find an escape, but Caron pressed on, undeterred.
The moment Caron's sword touched the knight's leather armor, the sword he had been holding split apart.
Hans raised his hands and said in surrender, "Please stop, Young Master Caron. I yield, okay?"
"Hans, what are you doing twisting your sword's angle? The Oceanwolf Sword Arts technique doesn't work if you rely on brute force. Still, even if the sword broke, you should have fought back. How can a grown man be this weak?" Caron asked.
"I've never heard anyone say I'm physically weak. It's just that you're practically a monster," Hans said as he took off the leather training armor he was wearing and wiped off his sweat. As soon as the armor was removed, it revealed his bulging muscles. Having exerted himself to the limit just moments before, his muscles were fully swollen.
Caron could hear Hans grumbling, so after throwing his broken wooden sword to the ground, he gave Hans a playful thump on the chest..
"Hans, I told you. Your muscles are like balloons," Caron teased with a wide grin
"Young Master Caron, you're the only one who says that in the entirety of Oceanwolf Island," Hans replied.
"Well, I'm the only one who's being honest," Caron said.
"Anyway, I can't keep up with you without using mana anymore. You weren't this strong last year," Hans remarked.
"Kids grow up fast," said Caron.
"For you to say that with your own mouth… Anyway, thanks to you, I'm going to get chewed out by Sir Zerath again. He already scolded me last time for getting injured during the mission," Hans said with a sigh as he sat down on the ground. He continued, "Ha… While others are diligently investigating monsters, I have to stay here and look after a kid. My body aches like crazy."
"Who told you to get hurt on your mission? Maybe it's just because you're weak, Hans," Caron teased further.
"How many times do I have to tell you? I took that magic spell for a comrade. It was a noble sacrifice—"
"Yeah, if it were me, I'd have cut it down with my sword," Caron interrupted.
"Forget it. Talking to you is pointless," Hans said as he realized there was no winning an argument with this kid. He stood up and grabbed two water bottles from the side of the training ground, tossing one to Caron.
Caron caught the bottle and took a drink right away.
"Anyway, at your level, it might be time for you to get some real combat experience," Hans remarked.
"Hmm… Now that I've reached the 4-Star mana level... It is about time," Caron agreed, nodding slowly.
Caron had reached 4-Star in the Ocean Dominance Arts and was training in the fourth form of the Oceanwolf Sword Arts. The Oceanwolf Sword Arts and the Ocean Dominance Arts were intrinsically linked, as it required 4-Star mana to practice the fourth form of the sword art.
The same principle applied to the Oceanwolf Knight Order. Their training method wasn't the exact same as the Ocean Dominance Arts. However, it was derived from the same foundation, and was known as the Oceanflow Arts. The Ocean Dominance Arts could only be used by those with Azure Mana, so the founder of the Leston family had created the Oceanflow Arts for his followers.
Of course, there are some differences, Caron thought.
Regardless, he was now at a stage where he could undertake missions. The minimum requirement to serve as a member of the Oceanwolf Knight Order was mastering the fourth form of the Oceanwolf Sword Arts. It indicated that one could handle any situation and contribute effectively as a member of the Oceanwolf Knight Order.
"Sir Zerath seemed quite torn. Your first mission has to be just right. It can't be too difficult, but not too easy. An easy mission wouldn't count as real combat," Hans said thoughtfully.
"Well, what do you think, Hans?" Caron asked.
"If you ask me, I think you could easily handle a mission meant for 5-Star. I can guarantee it. The Oceanwolf Sword Arts shows its true power when paired with the Ocean Dominance Arts," Hans replied confidently.
Despite being sidelined due to an injury, Hans had mastered the sixth form of the Oceanwolf Sword Arts. He was a squad leader in the Oceanwolf Knight Order, a role reserved for those with substantial combat experience. That meant his predictions were among the most accurate.
"Of course, if we consider your sword, Guillotine, there could be even more variables. Your sword is… Well, it's quite unusual, isn't it?" Hans continued. He shook his head at the memory of facing Guillotine a year ago.
The sword seemed to emit a murderous aura on its own, greedily devouring the opponent's mana. And it constantly gave off the feeling that it could sever a neck at any moment. It was a terrifying weapon that he hoped to never face again.
"Anyway, that's my take on it," Hans concluded.
"You're unusually generous with your compliments today. Did you hit your head or something?" Caron teased.
"If you keep teasing me, I'll report you to Sir Zerath, rookie," Hans warned with a grin.
"Then I'll tell my grandfather," Caron retorted.
"Go ahead. He isn't even at Azureocean Castle right now. Besides, I was scolding Caron of the Azure Wolves, not Caron of the Leston family," Hans said, laughing heartily.
As Caron and Hans continued their conversation, Caron noticed a man walking down the corridor. He didn't recognize the face, but the man looked deeply troubled.
"What are you looking at?" Hans asked.
"There's someone walking this way. It's not common to see outsiders here at Oceanwolf Island," Caron replied.
"Hmm?" Hans followed Caron's gaze and looked at the stranger. After a moment, he said in a leisurely tone, "It's the young baron from Belrus. I saw him once when we were on a mission in the Belrus Barony."
"Belrus? That's our neighboring territory," Caron remarked.
"Yes. Lately, they've been having a lot of trouble with bandits. Belrus Barony isn't exactly prosperous, and their military strength is rather lacking," Hans explained.
"Is he here to ask for help?" Caron wondered.
"Probably. Normally, they would send a representative, but for the heir to come in person… It must be quite urgent," Hans surmised.
"Hmm," Caron mused as he considered Hans's words. After a moment, he brushed off his trousers and stood up.
"Where are you going?" Hans asked.
"To welcome our guest," Caron replied.
"...What?" Hans's eyes widened in surprise.
Caron gave him a slight smile and said, "Grandfather and Grandmother are in the capital, and my uncles are on an expedition dealing with monsters. Since a noble came all the way to Azureocean Castle, it's only proper for a noble to welcome him."
"But Sir Zerath is here," Hans pointed out.
"Ah, but Sir Zerath is probably in the middle of a strategy meeting right now. It's the perfect time for me to step in. Hans, you wouldn't understand since you're not a noble, but there are certain rules of etiquette among nobles," Caron said.
It was comical to hear such words from a boy who usually showed no regard for manners. Hans sighed deeply as he watched Caron walk away briskly.
What kind of trouble is that troublemaker going to cause this time? I'll probably get scolded by Sir Zerath for not stopping him. Should I just go ahead and start writing my report? Hans thought.
Caron Leston, who turned thirteen years old this year, was the biggest troublemaker in all of Azureocean Castle. Hans shook his head and let out a deep sigh once again. The situation was all too familiar by now.
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