The Genius Mage Was Reincarnated Into A Swordsman Family

Chapter 54 - 54

Roman Lionhart, though privately pleased by Klaus’s bravado, wore the stern countenance befitting the lord of his domain. He discerned in Klaus’s eyes a confidence backed by genuine strength, realizing that this was no mere caprice driven by the boy’s youth but a deliberate display of resilience.

As the grandfatherly pride in Roman swelled, the lord within him knew he couldn’t afford leniency in front of the watching multitude. The grandeur of the Lion Arena became an icy theater of power, as Roman increased the pressure emanating from him. The walls dividing the sections started to freeze, and frostbite began to trace patterns on Klaus’s clothes. An invisible force sought to bow Klaus’s head, a symbolic submission, but the boy resisted.

Unyielding, Klaus opened his Three Eyes of the Ten Eyes Mantra, countering the pressure Roman exerted. The struggle between grandfather and grandson played out in this silent battle of wills.

"I hope you are not just all talk," Roman thundered, his voice resonating through the arena.

"My actions will speak for myself," Klaus replied, meeting Roman’s gaze head-on.

A roar-like laughter erupted from Roman, echoing through the arena. "Good! Very Good!" he declared, and with that, the temperature inside the Lion Arena returned to normal.

"You will be rewarded separately for your great achievement," Roman announced.

"Thank you, my Lord," Klaus responded with another bow before making his way to sit beside his parents. Despite Klaus’s audacious act, his parents and the entire audience remained standing, awaiting Roman’s cue. In a synchronized fashion, once their lord settled back onto his golden throne, the rest of the audience followed suit, eyes trained on the unfolding spectacle before them. The commoners, witnessing Klaus’s unconventional actions, regarded him with a mixture of disbelief and curiosity, wondering if he was daring or simply foolish.

***

Raoul Lionhart, the fourth son of Roman Lionhart, ground his teeth together to contain the seething anger within him. The audacity displayed by Klaus, a mere runt in Raoul’s eyes, openly disrespecting the revered Lionhart hierarchy was unfathomable. The suggestion that the individual responsible for making Ludovic and his conjoint sit in the commoner section should kneel and apologize was nothing short of an insult. Ludovic, once considered a brother, was now viewed by Raoul as nothing more than a bug—a creature he could crush at his whim.

The burning anger intensified as Raoul contemplated his desire to personally crush Klaus and his family. However, the constraints of propriety and appearances prevented him from acting on these violent impulses. Engaging in overt aggression would only tarnish the Lionhart reputation and be perceived as a blatant act of bullying.

’That runt thinks he can defy the Lionhart hierarchy, does he? We’ll see about that,’ Raoul thought, veins pulsating on the side of his forehead. The anger continued to build as Klaus’s actions replayed in his mind. Determined to put the audacious upstart in his place, Raoul shifted his gaze toward his second son, Ygriss Lionhart.

’Ygriss should be more than enough to put that brat in his place. Although considered inferior in talent to Alex, he is still a genius. At just eighteen, he’s already a cyan core swordsman, with a wealth of experience and mastery of numerous swordsmanship techniques. That bug won’t stand a chance.’

**/// Swordsmen mana cores were classified from weakest to strongest as follows: red, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, golden, gray, and white. Each color was further divided into three: Low tier, Mid tier, and High tier. **///

Raoul’s sinister smile widened as he sent a telepathic message to Ygriss, his second son, who was seated not far away.

{{| Ygriss! |}} Raoul’s mental call resonated within Ygriss’s mind.

{{| Father? |}} Ygriss responded, a note of uncertainty in his telepathic tone.

{{| If that little bug manages to also secure first place in the second test, I want you to teach him a good lesson. He must pay the price for underestimating the power our line holds. |}} Raoul’s words were firm and uncompromising, a directive laden with the weight of Lionhart pride.

{{| But father! He is just a kid. It would be humiliating for me to face him, and people might think that I enjoy bullying the weak. |}} Ygriss’s protest held a mix of reluctance and concern for his public image.

{{| I will not repeat myself! |}} Raoul’s response thundered in Ygriss’s mind, an unyielding command.

{{| I understand, father. It shall be done. |}} Ygriss’s reluctant acceptance echoed through the telepathic connection, setting the stage for a looming confrontation between the Lionhart siblings and the perceived upstart, Klaus.

***

As Klaus sat next to his parents and the maids, he received a discreet thumbs-up from the maids, acknowledging his bold move. In response, Klaus allowed a small, composed smile to grace his lips. His calm demeanor, however, concealed the storm of emotions swirling within him. His piercing gaze shifted from the maids to the mystical fog, where the other trainees were still immersed in their tests.

Elisabeth, Klaus’s mother, couldn’t help but steal glances at her son. She felt a mix of pride and concern, proud of Klaus for standing up against the perceived injustice but worried about the potential repercussions. She grappled with conflicting emotions, feeling disrespected by the direct line members’ ploy to place them in the commoner section, yet understanding that Klaus’s defiance was aimed at the patriarch and other family members. Deep down, she struggled with the notion that her child might suffer due to the family’s lack of power, an unsettling reversal of the natural order where parents were expected to shield their children.

Sensing Elisabeth’s distress, Ludovic, Klaus’s father, chose to break the heavy silence. "I’m sorry, Elisabeth. We find ourselves in this situation because of my lack of power," Ludovic admitted, his gloomy eyes fixated on the mystical fog, as if seeking answers in its depths.

Elisabeth tightened her grip on Ludovic’s hand, a gesture of support and understanding. "No, don’t say that," she urged, her eyes reflecting a mix of determination and concern.

{Why is he apologizing?} Greed the eccentric sword was genuinely curious. Unable to grasp the intricacies of human emotions and family dynamics, Greed sought an explanation for Ludovic’s sudden apology.

’They are treated this way because Ludovic, the head of our household, broke his mana core. The patriarch withdrew his title as a direct line member since Ludovic is now a swordsman without a mana core. Our relatives consider him too weak to be part of even the collateral line, as strength is the only thing that matters in their eyes,’ Klaus explained, attempting to provide context for Greed’s understanding.

{HAHAHA HAHAHA HOW Foolish!} Greed’s laughter echoed, sending shivers down Klaus’s spine.

’This is not a matter to laugh about!’

{I can’t help it. You are all fools. I expected your Patriarch to know better, but I guess he is just a fool like the rest of you HAHA HAHA } Greed’s laughter took on a darker, more sinister tone, intensifying the tension in the air.

’What’s wrong with you!’ Klaus contained his anger, not wanting to exacerbate his parents’ worries.

{Well, if even your patriarch can’t sense it, how will weaklings like you sense it? HAHAHAHA}

Klaus, vexed by Greed’s cryptic laughter and the unsettling feeling that there was something hidden about his father Ludovic, pressed further for an explanation. "What do you mean? Sensing what?"

Greed, in its enigmatic manner, continued to ignore Klaus’s inquiries. The laughter persisted, echoing within Klaus’s consciousness. It seemed that Greed alone possessed the ability to sense or perceive whatever Ludovic was trying so hard to hide...