The Genius Mage Was Reincarnated Into A Swordsman Family

Chapter 55 - 55

Greed continued his sinister laughter, the sound growing darker with each passing moment. Klaus, increasingly intrigued, pressed Greed to reveal the hidden information, but the eccentric sword simply ignored him, continuing to revel in his amusement.

{If only you knew, HAHAHA HAHAH,} echoed Greed’s cryptic voice.

’Geez! Stop playing mind games and just tell me already!’ Klaus mentally exclaimed in frustration.

{What are you willing to offer for that information?} Greed suddenly ceased his laughter, adopting a more serious tone.

’How much do you want this time?’ Klaus asked, a sense of foreboding creeping in, suspecting that Greed might demand an exorbitant price.

*DING*

[Are you Accepting to transfer 100 Stats Points to One Fragment of Greed?]

"What!!?" Klaus exclaimed loudly, drawing the attention of both the commoners and his family.

"Are you okay, my darling?" Elisabeth inquired, her voice soft with concern.

"Sorry, I’m okay, Mom," Klaus replied, clearing his throat and offering a small smile to reassure her.

"Are you sure?" she pressed, her concern lingering.

"Yes, Mom, I was just thinking about something silly," Klaus reassured her with an even warmer smile, attempting to divert her attention.

"AWW, you are so cute!" Elisabeth exclaimed, momentarily forgetting the onlookers as she attempted to playfully grab Klaus’s cheeks, only to realize the scrutiny from the commoner section.

Klaus met their fearful gazes with an icy cold stare, his eyes gleaming in a glacial blue hue that sent shivers down their spines, causing an instinctive shift in their gaze away from him. Elisabeth couldn’t help but chuckle, finding amusement in their intimidated reactions.

’Are you serious!? 100 stats points? You must be insane!’ Klaus redirected his attention to the message window before him.

{It is one piece of information that even your patriarch isn’t aware of. What do you expect? Leave it or take it; I’m not planning to bargain with you!}

’Then keep it for yourself!’ Klaus retorted, a hint of anger coloring his tone.

{Sure!} Greed responded before resuming his Machiavellian laughter. Klaus decided to dismiss him, choosing to ignore the eccentric sword. However, his curiosity led him to cast a glance at Ludovic, wondering about the secrets hidden behind the enigmatic façade.

’What is he hiding? Is he deceiving everyone by pretending to have broken his core? If so, why? Why willingly subject himself to such a precarious situation? Does he not care about his image, or at the very least, his family?’ Klaus contemplated these questions in his mind.

And just like that, one hour and a few minutes passed, leaving Klaus with unanswered questions lingering in the air.

***

One hour and a few minutes after Klaus exited the Aequalis Array, another silhouette emerged from the dissipating fog.

"Is that another trainee coming out already?"

"Just how many monsters took part in this test?"

Anticipation filled the air as most people stood, their curiosity piqued by the impending arrival of the new trainee.

Erina, with a knowing smile, instantly recognized the distinctive life force of the emerging trainee. Suppressing a smile that threatened to grace her lips, she mused, ’I forgot that I also raised a monster.’

A boy with vibrant red hair stepped onto the other side of the fog, showing signs of exhaustion as if he had endured considerable challenges.

"Nicholas!" Rick exclaimed, surprised to see another trainee successfully pass the test in under three hours. In his mind, Klaus and Nicholas seemed to be making a mockery of the swordsmen who struggled to complete the Aequalis Array in less than two hours, including himself, who required at least one hour and forty minutes to succeed.

Nicholas surveyed the onlookers with a mixture of surprise and a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

’In the end, I couldn’t beat the patriarch’s record. I didn’t expect to confront my alter ego in that place. I couldn’t focus properly; that location was too triggering for my current state. But it doesn’t matter. I’m confident that my record will be at least the third-highest on the entire continent. Due to my young age, news of me passing the Aequalis Array in such a short time will spread like wildfire. In any case, I undoubtedly secured the top position, and Alex will likely pass it in under three hours as well, along with the little monster,’ Nicholas thought, walking with confident strides toward Rick.

Rick cleared his throat, and in a resounding voice, he announced, "Ranking second for the first test, with the incredible time of one hour and nine minutes, I present you Trainee 120, Nicholas Davoss!"

Roman Lionhart responded with applause, a pleasant smile gracing his lips, and soon the entire audience joined in, creating a thunderous applause.

’WAIT, WHAT!? I ranked in the second place?’ Nicholas thought, his eyes widening in disbelief. Unable to fathom the result, he quickened his pace towards Rick, the audience buzzing with conversations.

"Another monster made his appearance, this time from a vassal family."

"Yeah, that’s also very impressive."

"Those two will certainly leave a big mark on the continent!"

"To think that they are just twelve years old kids! That’s crazy."

’Who ranked first? Who is that other guy they are talking about? Is it Alex? No! Even if he is an Apostle, this is still something quite hard. There is no way he ranked better than me.’ Nicholas strained to catch a glimpse of the top-ranking trainee but found no one near Rick or his mother. He couldn’t spot any trainee among the direct line members or the collateral lines.

Upon reaching Rick, Nicholas asked with a calm yet pressing tone, "Excuse me, sir! But who ranked first?"

"Ah! Who else? If not for that little monster," Rick replied, pointing with his thumb in the direction where Klaus was sitting.

"Klaus Lionhart!" Nicholas exclaimed, gazing at Klaus’s indifferent expression.

’Just how did he manage to finish before me? Tssp, I’m sure the difference should be just a few seconds or a minute or two, but still, that’s quite impressive,’ Nicholas thought before deciding to inquire about the time Klaus took to complete the test.

"Hum, sir! How long did it take him to finish the test?" Nicholas asked, his eyes still fixed on Klaus. When Rick hesitated to respond, Nicholas shifted his gaze, urging him to share the information.

"It’s okay sir; you can tell me. I’m just curious," Nicholas pressed.

Rick sighed before finally answering, "Well, he finished the test in four minutes and fifty-nine seconds," saying it as if he couldn’t believe it himself.

"Four mi-- WHHAATTT!!!" Nicholas exclaimed aloud, his eyes and mouth wide open.

"T-t-that’s impossible; are you sure?" Unable to believe it, Nicholas asked again, but this time his mother, Erina, stepped in to confirm.

"It’s true; he really finished in four minutes and fifty-nine seconds," Erina said, gently touching Nicholas’s shoulder.

’Just what kind of monster are you!?’ Nicholas thought, looking at Klaus with a shocked expression on his face.