Chapter 21 — Unfinished but Brilliant

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To be honest, I was amazed.

Even modern palaces wouldn’t be this large.

Right, this was a principality.

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

It was about the same size as the Mythos Academy campus, yet owned by an individual.

A scale similar to a campus that could accommodate hundreds or thousands of people.

There must be hundreds of people managing this place.

‘So this is where they lived.’

The main gate came into view.

The epitome of splendor, adorned in gold and red.

A gate that seemed to allow entry only to the chosen few opened.

Silently, smoothly, and elegantly.

The servants appeared.

All neatly dressed, gazing straight at the carriage.

They were all handsome men and beautiful women, reflecting the game’s settings well.

The scene of them all bowing their heads stirred emotions within my chest.

“Welcome home, young master.”

A chorus of greetings rose in perfect unison.

The carriage stopped, and the door opened.

Manus was able to step onto the ground amidst lavish hospitality.

And then-.

He realized why this place was called one of the strongest houses and a great place.

The oppressive mana was unsettling.

It felt as if gravity was intensified here, like the Hyperbolic Time Chamber in Dragon Ball.

‘That person-.’

He turned his head to face the person descending with leisurely steps.

He instinctively knew.

The person standing at the forefront was his father.

Hair even darker and more lustrous than his own.

Blue eyes containing dense mana.

Manus could see it.

‘Overwhelming.’

The mana rippling around him was no less than a natural disaster.

Overwhelming to the point of nausea, thrilling, fear-inducing mana.

This was the absolute.

The ideal that Manus himself should aim for.

“My son.”

“It’s been a while, Father.”

Manus paid his respects.

The kind of etiquette often seen in the game.

Caesar’s body performed the perfect posture just by thinking about it.

Labeth, who had come out to see his son’s face, hid his surprise and spoke calmly.

Had he truly blossomed?

Interest began to grow.

“You came because of a mission, I hear.”

“That’s correct.”

“Go see your sister. She’s in charge.”

Manus nodded.

He would have liked to catch up more, but honestly, just standing there was suffocating.

He was eager to leave this place.

He quietly moved to leave.

Then he caught the eyes of a red-haired woman.

What was this nostalgic feeling?

She looked at Manus with a wistful and loving gaze.

“Son, it’s been a while. I missed you.”

“I’m back, Mother.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

She hadn’t expected him to greet her with such a mature expression and gesture.

The child who always used to act spoiled now appeared as a true Caesar.

She smiled quietly.

“Was it hard for you? Hmm?”

“Not at all.”

“My son. It seems there’s been a change in your mindset.”

“I thought it wouldn’t be bad to live up to the Caesar name now.”

His mother, Beninitas, smiled quietly.

In her eyes that smiled proudly, there was a faint hint of sadness.

Why was that?

Manus decided not to think about it further.

There was no time.

There was much to do.

The disappearance case implied many things.

In this game, the culprit behind disappearances was usually the ‘Order’.

‘There are always certain clues. If my guess is right, I should focus on those.’

Manus headed to his sister’s room to hear the report, without even resting from his journey.

The servant in charge of guiding him bowed her head and led the way with quick steps.

She dared not speak to Manus or even look at his noble person.

Was this really the same second young master who used to be such a rascal?

It was like seeing a younger version of the current head of the family.

The Manus who had no dignity and was always casual was gone.

“This way, sir.”

“Thank you.”

The servant’s body stiffened at Manus’s words.

He said thank you-.

So it was true that his personality had completely changed-.

She bowed her head, not knowing how to react.

The door opened.

The space dyed in red light created an alien feeling.

It was more like a penthouse than a room.

As he slowly entered, he heard a low voice for a woman.

“Coming to my room on your own, you really have changed.”

Manus silently turned towards the source of the voice.

If it were him before the possession, he would have seen a beauty that could make his eyes spin, sitting on the sofa.

She seemed to have been engrossed in reading a very thick book, as the table in front of her was piled high with books wrapped in luxurious covers.

“I came to hear about the mission.”

“It seems your understanding of manners has changed as well.”

Well, it doesn’t matter.

She stood up, closing her book.

Profound mana dominated the surroundings.

As expected, the Caesar family was a gathering of monsters.

She didn’t ask about his well-being or his abilities.

She just started briefing about the mission.

His sister, Invidea, ordered the waiting servant.

“Preparations are complete.”

“Follow me.”

The three of them headed to what looked like a strategy table.

A huge map in the center, and a makeshift board that looked like a status board.

Documents were scattered here and there.

Invidea brought Manus there and began explaining the situation.

Her words, gestures, and eyes were full of dissatisfaction.

The attitude of looking at an unwelcome brother, no, something even less than that.

Considering the background, such a reaction was natural.

If so, there was a need to change that perception.

Manus listened to his sister’s story with calm and steady eyes.

“Lord Eunseul. He’s one of the squad leaders of the Delta Knights. He went on patrol in the northern forest and disappeared. We found some traces, but no significant clues.”

It was a pleasant voice to listen to.

Perhaps that’s why it was sinking into his mind so well.

“There was a mysterious symbol left where he disappeared. And a blood-stained dagger was found there. The rest was oddly clean.”

As soon as he heard her words, Manus reflexively opened his mouth.

A symbol, and a blood-stained dagger.

In the game’s world, there was only one group that did such things.

“The Dire Order.”

“Hm?”

“An inverted pentagram symbolizing black magic, and a blood-stained dagger with a skull.”

“How-“

Invidea was a bit surprised to hear Manus mention details she hadn’t even explained yet.

Such information hadn’t been fully grasped even by the family.

It was natural.

These were newly emerged figures, so their scale, numbers, tendencies, and influence all needed to be determined.

Everything is difficult at first.

The preparation stage before starting an investigation is often tedious and time-consuming.

“The method to lure out the Dire Order is simple.”

They worship demons.

Demons associated with the God of Death.

It’s a cliché story, but games need clichés.

A cult worshipping one of the strongest demons in the world’s lore had begun to stir.

“You— I asked where you got that information.”

“The Dire Order is sensitive to blood. It’s an offering for what they’re trying to summon. They need ‘sacred blood’ for that purpose.”

“Caesar Manus-!”

Storm-like mana struck the space.

His sister, revealing her anger, glared at Manus as if to kill him.

With a deeply furrowed brow, she asked him.

Where on earth did he get such information, and why did he know it in such detail?

Depending on the circumstances, various situations could be suspected.

Even his mother hadn’t uncovered this information yet.

“I asked why you know this information. Answer me.”

“I came to solve the request, and I just happen to know the relevant knowledge. I don’t feel the need to explain in detail.”

“You-“

Crackle-.

Her mana began to form a spell with aggressive intent.

However, Manus calmly walked through the mana, examining the map and clues.

Invidea couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at his nonchalance.

What on earth had happened?

He used to be a coward and incompetent, always avoiding contact with his siblings.

Manus, who couldn’t use a single spell, had grown up as the family’s half-wit.

‘Why isn’t he reacting to my mana? He used to be a coward who’d run away scared.’

It wasn’t strange that her mind was filled with confusion.

In the end, she couldn’t bring herself to use magic on her brother.

Haa-.

She let out a small sigh and gave up her interrogation.

She wasn’t a villainess like those in novels.

She wanted to maintain dignity as a Caesar, but only to that extent.

“I suppose no one else has gone missing.”

“That’s right. For now, only Lord Eunseul has disappeared, but there could be more victims. I was planning to postpone until we could investigate further.”

Manus nodded.

This much was enough.

The Dire Order could be considered the final boss of the sub-quest line.

The rewards would be substantial and-

Above all, he could learn a hidden magic.

The magic called [Plenarius], known as the pinnacle of black magic.

If it involved the Dire Order, it was a task that needed to have its route opened without fail.

“Can we depart right away?”

“Why don’t you see your younger sister before you go?”

Manus didn’t answer and gathered the clues and map.

Unlike in the game, he had to physically go to the location here-

His family was warmer than he expected.

Father, Mother, and Sister.

He wondered about the others.

He was curious, but judged it better to resolve things within two days.

He couldn’t grow his lacking mana without ascending the tower.

‘I can’t afford to miss out on the tower.’

This wasn’t a place where he could grind intensively like in the game.

It meant that if he didn’t visit the tower consistently every day, he’d be at a significant disadvantage.

Time was fleeting, so there was no room for waste.

“I don’t have time. Let’s meet during the break.”

“Manus. If you’ve truly blossomed, will you also try to become the head of this family?”

“I’m not interested in such things.”

Invidea nodded slightly.

His resolute appearance was enough to give an inexplicable sense of trust.

Invidea handed him a token.

“A token to mobilize the knights. I hope you use it well to uncover the truth behind the disappearance.”

Manus nodded.

They seemed to be kind-hearted people, without the hostility often seen in manga or novels.

Well, that’s probably why they only sent a letter of admonishment when Manus was causing havoc and acting like a tyrant.

This is quite a good family-.

He could feel this because of the subtle emotion in Invidea’s eyes.

Dislike among family, hatred among family.

He didn’t particularly feel such things.

-At least not yet.

‘Or maybe they’re just observing.’

Manus left the room.

At the same time, the awaited message appeared.

[High Restio acquisition complete]

[Please select a skill to learn]

[Current skill slots — 1]

The fact that there was one skill slot suggested that it might be possible to increase this number.

He’d probably figure that out gradually.

If this was truly the world inside the game, there would surely be a tutorial for new content.

What skill should he choose next?

He moved his steps while recalling the skill list.

His destination was the knights’ quarters.

‘I’m curious.’

What level would the knights here be at?

If they could help in following the sub-quest line, would they be worth using?

His pace quickened.

[Sub-quest: The Disappearance of Lord Eunseul Begins]

[Enter the forest and trace the signs of the disappearance.]

–TL Notes–
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