The Hero Becomes the Duke’s Eldest Son

Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter 2

……

It had been a month since I entered the body of the delinquent young lord.

During that period, my name has been a topic of conversation among the servants of the duke’s household.

“Hasn’t the young lord changed?”

“Last time, Philip spilled wine by accident, but he didn’t throw anything. He didn’t even get angry.”

“When I brought him dessert, he even thanked me!”

The delinquent young lord had changed.

For those who had suffered under him, this was a ray of hope.

Of course, at first, some cynically thought he was restraining himself out of embarrassment for almost dying on the streets despite being a noble.

But even those voices gradually diminished.

The young lord defended the servants when they were about to be dismissed for failing to protect him.

It was a huge event that eased some of the resentment piled up against the delinquent young lord.

“They say people change after a serious illness. Maybe it’s true.”

On the other hand, some were worried.

“But is he really okay? It’s good that he’s calmer, but he seems to lack energy.”

“Now that you mention it, his eyes do look somewhat vacant. Hmm…”

Meanwhile, I wandered around the duke’s mansion, oblivious to the fact that I had become a hot topic among the servants.

Step, step.

I walked aimlessly along the outer corridor of the building.

‘Because I have nothing to do.’

Unlike the delinquent young lord whose body I now occupied, I didn’t go down to the village to drink and cause trouble.

Various chores were taken care of by maids and attendants, so there was nothing for me to do.

A life of luxurious meals, comfortable beds, and plenty of servants to command.

It was a comfortable life I had never enjoyed nor even thought of enjoying as Aden Albireo.

But it wasn’t comfortable.

‘Another me isn’t here.’

I had gathered enough information through the servants, but the conclusion was always the same.

The realization struck me anew.

‘Then what about everything I’ve experienced?’

I definitely existed.

In my mind, the vivid memories of that fierce life, betrayal, and death were still fresh.

The efforts, memories, connections, and emotions accumulated over decades.

‘But they’re things that didn’t happen.’

By acknowledging that I had returned to the past, all of those were effectively erased.

I asked myself again.

‘Then what about the betrayal I suffered?’

Was it something that also disappeared, something that never even happened?

The thought made me grit my teeth.

‘Then what about my hatred? My desire for revenge?’

They were feelings harbored for an illusion that never occurred.

I felt an emptiness in my chest. It ached painfully.

I looked at my body and arms.

The scars that testified to the fierceness and effort of my life, the strong muscles, were all gone.

The vast mana that once fortified my body was gone.

I muttered habitually.

“System, open.”

Then a series of sentences appeared in my mind.

**[Aden &?@#$]**

**Race: Human**

**Strength: 10 Agility: 8**

**Stamina: 9 Mana: 11**

Without this system, I might have dismissed my existence as a delusion.

I might have just lived as a ridiculous, delusional young lord.

My memories were denied.

My emotions were denied.

My existence was denied.

As time passed, my inner turmoil only grew.

‘Can I even call myself Aden Albireo?’

It was when such confusion flickered in my black eyes.

Clang! Cha-chang!

“…!”

The sound of swords clashing.

The familiar metallic sound snapped me out of my reverie.

I instinctively looked in the direction of the sound.

‘Knights.’

In the wide training yard, knights were sparring.

‘And the Remes Duchy is a martial house.’

Since there were many mountains around the territory where demonic beasts dwelled, there were more knights here than in other territories.

Though the current duke was a civil official due to the decline in demonic beast activity over the past hundred years, the martial roots remained unchanged.

Unknowingly, I had wandered here.

Clang! Clang, clang!

The clear sound of swords clashing echoed.

I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame and approached the training yard.

“Hey, Hamel! Come at me properly!”

“Haha, you should be more serious too!”

The knights exchanged light provocations as they sparred.

Swish! Clang! Clang!

I watched their exchanges in a daze, captivated by the clear sound of swords.

How long had I been standing there?

“What brings you here, brother?”

A voice suddenly called out, and I turned my head.

A boy in armor, who looked two or three years younger than me, approached.

He had the same black hair and black eyes, but his features were slightly lighter and colder.

“Carl.”

Carl Remes, Aden Remes’ younger brother.

Unlike the delinquent young lord, he grew up decently on his own, becoming a respectable knight at the age of sixteen.

However, there was one problem.

“What brings you here? Not out drinking and acting like a ruffian as usual.”

He hated his brother immensely.

A lazy brother with no exceptional qualities, always busy playing.

Yet, he was loved by their parents unconditionally.

To Carl, who had a talent for swordsmanship and a diligent nature, his delinquent brother was nothing short of pathetic.

Carl grew up well, largely because he didn’t want to resemble his delinquent brother.

Eventually, Carl had temporarily seized the inheritance rights, which were originally difficult for a second son to obtain.

‘But this body’s owner actually liked it, saying it allowed him to play freely.’

It was a fitting thought for a delinquent.

However, the hatred-filled gaze didn’t bother me.

I wasn’t angry.

I wasn’t particularly upset.

In my previous life, I was a fully grown adult in my mid-thirties.

I wasn’t so weak-minded as to be provoked by a brat.

‘I understand his thoughts and even sympathize with him.’

But it was immature.

Carl, this brat, couldn’t hide his hatred for his brother and his underlying conceit beneath his cold exterior.

The fact that he addressed me provocatively was proof of that.

A brat who couldn’t manage his emotions or felt no need to.

That was my assessment of Carl.

“I’m out for a walk because I feel stiff, Carl.”

Carl’s expression twisted slightly at my response.

He seemed surprised that I didn’t react angrily as he expected.

But he quickly asked me again, not showing his inner thoughts.

“Then why don’t you finish your walk? You’ve been here for two hours already.”

I hadn’t realized it, but I had apparently been watching for two hours already.

From Carl’s perspective, having me in the same space was unpleasant.

There are people who just make you feel bad by their presence alone.

For Carl, his brother, Aden Remes, was that kind of person.

Carl shook his head irritably.

“The knights’ training is not a spectacle. Unless you plan to pick up a sword and spar…”

“Sure.”

“Get out of… What did you say?”

Carl doubted his ears and asked me again.

I didn’t know why I said it myself.

But my mouth moved again, causing Carl’s face to scrunch up.

“I’ll spar.”

* * *

I stood in the middle of the training yard.

A particularly young-looking knight apprentice stood before me and greeted me lightly.

“Apprentice Knight Bazan of the Remes Knights! I greet you before the spar, Lord Aden!”

“Alright, got it.”

I responded lightly.

A murmur spread through the training yard of the Remes Ducal House.

The notorious delinquent young lord had decided to spar with an apprentice knight.

The knights whispered among themselves.

“Shouldn’t we stop this? He’s still the young lord.”

They were about to spar with the first son of their liege.

Even though the swords had no edges, a slight mistake could still result in bruises or broken bones.

“Well, Bazan will just have to be careful and lose on purpose if he doesn’t want to lose his head.”

No one thought I would fight well.

And for good reason, as the knights of high-ranking nobles were skilled enough to easily defeat most mercenaries, even as apprentices.

On the other hand, Aden Remes had never once trained in swordsmanship, even as a courtesy.

He had given up swordsmanship, which even his younger brother diligently practiced, when he was young because it was troublesome, and spent his time playing instead.

It was obvious to anyone that Aden’s skills would be pathetic.

‘Their thoughts are all written on their faces.’

I could read their thoughts from their expressions alone.

But I ignored their disrespectful gazes and checked my protective gear.

Then I received a training sword with no edge from an attendant.

“Ugh…”

The weight of the sword made me stagger momentarily before I regained my balance.

‘Lacking strength.’

I was careless due to my old sense as Albireo.

The body’s owner had never exercised, leaving it weak overall.

“Is the sword too heavy for you? Should I get you a wooden sword, brother?”

Carl, who was watching as an observer, offered me a mocking suggestion disguised as concern.

‘Childish.’

Of course, I wasn’t even amused by such a thing.

“Just start.”

My calm demeanor made Carl’s expression twist again.

“…Don’t blame me if you get hurt.”

Carl raised his hand, signaling the start of the spar.

Neither Bazan nor I moved hastily.

Bazan swallowed nervously, contemplating seriously.

‘How do I lose on purpose?’

It was well-known even within the duke’s household how weak the

first young lord’s physical condition was.

There was an incident where he got into a fight with a real dog while drunk and lost.

Even though it was a ‘puppy.’

Even if he wanted to lose on purpose, he didn’t know how to do it without being obvious.

If he clumsily lost, the young lord would likely nitpick and tell him to do it properly.

Despite being called a delinquent by everyone, the young lord was still the eldest son favored by the duke.

He couldn’t be treated carelessly.

That was still true even though he had lost his inheritance to his younger brother, Carl.

“Why don’t you start, young lord?”

Apprentice Knight Bazan cautiously suggested I take the first move.

“You come at me.”

But I coldly refused.

When Bazan hesitated and remained indecisive, my brows furrowed.

‘Shall I provoke him a bit?’

I spoke to the apprentice knight.

“Don’t even think about losing on purpose. Do your best with your skills.”

Then I added a few more words.

“If an apprentice knight can’t even beat a delinquent, he’s useless to the knight order.”

A sneer formed on my lips.

“I might have to suggest kicking you out of the order.”

Bazan’s face hardened.

In truth, it was absurd to think he would be kicked out for such a thing.

But just the mention of it was insulting to a knight.

Bazan gritted his teeth and replied.

“…I understand your wish, my lord.”

He adjusted his grip on the sword.

Thud!

Then he kicked off the ground immediately.

In an instant, the distance between us closed.

Swish!

His sword aimed straight for my chest.

Clang!

I narrowly dodged to the left, deflecting his sword.

“Ugh.”

A faint groan escaped my lips.

Bazan’s sword swung down diagonally from the opposite side.

Clang!

I raised my sword horizontally to block it.

The apprentice knight’s attacks connected seamlessly.

Swish! Swish! Clang!

The knight’s sword relentlessly pressed me.

I barely managed to deflect or dodge his attacks, struggling to hold my ground.

The knights watching inwardly screamed.

‘That idiot Bazan!’

‘Why is he going all out against the young lord? What if he gets hurt!’

They clicked their tongues, scolding Bazan’s foolishness.

Swish! Clang! Clang!

But as the spar dragged on, their expressions gradually changed.

Clearly, Bazan had the upper hand in both sword strength and skill.

And yet, it was clear that…

‘He’s holding on?’

I looked to be on the verge of defeat, desperately blocking and dodging every strike.

But if you looked closely, I was deflecting each attack at the last moment, managing to survive.

Carl muttered blankly.

“How…”

His astonishment was echoed in the faces of all the knights.

Apprentice Knight Bazan grew more anxious as the spar continued.

‘Damn it! Why won’t he go down!’

The anxiety in his mind caused his strikes to become faster and rougher, losing the initial lightness.

‘If it were my old self, I wouldn’t stand a chance against this.’

A body with insufficient strength and mana.

Therefore, I read his breathing, stance, and patterns.

Then I anticipated his next move and countered his sword at the perfect timing with minimal force.

But even that exerted a great strain on my weak body.

Every strike felt like my insides were being shaken.

I endured the pain in my hands and the nausea-inducing shock.

Swoosh!

I deflected a strike aimed at my side.

At that moment, I asked myself.

‘Why did I start this spar?’

There was no real reason to do it. So why?

Thump, thump.

I didn’t have time to find the answer.

But as I listened to the beating of my heart, I thought.

‘It’s fun.’

Clang! Clang, clang!

The sensation of exchanging swords.

The sound of swords clashing.

‘It’s fun.’

My previously dull black eyes regained their vitality with each clash of swords.

My lips gradually curved into a smile.

My heart raced.

My entire body ached.

The tension vividly reminded me that I was alive.

Swish!

When Bazan’s sword swung down towards my head, my eyes changed.

Shiver.

Bazan instinctively felt a chill.

‘Why?’

He didn’t have time to question.

The moment his concentration broke, my sword changed from just blocking to attacking.

Swish!

My sword moved swiftly.

Clang!

I deflected the incoming sword with force.

“Hah!”

Bazan was momentarily flustered by my sudden change.

But there was no time to dwell on it.

I swung my sword with all my might.

Swish! Clang! Clang! Clang!

My sword moved quickly, striking from all directions with seemingly weak force.

But the apprentice knight couldn’t help but be startled.

‘The flow is being disrupted!’

Though it seemed like random, reckless strikes, each one subtly disrupted his continuous attack.

‘I’ll use your swordsmanship, knight king.’

What I was using was a high-level technique known as the Knight King’s Sword Binding, learned from one of my betraying comrades.

A technique to break strong swords with minimal force.

Like a spider’s thread that could easily be cut, but gradually strangled its prey.

The situation reversed.

Swish!

In that moment, I employed a new swordsmanship.

‘Dragon Slayer’s Sword, Bite.’

A sword technique taught by my master, refined into my own essence.

Clang!

One strike was weak.

Slash!

Two strikes revealed fangs.

Clang!

Three strikes opened the jaws.

Finally.

Clang-!

Four strikes bit down.

Bazan’s sword couldn’t withstand my attacks and flew out of his hand, landing far away.

“…!”

Thunk!

My sword stopped just before his throat.

Feeling the cold touch of the blade on his neck, Bazan’s face froze.

I smirked arrogantly and asked the apprentice knight.

“Surrender?”

A heavy silence hung over the training yard filled with knights.