The Hero Becomes the Duke’s Eldest Son

Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter 32

A few golden, bead-sized jewels appeared.

The jewels resembled amber but held a brilliant greenish glow within the golden light.

Joseph explained the nature of these jewels.

“These are fragments of Ent’s Tears.”

“Tears?”

Joseph nodded at Aden’s question.

Ents.

They looked similar to humans and could speak, but they were a race of tree spirits whose bodies were made of wood.

Like plants, they lived on sunlight and water, but like animals, they could move and think, leading to debates in the magic nation of Anguis about whether they were animals or plants.

“Ents’ tears solidify as soon as they fall, transforming into these jewels. Ents’ tears are so exceptional that they are considered an elixir on their own.”

Ents lived for hundreds or thousands of years, accumulating the energy of nature.

The tears of such Ents contained the essence of that natural energy.

“Using Ents’ tears to refine it is what makes the highest grade Elixir. In fact, a high-grade Elixir is just an incomplete version without Ents’ tears.”

He sighed with regret.

“Now they are impossible to obtain. What I have is just the residue.”

Ents’ tears were highly functional and beautiful like jewels, making many people desire them.

Since Ents themselves were excellent medicinal ingredients, humans hunted Ents to obtain their tears.

The number of Ents rapidly decreased, and the surviving Ents hid deep in the forests, leaving no trace.

Even within the church, only a few tears could be obtained through smuggling, allowing only a few pills to be refined annually.

“Ents are almost extinct. Finding their tears, let alone traces of them, is a miracle.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

For Aden, who needed rapid growth in a short period, this was indeed a disappointing story.

Still, since they no longer existed, there was no need to cling to them.

‘Wait, if I use that method, maybe…?’

Something suddenly came to mind.

Rare information unknown to humans.

‘If I use that guy, there might be a way to obtain it.’

‘Anyway, I had planned to visit there at some point, so this works out well.’

Aden decided to visit the place he had marked in advance soon.

“By the way, the item I requested?”

“Ah, here it is.”

Joseph handed over a bottle.

Inside was a dark, sticky substance.

Pop.

Aden uncorked the bottle and smelled it.

Ah, that intoxicating fragrance that seemed to burn deep into his lungs, as if it had come from hell.

“You made it perfectly, Gehenna’s Breath.”

In his previous life, the great alchemist Kalsis had only ever made it once experimentally—the elixir of Forced Physical Awakening Method 2, Gehenna’s Breath.

It had been made perfectly.

Aden closed the bottle again.

“You did well, Joseph.”

Alchemy and refining seemed similar but were subtly different.

An alchemist combined mana and natural elements to create versatile items like bombs and mana potions.

On the other hand, a refiner developed their craft medically, analyzing the effects of materials on the human body to create poisons, medicines, and elixirs.

‘Kalsis mastered the knowledge of refining to create this elixir.’

So he thought it best to entrust it to Joseph, and it was indeed the right decision.

Joseph couldn’t hide his uneasy expression.

“But, what are you planning to do with this?”

Since he had created Gehenna’s Breath, he knew how dangerous it was.

Even trolls, known for their tenacious vitality, would die within an hour if they drank this.

‘He would faint if I said I would drink it.’

Gehenna’s Breath was an elixir for performing the Forced Physical Awakening Method 2.

“It’s a secret.”

Aden decided to keep it a secret for Joseph’s mental well-being.

* * *

In his room, Aden observed two potion bottles with his shirt off.

Both were large enough to be about the size of a child’s head, so they contained quite a bit.

Gehenna’s Breath and the highest-grade Holy Potion of the Church of the Law.

Aden smacked his lips while looking at the two bottles.

“First, Gehenna’s Breath.”

Aden uncorked Gehenna’s Breath.

Pop.

It was a liquid that looked like certain death if ingested.

Curse asked Aden in an uneasy voice.

“So, are you really planning to drink that? With a weak human body, you’ll end up dead.”

Demon Lord’s voice carried a faint tone of disapproval as he looked at Gehenna’s Breath.

It wasn’t out of concern for Aden but because if Aden died, it would be the end for him too.

“Of course. I prepared the expensive Holy Potion for this.”

Aden closed his eyes tightly and drank Gehenna’s Breath in one go.

< Warning. You have ingested the extreme poison, ‘Gehenna’s Breath.’>

Clang.

Aden dropped the empty bottle of Gehenna’s Breath.

“Ugh.”

He suppressed the instinctive gag reflex caused by the indescribable taste that felt like it would melt his tongue.

Gehenna’s Breath rotted Aden’s throat and stomach.

The regenerative mana healed the damage.

Aden sat cross-legged and spread Gehenna’s Breath from his stomach throughout his entire body.

He died and was reborn, died again, and was reborn once more.

If an ordinary person attempted this, even with regenerative mana, they would soon die or become severely crippled as the balance between death and regeneration broke.

However, Aden controlled the balance by increasing regeneration when the poison was too strong and directing regenerative mana elsewhere when it was too excessive.

As long as his mental strength and mana held out, he could withstand the poison without expelling it.

The increase in poison resistance.

Aden noted this message and felt it was enough for today.

“Next, this one.”

Aden opened the Holy Potion with a pop.

He felt the sacred energy within the bottle slowly spread.

“As expected of the highest-grade potion of the Church of the Law. It’s of excellent quality.”

This potion alone was capable of healing significant injuries.

The only downside was that it tasted extremely bitter.

‘It’s better than Gehenna’s Breath, though.’

Aden took a sip of the Holy Potion.

< You have ingested the highest-grade Holy Potion.>

At that moment.

– Aaaaargh!

Suddenly, a scream echoed from Curse.

It was so unexpected that Aden nearly dropped the potion in shock.

Aden frowned and asked irritably.

“Damn it, what’s going on?”

– It’s nothing.

Aden gave a skeptical look.

‘No way…’

Just to be sure, he took another sip of the potion.

– Aaaaah!

Again, Curse’s scream echoed.

Aden’s expression turned peculiar.

‘Could it be that this guy is in pain from the sacred power?’

Aden was taken aback.

Who was this guy?

Talos, the Demon Lord who stood at the pinnacle of the underground world.

Even the holy power of a saint or holy person couldn’t faze him, yet he was in pain from the holy power of a potion?

The Holy Potion’s efficacy was to restore vitality, heal wounds, and cleanse minor curses.

‘Ah, right, this guy is a curse.’

Aden had a revelation.

Although he had forgotten, Curse was not the Demon Lord himself but a parasitic curse with his spirit.

‘Wait, if I bathe in the highest-grade Holy Potion, could it cleanse this guy?’

It would cost a fortune, but considering the wealth of the duke’s family, it wasn’t impossible.

Perhaps sensing Aden’s grim thoughts, Curse’s voice sounded somewhat urgent.

– Do not even think of using the potion to eradicate me. I am a curse created from the last life force of the Demon Lord and a fragment of his soul. I am not something that can be destroyed by mere water. It only causes me some pain.

“Some pain, you say?”

– For a human, it would be like having your skin peeled off and salt rubbed in.

What? That sounded excruciatingly painful.

Aden’s lips curled up.

It was a shame it wasn’t the Demon Lord himself, but hearing the curse’s screams, which he had never heard before, was delightful.

The madman who laughed maniacally even when his heart was pierced.

Hearing his screams was euphoric for Aden.

“So, it’s ‘some pain,’ you say?”

– Th-that’s right.

Curse’s voice trembled slightly, sensing something ominous.

“Then endure it without interrupting. There’s still a lot left.”

– W-wait, hold on. Dragonsla… Aaaaah!

Aden enjoyed the Demon Lord’s screams as he drank the Holy Potion.

Ah, the potion tasted unbelievably sweet.

* * *

– I have seen heaven…

Curse muttered in a dazed, almost lifeless tone.

‘A thousand times, huh… I wonder when I’ll be done with this.’

Both Gehenna’s Breath and the Holy Potion cost a fortune.

But considering it as an investment for the future, it was better than not doing it.

At dinner that evening, Aden heard an unexpected story from Duke Fried.

Aden couldn’t hide his astonishment and asked the duke again.

“…An invitation to the imperial banquet has arrived?”

“Indeed.”

“And you want me to attend?”

“Yes, my son.”

A banquet to celebrate the crown prince’s birthday, to be held a month later in the empire.

From great nobles of various territories to minor nobles, many noble offspring were invited.

Although the Remes Ducal family was a declining household on the frontier, it was still a loyal family, so an invitation had naturally arrived.

“You should attend this time.”

Until now, Carl had taken on the external activities in place of Aden Remes.

Even the fatherly Duke Fried couldn’t bear to send the infamous delinquent as the family representative.

Besides, the delinquent young master found such events bothersome.

“Can’t Carl go? Why do I have to attend?”

“Carl refused, saying he was too busy with the knight order.”

Aden turned his gaze to Carl.

Carl spoke calmly while cutting his steak.

“Due to the recent monster mountain incident and the current Atilla Fortress issue, the knight order is very busy. I cannot afford to be away for two months.”

Carl added, a meaningful smile on his face.

“Moreover, given the current situation, you are the perfect representative for our family, brother.”

A noble young man at the level of Sword Aura, who had captured a High Troll Shaman.

What better representation could there be?

“Enjoy your time, brother.”

Carl’s smile seemed to say, ‘Stop making excuses and just go, okay?’

To give up the position of the family’s face first…

He had thought so before, but Carl seemed a bit off lately.

Aden frowned as he thought.

‘An imperial banquet, huh…’

In his previous life, Aden had attended such banquets several times after slaying the mad dragon and gaining his title, so he knew well how boring and annoying they were.

And now he had to go to such an event again?

He would rather refuse…

‘Wait? At this time…?’

Suddenly, information from his previous life flashed through Aden’s mind.

Duke Fried gently persuaded Aden.

“I know you dislike such events, but still…”

“Alright.”

“Hm?”

“Since my brother is busy, I’ll attend the imperial banquet.”

Aden, who had been indifferent, suddenly smiled and responded positively, which left the duke surprised.

“Well, I’m glad to hear that, my son. The departure is in four days. Keep that in mind.”

“Yes, Father.”

Thus, Aden’s attendance at the imperial banquet was decided.

After dinner, Aden immediately returned to his room.

Shuffle, shuffle.

He turned the pages of the secret magic diary he had kept in the drawer.

“It should be somewhere around here… Ah, here it is.”

Aden’s lips curved into a delighted smile.

– Dragonslayer, your smile is twisted again.

Despite Curse’s remark, Aden didn’t erase that sinister smile.

It was a great opportunity for revenge, a chance Aden welcomed.

At the top of the page Aden had opened, it read:

Imperial Year 450, July 15
– Terrorist attack at the imperial banquet by a group of dark magicians.
– Numerous noble offspring killed or severely injured.