The Hero Becomes the Duke’s Eldest Son

Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter 33

Time flew by, and four days had passed in a flash.

It was the day to depart from the Remes Territory and head to the Imperial Palace.

Aden surveyed the carriages and attendants assembled in front of the mansion.

Aden had several attendants, including his attendant Philip, a few maids, Sir Spele, the vice-captain, and ten veteran knights.

“It seems like there are too many attendants,” Aden remarked.

“This is the minimum, Brother.”

Carl, standing beside him, cut off Aden’s complaint.

It wasn’t just anywhere; they were going to the Imperial Capital, and it was the procession of the Duke’s eldest son.

Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t be strange to go with three or four times the current size.

However, given the unfavorable situation of the Remes Territory, they had reduced and reduced again.

“I know you’re at the Sword Aura level, Brother.”

In fact, Aden didn’t really need this level of escort.

The level of Sword Aura was several times more potent than the state of enhanced mastery.

“But the size of the entourage represents the power of the family. For appearances’ sake, just take them with you without any more fuss.”

There was an overwhelming sense of determination that Aden decided to accept.

Also, Lowe was assigned to guard Aden this time.

Even though he was a novice knight, he had pledged his allegiance to Aden, and his prowess was comparable to that of veteran knights.

No, he had now shed the title of novice knight.

Lowe was wearing the armor of an official knight.

Lowe looked proud.

“The Duke formally knighted me yesterday.”

It was because having a novice knight guard his son seemed inappropriate.

“Really? Congratulations.”

The novice knight period was about 2 to 3 years.

Yet, Lowe had become an official knight in just a year and a few months, which must have been a new record.

“Aren’t your peers jealous?”

“They do grumble, telling me to climb up quickly.”

Lowe looked a bit embarrassed.

After learning footwork and receiving training from Aden, Lowe had become exceptionally skilled among the novices.

Because of that, whenever he sparred with other novice knights, they would fall within a few exchanges, making them wary of him.

That was also why the Duke formally knighted him.

‘Hmm, he really is lucky.’

With that thought, Aden turned to those who came to see him off.

It was Carl, Cassie, Joseph, and Elise.

Duke Fried and the Duchess couldn’t come due to their busy schedules, so they said their farewells during breakfast.

Cassie waved her hand lazily.

“Have a good trip, handsome young master.”

“Your complexion looks bright.”

Since her mana depletion syndrome was cured, Cassie’s complexion had noticeably improved.

Her characteristic languid atmosphere remained, but the decadent feeling had disappeared, replaced by vitality.

Also, as a result of curing her mana depletion syndrome, a large amount of fire mana had settled in her body.

Currently, Cassie possessed as much mana as a skilled enhancement knight.

Cassie gave a meaningful smile.

“Thanks to you, every night is enjoyable. Though it might be difficult for a while.”

At that moment, Lowe seemed to flinch beside him, but Aden ignored it.

Joseph spoke to Aden.

“I will make sure to produce a lot while you are away. Have a safe trip.”

“I trust you.”

What he meant was the production of Gehenna’s Breath.

Since that day, Aden had been steadily practicing Version 2 of the Forced Physical Awakening Method.

Thanks to that, he could enjoy hearing the dying screams of Curse every day.

-…Aden Albireo, you are a devil.

Aden had the honor and achievement of being called a devil by the lord of monsters, but he pretended not to hear Curse’s voice.

Elise quietly asked Aden in a small voice.

“You’ll come back, right?”

She seemed a bit anxious that Aden might not return.

Aden chuckled slightly at her expression.

“I will.”

This was the home of the prodigal young master, and he was borrowing that young master’s body.

If not here, where else would he return to?

Elise’s face brightened immediately at Aden’s words.

“Yes, I’ll train hard until you return!”

Aden nodded silently.

Thus, Aden left the Remes Territory with his attendants.

* * *

Aden rode in the carriage, gazing out the window, lost in thought.

‘Dark magicians.’

They were those who had made contracts with Talos, conducted summoning rituals, created undead, and spread curses.

In the past, they had their own dark magician nation, but the empire, unable to tolerate their atrocities, was known to have destroyed it.

After that, the dark magicians hid in the shadows.

‘But they change at some point.’

The scattered and hiding dark magicians began to gather, forming several factions.

They had different behavior and tendencies, but they shared one goal.

The destruction of the empire.

They aimed to rebuild the dark magician nation that had been erased by the empire.

Their activities came to the surface with the Imperial Palace banquet terrorist incident as a starting point.

Causing incidents everywhere, the empire and several kingdoms banded together to form a subjugation organization.

Aden had the most outstanding achievements in subjugating these dark magicians.

As a result, he was established as a new Mercenary King, not just the disciple of the Mercenary King.

His fame peaked when he defeated the Silver Witch, the leader and strongest dark magician of the last remaining faction.

‘Silver Witch.’

The queen of dark magicians who had gathered them from hiding and nurtured them into a large faction.

Aden despised dark magicians.

The perception that the previous Aden had towards dark magicians was only one.

Vermin that should disappear from the world.

Dark magicians offered people as sacrifices and caused immense suffering with their dark magic.

Having witnessed all those horrors, Aden naturally came to hate them as a human being.

But, Niketa Florence was the one who broke that perception.

It was during the time Aden and his colleagues from the dark magician subjugation organization were fighting to subdue her.

She overwhelmed the subjugation organization’s forces alone, and Aden fought her directly.

As the ground collapsed, both were trapped in an underground tunnel.

They kept each other in check, but eventually acknowledged that continuing to fight was meaningless and agreed to a truce until they escaped.

Through conversations with her, Aden learned many facts.

-The current dark magic and dark magicians are all heretics.

She said dark magic originally emerged to benefit people.

It was created to purify lands tainted by dark magic and to fight against Talos.

Dark magic’s essence was a force that began to help people live better lives.

-But over time, dark magic became corrupted.

Necromancy, which existed to release the grudges of the dead, turned into a power to manipulate and use the dead.

It involved offering others as sacrifices instead of dedicating one’s own life force.

The power meant to build immunity to diseases became curses spreading diseases.

Dark magic was a force like two sides of a coin.

All these happened after the fall of the Florence royal family, which had controlled dark magic and governed the nation.

-I seek to correct that.

She wished for a world where everyone did not fear or hate dark magic.

She hoped the power that was supposed to benefit people would return to its original place.

-That’s why I will not stop. I will show the empire that destroyed Florence that Florence’s will is still alive. Even if it means acting like a moth to a flame, I will keep moving forward.

Saying so, a faint smile appeared on her face that was as cold as ice.

It was a look that didn’t match the one known as the Silver Witch.

After that, Aden and she found an exit and escaped, then returned to being enemies.

A month later, Aden defeated her in their final battle, earning the nickname “Witch Hunter.”

She left a strong impression on Aden.

-Mercenary Aden, I like you. If we had met differently, we might have become friends.

She was different from other dark magicians who acted out of inferiority, greed, or lust for power.

She possessed the dignity and ideology of a true ruler and revolutionary.

Even during their final battle in the subjugation war, he thought it would have been better if they had met differently.

If not in this life, then in the next.

“Kuk.”

Aden couldn’t help but laugh.

‘Yes, it will be different in this life.’

Now, he was not a hero who killed dragons but a vengeful avenger, plotting to overturn the entire empire for his revenge.

So, this time, they could meet differently.

Not as enemies, but as partners working towards similar goals.

‘I should find others too.’

During the war with Talos’s army, many talented individuals emerged and vanished.

Even if he could recruit half of them, his chances would increase.

‘This is interesting.’

Aden smiled contentedly to himself.

“It’s interesting.”

Aden felt the greatest pleasure since his return.

* * *

Five days into their journey in the carriage.

Aden’s carriage entered a small rural village.

Long-distance travel was tiring.

Therefore, they had to stop at inns in villages along the way to prepare and rest.

‘We arrived without any trouble.’

Bandits were usually common in these frontier regions.

So, it was customary for bandits to demand tolls when traveling by carriage.

There were hardly any bandits who would strip passersby of their clothes or assault women.

If they did, the territory would organize a subjugation team.

Frontier territories had strong connections with each other, so once marked by a lord, subjugation teams would follow even if they moved to another territory.

Anyway, that’s why bandits kept an eye on the lords and just collected tolls appropriately.

However, Aden did not see a trace of bandits during his journey.

‘Well, anyone who messes with us would be crazy.’

Aden’s carriage was emblazoned with the Remes Duke’s crest.

Moreover, it was surrounded by ten knights.

Who would dare to covet it?

There were no foolhardy bandits who would smile recklessly and attack, like in stories.

They also valued their lives.

-These days, humans lack spirit, tsk.

Spirit, my foot. You just want to see blood.

Aden arrived in a small mountain village under a baron’s domain.

They would stay here for today, and after crossing the mountain, they would reach a straight road.

In less than fifteen days, they would arrive at the Imperial City where the palace was located.

However, Aden had something to do here.

‘It worked out well that we had to stop here anyway.’

By chance, something Aden needed was resting here.

Since he was already here, Aden decided to retrieve it.

Sir Spele, the vice-captain, spoke.

“I will find an inn for us to stay, so please rest comfortably, young master.”

Aden stretched as he got off the carriage and responded.

“Alright. Then, I’ll take a walk around the village. I feel stiff from staying in the carriage.”

“I will escort you.”

“No, don’t follow me. It’s bothersome.”

He said he would just stroll lightly with Lowe.

Aden wandered the village with only Lowe.

However, Aden didn’t glance around and moved in a straight line. To be honest, there wasn’t much to see in a rural village.

“Aden, where are you going?”

“The general store.”

“What?”

Soon, Aden arrived at the village’s only general store.

It sold various goods from weapons to herbs and clothing.

Aden left Lowe outside and went inside.

“Hello!”

A boy who seemed to be the store owner’s son greeted Aden with a bright smile.

“My parents are out for a moment! My name is Etz. What are you looking for?”

“Leather armor, a box of matches, ten candles, a few daggers, and a shroud, please.”

“Armor, matches, candles, shroud! Got it!”

The boy named Etz quickly went inside the store.

-Why are you buying such things? Is there a funeral to conduct?

“You don’t need to know.”

Shortly after, the boy brought the items Aden requested.

“Here you go! The total is eight silver coins and twelve copper coins!”

“Isn’t that overcharging?”

“Yes! My mom told me to do so!”

He said it so confidently and brightly that Aden couldn’t complain.

The items Aden ordered could be bought for five silver coins.

Since he had used up all his small change for travel and food, Aden handed over a gold coin.

“Wow, a gold coin! I’ve never seen one before!”

It wasn’t surprising for a boy to see a gold coin for the first time in such a rural village.

Etz’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the gleaming imperial gold coin.

“So, where’s my change?”

“Oh, I forgot.”

The boy, embarrassed, took out the money from the counter.

“A gold coin is worth twenty silver coins, and one silver coin is twenty-five copper coins… Subtract nine from twenty… Is this right?”

“…Keep the change.”

When he returned to the duke’s estate, he would have an abundance of gold and platinum coins anyway.

“Goodbye!”

The boy was truly lively and energetic.

The general store boy had unintentionally overcharged even more.

Curse sneered at Aden.

-Didn’t they say mercenaries are thorough in calculations?

“What’s the point of squeezing a few pennies out of a kid?”

Aden left the general store.

Seeing Aden come out after a while, Lowe’s expression became strange.

It was because the young master came out in light leather armor.

“What’s with that appearance…?”

“I just have some things to do.”

Lowe instinctively realized that Aden was going somewhere to fight.

“Let me help.”

“No, I don’t need it. You stay here.”

“But…”

“Lowe.”

Aden turned to Lowe, who was persistent because it was his duty to guard him.

Under Aden’s gaze, Lowe had no choice but to stop speaking.

“It’s an order. Stay in the village.”

“Understood.”

Since it was an order, Lowe had no choice but to comply.

Seeing Aden’s eyes, he felt that further persuasion was impossible.

Besides, this village was devoid of monsters, so there was no chance of encountering anything more dangerous than a troll.

‘Since it’s the young master’s decision, there must be a reason.’

Lowe saluted.

“I will wait.”

Aden felt satisfied with Lowe’s understanding.

“Alright, I’ll be back by evening, so don’t worry too much. Here, take this.”

Aden tossed a small pouch of gold coins to Lowe.

“Use this to buy yourself something to eat.”

Aden left Lowe behind and moved alone.