novelraw Chapter 52 : Retribution (2)
Chapter 52 : Retribution (2)
Chapter 52: Retribution (2)
By 11 a.m., all the students came out to the main gate right on time.
“Russel, an open-house visit from your family? All of a sudden?”
“No, it’s not sudden. We were originally going to do it during the break, but we couldn’t gather all of you, so the schedule was moved to after school started.”
“Then was it you who suggested it, Russel?”
“No, the Family Head mentioned it first. He said he wanted to see all of you.”
“Wow…… the House Mihael wants to see us?”
“There’s a lot of delicious food. It’ll be on a whole different level from the school cafeteria. On a different level from the Nohill Family too.”
The voice came from the Light Element group.
Even in the midst of this, the way they tried to rank even among families felt rather cute.
‘Well, your personality wouldn’t change, would it?’
But the Family Head of Mihael initiated the open-house visit?
To be honest, since it came out of Russel’s mouth, it didn’t sound all that reliable.
But judging from his expression, he didn’t seem to be lying……
For now, I figured I would learn something once we arrived at the Mihael Family.
At that moment, Mihael met my gaze and flashed a sneering smile.
‘Of course.’
So it wasn’t the Family Head who initiated it—you suggested it, didn’t you?
But how did that brat even know about open-house visits and suggest it?
When I dug through Jick’s memories, open-house visits were a tradition that had nearly disappeared in this era—something only Family Heads seemed to know.
“Ah.”
A suspicious memory came to mind.
On the day the break started, he had seen us going to the Nohill Family for our open-house visit, and the look he’d had in his eyes then.
‘So that look of realization was about this?’
Maybe what happened at the Nohill Family would repeat itself during this open-house visit as well.
When the promised time of 11 o’clock arrived, the school’s main gate opened wide.
And from the crack where warm sunlight streamed in, a man’s figure appeared.
“Family Head!”
At the sight of him, Russel immediately dropped to his knees and lowered his head in a respectful greeting.
White hair and white eyes.
A youthful appearance.
It was exactly the same as the Mihael Ruin I remembered.
‘But…… how has he not aged? For him to retain the same appearance he had 300 years ago…… something’s off.’
Even if mages had long lifespans, that didn’t mean they didn’t age.
Ruin was maintaining his youth unnaturally.
Wasn’t it said that a mage’s lifespan was abnormally long compared to swordsmen or commoners?
The reason for that was the existence of mana.
Why mana affected lifespan had yet to be revealed, but since only mages enjoyed such lifespans, that became the accepted conclusion.
Thus, depending on how much mana one possessed, one’s lifespan could be longer—or the opposite, shorter—than others.
Since Ruin possessed a considerable amount of mana, it meant he could continue maintaining his youth.
Just like how Tyrant was still alive and held the position of Archmage even now.
‘But Ruin was never someone with that kind of talent……?’
The Ruin I knew was not such a person.
He was just one of those Family Heads.
That meant that sometime in the last 300 years, his mana had drastically increased—something nearly impossible by normal means.
As Ruin appeared, Professor Nide of Class 1 came out to the main gate as if waiting.
“Family Head Mihael, we’ve been expecting you.”
“And you are?”
“I’m Nide, the professor in charge of Class 1.”
“A Water Elementalist, I see.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
For high-ranking mages, recognizing someone’s element just by appearance wasn’t difficult.
It was one of the simple formalities, like a greeting.
‘Aren’t they of the same Circle?’
But since they were addressing each other with honorifics, it must have been out of respect for their respective positions.
‘Mihael Ruin, you actually know how to be polite? That brat’s grown quite a bit.’
A very long time ago, when I had just become an Archmage and stood at the top—
Mihael Ruin, newly certified as a Family Head, once came to greet me.
He’d been so excited that he said, “Archmage, I have a spell I really want to show you!” and then tried to demonstrate magic on the spot, only to be severely scolded by me.
He’d wanted me to take notice of him, sure—but he’d done something that absolutely must not be done.
Using magic at the top was one of the taboos I established.
Because there was a sealing stone that absorbed Sylarid’s mana, and if another powerful magic were activated, it might malfunction and break Sylarid’s seal.
That narrow-minded brat took it personally and didn’t like me very much afterward.
Not that I was faultless.
I had shouted without even explaining why he shouldn’t use magic there—but back then, I didn’t have the leisure to explain, since his behavior had been so outrageous that a reflexive shout came out first.
‘I wonder what he’s like now, 300 years later.’
My gaze subtly shifted to Russel.
‘That guy is Ruin’s spawn. And a direct descendant at that. Just looking at him, I bet his personality is exactly the same. Narrow-minded.’
“All the students have gathered. I heard no guidance would be needed.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
“Please contact me separately if needed. I must keep the portal open.”
“Of course.”
After Nide guided all the students, Ruin led us through the main gate.
When we arrived at the Mihael Family estate, a feast was already prepared.
A dining hall as massive as the one at the Nohill Family.
Students, Ruin included.
Even with all thirty-two seats filled, there were still empty ones—an enormous table.
And almost a hundred dishes placed as though decorating the table stole every student’s attention.
“Wow……”
“Th-This looks delicious……”
Hei was even drooling.
But as always, such extravagant food didn’t catch my attention.
“Eat as much as you like.”
And so the feast began.
“Artel! Artel, you should try some too!”
The food must have suited her taste; even Kiena, who normally had no particular greed for food, stuffed her mouth full like a squirrel.
“I think it’s tastier than the Nohill Family’s.”
“You too?”
Even the Fire Element students began comparing the families’ food.
“What did you just say?”
“Ah…… sorry, Hapert. I didn’t mean it like that.”
While the students’ small chatter continued, Ruin suddenly spoke to Kiena.
“Student, you’re a summoner, aren’t you?”
“Ah! Yes! How did you know?”
“Speak properly. Where did you learn such a disrespectful tone…….”
This time, Russel suddenly pointed out Kiena’s manner of speech.
‘Would you rather I say, “How did you know, my lord?” Is that what you want?’
“Enough. You just stay out of my conversation.”
“……I apologize, Head of the Family.”
‘Hmm, they don’t look that close, do they?’
Russel was far too stiff, and Ruin looked at him like he would a passing dog. It made me wonder if they really were father and son.
‘Judging by Ruin’s attitude, maybe it really was his idea to push for this open tour…….’
Either way, the truth would soon be revealed.
If this was about me, he would surely call me aside once the banquet ended.
“Anyway. You might not know yet since you’re still in 1st Class, but when you reach around the 7th Circle like me, you can tell just by looking.”
Three hundred years had passed, yet he was still a 7th Circle Mage.
He wasn’t one who had broken his limits.
Then how had he maintained such youthful mana when his circle hadn’t changed?
“Ah, I see.”
“I’ve heard you already summon a divine artifact. Is that true?”
“Yes, somehow……”
Kiena glanced subtly at Banshi.
Her gaze clearly meant it was all thanks to her, but since they shared a secret, she didn’t express it openly.
“I see, that’s impressive.”
Ruin ended his words in an oddly flat tone.
He looked like he had more to say, but after glancing around at the students, he held his tongue.
Then, at last, his gaze fixed on me.
Even as he ate, his eyes remained locked solely on me while he mechanically shoved food into his mouth.
His mouth moved busily, yet his stare stayed glued to me—oppressive, but not frightening.
‘So, the Mihael Family wants to observe me too, huh.’
It was merely uncomfortable, not intimidating.
I met his gaze head-on, took a bite of my food, chewed, and muttered,
“It’s delicious.”
“……”
He didn’t reply—his eyes still pinned me in place.
When that rather long meal finally ended, Ruin spoke.
“Russel, show them around the estate.”
“Yes, Head of the Family. Everyone, stand.”
Russel rose first, and the other students followed. He then instructed them to show proper courtesy to the Head of the Family.
“Offer your thanks to the Head. Thank you for the delicious meal.”
It was such excessive loyalty that I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
The Mihael Family hadn’t always been like this—when had it turned into something so suffocating?
After the students followed Russel’s lead in offering their thanks, they began to leave one by one.
I deliberately kept some distance to make sure I left last.
When only Ruin and I remained in the dining hall—
“Why don’t you stop there for a moment?”
So, it had finally come.
Flash—!
A light spell suddenly struck the door, sealing it shut with a burst of radiance.
“The Blade of Light Seal.”
That was the name of the spell Ruin had just cast.
A double-edged, thick-bladed dagger-shaped spell—one of the main spells of the Light element.
Its effect was both offensive and sealing.
A target struck by this spell not only suffered damage but also had part of their body bound.
“You even know the spell’s name. As expected, you’re no ordinary one, are you? But I’m curious—how do you know that name so precisely?”
Because I was the one who created it.
I had invented it on the spot during the Full Moon battle against Sylarid, then later passed it on to my disciple, the Light-element mage Rus Alfric.
Since the Rus Family was the representative family of the Light element, it seemed that the spell had been inherited by the Mihael Family, one of its branches.
Flash—!
After closing the door, Mihael filled the entire dining hall with blades of light.
The chilling blades all pointed toward me.
“I’m ashamed to have to go this far as the Head of a Family, but I too am someone who receives orders.”
Orders, huh……
I didn’t need to guess whose.
Since an open tour required Tyrant’s approval, it had to be Tyrant’s command.
Ignoring his words, I brushed my hand across the Blade of Light Seal embedded in the door.
As expected, it was markedly inferior to the one I had wielded during the Full Moon battle.
“You’re not supposed to use it like this. You’ve learned it poorly.”
When I turned back, he couldn’t hide his shock at how I moved freely despite touching the blade.
“And you’ve grown a lot, Mihael Ruin.”
“What?”
At that moment, his pupils trembled violently.
“But you’ve grown far too arrogant—pointing a spell at me, of all people.”
Flash—!
I manifested the same Blade of Light Seal, this time aimed at his body.
“Y-yes…… what? Ah, understood. I’ll prepare it and carry it out immediately!”
The tavern owner moved frantically after receiving a message from Mob.
It was from Ed Etar.
The message read, ‘Infiltrate the Mihael Family and observe the situation.’
It added that every 1st Class student of Ed Branch School had gone on the open tour, but no school official could accompany them.
As soon as he hung up with Mob, the tavern owner rushed straight to the liquor storeroom.
Crash!
Clang—!
In the corner of the storeroom, behind a display shelf, was something like his personal treasure.
He knocked the tall shelf over, sending bottles tumbling as he dug frantically for it.
Broken liquor was the least of his worries now.
“Huff…… huff…… I can’t believe the day’s come to take this out again.”
What he had hidden in the corner was a mage’s robe and several mysterious potions.
There was also a large barrel.
The tavern owner hastily uncorked the potion bottles and poured them into the barrel.
When the barrel was half full, he submerged the robe inside and began counting aloud.
“One…… two…… three……”
Even as he waited, he fidgeted anxiously—tapping his feet and drumming his fingers against the wall.
When he reached one hundred and twenty, he finally lifted the robe out.