"Young Master Jarius."
Jarius halted his sword practice the moment the voice reached him.
He adjusted his posture, turned, and saw the head butler standing tall. Calm, composed, and utterly disciplined, like a man carved from stone.
Jarius met his gaze with quiet focus.
"Yes, Mister Sebastian?"
Sebastian raised a gloved hand and gave a polite cough to clear his throat.
"Your father is requesting your presence, young master."
Jarius exhaled softly, setting the training sword down with care.
"Is this about that foolish, overweight son of Marquis Bolke again?"
Sebastian gave a single nod, offering no comment. His gaze remained fixed, posture unshaken.
"So that gluttonous fool who harasses women in every town he visits, the one who gropes and molests any girl the moment he sets foot in our region, is now whining to his father? And that man actually has the nerve to send a formal complaint to mine?"
Jarius spoke evenly as he wiped the sweat from his brow, his voice steady rather than angry.
Sebastian inclined his head slightly.
"It appears so, young master," he replied, expression calm and composed.
Jarius's gaze hardened, void of emotion.
"I should have just killed him back then."
Sebastian exhaled through his nose, shaking his head slowly.
"If you had done that, young master, it would've caused far more than a formal complaint. Likely… a full political storm."
Jarius picked up a flask, took a slow drink, then muttered in the same calm tone.
"Trash like that should simply die… or better yet, not be born at all."
Jarius glanced calmly at Sebastian, who remained standing in place, waiting patiently.
"I'll head to Father's office after another hundred swings, Sebastian."
"Understood, young master. Please try not to be late."
"I know. I won't be."
Jarius turned back, gripped the heavy iron training sword, and lifted it with ease.
Sebastian sighed softly, long accustomed to the boy's unwavering routine. His gaze lingered for a moment on the youngest son of Viscount Ravien De Razin, thirteen years old, yet already showing signs of becoming a remarkable man. A calm, composed presence that made people instinctively lower their voices.
Handsome by nature, well-built beyond his years…
Even now, Sebastian noticed the faint blush on the cheeks of the maids who follow him. They quickly averted their eyes when they realized he had caught them staring, pretending to focus on their duties.
"If you'll excuse me, young master."
Sebastian bowed slightly, one hand pressed over his chest, then gave Jarius a final glance before turning toward the manor.
Jarius gave a single nod and continued his training in silence.
His target stood ahead. A reinforced training dummy reinforced with layered metal plates and inscribed with minor runes to withstand his strikes.
He exhaled slowly.
Ninety-seven.
The next swing came down cleanly. Then another.
Ninety-eight. Ninety-nine…
And on the final swing.
His feet pushed off the ground.
In a blur, Jarius vanished forward.
Flames burst from the hilt of his weapon as he channeled mana through the blade. The temperature around him spiked. Magic fire wrapped along the edge of the sword like a living serpent.
"Flame Burner."
With a fierce upper swing, the flaming weapon cleaved upward.
The impact tore through the dummy, and in an instant, Jarius reappeared behind it, landing gracefully in a crouched stance. His head lowered, his body still, echoing the precise form of a seasoned duelist.
A second later, the training dummy crackled.
It burst into flames and was reduced to cinders.
He stood up, calmly lifting the dummy sword again and examining its edge with a critical eye.
"Hmm… The dummy's weapon response wasn't strong enough. Needs better joint tension and mana insulation."
His gaze shifted toward the remains of the dummy.
"…Guess I'll have to build another one. Again."
( End Of Chapter )