SWNOVELXO Chapter 25 - Meal (4)
✦ Chapter 25 – Meal (4) ✦
「Translator – Creator」
𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝
The Adellian family was a lineage of mages.
This was a truth universally acknowledged throughout the Croa Empire, nay, the entire continent. Every single person born with Adellian blood coursed through their veins possessed an innate talent for magic, a gift passed down through generations.
The age of mana awakening varied, but for ordinary individuals, it typically occurred around the age of ten. Adellians, however, generally awakened to their mana much earlier, around the age of six or seven.
As such, the entire empire, not just the House Adellian itself, eagerly awaited the moment when each newborn Adellian heir would awaken to their mana. It was a matter of national interest, a topic of endless gossip.
So when Bakumo Adellian, the current head of the House Adellian, awakened to his mana at the late age of eleven, the entire empire was thrown into a state of shock and disbelief.
‘Eleven years old?! That’s… unheard of for an Adellian! He’s practically a… a late bloomer!’
The scandal was unprecedented.
An Adellian, a direct descendant of the main family line, awakening so late? The gossip mills went into overdrive. The branch families, sensing an opportunity to seize power, spread rumors that Bakumo’s mother had had an affair, insinuating that he wasn’t even a true Adellian.
Their motives were clear — to install their own children as the head of the family.
Infuriated by their opportunistic slander, a young Bakumo issued a challenge to his detractors.
‘You want to be the head of the family so badly that you’re spreading vicious lies? Fine. Beat me, and it’s yours.’
Several branch family members attempted to usurp Bakumo’s position, hoping to prove their superiority through magic duels. But Bakumo, despite his late awakening, proved to be a formidable opponent. He wielded magic with a ferocity and unorthodox style that overwhelmed his challengers, leaving them bruised, battered, and utterly defeated.
Desperate to discredit him, they resorted to spreading a new rumor — that Bakumo’s magic was unnatural, abnormal.
‘Bakumo’s magic is… wrong! He’s no true mage! He’s not fit to lead the Adellian family!’
‘Are you babbling because I beat you senseless? Let me show you once and for all whether I deserve to be head or not.’
Bakumo, tired of their incessant whining, put an end to the squabbling once and for all. Alongside those loyal to him, he pledged his support to a certain prince plotting to overthrow his own brother and claim the throne.
‘Bakumo Adellian! You’re committing treason! What madness has gripped you?!’
The branch families, initially eager to see Bakumo fail, attempted to undermine his rebellion. But when the prince successfully took the throne, and the Adellian family was elevated to the prestigious rank of Duke, they quickly changed their tune, swallowing their pride and remaining… conspicuously silent.
Once he became Duke, the first thing Bakumo Adellian did was to cleanse the family. He rid the family of those who insulted his mother, those who attempted to eliminate him, and numerous other undesirables within the household.
After the cleansing, once the dust had settled and the family was pacified, Bakumo married and had children of his own. When his first child was born, the family held their breath. They feared another anomaly like Bakumo, a mage who favored brute force over elegance and control.
But those concerns quickly vanished. Bakumo’s children – both of them – were born with extraordinary magical talents, exceeding even the wildest expectations of the Adellian family.
When Clara was born, everyone in the delivery room gasped. The newborn babe had awakened to her mana the moment she entered the world. It was a phenomenon unheard of in the empire, a feat unprecedented in the history of the continent.
To make matters even more astonishing, she possessed an overwhelming abundance of mana. Adellian family members, envisioning their own rise to fame through association, clamored to become her mentor.
But they were denied that opportunity.
The Mage Tower Master, a reclusive figure who had never taken on an apprentice before, personally selected Clara as his student.
Once again, the empire was abuzz with excitement.
‘My son happens to be the same age as Lady Adellian. Perhaps they could meet…?’
‘My daughter is quite fond of Lady Adellian. Perhaps she could attend my upcoming tea party…?’
Noble families with daughters schemed to befriend Clara, hoping to secure a powerful ally. Those with sons, meanwhile, dreamed of forging a connection, a potential marriage alliance.
It was common for one sibling to be overshadowed by the other’s exceptional talents. But in Jorden’s case, he was never once compared to his prodigious sister.
He was a genius in his own right.
Three years old.
That was the age at which he awakened to his mana, a record that remained unbroken until Clara’s arrival.
Though his mana capacity wasn’t as limitless as his sister’s, it still far exceeded the average mage’s.
On the surface, Jorden appeared to be a perfect prodigy – excelled in all aspects of magic, but overshadowed by his sister’s unparalleled genius. However, Jorden possessed something no other Adellian had ever wielded — Unique Magic.
While having Unique Magic was rare, only about one in ten wielders had one that was truly worthwhile.
Jorden’s unique magic was geared towards combat.
He was self-taught, as he believed it to be the most efficient way. The only real training he’d received was through the battles with Bakumo Adellian, which provided invaluable practical experience.
Exceptional innate talent, inherited from his lineage.
Battle-hardened experience, gleaned from countless sparring sessions with his father.
And his unique magic.
By his first year at the academy, Jorden had become the strongest student, surpassing even the third years. And for the past two years, his position as the undisputed strongest student had never been challenged.
.
.
.
“You were looking for the one responsible? It was me.”
Jorden’s crimson eyes, a hallmark of the Adellian bloodline, fixed upon the worm and his lackey, freezing them in place like frogs before a snake.
The entire cafeteria watched in hushed silence as the scene unfolded.
Perhaps emboldened by his audience, the worm forced a smile, trying to appear nonchalant. “I believe there’s been a misunderstanding. Can you… release the magic?”
The lackey, his hand still encased in ice, whimpered in pain, his face contorted in agony.
“A misunderstanding? I saw him draw his sword,” Jorden replied, his voice as cold as ice. “What’s the misunderstanding here?”
“The only reason he drew his sword was to discipline an arrogant junior.”
Jorden sneered, his cold laughter echoing through the room.
“Ha, And who gave you such authority? If there’s a professor who granted you this right, go ahead and call them.”
His mocking tone clearly enraged the worm, whose voice quivered with anger.
“If you keep this up, I won’t be able to hold back anymore.”
“And what exactly can someone like you do if you don’t hold back?” Jorden retorted.
Without warning, the worm and his lackey were encased in ice, frozen solid from the waist down; there was no telltale surge of mana, no incantation, no visible sign of Jorden casting a spell.
It was as if they had been frozen solid from the very beginning.
Even I, who had witnessed Jorden’s power firsthand, couldn’t tell how he’d done it.
“Ugh! What is this?”
“Let us go, Jorden!”
As far as I knew, the worm struggling against the ice was the third strongest student in the academy. But his opponent was Jorden. Even if all the students ranked from second to tenth place in the third year combined their powers, they wouldn’t stand a chance against him.
While learning from the Duke Adellian, I had the opportunity to spar with Jorden a few times, at the Duke’s suggestion. To be honest, calling them ‘sparring’ was almost a misnomer.
Whenever the Duke and Jorden sparred, the Duke always emerged victorious. However, whenever it was my turn, Jorden consistently ended our bouts far quicker. No matter how many illusions I conjured or traps I set, he simply froze everything.
“With such pitiful skills, don’t show off and just stay quiet,” he said, before dispelling the ice in an instant.
As their frozen bodies thawed, the worm turned beet red with embarrassment. One of his lackeys, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, drew his sword and charged at Jorden.
“How dare you show such disrespect to His Highness!”
So that worm was a prince from some royal palace. I couldn’t recall which kingdom.
Jorden watched the charging man with eyes full of contempt.
“Stop, you idiot!” the worm shouted, realizing the foolishness of his lackey’s actions. Not that it mattered— the man would freeze before he could get close to Jorden.
As Jorden dealt with the incompetent prince, I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain calm. I needed a good reason to kill these worms. A justifiable reason.
And right now, I didn’t have one.
But that didn’t mean I couldn’t have a little… fun.
The lackey, hearing his prince’s frantic cry, tried to stop his charge. But it was too late; he was already too close, his momentum carrying him forward.
“Ah, sitting for so long has made me stiff,” I said, stretching my legs casually, extending one leg out into the aisle.
The result? The charging lackey, completely unaware of my outstretched leg, tripped and crashed headfirst into the floor with a sickening thud.
*Thump!*
Feigning innocence, I approached the fallen lackey, offering my hand.
“Oh dear, are you all right? It’s not a good idea to sleep in a place like this.”
— End of Chapter —
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