Reborn as the Head of the Stolen Magic Family

Chapter 3

Following the servant, I entered Shainborough.

As I ascended the familiar spiral staircase, the mansion’s lobby came into view.

‘It really has been 30 years.’

Traces of time, absent in my previous life, were visible throughout the mansion.

As if to make me realize I’d truly been reincarnated after 30 years.

But that wasn’t the only thing that had changed in Shainborough.

“…”

The portrait of me that should have hung on the wall, the emblems symbolizing my achievements, and my cherished belongings displayed throughout the lobby.

All had been replaced with those of the current head.

It was expected, but a bitter feeling washed over me.

‘Of course… Having finally seized the Shainborough they coveted, they’d want to erase my traces and secure the secret techniques first.’

With that thought, I stirred my mana to track the presence of the secret techniques.

Using a Search spell built on Hinder and Hide Mana foundations.

Even considering this was a magical family, I searched discreetly.

‘Damn it.’

The presence of the secret techniques, which should have been stored in the underground vault, was nowhere to be felt.

Frowning slightly, I withdrew my mana.

‘Surely… they didn’t destroy them all since they couldn’t use them.’

All my secret techniques were bound by powerful restrictions.

Restrictions that rendered them useless in anyone’s hands but mine.

In other words, in the hands of Ivan and his descendants, my secret techniques were nothing but burdens.

If the secret techniques weren’t in the vault, there were two possibilities.

Either they had all been destroyed.

Or they were being used elsewhere for other purposes.

‘The latter is more likely. Destroying them would be harder than breaking the restrictions.’

Pondering this, I followed the servant and soon arrived at a parlor on the second floor.

The moment the door opened…

Pfft.

A sneer curled my lips.

‘It seems Ivan and his children couldn’t escape the Kirhausen blood after all, huh?’

All the parlor furniture was a deep teal.

It was a traditional preference passed down since my father, Riode von Kirhausen.

‘At least… this is the one familiar thing in Shainborough now.’

With a bitter expression, I gazed at the furniture as the servant spoke.

“Wait here until we bring Teacher Patman.”

“Alright.”

“Just in case, don’t even think about stealing an ashtray or anything from here…”

Step, step.

Before the servant could finish, I strode to the sofa, crossed my legs, and sat down.

I lightly patted the plush cushion, my movements relaxed and natural.

So natural that the servant’s attempt to intimidate me about potential theft felt awkward.

‘What’s with that relaxed demeanor?’

“Don’t worry. I’ll stay put.”

“Ahem… Fine.”

With a baffled cough, the servant left the parlor.

Once the door closed and the sound of footsteps faded, I adjusted my posture.

I lifted my crossed legs onto the sofa, assumed a meditative stance, and closed my eyes.

“…”

Silently stirring my mana, my energy extended from the parlor, sweeping through the mansion’s interior.

‘If they sealed the underground vault, they must have created another secret space somewhere in the mansion. Clues to the secret techniques’ whereabouts would be there.’

The more one possesses, the more they need to hide.

Especially since what the current Kirhausen family held was the result of stealing what I had built.

In a mansion overtaken by thieves, there had to be secrets they were hiding.

Then, my consciousness, scanning the mansion, detected a disturbance in one area.

‘As expected.’

A faint but distinct magical presence.

It emanated from the highest point of the mansion.

The rooftop.

‘The rooftop…? Did I mistake the presence coming from somewhere on the top floor?’

Puzzled, I focused again to trace the presence, but the result was the same.

The suspicious presence came from a small point at the very top of Shainborough.

It was a magical aura, as if emanating from a magician’s artifact.

‘The skill to hide residual mana after casting a spell is impressive. This must be something set up by the head themselves or directly related to them.’

I focused my consciousness further, closely examining the aura from the rooftop.

If my past life’s capabilities were intact, I could have easily broken through such a suspicious spell.

But in my newly reincarnated body, it was too much.

Attempting a half-hearted power struggle without a wand would only leave traces of an intruder.

‘Fine. For now, I’ll settle for pinpointing the suspicious location.’

Footsteps approached from outside the door.

I withdrew my mana and adjusted my posture again.

The parlor door opened, revealing a young woman.

Click, clack.

Deep purple hair and pale skin.

The woman, exuding a mysteriously ethereal aura, carried a tray with a teapot and teacups.

“Is your name Eddie Summerson? Nice to meet you. I’m Sylvia Patman.”

“Yes, hello.”

The woman, Sylvia, introduced herself as the tutor for the Kirhausen family’s heir.

She placed a cup in front of me and poured tea.

The tea’s aroma, as enigmatic as Sylvia’s presence, filled the small parlor, sharp enough to sting my nose.

“I heard from the deputy butler. You’re from Delphonso Orphanage?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

As expected.

The tea Sylvia brewed was no ordinary blend.

After inhaling its scent, her voice began to echo in my ears, and I felt a slight daze.

A tea with hypnotic effects.

It was undoubtedly one of the classic mental magic items.

‘She’s testing if she can manipulate me into an obedient child.’

Intrigued by the situation, I stirred the mana within me.

I expelled the tea’s influence from my mind and put on a slightly dazed expression.

‘Let’s see how capable the tutor chosen by the current Kirhausen family is.’

The conversation that followed seemed ordinary.

Sylvia kept refilling my cup, continuing the dialogue.

“You must be startled by this sudden meeting, but you’re quite composed.”

“Not really. Thank you for the compliment.”

After some back-and-forth, I realized something.

The true hypnotic effect didn’t come from the tea’s scent.

‘Her soft voice.’

It felt as if it bypassed my ears, resonating directly in my mind.

She was perfectly suited to wield mental magic.

I responded diligently to Sylvia’s words, waiting for her to attempt full mental manipulation.

Soon, Sylvia set down her teacup and looked directly at me.

“Will you tell me more about yourself, Eddie?”

Her words, like a spell, were accompanied by her channeling mana.

‘I was waiting for this.’

Feeling Sylvia’s energy creeping into my mind, I surged my mana to its fullest.

But then…

“!!”

Her mana, rushing into my mind, began probing deeper into my consciousness.

‘What’s this? The pattern of her mana isn’t like simple mental manipulation.’

The movement of her energy differed from the mental magic I knew, and my brow furrowed slightly.

‘Wait, could it be?’

I quickly realized a likely possibility.

At that moment, Sylvia’s eyes turned a vivid purple.

‘This woman… she’s a Circe.’

Circe.

A high-level mental magician capable of performing Insight, the most advanced mental magic.

They could read and manipulate not only thoughts but also memories.

A power beyond simple mental control, capable of reconstructing a person’s mind entirely.

That’s why Circes were called ‘psychic prodigies’ in the mental magic realm.

Realizing Sylvia’s true nature, I was momentarily stunned.

And then…

Grin.

I flashed a genuine, wide smile.

‘I don’t know how a rare Circe ended up as a tutor for the Kirhausen family.’

But today, she’d met the wrong opponent.

As I locked eyes with Sylvia, my pupils turned golden.

“…!”

Sylvia’s soft voice stopped abruptly.

I had activated Reverse, a high-level technique that absorbs and repurposes an opponent’s magic.

Reverse was one of my unique skills, feared even by the empire’s council of elder magicians.

Following the path of Sylvia’s Insight, I began to perform my own.

“Gasp…!”

Sylvia let out a short, startled breath as my mana surged into her mind.

Her purple eyes trembled as she tried to resist my Insight, but it was futile.

Her eyes, now beyond her control, could no longer sense anything.

Finally…

Fsssss-

Sylvia’s eyes turned the same golden hue as mine.

Thud.

The teacup slipped from her hand, rolling across the carpet.

And then…

“I’d like to hear your story, too, Teacher Patman.”

My low voice echoed in Sylvia’s mind.

I began accessing her memories in earnest.

The first scene was of her entering Shainborough, following a man in a murky green cape.

‘Her first encounter with the Kirhausen family, I presume.’

Next, she was introduced to the head by the man in the green cape.

Thus, Sylvia joined the Kirhausen family.

At the head’s command, she used Insight on various people.

A butler from another family visiting the mansion.

A servant cleaning the head’s study.

A newly hired cook.

Not only outsiders but even family insiders were subjected to her Insight.

An atmosphere of distrust permeated the family.

The more I saw, the more stifling the scenes became.

Then…

‘…Hm?’

I saw the current head discussing something with Sylvia.

The head, with eyes resembling my father Ivan’s, spoke to her.

“If the restrictions aren’t lifted in my generation… in the end, that man’s secret techniques will belong to Marcel.”

Restrictions.

That man’s secret techniques.

There was only one possibility.

As expected…

“A restriction enduring decades within a pocket dimension’s formula. A man with abilities as tenacious as his fame. No wonder my father lived his life consumed by inferiority.”

The head’s words drove a wedge into my certainty.

‘It’s confirmed.’

The secret techniques were stored in a pocket dimension with a formula to break the restrictions.

For decades.

‘So they’re determined to steal my secret techniques, no matter how long it takes? The tenacious ones are you lot.’

Crunch.

A curse rose in my throat.

As I maintained Reverse, I clenched my teeth.

‘If the secret techniques are in a pocket dimension, there must be an artifact serving as the “key.”’

I had to find the artifact’s location.

But…

‘…Damn! Already at my limit?’

The scenes in Sylvia’s memories began to blur and fade.

If I had my past life’s full capabilities, I could have roamed her memories all day.

But this was the limit of my current Reverse.

To plant a false memory in Sylvia, I needed to pull out soon.

But…

‘Just… a little longer.’

I clung to the fraying thread of my consciousness.

I had to find the artifact’s location before withdrawing from Sylvia’s memories.

And then, I saw it.

‘As expected.’

Her memory showed her stepping outside the mansion, looking up toward Shainborough’s rooftop.