CHAPTER 91

Herman's sworn brothers swarmed into his room like a flock of clouds.

"It's because of me that you came all the way to the north of the wall, which you didn't plan on doing. Wouldn't you get tired?"

"So what?"

"What?"

"Are you asking us that now? Of course, we're talking about our nephew-in-law, right?"

"Oh, that?"

Herman chuckled, prompting his brothers to explode in frustration.

"So did you think we came to see your grin face at this hour?"

"That's a bit hurtful."

"Oh, come on! Get to the point! So, what is it? Is he truly a genius like the rumors say, someone who can understand ten things when taught just one?"

"No, it's not like that."

As Herman shook his head calmly, his brothers sighed in disappointment.

"Ah, I knew it! Didn't I say so? No matter how much of a genius he is, he's still Melvinger. He must be limited to magic only."

"Then this is a big problem. Even if we assume he's at the level of a prodigy, it means he's too late to wield a sword at his current age... That means our plans will be disrupted, right? Shouldn't we look for another talent?"

"Damn it. I had high hopes. It's really disappointing. Youngest one, shall we have a drink?"

"Huh? Where did the second eldest go? Without taking out what's in your pocket?"

"...Did I get caught?"

While the brothers lamented the failure of their "plan," some seemed to be exchanging money pouches, perhaps settling bets.

However, Herman's playful remark tossed over their heads was the real bombshell.

"He's a genius among geniuses who understands a hundred when taught one."

"…!"

"…!"

"T-that much?"

"Third brother! Did I not say anything from the beginning? Didn't I tell you from the first time I saw the nephew-in-law's face that his physiognomy was extraordinary, a nobleman apart? Yet you doubted! Quickly, shouldn't you hand over the filled money pouch behind you?"

As third brother Haman handed the money pouch back to second brother Lasalle while licking his lips, his eyes gleamed with confidence.

"Ugh! Then, eldest brother, what level are we talking about here?"

"For starters, once he 'properly' wields a sword, I guarantee he'll match anyone here within 5 years. Those beneath won't even be able to lift their heads."

"Insane! Is this a mistake from the gods at birth?"

"Careful! Hem!"

The brothers were left breathless at the mention of "properly."

Elric is a magician. On top of that, he insisted on learning martial arts only for assistance, so it was too sad to see his talent going to waste.

Some who had recently lost a lot of skills coughed in vain, thinking they should try harder not to be caught up again.

"There were many favorable things. First of all, his affinity and sensitivity to mana were at a whole new level...Perhaps because he had mastered the Body Strengthening Art, his breathing was perfect and his senses were very sharp. The whole time he was moving, he didn't lose his breath even once."

The praises continued.

"Even his constitution was incredibly clean, thanks to the old monster of Nerester's prior efforts."

[T/L: 체질 (constitution) refers to the overall physical condition and internal condition of Elric's body, including aspects like his meridians, muscles, bones, and the presence (or absence) of impurities and toxins within them.]

Herman recalled his shock when he first examined Elric's body.

No matter how diligently a person accumulates mana from a young age, it is inevitable for impurities to build up within the body. 

Not only were there more unused mana pathways than used, but they also inevitably accumulated in muscles that were difficult to develop.

Thus, Herman had considered performing 'Hitting and pushing acupoints', a technique he had learned from an eccentric who had come from the East in his youth. 

Though it would damage his recently restored mana, he believed it would be worth it if it could accelerate Elric's training.

However, there was no need for that with Elric.

Elric's body had already undergone a process far superior to Hitting and pushing acupoints, known as Bone Marrow Cleansing.

His muscles and meridians were almost entirely free of impurities and toxins.

Of course, complete cleaning was not carried out to the depths, even so, his body was as clean as that of a three- or four-year-old child.

Moreover, his muscular and skeletal structure was exceptional.

"I heard that the magic martial arts of Night's Chronicle will forcibly strengthen your bones to the level of your muscles. Do they even call it 'demonic bones'? Do you see them now? Augustine, who would think he's of that age? He is a monster."

White night, Augustine Nerester.

He did not engage in any outside activities and was not widely known, but those who knew knew well.

In the past, he was the only one who could rival Usdun Merfinger, the "Magus of Star," in magic.

Today, he is recognized by everyone as a monster who can rival the Golden Lion, the best in the world.

Everyone was so shocked when they first heard that Elric had become his disciple.

"No. I know that, but it wasn't just that."

"That's right!"

"In any case, one thing is certain."

All eyes of all the brothers turned to Herman.

A smile spread across Herman's lips.

"If he has the right intentions for Elric, a great monster will surely be born."

"Ugh!"

"Indeed, that's the most important thing."

"Will we be able to persuade him properly?"

"We have to try somehow. If we can't convince him no matter how hard we try, there's nothing we can do. Forcing him won't work either, right?"

The brothers recalled the 'plan' they had harbored for a long time.

Its contents were very simple.

To create a new lion that surpasses the Golden Lion!

There are bound to be limits to the Lion Duke…..

That was the conclusion drawn by Herman and the Blue Hawks, and they had been striving for it with determination for a long time.

But Herman, who had been the first to take up the challenge, ultimately failed to overcome the wall of the five chains.

So they sought to find a greater talent.

"So, everyone takes turns and makes relentless efforts to win Elric's heart. Otherwise, it could easily be all for naught."

"Sigh. Our nephew-in-law seems friendly on the outside, but he seems quite picky. Will it be easy?"

"Still, being peers is the biggest advantage, so let's rely on that."

Amidst everyone's nodding expectations,

"I wonder when we'll be able to teach him."

Second brother Haman, curious about Elric's talent that the eldest brother had praised so enthusiastically, started to feel excited again.

"Oh, Second Brother, that expression of yours is coming out again."

"Isn't it too weird? It seems somewhat dangerous..."

The brothers' concerns were conveyed as a subtle jab.

But he didn't hear any of it.

* * *

However, at that moment,

Unlike the joyous Blue Hawks, Elric's expression hardened.

"Camellia... has withered? What do you mean by that?"

[Just as I said.]

[The flowers have withered. They're drooping and won't bloom again.]

[Not just the camellias.]

[Everything is like that.]

[The 'winter' has become too long.]

[It's cold and hungry. The sunlight doesn't reach here.]

[Spring isn't coming. Summer has closed its eyes, and autumn has disappeared. So everyone is withering.]

[Even the remaining winter flowers are heading that way.]

[Suddenly, lately, 'winter' seems to have become harsher.]

[The cold wind is blowing fiercely. Fiercely!]

[All the winter flowers here have fallen asleep.]

[We will soon be like that too.]

For a moment, Elric felt his mind go blank.

『Kuk! It's not easy.』

Mephisto's twisted laughter echoed.

However, for some reason, it was a tone of irritation rather than joy over the fact that the plan laid by his old rival would not work properly.

Elric clenched his throbbing head.

If this was true, it was a serious problem.

Otto Han had said that delivering the ice crystal to the God of Camellias would open the second arrangement.

That meant if he couldn't deliver it, the arrangement wouldn't activate.

As someone who had come this far to restore his family, impatience was inevitable.

"Because of the General Winter... is that it?"

[That's right.]

[It's been running wild for too long.]

[Every time the General Winter comes, the sky covers up. No rain falls. The wind is cold.]

[The ground freezes.]

[Since it doesn't melt, it rots.]

[In the rotten and dry ground, flowers won't bloom.]

[They won't bloom.]

Realizing that his and Mephisto's deductions were correct, Elric covered his face with his hands.

It seemed that the downfall of the Temple of Flowers had been progressing very slowly over time.

'What should I do?'

Elric wiped his face with his hand.

Then suddenly, something crossed his mind.

'Wait a moment. Didn't they say the gods of the dead flowers 'withered'?"

That expression bothered him.

'They did not say that it is dead or that it has disappeared, but that it has withered…?'

Just because flowers withered doesn't necessarily mean they die. After all, flowers are just part of plants.

"Perhaps... Did the withered gods of the flowers leave behind seeds?"

[That's right.]

[The flowers don't continue to bloom.]

[They fade away, wait, sprout, and spread when the season returns.]

[So the seeds remain.]

[They are asleep.]

Fortunately, it appeared that the gods of other flowers, including the Camellia, remained in the form of "seeds."

As Elric breathed a relieved sigh, Mephisto clicked his tongue in disbelief at the remaining gods of the flowers.

『You all are like torturers. If only you had said from the beginning that such things remained, there would have been no need to panic like this. Tsk! No wonder they say you all lack foresight.』

[Mephisto be quiet.]

[This isn't your place.]

[That's right. We gave you permission because of our friend here.]

It seemed that Mephisto was visible to the other gods of the flowers like the God of Daffodils.

『Oh, really? Is that so? When the Demon God was alive, things like you could not even step on the shadows of this king, but now we are on the ark, so you are very aggressive.』

[Talking about the old days.]

[Back in the old days, talking about the past. You are so good at it.]

[Like an old man.]

[Old man, right.]

[Right. Old man. Mephisto, old man.]

[Old-man.]

Because of all the noise, Mephisto's face was wrinkled.

[But I'm curious.]

"What?"

[Does the demon not wash?]

[It smells.]

[Stench.]

[One head, two smells.]

『...Hey, kids.』

Mephisto's face was now flushed with anger.

『Should I just set fire to this place? The leaves are so dry that even a spark would ignite them into a blazing inferno!』

[As expected, the demon is bad.]

[It smells because of that look.]

[Smells.]

[Blah. Smell.]

『These guys!』

Ignoring the raging Mephisto, Elric spoke to the gods of the flowers.

"Then, may I ask for guidance to where the God of the camellias is sleeping?"

[What should we do?]

[Camellia will be angry if they find out later.]

[But Camellia was friends with Usdun. Since they're friends, it should be okay, right?]

[Okay.]

[I'm okay too!]

Elric didn't miss a single word in the conversation of the flower gods.

Usdon!

"Did my grandfather visit here?"

[Yeah, that's right. He did.]

[Usdun is our friend. Our friend.]

[You also smell a lot like Usdun.]

[So you're our friend too.]

The five flower gods fluttered around Elric, shaking their wings like they were about to settle down, guiding him to another room.

[Come this way.]

[Let's go to the greenhouse.]

Elric followed them into a room called the 'greenhouse'. Unlike the chilly outside, it was warm inside, but it was a dry warmth, devoid of any vitality.

The greenhouse... was a cemetery.

[This is it.]

[Over there lying down is Camellia.]

There were hundreds of metal boxes shaped like coffins arranged in rows, categorized into four large sections and further subdivided into twelve smaller compartments. They seemed to be organized according to the seasons when the flowers bloomed, and within them, they were divided again by months.

Elric walked toward the section indicated by the flower gods, where the winter flowers were located.

As he passed by the sections for spring, summer, and autumn, he noticed that all the metal boxes were tightly sealed shut.

It looked even more like a mausoleum from this perspective.

-Camellia L.

Elric sought permission from the flower gods and opened the door of one of the boxes.

Inside, he could see seeds delicately placed on a silk cloth.

'It should work.'

Elric carefully placed the ice crystal next to the seed.

As Mephisto had said, the ice crystal was called an 'egg'.

It was proof of the deep connection between the eternal snow-covered iceberg and the deepest place.

Then wouldn't it have a positive effect on the seed?

Of course, just leaving it there wouldn't immediately produce a reaction.

"[Absorb]."

But the moment he applied his command here, the situation changed.

Hwaaah!

The ice crystal emitted a bright light again.

Ssss...

At that moment, frost and black demonic energy flowed simultaneously from the camellia seed, with frost sucked into ice crystals and the demonic energy being drawn into Elric.

A strong floral scent filled the air.

And then...

Crack!

A crack appeared in the camellia seed.

[T/L: You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]