Behringer family [1]

Chapter 1

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Episode 1 - Behringer family [1]

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Kingdom of the South, Royal Capital Raventhal.

"Alright, everyone, open the book on the Era of the Three Heroes."

I turned 18 just two days ago. As I watched the professor, I sighed in boredom.

"Ten thousand years have passed since the death of Antares, known as the Great Evil at that time. The protagonists of that event were called the Three Heroes."

Professor Layton, from the Royal School of Raventhal, spoke loudly in a classroom filled with 18-year-old students.

"What is a hero to you? Does anyone know... You?"

Not just one student raised their hand most did at the same time. However, Professor Layton pointed to one of them and responded.

"A hero is someone whose name is recorded in the Hero Registry. Only the strongest and those who have achieved great feats throughout the centuries are called heroes."

"Exactly! Evan, you are the best student in our Royal School. We all expect you to enter the Sanctuary of Heroes. And the rest of you should take note of Evan's achievements as our top student."

"Understood, professor."

Evan leaned back in his seat, nodding cheerfully as he received praise from others.

He was highly praised at the Royal School for his exceptional talent and intelligence.

"Student Lucius."

Professor Layton's gaze turned to me as he suddenly called my name.

I hadn't even raised my hand, but I quickly stood up from my seat and answered.

"A person can become a hero by making a name for themselves."

It was common sense. Anyone can be a hero… Well, that was the case ten thousand years ago, but now things were different, and history was told differently.

Even so, my thoughts on what it takes to be a hero remain the same anyone can become one simply by making a name for themselves across the world.

The best example of this is Claus.

"You always say something like that."

Professor Layton frowned.

"Can someone else answer?"

The student beside me raised their hand and spoke confidently.

"Only those who emerge from the Sanctuary of Heroes can truly become real heroes. However, that is just the beginning."

A smile formed on Professor Layton's face.

"Exactly! That is a real answer. Keep that in mind for next time, Lucius."

"...Yes, professor."

I lowered my gaze as I looked at the Hero Registry, a book containing the names of heroes.

The record began with the disaster from ten thousand years ago.

Antares, the Great Evil who had led the world to destruction.

…

— — — — || Hero Registry || — — — —

■| Sophia, the fairy of star magic.

■| Claus, the barbarian king.

■| Seris, queen of all dragons, whose race ceased to exist 10,000 years ago.

■| Liam, the hero without merits.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — —

…

Why does my name appear like this? I'm not considered one of the heroes who defeated the Great Evil.

The records of my friends were perfectly clear, but mine didn't even exist. It was just my name nothing about my defeat of the Great Evil, Antares.

Ever since my mother, Elisa Behringer of House Behringer, read me the tale of the Three Heroes, I couldn't understand why I wasn't included.

What kind of injustice was this?

As I lamented all of this, the situation felt increasingly unpleasant.

Clank! Clank!

The sound of the class bell echoed through the classroom.

Before the students left, Professor Layton spoke.

"The preparation for the entrance exam to the Sanctuary of Heroes will end in a week. At that time, talented individuals from all over the world will come to our school."

He said this while looking at the students' faces.

"Interact with them and aim for higher ground. That's all."

***

When classes ended, I headed home.

The Behringer Family

The Behringer family is a noble house of dukes with a long-standing legacy in the Kingdom of Raventhal.

"Young master, your mother is waiting for you in the training hall."

"Again today?"

I frowned.

"I'm not going."

"Sir, if you skip fencing class one more time, your freedom will be restricted from now on."

"....."

"Huh? What are you talking about? I think you misheard me. I said I was going… Ha, ha…"

I sighed deeply at the bodyguard's words.

I changed out of my school uniform and headed to the training grounds.

It was traditionally a time when knights were expected to sweat and work hard during training.

However, the person in the practice field was an incredibly beautiful woman.

Elisa Behringer.

She was the matriarch of the Behringer family.

"Mother, I'm back from school."

"Welcome, dear. But son, why do you always treat your mother so formally, calling me just 'mother'?"

Elisa's blue eyes, just like mine, fixed on me.

I responded as I reached the training field, holding a wooden sword in my right hand.

"I'm intentionally trying to create some distance."

"Oh? Why? Is this a puberty thing?"

Elisa's face filled with sadness.

Kwasik!

At that moment, her body moved toward me at incredible speed.

Boom!

"This is why."

What kind of mother suddenly swings a wooden sword at her own son?

What child wouldn't want to keep some distance?

Elisa smiled at my words.

"You have no idea how this mother feels… I suppose I'll have to try a little harder today."

Elisa's wooden sword moved swiftly, cutting through the air until suddenly changing trajectory.

But I quickly responded to her ever-changing sword techniques.

Likewise, the knights watching erupted in exclamations.

"As expected of you, Lady Elisa!"

"This is the skill of the famous hero, Geraldine!"

"But you're incredible too, young master!"

Usually, the family knights were responsible for teaching fencing to nobles. No one was dissatisfied with this arrangement.

In a great country bordering the Kingdom of Raventhal, in the Radren Empire, there was a famous hero named Geraldine.

Elisa was none other than Geraldine.

Kwasik!

Elisa's eyes lit up when she saw me block her attack.

As expected, Lucius is a genius.

Though she had retired, Elisa had been a great knight.

Even now, though she didn't use aura and wore magically weighted bracelets on her arms and legs, her skills were unmatched.

Even so, I was countering my mother Elisa's sword techniques.

I quickly learned new skills every time we trained.

As a mother, she couldn't help but feel proud to see her son grow day by day.

The training session continued for ten minutes. Elisa became fully absorbed in it.

As we continued exchanging attacks and advancing in training, she accidentally hit and broke the magically weighted bracelets on my wrists.

"My apologies,"

Elisa said, a little embarrassed.

Distracted, I counterattacked. She tried to recover just in time, but…

"It's too late, Mother."

Kwasik!

"....."

Elisa's eyes widened.

I disarmed her sword. The tip of my wooden sword pointed at Elisa's neck.

Elisa looked confused.

Moments later, I retrieved the sword I had thrown and sighed.

"Aren't you being too hard on your son?"

"For someone saying that, your response was excellent."

Although she spoke with a smile, Elisa felt goosebumps all over her body.

"Lucius, you… You're beyond what I can handle."

"Don't say that, Mother."

If the simple wooden sword I had used earlier had been a real sword, it would have been so threatening that even an experienced knight would have struggled to survive.

This wasn't a skill that could be achieved by talent alone.

However, I executed it perfectly in my mother's eyes.

Of course, I retrieved my sword along the way.

But even so, it was remarkable.

I sighed, looking at my mother with bright eyes.

I wasn't just 18 years old.

This body once belonged to a great hero who had saved the world in a previous life. Countering every attack while simultaneously retaliating wasn't difficult for me.

Elisa asked as I scratched my head.

"Lucius, do you still want to go to the Sanctuary of Heroes?"

"Yes."

The Sanctuary of Heroes.

There are only four Hero Sanctuaries in the world, and they are among the few places with an entrance to the "Fragmented Dimension."

"I'm going to find out what happened."

After defeating the great evil, Antares, I had died from extreme exhaustion, and my body had been torn apart.

But Antares is immortal.

The subjugation was successful, but I couldn't destroy him completely.

Furthermore, Antares' remaining armies were still alive and well.

Ten thousand years have passed since then.

Over time, the events of that era faded into mere legend. What happened after my death wasn't properly recorded.

I didn't know if I could find out what happened after I entered the Fragmented Dimension.

That's why I want to enter the Sanctuary of Heroes, one of the most prestigious academies in the world.

"I see."

Elisa said with a soft laugh.

"All right, all right. Mom will do her best, so leave it in your mother's hands after the family arrives."

"What?"

"Tomorrow, the Sephir family will visit Raventhal. We've decided they'll stay at the mansion."

"At our house?"

Sephir is my ancestral hero.

But I had never met my mother's family before.

In the past, my mother left the Sephir household and cut all contact with them.

However, she didn't leave on bad terms, and her family didn't hate her.

Normally, anyone would feel excited to learn that their mother's family belonged to a renowned lineage of heroes.

However, I wasn't interested in any famous hero.

'There's no one in this world greater than me.'

Since I am the origin of all heroes.

"Well, your uncle Grey Sephir is leading the visit."

Elisa said seriously.

"I want you to inherit the Sephir family's Black Aura technique. If that happens, you'll reach a level where you can enter the Sanctuary of Heroes next year."

Elisa taught me swordsmanship. I couldn't train myself it would seem strange and suspicious. But in the process, Elisa hadn't taught me how to wield Aura for one simple reason.

The Black Aura technique that Elisa wanted me to learn required the Sephir family's permission.

Being able to learn an Aura technique from a famous hero is something any aspiring knight dreams of.

But I remained indifferent.

Elisa had been postponing teaching me a high-level Aura technique.

Of course, I could use my own Aura method.

But for now, I decided to follow my mother's lessons.

Even though it was frustrating, training together this way was enjoyable.

Still, now that Elisa had made her decision, today would mark the end of her hesitation.

It didn't matter that I didn't truly have the mindset of a Sephir.

As long as I learned the Sephir family's Aura method, everything would be resolved.

It seemed my mother intended for me to take the entrance exam for the Sanctuary of Heroes next year.

But I sighed and smiled.

'I'm planning to enroll this year.'

It wouldn't be next year it would be this year.

Besides, I have this.

— — — || Hero's Status || — — —

「Lucius Behringer」

■| Level: 0 「8%—100%」

「Progress」

■| [0.8%—————————→100%]

「Skills」

■| Aura: None

「Innate」

■| Blocked.

「Missions」

■| None.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — —