I Became the Half-Crippled Young Master of the Ducal Family Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Darkin stared at his torn sleeve.

His expression made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

“Hmph… I didn’t think you’d actually pull it off.”

I looked at him in disbelief.

“Then why did you make do this?”

“Well… because I felt like it.”

“…What?”

Seriously, what kind of ridiculous old man was this?

“Fix your face. I can see exactly what you’re thinking.”

“……”

It wasn’t just that he was strong—I wondered if he had learned mind reading too.

Darkin spoke with a faint smile.

“Still, since you completed a mission I thought was impossible, I’ll grant you a reward.”

“……You’re not about to make do sothing weird again, are you?”

“You brat!”

He smacked on the head with his wooden sword.

“Argh!”

It was so fast that even though I had half-expected it and was sowhat prepared, I couldn’t react at all. If he’d added just a bit more strength, my skull would’ve been shattered.

“When I tell you to do sothing, just do it. Got it?”

“I’m genuinely curious—why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”

“Didn’t you hear what I just said? I told you not to talk back, you blockheaded fool!”

“This is too frustrating. I really can’t take it! I got dragged here without knowing why, got beaten within an inch of my life, and forced to swing a sword. Don’t I at least get to ask that much?”

Honestly, even this much was an absurd thing to say. But the emotional distance between us had narrowed over the past few days, and with my ntal strength pushed to the edge, I ended up just blurting it out.

He wasn’t just so random old man passing by—he was the second most powerful figure in the North, in the Winterbell Ducal Family.

If Arkan was the king of the North, then this man was the viceroy. He often said as a matter of habit that he could kill soone like at any ti.

And I knew that was true. Darkin definitely had the ability—and the personality—to do it. If he made up his mind, I would die right here.

A way to survive? Is there really such a thing? Maybe I could exploit an opening using Makina, but honestly, the difference in level was so huge that I doubted even that would work.

Either way, if I couldn’t kill him in one strike, the one who’d die would be .

In the past, there were countless cases of young Deuses who couldn’t fully control Makina getting killed.

To the powerful, a Deus who couldn’t wield Makina properly was no different from a walking golden goblin. That was one of the reasons I hadn’t revealed I was a Deus.

It was true that simply being able to wield the power of Makina was a trendous privilege…

But that didn’t an I was invincible.

Unless I could defend myself with my own strength, I should never reveal the truth. To be blunt, if the old man in front of found out I was a Deus, would he really let live?

No. He would absolutely kill .

He’d kill , steal Makina, and try to seize control of Winterbell’s power all over again.

At least, that’s the kind of person Darkin appeared to be in my eyes.

Maybe even the other brothers—or Arkan himself—might co after . That’s how terrifying great power can be.

Bestia and Malero Saladin, who were closer than family to , betrayed . So why would these people be any different?

‘Yeah. There’s no one you can really trust.’

Darkin’s serious voice rang in my ears.

“Why’s a brat got such a grim face? You look like a seventy-year-old man.”

Well, maybe not seventy…

But if you included my previous life, I definitely didn’t belong in this age group.

“You said you were curious why I dragged you out here and made you do all this, right?”

“Yes.”

“It’s for revenge.”

“…Revenge?”

“Yeah. To take revenge on that bastard Arkan.”

“……”

I shut my mouth.

Sothing told that if I said anything carelessly here, I wouldn’t be able to take it back.

No matter how strong this man was, he was still the second-in-command.

This was Arkan’s kingdom. Arkan’s land.

And yet he was saying things like this?

Revenge—so openly?

That was practically asking to be killed.

Was he so sure this wouldn’t reach Arkan’s ears?

“There you go again, spinning things in that little head of yours. You fool. How can soone so small act so damn sly? Don’t worry. The kind of revenge I’m talking about isn’t what you’re thinking.”

“…Then what is it?”

“I’ve never once beaten Arkan. So I want to win through you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Beco my disciple.”

“…What? D-Disciple?”

“Yes. That’s my revenge. The disciple I trained with my own hands becos the next ruler of the North. Even if I never beat him with the sword, I taught his bloodline and made him the Patriarch. That ans I won the succession war, doesn’t it? It’s not like Arkan plans on backing you to be Patriarch anyway, does he?”

“……”

“I wonder what kind of face Arkan would make if the guy I trained beca the Patriarch! Hahaha!”

To think that was what he had in mind.

Darkin wanted to take in as his disciple? Was he serious? The second-in-command of the Winterbell Ducal Family offering to train personally was an incredible opportunity.

Darkin Winterbell—one of the top ten swordsn in the world.

The Sword Demon, Darkin.

If I could learn his sword techniques, I could grow stronger at a pace that couldn’t even be compared to now.

‘I have to seize this chance! No matter what!’

I looked at him with a serious face, then imdiately dropped to the ground and bowed. At that, Darkin Winterbell shouted in surprise.

“W-What do you think you’re doing?!”

It was the first ti I’d seen him flustered.

Even soone like him hadn’t expected to act like this. Knowing I had caught him off guard secretly made feel good.

“Didn’t you just say you’d take in as your disciple? Then from this mont on, I will serve you as my teacher. Please accept my bow.”

“…You’re really insane. Puhahaha! How did Arkan end up with a brat like this? Fine! Let’s see what you’ve got!”

The Nine-Bow Rite.

I bowed nine tis. I’d heard it sowhere before—when serving soone as your true teacher, you must bow nine tis to show proper respect.

I wasn’t sure if this was the right way to do it, but that didn’t matter. The only reason I perford the act was to show that I truly intended to beco his disciple.

“I already knew you were a cunning brat, but I didn’t expect you to act this quickly. Still, not bad. Even if you reach a high level, it’s aningless if you’ve got a dumb head. In that sense, you pass.”

“Ha ha, thank you.”

“But whether you can actually beco the Patriarch… that, I’m not so sure about, Ran Winterbell. Do you really think you can beat your other siblings?”

“……”

After a brief mont of thought, I answered with conviction.

“Yes. I will definitely beco the Patriarch. Even if you hadn’t agreed to be my teacher, my future wouldn’t have changed. I’m certain of it.”

“Arrogant bastard. Your confidence could pierce the heavens. What makes you so sure?”

“Myself.”

“I’m asking what you’re hiding.”

“That’s a secret. Doesn’t everyone keep at least one card up their sleeve?”

Darkin’s eyes flashed like a wolf’s.

Eyes of a predator sizing up its prey.

He was trying to figure out what I was hiding.

But just this once, I couldn’t back down.

“Interesting. Very interesting. Yeah. It’s important to have that kind of cunning. I was the sa. That’s the only reason I survived this long. That’s how a wolf who lost the succession war managed to cling to life for this long.”

“……”

“Fine. From this day forward, I’ll truly accept you as my disciple. I, the Sword Demon, Darkin Winterbell, hereby take you as my student. You’ll be my first disciple—I’ve never taken one before. Consider it an honor.”

“…It’s an honor, Teacher.”

“Training begins imdiately.”

Surprised, I asked,

“Huh? Already?”

We’d just gone through hell, and now we were starting training right away?

“Already? You really don’t get it, do you… you stupid disciple. Who do you think your competitors are?”

“My competitors… are my siblings.”

“That’s right, you dumb bastard. So can you beat Ryan Winterbell? Lux Winterbell? Lin Winterbell? Marian Winterbell? And the rest of your siblings? Are you stronger than them?”

To be honest, I thought I could beat at least a few of them. But I wasn’t foolish enough to say that out loud.

“…It’ll be difficult.”

“To beco the Patriarch, you have to be stronger than all of them. Ti isn’t fair. Do you think those bastards are going to sit around and wait for you to catch up? Of course not. They’ll trample your sprout before it becos a tree. You’ll be cut down before you even grow. That’s the fate of the Winterbells. So all you can do is work like a madman. When others are resting, when others are sleeping—you pick up your sword and swing it one more ti. That’s your job.”

He was right.

To beco the Patriarch, I had to be stronger than my siblings.

Lux Winterbell and Ryan Winterbell already stood at the top. They were ones trying to rise even beyond the sky. Their talent and effort were such that even I—ard with mories and experiences from a previous life—would have to push myself relentlessly just to barely catch up. No, even if I spent my whole life trying, I might never reach them.

They were the ones who, even within the blessed Winterbell family, were called true geniuses.

That’s why I—

“I’ll give it my all.”

—had to work even harder.

There wasn’t much ti left until the exhibition match Arkan had ntioned. I didn’t think I would lose in my current state. But I wasn’t training like this to defeat nobodies. The place I was aiming for was the summit of this world.

Malero Saladin. Arkan.

Becoming a transcendent like them—that was my goal.

No—my goal was to rise even higher than them.

‘No matter what, I’ll forge the Ninth Star before ti runs out.’

I strengthened my resolve.

“Please make strong.”

“If you’re going to run, say so now. Once it starts, there’s no running away. I’ll ask you one last ti—do you have the resolve to follow my guidance?”

“Yes. I’ll endure whatever it takes.”

“Good. That kind of stubbornness is what it takes to beco Patriarch. Ran Winterbell. My disciple. I’ll make you the next Patriarch with my own hands.”

And so, I beca the one and only disciple of Elder Darkin Winterbell.