Chapter 51: The Great Brother’s Record. (4)
The Great Sage, my eldest brother, Valter Daphne.
He was the cornerstone who led our family through its golden age, and a genius among geniuses who had shown his innate talent in both academics and magic from an early age.
If people heard that he had created a record, they would have expected it to be filled with gold, silver, and treasures.
But... the scene that unfolded inside was far from Hardin’s expectations.
“Is this it?”
The space was only about twice the size of Hardin’s room, and along the walls stood three bookshelves.
And the majority of the books on those shelves...
[The Story of Tonquixote - Author: Cervantes]
[The Galaton Saga - Author: Bittern Roman]
[moirs of Countess Ributon - Author: Lavish]
They were chivalric romances or heroic sagas that my elder brother used to enjoy... and silly courtly love novels.
“Nooo, this isn’t what I need right no.. Don’t ss with ee.”
Hardin’s face twisted, growing increasingly red.
“Brother? Where’s the elixir? Where the hell is the gold and silver treasure?”
Thud! Thud! Thuud!
No, this couldn’t be all of it.
With a tearful face, Hardin began pulling the books off the shelves and tossing them aside one after another.
‘What am I supposed to do with this crap!’
Well, he knew there were collectors who gathered these types of books, and that they could fetch a decent price.
But... even so, how much money could that really bring?
‘I’m not even asking for an elixir. But still, there should be sothing I can actually use right now!’
Please, pleaase, let sothing turn up.
If not... he would have to live for years in this wretched body!
Just then, while flipping through more books in the hope of finding sothing of value...
[Quotations of Valter Daphne - Author: Valter Daphne]
“......”
The mont he saw his brother’s na written there, a serious expression appeared on Hardin’s face.
He instinctively sensed it.
That there might be so crucial clue written in this.
Rustle!
He carefully turned the pages.
[Question: A knight is doing a handstand. What should we call him?]
[Answer: A ‘fraud’. Because flipping ‘knight (기사)’ upside down gives you ‘fraud (사기)’.]
Watching this, Hardin began trembling and his face flushed red...
“Why the hell would you even put this in storage!”
Whack!
He hurled the book onto the floor.
“Damn it!”
He threw a punch at the bookshelf in irritation.
Crash!
Hardin’s fist pierced through the bookshelf and continued into the back.
Seriously, this temper of his...
Grinding his teeth, he began pulling his hand back when...
“...Huh?”
From the hole he had punched through the middle of the bookshelf, a faint light was seeping out.
Hardin peered through the hole this way and that, then reached out and felt around the bookshelf again.
“Could this be...”
He ticulously inspected every part beneath, beside, and above the bookshelf, feeling around with the palm of his hand.
In the process, he spotted a section where the color of the wood had subtly changed.
When he pressed it firmly with his hand...
Clack!
A heavy tallic sound and the noise of friction rang out.
Hardin gripped the bookshelf and pushed it sideways.
Creeeaaak!
The bookshelf slid aside, revealing a hidden space behind it.
A space the sa size as the study.
A couple of glowstones were embedded in the walls, and in the center stood a circular stone platform with two iron pillars rising from it.
The magical inscriptions engraved across the pillars made clear what this structure was.
“A portal?”
A portal—an apparatus created by inscribing teleportation-type magic onto a specific place or object, allowing movent between two connected points.
The alloy used in its structure had to be a precise mix of mana stone and steel.
The raw materials were expensive, and the craftsmanship required to make it had to be exceptional.
I wasn’t sure how things were now, but back in my ti, it had been an absurdly expensive item.
Why sothing like that was here, I had no clue.
‘If I dismantled and sold it, maybe I could get enough to afford an elixir?’
The problem was how to get it out of here...
Still, it was much better than nothing, wasn’t it?
Just as Hardin scratched his forehead with a complex expression—
– …Welco.
A voice suddenly ca from behind him.
“Eek!”
Startled, Hardin leapt into the air and drew his sword.
And by the ti he ca to his senses, his eyes and mouth opened wide for an entirely different reason.
“Wha... what?”
Standing at the center of the space was soone with a very familiar face.
A pale face, small slit-like eyes, a kind mouth that gave a gentle impression.
And light-blue hair, elegant and flowing down to the waist.
“Ba... Brother Valter?”
The man who had once been the Great Young Master of Daphne and was hailed a prodigy at a young age, earning the title of Great Sage.
And after their father’s death, had served for decades as the 17th Lord of the Daphne House—Valter Daphne.
The eldest brother was standing right in front of him.
To be precise, it wasn’t the version of his brother Hardin rembered... but a ‘aged’ version, with a face full of wrinkles.
“H-How are you here...”
Clang!
Hardin threw aside his sword and rushed toward him, stretching his arm toward his brother’s shoulder.
“Brother!”
Whoosh!
But Hardin’s hand passed straight through his body.
“...Huh?”
Whoosh, whoosh.
Hardin blinked and tried several more tis to grab Valter, but each ti, his hand only sliced through empty air.
After that repeated several more tis, a furrow ford between Hardin’s brows.
“...An illusion spell?”
A type of magic used by mages for various reasons—whether to deceive an enemy or leave behind a record...
Now grasping the situation, Hardin passed his hand through the illusion a few more tis.
The smile faded from his face, replaced by a bitter expression.
‘Yeah, it wouldn’t make sense.’
No matter how great his brother was, there was no way he’d still be alive.
Most likely, he had left behind a ssage for whoever might one day discover this place.
“......”
It was a strange feeling.
I may have died and over 80 years had passed, but... to , it had only been a few short months since I’d last seen him.
And yet, seeing him aged like that...
A vague bitterness crept across his face, difficult to describe in words.
Hardin slowly took a step back.
‘Well then, let’s hear what you have to say.’
As he quietly t the illusion’s eyes, the figure smiled and began to speak.
– I am Valter Daphne, the 17th Lord of the Daphne House. This illusion was recorded on February 4th, in the year 831.
Hardin’s eyebrow twitched.
‘831... that’s about 30 years after I died.’
That would put Big Brother at around seventy years old.
As Hardin folded his arms and calmly reviewed the tiline, the illusion continued speaking.
– By the way, this record hides a trendous treasure worth tens of millions of gold.
“Really?”
Hardin instinctively reacted, and just then, the illusion of his brother smiled and said:
– Ho ho! Just kidding. As if there would be sothing like that. The books you saw on the way in—those are all there is. Though, I do believe even those books hold great value.
“......”
This guy...
As Hardin scowled, the illusion gave an awkward laugh and cleared his throat a few tis before continuing.
– Ahem! I don’t know exactly who found this room... but more than likely, it’s a descendant of our house. It’s a pleasure to et you this way.
Not a descendant. It’s , Brother.
He wanted to say that... but the words just wouldn’t co out.
– Whoever you may be, I’m sure you’re an excellent, capable person, ready to throw yourself wholeheartedly into serving our family.
The illusion smiled again.
– You were just thinking, ‘That part’s right,’ weren’t you? Ho ho!
“......”
No, Brother. Sadly, I’m just a good-for-nothing incompetent.
Hardin’s body trembled slightly.
– Well, that’s enough joking around. Before we begin the main discussion, I’d like to start with an apology.
A brief silence.
The illusion let out a deep sigh, moved his lips for a while, then finally began to speak again with difficulty.
– By the ti you discover this vault, the Daphne House will likely be far weaker than it was in the past. The knight order of the family will have collapsed, and the secret swordsmanship lost—so in a way, that outco is only natural.
My brother wore a bitter expression, then gave a sheepish smile.
– It’s a bit embarrassing to say this under such circumstances, but... it’s because of my own incompetence. So please, let none of our descendants bla themselves.
In that mont, Hardin’s eyes narrowed.
– I did my best in my own way, and I’ve got my fair share of grievances too, but... in the end, the problems started during my ti. Haha! If it hurts too much, maybe you should read so of those novels I left behind to lift your spirits. That’s what I used to do!
...Is that supposed to be a joke right now?
As Hardin let out a long snort, the illusion of his brother scratched his head awkwardly and continued.
– I’ve rambled long enough. What I really want to say to you is simple.
...And what would that be?
Hardin exhaled deeply, tangled in emotion.
– It doesn’t matter who you are. Just... please, restore our house to glory.
“......”
As Hardin stared silently at the illusion, Valter hesitated for a mont before opening his mouth again.
– Haha! Just now, you were thinking I was being presumptuous, asking for too much when I’ve left behind nothing, weren’t you? That I’m being shaless?
“Yeah... well. That’s about right.”
– Since I’ve already gone shaless, I’ll just ask you for two things.
“What are they?”
– First, I’d like you to restore the family’s harbor.
...Harbor?
Hardin’s eyebrows twitched.
– Our Daphne House grew around the port city of Venetus. A trade port naturally draws talent, information, and money... and the eastern coast is ideally suited for building a harbor.
When Hardin nodded quietly, the illusion waved a finger and continued.
– So if you ever have the ans, I hope you’ll rebuild the harbor and use it as the foundation to revive the house. It’ll be tough at first, but... in the long run, it’s the best path forward.
“...Alright.”
As Hardin replied with a sigh, the illusion now rubbed his chin, the smile fading from his face.
The atmosphere suddenly turned serious.
– And one more request... Please, don’t get involved with the Seven Great Houses anymore.
“The Seven Great Houses?”
What the hell did they do?
Just as a slight frown crept onto Hardin’s forehead—
Crackle! Fzzzt!
– Because... the Seven Great Houses... did... to us... and they... so if they ever...
“Huh?”
Suddenly, the illusion began to flicker, its voice becoming garbled.
“Wait, Brother! Brother?”
Hardin stepped closer and reached out, but once again, his hand passed uselessly through the illusion.
“Hey, Brother?”
The distortion intensified, and the image grew more and more faint...
Whoosh!
The illusion vanished completely.
“...Damn it.”
Hardin stood still, his face twisted in frustration.
‘What the hell did those bastards do to make him say that?’
He could’ve at least finished what he was saying.
Hardin’s arm dropped to his side.
Though he hadn’t heard it all, he could guess.
If even his great brother hadn’t been able to restore the house, then surely... there must’ve been so inevitable tide that overwheld him.
‘So in the end, those Seven Great Houses did sothing.’
Those sons of bitches...
As Hardin clenched his fist again and bit his dry lips—
– This is... my last... gift... Please, use it well...!
With a burst of static, his brother’s voice echoed once more through the air—then faded.
Hardin’s eyes widened.
‘A gift? What did he say?’
Just as he tilted his head in confusion—
Creeeaaaak!
The stone floor where his brother’s illusion had stood began to slide open, and sothing rose from beneath it.
“This is...”
It was a chest.
A plain, rough-looking wooden chest.
Hardin knelt down and slowly opened it.
Peering inside carefully, he saw sothing glowing, packed full within.
A single bottle, made of clear glass, adorned here and there with sapphires.
Inside it was a liquid that looked like the ocean itself had been sealed in a bottle—layers of deep blue and turquoise, shifting and writhing without end.
At the sight of it, the corners of Hardin’s mouth rose as if they could touch the heavens.
“Marina (Marina: The Path of the Sea).”
A potion that his eldest brother and countless other mages had labored to refine—again and again—until it was reborn as an elixir, using the Daphne House’s potion recipe.
– Damn it... Damnnnnn it!
– D-Drink this, Varlach!
A mont from the past flashed through Hardin’s mind.
Even back when I was Varlach, I’d received help from this potion—so I knew all too well just how effective it was.
And now, that precious item was in my hands.
A strange expression crossed my face—a mix of bitterness and joy.
If there was one regret...
‘Is this just the one bottle?’
Hardin stared blankly at Marina’s shimring hue for a mont, then let out a long sigh.
‘So even Brother... must’ve had a hard ti too.’
A pained expression crossed his face.
Just one bottle of elixir—it gave a rough idea of what things must’ve been like at the ti he left it.
As his gaze returned to the inside of the chest, another item caught his eye.
A book.
“This is...”
The mont he opened it, Hardin’s eyes widened.
Inside were pages densely filled with text and diagrams.
After reading through so of it, it didn’t take long to figure out what it was.
‘The recipe for Marina.’
The thod to create Marina, an elixir capable of saving soone even at death’s door.
Undoubtedly, sothing of trendous value.
However...
‘For now... I’ll keep this to myself.’
Hardin tucked the book into his coat.
Even if I knew how to make it, acquiring the necessary ingredients would be next to impossible… not to ntion, our family didn’t have any mage or potion-maker capable of actually crafting it.
Besides, just knowing a skill or piece of knowledge doesn’t an much.
You also need the power to protect it and put it to use.
If word got out that our family had the recipe for an elixir, bastards like those from Calpion would co swarming in again.
So, for now, it was the right choice to keep this to myself.
‘You must’ve really been worried... to go so far as to leave even sothing like this behind.’
Hardin exhaled deeply and turned his head.
“...All that’s left now is to check where that thing leads.”
The portal before him.
Once he confird where it connected to, this whole business would be wrapped up.
Well, he had a pretty good idea already.
Step.
Hardin left the chest behind and stepped lightly onto the round stone platform at the center of the portal.
Then, closing his eyes tightly, he channeled his mana.
Vwooooom!
With the sound of sothing being sucked in—
“Huh?”
He felt his body lift off the ground.
Opening his eyes, he saw the stone floor below receding.
And then—
Boom!
“Gah!”
Hardin’s body dropped straight down and crashed into the floor.
“O..”
Crack!
Pain shot through various parts of his body, and deep wrinkles ford on his forehead.
As he slowly got up, he muttered in complaint.
“Who the hell set up a portal this poorly?”
Rubbing his now-red forehead, he looked up—and was t with a familiar scene.
He was standing in front of the iron bars of the mansion’s unused underground cellar.
“So it was connected to the mansion after all.”
There must’ve been invisible mana sigils carved in here, linking it to the portal.
No wonder… no one in the family had been able to find it.
Such a twisted, typical move for my brother.
“Well then… I’ll make good use of the gift you’ve given .”
As Hardin slowly stood up, a faint smile spread across his face.
Reviews
All reviews (0)