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Chapter 13
I’ll Call You by Your Name Now
In the end, all this chaos was caused by Cedar’s strange insistence on keeping Lady Nelly’s recovery a secret.
Hyle was determined. Even if Cedar beat him half to death, he was going to convince him to reveal Nelly’s existence to the world.
But contrary to his expectations, Cedar didn’t even seem interested enough to hit him. He simply replied in a light, unconcerned tone:
“That’s not it.”
“Not it, my foot,” Hyle muttered, giving Cedar a dead-fish glare and answering lazily,
“Yes, yes. From an objective third-party perspective, that’s exactly what it looks like.”
“You little—”
Of course Cedar knew Hyle was deliberately provoking him.
Just as Hyle understood Cedar well, Cedar also knew Hyle inside out. He simply wasn’t used to expressing things honestly.
Still, if Hyle knows what’s really going on, it might help him keep the secret later…
Nelly’s family background was her private business, so it was only right for her to tell that story herself. Cedar decided to talk only about his own situation.
“…You know how messy my family is.”
He’d made up his mind, but the words didn’t come easily.
When Cedar hesitated, Hyle tilted his head.
“Wouldn’t the Duchess be happy, though? She’s been nagging nonstop, saying your mother’s basically useless and you should get yourself a proper wife.”
“Exactly. That’s the problem.”
“Huh?”
Blinking, Hyle offered a weak smile.
“Don’t tell me you’re worried Lady Nelly will run away after a mother-in-law fight…”
“A fight between in-laws, my ass.”
If only it were that simple—a cranky mother to deal with. He could handle that easily enough.
If his mother mistreated his wife, he’d cut her off without hesitation.
But what he was facing now was far more complicated. So Cedar got straight to the point.
“My brother’s coming back soon from the Academy. He’s a mage. I heard his specialty is interfering directly with the magic circuits inside a person’s body.”
He said it casually, but in truth, the second son of House Granite was as renowned in the capital as Cedar himself.
Hyle knew exactly who he meant—and was actually one of the people most eagerly awaiting his return.
“I’ve heard about him, yes. It’s still theoretical, but they say if someone with natural talent and strong mana assists him, he might even be able to force a person to awaken as a Swordmaster.”
Interfering directly with internal mana circuits.
Meaningless for ordinary people—but to Aura Sword users who channel mana through their swordsmanship, that was an extraordinary gift.
They coat their blades with mana, creating swords harder than steel—Aura Swords.
Only one in hundreds ever reach that level. And even then, it’s not the end.
Sword User. Sword Expert. Sword Intermediate.
After surpassing all that, when one can form an Aura Sword without even holding a blade—then one earns the title:
Swordmaster.
There are four realms, and though each seems only a step away, the distance between them is immense.
Many have realized their limits at the edge of the sword and shattered it themselves.
Even becoming a Sword User requires talent, but beyond that, talent alone almost wholly decides the rest.
And that talent—the heart’s capacity to store mana and sustain an Aura Sword’s strength—was the key.
It’s not a level you can reach just by learning. Even among Sword Users, everyone experiences mana flow differently.
But if someone could interfere directly with the mana circuits inside the body—? Then the whole paradigm of “talent-based mana control” would collapse.
Maybe… I could go one level higher.
His heart pounded wildly at the thought.
“Tch. Shouldn’t have said that.”
Seeing Hyle’s excited expression, Cedar clicked his tongue.
“It’s only theory. He’s never actually tested it on a Sword User.”
“Still amazing. It gives hope to those of us who’ve hit a wall.”
“Yeah, maybe. I’m not as optimistic as you, though. Gaining power without effort always comes with side effects.”
Expectations lead to disappointment—Cedar worried about that. But Hyle’s response was completely off-track.
“You sound pretty negative about your brother. Are you two not close?”
Brother.
Cedar fell silent. It had been so long since he’d seen his brother’s face that he could barely remember it.
He had such a pretty face, almost feminine. We didn’t look alike at all.
The only similarity between them was their black hair—but even that felt different.
Cedar’s was short and coarse; Grisha’s flowed silkily, the same color but completely different in texture.
We actually got along okay at first…
Until everything broke. The day Grisha fled to the Academy.
[“Was it you, Brother? Did you make my mother die?”]
Those deep blue eyes—burning with betrayal.
Cedar couldn’t deny it.
Because the one who killed his brother’s mother… was Cedar’s own. The Duchess, Lady Brier.
[“It was for your sake, Cedar.”]
All for him.
His mother had poisoned the woman to secure his future.
But could he really say he wasn’t responsible?
Cedar gave a bitter smile.
“Close? There’s nothing like that. He entered the Academy young to become a mage, and I haven’t seen him since.”
He barely remembered his brother’s face, yet their last conversation was still vivid.
If I hadn’t known the truth, maybe it wouldn’t hurt this much. I shouldn’t have talked to him that day.
His half-brother—born of the Duchess, unlike him.
Grisha Granite.
“Once Grisha returns, Father will start discussing who the official heir of House Granite should be.”
“I see.”
Hyle, already holding the rank of Baron after becoming a Sword User, nodded half-heartedly.
Noble succession disputes felt distant to him.
It’s obviously going to be Cedar. He’s a Swordmaster. While that younger brother was off studying, Cedar led the Blue Dragon Knights and earned countless honors.
Hyle smiled faintly as he watched Cedar silently prepare their meal.
Ah, I get it now. He’s keeping Lady Nelly a secret until his title as heir is officially confirmed.
Though the heir was practically decided, he was probably keeping up the rumor that his wife was “in recovery” to protect her.
So in the end, it’s just because he loves her too much.
Unaware of Cedar’s true feelings, Hyle blushed, convinced that Cedar was being swept up by the winds of love.
What a grand, tragic love story!
And so the misunderstanding only deepened.
A tall young man with a willow-slim build strode down the hallway, his robe fluttering behind him.
An elderly mage following after him called out in a strained voice,
“Grisha! Grisha Granite!”
The young man stopped and turned. His long black hair, loosely tied, swayed in the air before settling again.
The eyes that looked back were cold sapphires, as chill as ice.
“What is it?”
Even his voice was sharp and cold. The old mage caught up, panting heavily.
“Huff… why do you walk so fast… huff…”
“If you have no business with me, I’ll be going.”
“Wait!”
The mage grabbed the edge of Grisha’s robe before he could leave.
“Are you truly leaving the Academy? With your talent, you could become a Grand Mage like Nelly Fairway!”
Grisha tugged his robe free without hesitation.
“There’s someone waiting for me.”
“Grisha!”
The mage’s face twisted in disappointment.
“How can you walk away from such an achievement? You’re on the verge of becoming a Grand Mage! Is that all your passion for magic amounts to? Were you just pretending?”
“It’s not that. There’s simply someone I value more than magic.”
“Grisha Granite!”
“You seem to have nothing more to say. I’ll be going.”
Grisha’s lips twisted slightly. Not passionate about magic?
If she hadn’t told me to become a mage, I’d have left long ago.
He knew his own heart well—what he wanted to do, and who came first.
My recognition as a mage took longer than planned. She must be awake by now.
He hadn’t told Nelly about his family; he wanted to be recognized by her as Grisha the person, not as the Duke’s son.
But now he regretted it.
She must be so confused, not even knowing where to reach me.
He needed to get to her as soon as possible.
Teleportation was strictly regulated—no mage could use it outside designated zones.
But he was going straight to the Imperial Capital.
Usually, the thought of the capital made his chest heavy—but not this time.
His heart was racing, light and strange.
I’ll see her again.
He almost called her “Sister” out of habit—but caught himself.
He didn’t need to call her that anymore.
“Nelly.”
It was time to stand proudly by her side.
