Chapter 30: Milo Weiss

It’s no coincidence that Marquis Mihalik is loyal to the Weiss family.

Unless a mutation occurs, most traits are inherited, and it’s the same for people.

The Weiss family mostly excelled in martial prowess, and they were primarily individuals who chose the path of the knight.

Considering how many individuals called Sword Masters emerged from that family, one can guess the weight the name Weiss carries.

Well, for starters, those called the strongest of their time all bore the Weiss name, so that should say it all.

And simply put, just looking at the physique of the woman who opened that door and entered-

“Tsk, it’s been a long time since I’ve been in this d*mn space too.”

In fact, one could tell she was a strong person.

Even without the Weiss epithet, she had an appearance that seemed considerably strong.

Because her sturdy physique, broad shoulders, and those prominent muscles, even though she was wearing a uniform, were instinctively proving that she was a strong person.

I know a certain amount about that woman.

She was an impressive figure, so she was still in my memory.

Among the collateral branches of the Weiss family, the ones treated first are the siblings of the previous Grand Duke.

So, it meant she was my younger brother’s aunt, the younger sister of the previous Grand Duke.

“What? Why has everyone suddenly gone quiet? Enjoy yourselves. I didn’t come here to cause a scene today.”

And in fact, she was also a famous figure in the Weiss Duchy in a bad sense.

If the Grand Duke was just the naive type, that one over there was, well, how should I put it.

“Ha, this is why I didn’t want to come. And-“

‘…A barbarian?’

‘Yes, that word seems just right.’

‘She didn’t exactly look like a civilized person at first glance.’

She was a person who would look much better in a gladiator’s attire than in that kind of uniform.

Unchanged from the past, or now-

Thud-!

Crash-!

“It’s been a long time for you too, little one-eye.”

‘Being rude was also the same?’

“…Yes, it has been a long time. Lady Milo.”

I somehow managed to smooth out my hardened expression and offered a smile to her, who had jumped right in front of me.

She, who had leaped from the door to this spot in an instant, seemed to pay no mind to etiquette, just as before.

“I never thought you’d be sitting in that seat, though. Tsk, how did such a frail thing receive the Holy Sword’s choice.”

She looks down at me with a sly yet threatening smile.

With her already tall stature, and me being seated, I have no choice but to crane my neck considerably.

Perhaps by modern standards, she would be around two meters tall.

“I share the same thought. But unfortunately, I ended up sitting here.”

It’s not that I don’t feel intimidated by that sight.

Even I would be surprised if a boulder was about to fall right in front of me.

Even a rational person couldn’t control physiological reactions.

“Unfortunately, my *ss. Anyone would covet that seat. You’re happy about it deep down too, aren’t you?”

However, that was separate from the way I looked at the person in front of me.

Because even in fear, reason was still doing its job.

Even if a wild beast rampaged before my eyes, if it lacked proper intelligence, it wasn’t much of a threat.

Especially if it was someone so simple-minded and ignorant.

“…I do think I’m wearing clothes that don’t suit my station.”

“Heh, you sound just like those pretentious b*stards in the Empire. No, wait, is it because you’re also from the Empire in the end?”

‘Just a few soft words, roughly spoken.’

“Perhaps that could be the case. The people I saw when I was young used to speak like this.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Still, you’re better than them. At least you’re not grating on my nerves, right? Making me want to just crush you.”

Satisfied with herself, she voluntarily retreats.

There’s no need to be scared and run away from such people.

They are easy to dispose of, easy to talk to, and even easier to handle.

Moreover, they are not even good at reading emotions, so it doesn’t really matter if I don’t manage my expression.

“You must have had a hard time. There probably isn’t anyone like that in the North, so please make yourself comfortable. I’ll have a good room prepared for you in the mansion.”

“Kyahahat! Yeah. I’ll rest comfortably. You’re definitely better at this than your predecessor!”

She ruffles the hair Mary had arranged with her hand once, then laughs heartily as if satisfied.

I don’t know how she lived in the Empire, but she was still an ill-mannered person.

‘Hmm, by the way.’

‘Why did she come here?’

‘Looking at her expression earlier, she definitely didn’t just come to say hello.’

‘She did say herself that she didn’t come to cause a scene, but there’s no way this person would leave without causing some kind of trouble, right?’

‘That’s what I find amusing.’

‘In a boring daily life, if a funny-looking gorilla suddenly appeared and danced away, wouldn’t everyone laugh?’

‘I was already tired of myself anyway, so I was hoping something interesting would happen this time.’

‘With this person in front of me, Milo Weiss, that possibility is very high-’

“…It’s been a long time, Aunt.”

‘…Oh?’

“Ah? Well, if it isn’t our Philip. You’ve grown a bit, so you’ve come to greet your aunt, huh? When you were little, you just hid behind Eleonora and trembled.”

Before I knew it, my younger brother was standing behind her, offering his greetings.

Considering he used to hide behind me and cry when he was little, as she said, it was a remarkable improvement.

‘Well, come to think of it, maybe?’

‘The most recent trouble she caused was giving a monster from the South as a gift for my younger brother’s tenth birthday party.’

‘I think it was a lizard about her height; thanks to that, I remember my younger brother came to my room and slept that day.’

‘It was a bit of a hassle, but anyway.’

“I’m not a child anymore.”

‘I wondered if he would be scared like in the old days, but if he’s like this, he’s doing his job splendidly-’

“Yes, a member of the Weiss family should naturally be like that! I wondered if the day would ever come when this boy would become dignified, but-“

“More importantly, Aunt.”

‘…Oh.’

“…Hmm?”

“Although it is true that you, Aunt, have accumulated more experience than my sister, my sister is the head of the Weiss family, so I would appreciate it if you showed her proper respect. Just as you did, to our father.”

Oh?

“…Ha??”

‘What on earth made that kid do such a commendable thing in succession like this?’

‘It was praiseworthy that he opened up to others at the banquet, and now he’s even confronting his aunt.’

‘As I was already bored, there was no spectacle more amusing than this.’

‘Since my younger brother said that, Milo Weiss will soon show an incredible 모습.’

‘Because that woman-’

“…Ha, my nephew, seems to have grown up quite a lot, huh?”

‘-was the type who really hated having her words cut off.’

‘And as a bonus, that included criticism directed at herself.’

‘It’s not for nothing that she was practically kicked out of the Duchy and went to the Empire.’

‘Her relationship with the previous Grand Duke wasn’t too bad, so she was able to visit occasionally.’

“To even think of talking back to your aunt like this.”

Wearing that same sly expression from before, she stands in front of my younger brother.

Since my younger brother is still about the same height as me, there’s a definite gap.

About three heads, roughly forty centimeters.

Well, my younger brother is still growing, and the Weiss family members are said to have monstrous physiques, but-

“…It’s the, right thing to say, isn’t it.”

‘That was a bit too much.’

‘Her physique was large even within the Weiss family, so there was a big difference.’

‘How should I put it, like a rabbit standing before a tiger?’

‘Since my younger brother hadn’t lost all his baby fat yet and hadn’t escaped his boyishness, it was exactly like that.’

‘Especially, in terms of skill… that one is slightly below the Grand Duke.’

‘Meaning, she was also a Sword Master.’

‘Unlike the aged physician, she was likely still in her prime.’

‘It wasn’t for nothing that the Weiss family was called monstrous, so in a way, it was natural.’

‘If she decided to go on a rampage, this place would undoubtedly become a mess.’

‘Strong individuals of that caliber possessed the power to unleash the destructive force of a Holy Sword even barehanded.’

“The right thing to say? The right thiiing? Nephew, why are you so confident? You, despite being born with the blood of the Weiss family, are no different from failing to defeat that one frail little kid.”

However, well.

“Huh? You’re no different from being completely outmatched by that one dying little girl, are you?”

‘It’s not something to be overly wary of.’

‘Even though her personality is eccentric, she’s not the type to directly beat up her nephew or anything.’

‘She tends to look down on the weak, but she wasn’t the type to bully them.’

‘Probably, even if she treated him harshly, it would end with simply knocking him out or something similar.’

‘Because she is simple-minded yet, as a knight, as a warrior who fights above all else, she greatly values honor.’

‘Noble etiquette doesn’t have much impact on a knight’s honor, but crushing the weak did.’

“Aren’t your words too harsh? Dying, you say.”

‘Anyway, for me, it’s just one more amusing spectacle.’

‘I was having trouble learning expressions because there were no dramas or anything like that here anyway, so it turned out well.’

‘Especially that woman’s expressions were incredibly vivid, so it was quite fun to study them.’

‘It’s questionable whether I’ll ever play a role with an expression defined as ‘arrogance,’ but it was good to learn it anyway.’

“If she’s that frail, then, do you think she’ll live a long life? And, you’re angry about the wrong thing. You shouldn’t be angry about such useless things; you should have been angry about the insult directed at you.”

A strong aura, similar yet distinctly different from the physician’s, emanates.

The banquet music, which had stopped at some point, and the atmosphere of the banquet, which seemed to be getting noisy again at her words, subsides.

Even though the intense and powerful aura overwhelms the surroundings, there was no one to stop her.

There were a few with similar skills, but not similar status.

Meaning, there wasn’t anyone bold enough to intervene in an internal Weiss family dispute.

“…That’s-“

“Or, do you think it’s an insult you deserve in the first place? Even you seem to be ashamed of the fact that you lost to that frail, one-eyed girl, don’t you?”

‘Ah, of course, excluding me.’

‘If I intervened, it might enter a temporary lull, but why would I?’

‘Why should I?’

‘Of course, insults about me are flying around, but it’s not a story that particularly bothers me.’

‘It’s true I’m frail, and it’s true I’ll die soon, so what.’

‘I’m not the type to get angry at such insults.’

‘Rather, if he hadn’t fought back like that, I might have burst with anger and taken it out on others.’

‘I’m grateful to my younger brother for that.’

‘Thanks to him, I don’t need to grind up a few more people, do I?’

‘In the sense that he moderately restrained his sister from doing something socially wrong, it was already a passing grade.’

“…Even so, that doesn’t give you, Aunt, a reason to act so rudely.”

“Ha! So in the end, you’re back to lecturing your elders, nephew? This is absurd, absolutely absurd. Why did that person raise this kid like this-“

At those words, my younger brother’s face contorted, and his hand automatically moved to the sword at his waist.

It was a spirited posture, as if he could no longer bear it, as if he could no longer stand idly by, but-

“That.”

At that sight, Milo, without moving a finger, roughened her aura and glared fiercely at my younger brother.

“If you draw it, I’ll consider it genuine defiance. While I’m still being lenient as your aunt, cut it out.”

My younger brother stops his hand the moment it’s about to touch the sword, under that pressure.

Indeed, since my younger brother’s skill was still far from the top, it was unavoidable.

For those who had reached the level of the Grand Duke or the physician, someone like my younger brother was merely an ant.

‘Isn’t it obvious from what the physician does in the first place?’

‘She’s a person who can cut off all the air in an area with a single gesture; it’s a given what that woman in front of me will be like without even seeing it.’

“…Tsk, ha. Anyway, it’s a joyous day, and I thought you should have some time to enjoy yourself, so I was considerate, but you insisted on crossing the line, is that it?”

Crack-

Force enters his fist, and the sound of bones grinding together is loud.

‘What could it be, what will she really say?’

‘Whatever she says, it’s bound to be something incredibly interesting.’

I relaxed my expression and looked at the situation before me as if it were serious.

It looked like I would intervene if necessary, but I had no intention of doing so.

‘When the monkey’s tricks are quite amusing, there’s no need to throw a banana yet, is there?’

‘For now, I just need to watch with interest.’

“Yes, in the first place, I came here because of you, Philip. I don’t want to question the Holy Sword’s choice, but it means there’s a clear problem with you, doesn’t it?”

My younger brother merely remains silent at those words; he remains silent, perhaps knowing himself that he was outmatched by me.

It also seems like something deep within his heart has been greatly provoked.

‘Yes, my younger brother wasn’t a saint, was he?’

‘He probably wouldn’t have shown it in front of me, but wasn’t there an inferiority complex lurking in his heart?’

‘An ordinary person wouldn’t be able to accept the fact that their much weaker and frailer older sister was stronger and chosen as a more suitable monarch.’

‘At least, that was my experience, so I could only surmise that my younger brother would be the same.’

‘At least, according to my usual rational emotional analysis.’

‘However, I just remained quiet because he didn’t say anything about it.’

‘There’s no need for me, who can’t even empathize, to try and touch on emotional aspects, is there?’

“If you were born with our family’s talent, you should have been chosen, no matter who the opponent was. Just how much did you neglect your efforts to get this kind of result, huh?”

So, even if Philip trembled like that, there was nothing I could do for him.

It’s just, how should I put it.

I just slightly disliked it.

Of course, more important than that was the amusing sight before my eyes.

“…Therefore, I challenge you to a rematch, Philip.”

‘A rematch, yes.’
‘That’s an appropriate choice.’

‘My position as Grand Duke is already confirmed, so it seems her intention is to aim for the heir’s position.’

‘Those who couldn’t participate in the succession ceremony due to unavoidable circumstances could challenge the one chosen at the succession ceremony to a duel.’

‘If they won, they could hold the succession ceremony once more, a duel called a rematch.’

‘However, naturally, that would also require the qualification of an heir, and Milo, who was already not chosen by the Holy Sword, is unqualified.’

‘Hmm, if that’s the case-’

“Of course, the opponent won’t be me, but my son, Bartos Weiss.”

‘Yes, that’s how it should be.’

‘Because she had a grown son, the qualification issue is also resolved.’

‘Of course, unlike my younger brother, that son was already grown and his skills were at a higher level, which was the difference.’

‘Even if my younger brother was talented, he was no match for that son who had similar talent and more experience.’

“You can accept that much, right? If you want to prove there’s no problem with you, accept it meekly. I don’t want to accept that my nephew was outdone by such a mere fellow.”

But, knowing my younger brother from past experiences, even if he knew that, he would definitely-

“…Instead.”

‘-accept it.’

‘Because he was a younger brother who was stubborn in strange places.’

“…If I win and prove it, you, Aunt, will also apologize for speaking rudely to my sister and me. Those kinds of words, I cannot tolerate.”

“…Ha! Still lecturing to the end, you’re truly impertinent, nephew. Yes, I’ll gladly do so! So, don’t chicken out like a coward and tell me. Will you accept, or will you not accept!”

Crack-

“I will, accept.”

My younger brother gritted his teeth and offered his acceptance.

Watching that scene, I, for a change, was showing a blank expression.

As usual, it didn’t match my inner thoughts at all, and it also seemed to be filled with only anticipation.

‘…Something.’

‘Emotionally, I felt something strange… something I’ve never felt before.’

‘…However, even if that were the case, it wouldn’t have been in the realm of empathy anyway.’

‘I merely paid a little more attention to the interest.’