NOVEL NEXT Chapter 209: Secret (2)
Contrary to his usual demeanor, Eil spoke with a cold expression.
“Yes… not an ordinary family…”
His sentence ended with a weighty tone.
He likely considered his words carefully.
After glancing briefly at Eil, Saein let out a sigh.
“Phew… You’re finally going to talk about it, aren’t you?”
“It’s something I’ve been bracing myself for every time I saw Ray.”
“Indeed, since childhood, his aptitude for magic and swordsmanship was extraordinary, but…”
“It’s something that would eventually come to light. Better for us to tell it ourselves.”
With that, he pushed the dining table back.
Despite its heavy appearance, he pushed it with ease, his inner strength almost unimaginable.
Eil was continuously emitting mana from his entire body.
It was akin to witnessing a massive waterfall.
The amount was nearly comparable to the divine power granted by the Goddess Gaia.
‘This is not the amount of mana I’ve seen him wield since childhood…?’
Clearly, his father’s swordsmanship was at least on par with a Swordmaster’s, if not greater.
Given that, his mana shouldn’t have been at such a high level.
But the mana now visible from his father was overturning his expectations.
He could easily suppress someone at Iriel’s level with it.
His mother, too, was releasing mana.
It wasn’t as showy as his father’s, but it was well-contained.
The mana density compressed within her body’s mana rods.
While it wasn’t comparable to his own, it was superior to any human mana he had ever encountered.
“Come outside.”
Following Eil’s command, he was led out to the grass where a pleasant breeze blew, and soon after, Eil cast a spell.
“Fire.”
Fwoosh!
The mana moved smoothly, igniting flames.
It was a familiar yet alien sight.
His mother wasn’t the one using magic, but his father?
And furthermore, the movement of the mana was even smoother than his mother’s magic.
Next, Saein drew a sword from his waist and sliced through the air.
The simple movement seemed to split the atmosphere.
Swish!
The sound of slicing paper accompanied the fierce wind following the sword’s trajectory.
“……”
What was happening?
Was his father, whom he had thought was a swordsman, actually a magician, and his mother, a magician, really a swordsman?
If so, did that not make them both magic swordsmen!
As he alternated his gaze between the two with a complex expression, Eil chuckled and replied.
“Just as you say, ours is not an ordinary family… It’s what you’d call a house of heroes, formed over a long period.”
“…Heroes?”
“It’s an old tale. Since ancient times, saints like you have communicated the gods’ will. They were granted significant divine power, enabling them to converse with the gods. But an issue emerged.”
His father paused, and his mother took over.
“The issue was that the saints were too frail. The gods do not meddle in the human world unless it’s necessary, but when unexpected events arose, they’d communicate through the saints. However, these saints could hear the gods but lacked the strength to confront those unexpected events.”
“Just like 300 years ago, when the necromancer invasion was foretold by the gods, but it couldn’t be prevented.”
“……”
I can’t help but sigh. Is this the way the gods operate, manipulating humans when things don’t go as planned?
“To elaborate, it all began when the great races that were meant to protect this place vanished. From then on, replacements were needed…”
“Does that refer to our family?”
“Yes.”
“Then why don’t we reside in the Holy Kingdom or a similar realm…”
“We’re simply fugitives. From that lineage.”
“What? But why?”
At that question, Saein gave a bitter smile.
“Because they’re all dead. Even though the gods blessed us, living a life that requires constant training for over three hundred years is essentially being dead from the start.”
“But during the necromancer’s invasion, if it hadn’t been for our family, we wouldn’t have survived.”
“Everyone trains in preparation for such times.”
Ray’s expression turned sour during their conversation.
Wait a minute.
Blessing of the gods?
What exactly is that?
After becoming a saint, all I received was some unnecessary divine power!
“The blessing of the gods? What is that?”
“Our family excels in all domains, born with learning and concentration abilities far beyond normal people. Plus, our lifespan is longer than humans’, and we get stronger as we age. Among us, Ray, you’re as smart as your mother.”
“Ahem… Ray takes after me.”
“Does that mean I’m stupid?”
“…I feel like I’ve heard this conversation before…”
Despite their bickering, Ray was deep in thought.
He now understood the situation.
Why such strong parents were living quietly in a corner of this peaceful village.
And why they were not surprised at his growth when he was young.
Unfortunately, it seemed he was not born with that damned blessing of the gods, but he was born with memories of a previous life.
That had been a significant driving force in his growth until now.
As he pieced together the puzzle, his thoughts turned to his sister.
“Is Leisia also… born with the blessing of the gods?”
“…Yes. But it doesn’t change anything. We love you, and we have no intention of imposing the heavy rules of the family on you.”
“Then, why was I chosen as a saint? If what you’re saying is true, our family is like the representative of dragons, moving in situations that saints can’t handle… when the world is in danger?”
Overwhelmed by his question, Saein slumped his shoulders.
“…Well, I’m not sure. Maybe you should ask the gods directly, Ray.”
Asking the gods directly.
That’s a good idea.
Ray took a deep breath and, with the little faith he had left, sought out the gods.
‘Huh… Gaia, let’s have a talk.’
……
Just like at the baptism, no response came.
Was he really blocked?
If it was going to be like this, then why did they choose me as a saint!
Frustration surged within him.
‘Hey, you bastard!’
His call was very rough.
If Iriel had heard it, she would have bitten her tongue.
But still, no answer came from the gods.
As Ray fumed alone, Saein stretched languidly.
“Ugh, it feels good to have that off my chest.”
“I told you, didn’t I? If he was going to be surprised by this, he would’ve been shocked by his own swordsmanship skills first.”
“Later, I’d like to personally teach him swordsmanship.”
They still didn’t realize.
They didn’t understand that they were not in a position to teach him anything.
Had Aira been there, she might have pointed out that it was they who needed to be taught.
Enjoying the pleasant breeze and the sunset, Ray smirked quietly on the hill.
‘Gaia, you’re not planning to answer, are you? Fine, then I have no other choice.’
A hero’s family? Exceptional talent?
This is perfect.
If it’s a life already dead and one that must replace others, I’ll use it to its fullest.
Talented and with a long lifespan.
It would be perfect for taking up medicine.
After all, doesn’t the god also consider me a convenient tool?
I will live a life exploiting the god in return.
The title of saint will be a great support for this purpose.
Blessed by the gods with exceptional learning and concentration abilities, introducing and integrating medicine into the medical academy couldn’t be better.
He looked up at the sky with a sinister smile.
‘Hero, my foot.’
At dinner, he asked his parents about the location of the hero’s family, but they refused to tell him.
They probably didn’t want him getting involved in family affairs.
Saein cut off the conversation with a firm tone.
“The family is dangerous. It’s unavoidable that you’re interested, but I’d rather you didn’t get too close. That’s why we’ve kept it hidden from you until now.”
He had no intention of merely showing interest.
He was fully intent on taking control.
However, since his parents seemed unwilling to divulge any information, he would have to find out on his own.
Maybe Aira, who had lived for a long time, would know something.
He resolved to ask her when he visited the Silia Kingdom again.
After dinner, he went up to his room.
His sister had already taken over the room he used to use.
With no other room available, he had to sleep in the same room as his sleeping sister.
He entered as quietly as possible, confident he wouldn’t wake her.
Lying on the floor, he looked at his sister sleeping peacefully on the low bed.
‘The family of heroes… and even the blessing of the gods…’
They were granted talents in all domains and a lifespan beyond human limits in the name of the gods.
Moreover, they possessed concentration, learning, and memory abilities exceeding those of ordinary people, truly befitting heroes.
‘What kind of monsters would be created if such people gathered in one place and spent their lives mastering swords and magic?’
It was not a thought befitting someone who had single-handedly defeated the Bone Dragon.
But considering they were directly tasked by the gods, they were no different from saints.
In comparison, they could also be called agents of the gods.
After all, they used their entire lives to fulfill the will of the gods.
In a way, they might be living a harsher life than saints or saintesses.
They had a prolonged lifespan due to the blessing of the gods.
To live such a long life, deprived of their own will?
Merely hearing about it, one could consider them slaves of the gods.
Well, Gaia refuses to communicate, remaining silent. Even if she intervenes now, there’s no way I’ll back down.
If they possessed medical knowledge similar to mine due to the talent from the gods’ blessing, then the medicine here might have advanced more than in the modern world.
For him, facing those who were losing their lives right in front of him was better than preparing for some unknown danger that might come.
He confidently used the gods’ honor and name without hesitation.
Ray, who saw the position of saint as nothing more than a sales outlet for the gods’ name, could think this way.