The Genius Magician Hides His Swordsmanship - Chapter 4

Chapter 4. Oh, I’m a baby! (3)

Juan Delemar. The appearance of the current patriarch brought chills to the atmosphere in the room.

“Titania, it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other like this.”

The patriarch naturally sank down on the sofa by the window. His expressionless, dry gaze turned to Titania, who was holding me.

“…What are you doing here?”
“Do you not want me around?”
“I have no problem at all, though I must admit I’m a bit puzzled that you came unannounced.”

At Titania’s carefully spoken words, Juan Delemar pointed at me.

“It’s because of him.”

Titania hugged me even tighter because of that.

“Is there something wrong with my child?”
“Yes, he chose dark magic.”

Titania’s voice trembled even more.

“Is this because he chose a cursed attribute?”

The words barely made it through her fear of the patriarch. At the strain in her voice, Juan Delemar shook his head.

“No, on the contrary. I am here to tell you that he is not cursed.”

His sudden remark was unexpected.

‘Come again?’

My ears perked up.

‘Come to think of it, he came alone without even an attendant…’

Coming to this place alone must mean he has something he wants to convey only to Titania. I couldn’t move, but the nerves in my ears focused on his voice.

“Have you ever heard of wizards who were said to have used dark magic a thousand years ago?”
“…Would such people dare?”
“Yes, there were five of them.”
“Five? They must have been wicked ones.”

Titania didn’t seem to know.

“You’ve heard of them before.”

Me and Oberon’s eyes widened.

‘This old man can’t be talking about…’

We knew who he was referring to.

“I’m sorry sir, but I’ve never heard of them.”

The old man looked out the window for a moment, then his mouth slowly opened.

“They are the Pentagram.”

Titania and I were stunned, but for different reasons.

‘Was the story told to the current patriarch?’

I knew there were those who knew the truth about the Pentagram.

“The Pentagram practiced dark magic…?”

Titania asked, learning about the backstory of the Pentagram that would have been known only to her ancestors.

“Yes, it is thanks to them that Delemar’s power is as strong as it is today.”

Titania looked mildly shocked, but the patriarch didn’t seem to mind.

“That’s why I hoped there would be a child in your generation who would pick up the dark magic card, but no one did.”

The corners of the old man’s mouth, seemingly devoid of emotion, lifted slightly.

“Fortunately though, your child has done it, and it appears that his talent is greater than anyone else’s.”
“But he can’t even use that kind of attribute…!”
“Why not? Because it requires a huge amount of blood sacrifice? No, that attribute is the source of the Delemar family’s power. And it is an attribute that will make future Delemar’s even stronger.”

Titania could say no more as the patriarch’s eyes narrowed.

“Your siblings will say he is cursed, but raise him well. When you have endured adversity and risen to your feet, you will be a greater vessel.”

With that being said, Juan Delemar pushed himself up from the couch.

“Consider this a gift to my great grandson for bringing me a little joy in my old age.”

He said, slipping me his own necklace.

“This is…”
“It’s not something I need anymore anyway.”

With those words, the patriarch had left. Titania could only stand there, dumbfounded, while holding me.

‘What’s this hanging around my neck right now…’

Oberon and I focused our attention on the necklace the patriarch gave me.

[That’s a guardian’s necklace.]
‘Isn’t that what Juan Delemar was wearing?’
[It was, but I don’t know if it’s the same.]

This was an artifact that allows you to summon a spirit only once. It was an item that the spirits delivered directly to the beneficiaries.

‘I’ve hit the jackpot for choosing a good card at the judgment ceremony.’
[I know, it’s like having an extra life.]

If it’s a spirit, it must have magic skills of a 9 star level or higher. In other words, it means that I can receive the help of an archmage level powerhouse once.

The appearance of Juan Delemar sparked me and Oberon’s thoughts.

‘So you don’t know what happened to him after that, do you?’

Our chatter continued long after the patriarch was gone.

[Yes, after you died and I lost contact with the Netherworld, I was stuck doing nothing for two hundred years. Of course, I still can’t get in touch with the Netherworld.]

Oberon gritted his teeth.

‘When you say the Netherworld, you mean the place where all the constellations are gathered?’
[Yes, so I don’t know what’s going on there either. I don’t even know what happened to the others.]

Even for the Pentagram, it shouldn’t have been possible to affect the Constellations’ territory.
What the hell did they do? How could mere mortals even affect constellations?

‘Wow, you little punks…’

But if there’s one thing to be happy about.

‘It’s that I’m so talented in magic.’

He said that the child who chooses the dark magic card would be better than anyone else. There was no doubt since the patriarch himself said it.

[You said the dark magic card attracted you first, right?]

It was my will to choose the card, but the pull of the dark magic card attracted me first.

‘Yes, that’s great. It’s good to be full of talent since I’ll be able to learn.’
[Then have you decided to become a wizard?]

As a swordsman himself, Oberon was not pleased.

‘How can I be born in the Delemar family and not grow up learning magic? Even the eyes of Juan Delemar are focused on me.’

It was impossible for a child of a high class magic family to grow up without learning magic.

‘And if I want to learn about the Pentagram, I must learn magic.’

Furthermore, if I want to uncover the Pentagram’s secrets, I’ll need to be able to use magic at their level.

[Although, you’re not even close to the tip of the iceberg.]
‘If anything, I’m just glad I was born in the Delemar family.’

It was necessary that I learned magic, the best mages on the continent were in the Delemar family.

‘Don’t worry, I’ll still definitely become a swordsman.’

[Are you going to learn magic and practice swordsmanship at the same time?]

Suddenly, Oberon’s sullen face brightened. The fact is, Oberon is still the swordmaster constellation.

‘Of course, I’m a dead man without a sword.’

After smiling for a moment, Oberon’s expression turned serious again.

[But it won’t be easy to train.]
‘Well, it’s a magic family. I’ll have to train in secret. Luckily, I have plenty of time.’
[No, that’s not what I meant. Haven’t you noticed?]
‘What?’
[The Pentagram cursed everyone on the continent.]

It was Oberon who faced them.

[They took away people’s powers, which is the most infuriating thing they’ve ever done.]

The danjeon, the source of the knights’ power where they hold aura altogether in their bodies (Also known as lower abdomen). To take it away is the same as cutting off all their accomplishments.

‘Ah…’

I tried to channel my energy into my danjeon, but I couldn’t. I thought it was because I am in a baby’s body, but it isn’t.

‘It seems I’ll have to use another way.’
[Is there another way?]
‘Wouldn’t it be alright if we didn’t gather all our auras in the same place?’
[What’s that supposed to mean?]
‘I could build up my auras on my muscles.’
[Muscles?]
‘I felt something when I died. I’ll try it when I’m older.’

If I could recreate the sensation I had when I was dying, it’s very much possible. It was an aura that flowed naturally through the muscles.

[Through the muscles…]

Oberon nods with an odd expression on his face.

‘If all else fails, I’ll just learn magic. Maybe I’ll become an archmage and wipe them all out.’

I spit out jokingly.

[Haha…How did we get to this point?]

As expected, Oberon despises magic with a passion.

* * * 

Time passed by quickly.
Soon I could walk on my own, and I could talk. Of course, I was always faster than the other children by leaps and bounds.
Anna, my nanny, praised me saying ‘you must be an immortal genius!’ But it was only because I had the mind of an adult.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
There was something I did every night, without Titania and Anna noticing.

‘Are you sure this is helpful?’

As Oberon had instructed, that something was an indefinite loop of squats.

[I thought about it after hearing what you said, and there was one of the constellations who didn’t gather his aura in his danjeon.]
‘That constellation trained his muscles every day, right?’
[Yes, he spent more time on it than in sword training. If you can control your muscles in detail, you can hold your aura down with your muscles.]

The definite burning in my muscles was similar to the aura sensation I had while I was dying.

‘Phew, that’s still too hard.’

But maybe it’s because I don’t have the talent for swordsmanship. No matter how much I tried to control my muscles to feel the aura, it wasn’t easy.

‘Once I feel the aura, I’ll use my muscles to gather it.’
[If you do it daily, you’ll be able to realize it. The first step is always the hardest. Once you feel the aura, you’ll be better at it than anyone else.]

Oberon was right.

‘I’m confident in my aura sensitivity.’

Right now, I was confident that if I sensed a single aura, I would catch it and hold on to it. After all, I was a 9 star swordsman.

‘Whoa, yeah. Let’s not be too hasty.’

I was done with squatting and laid down on the floor to do some sit-ups.
Knock knock.
There was a knock on the door, followed by a voice.

“Ian?”

It was Titania.
I scrambled to my feet, wiping the sweat from my brow.

“Are you sick? Why are you sweating like that?”
“No, I was just doing a little exercise.”
“Exercise?”

For a moment, she raised one eyebrow, but then shrugged as if it was no big deal.

“Let’s go out for a bit. I have someplace to show you.”

Titania led me by the hand, without asking my opinion. She had never done this before, and she didn’t even speak.

[Where are we going?]

She walked for a long time. We passed by the building where they had held the judgment ceremony.

‘I thought I was to never go this way.’

She then turned to the furthest corner of the house.

[What is this place? Something feels off.]

A large field came into view. However, the field was filled with various stones.

‘What are these stones?’

Titania stopped in the middle of the field for a moment.

“Ian, you’re already seven years old.”

Her warm eyes scanned my body.

“At the age of ten, you’ll have to go to Delemar’s Academy.”

Titania, nodded and sat cross legged on the field.

“In order to do that, you should be able to feel mana before then, right? You’re also of the Delemar family blood after all.”

She opened her palm.
Woosh!
Blue energy gathered over her white jade like hands.

‘Is she trying to teach me magic?’

It was then that I realized her intention in taking me here.

“Sit down.”

As I took the same position as her, a light breeze ruffled my hair. It was from the wind created by the mana flow from Titania’s fingertips.

“For this hour, you shall not see me as your mother.”

Titania’s voice, which was unusually low, spread over the fields with the wind.

“Pay courtesy to Titania Delemar.”