The Mad Dog of the Duke's Estate

Chapter 38. My Grave

The carriage, accompanied by an escort, kindly dropped off Caron and his group at Gyle's mansion. Once they arrived at their destination, Revelio, who had disembarked alongside them, waved with a smile.

"This is where we part ways. It's a bit sad to say goodbye... But if you insist I stay the night here, I will. What do you say?" Revelio teased, clearly hoping to linger.

Caron responded by lightly punching him on the arm and saying, "No peddlers allowed."

"You're so cold-hearted," Revelio replied.

"You said this place was a dog-eat-dog world," Caron said.

"Well... Since we're meeting again in two days anyway, I'll let it slide today," Revelio said.

Caron and Leo's visit to the Imperial Palace was scheduled for two days later, with a banquet hosted by the palace set for that evening.

"See you then, brother. I'll be waiting at the palace. Bring that sword of yours, will you? Duke Leston's family is allowed to carry swords in the palace. I'd love to see my brothers wet themselves at the sight of it," Revelio requested.

"Such warm, brotherly affection," Caron remarked.

"Good things should be shared. And it'd be even better if you could take them hostage too. Hahaha!" Revelio laughed, letting his madness show openly.

With the farewell completed, he climbed back into the carriage. Then he leaned out the window, waving one last time before calling out, "If you need a guide, just let me know! I'll sneak out of the palace in no time!"

Mason, who had been listening in silence, shot the prince a sharp look and said, "Your Highness, such words are usually spoken when the guards aren't present."

"Eh, whatever. If I decided to sneak out, Sir Mason, you would help me. You're already my accomplice. Better prepare for a whipping from Father," Revelio said.

"...With all due respect, His Majesty is not that kind of man," Mason replied.

"Oh, was it only me he whipped? What a twisted display of fatherly love," Revelio mused.

"Please, Your Highness, just stay quiet inside," Mason said, forcefully pushing Revelio back into the carriage and closing the window tightly. He then turned to Caron and offered, "If you ever need my assistance, don't hesitate to reach out."

"...You must have gone through a lot of hardships," Caron said sympathetically.

Mason managed a weary smile, then said with a nod, "It must be the karma from my past life. Oh well, what can I do? We'll be off now."

With that, the golden carriage began to move again. As it rolled away from Gyle's mansion, another carriage carrying Gyle and the servants of the Leston household entered the grounds. The once quiet-courtyard of the mansion quickly filled with activity due to their arrival.

As Caron and Leo quietly observed the scene, a gentle voice called out from behind them, "My dear grandson, are you here?"

Caron turned, his face lighting up as he spread his arms wide and exclaimed, "Grandmother!"

"Oh, my sweet grandson. You've grown taller again, haven't you?" a woman said, her voice full of warmth. It was Helena, Caron's maternal grandmother. She said with a mix of urgency and affection, "Let's save the reunion for later, dear... Your old granny is a bit busy right now. I hope you understand."

"Hehe, of course," Caron replied with a grin.

"Good, good. The bathwater is already heated, so go and rest... Butler! Move quickly! How long are you going to keep our guests waiting?" Helena's voice shifted to a commanding tone as she barked orders.

"Y-Yes, Madam!" the butler stuttered in response.

"At this rate, I won't be able to face my in-laws! Just watching this mess is driving me crazy. I'll have to take care of it myself..." Helena muttered, rolling up her sleeves and heading into the midst of the bustling servants.

As it happened, the one who held real power in this mansion was Caron's grandmother. Even his grandfather lived under her thumb.

As Helena took charge, Leo, who had been watching the scene in awe, murmured in a bewildered tone, "...Check out your grandmother's forearms."

Indeed, from behind, Helena's arm muscles were quite prominent.

"My grandmother works out more diligently than my grandfather," Caron remarked.

"I thought your maternal family wasn't from a warrior lineage," Leo commented.

"Well, they both dream of living a long, healthy life," Caron explained.

As the two of them chatted, a voice from behind interrupted their conversation, saying, "I'm relieved you all arrived safely. I was quite worried."

Caron slowly turned his head and saw a man standing there. He had long blond hair tied into a ponytail that reached just below his shoulders, and wore a cloak adorned with the Azure Wolves' emblem. His eyes were the same blue as Caron's and Leo's.

Upon seeing the man, Leo immediately bowed in greeting and said, "It's been a while, Hugo. Have you been well?"

Caron noticed that Leo's body had tensed slightly with the man's arrival. It wasn't out of discomfort, though.

Is he... afraid of Hugo? Caron wondered, detecting a hint of fear in Leo's demeanor.

Leo had mentioned meeting Hugo a few times before, but Caron had no memory of him. This wasn't surprising, considering he had never seen Hugo since arriving at Azureocean Castle.

"Yes, Leo. And you've grown a lot. You finally look like a real swordsman," Hugo said in a relaxed tone, patting Leo's back. Then, he slowly turned his gaze toward Caron and said, "You must be Caron."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hugo," Caron said, bowing slightly.

Hugo examined his younger cousin carefully. Even beneath his clothes, it was clear that Caron's body was well-built and toned. Despite being only thirteen, the calluses on his hands spoke volumes about how dedicated he had been to his training.

And above all...

4-Star, right? Hugo thought to himself, sensing the immense mana within his younger cousin. The fact that this thirteen-year-old had already reached 4-Star meant that he had far surpassed Hugo at the same age.

There was a reason Father told me to be cautious, he realized.

Initially, he had thought his father was worrying needlessly, but seeing Caron in person had completely changed his mind. This kid was indeed a talent who could even make his father feel threatened. Not only that, his eyes were brimming with confidence. Being able to maintain such composure in front of someone stronger meant he'd been born with an extraordinary disposition.

"If I had known my youngest cousin was this incredible, I would have visited Azureocean Castle sooner," Hugo remarked.

"You flatter me. But you're quite impressive yourself, just as the rumors say," Caron replied.

"Haha, really? I'm happy to hear you think that," Hugo said as he smiled and offered his hand for a handshake. "How about a proper greeting?"

"Sounds good!" Caron said as he grasped Hugo's extended hand with a grin. He thought at first that perhaps, unlike his eldest uncle, this guy wasn't so bad after all. But then...

Whoosh.

Just as the thought crossed Caron's mind, he felt Hugo's mana seep into his body the moment their hands touched. It was Azure Mana, honed through the same Ocean Dominance Arts he learned. The intent behind this act was as clear as day.

"Since it's our first encounter, I thought we ought to get to know each other better," Hugo said.

"You're quite proactive," Caron replied.

"You certainly are..." Hugo began, but his voice trailed off as he observed Caron. Normally, someone would be caught off guard or distressed by such an exchange, but his younger cousin showed no sign of either.

Perhaps I should check a little more... Hugo thought, trying to push more mana into Caron to gauge his reaction.

But then...

Screech!

The sword hanging at Hugo's waist, Ghost, began to emit a wailing sound, almost like a banshee's cry. And at the same time...

Boom!

What in the world? Hugo's thoughts raced as the mana he had sent into Caron was suddenly pushed back, only to be replaced by Caron's own mana surging into his body. A mere thirteen-year-old has greater control over mana than I do?

It wasn't just the control. The nature of the mana was different too. Calling it Azure Mana felt almost incorrect, because it was so violent and forceful. Typical Azure Mana was like a calm sea, but this... This was like a storm, wild and destructive, enough to make the hairs on Hugo's body stand on end.

But that didn't last long.

Whoosh.

Caron's mana withdrew from Hugo's body, and the boy flashed a bright, innocent smile before exclaiming, "Hehe, that was fun!"

"...What?" Hugo responded.

"Let's play like this more often! You really are as kind as they say, playing with your cousin without any formalities! It felt as if I was playing with friends!" Caron's words were laced with sarcasm, their true meaning clear: What have you learned all these years?

Hugo immediately understood the underlying message, but he only smiled and nodded in response, suppressing his irritation. He said, "Sure, Caron. Let's get along well."

"I hope so too!" Caron replied.

Getting angry here would only damage Hugo's pride. The first greeting was enough. Even so, he had gained some valuable insights. Mainly, Caron was far more dangerous than he appeared. Even Hugo had to admit he was impressed by his cousin's talent and audacity.

But above all...

That tongue of his is a real problem. If a bucket leaks inside, it's bound to leak outside too. If he's left like this, he could tarnish the Duke's reputation... Hugo mused.

The biggest variable in his current mission was definitely going to be Caron's tongue. It had only been ten minutes, but Hugo had already grasped just how dangerous Caron could be.

"Ensure the safety of your younger cousins in the capital, so they don't get caught up in any accidents."

Hugo recalled the direct order from Halo and let out a small sigh.

This won't be easy, he thought. This could be the hardest task he'd been given in recent times.

***

After their brief introduction with Hugo, Caron and his group settled into their rooms at the mansion. The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and before long, it was late night.

"Well then, Caron, I'll see you tomorrow," Gyle said, his voice gentle as he stood by the door. "We need to visit the boutique to pick out brooches for the banquet, so make sure you go straight to bed, okay, my dear grandson?"

"Okay! Goodnight, Grandfather!" Caron replied brightly.

"Goodnight, sleep tight," Gyle responded as he softly ruffled Caron's hair before leaving the room.

As the door closed behind him, Caron gazed at it with a satisfied smile. There was something special about the warmth of family. It filled him with happiness every time.

Click.

Of course, not wanting his private time to be disturbed, he immediately locked the door. He then retrieved a small box he had hidden under his bed. Inside was a bottle of premium whiskey, which he had secretly taken from Revelio's carriage earlier. It was Thurang, thirty years old.

This was a high-quality whiskey brewed in the Thurang region, which was known for producing whiskey exclusively for the royal family.

"Getting a bottle of thirty-year Thurang as a tip for dealing with that lunatic... Yeah, that's a pretty good deal," Caron muttered, then hummed a tune as he walked out to the balcony with the bottle in hand. The moon shone brightly overhead.

With a smooth motion, he drew Guillotine from its scabbard and casually planted it into the floor. Immediately, the blade's familiar voice echoed in his mind.

"There's no enemies nearby... What's gotten into you?" Guillotine asked.

"I just wanted to have a talk," Caron replied.

"Why not call your cousins, then?" Guillotine asked.

"If I do, they'll just steal my whiskey," Caron answered.

"...That answer is just like you," Guillotine commented dryly.

"Besides, I can't really drink in peace if they're around," Caron added. With a soft pop, he uncorked the whiskey bottle using a touch of mana and took a swig directly from it before saying, "The capital is my grave. By the way, did I ever tell you about my previous life?"

Guillotine responded slowly, "No, you didn't. But I already know."

"How?" Caron asked, curious.

"I read your memories," Guillotine replied.

"You can do that? As expected of a cursed sword," Caron mused.

"...Think whatever you like," Guillotine replied with a hint of exasperation.

"Speaking of which, the Blue Dragon said that the sword I used in my previous life was you," Caron remarked.

"That's right. I don't know why I ended up as a cursed sword, but that was me," Guillotine confirmed.

"And you have no memories from back then?" Caron asked.

"The wielder at that time wasn't worthy of unsealing me. Just thinking about it pisses me off. Who dared to turn me into a cursed sword? If I ever find out who did it, I'll slice their neck a thousand times over!" Guillotine exclaimed.

"Once is enough to kill, you cursed sword," Caron reminded it.

"I can reattach it and slice again. What's the problem?" Guillotine shot back.

Now it was clear that even the sword was a lunatic. Caron chuckled, then took another drink before saying, "If it comes to it, I'll go to the North Sea and ask directly."

The Blue Dragon, whom he had encountered with the Pledge Stone, would surely know the truth. And he wouldn't even need to go that far.

"I could find out myself if I wanted to," Caron continued.

He still hadn't figured out why this second life had begun. His second life was seemingly filled with coincidences, as he was born as Halo's grandson and was chosen by Guillotine. There had to be a reason for it all. Such things didn't happen without some external force at play.

"I need to grow stronger," Caron resolved. Now wasn't the time to search for that reason. To uncover the truth, he needed more power.

"You're right. In your condition right now, you're no better than a worm. Good thing you're aware of that," Guillotine remarked.

"Shut up, you cursed sword," Caron retorted.

"You asked me to keep you company, and now you're whining about it?" Guillotine grumbled.

Caron sighed lightly and glanced at the sword. He offered, "Want a drink?"

"...Are you insane? How is a sword supposed to drink? Did you leave your brain behind somewhere?" Guillotine asked.

"You talk too much. Here," Caron said as he ignored the protest and tilted the bottle to let the whiskey drizzle over Guillotine's blade.

Whoosh.

Guillotine hummed faintly in response, then spoke more brightly. "Hey, that tastes pretty good."

"If you can drink blood, you can drink whiskey too," Caron pointed out.

"So is this what liquor tastes like... Hm, it's hard to tell from just a little. Give me some more," Guillotine requested.

"Get lost," Caron said firmly, cutting Guillotine off. He then sat on the railing and gazed up at the moon. He murmured to himself, "What a nice night."

The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight. And so, Caron drank, using his grave as a sort of solace.