The Genius Mage Was Reincarnated Into A Swordsman Family

"Despicable. Human beings are very despicable. It’s everywhere the same: Zagerfield, Lionhart—all ruled by ruthless rulers."

Klaus muttered these words under his breath, feeling a wave of disillusionment wash over him. He had seen the same patterns of tyranny and cruelty repeat themselves across different lands, leaving him with a bitter taste in his mouth. "Ah, why do I care?" Klaus thought, taking a deep breath to steady his mind amidst the chaos.

"If I understand correctly, my lord, you are siding with him and, in a sense, believe that what he did does not warrant punishment, correct?" Klaus asked, his voice measured and calm.

Roman wanted to reply favorably to Klaus, but he knew better. Although Klaus was exceptionally strong for his age, he was still a child who needed to learn the harsh truths of the world. How could he side with Ludovic, who was deemed weak, especially in a family where one’s strength determined one’s standing?

’I suppose I must play the villainous grandfather,’ Roman thought. ’I need to correct this poor child’s view of the world, or he will certainly be taken advantage of.’ Roman thought before replying to Klaus’s question.

"You are quite perceptive, my boy. If he wasn’t strong enough to revendicate his seat, why concern ourselves with him?" Roman replied, his tone dripping with condescension.

"Exactly, Father!" Raoul exclaimed, his excitement palpable as he stood up, a broad smile spreading across his face.

"Who asked you to stand!" Roman’s booming voice echoed through the hall, and Raoul fell back to his knees, this time unable to protect them with mana. The shock was visibly painful.

"I’m sorry, my lord," Raoul apologized, gritting his teeth against the pain.

Klaus watched the scene with disinterested eyes. The spectacle of power dynamics and submission no longer entertained him. Roman’s justifications for the actions taken were of no interest to him; he had seen enough to understand the underlying rot. Klaus simply wanted this event to end.

"My lord, since all the tests are over, I will take my leave," Klaus said, bowing to Roman.

"Don’t you want to revendicate your father’s rights anymore?" Roman asked, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. He was trying his best to be seen as heartless.

"Why bother?" Klaus replied, his tone dry and dismissive, leaving Roman momentarily speechless.

"What do you mean? Is he not your father?" Roman’s confusion was evident; he thought that Klaus would argue or plead for his father; after all, this is what was expected of a child.

Klaus didn’t bother to reply. He continued walking toward the tribune, his mind set on leaving.

’How about if I turn the conservation about your mother?’ Roman thought before speaking with a voice loud enough for Klaus to hear him clearly.

"He can’t apologize to your father, but it’s different for your mother. She is a highborn from a very prestigious noble family. Unlike your useless father, she still has her core intact, and she used to be quite the fierce fighter when she was younger. What do you think?" Roman’s words were calculated, knowing Klaus had a soft spot for his mother. Almost all the maids working in the annex buildings were spies reporting Klaus’s and Elisabeth’s every move to Melo, who in turn reported everything back to Roman.

Klaus felt a moment of temptation. Elisabeth did deserve an apology, but knowing her, it was not something she wanted, especially if Ludovic was not included.

Ignoring Roman’s questions, Klaus walked up the stairs reserved for the commoners’ seats with all eyes on him. None of the spectators could understand how he could blatantly ignore his lord. Even though Roman was his grandfather, if someone else had acted the way Klaus did, their head would have been rolling on the floor by now.

Some could somewhat understand why Klaus’s disrespect did not affect Roman. In a world where strength determines one’s social status, who could reprimand a child like Klaus? A child for whom the term ’genius’ seemed too blunt to describe all the exploits he demonstrated today in the eyes of all the spectators. He had become someone hard to categorize or put in a box.

When Klaus reached the seats where his parents were, he bowed slightly and said softly, "Let’s go home."

"Should we not wait for someone to announce the end of the ceremony, at least?" Elisabeth asked in a very low voice. She felt embarrassed since all eyes were on them. She could also hear people murmur about Klaus’s behavior towards Roman.

"Why wait? And to be honest I’m quite tired ’mom’ " Klaus said emphasizing on mom, making Elisabeth heart skipped a beat.

"aw, my baby."

"You must be exhausted; you are right; we should leave right away."

Elisabeth said with sparkling eyes, holding Klaus’s cheeks.

’When he comes to him, she really doesn’t care about anything, even about the Lord, ’ Lina thought while putting her hands on her face to hide her embarrassment.

Elisabeth then looked at Ludovic, waiting for his approval.

Ludovic, as usual, didn’t show any emotion on his face. It was as if the whole event were of no importance to him, even Roman trying to scold Klaus for trying to defend his honor or Raoul, who made them sit there.

He then looked at Klaus with his gloomy eyes before softening his gaze. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Discover hidden content at empire

"Let’s go," Ludovic said before standing up and holding Elisabeth’s hand.

As they left, the murmurs of the crowd grew louder. People speculated about what would happen next. Klaus’s display of defiance was unheard of, especially towards someone of Roman’s stature. But Klaus knew better. He understood the political games and the power dynamics at play. He knew that he had left a very strong expression of himself to all the people present in the Lion Arena. He was no longer the frail and weak-looking kid that people heard about.

***

After Klaus and his parents left, the Lion Arena grew even noisier. People couldn’t help but gossip about Klaus’s exploits. Unbeknownst to them, what had transpired in the Lion Arena would ripple across the entire continent.