For a moment, Sion wondered if he had heard wrong.
Not anyone else, but Raido—the strongest and craziest old man around, yet someone whose skills were undeniably real—was asking him to become his disciple.
Even Kim Yoo-hyun, who had once been called the strongest, had thrown away his pride and practically begged to learn martial arts before he barely managed to become Raido's disciple.
‘This is a jackpot!’
Kim Yoo-hyun had carved his name into history with the sword in one world, and in this one, he had once again left his mark through both swordsmanship and martial arts.
Not all of it was thanks to Raido.
Kim Yoo-hyun had taken Raido's teachings, modified them, and developed them even further.
But the foundation had undeniably come from Raido.
He could become like Kim Yoo-hyun—the man who beat celestial beings to death with his bare fists.
"Lord Raido, when you say I should become your disciple, do you mean you intend to teach me magic?"
Of course, Sion had no intention of taking the bait immediately.
He needed to carefully probe Raido's intentions and figure out what he was thinking.
But Raido did not seem interested in that at all. He blinked a few times before letting out a sigh.
"Tch. The brat's already testing me. If you figured out my identity from that little evidence and deduction, didn't you already know what I'm really like?"
"That is..."
"Besides, what would be the point of teaching magic to the eldest son of the Clausen family? At best, you'd use magic to start a fire and grill meat at a campsite. Did you think I wouldn't know your family are warriors to the bone, no matter how hard you try to hide it?"
Just as Raido said, the Clausen family had risen to power through the sword.
Their abilities had earned them control of the borderlands and the title of margrave, giving them influence comparable to a marquisate.
"So... you're saying you'll teach me martial arts."
"That's right. If you don't want to, then say so. I have no intention of forcing someone who doesn't want to learn."
"..."
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!
You said you didn't care.
Then why were both your legs trembling so anxiously?
"..."
Thump-thump-thump-thump!
At this rate, he looked ready to drill through the floor.
If someone from modern times had been sleeping downstairs, they would have stormed up yelling about the noise.
"Lord Raido, may I ask you one thing?"
"What is it?"
"Why do you suddenly want to take me as your disciple?"
"Don't ask. You'll get hurt."
Sion immediately shut his mouth.
Given Raido's personality, "you'll get hurt" was not a warning.
It literally meant, "Ask one more question and I might hit you."
"Don't ask why. Just answer. Yes or no. Do you want it or not? Will you do it or won't you? That's all you need to answer, brat of the Clausen family."
At the word "brat," anger briefly flared inside Sion, but it wasn't wrong.
In the novel, Sion Clausen had accomplished nothing even at twenty years old.
He was just a rich kid born with everything handed to him.
"My answer is..."
Of course he would accept, right?
Raido had no doubt that Sion would agree.
Most people who knew even a little about him would cling to him like desperate dogs if he offered to teach them martial arts.
Raido had never taken a disciple.
Officially, no one had ever learned either magic or martial arts from him.
If Kim Yoo-hyun had not appeared a few years ago, Raido's martial arts might have disappeared entirely.
That was how strong he was—and how uninterested he was in taking disciples.
Yet now, he was offering first.
"I refuse."
"Right, right. Then from now on, I will be your master—wait, what?"
What the hell?
Did I hear that wrong?
Blinking repeatedly, Raido crossed the distance between them in an instant.
Then, with one hand, the old man lifted the twenty-year-old Sion into the air.
"You little punk, what did you just say?"
This was completely unexpected.
Refuse?
Refuse his teachings?
Refuse to become his disciple?
Refuse him?
He had never heard those words before.
Forgetting for a moment that the young man before him was the son of his close friend Lichten, Raido glared at him as though he wanted to devour him whole.
"Right, you just got confused and misspoke. You're scared, aren't you?"
"I'll say it again, Lord Raido. I have no intention of becoming your disciple."
His voice was calm, without even a trace of fear.
Raido wondered if he was dreaming before bursting into laughter.
"Ah, damn it. Am I getting dementia? Did I say something wrong? Strange. I thought I was speaking clearly. I'm pretty sure I said I wanted to take you as my disciple, and you answered—"
"I refuse."
That was the third time Sion had refused.
Staring blankly at him, Raido sighed and put Sion back down.
Even after being hit directly with Raido's killing intent, Sion merely coughed a few times and straightened his wrinkled clothes.
Watching him quietly, Raido dropped into a chair and rubbed his forehead.
"...You're really insane. Completely insane."
"I am perfectly sane."
"And yet you're rejecting my teachings?"
"It's a matter of preference."
"Stop talking nonsense and tell me why. Why reject a chance to become human—or something greater—when you currently have less than a rat's worth to your name?"
It was a sharp point.
Honestly, Sion desperately wanted Raido's teachings.
Raido's martial arts were among the strongest techniques not just in the kingdom, but across the continent.
Kim Yoo-hyun had even struggled to decide whether to use his sword or his fists.
'But...'
Sion Clausen's body had a serious problem.
More precisely, it had a fatal defect.
'Damn it! Why does this bastard have to be mana-deficient?!'
On this continent, mana was not just something mages used.
It was a force that existed everywhere.
Kim Yoo-hyun had even called it internal energy.
Swordsmen used it to sharpen their blades.
Mages used it to strengthen their spells.
To grow stronger, understanding mana was essential.
'If he had even a little mana sensitivity, maybe there'd be hope. But this guy can't do it at all!'
That was why Sion Clausen had been the weakest villain.
His terrible personality was certainly part of it, but the biggest issue was that he had been born completely unable to handle mana.
Even commoners sometimes had exceptional mana sensitivity, allowing them to become great mages, bond more easily with spirits, or develop outstanding talent as swordsmen.
Yet Sion Clausen—the eldest son of the margrave and first in line for succession—didn't possess even the slightest trace of mana sensitivity.
'That's probably why he was so bitter and jealous of the world.'
That was also why Sion hated Kim Yoo-hyun so intensely.
While Sion himself was trapped by his inability to use mana, some random commoner could wield it freely and attract the attention of nobles and even the royal family.
Of course he had been jealous.
"You want my reason?"
"That's right. Tell me why someone with less than nothing would reject my offer."
"..."
Maybe Raido, a former court mage, knew some way to create mana sensitivity.
Sion was about to ask.
"Isn't the answer obvious?"
His thoughts never reached his lips.
'What now?!'
At some point, an elderly butler had appeared behind him with impeccable manners.
"Hmm."
Seeing the butler's face, Raido clicked his tongue and stood up.
Rolling his shoulders, he loosened his arms.
"Yeah, I figured you'd show that ugly face sooner or later. Sebas."
"Your mouth is as foul as ever. Keep that up, and your daughter will scold you again, Raido."
"Don't mention Lucia."
"If you don't want to hear it, perhaps you should become a better father first."
"..."
Hey, excuse me?
What are these two old men doing all of a sudden?
Raido and Sebastian glared at each other with terrifying intensity, Sion caught between them.
Their overwhelming presence and piercing gazes made him shrink back instinctively.
'Why are these people causing trouble in my room?!'
A former court mage whose fists were stronger than his magic.
A former member of the Royal Secret Guardian Knights and one of the Clausen family's two swords.
The two men stood there growling at each other as if a bloody battle might break out at any moment.
If they actually fought, at least half the castle would be destroyed.
Sion decided he had to step in.
Using all the authority and dignity of Sion Clausen, heir of the margrave.
"Sebastian. What are you doing?"
"Young master."
"He is my guest. Whatever the reason, I am speaking with him, so do not interrupt."
"...Understood."
Sebastian lowered his head, indicating he would back down for now.
Since the other side had retreated, Raido merely crossed his arms and snorted.
'Maybe this is actually a good thing?'
Originally, Sion Clausen had never known Sebastian's true identity.
The current Sion had found it difficult to interact with him because of that.
Yet now, Sebastian had revealed his true self first.
"Lord Raido, I think I need an explanation."
"Hmm?"
"Starting with how the butler of the count's family entered this room without anyone noticing. Then there's the way you speak as though you know each other very well, and the fact that he isn't shaken in the slightest even while facing you directly."
"Puhahaha! Fine, I'll tell you! That old man standing beside you pretending to be a butler? He used to belong to the Royal Secret Guardian Knights! One of the kingdom's strongest knights! And now he's playing butler! Hahaha! Isn't that hilarious?!"
As if that were funny.
I already knew all that, damn it.
"...Is that really true?"
Naturally, Sion immediately put on an act as though he had just learned this.
Raido laughed so hard he looked ready to collapse.
"We used to fight all day long. Just thinking about that bastard dressing like this, growing a fancy beard, and running around saying, 'Young master, young master,' makes me sick! Hahaha!"
"Shut your mouth. You're so loud I want to rip it open."
"You? Me? My sword will end up shoved up your ass first!"
Whether they got along or hated each other, Sion couldn't tell.
But one thing was certain.
'I need to get out of here!'
Two impossible lunatics had already gathered around him.
At least Kim Yoo-hyun wasn't here.
The moment Sion imagined all three of them together in the same room, he felt as though his brain had simply disappeared altogether.
