Leaving the unconscious Selia behind, Leo returned to the mansion.
In the living room of the mansion, Reina and Gis were having a conversation.
Around them stood the knights of Gerdinger.
Reina smiled when she saw her son.
"Did you finish today's training?"
"Yes, Mother."
In response to Reina's question, Leo glanced at Gis.
'Gerdinger, Gerdinger, indeed. Impressive.'
Even in his previous life, such a warrior was rare.
'The name of a hero family is not in vain.'
"Leo, this is Gis Gerdinger. He is a guest of our family this time."
"My name is Leo Frob."
"I am Gis Gerdinger. You already know, but I am your uncle. Feel free to talk to me."
"Can I ask what you mean by 'feel free to talk to me'?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"I have Gerdinger blood in me. But I am not a Gerdinger."
Seeing Leo draw a clear line, Gis's eyes sparkled, and Reina shook her head.
'Our son has no cuteness.'
Gis Gerdinger.
Currently the vice-head of the Gerdinger family and the second in the official power hierarchy.
Usually, if someone of Leo's age were called 'uncle' by such a figure, they would be elated.
However, while they might be related by blood, they are strangers in the family tree.
The Gerdinger family law is very strict.
Reina did not introduce Gis as an uncle for that reason.
Leo also guessed this and asked.
"You can't call me your nephew in a formal setting, can you?"
"I understand."
Seeing Leo's straightforward answer, Gis burst into laughter.
"You don't seem like your mother's son."
"Hehehe. What do you mean by that?"
Gis asked, laughing and stepping on Reina's foot.
"Leo. Did you see a girl named Selia at the training ground?"
"That one?"
Leo glanced at the mansion's main gate.
Selia was being carried in on a stretcher, foaming at the mouth.
"Ah! Miss!"
"What is this!"
The Gerdinger knights were shocked.
"Hmm."
Gis let out an exclamation of admiration.
'He beat Selia without mastering aura?'
"Sir Whitten, what happened?"
In response to Gis's question, Whitten recounted what happened at the training ground.
Gis shook his head after hearing the story.
The cause of the defeat was clear.
'Arrogance.'
Selia underestimated Leo because he couldn't use aura.
Of course, from a common sense perspective, it's not a wrong thought.
The difference in combat power between an aura user and a non-user is enormous.
But the fact remains that Selia lost due to her complacency.
'And that's not the Gerdinger way.'
Gis stood in front of Leo.
"Beating Selia, that's impressive."
"She looked down on me."
"Yes, but it seems there was a promise between you and Selia."
"Yes. I made a bet with Selia Gerdinger. The loser becomes the winner's servant."
"What!"
"Is that even reasonable?"
The Gerdinger knights, unable to tolerate it, flared up.
A Gerdinger direct descendant as a servant?
The Gerdinger knights glared at Leo.
But Leo didn't flinch.
"From now on, Selia Gerdinger will be my servant for a week."
Reina chuckled.
Her son is the type who does what he says.
Still, she didn't expect him to say such things so calmly in front of the Gerdinger knights.
'Who can stop this personality?'
On the other hand, Gis smiled gently.
"Selia is a Gerdinger. I can't make her do servant work."
He continued, as if advising.
"I hope you can let go of the promise. In return, I can offer you a different reward. For example..."
Gis stroked his chin.
"How about our family's advanced aura cultivation technique?"
"I refuse."
"What?"
"This bet is a promise between me and Selia Gerdinger."
Leo glanced at Selia.
"You called her 'Gerdinger.' As someone who bears the name of a hero family, she should be responsible for her words."
Leo met Gis's eyes again.
"Even if we negotiate, it's something between her and me. And..."
Leo drove the point home.
"If the aura cultivation technique is used as an excuse to save her from shame, I don't think it's worth learning."
The knights, grinding their teeth, shot sparks from their eyes.
"We can't tolerate this!"
"How dare you insult Gerdinger!"
The knights, flaring up, shouted.
Seeing this, Whitten, who was angry, scolded them.
"Are you raising your voices in this safe place!"
"But, Sir!"
"There's no reason to remain silent after hearing such words!"
"Seems like..."
Reina, who had been watching the situation, shook her head with a blank face.
"While I was away from the family, it seems the Gerdinger standards have dropped."
"Even if you were a Gerdinger, Reina, that's crossing the line!"
A knight warned.
And Whitten's eyes were filled with killing intent.
"How dare you!"
Just as Whitten was about to burst with anger.
Reina raised her hand to stop Whitten.
Then she stood in front of the knights.
"Crossing the line? Then let me ask you. What are you to interfere in the vice-head's conversation?"
The knights looked bewildered at the cold question.
"That, that's..."
"I am clearly a family outsider. Still, Gerdinger is a proud name to me. So I have to say what needs to be said."
A fierce aura emanated from Reina's body.
"Are you just a knight to interrupt when the vice-head is talking? Are you a knight, or a beast that barks regardless of the situation?"
"Ah!"
The knights gasped.
Reina's authority.
It was so similar to the head of the family's.
Gis, who had been watching quietly, spoke in a gentle voice.
"Sir Whitten."
"Yes, Vice-head."
"These knights seem to lack the qualifications to be Gerdinger knights."
"I understand."
The knights' faces turned pale.
Whitten led the knights away with a stern face.
"Still, isn't revoking their knight status too harsh?"
Reina, who knew how difficult it was to become a Gerdinger knight, slightly scolded.
"There's nothing wrong with what you said. It's a waste to give a knight's title to a beast."
Gis smiled gently.
He was the type to overlook subordinates' mistakes gently,
But he was also the type to cut them off coldly if the mistakes continued.
The knights should have realized their mistake and backed off when Reina warned them.
After the storm passed.
Gis looked at Leo again.
"Leo Frob. You declared that you would make a Gerdinger direct descendant your servant and said that the Gerdinger aura cultivation technique has no value. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"Do you not think that statement was rash?"
Gis asked in a gentle voice.
Reina watched him intently.
Gis was in charge of the education of the Gerdinger family's bloodline.
The teacher of all Gerdinger children.
He was skilled at gauging the potential of children.
'He must be gauging Leo's potential now.'
Perhaps Leo had already passed Gis's standards.
But the reason he was pressing Leo.
It was because he hadn't fully grasped how deep Leo's potential was.
Leo also understood Gis's intention.
So he smiled inwardly.
"If you took it as an insult to Gerdinger, I apologize. But I didn't particularly look down on Gerdinger."
"Making a Gerdinger direct descendant your servant and saying the Gerdinger aura cultivation technique has no value, what else could it be but an insult?"
"Selia Gerdinger's issue, as I said, is a deal between her and me. If she is a true Gerdinger, she should be responsible for her words."
"Hmm?"
Gis nodded.
"And when I said the aura cultivation technique has no value, it doesn't mean the Gerdinger technique is lacking."
"Then?"
"If you had offered me the aura cultivation technique as a reward for defeating Selia, I would have gladly accepted it."
Gis's lips slowly curved upward.
"But you offered it to cover up Selia's mistake."
"Yes."
"You think Selia wouldn't have lost to me if she hadn't been complacent."
He raised his chin assertively.
"But even if Selia had taken the duel seriously, I would have won."
'Summarizing... You refused because you didn't like my attitude? Ha, what a kid.'
He couldn't help but laugh.
Turning to Reina, he saw her smiling as if she had expected this.
'I understand what my sister meant.'
Seeing Leo look up at him boldly, Gis chuckled.
'He has an incredible potential. If he were a Gerdinger, it would be another hero for the family.'
'I need to tell my brother.'
A child the family should nurture.
"Send Selia to the servant's quarters."
"Vice-head!"
The servants, who were taking care of Selia on the stretcher, looked bewildered.
"It's an order."
The servants hesitantly took Selia to the servant's quarters.
"I understand your intention. I will follow your will."
"Yes, Gis."
"Leo. When I said I wouldn't call you my nephew in a formal setting, it also means I will treat you as my nephew in private."
Gis smiled gently.
No matter what kind of potential Leo had, this statement was sincere.
Leo followed obediently, knowing this.
"Yes, Uncle."
"Good. You seem tired from training, so go rest."
"Have a good night."
Leo bowed.
"Mother, have a good night."
"Good. Rest well, Leo."
After Leo left, only the two of them remained.
"Sister."
"Why?"
"I will try to persuade my brother to let Leo learn the 'Phoenix Breath.'"
"Phoenix Breath?"
The symbol of the Gerdinger family is a burning flame.
Fitting the symbol, the Gerdinger aura takes the form of flames.
Among them, Phoenix Breath is special.
The first Gerdinger head completed it by drinking the blood of a phoenix.
All the family's aura cultivation techniques are derived from Phoenix Breath.
Its power is sufficient to make the Gerdinger family recognized as a hero family.
Therefore, only those recognized among the bloodline can learn it.
Reina, who didn't expect Gis to bring up Phoenix Breath, was surprised.
"Yes. Of course, whether my brother, the head of the family, will allow it is uncertain."
Gis said seriously.
"But Leo is a child more Gerdinger than anyone else."
The sword skills that defeated Selia.
The immeasurable potential.
"So we need a reason to persuade my brother."
"You don't mean..."
"Yes."
Gis nodded.
"Enrolling in Lumeren."
"It's dangerous."
Lumeren, the dream of anyone who admires heroes.
But to enroll in Lumeren, one needs to be prepared.
It is said that all Lumeren students are geniuses.
However, the number of graduates is very small.
Of course, students who are eliminated are not expelled.
Instead, they are supported to move forward.
But if they can't keep up with the classes,
They are given two choices.
Withdrawal or death.
Lumeren's school life is that harsh.
And the entrance exam is equally harsh.
The exam is conducted in a real combat setting.
Every year, people lose their lives in the entrance exam.
That's why Reina wanted Leo to learn the aura cultivation technique before taking the exam.
"Leo may have limits in real combat, even if he excels in training."
"The potential is sufficient. To persuade my brother, there's no other way."
Gis clenched his fist.
"What kind of person do you want Leo to be, Sister?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you want him to be a hero?"
"If that's the path he wants to take."
"Then we can't choose only the safe path. I think it's not bad to challenge trials."
"..."
"How will you decide?"
Reina closed her eyes and sighed deeply.
"I will follow Leo's will."
'He would naturally say he will do it.'
Gis was certain.
'The boy has eyes that don't hesitate to move forward.'