In the royal capital, Yeluvia, stood a luxurious manor.
It was situated in the heart of the royal capital, but for some unknown reason, it lay in the opposite direction of the royal palace, standing in contrast to it.
Apart from that, the manor was vast, even larger than the Frenzel family's main residence in their territory, and it was likely that few places in the entire royal capital could compare to its grandeur, showcasing the nobility of its master.
Meanwhile, in the backyard of this manor, a young man was sweating profusely as he vigorously practiced with his sword.
He had striking golden hair, a robust body, and an exceptionally handsome appearance, resembling the athletic, sunny boys often found in youthful fantasy novels—handsome and strong.
*Swish!*
*Swish!*
*Swish!*
The sword he wielded was heavy, and each swing created a gust of wind, causing his arm to bulge with muscle and veins to stand out.
"1305... 1306... 1307... 1308..."
He continued swinging the sword like lifting weights, counting as he went, with sweat pouring down continuously.
At a certain moment, a figure walked in from the outside.
"I'm back, Elder Brother."
With a voice as clear as a nightingale, a teenage girl entered the backyard.
She resembled the young man somewhat, with long golden hair cascading down to her waist, looking silky and beautiful.
Her figure was graceful, her skin pale, her features well-defined, and her demeanor outstanding, looking like a princess who had stepped out of a painting, with sparkling eyes that were truly charming.
If any noble of Jinas were here, they would instantly recognize this pair of siblings.
Indeed, they were none other than the famous siblings in Jinas, Sergius Cordelion and Serena Cordelion.
"You're back? How did it go?"
While speaking, Sergius did not look at his younger sister but continued to swing his sword.
"Lost..." Serena answered with a sigh as she looked at her elder brother. "Although it's hard to believe, the Letto brothers really lost to Riezel Brynhart, and what's more, they came back praising him highly."
"Oh? Really...?" Sergius's movements paused slightly before resuming. "If even the Letto brothers lost, it proves that Riezel Brynhart is the real deal... so he really is a Sword Saint, huh?"
As he spoke, his swings grew heavier.
"You know, I still can't believe it..." Serena wrinkled her brows. "A seventeen-year-old Sword Saint is unimaginable. Not to mention, Riezel Brynhart was just an ignorant and incompetent country bumpkin at Spriller Academy two months ago. Now, not only has he become a Tactical-Class Magician, but he's also a Sword Master—no, a Sword Saint now... It feels so unreal..."
"Everyone thought the same thing, but the facts are right there..." Sergius said calmly. "When he entered the royal palace for an audience with our uncle and didn't become a noble or get recruited by the royal family, but walked out like nothing had happened, we should've guessed it already. If he wasn't a Sword Saint, there's no way our uncle would've let such a talent slip away so easily."
Upon hearing this, Serena wore an unhappy expression.
"Yuri Frenzel is so lucky to have picked up such a treasure by chance. Why couldn't I encounter something like that?"
She couldn't help but feel a bit envious and jealous.
"Isn't this what they mean when they say talented people are always drawn to each other?"
Sergius remarked casually.
"You know, when Marquis Frenzel became a Strategic-Class Magician at just fifteen, it made waves across the continent. In the history of the Akasha Continent, only two people are reported to have ever become Strategic-Class Magicians around that age, and none in Jinas's history."
"Nevertheless, not only did she become the third, but she also got to know the youngest Sword Saint in history."
"Fitting, right? Maybe the saying that talented people are always drawn to each other is true."
After hearing her elder brother's lengthy speech, Serena felt quite displeased.
"I don't think I would lose to her." Serena said defiantly. "If it weren't for the difference in magic compatibility, I could also be a Strategic-Class Magician now."
"Just that difference is like a heavenly ridge, though..." Sergius retorted, stopping his sword swing. "Well, since we've confirmed that Riezel Brynhart is a genuine Sword Saint, tell the people we sent out to retreat so we don't upset those two."
"What?" Serena raised her autumn-like eyes. "Elder Brother, do you want to recruit him?"
Sergius didn't answer immediately but first set down his sword.
*Thud!*
After the sword fell to the ground with a heavy noise, creating a small dent that showed its astonishing weight, he picked up a towel from a nearby rack and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"If it were possible, of course, I would want to recruit him..." Sergius said in a serious tone. "But I don't think it will be successful."
"Why? If Yuri Frenzel can succeed, why can't we?" Serena grumbled in disapproval.
"Heh, it's precisely because Marquis Frenzel succeeded that we won't."
Sergius chuckled as he watched his younger sister's stubborn attitude.
"From the information we have so far, Marquis Frenzel's relationship with him is undoubtedly good."
"Yuri Frenzel, who was indifferent to everyone else, regarded him with special attention and even brought him back to the main residence..."
"Who else received such treatment in the past?"
No one.
No one had ever been as close to Yuri as Riezel, and no one had received such treatment from her.
"Just think about it—the fact that she regards him so highly and that the royal family's attempt to recruit him failed, failing even to bestow him the title of honorary noble, indicates that he doesn't intend to go to anyone else."
Sergius carefully analyzed the situation for his younger sister.
"In other words, we should just build a good relationship with him and avoid doing anything extra to not annoy these two outstanding youngsters."
Although Sergius's thorough analysis made Serena fall silent, her expression clearly showed her dissatisfaction.
Seeing this, Sergius sighed.
"First of all, why do you always have that expression whenever Marquis Frenzel is mentioned?" Sergius asked, feeling genuinely helpless.
In response, Serena snorted lightly.
"Ask those people who always compare me to her!" Serena replied, her tone annoyed. "No matter who it is, they always say stuff like—As expected of Miss Serena, almost catching up to Marquis Frenzel—Who can stand that?"
"Even so, it's not like Marquis Frenzel is at fault here, you know..." Sergius remarked, either intentionally or unintentionally. "She doesn't know anything about this, hasn't even met you, yet you hold a grudge against her?"
"I don't care!" Serena lifted her chin defiantly. "Her existence makes me unhappy, so I want to compete with her."
"Just don't cause trouble. No matter what, our status is much lower." Sergius reminded his younger sister. "She's a legitimate noble, a marquis, while we haven't inherited any titles yet and are only members of a noble family."
"So what?" Serena disagreed, clearly not listening. "I'm still a Tactical-Class Magician. If I hadn't rejected the royal family's offer, I'd also be a legitimate noble with a title."
'But you would be a viscount, not a marquis.'
Sergius silently retorted in his mind and didn't say it out loud.
Otherwise, his stubborn younger sister, who was determined to compete with Marquis Frenzel, would definitely not let him off the hook.
"Anyway, just don't mess things up…" Sergius warned seriously. "Last time, our father got involved with the Basolo family, so if Marquis Frenzel finds out, she'll absolutely be unhappy. If you mess things up again and push her to our opposition, the ones who'll be pleased will be the royal family."
"I know..." Serena replied somewhat wonderingly. "I'll just instruct our people to befriend Riezel Brynhart and ignore Yuri Frenzel. It should be fine, right?"
"Yeah..." Sergius nodded in satisfaction. "I'll also look for a chance to meet this youngest Sword Saint who's about to make a name for himself and see if we can win him over to our side."
"What?" Serena was taken aback. "Didn't you say recruiting him wouldn't be successful?"
"I'm not recruiting him, but that doesn't affect our cooperation, does it?"
Sergius dropped his towel and smiled at his younger sister.
"He's been attacked twice by the people from the Shadow and almost died once. Our involvement made the Mad Dog Prince target him, so their relationship must've been pretty bad. Given that, we can definitely team up to handle that mad dog."
"I see..." Serena nodded in understanding. "When do you plan to meet him?"
"Not at a time like this..."
Sergius shook his head.
"Since he's a big shot in the royal capital right now, the royal family and the other nobles are keeping a close eye on him. If I approach him now, some people will definitely overreact."
"You could have Carrera contact him first. It would be best to build a good relationship, gauge his attitude, and see how he feels about us."
"I'll wait until the timing is right to meet him."
With that, Sergius left the backyard and went back to the manor to take a shower.
"Alright."
Looking at her elder brother's back, Serena shrugged.
"Such a pity... I wanted to meet him myself..."
She muttered to herself, looking somewhat deep in thought.
"But with Carrera around... he shouldn't be hostile toward me, right? It'd be great if I could get him to be my attendant and piss that woman off…"
After muttering to herself for a while, she suddenly smiled, and her eyes twinkled.
"How about using the old method?"
Not knowing what happy thought had crossed her mind, Serena skipped away.