Changing the family's mana cultivation technique? Zwalter has lived a long life, but this is the first time he has heard such nonsense.
Setting aside the audacity of altering the family's legacy, what will he do if something goes wrong with such a risky move?
Zwalter leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he pondered.
It was absurd, but he didn't immediately lose his temper. He figured it wouldn't hurt to hear more before making a judgment.
"Say it again," Zwalter commanded with a tone of authority.
Despite Zwalter's imposing tone, Ghislain remained unfazed as he answered.
"We need to change the family's mana cultivation technique."
"The cultivation technique is one of our most sacred legacies. What exactly do you propose to change? Have you found some better method elsewhere?"
Thump.
Ghislain pulled a book from his robe and placed it on the table.
Zwalter, staring blankly at the book, asked, "What is this?"
"I've written down my modifications to the family's mana cultivation technique."
"What? You?"
Zwalter smirked in disbelief, looking down at the book Ghislain had placed. He had assumed Ghislain had stumbled upon some valuable resource to back his claim, but hearing that it was his own work made it somewhat amusing.
Clicking his tongue, Zwalter waved his hand dismissively.
"Enough. It seems you've had some minor epiphany and jotted down a few ideas, but altering a cultivation technique is practically impossible. How would you research and refine such a thing in a lifetime?"
Zwalter couldn't even imagine that Ghislain might have already completed such a feat. He assumed Ghislain wanted help to work on it together, which he deemed a waste of time and thus declined.
But Ghislain shook his head.
"I'm not suggesting we research it together. The modifications are already complete."
"Ha, so you're saying we should practice something that hasn't been verified?"
"It has been thoroughly tested."
"What? How?"
"I've already practiced it myself."
"Good heavens!"
Zwalter jumped out of his seat in shock.
Not only had Ghislain dared to alter the mana cultivation technique, but he had also practiced it? Proof that he was utterly insane.
"You... Are you alright? Is your body unharmed?"
"Yes, I'm perfectly fine. And I completed these modifications quite some time ago. You witnessed my prowess during the war, didn't you? That was all thanks to the altered mana cultivation technique."
"..."
Zwalter couldn't respond immediately.
It was true that he had been astonished by his so-called delinquent son's combat prowess.
But to hear now that it wasn't due to secret training but a modified cultivation technique? Even though Ghislain was the one saying it, Zwalter struggled to believe it.
Ghislain looked Zwalter straight in the eyes and said, "We already have too many enemies. We need to grow even stronger. This mana cultivation technique will transform our family and territory into something far greater."
"Still… how can you justify tampering with a cultivation method that has been passed down for generations?"
"To grow stronger, we must use any means necessary. If the cultivation technique handed down by our ancestors is lacking, it must be fixed."
Zwalter's jaw dropped at the blunt statement.
While Ghislain's argument of using any means necessary in the current situation was valid, it severely undermined the tradition and authority that the family had built over generations.
"But this cultivation technique has supported our family for a thousand years! What guarantee do we have that your modified version is better?"
At that, Ghislain smirked.
"Honestly, do you really believe our family has existed for a thousand years?"
"...What are you talking about? Of course, it has. In fact, you were born in the very year our family marked its thousandth anniversary. It was a momentous occasion."
"Do you have any proof?"
"Well… the records from two hundred years ago were lost… so I heard it from your grandfather."
"Then the family is two hundred years old at best."
"..."
Zwalter fell silent, his lips tightly shut.
To be fair, even he thought the thousand-year claim was dubious.
It was simply a tradition that had been passed down, calculated over time, and believed without question.
The origins of this calculation were unknown, and no one within the family had dared to challenge it.
It wasn't something they mentioned outside the family for fear of ridicule. They simply upheld it internally, treating it as a point of pride.
Ghislain sighed and said, "A thousand years is just a founding myth. It's obviously not true. Don't all noble families have similar tales? The Delphine Duchy, for instance, claims to be descendants of dragons."
"Well, that's true…"
"Don't put too much stock in such things. Honestly, whether it's a thousand years or two hundred, what difference does it make? If war breaks out, we'll all die just the same. Count Desmond is surely preparing for us."
"Hmm, you're right."
Zwalter understood what Ghislain was implying.
What he feared most now was the prospect of war with Count Desmond.
For now, things were somewhat stable, and Marquess Branford had taken Ghislain under his wing, pretending not to notice the brewing tension.
But there was no telling why Desmond was lying low, and it only made the situation more unsettling.
Ghislain spoke firmly to his hesitating father.
"That's why we need to master this and grow stronger, as quickly as possible."
"Alright, then…"
Zwalter started to agree but stopped mid-sentence, furrowing his brow. The threat of Count Desmond and mastering a cultivation technique were entirely separate matters.
"I almost fell for it! No, absolutely not! Even if you're fine now, there's no telling when side effects might appear! You need to stop practicing this and return to the proper method. Rushing things always leads to problems!"
"We don't have time for that. Practicing this will make us stronger."
"Our family's cultivation technique doesn't lag behind others! Sure, people mock our poverty, but no one has ever doubted the skill of our knights!"
Randolph, who had been quietly listening, stepped in.
"Young lord, both the count and I are considered high-level knights. The Perdium family's cultivation technique is by no means inadequate."
He wasn't wrong. The Perdium cultivation technique was on par with other noble families.
But to Ghislain's standards, that wasn't nearly enough.
"The family's cultivation technique has limits."
"What?"
"Both of you have already hit a wall, haven't you?"
"..."
Neither Zwalter nor Randolph could deny it. They lowered their heads, unable to refute the claim.
How Ghislain knew was a mystery, but it was true. Both had reached a point where no amount of training seemed to yield progress.
The more they trained, the more it felt as if something was missing—a hollow sensation they couldn't pinpoint.
No matter how much they studied the technique, they couldn't figure out what was wrong.
This issue had plagued not only Zwalter but all past heads of the Perdium family.
"The family's cultivation technique appears flawless on the surface. But the more you practice, the more you feel something is missing."
Zwalter nodded in agreement.
He had only started noticing this in middle age, but his young son had already realized it!
'Could it be… my son is a true genius?'
Thinking back to Ghislain's accomplishments in the war, it didn't seem impossible.
As Zwalter scrutinized him anew, Ghislain continued.
"I identified the root of the problem and addressed the missing parts. If you practice the revised version, you'll be able to overcome the wall."
"How on earth did you figure that out?"
"I had a moment of enlightenment."
Ghislain deployed the ultimate excuse!
It wasn't a lie. In his previous life, he had stumbled upon an ancient magic tome that had provided this enlightenment.
The incomplete tome described how ancient mages cultivated their mana.
Building on those concepts, Ghislain had managed to fix and refine the Perdium family's cultivation technique.
The results had been so seamless that he occasionally wondered if the family's technique had originally been derived from the tome.
'It's a shame it was incomplete.'
Using that small insight, Ghislain had not only improved the technique but also risen to become one of the continent's seven strongest.
While his innate talent and relentless effort played a role, it would have taken much longer without the tome.
'I should search for it again when I have the chance.'
Clearing his thoughts, Ghislain stood up.
He had no intention of further persuading his father. He had pointed out the problem and offered a solution.
He didn't want to pressure them with force or overwhelm them with his skill.
'Once they see it, they'll adopt it.'
Knowing the tendencies of knights well, Ghislain spoke with a relaxed tone.
"The choice is yours, Father. I won't push further. I've detailed everything in the book. Take a look. If you think there's a problem, you don't have to practice it."
"Hmm…"
"Then I'll take my leave. If you decide to adopt it, please teach it to all the Perdium knights. This is no time to cling to honor or tradition."
"Hmm…"
Zwalter didn't respond, letting out only vague sounds of contemplation.
He was dying to see what was in the book, but his pride held him back from opening it immediately.
Watching Zwalter wrestle with his thoughts, Ghislain smirked, bowed lightly, and turned to leave.
As Zwalter absentmindedly waved his son off, he muttered, glancing at the book Ghislain had left.
"Well, since my son brought it, let's see how good it is."
Randolph chimed in, "We don't have to adopt it, but why not take a look?"
"Yes, yes. It's only polite to examine his effort."
Zwalter sat down and began flipping through the book.
Ghislain had meticulously annotated every detail, making it easy to understand.
With each page he turned, Zwalter's expression shifted dramatically.
"Wow…"
He couldn't help but marvel. Just reading it seemed to clear up years of frustration.
Randolph, unable to contain his curiosity, leaned in.
"How is it? Let me see, too, big brother."
"Back off! Let me finish first!"
After some bickering, Zwalter finally handed the book to Randolph, still deep in thought.
A few minutes later, Randolph wore a similar expression to Zwalter's.
"Wow…"
"Sigh…"
Neither man could say much, only letting out deep sighs.
They couldn't know for sure without trying it, but Ghislain's revised cultivation technique seemed flawless in theory.
It even gave them confidence that they could break through the walls they had faced.
Zwalter finally asked Randolph cautiously.
"What do you think? Any issues?"
"It's incredible. Absolutely incredible. If we practice this, we'll definitely grow stronger."
"Right? But how on earth did Ghislain come up with this?"
No matter how much he thought about it, Zwalter couldn't understand.
The troublemaker of a son had suddenly transformed into someone achieving remarkable feats. He felt as though he hardly recognized him anymore.
Randolph, however, shrugged as if it didn't matter.
"Maybe he had a genuine breakthrough, or perhaps he stumbled upon some extraordinary opportunity. Either way, the real issue now is how we handle this."
"Still… could it really be without risk?"
"The method involves momentarily intensifying mana, which might seem risky. But as long as the body is healthy, it should be fine. While more observation is needed, it's flawless in theory."
"Right, in theory… It's flawless… That's what bothers me."
Even as he spoke, Zwalter couldn't shake an uneasy feeling.
Though Ghislain's ventures always yielded good results, the process was often painful.
Seeing Zwalter's hesitation, Randolph pressed him.
"Big brother, what's there to worry about? Aren't we the strongest in Perdium? If we don't see an issue, that's all that matters."
"Still, it's something my son created, so…"
"Even if he's strong, do you think he's stronger than us? We have more experience and wisdom. And it seems his war exploits were due to the explosive potential of this technique."
Zwalter closed his eyes, contemplating deeply.
Randolph, barely hiding his impatience, waited anxiously for Zwalter's decision. Truthfully, he was eager to try the revised technique and break through his limits.
After a long pause, Zwalter finally spoke, as if compromising with himself.
"Let's try it in stages. If anything feels off, we'll stop immediately."
Randolph clenched his fist and broke into a bright smile.
"Exactly. If something's wrong, we can just stop."
What Ghislain hadn't mentioned was that once the revised cultivation technique was initiated, stopping was impossible.
The two men's ignorance of this fact was their misfortune.
Zwalter nodded a few times before standing up.
"Alright, let's give it a try. Summon all the knights. It can't hurt for everyone to grow stronger quickly."
For a brief moment, an inexplicable chill ran down their spines. But they dismissed it as a fleeting feeling and carried on.
[T/L: Please support me and read 75 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]