The Genius Mage Was Reincarnated Into A Swordsman Family

The powerful dark aura that Klaus was releasing from his body permeated the throne room, making it feel darker, colder, and more ominous. The surge of energy he was emitting radiated with an almost palpable malevolence, a testament to the power that Klaus had nurtured within himself. Roman, standing a few steps before Klaus, felt the oppressive atmosphere intensify, but rather than being intimidated, a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

’Close to a swordmaster level,’ Roman thought, his eyes narrowing as he assessed Klaus’s power. ’How impressive.’

It was no small feat for someone of Klaus’s age. Roman himself, who was revered as the greatest swordsman on the continent, had only reached the swordmaster level at the age of sixteen. But here was Klaus, barely twelve years old, already on the cusp of breaching that formidable barrier—a barrier that many swordsmen spent their entire lives trying to surpass. For even the most talented, this wall was typically only accessible after the age of twenty.

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’Maybe in a year or two,’ Roman speculated, estimating the time it would take for Klaus to surpass that wall and become a swordmaster. ’He will become the youngest to reach that stage in the history of our clan—just one year younger than the founding patriarch when he reached that stage.’

The founding patriarch of the Lionhart clan, a legend in his own right, had been the youngest in the history of their clan to achieve the swordmaster level at the age of fifteen. Klaus was on track to break that record, a fact that filled Roman with a rare sense of pride, albeit tinged with a complex mix of other emotions.

Roman flicked his hand, as if swatting away an invisible fly, and the dark aura that Klaus was emanating instantly evaporated into the wind.

*Tsk.*

Klaus clicked his tongue in frustration, annoyed by how effortlessly Roman had dispersed the surge of arcane energy he had unleashed. It was a stark reminder of the gap that still existed between them, despite Klaus’s rapid progress.

Roman then approached Klaus, his imposing figure towering over the boy. He extended his hand toward Klaus, a silent gesture asking for Klaus to let him inspect his body. Klaus, hiding his frustration, reluctantly extended his hand to Roman, who gently grasped it and began to infuse his energy into Klaus’s body, starting a meticulous inspection of Klaus’s mana circuits. This time, with Klaus’s permission, Roman moved slowly, carefully probing the depths of Klaus’s being.

As Roman’s energy coursed through Klaus’s mana circuits, he quickly realized that what he had initially mistaken for an illness was, in fact, something else entirely. Klaus’s mana circuits were merging with the strange energy that he had emitted earlier, an energy that Roman could neither fully understand nor identify.

’This is definitely not mana, nor is it Qi,’ Roman thought, his mind racing as he continued to explore Klaus’s inner workings. The more he delved, the more baffled he became.

Finally, Roman directed his energy toward Klaus’s dantian, where his mana core was supposed to be located. When Roman reached Klaus’s mana core, he was met with a sight that shocked him to his very core.

Klaus’s mana core was pitch black, radiating an eerie, almost unnatural glow that resembled that of a black sun. The darkness within the core seemed to pulsate with a life of its own, exuding an aura that was both ominous and enthralling.

’Just what is this?’ Roman thought, his mind reeling from the discovery. In all his years, he had never encountered or even heard of a mana core turning black, regardless of the stage a martial practitioner or swordsman had reached.

Even among those rare individuals known as "irregulars," whose mana cores exhibited unusual colors, their cores still retained hues within the color spectrum of power, ranging from red to white. And once an irregular’s mana core had formed, it remained the same color even as they advanced to higher realms. But Klaus’s core was something entirely different, something that defied all known logic and understanding.

Roman released Klaus’s hand, a puzzled expression etched onto his usually stoic face. He had confirmed that his grandson was healthy, but the answers he had sought had only led to more questions.

’I’m sure if I asked, he wouldn’t answer, would he?’ Roman thought, already sensing Klaus’s growing hostility. Klaus’s cold eyes bore into him, filled with an intensity that Roman had not seen before.

"Are you satisfied now?" Klaus repeated his question, his tone as icy as the aura that had filled the room moments before.

Roman let out a small cough, turning away from Klaus’s piercing gaze as he walked back to his throne. He needed time to process what he had just discovered, but he knew that Klaus would not be forthcoming with any explanations.

"It seems I was worried for nothing," Roman finally said after a long silence, trying to mask the unease that had settled in his chest.

Melo, who had been silently observing the entire exchange, could tell that Roman was even more troubled than he had been when he first suspected that Klaus’s condition was worsening. Although Roman maintained his usual emotionless poker face, Melo knew him well enough to sense the subtle signs of distress.

’What did he see that made him look like that?’ Melo wondered, his curiosity piqued. He had seen Roman face countless threats and challenges without batting an eye, but whatever he had found within Klaus had clearly unsettled him.

Klaus, however, was not interested in Roman’s internal struggle. He was more concerned with resolving the issue of his unexpected guests. "Then, about those guests?" Klaus asked, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

"Well," Roman began, his tone shifting slightly, "at first, I agreed just to mess with you, but I’ve changed my mind. Get acquainted with them. One of those girls will be your fiancée."

Klaus’s left eye began to twitch involuntarily, a sign of the irritation that was bubbling up inside him. Roman, noticing this, chuckled, his earlier tension momentarily forgotten.

"Don’t worry," Roman said, waving off Klaus’s visible annoyance. "You still have time. You won’t be engaged until you’re fifteen. You have three years to decide. That’s plenty of time, don’t you think?"

Klaus didn’t respond, his expression hardening as he weighed his options. Roman continued, sensing that he had regained some control over the situation.

"Since you’re perfectly fine, I suppose there’s no need to hide the requests I’ve received from the First and Third Armies," Roman said, his voice casual, as if discussing the weather.

’First Army?’ Klaus thought, his curiosity piqued despite himself. The First Army of the Lionhart clan was rumored to be the most powerful, an elite force that only the best of the best could join.

"What kind of request did you receive from them?" Klaus asked, unable to suppress his interest.

"They want you to do a trial test to join their ranks," Roman explained. "At first, I thought you were too young to officially join any group. After all, you just became an ’official trainee.’ How could I accept a novice like you joining them? But it seems that you would benefit more from the battlefield than from the normal training that official trainees undergo."

’You want to send a twelve-year-old to the battlefield?’ Klaus thought, his mind racing. ’Just how crazy and heartless are you?’

"The decision will be yours to make," Roman said, his tone growing more serious. "After all, it’s your life on the line."

"I will need more time to think about it," Klaus replied, bowing his head in a gesture of respect, signaling that he was prepared to leave the throne room. But Roman didn’t dismiss him, his gaze lingering on Klaus as if he had more to say. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

They stood in silence for several minutes, the tension between them growing with each passing second. Then, suddenly, Roman coughed awkwardly and said, "I think I’ve found the perfect gift for you."

With a clap of his fingers, a space rift suddenly appeared in front of Klaus, and from within the rift, a mysterious book emerged, floating gently toward him.

"Take it," Roman said, his voice carrying a rare note of sincerity. "This is your reward for ranking first in the test."

Klaus reached out and grabbed the book, his eyes narrowing as he read the title inscribed on the cover in elegant, gold script:

Lionhart Flame Art

Klaus’s expression softened slightly as he turned the book over in his hands, the weight of it feeling significant in more ways than one. Despite the tension and mistrust between him and Roman, Klaus couldn’t deny the value of the gift he had just received.

"Thank you," Klaus said, his voice neutral but respectful. He gave a final nod to Roman before turning to leave the throne room, the mysterious book clutched tightly in his hand.

As Klaus walked away, Roman watched him go, a myriad of thoughts swirling in his mind. Klaus was an enigma, a puzzle that Roman was determined to solve, no matter what it took. But for now, he would let his grandson go, knowing that the next time they met, the stakes would be even higher.