I Regressed to My Ruined Family – 9

 #I returned, and my family was ruined (9)

“Memory 수정구.”

It was one of the magical items.

Its effect was exactly as its name suggested.

Using a mana stone, it could store scenes from a certain period of time.

The 수정구 was stored along with all kinds of jewels.

It was an item that smelled bad at first glance.

“Mana stone.”

“Please wait a moment!”

Hans searched the office thoroughly. Soon, he found a low-grade mana stone.

When he brought the mana stone close, the scene began to play.

“So… all we have to do is make that youngest prince a cripple, right?”

“Yes. It doesn’t matter how you do it, just make sure he can’t function as a human being.”

“As you know, my lord, this will take a lot of time. To do it in such a short period, we’ll need to use some strong medicine. However, we don’t often use such medicine…”

“Forget the medicine. We have plenty of time, so give it three years or so.”

―That should be sufficient. I’ll assign suitable people to the task. However, this kind of thing requires a substantial fee… ―Is this acceptable?

―This… isn’t this the mana breathing technique used by the knights of the Duke’s household?

―I’ll also have you deliver a training manual detailing the physical techniques to be used depending on the progress of the task.

―Haha! I’ll do my best, Baron.

―You’ve worked hard under me. Will you continue to do so in the future?

―Of course! I will remain loyal to you, Baron.

Ethan watched the video and laughed hollowly.

“What a bunch of idiots.”

Anyone watching would have thought it was a scene of knights pledging their loyalty to their lord.

That’s because Wyrdan’s voice in the video was filled with sincere loyalty.

Still, the fact that he left such a video behind made it clear that he was a man whose words and actions were completely different.

“That guy from earlier.”

Get notified for updates: https://discord.gg/93rmBjgP6B

“We made him a complete idiot. We even destroyed his mana core, so he’ll never show his face again.”

Hans said with confidence.

He was already in a situation where he would have to interrogate him and face him.

If he let someone with mana live, there was a risk that he would be retaliated against. Hans hated such variables.

A comfortable and peaceful life was the best, wasn’t it?

That was why he asked Myers for a favor. He asked him to completely destroy that bastard’s mana hole. It wasn’t difficult to convince the youngest prince.

When he was told that it could be a threat to his brother, he stepped on the prince’s abdomen where the mana hole was located without hesitation.

Only after seeing his mana hole completely shattered did he stop interrogating him. Now he was nothing more than an ordinary person.

“Really?”

“Yes. If you want to see him again, I’ll bring him right away.”

“That’s fine.”

There was no more information to extract from him anyway. The crystal already served that purpose.

“I got the evidence.”

Not only did he steal the breathing technique and martial arts of the main family, but he also taught them to others.

On top of that, he tried to kill a direct descendant of the family. Once the video is revealed, it won’t be difficult to strike him down.

The evidence was clear.

He had immunity, so even if he cut his throat in front of him, no one would complain.

However…

“Not now.”

Ethan shook his head.

The only place where the essence of fire had been implanted was his wrist. He couldn’t move his whole body nimbly.

If the enemy let his guard down, he was confident he could take out even a three-star knight in a single blow.

But what about a four-star knight or higher?

Four-star knights and above had considerable combat experience. Even if the enemy let his guard down, the chances of victory were slim.

No matter how much combat experience one had, it meant nothing if the body couldn’t keep up.

“I need time to prepare.”

The Count of Caragas was the weakest of the ten branch families.

It wasn’t a good idea to risk the vigilance of the other nine families just to take down this one.

As families that had devoured the duke’s family, some of the branch families would have plenty of knights of the fourth rank or higher.

When we had enough power to completely crush them.

That was when we had to reveal the evidence.

“First, we must complete the process of sowing.”

The head, neck, chest, shoulders, arms, wrists, waist, thighs, calves, and ankles.

“Once we have finished sowing these eleven areas…”

Once the seeding was complete in the mana hole embedded in the heart, the basic preparations for the mana to circulate through the body would be complete. The remaining mana holes could be awakened later.

After completing the seeding, he planned to take action in earnest.

The first family to be devoured would be the Count of Karagas. Ethan smiled quietly and put the crystal ball in his pocket. “Take the jewels.”

Join our discord and ping me to update more chapters. Discord: https://discord.gg/93rmBjgP6B

“What? All of them?”

“Yes.”

Hans swallowed hard.

The jewels in this box alone were worth more than he could earn in a lifetime.

It was a very satisfying income.

Just then,

“Forget it.”

“What?”

“If you want to live.”

Hans’ smiling expression froze in an instant.

It was clear what he was supposed to forget.

He was telling him not to mention the crystal ball to the baron.

What if he told the baron about today?

The baron would definitely try to get rid of the evidence.

The moment the Grand Duke confirmed it, he would be dead.

Risking his life for a little compensation was not worth it.

Hans quickly finished his calculations.

His expression changed to one of confusion.

“What happened today?”

“Nothing.”

“By the way, that bastard Helmut is in big trouble. One of his sources of income has been completely destroyed. He’ll probably feel quite sick when he hands over the subsidy. Heh heh.”

Not only did he cut open the goose that was laying golden eggs, but now he has to hand over the subsidy as well.

The moment the news of the red scorpion’s demise reached the baron, it was safe to say that he would not sleep a wink that night.

The three of them left the building.

* *

When they returned in the afternoon,

they were met by Elena waiting at the front door.

Elena stared intently at Myers. His clothes were in tatters, and blood was flowing from the bandage wrapped around his side.

“Where’s Ethan?”

“He said he had to go somewhere for a bit. He’ll be back soon.”

“Did he go out for training?”

“Yes!”

Meyers replied cheerfully.

“Did it go well?”

“Of course!”

“Okay. Go wash up.”

“I will!”

Their conversation was very peaceful.

Hans’s mouth fell open when he saw them.

The grand duchess.

She was a weak woman who couldn’t even say what she wanted to say normally.

How could she act so calm even though her brother had been beaten to death?

“Did she suddenly change overnight?”

He couldn’t help but wonder.

However, he soon realized that wasn’t the case. Contrary to her calm demeanor and words, her pupils were trembling.

The reason she was acting differently…

“It must be because of the Grand Prince.”

Ten years.

During those ten years, Elena had spent every day of her life in the room where the Grand Prince lay.

The Grand Princess certainly had high expectations for her eldest son.

“Butler.”

“Yes, Grand Princess.”

“What happened today?”

“He went out for practical training.”

“Practical training?”

There was no need to hide this much. Hans nodded.

“Yes. He visited the village of Beros with the youngest prince. There, they had a battle with the Red Scorpions.”

“The Red Scorpions… Aren’t they a pretty famous group? I heard they’re the source of funding for Baron Helmut…”

“Yes, that’s what I’ve heard. We went to their hideout and conducted training. The wounds on the youngest prince’s body were also sustained during that time.”

“I see.”

“The youngest prince was impressive, but what truly amazed me was the divine power the crown prince demonstrated today.”

“Ethan?”

“Yes. The way mana erupted from his hands felt like… a fiery inferno. Even Wyrdan, the leader of the Red Scorpions, couldn’t withstand Ethan’s consecutive strikes for even a minute.”

“Flames…?”

“Yes. I’m certain.”

Elena flinched.

Mana that resembled flames.

Even at its most minimal, it was a sight that could only be achieved by mastering the upper-level techniques of the family.

“Ethan.”

She’s got tears in her eyes.

After the mana explosion.

She had thought that the body of her brother, whom she trusted and relied on, had been completely destroyed.

But that wasn’t the case.

The fact that he had controlled the mana meant that he had overcome the mana explosion.

Elena was relieved.

She wiped away her tears and looked at Hans.

“…Then how will Baron Helmut respond?”

“Well, if he’s the baron I know, he’ll probably wait for the results of the council meeting.”

When news of the red scorpion reached him, he would realize that Ethan was no pushover.

Not only did he know how to handle mana, but he had also been through countless battles and could turn even a skilled warrior like Wyrdan into a cripple in a matter of minutes.

Baron Helmut was a timid man. If he thought he was in danger, he would not make the first move.

“I think he will wait for support from other branches of the family before taking any active measures… To be honest, a baron alone cannot control the Archduke, who has immunity.”

“I see.”

“So don’t worry too much. The Grand Duke is growing stronger faster than anyone else.”

In Hans’s eyes, the Grand Duke was a goose that laid golden eggs.

Moreover, he was generous.

This was evident from the fact that he had given away all his jewels today.

‘He’s much better than that petty Helmut…’

That was why his heart was leaning a little more toward the Grand Duke than the collateral line.

* *

“Viscount! Urgent news!”

The old butler entered without even knocking.

Helmut tilted his head.

The butler was a man who always appeared calm. If he was so flustered, it must be something serious.

“What on earth is going on?”

“The Red Scorpions have been completely destroyed. Wirth is a complete cripple, and all the other members have broken limbs…”

“What?”

The baron’s eyes widened.

Who would dare to destroy a group under his protection in the Barony of Karagas?

Moreover, the Red Scorpions were one of the most important groups that generated cash flow in his domain.

This was a group that couldn’t just disappear in an instant.

Bang!

The baron slammed his fist on the desk.

“Who the hell is this bastard?”

“That… That’s the Grand Duke.”

“What?”

“The Grand Duke… blew up the mana hole in Wirthland.”

“Damn it!”

The baron threw things around him.

He had immunity, so he couldn’t punish him under the laws of his domain.

“How the hell did that idiot get the Red Scorpion… Damn it! Damn it!”

It was something he could never have imagined.

That made him even angrier.

But he couldn’t just assassinate the guy.

The Ardan family.

They were like war heroes, regarded as a kind of guardian deity by the people.

Kill the descendant of such a prestigious family?

Killing him was possible, even with the power of a baron.

The problem was the aftermath.

A descendant of a great hero had been killed on his own land. No matter who killed him, he would not be able to escape responsibility.

“…The other branches will try to cut their ties with him.”

It was obvious that the Count of Caragas would be treated as a scapegoat, with all the blame placed on him.

“Assassination is out of the question.”

At least, it was not an option to be considered at this moment. It was a matter of life and death for the family, so they couldn’t rush into it just because it was a little annoying.

Helmut’s head quickly grew cold.

“Excuse me, Baron.”

“What is it now?”

“Well… a letter has arrived from Hans.”

“Give it to me.”

The baron tore open the envelope and began reading the contents. His face grew redder and redder as he read.

“What a madman! He wants a hundred gold coins?”

One gold coin was enough to support a commoner’s family for a month.

Even for a baron, one hundred gold coins was not an amount he could spend without hesitation.

“Damn it! Damn it!”

But he couldn’t refuse the request. He needed at least one pair of eyes to keep a close watch on the grand duke’s every move.

“…What should we do? Judging by the requested items, that amount seems necessary.”

“Damn it! Send it! And make sure to check thoroughly! Make sure he didn’t inflate the amount!”

Helmut scowled.

It was a day when he felt absolutely terrible.