LMOFSF 02

Episode 2. The Stain of the Duke’s Family

“I remember most of it now.”

I told Emma to bring me some water so I could send her out of the room.
Once it was quiet, my memories started to return slowly.

‘Yes… my memories.’

Most of them were blurry, but I had my memories from childhood until now.
On top of that, the memories from my previous life also came back.

‘This is crazy.’

I looked at my reflection in the window beside the bed.
A delicate face, like it had never gone through any hardship.

‘Black hair and golden eyes… that’s all that’s the same.’

There was no trace of the man who had once fought through countless battlefields.

To be born again…
I thought that only happened in fairy tales for children.

And yet—

The stain of the Tindalos Duke’s family.
A child cursed by mana.
The useless, foolish successor.
Hound de Tindalos.

…The duke’s son?

“Well, you’ve become quite a man, Yugh.”

Yugh de Tindalos, the first Knight Commander of the Ketlan Empire.
The Sword Duke.

‘Hah! I lost. I really can’t keep up with your swordsmanship!’

One of the few friends I often sparred with, and taught.
The strongest sword protecting the empire he had helped found.
We had been close…
But I had never once wished to be his descendant.

‘And now I have mana?’

If aura was like hot, red fire, then mana was like cold, blue water.
Even the breathing techniques were complete opposites.

For the heir who was supposed to inherit the family’s sword techniques and aura breathing,
it was nothing but a stain.

‘Mana is passed down through bloodlines. So how could someone from an aura family be born with mana?’

And on top of that—

The “mana curse.”

“I’ve heard of it from Arwen.”

An abnormal mana that couldn’t form a magic circle no matter what you did, as if cursed.
Those born with it were mocked and called “cursed by mana.”

“Haa…”

I steadied my breathing and focused inside my body.
I could feel a power different from aura.

‘This is really the mana of a 15-year-old?’

Even now it was this strong…

‘If this body were normal, in just 3 years—no, even 5—I’d surpass the aura I had in my previous life.’

But—

“Urgh… No, it still won’t work.”

I tried forcing my life force to awaken aura, but the mana in my body pushed back.
And if I tried to use mana… this body couldn’t form a magic circle.

“I learned so much from Arwen, but I can’t use any of it now.”

I swallowed the thick blood that had risen in my throat and caught my breath.

“So this is the mana curse.”

A person who could use neither aura nor mana.
And because they couldn’t process mana, they would die of mana poisoning before reaching adulthood.

“…Damn it. Fine. Curse or not, I don’t care.”

In my past life as Howard, I had no talent for magic anyway.
All I wanted—then and now—was to live peacefully with my people.

“But still… what happened to Yugh’s family?…”

Knock knock.

The knocking broke my thoughts.

“…Young master? I brought water.”

Through the door crack, Emma’s sulky face peeked in.
Probably because I didn’t recognize her earlier and questioned her harshly.

“Thanks, Emma. Come in.”

“Yes!”

The moment I called her by name kindly, her expression brightened again.

‘She’s six years older than me, I think.’

I vaguely remembered—she was the daughter of the head maid,
and had been my playmate and personal maid since childhood.

No wonder she was upset when I didn’t recognize her.

“Sorry about earlier. The dream felt so real that I thought I was still in it.”

“It’s okay. I’m sure it was a nightmare. Please forget about it quickly.”

A nightmare, huh?
I gave a bitter smile.

“Yes… a terrible nightmare.”

Wait. Why was I unconscious in the first place?

“Emma, do you know if I—”

Before I could ask, I sensed several people hurrying toward my room.

‘This presence…’

Another knock came, soft and calm.

“Young master, the lady—”

“Young master!”

Emma opened the door, and a familiar face entered.

Deep black hair like mine, and shadowed green eyes.
A plain but well-kept old dress.
A twenty-year-old noble lady who didn’t look her age.

Sigras de Tindalos.
My older sister in this life.

“Are you all right? You’re not hurt anywhere?”

Out of breath from hurrying, she asked about my condition.

Memories of Hound came back—
After our parents died, while I shut myself away,
she acted as head of the family in my place.

Calm and dignified, the complete opposite of the old Hound.

“…Sister.”

“You recognize me?”

“Yes.”

“Thank goodness. When I heard you didn’t recognize Emma, I was so worried.”

She brushed my cheek with a trembling hand and sighed in relief.

“Young master.”

“Yes, sister.”

“Please… never do something like that again.”

What was she talking about?

“You haven’t done anything wrong. And you must never throw your life away.”

“….”

“So promise me. Promise you won’t do it again.”

From her words… it seemed I had tried to harm myself.

“Will you promise?”

She held my hand and looked at me with worry.

“Please say something. We’re family, after all.”

…Family.

All those distant memories and feelings.
For the first time, they truly felt like mine.

Sister, Emma, and the others in this house—
In my past life, I lost my family before I even matured.
I had always wanted to get them back.

‘No…’

My comrades, Yugh, and Arwen…
They could have been called family too.
But I never said those simple words.

‘…I’ll wait for you.’

If only I had known that would be the last time.

“I’m sorry.”

It was an apology to my past life’s family for breaking my promise,
and a vow to my current family.

“I will never worry you again.”

This time, I will keep the promise.

“Young master, are you really all right?”

She looked at me with concern—it had been years since I spoke to her like this.

“Yes. Don’t worry. I’m really fine.”

She held my hand for a long time, watching me carefully.

“Young master—”

Ahem.

A man cleared his throat.

It was a middle-aged man who had come with my sister.
He wore fine noble clothes and an enchanted robe—a powerful mage.

‘A mage… and his level is high.’

I couldn’t gauge his strength instantly, so at least 6th circle… maybe even 8th.
He might rival Arwen in power.

And something about his face irritated me.

“My apologies, Duke. I showed you a messy sight.”

“It’s fine. If a family member wakes after being near death for days, who could stay calm?”

“Thank you for your concern, Duke Randolph.”

…What? Randolph?

“Sister, did you just—”

“…?”

She looked puzzled at my reaction.
I decided to stay quiet and get information first.

The man—Randolph—spoke,
“Then I’ll return to the capital. I’ll see you at the festival.”

“Yes, see you then.”

“No need to see me out. Please look after the young master.”

After he left, my sister sighed and turned to me.

“Rest today. We’ll talk tomorrow. Emma, I’m counting on you.”

“Don’t worry, my lady!”

Sister left, and Emma came back to wipe my forehead.

“You still have a fever. You should lie down—”

“Emma.”

I interrupted.

“The man who came with my sister. Do you know him?”

“You mean Duke Randolph?”

“Randolph…”

The name meant nothing to me.

“You don’t remember? Well… maybe because it’s been so long. His family has been our ally for generations.”

An old ally? With a duke’s title?
Yugh… just what happened after that war?

“Emma, I need to ask you something.”

“But you’re sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. Just a little dizzy. No need to worry.”

“Then… okay.”

“Tell me everything you know. Right now.”

“…”

“What is it, Tower Master?”

Randolph, about to step into his carriage, looked back at the house.
His attendant asked.

“It’s been… what, 15 years since you joined me?”

“Yes. I’ve served you since I entered the Magic Tower.”

“You were about seventeen then, right?”

“Yes.”

“When you first met me… could you sense my level of magic?”

“Of course not. I was only a 2nd circle rookie back then.”

“I see.”

“If there were someone younger than that… someone who never trained in magic or aura, but could still sense your level…”

“…Pardon?”

The Tower Master often spoke strangely, but this was even more so.

“A child who could gauge the power of an 8th circle mage like you.”

After thinking, the attendant gave a hollow laugh.

“That would be… a monster.”

“Would it?”

“And I’d be jealous. If I had such talent, the next Vice Tower Master position would be mine.”

Randolph chuckled softly.

“You’ve done well enough.”

“Haha, don’t tease me. Compared to your achievements, I still lack a lot. You reached 5th circle at seventeen, didn’t you?”

“Mm.”

His quiet laugh was swallowed by the rumble of the carriage.
Looking out the window, Randolph murmured, almost to himself,

“…A monster. A monster who can’t use mana or aura.”

The Tindalos family’s estate slowly disappeared into the distance.