Chapter 2
Reincarnated as the Greatest Genius of the Swordsmanship Family
Four Heavens and Nine Pillars.
A term meaning âfour heavens and nine pillars.â
It also referred to an organization comprising the thirteen strongest figures across the continent.
Those who remained unchanged over long periods were called the Four Heavens, while those who occasionally changed or experienced rise and fall were called the Nine Pillars.
AndâŠ
His motherâs name was Daisy Kapthalen.
It was clear she came from a prestigious magical family belonging to the Nine Pillars.
“No wonder her hair is purple and her eyes are red⊔
One of the Kapthalen familyâs distinctive traits was purple hair and red eyes.
But an even more shocking revelation was:
“Father belongs to the Reinhardt family.”
A descendant of one of the Four Heavens, known as the Northern Sky, Northern Sword Duke, and Winter Grand Duke, was living as nothing more than a hunter.
“How on earth did people like them meet and marry?”
Marriages between such powerful families usually had enormous influence on the continentâs political landscape.
For ordinary people like them, such a union would be impossible to miss or ignore.
The power of the Four Heavens and Nine Pillars was absolute, balanced to perfection.
Yet, based on their surroundings and appearance, one thing could be inferred:
“At least theyâre not living under family support.”
Even though they were heirs of two of the continentâs greatest families, living off hunting in a small cabin made no sense.
Surely, there was some hidden secret or unknown background between the two.
“Maybe they ran away from their families, or got married outside the family entirely.”
That would explain everything.
ââŠâŠ.â
However, such matters were meaningless for now.
âAruru, peek-a-boo! Ruin, call me mom already. Donât just call daddy!â
The woman insisted on repeatedly teaching him to say âmom,â perhaps out of some unnecessary sense of competition.
âDid you drink again?â
âAh, no⊠Brion just suggested one drink.â
âI told you to just casually hang out with him!â
âS-sorry. Next time Iâll follow your advice.â
A man crouched and bowed in front of a woman, utterly humbled.
He couldnât understand why he was born as their child.
“I will definitely kill Sir Roben Paterion.”
Whether by luck or a divine opportunity, he had regained life. With it, he resolved to pour all his power into taking that manâs life and achieving revenge. That was Ruinâs most important goal.
ButâŠ
“Itâs a bit disappointing to think this way. If Iâm reborn, it wouldâve been better as a proper heir of a great family rather than just their child⊔
If he had awakened as the legitimate heir of Kapthalen or a direct bloodline of Reinhardt, revenge on Sir Roben would have been much easier.
Yet Ruin shook his head firmly.
“No, even being given this new chance is the greatest luck. And⊔
<Thousand-Year Mastery>
A legendary figure, Ganel of the Millennial Sword, renowned across history. Alone, he had defeated tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, and stood atop the continent, gazing upon all.
And his wisdom, his only legacy left to the world.
âAlright, youâve worked hard today too. Time to sleep, our Ruin.â
Laid in a soft, down-filled crib, Ruin quietly closed his eyes without protest as his mother Daisy attended to him.
“Itâs still inside me.”
The power he had gained from his previous life, 1872, lingered in his heart. The gentle aura near his chest was unmistakably <Thousand-Year Mastery>.
“It was said to perfectly continue everything, wasnât it?”
According to the martial arts techniques still imprinted in his mind:
“It cultivates understanding and mental strength, shaping the body into its optimal form.”
A power so strong that one could grow stronger merely by breathing. If given enough time, it could make him infinitely powerful.
“It doesnât matter what background I have.”
Even if he was born as the child of fugitives or wanderers, with <Thousand-Year Mastery>, he could succeed in his revenge.
FurthermoreâŠ
“Now I have plenty of time.”
Though he still slept for over a third of each day, he was far too young; time to grow strong was abundant. As a descendant of the great swordmaster Reinhardt and the magical family Kapthalen,
“Reaching Ganelâs level might not even be a dream.”
Determined, Ruin clenched his tiny fists.
“I will completely erase the Paterion family.”
Like Sir Roben who eliminated decades of loyal shadows in a single stroke, he vowed to reduce one of the Four Heavens, who had endured centuries, to a mere trace in history.
At that moment, he heard his parentsâ voices through the slightly open door.
âDarling, guess what I caught today? Look!â
âOh my, what is this?â
âA Gray Boar. Brion said it tastes amazing. I had quite a hard time catching it today.â
âReally?â
âNot just tasty, they say itâs the best for men too. So letâs celebrate with a party!â
During the small, simple celebration, his father Kavel and mother Daisy shared playful moments.
âYou look prettier than usual, Daisy.â
âTch, I donât know.â
âDonât know? Come here, my love!â
And they had an extremely passionate night.
“âŠI might get a sibling.”
Fortunately, that worry never came to pass, as a sibling would have meant more responsibilities for Ruin.
ââŠâŠ.â
However, he was a little puzzled by an unexpected situation.
“Hmm, this is strange.”
He tried to sense mana while alone but felt nothing.
“Usually, children have stronger mana sensitivity, right?”
Luckily, the aura of <Thousand-Year Mastery> near his heart moved according to his will.
“What is going on?”
He wondered if it was a side effect of reincarnation but quickly dismissed the thought.
“Come on, being reborn shouldnât make me unable to sense mana.”
Even with the memories of his past life, the idea of reincarnation was incredible enough.
“Then whyâŠ?”
While he tilted his head in confusion, the door creaked.
âRuin, letâs eat.â
With Daisy entering as usual, Ruin stopped worrying.
“First, letâs eat. Hunger clouds the mind. I can think later.”
Soon after:
âBurp!â
âOh, looks like you ate well, our Ruin.â
Daisy smiled brightly, and Ruin responded with a giggle.
âOh my, how can you be this cute while smiling?â
Overflowing with love, Daisy gently touched Ruinâs cheeks.
âIâll clean your mouth first.â
Muttering this, she snapped her fingers lightly. The food traces around Ruinâs mouth were pulled together by invisible energy.
Then: Flames!
The hot flame ignited in midair, completely burning the food away. Ruin stared, eyes wide.
“Crazy. How powerful is her magic?”
Though magic was common in daily life, casually using it like this without incantation was a skill of only the greatest magic families.
“Even for Kapthalen, she must be at least a direct heir, maybe more.”
As Ruin marveled at his motherâs skill:
Thud, thump!
âDaisy!â
The door opened and Kavel entered.
âHoney? Werenât you out huntingâŠ? Whoâs that behind you?â
âDamn, itâs Brion.â
Covered in blood and wounds, Brion was carried in by Kavel.
âDaisy, quickly heal Brion.â
Daisy laid Ruin on the bed and immediately cast a spell with eyes closed.
âRegeneration!â
Light emanated from her hands, soaking into Brionâs battered body.
“Sheâs using healing magic too?”
Usually, only priests with divine power could heal wounds. Only archmages or above could use magic to maximize the bodyâs regenerationâand such people numbered barely a hundred in the entire continent.
“Momâs an archmageâŠ!”
Ruin pondered briefly whether to be impressed, then shook his head.
“Having strong parents is goodâit means my surroundings are not easy either. Always stick to the strong and survive, thatâs the eternal truth.”
He had yet to fully grasp the concept of family, only understanding it through his past experiences.
Then their voices continued:
âPhew, this should do. The immediate danger is gone.â
âReally? Thank goodness. The temple is too far, so I came to you directly.â
âGood. Judging from the wounds, he wouldnât have made it to the temple.â
Daisy, her eyes sharp, looked at Kavel.
âBut what happened? How did Brion get hurt like this?â
âWell, itâs like thisâŠâ
Kavel recounted what happened. Like any other day, he and Brion entered the forest to hunt.
âOf all things, a Giant Ogre appeared.â
âGiant Ogre? The lord of that forest?â
âYes, Iâd only heard rumors. It was my first time seeing it.â
Kavelâs expression hinted at slight fear, and Ruin couldnât help but listen intently.
“Giant Ogre? Why is that insane monster here?”
Unlike other monsters, ogres lived independently. One usually resided alone in a forest, called the forestâs owner. Only the rare Giant Ogre commands multiple ogres, earning the title âForest Lord.â
“So five or six ogres appeared with it⊠How did Father survive?”
âAre you hurt?â Daisy asked anxiously.
Kavel scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly.
âHurt? Iâm not someone to worry about. I took them all down. But Brion got caught⊠so I couldnât gather the spoils properly.â
Ruin blinked, staring at his father.
“What? He defeated the Giant Ogre and all its minions?”
Even in his past life, he could never have handled that alone.
“Master⊠or even higher?”
Ruin stared, dumbfounded.
“Who are these peopleâŠ?”