Morgan, who had restrained the remaining mercenaries, couldn’t help but steal glances at Chester.
He tried to silence Brett, who was running his mouth recklessly, but Chester held up a hand to stop him.
“I have an older brother too. That damn guy was born with everything. The ability to lead the family, the personality that everyone acknowledged. He was the complete opposite of me.”
Still, Brett, who was born with mana, had somehow managed to become a mage and even join the Knights.
At that time, the family had finally started giving a little attention to the second son they had previously ignored.
After all, the prestige of the Knights within the Empire was unparalleled.
However, Brett didn’t possess the qualities to become an elite mage.
When he hit a wall in his skills and couldn’t climb any higher no matter what he did, he began to feel anxious.
He feared his family would turn their backs on him and refuse to acknowledge him once again.
So, he chattered away excitedly, explaining how he finally resorted to breaking the rules and ended up ruining everything.
Chester listened to Brett’s story in silence.
“You’re holding up well right now because you’re young and being pampered a bit in the Knights, but I know exactly what’s in your heart. You want to be acknowledged by your father somehow, don’t you? I’ve heard enough about Duke Callaway’s personality to know it well. Besides, your brother is that famous genius mage! Can a guy like you really be sure you won’t end up like me? Do you even have the right to capture and condemn me?!”
Chester remained expressionless, letting Brett ramble as much as he wanted.
“Are you finished?”
“…What?”
“It seems you want to drag me down and justify what you’ve done now that your plans are ruined, but you’ve thought wrong. I’m not doing this to surpass my brother or gain my father’s recognition.”
“Don’t make me laugh! That kind of bluff doesn’t work on me!”
“Bluff?”
Chester let out a short, hollow laugh. His overly composed attitude made Brett flinch.
“I am standing before you right now as a knight. There is no other reason whatsoever.”
Brett let out a hollow gasp.
Chester’s steadfast eyes showed that there wasn’t a single hint of a lie in those words.
In fact, this wasn’t the first time Brett had seen Chester.
Brett had attended Chester’s birthday banquet hosted by the Callaway Ducal house in the past—before he had been completely abandoned by his own family.
Back then, he had seen his past self in the Chester standing beside Benger Callaway.
Since then, knowing Chester’s position as the second son of the family, he had felt a sense of kinship on his own.
But the Chester he saw before him now was completely different.
While a dark, murky emotion could be glimpsed back then, such an atmosphere was nowhere to be found now, no matter how hard he looked.
Why?
What was different? Was it because the Callaway family’s prestige was superior?
Or was it because Chester’s talent surpassed his own?
But their situations and sense of lack should have been quite similar.
What was so different that allowed him to make such an expression?
“I think I’ve heard enough of your story.”
Brett’s head slumped down.
Just as Chester was about to say something to Morgan, thinking Brett’s spirit had finally broken—
Brett suddenly fumbled inside his coat and pulled out a glass bottle.
Morgan and Chester recognized it and tried to stop him, but his movements were faster.
Brett stepped back slightly and tipped the Puro powder from the bottle directly into his mouth.
A significant amount disappeared into him instantly.
“Ugh…!”
Brett began to twist his body, letting out a pained groan.
In that moment, both Morgan and Chester flinched.
The mana felt from the man before them had amplified absurdly.
It was a level of mana that at least a Class 2 Mage would possess.
Brett snapped his head up and grabbed the lightning-sparking spears Chester had summoned earlier to restrain the escapees, shattering them with his bare hands.
Flames erupted from various parts of Brett’s body.
It appeared his primary attribute was fire, the same as Ruite’s.
Morgan stepped in front of Chester and drew his weapon, but as he tried to block the attack coming at quite a high speed, he was sent flying backward and slammed into the wall.
“Morgan, are you okay?”
“Yes!”
“I’ll handle him.”
This time, Chester aimed a powerful kick at Brett’s abdomen as he rushed forward.
The force of the kick sent Brett flying through the open back door and tumbling outside.
If the flames on Brett’s body spread to the building, it would be a disadvantage for the Knights.
Chester judged it better to lure him outside to fight.
This location was a mountain on the outskirts of the capital.
It sat between villages; while many people frequented the base of the mountain, few ventured this far in.
That was why they had used this place as a hideout.
They had exploited the blind spot that no one, including the Knights, would expect them to use a mountain frequented by villagers as a base.
Chester looked around and summoned a sword made of electricity.
While it was true that being outside was better than being in the building, it didn’t change the fact that they were on a mountain.
He had to be careful not to let the enemy’s fire spread to the bushes or trees.
Brett, who had fallen back, pulled himself up and slashed his hand through the air.
A massive arrow made of fire materialized.
As soon as he pulled the string, the giant fire arrow soared toward Chester.
He couldn’t dodge it. But he couldn’t let it fly off elsewhere either.
Chester extended his free hand and lightly snapped his digits.
The lightning particles shot from his hand hit the incoming fire arrow, causing it to explode.
Undaunted, Brett rained down arrows incessantly.
Chester also intercepted every single one of the mercilessly flying arrows in mid-air.
The moment the smoke from the small explosions scattered, Brett tore through it and lunged at Chester, throwing a punch.
Chester tilted his head and easily evaded the attack.
Following that, Brett coated his fists in mana and swung wildly like a madman.
The veins in his eyes had burst, turning the whites red, and saliva was dripping from the corners of his mouth.
It was hard to see him as sane anymore.
Each of his attacks was heavy and violent, but because he was swinging recklessly in a state of extreme agitation, dodging wasn’t particularly difficult.
While fighting the Puro-enhanced Brett, Chester realized once again how useless this plant was for a mage.
It certainly increased the amount of mana. Brett’s mana was now significantly greater than what he had felt at the door.
However, no matter how much mana increased and strength grew, it was utterly useless as long as it ate away at one’s mental stability.
Chester, who had been simply dodging, suddenly dropped low and swept Brett’s ankle.
His body slammed heavily onto the ground once more.
Before Brett could nimbly get back up, Chester pinned his shoulder down with his foot and thrust his sword down.
“…”
Brett’s eyelashes quivered.
Chester’s sword was embedded firmly in the ground right next to his face.
If the direction had shifted just a bit more, it might have pierced his head.
However, Brett didn’t seem to have any intention of giving up; he thrashed his body and swung his fists wildly.
Unfortunately, the sparks from his body flew into the air and hit Chester’s right cheek.
A burn mark appeared on his cheek, but Chester showed no sign of pain.
Without blinking an eye, he looked down at him with a steady gaze.
“Give up. You have nowhere left to run.”
“…”
Though he was likely out of his mind because of the Puro, Brett trembled at those words.
Eventually, his flailing hand fell limp to the ground.
Chester coated his fist in mana and struck Brett’s face.
With that single blow, the flames that had flickered from the unconscious man’s body gradually died down and vanished.
“Captain!”
Morgan and the other members, realizing the situation had ended, approached Chester.
Morgan ordered the others to bind the man with mana restraints and prepare for transport.
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah.”
“There’s a burn on your face… Please go and get treated immediately.”
“It’s not a big wound. Let’s move; we need to check on Toby’s side too.”
“Yes. But, Captain.”
Morgan spoke up cautiously.
“Please don’t pay too much mind to what that guy said earlier. The other members didn’t hear it, and I’ll erase it from my memory as well.”
Morgan was clearly worried about Brett’s comments regarding the “tragic second son.”
“Ah, that’s fine. I don’t really care about things like that anymore.”
Morgan had spoken carefully out of consideration, but Chester replied nonchalantly as if asking, ‘Did something like that happen?’
Chester’s face actually looked quite happy for some reason as he said it.
“Huff, huff…!”
Ruite was currently sprinting through the main building’s corridor like a madman.
He had just heard from the combat unit members that Captain Chester had gone straight to the infirmary upon his return.
‘Is he hurt badly enough to go straight to the infirmary?’
Holding his pounding heart, he threw open the infirmary door.
“Chester.”
The moment he saw Chester sitting in a chair, Ruite strode over to him.
“Are you badly hurt?”
“Huh?”
“Where and how were you hurt? You… what’s wrong with your face? Is that a burn?”
“Wait a second…”
“Is this going to leave a scar?”
Before Chester could say anything, Ruite was busy grabbing his face and checking the wound.
“Ruite, wait a minute.”
“What ‘wait a minute’? You told me so confidently that you wouldn’t get hurt.”
“That’s not the problem…”
Chester suddenly covered his mouth and let his voice trail off.
Seeing his ears turn red as if he were embarrassed, Ruite frowned, wondering if he had hit his head, but then he finally realized something was very wrong.
“…Oh.”
Chester wasn’t the only one in the room.
When Ruite turned his head, his eyes met Toby, then Morgan, and finally Cedric in turn.
They were all looking at the two of them—who seemed quite physically close—with rather bewildered expressions.
