Ch.297297. I’m Telling You I’m Stronger Than Lucien Right Now?

“Young master, here is a letter.”

The letter from Serion Lycus, received through Federicks.

After I had sent information about the black mage’s evil deeds and whereabouts, his reply stated that he would clear out the magical beasts in Alica territory and then head straight to the Western Continent.

‘Alica territory…’

He’ll catch the black mage earlier than in the original story.

Well, the time difference isn’t that significant, so I suppose it doesn’t matter much?

I organized the letter placed on the desk and put it in the drawer.

“Federicks.”

“What are your orders?”

“Send another letter to Serion Lycus.”

“What should I write?”

“Tell him to capture the black mage alive and take him to the Western Continent’s imperial court. Also, if one of his companions gets bitten by a zombie, tell him not to panic because there will definitely be an antidote at the black mage’s residence.”

Federicks tilted his head in confusion.

“I always find it curious, but how do you know such information so well, young master? Are you going to say it’s just luck again?”

“Yeah, this time I was extremely lucky.”

“Sigh… Anyway, I will make sure to convey what you just said to Sir Serion Lycus.”

“Thanks for your hard work.”

Federicks took a step forward, seemingly having more to report.

“Young master, Lady Isabel Montero has also formed a noble association like Lady Elina Parseche and has successfully traded the hair loss treatment.”

“Already?”

“Yes, the sales volume is quite substantial, so our profits should be enormous.”

“Oh, that’s good. We spent a lot of money establishing the academy, but this should cover most of it.”

As I showed a satisfied expression, Federicks pulled out another letter and spoke.

“This is a letter from Emperor Callian.”

I opened the letter with a puzzled look.

It contained a request to visit the Western Continent’s imperial court after handling the black mage incident.

I let out a short sigh.

“Isn’t it enough that I solved the problem? Why do I need to go there again?”

“…You’re not suggesting I reply with those exact words, are you?”

“Sigh… The Eastern Continent’s imperial court is already so far away, and now they want me to go to the Western Continent’s imperial court too?”

“Well, young master, you shouldn’t have created these situations in the first place.”

“I’m the victim here! Do you know how frustrating it is when incidents keep happening wherever I go?!”

“…Anyway, what should I write in the reply?”

I frowned deeply and waved my hand dismissively.

“Tell him I understand. When the Emperor of the Western Continent says jump, I have to ask how high.”

“…No one else would ever speak so casually about the Emperors of the Eastern and Western Continents like you do, young master.”

“I’m uncomfortable too.”

“You don’t seem uncomfortable at all.”

I tilted my head at Federicks, who was giving me a questioning look.

“Do you feel uncomfortable around me?”

“Yes, of course. As your butler, there’s a certain pressure when dealing with you, so it would be a lie to say there’s no discomfort.”

“Then why do I not feel uncomfortable around you at all?”

“…I clearly understand what you mean now.”

“Anything else to report?”

In response to my question, Federicks continued.

“This is something I’m mentioning out of personal concern, but aren’t you training too hard these days?”

Federicks had reason to worry.

To prevent any potential outbursts from Lucien, I pushed myself to the limit during every training session.

Because of this, my body was covered in wounds despite Rebecca’s daily treatments.

However.

I had gained much from this extreme training.

Noticeably improved stats and newly acquired magic.

While not yet satisfactory, I was definitely making progress.

“…Are you that worried?”

“You keep training before your wounds have fully healed, so I can’t help but worry. You’ve never pushed yourself this hard before, even during intense training.”

“Alright, I’ll take it easier.”

As I tried to wrap up the conversation, Federicks seemed to notice and his eyes lit up.

“Oh, right! Jawil Wilson asked when you would be sparring with him.”

Perhaps he thinks sparring with Jawil Wilson would be better than training alone?

I smirked and continued.

“I won’t train hard enough for you to worry anymore, so please don’t be concerned.”

“…I understand.”

Federicks left the study with slumped shoulders, seemingly unconvinced by my words.

A moment later, there was a knock on the door.

Knock knock-!

“Mr. Selden Alphonse, it’s Kabla.”

“Come in.”

Creeeeak-! Clunk-!

“Excuse me.”

I half-rose from my seat and gestured to the chair opposite me as Kabla entered the study.

“Please, have a seat.”

“Yes.”

“Would you like me to have some tea prepared?”

“That’s fine. Rather, I’d like to discuss Lucien with you.”

I swallowed hard, having been waiting for this conversation.

“Please go ahead.”

“Lucien’s personality was quite surprising.”

“Surprising?”

“Most dragons show violent tendencies when they’re young. Usually, their parents, who are stronger than their offspring, control this behavior.”

I recalled my first hunt with Lucien.

He had referred to magical beasts as “insignificant beings” without hesitation.

While it was true, I had been working diligently to temper his rough speech and behavior since then.

Having him read various books was also part of my plan.

I nodded while stroking my chin.

“Ah, I see.”

“But Lucien seems to have grown up to be very kind despite not having dragon parents.”

“…Is that a problem?”

“Not at all, but it’s surprising that he restrains his violent behavior without having someone stronger around him.”

I tilted my head, finding something odd about Kabla’s statement.

“Wouldn’t that be because I’m by his side?”

“…Pardon?”

“I mean, since I’m stronger than him and I’m by his side, isn’t that why Lucien restrains his violent behavior?”

Kabla let out a hearty laugh.

“While you are indeed stronger than Lucien overall, Mr. Selden Alphonse, I’m specifically talking about raw ‘power’.”

Wait, so…

Is he saying I’m stronger than Lucien right now?

Once again, Kabla’s eyes showed complete disbelief.

It would be ridiculous to go outside right now and demonstrate my full power by hunting magical beasts, so I just let out a short sigh.

“Anyway, you’re saying he grew up to be kind?”

“Yes. And from our conversations, it seems Lucien is very fond of you, Mr. Selden Alphonse. That means you’ve established a good emotional connection.”

“That’s a relief. I was quite worried since Lucien was raised by a human while others are raised by dragons.”

“He actually feels more human than some humans do. Lucien mentioned that you had him read many books from a young age?”

“Yes, since I couldn’t provide much education myself, I encouraged him to read a lot of books instead. And being a dragon, he absorbed knowledge quickly.”

Kabla smiled warmly at my words.

“So you thought Lucien’s intelligence was due to him being a dragon?”

“Oh, is it not?”

“No, while dragons may accumulate more knowledge over time due to their longevity, not all dragons are as intelligent as Lucien from a young age.”

“…So you’re saying he was born that way?”

“Exactly.”

What parent wouldn’t smile when someone praises their child?

I felt my shoulders rising with pride.

“It’s quite impressive considering I didn’t do anything special like other dragon parents.”

“You should be proud. Lucien has grown up much better than I expected.”

“Thank you. It means a lot coming from someone knowledgeable about dragons like yourself, Kabla.”

“Moreover, while some dragons look down on humans, Lucien seems to make an effort to get along with humans, probably because he was raised by you.”

I nodded, suppressing the surge of emotion rising from deep within my chest.

“Actually, I established the academy so Lucien could consistently interact with other humans.”

“That’s remarkable. You shouldn’t feel guilty about not providing enough education.”

“It wasn’t difficult. Besides, establishing the academy and meeting Headmaster Rupert led to our connection with you, Kabla.”

“I’m the one who should be grateful for connecting with you, Mr. Selden Alphonse. Thanks to you, I can continue my dragon research.”

It was like a conversation between a parent and a teacher at a school meeting.

As we were engrossed in conversation, there was a knock on the study door.

Knock knock-!

“Oh, come in.”

Federicks, who had left the study earlier, opened the door and entered.

Noticing Kabla’s presence, he bowed even more respectfully and spoke.

“Young master, a visitor has arrived.”

“A visitor?”

“A middle-aged man named Robert.”

As I tilted my head at the unfamiliar name, Kabla rose from his chair with a bright smile.

“It seems my friend has arrived.”