The Reckless Serion

 

The Delbrun region had long been known as a land blessed with sacred energy.

Thanks to its fertile soil and mild climate, the people lived without hunger, and the knights guarding the land had never allowed Monsters to invade.

At its heart was always the Artiel Count family.

The family was a symbol of justice and faith, and the people’s trust in them soared to the heavens.

But peace crumbled all too easily.

That day was the long-awaited Monster subjugation competition.

They went beyond the boundaries they would never normally cross, and from there, they never returned.

The head of the family, Kairon de Artiel, his wife, and their two sons.

Only one remained.

The young youngest son, Serion.

Serion de Artiel.

He had not learned the refinement or dignity that a noble should possess.

He grew up within the castle, only amidst the servility of servants and maids.

The result was all too clear.

The child’s innocence soon rotted into arrogance and selfishness, and the servants had no choice but to offer unconditional obedience simply because he was the young master of the Artiel family.

Knock, knock.

“Young Master, I’ve brought your tea.”

“Come in.”

A young maid in a maid uniform cautiously opened the door to the study.

She bowed deeply and carefully stepped inside.

Her footsteps made not even the slightest sound.

Serion watched her with a sneer, as if finding the sight ridiculous.

“You know what happens if you spill tea outside the teacup, don’t you?”

The maid answered in a barely audible voice as she continued to move forward.

She had already heard enough from the senior maids.

What had happened to the child who had spilled tea outside the teacup.

“They say her vocal cords were completely ruined, so she can’t speak anymore, right? How unfortunate, how unfortunate. Not even able to do such a simple task properly… tsk.”

She had spilled only a single drop of tea.

But Serion had forcibly opened the maid’s mouth and poured boiling tea down her throat.

Cold sweat was already beading on the maid’s forehead.

Fortunately, she managed to place the teacup on the table without spilling any tea.

Only then, relieved, did the maid try to quickly back out of the study.

At that moment, Serion’s cold voice flowed into her back.

“Hey, didn’t you learn how to greet when you leave, you bitch?”

The maid felt her heart drop and immediately prostrated herself on the floor.

“I-I’m sorry, Young Master.”

A brief silence followed.

But to the maid, those few seconds felt like an eternity.

“Heh, just kidding.”

Serion asked with a smile.

“What’s your name?”

“…Lily, I’m called.”

“Lily, okay. Get out.”

As Lily retreated towards the door, Serion kept his eyes fixed on her until she was gone.

“That bitch, she must have grown up without even knowing basic manners. …Isn’t that right, Black Sword?”

As soon as Serion finished speaking, a black figure appeared before him.

“Did you call, Young Master?”

Serion frowned as if he didn’t like Black Sword’s answer.

“I thought I told you to call me Head of the Family….”

“The position of Head of the Family can only be ascended after the coming-of-age ceremony. Young Master is the correct title for now.”

“You do know that there are only a few days left until the coming-of-age ceremony, right?”

Serion raised one corner of his mouth and continued.

“I’ve heard that you’d jump into hellfire at the command of the Head of the Family, I wonder if that’s true? Heh heh. I wonder?”

Black Sword remained silent without any reaction.

“Tch, boring. Never mind, give that Lily girl some education. You know what I mean, right?”

That night, a long, desperate scream echoed from the basement.

One of the servants cleaning the stables suddenly threw his broom to the ground.

“What’s wrong, are you crazy?”

“I’m suffocating, why! Didn’t you hear what happened to Lily the day before yesterday? It was just a greeting! Is it right to turn someone into a cripple just for not greeting properly!?”

“Shhh, keep your voice down.”

“Ha! It was so good when Kairon was alive back then. I can barely even remember what it was like now.”

Before the servant’s voice could dissipate into the air, heavy footsteps were heard from the entrance of the stables.

The servants reflexively shut their mouths.

A neatly buttoned shirt and sharp eyes.

The head butler, Evan Libello, stood at the entrance.

He was looking at the servants with a stern expression.

“You lot, you’re not doing the work you’re supposed to be doing and just spouting nonsense.”

The servants all bowed deeply towards the head butler.

Among them, the servant who had been complaining pleaded to the head butler.

“Head Butler, am I wrong? I’m suffocating, I can’t live like this. Serion seems to be thinking of ways to torment us every single day. I can’t even believe he’s Kairon’s son.”

“You! How dare you say whatever comes to your mind just because you have a mouth. Have you lost your pride as a servant of the Artiel family!”

“…The pride I had is about to disappear….”

Thump!

The sound of the head butler’s shoes filled the stables as he stomped his foot.

“That mouth of yours, you should be careful, or your neck might be next.”

The servants lowered their heads deeply, and no one spoke any further.

That evening, Serion was staring blankly out the window in the study, lit only by a few candles.

He turned his head when he felt a presence, and the door was being carefully opened.

The one who entered the study was the Artiel family’s head butler, Evan Libello.

“You were here again today…. The night view of Delbrun is quite a sight.”

Serion turned his gaze back to the window without any particular reaction.

“If you have something to say, say it quickly.”

The head butler paused for a moment before speaking with difficulty.

“Young Master, I apologize, but I would like to offer a presumptuous piece of advice.”

The head butler took Serion’s silence as permission and continued.

“The people cannot be ruled by fear. The loyalty of the people comes from compassion.”

“…….”

“Your father, Count Kairon, said, ‘If you do not know compassion, the blade will one day stab you in the back.'”

“…….”

“Even the sound of prayer no longer echoes within this castle, Young Master.”

Serion rose from his seat and slowly approached the head butler.

His face held no emotion whatsoever.

“Whether prayers echo or not… what does that have to do with me?”

He patted the head butler on the shoulder and left the study without saying anything.

For those working in the castle, the most leisurely time of day was the hour or so before noon.

However, they could not enjoy that leisure on that day.

Because Serion’s summons had been issued.

Everyone staying in the castle gathered in the central square, and even the soldiers guarding the castle left their posts and appeared in the square.

And after a while, the owner of this castle, or rather, the one who would soon become the owner, appeared.

Serion de Artiel.

Wearing a silver cloak, he leisurely walked onto the platform.

Standing before the people, Serion casually waved one hand and opened his mouth playfully.

“Everyone knows what day is coming up in a few days… right?”

Heads nodded in unison among the crowd.

Serion looked at the sight with satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the head maid.

“Head Maid, are the preparations for the coming-of-age ceremony going well?”

The head maid bowed and answered softly.

“Yes, Young Master. We are preparing without any issues.”

“Is that so? That’s a relief.”

Serion raised his chin slightly and asked again.

“Then, after that coming-of-age ceremony, I will become the true head of Artiel, right?”

The head maid hesitated for a moment before nodding and answering.

“Yes, Young Master. As the head of the family who will lead the Artiel family… everyone has great expectations for you.”

Serion smiled slightly at those words.

Then he added a word.

“If that’s the case… in the few days before I have my coming-of-age ceremony, I’m neither the head of the family nor… anything, right? Isn’t that so?”

The head maid’s face instantly hardened.

A cold atmosphere slowly spread throughout the square.

In that atmosphere, Serion suddenly burst into laughter.

“Puhahaha, just kidding. Just kidding.”

The frozen air was forcibly shattered by the laughter.

But no one except Serion could laugh.

Serion crossed his arms and slowly scanned the crowd.

“Everyone, aren’t you curious as to why you were summoned today?”

He still had his arms crossed and began to stroll slowly across the platform.

Then he stopped walking and spoke again.

“The head of the family must be compassionate. Only then will the people follow.”

As he said those words, Serion’s gaze slowly turned to one person in the crowd.

Evan Libello.

The head butler of Artiel Castle and the only adult who did not hesitate to give Serion advice.

Hearing Serion’s words, he smiled quietly as if relieved.

For a moment, he had a fleeting hope that Serion had come to his senses.

But Serion’s next words were as sharp as thorns.

“Yes, that’s right. But compassion is a virtue that only suits someone who has become the head of the family. I’m not the head of the family yet, you see.”

Evan’s eyes widened.

“I’ve been thinking about it. Before becoming the head of the family, there’s something I need to do first. To set the discipline straight.”

Serion gestured lightly and called Evan onto the platform.

Evan was momentarily flustered, but he silently and slowly climbed onto the platform.

Serion put his hand on his shoulder and said to the crowd.

“Evan Libello, a loyal and diligent man. Respected by many, and a strong pillar of our family.”

A light that seemed to dispel his worries flashed across Evan’s face for a moment.

“But,”

Serion’s tone turned cold in an instant.

“An presumptuous tongue… cannot be covered by compassion, can it?”

The square was silent as if even its breath had stopped.

“Kneel.”

That one word struck Evan’s head like a hammer.

The blood drained from his face.

His lips trembled as he tried to say something, but in the end, he knelt down without saying a word.

“Compassion can only be given when you feel compassion.”

Swish-

A chilling metallic sound echoed through the square, cutting through the air.

Evan raised his head at the sound of the sword being drawn.

“That’s a misunderstanding.”

His words were not finished.

Evan faintly heard the murmurs of the crowd coming from afar.

His vision slowly began to tilt downwards, and the world spun around.

Just as the dizziness reached its peak, everything stopped.

Beyond his fading vision, he saw his severed body collapsing helplessly on the stage.

And next to it, he saw Serion, his face splattered with blood, looking down and smiling with the corners of his mouth raised, as the last thing Evan saw before his vision completely faded.

Serion shook the blood off the sword several times and looked down at the crowd.

His expression, with blood splattered on his face and a smile on his lips, was truly grotesque.

“This should be enough as an example. If you want compassion… shouldn’t you draw out my compassion? …Heh heh.”

The crowd all lowered their heads and remained motionless, holding their breath.

“Disperse.”

As soon as the order was given, the people scattered as if fleeing.

Serion looked down at the blood on his face and frowned.

“Tch, it got on my clothes.”