Chapter 11: The Shape of Revenge
It is said that the shorter the incantation, the more advanced the spell.
The less capable the mage, the longer the chant required to control it.
Only a handful of geniuses in the world could unleash high-powered magic with short incantations.
And his uncle was supposed to be one of them.
(Claudia could already cast powerful magic with a single word… but to not need an incantation at all…?)
Even so, the burden should have been immense.
Yet Claudia turned to Noah as if she felt none of it.
“Noah, what do you want to do? If you want to kill this man, I’ll help you.”
“……”
What surfaced in his mind was his mother’s voice.
‘This child will be your little sibling. When they’re born, protect them, okay, big brother?’
Then came the memory of the day his parents were killed.
His father lay lifeless, his mother screamed from the bed, and Noah had been pinned down by his uncle.
‘Stop, let go of my son!! Please, at least spare the children…!!’
The newborn cry of his sister, and the smell of his parents’ blood.
In that unforgettable scene, his uncle, holding the baby, had said—
‘If you want to protect your sister, swear obedience to me right here. Declare that you will atone to me in your father’s place—for all eternity.’
For five years, Noah endured everything as if it were nothing.
Because he believed that would protect his sister.
Because he believed it would fulfill his promise to his mother—and his plea to his uncle.
Until a few days ago, when the mage who brought him scraps told him—
“Your sister Anna died of illness.”
“…I won’t kill him.”
Noah spoke slowly.
“Give me my sister’s body… At least let me give her a proper burial.”
“……”
Claudia narrowed her eyes and slightly loosened the vines binding his uncle.
“Gah…! Cough—!!”
“Descendant of Reinart, I’ll allow you to speak once. Where is Noah’s sister?”
“…Ku… hahahaha!!”
With a twisted grin, his uncle looked at them with eyes the same color as Noah’s.
“Disposed of, of course!!”
“……”
A cold calm spread deep within Noah’s heart.
“I could have burned her myself, you know? Reduced her to ugly ash without even leaving bones and thrown her into the gutters of the capital! But what a shame—Anna looked just like my dear sister-in-law. Even I hesitated. So I had a mage dump her in the capital instead!”
“……”
“She was handled as a dead orphan. Buried somewhere, I suppose. You’ll never find her now—never!!”
Noah took a deep breath.
“That’s a good face, Leonhart. Yes, that’s it—that’s the expression I wanted to see!! It took five years, but at last, I get to witness your despair…!!”
“…Adelheid. Just once more—lend me your power.”
At his plea, she smiled lightly.
“Isn’t it only natural for a master to provide what her servant needs?”
“…Thank you.”
Bowing deeply to Claudia, Noah turned back to his uncle.
Bound by vines, veins bulging in humiliation, his uncle shouted provocatively.
“So you will kill me after all? In the end, you’re just like your father—no, like me! We share the same blood, Leonhart!!”
Noah quietly tightened his grip on the ice sword.
“…Uncle, I have no intention of killing you. But—”
“…?”
He spoke a short incantation.
“‘——…’”
It was the same spell Claudia had used in the village the day before.
Unlike attack magic, it was somewhat difficult to control.
Even so, with Claudia’s magic circulating through him, Noah’s body began to change.
“What—!?”
His uncle’s eyes widened in shock.
The Noah standing before him now appeared to be a young man of about nineteen.
“You…!!”
His height had grown, his shoulders broadened, his limbs filled with firm muscle.
The clothes formed by magic were the formal attire of this kingdom’s royalty.
The adult form held no particular sentiment for Noah.
But for his uncle, it was something else entirely.
“B-Brother…!! Brother, why are you here!?”
Eyes filled with terror looked up at him.
His father’s eyes had been reddish-brown, unlike Noah’s.
And yet, now that Noah had grown and resembled him, his uncle could see nothing but his elder brother.
Exactly as Noah intended.
‘You resemble your mother, but above all, you look just like my brother. Every time I see you, I’m reminded of him…!!’
(Whenever you spoke of my father, your voice always trembled.)
He once thought that trembling came from violent impulse.
But over the years, he realized it was something else.
“—Don’t hit me!!”
As Noah stepped forward, his uncle cried out in terror.
The royal attire Noah wore was identical to what his father once had.
Each step made the decorations clink, and his uncle flinched at the sound.
“I-it’s your fault, brother!! Whenever I’m in front of you, I can’t stop trembling from fear! I meant to torment you slowly, but you yelled at me…!!”
“……”
“I didn’t think you’d die so easily. I wanted to keep you alive and make you suffer… but when I faced you, I got scared, so instead I took it out on Leonhart… I’ll apologize, please, just don’t hit me anymore…!!”
Noah narrowed his eyes.
From behind him, Claudia—now looking up at him due to his grown height—whispered.
“If you want to kill him, I can teach you a better way.”
“…I told you. I’m not going to kill him.”
Instead—
Noah clenched his fist tightly.
Seeing it, his uncle turned pale and shook his head desperately.
“Don’t hit me!! Brother, please—!!”
Ignoring the plea, Noah swung with all his strength and struck his uncle across the face.
“—!!”
His uncle’s body flew backward, pain surging through Noah’s fist.
Rolling across the floor, the man lay sprawled, eyes rolled back, muttering incoherently.
“Sorry… brother, forgive me… forgive…”
There was no will left in his voice.
“Revenge means nothing if they escape through death.”
Noah muttered quietly, looking down at him.
“You’ll spend the rest of your life trembling in your brother’s shadow.”
“…He can’t hear you anymore.”
At Claudia’s words, Noah turned to her.
Then he looked back at his uncle.
Staring blankly at the ceiling, apologizing over and over to someone who wasn’t there—
From Noah’s adult height, the man looked small.
“—Over here! Call for backup!! Prince Leonhart is with His Majesty…!!”
Voices of mages echoed.
At the same time, Claudia took Noah’s hand.
“‘Teleport.’”
“!”
In the next instant, the scenery shifted, and they stood overlooking the capital of Remilcia.
“This is…”
“I thought we’d escape upward for now. It looked like it had a good view.”
Just as Claudia said, it was the royal palace’s rooftop garden.
Facing Noah, holding both his hands, she gazed up at him.
“…Do you want to take the throne back from that man?”