The Villainous Son Loves His Mother - Chapter 21

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Alphaidos proved to be more resilient than I expected.
Defeating him without magic would be quite challenging.
Now I understand why his insolence is tolerated—he’s truly a prodigy.
House Alphaid must have high hopes for him.
Still, I can’t help but find their leniency rather soft.
More importantly…

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“U-um, Lord Hein, I watched your mock battle! T-that was… really cool…”

“I see. Go.”

“Yes! Good luck in the tournament! I’ll be cheering for you!”

Ever since the mock battle, these female inferiors have been chirping at me.
Could the mock battle be the reason?
No, that’s not it.
I glanced at Alphaidos, who was chatting with the female inferiors in the corner of the classroom.

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“Heh, not bad, right? I can hold my own! But Hain was definitely holding back too! You can tell just by crossing swords with someone—he might seem cold, but I think deep down he’s got some fire in him! Huh? You think it’s scary just to talk to him? You’re worried he might get mad? Nah, no way! Hain’s not the type to blow up over nothing. Besides, rank doesn’t matter in the Academy, remember?”

“E-eh~…? But Lord Hein is from the House of Aster… Ah, Mireille! How did it go?”

“He didn’t get angry at all! He even thanked me!”

“See? I told you he’s a surprisingly decent guy!”

(I couldn’t help but overhear their conversation, which was frankly annoying.)

I repeatedly sent my consciousness into the void, accumulating dozens or even hundreds of days of meditation in my Inner World, while occasionally pondering Alphaidos in the intervals.

(Is he truly a fool, or merely pretending to be one? For the eldest son of a mere Count’s house, his schemes are far too polished.)

Even I couldn’t find an answer.
While his rudeness was undeniable, Alphaidos’s words held a kernel of truth.
Though it was more pretense than reality, the Academy claimed to disregard social status.
Therefore, punishing him for such a trivial remark seemed unjustifiable.
Frankly, I found it absurd to waste even a moment’s thought on such matters.
Why should I abide by the Academy’s rules? Why should I listen to the chirping of inferiors?
I wanted to strangle Alphaidos for his insolence and force those lowly fools who didn’t know their place to grovel at my feet—but then…

([Hein, be nice to your friends.])

My mother’s words echoed in my mind, causing my dark impulses to dissipate like mist.
Still, while I wouldn’t resort to killing, fulfilling her definition of “nice” seemed… challenging.
But my trivial worries were nothing compared to the bombshell Mother dropped on me that night.

.
.
.

“Hein, dear? Remember Lady Esmeralda from House Sarion, who visited the other day? Well, it occurred to me then that perhaps it’s time for both of us to let go—for parents to let go of their children, and children to let go of their parents. Lady Esmeralda is your fiancée, you know. I was late to realize it because Damian pushed things forward without consulting me. So, from now on—”

What nonsense!
What was Mother even saying?
Let go of your parents?
Let go of your children?
I couldn’t understand her words.
And I didn’t want to.

“Hein, please listen to me.”

For the first time, I defied Mother, leaving the bedroom.
Mother, please, just leave me alone for now… I’m barely holding onto my sanity as it is.
I returned to my private chamber, clutching my head in an attempt to calm myself.
But it was no use.
My heart was in turmoil, on the verge of vomiting.

“Mother… has she come to hate me?”

I whispered pathetically, then threw open the window.
As I gazed at the stars twinkling in the night sky, perhaps it was the Aster bl00d in my veins, but my heart began to settle slightly.
I wanted to bask in the starlight a little longer—

──La Fare Flight

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Plunging into the night sky, the cold wind brushed against my skin.
The earth receded rapidly, shrinking into the distance.
Not yet.
Higher still.
I would ascend to the very edge of the heavens.
I resolved to do so.
This sensation of being enveloped by the vast sky felt almost like being held in my mother’s arms.
The sensation of being protected by a great being.
Yet, I still felt utterly alone.
Do people change? Do hearts change? Does even love—like those clouds?
I ascended high into the sky, quietly observing the clouds as they shifted their shapes.
That’s when I noticed it.

“What’s that shadow?”

Multiple shadows appeared in the distance. They were—

“Hmph, lizard-inferiors. Draugr-type, no less. Has the Demon King’s Army truly fallen so low that they must now rely on the lowest of the low?”

Draugr-types were Dragon-types that assumed human-like forms.
They were said to possess far greater physical strength and Magic Power than ordinary inferiors, but they couldn’t compare to the Full Dragons, those who maintained their complete dragon forms.

“Sorry, but I’m taking my frustration out on you.”

Honestly, I was just irritated, and anyone would do.
But if it’s the Demon King’s forces, then it means I can do anything I want.
I raised both palms, touching my index fingers together and my thumbs together to form a peephole. Through this peephole, I framed the inferior lizards as they flew.

──Grau v’Omnis, Grey v’Niil. Tremble, O Strike of Wrath.

This is a prayer to ask for love from Mother Earth.
Yes, love.
Love takes many forms.
There’s the nurturing love of a mother, and there’s the protective love that drives one to eliminate those who would harm her child.
The prayer I offered earlier was a plea for Mother Earth to unleash her maternal fury upon my enemies—those who sought to harm me, her child.

“If they fall from this height, will they die? Well, at best, they’ll survive and entertain me.”

With that, I unleashed my magic.

──Geo-Polar Starbind: Mother’s Heavy Shackles.