The Villainous Son Loves His Mother - Chapter 65

◆

Sudden as it may sound, I don’t see the Female Fox as inferior.
The reason is that my mother is extremely wary of her.
To be honest, she certainly looks inferior, but there must be some hidden danger I can’t perceive.
Perhaps my mother’s concerns are unfounded, but that’s fine too.
I love my perfect mother, but I also love her when she’s not perfect.
By the way, about that Female Fox… Poor thing, it seems she wasn’t blessed with good pawns.
Because—

・
・
・

“H-how is he using ‘Breath of the Flame Dragon’?!…”

The Inferior shrieked as he scrambled to prepare another spell.
Yes, after safely receiving the message from the Prime Minister, the day of the Wand Duel had finally arrived.
The Inferior’s magic display at the Arcanum Arena beside the Imperial City—the venue for the Wand Duel—was worse than the entrails of a stray dog that had nearly died from eating poisoned bait.
The Inferior, calling himself Eugen, was even more inferior than I’d imagined—utterly pathetic.

The Breath of the Flame Dragon was a mid-tier offensive spell in Primordial Magic. It was supposed to unleash a radial blast of flames hot enough to melt iron, drawn from the legend of the Flame Dragon Caliburn. But the version this utter failure produced barely managed to melt the surface of copper.
Maybe it could melt lead?
I don’t know. The scale is too small to bother thinking about.
This wasn’t a flaw in Primordial Magic itself, but rather the result of the caster’s own incompetence.

“You little brat! What have you done?!”

The Inferior shouted, his face crimson with rage.
How utterly pathetic.
If only Mother were here, this wouldn’t be such a hassle.
But she’d received a letter from the former Duke of Sarion requesting a private meeting, and so, today, she was absent.

“Are you listening, brat?! What have you done?!”

What have I done?
Well, I suppose I could explain.
A Wand Duel isn’t a fight to the death, but a gentlemanly exchange where mages compete in their craft.

◆◆◆

“Nothing much, I simply dismantled Lord Eugen’s ‘Breath of the Flame Dragon.'”

Hein says it casually.

“Dismantled…? What nonsense are you spouting?”

Eugen puffed out his chest, feigning composure, but beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
Hein chuckled softly at Eugen’s words, the contempt in his expression unmistakable.
Some of the nobles watching picked up on the tension and began whispering among themselves.

—”Lord Eugen’s reputation is in tatters.”

—”This is a great humiliation for the Prime Minister. Even so, shouldn’t that man be able to put on a bit of a show, being a noble himself?”

Digitalis remained silent, her expression icily cold.
Noticing the surrounding reactions, Eugen finally lost his composure and slammed his staff against the ground.

“You! Stop being so cryptic! Explain what you did! How did you erase my flame…!”

Hein tilted his head slightly.

“‘Your flames’? Very well. To reveal the trick, I drew inspiration from Merlin, the Progenitor of Magic.”

The moment Merlin’s name was mentioned, some nobles frowned. “Merlin? That heretical founder?”
Hein lowered his eyes slightly and began to explain casually.

“Primordial Magic draws its power from anecdotes. The real-life experiences, legends, and beliefs of people from ancient times are woven into the very foundation of this magic.”

Hein paused, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“But that foundation has a flaw. Every story has an ending. If a flame dragon exists in a tale, then so too must a hero who slays it. And with that hero comes the ability to defeat the dragon’s flame. Merlin proposed this: ‘Every legend shall one day be devoured by another.’ Thus, anyone wielding the flame of Caliburn risks being undone by the tale of its conqueror.”

Eugen let out a groan, but Hein continued undeterred.

“However, I took a more direct approach to dismantling it. By applying Merlin’s Multilayered Imagery Theory, it’s possible to thoroughly dissect the imagery component of Primordial Magic and suppress the combustion itself.”

Hein concluded his explanation with his usual calm demeanor.

“In essence, Primordial Magic’s profound mystique drags in the entire narrative behind the incantation, right down to the story’s conclusion. That’s why a Mage’s understanding and faith are absolutely essential. This ‘fire’ is far beyond the grasp of fools who can’t grasp such a simple principle and naively believe that making the flames bigger makes them stronger.”

“Gah… damn it! That’s…!”

Eugen trembled violently from head to toe.
Hein observed him, let out a soft sigh, and shook his head almost imperceptibly.

“It’s no wonder Lord Eugen disagrees with Merlin’s theories. In fact, most mages have historically held the same view: ‘A mage should speak of mysticism.’ That’s why many reject Great Mage Merlin’s attempt to ‘unravel’ his own magic. But I deeply respect Merlin. He was a true mage at heart.”

A noble listening nearby couldn’t help but murmur,

—”To be thinking of Merlin’s era at just fifteen…”

—”The House of Aster truly has an extraordinary son.”

These whispers spread throughout the Arcanum Arena.
Prime Minister Digitalis remained motionless.
Yet, deep within her eyes burned a clear anger.
Whether that anger was directed at Hein or the utterly disgraceful Eugen—only she knew.
Hein turned to Eugen.

“Now, it’s my turn, correct?”

Eugen couldn’t answer.
He gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his forehead.
Hein narrowed his eyes slightly and raised his index finger.

“Well then…”

A small flame flickered to life at his fingertip.
A basic, commonplace magic—”First Fire,” one of the low-tier spells taught in Primordial Magic.
The moment Eugen saw it, his eyes widened in fury.

“‘First Fire’…?! Brat, do you dare mock me with such a pathetic spell?!”

But Hein remained silent.
The tiny flame at his fingertip didn’t appear particularly dangerous to the onlookers.
But they quickly changed their minds.
The supposedly small flame rapidly swelled in size.

“In the Dark Ages, there’s a legend about humans secretly receiving fire from the gods. I deeply cherish the meaning within that story. The first fire humans ever possessed—it was warmth for survival, hope for life, and the beginning of the flame that ignited their souls.”

As Hein whispered these words, the flame grew larger and larger.
What had initially been a flame contained within his fingertips had now become a massive fireball hovering above his head.

“H-HIIII…!”

Eugen gasped.
The “First Fire” he knew of should have been no stronger than a candle’s flame.
But now, this fire had swelled to such intensity that it could incinerate a dragon in a single blast, reaching nearly to the ceiling.

“It’s possible, inherently. If you truly understand the essence of legends and savor their meaning, anyone can achieve this. Don’t use fire merely as fire; embrace its true nature.”

Screams and cheers mingled from the spectators in the Arcanum Arena’s stands.

—”W-what an enormous fire…!”

—”The ceiling’s going to burn down! Quick, erect a defensive barrier!”

Amidst the panicked voices, Hein calmly turned his gaze back to Eugen.

“Lord Eugen, as Vice Grand Mage, you should understand that magic inherently holds limitless potential. Instead of blindly accepting anecdotes and beliefs, we can unlock its power by ‘deciphering’ it. Yet you refuse to do so. While feigning reverence for the mystical, you treat Primordial Magic merely as a source of power. I despise such ‘unenlightened fools.'”

Eugen had no retort.

“Now, what shall we do with this fire? A Wand Duel is a demonstration of magical prowess—meaning you have a duty to withstand this flame, correct? Will you accept it?”

“N-no… that’s impossible…”

Eugen collapsed to his knees.
His throat was parched, and his skin scorched by the intense heat.
If he took it head-on, he wouldn’t survive.
But there was nowhere to run.
He had proposed this Wand Duel himself.
To abandon it now would not only disgrace his position as Vice Mage-in-Chief of the Empire but also smear the reputation of Prime Minister Digitalis.

“S-stop…”

Eugen’s voice was thin and trembling.

“Huh? Stop?”

Hein repeated, feigning exaggerated annoyance.

“Please… stop…”

Hearing this desperate plea, Hein finally chuckled with satisfaction.

“Giving up already? This is a Wand Duel. Since I’ve demonstrated my magic, you must endure it—”

“Stop it…!”

Eugen collapsed to his knees, his face twisted in a grotesque plea.

“I… I surrender… Please, extinguish it…”

Hein stared down at Eugen with cold eyes, then shrugged slightly.

“…Very well.”

With a flick of his index finger, the massive fireball hovering near the ceiling dissolved into nothingness.
As if nothing had happened, not even a trace of the flames remained.

“Then, shall we conclude the Wand Duel here?”

Eugen remained crouched, silent.
He simply lowered his head, his breathing ragged and uneven.
Unable to speak, unable to act.
The Arcanum Arena, its heat instantly drained, was enveloped in a heavy silence.
One by one, the high nobles rose, their voices hushed, and began to depart.

—”This will certainly damage the Prime Minister’s reputation…”

—”Lord Eugen’s authority as Vice Grand Mage has been completely shattered.”

Hein slipped out of the Arcanum Arena amidst these murmurs.
Many eyes followed his retreating figure, but no one called out to him.
Only Prime Minister Digitalis remained rooted to the spot, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on Eugen.

Silent, expressionless.

Her face betrayed no hint of anger or disappointment, only a perfect void.
Eugen remained slumped, staring at the floor.
And in the now-empty Arcanum Arena, only the two of them remained.