Since ancient times, the flame-type families and the ice-type families had not gotten along well.
There were reasons such as simply being opposing attributes and having different temperaments, but the biggest factor was that flame-type and ice-type magic absolutely could not be learned together.
‘Disciples who entered a family to learn magic had to give up one of the two – either ice-type or flame-type.’
Of course, even non-opposing attributes weren’t easy to learn together.
However, there was a clear difference between “difficult but possible” and “structurally impossible.”
The number of circles to handle would arithmetically double, and one would have to train in both attributes with limited time, but the merit of being able to handle one more attribute couldn’t be ignored, so mages often sought to learn secondary attributes.
‘And in that process, they would exchange with families that handled magic corresponding to the secondary attribute, sometimes sending disciples to receive education.’
In other words, even families of different attributes could potentially become allies or have exchange relationships.
However.
Since flame-type and ice-type were a matter of choosing one or the other, disciples who entered one side would almost never have any magical exchanges with the opposite side for their entire lives.
‘Actually, there aren’t many mages who try to learn secondary attributes overall, and it’s possible to form combat alliances like Harman and I did, but…’
Such objective calculations had long since gone out the window.
The emotional rift had been deepening from before, and every time a disciple entered the opposite side, it felt like having one’s pie stolen, so the relationship between the two attribute families couldn’t improve.
‘In such a situation, the more flame-type families gained power, the more ice-type families were inevitably devalued.’
Before Cain became the family head in his previous life, there was such a reason why ice-type magic was looked down upon more than its actual value.
‘By the time I was taken in and entered, it was almost at rock bottom in terms of recognition.’
Not a single family among the ice-type families could make it into the Four Great Houses.
However, after Cain led the Sears family to rise to the ranks of the Four Great Houses, ice-type magic began to slowly revive.
Conversely, the mediocre families that had been strutting around relying only on the name of flame-type began to lose power.
‘And the family that took the biggest hit at that time was the Bederman family.’
Bederman.
The family that was pushed out of their existing position among the Four Great Houses by the Sears family.
They had already been perpetually in second place among flame-type families, pushed aside by Flameforce, but when they were also pushed out of their position among the Four Great Houses, they began to harbor tremendous resentment toward the Sears family.
-Family Head! The Bederman family has raided the High Orc camp we were scheduled to subjugate!
-Family Head!! The Bederman family unilaterally canceled the trade goods exchange in the Kenderon region and is holding out saying they can’t pay the penalty!
-Family Head!!! That family has caused trouble again!
-Family Head! Those bast… no, those bastards…
They couldn’t dare to directly pick a fight with ‘Sein Sears’ of that time, so they always tried to interfere with the Sears family in annoying ways.
‘They were cowards. If they had at least attacked directly… I could have handled it even if all the master-level mages including the family head had come at me at once.’
Except for Harman, their relationship with the Flameforce family wasn’t particularly good either, but the family that hated the Sears family the most would definitely have been the Bederman family.
“But those bastards supported our family out of goodwill? Saved us from the brink of destruction?”
As if that could be true.
Even if the sky split in two, there was no possibility of that.
‘There’s definitely something.’
Supporting family.
Unlike exchange families that interacted on equal terms, supporting families that provided money or magic books inevitably created a hierarchical relationship to some degree.
‘It’s not quite a subsidiary family, so they’d pretend to show respect on the surface, but…’
There was a high possibility they were abusing their position by excessively pushing off subjugations or missions that they should handle themselves, or demanding materials, monster hides, hearts, etc. that could only be obtained in snowy mountains.
‘And perhaps.’
It might also be related to how the Sears family, which had been an ice-type magical noble house, somehow became a flame-type family after the war with Desmond.
As he had that thought, the fire mana nestled in one side of his heart reacted to Cain’s emotions for a moment and flared up like sparks meeting air.
That emotion was anger.
It was different from the endlessly cold and heavy anger that Sein Sears had felt in his previous life – this was anger boiling up from deep within.
But soon Cain shook his head.
‘No. Nothing gets solved with anger alone. First, let me cool my head and think calmly.’
Cain summoned a piece of ice and held it to his forehead.
As he cooled his head, the cool sensation seemed to calm his emotional turmoil along with it.
‘I should go back and ask Alice or Nephti about the Bederman family.’
All he could confirm now was the record that the Bederman family had supported the Sears family.
It would be right to ask the people in the family about how they were actually treating the Sears family.
Cain left the records room.
“Family Head. Lo…”
“Come in.”
As soon as he heard the knock, Blake Sears let Rowen enter.
“I’ve been seeing your face quite often lately.”
“Haha, are you that pleased? Well, I do have a naturally cheerful face…”
“Enough. What’s your business?”
“That’s disappointing. Today is the day I was supposed to visit you for the education status report, isn’t it?”
“…Has it already been that long? Yes, is everything proceeding well without any issues?”
That was a question about whether the disciples on the second floor were growing well, but it also implied asking whether there had been any particular problems even after Cain joined.
Rowen answered with a grin at the family head’s question.
“Yes. There are no problems. If anything, there have been positive changes.”
When the family head nodded as if to tell him to continue, Rowen went on.
“Right after Cain’s admission, there was light friction with Bolio, an entry-level disciple.”
“That was somewhat expected.”
“However, it didn’t end there, and the two had a duel in the field after Cain requested a match.”
“Cain requested the duel first?”
The family head’s eyebrows rose as if surprised.
“Yes. The result was Cain’s overwhelming victory. I had him do mock duels with other disciples afterward, but they all fell without lasting even one exchange.”
“Hmm…”
Blake Sears straightened his upper body from the backrest.
“I knew his magic level had reached the proficient stage of the 2nd circle, but to think it was to that extent.”
“Above all, his combat sense was extraordinary. I’ll have to watch more to know for sure, but for now, I can only call it tremendous talent…”
“Is that so.”
Blake Sears stroked his chin.
Even though Rowen appeared this way, he absolutely wasn’t the type to make hasty or exaggerated evaluations.
If he was saying this much, they should consider the stage of worrying about Cain to be over.
However, Blake Sears added out of concern.
“Still, continue to watch over him and guide him well so that he doesn’t neglect training or approach education with a poor attitude.”
Rowen couldn’t help but chuckle at those words.
“Heh, ahem. I’m sorry. It’s just that, at least regarding that point, you really don’t need to worry.”
Rowen shook his head back and forth, recalling his conversation with Cain near the end of the education session.
-Cain, it seems you studied theory extensively during your solo training. It was excellent.
-Thank you.
-You seem to have already covered all the content, so is there a reason you’re listening to the education so earnestly?
“It was half a probing question, but he looked at me as if I was strange and answered like this.”
-I have to do what I need to do. If I’m a disciple admitted to the Sears family’s hall, shouldn’t I do my best in education?
-…
The answer was so exemplary that Rowen was left speechless.
‘He looks like he’d skip out and go play around at any opportunity, but he talks like some rigid old-timer.’
Of course, he didn’t voice that thought in front of the family head.
“Hahahaha! I like that answer!”
“I knew you would.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“Of course. Anyway, the atmosphere in the education room has been completely organized since then, and the disciples seem stimulated and are working hard at their training.”
“It’s definitely a positive change.”
Rowen nodded at the family head’s words.
“That’s right. The Bederman family will probably visit as early as tomorrow, so it’s really fortunate that Cain came to his senses.”
Rowen truly thought it was fortunate.
After all, Blake Sears had given Cain the ultimatum of ‘expulsion’ because of pressure from the Bederman family.
‘How long are they going to hold a grudge over something from three years ago…’
Rowen had been away on a mission at the time, so he didn’t know the detailed circumstances, but he knew that three years ago, Cain and Hayden, the fourth son of the Bederman family head, had quite a big conflict.
‘I heard that Hayden coveted Cain’s personal maid and tried to take her.’
Cain had said absolutely not and charged at Hayden with a body that couldn’t even use magic, and even while taking a fireball, he managed to punch the guy in the face.
‘Unfortunately, Hayden was one of the sons the Bederman family head cherished most.’
He protected the maid, but Cain, who had fallen out of favor with the direct line of the supporting Bederman family, was pressured for expulsion using the fact that he couldn’t use magic as an excuse.
‘There is a rule that direct descendants who can’t use magic by age fifteen can be expelled, but even so, it’s rare for actual direct descendants to be expelled since they’re blood relatives.’
So Blake Sears had delayed and delayed as much as possible, but now that Cain was really about to turn fifteen, he couldn’t take no action any longer.
The other family members probably didn’t know, but during his last visit, the head of the Bederman family, Richter Bederman, had said this:
-During the next visit, Cain Sears, who cannot use magic, should not be seen in the family.
In the end, Blake Sears had given Cain a reprieve until the precarious period before this visit.
Cain, who had been holed up in the training room almost daily, had suddenly appeared as a 2nd circle mage just as his reprieve was about to end.
“Not just 1st circle, but becoming a 2nd circle and proving his ability, so the Bederman family can’t find fault with this anymore.”
“That would be the case.”
However, the family head’s expression wasn’t particularly bright.
“But if they were really going to cleanly let go just because he learned magic, they wouldn’t have been so persistently clinging on like this.”
Blake Sears said while turning his gaze toward the window.
“Well, anyway, we’ve overcome the crisis, and now that he’s starting to show his potential, I hope he continues to grow well.”
“I will do my best to assist him.”
Rowen bowed his head.
“Young master! You’re back?”
When Cain returned, Alice greeted him with a bright smile covering her entire face.
“Yeah. Alice, there’s something I want to ask you.”
“Ask me anything! If it’s something I know, I’ll answer everything!”
“What do you think about the Bederman family?”
When Cain brought up that topic, for some reason Alice made an expression as if she had a lot to say.
“…?”
