Damn Reincarnation

still young….
It’s impossible… to kill Dominic, Hector, and Eward, particularly since they were together with the Demon Kings’ remnant.”

“But I did kill them.”

“Yes, you did.
On top of that, the enemies were using the Annihilation Hammer and the Demon Spear, but the only injury you sustained was a fracture in your left arm.
The reason you are on bed rest is that you are experiencing a rebound from using Ignition.”

Genos stopped speaking for a moment.
Then, swallowing hard, he stared at Eugene.

“…Senior Brother….
Who are you?”

“Uhm….”

“You have found Sir Hamel’s grave, which no one found before you.
Although you have told me that was where you found Sir Hamel’s secret manual… it isn’t enough to explain how you can be so strong.
I know… I know how nonsensical this sounds, but… I have fought you, Senior Brother.
While we fought using the Hamel Style, you used Asura Rampage and Lightning Counter so proficiently….” Genos desperately explained.

“Stop.” Eugene raised his hand, heaving a long sigh.
Above all else, Eugene really couldn’t hear Genos saying Asura Rampage and Lightning Counter.
He could see Mer holding back her laughter after finishing half the apples on the plate.

“I get what you are thinking right now, Junior Brother.
Yes, I see where the Council Head is coming from.” Eugene nodded very slightly.

He could deny their claims by making up excuses, but Eugene didn’t want to do that.
Although he tried to sit as upright as possible, he could feel his injured body refusing to move.
In the end, Eugene raised his head as high as he could as he lay on the bed and looked at Genos.

“I am Hamel,” Eugene said in a not-so-solemn way.

He had previously thought that if he was going to reveal his identity, he would do it more seriously in a situation that would suit the hero from 300 years ago.
However, he now figured it would be more embarrassing to postpone this moment only to do whatever magnificent reveal later.

“…I knew it…!”

Silently urged by Mer, Genos had been cutting apples into bunny-shaped slices, but he instantly sprang up from his seat when he heard what Eugene said.
He immediately put down the paring knife and apple, then kneeled in front of Eugene.

Genos didn’t doubt Eugene.
Instead, he felt much better after hearing this.
A twenty-year-old man being that unbelievably strong — it would have actually been more ridiculous to think that Eugene had become that strong solely based on his inborn talent.

Above all, if the hero from 300 years ago had reincarnated or possessed Eugene, Genos was now able to serve and respect Eugene as his senior brother without being embarrassed or complaining.
Of course, Genos didn’t have complaints about calling Eugene his senior brother, but he was still a bit embarrassed.

‘If Senior Brother is Sir Hamel, it is only right to serve and respect him.’

Even Genos had a hard time respecting a man younger than his daughter.

‘No…if he is Sir Hamel, then isn’t it actually wrong to call him Senior Brother?’

When the thought crossed his mind, Genos trembled, feeling a shiver down his spine.

“Teacher!” Genos spoke with teary eyes.
As the heir of Hamel Style, he couldn’t help but shed tears of joy.
He was enjoying the great honor of calling the great hero his ‘teacher.’

“How am I your teacher?” Eugene said with a sour face.

“Everyone in the clan considers you our teacher, Sir Hamel…!”

“But…well… technically, I never accepted you guys as my disciples.
So why would you guys call me your teacher on your own…?”

“You have taught me the new, correct Hamel Style, Teacher…! Why are you refusing to be called a teacher when you have accepted me as your junior brother and told me to call you senior brother?” Genos spoke with a hint of anger.

“Alright, don’t get angry now….” Eugene heaved a big sigh.
“Tell the Council Head to come to visit me.
Or shall I go?”

“No, I will go.
Please stay in bed.” After neatly wiping off the tears on his face, Genos stood up.
When Genos left the room, Mer also quietly stood up and lifted the Cloak of Darkness.

“I will be inside the Cloak.”

“If you were going to go in, you could have gone in sooner.
Why would you go in only after eating all the apples?”

“I only ate it because you didn’t, Sir Eugene.
Did you know that peeled-off apples turn brown over time? They look hideous.
That is called the browning process.”

“Uh… is that so….”

“To stop the browning process, you have to put the apple slices in salt water or sugar water.
It’s interesting, right? Lady Ancilla told me, but I prefer sugar water to salt water.
Salt water is too salty.”

“Are you going in, or what?” Eugene asked in annoyance.

Mer sheepishly smiled and crawled into the Cloak.

Leaning against the bed’s headboard, Eugene organized his thoughts.

It had been two days since Eward had run amok.

Just like Eugene, the people who had been captured as sacrificial offerings were still on bed rest.
According to Gion, they would be able to recover by the next day at the latest.

…The bodies of Eward, Dominic, and Hector hadn’t been recovered.
There was nothing to recover, anyway.
The only body found in the forest was of Deacon Lionheart.
Deacon’s body had been laid in a coffin, and Carmen’s brother, Klein Lionheart, visited Deacon’s family to deliver his body.

Gilead had been notified of the events, but even though he wanted to return, he had to stay at the palace for the time being.

The Black Lion, dispatched to the Bossar Family, was found dead in their mansion’s warehouse.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only body that was found.
Over a hundred dead bodies were found inside the mansion — Tanis, Count Bossar, and the servants.
They were all rotting.

They had also found a diary in Eward’s room.
However, no one had checked the diary’s contents.
It was because Carmen, who had been dispatched to protect the main house, had threatened everyone to not check the diary before Gilead, Eward’s father and the Patriarch.

‘…It’s absolute fuckery right now,’ Eugene thought, his head aching.

‘The Council Head won’t be able to recover, so he must have delivered his will to the Council of Elders.
He will probably die after he apologizes to me.’

People were still sorting out the situation.
Eward and Dominic had died.
No one could confirm Hector’s death.
Dominic and Hector’s families had already been arrested by the Black Lions.
Although Eugene wasn’t sure what the Black Lions would gain from interrogating their family members, he was sure about one thing — the Lionheart clan’s reputation was in the gutter now.
On top of that, the Black Lion’s reputation had been trashed and dragged in the mud.
They were too helpless in the recent incident.

‘…Carmen Lionheart… She would probably become the Council Head.’

After Doynes Lionheart’s death, Carmen Lionheart would become the highest-ranking elder.

‘…But she would never want that, considering her personality.
She still wants to work in the field….
Then would Klein Lionheart become the next Council Head?’

Klein lacked dignity, but he didn’t seem to be a bad person.

‘What would happen to the main family? I’m guessing the Patriarch would resign to take responsibility for raising a wuss son….
Then is Cyan going to be the next Patriarch right away? Or is it going to be Gion? But they wouldn’t make the second son Patriarch, especially since he has already become a collateral family member.’

Gion wouldn’t want to become a Patriarch, either.
Frowning, Eugene sighed.

There was one thing that troubled Eugene — too much spotlight was on him right now.
Even Genos had doubts about Eugene’s real identity, so it was safe to assume the Council Head was probably thinking the same.

‘…I’ll just tell the Patriarch that I was able to do all that because of the Holy Sword.’

While he was entertaining these thoughts, he heard a knock.

“Come in,” Eugene answered.

The door opened right away.
Eugene was expecting Donyes to be in a wheelchair or have someone help him walk.
However, Doynes walked in without any support.

Still, looking at how Doynes was practically forcing himself to keep his eyes open, Eugene could see that the man was dying.
Donyes’ face was livid, and his cheeks were hollow.
As for the hole in his chest, Eugene couldn’t see anything because Donyes was wearing a uniform to cover it.

“Is it okay for you to move around like that?” Eugene cautiously asked.

Even though he was staggering, Donyes walked on his own.
After he closed the door, he stared at Eugene for a moment, then bowed his head.

“It’s an honor to meet the Great Hamel.”

‘He is not even asking me whether or not I am Hamel,’ Eugene thought as he reluctantly nodded.

“Uhm…I…am also…uh…glad to meet my friend’s descendant.”