Episode 10 – Evaluation From Head of the Family

The mine owned by the Duke of Salvatore’s family, where a blizzard was dancing in the air.
At the foot of the mine, several men and women were gathered.

One of them is Norn Salvatore, the eldest daughter waiting for Luca’s return.
Her blood-red eyes stare straight up at the summit.

“Luca has been in the mountains for a week. It’s about time he came back.”

The man who spoke was Lucius Salvatore, a tall man standing behind her.
He was the current Duke of Salvatore.

“I guess so. Will Luca really be able to break through this ordeal as the youngest?”
“I’m sure he will be fine. He is strong. I taught him sword and aura, I can assure you of that. In time, it will be Luca who will take the position of head of the Duke of Salvatore’s household.”
“Not you?”
“Fufu. My talent is only slightly superior after all. No one can beat Luca. Not even you.”
“Oh.”

A tingle.

The air between Norn and Lucius was a little cold.
It was by no means due to the climate or temperature. A few servants nearby broke into a sweat at the pressure between the two.

“It’s interesting. If you think about it normally, you should be the next head of the family.”
“That’s a mindless thing to say. I know that even Father has high hopes for Luca.”
“Well.”

Lucius honestly affirms Norn’s words.

The existence of Luca Salvatore is almost a miracle to the Salvatore family members.

From childhood, he has had a curiosity stronger than anyone else’s.
He enjoyed reading books and spoke the language fluently from an early age.
The ultimate result was the awakening of his aura. At the age of five, he developed his aura earlier than anyone else.

Three years have passed since then. Luca’s talent, as Norn had said, had reached a level where even Norn, who was called a genius, could no longer measure it.
Therefore, Lucius gave Luca, who was only eight years old, a test.

He thought that Luca, who easily exceeded his own expectations, would surely produce interesting results.
And finally, the answer appears.

“! My lord.”

One of the servants notices.
Something is coming down from the mountain road.

Out of the blizzard comes out–a huge bear.
No.
To be precise, a bear pelt.

The inside of the bear was so thin that you could not feel its mass except for the head, which had been hollowed out.
Above all, a boy with a familiar face emerged from beneath the bear.

It was Luca Salvatore.

☆

It has been a week since survival in the snowy mountains began.
I continued to fight demons while healing the wounds I sustained in the battle with the bear demon.

I spent my days searching for them, killing them, and eating them.
I still can’t move my right hand, but the pain has gotten much better with repeated treatment.

To be honest, this was the best survival experience for me, including the battle with the bear demon and those ruffians.
I wanted to stay in the mountains for at least another week if possible, but I didn’t want people to think that I had died badly, so I reluctantly left the mountain.

In the meantime, I brought back the pelt of the bear, my most prized catch, as proof that I had defeated the demons. It smells very fishy, but it will be a fine accomplishment for me.
It was heavy and hard to carry with one hand.

“Luca !”

When I arrived at the foot of the mountain, I saw Sister Norn waving at me as she waited for my return.

I left the dead demon in its place and walked up to her.

“I’m back, Sister Norn. Is the head of the family with you?”
“Welcome back. Luca is amazing after all. Becoming the youngest person to pass the test And you were able to kill such a large prey.”

Sister Norn’s line of sight turned to the corpse of the bear monster that had fallen behind me.

“Even your father and I were not able to defeat the bear until we were over ten years old.”
“It’s not much. I was a little reckless.”
“That arm?”
“Yes. I got a blow and here I am.”
“That’s impressive. You beat it with only one arm, didn’t you? That’s Luca. You’re so cute～”
“Mugyuu.”

Sister Norn hugged me.
She dexterously picked me up, avoiding my injured right arm.

“You’re tired, aren’t you? I’ll carry you back home. –You guys carry that monster that Luca defeated.”
“Thank you.”

Sister Norn’s men go out of their way to help me.

Sister Norn turned around and saw Lucius, the head of the family, in front of her.
We look at each other.
Lucius was the first to open his mouth.

“Luca. I’m amazed that you survived. In addition, you even defeated such a prey.”

The corners of Lucius’ mouth turned up once.
After that, Lucius slowly approached me.

What is it? What is he going to give me?
As I was thinking this and preparing myself, Lucius suddenly stretched out his right hand and placed it on my head.

Don’t tell me…..he’s patting me?

Rarely, Lucius loosened his cheeks and laughed.

“I’m proud of you, Luca.”
“My lord…….”

I was stunned by this.
I had expected him to say nothing or to take me for granted.

Lucius patted my head for a moment, then let go of his hand and spun around.

“Luca has returned, then, let’s go back to the mansion.”
“I understand.”

Sister Norn walks away with a smile on her face.

I’m embarrassed, Sis…….

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