REAPER SCANS

I Became the Genius Bastard of a Noble Dark Clan

[Translator –  TinTin]

[Proofreader – Nine]

Chapter 5

The gate slowly scraped open, and the sound of it grated against Count Kazar’s nerves. He was on edge, bracing himself for the inevitably horrific sight of his ruinous son.

'He’s probably a wreck right now,’ he thought, his jaw clenching.

With a sigh, he brushed aside the last vestiges of his fallen expectations and pushed the gate fully open.

Shock overtook him and his eyes widened in disbelief. "You...?"

"You’re finally here, Father."

His son, Christian, was sitting calmly before him. Christian’s posture was pristine, his eyes focused, a sharp contrast to his previous deposition.

"I've been waiting,” he said.

* * *

Silence descended between them.

Count Kazar gaped at him, seemingly unable to believe his own eyes.

'He must be shocked,’ Chris thought. ‘He probably never expected me to endure it just fine.'

A smirk tugged at Chris's lips. "Didn't I tell you, Father? I would come out a changed man."

Count Kazar was at a loss for words. 

The dreamstone's intoxicating effects, which he had been apprehensive about witnessing, were nowhere to be seen. Instead, a newfound confidence radiated from his son's eyes. 

'Have I ever seen him like this before?' the count wondered. He couldn't remember. He hadn’t seen his son like this since the bygone days of his son's vibrant youth. 

Despite seeing it for himself, Count Kazar couldn't cast his wariness aside. His son's current demeanor wasn't enough to earn back his trust. His past disappointments were too deeply ingrained.

"You have managed to survive, it seems,” he managed eventually. “Or perhaps the curse of the Punishment Cave was to your liking."

"Is that your way of complimenting me?" Chris asked.

"It is a warning. Do not get ahead of yourself. I still do not trust you." Count Kazar's tone was as frosty as ever. "You are unpredictable. At any moment, you could resume living like a bottom feeder, just like you were before."

Indeed, it wasn't the first time his son had shown signs of remorse. However, every time he seemed to be on the mend, creating false hope within the count, he always ended up letting him down even more.

'This time feels different, however... No, no. Why am I getting my hopes up again?' Count Kazar forcefully crushed the budding hope in his heart.

Chris shrugged. "I have a favor to ask, Father."

"A favor?"

"Yes. I've endured quite a lot, so I think granting me a small favor would be fair. Please let me use the training grounds of the Black Swamp Knights."

Count Kazar appeared taken aback once more.

The Dark Magic Clan held command over three subsidiary knight orders. Collectively known as the Trident of Darkness, one of them was the Black Swamp Knights, belonging to Count Kazar's branch family.

"The Black Swamp Knights is not a group someone like you can join whenever you want,” the count intoned.

While the Black Swamp Knights did indeed belong to their branch family, they also fell under the purview of the main family. Therefore, despite being Count Kazar's son, Christian couldn't just casually join them. He needed to be approved by the main family of the Dark Magic Clan, but they were unlikely to grant it to a notorious bastard like him.

"I'm not asking to become a squire. I just want to borrow their training grounds,” Chris reasoned. "I figured that observing the valiant Black Swamp Knights would inspire me. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”

Chris’s first priority was to build his physical strength. Even after undergoing Metamorphosis, he still needed to train his body.

However, that wasn't his only goal. He intended to learn the secret techniques of the Black Swamp Knights while sharing their training grounds.

How? It was quite simple. He would just copy their techniques.

They would never willingly teach their secret techniques to a bastard like him, so he planned to glean the basics through observation. In lieu of formal training, Chris often learned things by sneakily watching and mimicking others’ actions. 

Instead of responding right away, Count Kazar studied him for a long while before speaking.

"If you make a fool of yourself in front of the Black Swamp Knights, you better be ready for the consequences.”

Chris smiled, accepting the condition. "There's one more thing I’d like to ask, Father," he added.

"What is it?"

“Please give me permission to access the Black Swamp Library."

The Black Swamp Library wasn’t an ordinary place. It harbored the House of Count Kazar's collection of secret dark magic, and only those with permission could gain entry.

Count Kazar retorted with a derisive snort. "You expect me to grant you access to the library? You delude yourself."

"Is it not within my birthright?"

"You have squandered that right yourself. Have you forgotten that you were caught red-handed attempting to sell the library's books on the black market?"

Chris had nothing to say to that.

Suspicion gnawed on Count Kazar. Could his son’s change in demeanor be a mere ruse to gain access to the library and steal its treasures? It was an extreme supposition, but entirely plausible given Christian's record.

"Secure a recommendation from Mellin,” he declared. “Then, I will grant you access to the library."

Mellin was the deputy commander of the Black Swamp Knights. Hailing from the main family of the Dark Magic Clan, she was notoriously ruthless. She despised the weak, particularly those deemed to be good-for-nothings. Demanding a recommendation from her was essentially a means of denying library access.

However...

"Understood. I'll do that,” Chris said, nodding. He was treating it like a simple errand. "I’ll be on my way, then. May I start using the training ground today?"

"...As you wish."

Chris sauntered off toward the mansion. Count Kazar observed him as he left, baffled by how his gait seemed to differ distinctly from before.

* * *

Reaper Scans

Translator – TinTin

Proofreader – Nine

Join our discord for updates on releases!

https://discord.gg/reaperscans

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After taking a bath and having meal, Chris headed to the training grounds. Once he arrived, the bustling activity came to a sudden halt. Everyone ceased their training to stare at him.

'So many fiends in one place,’ he mused. ‘I still can’t get used to it.'

True to their reputation as the Dark Magic Clan's order of knights, they were all elites.

The knighthood wasn’t limited to humans. Many of the dark attribute races typical of the Magic Empire were also present: Lycanthropes, Vampires, Dark Elves, and more.

They all seemed to be 2-stars at the least. A significant number were 3-stars or above, and a few even boasted the strength of a 4-star. 

'This order of knights belongs to a branch family, yet they're this powerful. They’re comparable to the most prestigious order of knights in the Kingdom.’ 

Chris shook his head, his thoughts disrupted by gruff voices. 

"Who's that guy?" someone asked.

"Isn't that the foolish young master?” another wondered. “What's he doing here?"

Despite his notorious reputation, the comments were still rather harsh to level against the son of a count. Such blatant disrespect would have been unimaginable anywhere else, but this was the Magic Empire. Here, power was the ultimate determinant of worth. 

The weak, regardless of their high status, were met with contempt. This was particularly true for someone as infamous as he was.

'I was told that even Christain couldn’t cross the Black Swamp Knights,' Chris thought.

Suddenly, a sharp voice sliced through the air. "This isn't a place for someone like you. Leave immediately.”

Turning his head, Chris recognized a familiar face. It was his younger brother, Thern.

‘He must be training with the Black Swamp Knights. Figures. He's being treated as the rightful heir instead of me.'

Thern glared at him, seething with anger. "This is not a place for scum like you."

Chris crossed his arms, a frown etched into his forehead. He wasn't particularly scared, but… it would be exhausting if he kept letting Thern bark at him like this.

"Thern, are you criticizing the count?" he asked.

Thern paused. "What?" 

Chris smirked, his voice dripping with mockery. "Count Kazar is the one who granted me permission to use the training ground, but from what you're saying, it seems like you're disparaging the count's decision."

Thern was dumbfounded. Even though he would later become a notorious fiend, he was just a brat at the moment. Naturally, it was impossible for him to outwit Chris.

Then, another voice rang out.

"I respect the Count's decision, but truth be told, I don't find you the slightest bit trustworthy."

Chris was startled. He felt an intensely powerful dark energy the likes of which proved incomparable to any other. When he turned to identify the source, he found a captivating woman with a beautiful appearance.

'Deputy Commander Mellin!'

She was the infamous deputy commander of the Black Swamp Knights.

Despite the smile on her face, the intense pressure of her dark energy taxed Chris. She was trying to suppress him with her aura. If it had been directed toward the original Christian, he would have been scared out of his wits.

Chris took a deep breath and calmly bowed his head. "Nice to meet you, Deputy Commander."

The deputy commander's eyes shifted for a moment. 

'He withstood that?' she thought. 

She didn’t like the idea of sharing the training ground with the notorious young master, so she had purposefully released a decent amount of her aura. Although she had no choice but to accept the count’s decision, that didn’t mean she couldn’t scare him off. 

However, he didn't even flinch.

After seeing the surprise on Mellin’s face, Chris chuckled to himself. ‘I'm used to this kind of intimidation.’

The strong always flaunted their power like this whenever they would meet. Chris had been exposed to these power demonstrations numerous times over the course of the Age of Destruction, so he had naturally grown accustomed to it.

"Okay, I understand. You've made your point, Deputy Commander,” Chris said. “I’d like to make a proposal. Let me prove that I'm worthy of this training ground."

"Prove? How so?" she asked.

"Isn’t there only one way for a fiend to prove their worth?" Chris casually shrugged his shoulders. "Through a show of strength."

This suggestion surprised Mellin.

Chris continued. "Let me challenge one of the fiends here. I will prove my rights through victory.”

His declaration sent shock rippling throughout the training ground. Everyone reacted as though he had lost his mind.

Mellin appeared displeased. "This is not child’s play,” she scolded. “Even if you're the precious young master, you don’t honestly think we'll just let you insult the Black Swamp Knights and get away with it, do you?"

She viewed Chris's challenge as nothing more than a bastard’s ridiculous prank.

"I am not playing,” Chris resolutely insisted. “However, I have two conditions. First, prohibit the usage of dark energy. Make it a duel of pure physical ability. As you know, due to my dissolute lifestyle, I've lost my vessel for dark energy. Oh, and it would be nice if it’s an unarmed duel as well. No weapons. I’m sure you’re aware, but it's been too long since I've last held a sword."

Mellin looked dumbfounded. "You're asking for a lot. Was that the second condition?"

"No. Let me choose my opponent for the duel."

Mellin nodded her head in approval. Even if he chose the weakest person in the Black Swamp Knights, they should still be several times stronger than that bastard.

Chris turned to the young boy next to Mellin, who was frowning heavily.

"Thern, I choose you,” he declared.

"What?" Thern asked.

"You'll be my opponent for the duel."

Thern looked dumbfounded.

Chris grinned. "Let's take this as an opportunity to have a deep conversation between brothers."

A conversation with their fists, of course.

* * *

The hall descended into silence. Everyone blinked, baffled. No one could make sense of Chris's words. 

A moment passed. 

"Has that crazy bastard finally lost his mind for real?" someone asked.

"Is this how louts like to self-harm these days?” questioned another.

The knights were abuzz, their voices filled with disbelief. Everyone reacted as though Chris had lost his mind. 

Then, the target of Chris’s taunting turned beet red. Feeling insulted, Thern’s face was a mask of fury. "You dare…."

* * *

Reaper Scans

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