The Mad Dog of the Duke's Estate

Chapter 63

Oceanwolf Island, the Oceanwolf Knight Order's headquarters, was located at Azureocean Castle. In the middle of the training ground on Oceanwolf Island, two young men were deep in conversation.

"So, it's settled. Leo, you've been assigned to the southern kingdoms! Pretty great, right? You should thank me. In other words, bring me back some liquor when you return," Caron said.

"You're insane. Why are you making me do this?" Leo shot back.

"Come on, you're practically a full-fledged 4-Star knight. It's about time you started taking on real missions. How long are you planning to mooch off the family?" Caron teased.

"If anyone's mooching, it's you!" Leo retorted. "All you do is eat and laze around in Azureocean Castle!"

Caron shrugged, his grin widening. "I'm under probation, remember? If you've got a problem with it, take it up with Grandfather."

Caron's smirk didn't fade as he eyed Leo. Standing over 180 centimeters tall, Leo had a muscular physique that clearly spoke of years of diligent training. His aura was much more stable compared to two years earlier.

I really raised him well, Caron thought, feeling pleased. Leo's progress in mastering the Ocean Dominance Arts had been remarkable. He was close to obtaining the fifth sea. The many ways Caron had tormented Leo during his probation were finally paying off.

"It's an easy mission," Caron continued. "Just go to the southern kingdoms and recruit some skilled craftsmen. That's it."

"How is it easy to sneak into a war-torn region and extract skilled workers?" Leo countered.

"If it were easy, it wouldn't be called a mission, would it?" Caron said.

"...You just said it was an easy mission," Leo pointed out, exasperated.

"Why do you keep arguing?" Caron sighed dramatically. "Look, just do what you're told. Uncle Raphael has already approved this. It's a great chance to earn merit for the family."

"Father did?" Leo asked, his voice stiffening.

"I convinced him myself! I told him all about how much glory you'd bring to the family, and what a great opportunity this was. He got all excited when I laid it out for him," Caron said.

Hearing that his father, Raphael, had approved the plan left Leo no room to argue. If even his last line of defense had been won over by this lunatic, there was no escaping it. Leo sighed deeply in resignation and asked, "I'm not going alone, am I?"

"You'll have two squads from the Oceanwolf Knight Order with you. Hans is going along, and guess what? Leon's already in the southern kingdoms, so she'll meet up with you there," Caron explained.

"Well, at least there's that," Leo muttered, somewhat relieved.

"The knights will be registered as mercenaries from Thebe," Caron added. "Once that's done, they'll be deployed straight to the southern kingdoms. The mission details are still being finalized, but that's the gist of it."

In Caron's eyes, Leo was more than ready for a real battle. A sword couldn't be perfected in the training grounds alone. It was only through battle that the rough edges could be smoothed. Even the path of the Oceanwolf blade required real-life experience. Without that, a sword was nothing more than a shiny piece of metal. This mission, Caron thought, would be a crucial turning point for Leo.

"Caron," Leo called, his voice quieter now.

"Yeah?" Caron turned, noticing a shift in his cousin's tone.

"Since this is just a recruitment mission... Nothing serious is going to happen, right?" Leo asked hesitantly.

"Serious? Like what?" Caron asked.

"You know, maybe combat," Leo muttered.

"Oh, you mean battles?" Caron chuckled. "Of course there'll be fighting. The southern kingdoms are at war! What mission involves going into a place without any combat?"

He pulled a strip of jerky from his pocket and started chewing as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Of course, we won't actually be getting involved in the war. But, Leo, do you know what war really is?" Caron continued speaking between bites.

Leo frowned slightly and said, "...No."

"It's when trust between people disappears, and law and order crumble. Some pick up swords because they don't want to lose anything else, while others fight to steal just to survive. That's war."

War was a hell created by mankind. It suited that definition perfectly.

"If you don't kill, you'll be killed yourself," Caron reminded Leo.

In the midst of that chaos, Leo would grow. He would find his path and walk it.

"...Why are you making me do this?" Leo asked quietly, lowering the wooden sword he had been holding as he looked at Caron.

Caron smiled faintly, his eyes glinting with a certain confidence. He replied, "Because I believe in you, Leo."

Caron wanted Leo to see more of the world, to face its harsh realities. He believed in Leo's potential. Sure, their first meeting had been less than ideal, but since then, Leo had proven himself more than capable. That was why Caron wanted to push him even further.

"I may not be able to leave Azureocean Castle, but you're different. You need to see what kind of world you'll live in with your own eyes," Caron said.

He knew that swinging a sword around the castle wouldn't make someone an adult. Leo had reached the age where it was time for him to experience the real world.

"If you don't want to go, you don't have to. I won't force you," Caron added casually.

Leo sighed heavily, staring at his younger cousin. Caron had rarely been wrong, especially when it came to advice on growth and training. Whenever Leo's swordsmanship or mana training hit a wall, Caron had pointed him in the right direction.

It'll probably be the same this time, Leo thought. Although Caron was a lunatic, he was also the most reliable person Leo knew.

"If I go and do this mission, will I finally catch up to you?" he asked in a low voice, glancing at Caron.

Caron shrugged, giving him a mischievous smile before answering, "That might be a bit tough. But it'll help."

"What do you mean it'll help, but I still won't catch up?" Leo asked, annoyed.

"Well, you're comparing yourself to me, aren't you? Leo, you know I just opened the sixth sea last week, right?" Caron said with a casual brag in his tone.

"6-Star? 6-Star in the Ocean Dominance Arts?" Leo stuttered.

"Yup. I even showed it to Grandfather. But man, that old geezer didn't even bother to compliment me. He's as cold as ever," Caron said with a click of his tongue.

Leo didn't even blink at Caron's immoral remark, because after all, this was Caron. He was a lunatic who did immoral things as naturally as breathing. But the fact that he had reached 6-Star when he was just fifteen years old? Now that was shocking.

"You reached 6-Star in just two years after reaching 5-Star?" Leo asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Caron answered.

"How?" Leo asked again.

"I don't know. It kind of just happened," Caron replied nonchalantly.

Leo thought it now made sense why his father and Uncle Dales had been looking so grim lately. Caron's absurd talent was enough to make anyone worry.

Still, Leo didn't feel discouraged. Sure, Caron was a freak of nature, but that was just who he was. Trying to compare himself to Caron, a monster among monsters, was pointless. Even jealousy required some sense of fairness.

"So, are you going or not? Make up your mind already," Caron asked, sounding impatient.

"Did I really even have a choice to begin with?" Leo muttered.

"I told you, I'm not forcing you. But," Caron picked up a wooden sword lying on the ground and lazily tapped it against Leo's shoulder, saying, "If you stay, we'll be doing three months of hellish training together. If you aren't taking over a mission, the training should feel like a real situation. Right?"

"Fine! I'll go! You crazy bastard!" Leo yelled.

Caron grinned, clearly pleased. He said, "Very well. That was a good call." Then, in a quieter voice, as if he was talking to himself, he muttered, "Man, convincing him is getting harder now that his brain's gotten bigger. I have to threaten him to make him listen."

"...I can hear you, you know," Leo growled.

"Oh, sorry. But I said that on purpose," Caron shot back.

And just like that, Leo's mission was decided.

***

Once Leo's mission to retrieve the craftsmen from the southern kingdoms had been decided, preparations were swiftly put into motion. It was to be his first official mission. Within just two weeks of Rohan's visit to Azureocean Castle, everything was ready.

At the train station in Azureocean Castle, the knights of the Oceanwolf Knight Order were gathered along with Leo, preparing for their departure.

"Leo, please... Just come back safely. Promise me you'll be careful, and if you can, contact us whenever possible," Camila, Leo's mother, said in a trembling voice filled with concern.

"Yes, Mother. Don't worry," Leo replied, offering her a reassuring smile.

"Our proud son... Just come back safely," Camila said as tears welled up in her eyes, embracing Leo tightly.

Caron, watching the emotional farewell unfold, chuckled and chimed in, "People would think he's heading off to fight in a war. Aunt Camila, it's just a simple mission. He's just bringing back some craftsmen."

Camila shot a sharp glare at her cheeky nephew, then retorted, "If it's such a simple mission, why did Leo have to be the one to go?"

"Leo chose this himself! Believe me, I wanted to go too, Aunt Camila, but what can I do? I'm stuck in this probation period," Caron said.

"You little—" Camila began, but Caron cut her off.

"Overprotectiveness isn't a good thing, Aunt Camila. Leo's turning eighteen in a few days. I think it's time he learned to stand on his own two feet," Caron said.

Camila's anger surged. If Caron had just kept his mouth shut, perhaps she wouldn't be this furious.

This is all his fault, she thought.

Leo wasn't getting the attention he deserved, and now he was being forced into this mission. It was all because of this crafty boy standing in front of her. She knew Caron had used his silver tongue to convince her husband, and that only made her angrier. But what frustrated her most was Leo's attitude.

"Caron's right, Mother. This was my decision, and it's something I need to take responsibility for. I'll return stronger, so stay healthy until then," Leo said, his voice calm and resolute.

Camila wondered why her son was following Caron's plans so willingly. Her voice tinged with desperation, she pleaded with Leo once more, "...It's not too late to change your mind. Why do you have to go to that battlefield?"

Leo smiled gently and replied, "It's for the family, and for myself."

"But why—" Camila began.

"I can't rely on Caron forever, Mother. Please, don't worry. I'll be back before you know it," Leo replied. He hugged his mother tightly one last time, then slowly boarded the train.

As Leo leaned out of the window, Caron watched his cousin's face with a smirk and spoke in a playful tone. "So this is what it feels like to send a child off into the world? It's making me a bit sentimental. I think I'll need a drink tonight."

In response, Leo raised his middle finger at Caron, calling out, "Here, eat this instead."

Caron burst into laughter and replied, "Mmm, delicious. Did you get this from the capital?"

Leo couldn't help but laugh at his cousin's absurdity. "You're a lunatic."

"I agree," Caron responded.

"Make sure you don't cause too much trouble, Caron. You're lucky I was around to clean up your messes. Do you really think you'll be able to clean it up yourself?" Leo asked, with a teasing yet serious tone in his voice.

Caron smirked, shrugging off the concern as he replied, "You be careful yourself. You've always got to watch your back out there. Don't forget that. Got it?"

Whoosh.

The train's engine roared to life with a deep hum as the knights of the Oceanwolf Knight Order finished boarding. Caron waved lightly at his cousin, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"If you get hurt, I'll make sure you get even more hurt by me," Caron warned.

"Just curse me," Leo retorted with a smile.

"Have a good trip," Caron said.

The train whirred louder, picking up speed as it left the station and began to disappear into the distance. Caron stood there for a while, watching the train until it was out of sight.

There wouldn't be any big issues.

That's how I raised him, Caron thought.

After all, he had pushed Leo to his limits during their time in Azureocean Castle. No simple mission like this would harm him.

Leo likely didn't fully understand his own strength yet, but once he wielded his sword in real battle, he would realize the weight of the training he had endured.

Just as Caron smiled in satisfaction, gazing after the train, Camila interrupted his thoughts with a cold warning.

"If my son gets gravely injured one day... I won't sit by quietly, Caron. Remember that," Camila said, her voice quiet but sharp.

Even after all these years, Camila still hadn't let go of her wariness toward him. But Caron only smiled in response and replied, "Aunt Camila, you should see me as practically your other son by now. You know how well I've taken care of Leo, right?"

"It's easy to get attention when the person standing beside you shines like a star. To Leo, that's all you are. A shadow. Am I wrong?" Camila asked.

"You're wrong, Aunt Camila. I shine just fine on my own," Caron replied.

"And you really think I'm going to believe that?" Camila shot back, her eyes narrowing.

"It doesn't matter what you believe, Aunt Camila. I truly care about Leo as if he were my own brother," Caron continued.

He wasn't interested in clearing up her misunderstanding. In the end, it wasn't something that could be easily fixed. Only time would sort it out.

"Well, I'll be heading back inside now. I plan on locking myself in the training hall for the next few days. Take care on your way home, Aunt Camila," Caron said, bowing politely before turning away. With light steps, he made his way back toward Azureocean Castle, his mind already anticipating what lay ahead.

I can't wait, he thought.

He wondered how much stronger Leo would become once he returned from the mission. Caron hoped Leo would come back having learned something new, something that would drive him forward.

I can't find the path and lead you down it forever, right, Leo? Caron thought.

One's path was something that had to be carved by their own hands. With that thought, Caron sincerely wished for Leo's growth as he continued walking forward. There was still much to prepare within Azureocean Castle. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

***

Time continued to flow steadily.

It was soon four years since Caron was placed on probation. The boy who had once been thirteen years old was now seventeen.