"Hahaha—! That little brat is already eleven?"
"That's right. Hooo... But he just lazes around like that..."
"If his laziness is that severe, why not try making him suffer a bit? There's a chapter of the Ragged Brotherhood nearby, you could ask them."
"I've already tried that."
"You've tried it?"
When the old man asked with wide eyes, Cedric replied in a sigh-filled voice.
"I hardened my heart and left Julian with the Ragged Brotherhood. I believed that after experiencing the life of a street urchin for about a week, he would realize how precious the things he has are. But..."
Entrusted to the vagabonds of the Ragged Brotherhood, Julian began to live a life even more beggar-like than a beggar for a week.
Not washing because it was a hassle was a given, he didn't change his clothes, and he only begged for coppers once every three days.
Moreover, Julian discovered the principle of finding peace in poverty and became even lazier than before.
According to the guardsman who watched over him, Julian slept under the sun during the day and slept under the moonlight at night.
The title he earned from this was none other than the Slothful Heir.
"Haha! The boy has already earned a title without ever setting foot in the realm of magic."
"This is not something to be happy about! I was so worried he'd declare he wanted to become a vagabond that I hastily brought him back... and now he says he needs to rest after suffering outside and hasn't come out of his chambers for over a month."
Soon, Cedric clasped his hands together and pleaded.
"Please, help my son!"
At Cedric's desperate plea, the old man fell into thought for a moment.
The old man's name was Kaelen Vaelor.
A master of Aetheric Blade Conjuration, an arcane discipline he had independently developed and advanced.
He had created the Aetheric Ten Blades, a combat magic utilizing floating swords, and had finally reached the point of completing its final stage, Astral Bestowal.
Now, Kaelen's last wish was to find an apprentice with outstanding talent to carry on his legacy.
And for that, he needed Lord Cedric's wealth and connections.
'I guess I'll just have to unblock some of his clogged mana circuits.'
Hiding his true intentions, Kaelen spoke in a deliberately serious voice.
"Hmm... Since you, my old friend, put it that way, I have no choice. I will look after your son for a while."
"R-Really!?"
"Indeed."
"Thank you!"
"Thorne!"
"Yes, My Lord!"
When Captain Thorne appeared like the wind, Cedric ordered.
"Go and bring Julian. He will likely refuse to leave his chambers, so it's fine to drag him out by force."
"Understood."
Thorne immediately ran like the wind and reached Julian's quarters.
The first person to greet Thorne was Sophie.
"Oh? Captain Thorne!"
"Sophie. Is the Young Lord inside?"
"Yes, but the Young Lord is very sick."
Thorne's steps, which were about to head inside, came to a halt.
"Sick?"
"Yes! It's like he's caught a terrible cold... His body is burning with fever, and he keeps coughing non-stop! Cough! Cough!"
At Sophie's wholehearted reenactment, Thorne hesitated for a moment, then let out a deep sigh.
"Hooo. Sophie. This is for your Young Lord's own good. So speak honestly."
"I'm always honest. So please believe me. The Young Lord is really sick."
Thorne admired Sophie's loyalty, but he didn't have time to dawdle like this.
"I hear there's talk that the Lord is doubling the servant's performance bonus this month..."
At Thorne's mutter about the performance bonus, the look in Sophie's eyes changed.
"Is that reliable information?"
"Have you already forgotten who I am?"
"I will lead the way!"
Sophie took the lead and guided Thorne.
As they entered the inner part of the quarters, Julian, as if he had been waiting, greeted Thorne with a flushed face, coughing.
"Captain Thorne... Cough! Don't come close... I'm not feeling well..."
"I heard everything from Sophie. Stop faking it and come out."
At those words, like a bolt from the blue, Julian glared at Sophie.
Under Julian's heated gaze, Sophie blushed shyly and avoided his eyes.
'I'm sorry, Young Lord. But you're not the one who pays my monthly wages.'
Julian had to tremble with a sense of betrayal from someone he had trusted.
"You... you... how could you do this to me...!"
"You should hurry and take him. You said you don't have time."
At Sophie's urging, Thorne approached the bed.
"Let's go, Young Lord."
"Captain! I'm telling you, I'm really sick!"
"Yes, I understand."
"Eek!"
When Julian hid by pulling the silk blanket over himself, Thorne picked him up, blanket and all.
"I'll put in a good word for you with the Lord."
"Yes!"
As Sophie gave a thumbs-up, Thorne nodded and ran off like the wind, just as he had arrived.
"You—trai—tor—!"
Julian's voice could be heard from the receding Thorne, but Sophie didn't hear it.
No, she chose not to.
"Hehe... Should I buy a new dress with this bonus?"
Sophie fiddled with her old cotton apron.
*****
Thorne, who had run like the wind, lifted the blanket and pulled Julian out from within.
"Ghk—!"
Julian, who collapsed limply like an old toad, sniffled and said.
"If I die, it'll be because of you, Captain."
"Yes, yes, do as you please."
Realizing he had no more room to retreat, Julian dusted himself off and entered the grand reception hall.
In the hall, his father, Cedric, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, was chatting with an old man in simple robes.
"You called for me, Father."
"Come in. Vaelor, this child is my first son, Julian."
When Cedric called the old man Vaelor, Julian realized he was no ordinary person.
"A pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am Julian of House Sterling."
As Julian greeted him with proper noble etiquette, the old man laughed heartily.
"This old man is called Kaelen. So you're the lazy bum of the Sterling family."
"Haha..."
As Julian scratched his head in embarrassment, old flakes of dead skin rained down from his hair.
"Oh?"
At the filthy sight, Cedric couldn't bear to lift his head.
Kaelen laughed heartily but had to struggle to hide his pathetic impression of Julian.
In any case, Kaelen, who needed gold to wander the Midlands in search of a talented apprentice, rolled up his sleeves to earn his travel expenses.
"Let me examine Julian's body for a moment. If his clogged mana circuits are cleared, his laziness might be cured as well."
"I'll be in your care."
Julian was anxious, but with Cedric watching, he had no choice but to offer his wrist to Kaelen.
Kaelen lightly placed his fingers on Julian's wrist.
After examining Julian's mana flow for a moment, Kaelen's eyes flew open.
"This is...!"
As he shouted in alarm, Cedric was even more startled.
"I-Is there something wrong with Julian's body?"
Kaelen, who was looking Julian up and down as if he couldn't believe it, shot up from his seat with the speed of a lightning bolt.
"This child... I will take him as my apprentice!"
"What!?"
"What!?"
At Kaelen's unexpected declaration, the Sterling father and son could only blink.
"Are you... serious?"
"Yes!"
Unlike the dumbfounded father and son, a thoroughly excited Kaelen placed both hands on Julian's shoulders and said.
"I will make you the apprentice of this great Kaelen Vaelor!"
At the proposal from Kaelen Vaelor, the Blade Dancer, one of the Five Swordmasters of the Empire, Julian's face turned deathly pale.
"I refuse!"