The Terminally Ill Young Master is the Mad Dog of the Underworld - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: A Face-Off Soon

Three days had already passed since Barclava had been beaten and had returned home crying.

I was focusing on physical conditioning in a corner of the training ground Olivier had prepared for me.

“Hup, hup!”

I took two short breaths through my nose and exhaled with my lips pursed.

“Hup, hup, cough, cough!”

A bug had gotten into my slightly opened mouth, and my windpipe was blocked.

‘I’m going to die, damn it.’

My heart felt like it was about to leap out of my mouth, but with the determination to swallow it back down if it did, I took another step forward.

Running was the most primitive yet most effective exercise. Just a few laps around this training ground was enough to push my already enervated body to its limits. There was no torture more efficient than this.

‘Training is essentially a repetition of pain, torture, and hardship.’

The late spring sun shone down, and seagulls floating in the sky cried out at me. The shouts of knights carried on the salty, humid sea breeze.

“Ugh, I’m dying.”

I finally finished running when my vision blurred, my legs trembled, and sweat poured down like rain.

But that didn’t mean I had time to rest.

As soon as I caught my breath, I started doing push-ups, and then I lifted heavy weights while sitting and standing to strengthen my lower body.

Finally, I hung from a pull-up bar until my hands shook so badly that I could no longer grip anything.

“Haak, haak.”

I panted like the world’s most pathetic man. Pain was something I could never get used to. I simply endured it.

‘This is when I feel most alive.’

Fortunately, the training ground was well-equipped.

‘I like it here.’

Grunewald’s martial arts philosophy was quite similar to my own, the more I thought about it the more I liked it.

‘You can’t have skill without physical strength.’

The first sentence in the martial arts manual of ancestral Duke Vitenfeld stated that before learning martial arts and wielding a sword, one must first build a strong physical foundation.

‘That’s right.’

What I needed now wasn’t mana or anything else. It was basic physical strength.

No matter how cunning the mad dog Karzan was, he couldn’t do much if he got winded after swinging his sword five times.

And the best way to build a strong foundation was through brute force. Eat until your stomach is full, exercise until you are about to die, and then sleep like a log.

‘The body grows when it’s pushed beyond its limits.’

It was something that required a strong will.

Training in martial arts was generally a process of repeating this kind of madness.

‘The important thing is to consciously block your mana during this process.’

It was a way to increase mana control and strengthen the body at the same time.

“Young master, time’s up!”

Peter’s voice rang out as he checked the clock. I sit down and catch my breath.

“Phew…”

I immediately closed my eyes and activated the Eternal Ocean Chain Technique. My heart, lungs, and muscles, which had reached their limits, began to greedily absorb mana.

‘It’s going in so quickly.’

Even a traveler who had wandered through a desert and found an oasis wouldn’t be as voracious.

The organs and muscles that had received the mana flowing through my blood began to recover faster than usual.

The impurities that had been hiding in the microvessels, interfering with the flow of mana, were now watching cautiously.

“The best part was that my body and mana were becoming increasingly attuned to each other through this process.”

The trainee guards and squires who passed by would glance at me, wondering what strange ritual I was performing.

It was probably a technique they’d never seen before. But that was how the mad dog Karzan had managed to compensate for his lack of mana – through sheer tenacity.

‘Speaking of which. The Eternal Ocean Chain Technique is really growing. The more I practice it, the stronger it becomes.

It was no wonder that a noble clan like the Grunewalds had adopted it as their foundational martial art.

‘Stability, versatility, and solidity.’

Some might call it boring. And in a way, they’d be right.

But a man who had cheated death countless times through cunning and quick thinking understood better than anyone the power of a solid foundation.

‘Ultimately, it’s better to learn the basics first and then move on to the unorthodox.’

Those who started with the unorthodox always had to return to the basics eventually.

That was why Karzan in his past life had been unable to accept the idea of temporarily abandoning everything he had built up.

‘If only I had been brave enough to let go back then.’

Even if it meant taking a longer route, he would have eventually overcome another wall. And he wouldn’t have been betrayed.

‘I would have become so strong that they couldn’t have gotten rid of me.’

Perhaps he could have even driven a knife into the belly of the master who had tried to discard him.

‘It’s said that it’s never too late to regret, but…’

If Karzan had been given another chance to avoid repeating his mistakes. And he wasn’t an idiot who would kick away such a gift.

The realm I had once aspired to was now a distant, unknown territory.

‘But as long as I’m alive, there’s always hope.’

So, I had to live the rest of my life intensely.

‘I am a burning flame.’

I imagined the gazes of the trainee guards and knights, the servants, and the maids who wandered around the training ground. Those invisible eyes felt like the countless stars in the night sky.

‘What do you think of me?’

Do they think I have gone mad or changed after my illness? Or are they secretly pleased that the wayward youngest son had finally been humbled?

‘It doesn’t matter.’

Their meaningless grazes could be ignored. I only cared about what was inside me.

It was dark, deep, and vast. And as I delved deeper, it felt like an endless ocean.

The ocean opened its mouth to me. Without fear, I reached out and dipped my toes in. And so, I entered the depths of that endless night…

Even as the Eternal Ocean Chain Technique effortlessly surpassed the fourth level, the pure exhilaration I felt made it all seem insignificant.

***

“Are you making progress with your training?”

“Whether I’m making progress or not, repetition is training.”

Olivier nodded slightly at my words.

“I see. That was a foolish question.”

“Well, not entirely foolish.”

I grinned at my reflection in the mirror, noticing how pale I’d become in the recent days.

“These have been quite satisfying days. I regret not starting sooner.”

“…I see.”

Given the complex circumstances that had led to my seven-year absence, Olivier seemed unsure of how to respond.

“But, Your Highness, there was something you wanted to discuss.”

“Ah, yes.”

He’d waited three whole days before bringing it up, which spoke volumes about his patience.

“Olivier, I believe I told you that overseeing the servants and their conduct was part of your duties.”

“That is correct.”

“Then who do you work for?”

Olivier narrowed his eyes.

“Whose man, you ask?”

“If you’re my father’s man, I have no complaints. If you’re the head butler’s man, then I understand the need for a unified system following your superior’s orders.”

“…”

“But if you serve one of my brothers or sisters, then that would be a problem.”

Olivier hesitated before answering.

“Of course, I am not affiliated with any of your siblings.”

“Is there a possibility of pressure being exerted through your family?”

“I don’t think so at the moment.”

“I see.”

I nodded.

“In short, you’re saying you receive orders from my father and report to the head butler.”

“…If I were to summarize, yes.”

“That’s only natural. However, I believe it’s the duty of a butler to prioritize my orders over those of my siblings. What do you think?”

“That is only natural.”

Olivier responded firmly.

“I believe that is a pledge we should both uphold.”

And then I added.

“My decision to make you my trustee aid will now depend on your own abilities.”

Unlike Peter or Julia, I didn’t see any reason to be particularly kind to this man. Gaining his loyalty would take time.

“Now, I’ll give you my second order.”

“I’m listening.”

I held up two fingers and folded one.

“First, anyone within this manor who leaks information outside.”

“…”

“Second, anyone who speaks ill of me behind my back. I want you to weed out anyone who falls into either category and replace them with loyal and trustworthy servants.”

Olivier hesitated for a moment before replying.

“Since the selection of servants is traditionally managed by the head butler, I will do my best to obtain his approval after providing a detailed report.”

I gestured towards Olivier.

“You’re usually so cautious that you hesitate to give a definitive answer.”

“I apologize.”

“What will you do once you get the approval?”

“First, I will assess the character and actions of the servants and, if they are unsuitable, I will arrange for them to be reassigned to positions far from your immediate presence. Then, I will naturally proceed with a transfer of duties.”

That was a good plan.

I nodded.

“Very well. However, please avoid firing them as it would ruin their livelihoods.”

In my opinion, their crimes weren’t severe enough to ruin their lives. This was a suitable punishment and measure.

“I will keep that in mind.”

Olivier pondered for a moment before asking.

“If I may venture a guess, Your Highness intends to make this place solely your own territory.”

“Correct.”

In the underworld I came from, those who couldn’t protect their own territory were respected by no one. Giving up one’s territory meant giving up everything.

“Even a stray dog in the neighborhood would bare its teeth to protect its own territory.”

“Ahem.”

Olivier seemed to choke on that rather crude analogy.

“Of course, my teeth are quite sharp.”

“…I understand.”

Olivier was indeed an intelligent man. He had accurately grasped my intention to isolate myself from my other siblings by removing their loyal servants.

‘And yet he’s willing to follow my orders.’

That meant Olivier was essentially like my retainer. Of course, I would make him one.

‘How can one aspire to be the heir without being able to manage one’s own servants?’

I was a man who had mastered the art of leading and managing organizations. If I had been a fool who couldn’t even protect my own interests, I would have been discarded long ago.

‘Right now, I need my own power base.’

Instead of relying on my maternal family, I would need to seek revenge against them.

‘The fact that I have no external support, unlike my other siblings, is a weakness.’

Becoming the heir of Grunewald meant more than just relying on one’s own abilities and talents. The fourth son, without any external support, would face an uphill battle.

‘Therefore, I need to find another faction to support and sponsor me.’

That support could come from other noble houses or influential families.

But if I didn’t establish my own power base in the underworld, I would forever remain a puppet or a pawn in someone else’s game.

‘I need to be ready to eliminate anyone who gets in my way. Or they will eliminate me.’

However, that couldn’t be done while I was still in the public eye as a noble. That was why I needed to clean up my immediate surroundings first.

That was why I was using Olivier to purge the traitors from my place.

‘Speaking of which, that second young master.’

I thought about the sibling who was most openly hostile towards me.

‘He was so bold as to send that idiot to test me.’

It didn’t matter how powerful he was.

‘We’ll meet soon enough.’

———-