Episode 16
A few hours after Hans had fallen into a trance.
"Eureka!"
He cried out, flinging the countless papers he had used for verification into the air.
Scholars who heard his shout flooded out onto the training grounds.
"What is it?"
"What have you discovered?"
Among scholars, the meaning of the word "Eureka" was clear.
It was what a scholar cried out when they finally solved something they had been researching for a long time.
And what had they been researching for a long time?
"Don't tell me you found it?"
One scholar asked cautiously.
"That's right! I finally found it!"
Hans shouted, tears streaming freely down his face.
The single key that his father and he had been unable to solve even after devoting their entire lives to it.
He had finally solved it.
"Is it true?"
"Then we can complete the annotated manual for the Baekunbo?"
"Not just Baekunbo! With this, we can solve the Pungwol Greatsword, the Cheonseol Sword, and even the Seolhwa Twin Swords!"
"Waaaaah!"
The scholars roared in cheers.
It was perfect timing, coming right after they had heard that their research funding would be cut.
"Let's go report to the Patriarch right away."
"Wait, before that, I must pay my respects to the young masters first."
"The young masters?"
"The young masters helped me discover this."
"Come on, no way."
"It's true. Young Master Theo was helping with the demonstration when this was discovered, I tell you."
They might have believed it if it were Luke, but when the name Theo came up, the scholars found it even harder to believe.
However, looking at Hans's expression, it did not seem to be a lie.
"Where are the young masters?"
"If you are looking for the young masters, they should be in the lounge right now."
"I'll just go pay my respects and come back, so wait here. We must prepare the report documents immediately."
Hans hurriedly went to the lounge.
It was a place so bare, with only a few chairs sitting about, that calling it a lounge was almost embarrassing.
Theo and Luke sat there, drinking tea.
"Did you finish your work? You seemed so focused that we snuck out on our own."
Luke noticed him first.
"I am sorry. I got so caught up in other matters..."
"I thought so. So, did you find what you were researching?"
Before Hans could even answer, he bowed deeply.
"It is all thanks to the young masters. Especially Young Master Theo, I sincerely thank you."
Perhaps because it was the first time he had ever received thanks, Theo seemed flustered.
"...Huh? Me?"
"Yes! Thanks to your demonstration, I was able to find the key I had been searching for all my life."
"Ah, no. I didn't do it on purpose; it was just a coincidence..."
"It was precisely because you helped with the demonstration that such a coincidence could occur."
"If that's the case, you should be more grateful to Luke, who told me to do the demonstration."
Still unaccustomed to receiving praise, Theo quickly deflected toward Luke.
"I am also grateful to Young Master Luke."
"Is there any need to thank me? By the way, Hans, don't you need to organize the data quickly? You have to report to Father right away."
"Indeed."
"Then you should go quickly. You can give your thanks afterward."
"Yes, thank you so very much!"
After bowing once more, Hans left the lounge.
"Luke."
Theo, left in the lounge, spoke to Luke.
"Why?"
"Did we really help?"
"You saw him. He came to say thank you."
"I know, but..."
Theo stared blankly at Hans's retreating figure.
He found it difficult to put his current feelings into words.
"This kind of thing isn't so bad, right?"
"Yeah... it's not bad."
Theo's expression remained blank.
However, Luke clearly saw the hidden satisfaction behind that expression.
'Things are progressing steadily on this front as well.'
Passing down the secret manuals to his descendants, and reforming Theo.
The plan Luke had established was proceeding smoothly.
* * *
As soon as the report documents were prepared, Hans rushed straight to the main mansion.
There, he reported this achievement before Julian and the senior knights.
"D-Does this mean the annotated manual can truly be completed?"
Having heard the report, Julian was happier than anyone.
"Yes. We have interpreted the Baekunbo for now, and with a bit more research, we can interpret the others as well."
"The most welcome news I have heard in nearly ten years! Hans, you have truly worked hard."
"Not at all. It is all thanks to you, Patriarch, for believing in us despite our complete lack of results until now."
Julian avoided Hans's gaze.
Had he not personally approved the cutting of the research budget just a short while ago?
Even so, Hans had brought such tremendous results, leaving Julian both grateful and apologetic.
"But how did you happen to find the key? Something that you and your father searched for without even a trace?"
"It is thanks to the young masters."
"Theo and Luke?"
"Yes. While helping with the demonstration, Young Master Theo happened to circulate his mana incorrectly, and I received inspiration from it."
"To think that boy Theo did such a thing—I can scarcely believe it."
Only when he had received reports that Theo had been visiting the research laboratory often lately had his worry been beyond measure.
Yet to think that Theo had instead accomplished something so tremendous.
No matter how coincidental, Julian couldn't help but feel proud.
"To be honest, I had been worried that Theo would cause a commotion in the laboratory."
"I had no such worries thanks to Young Master Luke."
At the mention of Luke's name, Julian's eyes gleamed.
"In your opinion, how was he? Did Luke keep Theo under control?"
"He managed very well. It was also thanks to Young Master Luke that Young Master Theo performed the demonstration."
"Hmm, thanks to Luke, you say...?"
Clearly, it was Theo who had found the key.
Yet why did he feel strangely more drawn toward Luke?
From the start, it had been odd that Theo, who had such a troubled history with the research laboratory, had stopped by.
As it turned out, it was Luke who had taken Theo there.
And by coincidence, the key to the secret manual had been found there.
'Good heavens, could all of this have been planned by Luke?'
His thoughts reaching that far, Julian let out a chuckle without realizing it.
'To think I'm having such absurd thoughts—I must be getting old.'
No matter how one looked at it, there was no way Luke could have known the key to the secret manual that had gone unsolved for decades.
It seemed his own expectations for Luke had led him to such wild fancies.
'In any case, keeping Luke attached to Theo continues to yield results beyond expectations.'
Originally, he had merely hoped that Luke would provoke Theo into action.
Having accomplished that alone was beyond expectations, but now they had even solved the key to the secret manual, albeit by coincidence.
What more could one ask for?
It seemed best to keep the two together even more.
"In any case, can you show me the data you interpreted?"
"It is here."
Along with the senior knights, he reviewed the documents.
The more they read, the more ecstasy surfaced on their faces.
They were the ones who understood this secret manual best within House Schnelden.
Therefore, they could tell at a glance.
That this interpretation could clearly resolve the parts where they had been stuck.
"So this is the true Baekunbo."
One knight let out a sigh of admiration.
"I believe so as well."
"Indeed, I never knew that the passages of the Baekunbo contained so many meanings."
Those words carried shame.
The Baekunbo.
It was the most fundamental secret manual of House Schnelden.
Even without an annotated manual, they had thought there was no great difficulty in comprehending its mysteries on their own.
At least, that was what they had believed until now.
Yet as they looked at the data Hans had brought, that belief became infinitely shameful.
There existed far deeper stages within the Baekunbo.
And it was likely the same for the other secret manuals as well.
If they could learn this secret manual properly, it would be of great help not only to their juniors but also to the senior knights present.
"What do you think?"
Hans asked cautiously.
Depending on that evaluation, the future of the research laboratory would be decided.
After a brief silence, Julian slowly opened his mouth.
"Hans, as you know, the house's financial situation is not good right now. Nor are we in a position to receive funds from other houses."
The interest alone from the money they had borrowed here and there was already strangling House Schnelden's neck.
If they borrowed more, they would collapse under the weight of the interest.
They couldn't destroy the house immediately just to research secret manuals.
"Thank you for showing us hope even in such a situation."
Julian bowed his head toward Hans.
It was a gesture rarely seen from a patriarch.
Hans's eyes trembled.
"Patriarch, what do you mean by...?"
"I will find the money by any means necessary. Even if I must reduce the house's operating expenses."
Julian smiled gently.
"You and the secret manual research laboratory need not worry and should complete the annotated manual. Begin with the Baekunbo. Then the next secret manuals as well."
"...."
"Will you do that for me?"
"Yes!"
This time, Hans bowed his head deeply.
And so, House Schnelden's secret manual research laboratory was able to continue.
The spring of House Schnelden was drawing ever closer.
* * *
House Schnelden tightened its belt.
Just looking at the meal now placed on Luke's table, it had clearly changed.
The quality of the food had decreased, and even the portions were smaller.
'Tch, no matter what, I'm a direct descendant of House Schnelden, yet I have to eat this.'
Still, because he knew where this money was flowing, he held no complaints.
It would become the research funding for the secret manual laboratory.
Only a small number of people within the house, including Luke, knew this fact.
It was due to the Patriarch's special orders to proceed with the utmost secrecy.
If it became known that they were accelerating research on the annotated manual, it was as clear as day that other houses, including Cornelio, would interfere.
It was a measure the Patriarch had taken with that in mind.
'Anyway, I succeeded in passing down the secret manual.'
It was fortunate that the laboratory had a capable man like Hans.
Had it not been for the prior research he and the scholars had done, it would have been difficult to pass down the secret manual this quickly.
'From now on, I just need to stop by the laboratory occasionally and naturally set the direction.'
They were bright children; if he gave them a few hints disguised as questions, they would find the way soon enough.
'With this, it seems the secret manual problem is showing some light.'
However, it was still too early to herald the revival of House Schnelden.
Because this damned house still had many problems.
For example, the financial situation evident just by looking at his own table.
There was a limit to how much they could tighten their belts to cover research expenses.
Once the research on the fundamental secret manual was finished and they moved on to the next, far more research funding would be needed.
Before that time came, they had to secure a reliable source of funds.
'There is a place where money could come from.'
Luke recalled a location in his mind.
If nothing had happened, quite a lot of treasure should be buried there.
The problem was that he still lacked the strength to go there.
To ascend Mount Schnelden, he needed to become stronger than he was now.
'Don't be impatient.'
Even Theo, who always had to be watched carefully because he could fly off in any direction, had now more or less found his path.
Perhaps this incident had served as a further turning point.
Thanks to that, Luke now had much more time he could devote to his own training.
At this rate, ascending Mount Schnelden would soon be possible as well.
'Now that I've brought it up, I should go train.'
After finishing his meal, Luke headed straight for the White Silver Hall.
His steps looked far lighter than they had a few days before.