Reincarnated as the third son of the Duke

Chapter 31 31 The Weight of Legacy

"How foolish of me," Aizen murmured. "To have wasted my youth, only to grow desperate in my old age. The young will always rise, with or without my guidance."

His voice was light, almost teasing, but William could hear the deep sorrow in it.

Even if Aizen tried to dismiss it with a laugh, he had clearly placed his last hopes on William.

And now, those hopes had been turned down.

William hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"I have one question, Sir Aizen."

"Hm?"

"If there were another worthy successor—someone with the potential to truly inherit your legacy—what would you do?"

"...?"

Aizen blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the question.

William's suggestion was simple.

William's proposal was simple: within the next two years, he would find and bring back a disciple even more gifted than himself.

"It will take time, but I will find someone whose talent more than makes up for those lost years. A disciple worthy of carrying the name of Sword Saint Aizen for centuries to come."

"Just hearing those words is enough."

"I mean it. I will find them."

"If that is the case, then I shall wait. But I fear I may have caused Your Highness too much worry with my selfishness."

Aizen let out a hearty laugh, brushing off the conversation lightly.

As if such a prodigy could exist.

William alone was already a once-in-several-centuries talent, and now he was promising to find someone even greater?

Aizen could only take it as a well-meaning gesture, meant to comfort an old man's regrets.

But unlike Aizen, William was completely serious.

"Felix the Sword Demon... He should be somewhere near Kelheim."

Felix.

A young man the same age as William, whom he had briefly encountered during his time as a mercenary in his past life.

Slender, with delicate features—so much so that he was often mocked for his beauty.

But those who laughed at him never did so for long.

For on the battlefield, Felix was an absolute monster.

"Even renowned knights could barely last a few exchanges against him."

What made it even more terrifying was that Felix had learned no special sword techniques.

"Who said I was afraid of that idiot?" Joshua snapped. "The problem is that my own supporters might start wavering!"

"M-My apologies!"

His attendant flinched under the scolding.

Joshua forced himself to take a deep breath, regaining his composure.

"It wouldn't be a problem if William had continued making a fool of himself. But that damn incident with Jordy ruined everything."

Joshua had dismissed William's outburst against Jordy as nothing more than a fit of blind rage.

But others saw it differently—as a calculated, deliberate move.

The worst part was that those who had initially disregarded William were now reconsidering their stance.

Some might even switch allegiances.

That was unacceptable.

"I need to strip away his false reputation before it solidifies."

If people realized William was nothing special, they would stop entertaining ridiculous notions of hidden potential.

And all this nonsense about him having "hidden his fangs" would disappear.

But the problem was how to do it.

Now that William was an official candidate, Joshua couldn't attack him directly—harming another contender was strictly forbidden.

That meant he would have to find another way.

"Wait... What is William doing right now?" Joshua asked.

"He's currently at the training grounds, learning the Lionheart Sword from Sir Aizen," his servant answered. "Just as you once did, my lord."

A thought flashed through Joshua's mind.

His lips curled into a smirk.

"Perfect," he muttered.

Then, standing up, he barked out an order.

"Prepare two swords for me."

"Excuse me?"

"Two sharp swords. Real weapons, not training blades."

The servant paled.

"Y-You mean to challenge him with live steel?"

Joshua chuckled, his gaze fixed toward the direction of the training grounds.

"It would only be fair for a younger brother to help his dear elder sibling's training, wouldn't it?"