Not long after waking up, Killain intended to resume his duties as head of the household.
However, he couldn’t comprehend the current situation.
‘I have nothing to do…’
Though he didn’t consider himself an exceptional person, he thought the impact of the household head’s collapse would be far from trivial.
Volkanov held dominion over many subjects and was responsible for defending against enemies across a mountain range.
It was unlikely to fall, of course, but he expected considerable turmoil to have ensued.
Upon receiving a report of what had transpired in the family during his incapacitation, he could not conceal his shock.
“An unprecedented boom…”
Volkanov, once dubbed a barren, frozen land that no one could revive, had become a land of milk and honey brimming with opportunity.
The faces of his subjects, once filled with worry, were now bright and lively.
‘What is this…’
Despite his frequent absences due to expeditions, he had always held onto the desire to restore Volkanov.
He hadn’t done anything himself, yet he couldn’t help but feel joy at the revival of the family.
Thus, Killain began investigating who had achieved such a remarkable feat.
And that was when he learned:
“Ian… took my place.”
Despite the report before him, filled with accomplishments as household head, Killain found himself lost in thought.
Killain couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the fact that his son was the one responsible for this resurgence.
‘Even if the family were on the verge of ruin, I could say nothing… but to think he would go to such lengths for Volkanov…’
It was hard to believe, but Killain had always felt a sense of guilt toward Ian.
Not only had he not spent much time with him due to frequent expeditions, but he also hadn’t provided the affection expected of a father.
While duty-bound to leave as a servant to the imperial command, he always carried photos of his children with him on the battlefield.
Whenever he felt on the verge of collapse, he would touch those photos to steady his heart once more.
They were precious. Even if he had to exchange his life, he could choose his children without hesitation.
‘When this is over, I promised to spend the time I missed with my children.’
But, for reasons unknown, whenever he returned to the estate, Ian seemed to blur in his mind.
At first, he thought it was due to exhaustion, but he realized after seeing Ian that it was not mere fatigue.
‘For some reason, just looking at him twisted my insides. It felt like rage was boiling up.’
Once, upon hearing Leticia complain about how difficult Ian was, he had even struck her.
Of course, he later recognized that the fault lay with Leticia’s neglect rather than Ian and had gone to apologize to her at night.
But upon seeing Ian asleep, his emotions twisted once again.
His desire to apologize vanished, along with any trace of fatherly love, replaced by a surge of resentment toward his son.
That was why he had stood in the darkened hallway, staring blankly at his son’s closed door.
“Was it right to go in… I thought, as a father, I should at least apologize for what I had done.”
But in the end, Killain couldn’t bring himself to turn the doorknob.
Seeing his sleeping son’s face might have stirred uncontrollable emotions.
This was also why he ultimately chose to distance himself.
The mere sight of his son disrupted his composure, making him feel as though he might lose control; this way, his son wouldn’t be at risk.
Until he could identify the root of these turbulent emotions, keeping his distance was necessary, even for Ian’s safety.
‘Though it’s difficult now… if I can somehow figure this out…’
If he could control these accursed emotions, he would be able to show Ian the love he hadn’t given him as a child.
He knew that neglect wasn’t an ideal solution.
He was fully aware that it was an unforgivable act toward a child needing adult guidance.
But in this situation, where he couldn’t even control his own body or emotions, it was inevitable.
The only thing Killain could do at that moment was to search tirelessly for an answer to this dilemma.
Though it would be difficult to find an answer to something he had never encountered, he was a Volkanov, a count of a prestigious family among the Empire’s most renowned houses.
Surely, there would be someone around who could provide help.
With this thought, Killain distanced himself from Ian and sought help from others around him.
“… Apologies, but as for the curse you mentioned, this is also the first time we’ve encountered it, so we don’t have an immediate solution.”
“What do you mean by that! If even Miler, who surpasses everyone in curses, doesn’t know, then who on this continent could possibly know?”
“I’m truly sorry. I’ve searched through countless documents, but there’s no curse that shows symptoms similar to what you described. Moreover, there is no curse cast on you, Lord Killain.”
“Hah… What am I supposed to do now…?”
Only after seeing the shaman from Miler bowing repeatedly did Killain realize.
‘So all I can do is stand by, knowing I’m being cursed…’
This wasn’t something that could be resolved quickly.
All he could do as a father was keep his distance from his son and watch helplessly.
But he couldn’t give up. Killain couldn’t accept this humiliating truth and desperately searched for a solution.
He sought out not only the experts from Miler but also others known for their knowledge of curses and sealing magic, and even visited high priests in Edenria.
But no one knew of any curse like the one Killain described.
‘Is it really that the gods themselves are toying with our family…?’
He had tried every method, but nothing changed.
This struggle began to eat away at his peace of mind and eventually disrupted the atmosphere in his home.
One day, he was gripped by intrusive thoughts and took up his sword early in the morning, heading to the training grounds to dispel his anxiety by swinging his blade.
After completing a move, he paused to rest, glancing absentmindedly around the estate.
He recalled the estate’s entrance, where he had walked with a smile after his wedding to Leticia, the room where he had held the succession ceremony to become head of the family, and finally, the children’s rooms.
‘Sometimes, on nice days, I would see their faces peeking out of the windows, watching the sky.’
Though they were likely asleep now, he found his gaze drawn to his children’s rooms.
‘After looking at Ariel’s doll-filled room, I shifted my gaze.’
But when his eyes fell on Ian’s room, Killain was startled.
‘Ian was looking down at the training grounds…’
Thinking he had seen wrong, he released mana to sense his surroundings, only to spot his son, hiding beneath the window, with a long branch cast aside on the floor.
Killain hung his head.
Ian had likely been watching his sword practice, wanting to emulate him.
‘How can the heavens be so heartless…?’
He resented the fact that he had to use mana just to know what his son was doing instead of simply going to him.
As the Empire’s foremost swordsman, the thought that he couldn’t even teach his own son swordsmanship made him grip his blade tighter.
‘All I’m good for is wielding a sword… and yet I can’t even do that for him.’
It was a moment of despair in realizing that, as a father, he had nothing to offer his son.
‘If I’m struggling like this… perhaps Leticia…’
As he started to think that this curse might not be affecting only him.
After all, hadn’t Leticia consistently neglected Ian?
Unlike with Ariel, whom she showered with affection, she confined Ian to a storage room, saying it was for the best. Killain had raised his voice at her more than once over this.
‘Unlike me, who must soon leave for another expedition… Leticia mostly stays at the estate…’
If she were left alone to deal with this unbearable curse, she might crumble under the weight of it.
Of course, the one who would suffer from this was Ian.
‘If I ignore this situation, it’ll only worsen.’
In the end, Killain faced a crossroads.
Would he watch his family fall apart, or send Ian far away?
Both options were painful, but Killain ultimately chose the latter.
‘I know it’s insane to send away a son whose blood has barely dried…’
But what choice did he have? Leaving Ian in the estate under these conditions would be worse….
In the end, Killain made his choice.
The next day, Ian had to pack his things and leave for Blue Moon Pavilion in Ashlan.
From then on, Killain would receive occasional updates on Ian’s well-being before departing on an expedition. Shortly after his return, he was struck by an inexplicable curse that left him bedridden.
He had reportedly been close to death multiple times, and it was said that the family truly faced a crisis.
‘They say it was a miracle that I even woke up…’
He still vividly remembered the priest’s face as he held his hand tightly, but Killain wished he had truly died.
He had no right to live as a father. On top of that, he had left the heavy responsibility of acting as head of the family to his poorly treated son.
He felt utterly unworthy as a father.
“I heard from Viscount Shulkin that you managed the family well in my absence. I’m truly grateful.”
“It was simply my duty, so please don’t worry too much.”
“I heard so much the moment I woke up, from how you saved our territory to defeating six demon lords already.”
Ian had even reached the rank of Master in his twenties.
Compared to Killain, who had neglected the family while preoccupied with defending against enemies, his son had made Volkanov a far better place.
In other words, Ian was now more suited to the head position than Killain himself.
He had barely shown his son any love, and now, here he was, a full-grown adult.
“I apologize for everything. I won’t try to say it was the best I could do back then or that I had no choice. Empty words like that can’t heal the scars you must carry.”
If he were to understand Ian, then a mere apology would not be enough to end this.
As head of the household and as a father, he needed to take responsibility for his mistakes.
“Soon, I intend to step down from my role as head of the family. Would you… take my place?”
“Do you mean as head of the family?”
Ian’s eyes widened in response to Killain’s tentative offer.
***
He had merely sought permission to access the reports.
Upon the sudden promise of becoming the head of the family, Ian’s expression turned to one of bewilderment.
‘I couldn’t exactly refuse, so I just accepted….’
Even after agreeing, he couldn’t help but wonder if this was truly the right choice.
Head of the family… it sounded appealing.
Becoming the true master of Volkanov. If it were any less significant a family, he might have aimed for a loftier position by hunting demons instead.
As head of Volkanov, he’d have nothing to regret.
‘And it’d be a waste to see everything I’ve built go to someone else, wouldn’t it?’
He had used viral marketing to make potatoes a luxury item and revitalized the territory through tournaments.
It hadn’t been entirely fair, but it was a hard-earned position, and he didn’t want to let go of it.
‘Besides, with Eri and Bedon supporting me, taking control of Volkanov can only be beneficial.’
He couldn’t exactly back out now, and it was a solid offer, so Ian decided to accept it gracefully.
‘Now, all that’s left is to head to the family archive and find a suitable item for Ariel.’
The archive held Volkanov’s history, filled with artifacts and trophies used by past heads or those who had dedicated their lives to the family.
It was a place he’d only ever been able to look at from a distance since only the head of the family or those with explicit permission could enter, even for direct descendants.
But now, things were different.
Who would stop him? He had been acknowledged by his father and named the heir.
Ian smirked as he followed Shulkin, who was guiding him to the archive.
‘Now that I think about it… things are strangely quiet. Mother hasn’t come to see me.’
Since his father had awoken from his collapse, he expected his mother would be at his side, so he hadn’t thought much of coming unannounced.
But now, he wondered where she was.
“Did something happen…?”
He muttered quietly to himself.
“May I ask what you are referring to?”
Shulkin, ever attentive, picked up on Ian’s murmur.
As head butler, part of his duty was to address the concerns of the family head.
Curious if it might be something serious, Shulkin asked cautiously.
“If there’s anything worrying you, please don’t hesitate to share it. I’ll do everything within my power to assist.”
“It’s nothing major. I just haven’t seen my mother around, so I was wondering if something was wrong.”
“Ah… you mean the lady.”
“Is something wrong? I thought she’d be here by now after hearing the news….”
The strange quietness puzzled Ian, so he looked to Shulkin for an answer.
After a moment of hesitation, as if weighing his words, Shulkin finally spoke.
“I apologize for not telling you sooner. I wasn’t sure where to begin.”
“Did something happen while I was away?”
“…Please try to stay calm as I explain. The lady collapsed a few days ago and is currently unconscious.”
“What?”
Ian’s shoulders trembled at the news of Leticia Volkanov’s unconscious state.
