Chapter 18

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Chapter 18: The Tree of Life

Hearing this declaration, the Iron-Blooded Duke’s sharp, chiseled face twisted into a cold smirk. “I thought you were intelligent. How disappointing.”

“Maybe. But this is my answer,” Midi replied steadily, refusing to back down under the crushing pressure radiating from the duke.

The duke said nothing more—or perhaps no longer cared to speak. He returned to his desk and resumed writing. Simultaneously, the study door swung open, revealing two knights standing ready to escort Midi out.

The Iron-Blooded Duke clearly had no patience for formalities.

Midi bowed politely in accordance with noble manners, then turned and left without hesitation.

“You’ll be undergoing transmutation soon, correct?” the duke abruptly added, his tone devoid of gratitude, more a command than an offer. “I’ll supply superior materials to the academy’s as payment for aiding Fina.”

Midi yearned to reject the offer again, to tell this arrogant tyrant not to insult his feelings for Fina with such shallow transactions. But he swallowed the words. While his first refusal had been self-serving, a second would openly defy the duke’s authority—a risk the weakened Asreks family couldn’t afford.

Despite his reincarnation-honed restraint, Midi’s expression darkened as he exited.

“Are you alright? Did Grandfather trouble you?” Fina, who’d been waiting outside, rushed to his side the moment he emerged.

The genuine concern in the red-haired girl’s gaze lifted his spirits. With a wry smile, he summarized the lopsided confrontation.

When he mentioned rejecting the duke’s territorial demand, Fina—a Hamilton family member herself—smiled in approval.

“Good. With Grandfather, weakness invites exploitation. The Sais family’s invasion is the real issue.”

“True,” Midi sighed.

“But I’ll stand with you,” Fina declared. “Personal strength means little in noble wars, but my presence will signal an alliance between our families.”

“Won’t that cause problems?” Midi frowned.

Even a prodigy like Fina answered to the Iron-Blooded Duke. Openly supporting another family risked appearing rebellious.

“The family will object, but I won’t abandon a comrade in need,” she said, her usual confidence undimmed. “Besides, how could I watch you face this alone?”

Midi nodded, though inwardly he thought: *I don’t want to be your comrade. I want to hold you as my lover.* But their bond, forged in battle, hadn’t yet crossed into romance.

“Let’s go,” Fina said briskly. “It’s time to prepare for your transmutation.”

Midi agreed.

His choices were altering history’s course, the effects of his reincarnation already manifesting. Yet one truth remained unchanged: power was everything.

Only through strength could he right wrongs, prevent disasters, and protect what mattered. Even as war loomed, he trusted his family would mobilize thoroughly against the Senator’s faction. His immediate task was clear—achieve a perfect transmutation using the Nibelungen Dragon Sealing Array.

Transmutation’s principles were simple: flood the body with magic via specialized materials to awaken latent potential, enhancing physical traits and honing profession-specific abilities.

Commonplace in the Belmar Duchy, where adventurers transmuted daily. What mattered were material quality and magic potency.

Rare materials granted unique boons—dragon eyes might bestow true sight, while serpent eyes offered nothing. Magic required both density and volume, maximized to the body’s limits. Demon Swordmen and Summoners faced greater demands, their demon gods and void contracts hungering for additional magic.

In his past life, Midi underwent an ordinary transmutation during exile. The materials were mediocre, with only Mist Sorceress Alice providing a few rare items, and the magic power was drawn through basic magic arrays from ambient air, failing to reach maximum potential.

Back then, Midi’s sole focus was survival – boosting strength quickly to keep fighting. Perfection remained an unaffordable luxury.

Fina fared slightly better. When she transmuted, the Hamilton family still stood strong, granting access to their advanced family magic array with ample magic power and uncommon materials. This foundation later supported the devastating power of Queen of Magic Fina.

Yet neither achieved perfect transmutation.

This lifetime differed completely. Beyond rare materials from the Hamilton family’s golden age, even the magic array itself held significance.

After clearing the academy trial, they could now use the duchy’s magic array.

Hertonmar, capital of Belmar Duchy, occupied the dragon vein’s heart. Beneath it lay the Nibelungen Dragon Sealing Array at the city’s core.

Magic power flowed through the duchy’s magic veins, with purest energies accumulating through layered filtration to settle in this array.

Hence its name – Nibelungen Dragon Sealing Array.

The magic released here represented the duchy’s most refined essence.

Despite yearly accumulation, quantities remained scarce – barely enough for few transmutations. Beyond academy trials, remaining slots rewarded meritorious officials.

Powerful factions fiercely contested this resource.

Now Midi finally obtained it.

Having perfectly fused with his demon god and developing "God-Demon Shock" pre-transmutation, what might rare materials and supreme magic achieve?

Midi eagerly anticipated the outcome.

He also wondered how perfect transmutation would elevate Fina.

Last life, his actions caused Fina’s trial injury, denying her this array. Now she’d claimed her rightful trial victory. Watching her crimson hair flutter, Midi felt pangs of regret yet warm reassurance.

Noticing his gaze, Fina turned. "What?"

"Your profession choice?" Midi asked casually.

"Elementalist." The expected answer mirrored her past life.

Elementalists commanded four primal forces, wielding extreme enhancements, special effects, and super-magic techniques. Combined with elemental magic and blinding casting speed, they became battlefield artillery. Fina surpassed artillery – a full firepower fortress.

This earned her "Queen of Magic" title across Arad.

"Your choice?" she countered.

"Sword Soul."

Last life’s Ghost Cry profession stemmed from scarce material requirements and his unique demon god.

Ghost Cries employed tamed demon gods to cast dark magic arrays, boosting allies while crippling enemies. But Midi now understood his demon god had willingly cooperated without restraints.

This revelation made Ghost Cry’s control-enhancing focus redundant. Midi saw his demon god as companion, not constrained parasite.

Thus Sword Soul called him – pursuing martial extremes through blade mastery without demonic aid, demanding supreme personal skill.

This path offered self-challenge and mutual growth with his demonic partner.

Though uncertain, past experience suggested Sword Soul would deepen their bond while retaining Ghost Cry traits through the demon god’s uniqueness. Potentially, he might wield both professions’ strengths.

This remained conjecture. Demon Swordmen’s history being brief, no dual-domain practitioners existed last life. Still, Midi trusted his reasoning.

His new path acknowledged crucial differences from geniuses like Fina or future ally Mist Sorceress Alice. Lacking innate talent or resources, his edge lay in rebirth memories and limited foresight.

Following old paths brought limited gains, even perfected. To become Hawk Brigade’s Iron Triangle protector, drastic change was essential.

Facing Iron-Blooded Count drove this home.

Even at his previous peak, Midi couldn’t rival Iron-Blooded Duke. If that mighty lord failed to protect Fina, what hope had he?

Only through relentless transformation.

Emerald radiance suddenly filled Midi’s vision – the Nibelungen Dragon Sealing Array’s location, Branch of Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life.