I Became the Sickly Young Master of the Duke’s Family

SYMDF 7

by sam

Chapter 7

“Camillus… Clodel.”

Ion repeated the boy’s name silently to himself.

No one had told him, yet instinct made it clear: this was the very “bastard” the Duke had spat about with disdain—this was Camillus.

At that moment, a system window appeared before him:

[You have encountered Camillus Valderas Clodel.]
[This encounter may affect the player’s survival.]

More details… I want to know.

As if responding to the thought, another window unfolded:

[Camillus Valderas Clodel
Age: 16
Occupation: Viscount, Archmage
Note: Illegitimate child of the Emperor. Known as the son of a witch.]

“…A witch?”

Ion frowned at the word. The son of an Emperor and a witch—it was a bizarre history. Stranger still was that at merely sixteen years old, the boy already bore the title of Archmage.

And this strange boy, upon seeing Ion, suddenly twisted his expression—then spoke.

“Ion…”

“…Eh?”

And then—burst into tears.

Ion’s eyes widened as the tears streamed down Camillus’s cheeks. His mind froze.

Why is he crying, all of a sudden?

Even as Ion’s green eyes brimmed with confusion, another status window appeared behind Camillus.

[Status Effect: Favor]
[Camillus Valderas Clodel feels extreme favor toward the player.]

Not mere favor—extreme favor.

It seemed absurd as system phrasing, yet Ion could not deny the truth of those tears at first sight. They could only have come from such a powerful emotion. Camillus’s face, once cold toward others, now softened with warmth only for Ion.

His watery blue eyes, instead of chilling, looked strangely gentle.

Unsure of what to do, Ion awkwardly extended the mana stone.

“Th-this… I heard… you entrusted this to me.”

He had barely spoken more than a handful of words when he was already breathless, covering his mouth with a handkerchief. Camillus’s hand twitched, though Ion did not notice.

“They said… it contained your mana, precious as it is… Cough, forgive me… I keep coughing…”

His voice broke, faltered. Looking distressed, Camillus strode closer, catching Ion’s hand. Immediately, the mana stone slipped from his weakening grasp.

Thud!

A dull sound—and then a warning echo in his head:

[Status Effect ‘Overflowing Mana’ has been removed.]

Instantly vertigo overtook him. Ion squeezed his eyes shut, gasping. Camillus’s voice trembled in agitation.

“You needn’t—force yourself to speak!”

He even stumbled with formality, hastily tacking honorifics.

Ion, sluggish-headed, belatedly realized—he had made a mistake. He should have guessed from the beginning: from Camillus’s casual use of his name, the two must have spoken informally before.

To suddenly shift tones now would seem unnatural. Ion lowered his head, stalling, and whispered haltingly:

“…Forgive… me…”

Out the corner of his vision, he glanced at the Duke. His father pressed his lips thin, displeased that Ion had spoken first.

Ion feigned weakness, staggering. Right on cue, the Duke pulled him from Camillus’s reach, holding him firmly.

The grasp of Camillus’s hand fell away. Camillus looked up in sudden alarm.

“Duke…”

“That faulty mana stone you gave my son only worsened his illness. How will you answer for this?”

Fraud, Ion hissed inwardly, gripping his handkerchief. He saw clearly my health improved. Yet deliberately, the Duke twisted his words to provoke Camillus.

Camillus lowered his eyes, gaze falling to the fallen mana stone, and picked it up gently.

“…It didn’t help him?”

Anguish rippled in his voice.

“As you see,” the Duke answered coldly.

Camillus lifted his head again. His watery eyes turned back on Ion, filled now with sorrow—and more.

Guilt, fear, anxiety piled in their depths. Not just apology, but burdens unknown.

Ion found himself unable to look away.

Why do you…?

A new text dropped before his eyes.

[The tutorial system activates.]

What? Again?

The tutorial had already ended, hadn’t it? Multiple stages, then? Perhaps so.

Rapid text scrolled before him:

[The open-world game “Eternal Empire” guarantees freedom of action for players.]
[However, all actions and inactions may affect the player’s survival.]

Ion’s spine prickled. Actions affecting survival made sense—but inaction too?

That means if I do nothing… I die.

He coughed raggedly, clutching his chest.

“Ion!” Camillus’s alarmed voice reached him, but the text continued unfazed:

[At branching points such as item acquisition, character encounters, and exploration, appropriate action—or inaction—will alter survival odds.]

A new choice spread before his vision:

[You have encountered Camillus Valderas Clodel. What will you do?

Take his hand, ask for mana infusion, and suggest moving elsewhere.
Ask him to return the mana stone.
Do nothing.]
[This choice may affect the player’s survival.]

The first option was glowing, promising the highest chance of survival.

No trap—Ion was certain. Camillus harbored extreme favor, after all.

Without hesitation, Ion slipped free of his father’s grip and stretched toward Camillus, staggering.

Camillus’s eyes widened, startled, but he did not reject him. He accepted the hand willingly, whispering again:

“Ion…?”

Ion stepped forward, faltering, yet into Camillus’s support he fell. For some reason, safety flooded through him at the touch.

Breathless, Ion murmured:

“…I need your mana.”

At once, warmth surged through the clasped hands—far more potent and abundant than any mana stone.

[Status Effect: Overflowing Mana]

Camillus frowned, but softly swore:

“As much as you wish. As much as you need.”

“In a quieter place… please?”

The Duke snapped ahead of them, outraged.

“Ion, what nonsense is this—!”

But before the words finished, Camillus raised his eyes boldly, meeting the Duke’s glare. Drawing Ion closer into his arms, he declared, calm and firm:

“I will take him.”

Not a request for leave, but a declaration.

Even as Ion clung tightly to his hand, power welled beneath them—a spell circle unfurling not by gesture but by sheer word.

Blue brilliance gathered, Camillus’s eye color incarnate, until light so fierce forced Ion to close his eyes. Still, through it all, he held on tightly, unwilling to let Camillus’s hand slip.

Footnotes:

Archmage (대마법사): Exceptional magical title, uncommon at such a young age—marks Camillus as almost freakishly prodigious.
Status “Extreme Favor”: A heightened game-system emotion flag; indicates Camillus’s attachment to Ion is beyond ordinary favor or goodwill.

Inaction as death: Key mechanic, where not acting in critical situations has lethal consequences within the “Eternal Empire” system.