Reincarnated as the third son of the Duke

There was a stark difference between a genius mastering something in an instant and a seasoned warrior executing a technique with refined precision.

Ordinary knights might not notice, but a true swordmaster would sense something was amiss.

Ironically, William's old habit had, in this case, worked to his advantage.

"It's time to move to the next stage. This time, we'll engage in paired training—"

Aizen abruptly halted mid-sentence, turning his gaze toward the entrance of the training grounds.

Even before the figure appeared, his expression hardened.

"Fourth Young Master, what brings you here?"

"As expected, Master Aizen. You recognized me even before I arrived."

A youthful voice echoed from beyond the entrance.

The speaker had not been concealing his presence; his footsteps had been steadily approaching all along.

A moment later, a young boy—similar in age to William—entered, accompanied by a single attendant.

"Joshua greets Master Aizen. And it has been some time, Brother."

There was only one person who would address William by name with such familiarity.

Joshua Hern, the fourth son of the Grand Duke.

Though they were brothers, they shared different mothers, and their age difference was a mere six months—practically making them the same age.

Before William could react to the unexpected arrival, Aizen spoke up first.

"Yes, it is good to see you. However, the Third Young Master is in the middle of his training. If you have business with me, you may seek me out later."

"I did not come for you, Master. I came to see my brother."

Joshua's tone was polite, but his words carried an unmistakable weight.

"As his younger brother, I wish to assist in his training. Would you grant me the opportunity?"

"Assist in his training?"

"When learning to control mana, one must engage in sparring to test its application. The objective is to maintain a consistent flow of mana even while executing techniques. If possible, I would like to be his sparring partner."

Aizen let out a quiet scoff.

What nonsense.

Joshua was not yet in a position to instruct anyone, much less interfere in someone else's lesson.

Yet here he was, abruptly inserting himself into the training session.

As Aizen prepared to refuse, Joshua suddenly lowered his head in a show of humility.

"If my request offends you, I apologize. However, I have little opportunity to speak with my brother due to my own obligations. This might be my only chance to converse with him, even if only through training."

The meaning behind his words was clear.

The offer to "help with training" was nothing more than a pretense.

His true intent was to use this as an opportunity to engage with William under the guise of brotherly camaraderie.

But such reasoning was laughable.

Why choose this moment, during training, to bond?

And why insist on an exchange that involved crossing swords?

It was transparent—painfully so.

Yet, Aizen found himself hesitating.

"This... is a political maneuver."

Though Aizen had spent his life dedicated to the sword, he was not oblivious to schemes and manipulations.

He had never crafted such plots himself, but he had been caught in them more times than he could count.

And Joshua's plan was plain as day.

"Surely, he does not expect me to agree. His true aim must be to persistently request a match, only to be repeatedly denied."

At first, such refusals would merely tarnish Joshua's reputation slightly.

After all, interrupting another's training was already discourteous, and Aizen had plenty of justifications to deny him.

But what would happen if the rejections continued?

Over time, people's focus would shift—not to Aizen, but to the two brothers.

And eventually, the narrative would turn.

"He seeks to brand the Third Young Master as a coward."

A sparring match under the watchful eye of a swordmaster was hardly dangerous.

If William continuously refused, he would appear fearful rather than cautious.

Joshua's initial rudeness would fade from attention, and instead, William's unwillingness to engage would take center stage.

More troubling was the fact that, on the surface, Joshua's request appeared reasonable.

While William had been at odds with his other brothers in the past, he had almost no prior conflict with Joshua.

Their swordsmanship levels were not drastically different either.

Among noble siblings, requesting a sparring session was not an unusual occurrence.

"This is difficult."

Had the insult been directed solely at Aizen, he would have dismissed it outright.

But this was not merely a matter of pride.

The trap had been set for William, not for him.

Just as Aizen was deliberating, William spoke up.

"Master, though it may be improper, please grant my younger brother's request."

"...What?"

"Though I am in training, my dear brother has come all this way to see me. As his elder, it would be shameful to reject such a heartfelt plea."

"...!"

Aizen's eyes widened in shock, while Joshua's expression twisted in an instant.

With a single sentence, William had reframed Joshua's actions as childish whining while painting himself as a magnanimous older brother.

"The Third Young Master's tongue is as sharp as his blade."

Clearly, he had accepted for a reason.

Aizen glanced at William before silently stepping back.

"As you wish. However, this match will be the only one. While brotherly bonds are important, personal emotions should never take precedence over training."

"Of course. Wouldn't you agree, dear brother?"

"...That is correct."

Joshua forced a smile, but the twitching of his brow betrayed his frustration.

Just moments ago, William had avoided him entirely. Now, he was speaking as though they were the closest of siblings.

"Let's see if you can still talk like that after this."

Grinding his teeth, Joshua pulled back the cloth from the weapon held by his attendant.

A gleaming real sword lay in his grasp.

Aizen's expression darkened.

"Why have you brought a real sword?"

"This is our only match. Using wooden swords would hardly be engaging. Since we've been given this rare opportunity, why not test ourselves with real blades? Neither my brother nor I have been to war—this would be valuable experience."

"You insolent—!"

Joshua had already overstepped by dragging politics into training.

Now, he dared to introduce real weapons into a controlled sparring session?

Aizen was about to lash out when—

"What an excellent idea! Let's begin immediately!"

"...!?"

William's enthusiastic exclamation left both Joshua and Aizen speechless.