A Knight Who Eternally Regresses

Dehan Molsen—that was the Count’s name.

Since childhood, Dehan had been exceptionally gifted.

"You have a talent for sensing mana."

"Your swordsmanship is impressive."

"Your intellect is sharp enough to work as an administrator in the capital."

Exceptional talent, a family that supported him, and outstanding mentors.

That was how Dehan grew up.

He lacked nothing. His world revolved around magic, his father, his mother—almost nothing ever went against his will.

To a prodigy, the world was a simple place.

His twenties passed.

His thirties followed.

He killed two uncles who coveted the family headship.

Not with magic, but with a sword.

It wasn’t even a particularly impressive feat, but his father marveled.

"You are truly remarkable, my son."

From then on, Dehan realized how effortless it was to take a life.

He inherited the title sometime in his mid-thirties.

His father began to look at him with a tinge of fear.

Why?

Ever since Dehan started involving himself in the affairs of the house, his father began making poor decisions—things that could have been avoided with a little thought.

Dehan corrected them from the shadows and confronted his father openly.

Sometimes, he let hints of contempt slip into his words.

At first, his father had been proud. But his eyes gradually changed.

And when Dehan finally refuted one of his father’s decisions head-on—

Even though he knew he was right—

His father snapped.

"It’s for the dignity of the nobility!"

A flimsy excuse.

A pathetic lie.

Was he supposed to pretend otherwise?

Dehan refused.

"It’s disgraceful."

Spoken without emotion.

His father relinquished control of the house after that.

His mother had never been an affectionate woman to begin with.

That was how Dehan became the head of the family.

A few years later, his parents fell into crippling debt due to the schemes of a neighboring lord.

His mother gambled.

His father drowned [N O V E L I G H T] himself in drink.

A true noble might have been forgiven for such things, but the neighboring lord was merciless.

He drove Dehan’s father to the edge of a cliff—

And his father hanged himself.