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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Back to the Capital
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1.
In the early dawn, inside the lord's office of Azure Sea Castle.
A middle-aged man asked an old man in a worried voice.
"Is Karron truly unharmed, Father?"
"He has brilliantly completed his given mission. Do not worry. I'm told he is perfectly fine, without a single injury."
"You should have summoned Karron and Leo back to Azure Sea Castle the moment the incident occurred."
Peil clenched his fists as he looked at Halo.
However, Halo firmly shook his head.
"A member of the Leston Ducal Family ought to avenge their subordinates with their own hands, Peil."
"Isn't Karron just thirteen years old?"
"Age is irrelevant when carrying out a mission. Only skill is required."
Halo's voice was unwavering.
Hearing it, Peil struggled to suppress his emotions.
The moment he heard his son had been attacked, he had wanted to rush to Tebe immediately. But the one who stopped him was none other than Halo.
"Peil. Don't get excited. Have a sip of tea. It's Snow White Tea from the North Sea."
"…Father."
"If Karron lacked the ability to resolve this incident, I would have summoned him back to Azure Sea Castle long ago, just as you said. Do you understand what I mean?"
I do.
As his son, Peil understood his father's intentions well.
He knew that Halo held Karron's abilities in high regard.
But he had nearly lost his life. If one could remain composed in the face of such a thing, they were not worthy of being called a father.
Who in the world would remain still when their child was on the verge of death?
Halo observed Peil's face and slowly took a sip of tea. Then, he continued in a low voice.
"The reason I called you at this early hour is because of Karron's plan. I figured you would be better for this than your older brothers. Karron has conveyed his opinion through Jeras. See for yourself."
With that, he handed Peil a report that was on the table.
A report completed by Heinrich, transcribed from what Jeras had relayed through the communication device.
Until now, only he, the family head, and Heinrich knew of its contents.
"Karron did?"
Peil frowned and took the report.
Its contents could be summarized as follows:
Peil could easily deduce the ripple effect this plan would create.
"We will install Tebe's leader ourselves… That's what this means."
Tebe was a city that ran on the power of the council members who formed its assembly.
However, through this incident, one of the factions that had built up considerable power had collapsed.
Naturally, a crack was bound to form.
So, Karron was now proposing that the Leston Ducal Family should wedge itself into that crack.
"I hear the current mayor, Grine, is a close friend of our in-law's."
"I am also acquainted with Lord Grine."
"By empowering a figurehead mayor, we will take Tebe into our hands. That is the picture Karron is painting."
"…Turning a crisis into an opportunity."
"Easier said than done. He is a remarkable child, Peil. I had my expectations after how he handled the matter of the Bellus Barony, but Karron has far surpassed them."
Halo took another sip of tea.
The fragrant aroma of the Snow White Tea awakened his mind.
Even if Karron hadn't acted first, he had planned to exert influence on Tebe in some way.
After all, this was an incident where someone had dared to touch a direct blood relative of the Leston Ducal Family.
But his grandson was talking about going beyond simple influence and swallowing Tebe whole.
"A plan born of pure greed."
The one who, despite facing a life-threatening situation, was instead thinking of devouring a city.
Excessive greed often leads to ruin, but Halo was pleased with his young grandson's ambition.
"A man without greed cannot ascend to greater heights. Isn't that so, Peil?"
Halo was well aware that his first and second sons were greedy for the family's power.
The reason he let it be was simply that he believed the competition born from that greed would ultimately benefit the family.
But the greed Karron had shown in this short time was of a different nature than his sons' greed.
"Does it not mean he intends to fill his own belly using the family's name?"
In a peaceful era, it would have been a problem, but not now.
Was Karron's appearance at such a time perhaps a blessing from their ancestors?
The master of Guillotine must be an exceptionally greedy man.
In the first place, that sword, Guillotine, was no different from a demonic blade.
At the very least, a man more avaricious than Guillotine itself must wield it. Only then could he devour even the sword.
"It is a satisfactory plan. It should suffice as a warning to those rotten bastards in the capital."
Halo instinctively sensed that the powers-that-be in the capital were behind this incident.
Those bastards would not have left any evidence. Those vile creatures would have been prepared to cut their losses at any moment.
"The Imperial Guard's movement was ultimately to destroy evidence, then."
"It seems the internal strife within the Imperial Guard is getting worse."
"Tsk."
According to the information Karron sent, the Imperial Guard must have had other intentions.
Halo nodded with a bitter expression.
"If that fellow had seen this, he would have cut off all their heads."
"Are you speaking of Lord Kain?"
"Yes."
His dear friend, who had died as a knight of the Imperial family until the very end.
What would that fellow think if he saw this state of affairs now?
"The responsibility always falls to the survivors. That fellow is probably in the afterlife… cursing me for letting the Imperial Guard become such a mess."
He was prepared to gladly take the blame when he met that fellow in death.
Halo slowly organized his thoughts, recalling his old friend. Then, he spoke to Peil in a low voice.
"For the Empire and its people, we have endured for a very long time."
It had been a long time.
The years spent quietly in the west of the Empire for its prosperity.
They had silently dealt with the monsters descending from the North Sea and occasionally sent out the family's knights to help those in need.
But this was what they received in return.
Those blinded by greed had finally laid a hand on his grandsons.
"Peil, prepare for the coming storm. Reorganize the family's structure and begin preparations to enter the central political stage."
"It will take a considerable amount of time."
At Peil's words, Halo slowly closed his eyes. He replied in a heavy voice.
"It matters not. Is not waiting patiently what we do best?"
The giant, who had been slumbering for ages, had decided to take a step.
2.
As morning broke, in Tebe's central square.
"…I will never tolerate such an event happening in this proud and wonderful city!"
On a platform set up in the square, the mayor of Tebe, Grine, was delivering a fiery speech.
"A city built by the blood, sweat, and tears of its citizens! A city where anyone can get a chance, and which is fair to all! Is that not Tebe, my fellow citizens! This is a heinous incident where a man calling himself a council member nearly killed the grandson of the great hero, Grand Duke Halo. I, Grine, Mayor of Tebe, promise you here and now! I will ensure that such a thing never happens in this city again!"
"Grine! Grine!"
"Deal with those rotten council bastards!"
The citizens of Tebe responded to Grine's speech with fervent cheers.
Karron watched the scene from the third floor of a restaurant next to the square while eating breakfast.
"He's like a fish in water."
Leo uttered in admiration, a piece of steak in his mouth.
Hearing this, Gail let out a hearty laugh and nodded.
"That friend is a politician, you see, young Leo. He knows a great opportunity has come his way."
"Are all the politicians and nobles in the capital like that, Elder Gail?"
"How could that be? Still, there's a reason that friend, Grine, rose to such a high position."
Gail wiped his mouth with a napkin. He then turned his head to look at his grandson.
'I can't read him at all.'
This picture was drawn by Karron.
He didn't just stop at avenging the Leston Ducal Family, but linked that revenge to the family's interests.
He had heard through Jeras that Grand Duke Halo had approved this plan.
This meant the head of a great house had given his permission for a plan conceived by a mere thirteen-year-old boy.
'The Grand Duke must trust in Karron's abilities.'
It was good news if you looked at it one way, and bad news if you looked at it another.
Halo was backing Karron.
This suggested the possibility that Karron might soon become involved in the succession struggle.
After all, the heir to the Leston Ducal Family had not yet been decided.
From Gail's perspective, it wasn't an entirely pleasant situation. Being caught up in a war of succession meant that things would become that much more dangerous.
"Grandfather."
"Yes, my boy."
"This isn't too much of a burden for you, is it?"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Mother told me that when it comes to official duties, it's your principle not to consider personal interests… I feel like I'm making you break your principles."
An impartial investigation that does not consider personal interests.
That was the justification and strength that had allowed Gail to survive as the head of the National Tax Service until now.
His grandson was pointing out that very thing.
'What a cheeky one.'
Gail smiled fondly and patted Karron's head.
"Let me tell you one thing as your grandfather. Principles are made to be broken, my boy."
"…Still."
"And in this case, the principle wasn't completely broken. His Majesty was planning to conduct a large-scale tax audit of Tebe soon anyway. The timing was simply moved up."
At those words, Karron's eyes widened.
"His Majesty the Emperor?"
"He must have intended to keep Tebe's factions in check. So you don't need to worry too much about it. This old grandfather of yours is not so easily pushed around. Ho ho."
It was merely a move that would have been made eventually, just made sooner.
The only difference was that, through this attack, the side that benefited had changed.
Since the Leston Ducal Family had more than enough justification to intervene in Tebe, no one would be able to stop them.
'Karron probably calculated that far.'
He was a child with a quick mind since he was young. The attack may have been a coincidence, but what followed was not.
Gail patted Karron's back lightly with a pleased expression.
"I have some matters to attend to before returning to the capital, so I must get going first. Eat at your leisure, and enjoy your dessert slowly."
"Yes, Grandfather!"
"I'll see you later, Elder Gail!"
"Young Leo is always so polite. It's good to see. Ahem."
Right after Gail left, Leo looked out the window again and said.
"Anyway, the citizens are really cheering him on."
"Of course. The mayor just declared he's going to tear down a deeply entrenched establishment, right? This city runs entirely on vested interests. If the powers that hold those interests collapse, won't opportunities arise for the latecomers?"
"…I don't really get it."
"That's because you've grown up as a hothouse flower, Brother. People born with a silver spoon in their mouths can never understand."
Leo listened to Karron's jab and stared at him, dumbfounded.
"Weren't you born with a silver spoon in your mouth too?"
"It's different, Brother. You grew up in the main house, and I grew up outside of it. Logically, who do you think suffered more?"
"I heard your father has more money than my father."
That much was true.
Peil had accumulated the most wealth among Halo's sons. Although Halo's influence played a small part, most of it was due to Peil's own efforts.
But Karron said with a shameless expression.
"Who told you that?"
"Mother."
"Whatever. If I say so, then it's so. What? Is some noble young master trying to act up?"
At this point, he was just being stubborn.
But Leo could only let out a sigh.
Trying to understand this kid was a mistake from the start.
"…Let's just drop it."
"You always start a fight knowing you're going to lose."
"I'm the older brother, so I'm letting you win…"
"Should we go for a morning sparring session, Brother? The training grounds at the mansion looked nice."
"Hmph."
Having thus easily quelled Leo's rebellion, Karron took a spoonful of the wine sherbet that had been served for dessert and put it in his mouth.
'If I offer them something as big as Tebe, they'll forgive me for taking the Sixth Prince hostage, right?'
As expected, there was no such thing as a gift without a purpose.