Chapter 169
51dCLucian wiped the smile from his face and clicked his tongue in annoyance.scE
XwmNXYlJudging by Tristan’s expression, he seemed determined to leave if he did not hear the main matter immediately.JNXt
jlrRtHe had no one to rely on, and yet he was still so impatient.167I
aUy“Do you really have to hear it now? If you already have an idea, it might benefit you to wait until you fully acknowledge the difference between us.”y2gV8XS
tOYKhe“If no matter how much you rub that difference in my face the result will be a demand I cannot accept, it would be better to know it in advance.”kMdRs
B4gVq“If you insist…”UM6yKE
t63ILucian shrugged lightly and, just as Tristan wanted, went straight to the point.yXq1c
Hc5NAq“I will take charge of House Valdeck for a while.”PeM
YE5yHLB“…!”dfRUyky
O3U7bPV“Of course, it will only be for a moment. I will return it to you soon, brother.”NJyCx
z0hLucian added that condition a moment later, but Tristan’s confusion did not fade.C8HIkb0
pLQHe had assumed the price would be enormous, but he had never imagined it would extend even to the position of head of the family.fn99
mcGUuJO“Do you really think I would hand over the position of head of the house just from hearing that?”Xjvj
mxVqGF8“Listen until the end. I have no particular ambition for the title of grand duke. It is enough for me to sit in that seat for a short time.”CJP8
Lx27“And how long, exactly, is that short time?”c1g
2AJB“If possible, I would like to be the head of the house for a month, but considering your situation, I will return it to you in just one week.”M2el
oLEd8JV“…!?”xraPh
YesuAt those words, Tristan looked at Lucian with a strange expression. He was saying he would proclaim himself grand duke for barely a week and then return the position.DuUi
fSbqvIt made one wonder whether it even made sense to become head of the house in such a way.uUVJENh
U2A“What in the world are you planning?”U2c59
wyHk“The right of succession is a truly troublesome issue. It includes all the innate rights tied to blood.”Z5Jirs
EyRMVr“…?”ovT
AoPjdX“Renouncing the right of succession is equivalent to renouncing all of those innate rights, so it cannot be discarded lightly. If one wishes to retain other rights, one must also retain the right of succession, whether one likes it or not.”k35gc
Ol7Only then did Tristan begin to more or less understand Lucian’s intention.ods4
g7bCHe was not seeking the position of head of House Valdeck itself, but the need to retain the innate rights granted only to Valdeck blood.hO0pEs
RSNV8But the moment he recognized Tristan as the legitimate heir, he would be renouncing those rights, and that was something he could not allow.vOtWh
egZYXS“There are only two ways to maintain those innate rights while also making you the owner of Valdeck. Either I first become the head of the house and then hand the position over to you, or I deny your ascension as head.”1nur5
Jg7kwF“…If Your Highness supports me, the second option is practically impossible. That means only the first remains.”IIckl0K
JJcnUj“Exactly.”9DwcQ3
IWRqHe was not saying he wanted to seize the house forever; he was only asking for a little time.QXcO
vhLAt first glance, it could sound like a proposal with room for negotiation. Even so, for Tristan it was still an excessive demand.P4Gx
K8L6d“Your Highness, do you know what state House Valdeck is in?”E5B8
Pn8G“I’ve heard it’s a mess. Jordi has failed to properly control the family, and since his backer, the second prince, has also fallen silent, they’re too busy putting out fires everywhere.”UZoUR4G
ZCxrKEz“Yes, just as you say. But even watching that bastard act without direction, I cannot laugh.”5g0k
xWYWhat Jordi was wearing down was not his own power, but the power of House Valdeck itself, the family that Tristan was meant to reclaim someday.g1KC
4ZZIf Jordi’s misrule continued, even Tristan would suffer when trying to take it back.gOorfj
XAkpE“That wretch has already driven the prestige of the house into the ground. It’s only a guess, but even if I recovered the family, it would take at least thirty years to restore it to its former standing.”FaiUfS
V6h1op“Probably. Both the talents who joined him or died in the rebellion and the Black Lions themselves would have to be rebuilt from scratch.”3OmSoh4
wTMg8pRebuilding strength alone would not be enough. After standing back up, that power would also need to be projected outward to regain recognition.Giie
0ZTZiSince they had shown weakness both internally and externally, the neighboring lords were surely mocking House Valdeck.9ZiAo
5ZQ2hTzTo make them bow their heads again, there was still an enormous amount to do.m3Xl
rnTTristan spoke of thirty years, but he might not even be able to restore its former splendor within his lifetime.15IWj
eiH9“And in a situation like that, if I hand the position of head to Your Highness and then take it over myself, they will think that an incompetent man reclaimed the house by begging for it.”5Thk
pUL“Do you care more about your pride than about reclaiming the family?”ghQVU
1Oj4Ac“Without that pride, I will die having spent my entire life doing nothing but trying to rebuild the pillars of the house.”RsR
ECfIhLucian drew a crooked smile when he saw that Tristan had no intention of backing down. If even his pride were lost, the time needed to rebuild the family would be even longer.Mz6S
EXmoICEveryone would think it was all due to Lucian’s power, not Tristan’s.dLBGfJ
q12“That is not an incorrect argument. But, brother, do you truly think you have the leeway to worry about that right now?”qYIZK
kdy0“Then allow me to ask you something in return. Your Highness, do you have any way to take over House Valdeck other than through me?”bo8ym
PF3“I do.”Yuu
Ewi5EB“What?”IlY1s
xNG“I said I do.”44Xz
MzdH3At Lucian’s blunt assertion, Tristan could not hide his bewilderment.cGPdH
UgrmRscIf he was supporting him, it should have been because he lacked the leeway to conquer House Valdeck directly.A4SqEcu
23yoAnd yet, he answered with absolute certainty.fwwNXK
zGo3f“Let’s stop with empty bravado and denying reality. Why do you think I proposed postponing the negotiation until after Sir Eisen’s funeral?”H62Zn7
WZePpb“…”BtZi1
DRtnTVc“To show you that I have the power to do it.”o142
WNwRgIt was absurd. That was the only phrase that almost slipped from Tristan’s mouth.sRKKc3
C3nHow was he supposed to advance from this distant north to House Valdeck and wage a war?RvBI
625Even if he managed to seize it, it was obvious that another force would invade and take it immediately.cRK88S
OQHoAs if he had read his thoughts, Lucian smiled and said,bvK5Oa
7DgOO“You still don’t believe it, do you? Then engrave clearly in your eyes what you are about to see.”tQ0
bvvAfter witnessing what was about to happen, all of his doubts would vanish. At those almost prophetic words, Tristan swallowed.9OZXw9F
jVr9***z8THCb4
2NB‘Damn it, what the hell is going on out there?’BjaVr7
EaXZThe first prince, Claude, was biting his nails as he struggled to contain his frustration.K2gZi
E8XTbFrom the day Cedric left, he could clearly feel that the reactions around him had changed.gDF1u
7RcDThe knights, once as rigid as statues, now whispered in low voices. The servants, who used to be cold and unflappable, would not stop casting furtive glances at him.JDiE0J
uHGEven those who previously would not move no matter how many times he shouted at them now flinched for a moment.UvfrPb
4s3lUb7It was obvious that something had happened in the palace while he was confined there.mXC3h
BFrmNI‘Is this a good sign? Or a bad one? They’re not thinking of executing me, are they?’6SHsG
DVoA seasoned noble would have understood that this change was working in his favor.tYu8csn
jBRrA1But Claude lacked all political sensibility, and naturally he was incapable of accurately reading the new atmosphere.Rf9a3
p1llL‘Is that damn Cedric not planning to come back? If only I could talk to him, I could probe him or provoke him, but like this…’RmTsXG
UpFtPlClaude was running his hands through his hair in desperation when, suddenly—qvoh
dYrATpH— Protect the first prince!dw2zrg
ZewB— S-stop them! Stop th— gahk!WjJ
Kqy6V— Get out of the way, you damn traitors!4vt
y481Y— For the rightful heir of the Empire!8nC
an55twHearing the uproar coming from outside, Claude’s eyes widened.BlrT7q
0323Were his loyal followers finally coming to rescue him?4BH0It9
Z0vmDywUnable to contain his anticipation, he stood up just as the room where he was imprisoned shook with a crash and part of the wall collapsed.vzaTar
IVLSyb“Your Highness, the first prince! Count Rihardt of the court has come to rescue you! Are you all right?”ExRtf
smZ“Y-yes! I’m here! Hurry and break these chains!”LtLhq
JPsf“Please wait a moment, Your Highness! We will break down the door at once!”GEGvl
Aab27QBang! Crash!Shbil
Xc7bjSwords and maces struck again and again until the door was completely smashed.v7le
L4PRTSoon after, Rihardt and the knights tore away the remains of the frame and knelt before the prince.4M2PRp
hfwt“Your Highness, your servant Rihardt—”spwix
JRhei“Enough with the greetings, remove these damn chains!”Au37L
eqo9Rihardt, who had been about to formally introduce himself, flinched at the prince’s shout and gestured to his men.zHNX
d7ozOThe knights scattered, searching for the key and interrogating everyone present, but to no avail.Tdw8Uc
xrqz8eo“There is no one with the key to the chains. It seems they hid it somewhere else.”6nHD
mlGvPy“Then cut them with a sword!”ojUzj
B9tH6Ic“We are sorry, Your Highness. They are made of adamantium; with our skills, it would be impossible. We will have to tear them out along with the wall and carry them as they are.”gVUf
l6h4G3What a bunch of useless fools! Claude was about to shout at them what they were actually good for, but Rihardt’s words made him fall silent.khLR
9cX8m“Forgive us, Your Highness. We must leave before the traitor Cedric finds out. We will free you from the chains soon, but for now, we ask for your patience.”pzw
vym“…All right.”FyZbKcG
8PQuZClaude shuddered as he recalled the suffocating days of confinement.XJFsjOv
TziBHe did not like the idea of bearing the chains, but he had no alternative; the important thing was to escape Cedric’s clutches as soon as possible.sIPzZ
PIVPYLZWith a dry snap, the chains were torn free from the wall.zDn
BplEsEFortunately, the anchors were not made of adamantium, so he could move without too much difficulty.wSu
0dwClaude ground his teeth as he found himself turned into a chained prisoner.XeTTML
B02BA“That bastard Cedric… when I get out of here, I will kill him without fail!”uLI
zp8UxY“Of course, Your Highness. But first, we must escape.”z8T
lxWfpP“Do you have any place where we can take refuge?”xw2
6SUir“In the capital, we will not be able to avoid the traitor’s eyes. We must head north, to Duke Lucian.”M6WcD
yhfgI“Lucian? Wasn’t there anyone else besides that arrogant one?”JDljgQ
rTA38s8Rihardt suppressed a sigh at the sight of Claude’s grimace.Fytm
fxg0P3Did he truly believe there were plenty of allies capable of opposing Cedric and also loyal to him?4uBt
qlrbafIn the entire Empire, there was practically no other option besides Lucian, and even so, the prince continued to let his personal emotions get in the way.wCNV
xpkKP“Your Highness, with the greatest respect, we have no choice. Too many forces have allied with the traitor. If it is not Duke Lucian, no one will dare oppose him.”FkF
vd7“Are you telling me that in this Empire there is not a single loyal servant?”In9zrd
Pkr9C“Those who have loyalty lack power, and those who have power lack loyalty. The only one who possesses both is Duke Lucian.”RPJ2mti
VIVeuX“Hmm… well, it is true that that man owes a great deal to the late emperor.”t7G
27htkXEClaude nodded with displeasure, knowing he had no other alternative.rou
UWWRihardt, relieved at having convinced him, spoke urgently.YEEru
rYipX“We have bribed several of the traitor’s lackeys, so we will be safe for a while. But they will soon discover your escape, Your Highness. There is no time; we must move right now.”ckm2ZEh
FDMNXc“No, first we will go to my room. It is not far; we can reach it before the traitor breaks in.”fEMR
p0D“Your Highness!”IwK57n
LpIn“Shut up and follow me! In my room there is a magical teleportation artifact. If we find it and activate it, we can travel directly to the north!”WSRU0
GCvS“…!”HmOnH
LSBH5bUAt that unexpected stroke of luck, Rihardt and the knights lit up with enthusiasm.ftqkQ
Yji4sHIf that was true, there would be no need for a dangerous escape; it would be enough to reach the artifact to flee from Cedric.Gji4HkM
Iny“Tell me just one thing! Can we reach your room or not?”bI3anZ
EWtxUAs Claude shouted, Rihardt bowed his head firmly and replied,W1cp
Gww“We will open the way, Your Highness!”9sQngKw
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