Chapter 56
UnPkNThat each candidate for the next head of the family formed their own faction within the household was nothing new.5Wn
iDShTo take the lead in the competition, there were too many things to do—gather information, hinder rivals, respond to emergencies when the head was absent, manage small tasks and favors.9bdKGWM
Cz3SzYAt this point, competing alone without a faction was practically impossible.mnK
iEZ‘But forming a separate faction within the family also draws the disapproval of the family head. After all, the true master of the house is the head.’yIkZA3l
KxWM8SEven so, there were two reasons why the head allowed these power struggles between his children to go on in silence.0p3CKU4
pWumEDFirst, because it was an opportunity for the heir to learn how to manage people; and second, because, in any case, the head’s authority was something no one could even dream of challenging.MEgIm
a8lNNo matter how many factions the candidates formed, a single gesture from the head would be enough to scatter them like sandcastles.dsH
aHFbiGxIt wasn’t something they would stop doing just because it was forbidden; besides, it served as a learning experience and posed no real threat, so the head usually turned a blind eye.AafM
qgw0qHowever, even if it didn’t pose a danger, the head was still human.AFCanL
vsl0KXj‘Watching everyone fight among themselves while ignoring the true leader must be annoying for anyone. That’s why the usual thing is to not recommend it and just pretend not to see the formation of factions…’4zX
Kw9But now, Duke Sigmund was going one step further—he was directly advising Lucian to form a faction.l7qR
Pk4BTCWhile Lucian hesitated, unsure how to respond, the duke spoke again.WeFVx8
dLgH“Don’t get confused. I haven’t decided to hand you the family yet.”BVtswKL
112“…”HQk
zbqQ“But you’re also one of the candidates. If after choosing you as the next head, someone stole the position from you right before my eyes, wouldn’t that be a disgrace? At the very least, build a faction strong enough to withstand someone trying to take the title from you.”dOnH
9e1LzzGThe tone was cold, but his voice was full of sincerity. Even if it wasn’t a definitive decision, it meant he saw Lucian as a very serious candidate.OcAB
H1nKEfj“And just in case—forget about relying on me. A faction built on someone else’s power is like a castle made of sand. The companions by your side must be gathered solely through your own strength.”Q1b
6EYOHPo“I’ll keep that very much in mind.”uRfajq
OUHy“Good. You may go now.”siz
aFUAgrLucian bowed deeply and closed the door silently behind him.B1fOj
GjkmBLeft alone in the office, the duke leaned back in his chair and sank into thought.GyJjl
RGYYF9‘Am I rushing things too much? The others haven’t shown their full potential yet.’j4z
htIVJ3The eldest, Tristan, was excessively principled and tended to give up easily, but in return, he showed an emotional steadiness and a quick decisiveness.PYUp
q48t5The second, Jordi, treated his subordinates harshly and frequently broke their trust, but thanks to a cold calculation of gains and losses, he always managed to minimize damage in times of crisis.w4up
9LfThe fourth, Joshua, had yet to show anything outstanding, but he hadn’t shown any glaring flaws either; he was someone who needed to be watched and evaluated over time.roCNSj
a5cs0P‘They’re all immature, but precisely because of that, they still have room to grow. The normal thing would be to observe their development before making a decision…’Kluft
ZKwmKHowever, too many unforeseen things were happening to wait calmly.5C8WNjN
Ex67TIf the storms of the world passed by quietly until his sons matured completely, there would be no problem—but that wasn’t going to happen.aNEsH
8KJXMA7Even if he didn’t declare it openly, he needed at least one candidate he could choose immediately if the situation demanded it.WbgC
oeGofT‘Lucian.’Dgtt
Ys8fvThe third son, who until just a few years ago couldn’t even hold eye contact with his brothers and blamed others for his mistakes at the first opportunity.8sxNis
wClvzgBut something had happened in just one year—he had awakened and transformed into someone else.UaqsPU
zaS2yLhHe was bold, even reckless at times, but all his actions followed a clear logic, and his understanding of the broader picture was on a level far beyond that of his brothers.8KtJ9T
Jq9While the others still needed time to develop, Lucian was already complete as a noble.bFlKhUK
o1h“They say extraordinary times call for extraordinary decisions.”E5v
J9T8HabThe duke murmured with a bitter expression as he stared at the ceiling.0Dhraeg
I4adq3As always, the world seemed to have no regard for human circumstances.24XMFX1
9q0XgQi***QaEKbHC
Cgm0Lucian returned to the family mansion, but he barely had any time to rest.gIIppeu
lQMEhUnlike before, when the knights approached him cautiously, now they came up to him without any hesitation.tYEOm
ony2bAT“Young master, if you don’t mind, I’d like to speak with you for a moment.”kUxhYrC
ZhSLk“Do you remember me? We crossed paths once a while ago.”001r
jvf“Please remember my name. We’ll be seeing each other again soon.”SIgx2H
5Y3xRKnTheir approaches varied greatly.oik9y
wSWSome came with impeccable courtesy, while others feigned familiarity just because they had once brushed shoulders with him.X8qc
49enpffAmong them, the most ridiculous were those who acted as if their meeting was fated and dressed themselves up as extraordinary talents.yReBnkD
GQoWhnj“They’re supposed to be part of a great family, and yet they don’t even have a bit of pride? Using such childish methods…”6EI
BVe6qLucian let out a dry laugh, brushed off the knights, and gave Hans an order.tidUg
IuU7L“From now on, screen out all those nobodies before they get to me.”koyy
O56yU“Huh? Young master, they’re knights!”Oi1NkTi
d2vX“So what?”W1SCzk
jw9“I’m just a servant. If the knights try to force their way in, how am I supposed to stop them?”WXRj
5nv8y7Y“If any of them are stupid enough to try that, I’ll personally kick them out, so don’t worry. Besides, if they had even a bit of judgment, they wouldn’t even think of doing something like that.”q8q
ywHIn the Empire, status was absolute, but power wasn’t always determined solely by rank.LTAt
5jnEwMHans was Lucian’s personal servant and one of his most trusted men, someone who had remained by his side even when everyone else looked down on him.2Dt1
rKNUEDTo Lucian, a half-joking request from Hans was worth far more than the desperate pleas of a knight whose face he didn’t even recognize.Pzya3
duVfLooking down on Hans just because of his low status was a clear sign of someone completely lacking political sense.JuRyKrk
xo01nW9With people at that level, even talking was a waste of time.kUOX
6W5Though uneasy, Hans followed the order and began turning away the knights on his own.olivL
gHGFortunately, perhaps because they’d learned from observing the followers of the other brothers, none of them dared to belittle him.U9GZf
adE“Gaining fame is nice and all, but at this rate, I’ll be spending forever separating wheat from chaff.”DqoQ
m7eSighing, Lucian looked out the window at the knights retreating.FxBzu
iF5Then he recalled what Sigmund had told him earlier.Gg9
N7sf“A faction, huh? It wouldn’t be bad to have one. And right now, I could form one without too much trouble. But making a faction with guys like that? I’m not interested at all.”oxXIx
JzN4LvYMore precisely, he didn’t want a faction that was large but hollow inside.qKe
uoCYnuMHe had seen too many groups rot in the places where their leader’s eyes couldn’t reach.Z8MSiii
0cLdsAt the very least, every member needed to be someone he wouldn’t be ashamed to stand beside.QlOx
Lh3FXWhat Lucian sought was an elite force—small, if necessary, but solid and well-formed—completely different from those of his brothers.zZj
qBeno“The problem is, what can I offer in return? Real talents won’t come just for my name or vague promises about the future.”ALv
97BvqDZThe knights approaching him now were nothing but opportunists, drawn solely by the potential benefits down the line.M15
Eq8q06True talents, those who knew their worth, would never sell themselves short.kp9
eC2They knew that anyone with a good eye would be willing to pay the right price for them.mxt7p
ZcHn88YThe problem was, Lucian didn’t currently have any reward in his hands attractive enough to draw people like that.WPYB
xQ1“Hugo and Felicia swore loyalty because they were in situations where they couldn’t prove their worth without me. But I can’t keep using that method forever.”QAURLu
jrnkOtNot all talents lived trapped in unjust circumstances.95U
OZZUAs he pondered, an idea flashed through his mind like lightning.tEBQQ
wM5There was a treasure—one of the most valuable—that had once influenced even the imperial family, and that still remained hidden.ueikHGA
Z36VLSIf he could find it before anyone else and claim it in secret…4eXV0Pk
KOc“There’s barely any information, so the odds of finding it are low, but even so, it’s better to try than do nothing.”pHS
hX1AUVWith his decision made, Lucian immediately went to see Sigmund.LNnLVf
99CS***EIkGWsc
0juVaK“You want permission to go to the capital?”uCc4Y0O
ssKXt“Yes.”wiA
1w4XSigmund blinked at the sudden request. Going to the capital, now, when he was so busy forming his faction?FGeaj1Z
84gj“First, tell me why. What business do you have in the capital?”barcb
da1ig“I want to assess the atmosphere after the defeat and, while I’m at it, search for talent.”vCV26
ShH3M“Talent? Do you have contacts there?”Q1Ix
W0ujpVM“Not exactly, but I recently heard a rather interesting story, and I want to check it for myself.”WvTcKd
bix4McLucian avoided going into detail.aVCLJI
oXcAXCDHe couldn’t exactly say he was searching for the creator of an elixir that hadn’t even emerged into the world yet.G6O
SsSjmZAfter watching him silently, Sigmund nodded.k7tyIf
DcS“I suppose you don’t do anything without thinking it through. Do as you see fit. Just avoid revealing your official status as much as possible.”oai
mg5“Of course. I won’t be receiving honors, so I’ll move discreetly.”IRWjU
PJ2“I’ll assign Raymond as your escort. Lately, he seems to think highly of you—always volunteers for anything involving you.”W0BeQnq
J7dEca6Raymond… Since their first meeting, they’d developed a certain affinity.9yOrMs
dhhQkNow that he thought about it, Raymond was also a remarkable talent. Was there a way to recruit him?06QwI
H7i8As if reading his mind, Sigmund casually added.5tqrbZI
ZGJy“Just so you know, the Black Lions aren’t bound to serve for life. Once they reach a certain age, they can retire, and if they accumulate enough merits, they can even change affiliations. It’s just that the process usually happens quietly.”6gW0u8
Giz“…”nZM7s
gpchzR“Raymond will be leaving the Black Lions soon. I don’t know where he plans to go, but someone of his caliber deserves treatment worthy of his ability.”kSn
51s6fThe duke’s words fully awakened Lucian.KrsBLJ
7erOPouUnlike Hugo or Felicia, who were still developing, Raymond was a fully formed talent.ZKfgsn
dGwWhether he could offer something suitable would depend entirely on Lucian’s own ability.jUR
ztYte“This isn’t something I can half-heartedly attempt. Even if I have to turn the capital upside down, I must find it.”HMtYOzF
I2qxMkWith firm resolve, Lucian bowed his head.eFR
FlFiWU“You’re right, Father. Anyone who can’t offer something worthy of someone’s talent doesn’t deserve to have them.”dFPsqD
XjEeE“Exactly. I’m glad you understand.”VkOsa
x1viEzSatisfied, Sigmund smiled.v7oF1bS
WR3IfTHA lost talent was extremely hard to recover. Rather than giving up due to lack of ability, one had to have the determination to force themselves to meet the standard.AVDY
00D74vJust as the conversation seemed to be ending, Lucian hurried to add.8yg
Kte1XO“I’m very grateful for your permission to go to the capital, but I’d like to ask one more favor.”HWu
kqu“What is it?”Wf8D8j
gIU8“Only if you have the time…”0OibZvI
MfjI8After hearing the request, Sigmund burst into laughter.Ik9i
MDiA9After laughing for quite a while, he also granted that second request without difficulty.Q5CLP2
eaXU***BGcF
sKASeeing Lucian prepare to leave again so soon after returning, Hans was surprised.Qe9
SvE“Young master, are you going out again?”QfxvZm
PZMRSt“Yes. This time I’m going to the capital.”bXZE
M9NVmd“To the capital? So suddenly? What for?”c0X37DE
Aza“Something’s come up that I need to take care of. Take good care of the house while I’m away.”sCu
Alo7T0oHans’s expression darkened.ymoydB8
oseNoAzBefore, as his personal servant, he had always accompanied his master. But now, with more people gathering under Lucian and more matters to manage, the time they spent together had naturally decreased.Z5bc9
OZdRoThat meant his master’s position had grown—but for Hans, it was impossible not to feel anxious.YuLQsg
s8HwvB“They say distance makes the heart grow cold…”ozQ
95LjrHans thought of Hugo and Felicia, who had joined recently.S4i
GLnEven though he had been by Lucian’s side much longer, both now held higher positions than him.KhBW3e
nmw4Hugo was still a commoner, but if he were knighted, the tables would turn completely.A6AhEx
aWpww“What if I’m the only one left behind? What if I slowly become irrelevant, and the young master eventually forgets me…?”oWg4u
d9kHpThe very thought made Hans’s body tremble.iRRQp
7PgAs he prepared to leave, Lucian observed him and smiled slightly.wWQ
tAZD5“What are you thinking about, trembling like that?”MGwErCT
kRS7e“Eh? No, nothing… I just spaced out for a moment.”247Y1bJ
wYCqfLj“I don’t know what you’re imagining, but now’s not the time to be distracted. I asked my father to start your training as a butler beginning tonight.”QJLE
f0hDza“…!?”FtT
oL7hU6Hans’s eyes flew wide open at those words.ofO
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