[I’ve secured it.]
This short letter held significant meaning for me.
As I picked up the vial and shook it, a transparent substance sloshed inside.
I expected it, but I never thought my Father would actually go for it.
If he had succeeded, it would have been quite troublesome in many ways.
Though there’s not absolutely no way out, if Father got involved in other matters during this time… well, it would have been pretty tough.
I had warned Renold about this for a long time.
Even if I stayed on the lowest probability side, if Yuria moved first and obtained the position of Head of the Family, things would get complicated.
Of course, now that this vial has come to me, such a situation won’t happen.
However, I had no intention of being complacent. I merely avoided the worst-case scenario.
Just because I secretly absconded the vial doesn’t mean I can use it as evidence, nor was it anything more than a precaution.
What’s been confirmed through this incident is that Yuria is quite desperate.
I’ll gradually learn about the reasons behind that, but it’s likely that things didn’t unfold as she thought while I was gone.
By now, the news must have reached that I was heading to the Center.
What she’s thinking and what judgment she will make is something I need to watch for now.
Depending on Yuria’s movements, my countermeasures will also change, and perhaps the day when I leave this Moon Tower will be set.
Although I returned from the South, I still postponed my return to the Ducal Residence.
The letter from Renold didn’t contain just a single short sentence.
It included an organization of Yuria’s recent activities and the reasons why she couldn’t head to the Ducal Residence right away.
[Yuria Taylor has summoned the Nobles. While it’s an invitation to the social gathering, the purpose is likely to convey her intentions. Political scheming will probably continue. Rumors are circulating that there might be impure intentions in her journey to the South with the Order, so it would be wise for you to stay hidden for the time being.]
Impure intentions? I never expected them to blurt out that I had ties to the Imperial Family.
I’m not sure why Kaitel is not responding to such claims.
Maybe there’s no reason for him to kill me at this point.
But why would he kill me a year later?
Whenever Kaitel plans to kill me, it’s always related to betrayal, so I thought he’d use this, but the Imperial Family didn’t respond even though they knew about it.
Miragen dismissed it as nonsense. Given that the Princess is acting like this, it’ll be hard for me to do anything right now.
Even if the Nobles scream, I can’t do anything unless I find evidence.
So, I didn’t head to the Ducal Residence. If I go there… it would probably be after everything has wrapped up successfully.
Heading to the Ducal Residence now is like walking into the jaws of a tiger.
At least until I’m certain, there’s no need to step into Yuria’s stronghold.
[Your Highness, I believe the Duke will likely move soon. I’ll enclose the schedule, so if there’s anything you wish to convey, I recommend contacting him discreetly.]
“I think so. I’ll enclose the schedule, so if you have anything to say, I recommend contacting discreetly.”
Renold’s abilities were quite surprising.
The reason I hadn’t thought to use them until now was simply that there hadn’t been a situation where it was necessary, but I was reevaluating Renold quite a bit in this life.
I didn’t know it would be this useful. Should I say I stumbled upon a lucky find?
I was well aware of what actions Renold had taken towards me.
However, I really didn’t know if the evil deeds could be effective when directed a little differently, so surprisingly, having Renold’s help greatly contributed to the smooth progress of the matter.
Having a bit of support in the Ducal Residence was likely thanks to the rumors that Renold had spread on my behalf.
Because of that, my reputation had improved significantly from before.
Once, I was merely a weak and incompetent Young Master with nothing to boast about, but now I was at least better than I used to be.
If I were to become the Head of the Family, such a reputation would probably hold me back, but I was planning to do some groundwork in advance.
Spreading bad rumors about Yuria and consequently elevating my own reputation was, of course, a given task.
I had no intention of becoming the Head of the Family in a straightforward manner.
Though I had to secure legitimacy, that was ultimately just the result.
I had no intention of becoming a monster like Yuria.
Who would genuinely follow someone who climbed to power by killing others?
Placing Renold’s letter in my pocket, I quietly stood up and started preparing.
From her standpoint, I would probably seem cowardly, but that was Yuria’s circumstance.
I didn’t bring back the relics from the South for no reason.
With Kaitel’s aid, the situation would surely improve significantly.
With the support of the Imperial Family, North, and the Order, there was no longer a lack of justifications for me.
Once the fighting began, it was Yuria who would need to hurry.
So, what I needed to do was prepare before the battle.
To ensure a victory, I first had to meet the Crown Prince.
As I stepped out of the Moon Tower, my steps were light.
The prelude to the battle might just be starting from now.
#
“So, this is the relic brought from the South?”
Arwen, who received a small spherical relic from me, muttered.
As her legs dangled in the air from the chair, she fiddled with her glasses, narrowing her eyes.
I had to bring back one of the relics from the list she sent, but it seemed more appropriate to show it to her first.
There might be some functions of the relic that I didn’t know about.
It couldn’t be an object that would hinder me when it came time to kill Kaitel.
If it had such functions, I’d have to overcome them myself, but asking an expert seemed the most reliable option.
As Arwen inspected the relic, she shrugged her shoulders and placed her hands on the table.
As her magic flowed into the relic, a small light appeared, and flames ignited.
“And so, with a faint light, flames burst forth.
Seeing it respond so definitively, the relic of the dead dragon is definitely confirmed. It’s probably the ‘eye’, right?”
“If it wasn’t brought here by mistake, it should be sufficient.”
“As far as I know, I’ve heard it’s a relic that nullifies attacks using magic power. I’m not sure if it’s okay to give this.”
“Well, we came all this way specifically for that. As long as I don’t use magic power, it’s fine.”
To nullify magic power doesn’t mean to block it.
Even if I use magic power when wielding my sword, what gets nullified is ultimately just the sword’s intent.
In the first place, it would be ridiculous for me, who has seen the peak with a sword, to be unable to kill Kaitel just because I can’t use magic power.
Even if my magic power is nullified and I can’t kill him? That just means I couldn’t have killed him alone.
At least as long as I wield a sword, there isn’t anyone I can’t kill.
Whether it’s Berod or Adele, it’s not impossible to stab them.
Kaitel’s fighting ability isn’t as exceptional as I thought.
Of course, it’s above average, but that means he’s not someone I can’t kill now.
If I were to give him such a relic, it should definitely convey that I won’t harm him.
Common sense dictates that someone plotting to kill wouldn’t give away such items.
Arwen nodded as if she understood what I was saying.
And the reason Kaitel needs the relic is to utilize the residual thoughts of the dead dragon.
When I asked about that, Arwen, who had been looking over some papers, cautiously opened her mouth.
“The surest way to extract the thoughts is through the destruction of the relic, but they’ve probably made some progress in studying how to extract them without destruction. I found out within a few days, so they must not be fools either.”
“So you’re saying they’ll use the relic as a relic and use the residual thoughts separately?”
“The residual thoughts of the dead dragon basically incite a destructive impulse. Would you understand if I said it’s like adrenaline? It’s similar to adrenaline, but since the user remains relatively calm, it can be considered a superior version.”
I tilted my head at the mention of calmness, but soon began to understand a bit of its meaning.
There may be a sudden impulse, but it doesn’t completely overwhelm you.
In fact, that state is even more dangerous.
If it’s impulsive behavior, gaps might appear, but if reason takes control, only the heightened capabilities remain.
Considering the power held within the residual thoughts, the very idea of utilizing them is indeed quite dangerous.
Using the thoughts could have unforeseen effects on the dead dragon, after all.
After gazing at me for a moment, Arwen quietly moved her lips.
“Perhaps she intends to use the dead dragon itself. If that involves resurrection, then it could be problematic, but since we can’t pinpoint it yet, giving the relic comes first.”
“Is resurrection of the dead dragon possible?”
“…Well, I guess I need to calculate how the influence of residual thoughts will play out since it’s something I haven’t considered until now.”
Arwen struggled to answer that question. The conclusion I immediately came to was ‘impossible.’
There might be a chance that the seal on the dead dragon loosens over time, but the possibility of the seal, placed by God directly, being undone is extremely low, right?
Even if you use residual thoughts, you’re extracting them from a mere relic. Not the whole thing, just one.
Arwen herself couldn’t figure out if it would even have any effect.
All that could be done right now was to deliver the relic to Kaitel.
Through him, I could secure the imperial family’s support more firmly and even challenge for the head of the family position.
Worrying about the future can’t outweigh the immediate priority.
The possibility of the dead dragon resurrecting?
Of course, it needs to be considered, but it would be foolish to stop everything just for a possibility that’s nearly fictional.
Calculating that was Arwen’s job. When I handed over the payment for this task, Arwen’s shoulder flinched slightly.
“More than I expected… a lot more, huh?”
“It’s a difficult situation. We need more information moving forward.”
One Renold alone is insufficient.
I had enough time to figure out the movements and actions of Yuria, but still, I needed to push harder.
As Arwen stared at the box full of gold coins, she swallowed hard for a moment and then carefully embraced the box with her arms.
I knew well that she was living in poverty.
What could she possibly earn from selling potions at a general store?
Even if my situation in the ducal residence wasn’t ideal, I could gather some funds, so this much was certainly doable.
“So, what do I need to do? Should I proceed with researching the dead dragon?”
“No, this time I want you to keep an eye on Yuria Taylor instead.”
“Keeping an eye on her sounds like you want me to spy on her.”
“Aren’t you the best suited for that? I think it’ll be easier to monitor than to gather information.”
Arwen let out a brief laugh, but the confidence glimmering in her eyes was unmistakable.
When it comes to magic related to illusions and space, she’s truly unmatched.
As long as Arwen provides me with reliable information, I won’t have to worry about being blindsided.
It was time to make a move.
I would likely be quite busy for a few days, but I didn’t feel the slightest desire to complain.
In fact, I felt just a bit excited.
How would Yuria respond? And when everything crumbled and the lifelong goal I chased failed?
I couldn’t wait to see her reaction. That moment was what I anticipated the most.
Yuria and downfall—it felt like a really mismatched pair of words.
It was even more absurd to think that I might create such a future.
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