Chapter 166
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 166
‘Lucian!’
Only now did Tristan realize where this mysterious pressure was coming from.
He had thought it strange when Lucian suddenly asked for a hug, but it had all been to set the stage for this.
A chill ran down his spine at the thought of having fallen into a trap, but at the same time, he was filled with questions.
‘What on earth did you do? Magic? No, it’s not magic.’
After the death of Grand Duke Sigmund, Tristan had thoroughly investigated magic. It was all to find out which school had used such underhanded tactics and to seek his revenge.
Because the Imperial Family had destroyed almost every book related to magic, he hadn't gained much, but he had learned the basics of what magic was.
‘Magic is a technique that manipulates natural phenomena using mana. With very few exceptions, like divination, there are always omens. No matter how well you hide it, you can’t stop natural phenomena from reacting.’
However, this pressure had manifested instantly without any omen whatsoever. Even now, as he was being subjected to the pressure in real-time, there was nothing visible to the eye. It was proof that the pressure was being generated not by natural phenomena, but by some other power.
At that moment, a hypothesis flashed through Tristan’s mind.
A power that wasn't a natural phenomenon, that remained invisible unless intentionally manifested, and that was capable of harming a human being. There was only one such power.
‘Pure mana release?! That’s impossible! Just how much mana would you need to possess to crush a person with nothing but mana density...!’
“Brother, how long must I stay like this? Please, do not embarrass me further.”
Tristan flinched at Lucian’s prompting tone. He had been so overwhelmed by the pressure that he had momentarily forgotten his surroundings.
Lucian had requested a hug. If Tristan remained frozen like this, it would be easily misunderstood. At best, it would be a public declaration of a lack of brotherly affection; at worst, it would be seen as a direct insult to Lucian.
In the worst-case scenario, he wouldn't just be kicked out of Asagrim—the honor he had barely managed to maintain would be dragged through the dirt.
‘Damn it! Why is he playing such a trick...!’
If Lucian had set a trap to take his life, he wouldn't feel this indignant. This was nothing more than bullying. To put it in perspective, it was a malicious prank full of spite—like hiding a child’s shoes or burning their favorite book.
It was maddening because there seemed to be no other intention behind it than to put Tristan in a bind.
“I see. It seems you dislike hugging, Brother, so let us stop here. Instead, could you at least tell me what has made you so angry?”
While Tristan was paralyzed with indecision, Lucian sighed and lowered his arms.
Immediately, the pressure weighing down on him eased—just a little, a very little bit. It wasn't enough to move his body freely, but it was enough to open his mouth and speak.
“This is...!”
Tristan, finally able to speak, was about to hurriedly explain the situation to those around them. But at Lucian’s cold gaze, he quickly clamped his mouth shut.
He didn't know why, but he felt that if he said the wrong thing here, everything would be over.
‘Lucian is the one exerting this pressure on me in the first place. He already knows the situation; there’s no way he eased the pressure just to hear some pathetic excuse.’
Why had Lucian offered a hug only to prevent him from approaching? If it looked like Tristan had ignored Lucian’s gesture, Lucian’s own reputation would take a hit as well. It was too elaborate a performance just to enjoy seeing Tristan in a predicament.
‘What does he want from me by putting on this act? The moment the hug became impossible, the chance to show off our brotherly bond vanished. No matter how I think about it, the only way to explain our relationship... damn it.’
After agonizing over it, Tristan finally realized Lucian’s intent, and his face contorted.
Yes, the moment he "refused" the hug, the chance to play the part of "close brothers" was gone. There was only one way to fix this awkward atmosphere.
They had to stop being "brothers."
If they prioritized a formal relationship over a private one, it would become a heartwarming tale of prioritizing etiquette over personal feelings. And for that tale to hold water, Tristan had to change his attitude.
‘Damn it. If I had known it would come to this, I wouldn't have pushed the brotherly angle from the start.’
Regret washed over him too late, but the milk was already spilled. If he tried to back out now, he would lose his very last chance.
Having made up his mind, Tristan took a deep breath and spat out the answer Lucian wanted.
“...It is not that I refused Your Grace’s embrace. Even between brothers, there are lines that must be observed. Let us put an end to indulging in old nostalgia.”
“Brother? Why so sudden?”
Lucian tilted his head as if he had no idea what Tristan was talking about. It was an act that would have fooled even a seasoned noble, but Tristan knew it was all a lie.
He knew because the remaining pressure had completely vanished the moment those words left his mouth.
Gritting his teeth, Tristan knelt on the floor and shouted.
“Tristan Valdek greets Your Grace the Duke, the great Conqueror of the North and the Conqueror of the Snowfields! Please, forgive my earlier insolence!”
“Now, please, have a seat. It has been a long time; let us have the conversation we’ve missed as brothers.”
As soon as the audience ended, Lucian brought Tristan to a drawing room deep within the palace. The official reason was that he wanted to discuss family matters away from prying eyes.
Tristan swallowed hard at Lucian’s satisfied smile.
“Did I... pass?”
“Haha, you may speak comfortably when we are in private.”
“No, I am fine.”
Tristan flatly rejected Lucian’s consideration. Even if the offer was sincere, accepting such a favor now risked lowering his standing.
As expected, Lucian nodded with a satisfied smile.
“A good answer. I am glad to see you have learned at least a little bit about how the world works, Brother.”
“I am humbled.”
“Do not relax just yet. The test is not over.”
“...!”
“Tell me why I did what I did in the audience chamber just now. Your answer will determine whether you pass or fail.”
“...Understood.”
Tristan suppressed his nerves and spoke as calmly as possible.
“It was to put me in my place. It wasn't mere spite; you felt it was necessary because you wanted a smooth transaction, did you not?”
“Hmm.”
A smile played on Lucian’s lips, as if the answer was quite satisfactory. He flicked his chin, prompting Tristan to continue.
“Your Grace welcomed me as a brother, and I was quick to accept that treatment. I thought that once you treated me as a brother in public, you wouldn't be able to change your stance if I accepted it.”
“That is true. One cannot easily take back words spoken in front of everyone.”
“Yes, my prediction was perfect. The problem was that it was something I should not have done.”
Tristan had committed the insolence of bringing five hundred troops into Lucian’s territory, Asagrim. Despite that, Lucian had let him in without a word, which meant Lucian wanted something from him. Otherwise, no matter how confident he was in suppressing them, he would never have allowed another’s troops into his land.
“However, a problem arose before a proper deal could even be made. I immediately chose my own gain over Your Grace’s dignity. Seeing my attitude, Your Grace must have judged that it would affect our future dealings as well.”
A merchant who doesn't know his place will try to sell goods at an impossible price. Lucian must have wanted to show Tristan his station before the negotiations began. That process was the strange performance from earlier.
“When it appeared that I had refused the hug, I was left with only two choices: to stop being your brother and lower myself, or to remain on equal footing while damaging Your Grace’s reputation.”
If he chose the former, it meant he was finally ready to negotiate, so Lucian would let it slide. But if he chose the latter, Lucian would have scrapped the deal entirely and kicked him out.
Realizing Lucian’s intent, Tristan had chosen the former.
“If I had chosen the latter, Your Grace would have deemed me not even worth negotiating with. Am I correct?”
“Excellent.”
Clap, clap, clap.
When the explanation ended, Lucian clapped repeatedly, looking genuinely pleased. Tristan stared at him with a stiff face, feeling mocked.
“It seems my answer satisfied you.”
“No.”
“Pardon?”
“That level of answer is to be expected. The part where I said you passed was something else.”
“Something else...?”
“You didn't mention a word about the mana that crushed you.”
“...!”
“People who are held by a leash always try to find a way to slip it. They try to prepare countermeasures so they don't have to go through the same experience once the leash is gone.”
It was a perfectly natural behavior for any living creature. No one likes having their weakness exploited. The problem was that this "naturalness" applied to the other side as well.
“The important thing is that the people holding the leash hate that behavior. They want to keep shaking the leash and maintain their superiority.”
“...”
“Let me ask you one thing, Brother. Which side do you think I am on?”
Obviously the latter. No matter how he looked at it, Lucian was the type to hate any attempt to slip the leash he had placed.
In Tristan’s case, the "mysterious pressure that felt like a threat" was the leash Lucian had placed on him, and trying to prepare for it would be the act of slipping the leash.
But Tristan had avoided mentioning it and simply left the leash as it was. Even though he didn't know when the pressure might return and crush him helplessly, he had chosen to leave it buried rather than dig into it.
To Lucian, that act of "reading the room" was what he liked most of all.
“In our conversation just now, if you had tried to probe where I got the mana that crushed you, or if it really was mana, you would have failed instantly.”
“...”
Tristan licked his dry lips. It was clear that these words weren't just to explain the criteria of the test, but also served as a warning. It meant that if Tristan tried to overturn Lucian’s superiority even after the deal, he wouldn't be left alone.
If anyone else had said such a thing, he would have laughed it off. But because it was Lucian, he couldn't even crack a smile.
“...What do you want from me?”
Exhausted by the conversation, Tristan got straight to the point. The more they talked about trifles, the more he felt overwhelmed by Lucian.
However, contrary to Tristan’s expectations, Lucian only smiled leisurely and shook his head.
“For now, stay comfortably as a mourner until Sir Eisen’s funeral is over. We shall discuss the deal after the funeral.”
“Is this also part of the test?”
“No. It is just...”
Lucian hesitated for a moment, then spoke honestly, unable to find a better way to put it.
“...I think the deal will be easier if you see what is about to happen with your own eyes.”