Chapter 187
Chapter 187
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 187
Chapter Title: Brotherly Feud
-----------------------------------------------------------------
At the eastern edge of the continent lies a territory called Belluan.
It was not a particularly well-known name.
To the east, a massive mountain range blocked all paths, and to the west stretched a barren wasteland where even a sip of water was hard to come by. The environment made it difficult for outsiders to enter or for locals to leave.
There was some modest exchange with the northern territories, but historically poor relations with those to the south meant they effectively traded with only one other territory.
Yet despite these harsh geographical disadvantages, Belluan had prospered for hundreds of years.
Wise estate lords had managed the land with sound judgment, while valiant armies protected it from magic beasts and raiders.
The ten castles surrounding the territory produced all manner of local specialties that supported the people's livelihoods and enriched the land.
But over the past year, dark clouds had gathered over Belluan.
It started with the estate lord's sudden illness, followed by a power struggle among his children.
This wasn't the first such incident, but this time it was particularly severe. The territory had split into north and south factions, and even the ten castles were wavering, unsure whom to serve.
Wherever one went in the territory, people lamented the situation with dissatisfied voices.
"Will we make it through this winter?"
"We ate gruel again. Nothing but fire monkey byproducts."
"I hear the southern folks have plenty of wheat."
"They'll all freeze to death with that wheat."
Divided in two by the feud between the two sons, the territory couldn't properly distribute its internal resources, let alone the castles' specialties.
Some had so much heating fuel byproduct they couldn't use it all, but no food to eat. Others had food overflowing but no heating materials to survive the coming winter.
In this chaos, the one thing the people still trusted and relied on was the estate lord.
The man who had led Belluan in peace until he collapsed.
They could only hope he would awaken soon and restore order to the turmoil.
"When will the estate lord wake up...?"
Amid the people's laments, the sun rose over Belluan once more today.
* * *
"Deroy's up to his antics again?"
"Yes. It looks like he's trying to make contact with the estate lord's residence."
"And Palato? He used to say he'd turn hostile at the mere approach."
"Well, it seems he's willing to talk now. Maybe because our side's grown stronger lately..."
Ridat, the estate lord's second son—a young man with a hooked nose—scowled as he listened to his subordinate's report.
Over the past year, his face had grown noticeably gaunt. Unlike his usual smiling demeanor, his shadowed expression and furrowed brow now made him look even more like his maternal uncle, Ramun.
And as always, Ramun stood by his side.
"It might be best if I step in, Young Master."
"Are you sure? If you show up, those two factions might band together."
"It's time to end this senseless fight. Better to go all-out now and crush Palato's group along with them. If we take out one side and the survivors flee, dragging this into a messy prolonged war would be a hassle."
A year into the conflict, Ridat's forces already vastly outnumbered Deroy's.
Thanks to Ramun's efforts.
In the shadowy nighttime skirmishes, two of Deroy's knights had fallen to his blade.
Yet even in this superior position, they held back from all-out war for two reasons.
First, Palato's neutral stance. Second, they couldn't pinpoint Deroy's exact location.
If they launched a frontal assault and won but let Deroy slip away, he'd abandon his bases and turn it into a guerrilla slog.
That was the last thing they wanted.
But now that Deroy had shown himself, an all-out assault could crush them completely and end the civil war.
With the estate lord there, Palato couldn't flee, and cutting off Deroy would solve everything.
"Actually, about Palato..."
Ramun had few friends in the territory who treated him warmly, so Palato was one of the few he could call that.
Ridat trailed off vaguely, but Ramun seemed to catch his drift and shook his head.
"If it's for the territory, he has to go. No need to worry about sentiment getting in the way."
Ridat shivered inwardly at Ramun's cold words.
He was always grateful to his uncle.
How could he not be, when this man cared for his late sister's son as his own?
Ramun was also the territory's strongest knight, renowned far and wide.
But seeing that icy resolve chilled him. He couldn't shake the fear that once his usefulness ended, he'd be next to be discarded.
"Understood. I'll leave command of the forces to you, Uncle."
"You won't be disappointed, Young Master."
"And..."
Ridat started to say something but shook his head and dismissed him instead.
Ramun bowed politely and left the room.
Alone now, Ridat took a sip of the beverage he'd set out instead of alcohol and let out a sigh.
"Hoo..."
His brother Deroy had stirred the people with slanderous claims. That Ridat was Ramun's bastard son, hiding the fact by plotting to poison the estate lord.
Ridat dismissed it as nonsense, of course. But day by day, he struggled to suppress his growing unease.
Part of it was the single testimony hidden under his desk.
Confirming no one was around, Ridat carefully pulled it out and read it.
The content on the front page was clear.
'Saw Ramun Knight sneaking into the estate lord's residence the night before the poisoning attempt.'
Ever since reading it, Ridat had to swallow the question rising in his throat every time he faced Ramun—his uncle.
'Uncle, am I really your nephew? And was it truly Deroy who tried to poison Father?'
* * *
In the estate lord's residence, Palato pressed his temple to fend off a pounding headache.
It was somewhat rude to do so in front of a superior while drunk, but he didn't care in the slightest.
The man before him was the source of the headache, after all.
'Pathetic.'
Sighing inwardly, Palato chided the man ranting before him—Deroy, the estate lord's firstborn son.
"So after all that beating around the bush, you want to end the estate lord's life?"
"Don't put it so harshly... We're just following the natural order. Everyone knows Father has no hope left. The territory needs hope. Once I perform the succession rite, I can restore it to its former glory."
Deroy's proposal was simple.
The estate lord could no longer rule effectively, so rather than letting the chaos drag on, one of them should take over—for the people's sake.
And if the estate lord died and Deroy succeeded him, gaining the residence's miracle, he could expel Ridat's faction and bring peace.
In other words: stop life support and pull the plug.
To Palato, it was utterly absurd.
First, the man proposing it was one of the culprits who ruined the territory. Second, he brimmed with unfounded confidence despite not measuring up to half his father's caliber.
"I've heard this several times already, and my answer's always the same. If you want to convince me, bring a reason worth changing it for."
"It's because Ridat's that damned Ramun's bastard! Even if he pushes me out, he can't inherit the estate lordship—he doesn't have noble blood!"
"Leaving aside that it's just your claim, even if true, Ridat could still inherit the estate lord's power. Ramun's lineage traces back to the estate lord's house a few generations up."
Bloodlines spread naturally unless preserved through forced incest for power.
Thus, any prominent family in Belluan had an ancestor branching from the estate lord's line a few generations back.
Ramun and his sister—the estate lord's wife—were no exception. So even if Ridat's father wasn't the estate lord, succession posed no issue.
The rite couldn't distinguish true heirs anyway. And with the estate lord still alive, it couldn't be performed.
Deroy bristled at the point.
"So you're backing that lowborn bastard in the end?"
"I don't know why you're twisting my words. As I've said before, I'm strictly neutral..."
"In this situation, neutrality is as good as helping him! With the tide turning their way, if you don't help, Belluan's done for! A rootless bastard will become estate lord, and the territory will crumble under tragedy!"
His desperate cry was so heartfelt, an outsider might mistake Deroy for a true patriot.
Palato, of course, wasn't fooled.
Over decades, he'd seen Deroy lacked even a speck of sage-king material.
And if the intel from Arsen was true, Deroy was involved in the poisoning attempt too.
Both sides were guilty, but he couldn't help a patricide claim the throne.
"If you have nothing more to say, leave. Isn't this risky for you as Young Master?"
"You really..."
"Estate Lord!"
Just then, one of Deroy's subordinates called from behind. The honorific made Palato's eyebrow twitch with disgust.
'Unbelievable.'
The estate lord still lived, yet they called his son that. It was easy to guess their view of Nut, the estate lord.
A mere corpse clinging to life.
Regrettably, the estate lord's condition made denial hard.
"What is it? We're in the middle of important..."
"It's Ramun. He's coming with his gang!"
"Here?"
"Yes! Word is their approach is ferocious—they mean to finish this now!"
"That filthy adulterer dares!"
Gnashing his teeth, Deroy whirled back to Palato.
"He's ignoring your warning and attacking the residence. Still going to stand by?"
"...We should talk first. Strictly speaking, you're the one who brought an army here first, Young Master Deroy."
As Palato said, Deroy had brought all his knights and soldiers for safety in this meeting.
With the territory split north-south, no faction leader could visit the border estate residence undefended.
"I'm warning you: if I were Ramun, I'd take you out too while I'm at it. Too late for regrets after I'm dead. Think carefully."
"I'll keep that in mind."
After his threat, Deroy ordered his men to prepare defenses.
Palato inwardly agreed with his parting words. The Ramun he knew wouldn't miss such an opportunity.
* * *
Soon after, an army arrived before the estate lord's residence.
The group now called the South Army—Ridat's followers.
Deroy's North Army opposed them, while Palato, Zenovia, and Kamin stood awkwardly aside.
Ramun glared fiercely and demanded answers.
"You knew this, Palato. If you make contact like this, I can't just stand by."
"Just a chat, Ramun. Don't be so uptight."
Palato forced a relaxed smile, but cold sweat trickled down his back.
Even for a veteran like him, staying calm before the territory's mightiest knight was no easy feat.
Especially when that knight stared with naked hostility.
"...What's your game? The Palato I know wouldn't act so recklessly."
"Game? No idea what you mean."
As Ramun said, normally Palato wouldn't allow Deroy's approach—it was foolish.
Maintaining distance from both sides to stoke infighting prolonged the stalemate.
Had Palato firmly refused, Deroy would have left, and the uneasy balance lasted longer.
But Palato had engineered this deliberately. For a reason.
Just then, atop the hill leading to the residence, a soldier rode up furiously on his mount.
Palato smiled leisurely at the sight. He could guess the herald's news.
"...What's going on?"
Ramun muttered, scowling at the rider.
Moments later, the herald arrived, his face twisted in panic.
When he shouted the shocking news in a trembling voice, the surrounding knights mirrored his expression.
Only Palato's followers could afford to smile.
"Herald! Herald! Unknown army sighted in the western sector of the territory! Roughly twenty knights, over fifty mages! Request immediate support!"