Chapter 47
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 47
Within the Custoria family estate stood an annex called the Silver Moon Pavilion. Set slightly apart from the other buildings, it was wrapped in a profound silence.
"The Silver Moon Pavilion is where the old folks who've retired from the front lines stay."
Heilas walked ahead of me, dressed in his Imperial Guard uniform. Together, we made our way toward the pavilion.
"Servants and the other relatives don't seem to come near this place."
There hadn't been a single sign of life on our path here.
"Androids are more than enough for running errands. Besides, the elders prefer to avoid contact with others. They're not supposed to exert direct influence. At the end of the day, an elder is merely an advisor. Their role is to keep the Family Head from running wild."
So the elders held no direct decision-making power. Then again, if they did, the Family Head would be nothing more than a puppet.
Heilas went on to explain the elders of the Silver Moon Pavilion. There were seven of them—a number that could seem large or small, depending on how you looked at it.
"Those who survive long enough to be treated as elders are rare in our family. They die and vanish for all sorts of reasons. The very fact that they're still alive is proof enough of their qualifications."
"Did anyone oppose my adoption?"
"Two opposed, four stayed silent, and only one approved."
"So there was more opposition than support."
"Silence means they defer to the Family Head's will. That's why, more often than not, the Family Head's decisions go through. Even the opposition was merely voicing concern, so there's no need to take it to heart."
Heilas and I came to a halt before the main entrance of the Silver Moon Pavilion. The doors slid open on their own. The interior was pitch-black, but the moment we stepped inside, the lights flickered to life.
The musty smell of old dust, so typical of ancient houses, hit my nose. This was, without a doubt, the oldest building on the Custoria estate.
On the first floor, curved staircases wound upward on both the left and right. I followed Heilas up the steps.
Creak.
The solid wood groaned beneath us, making me wonder whether it could even bear the weight of a prosthetic body.
"They're sturdier than they look, so don't worry."
Heilas chuckled at my hesitation.
At the second floor, a long hallway stretched out before us. We walked to the room at the very end.
The first thing that caught my eye was a large, three-legged incense burner—the source of the faint scent I'd noticed since stepping into the second-floor hallway. It sat in the center of the room, and beyond it, the elders were seated like shadows.
The smoke rising from the incense hung like a curtain, separating us from them.
"Ah, Heilas is here."
"Uh-uh, you should call him the Family Head."
"He's my grandson. What does it matter?"
"If we're going by that, you're practically my nephew."
"We're all just growing old together anyway, tsk..."
Despite the solemn, dignified atmosphere, the banter they traded was surprisingly mundane. I suppressed a smirk and kept my face blank.
"Ahem."
Heilas cleared his throat. Only then did the elders' idle chatter die down.
Beyond the darkness and smoke, it was impossible even to make out the elders' genders. They wore black robes that draped to their feet, and veils concealed their faces. Even their voices sounded alike, as though they'd been modulated.
"This child is Luka... us."
Heilas introduced me. It seemed my new name didn't roll off his tongue either. Judging by the slip, he'd probably keep calling me Luka. Honestly, that suited me better anyway.
"Ah, so that's the boy."
"He looks sharp. From that face, he's the type who'd claw his way to survival even if it meant devouring his own father and mother."
The elder who spoke... had quite the keen eye.
The elders began to murmur, each tossing in their own remarks about me. As the whispers grew louder, Heilas and I simply stood there, waiting in silence.
"Come closer, Lucaus."
One of the elders spoke. I stepped toward the incense burner in the center of the room.
"You may pass the burner."
The elder who had called me reached out a hand, gesturing forward. The murmurs of the others faded.
"Closer."
I walked forward mechanically. Now I was close enough to touch the seated elders if I reached out.
Rustle.
One of them rose, long robe trailing. Reaching out, they laid a hand on my cheek. I looked up, but the veil hid whatever expression lay behind it.
"Child, pray survive for a long time. To do that, you must not let yourself be swept away by chaos—you must swallow it whole. Even if it tears your throat to shreds."
The elder spoke while gazing down at me. They likely knew a great deal—including the tangled web of circumstances surrounding me.
"...That is my intention."
I mulled over how to respond, then simply voiced the first thought that came to mind.
I had a hunch. The elder stroking my cheek was almost certainly the one who had approved my adoption.
They sat back down and gestured for me to withdraw. I walked back past the incense burner and returned to Heilas's side. Afterward, the elders resumed their idle chatter.
In any case, my adoption was already a done deal. My sole purpose here was to show my face. For a long while, I stood there, listening to words that could have been blessings or curses for all I knew.
"Would you all kindly shut your mouths? Let us move on to the next matter, Family Head."
The elder seated at the far right spoke up, unable to hold back any longer. Heilas, as though he'd been waiting for this moment, finally spoke.
"Then, from now on—"
"Ah, but before that, we should send Lucaus out. We are about to hold our meeting."
At the elder's words, I turned to leave.
Tap.
Heilas stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.
"It is fine for Lucaus to stay."
The elders whispered among themselves in hushed tones.
"If that is the Family Head's decision, then we shall proceed."
I stood there for a full hour, listening to the meeting between the Family Head and the elders. Parts of it were mildly interesting, but most of it was mind-numbingly dull.
Creak, thud.
Once the meeting ended, Heilas and I left the room. The moment we passed through the Silver Moon Pavilion's main entrance, I asked him:
"Why did you keep me in the meeting instead of sending me out?"
...In all likelihood, neither Nikolaos nor Jupe had ever sat in on an elders' meeting.
"You must find the answer yourself, Luka."
Heilas spoke without so much as glancing back. It seemed this was his style of education. No wonder his children had such a rough time.
* * *
It was the morning of my last day at the main estate.
The moment I stepped out of my room, a brat a full head shorter than me was pointing a pistol at my face.
"My dad said people like you can dodge bullets. Is that true?"
The voice was innocent. I stared at him. I knew his face and his name all too well.
Emilio Custoria, son of the eldest brother, Nikolaos.
I supposed I ought to call him my nephew, but I had no desire to. I'd rather call him a fearless little pup.
"Emilio, you know I'm your uncle, right?"
"Yeah, I know. But you're just a dirty-blooded lower-class citizen."
Calling him a pup was too generous. Let's go with a rotten little parasite.
Emilio was aiming at my head from about two paces away. I could easily dodge it, but at this distance, one mistake could prove fatal.
"Put that gun away, or I'll beat your ass black and blue."
I warned him.
"Someone like you? Lay a hand on me? Don't make me laugh."
A sigh slipped from my lips. Nikolaos seemed intelligent enough, but he'd clearly done a terrible job raising his kid.
Click.
The gun's internal mechanism engaged with a sharp sound. This crazy little brat was actually pulling the trigger.
Bang!
The gunshot rang out. I didn't move an inch. Even at this range, I'd anticipated he would miss.
"Why didn't you dodge?! You were supposed to jump out of the way!"
Emilio stamped his feet, throwing a tantrum, then tried to level the barrel at me again.
Smack!
I reached out, catching the barrel between my fingers and forcing it upward. In one fluid motion, I twisted the gun out of his grip.
He's eight or nine at most...
When I was Emilio's age... I was throwing fists with other kids at the orphanage over a single piece of bread. The thought stirred an inexplicable anger in me.
"A-Are you going to hit me?"
Emilio took a step back, panic written across his face. Shaking my head, I aimed the stolen pistol right between his eyes.
"No. I'm going to kill you."
Emilio's pupils blew wide. The strength drained from his legs. As if I'd been waiting for exactly this moment, I pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The bullet grazed the crown of his head and buried itself in the floor behind him.
"Y-You... you actually shot at me?"
Collapsed on the floor, Emilio stared up at me with vacant, terrified eyes. His pants were soaked with a yellowish stain, and a pungent, acrid smell began to rise.
"Go tell your dad. Tell him your uncle tried to kill you."
I planted my foot against Emilio's chest and shoved him down the stairs. His chubby little body went tumbling down the steps.
Servants who'd heard the gunshot came rushing from every direction, utterly clueless about what had happened.
"Emilio! Are you alright?"
Nikolaos dashed over and scooped Emilio into his arms. Snot and tears streaming down his face, the boy clung desperately to his father.
"What is the meaning of this, Luka?"
Nikolaos glared at me, his voice like ice.
"He pointed a gun at an adult, so I gave him a little lesson. To make sure he never does it again."
I spun the pistol in my hand and offered him the grip. He inspected the weapon and let out a sigh.
"Is that so? Still..."
"Still?"
I was starting to lose my patience too. If it had been anyone else, they might have died. Young as he was, that little brat held human life in utter contempt. He probably viewed his subordinates as nothing more than toys.
"...Haah. Can we speak in private for a moment?"
Handing Emilio off to a nanny, Nikolaos stepped into my room. I followed him in and shut the door.
Thud.
The door clicked shut.
"Alright, Luka. To anyone watching, it'll look like we're in the middle of a serious conflict."
Nikolaos settled into a chair by the window, smiling as though he'd never worn a grim expression in his life. I frowned. I understood at once what was going on.
"Did you orchestrate this whole thing just to get a private meeting with me—because meeting openly would make others think we're forming an alliance?"
Last night, Nikolaos must have goaded Emilio into acting out.
"Brilliant, as expected. Your mind works three times faster than Jupe's."
"Emilio could easily have died. Is he some kid you picked up off the street?"
"No, he's my biological son. But even if there'd been an accident, I can always have another. I've still got plenty of sperm left, after all."
If Emilio had died in front of me, regardless of the reason, I'd have been backed into a corner. The eldest grandson of the Custoria family, dead by my hand.
"Did you really think you could set a trap for me and then expect a friendly chat?"
I turned toward the door, intending to kick Nikolaos out.
"I already know you've formed an alliance with Giselle."
I paused, hand on the doorknob, and turned my head.
"And?"
"I can guess what Giselle told you. She probably made it sound like I've got the upper hand. But the reality is different. At this rate, Jupe will become the next Family Head. And if that happens, I might not even keep my life. In a situation like this, the minor details have to be ignored."
To Nikolaos, his own son's life was apparently nothing more than a "minor detail."
Honestly, I was starting to find Nikolaos a bit intriguing. I sat down across from him and glanced at the wall clock.
"You have five minutes."
"Thank you for sparing your precious time."