Chapter 48
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 48
"With your insight, you've probably already figured out what kind of people Jupe and I are. I'm sure Giselle gave you some advice as well," Nikolaos said, broaching the subject.
I had my doubts. I couldn't see Nikolaos losing to Jupe in the battle for succession.
Compared to Jupe, Nikolaos was level-headed and highly intelligent. He was also eloquent enough to easily win over their relatives and vassals.
"Please, go on." I sat down across from Nikolaos and crossed my legs.
"If Jupe becomes the Family Head, I'll probably end up dead."
"Would he really risk killing his own brother after already securing the position?"
In fact, Artur—who had once fought Heilas for the headship—was still alive and well. His circumstances were just a bit pathetic.
"If one side is overwhelmingly powerful, there's no need to eliminate the competition. But the gap between Jupe and me isn't that wide. No matter who becomes the Family Head, the other is bound to be a thorn in their side."
As I listened, it made sense.
"Especially if Jupe wins. You seem far more cunning than him, brother."
"I'm glad we understand each other. If I become the Family Head, I can afford to let Jupe live. But Jupe won't let me live."
It was a difference in their capacity to rule. Jupe lacked the ability to keep Nikolaos as a subordinate, whereas Nikolaos had the caliber to keep Jupe under his thumb.
"But the real question is... why do you think you'll lose to Jupe? From what Giselle said, and from what I've seen, it doesn't look like Jupe has what it takes to seize control of the family."
"Right now, it might look like I have the upper hand because I've won over so many people. I certainly have more 'definitive' allies than Jupe. But when the actual vote for the Family Head begins, the factions supporting Jupe will outnumber mine."
"Does Jupe possess some extraordinary charisma?"
"It's a combination of factors. Some relatives want a former soldier. Others prefer Jupe's simple nature over someone cunning like me... and then there are those who, out of resentment toward our father, the current head, don't want a strong leader. For various reasons, those currently claiming neutrality will ultimately throw their support behind Jupe."
Different experiences and knowledge lead to different interpretations of the same situation.
Nikolaos was a skilled politician. His perspective was entirely different from mine or Giselle's; he viewed the fluid neutral factions as Jupe's potential allies.
There's something to learn here.
Nikolaos hadn't risen through the bureaucratic ranks for nothing. He knew how to read the political landscape.
"So, what is it you want from me?"
"It's simple. Pretend to oppose me, raise your reputation within the family, and build up your own following."
A chill ran down my spine, and I let out a chuckle. Nikolaos was a truly cunning man.
"You mean the higher my standing, the weaker Jupe's position becomes."
"The relatives who want a former soldier as the Family Head will lean toward you easily. The more fiercely you oppose me, the more those who dislike me will rally behind you. If you siphon off and divide Jupe's support base, then I—with my solid core of backers—can secure the headship."
Just two days after meeting me, Nikolaos had already formulated a plan for his victory and put it into action—even at the cost of putting his own son in danger.
Just as Giselle said, Nikolaos takes after Heilas a lot.
Nikolaos was a snake of a man. But I liked him far better than Jupe. Even in an advantageous position, he never let his guard down, preparing thoroughly for every contingency. The one who deserved to win was Nikolaos, not Jupe.
"...What if I grow strong enough to covet the position of Family Head myself?"
"If you truly had that intention, you wouldn't be asking me this. And even if you did become the Family Head... you wouldn't kill me. What Family Head Lucaus Custoria would need to run the family is an advisor like me. Isn't that right? You have the capacity to handle me."
"Amusing. And I'm not being sarcastic—I mean it. Back when I was rummaging through trash cans, I thought all nobles lived without a single care in the world."
"Everyone has their own struggles. Now, let's simplify this. Our deal is this: no matter which of us becomes the Family Head, we won't kill each other. The two of us have the ability to complement each other's shortcomings. And in the meantime, if there's anything you need, I'll support you. After all, I do hold a seat among the high-ranking officials—even if it's at the bottom of the ladder."
It was an enticing offer.
"As you know, I'm currently in a cooperative relationship with Giselle."
"Don't worry about Giselle. Even if you support her, it will be hard for her to become the Family Head. She isn't our competitor, so there's no reason to eliminate her. If you want to keep your loyalty intact, you can tell her everything we just discussed."
I had no intention of telling Giselle. Nikolaos's proposal wasn't a 'request for support.' It was simply a means to bleed Jupe's power dry.
Even without his proposal, I would have absorbed Jupe's forces first. It was inevitable, given our overlapping backgrounds as former soldiers.
What Nikolaos fears most is cooperation between me and Jupe. Me supporting Jupe.
As long as that didn't happen, Nikolaos wouldn't antagonize me. Things might change later, but for now, that was how it stood.
"This is a transaction, not an alliance, brother. We only maintain it as long as our interests align."
"Haha—in the world I live in, that's usually called an alliance. People here only move for self-interest."
Having concluded his business, Nikolaos stood up. It had been exactly four minutes and fifty seconds since the start of our conversation. The moment he stepped out the door, he pointed a finger back at me inside the room and began to shout.
To anyone listening, it would sound like we'd just had a massive falling out.
"Luka! I don't care how great you think you are—you won't be recognized as a Custoria if you look down on your older brothers!"
What a performance. I barely held back from applauding his passionate acting.
* * *
My stay at the main house was coming to an end. It had only been three days, yet it felt like a full week.
From now on, I'd visit the Custoria mansion from time to time as well, though most of those visits would likely be alongside Heilas.
In any case, today I was returning to the Imperial Guard with Heilas. Officially, my home was the Custoria mansion, but I already missed my tiny room in the training center dormitory.
"How was it, Luka?"
Heilas didn't ask for details about what had transpired at the mansion. He'd remained a mere bystander, no matter what I, Nikolaos, Giselle, or Jupe did. This was a good thing for me, an adopted son. He didn't coddle his biological children.
"They're all such good people. I think we'll get along just fine."
"Your sense of humor has improved." Heilas chuckled as he boarded the aerial vehicle. Behind us, the relatives and servants who'd come to see us off stood in a line.
Once the destination was set, the aerial vehicle's lower thrusters engaged. Rising slowly, the vehicle gained speed and quickly left the mansion far behind.
Whirrr.
Bringing up a hologram, Heilas began tackling his backlog of work right in front of me. He must have been squeezing in work between everything else even at the main house.
No matter how many times I saw it, the workload of the Imperial Guard Captain was beyond imagination. An ordinary person wouldn't last a day.
Whir.
I felt the thrusters at the bottom of the vehicle shift. There was no reason to change direction midway.
I raised my head and looked out the window. The aerial vehicle was heading out of Akbaran.
"No need to panic, Luka. This is as planned." Heilas closed all the holograms and stood up.
"Did you have another appointment?"
"The aerial vehicle we're in has most likely been hacked. It's going to crash soon, so let's prepare for that first. Consider this the start of your mission."
I found his words hard to comprehend. But at the word 'mission,' my agitation instantly froze over.
No sooner had Heilas finished speaking than the aerial vehicle surged forward. It picked up speed fiercely, as if determined to burn through every last drop of fuel. The surrounding scenery flashed past, and within seconds the capital of Akbaran had shrunk so far that a single palm could cover it.
Clunk.
Heilas opened the vehicle's storage compartment. He tossed me a pistol and a knife from inside.
I armed myself without a word, waiting for his next words and orders. Recognizing this as an emergency, my mind turned ice-cold.
"I'll keep it brief. We're about to be attacked by terrorists. Support will arrive from Akbaran in ten minutes, so we just need to hold out until then."
"Understood. Should I prepare to drop?"
There were emergency parachutes on board.
"No—if we do that, we'll be sitting ducks. It's safer inside the vehicle. Still, riding all the way to where the enemy is waiting is dangerous, so we'll land before then."
Heilas calmly walked over to the control console. I hadn't realized the Imperial Guard Captain was also versed in electronic warfare. Indeed, when you reach a position like that, you have to know how to do everything...
Crunch!
...Or so I thought, right before he opted for a more physical solution.
Heilas's arm punched straight through the computer screen. He ripped out a tangled mess of wires and vital components. Electrical currents sparked in all directions, and flames erupted inside the cabin.
Blare! Blare!
An ear-splitting alarm echoed through the cabin. The vehicle was plummeting. And Heilas called this a "landing."
...My eyes widened slightly. Just because he was the Imperial Guard Captain didn't mean he always used sophisticated methods.
"It's amusing to see you surprised."
"I'm not amused."
I grabbed the handles on the wall and ceiling to brace myself.
The thrusters of the out-of-control vehicle fired wildly. The vehicle spun in every direction like a tossed ball, dragged down by gravity. Every time it rotated, my body was thrown side to side.
Naturally, the interior became a complete mess. Unsecured objects flew through the air, battering my body. I covered my face with one hand and grimaced.
Squelch.
A pink liquid oozed from the seams of the interior walls, quickly hardening to coat the surfaces. Shock-absorbing gel.
"Luka, let me give you a quick quiz. What do you make of our current situation?" Heilas asked, still sitting calmly in his chair.
It was a miracle how he managed to stay balanced and seated in the spinning cabin. Did he have glue on his ass? I was more curious about that, honestly, but I forced my mind back to his question.
"You made yourself the bait, Captain."
The answer came easily.
Heilas was that kind of man. He didn't just send his children and subordinates into harm's way; if necessary, he was more than willing to put himself on the line.
"Correct. With this incident, Barbara will gain trust within Nemesis. After all, she'll have created a situation where she could attack the Imperial Guard Captain himself."
Barbara again. Honestly—ally or enemy—I really wanted to punch that woman square in the face. I didn't want to kill her; I'd be perfectly satisfied if her nose was crushed flat.
Enough daydreaming. Back to harsh reality.
The gel-coated window was blurry, but I could tell the ground was rushing up to meet us.
Screeech!
We were plummeting. We were literally nose-diving!
Even I had no choice but to close my eyes for a moment, praying that when I opened them, my limbs and internal organs would still be in their proper places. A corpse from a high-altitude fall? I'd seen one before, and it was truly horrific. A person literally turns into a rag. Not a metaphor—literally.
BOOM!
An ear-splitting roar erupted. The explosion happened in an instant.