Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Evaluating the Heirs
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Porto gazed at his children struggling valiantly on the battlefield.
His eldest daughter, Ouriel.
She was rampaging across the field alongside mysterious wanderers of unknown origin.
Having inherited swordsmanship talent from both him and Kenneth, she was bold and courageous.
"Kill them all. It's time for slaughter."
She was an Aura user.
While she wasn't great at socializing or politics, she had a knack for bending people to her will.
The wanderers followed closely behind Ouriel, who charged at the forefront of the vanguard.
What a Family Head absolutely needed was powerful leadership.
The ability to present a vision to everyone and make them follow with magnetic charm.
Ouriel possessed it.
He didn't know what she'd promised the wanderers, but they fought like loyal limbs, fearless of death.
That overwhelming charisma, capable of making even criminals like them trail behind her, was precisely why she could be called a fierce general.
Her shortcomings would naturally resolve if she just learned to listen to her vassals' opinions, so Porto considered her one of the prime candidates.
In contrast.
"......"
Kenneth, who shared her talents, merely swung his sword in a dazed expression.
All he'd prepared for this curse was his own body.
The reason was likely that his mind had shattered completely after his last spar with Ester.
They say failure is the mother of success, but an irreparable failure only bred despair.
Kenneth had ultimately failed to absorb the failure as nourishment and had broken instead.
Porto harbored no lingering attachment toward Kenneth.
If that was the boy's limit, then that was the end.
No matter that he was his firstborn son, an incompetent foot soldier meant nothing.
Porto turned his gaze away without hesitation.
"If we successfully wrap this up, I'll pay one-and-a-half times the originally promised reward. Hold the line with your lives, no matter what!! The one who takes the most demon heads will receive a special prize!!"
Zephyr knew how to handle people.
Or rather, he was adept at reading hearts, masterful in social maneuvering, and skilled at turning money.
Zephyr was currently achieving the greatest feats among his siblings.
He'd recruited renowned mercenary bands from the Justina Kingdom and was capably filling the role of supreme commander in Porto's stead.
While Ouriel dominated with sheer charisma, Zephyr intelligently grasped what people wanted and exploited it.
Moreover, though young, he was proficient in military tactics and stratagems, possessing qualifications as a commander.
If he grew further, he'd surely rival Porto.
His martial prowess fell far short of Kenneth and Ouriel's, but it wasn't an essential stat for a Family Head, so it wasn't a major flaw.
Zephyr was another prime candidate.
"Cough, cough..."
Haniel stood on the battlefield, dragging her sickly body.
At her side were her guard knight Ian and Ester's attendant Dalpi.
If she hadn't fallen ill.
The successor trial in Tristy never would have happened.
Starting from her reputation as a genius in magic, Haniel possessed gentle charisma, virtue, intellect, political acumen—everything except martial arts.
In Porto's view, Haniel was the most regrettable child.
"I'll cast a spell..."
Even in a situation where aiming her own body was difficult, she'd prepared for this curse.
The magic traps set on the final defensive line and the devices inflicting slowdowns and strength debuffs on the demons were all her handiwork.
Moreover, with her frail body, she summoned a pillar of fire that even ten mages combined couldn't easily cast, leaving no choice but regret.
"Family Head. Urgent news."
An adjutant rushed to Porto, who was observing the situation.
"Ester, the young master of Tristy Academy, has appeared. Professor Aria reports directly that he's taken down major demons and is heading this way."
Ester Tristy.
The utterly incompetent youngest son he'd considered the most worthless until now.
Originally, he'd planned to send him to the frontlines in the first trial alongside Felix, but solving the Millennium Problem had completely flipped his evaluation.
—Lord Ester Tristy has done us a tremendous service.
—Thanks to your youngest son, we've averted the worst. Convey my thanks on behalf of Richter Territory.
—A talent versed in both civil and military arts is rare. Family Head, from now on, spare no support for Lord Ester Tristy.
The unparalleled genius who deciphered the Necronomicon barrier and pierced through even this Insane anomaly.
Unconsciously, Porto glanced behind him.
Beyond, a bizarre machine kicked up clouds of dust as it approached.
"Ho."
Right now, he was the brightest star shining in Tristy.
***
"It seems the young master has arrived."
At Dalpi's sudden voice, Ian and Haniel looked around.
They easily spotted the Helltank advancing at ferocious speed from behind.
"What in the world is that...?"
"Ester's new invention. Looks like he successfully persuaded the Red Tower Lord after all."
Before leaving for the academy, Ester had shown Haniel the Helltank blueprints.
—Never mind that I'm the designer, but... can you really build this in half a month...?
—No problem. Sister, just make the fuel from the corpses and money I brought.
It had seemed nearly impossible, but Haniel trusted her brother.
And Ester hadn't betrayed that trust.
In the end, the Helltank spewing hellfire had appeared here.
KABOOM-!!
It was overwhelming firepower that literally swept the demons away.
Haniel's silver hair fluttered in the gust.
"Really. When did he grow into such a reliable man...?"
Haniel smiled faintly.
Her little brother, who used to cry only in her arms.
Before she knew it, he'd become a genius acknowledged by the world, spreading his wings freely.
"Indeed."
Dalpi nodded.
"The young master is truly amazing. Serving such a young master makes me proud."
"Hehe, Dalpi, you're supporting him well by his side."
"That's what I do best in the world. Leave it to me."
As Ester's maid, Dalpi also wore a faint smile.
*The lame young master is nice, but a capable one is nice too.*
Meanwhile, the soldiers froze at the sudden hellfire barrage.
"Wh-what kind of magic is this?"
Zephyr momentarily thought it was Haniel's trump card spell.
But once he identified the source of the bombardment, he shook his head with a hollow smile.
"Haha, little brother, you're absurd every time I see you."
Before long, the Helltank was charging across the battlefield.
A rain of mana bullets poured from the coaxial machine gun, engulfing the demons.
"If you pull this off, brother, my goal of becoming Family Head will just look like the foolish delusion of an oblivious fool."
Zephyr eyed Ester's invention.
No matter possessing blueprints for such an amazing weapon and the technology to build it, the most crucial part of creation was capital.
In this world, there were so many things you couldn't do without money, and Zephyr knew that well.
His sole chance at becoming Family Head was the title of Tristy scion and the vast wealth from his businesses so far.
But the moment he saw Ester's invention, Zephyr was certain his capital couldn't compete with Ester's.
If a genius who could produce such an invention in short order seriously tried to make money, investors would flood in.
The Helltank had been built with Erfus's full investment, captivated by Ester's blueprints, so Zephyr's thinking was spot on.
"Really. What an unreasonable little brother."
With that scene, Zephyr finished all his calculations.
His last possibility had vanished.
He probably couldn't beat Ester Tristy even in death.
Fortunately, Ester didn't seem to crave the Family Head position that badly.
The best he could do now was secure some leverage to negotiate with Ester.
"Hmm."
Ouriel glared at the Helltank with unwelcome eyes.
"I need to figure something out quickly."
As she muttered, the nearby wanderers looked puzzled.
"It's nothing for you all to worry about. Just focus on cutting down demons for now."
The wanderers nodded.
"Ester Tristy..."
Unlike the others, Kenneth couldn't bring himself to look straight at the Helltank.
He was steeped in defeat and lethargy toward Ester.
Ouriel closely watched Kenneth, who hung his head like a loser.