Chapter 268: Just in Case
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 268: Just in Case
“What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I said. My second older sister is a member of the Mayerbridge Union Clan. The Head of the House wishes for her to return to the family. I apologize for the intrusion, but I must ask for your help.”
Rivier Spanya. From what I remembered, he was the half-brother of Rubia and Rubica—eight years younger than Rubica. He was the concubine’s son who had supposedly usurped the position of family heir.
If he meant his 'second older sister,' he was obviously talking about Rubia. She was the one currently affiliated with Mayerbridge Union, after all.
“And what do I stand to gain from this? Why should I risk causing friction with the Mayerbridge Union, with whom I maintain an excellent relationship?”
“...A rare metal mine was discovered on the Spanya estate. The Head of the House ordered me to bring her back by any means necessary, so—”
“Because a mine was discovered? And what exactly do you plan to do?”
Merchant Theodora is a scary woman.
Seeing her cut off the small talk the moment the contract was mentioned and immediately bring out the scales of profit, it didn't seem like we’d ever be short on money once we were married. Not that I was particularly worried about that.
“...Who is this person beside you? I wish to speak with you in private.”
“Are you aware of how much money and time people spend just for the chance to sit at the same table as a Lymain?”
As Theodora coldly turned to leave, Rivier Spanya reached out in desperation.
“P-please! Just hear me out—”
Thud!
Of course, his hand never reached Theodora. Instead, I caught him by the wrist.
“Keep your hands to yourself.”
“W-who are you?! I am currently speaking with Lady Theodora… Argh!”
The moment I gave his wrist a light twist, Rivier Spanya cried out in pain.
“Theodora’s husband.”
“H-husband…! I’m sorry! I truly didn't mean anything by it…!!”
“Let him go, Aven.”
I hadn't even gripped him that hard. Even after I let go, he grimaced and rubbed his left wrist as if it were throbbing.
“T-this strength… Are you perhaps an explorer?”
“Something like that. I’ve even partied with your sisters before.”
“Is that true?! Then, in that case…!”
* * *
“Rubica is being confined?”
“Yes. I never had any interest in the position of heir, but my mother suddenly… Ugh…!”
From what he told us, after the legal wife of the Spanya family—the mother of Rubica and Rubia—passed away, the new concubine had done something to the Head of the House to force her unwilling son into the position of heir.
So, his excuse about the 'Head of the House' wanting them back was a lie.
“The Head is growing more haggard by the day… and above all, strange things keep happening on the estate. People go missing, or graves are found dug up… We’ve had poor harvests for two years, so we have to spend money to buy grain, but my mother…”
“Hmm, that is strange.”
The Head of the Spanya family was said to be a strong man who once served as a knight. It was essentially a family of warriors, but Rivier claimed his mother, the concubine, had started acting strangely since the year he turned sixteen.
“My mother told me to send a letter to my eldest sister, so I wrote a simple greeting and sent it…”
“And then she suddenly returned and was imprisoned by your mother?”
“If the Head were in good health, he might have stopped it… but he’s bedridden and unable to do anything. He probably doesn't even know that my sister has returned to the estate.”
Judging by Theodora’s reaction, this wasn't exactly a common occurrence. However, it wasn't entirely unheard of either. In short, the concubine was taking advantage of the Head’s poor health to seize control of the family.
Meanwhile, the son had no interest in becoming the heir. Of the two older sisters, one was captured, and the other was still away.
“Wait, then doesn't that contradict your request? From your perspective, wouldn't it be better for Rubia to stay outside with the Mayerbridge Union?”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
Ultimately, calling Rubia and Rubica back seemed like a plot to eliminate the bloodline of the legal wife who was originally meant to inherit the family.
Rubica had been lured back by a letter and imprisoned, while Rubia remained outside only because she had already joined a clan.
It made no sense for him to ask for the Lymains' help to pressure the Mayerbridge Union just to bring Rubia back to the estate.
“I heard my second sister is a powerful explorer. They say a Cobalt Grade is among the ranks of elite explorers…”
“You want to use Rubia’s strength to do something about the family?”
“T-that’s right. We need martial force to stop my mother’s rampage.”
“Even so, it’s a noble house with its own territory. Can a single Cobalt-grade explorer really handle it?”
Of course, Rubia was an explorer with significant combat power. It was true she had gained plenty of practical experience while grinding in the Mayerbridge Union. But even so, she shouldn't have enough power to take down an entire noble house on her own.
And above all, Rubia’s skill had a bit of a hitch. Her Strength Stack Skill required her to be out of commission for about six hours after a boost. She might be able to fight longer if she used stacks consecutively, but still.
It was fine in the Labyrinth where you could find time to rest, but taking over a noble estate wasn't something that would be settled in a single day with a round of applause.
“I think that part will be fine.”
“Is the Spanya family much smaller than I thought?”
“We used to have about eighty soldiers and knights in total… but currently, most of the soldiers are starving. Of the three knights, the two who sided with my mother are fine. But the other one, like my eldest sister…”
“Is imprisoned?”
The state of that house was definitely a mess. But only three knights? I thought a ducal estate usually had around twenty thousand knights. I wasn't sure how strong those two 'fine' knights were, but at this scale, it did seem like something Rubia could handle.
“However, your unfortunate story isn't enough to justify creating friction between the Lymains and the Mayerbridge Union.”
“T-that…”
It was cold, but true. The Spanya family wasn't particularly important to the Lymains, and what he offered in return was a bit vague. We didn't know the scale of the rare metal mine or if it was an economically viable deal.
“Hmm. Rubica, huh.”
I did owe Rubica a personal favor. The storage artifact I’d been using so effectively all this time had come from her.
I’d received it in exchange for giving a starving Rubica some deer meat I’d hunted, but looking back, the values didn't exactly match up.
“Does it have to be Rubia?”
“She has the legitimacy… I could use money to hire other mercenaries, but the bottom line is that my mother controls all the funds.”
To avoid any noise regarding the succession, it was best for Rubia to return and clear the house herself. Rubia had always wanted her older sister to become the heir anyway.
“So what needs to be done? Do I just have to kill your mother?”
“W-well… that’s… I still love my mother… She’s only become strange over the last few years. Because I love her, I just want her to return to the way she was…”
Theodora, who had been listening from the side, tilted her head slightly as if something had occurred to her.
“People disappearing… well, if there’s a famine and the estate is a mess, you’ll get deserters. But why were the graves dug up?”
“We aren't sure about that either. As I said, the soldiers who should be investigating such things are too starved and weak to do anything.”
Since everything was falling apart, the state of the territory was bound to keep deteriorating.
“How exactly is your mother acting 'strange'?”
“She… she’s become very strange. She seems to crave the position of heir, but she says it doesn't matter if the people die… In fact, she’s said bizarre things like it’s better if they die so there are more corpses.”
“Better if there are corpses? And digging up graves?”
“Sounds like something a Necromancer would say,” I muttered.
Come to think of it, it was true. She wasn't a Necromancer, so shouldn't she want as many subjects as possible? That’s how you collect taxes and mobilize labor. Letting everyone starve to death over a two-year famine was just wrong.
If her son was going to be the heir, she should normally cultivate the estate well before passing it on. That way, she could live in luxury in her old age.
“Are you returning to your family after the banquet?”
“Yes, I am. I was only able to attend this social gathering because I begged for it. If I didn't show my face at these events, people might start getting suspicious.”
Theodora turned her head to look at me. Her face asked what I wanted to do.
“Go back to your family for now.”
“Ah…”
“I have connections with the Mayerbridge Union as well. I’ll help if I can.”
“R-really?! Thank you, brother!”
It’s been a while since someone called me 'brother.'
* * *
“Aven, what are you planning? Are you going to help him?”
“I received something from Rubica once. It doesn't seem like it’ll be too difficult. Don't worry, nothing much will happen.”
“Hmm… alright. Just don't get too deeply involved. Okay?”
“Yeah, of course.”
In the Spanya family’s cramped parking area, located a good distance from the entrance of the banquet hall.
Splat.
A fingernail-sized Evil Eye scurried after the retreating Rivier and stuck itself to the exterior of his carriage.
“I can see it clearly.”
“Huh? See what?”
“Beautiful Dora’s face.”
“W-what are you talking about?!”
While skillfully fending off the playful swats from the blushing Theodora, I shared the vision of the Evil Eye I’d attached to the carriage.
It’s just a hunch, but surely not.
The methods were just too similar to the Antonio Brotherhood.