Chapter 478: The Successor
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 478: The Successor
“I have heard your answer. Now, let’s hear what the children have to say.”
The moment I finished speaking, Jang Ye Ri’s brow furrowed slightly.
“It’s been a while, so I thought we could have a meal together…”
It was a family dinner, the first in a long time. Although Baek Ahyeon and Choi Seulgi weren’t here, I couldn’t recall the last time all my children had gathered for a meal like this.
While they were here talking with me, Choi Eunju, who had prepared the food, began to enter, offering a greeting.
“It’s been a while, Your Majesty.”
“Indeed, it has been for you as well.”
She was merely conversing with Jang Ye Ri, who had visited the settlement after a long absence, but as she began placing dishes on the table one by one, she looked every bit the part of a mother. I felt like I understood why the children called her ‘Great Mother.’
“The children?”
“They’ll be here any moment. Kids.”
One by one, the children’s faces came into view as they entered.
There was Laveua, smiling at me; Ratga, glancing nervously at his mother with an uncomfortable expression; and finally, Lapura, who blushed quietly and offered a polite greeting. She must have received separate etiquette training, as she bore a striking resemblance to her mother.
The three children’s personalities were so distinct, it was quite amusing.
“Dad!”
“Father…”
“Mother is here as well. Father, for what reason have you…”
Even the way they addressed me was slightly different.
“I didn’t call you here to discuss anything in particular. I just wanted to create an occasion for everyone to be together after so long.”
“Okay!”
Laveua, who nodded at me before sitting next to Mev and chattering away, was incredibly cute. Lapura also quietly went to her mother’s side, and Jung Hayeon gently stroked her hair.
I could also see Ratga, a tense look on his face, slowly taking a seat beside his mother.
“My mate… could it be…”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Jang Ye Ri began to speak quietly, but she closed her mouth again at my response. She was undoubtedly about to ask if the question I had just posed and the ones I was about to ask the children were part of some test.
She was half right and half wrong. You couldn’t say the test had begun. We hadn’t discussed the method for the contest, nor had we even talked about how the succession system would work.
It hadn’t been decided whether we would hold an election, like for the Great Tribe Leader, or evaluate martial strength, or perhaps choose based on a comprehensive consideration of all factors. It wasn’t even confirmed that the successor would be chosen from among my children. Nevertheless, I had a reason for gathering them. It was crucial to know what the children and their mothers were thinking.
Some might not want it, and others might find it burdensome. Since I could roughly read their emotions, today’s gathering would be a great help in resolving things moving forward.
‘As I thought…’
Lapura and Ratga were sharp.
Seeing the two of them, tense as they were, I could get a general sense of what they were thinking.
We had family dinners from time to time, but a meal with everyone gathered in times like these was enough to make one feel a sense of unease. There was a slight difference between them and Laveua, who was simply chattering away happily. Ratga, in particular, thought very much like I did.
“Dad, so what Mom said back then was…”
“Mm…”
“By the way, are Nicole and Ratga really getting married?”
“That depends on how they feel.”
“Ah, it’s still too early for that. B-Both me, and, uh, Sister Nicole…”
“Laveua! I told you to chew your food slowly and carefully when you eat!”
“Ah… okay, Mom. Hehe.”
A rather natural atmosphere formed. Choi Eunju sat beside me and began serving each of the children from the dishes she had brought, while Mev and Laveua ate together in a flurry. The sight of Mev herself not chewing properly was adorable. Even more so was the sight of her gulping down milk, having apparently decided to drink Half-Minotaur Milk instead of water.
‘Somehow…’
Somehow, she didn’t feel like a mother.
Lapura and Jung Hayeon were the very picture of composure, like two peas in a pod. The bud in Lapura’s stem-like hair bloomed slightly, a sign that she was enjoying the meal. Though she ate quietly, the flower bud was speaking for her emotions.
“Mother, please have some.”
“Thank you.”
One by one, they started speaking to me, and I smiled, naturally blending into their conversation. To be honest, it was enjoyable. Spending a long time in gatherings like this naturally helped me escape from various complicated thoughts.
I felt sorry to interrupt their pleasant conversation, but asking the children their intentions came first.
“Ahem.”
As I cleared my throat once, all eyes naturally turned to me.
“I’m sure you are all aware of the talk circulating within the tribe recently.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Mhm…”
“To be frank, choosing one of you is an incredibly difficult task for this father. I had originally planned to bring this up gradually after you came of age, but now that I have become the Great Tribe Leader, I don’t think I have the luxury of waiting any longer. Of course, before any of that, this father respects your free will. There may be those who wish to inherit the Blood Dagger Clan, and those who do not.”
“…”
“This isn’t meant to pressure you, nor is it a test, so I hope you will say what’s on your mind. If you do want it, I would like you to tell me why.”
Their reaction was one of people facing something they knew was inevitable.
I had tried my best not to pressure them, but there was no way the children wouldn’t feel burdened hearing such words. Even Laveua, who had been smiling continuously, was now staring at me in silence. Nothing more needed to be said.
Among the mothers, Jang Ye Ri had been the first to speak, but it was different with the children. In the now-quiet room, the first to speak was none other than Lapura.
“Though I am lacking…”
“…”
“Though I am lacking, of course I want it. To inherit what Father has built up to this point is incredibly meaningful to me. I am well aware that others, not just those present here, may also be qualified.”
Kim Yoora wasn’t keen on the idea of inheriting the Blood Dagger Clan. Lapura was undoubtedly referring to her.
“However, if someone must succeed Father, I believe it should be one of his children. And, I apologize to my sister and brother, but I would like to say that among the three of us, I may be the most suitable for that position. This is not just empty talk. I will strive to protect and carry on what Father has achieved, and to help the Blood Dagger Clan develop even further. I want to inherit Father’s will, right by his side.”
It was an answer befitting Lapura.
Her voice was calm but firm. Jung Hayeon, too, was looking at Lapura with a faint smile. It must have been a satisfying answer for her. It was a very satisfying answer for me as well. A hint of accomplishment flickered across Lapura’s face, suggesting she too was pleased with herself. Not to be outdone, Laveua opened her mouth next.
“I… I can… I can do it, too. If I… if I do it. I-I’m a little lacking, but… for a long time in this tribe… the clan members who follow Dad always look so happy. I-I want to always be happy, too… It’s hard to say, but… it’s not like I’m not ambitious. My siblings might be a better fit… b-but I don’t think things will stay the same over time. I want to try.”
This, too, was just like Laveua.
Perhaps due to Mev’s influence, Laveua wasn’t very articulate. It took her a long time to finish her hesitant, stuttering words, but it seemed she had said everything she wanted to say.
I naturally understood her meaning. It was similar to Lapura’s sentiment, yet slightly different. If Lapura placed more meaning on the act of succession itself, Laveua seemed to be saying that she, too, could grow and develop along with it.
All that remained was my one son.
Naturally, everyone’s gaze began to focus on Ratga. Unlike his usual self, he looked burdened, even glancing at his mother, Jang Ye Ri.
“…”
He was contemplating what the correct answer might be. Seeing him search for a right answer where there was none, it seemed the presence of his mother was making him a little uncomfortable. Of course, Ratga loved his mother. If he saw her struggling because I was gone, he would come to me himself to report that his mother was having a hard time. Among the children, he was the one who mentioned his mother the most.
Simply put, his filial piety was profound. Because of that, he was searching for an answer that would please Jang Ye Ri. At least, that’s how it looked to me.
“I… I will inherit Garia of the East, regardless of the matter of succession for the Blood Dagger Clan. However, I have heard that you, Father, once said that if I have the ability, I could inherit the Blood Dagger Clan as well. I, too, wish to inherit what you have achieved.”
“…”
“Although humans and Green Skins are currently living together in an alliance, no one knows when this peace might be broken. My dream… my dream is the perfect harmony of humans and Green Skins. I know that I am lacking, and that it is still just a dream. However, if I were to inherit Garia, the throne, and the chieftainship of the Blood Dagger Clan simultaneously, I believe it could perhaps be the starting point for all to become one.”
“…”
“That… is all.”
After he finished speaking, I saw Ratga glance up at Jang Ye Ri. He was checking to see if his answer had been correct. However, Jang Ye Ri’s face was subtly furrowed.
He realized something was wrong.
Ratga’s answer just now and Jang Ye Ri’s earlier statement were perfectly identical, just phrased differently.
“Moth…er…”
When she, who rarely showed her emotions, furrowed her brow, Ratga began to panic. I could see him frantically running through his mind what he had done wrong, what error there had been in his answer. Jang Ye Ri tapped her fingers on the table for a moment before her heavy lips began to part.
“Huu… It is not your fault. There is no need to make such a face, Ratga. Rather, the fault lies with this mother.”
“What?”
“Let us speak of this slowly when we return home later.”
“Yes… Mother.”
Ratga still wore a look of confusion. I smiled as I watched Jang Ye Ri and Ratga. There was a slight problem, but it wasn’t bad. It felt like I had a bit more to think about.