Chapter 143
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: Short-Lived
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Son-in-law?
What the hell is this now.
Jin's face turned utterly bewildered at the ridiculous statement.
Even so, his gaze drifted to his own hand, which was being forced into what human society called a "handshake."
What kind of person's hand...
The chill seeping into his skin was anything but ordinary.
This wasn't some corpse.
It just didn't feel like it belonged to a living person at all.
So Jin checked the man's face again.
Still smiling faintly, a handsome man.
Aside from his snow-white bleached hair, not a single wrinkle in sight.
Even taking the most conservative estimate, he couldn't be older than his early thirties.
"So, what is it about my daughter that you like so much?"
Jin's expression twisted in shock at the follow-up.
This guy was truly insane.
Even if he'd knocked her up right after puberty, the kid would still be middle-school age. Why the hell was he going on about his daughter like this?
No matter how good-natured Jin was, his life had boundaries fenced in by common sense. When someone vaulted over them like a gymnast, it was bound to be a problem, no matter who they were.
"Um..."
"I thought you made up some nonsense to avoid a political marriage. But Heavenly Thunder? Never saw that coming. So... you first met Katrina during the tournament?"
"......?"
A wall named common sense.
It was the moment a colossal giant's kick came flying in.
That day, Jin remembered.
The terror this rotten world inflicted...
The humiliation of a friend's father looking like a peer...
"So you're Katrina's father..."
"Ah, this fool's head. I haven't even introduced myself yet. Name's Zeke."
Ice-White Zeke Marjie.
The 76th head of House Marjie and Katrina's father.
As he slowly released Jin's hand, he spoke.
"You've got circuits like whale sinew. Truly awe-inspiring. I heard you're from Zahard's side branch. Have you met Elder Manrae? No? Well, doesn't matter. I haven't paid my respects in over ten years myself. Haha."
Before Jin could even respond, he slipped into the cabin, rummaging through drawers.
"Let me see. Hmm. Here?"
"......"
Jin rubbed his right hand, still chilled, wondering what the hell he was doing, and quietly followed.
Meanwhile, Zeke clapped his hands.
"Ah! Here it is."
He'd found the mini-bar at last. Grabbing two canned beers, he leaned back on the nearby sofa.
"Care for one?"
"I'll have a cola... Er, sure."
Swallowing the word "cola," Jin awkwardly sat opposite him.
He accepted the can with its tab popped open.
Clink.
The cans bumped in mid-air, almost by accident, before heading to their lips.
Beer was one of the few alcohols Jin could stomach.
Not for the taste or the proof, but because the bloating afterward gave at least a fake sense of fullness.
Of course, alcohol was alcohol.
He didn't like it any more than usual, so he scrunched his face, blaming the sharp carbonation.
Then came a brief silence as he waited.
Staring blankly at the family head's piercing gaze, Jin slowly opened his mouth.
"Jin Evernight. Yes."
Uncharacteristically choppy words.
Like some kind of buffering.
His brain struggling with info overload had regressed his speech along with it.
So... he brought me here to meet my future father-in-law?
Better late than never, Jin grasped Katrina's cute little scheme.
No wonder something felt off.
But what could he do now?
The family head was already planted right in front of him like a boulder.
So Jin steeled himself.
Right. Me, Jin Evernight.
Man with 100% mission completion rate.
Future Solo King.
I deliver what I'm paid for.
That's what a solo does.
"I love your daughter...!"
Thinking of it as just an extension of the job, Jin floored the accelerator.
150 million received? This much is the least I can do.
Right, Katrina?!
As Jin mentally thumbs-upped himself, the family head burst into satisfied laughter.
"Is that so? Good."
Then came a barrage of questions.
What do you like about my daughter?
How did you two meet?
Who confessed first?
How did you feel when my girl lost to Eanna in the quarterfinals? Did you cry?
Jin answered diligently each time.
Of course, fabricating stories from scratch, he occasionally faltered, buying time with a sip of beer.
And so.
After downing five cans (important: no snacks),
Jin had become smitten at first sight with Katrina during the tournament, planned to win and confess grandly, but the black mage's intrusion ruined it. Facing a vague breakup, he blurted out a confession like a true man.
And that's not all.
She only seems cold on the outside.
But her warmer-than-anyone heart moved him deeply—
He especially loved her Indian dimple (right side) and beauty mark (left) when she smiled.
And when she lost to Eanna in the quarters, his heart shattered, but he also felt relieved not to face her in semis—caught in conflicting emotions bordering on heart demons, but now he'd overcome it, reaching late 2nd Hierarchy. A touching tale that stunned the family head.
A level 5 solo indeed.
Even in impossible client comms, fulfilling the mission to the letter.
So how would he take responsibility afterward?
Dunno. That's on Katrina.
"...I see you've been through a lot."
The family head nodded, impressed.
As Jin cautiously met his eyes,
"If it's not rude, your age... I mean, how old are you?"
"Me? Forty-four this year."
Jin flinched at the answer.
Same age bracket as the Colonel?
That face?
"No need to be so shocked. Our family tends to look young for our age."
"Oh."
As Jin made an intrigued face at the new info,
"Whoa. Time's flown."
The family head glanced at the wall clock and stood abruptly.
"Sorry, but that's it for today."
"Heading out?"
"Took longer than expected."
Then, just like when he'd first squeezed in, he clattered out of the cabin.
"Well, I'm off. Great talk!"
A beat.
"Son-in-law."
"......"
Jin stared at the empty spot left by the mirage-like man for a while, then flopped onto the bed.
A beatdown would've been better.
Who knew lying was this exhausting.
Having drunk, a pleasant drowsiness weighed on his eyelids, but he couldn't sleep yet.
First, get the stories straight.
Pulling his terminal from his pocket, Jin scrolled contacts.
But soon enough.
No dice.
No Katrina number, even after scouring. A wry chuckle escaped.
Yeah, that's all our relationship ever was.
Beauty mark this, heart demon that.
Whatever. It'll work out.
Please, tomorrow's me.
Good job, today's me.
Thus, Jin slowly closed his eyes.
How much time passed?
Soon, snores filled the cabin.
Short-lived.
The curse upon House Marjie.
From blooming crystal flowers to their mana circuits freezing solid and ceasing function.
Accompanied by excruciating pain.
Survivors described it as the whole body tearing apart from within.
The higher the hierarchy, the worse the symptoms.
Which is why.
House Marjie had the shortest generational turnover of any family.
Already the 76th.
While other houses' pedigrees lingered around the 30s, theirs had doubled that.
Think about it.
The day the era of Light and Roses ended.
The seven heads who ushered in the new age were revered as "founders" in another sense.
Recalling that their lineage restarted then, over seventy Marjie turnovers in a mere(?) thousand years.
Especially considering the Eternal East vanished 700 years ago—the subsequent cycles were insanely fast.
But how did the line survive?
Simple.
House Marjie had formed internal factions centuries ago.
Four factions.
The system of the most outstanding claiming headship was long established.
Inevitable schism from short life.
Obsessing over pure direct bloodline made continuity impossible, so they inducted side branches wholesale—that birthed the factions.
Not even Esquire.
Awakened side branches got direct-line treatment from day one.
"Ability supersedes bloodline."
Under that radical creed, geniuses unfit for nothing less than headship emerged from side branches raised indistinguishably.
Thus.
Heads from (indistinguishable) side-branch blood.
As this grew common, power structures grew ever more complex, leading to today.
And so were born.
House Marjie's four great factions.
Klairen, Belgrant, Solbein, Nibraks...
"Ughhh!"
Jin clutched his head.
"Too complicated!"
"Ah, you have to know it. Study!"
Katrina shouted firmly despite her nerves.
Jin sneaked a peek at her notepad, then groaned.
"Wasn't it just fiancé cosplay?"
"......To cosplay that, you need the basics."
"Ugh."
Jin snatched the notepad with a sour face and haltingly read aloud.
"Klairen prioritizes ability above all..."
Belgrant upholds direct-line purity and tradition as conservative faction.
Solbein is centrist.
Nibraks is radical, sparing no extreme to overcome the short-life curse.
Ah. Dizzying.
Why am I memorizing this?
Staring at the paper, Jin's gaze landed on Katrina opposite.
She flinched.
Her profile, pretending nonchalance, boasted a veil-piercing jawline.
How did it come to this?
It started the day after the family head ambush.
Meeting Katrina, Jin detailed last night's events.
Not to interrogate.
Just routine client-solo info exchange...
But no.
"Kyaaah!"
Like Mario, she bounced in place, face beet-red, and bolted.
Needless to say, caught quick.
Where to? Early 2nd Hierarchy at best.
Thus, hauled by the scruff like a criminal, she confessed head down.
Marjie members marry young due to short-life issue.
Less choice, more duty.
Especially as the current head's daughter.
"Why a political marriage? I'm only 24."
Wow. Hearing that line in person.
Forced marriage tropes with fake fiancés were cliché even in Jin's hometown.
Falling for the fake seals the cliché.
Now it was his reality.
That's why you don't know the world.
"Right. I lied about having a boyfriend. So while looking for Ruger, I hired you as fake fiancé too. Then I met you."
Heavenly Thunder!
Acknowledgeable powerhouse, even acquainted.
Couldn't pass that up.
Her sweaty excuses continued.
Jin's summary:
Saving Dad via Eternal East is top priority.
Nothing matters more.
My engagement sorts itself once he's healthy, but couldn't delay more, so burdened you. Sorry for not telling sooner.
But do you hate it that much?
I'm pretty...
That's how it went.
Cat out of bag anyway.
If doing it, do it right.
Katrina began drilling Jin on family lore.
Leading to now.
"Which faction am I?"
"Solbein."
"The bastard who groped me—which faction?"
"Nibraros?"
"Nibraks. Answer's Belgrant."
"Damn. Again."
At some point, competitive fire lit in Jin.
Thus they shared and studied essentials for a while.
"T-tear mole?"
"Said name one pretty feature. That's all that came to mind. Oh, mentioned dimple too."
"Th-that's it? Nothing else?"
"Nope?"
"Why? You into Eanna or something?"
"Whoa. Song of Ice and Fire? From her own mouth?"
The earnest talk ended awkwardly.
"Miss."
A middle-aged gentleman approached, bowing.
"The head summons you both."
"Father?"
"Yes. Something to announce before the elders."
The play began.