Chapter 38
Translator: penny
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Belverk's Bratty Boy Patriarch
"Oh my, if it isn't the little patriarch!"
"Hey, it's the acting patriarch. Get the title right."
"Young Master looks great in his uniform~!"
About an hour after receiving the unbelievable report from Schwarz. For some reason, I was already wearing a custom-made uniform and heading to the entrance hall where the maids had gathered.
"Young Master. From now on, the patriarch's personal guard will escort you."
"...Personal guard?"
"They are the maids of Belverk who specialize in combat, serving only the patriarch."
The moment Schwarz, who was following beside me, finished speaking, maids with cold expressions appeared out of nowhere, emanating black smoke as they surrounded me.
'There were combat maids separately?'
As far as I knew, every maid in Belverk had the skill to easily overpower an ordinary knight. Separate combat maids?
Then how strong are these people?
"...Young Master, we need to test if the command authority has properly transferred."
"I-is that so?"
"Yes, so try ordering them to kneel."
While I was lost in those thoughts, the acting head maids approached me and whispered secretly.
"K-kneel!"
Honestly, it seemed like a reasonable suggestion, so I issued the command with as dignified an expression as possible. The personal guard stared at me silently for a moment before simultaneously lowering their postures and kneeling before me.
"Pfft."
"Whoa, they actually knelt."
"You crazies. Serves you right."
At the same time, the maids began muttering with sinister smiles.
"Young Master, this time try ordering them to take off their clothes..."
"No, maids are for service, right? This is our chance to..."
"Enough with the jokes."
The sisters made requests that sounded suspiciously wrong, but this time Schwarz intervened and stopped them.
"Young Master, there's no benefit in getting on the personal guard's bad side."
"...Y-yes."
"Now, let's move quickly."
With the personal guard rising again and escorting me, I began heading toward the mansion's entrance.
"Normally, we'd hand over the authority granted to the acting patriarch and its scope, but given the circumstances..."
"......"
"Get in the carriage first, and we'll continue the discussion there."
Honestly, I never imagined Schwarz could make such a serious face, but it seemed this was truly an emergency.
"You've arrived, Young Master Kairen."
"...Yes."
"No, I should call you Acting Patriarch now."
Anyway, upon arriving at the carriage, the retainers who had been waiting bowed their heads and spoke.
"We didn't want it to come to this either, but the situation..."
"Sigh, the Duke picks the worst time..."
"...But she always goes into heat around this time."
I quietly listened to the retainers' worried mutterings before cautiously asking a question.
"Um, everyone. Where is Mother right now?"
But the retainers, who glanced at me for a moment, soon cleared their throats and averted their gazes.
"...I'm sorry, we can't tell you that."
"We'd like to, but..."
"Ahem, cough..."
It was a bit resentful, but if even my personal maid Schwarz had to keep silent, there was nothing to be done.
"What should I do?"
"You need to board the carriage immediately and head to the imperial palace."
"After that, you'll probably attend the Four Great Meritorious Houses Conference."
"Of course, being your first time, you might be inexperienced, but no need to worry. Belverk won't lose face over something like this."
Having quietly accepted the situation, I asked the retainers, and information began pouring in immediately.
"However, there is one thing you need to be careful about..."
It was right then, as the retainers trailed off while glancing at me again.
- The Four Great Meritorious Houses are only urgently convened if it's an emergency, right?
Suddenly, a languid voice laced with cold amusement came from beside me.
- Well, the heads of the Four Great Meritorious Houses are all extraordinary figures. Each one can shake the empire with a single word.
I turned my head at the familiar tone, and my eyes widened upon seeing the second daughter's personal maid from last time standing there holding a magic communication device.
- Of course, none of them compare to our Belverk...
So, the one speaking to me now was none other than my second sister? But why does her speech pattern feel so familiar?
- If you're looked down upon in such turbulent times, something irreversible might happen?
As I tilted my head in déjà vu, Schwarz stepped forward with a cold expression and spoke.
"Second Lady. We haven't heard from you until now—what brings this?"
In response, the magic communication device, silent for a moment, transmitted the second daughter's voice again.
- I've come to provide a solution to this situation.
A solution? She's not saying she'll take over as acting patriarch now, is she?
- Unfortunately, I can't go there myself, but I have a good plan for my new little brother.
Fortunately, it didn't seem like she was revealing such dark intentions, but why did it still make me uneasy?
- It's simple.
As I quietly stayed on guard, the second daughter's personal maid suddenly pressed the magic communication device to my ear and pulled out a glass vial from her bosom.
"This is...?"
I closely examined the single wriggling strand of hair inside the glass vial, then doubted my ears at the second daughter's whispered proposal.
- Consume me, Kairen.
No, what are you suddenly talking about?
- I'll parasitize inside you for today.
Saying something like this to a brother she's meeting for the first time—Belverk really isn't normal.
The imperial palace of the Shinehardt Empire, while not to the extent of Belverk, harbors several ghost stories.
For instance, rumors say a dragon capable of destroying the empire slumbers in the most secretive, heavily guarded depths; gardeners wandering the grounds disappear every few years; and sometimes, while walking the corridors at night, portraits of past emperors speak.
But among them, there's one rumor not widely known: the heads of the empire's meritorious houses secretly gather with the emperor to decide major national affairs.
Of course, the Shinehardt Empire is a peaceful nation that operates its government transparently through open conferences respecting all ministers' opinions, so such a thing would never happen.
"Sigh, what a hassle..."
However, for some unknown reason, a situation directly denying that imperial image was about to begin in a room that didn't exist on the palace maps or blueprints.
"...Is everyone here?"
The emperor, Justina Lumen Shinehardt, who had just sat at the head of the conference table in the room that shouldn't exist, tossed the question in a slouchy posture with a face full of annoyance.
"In my absence, the northern threat level is rising by the minute, Your Majesty."
The first to sit on the right was none other than Harkfried Margrave, guardian of the north responsible for security and administration in that harsh border region.
"I didn't want to drag you, who's nothing but trouble, to the capital either. But circumstances leave me no choice."
"...Well, with Belverk's eldest daughter at the front, there shouldn't be issues for a while."
"Mm, she's certainly a match for her mother. A short absence won't cause problems.
She, who commanded private forces so vast even the imperial family couldn't ignore, straightened her posture while stroking the wrinkles around her eyes that hid what must have once been beauty.
"I thought I'd send this backroom old fogey on vacation, yet here you are bothering me again."
On her opposite side, an old man with arms crossed was the head of the Sharhen Marquisate, a prestigious swordsmanship family that had nearly been elevated to ducal status multiple times.
"Speaking of which, so many women in meritorious house head positions. Truly the end times."
Even past seventy, once called the world's greatest swordsman just a few years ago, he glanced around with his characteristically sharp eyes before speaking.
"Old man, starting again? The empire is merit-based."
"Women by nature are...!"
"Sharhen Marquis. Even I, the emperor, am a woman?"
"...Ahem, my apologies."
Covered in scars hinting at his past, he was about to spout more rigid nonsense when the emperor's rebuke made him cough and shut his mouth.
"Sigh, I have several researches to finish, yet here I am dealing with old fogeys. Why did Opstein have to cause that mess."
Meanwhile, the person seated beside him was Magnaris Marquis, head of the newly inducted magic noble house replacing the dismissed Opstein Marquisate, and master of the imperial magic tower.
"...Old fogey? You saying that?"
"Heh, ridiculous."
"Weren't you already tower master when I was a kid?"
She wore a witch's hat pulled low, astonishingly youthful—like the youngest son of some monster ducal house—but those hearing her were shooting incredulous looks while muttering.
"Enough chatter, I'd like to start soon, but..."
In any case, despite these prominent figures gathered, comparing to the next was a stretch.
"...The most important person hasn't arrived yet."
Heaven above and earth below, unique and supreme. Opposite the emperor, who should have all beneath her feet, sat the owner of the other head seat: the matriarch of the Monster Ducal House, claimant to the empire's black throne.
"...Astridje Duke is late for the first time."
"Haha, tardiness now too? Goodness..."
"Showing such arrogance even here. That's why the young ones are no good."
However, for some reason unlike usual, as complaints toward her—who hadn't appeared despite everyone being present—began piling up from the house heads.
- Creak...
Suddenly, the conference room door opened, and someone appeared.
"...Hm?"
"Huh?"
"What?"
The house heads, who had turned cold gazes expecting to chide the finally arriving Astridje, soon doubted their own eyes and tilted their heads.
"H-hello..."
It was because, instead of the expected Astridje Duke, a completely unanticipated figure had appeared.
"...Ow."
"Young Master, be careful."
The mysterious figure cautiously glanced around the room shrouded in cold silence, then tripped and bumped his head on the table corner while trotting toward where the house heads sat.
"Eek..."
"Oh dear, let me help you up."
"Th-thank you."
Wincing slightly, he flailed to climb onto the nearby chair but was ultimately lifted onto it by the maid who had entered with him.
"...B-Belverk Ducal House. Present."
With Belverk's empty seat finally filled, the emperor, who had watched somewhat blankly, spoke up.
"What is the meaning of this?"
In response to the question, the standing maid Schwarz smiled with her eyes and answered instead.
"Belverk's current patriarch is Lord Kairen."
"Why?"
Everyone present froze at her concise and confident explanation.
"...Because he's cute."