Chapter 58
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: The Prodigal Son Returns
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Passing through the teleport gate brought a slight sense of disorientation and blinding light. When I opened my eyes at the end of it, a familiar sight greeted me.
"It's been a while."
"Strictly speaking, it's only been a little over half a month by the calendar... but yes. As you say, Patriarch, it does feel like ages."
Despite all the ups and downs, I'd wrapped things up nicely and even received gifts from Ignis before arriving back at Zahav territory.
Perhaps because I'd grown so accustomed to this place, it even felt comforting, like returning home.
...Even though I knew it was a place I'd have to leave someday.
Unlike the cool yet oddly humid air of the west, the dry, scorching air of the south filled my lungs.
I took a deep breath and looked around.
The same wide open space as when I'd departed for the west. A few of House Zahav's retainers had gathered, having received prior notice.
However, there were far fewer than when I'd left.
I'd sent word just yesterday, and it was midday now, so they were probably all busy with their duties.
The last time I'd seen them, Zahav's administrative and managerial retainers had been focused on repairing the collapsed walls and restoring finances, centered around Jevella.
The knights had been occupied rebuilding outposts inside the dungeon and around its entrance while investigating recent anomalies.
...Still, I had hoped Hilda would come out to greet me.
Feeling a twinge of disappointment but shrugging it off as unavoidable, I gave Karen a shrug.
But Karen had no intention of letting it slide.
Her usual expressionless face. Yet her eyes were noticeably colder, her voice stiff as she glared at the gathered retainers.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"L-Lady Kesef. It's just that..."
"Right now, I stand here not as a daughter of House Kesef, but as His Excellency the Grand Duke of Zahav's exclusive butler. I ask again. What is the meaning of this?"
"......"
The retainers—each old enough to be at least twice her age—began to falter under Karen's piercing aura.
"Karen, Karen. They're probably all busy. I'm fine, so let's head in. I want to see Sister Jevella."
"No, Patriarch."
I tried to soothe her gently, but Karen was unusually stubborn today. She was still huffing—just enough to notice if you looked closely.
"I understand that not all retainers could gather. You notified them yesterday, and it's a busy time right now."
"Right. That's why I was going to let it go..."
"But I can't understand why the ones who did show up are all mid- to low-level administrators."
"...Huh?"
Blinking, I examined the gathered retainers one by one more closely.
Not a single one wore armor or even a knight's uniform. Their loose clothing hid bodies with no signs of training.
Just ordinary bureaucrats. I vaguely recognized some faces from memory, but I didn't know a single name.
In other words, none held positions important enough for me to memorize their names.
Just as Karen said—only mid- to low-level administrators.
This was quite unusual.
House Zahav fundamentally revered strength. It wasn't without administrative roles, and while far inferior to a mage tower, it did have a few mages for convenience and maintenance.
But the largest group among the retainers were, of course, the knights.
And externally, they were the most envied; internally, they received subtly better treatment.
It was natural for House Zahav, long tormented by the dungeon, and one of the main reasons my own antics had been tolerated...
The fact that not a single knight had shown up meant only one thing.
For some reason, Zahav's retainers were snubbing me.
Karen was rebuking them for it.
"These fools don't even know what feats the Patriarch accomplished in the west..."
"I-It’s a misunderstanding! Please hear us out!"
The retainers, glancing nervously at me in panic. Shaking my head at the sight, I patted Karen's back.
"Karen. Let's hear them out first. Whether we get angry or punish them can come later."
"...If that's the Patriarch's will."
Karen nodded curtly, still grumpy, and shouted at the bowing retainers.
"Explain exactly what happened, leaving nothing out. That's the only..."
Her words were drowned out by a familiar, breathless voice rushing in.
"P-Patriarch! This is bad! You must return to the main castle at once!"
A woman dashing down the stairs, almost tumbling, skirts slightly hiked up.
A familiar face, familiar voice. Though this frantic side was new.
Jevella's exclusive maid. Laila.
"What? Where's Sister Jevella? Why are you alone? What happened?"
"Th-The eldest young lord..."
"Huh?"
Perhaps I'd grown used to being called Patriarch instead of young lord now, so my reaction was a beat late. But Laila pressed on, suppressing her ragged breaths as if that wasn't important.
"The eldest young lord, who we thought died in the dungeon, has returned!"
"???"
What was this nonsense?
Blinking, I turned to see Karen equally dumbfounded, blinking back.
"Didn't you say all my other brothers were dead?"
"Y-Yes... They all died. In fact, his disappearance marked the start of the real successor competition."
"Aha."
House Zahav actively managed its dungeon to control the periodic monster surges as much as possible.
Hiring adventurers to cull numbers, or intervening to take down dominant monsters.
Delaying surges as much as possible, even selectively controlling the types of monsters that emerged.
That was Zahav's dungeon management.
"The eldest young lord... inherited particularly potent blood compared to the others. There were even murmurs he'd surpass the previous Patriarch at a similar age."
"How do I compare?"
"N-No, not to that extent."
"......"
"Absolutely not."
"...I see."
I reflexively gauged passing the Grand Duchy to him, but Karen's sharp denial came right back.
"Anyway, since the eldest was like that, the other young lords didn't compete much among themselves..."
"I see. So when the presumed Young Lord suddenly vanished during dungeon management, everyone else stuck their heads in, hoping for a chance."
"Yes. The previous Patriarch may not have had a clear successor besides the eldest, so he tacitly allowed the competition, declaring he'd pass the Young Lord position to the strongest survivor."
"He probably didn't expect them all to actually die."
"...Indeed."
Karen smiled bitterly.
That aside, earlier I gauged out of habit, but this situation was looking pretty good.
The original heir. And far superior to the other brothers in ability.
Someone with both legitimacy and talent.
Not like Jevella or Yuria, uninterested in the Patriarch role.
Having fended off ambitious younger siblings to hold the Young Lord seat showed ample ambition for Zahav's throne.
In short, the perfect opponent to whom I could hand over the Grand Duchy I'd been waiting to relinquish.
Suppressing my rising excitement as much as possible, I asked,
"Well, isn't that good? The guy we thought was dead came back. So what's the big disaster?"
"That's..."
Laila, trembling, hardened her expression and continued.
"The eldest young lord, already of a violent temperament, has become even more savage."
"...What does that mean? He came back a wastrel? No, more like he went from wastrel to utter madman."
"It's worse than that."
After a brief pause to choose her words, Laila continued.
"First... upon emerging from the dungeon, he beat to death the knight who guided him."
"What? Why?!"
"According to what he told Lady Jevella, 'A dog that fails to recognize its master, no matter how ragged from wandering the dungeon depths, deserves death.'"
"...?"
So... because the knight didn't recognize his dirtied, dungeon-ragged appearance after guiding him out, he killed him?
"Is he insane?"
"...That's not the end."
Laila squeezed her eyes shut, unable to call a Zahav bloodline mad herself.
"Back at the castle, he shattered all four limbs of a maid who attended his bath and bed, leaving her critically injured..."
"No, why this time?!"
"He said it was just because it had been so long since he'd held a woman, he got overly excited."
"......"
"Then during dinner, he shoved the head chef into the oven for the meat being overcooked..."
"Not the chef too?"
"No. Fortunately, Lady Jevella heard and arrived in time to save his life. He's under treatment now."
"Phew. At least he survived."
Each revelation made my head spin.
A single day.
All this in barely a day.
More precisely, half a day since returning from the dungeon.
"And after that..."
"More? When did he even return?"
"Two days ago. After that, upon learning the previous Patriarch had passed and that you, the new lord of Zahav, were away, he's been indiscriminately threatening the key retainers."
"No way..."
I whipped my head toward the flustered mid-level admins.
"All the others too?"
"Y-Yes. Everyone else is dealing with the eldest young lord... waiting for your return, Patriarch."
"......"
Speechless, I watched Laila drop to her knees and bow deeply.
"Patriarch. Please, do something about the eldest young lord. At this rate, even Lady Jevella won't be safe!"
"Ha."
The prodigal son had returned.
But he was still a monumental prodigal.
With a deep sigh, I jerked my chin at Laila.
"For now, guide me to where this eldest brother is. ...I need to talk to him first."
I knew he was perfect for handing the Grand Duchy to.
But for some reason...
Even though the moment I'd waited for had arrived, I wasn't exactly thrilled.
We soon arrived at the audience chamber.
Seeing the eldest blatantly pull a middle-aged male servant under his desk in front of the stiffly standing retainers—poised to draw swords if needed—I realized.
"Ah."
No wonder my wastrel act hadn't landed with these guys.