Chapter 97
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Secret of Birth (3)
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A slight headache was starting to creep in.
I could understand that my mother was of Calypso blood. I didn't know her origins, but I had always known she was no ordinary person, so it wasn't that shocking.
But the Calypso Bloodline Ability. Affinity. Hearing the explanation made my head spin.
The candidates I'd been considering for my own Bloodline Ability were Adaptation, Rejection, Resistance, Evolution.
I couldn't be sure which one it was. They might all be wrong, and it could be something entirely different.
One thing was certain: whatever it was, it was pretty far removed from Calypso's Affinity.
If my Bloodline Ability didn't come from my mother... then maybe from my biological father?
As I reflexively pressed my temples, Wilfried's concerned voice reached me.
"...Are you alright, Duke Zahav? You've only just woken up, and I worry I may have pushed you too hard."
"Pardon? Ah, yes. I'm fine. Just a bit surprised, that's all."
"That's a relief, then. ...So? What do you think?"
"About what?"
"About returning the inheritance that is rightfully yours, even if belatedly."
"Is there something left from the Calypso family...?"
The Calypso ducal house had been wiped out, but a family's wealth doesn't vanish in an instant.
It was all hearsay from long ago, but apparently, every power player swarmed in and stripped the Calypso castle bare.
Some went after the obvious gold and jewels, others stole rare magic tools or materials, and some claimed the empty castle for the symbolism alone.
The Calypso legacy had been plundered by countless scoundrels, most of it squandered pointlessly.
Even those black mages would pull out unheard-of rituals using Calypso magic tools or rare materials whenever I beat them down.
Thanatos's deathbed was one of them.
It was fueled by the black mages' accumulated forbidden knowledge, all sorts of magic tools, lavish materials poured without restraint, and even the life of their leader.
Well, I smashed it to pieces with my own hands.
Thinking back, a lot of the magic tools they used seemed to be summoning types.
They all came out twisted and mad, and I smashed their heads without hesitation to send them back.
At the time, I figured it was just black mages supplementing their weak front lines... but after hearing Wilfried's story, it seems the Calypso ducal house simply specialized in summons.
...Huh. That means I've personally destroyed more than a few traces of Calypso.
I smashed every magic tool I saw, and if an elixir or even a dubious material seemed remotely beneficial, I'd pop it in my mouth on the spot.
And the Calypso castle itself—the symbol of the territory, claimable only by the era's mightiest powers.
Its last master was a black mage, and in the process of crushing them, I wrecked half the place. That says it all.
...Huh.
So that's why even wealthy houses go bankrupt by the third generation, unable to protect their legacy.
As I nodded inwardly, Wilfried had an attendant hand me a long sheet of paper.
A quick glance revealed it was a list.
Summons housing spirits or beasts from other realms, various rare materials made from their body parts. Artworks of all kinds, and even deeds of rights.
It was meticulously organized, packed with every imaginable item.
"No way."
"Exactly. Just before sealing off Calypso, imperial knights arrived late and retrieved these. Along with gifts left at the palace amid talks of marriage between Lady Beatrice and Beatrix."
"......"
At the very top. A single item classified differently from all the rest.
Beatrice's portrait.
It must refer to the portrait of my mother and Ephestion Calypso... my grandfather.
I could sense Wilfried still missed her deeply.
It might just be a show to win my favor... but even so, knowing my mother was viewed positively eased something in my heart.
And so, without thinking, words I'd only pondered slipped out.
"...If you'd thought of her this much, why not visit her at least once?"
"I'm sorry. I truly had no idea Lady Beatrice was alive, let alone where she was or what she was doing..."
"We could've done a friends-and-family discount..."
"......"
Wilfried squeezed his eyes shut, as if he had plenty to say but wouldn't utter a word.
A glance around showed everyone else with heads bowed or averting their eyes, reacting similarly.
Incomprehensible...
I tilted my head and tucked the list into my robes for now.
"Anyway, thank you. I'll gladly accept this."
"G-good. We'll compile and send it to Zahav later. Ah, but about the magic tools—I have more to say."
I'd accepted it, but Wilfried's follow-up made it clear few items on the list were immediately usable.
Artworks could be sold or displayed in the mansion, but magic tools and materials were another story.
The black mages hadn't twisted summons with black magic for nothing.
Most Calypso magic tools simply enabled summoning, nothing more.
Building rapport with the entity inside and earning its cooperation came solely from the Affinity Bloodline Ability and the user's sincerity.
The tools themselves lacked any binding or coercive functions.
If I used one... I'd have no choice but to subdue the entity by force.
...Wait. That could work.
If it had intelligence, it might remember my mother or grandfather even if not me. Appealing to old ties could work.
For the dumb ones, just beat them until they listened.
I didn't need genuine friendship. Faking it would suffice.
The materials from rare entities were tricky to use as-is, too.
Anything with strong energy I could eat, and the rest I could ask Igni to use for reinforcing Zahav castle.
Best if Igni handled it personally, but realistically, the Magic Tower Lord was too busy.
Still, he'd probably spare us an elder mage or two.
Even that would outclass any mage money could buy.
The rights and deeds... most tied to Calypso Territory, so immediate use was iffy.
But there'd be a way. Leave it to big sis Jevella; she'd handle it.
As I nodded with a rough plan in mind, Wilfried spoke in a slightly weary tone.
"That covers your inheritance... Now, let's discuss proper rewards."
"There's more?"
"Heh heh. Of course. The prior discussion and your merits are separate matters."
With that, Wilfried resumed his dignified air and spoke.
"Enoch Zahav. You quelled the terrorism Patricius unleashed in the capital by allying with the black mages."
"It was simply my duty, Your Majesty."
"Duty or not, it was no easy task. Also, you previously asked to forgive my son's harm as reward for subjugating the Wild Hunt... but with his treason confirmed, Patricius is no longer family blood. Enoch Zahav. You merely acted as my sword, eliminating an imperial threat."
"An honor."
"Thus, as reward for the Wild Hunt subjugation, I promise in the empire's name no taxes on Zahav lands for the next ten years."
"I gratefully accept."
"And for recently stopping the black mages' terrorism and the Nightmare God's summoning..."
Wilfried grinned mischievously as he continued.
"I shall give you my beloved daughter, Cornelia."
"...Pardon?"
"Ah, no worries. I know Zahav's circumstances, so I won't insist she be your sole principal wife. Second wife will do."
"What do you...?"
It was absurd, but recalling this world's norms, I understood.
In a world with Bloodline Abilities, lineage was paramount.
Nobles married among nobles, but even then, they scrutinized the match to avoid diluting their own Bloodline Ability.
Thus, marriages between ducal houses weren't rare... but mostly side branches with main lines.
With such potent bloodlines, main-to-main unions made predicting the awakened ability impossible.
In bad cases, the powers canceled out, and a weaker family's ability skipped generations.
Jevella was one such case.
Even marrying a distant northern ducal branch diluted Zahav blood so much she awakened something from neither house.
Of course, the imperial family, confident in overwhelming ducal blood, occasionally proposed matches.
Like young Wilfried and my mother.
Naturally, noble society grew hypersensitive to bloodlines...
Which is why he so readily offered Cornelia.
Beyond strengthening alliances, it meant giving imperial blood.
Politically and practically, an enormous reward.
Seems my exploits impressed Wilfried greatly. Enough to forge ties at any cost. But.
'Hmm. Even so.'
Cornelia was attractive, sure, but compared to ten years of tax exemption? Honestly...
Of course, outright refusal was impossible. It could seem like spurning the imperial family—or even if not, rejecting an offered woman wasn't very Zahav-like.
After pondering how to decline naturally, I spoke.
"Your Majesty. Does Princess Cornelia truly desire this?"
"Not exactly. But she doesn't dislike you, and you seem fond of her, so she'll obey my command..."
"I'm sorry, but unless Her Highness's will is firm, I must decline."
"...May I ask why?"
I flashed a grin at Wilfried, his tone laced with subtle dismay and anger.
"Because a woman gains meaning not when given by another, but when she claims it with her own hands."
"...Ah."
Wilfried clutched his head like it ached and sighed.
"Zahav. Zahav never changes, does it."
Caught off-guard by the refusal, he tapped his armrest thoughtfully. Cautiously, I spoke to him.
"Then, may I make a request in turn?"
"Speak."
"You must know I'm close with the head of the Ellis Family and pursuing some special business lately."
What. As emperor, he'd long known Ellis was from a fallen noble house implicated in treason.
The mercenary guild was obvious too—anyone seeing the mercenaries who followed me into battle could guess.
"By your authority, pardon Ellis. And reinvestigate her house. If it was a false charge..."
"I promise. If so, I'll restore the Nagidel house's honor."
Good. Now I could bring Ellis into the light.
"The mercenary guild as well. I'll grant benefits for seamless operations anywhere in the empire. Full investment too. Though for the investment..."
"We'll settle a share of profits. As investment, not aid."
"You catch on quick. Good. But this doesn't balance the scales. Nothing else you want?"
"Hmm."
After brief thought, I spoke.
"Since you're already pardoning, could you go a bit further?"
"Eh?"
"Pardon two more. Friends who lived with me in Calypso. They escaped on their own recently and ended up wanted."
"Fine. Give me names, and it's done."
Wilfried nodded readily and continued.
"Ah, unrelated to this, could you grant me one favor? Nothing difficult."
"Of course."
"While at the palace, have tea with Cornelia once a day."
"That much..."
"Adriana might crash occasionally, but bear with it."
"...Your Majesty?"
Isn't Adriana's treatment a bit too much?