Chapter 17
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: New Star
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Clink clank.
A feast of foods so tantalizing they made saliva glands explode, paired with the aromas of exorbitantly priced liquors.
It looked like a scene that should bring joy just from the visuals alone, yet no one at the dinner table could bring themselves to speak easily.
'What the hell is this situation?'
Unless it was something major, the whole family rarely gathered in one place to eat.
And yet, the day after mentioning a victory commemorative gift, they were holding a family meal? Surely this wasn't supposed to be the gift?
Did he read my anxious gaze?
Kim Jang-seok, seated at the head of the table, stared at me quietly before letting out a small chuckle.
"Is this unfamiliar to you?"
I wanted to snap back with something like, "You call that a question?" but power was the ultimate bully, so I swallowed my anger and spat out a reply.
"Yeah, something like that."
"Still, it's a rare occasion—our clan has gained a new star, so we should at least have a meal like this."
"New star?!"
The one who reacted with that wasn't me—it was Kim Seok-ho.
New star? Why's he so shocked just from hearing that?
New Star :: A term denoting the successor to the Mountain Lords, implying they will inherit everything.
'Wait, new star?'
The phrase had been so distant from my life that I'd shoved it deep into the recesses of my memory and forgotten it.
How could I have overlooked something like this? As if to compensate for my poor recall, my privilege kicked in with razor-sharp precision to supplement my knowledge.
"Of course, it's temporary, for the sake of fairness."
"Temporary?"
This time, it was me who responded.
No, if it's a new star, it's a new star—what's this temporary business?
'Actually, thinking about it, this was originally meant for Kim Seok-ho.'
Me, the orphan picked up from the orphanage, versus Kim Seok-ho, the direct bloodline.
If asked who to hand the Mountain Lords to between the two, it would be the latter every single time.
Even from that perspective, the mere fact that I was on the same level as Kim Seok-ho—even if temporarily—was something enormous.
"Yes, temporary... Normally, Seok-ho would inherit the clan, but upon reflection, that seemed too unfair."
With that, Kim Jang-seok snapped his fingers with a crack!, and just like that, the food in front of me vanished, replaced by three stacks of documents that appeared out of nowhere.
"Now that you've become the new star, these are the pieces of information you need to know, the duties you'll handle, and the matters you'll be responsible for."
That seemed explanation enough, as Kim Jang-seok immediately turned his gaze to Kim Seok-ho and continued.
"I'll give you five years. By then, Seok-ho, you'll have plenty of time to enter the academy and make your mark. During that time, we'll determine who is the more suitable successor."
With those words, Kim Jang-seok rose from his seat. The meal had just been an excuse from the start—it felt like he'd orchestrated this solely to watch the fierce rivalry between brothers unfold.
Just as it seemed he was leaving, Kim Jang-seok suddenly wore an expression like something amusing had come to mind and tossed out one final remark.
"And Geon-ho, you have an engagement coming up, so prepare yourself."
"Huh?"
Slam.
Kim Jang-seok turned his back as if every last bit of business was concluded, not even bothering to acknowledge my confusion, and left the dining area.
'What the hell is this.'
So much had happened in an instant that I needed time to sort my thoughts. Just as I was about to stand...
"This is bullshit! That's impossible! Hey! Tell him you can't get engaged right now!"
Wearing a face full of rage, Kim Seok-ho shot up from his seat and strode toward me.
From his expression, it was clear he'd grasped the flow of the conversation perfectly. Having been the heir designate for so long, he seemed to know a lot about this.
But since I could just look it up with my privilege anyway, my response to Seok-ho was simple.
Crack!
"Aaaargh!"
It was giving him another chance to straighten out that slightly inferior nose of his compared to the rest of him.
I never dreamed that my fist and Seok-ho's nose would put on a performance of slamming a hammer down hard to drive the nail in with one blow.
"Then I'll be excusing myself. Thanks for the meal."
"Aaaaargh! Stop right there! Right there!"
I hurriedly fled to my room, leaving Seok-ho's howls behind me. Today was a day that demanded a ton of time.
The Mountain Lords are famously known for not seeking fiancées from within their own country. The reason is their belief that old bloodlines have gone rotten. Except in extremely rare cases, they form ties with daughters from abroad and have children with them. This prevents interference from the maternal family, allows them to pressure the in-laws by holding their daughters hostage, or conduct one-sided transactions. Thus, for a Mountain Lords successor, marriage is merely a process to bolster their power, not the fruit of love.
I already knew this, so pass.
'Not this stuff—something I don't know.'
I fed in a few more keywords and thought. There was a brief lag, like a portal site search bar, before the answer appeared.
In the 1st round, Kim Seok-ho, who was fully recognized as the Mountain Lords successor, was originally set to marry Heila, the eldest daughter of the Radmos family. However, Heila's side vehemently opposed it. As a result, the engagement was nullified, and until you managed to stay alive in the 1st round, Kim Seok-ho could not find a fiancée.
Yeah, this is it.
What I was curious about wasn't the engagement process—it was info on the fiancée.
'Heila Radmos... yeah, definitely a woman Kim Seok-ho could never handle.'
When dungeons first appeared, most who called themselves nobles shirked their duties and fled, but the Radmos family upheld theirs to the very end—a family with deep traditions.
They even seized control amid the chaos and founded a nation, which said it all. Of course, these days, the imperial family was little more than a facade, but their influence remained as strong as ever.
In simple terms, she was someone fully qualified to have a high nose.
'And the eldest daughter... no wonder she rejected.'
Mountain Lords usually preferred marrying into families one rank lower to dominate them unilaterally.
The Radmos family was digestible but too big to swallow in one bite. Naturally, they cleanly rejected the Mountain Lords' proposal.
'From what he said, it seems like that punk Kim Seok-ho likes Heila.'
Falling for someone you'd never even met just from a photo and thinking marriage? Talk about childish.
You could really feel how immature his thinking was. No conversation yet, and his head was already filled with weird delusions—nothing to be done about it.
'There must be a photo...'
It wasn't incomprehensible once you saw her face.
Gorgeous blonde hair complemented by striking blue eyes.
An inherently refined face, and even dressed in luxury clothes, her very aura screamed high-class, creating perfect harmony.
When the chance to marry a girl with a face like this came along, what did a young guy prioritize?
I could understand the sentiment, but Heila was fundamentally the type Kim Seok-ho could never handle.
The cowardly, sniveling Kim Seok-ho versus Heila, overflowing with a sense of duty and justice from a venerable family.
Pairing those two was like struggling to force mismatched puzzle pieces together.
'But I'd have issues with her too.'
A wastrel son and Heila weren't exactly a great combo either. But I absolutely could not give up this engagement.
Because the moment it succeeded, the odds of me being fully recognized as the successor were extremely high.
To get revenge on Kim Jang-seok and live a new life, I had to devour the Mountain Lords no matter what.
"Let's give it a shot."
In the way that suited a wastrel son best.
I'd already bedded Marren Mayribel that way from the start and was slowly breaking her in, so this method was sure to work.
With those thoughts, I headed for the dorms ahead of tomorrow's classes.
"Hold up. Come see me for a bit."
"Now?"
"Yeah, actually, this is what I need you for."
...If Kim Jang-seok hadn't suddenly summoned me.
"I suddenly feel like sparring with my son."
What kind of nonsense scheme was this?
"Hmm... the Mountain Lords?"
"Yes, that's right."
"I remember them being the ones who backed out?"
"They say circumstances have changed and want to proceed with the engagement talks again."
"Ah... really?"
Splash splash.
The woman listening to the report while taking a half-body bath fully clothed—Heila Radmos.
She slowly mulled over the freshly delivered information.
'Suddenly now, of all times?'
A few years ago, when the engagement talks first arose, the Mountain Lords had sent their refusal, citing that they couldn't show off an embarrassing child.
They'd brought it up first, only to suddenly reject it, leaving her with an absurdity beyond words.
And now they wanted to revisit it? That meant the 'embarrassing child' was no longer embarrassing.
In other words, it signified one thing.
'They've found a man who can stand equal to me, huh?'
Back then, the Radmos family—no, Heila herself—had proposed one condition.
Her partner must not be a source of shame.
As long as that condition was met, Heila didn't particularly care who she married. She had full confidence she wouldn't get entangled with whoever it was.
After all, a relationship forged purely by transaction could be treated as nothing more than a transaction. To that end, she only cared that their stations matched at minimum.
That had been her mindset originally. But now, the side that had rejected her was suddenly brimming with confidence, and Heila found herself intrigued.
'I wonder who the man is that they think suits me.'
Slide.
Unable to overcome her curiosity, Heila bit her finger and spoke.
"Investigate my prospective fiancée's information immediately. As fast as possible."
"Yes, understood."
After the maid received the order and left, Heila tilted her head slightly, her expression filled with interest.
"If he's not a man who suits me..."
She vowed to crush that confidence.