Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Heirs' Evaluation
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‘Tired as hell. But if I can just hold out through tomorrow, things should work out somehow.’
Less than half a year had passed since my return to the past, but more had happened than I’d expected.
In the time I would’ve normally wasted drowning in booze, I’d mastered my Heterogenous Power, Pankration, and even Earth.
And I’d successfully handled the famine preparations that my eldest brother had botched in the original timeline.
‘Once this is over, next up is… Ah, right, that.’
In the original timeline, the Sword Family’s success with these famine preparations would give them a decisive edge in their power struggle with the royal family.
But this time, it was our Banten territory that secured the wheat from Nile. I wondered what kind of ripple effect that would have.
“Damn it, no rest for the weary. No rest at all.”
Knowing the future was definitely a huge advantage, but sometimes it felt like a crushing burden—especially when that burden was too heavy to bear.
As I mulled over what lay ahead, heading to my room, I found some unwelcome faces waiting for me at the entrance.
Two of them, in fact.
A man and a woman, each carrying massive shields on their backs, stood blocking the doorway from both sides. There was no way in without passing between them.
“You’re late.”
“Ugh.”
I tried to slip into my room as if I hadn’t noticed them.
But it didn’t fly. The man on the left spoke up in a stern tone.
“Hey now, ‘ugh’? Jerome, that’s no way to greet your elder brother. As a scion of a noble house, you should act accordingly...”
The man launched into a lecture about “what it means to be a noble,” droning on as I tried to brush past.
“Ah, come on, big brother. Shut it for a sec. Enough with the boomer talk.”
The woman on the right cut him off.
I would’ve been grateful if that was all.
“Little bro, not bad this time, huh? Marquis Midas is a notoriously tightfisted old codger even in Philador. How’d you pull off the deal?”
She spoke as if seeing me in a new light.
“What, did you offer up your ass alongside the mana cultivation method? How else could a worthless worm like you land such a big deal?”
Ugh, her mouth. Still not used to it.
“Did you let them XXX your XX and XXX while they XXXed you? Is that how you survived?”
She tossed out lines that would make perverted middle-aged nobles flee in horror, casual as can be.
This preachy guy and the half-unhinged woman were the ones tipped to lead the Carviot count’s family into the future—but who ended up ruining it instead.
My brother, Ares.
And my sister, Mercy.
‘Sigh. Looks like I’m not getting past without dealing with this.’
They didn’t seem inclined to step aside easily.
“...Long time no see, brother. Sister. About six months?”
“Precisely 174 days, Jerome. The day Mercy and I left on our missions was June...”
Wow, my brother alright. What a tiresome type.
My sister Mercy shot Ares a look like she was done with him.
“Ah, we get it, roughly. Hmph, zero flexibility, I swear. Jerome, I heard you passed Father’s oral exam on Theory of Territory Management last time. Why bother?”
Mercy asked me with zero malice in her tone.
“A worm like you could never inherit the family anyway. Squirming a bit now won’t change that. Why go out of your way to suffer?”
Hmm.
“If you’d just stayed put munching leaves, Brother or I would’ve handled Nile for you.”
...She really had a talent for making you want to smack her.
Part of me wanted to snap, ‘Because after that mission, you two screwed it up royally due to bad timing.’
But I couldn’t say that.
“Well, it was time for me to shape up. Can’t keep acting like a spoiled kid forever.”
With that, Mercy grabbed my chin and turned my face this way and that.
“Hmm? Weird. My little brother wouldn’t say something so mature. Who are you?”
Sharp as ever.
“People change. Who knows?”
I calmly brushed her hand away.
“Maybe I’ll end up taking the family out from under you and Brother.”
“...Ho?”
“...Hmm?”
Both Ares and Mercy reacted mildly to my provocation.
It wasn’t wariness so much as... yeah, like a bug nearby suddenly spreading its wings.
“Hahaha. Fun, Jerome. A man of the Shield Family should have that much spirit.”
Ares nodded approvingly.
“But remember this, Jerome. Without power to back it up, a knight bends to external pressure. I hope you won’t break under it tomorrow, little brother.”
He patted my shoulder and left.
“You must be worn out from your first external assignment. Get some rest tonight. Good work.”
Mercy snorted at Ares.
“Hmph! Always putting on that holier-than-thou act. So pretentious.”
“I figured as much.”
Mercy turned back to me.
“Well, yeah. Even a worm would get that much. Tomorrow, if you don’t measure up, we’ll crush you. You know that, right?”
I nodded, and she flashed a cold smile.
“Of course, same goes for me. Go ahead, squirm all you want.”
Like siblings, alright. She patted my shoulder just like him and passed by.
“Squirm properly. You bared your teeth for the family seat, so half-ass it and we’ll squash you right there.”
Maybe it was those noble souls, but I had a feeling sleep wouldn’t come easy tonight.
It was rare for all the retainers to gather in the inner castle like this, but it seemed my influence was about to rewrite that norm entirely.
Just like during the Theory of Territory Management exam, Father—Bacchus von Carviot—sat at the center, with his supporters flanking him on left and right: my brother’s faction on one side, my sister’s on the other.
The only difference was that this time, both brother and sister were present.
“Today’s agenda, now that the Third Young Master has returned, is to evaluate all the lord’s children since they’ve completed their missions. Each will report on their assigned tasks in turn.”
Baron Geibel, who’d overseen the Theory of Territory Management exam, stood and began moderating.
“First Young Master, Ares von Carviot. Northeast wall patrol and repairs complete...”
“Second Daughter Mercy here. Winter’s coming, so monsters from the Beast Forest came down short on food. I tore them apart, no survivors. Safe for the season...”
Brother and sister reported in order. Retainers and even Father nodded.
Routine tasks, but the Shield Family’s most critical ones.
They’d handled them flawlessly, no doubt. Yeah, they had the skills.
Finally, I stood to give my report.
“Third Young Master, Jerome. I had an unusual assignment, but I secured grain from Philador Kingdom. On the way, I also dealt with the High Orc in Mano territory. Wheat haul: about 100,000 sacks. Total cost: 5,000 gold. Enough for our family to weather the winter.”
“High Orc? That rumor was true?”
“100,000 sacks of wheat?!”
“Heavens, Nile had that much stockpiled?”
“At half market price...”
Murmurs rose among the retainers as they heard what I’d done.
Laid out like that, the weight of my achievements hit hard.
The High Orc? Fine, with Ice Knight Beskin’s help, doable. But the wheat? Different story.
5,000 gold.
1 gold = 10 silver, 1 silver = 10 bronze.
Market rate: 1 silver per sack, so normally 100,000 silver—10,000 gold.
Considering the Shield Family’s annual budget of 2,000-3,000 gold despite our wealth, the savings were massive.
Especially with famine-driven price hikes looming—this was a huge win.
“Third Young Master, you say you handled the High Orc. Any proof?”
“Of course, Sir Raike. Ask the Black Lion Puppet who came with me—it’ll confirm.”
“Black Lions. Shady bunch, but I’ve heard of this ‘Puppet’ helping folks in the kingdom’s south. Still, what makes him qualified to save Mano territory?”
No need to air Saladin’s backstory here.
“No idea. But as you said, he’s fairly well-known among the Black Lions. Should suffice as a witness. Or ask Sir Beskin.”
Beskin nodded at my words.
“It was undoubtedly a High Orc that the Third Young Master repelled. I vouch for it.”
“Mm, er...”
Beskin, ever neutral, said “repelled” instead of “killed” or “slain,” but no one cared.
No one would question the Ice Knight Beskin’s word.
“Ehehe, sneaky little bro. Sneaking in the High Orc to overshadow the real deal.”
Mercy giggled, lightening the scattered mood.
“That wheat you bought. If it was just with 5,000 gold from the lord’s pocket money, sure, praise-worthy. But it wasn’t, was it?”
Shadow Knight Darkan behind Mercy nodded and continued.
“The Second Daughter is correct. Successfully carrying out the lord’s orders is commendable, but if it leaked the family’s foundation, it’s a failure.”
Hmm, here it comes.
“The Sword Family offered 3 silver per sack, plus a Grade-4 Gift Ring. That shows they’re taking this famine seriously too.”
“Hm. So you traded our family’s Flower Wheel cultivation method for the wheat and call it a success.”
Ares nodded, taking my point, then Lightning Mage Raike behind him barked at me.
“Insolent, Third Young Master! Is the Flower Wheel—one of our core cultivation methods—to you worth less than a Sword Family trinket ring and pocket change?!”
“Sir Raike, easy. Let’s hear Jerome out.”
Hmm, yep. Having your retainer lead the charge—always irritating.
They glossed over the High Orc as minor, then sicced their faction on the mana method leak. How...
‘Sneaky bastards.’
Competent at work, rotten personalities. Both of them.
“Yes, it’s trivial.”
“What?!”
Raike bristled to retort, but my hand was faster.
Thud!
It was the secret weapon I’d given Beskin earlier to resolve this—the book.
Flame Wheel.
As all eyes fixed on the book on the table, I declared calmly.
“You asked if it’s lighter than the Sword Family’s junk and some cash? Obviously. Why cling to outdated trash when you’ve got something better? Sell it quick while they’re offering a good price.”