The People of the Stein Family
Suddenly, the carriage came to a halt, and the door swung open. In that instant, Wayne's heart sank.
"Fuck, my ass hurts like hell—I'm gonna die!"
Bran climbed aboard. Fortunately, he wasn't there to drag Wayne out or kill him. A massive man followed right behind.
"Hey, you bastard! It's too cramped here. Sit next to that punk."
"Ah! Yes, sir..."
The man sat beside Wayne, while Bran sprawled comfortably across from them on the opposite bench.
"Just so we're clear, don't try anything stupid. He's fat as hell, but he fights like a demon."
Wayne tensed slightly. Not because of the giant, though. Up to this point, no one suspected he wasn't the real Wayne. But if Bran started asking questions, a slip-up could happen. John—no, Han Sang-tae—had decided to live as Wayne, so he had to become the perfect Wayne. And to do that, he needed to know his enemies first.
"Brother Bran, I'm sorry you had to go through all this trouble because of me."
"Brother? Don't get cocky. I've never had a little shit like you for a brother."
Bran glared at Wayne like he was a bug. But Wayne just grinned and played along.
"I've always admired you, Brother Bran."
"Crazy bastard. You think you know me?"
"I heard you have four wives and still keep a bunch of mistresses on the sly. And somehow, you do it without a single scandal. That's impressive."
"...?"
"What's the secret?"
Bran smirked and eyed Wayne.
"A dead man walking sure has a lot of questions..."
Wayne leaned forward with an earnest expression.
"Even if I die, I wanna hear it. Who knows? I might reincarnate as a prince in a palace full of women."
"Haha! You lunatic! Well, it doesn't cost anything..."
Wayne froze in shock at Bran's words.
"So... you're saying you've killed all your illegitimate kids?"
"Yeah, my wives don't care if I fuck a hundred women—or every woman in the world—outside. They know that's just who I am. But bringing home bastards? No way. It cuts into their kids' inheritance."
"Ah-ha!"
Wayne's admiration was genuine. Killing his own children? What kind of psycho did that? Bran was truly insane.
"And the bitches who run off with my seed? I hunt them down and kill them too! That's why my wives can't complain."
"Whoa, that resolve is admirable, Brother."
"Quit calling me brother, you bastard. Just sitting across from a illegitimate like you pisses me off. What the hell is Brother Adam thinking, not killing trash like you..."
Bran trailed off, shaking his head. So Wayne was still alive not because of Bran, but thanks to the eldest son, Adam Stein.
"But how do you manage to sleep with twelve women at once?"
"What? Fuck, you even know about that?"
John had always been by Wayne's side when Cassnet drilled him on the Stein family and its members. That way, Cassnet could beat John in Wayne's place if he messed up. He'd resented it back then, but now it meant he knew the Steins inside out.
"Of course. Anyone who's anybody knows you bedded twelve whores in the Sailon Occupation Zone's red-light district."
"Hahaha! Ah, fuck, just thinking about it gets me hard down there! I gotta go back before I die."
"Brother, if I somehow survive, take me with you."
"What? Ha! This little shit's got a taste for it."
Seeing how much Wayne liked women, Bran figured the Stein blood ran true in him.
"Um... can I ask something?"
"What?"
"How did you know I existed? Or rather, how did you find my hideout?"
"Huh?"
Bran eyed Wayne suspiciously. Wayne launched into his sob story.
"Fuck, I couldn't even see women, had to make do with maids, and spent my whole life cooped up in that mansion. Cassnet was the only one who could go out, and I didn't think anyone was tailing him."
John was curious. Had they followed Wayne during the day to find the mansion? If so, someone outside the household might know the real Wayne's face.
"Come on, what does it matter? I'm dead anyway. Tell me the truth."
"Fair enough, since you're gonna die soon... We tailed Cassnet and found the place. And we learned about you thanks to the money."
"Money?"
The unexpected answer left Wayne genuinely puzzled.
"Yeah, we had no idea you existed. If we did, we'd have dealt with you ages ago. This year, Brother Adam was named heir and got access to the ledgers. He noticed some funds flowing to weird places unrelated to the family. He's a genius with numbers."
"Ah! You traced the money...!"
"Bingo. We grabbed the guy handing gold to Cassnet and tortured him. He spilled everything."
There were no perfect secrets in the world. Hiding Wayne in some rural farmhouse wouldn't have cost a fortune and would've kept him safe forever. But Frank couldn't let his son suffer—he built a mansion, hired staff, poured in gold. And now it was exposed.
Mystery solved. After hearing it all, Wayne realized the real threat wasn't loudmouth Bran, but the eldest son Adam, known as the quiet, respectable one among the four brothers.
Thinking back, Adam hadn't come himself; he'd sent his brother and left an escape route. That showed Adam's brilliant, meticulous mind. Bran was just a loud puppet obsessed with women.
Wayne steered the conversation back to women.
'What? Bring Wayne back alive?'
Bran tilted his head at the first line of the document from his eldest brother, Adam Stein. But the next part made it click.
'Father even dispatched the Blue Knights!'
The Blue Knights were the Stein family's elite force of Gigant pilots. This meant Father saw Wayne as special—and killing him would bring repercussions.
'Fuck, that's why they hid him so perfectly for sixteen years...'
Now Bran understood why his brother wanted to gauge Father's reaction before killing the kid.
"Pack it up, everyone! We're heading back to Winchester Castle!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Stein family—one of the Barantia Empire's five great houses, a prestigious name. Unlike the other four, whose heads held ducal titles, Frank Stein alone was a marquis. Not due to lesser power or influence; militarily, they ranked in the top three. But imperial law allowed only four dukes, and by the time Frank rose as a war hero and grand lord, the spots were filled.
A burly man seated on the dais looked down at Wayne.
"What's your name?"
"Wayne, sir."
"Do you know who I am?"
"Frank Stein, Marquis, Your Excellency."
"And?"
"My father."
The knights murmured. Frank eyed Bran.
"So my second son tried to kill my own blood?"
"Well, that's..."
Bran opened his mouth to explain, but—
"No!"
"What?"
It was Wayne who shouted.
"Brother Bran saved me."
"Saved you? Explain."
"Exactly that. Brother wasn't trying to kill me—he saved me. And I killed Cassnet."
"What? You killed the guard I assigned to protect you?"
"Yes."
The knights in the audience chamber buzzed. Killing your own bodyguard? Unthinkable.
Frank snorted.
"Was it blackmail? Whoever threatened you, tell the truth here! Otherwise, I can't help you."
"Why would I lie when my life's on the line? I killed Cassnet— that's the truth."
Then Wayne stripped off his clothes.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Look at these wounds."
His calf still oozed blood and pus, his body covered in bruises and gashes large and small.
"All from Cassnet beating me."
"He hit you?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"He hated roughing it in the sticks because of me. Beat and berated me since I was little."
"Good god!"
The knights erupted. What knight brutalizes his lord's son?
"That day too. Brother Bran came to the mansion and said he'd speak to you himself, so quit suffering and come home. But Cassnet, scared his abuse would come out, set the place on fire to silence me. Luck was on my side—the ceiling collapsed, he let his guard down, and I stabbed him. Then, trapped in the flames, I nearly burned to death, but Brother Bran's knight Blaster risked his life to save me."
Blaster, the giant beside Bran, blinked in confusion at his name.
The knights nodded approvingly at Blaster's bravery. Frank turned to him.
"Blaster! Is all this true?"
"Huh?"
Bran nudged Blaster's arm.
"Ah! Yes, it's true. I rescued Young Master Wayne."
Frank tilted his head, then looked at Bran.
"Did you really intend to bring the real Wayne home?"
"Of course. If I wanted my brother dead, I'd have killed him on the spot. But I brought him back safe, didn't I?"
Then Marchioness Kathleen stepped forward.
"See? Your Excellency! I told you—he wouldn't do something so horrific. Not my flesh and blood."
"Enough, dear. They're not children."
Adam was 36, Bran 33—both married with kids—but Kathleen still called them her babies.
"Bran, well done! Brothers of the same blood should help each other."
Frank finally nodded.
"Since everyone's in the know now, I'll add Wayne to the family register officially. And..."
Frank glanced between Bran and Blaster.
"Bran, Blaster risked his life for Wayne. How about appointing him Wayne's bodyguard?"
"Pardon?"
"I'll send you a new knight."
Bran forced an awkward smile.
"Ah... yes. Sounds good."
"Excellent! Blaster is now Wayne's bodyguard knight."
"Yes, sir! I accept the lord's command."
The giant Blaster became Wayne's protector. Wayne sighed inwardly in relief. Whether Frank or the knights believed him was secondary. No one doubted he was Wayne—that was a huge win. And turning Blaster into his savior had brought this unexpected boon. Blaster was a bit dim, but the strongest, best fighter in the territory.
Adam stepped outside and exhaled. He'd expected Bran to throw him under the bus if Father pressed. He could've denied it, but slipping through unscathed was perfect.
"Good work, Bran."
"I didn't do much—just followed your orders, Brother."
"Still, getting Wayne's story straight was impressive."
"Huh? I didn't do that."
"What?"
"No time. The Blue Knights showed up the same day I got your letter."
"So he came up with that story himself?"
"Yes!"
Bran nodded.
"The rest might be bullshit, but he really killed Cassnet."
"What?"
"I saw him stab the bastard myself."
"So Cassnet really abused Wayne?"
"Seems like it. He spat hate while killing him—thought it was weird then, but now it makes sense. After beatings like that..."
Adam frowned. Wayne had no reason to side with Bran.
"Guess I need to meet him. Bring him here!"
"No need."
"Huh?"
Wayne strode up and bowed to Adam.
"Your youngest brother greets his eldest."
They were trash trying to kill him, but Wayne would grovel until he gained power...