Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Time for Settlement-3
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After returning to the quiet office, I immediately summoned Lena.
Even without me saying a word, she flashed an awkward smile and averted her gaze.
Openly advertising that she had something to be embarrassed about.
It wasn't what I'd hoped for, but I had no intention of scolding her.
What lord in their right mind would dislike earning the trust of their territory's people?
I just wanted to know the reason my status had shifted so dramatically.
"Explain everything that happened during the Monster Wave, down to the last detail."
"Hehe, well, you see..."
Lena laid it all out—what she'd been up to while disguised as me.
She'd timed and orchestrated everything perfectly to heighten the drama.
Volunteered as dangerous bait, luring monsters around.
Then brought in Gerrick, now a Sword Master, along with the Adenberg soldiers to wipe them out in one fell swoop.
In the process, she admitted frankly that she'd commanded the Adenberg forces while wearing my face.
"That's how the rumor spread that you're the real power behind the Adenberg Marquis House, Young Master."
"Not entirely false, but..."
Adenberg ties weren't exactly the kind of rumor you wanted getting out.
Other nobles would either start eyeing Altesia warily or fawning over us.
And as our faction grew, the church's scrutiny would ramp up accordingly.
After this mess, they'd mark me as an irredeemable enemy.
No more talks—they'd come straight for my head.
"You're framing it like a mistake, but you planned to polish my image from the start, didn't you?"
"Even setting aside the playboy stuff, I couldn't stand the public's view of you as incompetent."
"I appreciate the thought, but actions driven by personal ambition mean I have to hold you accountable."
"Of course there's a perfectly good reason."
Lena handed me a note with intel she'd dug up on her own.
It held news that made my eyebrows shoot up.
Michael Altesia—family head of Altesia and my biological father—had taken a foreign widow as a concubine.
And word was, he planned to adopt her twin daughters too.
I hadn't exchanged a single word with the man since possessing this body, and now new family was on the horizon.
"You might get rivals, Young Master, so I figured we needed to shore up your position beforehand."
"But they're just adoptees, right?"
"You can't underestimate adoptees! My own digging says these twins have innate genius in swordplay and magic."
Well, they'd still be stronger than me, no doubt.
Finding anyone weaker than Heinz was a tall order to begin with.
I might even lose to a five-year-old swinging a practice sword.
"With talented half-siblings suddenly appearing, wouldn't a shaky position spell trouble for you?"
"Not particularly."
The father's remarriage—a total curveball from the original story—had startled me, but I wasn't sweating it.
Even if they kicked me out of the family, I'd laid the groundwork for going it alone.
Just persuade those northern barbarians, and the emperor had promised one extra wish—I could demand a title.
Factor in Heinz's ridiculous money luck, and finances weren't an issue.
If anything, I'd worry about staying alive.
"Did I fret over nothing?"
"No, it just means there's a path to survival even in the worst case. I'm not abandoning Altesia."
Inheriting the Altesia Count House meant a whole different league of wealth.
Comfortably well-off versus living in luxury.
And I preferred luxury, if given the choice.
So I couldn't exactly condemn Lena's actions outright.
"Got it. You had your reasons, so I'll let it slide this time."
"I'm simply grateful for your boundless mercy, Young Master."
"More pressing matters first."
Lena quietly drew an Elixir from her bosom.
I shook my head—no, that wasn't it.
The Elixir venture would succeed on its own; I had total confidence.
Led by me, the luckiest bastard alive, with imperial backing? What could go wrong?
My real concern was elsewhere.
"In two months, I'll have to leave Altesia and stay in Lunaria for a good while."
"Want me to go in your place?"
"Afraid not—His Majesty is dispatching me personally as envoy."
"Leaving the territory empty again. Good thing Count Altesia should return around then."
I'd at least see the new family's faces before I left.
And Michael Altesia's too—the man who felt less like a father every day.
Wonder what reaction he'd have learning the Heinz he knew was gone.
Not something I was eager to witness.
"Still, two months is plenty of time. What's so urgent?"
"I've got homework to clear before then."
First up: Maribel's special training.
Back in the capital, I'd promised to help her find a way to get stronger.
Promises were meant to be kept, and honestly, a stronger Maribel put my mind at ease.
Lunaria meant inevitable clashes—not just with barbarians, but cult heavyweights too.
Time to bolster our forces.
Second: settling the score with Kizen.
The Belda Viscount House could wait until after Lunaria, but I planned to strike sooner.
Princess Rosmel was all-in on helping—couldn't have me dragging my feet.
Plus, they might still be gunning for Kizen and his daughter.
Best to cut off their air supply preemptively, just in case.
Finally: the cult's push into Ludmilan.
The original protagonist's trial—nothing to do with me originally.
But Kizen's intel claimed a rune fragment was hidden in Ludmilan Village.
Plan was to block the cult from grabbing it ahead of time.
Ludmilan could tie into the Lunaria trip, though—not super urgent right now.
"Maribel's training sounds like the top priority. Short-term power-ups are limited, after all."
"Since we're on the topic, why not take her as your pupil?"
Lena shook her head vigorously, making her refusal crystal clear.
She was inwardly disappointed, but explained her reasoning to make me see.
"As you know, Young Master, my style and Kizen's are worlds apart. Maribel's trained in her father's style."
"Can't she learn both?"
"Habits ingrained over years—she couldn't mimic mine. Switching entirely? Two months is a pipe dream."
Bottom line: training under Lena might backfire.
I scrapped the idea of finding and introducing her to a master.
Unlike Coco, a total novice, Maribel already had foundations—no teacher would spark massive change.
"No helping it. Guess we'll go another route to power her up."
"Got some clever plan in mind?"
"I do... but I'm hesitant."
Having leveled up countless characters in Aslon Chronicles, I knew endless paths to strength.
Safe, easy ones just took forever.
Overnight gains? Rare, grueling, and downright dangerous.
"If you're okay sharing, what is it?"
"Safest bet: round up every legal imperial elixir and feed 'em to her?"
"That's your idea of safe?"
Lena stared in disbelief.
She knew the side effects—agony like your flesh ripping apart.
Hell, there were cases of people dying from shock after wolfing down every type for a quick boost.
"Relax, I know a recipe to swap that pain for... lust."
"And you'd be a mummy come morning."
"...Okay, pass."
I wanted her strong to guard me—not die in the process.
Death by ecstasy sounded noble, but I had dreams left unfinished.
"Elixirs are out? Ancient dungeon it is, then."
"Way too reckless! At Maribel's level, no way she survives!"
"Don't worry—you and I are going in too."
"...Pardon? What was that?"
"We're all going together. Help with her training, snag a rune fragment while we're at it."
My Aslon Chronicles playtime? Over 1,000 hours.
I remembered clearing routes for every ancient dungeon in the empire.
"Y-You're joking, right?"
"Hey, Lena."
Let's go meekly and fetch it.
The rune fragment.