Chapter 125
Chapter 125
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: Jewel in the Palm
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Behind Strange Castle, I met alone with Kaipa in the annex used by the servants.
"There is definitely someone within the family who has joined hands with the Glazers. Please pretend that Kaipa is hosting a meeting to weed them out."
Kaipa scratched his head awkwardly.
"Me, sir? No, if I were to do something so absurd, those who follow Berddin would react very strongly."
"Those who follow me?"
"Yes, Young Master may not know, but in a noble house as large as Strange, there are always factions within the family."
"Factions?"
"Yes, they refer to allies who band together to advance until the direct heirs claim the top positions."
I was hearing something I had no knowledge of in my previous life. Even within the family, lines were formed over who would become the next head of Strange, pooling their strength for that position.
Well, with Gunter, Hysteria, Valentine, not to mention the three idiot brothers and me, that made seven siblings.
If they were to lend strength to one who might become the next head, who among them would ally with me?
"Then, Kaipa, which of my brothers did you support?"
"None. I only listened to and followed Roys's words. If an order came from above, I had no choice but to obey, of course."
"I see."
"I don't know who in the family currently follows Berddin's faction. But if I host the meeting, they will surely rebel strongly."
"......"
"They'll raise their voices, even pointing swords at me, now that you've taken the head's seat."
I pondered for a moment who was in the collateral branches. No matter how I thought about it, no one from my side had fought my other brothers for me.
On the contrary, I knew a few who had sided with Gunter and tried to kill me.
"If such a scene unfolds at this meeting, it might actually bring good results."
"...Pardon?"
"I have a way to identify the spies for me, so please trust me and proceed."
Kaipa thought long and hard before nodding.
"Then, I just need to host the meeting?"
"Yes, but please emphasize that all decisions came through me. We can't have factions splitting internally before the war even starts."
"...Understood. I'll do that."
Early in the morning, before the sun had even reached its zenith, all of Strange's blood kin gathered in the castle.
The one hosting this meeting was not the family head Berddin, but Kaipa.
"Thank you all for gathering. Relations with the Glazers have worsened recently, and I'm concerned war may break out soon, so I called this urgently. Please understand."
Kaipa spoke to the assembled elders with a stern expression.
Some had shown discomfort even before the meeting began.
In contrast, others listened intently to Kaipa, deeming the matter important.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Someone pounded the table with their fist.
Turning my gaze, I saw a rotund, sour-faced middle-aged man furrowing his brow deeply.
"Lord Kaipa, whether we go to war or not, it makes no sense for you to host this meeting. Lord Berddin is right here!"
Just as Kaipa had said, someone was openly rebelling. But this wasn't someone who had helped me since childhood; it was one of my father's collateral brothers who had started fawning over me only after I took the family head's seat.
Kaipa shrugged.
"As you all know, Lord Berddin has only recently taken the family head's seat. He faced Apostle Timeless just a few days ago and is exhausted. Even attending the meeting holds great significance for him."
"The family head... faced Timeless?"
"Yes, and as proof, the Berddin sitting there now is no longer an 8-year-old, but a young man."
The fat middle-aged man glanced at me.
I wore a weary expression, as if confirming Kaipa's words.
"Ahem... So you're saying Kaipa is hosting in the family head's stead?"
"You could see it that way."
As the fat man yielded a step,
a gaunt old man in silver armor suddenly shot to his feet, pointing accusingly at Kaipa.
"Even so, how dare you host a meeting of Strange's elders under your name!"
Kaipa tilted his head.
"Lord Charlison, why not? Haven't all lords in Strange territory been granted the right to speak and to call meetings when issues arise?"
"Does that mean you host like this? With the family head sitting right there!"
No sooner had Charlison finished than a young man standing at the far end of the meeting hall raised his voice.
"Enough! Do you know why Lord Kaipa is hosting, yet stir such disputes?"
His black hair fell to his waist, and clad in silver armor, his face was so refined from afar that one might mistake him for a woman. The youth captured everyone's attention in the hall.
"Those from the south will know, but Strange now faces war with Glazer."
He glanced alternately at Kaipa, Charlison, and me before continuing.
"Is this the time for us to divide into factions and fight among ourselves? Whether the host is the family head or not—what does it matter? Our priority is finding a way to win this war!"
No sooner had he spoken than several in the hall raised their hands and voices in agreement.
"He's right! Even if the family head gained a young man's body from Timeless's power, he's still only eight. Can he judge the situation properly?!"
"Indeed, even if he reads the current state accurately, it's hard for him to unite us all yet."
"I agree. Right now, it might be better for veteran Kaipa to lead us."
Their momentum silenced the room.
Everyone fell quiet, waiting for others' opinions. But no one responded to the youth.
Only Kaipa smiled faintly, clapping his hands.
Clap, clap, clap.
"You all heard that, right?"
With a satisfied expression, he turned to Charlison and continued.
"Let's proceed with the meeting. As you all know, war with Glazer is all but certain."
Kaipa waved his hand in the air, and two knights spread a long map of the entire continent across the table.
"We must now find ways to confront Glazer. Does anyone have a good strategy for facing them in this war?"
Silence fell once more.
I slowly scanned the gathered members before asking the youth who had spoken up.
"What is your name?"
The black-haired knight bowed toward me, then approached, showing his sword as he spoke.
"Julio de Strange. Eldest son of Dimitri, lord of the Seir region in the southwest."
Seir was a small area at the very western edge.
The complete opposite of Glazer's eastern side.
"I see, Lord Julio. Your earlier speech suggested thorough preparation for this meeting."
"Preparation?"
"Otherwise, you couldn't have raised your voice amid so many elders."
"......"
"Likely your father told you to back Kaipa, or to show your stance here as the family's situation tilts."
"......"
"Am I wrong, Lord Julio?"
Julio met my eyes, then bowed deeply.
"No, you're right."
"Good. I understand your actions fully. I too lived suppressing my voice to survive here, only now able to speak out."
His eyes shook violently.
I didn't prolong the talk, instead tossing in a topic to end the meeting.
"As I told Lord Kaipa before it began, I returned from the tower exhausted, unable to host."
As I spoke, everyone turned toward me.
"That's why Kaipa is hosting, so please don't hold it against him, Lord Charlison."
The fat man and Lord Charlison lowered their heads.
"Yes, Family Head."
"Yes, Family Head."
I smiled warmly, scanning every face once, then thrust my sword onto Glazer Castle on the map.
Bam!
"Then let's devise a plan to crush Glazer from now on."
We talked for hours, and the meeting ended only as evening fell.
Under Kaipa's lead, a strategy against Glazer was formed, and those bearing the Strange name dispersed to their duties.
Step, step, step.
In the now-empty meeting hall, Kaipa approached cautiously.
"...Family Head. Did things go as you hoped?"
Resting my chin on my hand, I stared at the map with a smile.
"Yes, even better than I hoped."
"Is that so?"
"I now know who the spies hiding in the family are. And who will truly support me."
Kaipa sighed deeply and sat beside me.
Thud.
"I'm sorry to say this, but I couldn't tell which of them were the spies."
"That's fine."
I had acted so convincingly even I was confused.
"Can you tell me who rebelled against us?"
I pulled the dagger from the table and marked several seats.
Scrape, scrape.
"These ones. I'll have people investigate them, so Lord Kaipa, relay the real strategy to the rest of Strange except these two."
Darkness blanketed the sky.
I walked the castle garden, speaking into the air.
"You arrived early."
Whoosh—
Kanggradra emerged from the shadows, replying.
"Thanks to Kanggret's work in the east, we finished quickly."
Another shadow writhed behind him, surging up to reveal Kanggret.
A woman smaller than Kanggradra by a head, cloaked and masked in black.
"It's been a while, Master."
I plucked a water forget-me-not from the garden, holding it to the moonlight as I replied.
"You've worked hard. Kanggradra said you barely escaped death several times in enemy territory."
"...No, what work? We've lived our whole lives for this operation."
"I see."
"Yes."
She approached slowly, handing me a stiff scroll.
"What is it?"
"Glazer's supply routes and their projected movement dates, as you requested."
The key to turning this war victorious: enemy supply lines and movement dates. I checked the scroll she gave me.
Locations detailed enough for a child to understand.
Movement dates and times divided into three per day.
'Success.'
With this intel in advance, pressuring Glazer would be effortless.
Now, our task was to strengthen borders so Glazer couldn't cross.
'And.'
Step, step, step.
Guardian Knight Bess, wrapped head to toe in a thick cloak, fell in behind me.
"Fenrir's position has been confirmed, Family Head."
The time had come for us—not Glazer—to ignite the war first.