Chapter 130 – The Succession Issue

“That’s why I think we should strengthen the patrols around the workshop. It might not just be thieves – there could be some form of retaliation too.”

“Marquis Broderick, huh?”

The next day. When I went to the workshop and told Alfred about last night’s incident, he crossed his arms and gave a wry smile.

“While the decrease in mine output can’t be helped, he was supposed to be focusing on development as a future source of income… But after that incident six years ago… Some areas that suffered less damage ended up being neglected.”

…The King of Deathly Slumber.

That guy wandered around everywhere spreading plague. Not just Gartner County and the Barony of Silun, but neighboring countries suffered considerable damage too.

The reason the Marquisate escaped disaster… was probably because Mother stopped it in the County.

“But I get the feeling they haven’t improved that situation at all.”

For whatever reason, the Marquis had given Kathryn instructions as one of his financial recovery measures. Perhaps the farmland development failed, or maybe the development was taking too long to show results.

“I think so too. The fact that he’s desperate enough to ask you for a loan… shows he’s beyond caring about appearances.”

“Absolutely.”

We’re definitely not in a grandfather-grandson relationship… but we are close to that kind of relationship. A grandfather whose extravagance has come back to haunt him, begging his grandson for a loan – just hearing about it normally would be terribly embarrassing.

“Father has been quite on edge due to various circumstances. This country had been peaceful until the King of Deathly Slumber came, and even after that passed, we’ve had no disputes with neighboring countries, right?”

“The central regions suffered less damage, so there were many people who grew complacent with peace.”

The history is long too. When a country matures, corruption inevitably increases. King Melvin has been focusing on rebuilding the affected regions, so the central areas have probably been somewhat neglected.

But—such a trivial scandal at this time. If word reaches King Melvin’s ears, the criticism against the Marquis would likely become quite severe.

Both Gartner County and the Barony of Silun are rebuilding, so for the Marquisate that suffered no damage to be in such a state despite having been presented with improvement plans before is quite something.

“Naturally… if word gets out that he couldn’t repay his debts, I don’t think the Marquis will escape punishment,” Alfred said.

“He’ll probably have to retire and hand over the family headship, at the very least.”

“Probably.”

In that case, Father’s economic sanctions might have anticipated this outcome too. By restraining Kathryn, he cuts off the Marquisate’s influence and information leaks. When the family head changes, he makes peace, and by actively cooperating with the unstable new Marquis Family Head, he creates a debt of gratitude to settle things peacefully… That’s probably the best possible scenario.

There’s a reason he said he’d make sure not to cause me trouble. The Marquis coming to me was probably an unexpected case for Father. Actually, the loan request was unexpected for me too.

The economic sanctions are already in motion… but the Marquis’s financial situation—meaning the period until the Marquis steps down from his position as family head—was somewhat unclear, so Father has been laying strategies upon strategies, from short-term to medium- and long-term measures.

That’s why he started with something where responsibility would be hard to pinpoint, like collapsing roads disguised as natural winter phenomena.

But thinking about it, the Marquis coming to me this time was actually perfect timing. If the scandal spreads that he went around asking for loans everywhere, eventually even coming to me… That would definitely shorten the time until the Marquis steps down as family head.

The Marquis is almost checkmated. What becomes concerning then is who will succeed the Marquis.

“What about the Marquis’s successor?”

“The eldest son has a good reputation. However, I’ve heard he’s on very bad terms with the Marquis.”

“Ah…”

I can imagine plenty of reasons for their bad relationship. If he’s proper, that alone would be enough to get fed up with him.

Still… if he retires due to scandal and his estranged eldest son succeeds him, the Marquis’s fate might not end with just being sidelined. …Could that be why he was so desperate?

“If left alone, he might skip the eldest son and have the second son inherit. The second son is the type who’s doted on by his father. Naturally, you can guess how much people respect him.”

“Pushing the second son as heir to protect himself. That’s very possible for that Marquis.”

If that happens, factions supporting the eldest son might emerge, potentially leading to a family dispute.

“I should probably report to Father. The sooner the information reaches him, the better,” Alfred said, shaking his head slightly and sighing.

…Hmm. That’s about it for the Marquis discussion. I’ll contact Father later, but for now let’s talk about the materials we obtained from the previous Guardian room.

“By the way, how are the Nautilus shell and Archelon carapace coming along?”

The Nautilus shell is lightweight and quite sturdy. It has the property of being able to store magical power, and in exchange has the characteristic of possessing self-regeneration ability.

If healed with healing magic shortly after being broken, it can regenerate. By utilizing this, you can put fragments into a mold and cast healing magic to freely shape them to some extent or patch them together. Because of this, it seems applicable to various processing methods, so we’re currently considering how to use it.

“I’ve thought about various options, but the Nautilus shell should probably be armor. Since it can store a lot of magical power, if we incorporate Protection, I think it could provide considerable defense power.”

The pearl cutlass the Nautilus had possesses similar characteristics… but because it’s lightweight, Sheila ended up taking it as is.

The Sword Boar dagger she originally used has been modified like Grace’s axe with a chain attached, making it easier to use for throwing.

“You wanted to enhance Miss Irmhild’s armor, right? What about incorporating it as armor into her skirt-like chainmail…?”

“I think that’s good. To avoid hindering movement, we could put a slit in the front.”

“Understood. I’ll try making it in that direction. The Archelon carapace will be ready soon. I’ll contact you when it’s finished.”

“Roger.”

We’re having the Archelon carapace processed into a saucer. By embedding magic stones and keeping it airborne with a shield, then spinning it with Air Blast, it can be used for both defense and attack. Marlene is well-suited for controlling such things, so it’s planned to become both her armor and mid-range weapon.

As for the magic stones extracted from the leftover parts of the Dead Shark and Nautilus, they’re of considerable quality. These are scheduled to go to Grace and Ashley. The remaining question is what spell formulas to incorporate.

“How’s the combat power enhancement going?”

“Well, it’s coming along.”

When we make new equipment, they have to master using it. I want to create things that match their characteristics, weaknesses, and processing capabilities.

“Hmm…”

“Something wrong?”

After returning home and relaxing for a while, when the sun had set and it grew dark, Sheila, who had been maintaining her weapons, suddenly looked up.

Not just Sheila. Irmhild and Lavigne are reacting too.

They all seem to sense something at the doorway. After a brief moment, a knocking sound echoes. Someone has definitely come to visit. I don’t think it’s related to the Marquis.

“Who is it?”

When Grace calls out, there’s an immediate response.

“It’s Claudia.”

…Uh.

I had given her my address, but would she really visit through the front door normally? It’s perfectly proper, but considering her nature, it feels oddly out of place.

I invite Claudia into the house. Grace soon brings a tea set.

She sits properly in the chair, holding the teacup. Her dress appearance is less out of place here than in the labyrinth.

“I woke up this morning. I apologize for coming so late at night. I didn’t want to be seen.”

…I see. Next time I should organize the storage room in the basement and have her transfer directly there.

As for the materials in the basement—maybe I should build a storage shed in the garden.

“I came today… to let you know I’ve awakened, and to thank you for before.”

“Did I do anything worth thanking?”

“…Since Irmhild has returned, the village has become much brighter.”

Claudia tilts her head slightly with a smile, and Irmhild’s expression brightens.

…I see. Having to exile children must have been a painful decision for them too. Seeing Irmhild healthy and energetic—seems to have had a better effect on them than I expected.

But visiting immediately after waking up—Claudia is either dutiful or something else.