Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 483

483.

The head of the pro-Imperial faction and the most prominent of the Empire’s five great families: the Sepion Dukedom. As a meritorious subject of the Empire’s founding, the family shared its history, but until a few decades ago, it was just one of the ordinary noble families, and its power wasn’t so great. It was entirely thanks to the current head, Duke Tayron Is Sepion, that the family achieved such remarkable growth as it has today.

A commander of iron and blood who wins every battle. An unprecedented genius who rose to the ranks of Sword Saint while also being a great mage! He was also famous for having a brilliant mind and excellent business skills, with a golden touch that made everything he touched a success. A born ruler who seemed to have been born with all the blessings of the world!

As befitting his great reputation, very few people could meet Duke Sepion. In the Empire, there were more than enough people who would gladly run to see him even if it cost them billions.

This year marks his third year as Duke. Alvin, Duke Sepion’s aide, often felt dazed whenever he recalled that fact. It was even more so because he had often been around the Duke since he was a child, following his father, who had been the previous aide. The reason for this realization was the banquet that would soon be held at the Dukedom.

‘It’s as extreme as ever this time.’

It was very well known that the black market became very active whenever a banquet was held at the Sepion Dukedom. This was because people flocked to get their hands on invitations. Even a companion’s seat was traded for more than gold, and there were many who were burning with frustration because they couldn’t even get that. There were also many who sent letters directly to the Dukedom to inquire about receiving an invitation. Among them were even prominent foreign figures whose names were well known. At times like these, even in a familiar position, one couldn’t help but reflect on one’s own standing. Feeling unnecessarily nervous, Alvin took a fresh breath and knocked politely on the door in front of him.

“Your Excellency, it’s Alvin.”

“Oh, come in.”

Alvin opened the door without delay. As he stepped inside, a familiar, splendid sight greeted him. Magnificent sculptures made of gold and obsidian, walls engraved with delicate murals, and magic lamps made of noctilucent pearls and transparent rock crystals that illuminated the interior. The floor, covered with black marble, was decorated with carpets embroidered with gold thread, and the windows were seamlessly decorated with panes of various colors. In the middle of it all, there was a man sitting leisurely at a huge black wooden desk.

A tall figure approaching seven ‘raos’ [an obscure unit of measurement, likely around six feet], and a face with rather fierce-looking, strong lines. Eyes resembling the cold sky and dark blue hair reminiscent of the deep sea. The man, whose imposing presence was so great that one’s knees would buckle just by meeting his gaze, resembled a well-fed beast. Who could look at that figure and say he was an old man in his seventies? Alvin looked at the man’s skin, which was taut without a single wrinkle, and once again marveled at his appearance.

“Here is the list of banquet attendees.”

Everyone was attending (although the people who actually attended were different), so the list was actually meaningless to create, but he had to report it. The Duke’s attitude in taking it was also quite perfunctory. However, there was a slightly unusual aspect this time, so Alvin inwardly anticipated the reaction he would receive. As expected, the Duke, who had been listlessly looking over the list, widened his eyes slightly the next moment.

“Am I getting presbyopia [age-related farsightedness]? It seems like there’s an unexpected name on here.”

“Your Excellency’s eyesight is normal. What you see is correct.”

“No, my eyes have been getting worse lately. I looked at the trees in the garden from the window earlier, but no matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t see how many ants were climbing them. I must be getting presbyopia.”

“…That’s normal not to be able to see.”

“Hmm. So the name on this list is real? Alvin, you’re not scamming me, are you?”

“Why would I scam you with something like this?”

It was like this again. Feeling the anticipation he had built up deflate, Alvin sighed. It was because of this lighthearted personality that he was always freshly surprised by his superior’s reputation. The Duke chuckled at the young aide, who couldn’t hide his tired face.

“Well, anyway, it’s interesting. This banquet will be quite fun. Is the preparation going well?”

“Yes, everyone is very enthusiastic as it’s a large-scale banquet held at the mansion for the first time in a while.”

“Good, good. Tell them to prepare well with all their heart. After all, it’s a banquet to find my successor, so it would be a problem if it were ordinary.”

“Yes, that’s why it’s even more… Huh?”

Alvin, who had been answering mechanically, raised his head the next moment. Unlike him, who had his eyes wide open, the Duke’s face was calm. That’s why he couldn’t help but doubt the situation even more.

“Your Excellency, excuse me, but I think I heard something strange just now. Just now, I think you said it was a banquet to find a successor.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

“Your Excellency!”

Alvin shouted without realizing it. “Alvin, be quiet.” The Duke grumbled unhappily, but Alvin didn’t hear it at all.

“A successor! What are you talking about?”

“Geez, why are you so surprised? No matter how much I am, I’m already in my seventies, so I can’t keep working as an active duty forever. I need a successor.”

That was absolutely right. Rather, it was long overdue. Originally, he should have retired a long time ago. In fact, the retainers and other members of the mansion had already been replaced by the next generation. How much had everyone been worried because the Duke, the head of the family, had been maintaining his bachelorhood without any intention of having a successor? And now, the word ‘successor’ had finally come out of his mouth.

It was an amazing piece of news that he wouldn’t regret running out and shouting to the world right away. If it weren’t for the absurd idea of finding one at a banquet. Alvin tried hard to calm his pounding heart. The corners of his mouth, which he forced up, twitched as if convulsing.

“I’m glad that you’ve finally decided to have a successor. Everyone will be very happy when this news is known. But Your Excellency, if it’s a successor, you should get married…”

“Are you telling me to get married and have a child at this age? Do you think a woman my age can have a child? Are you telling me to marry a young woman who is so much younger than me?”

“W-Well, you don’t necessarily have to think about age, do you? Still, Your Excellency’s appearance and physical abilities are young…”

“Hey, you’re saying something that could cause a big problem. Does having a young body mean that the age I’ve lived disappears? My parents-in-law will be younger than me, what kind of disgrace is that?”

“That’s why you should have gotten married a long time ago when everyone was recommending it…”

“Uh-huh, don’t dwell on things that are already over. What’s the point of looking back when you can’t turn back time?”

His words were truly eloquent. Alvin pressed down on the feeling of wanting to grab the back of his neck.

“But Your Excellency, if you appoint a complete stranger as your successor, there will be a lot of opposition. If you don’t want to have children yourself, there’s also a way to bring someone in from a collateral line [distant relatives].”

“Which collateral line? Are you talking about the guys who are only trying to stab me in the back and their children?”

Alvin couldn’t say anything for a moment. The Sepion Dukedom had been a family with fierce succession battles, no less than the Imperial Family. There were many cases where the mothers were all different, so the brothers didn’t get along at all, and there was constant infighting. In fact, the Duke had crossed the line of death several times until he reached the realm and could protect himself. When he was young, he fell off a cliff and went missing. It was a well-known story that everyone was surprised when he returned safe and sound a few days later, thinking he was dead for sure at that time. All of that was the trickery of his brothers and other relatives.

“I swore at that time. I’m going to eat well and live well somehow, so that no one would dare to even think of touching the name of Tayron Is Sepion. And I will never hand over this position to the monsters called brothers and relatives.”

“If you had such a determination, why didn’t you get married? Giving it to your children is the most peaceful and easy way.”

“Uh-huh, you’re not supposed to know the owner’s detailed circumstances.”

Alvin let out another sigh as he looked at the playfully smiling face. All sorts of rumors had been circulating about the Duke who didn’t marry. Some said he was a pure-hearted man who couldn’t forget his terrible first love, others said he had become impotent as a side effect of his strenuous physical training, and still others said he was actually a homosexual. From plausible stories that seemed to be true to ridiculous ones that no one would believe, there were all kinds of them. However, even the retainers who had been assisting the Duke for a long time didn’t know the exact reason.

“My blood is too great, so it shouldn’t be passed on carelessly.”

Unfortunately, this was the reason the Duke gave externally, so he couldn’t say it anywhere. Alvin inwardly guessed that he had a hatred for blood relatives. Seeing that he was trying to make someone who wasn’t even related by blood his successor, it seemed that his guess was correct.

“Isn’t it too old-fashioned for a family to be passed down through bloodlines in the first place? What if an incompetent kid becomes the head of the family? Of course, there’s no way a kid who inherited my blood would be incompetent.”

“Haa, yes, of course.”

“If you know, take a close look to see if you have any useful suckers, I mean, good kids. Don’t be too old or too young. It’s troublesome to deal with someone who’s too old, and it’s frustrating to raise someone who’s too young. Preferably between the ages of ten and twenty. As much as possible, pick someone with no background. We can’t let other families benefit. That’s why I’m not announcing that I’m looking for a successor.”

“I’m glad you’re aware of that. I’m sorry that you seem to be planning to kill me with overwork.”

“Aren’t you already roughly picking them while saying that?”

Alvin couldn’t say anything again at the Duke’s face, as if he knew everything. The Duke laughed, saying he knew it, seeing Alvin’s cheeks flushed as his inner thoughts were revealed.

“…The first thing that comes to mind is Ain Idris. He has no special connections in the Empire and has never been connected to any prominent family.”

“Ain Idris… I’ve seen him a few times at the Imperial banquet. He has a good personality and is a good kid.”

The Duke muttered with a satisfied face. It seemed that he had already picked a candidate. Alvin thought that it wouldn’t be long before he called Ain Idris the Young Master. Given the Duke’s personality, who hated troublesome things, there was a high possibility that he would proceed as he had initially intended unless there were any special changes. Well, Ain Idris was that great. He didn’t know if he was interested in the position of successor to the Dukedom, but that wasn’t a big problem. Alvin had never seen Duke Sepion fail to achieve something he had set his mind to. Still, he thought it was being decided too easily for a successor, so he racked his brains again.

“Ah, I heard that the water spiritist who was active this time is also in his teens.”

“Water spiritist? Ah, was he a High-level [referring to a high-ranking spiritist]?”

“Yes. Moreover, he is also a swordsman who has reached the realm of entering the sword. He seems to have achieved great things at a young age. In some ways, I think he’s more of a genius than Ain Idris.”

“Hmm, did we send him an invitation to this banquet?”

“Yes, Your Excellency told me to send invitations to everyone who has recently been on the front page of the newspaper for good deeds.”

“Good, good. You did well.”

The Duke praised him readily. However, Alvin judged that the Duke would not meet the young spiritist. It was because his attitude was clearly different from when he mentioned Ain Idris. It even seemed like he felt a sense of rejection. There was no reason for him to have any grudges against the water spiritist he had never met.

“Then go out now.”

“Yes.”

Alvin hesitated for a moment and then turned around. He was concerned about the Duke’s attitude, which seemed to have sunk strangely a little while ago, but now was not the time to delve into such things. His head was too complicated just thinking about what would happen in the future.

“Tch, just because he’s a High-level water spiritist as a human, he should be grateful. Isn’t it cheating that he’s also good at swordsmanship? If he’s that good, he’ll be interested in him and watching him. Aish. I’m good at magic, good at swordsmanship, and good at everything else, but I can’t get even a speck of interest. I’m so sad.”

Soon, he heard a low grumbling sound from behind him as he closed the door. However, he couldn’t understand the meaning, so Alvin tilted his head for a long time.

* * *

The Imperial Capital is largely divided into six districts based on the Imperial Palace in the center. District 6, where slums are concentrated, Districts 4 and 5, which consist of shopping districts, government offices, and residential complexes. Districts 2 and 3, which are slightly more luxurious residential areas.

District 1, where the wealthy and nobles mainly reside, and among them, the most expensive area, Grenan District, was a ‘까다로운’ [kkadaroun – meticulous/strict] area that even screened residential qualifications. Only those with both wealth and status could purchase residency rights, and even passers-by were strictly controlled, so no one could enter ‘함부로’ [hamburo – carelessly/recklessly]. In other words, it was their own world. In short, it was a place that ordinary hunters would rarely visit.

“Confirmed. You may pass.”

The fact that the approval was easily given probably explains why I felt complicated inside. Whether or not, the carriage that had started again began to roll smoothly into the city center. The guards and checkpoints guarding the entrance quickly disappeared from view.

“We really passed. We really came to Grenan.”

Chris, who was sitting next to me, muttered with a dazed face. Unlike usual, he was wearing a neat navy blue dress, and he looked like a completely different person. He was originally tall, and he was wearing clothes that showed off his strengths, and he had neatly trimmed his hair and chin, which he always did roughly, so he looked more like a successful knight than a hunter. It seems that there is a reason why they say clothes make the man. The actions he takes are far from those of a knight.

“Ugh, what should I do, El? I’m so nervous I feel like I’m going to throw up. We really received an invitation from the Duke’s family!”

He trembled and made a fuss. His face had been pale since earlier, and now he seemed to be out of his mind.

“What are you talking about now? We knew from the beginning that the invitation was real.”

“But somehow it didn’t feel real. To be honest, I was confident that I wouldn’t be embarrassed even if I was turned away at the entrance. Ah, I see. I knew it. I was even fully prepared to answer calmly without showing any embarrassment, thinking that there must have been some mistake.”

“…While you were preparing, you should have prepared not to be surprised at all when you passed.”

“Huh, that’s right! I didn’t think that far! Why am I so stupid?”

…Is it okay for our guild master to be this timid?

I glanced at Chris, who was constantly biting his lip, and turned my gaze out the window. I expected a splendid scenery as it was the residential area of those who were more special among the upper class, but all I could see were tall walls. The fact that it was thoroughly hidden from the outside and inaccessible to anyone was clearly revealed in every view. It seemed that all that was allowed to be seen was the wide avenue. Along that road, a line of many carriages was following one after another. The carriage that Chris and I were riding in was one of them.

Eventually, the carriage, which had been running aimlessly for a long time, approached a gate. The dragon pattern engraved in relief on the huge iron gate was clear. When I saw the pattern, I unconsciously took a breath. I guess I was a little nervous, even if not as much as Chris.

Finally, it was the Sepion Dukedom.