The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 50

7. Summons: The Family Scion

I arrived at the inner castle to cheers from everyone, where Lord Lloyd was waiting to greet us.

“Welcome.”

The expressions of the inner castle residents, who had witnessed all my past misdeeds up close, were much better than before.

More people were genuinely welcoming me.

Even after being discharged from the North, most people dismissed the story of dealing with the Twilight executive as mere rumors and ignored it.

‘It’s clearly different now.’

The attitude of the servants had noticeably changed.

Everyone had received vivid reports about the fall of Albus Castle.

It seemed they thought Henon might become the real power after this, as even those who used to look at me like I was nothing were now smiling and bowing.

“I’m back.”

“You’ve worked hard. Let’s eat first.”

However, the Lord’s attitude was similar to before.

He was pleased with my achievements but didn’t overreact beyond that.

With Philip and Rosalyn looking like they were attending a funeral next to him, he was probably trying to maintain neutrality.

The evening banquet.

The interior was still luxurious.

Various seafood dishes brought from the Goblin Sea were lined up on the long, rectangular table.

A 20-year-old wine, difficult to obtain from the free city of Liang, was also unveiled today.

For reference, the year 20 marked the appearance of the Great Demon Baal, so the wine harvest that year was almost a complete failure.

Amidst all that, the wine that survived after the Demon King was defeated was said to be richer than any other year, perhaps because it had overcome adversity, even though the quantity was small.

The fact that Lord Lloyd, known as a wine enthusiast, had brought out the finest wine was an indirect way of showing how good his mood was.

Pop!

As the cork was pulled, a dizzying fragrance tickled the nose.

Sion and Campbell, who were also invited to the meal, sparkled their eyes and stared at the red wine filling their glasses.

“I’ve heard the story in broad strokes. Thanks to your hard work, Lloyd has suppressed Hilton’s arrogance and flaunted the robustness of the Oak Tree throughout the continent.”

Said the Lord.

“I know very well how sturdy Albus Castle is, having visited it before. To have captured such a castle is truly remarkable.”

“It was just luck.”

“Even humility can stray from virtue if it goes too far. Above all, there’s a rumor that Henon brought down the castle with just a few words. I’d like to hear how that happened.”

If it was the Lord I knew, he would have already heard the whole story from Sebastian.

He probably had a better grasp of how things proceeded than Sion and Campbell, who were actually involved in the operation.

Yet, he was asking this because he wanted to hear it again himself, and it was also a consideration for me to lead the atmosphere.

I wasn’t one to refuse a given opportunity, so I calmly reported the whole story of the Albus Fortress incident.

Of course, I didn’t tell everything.

I included what needed to be included and omitted what needed to be omitted.

I left out how we climbed the cliff, what agreements we made with the Blue Hawk Mercenary团 [Mercenary group], and the story of Peter’s betrayal.

Still, the story was quite long.

Over an hour passed.

“…And that’s how we ended the territory war.”

The Lord had a pleased look on his face.

On the other hand, Philip, who had been openly showing his displeasure throughout the meal, stood up abruptly as if this was his chance and pointed his finger.

“Father! Henon has committed a serious offense. Lord Albus is a grave criminal who has broken the vassal contract. He should be punished for letting the culprit of this incident escape due to negligence.”

As expected, Philip was nitpicking about this.

In fact, this was the only thing he could find fault with.

However, at the point where Lloyd had suppressed Hilton and won the disadvantageous territory war, it didn’t matter whether Lord Albus was caught or not.

The Lord couldn’t possibly be unaware of this fact that I knew.

As expected, the Lord didn’t care much.

“It’s alright. It could even be said to be a good thing. Now that the rebellious lord has gone missing, it will be easier to install a lord that suits our taste.”

“But he’s the instigator of the rebellion. He should have been made an example of in front of everyone to clearly show what kind of end those who betray the Lloyd family will meet, but Henon’s stupidity wasted the opportunity.”

Lord Lloyd stared intently at Philip, who was vehemently protesting with a flushed face, and asked.

“Philip, you have a firm grasp of the concept of rewarding merit and punishing demerit.”

“That’s right! Reward those who do well! Punish those who do poorly! Isn’t that an essential quality for a ruler who will govern the territory in the future!”

“Then I ask you. What reward should be given to the one who captured Lord Albus and opened the castle gates with only three people, without any help from the family, achieving a victory that will be recorded in history?”

“That’s…”

At the Lord’s words, Philip sweated profusely and became tongue-tied.

“Your words aren’t wrong either. It’s certainly a mistake to have missed the instigator of the rebellion. However, it’s not a good attitude to only mention the faults when the merits far outweigh them.”

“I, I made a mistake.”

“Then what reward would you give to Henon?”

Rosalyn, who had been maintaining an uncomfortable silence throughout, asked in a sharp voice.

The atmosphere of the dining hall sank.

The servants, Sion and Campbell, Rosalyn and Philip, and even Sebastian waited to hear what the Lord would say.

“Surely… no? No matter what, that’s not it.”

Rosalyn preemptively fretted, perhaps feeling uneasy.

On the other hand, the Lord’s expression was firm.

“Henon, you have shown results beyond expectations. Frankly, I didn’t know you would do this well. And there was a promise I made to you before starting the territory war.”

He paused for a moment to catch his breath and continued.

“Although it wasn’t left in writing, it was a word I clearly uttered. And I have no intention of taking back what I said. Therefore… from today, Henon is the ‘temporary’ heir of the Lloyd territory.”

The sentence was finally passed.

After years of saying I would jump into the heir competition at the duel with Philip, I finally achieved my goal.

Thus, I became the heir to the vast Lloyd territory, albeit temporarily.

But I’m still uneasy.

The road ahead is long.

I have to solve the problems with my half-siblings and stepmother who will rise up immediately.

“You! You’re crazy!”

Rosalyn was furious.

Philip also opened his mouth.

“Father, you can’t do this. Even if Henon has shown some good qualities recently, this is too sudden. The people around us won’t acknowledge it either.”

“Acknowledge? I, Gordon Lloyd, am the rightful ruler of the territory. Whose acknowledgment is more necessary?”

“That’s not all. I also made a great contribution in the territory war. I was the one who actually attacked the castle. But you’re only praising Henon’s merits. This is clear favoritism!”

He vehemently protested.

It was a plausible argument to listen to.

But that was the worst move.

Philip tends to take Lord Lloyd too lightly.

If he presented that as an achievement to the Lord, who had grasped everything that happened in this territory war as easily as flipping his hand…

“What? Made a contribution?”

As expected.

The Lord’s voice lowered to a mid-bass.

A heavy aura pressed down on the banquet hall.

Philip’s complexion gradually paled as he faced his anger head-on.

“Are you sure you made a contribution?”

“I led the soldiers… and attacked the castle…”

“Yes. You attacked, that’s what you did.”

The Lord stood up abruptly.

Then he walked towards the window and sharply pulled open the closed curtains.

“See for yourself. What you did at Albus Castle. What kind of results it brought about.”

Everyone stood up and faced the window.

For reference, the banquet hall was located in a fairly high place within the inner castle.

So, standing at the window, you could clearly see the main gate of the inner castle.

A bizarre scene unfolded outside the glass window at the main gate of the inner castle.

Women in shabby clothes and with haggard faces were lined up at the main gate of the inner castle, and the guards were handing out bread to them in turn.

“What is that? Did the family implement a new distribution system for the beggars in the back alleys?”

Philip tilted his head.

The Lord, looking at Philip with calm eyes, said.

“Beggars? That’s not wrong. They are people who have lost something more precious than all their possessions.”

“I don’t understand what you mean. What connection do those dirty women have with Albus Castle?”

“The women you call dirty. Their husbands, brothers, and sons were sacrificed at Albus Castle following your orders.”

“!!!”

Philip’s eyes widened.

Come to think of it, some of those women threw the bread on the ground even after receiving it.

There was also a woman who was wailing loudly, and the guards grabbed her arms and dragged her away. Even as she left, the woman scattered tears and screamed.

“Do you think I came here to get a piece of bread like this! Give me back my son! He couldn’t even get married because he was taking care of his incompetent mother all his life! Such a guy was dragged into an unwanted war and died! I don’t need any bread! Please just give me back my son! Waaah…”

It was quite a distance away, but you could hear what she was saying if you just listened carefully. The sorrow melted into the woman’s voice deeply resonated in the heart. The embarrassed Philip quickly made excuses.

“Well, inevitable losses occur when fighting a war. I will give them proper compensation.”

“Say the same thing in front of that old woman.”

There was no way he could do that.

If he actually did it, that would be a problem in its own right.

“I received a report on how the Albus siege progressed. You recklessly charged into a fortress that was fully prepared.”

“That’s!”

“Look at those who lost their families in vain due to your orders. Engrave it in your eyes and imprint it in your mind. That is the result of the orders you gave.”

Philip clenched his teeth.

Sensing the unfavorable situation, he changed the subject.

“Even so, the position of heir is too much for Henon. Isn’t he just a baseborn bastard!”

In the end, it was a personal attack.

It was so ugly that I frowned.

Above all, he was now crossing the line of danger.

“Especially that bastard’s mother, who knows where she crawled out from, isn’t she just a lowly woman! To be blunt, she could have been a prostitute…”

In fact, I was about to cut Philip down even though it was a place where everyone was watching.

Although she wasn’t my mother, I was going to make him pay the price for insulting Henon’s mother, who had lent me her body.

But Lord Lloyd’s actions were faster than mine.

Slap!!

Philip’s head turned.

A bright red handprint left by Lord Lloyd was clearly imprinted on his cheek.

Philip, with a shocked expression, looked at his father at the intense pain rising up his spine.

“Don’t you ever insult Hena in front of me again.”

Lord Lloyd, who had been exuding a sense of pressure that made it difficult to breathe for a while, sighed with an expression that looked ten years older.

“Today’s meal is over. Everyone, step back. And Henon, come to my office from tomorrow. I will educate you on the work.”

The evening banquet ended in a mess, as if foreshadowing an uneasy start.

It was somewhat expected.

Philip, who had been clenching his fists tightly, kicked the chair and left, even though the Lord was watching.

“You will regret today’s decision.”

Rosalyn also caused a cold wind and left with a huff. The Lord also left with Sebastian, as if he wanted to be alone.

In the end, like a deja vu, only me, Sion, and Campbell were left behind.

Only the sound of us chattering could be heard again.

Now, even Sion was looking at Campbell, who had thick nerves, with an admiring expression.

“Vice-Captain.”

“What?”

“Why don’t I ever get tired of Southern food, no matter how much I eat?”

“Eat a lot.”

“I don’t think I can ever go back to the North. The bread there is too hard.”

Anyway, things worked out well.

As of today, I was the ‘temporary’ heir of the Lloyd territory.

* * *

“Aaaaaaah!!!”

Rosalyn, who had returned to her bedroom, couldn’t contain her anger and threw the precious flower pot, which she had painstakingly purchased from Liang, against the wall first.

Glass shards flew everywhere with a loud noise, but her anger was not relieved.

She tore the bed sheets to shreds with her hands and swept all the furniture on the table onto the floor.

Only when the floor was completely cluttered without a single place to step did she barely calm down.

‘Where did it all go wrong?’

I should have nipped it in the bud when he was young.

I didn’t know that Henon was wearing the mask of a scoundrel and hiding such sharp teeth.

The pathetic appearance he had shown since he was a child didn’t seem like acting at all.

But from some point on, this guy changed.

Suddenly, he trained to build up his body, broke Philip in a duel, went to the North and dealt with the Twilight executive, and captured Albus Castle with only three people.

It was a story that was hard to believe no matter how many times I heard it.

At first, I thought it was okay.

Because people sometimes try to change as time passes.

Even so, there was a limit to his development, and Henon, who was born out of wedlock and had no supporters, would surely collapse.

But that was her delusion.

Each and every one of Henon’s actions was out of the ordinary.

Nothing matched the average.

Every time he moved, he achieved more than ten times the results that others had expected.

It was frustrating, but I had to admit it.

Henon was a remarkable guy.

A mutant that appears here and there on the continent.

Why did such a guy have to block my path?

While she was tearing her hair out and blaming the sky,

“You seem very angry.”

A strange man’s voice was heard.

Rosalyn, startled, quickly turned her head towards the direction of the sound.

The window, which had been locked until now, was wide open, and a cold winter wind swept through the cluttered room.

“It’s not too early to give up yet.”

The one who came, hiding from everyone’s eyes, was not a stranger to Rosalyn.

A black hood and a deeply pressed fedora.

A gentleman’s suit that was elegantly dressed and a bizarre mask that strangely matched it.

It was the secret envoy of the Hilton family that I had seen with Philip before.

“You… you!”

As soon as she saw the fedora gentleman, Rosalyn rushed over and grabbed his collar.

“How the hell did you defend Albus Castle! Huh? I told you to prepare. How weak were the Hilton family’s troops that the castle fell to just three people! Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused me?”

She poured out all the pent-up anger on the night visitor who had come.

The masked man was just taking Rosalyn’s anger out on him for a while, but then he gently pushed her away.

It seemed like he just pushed her lightly, but she fell on her butt with a thud.

“Agh!”

A dark shadow loomed over Rosalyn’s head as she rubbed her sore butt.

“Don’t get me wrong. You’re not the only one in trouble. Isn’t it all your fault for not managing one baseborn bastard?”

“What!?”

“Am I wrong? You had time, power, and legitimacy. Anyone could see that you couldn’t lose, but you lost the position of heir to a scoundrel with all of that, so who’s the stupid one?”

The man grabbed Rosalyn and lifted her up.

Despite being quite plump, Rosalyn floated into the air so lightly.

Fear quickly filled her eyes, as she had never experienced this kind of violence before.

“But it’s okay.”

The masked man didn’t raise his hand any further than that.

He just set her down on the floor and released her collar.

Then he gently touched Rosalyn’s disheveled hair.

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Now we have only confirmed who the common enemy we must deal with is.”

“I don’t need to bother with that side. He’s just a naive baseborn bastard. The aristocratic society won’t acknowledge Henon either. I’ll make sure of it.”

“You still haven’t come to your senses.”

The man brought his face close to Rosalyn’s. Her arms were covered in goosebumps at the sticky gaze hidden behind the mask.

“You just can’t seem to learn. How many times have you been fooled by being careless like that?”

“I’ll do it right this time.”

“No. You will fail again this time. And Henon, who you hate so much, will become the official heir, not just the temporary one, and soar brilliantly.”

“Shut up!”

“Henon defeated an Expert warrior.”

Rosalyn’s mouth closed at the masked man’s words that followed.

“I wasn’t just playing around either. I asked the Count to place Lord Hormann, who is one of the top warriors in the Hilton family, in Albus Castle. For reference, Lord Hormann was a seasoned knight who had been an Expert for 20 years.”

“That knight… was defeated by Henon?”

“That’s right. Henon, who just became an adult, easily defeated someone who was at the intermediate level of Expert. What does this mean?”

Rosalyn wasn’t stupid.

She immediately realized the gist of what the man was trying to say.

“Sword Master…”

“That’s right. Henon has properly inherited the sword skills of Sevenstar, Lord Lloyd.”

Her vision darkened.

Legitimate son? Power? Legitimacy?

Everything is meaningless in front of the word Sword Master.

Rather, inheriting sword skills proves legitimacy more clearly than anything else.

“The aristocratic society still doesn’t know about Henon’s true worth. There are quite a few people who dismiss it as boasting. But what if his skills gradually spread?”

There was no need to even look.

Henon will gradually increase his recognition.

In inverse proportion to this, Philip’s position will narrow day by day.

“Now, back to the point. Do you still think Henon is easy to deal with?”

Rosalyn’s legs gave way.

She collapsed to the ground.

To defeat an intermediate-level Sword Expert at a young age.

In short, isn’t that the same level as or above the sword skills that her own father, Count Molti, has built up throughout his life?

She couldn’t understand the growth rate that deviated from the rules, and she had no idea how to deal with him.

“How… how should I…?”

“Don’t be too discouraged. No matter how impossible something seems, there is always a way to solve it if you look for it.”

The fedora gentleman gently stroked Rosalyn’s cheek as she sat down.