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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Pot]
[Proofreader - Kawaii]
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Chapter 131: How Can You Be So Calm?
When my mind is troubled, I long for open scenery.
I went up to the rooftop and took in the view of Grunewald City. The bustling city at midday was overflowing with life and energy.
“Ugh, it’s blinding.”
The sunlight reflecting off the sea stung my eyes. I covered them with my hand and turned around.
Then, to the north, a particularly high hill came into view. It was the area known as the slums or the underworld.
Somewhere over there were the survivors of Eisenach, the family who shared half my blood.
“Family…”
Even the word felt unfamiliar on my tongue. In my past life, I had become an orphan at a young age and spent my entire life longing for the warmth of family.
But what about this second life I’ve been given?
I woke up in the midst of siblings fighting over gold, jewels, and the throne. Verdzig and Somerset are my enemies, and Karl is merely a companion in a delicate alliance. As for Barclava, we exchanged curses and fought the moment we met.
In the end, among my siblings, only one person made me feel familial love—Ulbhild.
‘But my maternal side is different.’
I recalled the sentiments Zizek had transcribed for me.
‘The reason you’ve endured all this time was actually to meet us, my mother and me.’
Balthazar’s words lingered in a corner of my heart.
“When I fell into the abyss of despair, losing everything and collapsing, how could I not feel even a hint of resentment toward that child? That would be a lie.”
I couldn’t fully grasp the mix of love and hatred in his calm words. Yet, the old man had also said this:
“What wrong has Allenvert committed? A child born into this world is innocent. Isn’t that so?”
He’s right. Truly, he is.
But how many children inherit the sins they never committed and die, or are caught in poverty they never caused and starve?
Like Karzan, like Zizek, like Peter, like Moritz.
‘……This is nothing short of a miracle.’
I imagined the boy Allenvert, trapped in his solitary cave, smiling.
‘If I can embrace the survivors of Eisenach and, through that, help my mother rise again.’
And if I can also gain the support of Ulbhild and Rudgarda, the two Special Operations Division battalions commander…
……Then someday, I might build a force rivaling Verdzig’s power.
‘And one more thing.’
Before me lie two paths to overcome my terminal fate.
One is to seek the legendary panacea, Ereshkigal, said to cure all diseases.
‘Information about Ereshkigal’s whereabouts lies with Rudgarda and the Angantyr clan.’
The other is to meet my mother and the Eisenach survivors to uncover the principle behind the strange phenomenon of absorbing Nepherus’s breath.
‘Which path should I prioritize?’
In truth, there’s no need to deliberate.
‘Of course, the latter.’
Even without that panacea, I would choose to harness this mysterious energy and turn it into a greater power.
‘To face a great enemy, you need great strength.’
To defeat Verdzig.
……And to hold a blade to the Dark King’s neck.
‘Then the temptation to cure my condition with the panacea might actually be a sweet trap.’
Now I’m certain. The incurable illness within me could be both a curse and a blessing.
If I were to eliminate it entirely instead of mastering it, how much potential would I lose?
‘……Another reason to meet my mother.’
My mother hasn’t come to see me since I woke up. I don’t know if she’s heard about my condition or if we’re completely cut off.
But regardless of the truth, if I can meet the Eisenach survivors, perhaps her tightly closed heart will open?
‘To do that, I’ll need to meet my father first.’
Because the only person who can grant me the opportunity to meet my mother is my father.
* * *
The sun was setting. The golden hues of dusk were sinking beneath the sea.
I stared at the scene for a while before calling Peter.
“You called, Young Master?”
“Bring me a pen and paper.”
“Yes. I’ll prepare them right away!”
Seeing my somber expression, Peter quickly disappeared. It was his way of being considerate.
But hadn’t Peter also narrowly escaped a great ordeal? If he hadn’t shown some quick thinking, however clumsy, and if the security guards hadn’t intervened at the right moment, I might have been faced with Peter’s cold corpse.
"Hmm, I should have had Jeffrey do it."
But Peter had already fetched the pen and paper with the speed of the wind.
"Here you go, young master."
"Good. You're quick."
I stared at the paper for a moment before asking Peter, "Peter, what if..."
"Yes?"
"If you could relocate your family to a safe place, where would you choose?"
"Huh?"
Peter blinked, then seemed to understand what I meant and waved his hands in protest.
"N-no, I'm fine!"
"I'm not fine with it. If they're bold enough to target you, your family might not be safe either."
"W-well, that's true..."
Seeing Peter flustered, I added, "It's not something we can do right away, so don't worry too much. In the meantime, I'll have Zizek keep a close eye on things."
"Yes, understood."
But even that wasn't the best solution. Zizek was still struggling to handle even one member of the royal Guard properly.
Of course, I believe Zizek's potential is no less than Jeffrey or Olivier's. If he had been born into a noble family, he would have been much stronger by now.
'But the best way to resolve this issue is to settle it directly with Verdzig.'
I planned to make today's incident cost them dearly.
"Anyway, go and rest."
"Yes."
I sighed softly as I stared at the blank white paper on the desk. I had intended to write a reply to my maternal clan, but I was at a loss for where to begin.
'At least it's a good thing I learned how to write.'
During my time in Karzan, there was a woman who taught me how to write.
‘Adeline.'
She was a woman whose feelings I could never reciprocate. Many things happened between us, but... in any case—
When our bond had grown somewhat strong, she suddenly started visiting me almost daily, saying she would teach me how to write.
'I didn't learn anything too advanced from my grandfather.'
At best, I could only manage basic dictation. Adeline, on the other hand, was quite learned.
Though I grumbled and found it bothersome, I had come to look forward to the time spent learning from Adeline and listening to her stories.
'Damn it.'
I didn't want to become the kind of man who gets sentimental every time I pick up a pen.
After a faint sigh, I began to organize my thoughts and put them into words.
The content I needed to convey was roughly this:
'First, a word of gratitude for the unexpected connection.'
Next, I wanted to quickly make it known that it was none other than I, Allenvert, who had sent Zizek.
Although it would be difficult to meet my mother immediately, I thought it would be better than waiting indefinitely, so I explained the situation and asked for understanding.
There was no need for a separate reply, and I would write again once I received a handwritten letter.
Until then, I wasn't in a position to ask for assistance, but since Zizek was a fairly reliable man, I requested that they consult with him if any issues arose.
Finally, I emphasized the importance of secrecy and safety before concluding the letter.
"...Hmm."
After a moment of thought, I decided to add one more sentence.
What should I write? That our reunion wouldn't take too long? Or...
"Cough!"
Suddenly, a wave of discomfort rose, and I coughed.
"Huh?"
There was blood on the palm I used to cover my mouth.
'What the hell is this?'
My panic was short-lived as I vomited a torrent of blood that surged up my throat.
"Ugh!"
As if I had suffered internal injuries, pieces of organs mixed with the red blood flowed down my hand.
'Ah... could this be?'
A grim premonition struck me. Had absorbing Nepherus's Breath taken a toll on my body?
'Back then, it seemed fine, so why is this happening now?'
I wondered if some unknown side effect had damaged my organs.
"Damn it. Did I just lose two years of my lifespan in one go?"
I circulated the Eternal Ocean Chain Technique to examine my body. Sure enough, there was a point where the flow of mana was unnatural. A stabbing pain kept coming from my side.
'I thought things were going too smoothly.'
But when has my life ever been like that? It couldn't be. I sighed.
"Damn it, now I have to rewrite the whole thing."
There's nothing more annoying than having to rewrite something you've already written.
But if I sent the letter as it was, covered in blood, wouldn't my great-uncle be shocked, thinking I was about to die?
"Ugh."
As I wiped the blood with a handkerchief and prepared a new sheet of paper, Olivier's voice came from outside.
"Young master, may I come in?"
"Uh..."
I hesitated for a moment, wondering how to explain this situation, then replied, "Yes, come in."
Olivier, who entered the room, was utterly shocked.
"Young master?! What is this?!"
"Ah, it's nothing. Probably just a side effect of absorbing Nepherus's Breath."
Despite my calm tone, Olivier's expression remained serious.
"...Since when have you been coughing up blood?"
"Hmm? As far as I remember, this is the first time."
After all, Allenvert's memories were completely gone.
"Peter might have seen it before."
I shrugged and raised my blood-stained hand.
"Anyway, bring me some water to wash up. And some new stationery."
"...Young master, how can you be so calm?"
"Huh?"
Olivier looked as if his world had been shattered.
"It's just a little blood..."
I was about to scratch my head but stopped when I remembered it was covered in blood.
'Hmm. Is it really that serious?'
In my past life, getting stabbed and coughing up blood was nothing unusual.
'Ah, right.'
If ‘young master’, whose days were numbered, treated coughing up blood as if it were nothing, it might seem like he was forcing himself to appear strong—which would be heartbreaking, wouldn't it?
'That makes sense. Hmm.'
I’ve always had good empathy.
I began to feel a bit proud of myself.
"I’ll call a doctor immediately."
I shook my head at Olivier's suggestion.
"No need. It's already late, just call one tomorrow."
"Young master."
"Even if it’s not Joseph but his master who comes, there’s nothing he can do, right?"
"......"
Olivier's expression grew even stranger.
Why? Anyone would think I’m about to drop dead.
'Well, they’re not wrong.'
But I had no intention of dying anytime soon.
...Is that why I feel no sense of crisis?
.
.
.
After transferring the letter to the new paper Olivier brought, I sealed it properly.
"So, how should we deliver this letter?"
I glanced at my attendants.
"Perhaps we could ask Young Lady Ulbhild for help?"
Jeffrey suggested.
"In my opinion, Commander Rudgarda would be a better choice."
I preferred Olivier's suggestion.
"Why do you think so?"
"Even though we’ve formed an alliance, trust deepens through the process of owing and repaying debts."
Olivier replied promptly.
"So, when there’s something to ask for, we shouldn’t hesitate to ask."
"I see."
I crossed my arms and said, "By making them owe me, she would feel more at ease, right?"
"Exactly. Sometimes, it’s necessary wisdom to be the one in debt first."
"Well said."
This was likely the wisdom of Count Aiden, who had been managing the affairs of the Grunewald Ducal Estate.
"I’d appreciate it if you, Jeffrey, could handle that request. Through the Royal Guards, discreetly."
"I’ll take care of it."
Perhaps because he’d heard about me coughing up blood, Jeffrey obediently accepted my order.
"And there’s one more thing..."
I pointed at Peter and continued.
"It seems our second brother tried to do something terrible to my poor attendant. There’s no evidence, so we can’t confront him directly, but we can’t just let it slide either."
Olivier and Jeffrey responded with stern faces.
"That’s true."
"There’s no other likely suspect. But if this turns into a mudslinging fight, it’ll just drag on with no gain."
Indeed. The idea of Grunewald's young master sending assassins to kill his brother’s attendant was highly problematic, but it was also the kind of thing that frequently happened during succession battles.
'Since they’re not fools either, proving it would be tricky.'
"In situations like this, it’s much simpler and wiser to send a clear warning without any debate."
This is how things usually go in the underworld. Blood is repaid with blood, not through trials.
So, I asked, "Do the three of you have a way to make my brother Verdzig feel a sharp pain in the back of his head?"
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Pot]
[Proofreader - Kawaii]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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