The Reross Family had been left quite weakened after suffering great losses. According to others, they were largely silent.
The Bluelet family, on the other hand, was a bit... unstable at the mont.
And... the Inferesse Family, the family that was left to .
We weren't as well off as the Bluelets, but we weren't as badly off as the Rerosses either. Philip Inferesse aside, the family had lost a lot of its strength in the Reross attack.
There was a lot I needed to fix and put back together.
It was much harder now because I had planned to take over the family under more normal circumstances.
But... it wasn't that bad.
There was nothing I thought I couldn't do.
As long as I encountered as few surprises as possible, I was quite confident that I could put everything back on track.
In this way, as I ntally reviewed everything I had planned for the future, two days passed quite quickly.
My care, my 'recovery' process, was going quite well.
No one seed to think I was anyone other than the real Franz.
Just...
"Oh, really?"
Looking at the thing in front of , I couldn't help but rember the past.
"Yes, with this, you can walk without difficulty in your daily life."
This world is a technologically advanced one.
In such a world, soone with a leg problem doesn't have to use an old-fashioned thing like a cane; only those without money would choose it. After all, there's sothing much better available.
Devices attached to limbs that function as an external exoskeleton, rendering cane-like things unnecessary.
After waking up from my coma, sothing like that was offered to too.
The only problem was…
"I don't want it."
I refused, just like I did now.
"H- huh?"
In front of , the doctor who ca to attach the external skeleton to my leg stared at and then at the thing in his hand.
"Are you... sure?"
Of course I'm sure.
First of all, if I get hit in the leg during a fight, this thing could break and hinder rather than help . After all, these aren't designed to be armor; they're only ant to help walk.
Second, the condition of my leg or arm doesn't matter because I can use caora. I'd rather have people see my cane and look down on .
Thirdly, canes are perfect weapons that I can take anywhere, especially for . Thanks to Durandal's Aura, everything around counts as a weapon, but no one expects that from a normal cane.
I could list a few more reasons, but what's the point?
Besides... canes are cooler.
That's also a big reason, of course.
"Yes, I'm sure. Give a normal cane."
It took so ti to convince the doctor that I wanted a cane instead of an exoskeleton. But after a while, he reluctantly gave in and gave a normal cane, just as I wanted.
So, I finally got out of bed.
*******
The hospital I was 'discharged' from wasn't really a 'hospital'. It was more like a clinic located in the Inferesse Family's territory, serving only family mbers, including employees. That's why, as soon as I left, I was able to go to the main building accompanied by a few guards who followed .
What I encountered was...
"Welco, Master Franz!"
The loud, booming voice that filled my ears the mont the main building's doors opened.
It was actually quite a pleasant sight. To my right and left, more than a hundred family mbers stood lined up in a long row.
Each of them seed to have been waiting for this mont, standing perfectly at attention, looking at with respect.
Following Philip Inferesse's death, as his only child and an adult... the family had been left entirely to Franz, that is, to .
It wasn't official yet; I still had to sign a few docunts to the 'higher-ups' confirming that I had taken over the family. But for those who worked for and were mbers of this family, it was a definite fact.
The new head of the Inferesse Family was Franz Martin Inferesse.
.
Aiden Tenebra.
Although Ethan Subter is probably more accurate...
"Thank you, I wasn't expecting this."
I put a small smile on my face and looked each mber in the eye, one by one.
"I know and see that you did this to show your loyalty. However, with my father... gone... and so much to sort out, I don't want to turn this into so kind of 'celebration'. This... is enough for . Thank you all again. Let's all get back to work. We have a lot to do, after all."
And that's exactly what happened.
Everyone who had co to greet quickly stepped back, disappearing from view without turning their backs on .
Except for a few, of course.
"Please accept my condolences, Master."
This man had black hair that was starting to turn gray in places, but he didn't look overly old. His face wasn't that wrinkled, and his body wasn't particularly muscular. His eye color was red, but they were quite sharp.
"In your absence, I tried to manage important matters without making any major decisions. Let inform you about the current situation and problems, if you like.
This man was Philip Inferesse's right-hand man, so to speak.
His na was Stephen. Since I planned to take control of the Inferesse Family when the ti ca, I had researched all the important nas beforehand, and he was one of them.
After staring at him for a mont, I nodded without saying anything. I walked slowly toward the stairs, with them following behind . As I walked, I looked left and right, as if I were seeing these corridors differently now. As if I were walking through this mansion not as a 'young master' but as the real 'master'.
Despite this, I didn't let a trace of excitent or satisfaction show on my face. On the contrary, as Franz, who had lost his father and whose relationship with him wasn't that bad, would have done, there was a slight sadness on my face.
However, after going up two more floors and reaching the top, we ca to the most prominent room on this floor, which had many guards in front of it.
It had sothing simple written on it in a very plain way.
Whose room it belonged to.
"The Head of Inferesse, Philip Inferesse… huh."
I narrowed my eyes. I stood there staring at the na written for a few seconds.
But then I pulled myself together. Taking a deep breath, I took my next step, and the door slowly swung open behind . It revealed the office hidden behind it.
Unlike most of the 'simple' things I had seen during my ti here, this place was a bit more ostentatious. Paintings of the family's previous heads, photographs taken during the mansion's initial construction, angel wing engravings covering the walls, and featured in the family crest...
Even the desk at the far end of the office looked extrely expensive and high-quality. While the Inferesse family wasn't an excessively wealthy one, it was clear here that they were certainly not lacking in any way.
This ti, I continued without appearing to be lost in thought. I approached the desk and glanced at a few docunts lying on it. They were most likely so of the things Philip had been working on before he died.
I put the files aside and slowly sank into the chair.
It was comfortable, felt quite cozy.
…
Hmm, now that I think about it, I don't have anything like this in the potion production company I set up or in the house I took over after becoming a noble.
I still sit on ordinary chairs and sleep on beds that aren't much better than the chair I'm sitting on right now, even though they're comfortable.
When I get back, I'll replace those chairs and beds. An office like this would be nice too.
I sighed softly, sat up straighter in my chair, and turned my eyes to the man standing in front of while I was doing all this.
Philip Inferesse's right-hand man, Stephen, was looking at with a rather blank expression.
"You resemble your father."
"Do you think so?"
"Yes. You're just like him when he was young."
I changed my facial expression and posture slightly, as if struck by what he said. But then I pulled myself together again.
"Anyway. Let's get to what you were going to tell . Since our situation isn't great, I want to focus on the problems quickly."
Stephen nodded as if agreeing with . Then he stepped back a little, creating so distance between us. He then tapped his wristwatch twice, and a large holographic screen opened up in the space between us.
Stephen began his explanation from the very beginning.
"First of all, the reason we were confident we could recover after the Reross attack was the support we would receive from the Bluelet Family, with whom we had ford an alliance. However, they... are not in a position to provide that support right now."
Even though they had lost Tom Bluelet, the family's head, the family itself hadn't actually suffered a significant loss of power.
Then why aren't they in a position to provide support?
Frankly... it's quite simple.
"Tom Bluelet's two surviving children are currently engaged in a small-scale war of succession to take over the family, aren't they?"
Looking at the screen in front of , it wasn't difficult to deduce that these two people were at the top of the list.
One was a man who looked quite similar to Tom Bluelet, though with very different hair and eye color, and appeared to be about Franz's age. The other was a woman who looked a little older than him but had inherited more of her father's physical features.
"Succession... Which one is considered more likely?"
Stephen couldn't help but turn his eyes toward the woman after my question, answering only with this gesture.
"Margaret Bluelet is clearly more successful than her brother, Barry Bluelet. There is no doubt that she will beco the new family head if there is no outside interference. Since she is not unfriendly toward us, I believe she is the one who should be supported in the current situation."
This man... seems quite useful, huh.
"Send her a ssage. Remind her that despite the losses both families have suffered, their previous alliance remains valid. Also state that as a result of this alliance, she is the one we will support as successor, and that we will be by her side if she needs help."
"Understood, Master."
"Continue explaining, then."
I scanned the screen in front of for a mont.
After all, there was much more than just the Bluelet Family there.
Distant relatives belonging to the Inferesse Family, enemies who had their eyes fixed on us now that our power had fallen so low, other families that had previously interacted with us...
There was much more to discuss in this room.
"Of course, Master."
And so, Stephen continued to explain everything, one by one.
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