[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
Chapter 278: The Brothers' Anguish
Since being thoroughly humiliated at the dinner gathering where Geninghen was present, Sorset had already fallen out of the succession race early on.
Since then, he had been keeping a low profile while gradually purging the ‘drug effects’ that the underworld had slowly poisoned him with, focusing on recovering his body and concentrating on martial arts training.
"Ah..."
When the madness finally disappeared from his eyes, Sorset realized he had already crossed a river of no return.
"It's over."
There was no longer any possibility of him becoming the head of the clan.
But even if the sky fell, he had to find a way to survive.
So he went to see Count Aiden, the head butler.
"Young Master Sorset, it's been such a long ti."
"Head Butler, I'll cut straight to the chase. I have sothing to tell you."
Sorset couldn't even touch the tea the head butler had served as he struggled to speak.
"I know my future prospects aren't bright as things stand. How can I escape from this predicant?"
"Hmm."
The head butler was montarily flustered by the sudden words and asked back.
"Why are you asking this..."
"Uncle and Mother don't seem to be people I can trust at a ti like this."
"!"
Since this was a string of words unlike Sorset, the head butler had to ask again.
"Why is that?"
"Let's just say that much intelligence has returned to ."
The violent appearance Sorset once had was nowhere to be seen.
Dejected and having tasted bitter defeat, he had finally beco human...
'It's not even on that level.'
The head butler thought.
It was clear he had finally escaped from the underworld’s manipulation and addiction.
Sorset had already returned to the look in his eyes from those days he rembered.
"Young Master Sorset, then I will speak to you sincerely as well."
Sorset straightened his back and corrected his posture.
"I'm listening."
At this mont, the head butler recalled the image of young Sorset, who was a bit bold but more timid than he appeared.
Though he had long since given up hope in disappointnt, why was a corner of his heart aching?
"First, I think we need to clarify one thing."
The head butler raised his index finger.
"Your maternal clan, the Agrippa, has long been attached to the Bergen. To be precise, they've gone under Young master Verdzig, so the two are essentially a community of shared fate."
Sorset clenched his molars tightly.
"Head Butler, I hate that. I'm afraid of Brother Verdzig, and I find it disgusting that Agrippa would be swallowed whole by his hands."
But joining Allenvert, who had humiliated him, wasn't easy either.
Because he had recently learned a terrible truth.
Precisely, the truth that his mother Bianca had revealed, saying ‘Anyone but Allenvert.’
"My maternal clan, the Agrippa, committed an unforgivable sin against Eisenach. I was such an idiot that I didn't even know that."
Sorset painfully clutched his head.
"Rather, I even insulted and despised Allenvert, who had lost his maternal clan because of Agrippa and was living in seclusion. What face do I have to take Allenvert's hand now?"
"..."
The head butler had to be surprised several tis.
He never expected to hear such 'reasonable' words of repentance from Sorset.
"Ahem."
The head butler, who had brushed off his own presumptuous thoughts with a cough, carefully opened his mouth.
"Young master Allenvert is not the type to bla innocent people for cris. Rather, he's quite sentintal."
"...Is that so?"
Sorset looked at the head butler with suspicious eyes, recalling Allenvert's appearance at the banquet, acting like a madman and getting on his nerves.
"Young Master Sorset, do you know Rudgarda Angantyr?"
"Isn't she the 6th Battalion Commander of the Special Operations Division?"
Sorset asked back as if wondering why he was asking sothing obvious, then his eyes widened.
"Ah!"
"Yes. As you know, Angantyr is Eisenach's greatest enemy. But the 6th Battalion Commander herself was abandoned as a guest and hostage, surviving only through her own abilities."
"...!"
"And Young master Allenvert joined hands with her in front of their common enemy, Grimnar Angantyr."
The head butler looked into Sorset's eyes and asked.
"If he could forgive even the enemy's daughter, wouldn't it go without saying for his half-brother?"
Sorset asked in an unconfident voice.
"But doesn't that bastard hate ?"
"Think carefully. He did tease you, annoy you, and give you a beating, but he 'never started trouble first.' If I may be so bold, he only returned what you gave him in response to your sches and attacks."
"..."
Sorset lowered his head in sha.
"Ah..."
The disgraceful behavior he had shown ca to mind.
His childish delusions, the crudeness of trying to borrow others' power, and even the ugliness of the pranks he had pulled in the na of sches.
"I'm ashad."
At Sorset's pained words, the head butler smiled faintly.
"Being ashad ans you know sha. Then I'll tell you the best thod I can think of."
Sorset raised his head.
"If you want to claim innocence from your clan's cris..."
"Yes."
"Leave the clan and beco independent."
"!!!"
"Even if you leave Agrippa, you still have Grunewald, don't you?"
"That's... true."
Sorset's hands trembled finely.
"Of course, that choice will co with many costs. You'll have to give up a great deal. You might effectively beco no different from a branch clan mber."
Moreover, the head butler continued.
"When Agrippa pays the price for their cris, will you be able to close your eyes and remain silent about your clan's destruction? Just to save yourself?"
"..."
Sorset looked at the head butler with an expression like he was going crazy, looked up at the ceiling, then squeezed his eyes shut.
"I'm sorry, but I absolutely can't do that. No matter what, they're my blood."
The head butler nodded.
"Then think about it. A way to save Agrippa and save yourself too."
Sorset pleaded.
"Please lend your wisdom."
"You must think for yourself, Young Master."
The head butler's wrinkled hand covered Sorset's hand.
"But may I give you a little advice?"
"Please, I beg you."
After taking a sip of tea, the head butler said.
"You can't save everyone. However, if it's about picking out only the 'innocent ones' from Agrippa and saving them, that might be possible."
"Ah!"
"Of course, only if you receive forgiveness from Young master Allenvert and the survivors of Eisenach."
"...I see. Forgiveness."
Sorset mulled over those words.
"I was thinking about saving my own skin before thinking about asking for forgiveness. I'm truly a worthless bastard."
"Don't be too hard on yourself, Young Master. Being selfish and contradictory is also part of being human."
"I understand. I think I can see sowhat the path I need to take."
Sorset barely managed to support his trembling legs as he stood up from his seat.
"Thank you, 'Uncle.'"
"Hahaha."
That was the pet na young Sorset used to call him.
After being scolded by Bianca a few tis, he had beco sullen and changed the way he addressed him.
"Young Master, please co anyti. This old man's office is always open."
"...Thank you."
The head butler watched Sorset's retreating figure walking down the corridor for a long ti.
Young Sorset, who used to sit on his lap chattering annoyingly, the timid and withdrawn boy who would answer happily when spoken to...
In the old man's mory, it was still vivid.
"Young master Allenvert."
If Allenvert could accept even Sorset's repentance...
"You would be stronger and kinder than anyone."
***
"Verdzig, are you there?"
"Grandfather, please co in."
Count Bergen, who had sohow reached the point where he had to 'personally' co find Verdzig, sat down, leaning his aged body against the backrest.
"What brings you all the way here?"
"...Allenvert."
The Count said, catching his increasingly labored breath.
"He won. Of course, you must have heard?"
"Yes."
"I heard he defeated the Black Society's enforcent unit. Putting together the stories I've heard, he must have certainly crossed the barrier of the 7th tier."
"I'm thinking the sa."
"Verdzig."
The Count couldn't hold back and brought up the main point.
"What the hell are you thinking?"
Verdzig asked back with a gently smiling face.
"I don't know what you an."
"I'm asking why you didn't join hands with Schelde to attack the Red Mist Alliance and the Bisakino Brotherhood."
"Ah."
The frustrated Count raised his voice.
"Instead, killing Schelde and destroying the 8th branch, what the hell is this..."
"Grandfather."
Verdzig interrupted the Count's words in a low voice.
"Then are you saying I should have joined hands with the Black Society and eliminated Allenvert?"
"If necessary, you should have done exactly that."
"How absurd."
Verdzig's eyes were no longer those of a grandson looking at his grandfather.
"You should know when enough is enough after being forgiven once. Do you think Father is rciful enough to forgive twice?"
"...!"
"What do you think Father is thinking?"
Verdzig gave this old man, who had lost the vigor of his youth and only accumulated poison, an answer.
"After gathering 'internal enemies' under my banner, when they join hands with the great enemy called the Black Society once more..."
Verdzig drew his hand diagonally.
"He plans to sweep them all away at once. Joining hands with the Black Society 'once more' ans exactly that."
"Verdzig."
Count Bergen pleaded with a face that had aged considerably in just a few months.
"But sohow you must win. This isn't the ti to be picky about thods."
Because.
"We sold Eisenach to Angantyr. Don't you know that?"
He was already afraid of Allenvert, afraid that his era was approaching.
In other words, the ti to pay for past sins was coming.
"I know."
"When Allenvert becos the master of Grunewald, do you think he'll let us live?"
"He's not the type to completely exterminate the entire Bergen clan."
Verdzig swallowed the words 'Instead, he'll track down and execute those responsible and involved' and said.
"Don't worry. Allen's skills still don't reach mine."
That was an undeniable fact.
***
On the way back to Grunewald, an unexpected guest ca to find .
"Brother Karl?"
The one who appeared leading a knighthood order was none other than Karl.
"Allenvert. It's been a while."
"No, Brother. Why are you here?"
"Well, it's a bit of a long story."
Karl smiled bitterly and pointed to the left.
"I prepared a small gift."
There were three n lying unconscious and limp.
"Ah!"
Kaimak recognized those bastards.
"Those bastards are from the Black Society's enforcent unit!"
Karl explained.
"Right. I tracked the fleeing bastards for three days and nights before ambushing and capturing them."
"Really?"
I had to be surprised on two counts.
"Why would you, Brother?"
Karl chuckled.
"You rember I went to escort Young Lady Siena and didn't return?"
"Of course. Seeing that everyone wasn't surprised, I figured you had received a mission or had other business."
"I'll explain. But before that..."
Karl acted unusually cheeky.
"Let's eat together. I can't tell you the story for free."
Then Taris, who had sohow beco like a supply officer, jumped up.
"I'll prepare more. Kaimak, follow ."
"Why? I want to hear His Grace's heroic tales."
"Shut up and follow ."
As expected, Taris is quick on the uptake.
[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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