Chapter 45
“This successor battle isn’t just the family’s problem…”
It had been just over a week since finishing matters at the Winterrose family and returning to the mansion.
Eric had been at the training grounds since dawn, swinging his sword until he was nearly exhausted. Leaning against a corner to rest, with not even the strength to move a hand, he let out a sigh as he recalled the words Allen had spoken last time.
“Haak… huff… I-I can’t run anymore…”
Lost in thought for only a moment, Eric looked toward Liliane, who had collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath as if her legs had given out.
“This is enough. Your hard training has paid off. Your stamina has improved significantly, Lady Liliane.”
“Heh, hehe… that’s a relief… ugh!”
Previously, she would have collapsed halfway through the target drills. But after returning from the latest expedition, her stamina had grown noticeably. Seeing this, Leona nodded with a satisfied expression.
“Indeed. Everyone’s stats have improved a lot. Though, if anything, the increase comes more from leveling up than from training itself.”
Eric, quietly watching from behind, thought of not only the two of them but also Malefica, who had been away from the past few days due to the church. He recalled the results of their recent expedition.
Leona Everlock
Level: 26 → 28
Strength [62] → [70]
Agility [105] → [112]
Stamina [78] → [83]
Magic [26] → [28]
Trait: <Ambition>
Liliane Ashford
Level: 25 → 27
Strength [12]
Agility [15] → [16]
Stamina [12] → [15]
Magic [225] → [244]
Trait: <Glass Cannon>
Malefica Beatrix
Level: 20 → 23
Strength [5]
Agility [7] → [8]
Stamina [43] → [47]
Magic [155] → [180]
Traits: <Steadfast Faith>, <Paranoia>
All three had gained two levels each, with corresponding increases in their stats. From the undead in the Moonlight Forest to the now-famous Count, they had defeated dozens of monsters in just a single day. Compared to the Nibosus Mountains, their growth was remarkable.
“Indeed, just looking at the stats, it’s clear that leveling up has done wonders.”
Eric himself had also gained stats from the expedition, though nothing compared to the other three. Of course, his main gain had been from traits earned through “Giant Killing” rather than stats.
“Lord… your expression seems off these days. Is something troubling you?”
Snapping out of his thoughts for a moment, Eric noticed Leona, who had finished tidying up for the exhausted Liliane, looking at him with concern.
“Trouble…”
“Could it be because of Lord Allen?”
Eric narrowed his eyes, troubled, and quietly nodded at her question.
She was right. The meaningful words Allen had thrown out that day wouldn’t leave his mind.
It wasn’t something he could just dismiss as a casual warning—there were parts that hit too close to home.
“What on earth… is he scheming?”
Why had Allen told him this? Was he trying to initiate a friendly competition for the Duke’s successor position? Or was it proof of confidence that someone like him posed no threat? Or…
“Does it mean the issues surrounding this succession battle, both inside and outside the family, are that serious?”
“…Lady Liliane.”
Reflecting silently on Allen’s intentions, Eric called out to Liliane, recalling past memories.
“You mentioned when the family was seeking a personal mage… that you thought it was Allen who had come.”
“Phew! Cough, cough! Hehe?”
Liliane, parched, had jumped up and gulped down water, spitting it out in surprise at Eric’s remark.
“Not really?”
“Well… it was like that back then, but now I think Lord Eric is better than Lord Allen!”
Why was she bringing this up now? Liliane glanced nervously at Leona for help, only to find her shaking her head, and broke out in a cold sweat.
“If I had gone to Lord Allen, I wouldn’t have been able to fight as a combat mage in real situations. Thanks to you, my stamina has increased, my unconscious time has reduced, and….”
Was she referring to the time her magic had collapsed the cave ceiling, leaving her and Malefica trapped with a Named enemy? Liliane spoke urgently, as if to clarify her thoughts.
“That’s enough.”
Eric noticed something odd from her increasingly pleading, trembling voice and stopped her.
“I’m not saying anything in particular. I was just curious about the rumors concerning Allen.”
“…Rumors?”
Her relieved expression changed to one of puzzlement at his smile.
“If it’s about that, I think you know better than I do…”
Indeed, Eric had a far better grasp of the rumors than Liliane ever could, even if he only half-listened in the past.
“Well, it’s awkward for me to talk about it. Until recently, I really didn’t care about other people’s affairs.”
Looking at Liliane’s wide-eyed gaze, Eric casually explained, preparing his excuse. Despite being family, he had spent most of his time indulging in the streets, a hopeless prodigal. It wasn’t strange that he had previously taken little interest in family matters.
“Hmm. There are many rumors about Lord Allen, but if I had to choose… he’s known as a hero.”
“A hero?”
“Yes, a hero. Not just because he’s strong, but because people say he’s inherently heroic—courageous, intolerant of injustice, and kind to commoners…”
Eric glanced at Leona to see if this was true. Professors who had recently retired from the front lines had said the same thing, as did the steward and others. It seemed genuine, though he couldn’t rule out that they were maintaining appearances for the future.
“So that warning was genuinely out of goodwill.”
Eric wished it had been a mere joke from Allen. The situation had become complicated, and he frowned.
Even if the problem was within the family, who outside could possibly be meddling in the Duke’s succession?
“Damn. I can’t just let this go as casual talk.”
He wanted to ask Allen directly, but it was now impossible—Allen had left the family briefly that day to report incidents from the frontlines.
“…Tch. There’s no choice. I have to prepare for potential outside interference in the succession battle.”
Unlike past incidents, like in the Nibosus Mountains or the Moonlight Forest, this one was shrouded in mystery. He had no clue what was happening behind the scenes, which left him uneasy. All he could do was focus on what he could do right now.
“Not that there aren’t any clues at all, though.”
Picking up his weapon from the corner, Eric swung it vigorously at the now-tattered wooden dummy.
Few could meddle in a Duke’s affairs—let alone minor nobles—like this.
The Empire, other Dukes, and the Church of the Goddess that spanned the continent… or perhaps the opposing faction:
“The Anti-Goddess Alliance.”
Incompetent traitors who doubted the Goddess’s teachings, forming groups to sway people through heresy. Those labeled as heretics by the church.
“What if all the anomalies across the continent were caused by them?”
Eric nodded slightly at the plausible thought.
Betrayers siding with the Demon King. If they orchestrated the anomalies, it explained all the puzzles that had baffled him so far:
How the Frost Wolves from polar regions reached the Nibosus Mountains with the spirits. How the powerful Named Lich could sneak into the Moonlight Forest unnoticed.
Without secret help from someone in the Empire, none of it would have been possible.
“Maybe those Allen warned me about were these heretics.”
From the Ratman Named hiding in the estate’s sewers, the Nibosus Mountains incident, the astrologer disappearing after Moonlight Forest, to the Life Gem that ended up in the Demon King’s hands. Even Isabella had assigned Malefica to watch over him and elevate him as the church’s hero.
“Lord…”
Eric, trying to clear his mind with training, heard someone call his name and turned around.
“Lady Malefica, have you finished your business?”
Seeing Malefica, who had returned from the church, he finally lowered his sword.
“Yes, all done. But…”
“But?”
Her hesitation suggested something had come up. Eric tilted his head slightly.
“I think you should come with me to the church.”
“…To the church?”
Eric blinked innocently, though he was actually nervous. It wasn’t unusual for the church to summon a hero, but calling him—a powerless person—so soon after Malefica’s report about the Moonlight Forest incident was different.
“Uh… well…”
As expected, Malefica looked troubled, scratching her head. Eric couldn’t blame her; it wasn’t a pleasant situation.
“Cardinal wants to see you, Lord.”
The matter had involved too many powerful figures.
