Damn Family

Sure, here’s the translated text in English with a comedic anime style:

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Certainly, this judgment can’t be wrong.

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The successor position of the House of Bargrand.

Rumors spread after the Symposium and Martial Arts Tournament results.

The retainers of the House of Bargrand who blatantly showed their intentions to check Arina on her birthday.

And finally, someone’s inferiority complex.

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This situation wouldn’t turn out well if dragged out in any direction long-term. It was better to firmly explain that I had no interest in the succession to avoid making enemies.

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So, I met with Marquis Magnuel to clearly state that I had no desire for the successor position.

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Of course, since the episode was ongoing, there could be choices. I had to consider that part to some extent, but I could deal with it enough with the information within the game.

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The conversation flowed smoothly.

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At first, Marquis Magnuel seemed to mock me by asking why he would talk to a competitor’s sponsor, but choosing the appropriate response stopped him from pressing further.

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I immediately got to the point and proved that I had no interest in succeeding.

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Yeah, it went well up until then.

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I thought that if I answered appropriately and added the results, he would understand.

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But…

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“Who would have thought Claire would walk in right at that moment.”

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A message came along with the news that this conversation somehow leaked outside as a pink-haired lunatic kicked open the door and barged in.

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Especially, she walked in when I was saying that I was leaving the House of Bargrand anyway.

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“Tsk. Luckily, I managed to divert the conversation. I almost got caught.”

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By misleading her into thinking I was leaving the House to start my own family rather than becoming a monk, I prevented things from escalating.

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But this really needs careful handling.

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“If a passerby like Claire heard this, she might think I had bad luck, but my carelessness also played a part.”

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If one more word had slipped out, or if the word that naturally came from my true feelings had reached Claire’s ears…

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Just imagining it makes my spine tingle.

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Moreover, if my escape plan had completely fallen apart, it wouldn’t be strange for the system to give any kind of result. Since another plan failed, a bad ending might have been possible.

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“But I guess I should see this as half a success?”

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▶Specific character affinity has increased.◀

[Marquis Magnuel]

[Current affinity: 20%]

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He was showing Arina as a candidate for the next duke, and his affinity towards Carsein was not good.

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According to Harnier, such competitions among nobles can be bloody. It was so intense that even factions were formed within the same house.

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However, due to those few words, the gray affinity box that showed -5% suddenly skyrocketed to 20%, turning into a white box.

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With this, I don’t need to worry about being obstructed by Marquis Magnuel and his retainers. Of course, I still need to be careful not to appear like I’m breaking promises.

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-Ding!

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▶The tournament will begin in 10 minutes.◀

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“Looks like everything is on time… I should head back now.”

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***

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That was something every retainer of a noble family experienced.

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Supporting a distinguished house.

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Having such high fame, power, and wealth means having an incredibly solid support base.

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At such times, retainers don’t differ much in opinion. They unite to support the growth of the main house for their own power.

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But even golden ages can’t last forever.

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When the time comes, the next family head takes over the house.

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If there’s only one child, it might not be an issue, but with two or more, competition will ignite sooner or later.

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From then on, retainers will split into factions.

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They may share the same goal while running, but once the new family head takes over, they will fight for their rights.

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Marquis Magnuel was no different from other nobles.

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For him, who was under the largest house of the Peselros Imperial Palace, the time had come for a new family head to emerge, and he stretched out to grab any advantage.

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Why should I refrain from trampling others for my own benefit?

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In the process, dirty and petty tactics were used.

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They secretly interfered with other houses to win.

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They harbored resentment to seize the desired position.

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Because, that’s normal.

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Even if they were retainers of the same house, it wasn’t unusual to eliminate competitors.

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Humans are endlessly corrupted by greed.

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They’ll do anything for wealth and power.

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Even if a saint came, Marquis Magnuel wouldn’t fall for flattery.

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But.

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That boy said,

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There is no interest in the successor position of the House of Bargrand.

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Even if the world’s throne is within reach, he didn’t need it.

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It sounds absurd.

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No one would overlook such a position, regardless of their status.

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Even the empire would vie for the emperor’s seat.

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But…

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He meant it sincerely.

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“…I could have framed him immediately and led him into a favorable battle.”

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If he were in that position, Marquis Magnuel would have put a false accusation on his opponent. There was no reason to refuse given the situation and the conditions.

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But Carsein didn’t use it.

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Instead, he helped Marquis Magnuel avoid a troublesome situation.

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He corrected the misunderstanding Claire had, removing the punishment that could have beenfallen Marquis Magnuel.

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That was… honesty itself.

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“Even thinking about it again, I can hardly believe it.”

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Marquis Magnuel chuckled emptily as he muttered.

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After carefully examining Carsein’s words and actions, he realized that something was off even before Claire barged in.

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“Yeah. From the moment he understood my intentions instantly.”

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He clearly pointed out that he came to visit Marquis Magnuel, a retainer of the House of Bargrand, not Arina’s sponsor.

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“Even weapons and mines were like that. He knew what Princess Arina enjoyed and why he became her sponsor.”

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As a mere retainer, his position was insignificant.

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But he didn’t underestimate or let his guard down. He meticulously and thoroughly investigated all information.

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Finally, he used it to respond appropriately, meaning he completely saw through our strategy.

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Considering all of this.

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Marquis Magnuel couldn’t win against Carsein in any way.

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After realizing this, Marquis Magnuel emptied his inner anger and chuckled again.

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“Was my insight really that shallow?”

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He held a prejudice because the opponent was a commoner.

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He missed the sparkling gem hidden among the talented successors.

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His insight was truly, utterly, shallow.

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-Perhaps one day, Sir Carsein will surely stand out. Isn’t your perspective too narrow, Marquis?

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Like what Lord Ptua said.

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“Huh. Yeah. You’re right. My perspective is indeed lacking compared to yours.”

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There was quite a difference between Marquis Magnuel and Lord Ptua in terms of their standing as retainers of the House of Bargrand. But now, he had to admit Lord Ptua’s perspective.

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The murky eyes of Marquis Magnuel, who always lived with venom, now sparkled with brightness.

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“What a shame. If Sir Carsein had shown more interest in the successor position, we could have had a fair fight.”

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Indeed, it was a shame.

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***

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Harnier, sitting in the audience, buried her face in her hands.

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“I messed up!”

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This morning’s incident was still vivid.

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Since she worried about him after bringing him in while he was sleeping, she felt she needed to repay him somehow.

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So, she thought it would be best to do something before the match started.

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She didn’t want to give material gifts.

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She wanted to repay him with her heart.

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She wanted something satisfying yet not awkward, something that could sneak in a bit of a naughty thought.

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After searching, she settled on cheering him on.

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But once she did it, all sorts of emotions flooded in.

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Her face remained flushed.

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Her heart continued to pound fiercely, showing no signs of stopping.

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Something indistinguishable between embarrassment and satisfaction kept twisting her body.

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The sensation of his cheek touching her lips lingered vividly.

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As she held her trembling heart and gently touched her lips, Mina’s scolding came late.

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“Agh! Miss!”

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“M-Mina?”

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“What are you doing?! The match is starting!”

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Seeing her for so long, Mina pointed and scolded her.

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“Sir Carsein is coming out right there. Shouldn’t you watch him properly?”

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“…”

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Though she wasn’t fully composed yet,

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She couldn’t miss watching Carsein’s match.

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And there were things she needed to say at this moment.

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Harnier, holding her trembling heart, shouted loudly.

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“Come on, Carsein!”

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She prayed.

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For her fiancé’s victory.

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She cherished every moment.

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The handsome image of the man she loved.

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That’s what she needed to do now.

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***

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-Ding!

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▶The tournament has begun.◀

▶Victory in the match will increase your rank and score.◀

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Finally, the beginning of the last event, the tournament.

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The main episode seemed easy to clear, regardless of how I performed in the tournament.

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But I needed to achieve a certain level of performance.

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“Arina would jump around saying I’ve stained the honor of the House of Bargrand because of my reasons.”

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The status window hinted at this, and it was true in the game as well.

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The standard method to clear the game was to fall at an appropriate position.

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Fighting too long would drain stamina and reduce efficiency.

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With a 1-on-1 knockout system, dropping out in the round of 16 or 8 was efficient, as it avoided unnecessary battles.

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But this time, I won’t follow that standard method.

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“Yaaah!”

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-Klang! Klang! Pow!

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“Eh?!”

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-Swoosh.

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“The winner is decided in just two moves! The winner is, Carsein Bargrand!”

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-Waaaaaah!

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Someone’s inferiority complex needed to be resolved, didn’t it?

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