Chapter 3: The Wastrel of the Stroke Family (2)

While I was pondering what kind of exercise to do, Linia came into the room.

“Young master. The other family members have gathered in the dining hall for breakfast. Since movement is inconvenient, shall I inform them that you will take your meal separately today as well?”

From what I heard from her, Aiden had been lying in bed continuously after being beaten by his father.

But that was faking illness.

He was said to have been hit on the head by the grand duke, but since possession, I hadn’t felt any aftereffects at all. 

The medicine Linia told me to take turned out to be nothing special—just something like a nutritional supplement.

In short, this guy had holed himself up in his room out of embarrassment for causing a big incident.

“It’s fine. I’ll participate today.”

“Understood. I will inform them that you will take breakfast separately today… No, you’re participating!? Really?”

“What’s with the fuss over just having breakfast?”

“Because you said it multiple times, young master. That until His Excellency the Grand Duke personally comes and apologizes for the violence, you absolutely won’t show your face.”

I was speechless from the absurdity. No, after causing a huge mess, getting angry at your father in reverse—what kind of mindset is that?

“After thinking it over, it seems I was wrong, so I’ll reconcile with Father too.”

“…Young master. Excuse me, but are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

Linia asked with a worried look. She seemed flustered by my behavior, which was so different from the usual Aiden.

Explaining further became annoying, so I yelled.

“Just shut up and guide me quickly!”

“Understood.”

She could have been startled by the sudden change in attitude, but Linia, who had long endured Aiden’s shitty temper, just accepted the irritation. 

Possessing a wastrel makes things like this convenient. 

Even if I act out a bit, they brush it off as the usual weird guy.

I followed Linia’s guidance to the dining hall. The path felt strangely familiar; it seemed Aiden’s body remembered the mansion’s layout.

In the dining hall, all the grand duke family’s members except me were already gathered.

I looked at the middle-aged man seated at the head. Aiden’s stiff body was telling me. That man with mature charm was the grand duke ruling this principality, Foden Stroke.

Even I, who memorized the novel’s settings by heart, didn’t know much about the current grand duke. Like Aiden, he was already deceased by the main story’s timeline.

Foden looked at me steadily, then clicked his tongue.

“Tch!” Since I heard you were in such a state that you couldn’t even hold your body properly due to discomfort, but seeing you in person, you’re much more fine than I thought.

There was a sting in his words.

From the grand duke’s reaction, it seemed Linia had added a lot of MSG when reporting my condition.

Feeling awkward, I waddled over and sat in an empty seat.

After sitting, I glanced around and saw the other siblings looking at me with contemptuous eyes.

The future grand duke and the villain appearing in part 1 of the original, the third son Ridley, was the exception; he remained indifferent to my appearance.

“…Hm.”

Just from the family’s attitudes, I could tell well that this wastrel was in a position similar to an outcast in the house.

I had roughly expected this, but it was no different from sitting on a cushion of thorns.

Breakfast ended without knowing if the food went into my mouth or nose.

The grand duke looked at me with a satisfied expression and said.

“…Seeing you not complain that the food tastes bad, unlike usual, it seems you have realized your mistakes. It’s not too late even now, so proceed one step at a time like that.”

He maintained a dignified attitude, but his eyes undoubtedly held paternal love toward the wastrel son.

I looked at Foden with a dumbfounded expression. Getting praised just for sitting quietly and eating felt truly strange.

“I have something separate to say to you, so come to my office a little before bedtime.”

Saying that, Foden led the attendants and left the dining hall. As I sat blankly staring at the grand duke’s retreating back, someone sneered at me.

“Ha, you sure showed your shameless face well. For someone like you, it would have been better for the family’s future if you never left your room for life.”

At a glance, a young man who looked ill-tempered. This man seemed to be the eldest son of the family, Litton Stroke.

Unlike Aiden, the reason for Litton’s death was clearly described in the original: an incurable disease.

The prospective corpse, unaware of his own future, said to me.

“Seeing you quiet unlike usual, it seems even with that dull sense, you’ve grasped that the atmosphere is unusual. But it’s already too late. Living under the same roof as you, mixed with the disgusting blood of heterics, will soon end. Haha!”

He laughed refreshingly and soon led the other siblings out of the dining hall. Left alone, I felt dazed.

“Calling me a heteric?”

That was clearly a derogatory term humans use for ain races, but why suddenly to me?

Thinking it over, one thing came to mind.

In the original novel, there was a mention that Foden, Ridley’s father, greatly cherished his second wife, who was a half-fairy, that is, a half-elf, during his lifetime. Judging from what Litton said, it seemed Aiden was born from that second wife.

And the fairy race was hostile to human nations in the northern continent, including the Stroke Principality. It seemed the contemptuous gazes from the siblings just now weren’t solely due to usual behavior.

“…I haven’t been in the novel’s world long, but I’ve already uncovered an unexpected fact.”

As a fan, it was somewhat profound to dig up a backstory not in the original, but right now, another thing Litton said concerned me more.

“…Living under the same roof will soon end.”

It sounded meaningful.

Perhaps it was related to why the grand duke called me separately?

My mind became complicated, but there was no need to ponder deeply. It was a question that would naturally resolve if I went to Foden.

When evening came, I went to the grand duke’s office.

The ruler of the principality, Foden Stroke, was a man who exuded a majestic yet calm atmosphere.

In every gesture as he silently processed the mountain of documents, the dignity of a top grand noble seeped out.

“If you’ve come, sit there, Aiden.”

“Yes.”

I sat in the chair as he said. Foden looked at me with a surprised expression.

“Why is that?”

“I didn’t expect to see your face again today. Moving your feet before I even sent someone to drag you—what wind blew?”

So, he was surprised that Aiden came on time.

Thinking about it, it was terrifying. No matter that they’re connected by blood, the opponent is a duke ruling a nation. And he casually ignores what he says? Dig and dig, only monsters come out.

As I sat with my mouth agape, lost for words, Foden cleared his throat.

“Ahem.”

“Aiden. By April 20 next year, you’ll already be 15 years old. By continental law, that means you’ve become a full adult.”

“…And?”

“I won’t say much. After your birthday passes, pack your things immediately and head to the Shpiol Mountain Range defense front. There, after undergoing strict education, you’ll serve as a junior officer for about 3 years.”

It was practically a notification.

The grand duke’s intention was easy to understand.

He planned to roll the wastrel son in a vertical group like the military to rehabilitate him.

The Shpiol Mountain Range was definitely the border area where the Stroke Principality’s superior nation, the Croa Kingdom, and the Rephilord Alliance confronted each other.

At this time, it wasn’t a particularly dangerous place.

Skirmishes occasionally occurred even now, but at this point, both countries were exhausted, so they only pretended to fight appropriately.

But I was more shaken than ever. Because the outline of why the original Aiden died was roughly forming.

No, why of all places pick Shpiol? That’s where the dragon worshippers gather and start an uprising in July next year.

The major event called the Shpiol Tragedy.

Even in my chronology recording the entire world’s history, it was classified with quite high importance.

If I obediently followed the grand duke’s words, it was obvious I’d be killed by the subordinates of the ‘Dragon Horse Cult’, the main enemy in part 2 of the novel, or caught as a living sacrifice.

Seeing my expression rotting, Foden erased his kind look and lowered his voice.

“I’ve pondered a lot about how to handle you, who participated in serious criminal activities. Surely my lenient education policy until now was wrong. So, even now, I’m sending you to the front to fix your rotten mindset. Do you have any objections?”

Saying that, Foden glared at me sharply. An atmosphere that wouldn’t allow objections.

The Stroke family was a renowned house of ancient swordsmanship, and thus the current head Foden was also a knight who reached a high realm. 

A wastrel who only wasted time could never resist his powerful spirit.

The original Aiden would have been overwhelmed by the momentum and nodded unconsciously.

But.

“I decline.”

“…What?”

I know the future.

And I’m not foolish enough to accept a predetermined death out of fear of the immediate threat.

“I said serving in Shpiol doesn’t appeal to me, Father.”

He probably never expected me to come out so boldly; Foden twitched his eyebrows in bewilderment.

“…It seems you’re mistaken about one thing. This isn’t something that can be resolved by throwing a tantrum like usual. Sending you to Shpiol is already decided through the vassal council.”

So, if you send me there, your beloved wastrel son will die horribly.

Of course, saying that right now would obviously be treated as the nonsense of a cornered pig. I have to persuade in another way.

“Starting tomorrow, I will diligently practice the Stroke family’s swordsmanship and energy heart method without complaint. As a member of the family, isn’t this better than rolling on the battlefield to fulfill one person’s role?”

“Uh…”

When I threw the bait I was thinking of, Foden bit it hard.

I was worried what if persuasion didn’t work, but fortunately, he seemed tempted.

In fact, sending Aiden to Shpiol wasn’t a very appealing choice from the Stroke family head’s position. A lax mindset might be fixed by rolling on the front lines. But then, he wouldn’t receive any of the elite education benefits provided by the grand duke family.

That meant one of his own children becoming a surplus resource completely below the family’s standards.

The original Aiden was so hopeless that he thought of sending him to the front at least… but what if that hopeless wastrel suddenly repents one day?

The grand duke had pampered Aiden until things reached this point. It’s worth having a little expectation.

Foden asked half-doubting.

“…The Stroke family’s energy heart method and swordsmanship are indeed top secrets on the continent. But you can only see proper effects by practicing steadily. Do you really think you can do that?”

He still seemed distrustful.

Aiden was no ordinary wastrel.

But from his eyes, he was already half hooked.

I bowed politely and requested.

“Please trust me just this once. I will never disappoint you.”

“………”

Foden’s eyes lit up.

Requesting with such a courteous attitude was something the original wastrel Aiden would never do.

He must think the guy really changed overnight after hitting his head.

After keeping his mouth shut for a long while, Foden finally sighed and said.

“…Fine. Since this is the first time you’ve earnestly requested something to this extent, I’ll trust you one last time.”

A smile spread on my lips after receiving the promise.

But right after, cold water was poured.

“However, a noble’s oath is heavy. On your upcoming birthday, I will verify to what extent you’ve achieved in swordsmanship and heart method. If it’s a level that doesn’t meet expectations, I’ll have to reconsider the Shpiol trip.”

“If verification, what method?”

“You can decide that yourself.”

Saying that, Foden looked at me with gleaming eyes.

By not assigning the task himself and coming out like this, he seemed to intend to test my resolve by hearing the answer from my mouth.

I smirked and opened my mouth.

“On my birthday, I will show victory in a spar with a regular knight. Is this sufficient?”

“Wha…!”

Foden’s eyes widened in shock.