Chapter 21

Katsuragi stood trembling, his legs shaking as he tried to get into the limousine that would take him home. His 9-year-old body was still feeling the effects of the powerful punch from his unforgiving father. He couldn't stop the trembling, partly because he was terrified of the angry Yanraku.

The Katsuragi ducal family was a household without love. However, Katsuragi knew from the novel that his father was not entirely heartless.

Yanraku was a bold and straightforward warrior who favored strong and passionate men. Therefore, he disliked people like Katsuragi, who did not make any effort and instead relied on the power of the ducal family to bully servants, gather followers, and live a life of leisure.

In fact, in the novel, when the protagonist, along with Katsuragi's younger brother, came to undergo the trial by fire, Yanraku was pleased by the protagonist's display of strength. After that, the protagonist received unwavering support from Yanraku, who became a reliable ally.

However, Katsuragi, as the heir, had been excused from punishment due to his excellent abilities, and he apologized to the protagonist.

Katsuragi knew this, but he thought that as long as he didn't make any fatal mistakes, he wouldn't be stripped of his position as the heir. He lived according to the character in the novel.

After all, he had discovered that the pleasure of beating up the servants and seeing them cower and watch his every move was incredibly satisfying.

This was different from his previous life. His parents had looked at him with disdain, telling him to get a job, and it was their fault that he couldn't go to university due to a lack of money. He was always inwardly dissatisfied with their disdainful looks.

That's why he had decided to live this life as he pleased. The pleasure of hitting, the sight of people fleeing from the flames, was wonderful.

Even after doing such terrible things, he remained the heir until he lost to the protagonist. He thought Yanraku had an old-fashioned mindset.

That's why he was afraid of this failure. There was a possibility he would be stripped of his position as the heir.

Moreover, there was a possibility he would be beaten again. He glanced at his father, who was sitting across from him with his arms crossed. When Yanraku noticed Katsuragi's gaze, he leaned in, glaring, and roughly pulled Katsuragi's hair.

Shaking from the pain, Katsuragi listened as his father spoke.

"Try to do it a bit better next time."

"Huh?"

Surprised by his father's unexpected words, Katsuragi opened his mouth in confusion. Yanraku, after roughly throwing Katsuragi aside, sat back in his chair and showed a menacing smile.

"What did you want to do? Did you want to see the power of the marquis family? Was it to tease them? Either way, it was a foolish thing to do. Though, the destruction of the stone golem was unexpected, and I couldn't predict that the daughters of the imperial city and Hayano would stand up to it instead of running away. Normally, they would have run."

"Well, um, I, I wanted to form a connection with the girl, the healer, thinking that if I helped her, we might become friends..."

Stammering, Katsuragi spoke of his intentions, which were different from his true plan. He couldn't say that he wanted to measure the power of the reincarnated person. However, his words were partly true, and he wasn't lying.

"Playing the role of the prince on a white horse, huh? You're still a kid. But it's fine. You've formed a connection, which is good for the Katsuragi family. Well done."

"Y-You think I did well?"

Surprised by the unexpected praise, Katsuragi repeated it like a parrot, but Yanraku began to explain with a hint of amusement.

"A 9-year-old girl destroyed the stone golem. According to those who witnessed the battle, she poured all her mana into the mace without activating her 'Magic Armor.'"

"Yes, that's correct, Father."

Katsuragi had seen the stone golem being destroyed. It was unbelievable, but she had shattered it with just a mace, without activating her 'Magic Armor.' It was clear that she had used a risky technique, pouring all her mana into the mace during the attack.

"Then, this girl, Miharu, has enough mana to destroy a stone golem. It's a vast amount, far more than our healers."

The Katsuragi family had two healers, both capable of healing deep wounds but not regenerating lost parts. However, they didn't have much mana and would be drained after using their abilities twice a day.

"Forming a connection with such a girl is beneficial. Even if it's a bad connection, it's still a connection. You can send gifts as an apology, invite her to parties, or take her on trips. I want to keep her close. That's why I gave her a high-value, rare magic gem. Hayano Yoshitsune is a good-natured man, so he might remember the gem and find it hard to refuse."

"But, Father, the Imperial City Marquis family is already keeping her close."

"True. If she had accepted the ruby, it would have been ideal. Then, the Imperial City Marquis family would have accepted the ruby, a symbol of fire, and rumors would have spread that they joined our faction. But that guy read the situation. He probably wanted to refuse the emerald but saw Hayano's determination to accept it for his daughter and stopped. He didn't want to give a bad impression."

"Did you think that far ahead, Father?"

Katsuragi recalled the scene but didn't realize the depth of his father's plan. He was afraid of the thoughts of the Imperial City Marquis, who had seen through the situation and accepted the emerald as a form of cash.

"High nobles give meaning to even the simplest actions. You're only 9, but you're the heir to the ducal family. Remember that. Your younger brother is too straightforward, which worries me."

Katsuragi was surprised and felt a cold shiver down his spine, realizing the terrifying nature of high nobles.

His younger brother was indeed a straightforward and passionate man, a perfect match for the protagonist. Katsuragi now understood why he hadn't been stripped of his position as the heir.

"I thought the Imperial City Marquis would be suspicious and not accept our apology. If it had worked, it would have been lucky."

Yanraku had expected it to fail. If he were in the same position, he would have happily accepted the ruby.

"We still have a plan. This is our main strategy."

"A plan?"

"Yes. We'll spread rumors. The Imperial City Marquis family, despite being entrusted with the rare healer, exposed her to danger. They are inadequate as guardians, and the girl always carries the magic gem given by the Katsuragi family."

It was a ruthless plan. The emerald had a purpose too. Katsuragi, feeling embarrassed about his petty thoughts of revenge against the protagonist, suddenly felt ashamed.

But he quickly dismissed the feeling. He wanted to see the protagonist and the heroine's despair. He shook his head to rid himself of the shame.

He was a god. He knew the entire story of "The Night of Magic" and had read the character profiles. He could do as he pleased.

Regaining his composure, he focused on the conversation with his father.

"Will such a rumor have any effect?"

"Of course not."

Katsuragi thought it was a waste of time, but his father seemed to read his expression and laughed.

"We'll team up with the Hayano family. Do you remember when I mentioned the Hayano family's daughter during my apology? That statement implied that I considered the healer as part of the Hayano family."

"Ah, yes..."

Katsuragi didn't understand what was wrong with that and nodded absentmindedly.

"Since you're only 9, it's understandable that you don't know. Hayano Miharu is the daughter of Hayano Yoshitsune, who was exiled from the Hayano family. When she awakened as a healer, the Hayano family was in an uproar."

"Is that so? Healers are rare, but she's the daughter of an exiled noble, right?"

Katsuragi, not understanding the implications, repeated Yanraku's words like a parrot.

"Yoshitsune was exiled, so the Hayano family hurried to welcome him back. However, something happened, and the Imperial City Marquis family took her away. The Imperial City Marquis family, which had no healers, must have wanted her badly."

Yanraku took a bottle of whiskey from a small chest by the limousine door, opened it, and drank directly from the bottle. He swallowed the whiskey and wiped his mouth.

"Of course, the Hayano family protested. But they've fallen from grace recently. The heir's business is in debt, and his family is wasteful. They've lost influence and are disliked for their arrogance. Their protests mean nothing to the Imperial City Marquis family."

Yanraku, seemingly excited by his own plan, drank more whiskey and slammed the empty bottle on the table.

"But, the Hayano family's claim is reasonable on the surface. They want to reconcile with their exiled son and live with their beloved granddaughter. It's a story that evokes sympathy. The Imperial City Marquis family is obstructing this, which is seen as unjust."

"I see... So, they want to bring her back to the nobility. I don't think there's a better story than that for a girl who was a commoner."

It was a Cinderella story. Katsuragi nodded in agreement, thinking it suited the gray-haired beauty.

Yanraku, with a cunning smile, laughed.

"Exactly. So, it wouldn't be unreasonable for some ducal family to help the poor healer girl. We've already formed a connection through our apology. It might take a few years, but we could help the Hayano family reclaim her, and she might even become engaged to someone from a ducal family."

Katsuragi, seeing Yanraku's sly smile, was surprised by the long-term plan.

This was something that didn't happen in the novel. The early part involved plotting, and the protagonist exposed and thwarted the plot in the latter part. The plot lasted about a week. In comparison, this was a much more distant and cunning plan.

He remembered that in the original, Yanraku had laughed heartily and helped the protagonist, but his motivations were not described. He had assumed Yanraku was a straightforward and simple man.

But what if he was plotting something in the background? What if he was using the protagonist's influence and power?

Katsuragi had thought Yanraku was too different from the original, but perhaps this was his true nature.

Suddenly, he wondered if others were different from their original portrayals. The heroines seemed simple, but what if it was just a facade?

"No, that can't be... That can't be."

Katsuragi tried to convince himself that he was a god who knew everything, but the doubt lingered in his heart.