Chapter 66

"Stripped of the title? That's ridiculous!"

Sora, who had started to rise from his seat, realized it wasn't a joke when he saw Chaff's serious expression and quickly regained his composure.

"Sorry."

"I was surprised too. Don't worry about it."

Chaff smiled at the apologetic Sora, then immediately returned to a serious expression.

"There's been a notice that Lord Sora Kleinzelt will be removed as the heir to the Kleinzelt family, and your younger brother, Salon Kleinzelt, will be named the heir—"

"Brother? Me!?"

This time, Sora jumped up as if he had been shot, bumping his knee on the desk and wincing.

"......I don't have a brother, do I?"

Sora said, his eyes welling up with tears. Chaff gestured for him to calm down and began to explain the results of his investigation.

"Do you remember the series of murders and disappearances in the Kleinzelt earldom?"

"Right, the incidents where people who entered Father's mansion disappeared and were later found dead, which happened over three years starting from the year the viscountcy was established. ...You can't mean—"

"Pregnant women are noticeable. The sound of a baby crying even more so. It would be unnatural to think that no one who entered the mansion noticed their existence."

"So that's what they were hiding."

Sora made a bitter face. If he had a brother, it would have been around the time of the duel with Chaff, inadvertently replacing Sora.

However, that would make Salon seven years old.

"Can someone be ennobled at seven?"

"You're one to talk."

Chaff immediately shot back at Sora, who had raised a serious question while excluding himself.

"We are brothers of the same Kleinzelt family. Moreover, this time, the noble alliance of the Church faction is backing us. The king cannot interfere in the succession of each family. Your viscountcy was obtained through the duel for the Kleinzelt territory. If you cannot inherit the Kleinzelt territory, you lose your legitimacy. The stripping of your title and the ennoblement of Salon are bound to go through."

It seems to be a large-scale and well-prepared plan.

Sora pressed his lips together and fell into thought. His appearance had a gender-neutral beauty.

His skin, more cared for than that of any noblewoman, was fine and white as snow due to his workaholic nature and lack of outdoor activities. However, he had a lean body with well-defined muscles from his constant training to avoid resembling the Earl of Kleinzelt.

He possessed a charisma on par with the High Priest Leur.

Considering that Sora's face was only slightly above average, the saying "fair skin hides seven flaws" seemed to ring true.

Chaff sighed as he looked at Sora's standing figure. He looked good, but his inner qualities were lacking.

At this moment, he was likely planning a scheme that would make everyone turn pale and clutch their heads.

"Just to be clear, if I become a viscount, of course, the Earl of Trinen and the Duke of Bartz will support you, Lord Sora. Consult us before starting a war."

Chaff had no doubt that Sora would win. The Earl of Trinen couldn't afford to have Sora, who had defeated his son, lose to someone else. The Duke of Bartz couldn't ignore the profits from trade.

While each had their own motives, they were all top-tier talents in the kingdom. Chaff believed that if Sora declared war, he wouldn't lose.

However, Sora looked at Chaff with a puzzled expression.

"What war are you talking about?"

"Huh? The succession war for the Earl of Kleinzelt. What else?"

Sora being removed as the heir was a certainty. If so, he had no choice but to take it by force.

That was the reasoning behind his statement, but Sora shook his head in disbelief.

"Are you an idiot?"

"What did you say?"

Chaff glared at Sora, suddenly insulted. Sora met his gaze head-on and spoke.

"A succession war can't be started. More accurately, it shouldn't be started."

Sora began to explain.

"If a war over the succession rights with my brother Salon breaks out, the Church faction nobles will support Salon, and the mage faction will support me. This will escalate into a proxy war between the Church and mage factions, with the Kleinzelt territory as the battlefield. Do you understand what that means?"

"......It might spread across the entire kingdom."

"Moreover, since it starts with a dispute over succession rights, the king cannot stop it. It will be a quagmire. Even if I win the succession war, I will be held responsible for involving the entire kingdom in the conflict."

Therefore, a succession war cannot be started.

For Sora to inherit the Kleinzelt territory, he would need to eliminate both his father, the earl, and his brother, Salon.

Additionally, to rule the Kleinzelt earldom, where the Church's influence has grown, he would need to weaken or eliminate the Church's power. Otherwise, a Church-led rebellion would break out immediately after he inherited the territory.

After finishing his explanation, Chaff's face darkened even further as he grasped the situation.

"So you're saying I have to win through political maneuvering. That's impossible. Our opponent is Leur, after all?"

"Still, we have to win. I have no idea how, though."

Sora smiled thinly, looking troubled.

At that moment, Lazzette brought in some tea.

After hearing Sora's story, Lazzette yawned and spoke.

"If you're no longer the heir, I can focus on raising the children."

"I knew you were a big catch, Lazzette. ...I still have a lot of work for you to do."

Sora said with a thin smile.