Chapter 79

Chapter 80 (79/324)

80

Abel.

Meeting him wasn't difficult.

We had become quite close since the last time, so I had free access to his office.

Ersiel, who was dragged along and sat next to me, was looking around his room.

"Master?"

"What is it?"

"What should I do?"

"It's not hard. When the eldest brother comes, just show him the spirit and tell him what the guy explained. You just need to answer a few questions."

The ancient spirit of light.

Even I, who had been a rotten pool of filth, had never seen a spirit like this before.

Naturally, it could be considered a very rare spirit in this world.

If this spirit were to speak, it would lend considerable credibility to my words.

After waiting for about twenty minutes, the door opened.

"It's been a while, Kyle. I heard you won the tournament. Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"The child next to you?"

"Oh, she's my personal maid. Her name is Ersiel. Say hello."

"......Hello. First Prince. I'm Ersiel."

"Indeed. Nice to meet you. But why did you bring this child?"

"I have something to talk about. I'll tell you in a bit. She's trustworthy, so you can speak freely."

At my words, Abel nodded.

"Alright. I see. This is the child who was targeted by the assassins during the attack."

"Yes, that's right."

"I heard a rough outline from Father. The Viscount Remington was behind it, right?"

"That's correct."

"Indeed."

At my words, Abel laughed bitterly.

"If that's the case, the Viscount might have harbored resentment. He probably felt that a smoothly running business was ruined."

"Since it was illegal, he has no one to blame but himself."

"Was this because of that Ceron child? I heard from Father that he's very talented."

"More or less. Originally, I wanted to quietly buy it out, but those scoundrels tried to drive down the price. There was no room for negotiation."

"Indeed. Those kinds of people wouldn't sell at a fair price. I heard the Storm Brigade has set off. They'll bring the evidence soon......"

Then Abel smiled.

"Soon, I plan to make the Celterion pay for what they've done."

"Indeed. Phrenus is a pretty decent city. If we reduce the illegal elements and operate the existing businesses appropriately, it could become a steady source of income."

If we plan to stay for the long term, it's much better to operate legally. There are countless ways to make money even when operating legally.

"Anyway, why did you come to see me today?"

"It's about the second brother. I think we need to talk about it."

"Adolph, you mean?"

"Yes. I think something will happen at the succession ceremony."

"......"

At my words, Abel fell silent for a moment.

After a while, he spoke.

"......I don't have a good feeling about it...... but it's hard to be certain just from that. Do you really think he'll draw his sword?"

Abel and Adolph.

So far, Adolph has been taking a step back. That's why he seems uncertain.

From what I can see, he looks quite uneasy.

The solution is simple.

I need to turn that unease into certainty.

"Eldest brother, this child is a spirit user."

"......A spirit user?"

At my words, Abel stared at her intently.

It seems the Duke didn't reveal this to him. Should I thank him for keeping it a secret?

Anyway, to have a conversation, I need to reveal her spirit.

"Yes. She's a very talented child. The spirit she summons is the ancient spirit of light. Let me show you. Ersiel?"

At my words, she nodded, and soon a white spirit began to float beside her.

Flap!

"......That's amazing. But if it's an ancient spirit......"

"You're right, eldest brother. This ancient spirit has a message for her. It says that this Duke's house is full of evil energy."

"......Evil energy?"

"Yes."

At my words, Abel began to look at the spirit floating around her.

"Did the spirit really say that?"

"Yes."

Flap!

The moment she nodded, Ashiris also began to tremble as if in agreement.

"Hmm......"

The ancient spirit of light.

It's a spirit that doesn't look ordinary.

That's why Abel didn't dismiss my words.

He began to look serious.

"Evil energy, you say. Isn't that strange? Why is that?"

"......"

Given the trust we've built so far and the strong warning signals his instincts are sending, he won't take this lightly.

After a moment of thought, Abel answered.

"......You don't mean Adolph has such power?"

"I think it's highly likely. Have you heard of the 5th Legion?"

At that, Abel nodded.

"Adolph's gathered troops."

"To be honest, what I'm saying now is mostly pieced together from circumstantial evidence. That's why I came to see you, eldest brother."

Although the ancient spirit said that, it's not direct evidence. If someone were to claim it's fabricated, there's not much I can do.

Adolph.

As long as he doesn't reveal his power, it's impossible to provide evidence.

So, while I can't take direct action immediately, I have no intention of sitting idly by.

That's why I came to see Abel to try what I can.

"......I see. It's hard for me to believe it easily, but I understand why you came to see me. Have you told anyone else about this?"

"Besides my bodyguard and Ersiel, no one else."

"Right. It's not a story to spread around."

"Yes, that's correct. I don't have many people I can trust."

"......He must have gotten involved with that power out of ambition. But it's not easy to move, right? Not everyone will agree with his actions."

It seems he trusts the knights who have pledged loyalty to the family.

Unfortunately, it's safe to say that won't happen.

Starting from the troops in the 5th Legion and the lower-ranking knights, even the higher-ranking knights have already become his puppets.

Looking at Ersiel, she nodded and slowly began to speak.

She talked about the 'boiling' energy the ancient spirit felt.

She mentioned how it suppresses the tendencies of many people and how it will soon burst.

As the story progressed, Abel's expression became increasingly grim.

After a while,

"......You don't mean......"

"Eldest brother, you must have an idea. The 5th Legion, which not only includes ordinary citizens and soldiers but also criminals. Isn't that strange?"

"What's strange about it?"

"The proportion of criminals is not low, yet everything runs smoothly. There hasn't been a single incident."

"......If what the spirit says is true...... it must be because it's suppressing the tendencies of the criminals."

"Most likely. And it's highly possible that it will burst soon. When, I wonder?"

Quietly, I whispered to the silent Abel.

"Given the power to control so many people, he must have already completely taken control of the knights and soldiers under him. Eldest brother, you know this, don't you?"

"Know what?"

"Who Father has chosen as the successor. The scales have tipped more than halfway. He must have realized this clearly. He thinks he's being pushed up despite being inferior to him just because he's the eldest."

"......"

"Eldest brother, there will be no compromise. We need to prepare as much as possible before the blood flows like a river."

By now, the soldiers are likely starting to slip out of his control.

He needs to unleash his power before it's too late.

So, he won't compromise easily.

'Of course, they won't all go crazy at once.'

At first, it will start with a few dozen, and over time, the number of soldiers consumed by madness will increase.

If they're going to go crazy, it's best to direct their stress in a way that benefits him.

The succession ceremony is the optimal timing.

"......What do you think we should do?"

"We need to move as secretly as possible. Let him follow his plan. It will be easier to stop him that way. It's better than a sudden attack."

"Hmm...... It's difficult. If we could stop it now, it would be better. Can't the ancient spirit do something about it?"

At that, Flap shivered, and Ersiel shook her head.

"It can only be felt, not revealed directly. The reason it can be felt is because light and darkness are opposites, and it has experienced it many times in the past......"

"......Hmm."

To the contemplative Abel, I slowly spoke.

"Eldest brother, this is an energy even Father couldn't feel. The ancient spirit of light must have made this judgment. It will be very difficult to reveal it."

"......What do you think we should prepare for?"

"I think we should use the troops under eldest brother to block the 5th Legion during the succession ceremony."

"......You said it will burst?"

"Yes. It won't be long. After suppressing it for ten years, it must have reached its limit. We need to be prepared for bloodshed."

One fortunate thing is that, unlike in previous game cycles, the current Abel is aware of what will happen in the future.

Knowing and not knowing is a world of difference.

"......We'll prepare as much as possible. Until the day before the succession ceremony, we'll keep this a secret."

"Yes. For now, it's best to only inform the subordinates we truly trust."

"......Father...... Sigh. It's better to keep it from him."

"......That's better. If Father also prepares, it might delay the rebellion. Although the control over the soldiers will weaken, they won't all go crazy at once. We can endure to some extent."

We can buy time by quietly dealing with the crazy ones, so it's not an unrealistic idea.

If everyone shows they are prepared, the timing will be delayed if he's not a fool.

"If we buy time and he starts the rebellion late...... it could be even more fatal for our family. Isn't it a world of difference between being prepared and not?"

"......You're right. Then Father......"

"I'll hint at it to Father."

At my words, Abel slowly nodded.

"......Understood. Thank you for telling me. If I hadn't known, something terrible might have happened."

"No, this is my family too. I just did what I had to do."

Abel.

His eyes, filled with gratitude, were also very firm.

Seeing his serious eyes, it seemed he would prepare as much as possible.

Through this conversation, we gained an excellent ally to stop the rebellion.