Chapter 158
Haruto Saito was well aware of the Black Warrior inheritance system. It wasn't exactly a secret—after all, the Black Warriors had existed for over a thousand years, and the records regarding their lineage were extensive. However, Haruto didn't learn about this from books. Instead, after obtaining the Black War Armor, he had personally inquired about the matter, and it was Jiraiya who had provided him with the details.
Yet, he pretended to be ignorant and asked, "An inheritance system? Isn't it passed from father to son?"
"That is not the case," Mifune replied. "A thousand years ago, when the first Black Warrior emerged and established the Black War Nation, the inheritance was indeed based on bloodline, with the armor being passed from father to son for several generations."
"But this had a major flaw—what if the Black Warrior's son was mediocre? Or if none of his children possessed great talent or strength? If the armor were passed down to an unworthy heir, the new Black Warrior would be weak, leading to ambitious and powerful warriors attempting to overthrow him."
"This actually happened before! The seventh-generation Black Warrior rose to power through rebellion! That was when the inheritance system changed. Simply put, there are now two ways to inherit the Black War Armor. The first is by decree! Before passing away, the current Black Warrior writes a succession decree, naming the next Black Warrior. It doesn't have to be his son—it could be his brother, nephew, or even a talented descendant from later generations. Besides family, the armor could also be passed to a trusted general or even a disciple."
"The second method is based on bloodline. If the Black Warrior dies without leaving a decree, the laws of the Black War Nation state that his trusted generals and ministers will nominate and elect a successor from his blood relatives, spanning three generations. Depending on how closely related they are, each candidate has different levels of inheritance rights. Unless all blood relatives are deemed completely unworthy, an outsider will not be chosen as the new Black Warrior."
"The decree takes precedence over bloodline selection, correct?" Haruto interjected.
"That's right," Mifune nodded. "Ever since the seventh-generation Black Warrior changed the inheritance rules, many Black Warriors have left decrees, and there have been numerous cases where the armor was passed to a trusted general rather than a blood relative. In such cases, the strongest warrior among the previous Black Warrior's followers is usually chosen. To become a Black Warrior, strength is far more important than lineage."
"So, what's the issue? Why do you think reviving the Black War Nation is difficult?" Haruto pressed.