Chapter 210 : Blood Is Thicker Than Water (3)
Chapter 210: Blood Is Thicker Than Water (3)
My mother, who had been known as Mary Carter at the time—Mary Flos—left the family and vanished without a trace less than six months after giving birth to me.
It was one day in the year 1450.
My father, Leslie Carter, blamed his son for his wife leaving him.
It was the desperate excuse he chose because he couldn't bring himself to admit it was his own fault.
From the time I turned seven, being beaten became part of my everyday life.
A slap across the face was the bare minimum, and there were many times I was denied meals.
There were times he locked me inside the storage room and refused to let me sleep.
When I failed to answer his questions correctly, he beat me until my backside was covered in bruises.
The body I had inherited was remarkably sturdy, allowing me to endure all that violence.
But the physical abilities that had been weakened throughout that process never truly returned to their original state.
It wasn't until after I entered Carvena and completely mastered mana control, compensating for my lacking physique, that I was finally able to perform at my body's original potential.
Alongside the violence, my father repeatedly carried out what he called enlightenment.
In truth, it was little different from brainwashing.
Your mother left because of you.
You must take responsibility for that and support this family in her place.
You have the talent.
You have the ability.
As long as you work hard, you can unquestionably become the greatest.
It is your duty to become the greatest and lead House Carter.
Contempt and dependence.
Caught between those contradictory ways he treated me, I constantly wavered.
Did Mother really leave because of me?
And even if she did, what did that have to do with my supposed duty?
I couldn't understand.
Back then, however, I accepted his words as truth for one simple reason.
I didn't want to be beaten.
Still, my father's judgment about my talent and ability had been accurate.
Despite never receiving proper instruction, my capabilities improved day after day.
Perhaps believing he had reached the limits of what he could teach, my father decided to send me to Carvena.
"I've gotten you into the Empire's greatest academy, so become the best there as well and raise the Carter name."
As he repeated such nonsense, he endlessly boasted about all the effort he had put in.
At the age of twelve, I entered as a 16th Class cadet candidate.
Only three months later, I achieved the remarkable accomplishment of earning an overall evaluation of Rank B.
Around that time, the fake sense of duty toward my family—and the mask I had worn for so long—were completely stripped away.
Abandoned by my mother.
Despised by my father.
The only person I could rely on... was myself.
Even if I looked arrogant.
Even if I seemed presumptuous.
As long as my ability was genuine, people would acknowledge me.
I hadn't chosen that path because I wanted someone's approval.
It was simply the best survival strategy available to me.
I needed eyes that could tell people they were wrong.
I needed the strength to prove it.
I needed to make sure no one could ever look down on me or ignore me again.
And this blessed body made all of that possible.
Everything that followed differed little from the history known to the public.
As a cadet, I played a tremendous role in reforming the academy.
Recognizing my abilities, they commissioned me into the Imperial Special Operations Force as its youngest officer.
Even within the Imperial Special Operations Force, I continued piling up achievements until I became the youngest recipient of the Medal of Honor.
I received recognition.
I received respect.
Yet I was never satisfied.
I continued struggling.
Trying somehow to fill the emptiness inside me that refused to disappear.
The Incurable Curse dealt that journey a devastating blow, forcing my struggle to halt for several years.
But even without the curse...
I would have broken down for much the same reason.
It was only natural.
A runner charging forward without either a destination or a goal could only collapse in the end.
“Huff... Huff...”
The price of being forcibly dragged through those memories was immense.
My head throbbed violently.
Cold sweat streamed down my forehead and spine.
My vision blurred.
An inexplicable pain spread through my abdomen.
Even so...
My mind had never been clearer.
Because...
That had been me.
A boy abandoned even by the first world he had ever known—his parents.
A boy who never truly belonged anywhere.
A boy who only pretended to be strong.
A boy so busy simply surviving that he never had the luxury of having dreams or goals.
There was only one difference between that version of me and Eugene Carter.
While I endured my twenties by embracing the dream of saving them...
Eugene Carter had fallen into despair after the one person he relied upon—himself—was consumed by the Incurable Curse, leaving him beyond recovery.
'Was... that why?'
Maybe that was why I had transmigrated into him.
Maybe someone had given that unbelievably unfortunate boy a dream.
Maybe they had introduced him to people who, though not connected by blood, would willingly become his family.
So I decided to ask one final question.
To completely destroy the first—and only—world called my parents.
And move forward.
“Did... you love that woman?”
“……”
Ignoring the provocation he himself had started, Leslie Carter stared at me with lifeless eyes before answering.
“I did.”
“More than anyone else in this world.”
Then he reached out into empty air.
“But she didn't feel the same.”
“To her, I was nothing more than a tool to leave behind her bloodline.”
“Well... I was happy enough.”
“Considering I lived with a madwoman.”
“I don't know what she was obsessed with.”
“But back then, none of that mattered.”
“Perhaps I had become just as insane as she was.”
He slowly closed his outstretched hand into a fist and declared firmly,
“Even so... I have no regrets.”
“She was the woman I loved.”
His eyes were utterly empty.
Yet strangely, they were also filled with unwavering conviction.
“…If you have no regrets... then that's enough.”
As I turned around, Leslie tilted his head.
“Aren't you going to ask?”
“Whether you're really of the Vladia bloodline?”
“Your reaction already tells me everything.”
“There's no need to drive the knife in any deeper.”
“Whether it's true or not... it doesn't matter to me anymore.”
“…Yes.”
“That really is who you are.”
“You were always destined to become a madman who surpassed even the Vladia Family.”
He barely forced his heavy body upright before shouting at me.
“You'll never give up.”
“Whether it's greed or arrogance, you're the kind of man who'll never accept anything until you've seen the very end.”
“That is who Eugene Carter is.”
“Because I raised you that way.”
“……”
“You may never agree with me...”
“But to me, you were my greatest masterpiece.”
“…If you truly believed that, you shouldn't have done what you did.”
“You shouldn't have inflicted enough trauma to make me sever my own memories.”
“No father should ever do something like that.”
“Hmph.”
“That's all in the past.”
“And I believed you could endure it.”
“You did, didn't you?”
“Everything you taught me was worthless.”
“I endured all that humiliation only so I could escape from you.”
“With my own ability.”
“With my own perseverance.”
“Hah.”
“Call it whatever you like.”
“In the end, my son has gone on to influence the entire Holy Ribenia Empire.”
“That only proves my choices were correct.”
“Heh... heh...”
Watching him laugh to himself only strengthened my resolve.
“You're trapped inside your own world.”
“And you have no intention of ever leaving it.”
“Well... fine.”
Utterly disgusted, I slowly turned away.
“I'm leaving now.”
“There's nothing left for me to say to someone like you.”
“Do as you please.”
“I've got nothing more to say to a worthless son like you either.”
Still...
For the very last time, Leslie said something I never thought would come from his mouth.
“Don't die, Eugene.”
“……”
“You're the last hope of House Carter.”
My answer had already been decided.
“…Don't worry.”
“I have no intention of surviving for you... or for this family.”
You are no longer my family.
You are no longer my world.
Just as Michelle had done with Mikhail Bernhardt...
So would I.
“The reason I have to keep living... was decided a very long time ago.”
He never asked what that reason was.
Whether it was faith in his son or faith in himself, I couldn't tell.
But as Leslie had said...
Either way, it was fine.
Leaving the middle-aged man sprawled inside the room at the end of the second floor of the family's old mansion firmly behind me, I walked forward.
Only then did I finally feel capable of answering the questions I had carried within myself.
A faint smile formed on my lips.
Here...
I had made my choice.
Now, all that remained...
Was theirs.
I didn't know whether they would become my world.
I could only believe.
That when morning came again...
They would reach out their hands to me.
On that Saturday, as controversy surrounding Eugene Carter shook the entire Empire...
The person most closely connected to him, Edel Ribenia, ignored every internal communication and continued discussions solely with Duwell.
Even to the attendants serving beside her, including Lea, her behavior felt utterly foreign.
No matter what crisis had arisen before, their mistress had always confronted it head-on.
Even this matter presented countless options.
If she judged remaining with Eugene Carter would damage her in the coming election, she could simply create the appearance of cutting ties with him publicly.
She could make the announcement while continuing to cooperate with him behind the scenes, just as before.
On the other hand, if she believed remaining with him wouldn't hurt her politically, she could publicly condemn Rachel Ribenia and the nobles supporting her for stirring up conflict by digging up old ghosts.
The evidence supporting the accusations was flimsy.
Collective punishment had long since been abolished.
And condemning a man who had committed no crime simply because he carried Vladia blood was fundamentally unjust.
He was, without question, a war hero who had rendered tremendous service to the Empire.
One official statement to that effect would have settled everything.
Yet...
She chose to do nothing.
Princess Edel Ribenia...
Doing nothing.
It wasn't a decision befitting her.
Nor was it a wise decision for a leader.
Nevertheless, Edel spent the entire day focusing only on coordinating with Duwell Headquarters and Duwell–Maret.
Only at dawn did she finally fall asleep.
Then, early the next morning, the first agenda she brought up concerned civilian shelters.
“Check every shelter configuration and report back.”
“Also, dispatch barrier mages immediately to any shelters that don't already have protective barriers deployed.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“How many underground shelters do we have?”
“Not even a hundred, if I remember correctly.”
“Ah... I'll confirm immediately.”
“Hurry.”
“Yes.”
After issuing orders to the Imperial Guards, Edel briskly headed toward the Artifact Storage Vault.
Following closely behind her, Lea cautiously spoke.
“U-Um... Your Highness?”
“What?”
“With all due respect... shouldn't we release an official statement regarding Instructor Eugene Carter soon...?”
“We'll discuss that later.”
“We need to verify the number of Mana Stones first.”
“Summon the Storage Director.”
“But, Your Highness...”
“We'll probably have to restructure the barrier formations.”
“At least everyone's received formal training, so the response should be fairly quick...”
“Your Highness!”
Edel flinched.
Only then did she finally stop speaking.
For a mere maid to raise her voice at a direct member of the Imperial Family...
She would have had every right to order her thrown out immediately.
Yet Lea had no intention of backing down.
To her...
Her mistress was more precious than her own life.
That was why she could say it.
Because no one understood what Eugene Carter meant to Edel better than she did.
“You know better than anyone what the name Vladia means to the Imperial Family.”
“But... this is nothing more than avoidance.”
“……”
“No matter what choice you make, I will follow you.”
“But if you refuse to make any choice at all...”
“I cannot support that.”
Lea grasped Edel's right hand with both of hers and cried out with unwavering determination.
“So please... make your decision.”
“……I...”
Just as Edel's tightly sealed lips slowly began to part—
KWAAANG!!
A deafening explosion erupted from outside the Imperial Palace.
Both women immediately turned toward the sound.
And what appeared before them...
Was an enormous pillar...
Towering high into the heavens.