Chapter 193 : The Retirement of the Lord of Haken
Chapter 193: The Retirement of the Lord of Haken
Gios looked extremely haggard, as though he had been under immense emotional strain.
The moment I proposed putting him in charge of Johnson Territory's administration, the look in his eyes changed.
On top of that, he kept asking all sorts of questions about our situation. It was obvious at a glance that he was deeply interested.
I think I understand what kind of person he is.
How should I put it...
He's the type who creates work for himself.
Seeing him welcome voluntary slave labor so enthusiastically, I couldn't help but welcome him too.
“Don't expect me to use honorifics with you.”
“W-Well, I'm still a lord.”
“Even if you're a lord, you're Irene's husband. And I'm Irene's older brother. Still, I'll keep business and personal matters separate.”
Pointing out that we weren't related by blood would only start a fight.
Just looking over his past behavior made it obvious he had a rotten personality, but honestly, as long as someone was capable, personality didn't really matter.
Just look at Peter.
He wasn't exactly polite either.
I wasn't particularly authoritarian myself, and Gios really was older than I was, so I just let it slide.
Besides, he said he'd separate business from personal matters.
In a place like Johnson Territory, where barbarism ran rampant, being shameless and foul-tempered was honestly more advantageous than being gentle.
–But isn't this a huge problem?
'What is?'
–That male. He has misunderstood the relationship between Master and the human female.
'Ah? Ah…….'
Everyone in Haken believed I was Irene's husband.
That was because I'd made such a huge declaration during Haken's Spring Festival martial arts tournament.
Meanwhile, everyone in our territory believed Yuria was the Lady of Johnson Territory.
The only people who accompanied me to Haken's martial arts tournament had been the Crimson Comet and Leisha. The Crimson Comet more or less knew the circumstances, while Leisha had such a broad-minded personality that she didn't care about trivial matters like that.
As a result, no one in our territory had heard anything about that incident.
'Once that guy starts working in our territory, it's bound to come up one way or another, isn't it?'
–Of course it is. Didn't he just say it himself?
The first person who came to mind was Rudick.
That lunatic obsessed with calling Irene my sister-in-law would definitely get on my nerves.
Just thinking about it irritated me.
'No, that guy is honestly nothing.'
Ignoring Rudick would be easy enough.
But what about Elder Benetrang, Irene's maternal grandfather?
If Rudick was WWE...
Then Elder Benetrang was UFC.
It felt like something truly disastrous was about to happen.
'Forget me. Isn't the Fox Tribe going to be a problem too?'
–Hmm. Aren't they the ones absolutely convinced that the fox female is the Lady of Johnson Territory? The Fox Tribe's support exists entirely because they believe the fox female holds that position.
'I'm seriously doomed.'
The Fox Tribe and the Builders.
Wasn't that basically an unstoppable clash between two equally matched forces?
I seriously needed to prepare for this.
–So, what exactly can Master do? Other than trembling while waiting?
'...Damn it.'
He wasn't wrong.
Seriously...
What exactly was I supposed to do here?
–For now, prepare yourself for that old wizard male. That's the most urgent matter.
'You mean Elder Benetrang?'
Elder Benetrang was exceptionally skilled with a War Hammer.
Well, there wasn't a single Builder who couldn't properly handle a hammer.
That much was certain.
Besides, despite his age, he still had an impressively muscular physique.
'I suppose I'll have to accept a certain amount of damage.'
Whatever reaction came, this was something that was bound to happen eventually anyway, so even I couldn't help feeling a little nervous.
Regardless of my own circumstances, the cleanup in Haken progressed rapidly.
First, the Lord of Haken announced his retirement.
“From today onward, the Lord of Haken shall be my eldest son, Ulrison Haken.”
The Lord of Haken immediately appointed his eldest son as the new Lord of Haken.
The transition was so sudden that even I was caught off guard.
I never expected things to unfold like this.
The surviving retainers were just as shocked.
Every single one of them rushed forward and tried to persuade the Lord of Haken to reconsider.
“To be honest, I should have retired long ago. I'd like to spend the rest of my life in peace.”
However, the Lord of Haken's answer was unwavering.
Only then did everyone realize that this wasn't some symbolic succession ceremony.
Respecting his decision, they accepted Ulrison Haken as the new Lord of Haken.
Now they were reorganizing the territory under Ulrison's leadership.
'Well... He isn't exactly young anymore.'
Wasn't the Lord of Haken already over sixty?
Even I and the other Great Lords belonged to a generation—or at least half a generation—younger than he was.
So it really was time for him to retire.
The only reason he hadn't stepped down until now was probably because he still had ambitions left to fulfill.
But after experiencing such a shocking incident, it seemed he'd changed his mind.
“There's no longer any need for me to remain. Gios cleaned everything up so thoroughly.”
“Is that so?”
“New wine belongs in new wineskins. This is the perfect time to retire.”
Listening to him, concern for the future had also been one of the reasons he'd remained as lord.
He had always known that the old retainers wielded tremendous influence.
He simply hadn't been confident that the inexperienced Ulrison could properly control them.
The reason Gios had remained one of the candidates for succession had certainly been because of his affection for him.
But it had also been because of Gios's personality and ability.
When it came to controlling the old retainers, he believed the second son surpassed the first.
But now?
The senior figures capable of challenging the new Lord Ulrison had already been completely eliminated by Gios.
As a result, the perfect conditions had been created for Ulrison to take complete control of the territory.
Looking at it that way, this truly was the ideal time to transfer power.
'Besides, despite claiming to eliminate political enemies, Gios never touched the younger officials on Ulrison's side.'
Gios's purge was carried out strictly based on corruption and misconduct.
In other words, even supporters of Ulrison escaped the purge as long as they weren't involved in corruption.
Because of that, most of the younger talents, whose authority had never been particularly great, survived.
If this purge had only been about seizing power, the current situation would make very little sense.
No matter whether the Lord of Haken survived or Sir Durek survived, it seemed Gios had designed his purge so that the succession of the territory would proceed naturally under any circumstances.
–He's every bit as capable as he is arrogant.
'I guess so. And now that capability belongs to us, doesn't it?'
He was still a snake.
But now he felt like our snake.
Looking back, there had clearly been a reason the Lord of Haken had continued entrusting him with the territory's affairs.
He definitely wasn't an ordinary man.
When the Lord of Haken first dumped him on me, I'd wondered what kind of joke this was.
But the more time passed, the more I felt I'd gotten the better end of the deal.
“So, about where I'll live after retirement.”
“You're leaving Haken?”
“If I stay, I'll only get in the way. People from the old era should know when to step aside.”
Having retired from his position, the Lord of Haken intended to leave Haken altogether.
To be honest, even I found that surprising.
Considering how stubbornly he'd held onto the position for so many years, he was taking things remarkably well.
He said that if he remained in the territory, the next lord would only feel burdened.
He wasn't wrong.
There was a reason the term 'retired ruler politics' existed.
The Lord of Haken would inevitably notice every flaw in Ulrison.
Like an experienced veteran constantly giving unsolicited advice to a beginner, he'd naturally interfere.
That wouldn't do Ulrison any favors.
That was how the Lord of Haken saw it.
Ulrison, however, desperately tried to stop him.
What surprised me even more was that, despite being incredibly soft-hearted toward his family, the Lord of Haken remained completely resolute when it came to doing what was best for his son.
Even though Ulrison and the rest of the family all tried to persuade him to stay, he insisted on leaving Haken.
Judging by that, he truly meant it.
Honestly, whether the Lord of Haken left Haken or not had nothing to do with me.
Or at least...
That's what I'd thought.
“Um... There's a coastal territory east of Johnson Territory, isn't there?”
“Henil?”
“That's right. To tell the truth, I've always wanted to live by the sea. Haken is nothing but mountains, isn't it? So I'm thinking of settling there. What do you think? It's not too far from Johnson Territory, is it?”
“Well, that's true, but…….”
That was before the Lord of Haken suddenly dropped the bombshell that he intended to settle in Henil.
–Dumping his son onto you wasn't enough. Now he's dumping himself onto you too. What a ruthless male.
Remaining in Haken would only burden the new lord.
Yet staying in another territory under Haken's authority would also be uncomfortable.
That was probably why he'd chosen somewhere near Johnson Territory.
It was obvious he'd given the matter considerable thought.
Sure, if he wanted to live by the sea, there weren't many alternatives.
But that couldn't have been the only reason.
'Ulrison Haken is a devoted son. If the Lord of Haken lives near Johnson Territory, Haken won't be be able to stand against us.'
Considering our relationship with Haken, having the Lord of Haken live near Johnson Territory was certainly desirable.
That was probably his biggest reason.
From his perspective, he absolutely wouldn't want us to become hostile toward Haken.
There was no reason for us to reject his proposal to effectively become a hostage himself.
Of course, as he'd said, the fact that it was a coastal territory and close enough to Johnson Territory for him to easily meet Irene couldn't be ignored either.
'The Lord of Henil and the Lord of Haken... They might actually get along surprisingly well.'
The Lord of Henil suddenly came to mind.
Wasn't he about ten years younger than the Lord of Haken?
That bronze-skinned man of the sea would probably call the Lord of Haken “Big Brother” while getting along with him just fine.
He wasn't the least bit authoritarian either.
In fact, he barely even acted like a lord.
“This is turning into quite the chain reaction.”
Once the Lord of Haken announced he was moving to Henil, the Lord of Haken's wife also decided to follow him.
That honestly surprised me a little.
According to Irene, she'd always been rather power-oriented.
Now that her own son had become the Lord of Haken, she could have wielded tremendous influence.
Yet she threw all of that away without hesitation and followed the Lord of Haken instead.
When it came to managing his family, the Lord of Haken truly was exceptional.
Around that same time...
New Level made an official announcement.
The ruling lord, Deron Level, had died during a surprise attack by the Imperial Army.
A new lord had ascended in his place.
“Alex Level? And he's a direct descendant of the royal family? How does that make any sense? Weren't there no direct descendants left, which was why Richard Level, a collateral relative, became the Great Lord, and then Deron Level inherited the position?”
“That's what everyone thought, but apparently a direct royal bloodline survived.”
“No, seriously? After all this time? What's the proof?”
“The royal signet ring. Letters and other written records. Plus witness testimonies.”
“Good grief…….”
Apparently, before the Great Cataclysm, it hadn't only been Deron Level's ancestor who had traveled south near New Level to recuperate.
There had also been a direct member of the royal family.
When the Great Cataclysm struck, that person became the sole surviving member of the royal bloodline.
The reason he hadn't personally led people on the front lines during the catastrophe was because his illness had already become too severe.
Instead, he'd quietly supported everyone from behind the scenes.
The grandson of that final direct royal descendant was Alex Level, the new Lord of New Level.
Until now, he'd simply remained quietly in the background.
However, once Deron Level died and the position of lord became vacant, he had no choice but to step forward.
Since Deron Level had neither siblings nor children, Alex Level had been the only possible successor.
The retainers unanimously agreed and elevated Alex Level to the position of lord.
'So... this Alex Level guy is the true Hidden Mastermind?'
If he'd chosen to reveal himself at a time like this, then it was probably him.
If he'd intended to continue acting from the shadows, he wouldn't have disposed of Deron Level like that.
I'd expected someone to appear eventually.
Still, I certainly hadn't expected a direct descendant of the royal family to emerge.
'Whether he's direct royal blood or not doesn't matter to me. The important thing is that the Hidden Mastermind has finally stepped into the open.'
The mere fact that the one hiding in the shadows had finally revealed himself was immensely satisfying.
Now I knew exactly who needed to be crushed.
Unfortunately...
It wasn't going to be nearly that simple.