FANSiA Originals and KakaoPage
I Became the Genius Bastard of a Noble Dark Clan
[Author/Original: Yuin]
[TL: Dekor]
[PR: Spades]
Episode 35
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"I hope the Tyramine family can put aside its grudges with our Kazar family moving forward."
"!!"
"Instead of baring teeth like enemies, I'd like us to foster growth through competition and reconciliation, as befits our shared blood."
Count Tyramine was caught off guard, unable to respond.
The two families.
Their relationship had long been sour.
What started as typical rivalry among branch families had escalated.
They were now near enemies.
There was a reason for it.
"Our feud only benefits the main house, doesn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know as well as I do. The main house orchestrated our conflict. United branch families would threaten them, so they sowed discord."
Count Tyramine inhaled sharply.
Chris's words were true.
It was common.
Pitting vassals against each other to solidify control.
Both counts had realized too late they'd been played, but by then, the rift was too wide.
"…Are you suggesting rebellion against the main house?"
"Of course not. I have no such intention. I'm just saying we don't need to keep dancing to their tune, knowing it's wrong. Swearing loyalty doesn't mean we're groveling dogs."
"…You've changed."
Chris smiled instead of replying.
A confident smile.
It spoke volumes about his transformation, louder than any words.
'How?'
Count Tyramine swallowed hard.
He knew the old Chris well.
How had that useless disgrace become this?
His skills were astonishing, his vision inspiring.
To use this chance to mend ties between feuding families.
A mere fifteen-year-old boy, yet no ordinary vessel.
"Fine, as you say. I'll contact Count Kazar soon. You're right, there's no need for pointless conflict when we know better."
"Thank you."
"Is that all?"
Count Tyramine fixed Chris with a steady gaze.
"Feels like there's something else you really want."
Sharp as ever, despite his bulk.
He'd seen through Chris's deeper motives.
"Yes, you're right. I do have something else to ask, Uncle."
Chris slyly switched to calling him uncle.
Count Tyramine noticed but let it slide.
"I want to become a lord. Support me."
"!!"
Count Tyramine's eyes widened.
"A lord? Are you serious? You're from a branch family."
"I'm aware of no law barring branch members from becoming lords."
"Are you hearing yourself? No law forbids it, but no branch member has ever become a lord in the Dark Mana Clan's history."
He was right.
No law prohibited it.
That didn't mean it was feasible.
History's lack of precedent proved how impossible it was.
But.
"So you think it can't be done?"
"!!"
"I believe I can do it."
Count Tyramine was speechless.
Chris had shown remarkable prowess at the Tyramine estate.
His awakened potential and character were clear.
But a branch member as a lord?
No, lordship wasn't even the issue.
Aiming for lordship meant challenging for the next patriarch's seat.
Impossible.
Yet.
"I don't think I'm chasing a pipe dream. I believe I have a real shot."
"…Why?"
"Because I'm far superior to the other lords."
Outrageous confidence.
But it was Chris's honest truth.
The disadvantage of branch status?
An unfair starting line?
Main house opposition?
What did those matter?
He'd overcome them with ability.
His ultimate goal was the Magic Empire's pinnacle.
Lordship was just the starting gate.
"Hah."
Count Tyramine let out a hollow laugh.
It was a laughable notion, yet oddly, he couldn't mock it.
Chris's confidence had a strange magic.
A certainty he'd succeed.
No, that this was well within his grasp. His audacious belief made you wonder, could he actually pull it off?
Unable to reply easily, Chris delivered the final blow.
"Doesn't it anger you, Uncle?"
"What?"
"Marquis Langham."
"!!"
Count Tyramine's face hardened.
Marquis Langham.
The current leader of the Dark Mana Clan in Patriarch Nordian's stead.
The one who'd engineered the feud between the Tyramine and Kazar families.
"He sees our branch families as guard dogs, so he pulled those strings. Of course, we can't formally protest."
Chris spoke meaningfully.
"But if I claim the heir's seat, that'd be ample revenge."
"!!"
The leading heir, Second Lord Ashd de Barron, was Langham's son.
So were the First Lord, First Lady, and Third Lord. Ousting them to become the next patriarch would be sweet vengeance.
"…Preposterous."
"Is it?"
"It should be impossible, yet I find myself wanting to cheer for you."
Count Tyramine shook his head, then fixed Chris with a piercing gaze.
"Here's my answer. For now, I refuse. Your words are grand, but you've proven nothing yet. You're not worthy of our support."
Chris read between the lines.
It wasn't a flat refusal.
"You're saying to prove my worth."
"Yes. Show you're fit to stand as a lord, and the Tyramine family will back you."
Chris grinned.
"Won't take long. Wait and see."
A conditional agreement, but fine.
Proving his worth was well within his reach.
The matter settled, Count Tyramine offered an unexpected bonus.
"Take this Gray Pill."
"Uncle?"
It was the reward he'd originally planned to request!
"It's yours by right. Think of it as a gift from your uncle to his nephew."
Chris didn't refuse.
"I'll accept it gladly. Feel free to give more gifts anytime."
"What? Haha!"
Count Tyramine laughed heartily and gave another gift.
A beast summoning stone.
An artifact to store and summon beasts at will.
Since carrying beasts around was impractical, Demon Training mages often used such stones.
"It can hold up to a 4-demon beast."
"Thank you."
Chris meant it.
Summoning stones' prices skyrocketed with rank.
A 4-demon stone was practically a treasure.
'I can't handle a 4-demon beast yet, but it'll come in handy later.'
He'd controlled the Karazov temporarily, but using one in battle was beyond him.
To wield a beast in combat, you had to command its every move like your own limbs.
In time, he'd manage.
Count Tyramine shifted topics.
"How did you fight the demonkin?"
"…"
He tilted his head.
"Your strength shouldn't have matched a demonkin. How'd you hold out until it was reverse-summoned?"
He clearly didn't imagine Chris had destroyed it.
Understandable. It was impossible.
He assumed Chris fought defensively until the demonkin returned to Gehenna due to time limits.
Surviving a demonkin at all was staggering.
"Well…"
The Shine Blade was a secret he had to keep.
As he prepared to dodge the question, an unexpected voice cut in.
"Let me ask about that."
"!!"
Chris and Count Tyramine froze.
They hadn't sensed anyone, yet someone appeared beside them.
Count Tyramine's eyes widened, recognizing the figure.
"Chief Steward?"
"Indeed, it's been a while, my lord."
Pale as moonlight.
A sculpted smile as the man bowed.
"I'm Simon, Chief Steward of the Dark Mana Clan. Here to see Young Master Christian."
---
Chief Steward.
That was Simon's title.
"…Then I'll leave you to talk."
"Thank you for your consideration."
Count Tyramine rose, looking uneasy.
He clearly didn't like Simon.
Chris understood why.
'He does give off a bad vibe.'
People have instincts.
You can often tell at a glance if someone's good or not.
It's baseless but frequently accurate.
By that measure, Chief Steward Simon was definitely not good.
First meeting, yet he reeked of danger.
'Is it really a first meeting? Why's he so familiar?'
Chris tilted his head.
First time seeing him, yet oddly familiar.
It wasn't a mistake.
He'd definitely seen him.
A face just like this one.
'Did I meet him in the era of ruin?'
Chris muttered Simon's name.
The name felt familiar too.
Not new.
Heard in his past life.
'Simon, Simon…? No way!'
A realization hit, and his eyes widened.
It clicked!
Where he'd heard Simon's name.
"What's wrong, young master?"
The Simon before him tilted his head.
"…Nothing."
"Hm?"
Chris tried to hide his shock.
His heart pounded.
Simon wasn't a major figure in the era of ruin.
But some tied to him were infamous.
'Simon's the mentor of the Blood Shadow Corps' leader.'
The Blood Shadow Corps.
A psychotic group that massacred and terrorized indiscriminately across the Magic Empire and Crusade Alliance.
Its leader, an 8-star mage, reached 9-star late in the era, becoming the tenth Demon King.
The Hero's party had faced death countless times because of that leader.
Simon was that monster's mentor.
'That's not all.'
Chris swallowed hard.
Being the mentor was minor compared to this.
Simon's other identity.
'He's the blood kin of the Blood Demon King.'