It wasn't strange.
Lucian, who had been the Third Young Master of Valdeck, would lose his entire foundation if he were cast out of the family. From Jordi's perspective, it would have been enough simply to succeed in the rebellion and block Lucian's return.
But if he was the master of Asagrim and the Duke of Grimaldi, the story changed. Even if expelled from the family, he could still reign as a proper lord—and there would be far more to siphon off.
I expected all of this. There's nothing surprising about it. Just one thing—except for how long it took that bastard to learn the truth.
By the time Jordi readily sent Hans away, Lucian had already received Asagrim. Naturally, Hans breathed a sigh of relief after safely escaping the family estate.
But just around the time he arrived at Asagrim, someone was sent to capture Hans and drag him back.
If he'd known as soon as the Emperor's edict came down, he wouldn't have let Hans go in the first place. And if he'd found out after I took up my post, Hans would have fled to a point where he'd be hard to catch.
Yet Jordi obtained the information at an awkward time that was neither of those. It was certainly fast, but far from fast enough to call it real-time intelligence. By contrast, the rebellion had been launched immediately after Archduke Sigmund's death.
The timing is all tangled. How is it that he realized so late that I'd been granted Asagrim, yet learned of my father's death right away?
"Your Highness, is there something troubling you?"
Aizen's voice broke Lucian out of his thoughts.
Unable to find an answer on his own, Lucian decided to take this opportunity to seek the opinions of others.
"Actually, it's because Jordi's actions are just too strange."
"Strange, you say?"
"When I think back on the timing of Jordi's movements, every instance of when he obtained information feels misaligned."
Lucian calmly laid out his reasoning.
Intelligence that was oddly fast, yet ambiguous—too imprecise to be called real-time.
The case of Hans, who was released and then recaptured, contrasted with the rebellion that was launched the very moment the Archduke died.
And finally, the fact that the timing of his actions differed so greatly that it was difficult to draw a firm conclusion.
"Isn't it strange? I can understand why he acted, but I have no idea where he's getting his information from when the moments he learns of things vary so wildly."
"Hm. I think I more or less understand."
"W-What!? You do!?"
Lucian, along with the other retainers, stared at Aizen in shock.
Faced with the gazes pouring in from all directions, Aizen gave a wry smile.
"This sort of thing happens often on the battlefield. Sometimes you learn about events that happened long ago only after a delay, and other times you hear of something the very instant it occurs. And in most cases, the cause can be narrowed down to the capability of the informant."
"You mean the informants for the two incidents were different?"
"Rather than that, it's more likely due to the informant's position. The death of His Grace the Archduke would have been known to anyone the moment it happened. But the fact that Your Highness became the master of Asagrim was practically a unilateral decision by His Majesty the Emperor."
At Aizen's words, Lucian froze in place.
As long as he did not interfere in the internal affairs of other lords, the Emperor could wield absolute authority.
Deciding to grant an otherwise vacant imperial demesne to someone was entirely within his discretion.
Naturally, aside from a very select few, the matter would only have been reported after the fact—and news of it would have spread all the more slowly.
"He wasn't close enough to share intimate matters directly with His Majesty the Emperor, but he must have been the next closest thing. After all, Your Highness wasn't formally proclaimed upon returning to the Imperial Palace—you were informed right in the middle of the battlefield."
"Is there anyone you can think of who holds a position like that?"
"There are a few, but fortunately, I think we can narrow it down further. After all, the Second Young Master left behind several clues before departing."
Clues? Jordi?
As everyone blinked in confusion, Aizen let out a deep sigh.
Then, lowering his gaze slightly, he began to speak in a heavy voice—
about what had happened at the time he left the family.
***
Aizen had no specific duties assigned to him within the Valdeck family.
He was already quite advanced in years, and his achievements in his youth alone dwarfed those of others by the hundreds.
As an elder, he was treated with respect, and only moved when the head of the family happened to issue an order.
Still, as a knight, he couldn't live like an idle layabout, so he usually stayed in the garden behind the training grounds as his place of duty.
After taking Felicia in as his adopted daughter, he had been completely absorbed in the joy of raising a successor—but Felicia had followed Lucian as well.
Until he returned after finishing his business in the north, he had planned to pass his time as leisurely as before.
But today, an ominous air hung over the family grounds, enough that he couldn't even enjoy the taste of his tea.
"…This is bad."
Aizen frowned as he looked beyond the training grounds.
Unlike usual, a surging killing intent filled the surroundings.
Sure enough, no sooner had he set his teacup down than screams rang out nearby.
"Stand back! We've only come to deal with the rebel elements hiding here!"
"Rebels? You're the ones who started the rebellion—what nonsense are you spouting!"
"How can it be called rebellion when the Second Young Master is merely exercising his rightful claim!"
So the Second Young Master had made his move.
It wasn't surprising—he had half expected it.
Joshua didn't have the nerve to pull something like this off, and the other two young masters were away outside the estate. That left only Jordi as someone capable of staging a rebellion.
As the commotion continued to echo, Aizen closed his eyes.
What am I supposed to do now?
If the disturbance had spread this far, then all the major matters would already be settled.
At this point, even if Aizen stepped in, there was nothing he could do.
The most important figures—the Fourth Young Master and the other wives—would have been secured long ago.
Not knowing who was an enemy and who was an ally was another problem.
…How ridiculous. Enemies and allies. Just yesterday, they were all serving Valdeck together.
"Aizen-nim, pardon the interruption."
At that moment, a courteous voice came from behind the training grounds.
It seemed the commotion had ended while he was lost in thought.
Soon after, the door between the rear of the training grounds and the garden opened, and a group of people entered.
Aizen muttered as he looked at the man at the front.
"Sir Hendrick."
"It's been a long time. If possible, I wished to avoid troubling the Sword Saint, but the rebels have pushed as far as this area, so…"
"That's enough. I have a rough idea of what's going on. Spare me the pointless talk and get to the point."
At Aizen's icy voice, Hendrick flinched.
Before being frozen solid by that cold gaze, Hendrick clenched his teeth and shouted,
"Please remain here for just a few days. We will provide everything you require."
"Heh. Are you hoping I'll become an accomplice simply by staying put? The Second Young Master is still quite adept at petty scheming."
"Mind your words. No matter who you are, Sir Aizen, showing further disrespect to the next Archduke—"
"The next Archduke?"
Whoosh.
The killing intent wrapping around his entire body forced Hendrick to shut his mouth.
If he said even one more word, it felt as though a sword would fly at him and split his skull on the spot.
"The one who chooses the successor is the Archduke—not the likes of you, you brat. Watch your tongue, or I'll behead you and hang it on the castle walls."
At the Sword Saint's threat, Hendrick and everyone else began sweating cold bullets.
It was at the moment when multiple knights were retreating under the pressure of a single man that—
"My father has passed away, Sir Aizen."
Jordi stepped out from behind the knights as he spoke.
At the unexpected words, Aizen blinked in a daze.
"That doesn't sound like you, Second Young Master."
"What do you mean?"
"Why tell a lie that will be exposed so soon?"
"You think it's a lie?"
"Of course. Unless it were a full-scale war, how could he die merely suppressing a rebellion? He's not afraid to take the vanguard, but no one understands better than he does when to advance and when to withdraw."
"But there are always variables. I hear he lost his life yesterday after falling into the schemes of those cowardly bastards. Once they broke the grand pact, what wouldn't they do?"
"…Yesterday?"
At the strange detail, Aizen's eyes narrowed.
There should have been quite a distance from here to the front lines—yesterday didn't add up.
"Still can't bring yourself to believe it this time either? In an age where the Imperial Court uses magic devices to cross vast distances in an instant, and knightly charges tear armies apart, do you really think there wouldn't be a single magic device for long-distance communication?"
"Are you saying you've acquired such a device?"
"Rather than that, let's just say I've made a good friend."
"I've no idea what kind of story you heard from this 'friend' to act like this."
"Oh, I heard something very important. For instance—that my father passed away without leaving a will, and that the Emperor intends to fabricate one and name Tristan as the next head of the family."
Aizen stared silently at Jordi.
He couldn't tell whether this was sincerity or delusion.
Sensing that gaze, Jordi let out a short chuckle.
"Sir Aizen, why do you think I would go this far? If there were even a chance my father would return, do you think I'd dare do something like this? To incur his wrath would mean the end of everything."
"At this point, it seems less like me and more like you who's fleeing reality. My father lost his life on the battlefield. He died without choosing a successor!"
The last words were nearly a shout.
Seeing Jordi completely lose his composure made it clear that he believed every word of it.
At the unexpected news of the Archduke's death, Aizen's eyebrows trembled.
"Second Young Master."
"That's enough. I know you're confused. Take some time to rest and steady your mind."
"Step aside. I'll be leaving now."
"Leaving? And where do you think you're going? The family you owe your loyalty to is here!"
"And the person I am meant to serve is not the Second Young Master. In life, His Grace the Archduke had either the First Young Master or the Third Young Master in mind."
Jordi's face twisted like that of an enraged demon.
Even if it was something he already knew, hearing it spoken aloud by the Sword Saint carried a very different weight.
And yet—to state it so openly, with this many people watching.
"Sir Aizen!"
"Step aside."
Whooosh—
As if he had no intention of listening any further, Aizen took a single step forward.
At the same time, bluish mana manifested visibly and spread in all directions.
It was a clear declaration that if they continued to block him, he would not hesitate to use force.
Seeing that Aizen had no intention of backing down, Jordi clenched his teeth.
"If that's how it must be, then so be it."
"Are you trying to stop me? Or kill me?"
"Neither."
Pshhk—
"—Twelve."
As Jordi continued speaking, a black tentacle shot out from between the shadows of the flowers.
The razor-sharp appendage pierced straight through Aizen's thigh in an instant.
Watching the blood spray from the wound, Jordi spoke bitterly.
"I'm merely helping with your treatment. With that leg, you won't be able to move anyway—"
"Hngh!"
Boom!
Before he could even finish speaking, Aizen braced himself and slammed his leg down onto the ground.
The black tentacle, lodged deep in his muscle, didn't budge an inch.
When the tentacle strained to tear itself free from his thigh, Aizen instead used that force to kick off the ground.
"You wretch!"
KRAAAASH!
Kieeeeeee—!
While being flung through the air, Aizen grabbed a wooden training sword and lashed out at the shadow of a pillar.
As the ground was gouged out and dust billowed into the air, a horrifying scream rang out.
From within the black shadow, pitch-black blood erupted like a fountain, and soon someone clawed their way out with mangled fingers.
"Ghk—ghrk!"
Despite being some distance away from the spot Aizen had struck, the being that emerged from the shadow was already on the brink of death.
From the aftershock of the mana that had spread on impact alone, it seemed that not only every bone in its body but even its internal organs had been reduced to pulp.
The crawling figure soon vomited a bowlful of black blood from inside its hood and collapsed limply.
…
…
At the shocking sight, everyone stared at Aizen with wide eyes.
By then, Aizen had already pulled out the black tentacle and casually tossed it aside.
White steam was rising from his thigh, which they had thought would be rendered useless by the piercing wound.
After rotating his leg a few times, Aizen spoke toward Jordi.
"So, what was that about treatment, Second Young Master?"
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