Chapter 68: Rising to Power (Part 1)

I was about to be ennobled as a Marquis, prompting my father and the rest of the family to hastily make their way to the royal capital.
I had steeled myself to accept this situation. If it’s come to this, I might as well make full use of my status as a Marquis.

"To cure His Majesty’s illness and save those suffering from the poison of the Liquor King, and then to be granted the rank of Marquis..."

Father stood frozen in shock.

"I always believed you'd accomplish great things someday, but to achieve this so quickly—Toma, you're truly incredible," Mother said, embracing me.

Her stomach was visibly swollen now—she was pregnant.

At 28 years old, she was in her prime.

"Big Brother is 'mazing!"

Sigvalt’s lisped words were utterly adorable.

I picked him up and gave him a hug.

"Toma-sama, you've grown into such a fine young man!"
"Lara, you’ve matured so much yourself in just a short time."
"Oh, stop it!"

Ouch. My back—don’t hit me like that.

But Lara was still the same scatterbrained Lara.

After this, my grandfather and I explained the chain of events to my father.
That was when I learned that my grandfather had stationed operatives near the Lightstar family for years, gathering evidence of their wrongdoings.

The Lightstar family was appalling—a rotting mess that had long since turned to sludge. Fraud, kidnapping, illegal confinement, murder, illicit drug trafficking, and illegal slave trading—it was all there.

It was clear that the Lightstar family had enslaved my mother. However, whether they had already erased her memory at the time remains unknown.
We can’t ask her about it, and the reason behind her memory loss remains a mystery.

It’s even possible that the Lightstars weren’t directly involved in her abduction, but the fact remains that they enslaved her.

My grandfather had also stationed agents on Rastark Island, ensuring that the Lightstars would face such hardships that they might wish for death instead.

"While it’s a relief that the Lightstar family has fallen, I regret not leading the charge myself," my father said.
"I’m sorry. Could you bear with it?"
"No, it’s better this way. War is undesirable, after all. This regret is mine alone. Please, don’t worry about it."

Although I felt bad for my father, peace is always preferable to war.

Some time earlier, my grandfather and the king held detailed discussions about my ennoblement.

The former Lightstar mansion in the royal capital was to be gifted to me, prompting a relocation during the busy year-end season.

Most of the household staff and soldiers were reassigned from my grandfather’s Bayerline Ducal House, with any gaps filled by newly hired personnel.

All of the gaudy furniture, tasteless artwork, and assorted items were sold off. Two-thirds of it went for mere pennies, as the Lightstars clearly mistook shininess for value.

The emptied mansion was then furnished with new items purchased using the money earned from the sale. Though we went slightly over budget, the funds from selling jewelry to the gem merchant Tiffas Bulgar covered the difference.

As for decorations, I borrowed artworks long hidden in the Bayerline estate.

"Didn’t we just move recently? And now we’re moving again," Ben muttered as he loaded luggage onto a carriage.

"Isn’t it great? We’re moving to a bigger mansion," Sharmie replied cheerfully.

Sharmie always managed to stay positive.

The move wasn’t just for us—the temple knights stationed next door were also relocating.

The former Lightstar estate in the royal capital included numerous buildings beyond the main house, providing ample living quarters for servants and soldiers alike.

The grounds were vast, featuring a garden and even a space where horses could exercise.

My grandfather agreed to oversee my fief until I could personally take charge.

While adulthood in this kingdom is recognized at 16, I still have other priorities, so who knows when I’ll officially assume control?

▽▽▽ Side Story: High Archbishop Macallan ▽▽▽

Rumors say an Apostle has appeared in the Kingdom of Kurudia.

Heh, how absurd. Apostles don’t exist. They’re nothing but a fantasy concocted by the Ashtent faction.

The Nilgud religion needs only the Catrias faction. It’s because of impostors like the Ashtent faction that such superstitions as Apostles persist.

We could ignore it, but that wouldn’t be entertaining for us.

"Should we leave this so-called Apostle in Kurudia unchecked?" (Macallan)
"Absolutely not." (Second Archbishop)
"Indeed, Apostles must not exist." (Third Archbishop)

For once, all three of us High Archbishops are in agreement. It’s rare to see us aligned like this.

The Catrias Theocracy is nominally led by the Holy King, but in truth, all power resides with us three High Archbishops.
There used to be just one High Archbishop, but over time, the role expanded to two, and then to three.

This three-archbishop system has been customary for over a century.

"So, how should we act?" (Macallan)
"We must eliminate this Apostle." (Second Archbishop)

Arthur, the lean one, slammed his hand on the round table. His delicate appearance belied his aggressive nature—his mind seemed more muscle than intellect.

"Why not just abduct the Apostle?" (Third Archbishop)

Goliath’s tone was almost feminine, but he was an overwhelmingly rugged man.
At first, I found the sight of a burly man in makeup, speaking in a woman’s voice, unsettling. Over time, I grew used to it.

His mismatched appearance and demeanor sometimes provided amusement, but he was dangerous. He enjoyed torturing boys and listening to their cries—a pastime I could never stomach, even with my own harsh tendencies.

"Abduction, then?" (Arthur)
"I’ll personally strip away the Apostle’s facade." (Goliath)
"Shall we deploy Haten?" (Macallan)
"Yes, let’s." (Goliath)
"Agreed." (Arthur)

"But if we’re going to deploy Haten, simply abducting the Apostle would be boring." (Goliath)
"Hmm, true. Shall we proceed with our other plan concurrently?" (Macallan)
"Fine by me." (Arthur)
"No objections." (Goliath)