Chapter 4

Following that, a large crowd gathered, but thanks to His Majesty’s guards, we managed to avoid them and safely board the carriage.

“…I’m tired.”

After a few minutes of swaying, I loosened my grip on my thoughts, and soon the bustling scenery of the tavern-filled downtown came into view.

How long had I buried my face in the darkness between my knees? The downtown area had turned into a chaotic mess of drunken adventurers and troublemakers causing a ruckus.

“Lord Family Head…”

The coachman, who knew my tendencies well, spoke up without unnecessary words.

“What is it?”

“It seems we should turn back.”

“Reason?”

“From the commotion, it looks like a fight broke out among drunkards ahead. If we get caught up in this, it might cause trouble for you, Lord. Even if we arrive 15 minutes late, it would be better to turn back.”

“I’ll handle it myself.”

“It’s just trash. It’s not something for the esteemed Family Head to…”

“It suits me quite well.”

After getting off the carriage, I pushed through the crowd to check the source of the commotion.

“Indeed.”

A drunken, muscular giant and a rather handsome female adventurer were exchanging blows.

“Barbaric, but both are sturdy warriors.”

They were grabbing each other’s collars, neither dodging nor guarding, just punching each other in the face.

It was a fiery and respectable way to fight, but the problem was that I had already worked up a sweat today. I wanted to go back and wash up as soon as possible.

“That’s enough.”

“Huh?”

“What’s this weakling?”

“Both of you, stop fighting and go back. The carriage needs to pass.”

I conveyed my message succinctly.

“Why should we follow your orders?”

“…The fire at the hearth is a bit strong.”

“Is this guy crazy?”

I wasn’t crazy. It was just that the fire at the hearth was strong, making me sweat a bit, and I wanted to go back and wash up even five minutes earlier.

“What, stop fighting and go back? Do you think it’s that easy?”

“Simple. Stop your hands, turn around, and leave.”

Everyone was looking at me with strange eyes.

“Do you not know how to turn your head or walk?”

“This crazy bastard…!”

The muscular adventurer glared at me with a face full of anger. Was that expression due to anger?

Or was it due to the alcohol they had consumed? It didn’t matter which, but a small curiosity arose.

Of course, I could roughly guess what his next move would be, so I decided to give a warning.

“I don’t particularly care about your opinion of me. But know this: if you resort to violence, I will have to defend myself.”

“You crazy bastard! Why are you picking a fight in the middle of a brawl, damn it!!!”

As expected, he swung his fist at me, and I raised my left hand to catch his punch with my palm.

“Gaaaaah!!!”

Well, it was a natural reaction.

“…I warned you. I would also use violence.”

Anyone would wail like that if their right hand exploded. Those who remain calm even after losing a hand must be monsters far removed from humanity.

I don’t like such violence. In fact, I couldn’t understand people who enjoy such meaningless acts.

“My hand, damn it! My hand, damn it!!!”

“I’ve ruined your means of livelihood.”

I put a few gold coins in his pocket.

“Find something else to hold besides a weapon from now on.”

I spoke again to the shocked onlookers and his opponent.

“Once again, I ask. Please move aside.”

The weight of blood-soaked words must have been different. Everyone was listening to me with a different expression than before.

“I’m not in a good mood right now.”

The night breeze was cold, and I was sweating, so my mood was at its worst.

“I recommend quietly going home. For my sake and yours.”

I only said that because the night breeze was cold. Moreover, since the banquet was about to end, other nobles’ carriages would soon arrive, and getting involved with them would surely be more troublesome, so I gave a warning.

“If you delay any longer, things will get a bit troublesome. Please do me the favor of not making me go through the trouble.”

For me, dealing with angry nobles was somewhat annoying. But I couldn’t ignore those who could be punished by the nobles for blocking the road while drunk and fighting.

So the best way was to prevent such things from happening in the first place.

“Ah, understood!”

They hurriedly took their injured companion and disappeared somewhere. I wasn’t sure if they were really companions, but since they were part of the same drinking crowd in the downtown area, I classified them as such.

“…I’m even more tired now.”

I trudged back to the carriage, leaned my head against the window, and aimlessly let time pass.

How long did I sit there with my eyes open, letting my body sway with the jolts? The carriage stopped, and the coachman opened the door for me.

“Good work.”

“Not at all, Lord.”

I returned to my study, swallowed a few painkillers, and tried to fall asleep. There was no better way to spend the little time left than sleeping.

“Raul!!!”

I almost teared up.

It was a bit sad that I didn’t even have the freedom to carry out a small rest plan. Maybe it was the sadness stemming from the cold reality of not being called “brother.”

I don’t know. As always. I couldn’t even recognize the cause of my emotions anymore.

“What is it?”

“What is it…? Is that what you’re going to say to me now? Do you really not get it?”

“I don’t like pretenses. We’re not in a relationship where I need to ask questions I already know the answers to. If you haven’t figured it out, let me make it clear. I asked because I really don’t know.”

“Ah, really…?”

My younger sister let out a hollow laugh, as if she couldn’t believe it, and then glared at me with her usual hate-filled eyes.

“Right. Raul Berze. Suddenly saying you’re going to pass the Family Head position to me…?”

“Yes. It seems you listened without any issues.”

“Without even telling me beforehand? Didn’t you think about how the person hearing it would feel? Didn’t you think it might be sudden?”

“What’s the problem?”

I couldn’t understand. I genuinely couldn’t understand.

Why was Rizel getting angry? No matter how much I racked my brain, my dull mind couldn’t figure out the answer.

“Isn’t this what you wanted? I just expedited the inevitable sequence of events. So why are you saying it’s sudden?”

“Explain it so I can understand! I’m about to lose my mind because of your idiot way of speaking!”

“Didn’t you want me dead? If I died, the Family Head position would naturally be yours, Rizel Berze. I don’t think you’re foolish enough not to know that. There are hardly any who wish for my death as much as you do.”

Doesn’t everyone imagine what they would do after achieving their dreams? If becoming rich is the dream, don’t you think about what kind of house you would buy? If marrying a beauty is the dream, don’t you imagine what you would do after marriage?

I just expedited the process a bit. Why aren’t you happy?

“…Ah.”

I’m quite a fool. Only now did I realize the problem.

“If the execution of my death is the key issue…”

“Hey!”

Rizel roughly grabbed my collar.

“That’s not what I’m talking about right now. No matter what I wanted, that’s not important at all…!”

“My thoughts are a bit different, but I respect that value.”

“I’m asking why you didn’t tell me beforehand!”

“Indeed. Was that it?”

Then it would be ideal to answer.

“I despise the word ‘if,’ Rizel, but…”

There’s no greater waste of time than making assumptions, which is why I despise them. But to give the most effective answer in the current situation, I inevitably had to use such assumptions.

“If I had spoken to inform you of that fact…”

It’s not that I didn’t make such plans.

But I was afraid.

“Would you or Mother have stopped and listened to me?”

I knew the answer better than anyone, so I just didn’t want to experience it.

“…If my assumption is wrong.”

“…”

“I will immediately kneel and apologize for my rudeness. How about it, Rizel Berze? Have I been rude to you?”

“……”

“I will take that silence as a no and proceed. Any objections?”

This time, Rizel remained silent. Or perhaps she froze. My dull mind couldn’t tell.

“See you later.”

I left her in silence and headed towards my study.

As I opened the study door, the crow in the cage flapped its wings and spoke in a cheerful voice.

“Hey, you said it perfectly! You really shut them up good!!!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t you tell them to shut up like that?”

“I really asked with pure intentions. I’m rather disappointed the conversation ended like that.”

“…You’re not normal either.”

“I think I’m normal.”

I ignored the crow’s criticism, opened the medicine bottle, took a handful of painkillers, and swallowed them.

“It’s only natural not to crush someone you don’t hate.”

I didn’t hate my family. Just like fire is hot and ice is cold, I simply thought they were just like that.

Just as no one gets angry at fire for being hot, I don’t get angry at my family either.