Chapter 157: Heir
“Buhihihihiiin!!!”
After letting out a neigh that was clearly filled with agony that even I, a human could understand, the horse suddenly collapsed to its knees and fell over.
I, who had been riding on its back, realized something was wrong the moment I heard the neigh and quickly jumped off, avoiding disaster.
I landed softly and approached the horse.
The horse lay on the ground, its four legs weakly flailing about, and its face was marked with a deep fatigue.
It was a type of fatigue that had exceeded its limits.
“… Apophis, put it out of its misery.”
I extended my hand and issued the command.
The ring glowed, and that light condensed into a clear liquid which was drawn into the horse’s mouth.
After a while, the pain disappeared from the horse’s face, and it passed away with a peaceful expression.
“Thank you for your service…”
I squatted down and closed the horse’s eyelids.
Then I stood up and looked around.
On the road before dawn, there were no other human figures in sight.
I couldn’t see anyone else in front or behind, besides me, there was no one around.
It would have been somewhat easier if someone had passed by by chance, but it couldn’t be helped.
“I guess I’ll be walking for a while… hmmm”
Just as I tried to accept the situation and start, my legs suddenly buckled.
I almost collapsed to my knees but quickly steadied myself.
I thought it was understandable, but I couldn’t afford to stop here.
“Apophis, once more.”
[…..]’
“It’s my body, I know the condition. Do it.”
Even though Apophis was concerned about my wellbeing, I rejected it and issued the command once more.
I commanded in a tone that left no room for reinterpretation.
After a brief pause, light overflowed from the ring once again, this time turning into a deep blue droplet.
Just one drop, floating in midair.
I cupped it in my palm and threw it into my mouth. Instantly, I felt more alert than ever.
“Alright… Let’s go.”
Encouraging myself out loud, I started to run at a brisk pace.
If I could reach the next town, I could probably acquire a horse in some way.
It was just a bit more of enduring this hardship.
After running for a while, I spotted a horse-drawn carriage by the side of the road at the edge of the horizon.
There were several men around the carriage, appearing to be bodyguards.
The fact that I had gotten close enough to discern their details meant they could also see me. Perhaps they noticed me because the men seemed to convey something to the inside of the carriage.
The next moment, a woman stepped down from the carriage.
Seeing her, I abruptly stopped in my tracks, halting in front of the carriage.
I faced the woman.
She bowed her head gracefully toward me.
“I have been waiting for you, Your Majesty.”
“Cindy, why are you here?”
The woman was someone familiar to me, her name was Cindy Allan.
Decades ago, when I was still a child, I met her at a party hosted by the then Third Minister, Bryon Allan, who was her stepfather.
At that time, she was still young, but her intelligence and lack of intimidation left a strong impression on me, which eventually led to my connection with Bryon.
We had known each other since childhood, almost like childhood friends if we had been commoners. It was strange that Cindy was waiting for me on this road.
“If we calculated for high speed, the horse was expected to collapse around here.”
“I see.”
“Please, get on. I have prepared a new horse not far from here for our conversation.”
“You’re still as capable as ever.”
I praised Cindy and climbed into the carriage. Once inside, I was a bit surprised. I had assumed the carriage was empty except for Cindy, but that was not the case, there were two men inside as well.
They were not just any men. Both were wearing black blindfolds indicating they were blind. Additionally, there was an armchair in the carriage.
“Please, Your Majesty. I have brought skilled masseurs. Of course, they are blind and deaf, so you need not worry.”
“I see.”
It is well known that blind people are particularly skilled at massage..
It’s often misunderstood that they do it because there are no other jobs available, but many blind individuals naturally refine their sense of touch, allowing them to feel the finer details of muscle tension better than ordinary people, which contributes to their skill in massage.
Furthermore, Cindy had brought those who were also “deaf,” which I interpreted as a message that I could speak freely.
As the carriage began to move, I settled into my seat and spoke to Cindy, who accompanied me.
“How is father?”
“Yes, the latest news—”
“No, I meant Bryon.”
“—Huh? Ah…”
Cindy was surprised and hurriedly bowed her head.
“I-I’m so sorry! I thought…”
“It’s fine. I didn’t express myself clearly either.”
I implied, “So?” without saying it outright.
“Thank you. Father has been, well… he hasn’t been able to work lately.”
“Oh? Did something happen?”
“Well… my younger brother was born.”
“Oh.”
I was a bit surprised and widened my understanding of the information I had about Bryon.
Bryon had been in business under my family’s crest, the crest of the thirteen Prince, from a fairly early stage, so he knew much more than the local merchants or retainers.
After gathering all the information about Bryon in my mind, I realized “that.”
“…I see, a first son.”
“Yes.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“Thank you. He is the first son since he turned fifty, so it’s as if he’s too precious to even look at.”
I nodded slightly at Cindy’s words.
“It’s only natural, right? Do you have something to write with?”
“Eh? Yes, of course. It’s right here.”
Cindy said this and pointed to the desk at the corner of the carriage.
Since she welcomed me and had prepared the blind men, it was clear she intended to discuss something confidential.
In light of that, it was only natural to have something ready for me to write down any instructions or notes.
Thus, while it was obvious Cindy was prepared, she briefly wore a look of “already?” when asked.
I ignored that and turned to the desk, running the pen across the high-quality paper provided.
I wrote a concise text that couldn’t be misinterpreted and handed it to Cindy.
“Take this.”
“This is… a family name?”
“Yes. As a form of reward from me, I’m giving you a family name. I left the name blank, so you can write whatever you need when the time comes.”
“Why something like this…?”
“It would be best if it never had to be used, but just in case, keep it.”
“………………! Ah, thank you very much!”
For a considerable time, nearly ten seconds, Cindy didn’t understand at all, but eventually, her thoughts connected, and her expression changed to one of realization.
While still clutching the paper, she gracefully knelt on the carriage floor before me.
“I am truly sorry! I couldn’t comprehend your Majesty’s kindness right away.”
“It’s fine, if you weren’t a man, that might be strange. Besides…”
“Besides?”
While still kneeling, Cindy raised her head and looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“It’s evidence that you were raised in a good parent-child relationship. There’s no need to apologize.”
“Thank you…”
Cindy clutched the paper I gave her to her chest and spoke in a whisper with an expression full of emotion.
Even as she slowly stood up, her emotional expression only intensified.
I had given her a “new family name.”
It’s not uncommon for the Emperor or a Prince to allow those beneath them to establish a “new family.”
Even those who already possess a “family” can have their family ratified by the emperor or prince, giving them added prestige based on their achievements.
I had done the same for Cindy.
Cindy’s step father, Bryon Allan, had his first biological son after turning fifty.
That itself is a good thing.
In the Empire, male inheritance, and primogeniture are still common.
Those who have achieved a certain level of success wish for their male offspring to carry on their legacy.
That’s fine, but the problem is that historically, it’s well-documented how such situations can develop into family disputes.
What’s particularly frightening about family disputes that arise in such cases is that as one ages – meaning there’s little time left – this introduces a pressure that often leads to extreme actions, such as purging direct threats to their children.
In such cases, the targets of aggression are often younger children or other male members of the family.
In this situation, Cindy might be seen as an obstacle to inheritance.
That’s why I gave Cindy a “new family name = house.”
Using that name provides a pretext to withdraw from succession disputes.
After all, one can claim, “This is a family name given by the emperor,” justifying their lack of involvement in inheritance conflicts.
It’s interesting to note that even though what I gave Cindy holds higher “status,” most people feel relieved that this implies they won’t be involved in succession battles.
In other words, this is the best move to guarantee her safety.
“That’s amazing, Your Majesty. I didn’t even realize such a thing until you mentioned it.”
“It’s also evidence that you have a good parent-child relationship. Don’t worry about it.”
“It’s impressive that you can understand this!”
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Welcome back, and thanks for the treat.