Zich asked Trell, “You appear to be in a good mood. Shouldn’t you be a bit sadder since the possibility that I will succeed as the Count has disappeared?”
“Even if you cut all ties with the Steelwalls, I have watched you grow since you were young. Now, you have become someone that everyone looks up to. It’s like how people feel proud simply from the fact that a famous person was born in the same hometown as them, and I’m sure there aren’t many who can tell their grandkids what the dragon slayer was like in his youth.”
“I didn’t think you were the type to dwell in such matters.”
“Certainly not. I am also a normal person,” Trell laughed. As an old veteran who protected the Steelwall family from all sorts of evil schemes and plots, he was skilled at concealing his feelings on the outside. At least right now, there was sincerity in his words. But Zich knew Trell didn’t say this simply in celebration of his success.
“I see that you are trying to raise Steelwall’s entire impression of me by getting on my good side.” Zich would have scoffed if another person from Steelwall celebrated Zich’s achievements as if they were his own, but it was different for Trell. He had been aware of this when trying to leverage this point.
“Oh my, was I caught?” Trell responded exaggeratedly as if he was caught plotting a great, evil scheme. Yet, he was still smiling.
“What can I do? I’m still a vassal of the Steelwall family. It seems like you have severed all ties with Sir Count and won’t return again, but who knows what will happen? I hope you understand that these are just worries from a foolish old man. It’s also true that I’m genuinely happy for you.”
“Was that part also within your calculations? Since your words aren’t completely untruthful, your opponent wouldn’t get as offended even if your intentions are revealed. You shouldn’t use a method like that on someone more short-sighted.”
“I will of course speak differently according to who I am speaking to. The only things I gained with age are white hair, worries, and the ability to read people. Yet, to think you read me that far makes me feel even sadder that you are leaving. The Steelwall family would have surely risen to greater heights if you succeeded the Count’s position.”
“That conversation is already over. It is time for you to give up, Mr. Trell. Since I made Greig get his senses back, he won’t be as bad as the next Count.”
“That's true, sir.” From then on, Trell didn’t bring up the topic of succession again, and they engaged in light chatter.
“Hm?” Two people came into view across the corridors. They also turned their heads after hearing Zich’s and Trell’s footsteps.
“It’s Madam and Young Master Greig.”
“I am having many interesting meetings today,” Zich noted.
Zich and Trell slowly approached the two. They didn’t have any reason to talk to each other, but they needed to pass by Zich and Trell to get out of the mansion. Even if they met by pure coincidence, they couldn’t simply ignore one another—well, at least only for Trell.
“Greetings, Madam and Young Master.”
“Same to you Trell.” The Countess gracefully accepted Trell’s greeting.
“Greetings, Mr. Trell.” Greig also bowed his head politely to Trell. As expected of the lady of the estate and her son, the two acted elegantly. However, there was one person who didn’t fit the others.
Whoosh! As soon as Zich saw Greig, he hurled his fist at him. Greig was about to hesitantly give his greeting to Zich when he quickly evaded the swing.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Zich swung his fist a couple of times, but Greig managed to—though barely—evade all the attacks.
“Hm, pretty good,” Zich said calmly, unfitting of a person who just swung his fist out of nowhere. It would’ve been understandable if Greig threw a fit, but someone else protested against this behavior before he could.
“W-What is the meaning of this?!” the Countess screamed. In front of her shocked and enraged tone, Zich responded in a carefree manner.
“I was just checking if Greig’s treatment went well. I mean, didn’t you all leave the matter of his treatment to me? I understand how you might be surprised, Mother, but I am simply acting out in love and concern for my younger brother.”
The Countess’ eyebrows wiggled as Zich called her mother, and Greig also recovered from his shock and protested. “How the hell is this a check-up?!”
“Huh? Do you not trust your older brother? Man, do you think you would have been able to dodge my attacks just now if you were still in your loser-ish, gloomy days?”
Greig couldn’t answer, and Zich continued, “I also saw you thinking about counterattacking unconsciously while evading. That would have been unthinkable for you before.”
“…” Greig wanted to retort, but he also thought there was nothing wrong with what Zich said. Getting slapped by irrefutable truths hurt much more than getting pounded by lies or slander; this was the fact that Greig thoroughly experienced while staying around Zich.
“See. Aren’t you satisfied with the results, Mother? I thought your worries over your son, Greig, were too great and I wanted to show you there was nothing to worry about now, Mother. I’m glad that I can finally show you my good side, Mother.”
Anybody could see that Zich was mocking the Countess by continuously calling her ‘Mother.’ Trell tried to stop Zich. Considering what Zich had to endure under the Countess, this was nothing more than a joke, but as the family’s butler, Trell couldn’t stand by as the Countess was being insulted like this.
“Young Master, I plead you to stop…”
“…Yes, I see.”
Trell, Greig, and even Zich’s eyes turned wide.
“Since you cured my son, I have to express my thanks to you. I am very grateful.” There was no sarcasm in her voice, and she didn’t seem to have spat out words she didn’t mean either. She was genuine.
“Thank you for also protecting the Steelwall Estate. I express my gratitude to you as the lady of the house.” The Countess bowed toward Zich, and Zich blinked hard.
“Then, please excuse me.” The Countess turned and left, and the remaining three stood in silence for a while.
“…Oh my, she one-upped me.” Zich scratched his head. He hadn’t expected the Countess to act like that at all. ‘I suppose she is the lady of the house after all.’
As a noble and the wife of a lord who managed an estate called the kingdom’s Iron Fortress, the Countess knew how to behave in certain situations. Knowing how indebted the family was to Zich, she knew it was only natural for her to express her gratitude to Zich no matter how she felt. Yet, Zich hadn’t expected her to do this knowing how much she hated him.
“It’s my first time seeing you make an expression like that since you changed, Young Master,” Trell said.
“It was an unexpected blow.” Zich looked behind to watch the Countess leaving. “It seems she still hates me.”
“The Countess’ situation isn’t like the others…”
“There’s no need to defend her. I know that too.” For Count Steelwall and Greig, Zich was tied to them by blood, and for the rest of the staff and the subordinates in the estate, Zich was their master’s son. Yet, for the Countess, their relationship was tied by a very thin connection. They were neither related nor was Zich the child of someone the Countess served. On the contrary, Zich was the son of the Count’s ex-wife and her son’s competition. Considering how severely and viciously Sara Steelwall tormented her, it would have been stranger for her to settle all her ill feelings toward Zich.
“This is actually good. I felt a bit uncomfortable seeing how the Count’s view of me changed so dramatically, but the Countess’ reaction makes me feel a bit relieved. You are only living if there are some people who hate you too. This makes me remember the old times. It’s nice.” Greig looked slightly awkward when Zich mentioned ‘the old times’ and Trell let out a small sigh. Now that Zich had become a representative among the dragon slayers, those times were their dark history now.
Zich then stared at Greig. “Anyway, as I said earlier since your treatment is over, live hard from now on. Don’t live like a loser like before.”
“Are you still referring to what you did to me as ‘treatment?’” Greig asked.
“What else should I call it? You tell me if we treated your condition or not.”
Again, Greig couldn’t refute it, but he didn’t want to admit that what Zich did was treatment until the very end.
“I know many people here want me to succeed the Count. But Greig, your great brother has no intentions of inheriting this puny estate.”
Trell coughed. It seemed like he was taken aback by Zich’s description of the estate, but Zich continued, “Thus, you will naturally become the next Count, and you will always be compared to your great brother. You should give it your best. You won’t do as good of a job as me, but if it’s you, you will be able to lead the family well.”
“Damn it. Are you mocking me or encouraging me?”
“As if I would encourage you,” Zich said while tapping Greig’s shoulder and walking past him. “Since you finished speaking to me, Mr. Trell, please continue on with your own business. It’s a busy time after all.”
“Yes, sir.”
Thus, Zich disappeared to the other side of the residence’s hallway.
“How in the world did that quiet Zich Steelwall become like that?” Greig sighed, and Trell gave a bittersweet smile. Then, Greig turned to Trell and asked, “Will you be all right with this?”
“What do you mean, sir?”
“I know that you strongly wish for my brother to succeed,” Greig said. His words sounded normal at first glance, but considering that Greig was the heir now, it also sounded like a chilling threat. Most would have quickly given their excuses while sweating profusely, but Trell didn’t appear frightened at all.
“What can we do when the person in question doesn’t want to do it? As Young Master Zich said, the Steelwall Estate is too small of a place for him.”
“Yet, I feel a great burden inheriting this small estate.” After participating in this war, Greig learned a bit of what it meant to lead an estate. In many ways, this incident left multiple positive influences on him.
“I’m sure you will also do well, Young Master—though you might be compared to Young Master Zich a lot.”
It would’ve been understandable those words hurt Greig’s pride, but Greig simply snorted. “It would be difficult to find anyone who would even compare to a person like that.”
As Zich planned, Greig dropped his inferiority complex toward him after seeing how unreachable Zich was. After all, not many humans would get riled up over losing to someone who would only exist in legends.
“Furthermore, my mother and I weren’t the only ones who discriminated against him. Most people in this estate are guilty of this. They shouldn't have treated him so poorly if they wanted him to be the successor.”
‘Has he already thought of a way to explain the situation to the rest of the estate residents?’ Trell thought and was satisfied with Greig’s plan.
“That’s true, but I don’t think that logic applies to me.”
“Well to you, Mr. Trell, I will continue to struggle to raise my head high in front of you.” Greig sighed deeply, and Trell burst into laughter.