Chapter 28. Variable (1)
If Ian possessed the power of Regression—
There would have been no reason for him to use the word “final” with me.
After all, he could simply regress and meet me again.
“What if Ian didn’t know that he possessed the power of Regression?”
Then everything would make sense.
If he had been unaware of his own Regression ability, it would be entirely understandable for him to have called it his final request.
“....No, that’s not it.”
However, that possibility was extremely low.
It was so unlikely that I could confidently declare it impossible.
The reason was none other than the translucent messages appearing before my eyes.
== [Acquired Skills] ==
◆Solo Level Up [EX] : The Player can accumulate experience points and increase their level. Each time the Player’s level increases, they acquire 1 Bonus Stat Point.
◆Player’s Will [EX] : The Player becomes immune to all effects exceeding their mental strength, including curses, illusions, brainwashing, hypnosis, suggestions, and more.
◆Nutrient Synthesis [C+]
◆Promote Metabolism [E+]
◆Dragon’s Claw [A]
◆Predation [S+] : By consuming the heart of a living creature, the Player absorbs that creature’s ability and converts it into a skill. However, this consumes mental strength.
◆Regeneration [B-]
◆Hardened Skin [D]
This interface clearly explained every ability possessed by the [Player].
And these had not originally been my abilities.
They were Ian’s abilities.
In other words, just as the interface currently explained all my abilities, it would have explained every ability Ian possessed as well.
Therefore, Ian had certainly known that he possessed the power of Regression.
More precisely, it would have been impossible for him not to know.
Despite that, there was only one reason Ian would have called it his final request.
“Ian intended to transfer his Regression ability to me?”
That was the conclusion I reached.
After all, Ian knew about my Predation [S+] ability.
He also understood the mechanism behind Predation.
I had only gained a proper understanding of Predation after meeting Ian.
In some respects, Ian understood Predation even better than I did.
Therefore, he had intended to transfer more than merely his Regression ability.
Ian had tried to give me every ability he possessed.
Why he had decided to do that….I didn’t know.
But if that truly had been Ian’s intention, then I had acquired Solo Level Up [EX] and Player’s Will [EX], just as he intended.
However—
A variable had emerged.
“I failed to acquire his Regression ability.”
That was because Predation [S+] was not a complete ability.
Using Predation once did not allow me to acquire every ability possessed by the target.
The fact that I had only acquired Dragon’s Claw [A] from the Gelu-Drake proved it.
Therefore, Ian had also regressed into the past.
The moment Ian opened his eyes, he would have inevitably reached this conclusion.
—The Regression ability wasn’t transferred to Adrian.
After all, the Regression ability clearly remained with him.
The very fact that Ian had returned to the past meant that the Regression ability had not been transferred to me.
Ian would then have another thought.
—I need to find Adrian.
But in my previous life, I had run away from the House of White Wolf.
Ian believed that the Regression ability had not been transferred to me.
Naturally, Ian would have assumed that I would behave exactly as I had in my previous life.
He would never have imagined that I had remained with the House of White Wolf.
“So that’s why....”
That was why Ian had not appeared even though more than a month had passed.
He believed I would no longer be with the House of White Wolf.
In that case—
“I need to find Ian.”
I would have to search for Ian myself.
Regardless of the circumstances, one thing was certain: Ian had also returned to the past.
That meant I should leave the House of White Wolf immediately, but....
“That would be too hasty.”
Now that I was virtually certain Ian possessed memories of the past—
His location had become even more unpredictable.
Just as I was behaving differently from my previous life, Ian was also acting differently.
Besides, I had no idea where Ian would be at this point in time.
Therefore, even if I left the family, the only thing I could do was wander around searching for him blindly.
Running away without any plan would be unwise.
That was especially true when I had yet to decide what to do with Seraphia, the Monarch of Frost.
Even if I eventually left, I had to kill Seraphia before doing so.
I did not know when, where, or how Seraphia would fall.
Therefore, leaving the family under the current circumstances would be unwise.
In that case—
“I need to let Ian know that I’ve returned to the past.”
Informing Ian of that fact was the best course of action.
I needed to make Ian come to the House of White Wolf in search of me.
“The problem is how to inform Ian....”
I had no idea where Ian currently was.
More importantly, if my prediction was correct, Ian believed I had run away from the County of the House of White Wolf, just as I had in my previous life.
Ian was probably wandering across the continent in search of me.
In that case, there was a solution.
I could establish an organization that would gather information and search for Ian on my behalf.
“I need to establish a Merchant Guild.”
A “Merchant Guild” was suitable in many ways.
As the Special Warfare Unit’s Covert Operations Commander, I had performed not only special operations but also intelligence and espionage operations involving the collection, preparation, and distribution of information.
“No organization is more sensitive to information than a Merchant Guild.”
A Merchant Guild would allow me to obtain information from across the continent as quickly as possible, enabling me to monitor the movements of the Emperor and the Empire.
That wasn’t the only benefit.
I could also secure the funds required to establish the Coalition Forces in advance.
I could search for Ian while monitoring the Emperor and the Empire and simultaneously acquiring the funds necessary to establish the Coalition Forces.
The benefits of establishing a Merchant Guild were enormous.
However, a Merchant Guild could not be established through words alone.
“I’ll need some startup capital.”
I immediately began walking.
At that moment—
◆A Territory Quest has arrived.
A translucent message suddenly appeared before my eyes.
== [Though Your Beginning May Be Humble, Your End Shall Be Great!] ==
[Objective]—Establish a Merchant Guild and successfully complete its first trading expedition.
[Reward]—Unlock “Management Mode”.
[Upon Failure]—Exile from the County.
“A Territory Quest?”
....What is this now?
* * *
“You want access to….the County’s funds?”
Head Butler Bernard momentarily doubted his own ears.
That was only natural because Adrian had suddenly appeared and demanded money from the County’s treasury.
“Yes. Ten thousand Gold should be enough.”
Moreover, Adrian was demanding as much as ten thousand Gold.
Bernard had no idea how to respond.
Ten thousand Gold was a considerable fortune.
After all, the monthly living expenses of a family of four in the County of the House of White Wolf amounted to approximately two hundred Gold.
“That is impossible.”
No matter what, Bernard could not permit this.
Winter would arrive soon.
Ten thousand Gold was as valuable as the lives of the County’s residents.
It could not—and must not—be wasted carelessly.
* * *
“What if I order you under the authority of the Young Lord?”
“It would still be impossible.”
Naturally, according to Royal Law, territorial inheritance belonged to the eldest legitimate son by default.
If exceptional circumstances existed, such as a will, an application for arbitration had to be submitted to the Royal Family.
The Royal Family would then determine whether the will had been forged or tampered with and verify its authenticity.
The will would only take effect after receiving official recognition from the Royal Family.
Until then, the family’s eldest legitimate son retained the position of Young Lord.
However, Bernard was the Head Butler of the House of White Wolf.
It was a crucial position responsible for financial administration, management of the territory, and serving as the Lord’s Representative in the Lord’s absence.
“As the Lord’s Representative, I will overrule the Young Lord’s authority.”
No matter how much authority Adrian retained as the Young Lord, Bernard possessed the right to overrule it.
Bernard’s attitude was unwavering.
‘I expected this, but....’
It was because I had not yet completely shed my reputation as the delinquent of the Count’s family.
There was no possibility that an image formed over more than ten years of delinquent behavior would change within a single month.
Even so, Bernard was more obstinate than I had expected.
To be honest, I wanted to ignore everything he said.
If I followed my instincts, I would have used force to take the money from him.
Even setting aside the Territory Quest that had suddenly appeared, I absolutely needed to establish a Merchant Guild to find Ian.
However, I couldn’t use force.
What would happen if I did?
First of all, that damned Kai would never stand by and allow it.
And Kai was not the only problem.
The greatest reason was that the Royal Family would not ignore it either.
The Head Butler possessed the greatest authority after the Lord.
In an emergency like the present, with my father dead, the Head Butler possessed even greater authority than me, the Young Lord.
Because it was such an important position, most Head Butlers came from noble families.
More precisely, they were generally the second or younger sons of noble families who had lost the right to inherit their family’s territory to the eldest legitimate son.
There was nothing for them to gain by remaining with their families.
The territory would obviously be inherited by the eldest legitimate son, and their presence would merely make them a potential threat to his rights.
Therefore, second and younger sons left their families of their own accord once the proper time came.
Those with talent entered the service of the Royal Family as knights and pursued advancement.
Those without such talent chose to join another noble household and work as a Head Butler.
They might have possessed frail bodies, but as nobles, they had at least received an education.
Furthermore, if they were employed by a High Lord—especially one belonging to a count’s family or higher—they could eventually receive a noble title themselves.
Therefore, becoming a Head Butler was effectively a path to success for the younger sons of noble families.
If you must serve someone, serve a High Lord.
That saying had not emerged without reason.
Seen from that perspective, Bernard could be considered unlucky.
Despite being employed by a count’s family and remaining loyal to it for decades, he had not even received the title of Baron from my father.
Yet he had stubbornly remained with the House of White Wolf.
Rather than unlucky, it might be more accurate to call him foolish.
In any case, if I threatened Bernard, the current Head Butler and Lord’s Representative, the Royal Family would brand me a “traitor” and issue an order to hunt me down and execute me.
To be honest, an execution order itself didn’t particularly concern me, but....
‘That would interfere with establishing the Merchant Guild.’
The stigma of being a traitor’s Merchant Guild would pose a considerable problem.
Most importantly—
‘I can’t antagonize the Royal Family.’
There was someone within the Royal Family whom I absolutely needed to recruit into the Coalition Forces.
Leon.
He would later become known as the “Lion of the Coalition Forces”.
He was a Field Commander who stood alongside me, the Predator of the Coalition Forces, as an equal.
Although Leon was never called a Hero of the Coalition Forces, he was every bit as essential to recruit as the Heroes.
Therefore, I needed to “persuade” Bernard instead of threatening him.
In some ways, Bernard was similar to Kai.
In other words, he was an inflexible bastard.
However, unlike Kai, Bernard had remained with the House of White Wolf not because of loyalty but because he placed great importance on rules and principles.
In other words, if I presented him with a justification grounded in those rules and principles—
“As far as I know, the inheritance of my father’s private property does not fall under the Head Butler’s authority.”
I could make Bernard work like one of my own limbs.
As far as I knew, my father possessed a considerable amount of private property.
And my father had left all of that property to Seraphia as well.
There was a reason I had run away from the family in my previous life.
My father had not left me a single coin.
However, because it was the Lord’s “private property”, Bernard had no right to interfere.
It was a dispute that had to be settled between Seraphia and me.
And that dispute had already been resolved.
“Seraphia has entrusted all of Father’s private property to me.”
I took a neatly folded sheet of paper from inside my clothing and handed it to Bernard.
Bernard carefully accepted it.
“Th-This is...!!”
Before long, Bernard’s eyes widened.
That was only natural because this was the written pledge Seraphia had given me earlier.
It stated that she would relinquish her positions as Lord of the County and Head of the Family.
It also declared that she would renounce all her inheritance rights.
‘I’m glad I kept it instead of throwing it away.’
This was precisely why I had kept the written pledge despite having no intention of becoming either Head of the Family or Lord of the County.
“D-Did Lady Seraphia truly renounce all her inheritance rights...?”
“Isn’t it written in the pledge?”
Bernard gave no answer.
As long as he had eyes, he couldn’t possibly misunderstand what was written there.
Naturally, I had not forged it.
Seraphia had personally written everything in the pledge, and she had personally stamped the seal at the bottom.
“As the eldest legitimate son, I will exercise my rightful authority and claim all of Father’s private property.”
Naturally—
Bernard neither objected to my declaration nor possessed any grounds to do so.
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