Chapter 85 - Father and Son (1)

There was much to prepare before leaving for the royal capital. First, Yohan needed someone to manage the domain in his absence.

Until now, Gaf and Ilea had filled that role. He could no longer leave it to them. They would be accompanying him to the royal capital, which meant they would be away from the domain for some time. Someone needed to take their place.

Who would be suitable? One person immediately came to mind: Raguel.

Young though he was, Raguel was meticulous and intelligent. His extensive reading had also made him quite knowledgeable. Entrusted with the domain, he would manage it very capably. He was eminently qualified to serve as Yohan's deputy.

There was just one problem. Raguel was a High Elf. Ilea's disguise magic made him look human, but it could not conceal the subtle sense that something was off. Someone perceptive would notice his peculiarities, hindering his dealings with the outside world.

It was a fatal flaw. A lord's deputy had to meet countless people: the domain's inhabitants, the Village Chiefs, priests from nearby parishes, other lords in the south, and so on. He would inevitably have to keep interacting with all manner of people. That was impossible for Raguel. For now, the High Elf had to remain hidden.

Yohan pondered the problem.

'What a shame. Raguel would be perfect.'

Finding someone else would not be easy. There was no one he could trust, which was only natural. To govern in his stead, they would have to know both the forbidden library's secrets and Yohan's true identity.

How many people who met those conditions would actually side with him? He could count them on one hand. Raguel was one of them.

"Ahem."

He wanted to find some way to put Raguel to use. After a long stretch of thought, Yohan spoke.

"We'll be staying in the royal capital for a while."

Everyone in the underground library turned to him. Ilea spoke.

"I'm already making the necessary preparations. I've sent word to the Count, so we should have somewhere to stay soon."

They could not simply turn up in the royal capital with nothing but themselves. There was quite a lot to prepare. Servants, carriages, furniture, clothes, a mansion... and more. Living in the capital required a certain standard of appearances.

The nobles of the royal capital valued dignity and refinement. Showing up like an impoverished country mouse would give them a bad first impression. Since Yohan needed to build a power base, he had no choice but to pay some attention to appearances. He had to seem frugal without being shabby, splendid without being extravagant.

Gaf spoke.

"How long are you planning to stay in the capital?"

"Quite a while," Yohan replied. "I have no definite timeframe."

"If you're going to be away that long, you'll need to find someone else to manage the domain. As you know, we have neither a treasurer nor an administrator right now. I can't handle everything on my own."

In truth, the domain's internal affairs were in a dire state. Bandits plagued its outskirts, and petty spirits kept appearing. Groups of slash-and-burn farmers continued to move in, often unnoticed. They did not even have an accurate population count.

No taxes had been collected this year, but collection would have to begin next year. Ultimately, solving all those problems required people.

Yohan spoke.

"I was already planning to appoint an official deputy."

"You don't mean me, do you?" Gaf asked. "Let me tell you right now, I don't have the expertise. If we keep running the domain by guesswork like this, we'll end up bankrupt."

There was actually no danger of bankruptcy. The Miyatro domain was the kingdom's treasure house. Selling the mountains of treasure in the forbidden library would make it the wealthiest domain in the kingdom.

Of course, Yohan had no intention of selling those treasures. The forbidden library's legacy was as precious as life itself. Its value would only rise as the story progressed toward its later stages. It must never be squandered for mere silver or gold.

Yohan looked at Gaf.

"I know. Acting as my deputy would be too much for you. We need someone else to manage the domain."

"Do you have someone in mind?" Ilea asked.

Yohan's gaze shifted to Raguel.

"Raguel."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"The younger master would be a fine choice."

"Not a bad idea."

"O great End, a most sensible choice!"

Only Raguel was flustered.

"Y-Yohan. Where did this come from?"

Yohan spoke.

"I mean exactly what I said. You will serve as the lord's deputy."

"But I'm hardly capable of..."

"You're much brighter than you think. You'll do better than anyone."

Raguel lowered his head, embarrassed by the unexpected praise. Ilea chimed in.

"That's right. You're very clever. I realized that when we played chess last time."

She had once played chess with Raguel when he was blind. Even without sight, he had played quite well, keeping track of every move in his head as the game progressed. It was evidence of his considerable intelligence.

With Ilea joining Yohan in praising him, Raguel did not know what to do with himself. His head sank even lower.

"P-Please stop, everyone. I'm not that clever."

Hakain, who had been listening quietly, spoke.

"You all seem to have considerable faith in him, but isn't there a problem?"

"The young master is a High Elf," Ilea said.

By now, Hakain knew most of the domain's secrets and circumstances. Yohan had hidden nothing from him. Instead, he had placed him under a contract. Hakain could not divulge anything about Yohan or the Miyatro domain to anyone.

Hakain spoke.

"Precisely. And until recently, he had disabilities. If he suddenly appears looking like that, someone is bound to find it strange."

"There's a way around that," Yohan said. "We can use Grian."

Ilea spoke.

"Are you planning to make Grian the younger master's puppet?"

Yohan nodded.

Raguel would make every decision concerning the domain, while Grian merely carried out his son's orders in public. As long as they adhered to that arrangement, Raguel's identity would never be exposed. It would be a decent solution.

Yohan looked at Raguel.

"That's right. Raguel, can you do it?"

Raguel was deeply traumatized by Grian's abuse, which he had endured since childhood. Fear was etched into his bones. Could a son subjected to such violence truly subdue his father and control him? Ordinarily, it would be impossible.

Looking uncertain, Raguel spoke.

"I'll be giving Father orders, just as you do?"

"Exactly. Grian will be your subordinate."

Doubt flickered across Raguel's face.

"... I want to help you however I can, Yohan. I intend to do anything you ask of me. But I'm not confident I can do everything well. Since you've asked, I won't refuse, but please don't put too much faith in me."

He was speaking with complete honesty. Yohan replied.

"Why not meet Grian first? You'll find he's far less imposing than you remember."

Raguel had not faced his father even once in recent times. Merely picturing him made his whole body tremble slightly.

"F-Father?" he asked.

"Yes. Go and see him first. If you still don't feel confident after meeting him, I won't push you any further."

Yohan was certain Raguel would overcome his fear of his father. Even in the Abyss, he had looked Grian straight in the eye rather than surrender to his fear. Raguel was no longer the same boy, in either body or mind. He had grown considerably.

Raguel spoke.

"I'll try, but please don't expect too much. I'll do my best, though."

Yohan gave a small smile.

"That's enough. Off you go."

Raguel looked a little startled.

"R-Right now?"

"Why put it off? Strike while the iron is hot."

Raguel's shoulders slumped.

"... All right. I'll go."

He trudged away, looking utterly forlorn from behind.

Yohan felt a little guilty, but there was no other choice. There was no substitute for Raguel, nor anything Yohan could do to help him. All he could do was silently wish him success. Raguel left the library.

* * *

Grian stared blankly out the window. Profound emptiness showed in his expression and his eyes. He had no will to live.

Everything had been taken from him. Not a single thing in this castle belonged to him. He did not even know what was happening within its walls.

He might as well not have existed. No one sought him out or looked after him. Even going hungry for days failed to attract any attention.

He had lost so much weight. His belly had shrunk away, and his cheekbones jutted out. He was wasting away, yet no one had noticed the change.

If he died like this, his corpse would not be discovered for weeks. No, perhaps he would be forgotten forever.

Grian pounded the bed.

"... How did I end up like this? How did I end up like this!"

It was all because of Yohan, that damned Demon. The bastard had trampled his life into the dirt. He wanted nothing more than to report him directly to the Church—to tell them a Demon lived in this domain.

But he could not act on it. The moment he harbored any ill intent toward Yohan, the left side of his chest throbbed. The contract of subjugation was holding him back.

"Damn it, fucking hell!"

With no outlet, his anger naturally turned toward another target. This time, it was Raguel. That boy, worth less than vermin, had brought a Demon into the domain. As if being born disabled were not enough, he had crippled his own father too.

"I should have killed him back then!"

There were so many moments he regretted. He should have used a blade, not a lash. Sparing the boy merely because he was his son had come back to haunt him.

Grian's eyes grew bloodshot. He seized a water bottle and hurled it hard against the wall. It shattered into pieces with a crash.

At the same moment, he heard someone outside. A scream came from beyond the bedroom door.

"Aaaagh!"

A heavy sound followed immediately, as though someone had hit the floor.

THUD!

Grian sprang to his feet.

"W-Who's out there!"

No one visited him these days. He strode to the door and flung it open. His face contorted horribly.

"Y-You bastard!"

Raguel sat on the floor, looking up at him. It was the first time he had seen his son in months. Raguel spoke in a violently trembling voice.

"F-Father, I only..."

Grian knew that stupid expression well. His son always wore it whenever he saw his father. Grian's hand rose of its own accord, almost like a reflex. Raguel immediately curled in on himself.

Despite his rage, Grian felt a strange exhilaration. Memories of the past came flooding back. Once, everyone in the castle had behaved like that before him, trembling in fear.

For the first time in a long while, life returned to his face. He felt alive.

He surrendered himself to the pleasure, stomping on his son and raining blows down on him. Every kind of curse spilled from his mouth. Grian's face filled with ecstasy.