Reset Life – Chapter 128

Chapter 128: I Couldn’t Love You. I’m Sorry (1)

Imperial Calendar Year 375, December 5th.

It has already been a month since we dramatically escaped the Imperial Capital amidst a festive atmosphere.

Returning now, after already leaving the Imperial Capital, would be nothing short of a comedy.

Father acknowledged this on the seventh day of our northward journey.

After that, it was easy.

Avoiding cities and people’s eyes, we continued north, finally entering Orknesia.

Our destination is Baekslan in Keuchian.

Where my uncle is.

“Hyung-nim―! You’re safe, Hyung-nim!”

“Redimonus, have you been well?”

Uncle Redimonus ran barefoot outside the castle to greet us.

Originally, a month ago, the Emperor’s representative should have seized all power here. However, as we left the Imperial Capital, I sent a letter to my uncle in my father’s name.

The news that continued to arrive brought me joy. Uncle had driven out all the Emperor’s men.

If Father is a charismatic pillar, Uncle is the one who supports it.

He hides himself behind the scenes, but as Father occasionally says, Uncle has the ability to rule Orknesia alone.

In the end, Orknesia was completely separated from the Imperial Government.

That was a week ago.

The Eastern Army and the residents of Orknesia would never believe the charges of treason against Father. They are the ones who will rebel if Father is executed.

Seeing a long-running joke become reality, I wondered if I should accept it or be dumbfounded. I planned for this, but I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.

“Oh my! Duke Orknesia, what has become of you! Please come in. This is outrageous! That Emperor, worse than a dog! To do this to a loyal subject!”

Uncle lamented as he saw the state of Father and our group. From his mouth, the Emperor became less than a dog. For a moment, I felt sympathy for the Emperor’s parents, who became unidentified vermin, not even dogs.

“Come, come, don’t just stand there. Come inside. We’ve prepared everything for you to wash and rest. Come now!”

I yawned lightly and followed my family. Now that we’ve arrived here, I’ve done all I can. Now I just need to observe the situation and intervene appropriately.

But…… why does Uncle’s gaze seem strange? He used to treat me like I didn’t exist. This time, he’s looking at me with curious eyes?

Ah, has the news of what happened in the Imperial Capital spread? That makes sense. It’s enough to make people see me differently.

I didn’t think much of it and looked forward to the pleasure of a warm bath, a hearty meal, and a soft bed.

No matter how accustomed I am to living in the wild, I missed the comforts of civilization.

Let’s enjoy ourselves to the fullest today!

……or so I thought.

“Uncle, should I suspect the chef?”

“No, I don’t remember eating anything wrong.”

“Is that so? The doctor is too old. How about changing to a new one? Or I have a friend who’s a mage.”

“I’m not out of my mind.”

Uncle said calmly, and I was taken aback.

Look, I understand being secretly summoned in the middle of the night means there’s something important to discuss. Even though I’m sleepy, what can I do? But why are you bringing me here and talking nonsense?

I clearly showed my disbelief.

“Then do you think you’re making sense right now?”

“It makes perfect sense. You are qualified, qualified to become the Duke of Orknesia.”

If I were to choose the most absurd statement I’ve heard this year, that statement would definitely be included.

You want me to be the next ruler of Orknesia?!

“Have you prepared a convincing explanation and persuasive arguments?”

“Of course.”

“Discard them all.”

I said firmly.

Hello? If you were to make a list of people who don’t value the position of Duke of Orknesia even a single gold coin, I would be ranked pretty high.

Am I crazy? To engage in a power struggle with my own family?

“Your decisiveness is like a sword. Haha, as expected of Hyung-nim’s son.”

“I realized quite recently that blood doesn’t lie.”

“But I’m sincere. I’m not trying to test you. I’m saying this because I think you’re suitable for the position.”

I frowned.

In other words, Uncle’s words mean he wants to form a faction.

The only people who can interfere with the succession to the Duke of Orknesia are the Emperor externally, and Father, Uncle, and my aunt who married into the Penkeal Republic internally.

Most follow the current Duke of Orknesia’s opinion, but sometimes there are disputes over succession interference. In the past, the Emperor intervened and mediated on several occasions.

However, those cases mostly occurred when the children were young. They don’t create succession battles after they’ve grown up. It’s irrational.

I told Uncle,

“What is your intention in forming a faction?”

“Because I know the significance of the next successor. Theron is certainly a clear candidate for Duke.”

A strange tone. I can clearly sense that he’s layered several meanings into his words. There’s no other way since we’ve turned against the Emperor and the treason charges have been confirmed.

Even on our way here, Father refused to talk about actually starting a rebellion. I’m glad we didn’t bring him to Orknesia.

However, Father must be feeling it too. That the remaining path can be counted on one hand.

I crossed my arms and asked,

“Then what kind of candidate am I?”

“If you seek from me what you already know, I will answer you. You have the qualities to become Emperor.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s clear who holds the initiative. The nobles are all aware of what you did in the Imperial Capital. Until now, your evaluation was simply being readjusted, but now it has completely reversed. And currently, the person with the biggest voice in Hyung-nim’s family is you.”

“That can’t be a reason. It’s no different from saying the loudest person among randomly selected people is the leader.”

Uncle shook his head. It was an act of completely denying my words.

“It’s different. What you’ve shown is not just that, but potential.”

“Potential?”

“Yes. Your brother Theron’s limitations are clear. He also has the qualities of a great leader, but he’s a child molded to fit the frame of Duke of Orknesia. However, you are different. Hyung-nim never prepared a frame for you from the beginning. And you hammered and widened it yourself. Without a frame, you filled it with whatever you wanted. The power to change others’ perspectives, the power to gain new recognition, the power to seize the initiative, these are the powers you’ve shown so far. What possibilities can you pursue with this? Above all, the people of the Imperial Capital are praising your ability to surprise them with such a bold plan.”

I heard that news as well.

The people of the Imperial Capital are not so naive as to truly believe the farce I staged with Lucy.

However, what I wanted was to surprise people and temporarily cloud their judgment.

The result, as you can see, was a success, and I know very well about the evaluation of my actions through Aila.

But…… how did this conversation come about?

“Haa, you’ve misjudged me.”

I shook my head.

It’s true that I tried to change people’s perspectives, tried to gain new recognition, and tried to seize the initiative when needed. I’ve had some success.

Just look at the fact that Uncle called me to form a faction for the succession.

But the problem is that I’m not that great.

What I’ve done so far, I’ve done because I could. In other words, I didn’t attempt what I couldn’t do. I only challenged when there was a possibility of success.

It would be troublesome if I couldn’t succeed after only doing what I could.

I started life in a world that was easy to live in. The weapon of Reset is close to cheating, allowing me to be ahead of others and see further.

Others may think it’s amazing, but the time ahead is now unknown to me. No, it’s already become unknown.

Did I achieve things because I have exceptional insight?

That’s not it.

Knowing in advance, I just had to follow what others had done or use it slightly.

In other words, it’s a shortcut, a clever trick.

I rubbed my temples and shook my head.

“Did you tell this to anyone else?”

“No, not yet.”

“That’s a relief. I’ll tell you now. The next Duke of Orknesia is my brother. That won’t change. Even if the Herduke family establishes a new dynasty, my brother will be at the forefront. And I don’t want the family to be divided. Do you understand?”

“Are you not thinking?”

“I’m not. Honestly, I was dumbfounded from the moment Uncle brought it up. But good heavens, the Emperor? Why would I do such a bothersome job? Life is tough, you get criticized no matter what you do, you can’t even eat what you want, and it’s a dangerous job where you constantly face threats to your life. Why would I do that? Even if the prospects are good, living comfortably is the best.”

I said it jokingly, but I meant it.

The position of ruler is always piled with troublesome matters. If I were to list the things I least want to do, it would be in the top 1%.

At my firm refusal, Uncle thought for a moment and then nodded.

“I see. Alright. I understand your thoughts. I won’t bring it up again.”

Phew, that’s a relief.

“But why did you suddenly say such a thing? You’ve never paid attention to me before.”

“Focal point.”

I tilted my head.

“Focal point?”

“Yes. From now on, all the power of Orknesia must be gathered in one place. That focal point must be singular. And there are candidates near the focal point, so they need to be managed. If you had been interested, I would have supported you.”

“Haa, thank you for that. Please give that support to my brother. I have no intention of fighting with him. Well, thank you anyway. It means you thought highly of me.”

“Indeed. You don’t realize how important you’ve become.”

“Perhaps. But I have no complaints. Then I’ll be going now. I’m tired.”

Uncle said goodbye and waved his hand. I got up, yawned slightly, and left the room.

Walking down the hallway, I fell into thought.

What is Father thinking?

Uncle is taking it for granted that we will fight the Emperor. The nobles of Orknesia will think the same, and they will see Father’s arrival here as proof of that thought.

I can guess that Uncle called me today to check my intentions beforehand in order to handle things quickly. It would be troublesome if a second focal point emerged while gathering power.

His thought is this:

Quickly create a focal point and swiftly gather power.

Uncle’s children, my cousins, are also there, but they are inferior to my brother. My brother was born to be a noble.

Hmm, maybe Uncle is right.

The vessel of my brother, tailored for the Duke of Orknesia, might be too small to contain the Emperor.

But conversely, think of it this way.

If it’s a vessel that can contain Orknesia, which others can’t even hold, wouldn’t it be able to contain the Empire with just a little widening?

“Oh well, I don’t know. Emperor Herduke I of the Empire. That grand name, Arisein. This is beyond a joke.”

I chuckled and yawned.

My role is set.

To uncover and defeat Artshever’s conspiracy.

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