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This side story is from the booklet included in the 86 Volume 12 Special Edition set. It seems to take place after Volume 9 and introduces a new character who also appears in Volume 12. But aside from that, there are no spoilers for that volume, so please enjoy. XD
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The Nouzen Family’s Succession Situation


Though Shin had never met his grandfather or been to his house in the eighteen years since he was born, after visiting several times, he was growing relatively used to it.

After his grandfather excused himself with a “Sorry, I need a moment,” Shin was left alone in the parlor, sipping coffee that had been served to him.

To be accurate, there was an elderly butler and a young male servant waiting on him, so he wasn’t alone, but the old butler always told him, “Please pretend that we are not here.”

Then, without even the slightest creak, one of the parlor doors opened.

“So you’re Shinei?”

When he turned, an unfamiliar young man stood there like a silent shadow.

He seemed to be one or two years older than Shin, with the jet black hair and eyes of a pure-blooded Onyx, and silent movements that were apparently unique to the Nouzen bloodline.

He looked down at Shin’s red eyes, a color that was inconceivable for an Onyx, and blinked once.

“Whoa, your eyes really are red. I’m not used to seeing that, so it gives a different impression, or more like, gives a strong impression?”

“Umm?”

“Ah, that was rude of me.”

Saying that, the young man put on an amiable smile and introduced himself.

“I’m Yatrai Nouzen. I’m the family head’s younger brother’s youngest son. That means I’m your.....................um..........................................................................................”

After thinking about it for quite a long time, he asked quietly.

“.......If I’m your father’s cousin, then what does that make me to you?”

“...................No idea.”

Incidentally, they were first cousins once removed.

Even though they were cousins, Yatrai was closer to Shin’s age than to Shin’s father, Reisha...the fact that the age gap between him and Reisha was more like that of a parent and child perhaps meant that Marquis Nouzen and his younger brother were quite apart in age, or that Yatrai was born late.

I don’t even know that much about my grandfather’s family, Shin thought idly. Yatrai seemed to see through him and shrugged.

“The Nouzen clan has a stupid amount of branch families, so I, or probably even the family head, don’t know about the fringes. But you should be aware of the influential ones. All the more if you’re going to stand at the top of the clan. ...Hey.”

Yatrai sent Shin a glance.

“Are you going to succeed?”

“No.”

“Right...of course you are. Then as a fellow competitor in the succession race, I won’t go easy on you from here on...”

A pause.

“But why?!”

“That’s a late comeback.”

Or rather, he had spent more time striking a pose with his arms crossed and acting cool than listening to what Shin had said.

“Do you understand what position you’re in?! You’re the head family’s last remaining direct male heir! Of the former Giad Empire’s leading warrior clan, House Nouzen! The race to succeed House Nouzen’s family head was a huge free-for-all, but then you suddenly shot right to the top! The power struggle was just about to be settled, and then you came in and now it might all go back to square one! There’s a disaster going on right under the surface!”

Even if he was told that, it was none of Shin’s concern.

Besides.

“I heard my father was disowned when he eloped.”

“We could just have that revoked!”

“I’m not a pure-blooded Onyx.”

“Ahhhh...yeah, that actually does make it a bit difficult. But well, if it’s only one generation that’s mixed, we can manage somehow, and you do seem to have properly inherited our blood. In that case, if you marry a princess from a high-ranking Nouzen branch family with a long pure-blooded history, there should be no problem...”

Shin narrowed his eyes sharply.

No problem?

For Shin, there were problems aplenty.

Just when I finally got an answer from her.

They expect me to be with some pure-blooded princess I don’t know?

He said his next words as if spitting them out.

“...What a pain.”

“So the truth comes out, huh?! It’s a pain to even think of an excuse now, huh?!”

Well, honestly, yes.

Yatrai leaned forward desperately.

“That’s gonna put me in a bind! Succeed! Join the succession race!”

Hm? Shin furrowed his eyebrows.

“Why would that trouble you? Wouldn’t it be better to have fewer competitors?”

“What did you just say was your reason for not wanting to succeed?!”

“...Ahh.”

What a pain.

“I don’t actually want it, okay?! It’s a real pain in the ass! House Nouzen has influence in the military and affiliated businesses and the government, which means I’d have to do just that much, and we have a stupid amount of former territories and private properties and businesses and mines and research institutes and schools and I’d have to manage ALL of them! I don’t want a bothersome life like that! I want to live laid back and peaceful! In a branch family position with few responsibilities!”

“By the way, where are you in the order of succession right now? Excluding me, since I won’t be joining.”

Yatrai dropped his shoulders with a tragic face.

“Second in line...my brother’s first, and he has no sons, so I’d be next...”

I see.

“Good luck. I won’t be joining.”

“FUUUUUUUUUUUCK!”

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Translation Note:

I'm not sure if his name should be spelled Yatorai or Yatrai; Yatrai is being used in the fandom for now so I went with that, but once the official English translation of Volume 12 comes out, I will fix it if need be!

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