The absurd demand to kill Daike.
The first thought that crossed Teron’s mind was—
‘This is a test.’
A test meant to determine whether he was worthy of bearing the name Vyuern and possessed the qualities expected of a great noble.
Taking that speculation a step further, this might even be the first test to determine whether he was qualified to become the heir.
‘They want to see how I’ll react when forced to kill a close friend who’s shared every hardship with me.’
It was a question that would have shaken anyone. Teron, however, remained perfectly composed.
He knew there was no single correct answer.
“My friend’s wrongdoing can also be considered my own. I will share the burden of responsibility with him.”
It was a bargain. By sharing the responsibility, the weight of Daike’s crime would be lessened, giving them grounds to spare him from execution.
It was a fairly respectable answer.
However—
“Kill your hound and prove your resolve.”
All he received in return was the same demand as before: prove yourself.
‘What is this? Is there actually a predetermined answer?’
The second possibility that occurred to Teron was that they wanted an answer befitting an heir.
His older brother, Ileon, had already been chosen as the successor, but he had been bedridden for an entire year.
Perhaps they wanted to test whether Teron possessed the necessary qualities in case the worst happened.
“I will impose a punishment severe enough to be equivalent to death.”
“Kill your hound and prove your resolve.”
Yet again, the same answer came back.
The third possibility was that this was some sort of joke or cruel prank.
But the elders were far too busy lining their own pockets to waste time teasing a child.
That could be ruled out. Then what was the fourth possibility?
No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t find an answer. What in the world did they want from him?
“You appear to be misunderstanding something.”
“Misunderstanding?”
“This is not a test. Nor is it a trap.”
“Then…?”
“You simply need to kill your hound. As a member of House Vyuern, tradition dictates that you use your fists and feet, but if that proves too difficult, we can lend you a weapon.”
At the end of the elder’s gaze lay an assortment of sharpened weapons.
The man looked as though he had offered Teron a tremendous kindness, but Teron was in no state to care.
‘This isn’t a test or a joke. They truly expect me to kill him?’
His own friend, with his own hands?
Teron and Daike stared at each other.
Daike’s face had gone deathly pale. Teron imagined he must look much the same.
-Kill Daike. Must kill him for… to survive.
The final words left behind by his brother’s hound, Yuter.
Only then did Teron understand.
Yuter hadn’t been referring to his brother.
He had meant Teron himself.
‘My brother and Yuter must have undergone the same coming-of-age ceremony. They went through this before we did.’
Why had Yuter, who should have died in this very place, survived?
Why had he eventually been killed anyway, and why had Ileon taken his own life?
There were far too many things Teron couldn’t understand.
But he knew exactly what he had to deal with right now.
“I refuse to accept something this absurd.”
“Do you intend to disregard tradition?”
This was no tradition.
It was merely an execution disguised beneath the name of tradition.
“Why does such a tradition even exist?”
The elder clicked his tongue before answering.
“To teach you the cruelty of the world.”
“…Cruelty?”
“Humans are remarkably treacherous creatures.”
Even those who groveled at your feet would quickly forget their place and climb over you the moment you treated them with a little kindness.
Very few people respected boundaries until the end. Sooner or later, they would either become corrupt or betray you.
As children of House Vyuern, a family that managed wealth beyond measure, they had to know how to control people.
“You must possess the decisiveness to cast aside even those closest to you at any moment. There may come a time when you must literally cut off their heads.”
“And I’m supposed to prove that resolve by killing the hound who has shared my life for five years?”
“How perceptive. As expected of one who carries the blood of the great House Vyuern!”
The elders burst into laughter.
It wasn’t enough that they were urging him to murder someone. They laughed and chatted as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Were these people truly human, just like him?
-Do not grow too attached to him.
Another fragment of memory surfaced in Teron’s mind.
His brother had been a good man.
‘So this was why he never acknowledged Daike as my friend. Why he told me to keep my distance.’
Ileon had only wanted to protect him from being hurt.
He had known that Daike would be sentenced to death when Teron turned ten. He had known Teron would be ordered to kill his own friend.
“You need not concern yourself with the lack of assistance. Another hound will be assigned to you immediately.”
The family raised a considerable number of hounds. Teron would simply receive another one.
Real hounds who genuinely believed themselves to be dogs.
But none of them would be Daike.
None of them would be his friend.
“What happens if I refuse?”
“Hmm? Let me see… Ah, here it is. Under the current regulations, you are not required to keep a hound with you. Several descendants found them inconvenient, so a resolution was passed a few generations ago allowing each individual to decide freely.”
“That isn’t what I meant… I asked what happens if I refuse to kill Daike!”
The elders gathered together and began whispering among themselves.
“So it has come to this again.”
“Tsk, tsk… Both brothers are equally troublesome.”
“What could possibly be so important about a mere hound? I truly cannot understand it.”
“Well, this works out rather well for us.”
Was it Teron’s imagination, or had sinister smiles appeared on their lips?
“This ceremony of proof has been passed down through the generations. Any alteration, exception, or abolition would require a formal vote.”
“It is not something we can decide among ourselves. We will summon the head of the family.”
As stated before, Duke Zeppelin, the head of the family, and the council of elders possessed equal voting power.
A small spark of hope appeared within Teron.
However, he couldn’t be certain that his strict father would take his side.
“F-Father…”
“…”
Duke Zeppelin glanced toward Teron before ascending the platform.
One of the elders seated at the head of the table vacated his chair, then briefly explained the situation.
“Then we shall put the matter to a vote.”
All five elders voted to preserve the current tradition.
As for Duke Zeppelin—
“Oh… You oppose it.”
He voted against them.
He wished to abolish the tradition of the ceremony.
“Did you not share our opinion last time?”
“…Then you must also remember that the last incident ended badly.”
“Ah, yes. There was an unfortunate incident. I see. Even the Fist King treasures his own children. I never realized your heart was so soft. Or perhaps it has simply grown weaker?”
“…”
“The previous family heads carried out this tradition without complaint. If memory serves, they performed it with exceptional brutality.”
Duke Zeppelin offered no response.
Teron didn’t care about the past, either.
Fifty against fifty.
The votes were tied.
In that case—
“As the votes are evenly divided, the existing practice shall remain in effect.”
The tradition would not change.
In the end, Teron would have to kill Daike with his own hands.
Teron silently stared at the elders.
It was the only thing he could do.
“Hurry and carry out the tradition. Not a single person here has time to waste.”
“My, my. Such weakness of heart.”
“The eldest was the same… Perhaps the problem lies with the way they were raised.”
“…”
So that was it.
The weakness of the duke’s children gave the elders greater influence.
But what exactly did they stand to gain from this?
Their own children couldn’t become the successor.
“Perhaps more drastic measures are necessary.”
“Hmm… Were there any capable candidates among the branch families?”
“With such an illustrious bloodline, there are more than enough qualified candidates. Lord Winchester has earned quite a Reputation lately, and his children are all quite impressive. I heard they completed this insignificant tradition in under thirty seconds.”
“Lord Winchester… An excellent man indeed. Surely you know him well, my lord?”
Winchester.
Teron’s uncle and his father’s younger brother.
‘How dare they compare Father to that damned jackal?’
Compared to Duke Zeppelin’s Reputation, Winchester was insignificant.
And that wasn’t merely a matter of public perception.
Whenever they encountered each other at gatherings, Winchester was always quick to avert his eyes and flee.
Even so, there was no denying that the blood of House Vyuern flowed through his veins.
He also had several children. If Winchester became the successor, the direct family line would be replaced.
Teron finally realized that the situation was far more serious than he had thought.
“If he cannot uphold even one minor tradition, how can he possibly bear the name Vyuern?”
“The fact that both brothers behaved this way indicates a serious problem.”
“I’m sure he will prove himself soon enough. Let us wait patiently. Of course, if he ultimately refuses… we will have no choice but to pursue another option. Hahaha!”
Despite their openly mocking words, his father remained calm.
He merely watched Teron with the same expressionless face he always wore.
Teron couldn’t tell what his father was thinking.
‘Does he believe in me?’
And if he did, which choice did he believe Teron would make?
Did he believe Teron would kill Daike and preserve his position?
Or did he believe Teron would reject the tradition and begin a war against the council of elders?
Teron didn’t know.
But there was one thing he knew for certain.
‘I can’t lose Daike like this!’
Teron recalled the day Daike had cried.
The sight of his friend bearing all that fear alone, and—
‘I swore I’d protect him no matter what happened!’
The vow he had made that day.
Think.
Keep thinking.
How had Yuter survived this tradition?
How had Ileon managed to save him?
The answer was simpler than expected.
“…He made a deal with you.”
“Oh…”
The elders made no attempt to hide their surprise.
They had believed Teron to be no more than ordinary.
But Teron was not ordinary. He merely seemed lacking when compared to his brother. In truth, he was an exceptionally intelligent child.
Few people had noticed because he lived like an idle wastrel.
‘The elders may have many complaints about Father, but they won’t complain if their interests are guaranteed.’
Ileon must have promised to maximize their profits.
They had postponed Yuter’s death until he fulfilled that promise.
By using a mere hound to place a leash around Ileon’s neck, they had secured an extraordinarily profitable bargain.
Teron had figured out how Yuter survived.
The problem was—
“What kind of deal did my brother offer?”
“Where would the fun be if we told you?”
“It was never something you could replicate in the first place. Show us what cards you hold.”
It didn’t matter if they refused to tell him.
The question had only been meant to buy time to think.
A bargain that satisfied only his father or only the council would be meaningless.
He needed to propose something that would satisfy both sides.
‘As expected… That’s the only option.’
That would undoubtedly satisfy both factions.
It would also save Daike’s life.
There was only one thing Teron would have to abandon in return.
“…”
Teron looked at Daike.
His face was pale, and he stood there helplessly, unsure what to do.
‘Honestly… You’re all grown up, yet you’re still nothing but a helpless puppy.’
Teron’s heart wasn’t strong enough to take his own life as his brother had.
However—
Neither was it weak enough to abandon his friend.
“I will prove myself.”
“Prove what?”
“That I am strong enough without this worthless tradition.”
“You mean…”
“I will become the successor.”
“…!!”
Becoming the successor.
For his father, it could only be an appealing offer.
The absence of a successor was a grave problem, especially when his position was being threatened as it was now.
‘It would be best if my brother woke up, but it’s already been a year. These people aren’t patient enough to wait for someone who may never awaken.’
It wasn’t a bad deal for the elders, either.
Teron might grow into an outstanding successor and maximize their profits.
However—
‘They don’t believe someone as weak as me could ever inherit the family.’
They would constantly watch for an opportunity to seize his position.
Then they would place the puppet known as his uncle on the throne and manipulate House Vyuern however they pleased.
Even if that plan failed, they could balance themselves between both sides and reap enormous profits.
Of course, none of that would ever happen.
‘Because I’ve decided it won’t.’
Teron was confident.
He was certain he could succeed his father and become an exceptional head of the family.
“Teron, you… What the hell are you doing?!”
Daike rushed forward and seized Teron by the collar.
The helpless puppy’s eyes brimmed with tears.
Perhaps because they were friends, Daike seemed to have realized what Teron had sacrificed.
Everyone present had obtained what they wanted.
His father had gained a successor.
The council of elders had gained the promise of future profit.
Daike had gained his life.
“But… you… What about you?!”
Daike cried out.
That was right.
Only one thing had vanished from this place.
‘My dream of becoming a traveler.’
–TL Notes–
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Teron family is so cooked…