"Indeed. You possess the interesting ability I heard about from my assistant."

"Thank you for saying so."

"So... I'm curious as to why you've come all this way to propose a deal."

Pruelle did not beat around the bush. He had secretly slipped away from the main residence and needed to return as quickly as possible.

"As you've probably already heard from your assistant, I wanted to leave my family and receive protection. However, it's not just for my own sake that I want to live. I've come here because I want to overthrow my father and protect my siblings' future."

"Siblings?"

At Kishiar's question, the corner of Pruelle's mouth tightened stiffly.

"Externally, I have three known siblings, but in reality, there's one more, making us five in total. The second, Priscilla; the third, Priam; and the fourth, Phileban are much more discerning than I am, and suitable for succession. But the youngest, Nipollen... he was born with a family-specific illness that made communication with others somewhat difficult. Therefore..."

"You hid his existence."

At Kishiar's flatly uttered words, Pruelle acquiesced with dark eyes.

"Yes. My parents have never met Nipollen since his birth, and I wonder if they even remember him now. To them, my other siblings and I are probably not much different, but I thought it was okay."

As Kishiar had said, Duke Tain had no interest in his children, even to the point of being bothered by their very existence.

Hence, Pruelle and his siblings were left to fend for themselves, typically growing up separately from their parents under the pretext of recovery at a villa or different regions until adulthood. Those who took care of and educated them were frequently changed almost every year so as not to get unnecessarily attached. They had neither relatives their age to socialize with nor friends at an appropriate time, so even after their social debut, they wandered around without any significant connections or interests.

However, an exceptional circumstance was that all five siblings had always been together, and thus their relationship as siblings was incredibly strong.

"I've been aware since childhood that I was not the person to salvage this family. So, when the time came, I planned to recommend Priscilla as the successor and quietly live with the other siblings."

But that small hope was threatened and seemed unlikely to be fulfilled. His father, Duke Tain, had become increasingly absorbed in speculative investments.

"My father never tried to share family information with us, who would inherit the family someday. Then, one day, he suddenly called me, saying that since I had grown up, he thought it was time to send all the other spare children to foreign countries."

By that time, Duke Tain's investments in foreign countries had tied up most of his assets. To gain more benefits in a market where vast sums of money were exchanged, he willingly decided to give away his children to foreign powers. To put it nicely, it would be a union through marriage, but it was a crude and foolish deal for a duke of the empire to choose.

"That's when I realized it. Even the matter of passing on the family wasn't that important to my father."

To Duke Tain, his children were merely strangers, like garbage cleaners who would take what was left after he died. Everything belonging to the House of Tain had to be in his hands until his death. As long as the one to carry on the family was of Tain's bloodline, it didn't matter whether they were his biological offspring or not.

Pruelle, too, had never felt much emotion due to his parents' indifference, perhaps because he had inherited such blood. Until then, the only thing that mattered to him were his siblings. However, he belatedly realized that responding in such a way was only to his own detriment.

After much difficulty using the name of the firstborn, his late investigation revealed that the family's financial situation was on the brink of collapse at any moment. The power, honor, and extensive connections brought by history, amassed from previous generations, were merely hiding the fragile embankment.

Pruelle couldn't bear the burden of a family that could collapse at any moment. He did not want to follow his father's nonsensical words. But his options were exceedingly limited, as he had neither built up any power nor gathered strength within the family.

"If I publicly reveal that I am an Awakener, Father will be unable to fulfill his intent to send away all my siblings except me. He must officially designate an heir to keep things quiet, so there will be a temporary reprieve. During that time, I want to overthrow my father, who is blinded by greed and seeking to destroy everything."

"How?"

Kishiar asked. Pruelle's dark eyes dimmed.

"I thought that His Majesty Emperor and Duke Peletta might want the same thing as me through the work of the third son of Apeto. Unlike Apeto, Duke Tain is good at hiding his faults and he involves many outsiders of the Empire, so you two would surely need an insider. I will be that person."

"Interesting. But what can a firstborn, who has nothing but a name, do? If you reveal that you are an Awakener, you might lose even that," Kishiar said, his words harsh yet piercing the reality.

Pruelle calmly responded, biting his lip slightly as if he had anticipated this.

"Having nothing but a name will make it unlikely that anyone will be on guard against me. The internal workings are currently divided into three factions, and if we use them well, I believe we can find a faction to support us. The same goes for my siblings."

"Three factions?"

"The first supports and aids my father's work. Including Baron Willhem and some of the Tain families, it probably includes foreign figures involved in trade and important matters with my father. The second faction, comprising many within the family, is not particularly interested in either side. Theorado, the current Commander of the Imperial Knight, is representative of those who could be either enemies or allies, depending on the situation. The last faction opposes my father's actions and includes long-serving family retainers and a significant number of Tain families."

Pruelle's voice continued coldly, revealing his surprisingly objective judgment of the situation, given his previous lack of interest in family matters. Kishiar seemed to agree, silently lifting the corner of his lips.

"Even after I've told you this, to Your Grace, I will just be that father's child. You will probably find my motives and desires to be suspicious and superficial. But please remember that the people of the Tain family, when they find the one thing that matters in life, will never let it go."

Having finished speaking, Pruelle bowed his head. Kishiar looked down at his red hair and maintained a long silence.

You said that your siblings are what's most important to you. Are they so precious?

More precious than my life.

Pruelle answered without hesitation.

And the truth is... I'm not the only one among us who is an Awakener.

What do you mean by that?

As I mentioned earlier, the youngest, Nipollen, is also an Awakener. That child finds it more difficult to hide his abilities than I do, so honestly, I don't know how long we can conceal them. Therefore... my desire to join the Cavalry is also for that child's sake.

Kishiar tapped lightly on the table. Yuder knew that this was a habitual action when he was lost in thought.

The information you've given is interesting enough, but haven't you considered that in the worst case, you might just be used and not be able to protect your siblings?

If either side reaches the worst outcome, the result will be the same. Losing my siblings and surviving alone, I'll only inherit a family ruined by my father, and fleeing together is improbable. But the third son of Apeto, even without anything, has neither lost his life nor become miserable. Then... wouldn't this be the relatively better opportunity?

At those words, Kishiar's tapping fingers finally stopped. The eyes that had been concealing his thoughts with a trace of a smile deepened a little more.

The matter of Apeto's third son seems to have made a profound impression on you.

I attended every trial that followed and watched the results.

Pruelle calmly confessed.

I heard everything Apeto's third son said in the courtroom. You would not know how it came to me, cornered in a dead-end alley, as a form of hope.

Hope.

After murmuring, echoing Pruelle's word, Kishiar turned his gaze to Yuder.

What does the assistant think?