Gent spends most of the year living with Ention at Utrecht Castle. His motives are clear: he covets the heir's position and wants to curry favor with Ention.
Currently, Gent serves as Ention's close aide, effectively controlling the information that reaches him.
I acquired the Mana Awakening Potion solely through my own abilities and earned an astronomical sum of money. It's only natural that Gent would be wary of me.
Unlike Kyle, I am Gent's biological younger brother. The same blood flows through our veins. But that doesn't give Gent any reason to show me leniency.
Power isn't something families can share amicably.
"Your face looks terrifying. Did your heart condition flare up again, my dear brother?"
"..."
Hearing this, I was certain.
This bastard had come here to mock me.
"...Was this Brother Gent's doing?"
I maintained my composure. The fact that I hadn't cursed him out loud should prove how rational I was being. However, I couldn't hide the hostility in my voice nor did I want to. There was no need to.
As proof, Gent was grinning at me, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Did Brother Gent advise Father to bestow the Barony and its territory upon me?"
"Yes. Your abilities are quite remarkable, aren't they? Even Father acknowledged your exceptional talent for making money. As the youngest member of the family, it would be a waste to let such talent go to waste."
"You're making a mistake."
"A mistake... Why are you so angry? You should be thanking me. Didn't you gain your barony and territory thanks to me?"
"I never wanted the title or the land."
"Really?"
Gent's smile vanished as he stared at me, his dark eyes turning cold.
"But I've heard some strange rumors. That you've been meeting with your retainers and giving them gifts like spices and watches."
"Those were just gifts."
"Is that so? It didn't look that way to me."
Gent stepped closer, patting my shoulder.
"Brother," he said, "you once told me you had no interest in becoming the head of the Prukerus family. You said I should take it and that you'd support me wholeheartedly, because as the eldest son, I was the rightful heir."
"..."
I had told Gent several times that I had no interest in becoming the family head. But I had never offered to help him. What Gent was referring to was likely something that happened before I became Sung Yujin Prukerus.
"And yet, you're not helping me at all. In fact, you're actively undermining me. I understand. As your body grows stronger and your heart condition seems to be improving, you must have developed ambitions."
"...That's not it at all."
Gent scoffed at my response.
"Perhaps not. Anyway, little brother, the Count Prukerus title is mine. I am the Count of the Prukerus family and its rightful heir. I have no intention of casting you aside. Your abilities are exceptional. A moment of ambition... I'll overlook it this once, given your age. Be content with the Barony and Tevra."
"Brother Gent, are you truly so afraid of me? Enough to banish your only sibling to a small territory?"
"Sung Yujin Prukerus, don't misunderstand. I'm not banishing you out of fear. This is a test. The results will be revealed on the day I inherit the title of Count Prukerus."
Gent brushed past me, his final words lingering in my ears:
"I hope you will become my loyal vassal. I look forward to seeing what you accomplish."
Grind.
My teeth clenched.
Crackling.
The mana in my body spontaneously transformed into writhing lightning.
I explained the situation to Yuria. If I were to leave the mansion, she, as my personal maid, would naturally have to accompany me to Tevra.
I had no intention of going to Tevra alone without Yuria. I had already grown too accustomed to her convenience. Life in Tevra without her? I didn't even want to imagine it.
"Someone must have instigated Prince Gent," Yuria said. "Most likely Baron Kuwait."
I was surprised. I had assumed Gent had acted entirely on his own.
"Baron Kuwait... is he a vassal who follows Gent?"
"Yes. He's one of the administrators at Utrecht Castle. Though he doesn't own any land, he manages a small merchant guild."
I had never met Baron Kuwait personally, but it was obvious he was the type to bet everything on Gent. As both an administrator and the head of a merchant guild, he probably sensed the scent of money on me and urged Gent to keep me in check.
Gent must have heard rumors about me... He's probably been wary of me all along.
To be honest, I wanted to kill Baron Kuwait right then and there.
But I can't kill him now.
If Baron Kuwait dies now, Gent will undoubtedly suspect me. Moreover, Baron Kuwait is at Utrecht Castle, making assassination difficult. The security at Utrecht Castle, where Ention resides, is among the best in the kingdom.
"Master, if you truly dislike Baron Kuwait... attacking the trading partners of his merchant guild could be an option."
"Trading partners... No. Let's drop it for now."
My immediate priority isn't venting my anger. I need to prepare for leaving the mansion in a month and heading to Tevra.
The only assassins I could rely on were Hassent and Yuria. Hassent, as the head butler, couldn't easily leave the estate, and life without Yuria by my side would be unbearably inconvenient.
I can't take Hassent to Tevra. Besides, it's actually more advantageous for him to remain at the estate. He can provide valuable intelligence about the family's affairs.
I hadn't given up on inheriting the Count Prukerus title. Even though I'd been exiled to Tevra, no successor had been officially named. Moreover, Tevra was only half a day's carriage ride from Pters City, where the estate was located.
Gent probably intended to distance me completely. But the fact that I'm being sent to Tevra means Ention hasn't completely excluded me from the succession.
I possess information about the future. If I exploit this information to its fullest potential... I can inherit the title of Count.
"Yuria, we must depart for Tevra tomorrow."
"Yes, my lord. I will prepare the carriage."
Ellaine will surely grant her permission. Since I'm going to inspect the city I'll govern in the future, she has no legitimate reason to object.
Right. Fuck it. Since things have come to this, I'll transform Tevra into the most magnificent territory imaginable. A paradise on earth! The Heaven! Tevra!
I can do it.
With modern technology and knowledge, I'll make it happen.
Clatter, clatter.
Inside the carriage, I taught Yuria the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. As the greatest genius in this world, she might grasp the art in a way no one else could.
It wouldn't have been bad for Yuria to learn the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
However, Yuria shook her head, rejecting the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
"The Heavenly Demon Divine Art doesn't suit me. The Youngcheon Style and Shadow Magic are enough. Trying to learn the Heavenly Demon Divine Art here would only make things more chaotic."
"But the Heavenly Demon Divine Art is a peerless martial art, isn't it?"
It was a martial art personally created by the King of the Heavenly Demon, a god whose True Name remained unknown. Its power was beyond question.
"I don't believe the Youngcheon Style is inferior to the Heavenly Demon Divine Art."
"...Is that so?"
"Yes."
This was quite unexpected. From my perspective, the Heavenly Demon Divine Art seemed superior to the Youngcheon Style.
"Then how do you think I should go about learning the Heavenly Demon Divine Art?"
"I'm not sure."
"Hmm."
"However, Master, I don't think you need to obsess over the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Martial arts are just martial arts, after all. If you train diligently, you'll undoubtedly master it eventually."
I nodded in agreement. Yuria was right. Sooner or later, I would master the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
It would be a lie to say I wasn't impatient, but I had the Pleasure World App, which was far more remarkable than the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Clatter, clatter.
I glanced at Yuria, who was sitting across from me. Even as the carriage rocked violently, she maintained perfect posture, her back ramrod straight.
She's always sitting so properly.
Come to think of it, I'd never seen Yuria slouch or stand casually, except when we were playing together.
If I could bring her to the real world, things would be so much easier.
Then, it suddenly occurred to me.
I remembered that the Pleasure World App had a "Character Summon" feature in its menu. I had completely forgotten about it since there hadn't been any summonable characters available until now.
A "character" must refer to a figure from a work of fiction.
Yuria, standing before me, was also a character.
Our eyes met. Yuria smiled sweetly at me, and I playfully stuck out my tongue. She leaned forward, closing the distance, and pressed her lips against mine. Our tongues intertwined in a wet, tangled kiss.
Summoning Yuria to the real world must require a condition.
That condition was likely "fate," unless the purpose of fate was merely to grant me bonus points.
"Haaah..."
Reflexively, I cupped Yuria's full breasts as I pondered this.
If I could bring Yuria into the real world... In this world, it would be more beneficial for Yuria to grow stronger than for me to grow stronger.
What if I made Yuria as strong as possible and then summoned her as an Aura Master into the real world?
Wouldn't that be the ultimate cheat code to life?
"Aah... Master..."
As I licked Yuria's neck, I changed the goal of this Pleasure World.
My initial goal had been to obtain the Mana Awakening Potion, followed by seizing Kyle's opportunities to strengthen myself. But Yuria's talent far surpasses mine.
Even if we obtained the same opportunities, her efficiency would be on a completely different level.
Having reincarnated into the Baek Family, the Plum Blossom Sword Saint's primary goal now was raising Yuria.
"...Master. I'll insert it."
Yuria lifted her long skirt and shifted her panties aside. Beneath her exposed lower region, my fully erect member stood stiffly.
I nodded, and Yuria settled onto me.
"Haaah..."
Every time I entered her, I was struck by how perfectly her vagina fit my member.
"Yuria, I'll make you the best maid in the world."
"Y-yes! Haaah!"
***
Port City Tevra has two main advantages:
First, its access to the sea, a treasure trove of resources. The sea provides abundant food, including fish and various other marine resources, and serves as a vital trade route to other regions.
Second, its proximity to Pteus, only half a day's journey away.
Aside from these two things, everything else here is utter garbage.
With a population of just 5,000, Tevra is small for a city.
The entire city is dilapidated. The roads are unpaved, likely due to neglect by the authorities.
"T-this is the mansion formerly used by the Lord!" Guard Captain Locke, responsible for Tevra's security, announced.
At the mid-30s, he was serving as the Guard Captain, his Aura Expert rank at the lowest tier.
"Is that so? Good work. You may leave."
"Yes, sir! I'll be going now!"
Locke scurried back to the guardhouse, clearly relieved to be away from me.
I clicked my tongue as I surveyed the mansion he had led us to.
"It wouldn't be surprising if this place collapsed any minute. It looks like it's been abandoned for at least 50 years."
"According to records, it was built 66 years ago," Yuria said. "The mansion appears to have been effectively abandoned since the death of Baron Gultian, Tevra's Lord 20 years ago."
We had gathered some information about Tevra before coming here.
"Live in this dump? Bullshit. I'm not staying here."
I decided to tear it all down and rebuild from scratch.
"Yuria, let's go to City Hall."
"Yes, Master."
City Hall was only a ten-minute walk away.
"...Who are you?"
A City Hall employee stammered, looking at us hesitantly. I ignored him and strode into the building, barging into what appeared to be the finest room. A man paused mid-drink and stared at me.
"...H-huh?! Master Sung Yujin Prukerus?!"
"You know who I am?"
"Y-yes, yes! How could I not? But what brings you here today...?"
He groveled, clearly unaware that I would become the Lord of this territory in a month.
I glanced around the room before fixing my gaze on his desk.
"Drinking in broad daylight? Some people have it too good."
"Ah, no. This... it's a gift."
"A gift?"
I chuckled. This liquor was probably a bribe.
"Yuria, search the office."
"Yes, Young Master."
Yuria began searching the office.
"How dare a maid! Do you know where you are?!"
"Where? I thought this was a tavern. The strong smell of alcohol confirms it."
"N-no, Young Master! Even if you are the Young Master, this is unacceptable! I will formally protest to Countess Elaine!"
"Suit yourself."
I glanced at Yuria. She had slid the bookshelf aside and was using her Aura to shatter the vault door. With remarkable precision, she destroyed only the locking mechanism.
"Found it," she announced.
"You crazy bitch! Get out of my way now!"
He lunged at Yuria.
"Stay put," I said, grabbing the back of his head and slamming him back onto the desk.
"A ledger of bribes. He's been receiving regular payments from the Black Tiger Merchant Guild."
I stared at him. His face frozen, he shouted at me, "There's a reason for everything, Young Master! Just hear me out first!"
I nodded. Then I said, "You're sentenced to death."