Volume 2 chapter 57
Night. Rose Castle.
Lights blazed from every window. In the banquet hall, the core members of the Iron Rose Family gathered, their laughter and toasts filling the air.
As the protagonist of the night, Charlo stood in the center, navigating conversations with relatives.
Most were polite exchanges. Given the awkward history of his birth and inheritance, few relatives had genuine affection for him.
"Well, well! Little Charlo! Long time no see!!" A young man raised his glass and approached. "In the blink of an eye, you've reached the Seventh Rank! Congratulations!!"
"Uncle Alvin, good evening! You came back too?" Charlo clinked glasses with him.
"Hah! Just to see you! Our 'Great Genius.' I turned down Count Geoffrey's soiree just to come back and celebrate for you!" Alvin laughed.
Alvin de Rose, Charlo's uncle and Count Sachs's younger brother. He spent most of his time managing family businesses abroad and hadn't been involved in the succession drama years ago. Charlo had a decent impression of him.
"Thank you!"
"By the way, one more thing!" Alvin raised an eyebrow, smiling teasingly. "Charlo, you're almost thirty. Any girl caught your eye? Tell Uncle, and I'll help you vet her!"
"None! All my energy is focused on my territory. Where would I find the time?" Charlo shook his head.
"Ah! That's where you're wrong!" Alvin shook his head, adopting the tone of an experienced elder. "Marriage is also part of territory management!"
"If you marry a lady from a Great Family, their investment can help your territory advance! Even if you marry a lady of equal standing, the two families can support each other! But if you marry a woman of low nobility... not only is she useless to your territory, but you'll have to support her family!"
"There is... a profound art to this!"
Charlo listened, shaking his head with a wry smile.
"I understand everything you're saying... Uncle Alvin! But precisely because I understand, I will not marry into another noble family for political gain. Unless I truly fall hopelessly in love, I will not choose that path!" Charlo said firmly.
"Could it be..." Alvin stared at him, half-joking. "You look down on noble ladies... perhaps our 'Genius' has fallen for a commoner girl?"
"No!" Charlo met his gaze without flinching. "I mean I am not considering marriage right now—with anyone! I don't like anyone. I only want to develop my territory with all my strength—using my own power!"
The atmosphere stiffened.
After staring at each other for a moment, Alvin looked away, breaking the tension.
"Fine, fine! It seems our 'Great Genius' has lofty ambitions and refuses to be limited by tradition! Haha, then I wish you a smooth journey ahead!" Alvin clinked his glass against Charlo's again and walked away.
Charlo dealt with a few more relatives. His Seventh-Rank constitution allowed him to down several bottles of wine without showing signs of intoxication.
Though not drunk, he felt weary. He walked to the side and sat down to rest.
"Charlo... Charlo?!"
Drake walked over, calling his name.
"Big Brother... what is it?"
Charlo looked up, his eyes a bit hazy.
"How did you drink this much?" Drake frowned and called a waiter. "Get a bowl of sobering soup!"
"It's fine!" Charlo tried to stand up, shaking his head, but Drake pressed him back down.
"Father wants to see you! How can you talk to him like this? Sober up first!"
"Father?" Charlo paused, then slapped his forehead. He forced his mana to circulate, purging the alcohol from his system and instantly sobering up.
"What does he want?"
"I don't know. He just told me to call you to the study!" Drake shook his head.
"Alright! I'm going!" Hearing this, Charlo knew it wasn't a trivial matter. He stood up immediately.
Entering his father's study, he saw Sachs sitting alone behind the desk, chin resting on his hands, waiting quietly.
Seeing Charlo enter, he pointed to the chair opposite him. "Sit."
Charlo closed the door and sat down.
"Father, what did you want to ask?" Charlo asked directly.
"Many things..." Sachs murmured, then asked bluntly, "Charlo, what do you want to do? Lawrence has written to me about your actions in Ironwood. The way you handled those nobles... what exactly is your goal?"
"..." Charlo fell silent. He hadn't expected his father to ask this right away.
"I..." After a while, Charlo spoke slowly, his voice unwavering. "I want to build a New Order."
"Do you want to become Emperor?!"
Before the words fully left his mouth, Sachs's sharp gaze shot toward him. Charlo met it without fear.
"I don't want to be Emperor... but if that New Order requires me to become Emperor—then I will do it!"
Father and son stared at each other, the room filled with suffocating pressure.
"Have you thought it through?"
Finally, Sachs withdrew his mana and asked in a low voice.
"Actually, regarding that New Order... I have many ideas, but I'm not sure which one fits! Right now, I can only take it one step at a time..."
Charlo shook his head. His mind was filled with ideologies—Constitutional Monarchy? Republic? Socialism? He didn't know which one was best for this world.
But one thing was certain—Develop Productive Forces!
All systems, ideologies, and cultures ultimately needed a material foundation to support them. Without it, they were trees without roots.
But he was wary. While developing, he tried his best to limit capital, preventing it from seizing decision-making power. He held the supreme authority firmly.
Ironwood's situation was perilous. Feudal nobles eyed him from the outside; nascent capitalism stirred from within. If he let go, a monstrous alliance between capitalists and supernatural feudal lords might be born!
Charlo hesitated.
A Bourgeois Revolution? The future was bright. To overthrow the supernatural nobles, Ironwood would have to develop fully, potentially leaping straight to a Proletarian Revolution. But it could also be crushed midway by the unreasonable power of high-rank supernaturals.
Reform? That meant retaining a large number of nobles. As he feared—what kind of monster would be born from the union of Capital and Supernatural Aristocracy?
Advanced capitalism could control a commoner's needs from cradle to grave. Supernatural nobles could do similar things with force. Combine them? The thought made Charlo sweat cold.
So he spared no effort to suppress noble power in his territory to the limit, while gripping the roots of capital tight, allowing no transgression.
"Then... what about us?"
His father's question shattered Charlo's resolve instantly.
"W-what?" He looked up, his eyes trembling as he stared at his father.
"I know I can't restrict you! You've grown up. You have your own ideals! You have ideas, and even more capability! I cannot stop you..." Sachs sighed deeply.
"But... what about the Iron Rose Family? In your New Order, where is our place?"
His father looked at him, eyes filled with a desperate hope.
In that moment, Charlo wavered!
He had always leaned toward revolution, always viewed nobles as the enemy. But he had forgotten—he was a noble too! And a member of a Great Noble Family!
If he revolted, he would be revolting against his own blood!
But...
Looking at his father's pleading eyes, Charlo was speechless.
Memories flooded his mind: his father's guidance, his mother's care, his brother's support...
His lips trembled, but no words came. As the images flashed, he realized he didn't have the courage to face them as enemies!
Revolution? Or Reform?
He couldn't bear to hurt his family. He... wasn't as cold-blooded as he thought! Facing his father's gaze, he couldn't make the decision!
"S-sorry! Father... I... I need to think about it..."
He stood up shakily and fled the study as if escaping a nightmare.
Comments (0)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.