"A Saint rather than a Saintess?"
The Empress Dowager questioned me.
I pointed directly at the artifact as I answered.
"That chalice is an item that awakens talent. If a Saintess were to emerge from the alliance between Your Highness and our family, it would be a tremendous blessing."
"Indeed."
"I inherited the Gotberg bloodline more strongly than Neria. Look at my hair color."
I leaned back and lifted my chin so she could see clearly.
Pure white hair.
White hair is characteristic of families born with strong divine power.
And anyone could see that my hair was much closer to pure white than Neria's.
"If I were to unlock my potential, wouldn't I have a much higher chance of being chosen as a Saint?"
The Empress Dowager looked somewhat displeased at my statement.
Well, I suppose it would be confusing when someone who stabbed her hand in the afternoon suddenly becomes very cooperative in the evening.
The Empress Dowager's confusion is exactly my goal.
Was the flower crown incident earlier done without much thought? Was stabbing her hand a simple mistake? Is this man truly just a foolish rascal? All sorts of doubts must be running through her mind.
People tend to lower their guard when they think someone is easy to manipulate.
What the Empress Dowager needs is material she can politically keep under her control.
She probably chose Neria because she seemed docile.
But a foolish rascal is easier to handle than someone with a righteous personality.
It's time to play the rascal she wants.
"Do you want this artifact?"
"Not particularly? I'm just saying statistically speaking."
I shrugged as I answered.
"Lars, becoming a Saint comes with many responsibilities."
"Oh my, I don't know much about such things. If problems arise, Father will take care of them, right?"
"Hmm..."
"Father, you won't retire from your position as head of the family until my children are grown, will you? You know I detest troublesome matters."
I laughed boisterously and slapped my father's shoulder. I guzzled wine straight from the bottle and let out a long, sloppy burp.
"Hey! We're out of wine! Be attentive and refill it immediately!"
I shouted like someone completely drunk.
The Empress Dowager looked at me with disgust.
See? I'm a well-behaved rascal who won't betray and will stay in this family forever. I've put the leash on myself.
Without stopping my laughter, I said to the Empress Dowager:
"Ah, now Your Highness is finally smiling too. I was dozing off with all this difficult talk. Have you been down to our territory? The street food is amazing. If you have time tomorrow, perhaps we could go together..."
"Just a moment, Young Lord. Let's finish discussing this artifact first."
The Empress Dowager hastily cut me off. She must be anxious that the matter might be brushed aside.
With such an impatient personality, no wonder she can't secure her position in the imperial court.
Why reveal your hand when you don't need to?
"Then, Young Lord, are you willing to use the Holy Grail?"
"If it's good for the body, I'll take it if you're offering."
"...Do you understand how valuable this artifact is?"
"Oh, how would I know about such things? But is it really that good? Wouldn't it make more sense for me, the firstborn son, to use it before Neria?"
I subtly implied that I would make a scene if it were given to Neria.
I don't actually want it, but I can't stand being disrespected.
Pure childish tantrum.
The Empress Dowager looked back and forth between me and the artifact, then asked my father:
"What do you think, Marquis?"
"If that is Lars's wish, I have no objection."
At that moment, Asella interjected:
"Why not give it to the Young Lord?"
She who had been bored until now finally seemed somewhat interested.
"It's true that the Young Lord has stronger divine power, and imagine if he becomes a Saint."
Asella's eyelashes lowered slightly.
"It would be fun if he became my personal physician."
"...Let me think about it."
The Empress Dowager left the banquet hall with the artifact. Knights and servants followed her.
Asella raised the corner of her mouth toward me before following after them.
After they left, my father, Neria, and I had a brief conversation in the lounge.
"Lars, I thought your behavior earlier was an act. What was your intention?"
"That artifact is known as the 'Holy Grail of Revelation.' While it does awaken hidden talents, it demands a price in return."
"A price?"
"In this world, nothing comes without cost. You must pay something in exchange for the talent you gain. Think of it as being cursed."
Asella had said something similar.
I wonder what she'll ask from me. I'll have to think about that later.
As I said, using the grail opens a skill tree of talents, but it also creates a debuff.
Since the type of debuff is random, the artifact can actually be disadvantageous if your talent rank is low.
But for me, with my S-rank talent locked, it's absolutely beneficial to use it even if I have to endure a debuff.
"Um, Brother..."
Neria called out to me.
Her face showed a somewhat frightened expression.
"Thank you..."
For what?
If Neria were to use it, she would awaken her divine talent and later be chosen as a Saintess.
The debuff she would receive is growth inhibition.
Neria would remain fixed at her current age and appearance even ten years later.
'A debuff like that is practically getting off easy.'
Moreover, I have two talents.
It's like a buy-one-get-one-free sale.
How could I resist?
That artifact would cost at least five thousand gold to acquire outside, and you'd have to wait endlessly for one to become available.
This is a great opportunity.
While I was eagerly waiting for the Empress Dowager to impatiently offer the artifact, my father patted my shoulder.
"Lars, that was truly a meaningful gesture."
Was it?
"We lacked justification to openly refuse Her Highness's proposal. If Neria had accepted, we would have had no choice. To think you knew everything and sacrificed yourself for Neria's sake—I'm ashamed as your father."
I was only thinking about taking advantage.
"Neria is still young with a bright future ahead. We can't let her use a dangerous artifact. As her older brother, I should naturally protect her."
"Lars...!"
My father placed his hand on my shoulder, deeply moved.
He's such an innocent person. If only that Empress Dowager hadn't tempted him, he could have lived a peaceful life tending to this rural territory.
With a knock, the door opened, and a servant reported to us.
"Master, Young Lord, Young Lady. The Empress Dowager says she has finished her deliberation."
The old fox has finally made up her mind.
"Let's go, Father."
I walked confidently toward the banquet hall.
***
Neria Gotberg was the child of a concubine.
Her father was a powerful nobleman, but her mother was a commoner—an innkeeper.
By the time Neria was old enough to understand, she was already a proper young lady of the marquis family.
She never faced discrimination for being a concubine's child.
Her mother had passed away more than ten years ago, and having a half-brother was the extent of the Gotberg family situation.
Compared to other noble families, theirs was quite ordinary and quiet.
However, since her mother had not entered the family after entrusting Neria to them, she grew up somewhat lonely.
Her father was taciturn.
But that was manageable.
However.
'...Brother is scary.'
He would drink at every opportunity and cause trouble in the streets.
If screams or the sound of breaking objects were heard from the mansion at night, it was certainly him.
Fortunately, there were knights guarding the mansion, so he never resorted to violence.
Her father had long ago isolated him in a separate annex, so there were no problems with Neria.
That's why Neria, who had to meet him directly today for the first time in nearly three years, was terrified.
'I must avoid giving him any reason to find fault with me. I can't bring shame to the family.'
Her brother would surely dislike her for being a concubine's child.
With such thoughts, Neria took several deep breaths to compose herself before entering the reception room.
After her initial greeting, she thought she had made a mistake.
Instinctively, she averted her gaze, frightened by his sharp eyes.
What if he cursed at her? Her heart was trembling, but then he spoke to her in a gentle voice.
"The dress suits you well. It makes you look taller."
'Huh...?'
Neria slowly raised her head to examine his face again.
The delinquent-like brother she had known.
His face no longer showed anger or rage; those had been almost completely burned away, replaced by a gentle smile.
Somehow, her worries about him lessened a bit.
But she remained tense.
Her body still remembered the fear of him, and today was an important day to show respect to the imperial family.
"Haven't eaten anything since it's mealtime? Have this. Eating something sweet will quickly improve your mood."
Then her brother placed a candy in her palm.
What did this mean? Could it be extremely bitter, and he was playing a prank?
Such suspicions dissolved as soon as she put the candy in her mouth.
The sweet honey fragrance spread through her nostrils.
The sugar rush made her eyes widen.
'Is Brother a magician?'
Neria was amazed at how quickly her mood improved.
But the good feeling didn't last long.
Because the conversation turned to the possibility of her becoming a Saintess.
The first image that came to Neria's mind upon hearing this was the legend of the Hero's Party fighting the Demon King that she had heard as a child.
A legend where they all fought bravely and, in the end, sacrificed their lives to bring peace to the continent.
'I... I don't want to die...'
She didn't want to fight monsters either.
Why was the Empress Dowager suddenly bringing up such a topic to someone she had just met?
Do adults normally talk about such things...?
Father was just looking at her.
I have no choice... I must answer.
"...If it's for the family..."
"Wait just a moment."
A voice interrupted.
Hearing his confident and resonant voice, Neria was certain.
Brother was on her side.
'Hehe...'
Neria rested her chin on her hand as she watched Lars performing for the Empress Dowager.
Though she knew it was a bad habit to eat sweets right after a meal, she unconsciously popped another candy—the one Lars had given her—into her mouth.
'Brother is...'
The girl's chubby cheeks were already filled with trust for her brother.
***
Sipping after-dinner tea, the Empress Dowager brought up her business.
"Young Lord Gotberg, can you really use this artifact to awaken as a Saint?"
I shrugged my shoulders.
"Oh, that goes without saying. I was born with exceptional divine power. Even those fellows at the training center cower before me."
After hearing my words, the Empress Dowager made her decision.
"Very well. I shall transfer this artifact to you, Young Lord."
Good, she took the bait.
"Hmm."
Father cleared his throat as if displeased.
"We'll set the date of use for two days from now. Marquis, what do you think?"
"Two days..."
Father hesitated. It seemed he was concerned about the debuff I had mentioned being similar to a curse.
I scared him too much.
I intervened to smooth things over.
"Is there any reason to wait? Since we're already discussing it, why not do it right now?"
Everyone turned to me in surprise.
With the physician's exam approaching soon, why wait two days?
A carrot deal should be sealed when it's first mentioned—people's minds change overnight.
"Right now? That's..."
"Is there a problem?"
The Empress Dowager couldn't counter my question.
She glanced briefly at Asella.
Asella looked at me and raised the corner of her mouth.