Chapter 101 The Steward’s Visit
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Oscar Blackwell. The steward of the Grimlock family.
My father Margrave Gaius’s most trusted confidant.
Late forties. Tall and lean. His spine was rod-straight at all times—like an iron bar fused to his back—which made him look far more imposing than his build alone would suggest.
His neatly combed gray hair was immaculate, not a strand out of place. Silver-rimmed glasses sat coldly on a high-bridged nose. His expression rarely changed. That face, like an elaborate mechanical doll, showed nothing—completely unreadable, not quite human.
Yet behind those glasses, sharp azure eyes gleamed with cold reckoning, always watching, always weighing—like a hunter tracking prey.
He was clad in a perfectly tailored jet-black tailcoat, his calm appearance seeming to embody the steady discipline and authority of the Grimlock family itself.
He was a character who had never appeared in the game I knew.
But he was undoubtedly important.
The de facto strategist of the Grimlock family. The backbone who single-handedly managed the vast Margrave territories from the shadows—financial administration, fundraising for the rebellion, intelligence gathering and covert operations against hostile factions. All of it ran through this man.
＊＊＊
Oscar arrived at my private study to meet me.
The sun was setting. Through the window, the red sunset poured in like fresh blood, casting long, ominous shadows across the room.
”It has been some time, Lord Xenos,” Oscar said, his voice measured and precise.
”Yeah. You look well. Glad to hear it. You’ve got a war going on over there, right? Must be rough,” I replied, keeping my tone light.
We exchanged pleasantries—the safe kind. The temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees.
”I have come today to confirm several matters regarding your current situation, young master,” Oscar stated, his posture rigid.
”Oh? And what business would that be—”
Oscar wasted no time getting to the point. As I suspected, monitoring me appeared to be his primary objective.
Now. From here on, I needed to choose every word with extreme care.
Whatever I said to this man would be relayed verbatim to my father. And my father, apparently displeased with having a Zero-Mana son, kept finding excuses to have me killed.
I wanted to keep as many cards hidden as possible.
”First, I understand you’ve already exhausted the military funds entrusted to you—eighty thousand gold coins?” Oscar inquired, his tone deceptively calm.
”Yeah. There was something I absolutely had to have at the black-market auction. That money was mine to spend freely, so what’s the problem?” I answered with a shrug.
A flicker of reaction. One of Oscar’s impeccably groomed eyebrows twitched—just barely.
”I also hear you entered the illegal colosseum as a team owner, and publicly antagonized its ruler, Zoltan Rex,” Oscar continued, his voice tightening.
”He picked the fight with me. I just answered. As a noble… I couldn’t exactly back down, could I?” I countered.
Oscar shot me a glare—only for an instant.
”I also hear that not only did you antagonize Zoltan, whom we had hoped to recruit as an ally for the rebellion, but you also—personally—’defeated’ the Kerberos, a magical beast that would have been a valuable asset. Is that also true?” Oscar pressed, each word clipped.
”Hm? Oh, yeah—my team’s top fighter blew it to pieces. Real spectacular. He went on a journey somewhere after the tournament, though. No idea where he is now,” I said, waving a hand dismissively.
Behind Oscar’s glasses, those azure eyes turned to frost.
”And you’ve been meeting frequently with the princess of our enemy nation, the Adrastea Empire, to discuss peace negotiations—in a positive light, no less?” Oscar’s voice carried a razor’s edge.
”She was a beautiful woman. I wanted an excuse to talk to her—and honestly, she really was something,” I replied with a lazy grin.
Oscar didn’t bother hiding the contempt in his gaze. He looked at me as if I were beneath even his scorn.
”And I also hear you submitted to a forced search led by the Royal Family without resistance,” Oscar stated, his jaw tight.
”It was an emergency. Refusing would’ve made me look suspicious, don’t you think? I made the call on the spot,” I said, keeping my tone even.
Standing rigidly before me—Oscar’s gloved fist clenched with a faint creak, trembling almost imperceptibly.
”…Then, if I may ask—the rebellion preparations. How far along are the arrangements for the Grimlock forces to mobilize here in the Royal Capital?” Oscar asked, his voice strained.
”Now that you mention it, I haven’t made any preparations at all. The funds are completely drained too,” I admitted with a shrug.
The room swelled with unmistakable anger.
”…Then! Our comrades in the rebellion! How many troops have been organized, here in the Royal Capital and in the provinces, to mobilize alongside us!?” Oscar’s composure finally cracked, his voice rising.
”Ah—well, I haven’t gotten that far with specific discussions yet. Been busy with one thing and another here myself… Let’s take it slow, no rush,” I said, waving off his concern.
In truth, I’d only made contact with a few nobles and organization leaders who seemed willing to cooperate. Nothing beyond that. Worse, I’d sent monsters to attack Margrave Albion’s territory, deliberately bleeding his forces dry.
[Ah, man…]
Being questioned like this really highlighted how little I’d actually accomplished. I felt like I’d been working hard, but—I’d done nothing.
Wait, that’s weird, right?
And even being called out for slacking off… I felt zero motivation to “turn things around from here” or “get serious and do better.”
…Was I Nobita or something?1
From Oscar’s entire being, an unmistakable, razor-edged killing intent began to seep out, no longer concealed.
…Whoa, whoa.
That’s way too violent.
Keep that stuff hidden, would you?
”…You spent military funds to buy women of unknown origin, engaged in friendly peace talks with an enemy princess, allowed the Royal Family to meddle in lands bearing the Grimlock name without resistance, made zero progress on rebellion preparations, and sparked unnecessary conflicts with other organizations and regional lords who could have been our allies… I take it all of this is indeed true,” Oscar said, his voice eerily calm now—the calm of a man who had passed beyond anger into cold resolution.
”Yep. That’s one way to put it,” I replied, meeting his gaze.
He’d done his homework thoroughly. No room for excuses.
Oscar’s anger must have reached its breaking point.
All emotion drained from his face. His expression went blank as a mask.
The calm before the storm.
At some point, the sunset light that had been streaming through the window had vanished completely. Deep darkness now ruled the room. I wanted to turn on a light, but given Oscar’s mood, it wasn’t exactly the time to ask.
The only illumination came from the small magical lamp on my desk—a feeble, uncertain glow. Without it, the room would be pure black.
I forced my voice to stay light as I addressed him.
”You’ve come a long way from the frontier. You must be tired. I’ve had a meal prepared. Please, stay and rest tonight,” I offered, attempting to defuse the tension.
”Forgive me, but something has come up. I have matters to attend to,” Oscar replied, his voice devoid of emotion.
Oscar said this quietly, then bowed deeply. He boarded the carriage that had brought him here, and without another word, disappeared into the night.
”…I suppose I was a bit of a jerk, huh. Still, his attitude was uncalled for, don’t you think?” I asked, turning to my servant Ashraf, who stood behind me.
—
Summary:
Xenos is confronted by his father’s steward, Oscar Blackwell, who systematically lists every failure Xenos has accumulated since arriving at the Royal Capital. Despite his flippant deflections, Xenos’s internal monologue reveals he knows Oscar will report everything to his father, who wants him dead. After a cold final exchange, Oscar departs with clear intent to take action, leaving Xenos alone with his servant Ashraf and a lingering sense of impending doom.
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Trivia:
Oscar Blackwell is the most trusted confidant of Margrave Gaius, Xenos’s father, who actively wants Xenos dead.
The eighty thousand gold coins were rebellion funds that Xenos spent at a black-market auction.
Xenos publicly antagonized Zoltan Rex, who was supposed to be recruited as an ally for the rebellion.
Xenos’s team “defeated” the Kerberos, a magical beast that would have been a valuable asset to the rebellion.
Xenos has been meeting with the princess of Adrastea Empire, their enemy nation.
Xenos submitted to a Royal Family forced search without resistance.
Xenos has made zero progress on rebellion preparations despite being the son of the rebellion’s leader.
Xenos sent monsters to attack Margrave Albion’s territory, weakening a potential ally.
Xenos compares himself to Nobita, a classic lazy, incompetent character from Doraemon.
Oscar’s final line implies he has decided to act against Xenos, likely by reporting him or eliminating him.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Blackwell – Oscar’s last name. The Head butler of Grimlock family.
• Grimlock – Xenos’s family name.
• Oscar – Head butler of the Grimlock family and Gaius’s most trusted confidant. A tall, lean man in his late forties with impeccably groomed gray hair, silver-rimmed glasses, and a perfectly tailored black tailcoat, he is known for his expressionless face and piercing azure eyes. Beyond managing the family’s servants, he serves as the Grimlocks’ strategist and spymaster, overseeing finances, intelligence, covert operations, and rebellion funding.
• Gaius – Leon’s father and head of the Grimlock family. Suspected by the royals in Liliana’s disappearance but holds significant authority in the frontier.
• Xenos – Job: Heir to a high-ranking noble house; Relationship: Owner of Lilia; Has romantic connections with Elenor, Cecilia, and Lizel; Item/Magic: Summoning magic, [Substitution Collars]; Note: Was caught up in a Royal Palace explosion and missed three days of school. Pragmatic and calculating personality. Job: Noble of Grimlock family, protagonist; Relationship: Manipulator of Princess Liliana, pursuing Serena; Item/Magic: [Ring of Transformation]; Note: Reincarnated villain with game knowledge, calculating and arrogant. Job: Theater Owner and noble of Grimlock family; Relationship: Fiancé to Cecilia; Item/Magic: Game knowledge/metaknowledge; Note: Reincarnated villain protagonist who knows the original game script.
• Ashraf – Job: Teleportation demon; Relationship: Guardian of Xenos’s mansion; Note: Guards against potential attacks.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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