Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 124

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

“There’s no chance of winning at all. What is Sera thinking?”
“Hey, fights like this aren’t about winning. They’re about pissing off the other side.”
Sera didn’t seem like the type to have such cunning tactics. Besides, the fact that the status window awarded 100,000 experience points suggested that Sera’s minor provocation of Cecilia wouldn’t have caused such a dramatic shift in events. How petty was this notification system? There was precedent—when Gerth had proposed a mating ritual to me, the system had reported that the development barely changed.
“Y-Your Highness, there’s Brandenburg and… and Letem too. Surely… surely they can’t… lose, right?”
“Letem only said he’d lift a spoon. He never said he’d fully side with Sera.”
Reina Letem delivered a stomach-turning answer to Kanna’s innocent question about succession indifference. If Reina, the one most deeply involved in this matter, took such a stance, then only I could resolve Kanna’s doubt.
“Unless there’s a serious flaw, the eldest daughter wins the throne. That’s the rule.”
“Is… is that how it works?”
“Even the children of ordinary craftspeople—usually the eldest daughter inherits the family trade.”
Kanna nodded as if recalling something. Those whose livelihoods depend directly on skills typically pass their family affairs to the eldest daughter. Maternal traits tend to manifest more easily in the eldest daughter, and sometimes she becomes even stronger than her predecessor. You could see this clearly just by looking at House Neftis and Letem.
“It prevents family characteristics from leaking to outsiders. And above all, the eldest daughter carries symbolic weight.”
Granting legitimacy to outsiders could become a headache, so preventing such situations beforehand was crucial. This was also why certain dynasties encouraged consanguineous marriage. And the symbolic weight of the eldest daughter was ultimately the same as legitimacy.
“Moreover, Cecilia has not only no flaws as a successor to the throne—she possesses genuine aptitude.”
The symbolism and legitimacy of being the eldest daughter, the charisma she’d demonstrated leading ministers and nobles since childhood, even her seemingly cruel but actually pragmatic temperament—all of these made her suitable to rule. A ruler who could make decisive cuts was far preferable to one who was soft and agreeable, nodding along to everyone’s opinions.
“She hasn’t caused any particularly problematic incidents either.”
“As for incidents, the Second Princess’s presence is so overwhelming that most things get overlooked anyway.”
Eugene was right. Because the Second Princess had caused such catastrophically massive scandals, people would support Cecilia as the safe choice—unless she was foolish enough to destroy the nation.
“There’s no point in taking unnecessary risks. The Third Princess has a terrible personality, but she’s competent too, so if you’re marked by her, it’s frightening.”
“Brandenburg operates as an independent force separate from the center, so there’s no one to worry about.”
So Eugene was a noble too. The brat was subtly needling Reina.
To Eugene’s backhanded comment about how exhausting it must be to worry about so many people, Reina’s eyebrows twitched and she raised her voice slightly.
“How does Brandenburg not worry about others? Eighty percent of your grain revenue comes from granaries owned by the Imperial Court and central nobles.”
“That was settled with the Dragon King situation.”
“You think the Dragon King is going to listen to albums for a thousand years?”
“Geographically, the Saria Kingdom is closer than the Capital anyway.”
“Wow! Brandenburg is committing treason!”
“I don’t want to hear that from Letem, who hasn’t supported us with even a single potato.”
Stop fighting, you great nobles. Before Brandenburg and Letem tore each other’s heads off, I mimicked the Sunbird and quickly brewed honey milk tea, serving it to them. Reina, who had been marveling at the day she’d finally receive tea from me, took a sip of the milk tea and her face turned a sickly shade of blue.
“Blegh!”
“Evan Laef, I’m sorry, but this is an insult to tea leaves and milk.”
For Eugene to say something like that… I took a sip of the milk tea they’d left behind and tilted my head. The tea leaves were a bit bitter, and the honey flavor was somewhat separate, but otherwise it seemed fine to me.
“E-Evan, I… I’ll have… another c-cup!”
“Be careful, or that’s love.”
Despite Reina’s pressure, Kanna stubbornly demanded another cup, so I poured the remaining milk tea for her and we enjoyed tea time together. Perhaps because the tea tasted mediocre, I found myself craving snacks.
“Evan Laef!”
Just then, Sera Crowell appeared, carrying a bag full of red bean buns—the common folk’s favorite treat. Friend, you bring a mountain of sweet red bean pastries and call me like I’m some cartoon character.
“I refuse.”
“How did you know I had a favor to ask?!”
Typically, the narrative flows in such a direction. Especially since the moment you called me by that ridiculous name, it was already foreseeable.
“Anyway, I have something I want to ask of you, Evan Laef, master of ice magic!”
“I refuse.”
“At least hear me out before refusing!”
“I refuse.”
If you’re going out of your way to buy bread just to ask a favor, it’s obvious it’ll be either incredibly annoying or dangerous. Without a notification from the status window, I won’t be swayed.
“Please, I’m begging you! I’ll even get you those yellow peaches you love!”

Fate has been updated. If you refuse Sera Crowell’s request, you will die. 5.

Damn it, if you pop up now, what does that make me? A person who sold their life for a single peach.

Fate has been updated. If you refuse Sera Crowell’s request, you will die. 4.

Shit.
“I demand a considerable quantity of peaches. You’re buying all the peaches I eat this year.”
“Wow, how much does this bastard even like peaches?”
“Evan really, really loves peaches, doesn’t he?”
This is exactly why I didn’t want to speak at this timing. If I were a peach, Evan Laef would go crazy—people sympathized with me, arbitrarily concluding it was because of my family’s circumstances, never having tasted high-quality seasonal fruits in childhood.
“I’ll give you all the fruit from the cafeteria.”
“Whenever I see them at the market, I’ll definitely buy some when I come to school.”
“Have you ever tried tropical fruits? Should I go home and bring some?”
“Th-that’s… um… okay.”
They seemed ready to launch a fundraiser for poor Evan right then and there, so I told Sera to just state her business. The woman took a breath and rattled off what sounded like a memorized speech.
“I’ll secretly open the entrance to the water system connected to the stone-breaking fountain device used at the start of the Founding Ceremony. I need you to infiltrate and freeze it without drawing attention.”
“Sera, this doesn’t seem like something you came up with on your own. Where is Sunbird right now?”
“Still at the Imperial Palace. He left me with only this message and collapsed, clutching his stomach.”
Sunbird certainly has it rough. In this urgent situation, he did his best to prevent Sera from clashing head-on with the Crown Princess.
“Hmm, clever thinking. With this approach, the Third Princess can make an appeal that she has no intention of threatening Cecilia, only losing some ground.”
If Sera oversees the Founding Ceremony opening but completes it imperfectly, people will think this way.
Indeed, the Third Princess is no match for the Crown Princess. Cecilia possesses far greater legitimacy and symbolic value.
By forming such public opinion, this incident becomes not a revelation of Sera’s ambition for the Crown Princess’s position, but rather a demonstration of underwhelming performance that further solidifies the Crown Princess’s status.
It’s a painful strategy in many ways, but one that Sunbird wrung out for Sera, who has no intention of entering the succession struggle.
“Well, that was an interesting spectacle.”
“You bastard, your mouth. You big-mouthed bastard.”
Should Sera stand at the brink just because you find it entertaining? No matter how much it’s for protecting Seian, Sera confronting Cecilia is premature.
“True. There is indeed one critical blow missing.”
“Without attaching some major player, those who haven’t moved until now will remain in place forever.”
Brandenburg, who hasn’t yet risen to Grand Duke, and Reina Letem, who is merely an heir, both fall short of being called major players. Of course, if the strategy of Sunbird alone could overturn the confrontation structure, the status window would have pre-granted the development change point and urged me to comply with Sera’s request, which feels unsettling…
Is there any other development that could happen instead of this?
“Sera. I’ll help, but infiltration isn’t my specialty.”
“That’s true. Should I assign you a guide?”
“Word could leak outside. I think Kanna will be enough.”
If Kanna mapped out the infiltration route and provided support as the pride of the Assassination Family, success would come easily. When I said so, trusting in Kanna, the female informant startled and began shaking her feet frantically.
“I-I can help, but I’m, uh, not an assassin!”
“No one said you were an assassin. Calm down, Kanna.”
I embraced Kanna gently to soothe her, then we decided on the timing of the infiltration and how to sabotage the event. As I was devising a plan to block the water pipes across multiple stages without leaving a trace, Sunbird rose from his seat and entered the room.
Sunbird reviewed our plan and gave his approval, then precisely identified the method to breach the water facilities used for the event and which water pipe needed to be frozen. He explained this was an infiltration route unknown even to the Imperial Court—a point where the initial water works construction had gone in the wrong direction, creating a hole that was later sealed with bricks. The thought that this bird, who remembered everything, could massacre everyone in the capital if he set his mind to it sent chills down my spine.

◇ ◆ ◇

With the plan to cut off the cold water at the Founding Ceremony ahead of us, I decided to do a final tally of my skill investments today and visit the Townhouse in House Neftis to meet with Evan’s Father and my younger brother. When I contacted him saying I’d come to get a new welfare card since mine was torn, Evan’s Father replied to come slowly since Mother was out today.
It felt oddly like a runaway daughter sneaking in to grab her things while her scary mother was away, but this wasn’t the time to be picky about circumstances. A monthly allowance of one million crowns was precious, after all.
“Let’s see.”
I opened two status windows and mixed the devil’s chocolate syrup that Hubert had prepared into my milkshake with a swirl. I’d finished my preparations for One Out. Now it was just a matter of point investment.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————