Gunmage
Chapter 188: Heir apparent

Chapter 188: Chapter 188: Heir apparent

Lugh could already imagine it. A spark of conflict.

The furious Von Heims rallying their forces and storming the D’Aramitz compound, possibly killing a few, confident in their magic, only to get beaten back by firearms from the furious defenders.

Iron flew, blood spilled, the capital engulfed in smoke and fire.

Many people would die, and the forces of Heieg would take advantage of the chaotic situation to further press their already overwhelming advantage, cutting through the lines.

It might lead to a disadvantageous situation in the short term, but once people were truly aware of the capabilities of the firearms, they’d become conscious of how dangerous the situation truly was.

The mages would leave their lofty positions, aiding in military efforts, possibly enlisting directly.

Lugh could imagine the scale of effectiveness and devastation created if a secretive unit like the black powder taskforce became official and was composed of more than a hundred members.

That. That could even the playing field by quite a bit. Sure, his plan might have seen people killed in the beginning, but was the end result worth it? Yes, it definitely was.

But what event could possibly lead to a spark, triggering an all-out war between the D’Aramitz and the Von Heims?

Lugh began to brainstorm, attempting to sketch out a rough plan that, through deliberate guidance and input from him, could achieve the intended effects.

But then he stopped himself, shaking his head.

What the hell am I doing?

He was just about to orchestrate an event that would lead to the death of hundreds, maybe thousands, of people, and he’d done so without batting an eyelid.

An image flashed into his head. It was one of Isolde, on the floor, bleeding out, her body riddled with bullet holes, her daughters crying as they tried futilely to bring her back to life.

He shook his head, banishing the thoughts.

There had to be a better way. But even then, in the small recesses of Lugh’s mind, the idea remained ready to be revived in cases of dire emergencies.

Lugh was quite selfish, after all. If he wasn’t, he would have jumped into the Devil Sea the moment Captain Veyland and his partner made it clear that he was the source of the calamities besieging the fleet.

He snapped back to reality. A question formed in his mind. He turned to Selaphiel.

"Now that I’m a publicly recognized member of the Von Heim family, can I participate in the Jade Tower enforcers exam?"

They all turned to him simultaneously. Selaphiel spoke.

"I was going to make you participate even if you didn’t mention it."

"Is that OK?"

Lugh questioned.

"What do you mean?"

Then he repeated the words he had only once read.

"The enforcers are in charge of enforcing the magical laws. Their loyalty is to the Tower alone. I’m the future head of the Von Heim family. Won’t this bring about some complications?"

Selaphiel thought for a moment, then began.

"Firstly, you aren’t the future head of the Von Heim family."

Silence.

Lugh narrowed his eyes.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

She let out a chuckle.

"No need to get agitated. What I’m trying to say is that nothing is set in stone. So you might not end up becoming the head."

"That’s the same thing,"

Lugh spoke.

She blinked.

"Well, I guess if you think of it that way..."

"And why is this?"

Lugh questioned, his voice tightening with frustration.

"Is it because of my mother?"

"No, not really,"

She responded, thinking nothing of the hostility in his voice—it didn’t even phase her.

"To be honest, there’s no one more qualified for the position than you. You are the son of Lucas, you are male, and your magic is quite exquisite. You’ve even awakened."

"Then—"

"But!"

She interrupted.

Lugh remained silent.

The silence stretched too long.

"But?"

Lugh stated impatiently.

"But!"

She stated theatrically, causing his eyebrows to furrow.

Seeing his reaction, she let out a smile.

"The position of family head seems very alluring to you, even though you never knew much about it until recently. Is there a reason for this?"

She winked.

"Don’t tell me."

She raised her hands to her forehead, as if in a stage play.

"You plan on abusing our power to achieve some hidden objective?!"

Lugh’s eye twitched, and he leaned back in apprehension. She was right. He knew this, same was the case for her and almost everyone else in the room.

His interest in the position, despite knowing little about it, was unhealthy. They might have attributed it to a thirst for power, but those who knew Lugh couldn’t help but think otherwise.

He knew they’d figure it out eventually. He just hadn’t expected the elf to call him out so openly.

So what if he wanted to use the position for personal gain? That was quite literally the only reason anyone competed for positions of authority.

Whether it be restructuring an organization, bettering a country, or simply enjoying the status and power, in the end, it all boiled down to personal gain.

After all, one wouldn’t bring a country out of rot if they didn’t want to.

And if they wanted to, then it had become personal!

While Lugh was thinking about this, Selaphiel spoke again.

"Anyways, what you intend to do with the power and position has nothing to do with me as long as it doesn’t harm the family."

She paused.

"There is only one tiny problem."

"Problem?"

"Well, it’s not so much of a problem as it is a necessary requirement. And you’ve shown that you won’t agree to it, which is why, despite your numerous talents and abilities, you will most likely not become the head of the family."

Ignoring the fact that her words had subtly changed from "might" to "most likely not," Lugh pondered the sentence she had just spoken.

"Requirements."

After a while, he raised his head.

"For a reason like that?"

"Yes! For a reason like that!"

He kneaded his forehead in frustration.

As for the ’requirement,’ it most likely had to do with that marriage proposal...