Guiding the Male Lead out of His Trauma

Brondearn.

The house of high-ranking Manifesters, led by its current head, Duke Glock Brondearn.

This is one of Valmoth’s most distinguished families, having rendered countless services since ancient times.

While it was always known as an eminent house that could not be left out of any history book, what made it even more special was the emergence of Manifesters.

‘The cradle of Transcendents.’

By producing a great number of high-ranking Transcendents, Brondearn acquired a power incomparable to any other house.

In another sense, there was no one who hadn’t heard of it.

And with the outbreak of the Magic Stone War, its fame reached its peak.

Even aside from Glock Brondearn himself, his siblings became indispensable forces on the front lines.

I stared blankly at the cup from which I’d just spit water at the duke’s outrageous words, then set it down.

‘So that’s it. No wonder the relationship between the crown prince and Brondearn is so delicate. The crown prince believes that if Brondearn’s power grows further, they’ll eventually turn against him. That’s why, even as he keeps them close, he tries to cut off their arms and legs so they can’t gain more influence.’

The duke was generous, even about my blunder.

With a calm expression, he was telling the butler to bring a different wine since he wasn’t pleased with the one just served.

Thanks to that, I had some space to further dissect the relationship between the crown prince and Brondearn.

While the subtle tug-of-war with the crown prince was ongoing, a newly manifested S-Class Guide had just refused the crown prince’s sponsorship.

And it was someone already connected to Brondearn.

Only now did I realize just how much of a windfall my ‘incident’ must be for the Duke.

And that day, Acteon’s words as well.

Once released from the Bureau, I was immediately invited by the duke upon arriving at the mansion.

He had prepared a lavish dinner, and it was all too obvious what he wanted from me.

I had to make a real effort to recall the duke’s position while enduring the disgust that came from remembering his past deeds I’d seen through Acteon.

‘Glock Brondearn and his relatives are the crown prince’s closest confidants, acting as his sword.’

Especially when it came to the most troublesome adversary in this war, the Empire of Uskal.

There, S-Class Transcendents and Guides formally partnered together, and their appearance would bring tremendous casualties.

The only one able to stand against Uskal was virtually Glock Brondearn himself, and from then on, even the royal family could not easily ignore Brondearn.

These people were gradually seizing key positions in the military as officers, so the crown prince had no choice but to keep a close and constant watch.

‘To be so greedy when you already possess power that others couldn’t even dream of holding… In a way, it’s remarkable. He certainly has a clear driving force in life.’

When I hesitated to drink again, an attendant replaced my glass with a fresh one.

It was Acteon who did it for me while I sat there dazed.

“…Thank you. I apologize for showing such a pitiful sight.”

“It’s nothing. I’ve shown you far worse myself.”

“Hearing it put that way, it sounds strange.”

I gave him a sideways glance, took a sip of water, and tried to politely refuse the duke’s suggestion, which he was clearly not treating as a mere joke.

“You two don’t seem completely indifferent to each other, though.”

But it seemed the duke had no intention of letting the engagement talk slide as a joke.

“That’s impossible. How could I possibly make such a mistake?”

“Acteon, do you feel the same?”

Now holding a rank on par with his father—unlike half a year ago—Acteon handled the situation a bit more deftly and vaguely.

“…That’s a difficult question.”

“Hm.”

“Above all, if it ever came to proposing an engagement, I’d want it to be by my own will, not by the will of the household.”

Worried the duke would start making a fuss again, I quickly cut in.

“Your Grace, to be honest…”

“Honestly? It’s not that you’re displeased, is it?”

“No, I’m speaking about my case. They say there’s never been a precedent for this. For now, everyone treats me well since I’m the new S-Class, but there’s never been a case like mine.”

I deliberately gave a vague smile, and the duke’s momentum abated a little.

“I can’t help but feel anxious, thinking I might one day return to my previous rank.”

I calmly coaxed him.

It was easy enough to make the duke hesitate.

He wanted a high-ranking Guide.

While Brondearn was overflowing with A-Class and above Transcendents—so many you could actually count them on one hand—their sheer power also made them prone to self-destruction, so there was a serious shortage of Guides capable of stabilizing them.

‘The duke’s standards are high. And… it was only because Acteon and I were exceptional that this even happened. Normally, he’d say it’s inefficient for a B-Class to guide an A-Class or higher Transcendent.’

Once the duke fell silent, swirling his wine, I resumed eating.

It was clear he was seriously considering the hypothetical I’d raised.

He was not someone who would leave even a speck that might tarnish the honor of his house.