Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are Are So Dangerous! [BL]-Chapter 171: Blood Ties and Schemes

...What was up with that difference?

Rocco had no idea.

"Alright, where should I start? Maybe with the biggest problem right now—the Duke."

"Hold it. Why are you the one leading this discussion?"

Sylas’s exasperated comment was completely ignored as Laxus took a sip of tea and gracefully began his explanation.

"Your grandfather is the man called Duke Wimburg Von Jashin, one of the most prestigious and influential nobles in the kingdom."

Rocco’s mother’s father—his grandfather. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

In the original story, his mother had only been a minor villain, a background character, so her origins were never explored.

This was the first time Rocco was learning about this so-called duke.

From this point on, even his knowledge of the original work wouldn’t help him.

This was all uncharted territory.

He needed to listen carefully.

"Duke Wimburg presents himself as a noble of impeccable conduct—honest, righteous, the very model of a loyal subject to the royal family. However, in reality, he is nothing of the sort."

"...Huh? Is Grandfather... a bad guy?"

Rocco furrowed his brows at the ominous turn of the conversation.

If what Laxus was implying was true, then this so-called grandfather was likely far from the kind of "family" Rocco longed for.

If the man had a hidden agenda, Rocco needed to be fully aware of it.

He couldn’t afford to be swayed by sentimentality.

Laxus, as if recognizing his concern, gave a small, knowing smile and nodded.

"He’s an exceptionally ambitious man. He’ll stop at nothing to elevate his status as a duke. No sacrifice is too great—not his wife, not his daughter... not even his own grandson. If it benefits him, he’ll use anyone as a stepping stone."

A faint tremor ran through Rocco’s hands.

It was such a simple truth, one he should’ve known already—

Not everyone values family.

Circumstances and perspectives differ from person to person.

That was the way of the world.

It was obvious.

And yet, it still made him unbearably sad.

Sensing his distress, Sylas, who had been sitting beside him, wordlessly pulled him into an embrace.

The warmth feeling spread through Rocco’s chest.

The sadness didn’t vanish completely, but it eased, just a little.

That’s right—he already had a family.

One that mattered.

He had siblings who truly cared for him.

Taking a deep breath, Rocco lifted his head, regaining his composure.

Laxus, who had been patiently waiting, took that as his cue to continue.

"...Well, to put it simply, the duke is a man with a deep, treacherous nature. But there’s more. There’s been a certain rumor about him for quite some time."

"A rumor?"

Rocco blinked curiously.

What kind of rumor?

Laxus exchanged glances with Sylas, as if silently confirming something, then gave a small nod.

"Hmm... It’s practically taboo to even mention this name within the kingdom, but..."

Then, with a casual, almost amused chuckle, Laxus dropped the truth.

"Duke Wimburg is said to be a supporter of the Prince’s Faction—the anti-royalist faction."

This kingdom had a clear divide—

A world of light... and a world of shadows.

At the top of the kingdom stood the royal family—unchallenged since the nation’s founding.

Beneath them, the most renowned and "loyal" noble house in service to the crown was none other than the Jashin family.

For generations, the Jashin family had upheld an extreme doctrine of royal supremacy.

Because of this, those who operated in the shadows mockingly referred to them as the kingdom’s lapdogs.

But in reality, they were far from mere obedient servants.

They were a house of master manipulators, pulling the strings of the monarchy and controlling the kingdom’s politics from behind the scenes.

The current king was, at best, gentle-natured, and at worst, a coward.

In truth, he was little more than a figurehead—an ideal puppet.

Duke Wimburg exploited this weakness, using the king as a tool to elevate his own position, securing an undisputed level of political dominance, even surpassing the royal family itself in influence.

Yet, even a strategist as cunning as the duke had formidable opponents.

Among the noble houses, there were two powerful families that stood in direct opposition to Jashin family—

The two great ruling families of the underworld: Di Malvento family and Del Fiore family.

These two families had secured prominent positions even within the official aristocracy.

They weren’t above the Jashin family in rank, but they were equal.

However, in the underworld, it was a different story.

Unlike Jashin family, which relied on manipulation and the court influence, the Di Malvento and Del Fiore families wielded brute force.

They didn’t just hold power—they dominated them.

They were mafia who are feared and revered in equal measure.

And for Duke Wimburg, a man whose ambitions stretched far beyond controlling a mere puppet king, these two families were nothing more than an obstacle to be eliminated.

But eliminating them outright?

That was beyond even his reach.

Instead, he devised a different plan—a way to subdue them from within.

His strategy?

To have his own daughter marry into the Di Malvento family.

If she managed to secure a position as the second wife of the Head of the Di Malvento family, it would be a victory.

If she bore a child carrying Di Malvento blood?

It’s even better.

It was a gamble—an uncertain, vague attempt at infiltration.

But in the end, the plan worked perfectly.

His daughter took the place of Di Malvento’s deceased wife and bore him a son.

Just as Duke Wimburg had planned.

In this kingdom, blood ties were everything.

No matter how strong a bond might be, in the face of blood ties, it was meaningless.

There was even an old, violent saying: Those who go against their own blood are not worthy of being called people.

And right now, it seemed that this very notion of blood ties was the greatest obstacle for the Di Malvento family.

How long had it been since Rocco had started half-listening to this long-winded explanation?

He stole a glance at the clock and froze.

Not that it helped—he hadn’t bothered to check the time when the conversation started.

So much for looking cool and composed.

How clumsy of me.

"I ended up rambling on for quite a while," Laxus admitted with a grin. "But to sum it up—Duke Wimburg’s target is you, Rocco, and that makes things very tricky for us."

"Mmm... because of the blood connection...?" Rocco mumbled between bites. "Munch, munch... I can’t just... munch... reject the duke?"