Dear Broom Knight.

Chapter 889 I Have an Older Brother

Yuri has always respected his biological mother, who is not his biological mother.

After all, his background is rather...unspeakable, and he wasn't so easily accepted in the first place.

He was, after all, merely a figurehead registered under the other party's name.

The fact that this woman could raise her adopted son to the point where he wouldn't accept his father's family but was willing to acknowledge his mother's family suggests that she was naive to the point of foolishness, but it doesn't mean she had any problems.

Yuri actually knew that because of him, his father's clan inexplicably chose to form a marriage alliance with the maternal clan, which treated their daughters like fools.

They even listed him under his mother's name on the marriage certificate... which caused his maternal clan to change drastically after the wedding.

Normal nobles would not like such a wife, as it would be tantamount to mutilating their own arm.

Everyone has different considerations.

Even the most immoral nobleman hopes that if something happens to him, his wife can support the family before the children grow up, rather than crying and turning to her father or brothers for help, handing over the children's property to others... that would be a terrible thing to marry.

A marriage certificate can indeed restrain excessive influence and at least save the children's lives, but... apart from fixed assets, there's probably nothing left.

But how could an ambitious nobleman live off fixed assets alone?

Therefore, Yuri's maternal clan did not have a very good marriage alliance situation.

Even older nobles who need a docile successor wife would not choose their family... A woman who is too dependent on her father and brothers is actually the biggest threat to her stepchildren.

An ambitious man like his father would never be interested in the women in this family.

However, Yuri actually had a slight suspicion that the reason his father dared to do this was probably because his biological mother had chosen this family herself.

Well... considering the composition of the High Tower Church, that family could indeed force out a High Tower believer.

Therefore, his biological mother is very likely to be someone like his 'mother's' great-aunt.

Otherwise, even if their social statuses were not comparable, that family wouldn't have accepted it so readily.

And his mother wouldn't develop any real maternal feelings for him just because she took care of him.

He was stripped of his status as heir and sent to the palace to become a scholar, although it was because his mother finally gave birth to a son after so many years, but... it had nothing to do with his mother's own wishes.

That lady is a pushover; anyone can take advantage of her.

Even if she can't have children, she won't think about whether her husband is preventing her from having them; she'll just keep blaming herself for being incapable.

Fortunately, Yuri was there... Of course, the lady had secretly considered the possibility of complications during childbirth, given her physical condition and the importance her family placed on her.

Having children is great, but not having them isn't a problem either.

She certainly won't outlive her husband, so there's no need to worry about whether her children will be filial.

But she couldn't even tell her own maids this; she could only whisper it to Yuri, who couldn't speak yet, when no one was around.

She was truly alone and helpless, and even dressed in fine clothes and adorned with jewels, she dared not do anything out of line.

Her personality was like an invisible steel wire, honed by the strict upbringing she received from her father, brothers, and elders over the years... She knew something was wrong, but she also knew that touching it would result in a bloody mess and a body full of wounds.

But no one can deny that she is kind at heart.

It was precisely because of her kindness that she was so tightly bound.

Yuri was abandoned, and the reason she wasn't the last to find out was because she was the one who was pregnant.

Otherwise, she would still remain in the dark.

But this wasn't something those people told her; it was something she realized on her own after suddenly becoming pregnant.

Yuri was able to live a relatively good life after entering the palace because that lady carefully took advantage of her pregnancy to secretly pocket a lot of money and gave it to Yuri.

She simply never had the opportunity to make her own decisions in her life.

Unfortunately, his younger brother looked exactly like his father.

Yuri felt that this was also why the woman cherished him even more.

Regardless, Yuri was the one who truly loved her.

She was not unaware of her family's wickedness, but she felt that Yuri was valuable to the family.

Indeed, if it weren't for the high price offered by the person who wanted to buy him, his mother's family would have maintained a friendly relationship with him.

After all, the name of Leon, whom he followed, had never been completely removed from the royal register.

The royal allowance is still being paid out every year!
Yuri hated many people... but he truly regarded her as his mother.

What truly pained that woman was the knowledge that as long as she lived, she was the sharpest sword aimed at Yuri.

Even if the real crime was committed by the hand gripping the sword hilt.

Yet, her body would still be splattered with the blood of Yuri, whom she regarded as her own son.

Yuri actually wanted outsiders to think that he was this woman's child, so he didn't plan to take the most explosive measures to retaliate directly. Instead, he planned to take it slowly and let those two families disappear silently.

Of course, Leon was well aware of all this, which is why he hesitated.

After all, Yuri's ambiguous attitude towards his family wasn't exactly a secret. Even if people didn't know the reason, most knew he didn't harbor the same... hatred as Miriam. As for their other swordsman brother, Aruna, there was absolutely no need to mention him.

The unlucky kid had no intention of making a public appearance. He quickly accepted the task of guarding the underground palace and plunged inside.

Even on such an important day, he remained hidden among the crowd, leaving the spotlight to his youngest brother, Miriam.

Milian's family still has a chance to search, but Aruna can only grit her teeth and remain silent.

After all, how do you know that the person in charge of the king's secret affairs is someone from your family?

You've already looked for it? How did you find it?

No one dares to publicly take on the responsibility of spying on royal secrets.

Only Yuri...

Leon looked at the document and sighed: "Yuri, some things may be beyond our control."

This was a calculated scheme by the nobles who knew Yuri's true identity.

Even if Leon stands firmly behind Yuri and never doubts his loyalty amidst those attacks, Yuri's status is naturally diminished because he is not as hostile towards his own family.

If he were to become prime minister again, it would inevitably attract a lot of criticism.

Unless he reveals that he has no connection to this family... but then he would be an illegitimate child.

Even if no one knows the woman's background, being an illegitimate child will always put you at the very bottom of the social hierarchy.

It's not necessarily any better than having your maternal clan, with whom you have a strained relationship, be the traitors.

“It’s alright,” Yuri said slowly, head bowed. “I’m already prepared.”

"What should we do?" Leon asked bluntly.

"The Prime Minister promised me that he would remain in the North as a proper figurehead until His Majesty Travis finds a suitable location for the main temple."

"He certainly won't do the work, but he can hold the title," Yuri replied calmly. "I will try my best to train a qualified deputy to share the excessive workload."

"So what are you planning to do, Finance Minister?" Leon laughed.

“Then, I’ll leave it to Seven!” Yuri smiled. “I think the position of head of the Noble Affairs Bureau is more suitable for me.”

Leon hesitated, glancing down twice. "Can it... work?"

"Guess why it was so easy to dispose of my identity back then?" Yuri gave a malicious smile.

The Noble Affairs Bureau was already severely weakened by the involvement of high-ranking officials in treason, and was unable to mount a large-scale resistance.

The person in charge has veto power.

Unless he is willing, no one but Yuri can take over.

Yuri felt that he could perfectly manage both the roles of assistant to the prime minister and deputy director of the noble affairs office.

"His Majesty Travis knows?" Leon shook his head, looking confused.

"Are you thinking about something you shouldn't be thinking about?" Yuri looked up, his sharp eyes shooting out from behind his bangs. "Have I ever told you that I have an older brother?"

Leon suddenly realized: "凸(艹皿艹)!"

Then he couldn't help but look back: "His Majesty Travis's way of using people is truly masterful."

Leon found it truly amazing that a child from before the Tower Witch embarked on that path was used as the manager of a noble's office.

However, the Northland was indeed the place where the Tower Church had the least influence.

It's not that no nobles didn't become followers of the Tower; there were always those who couldn't control their own desires.

However, there is no continuous family of towers.

But in other countries, even with the strictest regulations, towering nobles still continue to emerge.

It wasn't until they endangered the safety of the people, caused numerous casualties, and were accidentally discovered and eliminated by some churches that the nobles belatedly realized what had happened.

Travis must have made some kind of agreement with that witch, which is why the Tower Church has almost no established combat formation in the North except for their leader taking action himself.

The Lord of the Tower would not concern himself with such matters.

Unless someone dares to challenge his will, he doesn't care about the infighting among his subordinates.

Those who failed to outmaneuver the witch and whose methods were thoroughly understood are the truly deserving of condemnation as worthless trash.

Leon suddenly realized that he, who was chosen by Yuri, could have actually taken another path.

He was originally supposed to be under Travis's throne, managing the internal affairs of the royal family, and working with Yuri to resolve the various entanglements between the royal family and the nobility.

Like that old gentleman who stayed in the underground palace, coordinating the tutoring courses for the royal family members, managing the children with different temperaments and personalities, and solving some internal affairs for his fellow clansmen like Almes who stayed in the palace to work.

He is indeed very good at arranging teaching work... The reserve training of Tiger Blade has always been one of the best in the adventure group.

(End of this chapter)