The Crisis of the Glaberson Family
"Anyway, one thing’s certain—Lowell’s up to no good. But digging deeper into this isn’t going to be easy.”
“I figured.”
I understood exactly what Schneider was getting at.
We’re talking about the Glaberson family here.
They may not be nobles, but they’ve served the ducal house as exclusive court magicians for generations. If a scandal involving the head’s brother were to surface, they’d likely do everything in their power to cover it up.
In my time serving in the royal capital, I saw more than enough corrupt nobles to know how these things go.
That’s exactly why people like Lord Doyle of House Tryon and Lady Alyssa of House McCreed stand out like beacons—so honest, so decent. People like them are the kind who should be running things.
“If the Glabersons get caught in a scandal, it’ll blow back on the McCreeds too. And when that happens, they’ll cut their losses. Drop the Glabersons like dead weight. That’ll be the start of their downfall.”
“They’d really cut ties that easily?”
That seemed harsh. Even if their reputation took a hit, it’s not like the whole family did something wrong. Just the younger brother.
Could they really throw the entire Glaberson name away just like that?
“That’s how perfectionist the McCreeds are. That’s how they’ve maintained their stature all this time… Though, frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve already caught on and started moving behind the scenes.”
“...!”
Schneider had a point.
I’ve spoken face-to-face with Lord Donold McCreed, the current head. The man was clearly shrewd, incredibly competent.
Despite being a high-ranking noble, he’d acknowledged Lord Doyle—a mere frontier lord—and praised him for helping his daughter come out of her shell. That alone showed remarkable open-mindedness.
There’s no way a man like that wouldn’t notice if the Glabersons were up to something shady.
For all I know, those rumored meetings over the mana mines might already have been McCreed's move to contain Lowell’s schemes.
“You’re worried about the second son of the Glabersons, I get that. But are you going to be okay? You’re already working out in the boonies after getting demoted, right? Stick your neck out too far and you might never set foot in the capital again.”
“Since when did you care? What, is the sky falling tomorrow?”
“Don’t joke around. I really do appreciate what you did, y’know?”
“Appreciate it? After I arrested you and threw you in prison?”
“That’s right. Gave me a lot of time to think… and figure out how I want to live once I get out.”
Schneider’s expression as he said that was clear and bright.
… Yeah. He really does seem like he’ll be fine.
What do you think about this chapter?
