Otaku Translation: I! Anomaly Cleansing Agent! C118

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Chapter 118: The Chief's Advice

Donate the entire Lion family fortune… to the royal house?

Upon hearing Leon’s words, the red-haired chief couldn’t help but straighten up in surprise.

Even though the Lion family was already on its last legs—likely to be stripped of most of their assets by various factions gnawing at them like vultures circling a carcass, leaving behind only an empty shell—it was still more wealth than any “ordinary person” could ever dream of spending in a lifetime. So why would he choose to give it all away?

“Because the salary from the Cleansing Bureau is more than enough for me,” Leon explained calmly. “It lets my family live comfortably, even lavishly. Inheriting the dukedom would bring far greater riches, sure—but also endless trouble. Anna and the others’ lives would be completely disrupted. Compared to that, I think this is the better path.”

After briefly laying out his reasoning, Leon paused, then added with a wry smile:

“And honestly, there’s also the matter of avoiding suspicion. If I inherit the title of Duke of Lionheart, I’d look like the biggest beneficiary of the infamous Lion Blood Night massacre. Investigators might start poking around, asking questions they shouldn’t. Better to push them into finding someone else to take over the title and get rid of this burden as soon as possible.”

So, to you, the accumulated wealth of an entire ducal family is just… baggage?

The red-haired chief stared into Leon’s eyes for a moment, searching for any hint of insincerity. When she found none, her eyebrows arched slightly, and her gaze flicked down to the toad pendant hanging from Leon’s neck.

It made sense, really. If Leon had been consumed by greed for power or riches, he probably wouldn’t have resisted the pull of the Sacred Spirit that governed wealth either. His decision wasn’t hard to understand—but still…

“Why donate it specifically to the royal house?” she asked finally.

Leaning back in her chair, the chief tapped her fingers thoughtfully against the desk before speaking again, her tone serious now.

“If your goal is simply to pressure them into choosing another heir, I don’t recommend donating to the royal family. They might not accept it.”

She paused, letting her words sink in. “Think about it—it would look too much like seizing property under false pretenses. The old nobility still holds considerable sway, and if mishandled, this move could provoke a massive backlash. That kind of political firestorm would leave the royal house scrambling to put out flames for months. And besides…” She smirked faintly. “Even without your donation, given their current influence, the royal house will likely claim thirty or forty percent of the Lion estate anyway. With some clever maneuvering? Maybe even fifty percent. Why risk stirring up trouble when they can achieve similar results without stepping into murky waters? There’s a good chance they’ll reject your offer outright.”

“…”

Hadn’t thought of that.

Leon blinked, momentarily stunned. He felt a wave of relief wash over him for having consulted the chief first instead of blindly forging ahead. If the royal house had refused his generous ‘gift,’ he’d have been left holding the bag—and looking exceptionally foolish while doing so.

Realizing yet again how wide the gap between himself and the chief truly was, Leon quickly adopted his trademark humility and leaned forward earnestvly.

“In that case, what do you suggest I do?”

“Simple.”

With a sharp snap of her fingers, the red-haired chief grinned mischievously.

“The succession ceremony is a major event—the princess will undoubtedly attend. Just use the entirety of the Lion family fortune as a dowry and propose to her on the spot!”

“…”

“What?! Are you serious?!”

“You trust me; this is absolutely the best solution.”

Watching Leon’s jaw drop like a marionette whose strings had been cut, the chief felt a deep sense of satisfaction for payback after being surprised by him. Chuckling softly, she continued:

“Your ultimate goal here is to force them to pick someone else as the successor, right? Right now, both you and the remnants of the Lion family are seen as fish on a chopping block—no matter how much you squirm, you’re destined to be carved up piece by piece. Whether you act outrageously or sensibly won’t change the outcome one bit.”

She leaned forward, her expression smug. “Even if you were to donate the Lion fortune, it wouldn’t make a difference because what you’re giving away is merely the monetary wealth. The real treasures—the seat in the House of Lords, the influence within the military department, and the Department of Public Works—aren’t things you can hand over. Those core assets will inevitably fall into the hands of whichever noble family steps in next through marriage alliances.”

“But if you propose to the princess using the whole Lion family fortune as a dowry…” Her grin widened. “Then everything changes.”

As Leon stared at her blankly, the chief pressed on confidently:

“If you succeed, the princess gets everything: the Lion fortune, the seat in the House of Lords, and control over their positions in the military and public works departments. It’s a clean sweep. With those resources added to her side, the royal house would effectively dominate nine out of the kingdom’s key administrative branches. Add in the secondary influences they already wield elsewhere, and suddenly, the princess controls over half of the government’s functional departments.”

“And let’s not forget the Deputy to the Lord Chancellor of the House of Lords—a position that gives her leverage in both chambers of parliament. Even if the old nobility bands together, their combined strength would barely surpass hers by twenty or thirty percent. Factor in internal power struggles and scheming among themselves, and we’re looking at a near-even split between pro-princess and anti-princess factions. For the first time, she’d have the momentum needed to push through reforms that have been blocked for years. The blow dealt to the entrenched aristocracy would be devastating.”

Her voice softened slightly, almost gleeful. “Once they realize the implications of your proposal, I doubt they’ll hesitate to replace you as duke. Hell, they might even consider killing you on the spot to prevent such a union.”

“…”

Leon sat silently, his face shifting from shock to disbelief and finally settling into mute resignation. The chief, thoroughly enjoying herself, delivered her final verdict with a satisfied smirk:

“If you follow my advice, the worst-case scenario is that you successfully shed the title of duke. Best case? You marry the princess and ascend to become a prince consort.”

She leaned back in her chair, folding her arms triumphantly. “Well, little Leon~ What do you think of my brilliant plan?”

“…”

Your plan’s fine, but did you really need to mess with me while giving it?

By now, Leon had caught on to the fact that his chief enjoyed teasing him mercilessly. Clearly, this outrageous suggestion was less strategic counsel and more playful ribbing.

“Thank you for the reminder, Chief,” he said stiffly, committing the foolproof strategy to memory despite the humiliation.

“But surely,” he added dryly, “I don’t actually need to go through with proposing to the princess. Simply mentioning my intention should be enough to get them to kick me out of the dukedom.”

“That could work,” the chief admitted with a shrug, her grin never wavering. “But are you sure you don’t want to consider it?”

She leaned forward conspiratorially. “From what I’ve heard about the princess, she’s pragmatic to a fault. If you present your conditions clearly, she’ll likely agree immediately. Plus…” The chief raised an eyebrow suggestively. “She is known as the most beautiful woman in the capital. Are you telling me you don’t feel even a tiny spark of—”

“No,” Leon interrupted flatly, cutting her off before she could spiral further into absurdity. Having extracted the information he needed, he saw no reason to linger and endure further mockery. Rising abruptly, he turned toward the door.

“There’s a backlog of work waiting for me. Unless there’s something urgent, I’ll take my leave.”

“Mm-hmm, go ahead~” the chief chirped cheerfully, watching him depart with an amused expression.

Once Leon was gone, she stretched lazily, picked up a stack of documents, and returned to her work. But as the afternoon sun began its descent, casting golden light across her desk, she suddenly gasped and slapped her forehead.

“Oh no!” Riffling through her drawer, she pulled out a small, hair-tied bundle—a stolen keepsake Jerry had pilfered from Leon during their earlier meeting. In her distraction (first with business, then with teasing), she’d completely forgotten to return it.

With a sigh, she set the object aside, resolving to give it back later. For now, though, she allowed herself a small, self-satisfied smile. After all, guiding young Leon always left her feeling particularly accomplished—even if she did enjoy making him squirm along the way.

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