Children were rare. After the Metamorphosis, those children who had been born before it Descended were highly likely to die. And, during the Metamorphosis… who had time to have children?
Many were too busy fighting for their lives. And, even when they wanted to lose themselves in pleasure with a partner, who would want to bring a child into this world?
The contraceptive methods of these modern times were so good that 100% effectiveness wouldn't be an exaggeration in the slightest.
However, it was precisely because of this that many had forgotten one important detail.
As talented as the children born before the Metamorphosis were… How much more talented would the ones being born after it be?
Miles had awakened an S-grade talent. His father was a Variant. Secretary Marquisette Maia had awakened an A-grade talent.
With the genes this child would have, Miles had little faith that this baby would be untalented. In fact, there was a good chance that this half-brother of his would be far more talented than himself.
Miles realized something else as well…
Originally, his father was slowly fading out of his prime. It wouldn't have been more than a decade or two before he was forced to hand down his position. But, in this new world order, his father might even live doubly as long as he once would have.
Under such conditions, why would he have to rush to pick an Heir?
All of these matters made Miles feel as though the walls were crashing down upon him. No matter what he did, he was forced into a deeper and deeper corner.
He lost contact with his biological mother. His father's conversations with him were short and detached. And, even his friendship with Simeon and the connection he had gained to the hidden families seemed strained now.
It was at his darkest hour that Earth suddenly descended into chaos and the Invalids began to attack.
At first they repelled them and thought that would be the end of it. However, a first wave became a second and a third.
It was then they realized that Invalids shouldn't have a concept of retreat. The only way for them to 'repel' a wave would be by killing them all, but obviously, they hadn't done so.
At this point, they came to the shocking realization that these Invalids were… being controlled.
For the first time, Miles saw a lit pathway out of his current situation. The more chaotic it became, the greater chance he would have.
If he could use this opportunity to not only fix his image, but to also find an opportunity to find where Maia was hiding her embryo to kill it before it grew, he might have a chance at recovering in his father's eye.
Maia might have held all the status now, but her ability was absolutely useless in combat. All she could do was maintain her youthful looks, her combat prowess was worse than even someone with an F-grade ability.
This sort of situation was the perfect time for Miles to seize control. But, he needed an opportunity. If he acted too fast and without cause, his actions would end up being more of an impediment to what he was doing. If he wanted to turn things around he had to be patient.
So, that was what he did.
Day after day, he waited, not lifting a finger. At this point, even those nobles who had expected him to make a move by now couldn't help but grow curious about what his plans were. But, Miles continued to bide his time.
From the actions of this Variant Invalid, he could tell that it wanted this Fort. As for the reason it wanted it, Miles wasn't sure. Maybe it wanted the population of humans within, maybe it wanted to use this place as a base to consolidate its power, or maybe it was a combination of both. But, regardless, as long as this Variant was persistent, that was all that mattered to Miles.
…
At that moment, during what was the third wave, Miles sat in his office. Even though he was safely tucked away near the core of the city, he could still hear the bombardment of the military units.
He sat silently, sipping a cup of tea.
"Come in." He said neither too quickly, nor slowly.
Something about his demeanor breathed calm into his surroundings. Even when pressed into a corner, he still maintained the air of a noble.
With a light click, the door opened to reveal a familiar young man. If Leonel was here to see his tall frame and playboy-like features, he would immediately recognize this young man as his former best friend, James.
"Do you have something to report?" Miles took another sip of his tea.
Though his words were measured and calm, there was a hint of warning within them. He was trying to maintain a low profile. Having meetings like this might be fine since both he and James were both youths of similar age, but if they happened too frequently and without reason, others would begin to raise their guards.
James calmly faced Miles. In comparison to Fin and Thorn who had been quaking before their superiors, he was clearly a large measure better in this regard.
"My father sent me here to report that the noble council is beginning to think of more unconventional strategies to deal with the horde once and for all. If things continue like this, the Variant Invalid will only continue to regroup and attack. During these discussions, the potential of using your abilities to set up a wide range illusion field came up."
Miles' gaze sharpened. "Who brought this topic up?"
"There's no need to worry, Junior Governor Duke. It wasn't my father who brought this idea forward."
"Good, good." Miles' lip curled.
If it was one of his potential allies that brought this idea forward, there wouldn't have been much of a point in him lying low for so long. Allowing things to progress organically in this fashion was for the best.
"And Secretary Marquisette Maia's opinion?"
"She was once again absent of the council gathering." James replied.
Miles' brow furrowed slightly. He didn't know why Maia was always disappearing like this. But, this was ultimately good for him. He didn't know how she managed to keep a rein on power while being absent so frequently, but Miles was certain she wouldn't be able to replicate this indefinitely. Eventually, she would pay a price for her absence.
"Alright, leave things as is for now, don't push too hard unnecessarily. You can go."
James nodded and turned to leave.
"Hold on." Miles suddenly called out.
"The matter of Conrad Siegfried."
James froze but didn't reply, waiting for what Miles wanted to say.
If Leonel had been there, he would have immediately recognized this name. Conrad… He was the same man who almost dropped James out of a window and the very same man Aina killed with her own hands right before Leonel.
"We put a lot of effort to pull in that wastrel from the Siegfried family, but he ended up dying." Miles said plainly. "In the past it didn't matter much. Becoming allies with the White Angel Province's Governor Duke family might have been a plus, but not a necessity. But now, it's far more important than it once was…
"To now, the Siegfried family still doesn't know how their son died, right?" Miles asked slowly.
James shook his head.
They didn't know. To now, they probably still thought Conrad died in a Zone or beneath the claws of some Invalids.
But, it went to show how little they cared about this son. Despite knowing the Metamorphosis was coming, they didn't even stop him from playing in the National Championship game.
"You said that he was killed by that Aina girl the Simeon came to get, right?" A smile creeped up on Miles' face.
The Brazinger family wanted to abandon him, huh? Since that was the case, he'd spin a nice little web.
For such a powerful family, such a thing would hardly be enough to inconvenience them… In normal times that is. Miles knew some things many didn't due to his relationship with Simeon. He might as well use them to his advantage.
James nodded somewhat more stiffly this time and turned to leave again. This time, Miles didn't stop him.
Soon, the third wave ended and days later, the fourth began. Without a choice, the council of nobles called Miles forward.
The Junior Governor Duke took his first step toward reclaiming his lost status.