The Long-Yam Family was known for its shrewdness, and Marquis Merlin Long-Yam of Red Crab Island prided himself on the same quality. Unlike other marquis families, he had not arranged marriages based on matching social standing.
Instead, he valued potential. His eldest son, Messiro, married a count's daughter, whose family was backed by the Iron Knight Family, ensuring that the Long-Yam Family never lacked weapons or equipment. His eldest daughter, Melinda, married Roland Pinecone, son of the Viscount of Longtail City, who had then been widely hailed as a "genius."
His youngest daughter, Melissa, married Leewilliam, Viscount of Tahiti City.
Within a few years of the marriage, Leewilliam had been granted the title of Count of Coral Island for his outstanding military achievements, and swiftly advanced to become a Sword Saint, proving Marquis Merlin's keen eye for talent.
Yet Roland had not risen to prominence on the battlefield as he had expected. On the contrary, after Viscount Roland inherited his title, he performed with utter mediocrity. At one point, he had even been too afraid to go to war, while his strength remained stalled at the level of an elite Earth Knight.
Thus, Roland became a stain on Marquis Merlin's life. For more than twenty years, he had received no promotion and remained merely the Viscount of Longtail City. Though bitterly resentful within, Viscount Roland still did not dare prove himself on the battlefield, and so muddled through more than two decades in a daze.
After Marquis Merlin died, Messiro, who was about to inherit the marquis title, did not like this useless brother-in-law of his either.
Therefore, Roland did not hold much loyalty toward the Long-Yam Family. Though they lived on the same Red Crab Island, he might not visit Long-Yam Castle more than a few times a year—perhaps