At the same time, someone found the will the Daimyo had left behind, explicitly naming his eldest son as his successor.
But his eldest son was dead!!
Now all his sons were eligible to become Daimyo, and he had no shortage of sons.
Each claimed to be the rightful heir, but the situation began to change. The nobles, who originally had no right to interfere in the succession, now had an opportunity to intervene.
The Daimyo's Second Prince acted immediately, suppressing all his younger brothers and securing his position as heir.
Inside Hiryūsuke's residence.
"You went too far," Hiryūsuke said to Hyuga Akira in a low voice.
"Haven't you already gotten what you wanted?" Hyuga Akira countered.
There was no one left who could threaten his position now. Among the Daimyo's children, only Hiryūsuke had any ability.
Even if the others were better than that useless eldest brother, they were only slightly better.
They were no match for Hiryūsuke at all.
"But now those nobles suspect me," Hiryūsuke said gravely. "If you'd been more discreet, I'd already be Daimyo."
The moment he gained the advantage, he also became the prime suspect.
Brothers killing one another over succession was hardly rare among the nobles.
The main problem was that the timing was too convenient.
The Daimyo had barely died before someone attacked his first heir.
That became the evidence the nobles used to attack him. He was indeed far better than his useless brothers, but he still couldn't contend with so many nobles.
Moreover, his background wasn't particularly good, and he had no family backing him. Although he had suppressed the others, he hadn't managed to become Daimyo smoothly.
"Then kill them all," Hyuga Akira suggested with a soft laugh, lifting his teacup and taking a light sip. "What do you