After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World

When his mother bore him, his father was already having an affair. By then, his love had already fizzled out, so even if she finally ’laid eggs’, it was already too late for them to recover feelings.

When she gave birth to Rigam, due to using a lot of fertility pills, her body had grown weak and sickly. She wasn’t physically strong in the first place, so adding this debilitated her.

Jania, his father’s mistress, was actually a healer. Healers and water users were famously healthier than others and were likelier to conceive, which was another reason the Lord loved her so much.

She was taken in to supposedly heal Rigam’s mother, when in reality she was poisoning her, causing her illness and weak body to act up every so often. She just didn’t dare do it so blatantly lest it put the Lord in a difficult position.

After all, if the situation was suspicious, the Lord was oath-bound to investigate. Regardless of whether or not he agreed to it or if he benefited, he had to sincerely try to figure things out. If he found out it was her, then she would be in trouble. Jania knew the Lord would not risk his position for her, so she did not dare be too blatant with her assassination.

It was when Rigam was five years old, having just awakened as an elementalist, that his mother died. He knew who was responsible and told his father, but the latter did not listen.

Instead, he married the new woman, giving her more power and allowing her to put his young life in danger. She even gave birth to a boy as soon as they were married.

The relationship between father and son soured to a freezing point, getting worse and worse as the months went by, and the boy would inexplicably find himself either lost in the forest outside, drowning in the wells, or becoming gravely ill.

He was still young at the time, but he could feel it when someone was after his life. Rigam ran away with a passing caravan just to escape the murder attempts, just to get away from the place he once called home.

However, what he saw was enlightening. He saw new places, saw different approaches, and different people. It made the suffering and the tragedy a bit more bearable.

He only went back when he was of age, had received some training, and gained a level not too far from his own father, and resumed his position as the heir.

He was at least powerful enough to defend himself this time.

Now, a subtle power struggle formed between the Lord and his heir. The former hated his father, while the latter thought the boy was an incredibly disrespectful brat who did not know his place.

Since then, they often butted heads regarding most issues, whether it was private or not.

They argued even about minor things, like whether they should hire this or that mercenary team, whether they should build this and that, how much to give to this person, and so on.

The power struggle was real as the Lord had really entrenched himself into the upper class despite marrying into nobility. At the same time, there were also supporters for the first son, but definitely not those hailing from the palace.

As for Pero’s second son, it was just that karma had its ways and when the boy was less than fifteen years old. The boy’s cruel bullying ways finally snapped back at him, causing retaliation against him. The boy had caused many deaths in town, but it wasn’t when he bullied someone; he shouldn’t have those things changed.

He ended up bullying a visiting noble from a City, and he was beaten up so badly that he lost a leg.

Jania went crazy and attempted to get revenge, even hiring assassins against the low-key nobleman, and she was disfigured as a result. Losing her beauty and her son caused her to lose her husband’s favor as well. Right now, she was just a bitter woman in the side palace.

Rigam had nothing to do with this—he wasn’t even back in town at the time—but he admitted he didn’t mind it at all when he heard about it.

Still, his father held the suspicion that he had schemed it, causing the tensions between the father and son to intensify even more.

A few hours before the declaration of war, this tension was at its peak.

The Lord was not amused at being interrupted. ”We’re planning a war. What are you doing obstructing it?”

”Milord, isn’t it better to learn their methodologies, instead?” Rigam said, proposing alternatives to war. No matter what, there was more to lose at their level. Too many things.

”We can pay a generous salary to get those people to work for us—”

”We can defeat them, and the expert could become a slave. If not, we can recruit them,” The Lord answered, arrogant as always. ”Why go through all that trouble when we can have everything?

”If you are afraid, just say so.”

Rigam stared at him, annoyed, but not because he was triggered. ”I just feel we are being too hasty. Their products are good, but there are few. We still hold nearly all of the market shares.”

Lord Pero looked at him. ”For how long? Are you going to wait until we have lost everything?”

”That is not what I am saying, Milord. What I’m saying is that there are ways to go about this without too much bloodshed, possibly unnecessary ones.”

”Are you calling my actions useless?”

”Yes, Milord.”

Silence

”You—”

Lord Pero shook angrily as he pointed a finger on his rude son. He stomped in front of him and gave him a strong slap.

Smack!

Although their levels were not too far if one considered their massive age difference, they were still several levels apart. Rigam instinctively activated a defensive skill and applied it to his body; otherwise, he could’ve broken his neck.

Right now, the man’s face was red, and his mouth was bleeding. If he were a few levels weaker, perhaps his head would’ve flown off already.

Pero had always disliked this brat. Seeing him reminded him of that woman, who acted nice but was actually so controlling.

He had loved and admired that woman at first. But somehow, after gaining power, her suggestions and disagreements felt like they were gnawing on his bones.

Anyway, if he didn’t know he still had ways to go to get the support of all the noble families, he’d have long kicked this brat out!

He seemed to like staying elsewhere other than his home, anyway! What was he doing back here after abandoning them, suddenly acting like he was just rightfully claiming his throne, disregarding what he—the true Lord—had done for the town over the past decades!

He declared war then and there.

”We already declared war,” he said, with an odd satisfaction in seeing the lad pale.

”This...”

”As the Lord, hear my orders,” he said. Then, an idea came to him and he found himself grinning a bit. Anyway, his new mistress was pregnant. He didn’t need this disobedient son.

”You shall lead this war,” he said. ”If you lose, don’t even think of coming back here!”