Gilgamesh had seen many things in life, but he had never thought he would go through this kind of situation before. What kind of grandfather offers his little and adorable granddaughter in engagement to someone he only saw once?
Is this family completely deranged?
"I would like to hear what Miss Eris has to say first. I don't usually act thoughtlessly toward those who might matter to me in the future." Said Gilgamesh, still a bit confused.
"Then it's settled. When she turns thirteen, you two will get married. Now I must console my little granddaughter. You were quite inconsiderate not to tell her who you were from the beginning. She admires you greatly and wouldn't stop talking about the things she heard about you." Sauros knew he wasn't the one to talk about politics with Gilgamesh; that job would be left to his son. However, he had to establish his authority when it came to the matter of marriage.
"Uh..." Gilgamesh didn't know how to react to this situation for the first time.
"Well, my son will discuss that. Farewell, Red Prince, hahaha!" Sauros shouted as he left in a matter of seconds after addressing Prince Gilgamesh.
Even after winning a war, Gilgamesh never thought he would be temporarily at a loss for words, contradicted by an elderly man who was practically giving away his granddaughter without considering any aspects. Eris was apparently nine years old this year, about to turn ten, and in this world, that was considered practically an adult.
But in his observations, the right age would be when she turned fifteen. Although he certainly didn't care, he was still an adult, and announcing an engagement with Eris would create a significant division within his faction, as well as undermining his brother Grabell.
He might end up marrying Eris when she was an adult, but he wouldn't interfere with her decisions and desires. All he wanted was to secure a region and announce a marriage with Sauros' granddaughter to disrupt the balance of the nobles who supported his brother.
This was his way of being as fair as possible in this noble struggle. It amused him that he could even kill them in broad daylight, but he enjoyed doing these kinds of things without relying on his strength.
"Is something wrong, Thomas? Why haven't you closed the door?" Another person entered the room through the side door. "I heard my father very happy just now. Did something happen that I'm missing?"
The figure appeared in Gilgamesh's eyes, and it was a slender figure with hair of a shining tea-colored tone and features very similar to those of the elderly Sauros, so this must be his son.
"Sir, I beg your pardon, but just now the great Lord has spoken with Prince Gilgamesh, and it seems that they have gotten along quite well."
"It seems quite normal; we are talking about Prince Gilgamesh, after all..." Eris's father's words were heard as he walked in front of Gilgamesh, showing respect. "Pleasure to meet you, Prince Gilgamesh. My name is Philip Borras Greyrat, and I am Eris Greyrat's father, whom you recently met."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Philip!" Gilgamesh accepted the greeting and extended his hand, inviting him to sit. At that moment, Thomas had already left the room, and the only one accompanying them was Ghislaine.
Philip smiled somewhat innocently and then asked in a more serious tone, "I've heard that you're a very direct prince. I spoke with your knight, Simon, earlier, so I'm more or less aware of what you'll propose today. But I would certainly like to hear it directly from you. What brings about your unexpected but honorable visit?"
Gilgamesh looked at the tea cup that had been placed before Thomas left, smiled a bit, and said, "You must be well-informed. For a minor noble in this remote place, you're still quite perceptive. But you must be aware of the overall situation of the Greyrat family, from the small branches to those who only carry the name, they are considered a great family, aren't they?"
Philip began to feel a sense of intimidation. He had heard from Knight Simon earlier that Gilgamesh was a child but much more intelligent, visionary, and ruthless than a king. Therefore, knowing that he was interested in the Greyrat family in the Fittoa region, he knew there was something political behind it.
"That's correct. The Greyrat family is an ancient nobility of the Asura Kingdom. Although we are divided between the Notos, Boreas, and many more branches, we are still a great family."
"My explanation will take some time, but I hope you understand me perfectly and won't make me repeat things... Firstly, and for the record, I want to establish a marriage with your daughter, Eris Greyrat." Gilgamesh picked up the tea cup and, without any discomfort, took a sip of tea.
"I hear you. Please let me know the reason behind this." The once-innocent Philip now exuded a cold and ambitious aura. He had thought about it but never believed he would be so lucky as to marry his daughter to such an extraordinary man.
Philip, although he didn't seem like it, was deeply resentful for losing the duel where the winner would rule the Greyrat family. Due to this, two of his baron sons were taken away so they wouldn't seek revenge, and he was left in this place. He wasn't upset about it, but he was always looking for a way to regain power.
"A few months ago, I was drugged and kidnapped by bandits. After that, their intentions were to kill me with poison, but I managed to survive. No matter how I did it, I'm still alive."
Gilgamesh smiled and then said, "You must be aware of the factions among the four possible heirs to the Asura Kingdom's throne, aren't you?"
"The faction that the Greyrat family supports is that of my brother Gabrell, which was recently shaken by the unexpected death of the prime minister. Are you following along with the explanation?" Gilgamesh asked, pausing for a moment.
"So, you want to create a rift with the engagement..." Philip felt as though a sword was piercing his thoughts. What Prince Gilgamesh was planning was incredibly terrifying.
If things go as he envisions, the Greyrat family will split into two parts: one supporting the first prince, Grebell, and the other siding with Prince Gilgamesh. Truth be told, as things stand, the Greyrat family would fare better with Gilgamesh, but that is certainly contradictory to the expected outcome.
"Something along those lines, but I wanted to hear your opinion, Mr. Philip. Do you want to become the head of the entire Greyrat family, or do you want to be buried with them?" Gilgamesh asked as he looked at the steaming tea in his teacup.