Chapter 230


    The dukedoms troops will take charge of the subjugation?


    Camaras expression stiffened slightly. Was he saying that the dukedom would take the profits from the evilnd in his territory?


    Eugene quenched his concern. Naturally, the profit will be distributed the same as before. I am not nning to take your share, so there is no need to worry.


    <em>A-ah,</em> not at all, Camara stuttered after having his thoughts seen right through.


    Eugene continued, And Im not saying that the dukedoms troops will forever be in charge of the subjugation. Lets try it for six months and up to two years at the longest.


    Camara answered, <em>Ah,</em> yes. I will obey yourmand, Your Majesty.


    There was no need for him to refuse Eugenes offer. There wouldnt be any changes to his territorys share of the pie, and Marens reliable troops would take care of all the hard work for him.


    Then I will be leaving tomorrow. See you in the morning, Eugene said.


    Camara answered, Understood. Please make yourself at home


    After Camara left, Princess Lilisain asked cautiously, With all due respect, Your Majesty, is there any reason to subjugate the dungeon on that lords behalf?


    There is. We absolutely have to do it ourselves, Eugene answered.


    Im confused. I ask for an answer, Princess Lilisain said.


    Eugene responded, Was Christian the only one ying tricks in an evilnd?


    One of the elven knights answered, No. He himself said that there were other members of the Dark n involved in the matter.


    Eugene nodded. Thats right. He said there are at least two or three ns involved in the issue. There are usually seven or eight high lords in each n. Of course, not all of them would have been tasked with carrying out this particr mission, but there had to be at least ten others who are still doing what Christian had been doing.


    Well, that makes sense.


    But as the princess and you sirs know, Christian alone upied at least five evilnds and reinforced the monsters within before sending them out. Ten others would make at least fifty evilnds. How many monsters would have been released in the past year? Surely, they are much stronger than before as well, Eugene said.


    !


    The question required no contemtion. They had killed more than five hundredrge and small monsters on their way from Maren to the Tywin territory, which had been caused by a single high lord of the Helmond nChristian. However, simr things were apparently happening in at least ten other regions. Since the other regions were not privy to the changes just yet, it was likely that the number of monsters and the damage they were causing would continue to grow exponentially.


    Do you understand now? In the end, it means that the entire world will soon be suffering from monsters. Thats why we should prepare Marens troops in advance. Six months should be enough, Eugene said. Six months would be sufficient time for Marens knights and mercenaries to be ustomed to fighting the strengthened monsters. Naturally, dealing with dozens of monsters inside an evilnd and hundreds in the outside world would be different, but there was a huge difference between being familiar and unfamiliar with the enemy.


    In particr, there were different methods of effectively dealing with different types of monsters, and it would bolster the power of an army for them to learn the different methods. If Marens troops traveled around the dukedom and subjugated the various evilnds for six months, they would be able to properly fight against the strengthened monsters in the future without panicking.


    What brilliant insight. As expected from Your Majesty, Princess Lilisain eximed.


    The elven knights nodded approvingly as well.


    So thats what you were nning.


    If everything goes ording to Your Majestys n, Marens soldiers will be veterans of monster hunting.


    Hunting? Eugene smirked.


    The princess and the knights took on startled expressions, and Eugene spoke firmly, Its not a hunt. This is war.


    The elven knights took on resolute, determined expressions after hearing Eugenes words. After a short moment, Princess Lilisain asked once again, But, Your Majesty, this important piece of information, should you not inform Brantia at the least?


    I was nning to do that, anyway, Eugene answered. Although he had be the king of Maren, Brantia was his foundation and the ce he considered most significant to him. Moreover, the profits he had gained from Brantia were slightly bigger than from Maren.


    Who among you is the best at thenguage of the Caylor Kingdom? Eugene asked.


    I am One of the knights raised his hand. Eugene handed over a letter fixed with the seal of his ring.


    Eugene continued, Give this to the governor of Maren. Tell him to deliver it as fast as possible to Lord Markus of Mungard. Depart immediately.


    Understood, the knight responded and saluted before leaving.


    With all due respect, why dont you send it directly to the King of Brantia? Isnt Markus the vampire lord of Mungard? Princess Lilisain asked with a curious expression.


    Eugene answered, Im nning to bring those vampires here.


    What?


    Eugene continued, An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Vampires for vampires.


    Who was the natural enemy of vampires? A high priest? A holy knight? Perhaps, a stronger undead? No. Eugene thought that the natural enemies of vampires were also vampires. Higher-ranking vampires were smarter, and they had various countermeasures in ce to guarantee their safety and victory from what people assumed were their natural enemies. However, vampires could not even breathe easily when faced with a vampire of a higher rank. As such, Eugenes intentions were to summon Lord Markus and Banneret Randolph to Maren.


    They would be perfect when it came to dealing with vampires below the lord rank.


    A brilliant idea. They will be very helpful in this fight. However, the opponents are likely vampire high lords. Do you think they will be strong enough? Princess Lilisain asked.


    The other vampires under Eugenesmand werent strong enough to beat a high lord, except Galfredik. Even among the elves, only someone like Swordmaster Pranbow would be strong enough topete with a vampire high lord.


    There was no way Eugene was ignorant of this fact.


    Thats why I prepared something else as well. You can look forward to it, Eugene said with a grin. He was thinking of a race that knew vampires better than anyone and wasnt particrly afraid of them.


    <em>They should be itching right about now. No matter how much they can stuff themselves with meat, it cant be as good as a good fight.</em>


    Eugene had prepared a powerful card to deal with the vampire ns of the continent and their high lordsthe Perseus Beowulf warriors.


    ***


    Eugene left the Rose Castle under a grand farewell from Camara and the residents of the Tywin territory. Seventy percent of the mana stones and by-products obtained from the recent subjugation were to be given to Eugene. As such, Camara had promised to send Eugenes share of the spoils to the Palin Association.


    The next destination of Eugenes group was a remote vige located in the corner of the Tywin territory. He had obtained useful information from Christian and had even made a small fortune during the journey.


    Broadwinit was the hamlet where Eugene lived for quite a long time and was also the starting point for Eugenes current life.


    Is that the ce? Your Majestys hometown? Princess Lilisain asked.


    I wouldnt really call it my hometown. Anyway, thats where I took my first step as a knight, Eugene responded.


    Im looking forward to it, Princess Lilisain said with sparkling eyes.


    The spirit flew to the princess side and started jabbering, <em>Phew!</em> Thats also my home as well. Should I call it the ce of fate where the legend of Sir Eugene and myself started?


    <em>Ha, ha</em> The beginning of His Majestys legend? I want to hear more, Princess Lilisain responded with an airy moan.


    Mirian continued, The moment I saw him! I came to an immediate realization! Now thisthis is fate! I knew that someone like Sir Eugene needed a wise,petent subordinate like myself! Of course, he had also recognized my value at first sight. Should I say we connected by simply sharing a gaze? Destiny? Fate? Anyway, we must have been deeply immersed in the heat of our youth.


    The spiritpletely and perfectly distorted the truth, and Eugene immediately corrected her. When I killed a monster in the swamp, some firefly suddenly started cursing at me. I ignored it because it looked useless, but this thing kept on sticking with me. What was it? You could make water faster by excreting it rather than spitting it? I told it to get lost because its offer was ridiculous, but it kept following me.


    <em>Hmm~ Fwee~</em> The spirit avoided Eugenes gaze and started to whistle rather poorly.


    Princess Lilisain gazed at the spirit with a hot gaze and spoke, Even better.


    Mirian responded, I knew that the princes would recognize my true value! Salute! Salute!


    Eugene couldnt find any words to say as he looked alternatingly at the spirit and the princess. It appeared that the two had started to get along at some point.


    After a while, Eugene arrived on the road overlooking Broadwin alongside the elven knights. The hamlet had be significantlyrgerpared to the past several years ago when Eugene hadst seen it. There had been a little more than twenty households during Eugenes stay, but now, there were more than fifty households at a nce. A decent wooden fence and stone walls were protecting thepound as well.


    At this point, it was appropriate to call it a small vige rather than a hamlet.


    <em>It seemed Camara had kept his promise.</em>


    Broadwin was the hometown of Camaras half-brother, Felid, so he appeared to have lowered the viges taxes and provided adequate support as well.


    Eugene slowly rode Silion toward the vige at the forefront of his group.


    A-a knight!


    The knights are here!


    The vigers immediately fell into a frenzy as knights with extraordinary appearances approached their vige. The people working in the fields fled into the vige in a hurry, and after a while, the chief and the vige men came stampeding out and fell on their stomachs.


    S-sirs! We are the people of Lord Tywin, and we are simple, poor, ignorant vigers! We will serve you with all our heart, so please dont hurt us! the chief eximed while trembling. He was struck with fearunable to even lift his head.


    It has been a long time, chief, Eugene said.


    What? The chief barely managed to his head at the words of a knight who stood out from others. The knights armor looked iparably expensive, evenpared to the other knights.


    Eugene took off his helmet.


    S-s-sir Eugene?!


    The chiefs eyes filled with disbelief after seeing Eugene, the one known as the Red-Eyed Monster in the past.


    ***


    The chief and the people of Broadwin truly served Eugene and the elves with all their hearts. The original residents of the vige, as well as the neers, couldnt keep their eyes off Eugenes group.


    An elf. A real elf.


    They look unreal. How could they look so beautiful?


    Thatdy yonder is supposedly the princess of the elfnd.


    Look at the sword and armor. Its so shy.


    Although Eugene had always been with members of other races, residents of a small vige like Broadwin would almost never have the opportunity to see other races. They would be filled with wonder just seeing knights in chainmail or te mail, so when they saw elven knights they only ever heard about in stories, they couldnt keep their jaws from dropping.


    The vigers gathered in the viges one and only pub, and they busily discussed Eugenes group.


    Its an incredible honor to have you visit our vige again, Sir Eugene. You have truly aplished quite a lot. The chief could not hide his excitement and joy as if it were his own sess. He would sometimes hear rumors regarding Eugene and Felid when he visited bigger viges after the two had left his vige, but he had stopped paying attention to the two after about a year.


    The priority of rural vigers was to make a living. Knights, evilnds, and wars werepletely unrted to them.


    Well, I guess I <em>did</em> manage to aplish quite a bit, Eugene said with a grin. It was obvious at a nce from the chiefs response that the chief waspletely unfamiliar with Eugenes feats.


    As I expected! I knew you would do well, Sir Eugene! <em>Oh,</em> well, you have been extraordinary even when you were still in our vige. Dont you all think so? the chief said.


    <em>Mhm!</em> It was easy to get through the winter because he always caught beasts!


    He also beat the ck wolves and the bandits who invaded our vige, didnt he? If it werent for you, we would have been in big trouble.


    The long-time residents of the vige shouted, and the chief spoke with an even friendlier smile, See? We have always missed you ever since you left. Anyway did you join a powerful knight order? <em>Ah?!</em> Did you perhaps be a lord?


    Hmm. Well, I guess you could say Im sort of a lord, Eugene responded.


    <em>Ohhh!!!</em>


    The vigers eximed while crowding him. A knight from their vige had be a lord! The vigers felt an indescribable sense of pride. However, they had never imagined that the red-eyed knight was <em>actually </em>their king.