《The Reincarnated Martial God Brings Down the Heavens》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 ¨C Prologue My firstborn came into this world in the midst of war. On the day I returned from the field after spendinga full year recapturing the Far East region¡­ ¡°Kyaa!¡± An infantile life form, so fragile that it felt like it would break at the lightest touch, looked at me and smiled. He diligently waved his unbelievably small hands through the air. ¡°Ah¡­¡± I could confidently say that only those who¡¯ve had a child would be able to understand how I felt at that moment. My first child¡ª my flesh and blood. I would¡¯ve given him my everything, and even more if I could right then and there, without a single regret. ¡°Andy, it¡¯s your papa. ¡®Papa.¡¯ Try it, Andy, ¡®Papa.¡¯¡± ¡°Kyaa! Kyaa!¡± ¡°Oh, dear¡­ Looks like ¡®papa¡¯ is still too difficult for him.¡± My wife gave me a shy smile. ¡°It took me exactly 8 months before I heard him say ¡®mom¡¯¡­ Ahh, now that I think about it, it¡¯s such a shame. You should¡¯ve been there by my side to share my emotions!¡± ¡°They say that while saying ¡®mom¡¯ doesn¡¯t take long, ¡®dad¡¯ can take some time.¡± ¡°As if. Doesn¡¯t take long, my foot. Though it was just 8 months, it felt like 8 years, you know?¡± Just then. ¡°Papa!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± My eyes went as wide as saucers. My wife¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t too different. ¡°Wh-What did you just say?¡± ¡°Kyaa!¡± ¡°S-Say that again. You said ¡®papa¡¯ just now, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Kyaah!¡± The baby simply giggled in my direction. ¡°I heard it too!¡± My wife¡¯s voice,ced with a hint of jealousy, pierced my eardrums. At that moment, a giant smile spread across my face without me even knowing. Ahh. So this is what bing a father felt like. My emotions were overflowing. So lovely. They say that the joy of raising a kid couldn¡¯t be exchanged for anything else in the world. I felt like I could finally understand the feelings of all the other parents. However, against my wishes, I had to leave once again. I hadn¡¯t even seen my child for long. The war had note to an end. That day, had I known the war would drag on for as long as it did¡­ I would have stayed by your side for longer even if it meant staying up all night for several nights. I found outter that while I was fighting in the war, my wife had died of illness. Forget about my wife¡¯s funeral; I couldn¡¯t even be by my child¡¯s side. For a very long time. *** The vast continent of Igrant holds a multitude of scattered countries. However, until now, not a single one big enough to be called an empire existed. In the midst of all this, our country seeded in bing the only empire on the continent after a long war. What a glorious day. ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± Five whole years. I thought today would be the end of this damn life on the battlefield. But what greeted us when we returned wasn¡¯t a warm bed, nor our beloved families. Sharp arrows grazed my cheek. The pungent smell of blood stung my nose. The firmly shut gates of the Imperial Pce were akin to a death sentence. Perhaps this was an inevitable oue. My lowly status as a former ve must have been the problem. Even though I¡¯ve aplished great feats that everyone acknowledged and became one of only fourmanders in the empire, that¡¯s all it was. Although they pretended to respect me on the surface, the nobles have always ostracized and despised me. The excessively courteous words of the knights who seemed to uphold me wereced with constant belittlement behind my back. The respect and courtesy they showed me were nothing but a pretentious act to maintain their hegemony. I¡¯m sure they didn¡¯t want to ept it. The fact that they, nobles from birth, and I, originally a ve, were now standing on the same level. The fact that they had to share those great achievements and glory with someone like me. ¡°My mana hole¡¯s unresponsive. When did I get poisoned?¡± My insides churn. I found myself surrounded by thousands of people. Fearing something like this might happen, I hadn¡¯t even put the food at the banquet on my lips. To begin with, my body is impervious to ordinary, single-dose poisons. So how did this situatione to be? ¡°I hadn¡¯t eaten anything since the dinner I had with my subordinatesst night¡­¡± In that instant, I felt my body subconsciously stiffen. This is because the word ¡®betrayal¡¯ had shed through my mind like lightning. At that moment, I seemed to lock eyes with a masked figure having a familiar build among the crowd. ¡°Are you disappointed, Ancelot?¡± As the emperor¡¯s voice pierced my eardrums, I tried to regain myposure. ¡°¡­Why are you doing this to me? I would have done anything you asked of me.¡± ¡°History repeats itself. If I had to give a reason, it would be jealousy.¡± ¡°Jealousy¡­?¡± ¡°I am the emperor, as well as the one who achieved the feat of establishing the only empire on the continent. However, the people of the world only chant your name¡ª they call you the god of war, and the god of martial arts.¡± Does he not care about the aftermath? If he says such things carelessly, he¡¯ll lose the loyalty of his subjects. But the emperor had already been going mad for some time. Standing before me now is nothing but an unsightly, crazy old man possessed by jealousy. The madness felt like it¡¯s contagious, and I forcibly awakened my mana. My gut felt like it was being ripped apart, but whether I die this way or that way, it alles down to the same thing, anyway. * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San ] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract ] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * ¡°¡­I won¡¯t just take it lying down.¡± ¡°Stop.¡± As I showed my will to fight through my actions, Western Commander Eisenberg spoke up to dissuade me. ¡°With your skills, we would also suffer significant casualties. However, do you think we came here to capture the god of war with only that level of preparation?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If you resist, we will kill everyone starting from your subordinates and your old parents down to your five-year-old child. Every single person.¡± My heart sank even deeper. Getting worked up here means losing. ¡°¡­That¡¯s some proper bullshit. Even if you try to make me surrender, you have no intentions of letting me live, anyway? ¡°Ha.¡± The emperor, who had been watching the situation unfold, scoffed and then gave a meaningful nce in a specific direction. The masked man was the one that responded to the signal. That traitor, who deserved to be ripped to shreds and more, suddenly dragged out a child by the cor and stepped forward. ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± I hadn¡¯t seen him in five whole years. But I still recognized that child at a nce. ¡°Andy¡­?¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s see you rampage to your heart¡¯s content.¡± Shiver. My weak heart ate away at my resolve in an instant. But I quickly shook my head. This wasn¡¯t it. It¡¯s in times like these that you have to be cold-blooded. ¡®Damn it. Damn it!¡¯ Nevertheless, just a nce at my child, and my body wouldn¡¯t bring itself to move. If my subordinates saw me like this, how despicable would I seem to them? ¡°Come here and kneel. I promise you. Just you. If you surrender, I¡¯ll let your child and even your subordinates go unharmed.¡± Swoosh! As soon as my head had gone nk, swords flew in from all directions. Time passed by moment by moment. Every moment seemed like a tiny fragment of a single second. I pondered about my choice, but the answer was already decided. It was unlikely that the emperor would let them live, but my brain refused the order of ¡®move.¡¯ What father would be able to act recklessly when their child¡¯s life was at risk right before his eyes? Stab, stab, stab, stab! Swords poured in from all sides, and I let them pierce my body without resistance. Cough. In an instant, my body was riddled with holes. It felt like every drop of blood in my body was spilling out. If left alone, I knew I would soon die of excessive blood loss. ¡°What an idiot.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Stab! At that moment, a sword pierced through my child, more precious than anything, and protruded from his stomach. ¡°D- Da¡­¡­d?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Copse! The emperor had pierced my child¡¯s body with his sword. ¡°Ah¡­¡­Ahhhh¡­¡­¡± I crawled forward desperately, with my entire body riddled with holes. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid like you. Isn¡¯t it a matter of fact that I should kill the seed that could be the root of trouble in the future?¡± ¡°Ahhhh¡­¡­¡± I wanted to cry out with all I had, right then and there. But my throat wouldn¡¯t open. I wanted to rip them to shreds, right then and there. But my body wouldn¡¯t listen. Stab stab stab stab stab! While in that state, countless more swords poured into my back. Still, I continued to crawl. For my dying child was reaching for me, hand outstretched. Like he did on that day he first met me. My child. The happiness I felt when you were first born. The overflowing emotions I felt when you first said, ¡®papa.¡¯ Did you know? I love you to the ends of the earth. Even now, I wish to be able to give you nothing but love. But it seems that¡¯s no longer possible. Someone once said this. The joy of raising a child isn¡¯t something you can feel through anything else. I regret so much, and still find more to regret. I¡¯m sorry. I am so, so sorry. ¡°How pitiful.¡± Before I knew it, the emperor stood before my unfocused pupils, and he gently ced his foot on my head. ¡°Someone like him being called the god of martial arts¡­¡­ a joke should at least be funny. What a weak bastard, being swayed by affection.¡± Press. At that moment, something in my head snapped. And then, even while dying, I relentlessly squeezed mana from what is called life force. This was the end, anyway. I refused to be a coward who died without being able to fight back at all. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The emperor¡¯s eyes widened. It seemed like he doubted that this kind of energy could radiate from a body riddled with holes and taking itsst breaths. That¡¯s right. Countless people that let their guard down like him had lost their heads to me in the war. Did you think someone like you, a stranger to the battlefield, could kill me that easily? Stumble. ¡°Th-This bastard¡­¡­?¡± The emperor took a few steps away from me. But I wasn¡¯t one to just let him. Slice! In the face of death, I broke through another wall. It was only when I¡¯d lost my one and only child that I was able to finally break through the wall that I¡¯d so desperately been trying to ovee. Soon, an intangible sword was created in the air. And I sent that sword straight at the emperor¡¯s throat. Thud, roll. ¡°Puaha! Heh¡­¡­heh heh heh. Hahahahahaha!¡± Due to the overuse of mana, blood spurted out of my mouth like a fountain. Even so, theughter didn¡¯t stop. Even though my chest felt so heavy. Even though my head was preupied with denying reality. ¡°Your hiiiighneeesssss!¡± The crown prince, who had been watching, let out a shout and ran towards our direction. My mania only grew in severity. Oh, crown prince. Have a taste of the pain of losing your family. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± However, my eyes widened at that moment. An expression I would have never noticed if I hadn¡¯t been focused on him. The corner of the prince¡¯s mouth, who was running towards us using the knights as shields, was subtly raised. It was then that I realized. Not everyone in the world shared the same sentiment as I did about family. ¡®Was this all part of your n?¡¯ The situation seemed obvious. ¡°¡­¡­Pfft. Ahahahaha!¡± Ridiculous. Truly ridiculous. Was it because of the grief of losing my child right before my eyes? Now, what filled my head was a kind of ¡®madness¡¯. Iughed andughed, like a man half out of his mind. In the moment before death, I had be a raving madman. But my dear emperor. My pathetic end, dying mad, is nevertheless better than yours. Staaaaabbb! This time, the sword had urately pierced through my heart. ¡°¡­¡­Cough!¡± A torrent of blood, unlike anything up until now, flows back up my throat. But in the midst of it all. Grab! ¡°Who are¡­¡­ you?¡± With my heart pierced, I red at the one who had been thest to run a sword through my body. This is because the one who pointed that sword at me was the very same traitor. Someone I thought of as much as my own brother. Someone with whom I thought I shared a bond thicker than blood. Someone I considered more precious than family. Who in the world are you? Splurt! Swoosh! ¡°¡­¡­Cough!¡± There was no response. The bastard pulled his sword from my abdomen, then sent it flying towards my neck without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Slice! At the same time as that unfamiliar sensation, the world tiltedpletely. ____ Chapter 2 Chapter 2 ¨C Bark Like a Dog I had a dream. In that evanescent world, I had be aplete stranger. ¡°To the Seventh Prince Andrew, I grant the vast northernnds of Hyman!¡± A grant of territory. Certainly, an event worth celebration. But each and every gaze directed towards me was filled with pity andpassion. Seventh Prince Andrew. That was my identity in this fleeting dream. How could it be anything other than a blessing? Heaven had taken pity on my plight and made me a prince, even if only in a dream. However, this country was a little different from the empire I was used to. For one, it was not the emperor who held absolute power. In ce of the foolish emperor, the queen, the actual ruler, governed the country. Through her behind-the-scenes maniption, tens of thousands of pyeong* of northern territory was granted to the seventh prince, a mere child of a concubine. _____ *A pyeong is a Korean unit of area and floorspace, equal to a square kan or 36 square Korean feet. ______ I soon realized. The reason behind the iprehensible looks of sympathy andpassion from the nobles. The Hyman territory was void of inhabitants. And there was another reason. An abandonednd with various dangers on three sides. Commonly known as Death Valley. No one who has gone through this valley¡¯s entrance has ever made it out alive. In the north, monsters frequently emerged and killed people. The mountains to the east were thend of the dwarves, and they did not tolerate any human that dared to trespass on their territory. The same was true for the vast elven forest to the west. And ofplete istion. Right. This was not a grant of territory, but effectively an exile. In fact, Seventh Prince Andrew was not the first prince to receivend from the queen. With the exception of the 1st and 2nd princes, who were her biological children, the rest of them, from the 3rd to the 6th princes, recievednd. All of them had been granted thend of Hyman before him, and all of them had lost their lives in unfortunate idents. It was just that this time, it was Prince Andrew¡¯s turn. What a strange fate, even in my dreams! ¡°Your duties as lord begin immediately. As soon as he is ready, the prince will leave the pce on his own.¡± Just like that, the 7th Prince Andrew left for the lonely estate he had been given. Under the watchful eye of countless guards, supposedly there to ¡®escort¡¯ him. ¡°Mm.¡± And at that moment, the dream changed. This time, I was the main character of the dream. And it was a terrible, terrible nightmare. ¡°Dad¡­¡­ hurts, it hurts¡­¡­¡± ¡°A-Andy.¡± The child who lost his head reached out for me. Even though I couldn¡¯t see his face. I knew it. That it was none other than my son. My child, more precious than anything else. ¡°Ahh, ahhhhh¡­¡­¡± My throat closed up against my will. Not a single sound coulde out. God of war, my foot. A foolish father who couldn¡¯t even protect his own family. A moron who rolled around on the battlefield as he was told and paid the price. A ve to the core. That was who I was. I hate this me. I despise this me. I loathe this me. ¡°Why did you leave me to die?¡± At some point, the body of my child had been standing right in front of me. And then, just as my guilt towards my child was about to overflow. Just as I was about to let the worst of my self-loathing take over. Thud-Thunk! Gasp! I opened my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°Where¡­¡­.?¡± ¡°What a strange one. How can you sleep so soundly in this situation?¡± I pushed myself up on the wooden nks. Looking up, I saw a considerably pretty child staring at me. ¡°Where am I?¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®where?¡¯ We¡¯re obviously in a carriage.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± He was also considerably rude. The kid couldn¡¯t have been more than fifteen years old. ¡°¡­¡­I could tell. I¡¯m asking about our exact location.¡± ¡°How should I know? We¡¯ve been trapped here for quite some time. But when I left, we were in the Barony of Amant in the northern part of the Hart Kingdom, so I¡¯m guessing somewhere around there?¡± ¡°Hart¡­¡­. Kingdom?¡± A distantnd. The Hart Kingdom was a ce I¡¯d never been to. It was located on the outskirts of the continent. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that high-ss goods like us are shipped to at least a high-ranking noble family. So if I had to guess, I¡¯d say the destination is somewhere in the county.¡± The more I listened to this guy, the more he chose to say things I couldn¡¯t understand. As I looked at the kid, a question suddenly popped into my mind. ¡°By the way, you¡­¡­Are you a man, or a woman?¡± ¡°A man, you bastard.¡± ¡°Your looks are definitely that of a girl¡¯s though¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Says you? That should be my line. I thought you were a girl until I heard your voice.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you. I didn¡¯t really want to say this, but I¡¯ve never seen someone as pretty as you in my life.¡± Once again, nothing that came out of his mouth made sense. A man well over forty was pretty? Objectively, my face was far from being described as ¡®pretty.¡¯ But ¡®manly,¡¯ perhaps ¡®Come to think of it¡­¡­?¡¯ It was then that I noticed an awkward sight in my vision. Small, fair hands without a single callus. It was none other than the hand at the end of my arm. If there was a body of water nearby, I would have checked my reflection, but unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t anything like that here. Suddenly, a thought shed through my mind like a bolt of lightning. ¡°By any chance, what year is it?¡± ¡°Do you really have amnesia or something?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the year 20 of the imperial calendar.¡± ¡°Imperial¡­¡­?¡± I muttered, my eyes widening. ¡°You don¡¯t mean the Swallow Empire, do you?¡± ¡°Of course I do. Are there any other empires on the continent besides Swallow?¡± Naturally, my eyelids fluttered with confusion. The continent¡¯s year follows the founding of the most powerful country in that year. ¡°Then year 421 by the continental calendar?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I heard of the continental calendar. Year 421. Yeah, that sounds about right.¡± Thud! As soon as I heard those words, I copsed helplessly on the floor. Year 421 of the continental calendar. The day I returned home from the battlefield was year 401 of the continental calendar. In other words, exactly 20 years had passed since I died. * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San ] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract ] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * ¡°¡­¡­¡± I have been lost in thought in silence for three hours now. I closed my ears and was lost in my own thoughts. Let¡¯s summarize. This is somewhere in the Hart Kingdom. In other words, the exact opposite of where I was from. The emperor seeded in subjugating all surrounding countries. But the Hart Kingdom wasn¡¯t one of his goals, even for a conqueror like him. It was too barren, too remote, and too far away. Regardless, the Swallow Kingdom became a continental superpower. Of course, I had a big role in making that happen. And now, 20 years have passed. Naturally, Swallow would be much stronger than it was then, and the people I needed to take revenge on would be much stronger. Because 20 years is that long of a time. ¡®A child¡¯s body, against such an enemy.¡¯ Fortunately, some memories of this body remained in my mind. Name, Andrew. Fourteen years old. He holds the status of ¡®prince.¡¯ Of course, he¡¯s the seventh prince of a duchy in the weakest of weak nations, but a prince nevertheless. His father, the king, was indecisive, and it seems that the real ruler of the country is the queen. ¡®More than anything, that dream.¡¯ It was clearly a memory of this body as it left for exile, alone, under the watchful eye of a few guards. Clink. As proof, I even have a pendant around my neck that proves I¡¯m a lord. However, no matter how much I think about it, I can¡¯t remember an exact exnation for my current situation. ¡®Based on the information avable to me, the queen, who holds all the real power, kicked out the child of the concubine, who was a thorn in her eyes, and sent him to die alone¡­¡­ That seems like the most usible theory.¡¯ People are the same, no matter where you go. A world where even family members be more malicious than strangers just for the sake of power. ¡®To sum it up, I¡¯m just a ve that¡¯s dressed up on the outside.¡¯ A self-deprecating smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. But I won¡¯t despair. I¡¯ve walked this road before. In fact,pared to my childhood, this might as well be paradise. Back then, I was the lowest of the low, even among ves. I was a war ve, otherwise known as a meat shield. ¡®I¡¯ll put the memories of this body to ater priority for now.¡¯ I organized my priorities inside my head. I feel sorry for this guy named Andrew. He gave me a new chance, but revenge on the empire takes priority. In fact, when I have the strength and power to kill even the emperor of the continent, I¡¯m sure that the queen of a duchy will naturally bow before me. ¡°Hah¡­¡­¡± As I pondered, my thoughts naturally drifted back to my previous life. If the greedy queen is the cause of my ruin in this life, then who is the traitor who was the reason for my downfall in my past life? My five closest friends, who were like brothers, were the first toe to mind. ¡®It must be one of them.¡¯ Because they were the only ones who knew where Andy lived. ¡®¡­¡­ I can at least deduct some things, even right now.¡¯ After organizing my thoughts, I opened my mouth. ¡°You, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Ha, you¡¯re kidding. You¡¯re only asking about my name after all this time?¡± After tiring himself out while talking to himself, he finally looked up. ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want to¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s Harun.¡± ¡°Alright, Harun. Let me ask you a riddle.¡± Harun made a bewildered expression at my words. ¡°You¡¯ve been acting like I don¡¯t exist, and now you suddenly have a riddle for me?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re bored, anyway.¡± ¡°You really are crazy.¡± Harun shook his head and then jutted his chin out at me. ¡°Have you heard of the genius of the Hart Kingdom? I¡¯m that genius, Harun.¡± ¡°There are five knights following a lord.¡± ¡°You said it was a riddle, what¡¯s this all about?¡± ¡°But one of those five knights betrayed and murdered his lord. In other words, there was a traitor among his trusted servants.¡± ¡°Ooh.¡± Apparently, he found my story interesting, and Harun began to focus. ¡°So?¡± ¡°Now, twenty years have passed. The lord¡¯s child has learned that one of the five knights betrayed his father, and he wishes to seek revenge. Now, how should he find the traitor?¡± ¡°Hmm, so it was a reasoning question.¡± Harun ponders for a moment, then frowns. ¡°You¡¯re giving me too few clues. Give me a bit more.¡± ¡°You idiot. Genius, my foot. Even if you ever get out of here, don¡¯t ever do something where you have to use your head.¡± ¡°What?¡± Right away, Harun got angry. ¡°Then are you saying that you can find the traitor with just that?¡± ¡°Are you dumb? If a rival has seeded in eliminating a lord, they¡¯ll want to deal with his allies next.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Unless he was foolishly taken advantage of, the traitor should be living infort by now, and his true and loyal knights would have been taken care of. In other words, the guy who has been living his life infort is the culprit.¡± Such is the way of the world. Loyal subjects and rebels who sacrificed their lives to save the country are not honored. Rather, it¡¯s a world where the traitors who sell out their country that live in luxury after the war. In that sense, what in the world did that bastard get in return for his betrayal? ¡°Oh¡­¡­.¡± Only then did Harun let out a deep exmation at my words. ¡°You¡¯re kind of smart, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just stupid.¡± For a moment, I clutch my face. As my thoughts reached that point, I remembered Andy¡¯sst moments again. ¡°¡­¡­Hehehe.¡± But now, for some reason, I¡¯mughing. Laughing at the thought of my child¡¯s death. If this isn¡¯t madness, what is? ¡°Wh-What the. Why are youughing so eerily all of a sudden?¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s nothing. Rather, you said earlier that we are superior products. What did you mean by that?¡± ¡°This guy still hasn¡¯te to his senses.¡± Harun clicked his tongue, and then brought his face closer to mine with a straight face. ¡°Don¡¯t freak out and listen.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been kidnapped.¡± ¡°Kidnapped¡­¡­?¡± Harun nodded. A brief exnation followed. The Hart Kingdom has had a long history of such trafficking. Children, especially those with fair faces, are often snatched off the streets in broad daylight, regardless of gender. I had expected it to some extent, but it was still unbelievable. ¡°Huh¡­¡­ so right now, I¡¯m about to be sold off into very?¡± If his subordinates had ever heard of this, they would haveughed their heads off. I, who was once called the grim reaper of the battlefield, had be a ve again. Thud-Thunk! Just then, the carriage screeched to a halt with a loud noise. ¡°Get out.¡± The door suddenly swung open, and a guy who looked like a bandit suddenly stuck out his face. The sight of him sent a shiver down Harun¡¯s spine. I clearly understood the situation. A part of me wanted to punch him in the face and run, but that would be foolish. One death had taught me the hard way. The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. I became amander before I turned twenty. Before I was thirty, I was called the best in the country, and before I was forty, I was called the grim reaper of the continent. In other words, I was kept on a leash because my wings were spread too wide. Being great only led to betrayal. ¡°Hey, you pretty thing. Youe this way.¡± So I obediently let myself be taken away by the hands of the bandit. ¡°Mm.¡± Seeing the sun again after a while makes my eyes squint. Where is this ce? At the very least, I know that it¡¯s a trail in some ordinary forest. And at the clearing at the end of the road, a small test was set up. As I stepped inside, a pig with its neckpletely buried in its fat was sitting there. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Who do you think? A good man who will not only introduce you to a good family, but also give you a chance at a new life.¡± In other words, a trashy ve trader. The smaller the country, the more this sort of thing happens. This is because public security iscking that much more. For reference, the seeds of ve traders had dried up around my territory. Since I killed every one I came across. ¡°Think of it as a type of education. You¡¯ll be serving the mighty Count Arsene in a week¡¯s time.¡± ¡°¡®Education¡¯¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, just look at you. You brat, you don¡¯t even know what respect is, do you?¡± ¡°Well, if I got in trouble there, I guess you¡¯d bein trouble, too.¡± Only then did the pig smile, putting his yellow teeth on full disy. ¡°Still, I see that we can make some conversation. That¡¯s fine. Since after just one day of training from us here, you¡¯ll be trembling in fear and be obedient. Just like everyone else.¡± A high-ranking noble family. If I got into trouble there, the ve traders would get in trouble as well. To be a trusted seller, you must also provide reliable after-sales service. But, is that pig unaware of my identity? ¡°By the way, you¡¯re a pretty thing, aren¡¯t you.¡± Woof! Woof! The barking of dogs harmonized with the pig¡¯s words. Two hounds guarded the entrance to the tent. When released freely, they wandered back and forth, in and out of the tent. For a long moment, the pig stared at my face, as if appraising it, and then spoke. ¡°You¡­ might be possible.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ve decided. You¡¯ll get a full week of training. For just one week, you¡¯ll be the third member of my family.¡± Third? Woof! As soon as I heard the dogs¡¯ bark, I understood what he meant. To think he would treat a person as the same as a dog. ¡°Alright, your first task is to say hello to your new owner. ¡®Arf, arf.¡¯ Try it. ¡®Arf, arf!¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Regardless of what the pig was saying, my thoughts continued. Since I¡¯ve been reborn, let¡¯s hide our cards this time. Who was it that killed me? It was none other than myself. Brilliance and excellence led me to my destruction. In my previous life, I was a knight that was both a schr and a soldier. As a result, I had been subjected to countless scrutiny throughout my life. So now I have to at least ¡®pretend¡¯ to be as normal as possible. ¡°Or would you rather say, ¡®woof, woof¡¯? ¡®Woof, woof!¡¯¡± As I made my resolve, I continued to hear the sound of a dog barking in the background. And so, I fulfilled his expectations. ¡°Woof! Woof!¡± ¡°Hahahaha! You¡¯re more qualified than I thought. Good. I¡¯m definitive with my rewards and punishments. So it¡¯s only right that I reward you for a job well done.¡± The pig motions me toe closer with his fingers. I approached him without hesitation. At that moment, I saw it. The dirty desire deep inside the pig¡¯s pupils. As I approached, it brought its filthy mouth to mine. And I reciprocated, blowing a breath of hot air on his ear. Haaa. ¡°Hehehe. Look at this guy? You have a better grasp of reality than I thought, huh? Looks like educating you will be worth my time!¡± ¡°Satisfied?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t be happier. As long as you keep this up¡­¡­!¡± His words went through one ear and out the other as I quietly investigated the insides of my body. Although it was a small and weak nation, perhaps because he was a prince, ¡®mana¡¯ existed in this body. In the first ce, this was what I had hoped to find. Usually, royal families learn basic practice techniques for their own health and knowledge. Although it was smaller than rat droppings, that alone made the average person a frog before a snake. Flinch. My spirit harbored killing intent, and it immediately made the pig¡¯s body stiffen. ¡°The training is fine, and the role-ying is alright, but I don¡¯t like my role.¡± ¡°Wh- What?¡± ¡°You y the dog. I¡¯ll be the owner.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Seeing the other person shiver in fear only thickened my killing intent. ¡°Bark like a dog, right now. Try it. ¡®Woof, woof.¡¯¡± I¡¯ll avoid doing anything that will attract the attention of my enemies as much as possible. However, I have no intention of tolerating this kind of nonsense for that purpose. It seems contradictory even to me, but I¡¯m not doing this without a n. After all, dead men tell no tales. ____ Chapter 3 Chapter 3 ¨C Lunatic Just what gave him the confidence to act like this without any escorts? Did he actually have that much faith in his dogs? Or was it the fact that I was a teenage boy who hadn¡¯t eaten properly? Probably both. It¡¯s likely always been that way and hasn¡¯t mattered until now. But today would be different. ¡°Your filthy desires have shortened your life.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t sense anyone around here. You didn¡¯t want to be seen waving your dirty meat around in order to preserve your image as the boss, did you?¡± I¡¯m sure he kept his minions away in the name of education. ¡°Y-You fool! Do you think I would¡¯ve let you loose without any safety measures?¡± Oh, maybe his head wasn¡¯t just for decoration, after all? He was a pig who shuddered in the face of killing intent, but said everything he had to say. And he soon rubbed the ring on his finger. Bzzt! A strong electric current ran through my body. ¡°¡­¡­Ugh!¡± The sudden pain knocked me to my knees. ¡°You idiot! This is an artifact. A treasure that a bumpkin like you would never get to see in your lifetime!¡± An artifact. Even the worst ones containing the one-circle magic ¡®spark¡¯ were worth at least hundreds of gold. Normally, it should be far too valuable for a mere ve trader to possess. How much of this bullshit did he do to umte such wealth? ¡­¡­However, this pig seemed to be having a huge misunderstanding. ¡°¡­¡­To survive on the battlefield.¡± I muttered to myself as I stumbled on my feet. Bzzzzztt! At the same time, the electric current soared up to my hair and made it stand on ends. ¡°H-How are you moving? Th-The artifact¡¯s definitely working!¡± ¡°To prepare for being captured by the enemy, a lot of training was done even on a regr basis. Especially for those inmand since they knew a lot of sensitive information.¡± Bzzt! The current got stronger, but nothing more. Unless the current is heart-stoppingly high, it¡¯s ultimately a battle of wills. ¡°This much electricity? It¡¯s just a slight sting.¡± ¡°M-Monster¡­¡­!¡± Bam! Thud! Before he could react, I knocked the pig out. One precise blow was enough for me to put a normal person to sleep. However, that mere act had drained me of the miniscule amount of mana that I had. ¡°Let¡¯s get some rest, too.¡± Thud! As soon as the pig fainted, I copsed on the floor as well. To be honest, despite putting on a strong front, I was actually gasping for air like I was on the verge of death. I wasn¡¯t used to my body being like this. Woof! Woof! Grrrrrr! Still, it seems that the dogs were better than their owner, seeing how they bared their teeth at me for hitting him. ¡°¡­¡­Yeah, you guys are better than people.¡± Even domesticated dogs bark for their lousy owners. What in the world did my subordinateck that would make him stab me in the back? Woof! ¡°Quiet.¡± Shhhhhh. The killing intent I emitted affected beasts, too. In fact, animals, due to their instincts, reacted more strongly than humans. This technique of materializing and maximizing killing intent was my own creation I named it ¡®true death¡¯, the supposed end of killing intent. The best part about this ability is that it doesn¡¯t require mana. The ¡®intent¡¯ in killing intent is literally one¡¯s spirit. I was unrivaled in my ability to manipte it during my previous life. I wasn¡¯t called the grim reaper of the battlefield for nothing, was I? Ordinary soldiers would shudder at the mere sight of me. Like prey instinctively cowering at the roar of a predator. Whimper! Whimper! whimper! As expected, it wasn¡¯t long before the barking dogs scattered. Theyy down in the corner with their bellies exposed, showing me their fear. Then, I said, ¡°Let me think, you mutts.¡± I began to go through my countless memories in earnest. First up, of course, was the mana umtion method. Traveling the continent without any knowledge was no different than a death wish. It¡¯s not for nothing that the average life expectancy of amoner was less than forty years. Being born into poverty and starving to death. Being beheaded by a nobleman who happens to be in the wrong mood at the wrong time, or, like me, being kidnapped while walking down the street. It¡¯s a world where such things are asmon as stones on the street. I need to develop the strength to protect myself first. I need to build up my mana from the size of rat droppings to the point where it¡¯s at least as big as dogshit. Luckily, the cultivation method my body learned was only at the lowest level. Literally a basic method that he learned despite being a royal. While it was garbage, it didn¡¯t have any depth, so it won¡¯t conflict with the mana cultivation methods I¡¯ve learned. ¡®I can tell what his family situation was like without even seeing it.¡¯ They say that a small piece often reflects the whole picture. Although he was royalty, he was using the lowest-ranked mana cultivation method. This was garbage that even mercenaries wouldn¡¯t bother with. Well, expecting so much from the seventh prince of a weak country would be asking for too much. ¡®As of right now, it¡¯s impossible for me to return to my homnd.¡¯ Even as I thought of this, I was curious. A situation where the seed of a ve, worse than a poisonous snake, took root in the empty shell of a prince. What expression would the people that knew the original seventh prince make? ¡®In any case, gathering information takes priority.¡¯ That¡¯s as far as my thoughts went. * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San ] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract ] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * ¡°Mmmmm¡­¡­.¡± The pig woke up much faster than I expected. It seems my blow wasn¡¯t strong enough. Well,pared to my previous life, it¡¯s inevitable that my strength would be lower. After all, my body was that of a child¡¯s. ¡°This is a warning. Don¡¯t try anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Gradually, the pig¡¯s blurry vision came into focus. Then, he squinted his eyes, as if he still didn¡¯t understand the situation. In response, I let out a small sigh. ¡°You¡¯ll hurt yourself. I¡¯m saying this for you, Mr. Baldy.¡± ¡°Th-This crazy ve bastard¡­¡­!¡± Even though I came from a ve background, I still get offended when someone calls me ¡®ve, ve.¡¯ And I¡¯m not the kind of person to repeat my warning a second time. Bam! While seated, I lifted one foot, and kicked the pig in the face. Immediately, a few yellow kernels akin to corn scattered on the floor. ¡°A-Augh¡­¡­¡± The pig rolled around on the ground in pain. ¡°Listen carefully.¡± Regardless of whether he was listening or not, I went on. ¡°I told you. Starting now, we¡¯re switching roles. You¡¯re the dog, I¡¯m the owner. All you have to do is follow what your owner tells you to do. Easy, right?¡± ¡°Augh¡­¡­¡± ¡°When I feed you, you eat. When I take you for a walk, you walk. When I say, ¡®paw,¡¯ put out your hand. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± ¡°Hrrmm, hrmmph.¡± ¡°Nod if you understand.¡± I slowly raised my fist, and it was only then that the pig nodded fiercely. ¡°Stay there for a moment. I don¡¯t want to bother with knocking you out.¡± Nod, nod, nod. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. Try anything, and you¡¯re dead.¡± Nod, nod, nod. As expected, a beast listened best after being beaten. Look at how meek he was now, not a trace of his earlier self in sight. ¡®Now, let¡¯s finish organizing our thoughts.¡¯ Situation, the worst. Body, poor at best. Background, none. I quite literally don¡¯t have a single penny to my name. Hopeless? Far from it! Everyone has delusions at some point in their lives. ¡®If only I could go back in time¡­¡­¡¯ or ¡®If only I were a few years younger¡­¡­¡¯ and so on. But here I am, inside the body of a teenager with over 40 years of experience and knowledge. What am I, at my core? The best on the continent. Just imagine how great my potential would be! ¡®Not so bad, after all.¡¯ Immediately, a wry smile formed on my lips. An organizational chart of revenge naturally formed in my mind. The first emperor of the empire had died in my hands. With that alone, there must be countless people on the continent who remember me. Chances are, the throne is now upied by the prince that was there on the day I died. ¡®That¡¯s one.¡¯ I made a dot at the top of my head. ¡®And below him, the bastards they call the Eight Pirs of the Empire.¡¯ They all possessed great skills. Not all sword masters were equal in skill. Swordmasters of smaller kingdoms stood no chance against the swordmasters of Swallow. You could even divide swordmasters into ¡®kingdom¡¯ and ¡®imperial¡¯ sses. For the record, every single one of the Eight Pirs was a swordmaster. And that was over 20 years ago. ¡®And¡­¡­ the traitor.¡¯ I circled this part in my head several times. Come to think of it, what happened to my subordinates after I died? Did they all die? Like my child that day¡­¡­. ¡°¡­¡­Heh heh heh.¡± The thought made meugh again. Should I say that it¡¯s like a natural reaction of denial when a human doesn¡¯t want to ept reality? Every time I think about my dead Andy, Iugh like this. It¡¯s as if the heartbreak and mourning was being coated with a false smile. ¡°If you run away, you¡¯re dead.¡± Flinch! At that moment, the pig, who had been moving bit by bit towards the entrance, jumped in surprise. ¡°I-It¡¯s not that, I just have an appointment soon¡­¡­¡± ¡°An appointment?¡± ¡°W-With my subordinates¡­¡­¡± Just then, I felt a presence outside. Ahh, he was worried that I¡¯d humiliate him in their presence. This is why people need to be educated. Since he didn¡¯t raise his voice too high, he deserves some praise, right? ¡°Okay, you pass. You don¡¯t need any more training. You¡¯re free to go.¡± A look of incredulity shed across the pig¡¯s face, but I ignored it and looked towards the tent entrance. Because by then, the presence had been standing right outside it. ¡°Young master, are you done with the education? I¡¯ve sent the boys outside to heat up the water!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡®Young master?¡¯¡± I stared at the pig in disbelief. ¡°Wh-What? Am I not allowed to be a young master or something?¡± ¡°What bullshit.¡± The pig immediately shut up and muttered excuses. This bald bastard was no ordinary pig. I should add one more title to the list: ¡®perverted lunatic.¡¯ ¡°Young master?¡± ¡°What are you doing? He¡¯s desperately looking for you. Aren¡¯t you going to answer him?¡± I told him in silence, by means of a raised fist. To show him what¡¯d happen if he tried to pull any stunts. ¡°A-Alright! I¡¯ll be out in a minute, so make sure you reheat the water.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Young master, is something wrong? You sound a little strange¡­¡­.¡± ¡°N-No. Nothing¡¯s wrong! I-I¡¯m just a little preupied. J-Just go get some more candles from the supply tent! Leave them by the door, and I¡¯ll take care of it!¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Yes, sir. As you wish.¡± As he said that, I nced at a corner of the room. There was a whip, a candle, and a bunch of other things that I couldn¡¯t figure out the use for. ¡°Just how much bullshit have you done in here?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to answer?¡± The pig stiffened and shook his head. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°How am I supposed to remember all that? Do you remember what you had for dinner years ago? Even yesterday¡¯s dinner is hazy to me!¡± ¡°Hey, you perverted bastard. You¡¯re quite smug even when you¡¯re saying something like that, huh?¡± ¡°S-Still, I¡¯m better than most ve traders. At least I didn¡¯t kill them!¡± The corners of my mouth turned up in sarcasm. ¡°That¡¯s because to you, those children were nothing more than ¡®merchandise¡¯. Killing them felt like too much of a waste, didn¡¯t it?¡± Flinch. Look at this guy. I could see right through this pig. ¡°Yeah, you won¡¯t do.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± ¡°While we¡¯re at it, we should break your bad habits. Let¡¯s beat you up just a bit more.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Just when the wide-eyed pig ducked in a hurry. p! Woosh! The tarp was lifted in one smooth motion. ¡°You bastard!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± In an instant, a dozen men had rushed inside the tent. ____ Chapter 4 Chapter 4 ¨C Self-Imprisonment ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± A small murmur slipped out from my lips. Judging by the number of people, every underling in the vicinity had gathered here. Among them were Harun and the bandit who had pushed me here. I can tell just by looking at them. Seeing how he¡¯s half naked, it seems that he was about to get cuddled by the minions. ¡®Lucily, none of them seem capable of using mana.¡¯ After spending so many years on the battlefield, I could tell by just a nce. However, although they were just some mana-less small fry from the countryside, it¡¯d be difficult for me to take on all of them in my current state. It was an objective judgment made after assessing my current physical condition. Twenty or so enemies. My mana is at rock bottom, and my new body still feels unfamiliar. Moreover, unlike this body, all of them were full-grown adults. ¡°¡­¡­I warned you, didn¡¯t I? That you wouldn¡¯t get second chances.¡± Flinch. As I nced to the side, the pig, who had been sitting there with a smirk on his face, stiffened. It seemed that thement about the ¡®candle¡¯ or whatever was apparently a secret signal for distress. ¡°Who are you? And just what is your identity?¡± ¡°Actually, that¡¯s what I want to ask you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do vers these days just grab whatever people they can without checking their identities?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Seeing one of them flinch, I went on. ¡°That¡¯s why you idiots can¡¯t even get out of this backwater ce.¡± The bandit quickly frowned and promptly turned to the polite bandit. ¡°Hey, Becker! Are you sure you checked that ve¡¯s identity before you brought him here? You said he was a good one without any problems!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­. I-I apologize, sir.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a ve that Groom handed over to me for a very low price, and as you can see, since he was of such high quality¡­¡­. I-I just couldn¡¯t pass him up!¡± ¡°Groom? Isn¡¯t he the one who mostly operates in the Duchy of Meeke?¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s correct, sir.¡± The face of the man at the front contorted into an angry frown. ¡°Hey, you bastard! Didn¡¯t I tell you that if you want to stay in this line of work for a long time, identification is a must. No matter how good a product is, if something goes wrong, would you take the responsibility?¡± ¡°I havemitted a sin worthy of death!¡± ¡°Be honest. That Groom bastard paid you to do this, didn¡¯t he?¡± Whatever was going on, I calmly spun my brain. Now. There¡¯s no point in crying over spilled milk, so let¡¯s think of a solution. One. Knock out everyone here and brazenly walk out of the tent. The oue wasn¡¯t certain, but if I pushed myself, it might be doable. However, this wasn¡¯t a good idea. Not only would I be risking my newly earned life, but it would be in direct vition of my philosophy of ¡®let¡¯s at least pretend to be normal.¡¯ Then, two. I take the pig next to me hostage. Then, after getting to a safe ce, I release it. ¡­¡­It¡¯s just as bad as the first one. Above all, it¡¯s a pain in the ass. And that¡¯s not the only w in this n. Even if I manage to escape the, there¡¯s no guarantee that the pursuers won¡¯t follow. ¡®In the end, would wiping them all out be better than leaving a trail of ashes behind?¡¯ Amidst my thoughts. ¡®S-Save me.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­!¡± My nonchnt gaze snapped to one side. It was Harun. He was being held captive by the polite bandit. I couldn¡¯t get him off my mind. Maybe it was because he was the first person who I met in this body. ¡®If Andy had grown a little older, would he have been around that height?¡¯ As I was watching that scene, I felt a sudden surge of irritation. ¡°Hmph. And you call yourselves human?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You should be ashamed of yourselves. This is the kind of bullshit you grown men do to little kids? It¡¯s because of trash like you, who act as tools to satisfy the desires of perverted kinkos, that this stupid, backwater country hasn¡¯t progressed.¡± Tremble. It seems that even vers had some patriotism in them. I prodded him gently, and immediately got a response. Just look at the guy. Shnng. The first thing he does when he thinks he¡¯s been insulted is draw his sword. ¡°This sissy ass looking fucker, talking shit! What the fuck did you just say?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Okay, I¡¯ve decided. I guess I¡¯ll go with the third way after all.¡± I smirked and jumped to my feet. There were a few strict rules I had set in my previous life. And one of them was, That I would never let anyone who unsheathed a sword in front of me walk away alive. ¡®Don¡¯t let your guard down. Keep a calm head.¡¯ For now, I kept myself calm. I may have flown around the battlefield in my previous life, but right now, I am a child with mana the size of rat droppings. They may be weak, but taking them all on was still a gamble. Convictions, philosophies, and rules can only be honored if you were alive. Slip. Immediately afterward, I reached over to the side, where various tools were. Incidentally, there was a metal skewer lying there for whatever reason. ¡°Your young master, I should make a whole roast pig out of him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The boss, who had just drawn his sword, stopped in his tracks. Feeling the cold metal under his chin, the pig cried out as if he had a seizure. ¡°You idiot bastards! You should have snuck in quietly. Why would you all rush in in a swarm? Are you advertising your arrival?¡± p! I struck the pig¡¯s ear on the spot. ¡°Why would you do something I didn¡¯t ask you to do?¡± Shiver. The pig trembled in humiliation. However, this wasn¡¯t the case for those watching. I could soon sense killing intent from the pig¡¯s underlings. ¡°All of you, calm down. Those poor kids you captured have gone through worse. At the end of the day, it¡¯s just a simple reversal of roles, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You have three seconds. Get the hell out of here, everyst one of you.¡± It was a situation where the boss¡¯ life was in danger. Under my threats that weren¡¯t all that threatening, they were forced to raise the white g. ¡°¡­¡­Haa. Come on, assholes. We¡¯re backing off for now.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Stomp, stomp, stomp. And at that, much like the tide, the minions ebbed back out, just as they had entered. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going out?¡± ¡°One of us has to stay behind. How would we trust a bitch like you, girl?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ¡®boy¡¯¡ª motherfucker, bet you fucked your father.¡± As it turned out, the only one left was the captain of the polite minions who had drawn his sword in front of me. ¡°Alright, you stay. And¡­¡­.¡± I nced to the side. ¡°Pig, didn¡¯t you say earlier you wanted to y with something new.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Well, I saw a pretty kid in the middle of all those old men. Why don¡¯t you call him too?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have some fun, the three of us. Shall we?¡± The pig, who flinched at my killing intent, quickly nodded his head. He probably didn¡¯t want to lose his life over a mere ve. The quick-witted bastard in charge brought Harun in once more. ¡°You really were a crazy bastard.¡± Once he was within inches of me, Harun mumbles these words. And he¡¯d just been begging for his life a moment ago. However, at that moment, something unexpected happened. The pig, unable to ovee its fear, began to squeak and squeal. ¡°Ben-Hur! Call the higher-ups! Call¡­¡­!¡± aaaappp! I put a little force behind my p this time. ¡°Our script didn¡¯t include anything like, ¡®Contact the higher-ups,¡¯ did it?¡± After being striked to the ear, the pig was finally knocked out cold. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± A moment of stunned silence descended. ¡°Th-This bastard¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Should I stab him?¡± Flinch. As I pointed the metal skewer at the stunned pig, the minion boss, Ben-Hur, froze in ce. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s do it like this.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Honestly, isn¡¯t what you¡¯re most concerned about is me dragging this pig into a hostage situation and running away?¡± And sure enough, the answer was written all over his face. ¡°¡­¡­You, do you know who he is? If you knew, you¡¯d never do that. He¡¯s on a different level than us lowlives.¡± ¡°What amazing backing could this pig¡­¡­ No, I guess he was a ¡®young master¡¯? Anyway, let¡¯s make a deal. Just give me a week.¡± ¡°A week?¡± ¡°If you just leave us alone for a week, I¡¯ll release your young master. Of course, in the meantime, you¡¯ll have to bring us water and food. Oh, and maybe some jars, since there¡¯s notrine. Just leave the stuff in front of the tent and we¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He was looking at me with an expression that said, ¡®What the hell are you nning?¡¯ but in the end, he has no choice but to take me up on my offer. If anything, he¡¯ll use this opportunity to construct a tighter. ¡°What are you nning? How do you expect me to believe you?¡± ¡°And what if you don¡¯t? Do you want to watch your young master turn into pork on a spit? Didn¡¯t you say he was important?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At that, Ben-Hur¡¯s winced in a ¡®dammit¡¯ expression. ¡°You and your bullshit, I swear I¡¯ll¡­¡­. At the very least, shouldn¡¯t you at least give me something that¡¯ll make me trust you?¡± ¡°Alright. Once a day, youe in by yourself and make sure your young master is alive and well. How about this?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Once is too short. Let¡¯s make it twice.¡± ¡°Fine. Then once every twelve hours, so twice a day.¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, one every twelve hours is a bit¡­¡­. Let¡¯s make it three.¡± Look at this guy? I agreed to his conditions nicely, and now he¡¯s trying to make a deal with me. ¡°I changed my mind. Let¡¯s do it every other day.¡± ¡°What? What kind of bullshit is that¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Should I stab him?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ben-Hur¡¯s face soon crumpled like a sheet of paper. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t believe me, there¡¯s nothing you can do about it, right? Since I¡¯m not going to kill your young master immediately, why don¡¯t you give me a week?¡± ¡°What if you don¡¯t let him go after a week?¡± ¡°You¡¯re full of worries, aren¡¯t you¡­¡­. Don¡¯t group me together with dishonest scumbags like you.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Ben-Hur snorted. The look on his face seemed to sneer, saying, ¡®You¡¯re no different.¡¯ ¡°There you go crossing the line again. Should I stab him?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Fuck. Alright. I apologize.¡± ¡°Whatever. Just listen carefully.¡± With a loud ¡®ahem,¡¯ I cleared my throat, and continued. ¡°I, Andrew, swear to you that I will release that pig in a week!¡± ¡°¡­¡­What are you doing?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know? That¡¯s called an oath.¡± ¡°My point exactly. Why an oath? Are you a knight or something?¡± Ben-Hur gave me an incredulous look. Despite my yful demeanor, ¡®oaths¡¯ meant a great deal to knights. It was closely tied to their character. Knights lived and died by their honor. They valued their honor. Even more than their own lives, sometimes. Therefore, a knight¡¯s oath must always be honored. If word got out that a knight hadn¡¯t honored his oath, he would never be considered a fellow knight in that region for the rest of his life. ¡°I am a knight at heart.¡± If I could, I would¡¯ve even liked to reveal the identity of this body. No matter how weak a country is, if you¡¯re a prince, the vers in charge will prostrate themselves before you, trembling with fear. However, that¡¯s the worst thing I could do. I don¡¯t even know the exact situation I¡¯m in yet. It¡¯s dangerous to reveal my identity at this point. ¡°¡­¡­Fine. If you¡¯re a man, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d keep your word. One week. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to, but I¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°Works for me.¡± Just as I had expected it to turn out. Ben-Hur stared at the unconscious pig for a moment, then left the tent. ¡°Just how do you n on getting out of this?¡± Harun eximed, as if he¡¯d been waiting. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve practically imprisoned yourself!¡± ¡°But that¡¯s what I wanted.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy. You¡¯re actually crazy.¡± ¡°Tsk-tsk. Since I¡¯ve saved you, you should do your part, instead of cursing me out.¡± ¡°My part?¡± ¡°Watch over this.¡± I nudged the pig with my toe. ¡°Nothing¡¯s going to change from that! What, are you going to burrow out of here?¡± ¡°A week from now.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If they just give me one week, I¡¯ll be able to beat the shit out of those guys you just saw.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a lunatic! Completely out of your mind! I shouldn¡¯t have gotten involved with you in the first ce!¡± Harun sat back in his seat and began to sob. ¡°Why did you call me? At least I would have lived if you had just pretended you didn¡¯t know me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh. If I had let you be, you would have definitely died. In fact, you would have even been tortured. Didn¡¯t you look at me like that back there because you knew this?¡± ¡°They might have let me live!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what they were saying earlier? They don¡¯t know my identity. In that situation, wouldn¡¯t they torture you, who¡¯s been locked in the carriage with me for quite some time, to find out who I am?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t know anything about me. The question is, would they believe your answer of ¡®I don¡¯t know?¡¯ In return, that would raise doubts about your own identity.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± With this, I looked at Harun, who remainedpletely silent, and with that, I shrugged. ¡°At that point, you¡¯d be as good as dead. Since those in power kill anything that feels a bit off. Keep that in mind.¡± I¡¯m saying all this from experience, you bastard. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 ¨C n C A week. During that time, I nned on taking a closer look at the inside of my body. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡± Not long into my n, my face lit up. I hadn¡¯t been mistaken. Sure enough, this body had formed a ¡®mana hole,¡¯ a so-called bowl for mana. This was amazing news. It was practically nonexistent, but I can¡¯t believe he managed toplete a bowl using this garbage mana cultivation method. Every now and then, youe across freaks like this. Freaks with natural talent, butcked a background to support it. ¡°Though from my point of view, that¡¯s good news¡­¡­.¡± This physical body is great. Next up is Mana. You can¡¯t just pour water into the hole; you have to clean the bowl first. Just as the foundation must be strong to build a straight building on top of it. ¡°Um¡­¡­.¡± I was deep in meditation when Harun walked toward me. ¡°What have you been doing since earlier?¡± His face was already showing his resignation to life. ¡°Bored?¡± ¡°Just wondering what the hell is in that fist-sized head of yours. You¡¯ve been sitting there like that for three hours now. Are you thinking of what to leave in your will?¡± ¡°Nope. I¡¯m trying to figure out a way for us to live.¡± The look of disbelief on Harun¡¯s face shed across his face again. I took a closer look at him, who was now standing in front of me. ¡®Now that I¡¯m looking at him, his bone structure isn¡¯t half bad.¡¯ Because I¡¯d taught countless people, I¡¯d developed a knack for spotting talent in my previous life. I could size him up at just a nce. ¡®Hmmm¡­¡­let¡¯s increase the chances of our escape, shall we?¡± For a moment, I considered taking the time to teach him separately. Because right now, I¡¯d take every ally I could get. Besides, going head to head with two dozen minions while protecting him is too much as I am right now. It¡¯d be another story if I hadn¡¯t saved him in the first ce. But at the very least, shouldn¡¯t I take responsibility and teach him how to protect himself? ¡®Of course, I¡¯d have to check his mental state first.¡¯ You can¡¯t just start showing someone the way if they don¡¯t have the attitude or mindset to learn. After organizing my thoughts, I opened my mouth. ¡°Have you ever heard of mana cultivation?¡± ¡°Mana cultivation?¡± Harun¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You mean, the mana cultivation that knights learn?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Because I¡¯m kind of a big deal?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Naturally, Harun¡¯s eyes widened. In that moment, I didn¡¯t miss it. A fleeting, momentary glimpse of desire in his eyes. As soon as I saw it, a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. ¡°What the. No good deed goes unpunished, huh?¡± ¡°H-Huh?¡± ¡°You just got greedy for my cultivation method. Didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°N-Nuh-uh. I was just a little jealous, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Really? You didn¡¯t want to learn it at all, not even a little bit?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± At that, Harun went silent. I made an obvious, dramatic sigh. Because his silence was as good as a confession. ¡°Unbelievable.¡± ¡°Well, I mean, I¡¯m not usually that shameless, you know? But we¡¯re going to die in a week.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you think.¡± ¡°And us living is what you think! Anyway, it¡¯s been my dream all my life to be a knight, to defeat bad guys, make a lot of money, and make it up thedder.¡± ¡°Well, if you aren¡¯t a knight in-name only and have the skills to match it, you might be able to fulfill that dream.¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s why! Since I¡¯m going to die anyway, can¡¯t I¡­¡­ can¡¯t I just know what it¡¯s like, even for a little bit? O-Or maybe that was too much to ask for¡­?¡± ¡°A little bit? If you said ¡®teach me your mana cultivation method¡¯ to someone other than me, they would¡¯ve cut you down on the spot.¡± ¡°S-Sorry. B-But is there really no way? Think of it as my dying wish!¡± The smile on my face widened once more. At least he seemed willing. ¡°And¡­¡­ maybe, just maybe, I could be of use to you when the battlees in a week¡¯s time?¡± ¡°If a few days of training made you a knight, who in the world wouldn¡¯t be one?¡± ¡°But you¡¯ll only know if I have the talent or not if you try!¡± Thud! Right then, Harun knelt down in front of me. ¡°Please! I don¡¯t want to die a wretch, unable to do anything! I¡¯ve lived my whole life like that. I want to at least face the end like me.¡± ¡°And what are you like?¡± ¡°Even if I die, I¡¯ll at least chew out an eye of the bastard that kills me!¡± This guy, despite his good looks, has guts. Yeah. A man¡¯s gotta have some balls. ¡°Teach me, and I promise I¡¯ll repay you. If we can survive as you think, I¡¯ll live for you for the rest of my life! Because you¡¯d have saved my life.¡± ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t forget what you just said.¡± ¡°Y-You will? For real?¡± In an instant, Harun¡¯s face lit up. Lucky for him, a couple of mana cultivation methods hade to mind. Not my own, of course. I¡¯ve led countless wars to victory. Naturally, I¡¯ve gained an incredible amount of loot along the way. And among them are quite a few other cultivation methods that are rather useful. ¡°Let¡¯s check your body first.¡± Without asking for permission, I walked up to him and stroked his body. ¡°Nngh!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± In an instant, my face crumpled in a frown. ¡°Make a noise like that one more time, and forget about the cultivation method, you¡¯re not even getting soup.¡± ¡°S-Sorry. It just came out.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to open your mouth, especially when you¡¯re using the cultivation method, so just hold it in.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± I started touching Harun¡¯s bone structure in earnest. His body was very thin from not eating properly, but the bone structure itself wasn¡¯t bad. No, this much is excellent. Not as good as my current body, but good enough to get him a letter of rmendation to the Knight Academy with a little bit of care. ¡°¡­¡­ Alright. I think I know the perfect cultivation method for you.¡± ¡°Wow! How many more cultivation methods do you know?¡± ¡°Shh. I¡¯ll teach you, so just do as I say. Also, we¡¯ll take turns meditating, since we also have to feed that pig.¡± My gaze flicked to the corner. There, tethered to a rope, the pig stared back at me with disgruntled eyes. There was nothing I couldn¡¯t find in this ce. Ropes used to tie people up. Shackles for prisoners. Whips for the ves, as well as candles and other unidentifiable tools. ¡°If I could, I would¡¯ve liked to use everything here on that pig. Sort of as a tribute to the souls of the poor children who came here before me.¡± Flinch. Immediately, the pig¡¯s head snapped up. At that, I burst outughing. ¡°I should be the bigger guy and hold back, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± After giving the pig a scare, I slowly began to teach Harun his cultivation method. We have a long way to go from here. *** It was well past midnight. Flinch. My eyes snapped open from their meditative stupor. ¡®Look at these assholes?¡¯ It was three in the morning. I could sense a lot of people outside my tent. And it¡¯s at a time when humans are at their weakest. Not even a day had passed, let alone the promised week. ¡®Dead men tell no tales, is that it? This is why you guys are stuck being vers.¡¯ Immediately afterward, I sprawled down on my back and closed my eyes. Chapter 2 of Ancelot¡¯s Code, give clear examples. The right number of people. There were only about five of them, as if they were worried that too many would wake us up. However, that mistake would cost them their lives. Step, step. Killing their footsteps, they soon came inside. ¡°¡­¡­You cocky little ve, you sure are sleeping well, all sprawled out.¡± ¡°Shh, be quiet. Let¡¯s make quick work of them. Humphrey and Max, take care of the young master. There¡¯s two of them, soplete your respective jobs.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I just walk right up to him and slit his fucking throat? Why bother with roles?¡± With that, one of the assholes stormed over to me. ¡°And after I kill him, I think I¡¯ll even cut open his stomach to see how big his guts are.¡± Woosh! Soon after, the sound of wind passed by the rim of my ears. The dagger had been aimed squarely at my throat. ¡­!!! My eyes snapped open and my head snapped to the side. Poompf! The tip of the de dug straight into the dirt. ¡°Wh-What?¡± The dagger-wielder¡¯s eyes widened, as if he hadn¡¯t expected me to dodge. Bam! ¡°Argh!¡± I use the sole of my foot to kick the minion in the face, causing him to stumble backwards. Naturally, the ownerless daggery on the ground. I pull it out. Shkk! Shkk! Shkk! ¡°A-Argh!¡± As he tried to get up, I stabbed him in the neck three times in quick session. About five seconds had passed by this point. ¡°Humphrey! Max! Leave the young master for now and focus on the kid!¡± At least the minion had the brains to give instructions. He must have realized that I wasn¡¯t the average kid, because he and the rest of the minions started charging at me. ¡°Phew.¡± I let out the breath I¡¯d been holding. The contents of the mana hole were still the size of rat droppings. But mana isn¡¯t always all about volume. It¡¯s about how pure it is. And how well you utilize it. In the end, the power of mana depends on the user. For reference, I¡¯d just spent thest half day transforming an old bowl into a brand new one. ¡®Now that I¡¯ve cleaned the bowl of all the waste, the same rat droppings will sting a little more this time. I muttered to myself and reversed my grip on the dagger. Lesser knights are usually obsessed with the ¡®aura¡¯ that they add to their swords. To forge stronger aura des, to vanquish enemies in honorablebat. That¡¯s what they call chivalry. However. ¡®Honorablebat, my ass.¡¯ I was nothing more than a sprout in a greenhouse, in a battle of egos among idiots who didn¡¯t know the battlefield. So I was certain. The line between life and death. A person who has trodden on the border of death, watching theirrades die before their eyes, doesn¡¯t use mana that way. They focus on the flesh that holds the sword, not the tool. This is difficult, of course. Mana is like blood. In order for mana to flow through your bloodstream, your body must be clean and your blood vessels must be open. Only then can mana be efficiently circted throughout the body. This is an acquired mana skill that can be cultivated over time, but innate qualities are more important than anything else. Impurities in the blood tend to be inherent to some degree. That¡¯s why I called this new body an outlier. He may still be young, butpared to his peers, the internal pathways of his body were quite clean. In fact, it could be said to be the cleanest on the continent. The bigger and thicker the obstacle in your way, the more effort it takes to break through it. In other words, this body¡¯s mana efficiency will be inevitably high. I inhaled. I held my breath again. In an instant, I directed the mana flowing from the mana hole to my legs and the muscles of my right arm. Shkk! Shkk! Shkk! Shkk! Then, closing the distance between myself and the minions, I fired the muscles stretched behind my back forward with an explosive force. I drove four swift strikes, shot in session like arrows, into each of their necks. Thud! ¡°H-How is he so fast¡­¡­ Cough!¡± Thest minion, throat pierced, copsed while coughing up blood. The continent is a world dominated by the sword today. It isn¡¯t for nothing that the sword is the supreme weapon. In fact, almost every knight wielded one. However, that does not apply to me. At the end of the day, a tool is merely a tool. My entire body is a weapon. Even in my previous life, every piece of metal on the battlefield was my weapon; every punch, every kick, and every blow was the reaper of the enemy¡¯s life. I was not amander who shouted ¡®Onwards!¡¯ from the rear. I was amander who stood in the vanguard with the rest of his men and shouted, ¡®After me!¡¯ ¡°Hey, pig.¡± Tremble. Was it because he had witnessed my sword dance? The pig, now awake, looked at me with fear in his eyes. ¡°Mmph! Mmph!¡± I wonder if he thought I was going to kill him. While gagged, he furiously shook its head. So, I removed his gag for him. ¡°D-Don¡¯t kill me! I-I had nothing to do with this! As you can see, I¡¯ve been tied up all this time!¡± ¡°Shut up and answer only what I ask you.¡± ¡°O-Okay!¡± ¡°Earlier, you seemed to possess quite a valuable treasure.¡± I was referring to the artifact embedded with the magic, ¡®spark.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m confiscating it for now.¡± This type of artifact naturally recharges its mana over time. Since it was about time it got recharged, I quickly removed the ring from the pig¡¯s finger. ¡°By the way, you have a lot of money, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Wh-Why¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a while. A, I could kill you all and run. B, I could take you hostage, kill you in a suitable ce, and then run away.¡± Flinch. At that, the pig¡¯s entire body began to shake. No matter what I chose, he would end up dying. ¡°And then, I thought of a n C.¡± Suddenly, a new emotion appeared in the pig¡¯s eyes. Hope. ¡°Wh-What¡¯s n C¡­¡­?¡± At this sight, I smiled. It only takes a second for hope to turn to despair. ¡°Yes, a n C. So that this doesn¡¯t happen again in the future, I¡¯ll kill those I have to kill and devour everything you guys have umted.¡± Chapter 6 Chapter 6 ¨C Mana The sun rose. Surprisingly, Harun hadn¡¯t even bothered waking up even after all the mayhem during the night. ¡°Zzzzz.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± And he¡¯s even snoring. This is ridiculous. Well, it¡¯s understandable. It was his first time learning the mana cultivation method. Moreover, it takes a lot of mental energy just to understand the more advanced ones. ¡°¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s about time he showed up.¡± I nced towards the entrance of the tent. I expected more people to rush inside immediately after themotion. But there were no more ambushes. ¡°Well, I guess I should at least do a bit of preparation of my own.¡± ¡°Mmph! Mmph!¡± Suddenly, the pig who stayed up the entire night opened its dark-circled eyes. I had just plunged a metal skewer into its neck. p! Just then, as if he¡¯d been waiting, the minion boss, Ben-Hur, walked in. ¡°¡­¡­What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°You broke your promise.¡± Flinch. Ben-Hur shudders slightly. He had followed my gaze and seen whaty there. In one corner of the tent, bodies formed a small pile. ¡°Take them and bury them. Any longer, and I think I¡¯ll start smelling like corpses.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Okay.¡± To my surprise, Ben-Hur did so obediently. He moved all the corpses by himself, not even bothering to call in any help, lest he offend me. And when he had finally cleaned up thest one. ¡°Just what did you do?¡± He finally asked me, curious. ¡°You must be dying of curiosity, about who I am.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ben-Hur went silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh. ¡°¡­¡­Damn bastard. Looks like you¡¯ve got a card up your sleeve.¡± ¡°Hey, you damn minion boss.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Should I kill this pig?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Unlike before, I actually gave the hand holding the metal skewer more force than usual. ¡°Mmphhh!¡± The sharp tip dug in with a ¡°plop!¡± and blood flowed out. At the same time, the pig started squealing again. ¡°¡­¡­Do that, and you die.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who made a mess and wanted to kill me in the first ce, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be a simple death. I¡¯ll make sure your death is anything but quick. As painfully as possible. I¡¯ll grind your flesh off, piece by piece, sprinkle salt on your wounds, and throw your chunks of flesh to the dogs. You¡¯ll watch in agony, with your entire body burning with salt.¡± ¡°Is that what you want me to do to your master?¡± I reached out and gripped the dagger which I looted the night before. ¡°Mmmphhhh!¡± The pig¡¯s head snapped up like a thunderbolt. Its expression seemed to be scolding him for provoking me. ¡°Enough!¡± ¡°You bastards. So why act out when you were doing so well?¡± Baaammm! I punched the iling pig in the throat and knocked him out. There was something important I had to do now. ¡°Since you¡¯re the one who caused the mess, I have one more request.¡± ¡°¡­¡­This goddamn son of a bitch¡­¡­¡± I got straight to the point. ¡°From now on, I want you to stack all of your stashes, everyst one of them, in that corner where the bodies were piled up earlier. By yourself, of course.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ben-Hur frowned, as if he hadn¡¯t expected such a demand. ¡°I¡¯ve already checked with your young master about what you have. Don¡¯t even think about lying. If you leave anything out, your master will look exactly as you just described.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ben-Hur remained silent for a long moment, then grinned wickedly. ¡°Do you really think you can take all our possessions and get out of here? Do you really think that¡¯s possible?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hah, alright. Let¡¯s do that.¡± Muttering under his breath, Ben-Hur spun on his heel and left. It¡¯s clear that the bastard has something else up his sleeve. The sight of him made my blood boil. ¡®Not yet.¡¯ I¡¯ve regained the ability to wipe out his minions, but I have to be patient. At least until they bring their stash to my doorstep. ¡°What are you doing? What¡¯s money worth to a dead man? Or is it for our afterlife?¡± At that moment, Harun, who had woken up, whispered to me. ¡°Wipe the drool off the corner of your mouth.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He wipes it off with his arm. ¡°And, didn¡¯t I tell you? You¡¯re not dying.¡± Pause. Harun stops moving, still in the same position he was, wiping his saliva. ¡°Are you sure¡­¡­ we¡¯re going to live?¡± ¡°You will. Aren¡¯t you and I both working to death so we can live?¡± Of course, in my case, I¡¯m alive because I couldn¡¯t die. An idiot who wasn¡¯t by his wife¡¯s side when she took herst breath and lost his only child. I¡¯m a good-for-nothing that deserves to die, but still has things to do. If I died like this and went to the other side, I wouldn¡¯t even be weed by my family. They would say, ¡°Why did youe here after aplishing nothing?¡± and criticize me even in the afterlife. ¡°Let go of your doubts about your life.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s to live or to learn something, it¡¯s all about willpower. If you think you can be a knight with such a weak state of mind, give up now. You¡¯ll never be able to do it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Harun¡¯s eyes widened in realization, and it was only then that all traces of sleep disappeared from his eyes. ¡°S-Sorry. I won¡¯t doubt it again.¡± Soon after, a determined gleam appeared in Harun¡¯s eyes. He¡¯s still young. He has talent, but he still has a lot to learn, starting with this mindset. Aside from that, what I just said to him was also a promise to myself. I will never go to my family¡¯s side until I have gotten my revenge. Then, what do I need the most right now? Skills? They¡¯re definitely important. But ultimately, I can¡¯t aplish anything alone. Not in a battle against a nation. So what else do I need? Influence, or power. And the key ingredient for building power? Money. ¡®A weak country on the periphery that no one cares about. This environment will help me in the future. Isn¡¯t it a great ce to build a base away from the watchful gazes of others?¡¯ One of my few weaknesses in my previous life was the fact that I had never made money by myself. I simply sent the loot from the battlefield to my n, and my financial vassal took care of everything. Some of it went to the imperial treasury, and the rest was mine. ¡®¡­¡­When it came to making money, that old man was quite something.¡¯ Of course, whenever I spent all that hard-earned money at once, I was nagged until my ears scabbed over with cries of, ¡®Please, you¡¯ll be the death of me, my lord!¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re probably all dead, aren¡¯t they?¡¯ I sighed inwardly and looked ahead again. ¡°So, do you think there¡¯s been some progress with the cultivation method I taught you?¡± ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m doing what you told me to do, and I think I feel something warm in my stomach, or maybe I don¡¯t¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± My eyes widened. Of course, it¡¯s unlikely that he¡¯s already formed the bowl. Even some geniuses take three years to make their first hole. However, you can¡¯t ignore that ¡®feeling.¡¯ For those geniuses, the timing of their mana awakening also varied depending on how quickly they got this feeling. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Yep. Do you think I have some talent for this?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± In that sense, this Harun guy, his talent was much better than I had expected. *** The week went by quickly. Once I showed them my true colors, they kept their word. ¡°It¡¯s almost time to meet.¡± By now, the corners of the tent were piled high with treasures of all kinds. There were hundreds of gold pieces alone, not to mention jewelry of a spectrum of colors. A single gold piece was enough to feed a family of four for a year, so it was easy to see the extent of their evil deeds. ¡°Harun.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Harun, who had just been sweating inside the tent, turned to face me, sword in hand. What I taught him was a certain knight¡¯s unique sword technique and a mana cultivation method. In a fallen kingdom in the eastern part of the Empire, there existed a ce called Arundel County. The lord there was one of the best swordsmen I¡¯d ever seen, ranking in the top three. There was no force or variation in the way he shed at his opponent¡¯s sword. Only extreme speed. Nevertheless, countless knights had sworn by the sword of Lord Arundel. Of all the swords, I chose this one for a reason. Harun entered this world at a rtivelyte age, fourteen. Byparison, most children of knightly families take up the sword at the earliest age of five. ¡®The Arundel family¡¯s swordsmanship isn¡¯t difficult to learn, as it isn¡¯t as esoteric as many others.¡¯ It simply required a natural physical talent and many, many times more effort than other sword arts. It was perfect for Harun, who was ate bloomer. Even if he could only reach the level of five stars, most knights would be no match for him. ¡°Just remember one thing. Draw two dots in the air, and connect them.¡± ¡°Connect the dots?¡± ¡°Yes. At its core, Arundel swordsmanship is about finding the shortest path that exists, reaching your destination faster than anyone else, and taking the life of your enemy. The mana cultivation method is also centered around this principle.¡± ¡°Okay! I get what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°Good, now let¡¯s put it into practice.¡± ¡°Sure! Okay! Into practice¡­¡­!¡± Suddenly, Harun¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait. Practice?¡± p! Just in time. The minions rushed inside. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, I can¡¯t protect you in a fight. That means you¡¯ll have to fend for yourself.¡± ¡°W-Wait a minute. I¡¯ve only been learning the sword for a week.¡± I know. I know how hard this is. But this kid has to do it. Otherwise, Harun will die here today. If he chooses to give up in vain, that¡¯s his fate, then. On the other hand, if he survives this crisis, he can rise to be much more than he is now. ¡®I wish I had more time, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t have that luxury. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what the pig said. The education period would be a week at most. After that, we would be sold to a noble family as high quality goods. If knights from those families came looking for us, we would be in a lot of trouble. That¡¯s why I asked for a week. ¡°Let¡¯s give them a fight. You¡¯ll have a hard time with a lot of them, but you¡¯re more than capable of winning one-on-one against those minions.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± By now, the minions were already inside. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Pfft.¡± At this, the minions burst intoughter. ¡°Bwahahahahahaha!¡± ¡°What was that bastard talking about?¡± ¡°So what he¡¯s saying is, that ything¡¯s going to beat us?¡± I lift my frosty eyes to look at them. ¡°A few days ago, your colleagues were smirking like that, and they all died at my hands.¡± Flinch. The minions fell silent. ¡°You bastard¡­¡­ What kind of tricks did you pull against our colleagues?¡± ¡°Tricks, my foot. They were less skilled than I am, which is why they crossed the Netherworld hand-in-hand.¡± ¡°Crazy bastard. You expect us to believe that?¡± ¡°And so what if you don¡¯t? Are you going to test it out yourself?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± A stunned silence descends. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down, assholes. This is no ordinary kid.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes, boss.¡± ¡°And¡­¡­.¡± Ben-Hur looked at me. ¡°Release our young master, as promised.¡± ¡°Promise? What promise?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you already break that promise?¡± Ben-Hur¡¯s face contorted ferociously. ¡°I seem to recall that¡¯s why I granted your additional demands?¡± ¡°They were, just as you said, simply additional demands. You made a mess, so we should start over. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Ben-Hur smiled wryly, surprised at my guts. ¡°I knew it would end up this way, but it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ve gotten the green light from above.¡± ¡°Green light?¡± ¡°All of you! Listen up. Worst case scenario, we¡¯re giving up on the young master!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± My eyes widened at that moment. Even the pig watching went wide-eyed. Just then. ¡°Still not done?¡± ¡°Wee, Sir Thomas.¡± A young man strode into the room, his eyes narrowed. ¡°That¡¯s him.¡± ¡°What? He¡¯s a child!¡± Thomas¡¯s face crumpled in a frown like a sheet of paper. ¡°So, you called me in here for that little brat?¡± ¡°Well, since the young master got held hostage¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No matter how you put it, you asked me for help because you couldn¡¯t even handle a single kid? You guys are even more hopeless than I thought, huh? Pieces of trash!¡± ¡°I-I apologize. We tried, too, but¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± Having said that, Thomas brought his mouth close to Ben-Hur¡¯s ear and whispered. ¡°If that was a legitimate blood rtive of my lord, and not a bastard, you¡¯d be dead. It¡¯s a shame that the lord said he¡¯d use this chance to deal with that troublemaker.¡± ¡°I have¡­¡­ no excuses.¡± ¡°You¡¯re aware, right? The only one reason the lord¡¯s been staying quiet all this time, though his blood is ying ve trader, is because he¡¯s a bastard, a worthless scrap that¡¯s not even worth his time.¡± ¡°Y-Yes.¡± ¡°But this time is different. I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve already been paid in full. What if you¡¯d lost the ve, and Count Arseneined that he¡¯d been cheated out of his money? Do you think any of you would be able to die a peaceful death?¡± Tremble. Shaking, Ben-Hur quickly dropped to his knees. Thud! ¡°If this goes well, I¡¯ll double your separate payment, Sir Thomas. Furthermore, I¡¯ll take responsibility and reserve the best female ves for you, first and foremost.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Immediately, Thomas let out an ufortable cough. ¡°What kind of person do you see me as? I¡¯m a knight. What money? Women? Don¡¯t lump me together with you bastards¡­¡­.¡± ¡°D-Dignity fee! Shouldn¡¯t knights have a dignity fee, unlike us lowlifes? We have no honor, but you are true knights who live and die by honor!¡± Thomas nodded, as if he had no choice but to ept his words. ¡°Very well, then. First, get that little brat out of here. I despise them more than anything in the world. Hostage-taking, racketeering, cowardly assholes who¡¯ll sell out their friends when the timees. He was saying this and that to boost his friend¡¯s morale earlier, but they¡¯re the kind of scumbags who¡¯ll run away at the first opportunity.¡± Thomas clicked his tongue, then fixed his gaze on me. ¡°Hey, Ben-Hur. Keep this in mind. No man should do that. You¡¯re so young, and yet you¡¯re already running your mouth behind other people¡¯s backs.¡± ¡°I-I understand.¡± Whether he did or not, the look in my eyes had already turned serious. For a while, I studied the one who acted like he was teaching me a lesson. I watched him a few times, and I was sure. He had a different vibe from the others. ¡°That Thomas guy¡­¡­.¡± There was no doubt about it. He definitely knew how to use mana. From time to time, there are clowns who are knights but don¡¯t act like knights. Empty shells with no substance or real skills who acquired the title through money or their family¡¯s influence. However, although this guy¡¯s character is garbage, his skills are real. Then¡­¡­. ¡°¡­¡­Interesting.¡± I made a thin smile, and took a big step forward. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 ¨C One Quick Strike ¡®So far, it doesn¡¯t seem like that knight bastard will step up right away, so¡­¡­¡¯ With that thought in my head, I casually led the mood. ¡°Harun!¡± ¡°H-Huh?¡± ¡°I want you to trust me and take just one of these guys on¡ª something like a trial run. What you¡¯ve learned should be enough for these minions.¡± The knight clicked his tongue at my words. ¡°Stupid bastards. It¡¯s clear they¡¯ll never make it up thedder, believing in crap like that.¡± I wonder if that muttering was the cause. ¡°Becker!¡± Ben-Hur, the scowling minion leader, called out. ¡°Yes, Boss.¡± Looking at his face, it turned out to be the bandit who had pushed me here in the beginning. ¡°You take care of that kid.¡± ¡°What? M-Me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it twice. Part of me wants to slit your throat for causing this situation.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, sir! Then, am I allowed to kill him?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± A moment of silence descends. ¡°¡­¡­No. Don¡¯t kill him.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Of course not. In the first ce, he called that knight because he didn¡¯t have the confidence to subdue us without killing us. Like I said, we¡¯remodities. Commodities that a big client is impatiently waiting for, at that. And more than anything, by the looks of it, they haven¡¯t even figured out who we are yet. nk! Soon enough, the bandit pulled out a giant mace and swung it in the air. ¡°Even if you end up crippled, don¡¯t me me. You brought this on yourselves.¡± Flinch. Harun¡¯s expression froze under the murderous stare. In his hand, he held a sword which was one of the minions¡¯ treasures. -No need to be so nervous. Just do as I say from now on. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Harun¡¯s eyes widened at the sound of my voice in his head, and he looked around. -Don¡¯t look at me, and just focus on your opponent from now on. Harun finally hid his surprise, and nodded slowly. -You can¡¯t use mana right now anyway. So there¡¯s no point in trying. His opponent wasn¡¯t even worthy of using mana against in the first ce. ¡°I¡¯ll at least chop off one of your legs!¡± Whirrr! At that moment, the bandit made the first move. -The mace ising from the front. Keep your eyes open and step to the right! Bam! The mace struck the ground. The bandit¡¯s eyes widened, as if he hadn¡¯t expected Harun to dodge. ¡°Eek!¡± The bandit immediately tried to retrieve the mace. But weighing as much as it did, it was too slow. -Left foot forward, go on the offense! And his chest¡ª pierce it! ¡°Haaah!¡± Harun cried out, and followed my instructions to the letter. ¡°Ugh!¡± The panicked bandit hastily swung his mace. Still too slow. In fact, he didn¡¯t even think of counterattacking and squeezed his eyes shut. That¡¯s right. This is what the skills of a bandit in the countryside amount to. Wooosh! Stab! In the end, the bandit practically allowed Harun, who had only been learning the sword for a week, to stab him. ¡°¡­¡­Cough!¡± Tremble. However, Harun¡¯s sword missed its intended target. The bandit staggered backwards, his left ribs were pierced instead of his heart, and he crumpled to the ground in a heap. ¡°Well, not bad for a first shot.¡± ¡°Wh-What in the world?¡± I heard exmations of surprises from all directions. ¡°I-I won?¡± Thud! Harun sank to the ground. It was his first fight. His first time hurting another human being. There¡¯s an instinctive repulsion to the raw sensation of metal piercing flesh. Unless you¡¯re a natural born killer, you¡¯ll probably feel all the energy in your body disappear. However, it¡¯s a necessary experience to improve at the sword. ¡°Th-That stupid bastard. That child¡¯s clearly never held a sword before in his life, and yet he lost to the kid?¡± Knight Thomas, who was watching, clicked his tongue. ¡°That¡¯s it. Rather than having to watch something like that, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± ¡°Hey. Your opponent is me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Immediately, Thomas turned his head in my direction. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Are you stupid? Or are you just deaf?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡± Thomas bursts outughing. ¡°Ahahahaha! Unbelievable. Kid, do you even know who I am?¡± ¡°What do I care about someone who¡¯s about to die?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± For the first time, Thomas¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Your tongue is not your usual child¡¯s. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°An¡­¡­.¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, I continued. ¡°¡­¡­celot. It¡¯s Ancelot.¡± I was going to say Andrew, but I just said my real name. Who knows? At hearing my name from remotends, maybe the Imperials would remember memories long forgotten. Maybe it¡¯ll bother them enough that it keeps them up at night. Of course, having seen me die before their eyes, they would never imagine it was the same person. Besides, it¡¯s not umon on this continent to name newborn babies after famous people. ¡®Also, I¡¯m curious.¡¯ I wonder what this mana-using bastard will do when he hears my name? ¡°An¡­celot?¡± Thomas ponders my name for a moment, then bursts outughing. ¡°You¡¯ve got a grand name for being a crazy bastard.¡± He pulls out a small booklet from his arm. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d write the name of a great hero in here.¡± ¡°Great hero¡­¡­?¡± My eyes widened for a moment. A great hero? Not a great viin? As they say, history is written by the victors. Even if I was the one who helped establish thest empire, it¡¯s only right that I should have been recorded as a demon or a schemer who met his end after taking the head of the king who had betrayed me. But a great hero? ¡°¡­¡­By the way, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°This? It¡¯s a list of sorts.¡± ¡°A list?¡± ¡°Everybody I kill gets their name on this list.¡± Why? Why would you even bother? ¡°Anyway, kid. Did you say your name was Ancelot?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yeah?¡± Suddenly, Thomas crosses his sword in front of his chest, an act that seemed out of ce in this situation. Etiquette of swords. Literally, etiquette aplished with the sword. ¡°Ancelot. The weight of the life I will take from you, I will carry from now on.¡± Crazy bastard. I¡¯ve seen a lot of bullshit from knights, but this lunatic was a new one. Bam! ¡°Ugh¡­¡­!¡± Immediately afterward, Thomas suddenly swung his fist to his side. One of the minions, whose nose was broken at the blow, was dripping with blood. ¡°S-Sir, what is the meaning¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Silence.¡± ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡­.¡± The knight dipped his finger in it, writing my name with the blood. ¡°Ancelot. I, Thomas, shall remember that name forever.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You think that¡¯s chivalry, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Thomas gave a small snort ofughter. The look on his face seemed to say, ¡®What do you think you know about chivalry?¡¯ Shiiing! ¡°However, I will not kill you peacefully. With your death today, you will regret and reflect on your actions. Especially your loud mouth.¡± Soon, the lunatic started making his way towards me, his sword drawn. There was not a single ounce of wariness in his eyes. Such an idiot wasn¡¯t even worth my attention. ¡°Hey, Harun.¡± ¡°H-Hey, in front of you! Look ahead, you crazy bastard!¡± ¡°Remember what I said about Arundel swordsmanship? Two dots in the air, connect them. That¡¯s the key.¡± As I said that, I slowly lowered my left hand. It was exactly where Harun was crouching. ¡®The left hand is the starting point.¡¯ For reference, my right hand held the dagger I had acquired the night before. My left hand, on the other hand, held nothing. ¡®Worst case scenario, even if I defeat this asshole, I¡¯ll have to deal with the rest of them all by myself.¡¯ In other words, no second chances. Arundel¡¯s swordsmanship is simple, but it¡¯s a massive mana drain that seems almost inefficient. Vrr¡­! Vrrr¡­! My mana, now the size dog shit, resonated. Connect the dots. Right now, think of nothing else. ¡°¡­¡­There¡¯s a reason scum like you are allowed to run rampant on this continent. That¡¯s right, in the first ce, there¡¯s something wrong with this world.¡± ¡°What?¡± During the moment he asked mockingly in disbelief. Swoosh! By that time, the lunatic stood right in front of me, and I let the dagger in my right hand fly right towards his face. ¡°Hmph.¡± ng! Obviously thinking that the whole situation was ridiculous, the lunatic deflected the dagger with his sword. He had his guard down. ¡°Petty tricks¡­¡­!¡± Judging from how he was screaming like this in the middle of a battle. For a brief moment, even my breathing parted. I didn¡¯t miss my chance. The destination of my sword had been set from the start. Moment by moment, each an infinitesimal fraction of a second. sh! The moment I threw the dagger, my other hand had already snatched the sword from Harun¡¯s grasp. I brought it straight down. Out of nothing, a straight, white, solid line was drawn mid-air. A single path entered my vision. A dot and a dot. I saw it clearer than anyone else. Connect the lines. Stab! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The sword pierced Thomas¡¯s skull without missing a beat. ¡°¡­¡­You do it like this.¡± Shhhhk! As I pulled the sword out and gave it a shake, dots of blood stter onto the floor. Thud! At the same time, the soulless body wobbled and copsed to the ground. Shiver. At this unbelievable sight, the minion leader Ben-Hur¡¯s entire body trembled. ¡°Th-that thing on the sword at the end¡­¡­ was definitely mana, right?¡± ¡°A-A child like that has mana?¡± ¡°No way! How could a mere teenage child defeat a knight¡­¡­?¡± Thepletely disoriented minions began to chatter. ¡°B-Boss. A-Are we going to be okay? Wasn¡¯t Sir Thomas more than capable of wiping out the likes of us single-handedly?¡± One of the minions quickly clung to Ben-Hur and whispered. There was even a hint of desperation in his voice. If I were their leader, I would have decapitated that whispering minion in an instant. Fear is a terrible gue. Military discipline is like an abstraction. For every coward like him on the battlefield, you became exponentially less likely to win the war. So, Captain Ben-Hur. What choice do you make here? ¡°Will you continue?¡± Thud! He didn¡¯t deliberate long. ¡°S-Spare us!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At the loud noise, the startled minions turned to look at their leader. Ben-Hur was bowing his head to me. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, you sons of bitches? Get on your knees! Is this how you want to die?¡± At that, the other minions started to join in, mming their heads against the earth with a ¡°Thump! Thump!¡± ¡°S-Spare us!¡± ¡°W-We failed to recognize someone of your stature. If you spare us this once, we will live a good life in penance from now on!¡± I let my gaze sweep across the minions. The standard here is to divide them into those who can be rehabilitated and those who cannot. Because the other key to power is none other than ¡®people.¡¯ ¡°Poor bastards. Just what kind of lives did they have to resort to this kind of life?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Did they hear hope in my words? Their voices rise in pitch. ¡°We will make sure to repay you for saving our lives! Please have mercy on us!¡± I stared at them, pretending to be troubled. Chapter 3 of Ancelot¡¯s Code. People don¡¯t change; don¡¯t try to fix them. Chapter 4. Don¡¯t leave behind any seeds that will be the source of trouble in the future. Chapter 5. If you make a rule, enforce it. When I put it all together, my answer was already set in stone. ¡°Well, since I do need information¡­¡­.¡± A crooked smile spread across my face. ¡°I¡¯ll let one of you live.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Start killing each other.¡± Chapter 8 Chapter 8 ¨C Master In order to live, you must kill yourrades. You¡¯d think there would be at least a little bit of hesitation. Splurt! ¡°A-Argh! Taymun, you son of a bitch!¡± ¡°Shut up! You need to die so I can live!¡± However, I gave them too much credit. In the end, trash was just trash. It reinforced my philosophy that people aren¡¯t worth trying to change. A carnage unfolded right before my eyes, and thest standing survivor was predictable. ¡°Huff, huff, huff.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re not the boss for no reason.¡± The survivor was Ben-Hur, the minion boss. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll let you live.¡± ¡°Th-thank you.¡± ¡°Stand by for a moment¡­¡­ No. First, clean up these corpses.¡± ¡°Under¡­¡­ Understood, sir!¡± Ben-Hur¡¯s face brightened, as if he was worried that I would break my promise, and he began to clean up inside. ¡°Master!¡± I turned to see Harun staring at me with a twinkle in his eye. ¡°The hell do you mean, ¡®master?¡¯ Have you gone insane?¡± ¡°I should have called you master earlier, I apologize for beingte. Please ept this disciple¡¯s bow!¡± With that, Harun slumped to the ground without a second thought. Then he scrambles back to his feet and gives a thumbs-up. ¡°You¡¯re the best! The best! I didn¡¯t think you could even kill that knight!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± At the sight of Harun¡¯s antics, Iughed to myself. Well, offering encouragement at times like this is part of being a true teacher. ¡°That¡¯s the sword technique you¡¯re going to learn.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Shiver. The excitement on Harun¡¯s face grew. ¡°You can do it, too. So work hard to learn it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try really hard, I promise. Thank you so, so much.¡± Harun¡¯s eyes filled with tears. I shrugged it off and deliberately touched the knight¡¯s lying body with my toe. ¡°Alright, alright. Just don¡¯t be like this guy.¡± ¡°Oh, right! By the way, didn¡¯t you say earlier that there was a reason why these guys were allowed to run rampant?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°What is it? The reason.¡± It was a casual remark, and I hadn¡¯t expected Harun to care about it. ¡°Because the world is generous to those who already have plenty.¡± Conversely, the world is also infinitely harsh on those with nothing. ¡°Ah¡­¡­ Then I¡¯ll learn this sword technique and be a knight that¡¯ll change that rotten world. That way, I can repay the master who taught me.¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be too bad.¡± Having a goal, even if it¡¯s impossible, is a great way to grow. ¡°What kind of swordsmanship did you learn, master? I¡¯m sure you know even more amazing techniques than the one you taught me, right?¡± ¡°Of course I know many.¡± ¡°As expected!¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken about one thing, though. I¡¯m not exactly what you¡¯d call a knight.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± My next words startled Harun. ¡°Of course I¡¯m skilled with a sword, but I¡¯m also confident with other weapons.¡± ¡°H-Hold on a minute, master.¡± Harun interrupts, confused. ¡°How¡¯d you learn all this when we¡¯re at the rock bottom of society?¡± ¡°I picked up little bits of this and that from here and there.¡± Again, it was not in a warm home that I spent my past life, but on the battlefield of death. Would your skills grow if you train to the death with just a sword? In peacetime, perhaps. Since you could simply spend your days rxing and ying war games. ¡°You¡¯ll understand when you get to experience war.¡± ¡°War¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Your friends are dying before your eyes, and you¡¯re in the thick of the chaos. Before you know it, your sword will be gone from your hand.¡± War is fighting with your teeth, even if you don¡¯t have a sword. Unlike a spar, war is not about overpowering or defeating your opponent. It¡¯s about killing the enemy more efficiently and more quickly than they can do the same to you. That¡¯s the only thing that matters. The more you move, the more yourrades will live. And in turn, you can survive. To insist on using only a sword in such a situation? That was a truly idiotic thought. ¡°You¡¯re on a battlefield with all sorts of metal pouring in from all directions. If I lose my sword, should I just ept death?¡± ¡°B-But master. Don¡¯t they say that once you be a swordmaster, the so-called pinnacle of the sword, you¡¯re a one-man army in itself? You can wipe out hundreds of enemies single-handedly by unleashing aura des. To do that, don¡¯t you have to at least be aplete expert with the sword? I feel like if you try this and that, you¡¯ll just be a jack of all trades¡­¡­¡± What Harun said was true to some extent. After all, we weren¡¯t at war. Therefore, I had no intention of teaching him anything other than the sword. I always pursue personalized education, tailored to other person¡¯s level. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Like you said, you only need to train hard with one sword, with the goal of bing a sword master. I¡¯m not going to deny that this continent is a world dominated by swords.¡± I doubt that this reality changed with the simple passage of twenty years. In my previous life, all knights used longswords. Not a single one of them favored other swords like small swords or greatswords. As such, they were always bewildered when their opponents wielded other weapons. Every enemy I¡¯ve ever fought was like that. Even the so-called masters. ¡°Well, since you¡¯rete to the party, you can¡¯t afford to, anyway.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t understand. Being able to defeat a master of one field by being familiar with all kinds of weapons¡­¡­¡± ¡°You can. It¡¯s right in front of you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± It¡¯s possible. If you possess a talent gifted by the heavens, why can¡¯t it be? In fact, history is littered with such bizarre off-the-wall beings. ¡°Anyway, just learn the swordsmanship I taught you. Just as you said, it¡¯ll be difficult to achieve great sess even with a lifetime of dedication.¡± ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what Master says. I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± The title of master made me cringe a little, but I liked the fact that he was obedient and wasn¡¯t sulky. Then. ¡°Sir Ancelot, the bodies have been removed.¡± Ben-Hur, the minion boss, approached me in a polite manner. ¡°That goddamn ¡®sir¡¯¡­¡­. What am I, a knight christened by the country?¡± ¡°Ah, that. Well, for theck of a better title¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Just call me ¡®sir.¡¯¡± ¡°Yes, sir. By the way, sir, may I ask you a question?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Yessir.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be the one asking the questions. Tell me about the current state of affairs on the continent.¡± Ben-Hur dutifully exined what he knew in response to my question. The current continent is a one-seven-three system. Ben-Hur exined that it referred to the one empire, the seven kingdoms, and finally, the three duchies. So far, it wasn¡¯t much different from the situation in my previous life. ¡°Furthermore, there are at least three Masters representing each kingdom. The duchies used to have one each, but recently, another Master emerged in the Duchy of Meeke, making it the only one that has two.¡± The Duchy of Meeke. The ce just mentioned was this body¡¯s homnd. However, I didn¡¯t have the luxury to think about that right now. ¡°Enough about the other countries. What about the Empire?¡± ¡°Counting just the Masters, the Empire has twelve.¡± That was an overwhelming number. ¡°What makes the Empire so frightening is that each and every one of its Masters is far beyond the level of the Masters in the Kingdom.¡± This was something I was already well aware of. Objectively, the Masters of Swallow are strong. In my previous life, I myself could take on two kingdom-grade Masters at the same time. If I could regain my strength, I¡¯m confident of even taking on three. ¡°Is that your personal judgment?¡± ¡°Pardon? N-No.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a saying that there are Three Heavens, Five Stars, and Twelve Superhumans in the continent of the recent past. They¡¯re called the Twenty Strongest Masters of the continent, and they contain every single one of the masters of the empire.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡± I sighed inwardly. As expected, the Empire had be even more powerful than it had been. ¡°Someone like me wouldn¡¯t know much about them, but it¡¯s said that the skill of the Masters, especially those called the Three Heavens, is beyond imagination. It¡¯s to the point where literally calling them the heavens is justified.¡± ¡°Who are the Three Heavens?¡± ¡°Theorg, the Knight of mes, Elunber, the Knight of Full Moon, and finally Eisenberg, the Undefeated Knight. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± My jaw dropped. I knew all three of them. The men who had driven me to my death. They were the Eight Pirs of the Empire twenty years ago. ¡°So they¡¯re all dogs of the Empire.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct, sir.¡± My blood boils. I¡¯m grateful they¡¯re still alive and kicking. The higher you are, the greater the fall. ¡®So, what should I do now?¡¯ First of all, I need to gather power here, on the outskirts. That hasn¡¯t changed. However, what I do next is important. ¡®It¡¯s not a bad idea to return to the homnd of this body after I¡¯ve gained some power.¡¯ I should take advantage of whatever is avable. After all, I¡¯m a prince, aren¡¯t I? I don¡¯t know exactly what the internal situation is there, but if I can be the ¡®king¡¯ of a duchy¡­¡­ I could take on the Empire, country by country. A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. ¡°¡­¡­ Hey. The Heavens, Stars, and Superhumans or whatever¡ª who the hell decides that? Unless the Masters have fought each other in battle, I doubt even the parties themselves would be able to determine the superiority of their skills.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a result of them fighting each other directly. In the Masters¡¯ Battle.¡± ¡°Masters¡¯ Battle?¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t you know?¡± Seeing me frown slightly, Ben-Hur quickly continues. ¡°It¡¯s a kind ofpetition where masters from different countriespete against each other.¡± ¡°Oho.¡± An exmation escapes my lips. This was a good opportunity to objectively evaluate my opponents. ¡°How often is this Masters¡¯ Battle held?¡± ¡°Every four years, I believe, with this year being the third Masters¡¯ Battle.¡± If this is the third Masters¡¯ Battle, it¡¯s not that old. If I¡¯m going to use the Masters¡¯ Battle to seek revenge, I¡¯ll have to wait until the fourth or fifth time around. I need at least that much time to regain my strength. ¡°What are the requirements for participation in the Masters¡¯ Battle?¡± ¡°I understand that only one master from each country can participate, and they must be nominated by the king.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s a battle of nations, of sorts.¡± Then that¡¯s the end of the story. I can represent the Hart Kingdom in the Masters¡¯ Battle. I cannot return to this body¡¯s homnd right now. I don¡¯t know what kind of harm the queen would do to an exiled, thorn-in-the-side prince if it became known that I had returned. I would rather be a nobleman of a kingdom I have no ties to and a Master of the continent, and return to the Duchy of Meeke with gold. ¡®I need to get a title first.¡¯ To do so, he had to earn his way into the nobility. However, you can¡¯t just go to the king, show him your skills, and whine for a title. But I also don¡¯t feel like taking the academy exams and working my way up the ranks. How shameful would it be to hang out with those greenhorns at my age? ¡°¡­¡­ Wait. Come to think of it, didn¡¯t you say that the person trying to buy us was a count?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Counts and higher are the so-called high-ranking nobles. That means he must have a lot of connections to the capital. A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. I had just thought of a good idea. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 ¨C Mask of Night (1) ¡°Master! What is this?¡± Harun grabbed something from the pile of gold and silver treasures in the corner of the tent and shook it. It was a small vial, cloudy gray in color. When the lid was opened, it emitted a foul stench. The color of its contents was an ominous yellow. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡± After thinking for a moment, I shook out a drop without hesitation and ran the tip of my tongue over it. Ptoo! ¡°¡­¡­This is a paralyzing poison from the Hart Kingdom.¡± My whole mouth tingled even though I only touched it with my tongue. The Hart Kingdom had long been famous for its poison. Perhaps because it is on the edge of the continent, it was home to all sorts of rare poisonous herbs and poisonous insects that were rarely found in more fertilends. ¡°I think we¡¯ll find a use for it soon.¡± Suddenly a good n came to mind, and I quickly tucked the paralyzing poison into my arms. ¡°H-How could you just put something like that into your mouth?¡± ¡°How could you let something like this scare you? If you be a high-ranking person, which is your goal, you¡¯ll be subject to all sorts of assassination threats. Including poison, of course.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard of this story at least once? A high-ranking person is found cold and dead at the break of day. That¡¯s usually the result of being poisoned.¡± Prevention is better than any antidote. However, what if it¡¯s already inside your body? And what if you¡¯re about to be attacked by assassins, and you can¡¯t even use your mana to flush it out? ¡°You need to build up your resistance to poison for cases like those. But you can¡¯t build that resistance unless you experience it firsthand.¡± It¡¯s like medicine. You have to take medicine to develop resistance and immunity to disease, right? In the first ce, poison is also a kind of medicine. In my previous life, I was quite resistant to this poison. However, I cannot expect this body to have such resistance, so from now on, I must diligently cultivate it at every opportunity. Even if the process is excruciatingly painful and difficult. ¡°Besides that, where¡¯s the minion boss?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­?¡± Harun paused for a moment. ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t seen him since earlier¡­¡­? Well, I think he did say he was going to the restroom.¡± The corner of my eye twitched. I¡¯d expected him to wait until at least night to move, but I didn¡¯t expect him to act so boldly in a moment of distraction. ¡°In about ten minutes, meet me in that corner with the oil. I¡¯ll leave a mark on the tree, so it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, okay, Master.¡± As soon as I finished speaking, I left the tent alone. *** How much further into the forest did I walk? Finally, I arrived at a ce that would have been easy to miss if I didn¡¯t look closely enough. The tall trees were densely packed, providing camouge in their own right. Flutter! I barged into another tent that had been set up there. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I didn¡¯t even bother to hide my presence. Captain Ben-Hur, the leader of the minions, turned around in surprise. He was dangling the letter he had just finished on the leg of the ck hawk perched on his shoulder. ¡°H-How did you¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Well, I just tailed you.¡± ¡°Tailed¡­¡­ me? Th-That¡¯s impossible! I even checked my surroundings multiple times¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Touch the back of your neck if you want to know.¡± Ben-Hur immediately reached for the back of his neck. ¡°What is this¡­¡­?¡± His fingertips were soon tinged with a faint blue color. A mana reverberation. This technique of using one¡¯s mana to leave a trace mark on an enemy was created by none other than me. ¡°A pitch ck hawk¡­¡­. Is that a letter for the ¡®Mask of Night?¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Immediately, Ben-Hur¡¯s dted pupils quivered. ¡°H-How do you know about¡­¡­?¡± That reaction made it clear. The Mask of the Night, thergest intelligence organization on the continent, was still alive and well. ¡°I thought you might have more money stashed away.¡± My gaze flicked to the corner, right next to the entrance I¡¯d entered. A wooden cage of some sort sat there. ¡°¡­¡­but I didn¡¯t expect it to be humans.¡± Kids the same age as me and I were inside the cage. And they were all girls, at that. ¡°W-Well, since you didn¡¯t say anything about bringing in people¡­¡­.¡± Ben-Hur continued to make pointless excuses. When I showed up, the kids didn¡¯t give me any of their attention. At most, one or two of them gave me a nce. ¡°That¡¯s not right. Weren¡¯t peoplemodities to you guys?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Are theymodities when you need them to be, and people when you feel convenient?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ben-Hur fell silent, as if at a loss for words. I clicked my tongue at the sight of him. ¡°Piece of shit.¡± ¡°You asshole! You were nning on breaking your promise all along, weren¡¯t you!¡± ¡°Nope. Unlike you, I¡¯m a man of my word. I was simply going to cut all your tendons before leaving, and set you free after I made sure you wouldn¡¯t be able to be a ve trader ever again.¡± Grind. Ben-Hur grit his teeth as he heard my n. ¡°Did you know from the start that I was going to do this?¡± ¡°Of course. People don¡¯t change, you know. But forget about that¡­¡­.¡± I indicated the letter with my gaze. ¡°What¡¯d you write in there?¡± Shiiiing! Instead of answering, Ben-Hur drew his sword. ¡°I won¡¯t just take this lying down. If you want to kill me, you¡¯ll have to forfeit at least one of your limbs!¡± Had he gained confidence after surviving among the minions? Ben-Hur¡¯s energy seemed to radiate pride. There are always people like him. People that don¡¯t know shit until they get a taste of it. ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s kind of obvious.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You were probably sending a message to the county that had agreed to buy us through the Mask of Night, right? And in exchange, you would have entrusted these children to them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The Mask of Night didn¡¯t just deal with information. They also sold drugs, wares, ves, and other things banned on the continent, either directly or throughmission. The entire organization functioned as a ck market. Slice! I cut through the bars of the cage on the spot. Since what I¡¯m about to do wouldn¡¯t be a pleasant view for these kids. ¡°Everybody out.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The rest of them lifted their unfocused eyes to stare in my direction. ¡°You, and you. Take charge and get your friends out. I¡¯m here to save you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The kids who nced at me at the start. I pointed to the few who were still sane, and their eyes came into focus. ¡°L-Let¡¯s go.¡± Eventually, a few of them stumbled to their feet and led the way. Some of them even stumbled a few times as their legs gave out. Of course, with my back to the cage, Ben-Hur didn¡¯t even darw to move. Step, step, step. After all the kids were out. Slip. I quickly reached into my arms and pulled out the paralyzing poison I had packed earlier. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­ paralyzing poison?¡± ¡°You recognized it right away.¡± Maybe it was because he had brought it with his own two hands, but he recognized it at a nce. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me? That you would cut my flesh off, piece by piece, sprinkle salt on my wounds, and feed my flesh to wild dogs.¡± Tremble. Had he foreseen his fate? Ben-Hur¡¯s teeth began to chatter. ¡°Don¡¯t be so worried. I¡¯m going to deal with you a little differently.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± sh! In an instant, I closed the distance between me and Ben-Hur. Had he expected me to be this fast? ¡°Ugh!¡± ng! He iled his sword in the air out of surprise¡ª I lightly parried his attack and grabbed his chin with my other hand. ¡°Wh-what are you¡­¡­?¡± I shoved the paralyzing poison into the bastard¡¯s mouth. Bam! ¡°Kek!¡± I struck his throat, and the contents of his mouth gulped down. ¡°You¡¯re a piece of trash and more, but I¡¯ll keep my word.¡± Thud! With a hook to his leg, Ben-Hur crumbles to the ground. He struggled to get back up, but things didn¡¯t go as he nned. The paralyzing poison had taken effect. ¡°Wh-Wha¡­¡­ deedyu¡­¡­ doo¡­¡­¡± Ben-Hur seemed to be unable to move his tongue ording to his will anymore, and instead of continuing to speak, his lips trembled. I stared at him for a moment. Slice, slice, slice. And then, as if on cue, I began to scrape off Ben-Hur¡¯s flesh. ¡°Uh, uh¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it interesting? The sight of your flesh being peeled off with your own eyes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Without feeling any pain, his flesh was being peeled off. Captain Ben-Hur was having a strange experience. Moreover, because of the paralyzing poison, he couldn¡¯t even faint. Soon, his entire body turned red in an instant. Slice! When I finally cut off his lower body, the loss in his eyes made meugh out loud. ¡°You¡¯re not going to use it anymore, so what¡¯s the point of being sad about it?¡± ¡°Sonnuv¡­¡­ a¡­¡­!¡± His eyes filled with energy, and I was reminded of my iron rules. People can¡¯t be fixed. Don¡¯t leave loose ends. Follow the iron rules, no matter what. When I finally severed all the tendons in his limbs, he wriggled on the ground like a worm. ¡°As promised, I won¡¯t kill you. Now, you can start your new life on your own.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ben-Hur¡¯s whole body trembled, not moving. No, unable to move would be more urate. ¡°You¡¯ll be free from your paralysis in the next three hours or so.¡± I turned and stared at the now-empty cage. ¡°M-Master! I¡¯ve got the oil!¡± Harun arrived just in time. Immediately, I reached for the torch that sat on one side of the tent. ¡°Give it here.¡± ¡°Wh-What are you trying to do?¡± Spaaash! I began to pour the oil Harun had brought all over the tent. Soon after. Fwoooosh! I threw the torch in my hand into the center of it all. The mes quickly covered the empty cage. Then, it began to lick around with its red tongue, threatening to devour the rest of the tent. ¡°H-Help, help me¡­¡­!¡± Ben-Hur was now begging and pleading. ¡°All those children have suffered at your hands in the name of education.¡± What¡¯s done is done, and there¡¯s nothing I could do to undo it. So, at the very least, I¡¯m going to try to burn off some of that resentment. As an adult, I wanted to wipe away their unpleasant memories and pain. ¡°Give me that¡­¡­.¡± Before the mes could spread further, I snatched the letter from Ben-Hur¡¯s hand. It was the one he had intended to send to the Mask of Night. ¡°We¡¯ll be on our way, then. With any luck, maybe you¡¯ll survive.¡± ¡°Y-You, crazy, bas¡­¡­ tard! Help, me¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Harun here struggled to the death for a week to survive you.¡± I slung an arm around Harun¡¯s shoulders, who remained stiff, nk-eyed. Afortable death was a luxury for these scum. ¡°At the very least, I gave you a chance to live. So, try it for yourself¡ª struggle to your death.¡± I turned away. May this scum feel even a fraction of despair the children here must have felt. In that fiery furnace, may the resentments of the children burn along with his corpse. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 ¨C Mask of Night (2) I didn¡¯t realize it because they were ovepping, but there were two letters. One was, as expected, to Count Arsene, who was supposed to buy us. [ ¨C We regret to inform you that the contract has been broken due to an unexpected attack from outsiders. In exchange, we will hand over the remaining twelve female ves free of charge, along with the principal amount, as the fee for the breach of contract. The ves are mostly mid-grade goods. Expect to receive at least 30 gold per ve. Request standard delivery to Count Arsene.] And the other letter. [ ¨C A mysterious killer has made his appearance. Believed to be a professional killer, systematically raised by an assassin organization. Even Sir Thomas, a C-ss knight, was killed. Can¡¯t rule out the possibility that the killer was hired by another rival family. Destination is the Marquis of Foltaine. Request express delivery.] The two letters contained different stories. It seems that the n was to make me, whose identity is unclear, appear to be a killer sent by a rival family to silence me. After all, dead men tell no tales. ¡°That ver bastard and his tricks¡­¡­.¡± Immediately afterward, I held up the two letters and thought for a moment. ¡°¡­¡­I should send this after I make some changes.¡± First, I tossed the letter to Count Arsene into the fire and burned it. Then I quickly rewrote the letter on a fresh piece of parchment. Keee-aah! The ck hawk, carrying my letter, quickly took flight. I stared at it for a moment, then looked back. ¡°Harun, you take the girls and go back to the tent with the pig.¡± ¡°Huh? What about you, Master?¡± I pointed to the fire with my eyes. ¡°We need to put out the fire before it spreads to the forest.¡± ¡°O-Okay.¡± Soon Harun led the children back. I stared at the raging mes for a moment. As I stood there, I suddenly remembered something I wanted to test. A sword known to cut through mes. ¡®The Sword of zes.¡¯ It was the swordsmanship of my nemesis, Theorg, now known as one of the Three Heavens. Despite our personal enmity, I recognized his skill. ¡®A swordsmanship capable of ying a thousand enemies with a single de.¡¯ That¡¯s why he was once even called the Swordsman of ughter. But how well can I imitate Theorg¡¯s swordy at my current level? ¡®If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles¡¯ Vrrrrrr! My mana, the size of dog feces, resonates in response to my will. Soon, the energy was coursing through my bloodstream. It awakened every cell in my body. For the single de I would bring down now. The key to zes is not simply creating mes. The external mes are already there. Even the mes in front of you must bepletely controlled to be what I consider true ze. One. Slice! Fwoosh¡­¡­. ¡°¡­¡­Is this my limit for now?¡± Although I expected it, it didn¡¯t work as I wanted it to. I sighed in frustration. With one swipe of my sword, the mes split in two. I¡¯ve only managed to catch a small portion of the mes. In my previous life, I should have been able to extinguish the mes in one swipe. For exercising ¡®rule¡¯ over even the embers is the true essence of ze. ¡®Theorg would have been able to contain this me with the snap of a finger.¡¯ No, it¡¯s been twenty years, so he can do even better. ¡°¡­¡­Damn it. I guess I¡¯ll just have to be diligent about cultivating water from now on.¡± Automatically, my mouth watered, and I quickly shook the thought from my mind. ¡°I should have known better than to put oil on it.¡± It would have been better if I hadn¡¯t sent Harun away. Two is better than one. On the plus side, the distance between the tents and the surrounding trees was considerable. The area where the teepee was set up was a vacant lot, with dirt all around. There was even a smallke nearby, perfect for shelter. ¡°Haa.¡± For a while afterward, I diligently drew and carried water. All the while trying to shake off the feeling of frustration that was rising deep in my chest. *** Hourster. ¡°Hm?¡± Soon, I tilted my head to the side. Back at the original tent, the kids were shaking. ¡°You lunatics! You¡¯re all done for. How dare you kill a knight of a noble family. Do you think my father will stand still once he finds out?¡± I understood the situation with one nce. ¡°¡­¡­But before that, Pig, don¡¯t you think you¡¯ll die first?¡± Flinch. The pig, who had been yelling at the top of his lungs, noticed me, and his whole body trembled. Harun, who had been trying to figure out how to handle this, turned to me with a big grin. ¡°Master!¡± ¡°You should handle something like this yourself. Why are you just standing there? Can¡¯t you see they¡¯re all scared?¡± ¡°Well, part of me wanted to beat him up a bit to shut him up, but this pig keeps saying things that bother me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s he saying?¡± I looked at the pig with a puzzled expression on my face. At that, the pig spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m an aristocrat! You¡¯re all dead, you sons of bitches!¡± ¡°Yeah, well, I guess you¡¯re a nobleman, too. A bastardized offspring of a horny dog¡¯s seed.¡± Another flinch. At my frank retort, the pig quivers with shame. ¡°W-Wait and see. You¡¯re in real trouble now, because the head of the Marquis of Foltaine, one of the three most prestigious families in the Heart Kingdom, is my father!¡± ¡°Gasp! M-Marquis?¡± Unlike Harun, who gulped, I wasn¡¯t too surprised, as I already knew this. And? I¡¯m royalty. ¡°So?¡± ¡°Wh-What?¡± ¡°I was going to slowly let you go, but this won¡¯t do. Stay there like that for a little longer.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯ll let me go? W-Wait¡­¡­ Mmph! Mmph!¡± I gagged the noisy pig¡¯s mouth again. ¡°Oh, never mind that pig. And what should you guys do now¡­¡­. Where are your homes?¡± The children, freed by my question, only looked at each other as before. Eventually, one of them, the older girl, raised her hand. ¡°We¡­¡­ We all have different homes. Some of us live in the neighboring viges, and some of us even crossed the border.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± My teeth clenched with pity. Part of me wanted to give them some money and tell them to go on their way, but that would be irresponsible. Besides, the beasts of the night were very dangerous for children like them. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Oh, my name is Anne.¡± ¡°Okay, Anne. Continue to stay with the rest of them and take care of them. I¡¯ll do my best to find a way to get you back home.¡± ¡°Th-thank you.¡± Even as I spoke, the children¡¯s faces were still filled with disbelief. They still couldn¡¯t believe what had happened. It couldn¡¯t be helped. The ones who made them like this were none other than adults like me. ¡°Harun, you know where all that food the bandits left behind is? Give it to the children. They must be hungry.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, Master!¡± I left the tent after filling the children¡¯s stomachs when a mask fell from a tree. Mask. True to the word, the opponent who suddenly appeared in front of me was wearing a green mask. ¡°Oh, dear¡­¡­. Looks like there¡¯s been a change of clients.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem too surprised.¡± ¡°I expected it somewhat. I saw the bodies piled up nearby, you see.¡± ¡°Are you here from the Mask of Night?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I am¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Good. If you¡¯re green, then that means you aren¡¯t of the lower grade, at the very least.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The green mask, seemingly forgetting what he was about to say, shuddered. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet¡ª the rainbow. In other words, the Mask of Night used these seven colors to identify their ranks. The arrival of a green, a mid-level, in the middle of nowhere showed how important they must have considered the pig to be. ¡®Well, vers have a lot of uses for the Mask of Night, from intelligence tomissions.¡¯ I was lost in my thoughts when a monotone voice pierced my eardrums again. ¡°¡­¡­It seems you¡¯re familiar with our organization.¡± ¡°To some extent.¡± At this point, it was time for the questions toe out of the other person¡¯s mouth. He must have a lot of questions about me. This was not the ve trader they saw every day, but aplete stranger, a mere speck of blood in their eyes. And yet, they don¡¯t ask even the mostmon questions, and they don¡¯t show any disrespect. The reason is simple. Because ¡®that¡¯s¡¯ how they¡¯ve been trained. ¡®That¡¯s likely why the Mask of Night is considered the best intelligence organization on the continent. My conversation with him today will likely determine whether the next one will be the lowest red rank, or a higher one. ¡°May I ask what the client¡¯s name is?¡± ¡°Ancelot.¡± The green mask stiffens for the first time at the words. ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s a strange name. Does your client know the meaning of it?¡± ¡°As much as you know.¡± Is there anyone else in the world who knows as much about me as I do? ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re aware, but for organizations like ours that deal with information, the name Ancelot is a bit special. In fact, even within the Mask of Night, it¡¯s a piece of information that¡¯s only essible to those of green rank and above.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°We categorize information ording to its importance: heaven, star, and earth. Heaven is the highest, and earth is the lowest. Of course, that¡¯s for high-level information that¡¯s worth at least a hundred gold. Below that, we just call it general information.¡± ¡°A hundred gold is the minimum for premium information? Well, the Mask of Night has always been fond of categorizing. And this seems to be simr to the system that separates the Masters.¡± ¡°Yes. However, we have set a separate tier for information that is off-limits.¡± ¡°Is the story of Ancelot considered off-limits?¡± ¡°You¡¯re sharp. We call it the ghost grade.¡± Ghost. I liked that. Wasn¡¯t that the perfect word for me? ¡°They say Ancelot was a great hero.¡± ¡°If we knew as much as everyone else did, we wouldn¡¯t be able to call ourselves an intelligence organization.¡± His voice was meaningful, as if he had something to say. ¡°Do you know something?¡± ¡°One hundred gold.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The story of Ancelot, the ghost-grade knight forgotten by the world.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It was indeed the Mask of Night. The money I had on hand was enough. The money I took from the vers alone is worth several hundred gold. However, I cannot waste this money on a single piece of information. Even if it¡¯s just to build my own power in the future. ¡°But what¡¯s this weird criteria? Isn¡¯t 100 gold the minimum standard you set for high-level information? Though it¡¯s ghost-grade, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s any more important than heaven- or star-grade information¡­¡­.¡± At my question, the corners of his eyes behind his mask curved gracefully. ¡°Correct. You can¡¯t say that a ghost-grade is any more important knowledge than heavens or stars. In fact, there¡¯s quite a bit of it that¡¯s inferior in quality.¡± ¡°As I thought.¡± ¡°Information is always more valuable the fewer people know about it.¡± That was also usible. How many of them were there the day I was betrayed? It took hundreds of imperial knights to build the encirclement, and thousands ofmon soldiers to guard the outskirts. Rumors travel far and fast the more ears that hear them. ¡°But why did you still ssify them as ghost-grade?¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re dangerous to the client.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Information one can¡¯t handle can be one¡¯s undoing.¡± ¡°Oho, is that so.¡± An exmation escaped my lips. ¡°After all, we do have a duty to protect our clients.¡± ¡°How kind of you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why the Mask of Night is trusted.¡± I nodded. ¡°¡­¡­Okay, I¡¯ll buy it. In addition, I¡¯ll also need some information on the Marquis of Foltaine here in the Kingdom of Hart.¡± ¡°By my rough calctions, it would be quite a bit of money¡­¡­.¡± It was as if he was asking, ¡®Do you think you can afford it?¡¯ ¡°The Mask of Night is an organization that sells information, but also buys, right?¡± ¡°But of course. In fact, we value the information we don¡¯t know more than money, though I don¡¯t know how much of it there is in the world¡­¡­.¡± It was an arrogant statement. We¡¯ll see. What would his face look like behind that mask when he heard what I said? ¡°Okay. First, I¡¯ll sell you the information I have.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡± And then the masked man let out an unidentifiable sigh. Of course, I¡¯ve thought about this many times. He¡¯s right. Information and knowledge are only meaningful if you have the power to protect them. That¡¯s why they¡¯ve organized themselves into groups to protect it. ¡®But isn¡¯t the other party the Mask of the Night? Thergest intelligence organization on the continent. To uphold their values, they will never harm their clients. If there was a bad rumor, no good woulde of it. There¡¯s another reason why kings and emperors turn a blind eye to such eyesores. They only tolerate them because it¡¯s convenient for them, but if they made treachery their bread and butter, they would never let it go. ¡®But the human heart is a deceitful thing.¡¯ Code of Ancelot, Chapter 6. Careful, careful, careful. I¡¯ve got a lot of information in my head right now that can be considered heaven-grade. In other words, I¡¯ll only reveal information that I can handle at the moment. In that sense, revealing information about my enemies from the three heavens was risky. What if, in the unlikely event, the Mask of Night gave them back the information? I mighte face to face with an enemy I can¡¯t handle right now. ¡°Mr. Ancelot?¡± I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at him. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll give you one of the things that the Mask of Night is most curious about right now.¡± ¡°Interesting. I don¡¯t have many clients who would pay me for information. Of course, most of them are high ranking people in their respective countries.¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true. With high statuses ess to sensitive information.¡± ¡°Yes. And even the trivial details of other nobles¡¯ lifestyles that they discuss over drinks are valuable information for us.¡± With that, the green mask straightened his posture. ¡°So, what information does your client wish to sell me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± My mouth opened after a long pause. ¡°I wish to sell information about Purple Mask, your leader.¡± Chapter 11 Chapter 11 ¨C Count Arsene (1) What I¡¯m about to say is half a gamble. It¡¯s possible that the leader of the Mask of Night I knew and the current leader are not the same person. After all, twenty years was no small period of time. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ But what if he was the leader of the squadron? I¡¯m not trying to sell information about the leader¡¯s life right now. I¡¯m selling information about an item they lost a long time ago. ¡°¡­¡­What did you just say?¡± ¡°Before that, I don¡¯t know if the purple mask is the same person I know.¡± Purple Mask. As far as I know, he is the one and only leader of the Mask of Night. ¡°It seems you are taking me for a fool. That¡¯s a top secret even within our organization¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is it Narakas?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The pupils inside the mask darted wildly. ¡°H-How?¡± ¡°Judging by your reaction, things are still as they were.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Thank goodness. Well, they were only in their thirties when they interacted with me. If it¡¯s the same person, the value of this information I¡¯m selling is even greater. ¡°Maybe 25 years ago, or so? Back then, the leader of the Mask of Night didn¡¯t wear a purple mask. It was a colorless mask.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°However, the leader at the time was suddenly attacked by the enemy and lost their mask, which led to the present day. Your leader admitted his negligence and even lowered his rank.¡± Behind the mask, the two eyes showed a series of earthquakes. ¡°The leader was set on downgrading himself to a purple, so how could the executives stay still? They all lowered themselves by a color, and isn¡¯t that why Purple represents the leader today?¡± ¡°How do you know¡­¡­ the secrets of our organization that only insiders know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point. I know the whereabouts of the colorless mask.¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± The masked man, who had maintained a poker face up till now, gasped. The colorless mask that symbolized the master. It wasn¡¯t worth much to the average person. It was carved from a meteorite that fell from the sky, so it wouldn¡¯t bepletely worthless though. But there¡¯s no denying that the mask would shine even brighter in the hands of its owner. ¡°I-I don¡¯t think this is a matter for someone of my rank.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°¡­¡­If what you just told me is true, the master will personally visit you.¡± This is definitely a surprise. Their leader doesn¡¯t even bother to look at an invitation from the king of a country. ¡°But if it¡¯s a lie¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll meet a painful end.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The green mask stared at me for a moment, then spoke. ¡°Mr. Ancelot. Or should I call you Andrew von Meeke, 7th Prince of the Duchy of Meeke?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± My eyes widened for a split second. ¡°¡­¡­Did you already know about my identity?¡± ¡°A week ago, I wasmissioned by my client Ben-Hur to do a background check on you. I was going to give him the results today, but¡­¡­.¡± A week ago was exactly when I first took the pig hostage. ¡°I see. But why did you go along with the whole Ancelot thing?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Because it¡¯s standard etiquette of the business to y along if the client wishes to hide something.¡± ¡°Ha, as expected of the best intelligence organization on the continent.¡± But why reveal the truth now? This is a warning. ¡°You¡¯ll be hearing from the organization soon.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Before you go, won¡¯t it be okay to at least tell me the ghost-grade information? Think of it as amemoration of meeting the benefactor who¡¯ll find your organization¡¯s missing item.¡± The masked man¡¯s voice took on a tone of incredulity. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the kind of thing someone who sells information is supposed to say?¡± ¡°Is it? So, will you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The masked man was at a loss for words at my brazenness. After a while. ¡°¡­¡­ Alright. I¡¯ll tell you about the ghost grade information and the Marquis of Foltaine as a service. Since what you just said is worth that much.¡± ¡°Oh, one plus one. Sounds good.¡± ¡°Yes. If it¡¯s the ¡®truth,¡¯ this much¡ª no, I can offer you even more as a service.¡± Emphasizing the word ¡®truth,¡¯ the green mask straightened his posture. ¡°I assume you already know why Ancelot is considered a great hero?¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer that you start from the beginning.¡± The masked manplied with my request without a word. ¡°The man who turned the Swallow into the empire it is today, from a ragtag collection of n-oriented alliances. That would be the great hero, Ancelot Heil Edenberg.¡± ¡°A great man.¡± This was important. ¡°The King of Swallow, the sole emperor of the continent at the time, wanted eternal life. He had just gained absolute power over the continent, and his body was already dying of old age, so he tried to sell his soul to a demon. For one thing and one thing only¡ª an immortal body.¡± ¡°It¡¯smon knowledge that the first Emperor of the Swallow was a madman.¡± ¡°This is where Ancelot Heil Edenberg became a great hero. When Ancelot learned of this, he decided to take the me of betrayal himself, and slit the Emperor¡¯s throat. The emperor¡¯s greed would bring demons into the country, and he couldn¡¯t just let it happen. Up until here is what the world knows.¡± The picture is clearer in my head now. Look at these damned bastards. ¡°So, what is the truth that the Mask of Night knows?¡± ¡°¡­¡­The one person who didn¡¯t want the emperor to live forever more than anyone else was his child, the crown prince. He didn¡¯t want his father to live another day and wished that he¡¯d die on the spot. However, the Emperor¡¯s mania reached its peak and he was so blinded by jealousy that he tried to harm even the founding contributors¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I suppose that justified his wants.¡± ¡°Yes. From what we found outter, the prince had nned everything that followed. He was also the one who first suggested that they get rid of Ancelot.¡± All for the sake of power. ¡°And someone like that is now hailing the very object of his jealousy as a hero.¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s how he justified his rise to the throne.¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh. Isn¡¯t it funny, really? In the end, he painted me, the very man he¡¯d considered as a thorn in his side for his rise to power, as a hero. ¡°Whatever the story behind it is, Ancelot Heil Edenberg was a man well worthy of the title ¡®Great Hero,¡¯ and his exploits on the battlefield were enough to keep even my young mind awake at night with excitement.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. When a man as great as him returned, people of all ages were afraid of him to the point of resorting to taking his only child hostage.¡± ¡°¡­¡­A hound that has lost its worth is boiled.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the story of the great hero as we know it. It¡¯s a little different from the story of self-sacrifice that the world knows.¡± I let out a smallugh. ¡°I expected that.¡± ¡°What? You expected¡­¡­ it?¡± ¡°Since you wanted a hundred gold, I figured you¡¯d have something a little more special.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Was his pride hurt? At this, the green mask trembled. ¡°¡­¡­Then how about something else?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The Marquis of Foltaine, the man you¡¯re trying to do something about, is the current head of the Hart Kingdom. Their chivalric orders are among the top ten in the entire country. Although he¡¯s illegitimate, if the marquis found out that his son was being held hostage by royalty from another country, he wouldn¡¯t stand for it. It could also probably turn into a diplomatic issue between countries.¡± This is kind of funny. As expected of the Mask of Night. Deducting the truth even with only the visible situation. ¡°If you¡¯re going to get revenge, I¡¯d rmend ending it with Count Arsene. None of this would have happened if you didn¡¯t have a buyer in the first ce. For the record, you don¡¯t have a choice anyway.¡± ¡°What does that supposed to mean?¡± The masked man looked up at the sky without answering. The sun was still high in the sky. ¡°I have an appointment with Ben-Hur soon. And sometime this afternoon at thetest, someone from Count Arsene¡¯s side will be here.¡± ¡°Is this a service, too? How kind of you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how you deal with them, and I¡¯ll use it to deduce a bit more about your ¡®real¡¯ identity.¡± ¡°Real identity?¡± ¡°Well, from what we¡¯ve been able to gather, the feeble 7th Prince of the Duchy of Meeke¡­¡­ would never have the character to do something like this.¡± Once again, I let out a smirk. ¡°You don¡¯t have any intentions of helping me?¡± ¡°Is that a request?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say it is. Wouldn¡¯t it be awkward if I died? I¡¯m the only one who knows the whereabouts of the missing item.¡± This time, the corner of the masked man¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°That would be difficult, as I haven¡¯t been paid for my previous request.¡± As if suddenly remembering, the other man continues. ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯m curious about the contents of those letters. I saw that they were addressed to the Marquis of Foltaine and the royal pce?¡± ¡°I even made sure to seal them tightly. You didn¡¯t open them, did you?¡± ¡°Hahaha, of course not. Anyway, I¡¯ll count that as a service, too. But this is it.¡± For a moment, the masked man¡¯s voice sank low. ¡°I will not ept any further requests. And besides, this is another test of my own.¡± ¡°A test?¡± ¡°The previous two pieces of information, plus the delivery of the letters. It¡¯s not much of a waste if I think of it as traveling expenses for the afterlife. I don¡¯t expect a powerless prince, who can¡¯t even handle a count in the countryside, to know the whereabouts of the treasure.¡± He was clear with his sticks and carrots. From the tone of his voice, it was clear he wasn¡¯t about to let himself be pushed around. ¡°Okay. You can deliver the letter separately when I contact you. Also, can I ask you one more question?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Here in the Kingdom of Hart, what is the rtionship between the Marquis of Foltaine and Count Arsene?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡± The green mask pondered for a moment before answering. ¡°If you look at the rtionship between the two families aside from personal friendships, it¡¯s neither¡­¡­ good nor bad.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Arsene, the head of the counts, has always aspired to be a marquis. However, here in the Hart Kingdom, a fourth marquis has never emerged in thest 100 years.¡± ¡°So the weak king is concerned about decentralizing the royal power.¡± ¡°You catch on quick. Perhaps it¡¯s because you¡¯re also of royal blood?¡± It¡¯s amon story. Bing a marquis greatly increases the number of private soldiers and territories one can hold. This naturally means that the nobles be more powerful. This inevitably leads to a weakening of the royal authority. ¡°That¡¯s why the Hart Kingdom has a history of promoting one of its counts to a marquis only when there is a vacancy, such as when an existing marquis family is ruined, based on an objective assessment of the counts¡¯ merits.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not by merit, but subjectively, the amount of ttery and loyalty to the king. In any case, it¡¯s a good strategy in peacetime, though I¡¯m sure the nobility will be unhappy.¡± I stroked my chin for a moment, considering, then nodded. ¡°I have an idea.¡± ¡°I wish you luck.¡± Looking at him, I pointed to the tree where the masked man had fallen from at the beginning. ¡°I want you to watch from up there. I¡¯ll give you a good view in return for your information.¡± *** The sun was slowly setting. He was right, I could sense a number of presences nearby. ¡°Damn it. Why the hell do we have to escort ves ourselves?¡± ¡°The lord told us to bring them in unharmed, so don¡¯tin. Each one is worth several years¡¯ worth of our sry.¡± I could hear the chatter. I immediately stormed out of the tent. I kept Harun and the children inside, just in case. They soon spot me and stiffen. ¡°Ha¡­¡­ No wonder the lord is so angry.¡± ¡°Is that really a man? That¡¯s kind of¡­¡­ disgusting.¡± The group stared at me and snickered in unison. Ignoring them, I quickly scanned them. There were about twenty of them, all seemingly regr private soldiers. There were at least three knights who knew how to manipte mana. ¡°You there. I see you¡¯re one of the higher ss ves, so where are your masters and why are you all alone?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been alone since the beginning.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. Aren¡¯t you short on time?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± The group¡¯s mouths were agape at my bizarre behavior, and I quickly finished what I had to say. ¡°Go and tell your master. Tell him I have a way to elevate Count Arsene to the rank of marquis.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Chapter 12 Chapter 12 ¨C Count Arsene (2) ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Perfect silence followed. Silence so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. ¡°What kind of bullshit did I just hear?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The harsh voice pierced my eardrums, and I clenched my teeth. Of course, this reaction wasn¡¯t unexpected. ¡®How refreshing. When was thest time I heard someone going on and on about bullshit in my previous life? Iughed to myself. I¡¯ve experienced this a few times, so I¡¯m pretty used to it. Of course, I knew from experience. For people like them, a beating was the best medicine. However, this time I¡¯m going to take a slightly different approach. Because I am no longer Ancelot Heil Edenberg, the empire¡¯smander of the east. I¡¯d be nothing more than a killer if I kill every opponent I encounter. What¡¯s more, the masked man watching from the tree will record everything I do right now. ¡°Let¡¯s go nicely. I¡¯m not in a bad mood today.¡± ¡°Hey, you. Someone take off his pants. Don¡¯t you think we should at least check to see if he¡¯s the ve we¡¯re going to deliver to the lord or not?¡± Now it really seemed like they were treating my words as the barking of a stray dog. ¡°Then I¡¯ll give it a try, sir!¡± At the knight¡¯smand, one of the privates stepped forward gantly. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll allow it. Try me.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Enough of your nonsense. This senior of yours needs to see if there¡¯s something there or not.¡± Bam! I let the rock in my hand fly toward the approaching soldier. It hit the soldier squarely in the face, and he fell down with a loud thud. The three knights there all saw the scene. ¡°¡­¡­I swear, any bastard can be a foot soldier these days.¡± ¡°These bastards need a beating when we return, sir. Pathetic good-for-nothing. Taking a stone to the face and getting knocked out by a child of all things¡­¡­¡± Was it because they had heard their conversation? At this, the dozens of soldiers stiffened. ¡°I-I¡¯ll do it, sir! Please give me a chance!¡± Another soldier threw his hands up in the air and shouted. He was the youngest of the group. ¡°Really?¡± The knight gestured to me with his chin. ¡°Do well this time.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± This time, it was a young soldier with a burning passion for whatever reason. ¡°¡­¡­This is my chance. I¡¯ll impress the knights, and I¡¯ll be sure to be a squire.¡± Count Arsene allowed his knights the privilege of selecting a personal squire from the family¡¯s private soldiers once every three years. For the private soldiers, being chosen as a knight squire was a promotion of sorts. For one, the pay would increase. And on the other hand, the workload would decrease significantly. There¡¯s no guard duty, no daily drills, and, in the unlikely event of war, no need to be at the front of the line as a meat shield. The squire¡¯s only concern is the convenience of the knight he serves. Sometimes a bad knight will make life difficult, but that¡¯s bad luck. On the other hand, if you meet a good knight, your life will blossom without difficulties. ¡°What have you been muttering to yourself since earlier?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Was he trying to subdue me first before pulling down my pants? The young soldier lunged at me, spear in hand. ¡°Aaaaaaah!¡± Whoosh! I easily dodged the clunky blow with a yawn. Then, I snatched the spear out of his hand. ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± The soldier, whose weapon had been taken from him in an instant, opened his mouth in confusion. ¡°That¡¯s not how you use a spear.¡± I looked at the spear in my hand for a moment. Though he was a foot soldier, the spear itself wasn¡¯t in bad shape¡ª as expected of a weapon from a high ranking noble family. A bnced weight was more important than anything else for a spear. In that sense, the weapon in my hand was at least average grade. ¡°¡­¡­This will do.¡± Step. In a moment, I took a stance. I didn¡¯t particrly like the way the knights stood there, arms crossed, looking on as if watching a bonfire. What sin did the weak soldiersmit? ¡°Heub.¡± I inhaled lightly. The arm holding the spear pulled behind my back. Every muscle in my body contracted tautly, like arrows on a bowstring. Woosh! Soon afterward, the spear in my hand shooted to one side like a thunderbolt. ¡°Gasp!¡± Was its speed that unexpected? ¡°W-Watch out!¡± The revered knights didn¡¯t even think of blocking and threw themselves onto the ground. Shhhuuunk! The spear flew past the knights and smashed into a tree just behind where they were standing. The spear continued to oscite, and its power could be felt all the way from here. This was a warning. I hadn¡¯t targeted them in the first ce. ¡°This¡­¡­ goddamn son of a bitch!¡± The knights were furious. For their part, they¡¯d rolled in the dirt to avoid a spear thrown by a mere ve. ¡°That¡¯s why I said, let¡¯s go peacefully.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The faces of the knights were murderous. If you don¡¯t feel anything after seeing this move¡­¡­ ¡®Well, that¡¯s your fate, then.¡¯ Javelin is a harder skill than it looked. Moreover, not just anyone could throw a javelin that far. When I was wondering whether I should kill them all and get rid of them¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Hold on. This is no ordinary kid.¡± The oldest knight, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. ¡°You, who the hell are you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you already know? I¡¯m a ve who was promised to be sold to your family. So if you want to talk about identity, I guess I would be a ¡®prospective ve.¡¯¡± ¡°You have no manners for a brat. That¡¯s not what I was asking¡­¡­.¡± ¡°For your own safety, it¡¯s better not to know. Let¡¯s just go.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Silence descended once more. ¡°The important thing is that some pig tried to kidnap me and sell me to you as a ve.¡± ¡°A pig¡­¡­?¡± Another one of them whispers quickly in the ears of the confused senior knight. ¡°I think he means the young master, sir.¡± ¡°¡­¡­My name is Hans. What is your name?¡± Hans, the senior knightasked, and I blurted out a reply. ¡°It¡¯s Ancelot.¡± ¡°A good name. Yes, Ancelot. What can you do? It just happens to be your destiny.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just think of it as having stepped on shit. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Who would you me if you were struck by lightning on your way home? You¡¯d just have to ept death.¡± At that answer, my expression went cold. ¡°So you knew the pig¡¯s identity, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± They answered with their silence. Well, that would exin why they would be helping with this trade without checking the ve¡¯s identity. Even if anything went wrong, the pig¡¯s backer would be sure to care of things. ¡°Is that your answer as a ¡®knight¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For the first time, Hans¡¯s skin flushed red. ¡°Lightning from the sky, you say¡­¡­. So the pig is the illegitimate son of the Marquis of Foltaine, is he?¡± ¡°Watch your mouth, boy. If you run your mouth without knowing what you¡¯re dealing with, you¡¯ll find your neck rolling in the dirt.¡± Iughed. ¡°Just like you guys just now?¡± At my sneer, the youngest knight finally drew his sword with a ¡®shnnnng!¡¯ ¡°This damned son of a bitch dares¡­?¡± ¡°Or, like this one?¡± I walked over to a side of the woods and raised up something that had beenying in a corner. A round object, hidden by the grass, was soon revealed in full view. ¡°Come to think of it, you might recognize this guy.¡± Thud, roll. I threw the head of the dead knight at him. ¡°Gasp! A-A human head?¡± ¡°Wait! Doesn¡¯t that look familiar for some reason¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Th-This bastard. Isn¡¯t that Thomas? The C-ss knight under the Marquis of Foltaine? Didn¡¯t he participate inst year¡¯s inter-family friendly knight tournament¡­¡­?¡± Shnng! Soon, even Hans couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and drew his sword. ¡°How dare you murder a knight!¡± ¡°He deserved to die.¡± ¡°Do you think you can break thew and get away with it?¡± A knight is the property of his nation. Since I damaged that property, it is right that this should be governed by nationalw. However. ¡°The one that broke thew was him. And additionally, you guys.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do you still not understand the situation? The people of the kingdom are also the king¡¯s property. And yet, a lowly vassal dares to steal the king¡¯s property, illegally trading ves for personal gain? And the knights you¡¯re so proud looked the other way, epting bribes and entertainment.¡± Flinch. At my blunt words, Hans stopped in his tracks. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± ¡°And when he finds out about this, whose side do you think the king of this country would take? You, who are no different from a giant cartel? Or a single, poor citizen who tried to protect himself from a group of such evil?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The knights were nowpletely silent. ¡°As you can see, the vers, as well as the knight, died at my hands. This deserves a reward from the nation at the very least. Because if I hadn¡¯t, they would have continued their crimes.¡± ¡°Were you really the one¡­¡­ that killed them?¡± I nodded. They had no choice but to believe me. Because if they didn¡¯t, they had no way to exin the recent events. ¡°I will surrender the pig I caught to the state ording to thews of the nation. If I do, I¡¯m sure neither the Marquis of Foltaine nor your Count Arsene, who tried to buy the ves, will be able to avoid responsibility.¡± Shiver. At this, the three knights began to tremble. Then, once again, they whispered among themselves. ¡°We can never allow that to happen. If our lord finds about this, we won¡¯t make it out unscathed, either.¡± ¡°Let us just kill him. Dead men tell no tales, no?¡± A wry smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. I can hear you, you assholes. I saw thising, and I prepared a trump card. I also happened to have a debt to pay to someone else. ¡°Hey, mask! Stop watching ande out already.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± As expected, his only response was silence. ¡°If you don¡¯te out now, even if I take care of them, you¡¯ll never find out where the missing item is. You don¡¯t want that, do you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± For a moment, the treetops shook, then something dropped from the branches. ¡°This is¡­¡­ troubling.¡± Mister Mask scratched his head, as if genuinely troubled. ¡°M-Mask of Night?¡± The knights¡¯ eyes widened at the sight. That mask on his face was no different than the symbol of their organization. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d summon me at a time like this¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you had fun watching, you should pay for your ticket.¡± ¡°Pay¡­ for a ticket?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say earlier that you were curious about the contents of the letter I sent? I¡¯ll tell you now.¡± Flinch. The masked man stiffened. He was quite sharp-witted. ¡°Was the content of that letter¡­¡­ perhaps this?¡± ¡°Bingo.¡± ¡°Who in the world are¡­¡­. Did you anticipate all of this when you wrote that letter?¡± The masked man asked, his voice trembling. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I was just hoping to be rewarded by the country for the head of someone who broke thew, that Thomas guy, and the pig¡¯s identity. Who would have known that these so-called knights would be so rotten?¡± To be honest, I did. Since a given part is often reflective of the whole. ¡°And you expect me to believe that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m being serious, though.¡± ¡°So keeping me tied down here was also all part of your n.¡± With a sigh, the masked man turned to look at the knights. Since they had been ring at him all this time. ¡°¡­¡­I should introduce myself. I am Green No. 4 of the Mask of Night.¡± ¡°Why in the world is the Mask of Night helping a ve?¡± ¡°He is no ve to me, but rather a client.¡± ¡°A client¡­¡­?¡± The masked man nodded at Hans¡¯s half-question. ¡°I epted a request from this client here. While it¡¯s a policy to keep the contents of the request private, it seems the client wishes me to¡­¡­¡± The mask nced at me for a moment with a look of resentment, then continued. ¡°¡­¡­As you have heard, the events that have transpired here in the past days will reach the royal pce, even if something happens to my client here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The faces of the knights, and even the soldiers, turned pale. Again, the letters that were supposed to go to Count Arsene were destroyed in the fire. The letter to the Marquis of Foltaine was altered and handed to the Mask of Night. I didn¡¯t write about the appearance of a mysterious killer or whatnot, but the truth as I experienced it. That a normal citizen had been taken as a ve. That their family¡¯s knight, Thomas, had died by the hands of the ve he was trying to sell while trying to fulfill his own selfish desires. And that the family¡¯s blood rtive would be handed over to the pce ording to thew of thend. The letter I sent to the pce said the same thing. If I revealed my identity, they would likely face even worse punishment, but I didn¡¯t, for the chance that the wicked queen would send assassins after learning of my whereabouts. ¡°What are you going to do? If you¡¯re going to kill me to silence me, you¡¯ll have to do the same to him.¡± This was the Mask of Night. A mega-intelligence organization that spanned over an entire continent. Again, they¡¯ll do whatever it takes to keep their organization¡¯s credibility. Only a fool would turn the Mask of Night against them over something like this. Moreover, this was not a matter for them to decide. So, in the end, the answer they had to give was predetermined. ¡°¡­¡­First things first¡­¡­ we¡¯ll take him to the lord.¡± Defeated, Hans muttered. In the end, I got the answer I¡¯d wanted. ¡°You should¡¯ve done this from the start.¡± The masked man¡¯s eyes were once again critical as he watched me mutter. ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t a normal person, but¡­¡­ I never thought you would dare to use me.¡± ¡°Do you know what my seventh irond rule is?¡± I finished without waiting for him to answer. ¡°Take advantage of everything you can. Especially on the battlefield.¡± From now on, this was my battlefield. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 ¨C Count Arsene (3) Count Arsene¡¯s residence was about a day¡¯s carriage ride from where I was. To my relief, nothing unusual happened during the journey. ¡°I will return to my lord and report to him first.¡± ¡°You do you.¡± ¡°That mouth!¡± Hans trembled in anger, then sighed in resignation. ¡°¡­¡­I beg of you, please, be careful with that mouth in the presence of my lord.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, you shouldn¡¯t have let me get hold of your weakness. I¡¯ve said it before, and I¡¯ll say it again¡ª if you pull any stunts¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I-I know. I know! Do you think we¡¯re stupid? With the Mask of Night involved, we know better than anyone how bad it would be if word of this got back to the pce!¡± Hans raised his voice in frustration. Thankfully, they weren¡¯tplete fools, as they weren¡¯t nning on going against the masked guy. They are but part of a count¡¯s family in a remote kingdom. The Mask of Night, on the other hand, is an organization spanning the whole continent. With countless clients, even in the Empire. No, no need to include the Empire. All it takes is a few unfavorable leaks to rival fiefdoms that don¡¯t have good rtions with this one, and the Count¡¯s future would turn bleak. ¡°¡­¡­By the way, who are those kids?¡± ¡°What?¡± Hans, who had followed my gaze, flinched. It was a small practice field in the garden. On it, two boys were engaged in a sword fight with another boy their age. In a normal knightly family, one might think that the more skilled older brother was ying with his two younger brothers, but that was not the case. ¡°Ahahaha! Hey, hey. You weakling! You can¡¯t even block this, and you think you¡¯re going to take the knighthood test with me?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I just take the test this year? If someone like him can pass, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be easy!¡± That was absolutely not the case. It was just a lone kid, sweating profusely, fending off the attacks of two kids. It was apletely one-sided bullying. ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s none of your business.¡± But Hans didn¡¯t even give them a second nce. ¡°You¡¯re not going to stop them?¡± ¡°You¡¯re about to meet the lord! Isn¡¯t that what you wanted? Don¡¯t worry about pointless things.¡± ¡°Hey, mask! Are you around?¡± ¡°This¡­ Damn it!¡± Hans finally exins, cursing under his breath. ¡°They¡¯re the children of the lord of the manor! Do you see now? They¡¯re not the kind of people someone like you can be interested in!¡± ¡°The children of the lord¡­¡­.¡± Apparently, there¡¯s something going on in this house that I don¡¯t know. But I¡¯m not the type of person to let something like that go unnoticed. If I thought about my dead child growing up and being treated like that¡­¡­. ¡°¡­¡­Heh heh heh¡­¡­.¡± Damn it. There¡¯s that darnedugh again. I forced myself to keep a straight face and walked straight towards them. Spotting me, one of the two tilted his head in confusion. ¡°What the. Who¡¯s this midget¡­¡­ huh?¡± ¡°Wh-What the. How is she so pretty?¡± The two douchebags stared at me with stunned expressions. ¡°B-By any chance, is she the daughter of a visiting family?¡± ¡°Daughter? But I didn¡¯t hear anything about that?¡± The idiots stopped what they were doing and jumped off the stage. Each one of them had a puzzled look on his face. ¡°Beautifuldy, where have youe from¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Beautifuldy, my ass. What a bunch of bullshit. Hey, you immature bastards. Are you having fun, ganging up on one person?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The two idiots stiffened, not believing my heavy usage of profanity. ¡°A-A guy?¡± ¡°What the hell is up with this disgusting bastard?!¡± A smirk formed on my lips. ¡°Forget that. Let¡¯s even the numbers. Two on two. How about it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At the same time, the two idiots looked at each other. ¡°Two on two?¡± ¡°Wow, look at him. He thinks he¡¯s all that. Isn¡¯t he aplete lunatic?¡± The two idiots weren¡¯t the only ones confused. ¡°W-Wait! What is the meaning of this? Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± ¡°Hans! What¡¯s with this refreshingly insane bastard? What¡¯s he doing here?¡± ¡°Y-Young master. That¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± Ah, screw it. Forget about two versus two. Before Hans could say anything, I threw my fist out like a thunderbolt. Bam! ¡°Ack!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± One after the other, the idiots screamed and went down. They had been hit squarely in the throat, and by now, the pain was too much to keep them awake. ¡°Hey! You lunatic!¡± I neatly ignored Hans¡¯ cursing. ¡°What are you doing? Step on them.¡± I gestured my hand towards the kid, who had been staring nkly at the situation until now. ¡°H-Huh?¡± ¡°If you get hit, hit back. It¡¯s because you let them hit you that they keep bothering you, you idiot.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Just once. You only have to be brave once, so why are you just standing there? Be a man.¡± At this, the kid started to shake, as if my words got through to him. Whether it did or not, I turned away, leaving the two eyesores behind. The lord¡¯s children? So what. *** After a series of mishaps, I finally made it to Count Arsene. ¡°My lord, the lunatic¡­¡­ no, Ancelot has arrived.¡± ¡°¡­Let him in.¡± Once inside the room, a mustached man who appeared to be in his mid-forties sat still and stared at me. ¡°Hans, you should take your leave.¡± ¡°Pardon? B-But my lord. This bastard is¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Enough. Have you forgotten? I¡¯m a knight that has reached the level of an expert.¡± ¡°I-I will obey your order.¡± From first impressions, he looks like he has spirit. With the ¡®thud!¡¯ of the door that followed, I was soon alone with Count Arsene. A stifling silence descended. The difference between nobility and plebeians was absolute, to say the least. Since the count thinks of me as amoner. If he were to slit my throat right now and execute me on the spot, no one would say anything Or so it would be normally. However, I have the reliable backing of the royal pce now. ¡®Where¡¯s he going to start? Anyone with even a modicum of greed for the rank of Marquis is bound to be interested in what I have to say. But since I beat his child, will he try to bring me in line? As these thoughts were going through my mind. ng. With the noise of steel sounding, Count Arsene suddenly mmed his sword, still in its scabbard, onto the table. ¡°Your sins are great.¡± ¡°Of course, yours are too.¡± ¡°If you feel the slightest bit guilty about your actions, then cut your own throat with that sword.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If you do, I¡¯ll overlook this incident with just your life. This is myst act of mercy, so I hope you do not think of refusing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I stared at the sword on the table for a moment, speechless. Shnng. Then, I even drew it. Count Arsene watched me do so, unmoved. He didn¡¯t seem to have a single shred of worry that I might perhaps make a move. I suppose that meant that he was confident in his abilities. ¡®It¡¯s a good sword.¡¯ I stood still and looked it over. It could easily be called a masterpiece. As a count, he seemed to have amassed quite a fortune, despite being located on the outskirts. How much would a sword like this be worth in today¡¯s market? Although I don¡¯t know the exact amount, I¡¯m sure that at the very least, all the money I¡¯ve stolen from the vers wouldn¡¯t be enough. Click. After a while, I returned the sword to its scabbard. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the answer I wanted to hear, though?¡± ¡°I heard that you were from the Duchy of Meeke.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I clenched my teeth. It seemed he¡¯d already uncovered that much. ¡°You disdained me. You dared to pretend to be his majesty¡¯s property when you were not. I don¡¯t know which house you are from, but unless you are one of the two dukedoms that produced a master, or even royalty, the Duchy of Meeke¡­¡­ is more than enough for me to handle.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Seems to me that it¡¯s even worse if I¡¯m a foreigner instead of a citizen of my own country. Do you really want to see a conflict between nations over something as simple as this?¡± ¡°And you? Do you want to see your parents, and by extension, your homnd, harmed by your sins?¡± ¡°¡­What child would want to see their parents harmed?¡± As my feelings for the other man turned sour, my desire to give him the least bit of respect vanished. ¡°Die. I promise you. If you do so, your parents will remain unharmed.¡± ¡°So this is what they call, ¡®the criminal makes the usations.¡¯¡± Count Arsene didn¡¯t even pretend to hear me. Would this bastard be able to speak such bullshit even after hearing that I¡¯m royalty? ¡°Your first sin. You dared to kill a knight of another country.¡± ¡°He was no knight, and no one can me me for defending myself from being sold into very.¡± ¡°Your second sin. You dared to threaten a nobleman of this country.¡± ¡°It was no ckmail, but themunication of the truth, and I trust that his Majesty will hear the appeals of the innocent, and make a wise judgment. If I am found guilty, let them take my head.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Your third sin. You dare toy hands on my children, dishonoring me, the head of the household, once again¡± ¡°It seemed that the parents hadn¡¯t educated their children properly, so I took some of my precious time to help them. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m to me¡­¡­¡± Bam! Finally, the impatient Count Arsene mmed his fist on the table in frustration. ¡°You just won¡¯t close that mouth of yours, will you?! Did you really mean what you just said? Amoner from another country dared to mess with the children of a noble family! Under thews of the nation that you are so fond of, that allow me to dispose of you with my own authority on this spot and no one in the country would care!¡± There was nothing to say to this. It was thew, so what could I do? After all, I had acted out of anger at times. ¡°Any one of the three justifies your death! Now, what will you do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, but I disagree.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you think. I¡¯ve said it before and I¡¯ll say it again¡ª your parents can keep the peaceful life they have now if you are willing to pay the price. No, since I¡¯m not entirely without fault, I¡¯ll even promise to give them amplepensation. Don¡¯t have the foolish notion that I won¡¯t find out about your family!¡± ¡°Peace be damned if it kills your children.¡± I muttered under my breath. Naturally, the corners of Count Arsene¡¯s eyes twitched, and I quickly added. ¡°I assure you, when I die, all that has happened to me will be told to the king.¡± ¡°Instead, your parents will suffer a worse death than anyone else in the world. And they will die resenting you, their child.¡± I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯re wrong about that, too.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve seen many cases of children resenting their parents, but not the other way around. My parents wouldn¡¯t me me if I got them killed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± This was an extremely subjective thought. Not everyone in the world had the same experience with family as I did. But, say Andy did something terribly wrong, leaving me with no choice but to die. I¡¯d be willing to die for him. In return, just one thing. If I could only save my child. But if my child still has to die, I will kill every single one of the bastards who did it, no matter what. Even if it¡¯s the Emperor of the Empire. ¡°¡­¡­Heh heh heh.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Did my sudden, grotesqueugh sound eerie? Count Arsene made a face. ¡°¡­¡­Your faith in your parents seems to be very strong, indeed. Now I¡¯m curious, what kind of family a ruffian like you came from.¡± ¡°I think any parent of any family would do the same for their child in this situation.¡± Count Arsene re was as sharp as knives. Unable to withstand his stare, I scratched my head. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not usually this talkative.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your honor, why don¡¯t we do it like this?¡± Seeing Count Arsene¡¯s puzzled expression, I proposed apromise. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t want my parents to be harmed because of me, and I don¡¯t like this situation.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just duke it out, like men.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Suddenly, Count Arsene looks at me with a look that says, ¡°What did I just hear? ¡°You seem to be pretty confident in your abilities. I¡¯d like to challenge you to a match.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°However, if you have a conscience, let¡¯s agree against the use of mana.¡± Count Arsene now looked at me with apletely dumbfounded expression. ¡®What¡¯s he even thinking about?¡¯ If he were a man, this would be a demand he couldn¡¯t refuse, anyway. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¨C Count Arsene (4) How much time had passed? The suffocating silence stretched on for what seemed like forever. What if my opponent lost all reason and wanted to slit my throat right now? ¡®First, I¡¯d kick the table so he can¡¯t grab the sword. If it¡¯s a bare-knuckle fight, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d lose. Then I¡¯d jab my elbow into his philtrum and¡­¡­.¡¯ That¡¯s when I was thinking about my response in case something went wrong. ¡°¡­¡­pfft.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Hahahahahahaha!¡± Suddenly, Count Arsen burst into a roaringugh. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡­ I really like your ambition.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I never thought I¡¯d hear such crazy talk from a greenhorn the age of my children.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°At the same time, if you pick apart the conversation, you¡¯re not even as crazy as you¡¯ve been reported to be¡­¡­ huhuhu, what a funny guy.¡± What kind of bullshit is this? ¡°I tested you for a bit. If you were just a big mouth, I would have cut off one of your arms with this sword without a second thought. Even though my wife is certainly at fault, your sins are by no means lesser.¡± Why does this guy talk so much? I¡¯m telling you, I really am confident. Mister, if you don¡¯t use mana, you wouldn¡¯t be able to beat me. Never. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The sight before me was, quite literally, shocking. The noble was apologizing to me. He even bowed his head. This was the kind of thing that would turn an entire country upside down. It was unheard of in my previous life for a high-ranking nobleman, such as a count, to bow down to amoner. In a society that prized dignity, a single rumor of such a thing would bring the entire family into disrepute and ridicule. Would the ego of the noblemen, who only thought of themselves, allow such a thing? They¡¯d sooner kill themoner than let that happen. ¡°My wife¡¯s greed almost sold you into very, right? I apologize again. It was all my fault.¡± ¡°Is this right¡­¡­?¡± The words slipped out of my mouth. ¡°It¡¯s all because I didn¡¯t manage my wife properly. It¡¯s the result of my virtuelessness. She lost her morals after she became the countess.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I opened my mouth in a daze, then swallowed dryly. ¡°You mean she wasn¡¯t originally the countess?¡± ¡°She used to be a mistress. She reced the original countess, who died.¡± ¡°She passed away?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± A thought shed through his mind. Only one child was born from his first wife. And two from his mistress. The pieces of the scene from earlier fell into ce. Conflict between half-brothers from different mothers. Isn¡¯t itmon in aristocratic society to look down on second and third wives? As soon as I thought about them, a question immediately came out of my mouth. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to scold me?¡± ¡°Scold?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say something about disdain earlier? It¡¯s true. Your children were bullying some kid, so I gave them a few good whacks.¡± Count Arsene¡¯s face hardened at my words. ¡°We were the ones who were in the wrong, so why would I scold you for a couple of punches between kids? That¡¯d be too shameless of us.¡± So you¡¯re telling me, he¡¯s being serious? And he¡¯s not saying this because he¡¯s afraid I¡¯ll go to the king and rat him out? ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know this, but I¡¯m the deputy chief of the Ministry of Public Security in this country.¡± ¡°Deputy chief¡­¡­ of the Ministry of Public Security?¡± A look of surprise crossed my face. The Ministry of Public Security, responsible for the security of the country. And that means he¡¯s the number two there. ¡°Yes. In that sense, the Ben-Hur group you dealt with was always a headache. If it weren¡¯t for Marquis Foltaine, I would have taken matters into my own hands¡­¡± As he trailed off, Count Arsene¡¯s face clouded over. ¡°I had no idea that my wife was using that bunch of scum.¡± ¡°¡­¡­It wasn¡¯t that you knew and purposely pretended not to?¡± How could someone who was the deputy chief of Public Security not know about something that happened in hid house, of all ces? ¡°They say you often miss what¡¯s right under your own nose. Or, more urately, I didn¡¯t pay any attention to her because of how much I trusted her.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± At that, I closed my mouth. Because it seemed like he wasn¡¯t acting. ¡®What the hell is going on here?¡¯ I thought to myself. ¡°Well, apart from that, I honestly want to hire you.¡± ¡°Pardon? All of a sudden?¡± ¡°Talent is talent, but honestly, not everyone has the guts like yours at your age. Bing a knight of your own country would be nice, but don¡¯t you think a kingdom would be better than a duchy? I¡¯d like to take you under my wing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± My mouth dropped open at the unexpected suggestion. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any dreams of bing a knight? How old are you this year?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m fourteen this year.¡± ¡°Fourteen. That¡¯s just right. In three years you¡¯ll be able to take the knight¡¯s test.¡± ¡°Knight¡¯s¡­¡­ test?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re a foreigner, so you might not know.¡± Count Arsene nodded with an understanding look. A brief exnation followed ¡°In the Hart Kingdom, a knight¡¯s test is held every year. The test is open to anyone of any nationality, as long as they are not over thirty years old. It was a nobleman¡¯s idea to give everyone a chance without discrimination. The mostmon age to apply is seventeen. This is because seventeen is the age of graduation from the Academy. Of course, ¡®anyone¡¯ can take the test, but ordinary people do not evene near the test site. The examination fee was a whopping ten gold pieces. Who would want to throw away 10 years worth of living expenses for a family of four? If amoner wanted to rise through the ranks, they¡¯d be better off trying to get into the Academy before the Knight¡¯s Test. This was clearly shown statistically. There isn¡¯t a single sessfulmoner who passed outside of the Academy. That¡¯s not to say that the Academy entrance exam is easy. Nomoner has ever been admitted to the Academy without a letter of rmendation from a nobleman. The examination was divided into two parts. The first was chivalry, or the mindset of a knight, and the second was strategy and tactics. Then there¡¯s power, which was aprehensive assessment of one¡¯s swordsmanship and mana. ¡°I can write you a letter of rmendation for admission to the Knight Academy myself if you wish. However, I do not believe that doing this will erase the wrong I have done to you. But if it eases your mind a little, that¡¯s all I need.¡± A letter of rmendation from a count would be enough to get me into the Academy. But that wasn¡¯t what I wanted. ¡°Of course, if your family is a much more distinguished knightly family than I thought, you can decline¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, I think I will decline.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For a moment, Count Arsene¡¯s eyes sparkled. However, it wasn¡¯t for the same reason that my ¡®family is more prestigious¡¯. It was a no-brainer in the first ce. Why? Why wait until seventeen? If you want knighthood, just go and get it. Aside from that, he was doing so well, but now he¡¯s testing the waters. ¡°I still want to learn character before academics and swordsmanship. I don¡¯t want to be like a certain someone¡¯s child, a bully who bullies the weaker ones because they¡¯re not strong enough.¡± I deliberately scratched my opponent¡¯s insides. I needed to know if he was being hypocritical or if he was being sincere. For my own future ns. ¡°You punk, you¡¯re more narrow-minded than you look. Is it because you¡¯re still a child?¡± However, my opponent seemed to think of me as a child. Hey. Even if I look like this, I¡¯m older than you. You know? ¡°My kids, the ones you beat up earlier, are taking their knighthood exams this year. My first and second sons. I¡¯m sure they meant no offense, either. It was probably just training for the test.¡± Sir, it sure didn¡¯t seem like it. ¡°¡­¡­Sure. Are your first and second the same age?¡± ¡°Yes. The third one is in his fifth year as a knight cadet. When he graduates next year, he¡¯ll be taking the test, just like them.¡± That was enough introductions. Now it was time to get down to business. ¡°Does the Count have any questions for me?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°As you may have heard, I have a way to elevate this county to a marquis.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Wasn¡¯t that just a ruse to meet me?¡± What kind of person does he see me as? ¡°I was serious.¡± ¡°Well, then, let¡¯s hear it, shall we?¡± Even bowing down wouldn¡¯t be enough, and what? ¡®Let¡¯s hear it?¡¯ I can tell by the look on his face what he¡¯s thinking. A piece of grain. No, not even a speck of interest. ¡°¡­¡­Forget this, too. You said that the kids have to go to the capital soon, right? For that knight¡¯s test or something.¡± ¡°Right. The test is only two weeks away.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll apany them there.¡± ¡°You¡­¡­?¡± I nodded without hesitation. ¡°If I¡¯m going to elevate the Arsene family to the rank of marquis, I think I will have to stop by the pce in person.¡± Given the change in ns, it would be better for me, the person involved, to go to the pce in person. Unless, as I had previously thought, the n was to round up Arsene and Foltaine and destroy them all. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to do this, but¡­¡­ you seem like a nicer guy than I expected, so this is a bonus.¡± This was also sincere. You¡¯re not saving my life. It¡¯s none other than me that is saving you. ¡°Hahaha, okay. Am I supposed to thank you for this?¡± Of course you should. However, contrary to my inner thoughts, my assessment of Count Arsen was quite different. Realistically, a greenhorn like me. And amoner from a foreign country would have had to run for the hills a hundred times over if he¡¯d been this arrogant¡ª wee to the aristocratic society. ¡°So, are you giving me your permission?¡± ¡°Did you even need my permission to do this in the first ce? Do as you please.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re also giving mepensation.¡± ¡°Compensation¡­¡­?¡± Immediately afterward, Count Arsene muttered nkly. ¡°You¡¯re not just apologizing with words, are you? Since I¡¯m making you a marquis in addition to the damages, I¡¯d at least like a token of your gratitude.¡± ¡°Goodness¡­¡­ Alright, alright. Let¡¯s hear it.¡± In response, I immediately blurted out the demand I¡¯d already thought of. ¡°There are girls in the forest. They were kidnapped as ves, just like me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Count Arsen frowned. ¡°I will take responsibility and return them home. With a good sum of money aspensation, at that.¡± ¡°Thank you. And.¡± ¡°There¡¯s more?¡± ¡°That letter of rmendation for the Knight Academy you were talking about earlier¡­¡­ Is there any chance you could write it for someone other than me?¡± Seeing Count Arsene tilting his head in confusion, I spoke up again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about their talent. They¡¯re pretty useful, even in my eyes.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡± While the count was still mulling it over, I put forward yet another demand. ¡°And I¡¯ll take this sword, too. Since you ¡®gave¡¯ it to me to end my life, I hope you don¡¯t mind?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Perhaps renderedpletely speechless at this brazen demand, Count Arsene even had his mouth open. Chapter 8 of Ancelot¡¯s Code. Whether it¡¯s money or treasure, take it while you can. ¡°It¡¯s a good sword.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You said that silence is affirmation, so I take it that you approve.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Picking up the sword on the table by its hilt, I smiled. The masterpiece that I wouldn¡¯t be able to buy even if I blew my entire fortune. This sword now belonged to me. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¨C Discipline (1) Count Arsene was being debriefed by Hans, who¡¯d stormed in afterwards. ¡°We¡¯ve just finished our preliminary investigation into the Vigri de Foltaine.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°As expected, he¡¯s denying it. He says he never ran anything like a ve trade.¡± Count Arsene curled up one corner of his mouth. ¡°Even though the evidence is so clear?¡± ¡°Yes. On the contrary, the Marquis is furious that some knight dared to detain his innocent rtive. Furthermore, the Marquis stated that he would not simply let this go.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t learn anything useful, huh. Thanks for the trouble, anyway. I¡¯ll do the secondary research myself.¡± ¡°I apologize.¡± ¡°As soon as the investigation isplete, Vigri de Foltaine¡¯s bastard will be transported to the capital. Be prepared.¡± For a moment, Hans looked troubled. ¡°My lord, I hate to say this¡­¡­ but there¡¯s something I¡¯m concerned about.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°If nothing else, shouldn¡¯t the Marquis at least be notified of the arrest?¡± It was a matter of course. A child, even if illegitimate, is the blood of the house. Even if there¡¯s clear evidence of the crime, the arrest must be reported. The detention of a blood rtive is not just a matter for the individual, but for the prestige of the entire family. ¡®Well, with his personality, if we handle things arbitrarily, we won¡¯t be able to avoid trouble either. Even if he¡¯s clearly guilty.¡¯ Even if it leaves a bad taste in our mouth, what can we do? This is a ss society. Count Arsene, who hade to a quick conclusion, spoke up. ¡°Inform him.¡± ¡°Will that be all right?¡± ¡°There are already plenty of witnesses. Even the Marquis of Foltaine won¡¯t be able to snatch him up on a whim.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± Count Arsene hesitated for a moment, then spoke again. ¡°Furthermore, you must not speak of the child.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Hans¡¯s eyes widened. He had no idea who ¡®the child¡¯ was referring to. ¡°M-My lord. Do you mean that daredevil, Ancelot¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± Hans¡¯s face grew more serious. ¡°Do we have to go that far for him? Rather, if we let the Marquis take care of him, we wouldn¡¯t have to get our hands dirty¡ª wouldn¡¯t that be better, from our perspective?¡± Instantly, Count Arsene¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°Hans, do you mean what you just said?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Clunk! The sharp words caused Hans to stand at attention. ¡°¡­¡­Tsk tsk. It¡¯s part of our job to protect our informants.¡± ¡°B-But, my lord. If we don¡¯t have clear evidence on the crime, the Marquis might suspect our motives. This is what this subordinate of yours is worried about ¡­¡­!¡± Maybe so. After all, this was Count Arsene, who wouldn¡¯t mind being elevated to marquis any day. But even if that were the case. ¡°Who says I have to walk on eggshells just because of a criminal¡¯s status?! Will you have the same attitude if the Marquis was nning treason?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At the eardrum-piercing shout, Hans¡¯ head hit the floor with a ¡®thud!¡¯ without dy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. This subordinate has made a mistake!¡± Hans knew from experience. How terrifying the patriarch was when he was angry like this. ¡°Hans.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± ¡°Put yourself in his shoes. If a man, a high official in the Ministry of Public Safety, defends criminals, and punishes and persecutes informants instead of rewarding them, who will trust us in the future and report crimes?¡± ¡°I was too narrow minded!¡± ¡°Even if the guilty party is not your kinsman, but the Marquis himself, we must investigate without shame. It is up to His Majesty the King to decide whether or not to punish him afterward! When he asks about his crimes, will you say something like, ¡®I couldn¡¯t help but walk on eggshells because he was a marquis¡¯?¡± Thud! Hans¡¯s head hit the ground once more. Blood trickled down his now broken forehead. ¡°Please kill me!¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky I don¡¯t have a sword with me right now. For if I did, I would have dug out your busy little eyeballs myself.¡± Tremble. Hans dug his head into the ground even deeper. ¡°Do not be swayed by the fist or the profit before you. There are no secrets in the world thatst forever. Do not lose yourself. I don¡¯t know about the others, but there is no future for this country if we do such things.¡± ¡°I will keep that in mind!¡± ¡°They say a house¡¯s characteres from its behavior. We are the Arsene County.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Get up.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Hans jumped to his feet. ¡°When you see the child, make sure to thank him.¡± ¡°What? Y-You don¡¯t mean¡­¡­?¡± The corner of Hans¡¯s eye twitched in disbelief. Doesn¡¯t that mean that the Lord¡¯s sword is in the hands of that daredevil? ¡®How could he¡­¡­ that great sword that he kept by his side, both night and day¡­¡­?¡¯ It was only recently that the lord had gotten his hands on the sword. It was one of the few ¡®dwarven-made¡¯ weapons left on the continent. Ever since the dwarves and humans had lost contact, the value of their creations had skyrocketed. It was a sword that would make knights froth at the mouth. The weapon the lord had acquired was the finest even among the dwarven-made. How many times had I seen him polishing it each night by moonlight, holding it with the utmost care? ¡°Now that you mention it, I¡¯m left with a bitter taste in my mouth.¡± But he gave it to someone else. A sword that was supposed to be passed down as an heirloom for generations. A treasure that could easily be counted within ten fingers in the entire kingdom, if not the top ten swords in the continent. ¡°Is this why people say things have their owners?¡± ¡°M-My lord. No matter how you look at it, I think you should reconsider¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Enough. If a sword can pay for our karma, it¡¯s a bargain. Nothing that child said was wrong.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Hans wanted to say something, but he was too guilty to say anything more. Of course, the actual owner himself had no regrets. ¡®He was certainly no ordinary child.¡¯ Count Arsene was a man who could be said to have risen to this position with his eyes alone. Indeed, his eye for talent was renowned throughout the kingdom. This was why he was considered the closest to a marquis among the counts. ¡°Th-Then your subordinate will take his leave. In addition, I¡¯ll report any information about Ancelot as soon as I have it¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Put a hold on that, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a matter of course? Hans, would you develop any trust for someone that smiles and extends his hand in front of you but snoops around behind your back?¡± In the end, even Hans had to swallow hard. ¡®What on earth does the lord see in this child to give him such high praise¡­¡­?¡¯ As it turned out, Count Arsene had a kind of certainty. Since he trusted his instincts more than anything else. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I know for certain.¡± In another sense, however, Count Arsene wouldter regret this day. For a very long time. *** Woosh. Green No. 4, who had just dropped down into Count Arsene¡¯s garden, stiffened. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± In the middle of the garden, where even the wind was still. The surroundings arepletely silent. There¡¯s nothing unusual in sight. Just one thing. Except for a boy standing in the middle of it all. ¡®What the hell is he doing?¡¯ His client. The entric 7th Prince of the Duchy of Meeke stood silently, sword in hand. For what seemed like an eternity. For some reason, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to interrupt. Instinctively, he felt like he shouldn¡¯t. And then, suddenly. sh! The oddball opened his eyes. Swish! A single swing. An ordinary sideways sh, nothing special. It was just a simple wave of the sword. Yet, even he, who had never been formally trained in swordsmanship, felt a strange emotion at the simplicity of the action. Extreme concision. The solid white line that still remained in the air left a deep impression in his mind. ¡®Have I ever seen such a clean move in my life?¡¯ Suddenly, he was ovee with a desire to watch the transverse sh one more time. Just then. ¡°Watching someone train in secret is in bad taste.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± Coming to his senses, he hurriedly jumped down from the trees. ¡°You¡¯re bold. You may be from the Mask of Night, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d sneak into the middle of a count¡¯s estate.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Count Arsene just assigned amission to the Mask of Night. He asked us to find homes for the girls who were held as ves.¡± The oddball smiled with satisfaction at that answer. ¡°Seems the mister was a man of his word.¡± ¡°Judging by the fact that you¡¯re still alive, your conversation must have gone well.¡± ¡°Are you disappointed?¡± ¡°Of course not. Oh, my name is Ben.¡± He smiled and introduced himself formally. ¡°It¡¯s damn hard to hear your name once.¡± ¡°The Vice Lord himself will be here to see you soon.¡± ¡°Not the leader?¡± ¡°The leader is¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose it would be strange for the leader toe forward when the authenticity of the information hasn¡¯t even been confirmed.¡± The words bothered him, for some reason. ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. Because of some circumstances¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Immediately, Ben¡¯s forehead twitched with the faintest of muscles. ¡®Don¡¯t get swept along.¡¯ After repeating the ¡®breathe¡¯ three times under his breath, Ben changed the subject. ¡°More importantly, Marquis Foltaine has learned of your existence.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± The child¡¯s eyes turned sharp, as if this was an extraneous variable. Inwardly, Ben was pleased. ¡®Should I dig a little bit more?¡¯ If he used this information to get a little more information about the colorless mask, all the better. However. ¡°¡­¡­The ves are all dead, and there¡¯s no way my eyes are wrong, so¡­¡­ the answer must be thedy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ben¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Judging by your reaction, guess I hit the mark.¡± Ben quickly adjusted his facial expression. His face wasn¡¯t visible under the mask anyway, but he made sure to keep his voice calm. ¡°Are you ruling out the possibility that Count Arsene stabbed you in the back?¡± ¡°I told you. If that¡¯s true, it would mean that I¡¯ve misjudged him, and I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°One of his knights could have done something out of loyalty¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Doing something like that because of loyalty without your lord¡¯s permission? The Arsene family doesn¡¯t strike me as a familycking discipline.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Eventually, Ben was forced to shut up. It seemed like the child hadplete trust in his eyes. ¡®What¡¯s more, he¡¯s not saying anything wrong, is he?¡¯ Ben had done some research and found out that he¡¯s only 14 years old. However, from the sheer amount of things he was doing, it was like dealing with an elderly politician. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because she¡¯s the mistress of the count? I don¡¯t know about anything else, but the way she acts leaves me at a loss for words.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You don¡¯t seem particrly worried. Please be careful. It¡¯s always those who have nothing to lose who are the scariest. Can¡¯t you tell from how she asked the Marquis for help, with the intention of going down together, rather than dying alone?¡± Ben¡¯s voice was serious. ¡°I can assure you, the Marquis of Foltaine would even kill to silence witnesses, especially you, for the sake of their honor.¡± At this, Ancelot¡¯s expression grew strange. ¡°Silence, you say¡­¡­. How?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t do it openly in this situation. They¡¯ll most likely send in some high quality killers.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°In this country, is it a problem for amoner to cut off the head of the assassin who is trying to kill him?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ben stared at the child nkly for a moment, then shrugged. ¡°¡­¡­No, of course not.¡± The child¡¯s smile widened. ¡°There you go.¡± Chapter 16 Chapter 16 ¨C Discipline (2) ¡°Isabelle.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you realize what you have done?¡± A woman stood in front of Count Arsene, her head bowed dejectedly. Her expressioncked even the slightest hint of malice. Instead, it appeared serene, and even contained a faint trace of sorrow. If not for the situation, Count Arsene might have wondered whether she¡¯d been unfairly used. ¡®I was deceived by that face.¡¯ With a bitter smile, he steadied his resolve again. There was no way he would overlook her crime, which was clear and undeniable. ¡°Your crime is¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all my fault.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Count Arsene flinched momentarily. Her response waspletely outside of his expectations. ¡°Are you admitting to your crime?¡± ¡°Regardless of my true intentions, what else can I say in this situation?¡± Count Arsene¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°¡­¡­So you admit to attempting the purchase of kidnapped children?¡± At that moment, Isabelle snapped her head up. ¡°No!¡± ¡°What are you saying, ¡®no,¡¯ to?¡± ¡°I was only trying to find a servant for the family. I never imagined anything illegal was happening in the process!¡± ¡°So you didn¡¯t mean to.¡± Count Arsene raised one corner of his mouth. It sounded usible at first nce. After all, Isabelle had managed the household affairs all this time. Finding a servant for necessary chores was part of her duties. However, ¡°Was there any reason to be so particr about the faces of the children you hire as servants? To the point of ssifying them by appearance? Calling them top-quality and so on.¡± ¡°You may not understand, but in high society, even the appearance of a servant reflects on the family¡¯s reputation.¡± ¡°Is that your excuse?¡± ¡°Think about it. If you visit a household and the servant greeting you is filthy and unkempt¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene shook his head. ¡°That example seems too extreme.¡± ¡°I only mean that even the appearance of a servant is important. And again, I have no intention of denying my guilt. It was certainly my fault for not properly investigating the background of the children I brought into the household. However¡­¡­!¡± Isabelle bit her lip. ¡°¡­¡­Even though I am not without guilt, considering the current state of affairs, I hope you can grant me a little more time.¡± ¡°The current state of affairs?¡± ¡°As you know, it¡¯s a very important time for our children. I¡¯m so worried that their future might be ruined because of their mother¡­¡­ sob.¡± Isabelle covered her mouth and started to sob. ¡®She¡¯s putting on an obvious act.¡¯ Despite thinking this, Count Arsene silently quelled his anger. Because, in truth, this was also what concerned him the most. The children¡¯s knight exams were approaching. Of course, passing was important, but their scores were also crucial. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that their future could depend on the results. First of all, for the top performers in the knight exams. For the children in the top 5 percent, they were given an opportunity to join the ¡®Royal Knights.¡¯ They would start their careers at the heart of power. By staying close to His Majesty the King, they could seize numerous unexpected opportunities. Or they might be scouted by one of the few ducal houses. Among these, the most popr were the prestigious houses where the kingdom¡¯s three ¡®Masters¡¯ resided. Every child aspiring to be a knight wanted to be strong. Naturally, they longed to learn from a Master, who were called superhumans. Their teachings would significantly impact their growth. And would it end just there? The future leaders of the family were bound to return to their family someday. Those who learned and grew under the guidance of a Duke¡¯s household would inevitably be loyal retainers of that house. They believed repaying the favor in such a manner was true ¡®chivalry.¡¯ Thus, a faction would be formed, supporting each other from within. On the other hand, those who barely passed only gained the status of a knight. Children from respectable families could work in their family¡¯s knight order. But for others? Those from rtively lower-status families usually had to join the Free Knight Alliance. Rather than training alone as a fish in a small pond, it was better to travel the continent and broaden their horizons. The important fact was that current continental society viewed free knights as no different from mercenaries. In noble society, which highly valued honor, this was an uneptable disgrace. ¡°Once the exams are over, I will ept my punishment. But please, grant this unworthy mother herst request.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After pondering, Count Arsene let out a long sigh. It was merely a matter of when. Nothing would change the situation. Moreover, he agreed that parents¡¯ presence was crucial for children at this age. Above all. ¡®I¡¯ve never done anything for the children.¡¯ Could he now rightfully scold Isabelle for not setting a good example? ¡®It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ After much deliberation, Count Arsene made his decision. ¡°¡­¡­Having confessed your crime, you are no different than a criminal. First, I will strip you of all your rights as thedy of the house.¡± When a person with powermits a crime, they must be stripped of their position, first and foremost. This was a necessary measure. A criminal could not be allowed to wield power. ¡°As for your punishment¡­¡­ Since it cannot be determined until the investigation isplete, I will decide after the knighthood exams. Whether you will be confined or expelled from the house will depend on a thorough examination of your crime.¡± Flinch. Isabelle¡¯s expression hardened at hisst words, but that was all. ¡°I am grateful for your boundless mercy.¡± Isabelle bowed her head, holding back tears. ¡°You may leave now.¡± As she turned to leave, once again holding back a sob, she nced back. ¡°¡­¡­My dear.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I am sorry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Thud! Watching Count Arsene¡¯s expression change, Isabelle fully exited the room. ¡°¡­¡­Hans.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°Keep an eye on Isabelle. Report to me immediately if she tries anything foolish.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Left alone, Count Arsenee sighed deeply. ¡°What use is ying the good father after all this time¡­¡­¡± *** Clip, clop, clip, clop. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Atst, when Isabelle returned to her quarters, a servant quietly followed her. After briefly surveying her surroundings, she quietly began to speak. ¡°¡­¡­There¡¯s nothing more I can do. As you know, he¡¯s a stickler for rules and principles.¡± ¡°Buying us time is more than enough.¡± ¡°Go and tell them, they must kill all the witnesses no matter what. Especially that wretched fool staying in the guest room, he deserves to be shredded to pieces.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°And one more thing.¡± Isabelle wasn¡¯t finished yet. ¡°As per the original n, make sure Kirian does not pass the knight exam. If I¡¯m taken away, I won¡¯t be able to keep an eye on it anymore, so make sure it¡¯s done.¡± ¡°We must ensure that the madam isn¡¯t troubled. Shall we maim him instead?¡± Isabelle hesitated. Isabelle momentarily stopped and gazed quietly out the window at the sky. ¡°¡­¡­That might not be a bad idea.¡± ¡°Understood. Consider it done.¡± Only then did the servant quietly withdraw. Nevertheless, her eyes remained fixed on the view outside the window. ¡°¡­¡­.What I¡¯ve gone through to get this far¡­¡­.¡± Before she knew it, Isabelle was muttering to herself, a strange intensity flickering in her eyes. ¡°If you¡¯re going to be a thorn in my side even there, fine, Roosevelt. Watch closely as your child bes crippled right in front of you.¡± *** I was hosting apletely unexpected guest. ¡°Um¡­¡­¡± ¡°You are¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The uninvited guest who had found his way to my room began with a sudden greeting. It was the son of Count Arsene, who had been bullied by his brothers. Despite clearly being older than me, the kid bowed his head without hesitation. ¡®Like father, like son, huh?¡¯ A smile naturally formed on my lips. His upbringing wasmendable. Personally, I didn¡¯t particrly dislike kids who showed such promise. ¡°¡­¡­¡± However, the boy standing in front of me remained silent for a long time. Eventually, unable to bear the silence any longer, I spoke first. ¡°¡­¡­You didn¡¯te all this way just to say hello, did you?¡± I looked at the boy, who stood awkwardly, fiddling with his fingers. At first nce, he was someone without a hint of sociableness. He¡¯s likely the son of the deceased first wife. ¡®If he has the skills, he could be a strong contender for the next family head.¡¯ Suppressing my annoyance, I forced a smile. Again, what I need most right now is power.¡¯ If this boy became the family head in the future, it would be immensely beneficial to have a good rtionship with him in advance. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°M-My name is Kirian.¡± ¡°Alright, Kirian. Feel free to speak your mind. Why did youe to see me at thiste hour?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a moment of hesitation, Kirian made a determined expression. ¡°¡­¡­fight.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hear you. What kind of man is this timid? Speak up!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Startled by my outburst, he raised his voice. ¡°P-Please teach me how to fight!¡± ¡°What?¡± My eyes widened. I asked again, thinking I might have misheard. ¡°Fight? Me? Teach you?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, please!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s odd? Asking a kid smaller than you to teach you how to fight, as a direct descendant of the family head, at that.¡± Immediately, Kirian shook his head vigorously, his face turning red. ¡°M-My brothers are strong. But honored guest, you subdued them in an instant.¡± ¡°Honored guest¡­¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ The family head told us to treat you with special care since you¡¯re a distinguished guest¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Indeed, the more I got to know Count Arsene, the more I liked him. ¡°The family head¡¯s acknowledgement is not something just anyone can receive. Even I¡¯ve¡­¡­ never been praised.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something to brag about.¡± Kirian¡¯s face turned as red as a ripe tomato. I wondered if he might burst. ¡°Your father could have acknowledged me because of my status.¡± ¡°I-I have eyes too. If that were the case, the knights wouldn¡¯t have been so rmed when you subdued my brothers.¡± This kid has keen observation skills. ¡®And he asked to learn how to fight, not how to use the sword.¡¯ Indeed, he¡¯s an unusual one. Despite his shyness, he says what he needs to, and he bows his head without hesitation to someone younger. ¡°You want to learn to fight for revenge, right?¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s not the only reason.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± My eyes gleamed with interest. ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I¡­¡­ have an important examing up.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it. So?¡± His unexpected response caught me off guard. ¡°My brothers have always been like a wall to me. So¡­ if possible, I want to ovee that wall before the exam!¡± ¡°¡­¡­So you want to gain confidence? To do well in the exam?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I understood his intention. But even so. ¡°As you know, I¡¯m an outsider. Teaching you to fight isn¡¯t that simple. First, we need your father¡¯s permission.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Kirian¡¯s face, which had mustered courage, quickly fell. I pretended to think, resting my chin on my hand. ¡°¡­¡­However, I can¡¯t ignore a man with great ambition.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll meet your father again. After that, we can continue this conversation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Kirian¡¯s face instantly brightened. Kid, there¡¯s no need to be that happy. ¡®In fact, I¡¯m the one who should be grateful.¡¯ Making his son stronger shoulde with somepensation, right? I had some things to discuss with Count Arsene anyway, and if I could also talk about a ¡®private tuition fee,¡¯ it would be quite meaningful. ¡®No one does business for free.¡¯ I smiled my best business smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll help you so that your brothers never bother you again!¡± ¡°P-Please.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. I¡¯m the one who should be asking for your cooperation, sucker¡­ ahem.¡± I barely swallowed the words that slipped out. This was indeed a generous household. ¡®The sword I got was already a rare masterpiece, I wonder what they¡¯ll give me this time?¡¯ Chapter 17 Chapter 17 ¨C Raising a Disciple (1) On the training ground of the Count Arsene family. Drip, drip, drip. Under the scorching sunlight, beads of sweat trickled down a boy¡¯s jawline. The most important test of his life was approaching. In preparation for that day, the boy was pushing himself to the limit in his final training session. ¡°Hey, Kirian!¡± Flinch. At that moment, the boy, Kirian, frowned. It was thest voice he wanted to hear. ¡®Even though I chose the rarely used fourth training ground in the backyard on purpose¡­¡­¡¯ Despite his efforts, the unwee visitors had found him again today. ¡°Anyone who doesn¡¯t train always acts like this when the test is near.¡± ¡°But still, we¡¯re family. Should I help you out, Kirian?¡± Jan and Hersen. The unwee visitors were none other than his half-brothers. ¡°I¡¯m not saying this just because he¡¯s our brother, but he¡¯s way too kind. He¡¯s got his own examing up, yet he even wants to help that loser?¡± ¡°Hahaha, Hersen. You should also try looking around you during training. A superior should take care of his subordinates.¡± ¡°But a subordinate is only worth it if they¡¯repetent. You¡¯re wasting your training time helping that outcast who¡¯s bullied even at the academy.¡± ¡°What can I do? It¡¯s the path I¡¯ve chosen.¡± Listening to their conversation, something bubbled up inside Kirian. He had a lot he wanted to say. That it was his brother who led the very same bullying. Even his younger brother Hersen would often bring his gang to torment him. Then they¡¯d return to their ss, boasting, ¡®We even won against someone older than us!¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­Thanks.¡± But Kirian swallowed hisints once again. Arguing here would only make the day longer. With satisfied smiles, the two brothers stepped onto the training ground. The merciless beating began. Thwack! ¡°Ugh!¡± A hard wooden sword struck deep into Kirian¡¯s stomach. Smack! Another strike split his lip. Before the metallic taste of blood could fill his mouth, more blows followed. Bam! Thwack! ¡°Were you happy? Huh? Was it nice being saved by your princess in shining armor?¡± ¡°Damn it! We should¡¯ve beaten that girl-like bastard like this too! Just try and show up in front of us one more time.¡± Kirian was always the target of his brothers¡¯ frustrations. But today, his mind felt even more cluttered than usual. ¡°Just once. You only need to muster the courage once, so why do you live like that? What kind of man are you?¡± These were words he recently heard from a much younger boy, barely reaching up to his chest. He had even witnessed that boy mercilessly taking down his brothers. Kirian wasn¡¯t indifferent to what he saw. However, the fear deeply rooted in his heart for so long was not easy to shake off. Woosh. Whenever he tried to gather the courage and clench his fist, it wouldn¡¯t be long before his strength waned, and vanished without a trace. When he met the ring eyes of his brothers, his hands and feet trembled uncontrobly. The world followed the survival of the fittest. A society divided into predators and prey. In that sense, Kirian was always thetter. He didn¡¯t even dare to summon the courage to resist. In his dreams, he was a ferocious beast devouring his brothers at least a hundred times, but in reality, he was worse than a rat. ¡®Pathetic.¡¯ Kirian knew it too. How worthless he was. Nothing would change if he continued like this. He would remain trapped in his trauma, endlessly falling behind. The uing knight exam was the immediate problem. He was confident in theoretical knowledge and mana sensitivity tests, but how would he handle the final ¡®duel¡¯ between examinees? He couldn¡¯t even imagine himself wielding a wooden sword against his peers. That¡¯s right. Although he hated to admit it, Kirian was alreadypletely consumed by the fear he had created for himself. ¡°¡­¡­Damn it.¡± Before he knew it, he was alone in the training ground. Kiriany sprawled out, covering his eyes with his arm. ¡°Why can¡¯t I do it like that kid?¡± Though the child was an honored guest acknowledged by his father, he was still just a child. Honestly, Kirian didn¡¯t think the boy was stronger than him in swordsmanship. Nheless, he sought him out, grasping at straws. At the very least, there was one thing that boy clearly excelled in: ¡®Confidence.¡¯ That boy ruthlessly beat down brothers who were at least two heads taller than him. Kirian hoped that if he could learn just that mindset, he could change, even a little. So he went to find him. But then. ¡°Huh? This guy, a grown man, is now lying down crying?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± At that moment, Kirian shot up, raising his upper body. ¡°H-Honored guest¡­¡­?¡± The boy he had just been thinking about appeared before him. ¡°Tsk tsk. How long are you going to show such a pathetic side? Get up right now.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®huh¡¯? Didn¡¯t you ask me to teach you how to fight?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Finally, Kirian, hesitantly, got to his feet. ¡°If you¡¯ve made up your mind, do it properly. I even brought someone for you to fight.¡± ¡°A-An opponent?¡± Kirian turned his head and widened his eyes. Since when? Next to the honored guest stood a handsome child, smiling awkwardly . ¡°G-Greetings? No, I mean, it¡¯s an honor to meet such a high-ranking noble?¡± ¡°Cut the crap.¡± ¡°B-But, Master. He¡¯s the son of a count. We should show some respect.¡± ¡°It¡¯s his father who¡¯s the count, not him.¡± ¡°No, but still¡­¡­¡± Kirian looked at the honored guest with eyes pleading for an exnation. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Did you think you¡¯d learn to fight directly from me?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Forget it. A fight needs to be between opponents of simr strength. If you try to gain confidence and end up losing what little you have, it¡¯s pointless.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Kirian stood there, dumbfounded. ¡°To begin with, I¡¯m not the kind of person who can hold back as they teach someone to fight.¡± The fine line between life and death. Ainslot had spent decades treading that line. As someone who was called the ¡®reaper of the battlefield,¡¯ there was no such thing as ¡®taking it easy.¡¯ ¡°From now on, kill each¡­ oh, that¡¯s not right.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Alright, from now on, fight each other.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Even Harun, the other boy, widened his eyes and looked at Ainslot, as if to say, ¡®You want me to fight him?¡¯ ¡°What are you waiting for, you brats? Do you have all day? Start fighting!¡± And with that, Ancelot, who had found himself afortable spot to sit, grabbed a bag of peanuts and continued to shout at the two of them. *** ¡®Alright, let¡¯s watch for a bit.¡¯ I deliberately set up a fight between the two. Even among humans, bone structure, muscles, and personality differ. Naturally, the martial arts that suit them also differ. You can clearly see this with just the ¡®swordsmanship¡¯ that currently dominates the continent. Speed. Weight. Grace. Strength. Change. Apart from these, there are techniques involving dispersion, explosion, pulling, bending, and rebounding, but fundamentally, swordsmanship embodies one of these five characteristics. From the first nce, I had a feeling. Harun was optimized for ¡®speed.¡¯ His slender build, nimble fingers, and long limbs made him an ideal candidate for quick swordsmanship, unmatched under the heavens. In contrast, Kirian¡¯s natural talenty elsewhere. I clearly remembered seeing him get beaten up. ¡®At the moment of impact, he instinctively leaned his body back. While doing so, he twisted his body at an angle unimaginable to an ordinary person.¡¯ Though he was just a guy curling up and desperately trying to dodge, I could tell a lot from that alone. His muscles were as flexible and soft as his timid personality. A guy like him would flourish if taught a martial art that utilizes the opponent¡¯s strength against them. ¡®I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be taking on disciples out of the blue.¡¯ But I don¡¯t think that was a bad thing. I had already experienced it once. Even if I regain my past strength, I can¡¯t do anything alone. Like a firefly in front of the sun, one person can¡¯t do anything against that colossal empire. However, if I gathered and nurturedrades one by one like this, eventually, I would gain the strength to face the empire. ¡°What are you doing? Aren¡¯t you going to fight?¡± ¡°W-Well, even if you suddenly tell us to fight¡­¡± ¡°What now? What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°B-Beating up a noble is a bit¡­¡­ And we¡¯ve just met!¡± Twitch. At that moment, I saw it. Kirian¡¯s eyebrows slightly furrowing. ¡®Look at this guy. He has some spirit, huh?¡¯ With a sinister smile on the inside, I spoke again. ¡°So, you¡¯re hesitant to fight without any emotions involved?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ yes?¡± ¡°Fine. Then I¡¯ll help you get some fighting spirit.¡± Crack. I cracked my knuckles and grinned. ¡°From now on, anyone who doesn¡¯t fight enthusiastically gets hit by me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± *** That night. Under the dark sky where even the moonlight had disappeared into the clouds, a few shadows quietly infiltrated Count Arsene¡¯s estate. ¡°You¡¯ve memorized the internal structure, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The absence of guardssts exactly 15 minutes. You must take out the target and get out within that time.¡± The assassins, facing each other in the dark, nodded. They didn¡¯t even consider the possibility of failure. They were quite renowned assassins throughout the entire Hart Kingdom. Their target wasn¡¯t the head of the household and they weren¡¯t the kind who couldn¡¯t handle a young brat in a guest room with almost no guards. But even these assassins soon faced an unexpected situation. ¡°¡­¡­Captain, doesn¡¯t something feel off?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hear any breathing.¡± It was right after they had infiltrated the room where the target was staying. They had entered through the window and encountered no one. But that wasn¡¯t the problem. Assassins are particrly sensitive to their surroundings. Breathing. Presence. Even the temperature of the air. These small elements are what allow assassins to sense danger. However. ¡°¡­¡­This room is too cold. It¡¯s like no one has stayed here for a long time.¡± As soon as those words were spoken. sh! ¡°Urgh¡­¡­!¡± The dark room suddenly lit up brightly. *** Indeed, being part of the count¡¯s household, each room had a light sphere installed. I activated it as soon as I sensed a presence. ¡°I thought I¡¯d die waiting.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I was lying sideways on a spacious table, resting my chin in my hand. The assassins, who had been squinting against the sudden flood of light, finally widened their eyes. ¡°B-But, there was absolutely no sign of any presence¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t expect me to kindly exin that, do you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The assassins¡¯ eyes twitched. ¡°Assassins who would even kill their own parents for money are the same, then and now. I¡¯m a valued guest of the count¡¯s household, yet you barged in so ruthlessly to kill a mere child.¡± ¡°Was the information leaked¡­¡­?¡± The one who seemed to be the leader muttered nkly. Then, he looked at me with murderous intent ¡°Well, well? Just look at those wicked eyes.¡± I red back at him. In my previous life, anyone who showed me such a look did not have their limbs intact afterward. ¡°¡­¡­Are you that brat called Ancelot?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t your mother teach you manners? You should introduce yourself before asking someone else¡¯s identity.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The assassin leader looked at me with a bewildered expression. ¡°They said you were insane, and it seems they were right. Looks like we found the right guy.¡± ¡°Insane¡­¡­ Heh heh heh. So, who are you guys? Though I can pretty much guess who sent you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for conversation.¡± ¡°No room for negotiations?¡± At that moment, the assassin leader¡¯s eyes, visible through his mask, formed an unpleasant curve. ¡°Really? Do you want to live?¡± ¡°Why, are you going to spare me?¡± ¡°Just pay 2 million gold. Then I¡¯ll let you live.¡± 2 million gold. An impossiblyrge amount. ¡°This assassin even has a nasty hobby.¡± ¡°Is that too much? Well, a kid like you wouldn¡¯t have that kind of money. Then just cut off one of your wrists here.¡± ¡°My wrist?¡± The assassin leader nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll deduct 100,000 gold for the wrist. 1.9 million gold.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± The leader tilted his head in confusion. Ignoring him, I chuckled softly again. How could I notugh? I never thought I¡¯d hear something like this in my life. ¡°Hahahaha. Phew, how kind of you. But that¡¯s not right. You have to take care of your men; they work hard too.¡± Slip. I picked up the sword I had hidden by my pillow, still in its sheath. ¡°Let¡¯s see. How much would all your heads be worth?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± In an instant, murderous intent filled the air. If even one of them knew about my past, they wouldn¡¯t have taken my words lightly, but unfortunately, these poor souls didn¡¯t. ¡°¡­¡­Cut off that brat¡¯s limbs first.¡± Woosh! With that, the assassins lunged at me fiercely. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 ¨C Raising a Disciple (2) The Marquis Foltaine had underestimated me greatly. ¡°If they were going to send such small fry, they should have at least sent more of them.¡± There are only five assassinsing at me. Each one was weaker than that knight named Thomas who died previously. ¡®They couldn¡¯t even pull off a sneak attack.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but scoff. Of course, in this line of work, it¡¯s all toomon for someone to be killed by someone weaker. And most of those incidents are caused by ¡®assassination.¡¯ Erasing their presence, eliminating their scent, even killing their sound. They hide their bodies in the darkness and approach their target more inplete stealth. Assassins with exceptional stealth and infiltration skills were threatening to even the highest-level swordsmen. But if their identity was exposed before the ambush¡­ Bzzzzzzt! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Just like this, the chance of achieving their goal became nonexistent. In the shadows, they can kill someone much stronger without any trouble, however, in a head-on confrontation in the light, they struggled even against someone much weaker. That¡¯s the nature of assassins. ¡°What in the world¡­¡­?¡± It was right after four consecutive sparks lit up the darkness. Soon, the astonished voice of the assassin¡¯s leader broke the silence. He must have realized from the first sh that I wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. Where are you from?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± There was no response. Nevertheless, my mouth didn¡¯t stop. ¡°Judging by your appearance, you seem to be hired assassins. If I consider the groups thate to mind, it¡¯s either White Moon, ck Lion, Illusion of One Hundred, or Shadow of a Thousand Deaths¡­¡­¡± The names I mentioned were the biggest assassin organizations on the continent in my past life. Even though 20 years have passed, only those of that caliber would have maintained any trace until now. ¡°So, which one is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Did this brat get hit in the head with a crossbow or something?¡± The leader, who had been standing there dumbfounded, finally spoke up. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the king of a country or something? Who wouldmission the Five Great Assassin Guilds just to catch one little brat?¡± ¡°What, so it¡¯s none of them?¡± ¡°You crazy bastard. Do you even know how much it costs to hire them? We¡¯re the Gray Wolves.¡± The assassin leader proudly dered his affiliation. He must have been confident of their sess in this assassination mission. When they seed in a kill, assassins deliberately spread the word. That would be the organization¡¯s reputation and draw in more clients. ¡°Gray¡­ Wolves?¡± My mouth hung open in disbelief. Not only was it a name I was hearing for the first time, but also, well¡­ ¡°Even without much thought to it, it sounds incredibly weak.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but feel disheartened. After all, these were the assassins sent by a marquis, so I had hoped for something more impressive. ¡°¡­¡­Well, what can you expect from the backwater of backwaters.¡± ¡°Are you just going to keep mumbling to yourself? What are you all doing? Attack already!¡± Swish! In an instant, the assassins charged at me again. Now that I knew they were small fry, there was no reason to drag this out any longer. And along with these thoughts, sh! I dashed towards the small fries like a bolt of lightning. *** At dawn, I summoned Ben, the man with the green mask. As expected, he was startled the moment he saw the scene inside. ¡°Th-These are all assassins?¡± ¡°Mmph! Mmph!¡± The assassins, gagged, looked at Ben with desperate eyes. I had tied those bastards up with ropes like dried fish and hung them upside down from the ceiling. ¡°Yes. They dared to target my life, so I thought I¡¯d leave them like this for the next three days.¡± ¡°S-Sir! I swear we¡¯ll never dare toe here for such disgraceful business again! Please, spare us!¡± The leader, the only one not gagged, shouted in a voice like thunder. The faces of the assassins, already at their limits, werepletely drained of color. Anyone who¡¯s experienced it knows that being hung upside down like that is incredibly difficult. ¡°Who told you to open your mouth?¡± ¡°P-Please¡­¡­!¡± Perhaps thinking I was not one to be reasoned with, the leader looked at Ben. ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s not my ce to intervene, but if you hang people upside down for three days, they¡¯ll die. Actually, they probably won¡¯tst even a day. If your intention isn¡¯t to kill them, how about letting them down for now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At those words, the assassins¡¯ faces brightened immediately. ¡°That¡¯s why I want to hire you. The Mask of Night handles odd jobs as long as you pay, right?¡± ¡°Odd jobs¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Take them down and hang them back up every ten minutes for an hour. How about it? Easy, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ben stared at me. I must have really softened. To show this much leniency to assassins who came to kill me. ¡°¡­¡­Won¡¯t they just beg to be killed instead?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll grant their wish, then.¡± Flinch. The assassins hurriedly shook their heads at my gaze. ¡°N-No! We like being hung up!¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that letting the blood flow the other way sometimes is good for health. Thank you, benefactor, thank you, for caring about the health of bugs like us!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just hang here quietly likervae. Thank you for showing grace to worthless trash like us!¡± Ben, listening, made a disgusted face. ¡°Just what did you do to make them act like this?¡± ¡°Want to know?¡± ¡°¡­¡­On second thought, I think I¡¯ll be just fine with not knowing.¡± Ben straightened his posture and looked at me seriously. ¡°But why go to such trouble? If they¡¯re assassins, just notifying the Count¡¯s family would have them handle it.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d be a pushover.¡± ¡°Pardon? A pushover?¡± I nodded. ¡°This is necessary for the negotiations toe. Besides, think about it. If assassins sent to kill someone don¡¯t report back for days, how anxious do you think their employers will get?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ben¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Handing them over to the Count¡¯s family won¡¯t get the result I want. Besides, I can¡¯t stand seeing the people around me acting like pushovers, either.¡± Regardless of the details, this world operates on a social hierarchy. Even if I hold the moral high ground, a Count can¡¯t easily confront a Marquis about this situation. Realizing that, Ben said, ¡°¡­¡­Perhaps partnering with you might be the greatest stroke of luck in my life. If we had been enemies¡­¡± He nced at the hung-up assassins and shuddered. ¡°¡­¡­I wouldn¡¯t have escaped that fate either, would I?¡± ¡°That¡¯s nothing.¡± I waved my hand with a meaningful smile. Marquis Foltaine would soon make a move. But before that, there was something I needed to take care of. ¡°So, I¡¯ll leave this to you. My disciples are waiting.¡± ¡°Your¡­¡­disciples?¡± There wasn¡¯t much time left until the knight exam. Before that, I had to thoroughly fix Kirian¡¯s mentality. *** Bam, bam, bam. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± My face slightly furrowed as I arrived at the training grounds. Soon after, a sound akin to hitting a cotton ball reached my ears. As per my instructions, Ben and Harun were fiercely fighting each other. At least, that¡¯s how it looked on the surface. Flinch! Harun¡¯s shoulders flinched for a moment It was the moment he made eye contact with me, who had arrivedte. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± Suddenly, Harun let out a scream and threw a big punch. Fwip! Kirian, startled, quickly moved his head. His face, which seemed somewhat dissatisfied, immediately became as docile as a mouse in front of a cat once he saw me. ¡°Even after all that beating, these guys still haven¡¯te to their senses¡­¡± I rolled up my sleeves and started to climb onto the training grounds. Immediately, Harun¡¯s punches became faster. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! Possessing innate ferocity, the hesitation in his punches disappeared. In terms of skill alone, Harun couldn¡¯t bepared to Kirian. Even if his mentality was rotten, a tiger cub was still a tiger cub. Kirian was born into a wealthy family, raised on good food, and received systematic education. Inparison, Harun had only recently started learning swordsmanship properly and was born an orphan. Even in a simple fistfight, the foundation doesn¡¯t change. However. Bang! Boom, pow, bam! ¡°¡­¡­What should I do with him?¡± Surprisingly, the fight was evenly matched. It was because Kirian hesitated to throw a decisive punch at crucial moments. As expected, the critical difference between the two was their mindset. Harun, who was born an orphan and had experienced all sorts of hardships, naturally had a ferocity that no one could match. Wasn¡¯t that the case even during the previous incident? He had boldly dered that even if he had to die, he would gouge out at least one eye of the ve traders. ¡°If he could learn even half¡­¡­ no, even a quarter of that ferocity, passing the knight exam would be guaranteed.¡± I had been constantly thinking of ways to awaken Kirian. Still, I could see some improvement over the day. Being a man, after taking a few punches, he got angry and asionally swung his fists. But that was all. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m left with no choice. I¡¯ll have to take drastic measures.¡± After making up my mind, I immediately turned around. I felt piercing gazes on my back, but I ignored them. ¡®You two brought this upon yourselves.¡¯ *** ¡°What¡¯s the matter today?¡± Fortunately, Count Arsen was alone, catching up on his work. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard, but I¡¯ve been teaching your child.¡± Count Arsen responded without even lifting his head. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not one-sided bullying?¡± ¡°Huh? Bullying?¡± ¡°I heard that Kirian was busy getting beaten up.¡± Count Arsen¡¯s voice carried a subtle tone of reproach as he spoke. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that was your way of educating. I simply thought you were venting your anger.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding. And, if you thought it was venting, why didn¡¯t you stop it earlier?¡± ¡°I told you. Wemitted the crime first, so how could we have the audacity to stop it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± As I had felt before, this man was definitely not normal. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say it is.¡± ¡°If things continue like this, Kirian will fail the knight exam.¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± ¡°You already know, don¡¯t you? That kid is too soft-hearted. He¡¯s not suited to be a warrior at all. Almost to the point where I¡¯d like to advise you to groom him as a civil servant, starting now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Finally, Count Arsen lifted his head to look at me. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll be honest. I feel sorry towards that child. Unless he says himself that he doesn¡¯t want to do it, I don¡¯t want to destroy the effort he¡¯s put in so far.¡± How could I not understand Count Arsen¡¯s feelings? The heart of a parent thinking of their child is all the same. ¡°You must be grateful that he¡¯s grown up so well without his mother. Judging by your expression, you seem to know that he¡¯s bullied by his siblings, but that¡¯s not the right way to educate him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What do you know to say such things so carelessly?¡± Now, even the typically kind Count Arsen¡¯s voice had a sharp edge. ¡°I know. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already realized that intervening won¡¯t solve the fundamental problem. Someday you¡¯ll get old and have to step down, and then your child will have to stand alone without any help.¡± Tremble. Count Arsen¡¯s eyes began to quiver slightly. ¡°But throwing him into the wild and telling him to grow strong without any guidance is not helpful either. Are you grateful that he grew up well without his mother? Rather, it¡¯s precisely because he didn¡¯t have a mother that the father should properly take on her role.¡± This wasn¡¯t just a message for Count Arsene. It was regret and self-reproach directed at myself. ¡°¡­¡­Phew, that¡¯s unexpected. One would think you¡¯ve raised a few children yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen many of my peers go astray due to simr situations.¡± I quickly added an afterword. ¡°Anyway, if you permit, I¡¯ll help with the education that the father is failing to provide.¡± ¡°¡­¡­This is absurd. You¡¯reing for permission, now?¡± Count Arsene looked at me with a genuinely baffled expression. ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility for educating all three of your children.¡± ¡°Even Jan and Hersen?¡± ¡°Yes, Kirian will need the help of his siblings to pass. Moreover, if you leave it to me, I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t interfere with my educational methods.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A strange look was still being directed in my direction, but I continued calmly. ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re worried too, aren¡¯t you? If a descendant of the Arsene family fails the knight exam, it will negatively affect the family¡¯s reputation.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the family¡¯s reputation. I¡¯m just worried about that child being frustrated and despairing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± This time, I looked directly into his eyes. Count Arsene. He wasn¡¯t apletely negligent father, after all. ¡°¡­¡­Phew. I don¡¯t know if this is right.¡± Count Arsene scratched his head vigorously. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re so confident, should I be the one asking for a favor?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Will you help me? Will you ensure my child passes the exam?¡± A grin spread across my face. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re asking so earnestly.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡­¡± Count Arsen shook his head as if he had given uppletely. ¡°Oh, by the way!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The Arsen efamily is known for its clear rewards and punishments, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± A suspicious look appeared on Count Arsen¡¯s face, as if asking, ¡°What are you up to now?¡± The smile on my lips deepened. Because his suspicion was spot on. I soon made a circle with my thumb and index finger. ¡°I¡¯m quite the effective tutor, but I can¡¯t do it for free.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Didn¡¯t I give you a sword? Do you even know how much that costs?¡± ¡°Come on, you know the difference. That waspensation for the mental anguish I suffered, and this is payment for my work. Completely different matters.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Arsen stared at me for a long time before finally smiling back. ¡°Just take it all, you damn thief.¡± Chapter 19 Chapter 19 ¨C Raising a Disciple (3) I left the mansion holding a heavy leather pouch in my hand. ¡°Hehehe.¡± What filled the pouch was none other than ¡®gold coins.¡¯ I was just about to embark on a long journey and needed arge sum of money. This ¡®education fee¡¯ was just what I needed in the current situation. ¡°Since I got the money, I should do the job properly.¡± When I arrived at the training ground, the two fools¡­¡­ no, my precious students were diligently continuing their training. Could those guys have sensed my presence? Flinch. Soon enough, the two of them stopped moving and turned their gaze towards me. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t mind me. Just keep training. I¡¯m just here to watch, just here to watch.¡± For now, that is. ¡°You bastard¡­¡­?¡± One of the brothers, who had instinctively taken a step back, became aware of his actions and reacted aggressively. ¡°So, you¡¯ve finallye out of your hole, you disgusting son of a bitch!¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­ son of a bitch?¡± ¡°I might have been caught off guard back then, but today will be different.¡± Like a thug from the back alleys, he spat on his palm and gripped his wooden sword firmly. At that sight, I nodded quietly. ¡°Yes, kids need to learn through getting hit.¡± With a bright smile, I then jumped onto the training ground. Good, very good. ¡®Such eager students.¡¯ As their teacher, how could I not be pleased? *** The training session wasn¡¯t very long. ¡°W-We¡¯re sorry!¡± ¡°We were wrong! Please forgive us just this once! We won¡¯t mess around again.¡± Had it only been about 10 minutes? Before I knew it, Jan and Hersen, with their eyes swollen, were kneeling in front of me with their hands in the air. ¡°We promise to stay out of your sight while you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°We love you, respect you, and will serve you diligently.¡± ¡°Th-Then, we have etiquette training now, so if you¡¯ll excuse us¡­¡­.¡± ¡°May you stay healthy, and may your future be filled with endless glory.¡± Before they could finish their sycophantic groveling, I shook my fist. ¡°Sit.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The brothers, who had been about to stand, dropped to their knees again. ¡°You guys bullied Kirian again today, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°W-We didn¡¯t! We were just trying to help our brother prepare for the uing exam¡­¡± ¡°Oh, really? Then until the exam, I should help you with your training, too. I happen to have the time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± As if on cue, the brothers fell silent. ¡°Of course, in the same way you helped Kirian. No objections, right?¡± At those words, the older brother snapped his head up. ¡°D-Don¡¯t do anything you¡¯ll regret any further!¡± ¡°Regret?¡± ¡°Assaulting the heir of the household like this. My father won¡¯t stand for it!¡± ¡°But I got your father¡¯s permission beforeing here?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Jan, who had been speaking, widened his eyes in disbelief. ¡°R-Really?¡± ¡°Watch your tone.¡± ¡°Really, sir?¡± ¡°Yes, really.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± They went silent once more. With a light sigh, I got to the main point. ¡°Enough. Let¡¯s have an honest talk.¡± ¡°¡­¡­A talk¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious. It¡¯s not like there are any siblings in the house, just the three of you. Why are you so eager to pick on Kirian?¡± I had a rough idea, but I wanted to hear it directly from them. ¡°Do you just enjoy bullying someone weaker than you, like other kids your age?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At my repeated question, the brothers looked at each other silently. ¡°Look at you, gauging each other¡¯s reactions.¡± ¡°B-Because it¡¯s be a habit!¡± ¡°A habit?¡± Realizing his slip, the younger brother quickly shut his mouth. Then the older brother spoke up again. ¡°I-It¡¯s not that we hate Kirian and want to bully him.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re admitting you bullied him? Continue. And exin it so I can understand.¡± ¡°Honestly, Kirian¡¯s mother was very kind to us while she was alive. Why would we hate Kirian?¡± Catching on, the younger brother added. ¡°L-Lady Rosabelle even took care of our snacks after training.¡± ¡°She encouraged us during the hellish exam periods.¡± ¡°Honestly, she was more like a mother to us than our real mother.¡± The more I listened, the more absurd it seemed. ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re a bunch of ungrateful brats? She took care of you like her own, and this is how you repay her¡­¡­¡± ¡°O-Our mother told us we had to¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Your mother? Not Kirian¡¯s mother, but yours?¡± ¡°Y-Yes.¡± ¡°Why did she say that?¡± ¡°Sh-She said not to believe only what we see. That it was all political strategy. That to keep our position, we had to be tougher, and that Kirian¡¯s mother¡¯s actions were meant to take our ce¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I understood the situation immediately. ¡®Parents are the problem, as always.¡¯ Of course, I didn¡¯t show my thoughts outwardly. I cracked my knuckles lightly. ¡°These bastards are hopeless, huh? You¡¯d sell your own mother out of fear of a fist in front of you. You¡¯re the kind who¡¯d sell out their country, too, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s not that, it¡¯s just, that¡¯s the truth¡­¡± ¡°Horse stance.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Did you not hear me? You want to die?¡± At my threat, the brothers quickly stood up. ¡°Hands straight out. Legs shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees to ny degrees. What, you¡¯re not bending it further?¡± ¡°W-We¡¯ll correct it!¡± I looked up at the sky for a moment. The sun was still high. ¡°Good. Stay like that until evening.¡± ¡°H-Half a day¡­¡­?¡± The brothers¡¯ eyes widened in shock. ¡°Why, do you want to stay until midnight?¡± ¡°Gasp! No, sir!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be cking off by the time Ie back. I¡¯ll really¡­¡­¡± After ring at the shrinking brothers, I turned around. I had grasped the whole situation. Naturally, I had also analyzed ¡®Kirian¡¯ as a person. He said he wanted to learn to fight, but what he really needed to learn wasn¡¯t fighting. ¡®The problem isn¡¯t his skill or talent, it¡¯s his mindset and environment.¡¯ First, his mindset was shaped by the fear rooted deeply within him. All he needed was to take the first step, but he hesitated to do so. So, I thought about it from his perspective. If I were in Kirian¡¯s shoes? My father would be Count Arsene. As we¡¯ve already seen, he¡¯s a typical high-ranking noble. He must have been too busy with external affairs to pay attention to the household. Normally, the mother should take on that role, but the problem is, the boy doesn¡¯t have a biological mother. The boy was only seven years old when he lost his biological mother. Moreover, a concubine lived under the same roof, and this concubine became the headdy of the house, with two children with her. In such a situation, even the retainers would have to be cautious. When the tiger was away from the mountains, the fox became the king. The concubine seized power, and she would have been desperate to make her own child the next head of the house. ¡®In other words, Kirian wasn¡¯t inherently weak; his personality was shaped by his environment.¡¯ He probably started to watch his every move as he grew in age. He might have been frequently summoned by the sly fox and subjected to psychological harassment, and told not to harm his half-brothers. Therefore, to change his mindset, we need to alter the environment that drove him into such a state. And the task I can do to help is simple. ¡®First, I need to remove the fox from sight.¡¯ The answer was clear from the beginning. It¡¯s not a difficult task. Fortunately, I have the perfect weapon in my hand. *** ¡°What did you say?!¡± Isabelle¡¯s sharp voice rang out loudly in the enclosed space. ¡°A-Are you telling me the assassins failed? Is that seriously what you¡¯re saying¡­¡­?!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not sure if they failed or ran away. The deadline wasst night, but since that boy is still going in and out of the head¡¯s chambers, we can only assume they failed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same thing!¡± Isabelle couldn¡¯t calm herself down. ¡°What if this reaches his ears? Do you think I¡¯m the only one who¡¯ll be in trouble? Do you think the Marquis, who dared to dispatch assassins to another family, will be able tough it off?¡± ¡°They are not the kind to gossip, so you needn¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°How could you handle this so poorly? Is this just my problem? Wasn¡¯t this our shared issue?!¡± For a moment, the other person¡¯s expression turned strange. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s the headdy who¡¯s most troubled.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Let me tell you a crucial fact. In the worst-case scenario, the marquis has already made up his mind to abandon young master Vigri.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Only then did Isabelle open her eyes wide. ¡°The family¡¯s honor might take a hit, but he¡¯s a child who¡¯s already left the household. Moreover, he¡¯s a bastard that¡¯s been removed from the family registry long ago. If we feign ignorance, even Count Arsene won¡¯t be able to use us recklessly. Not unless he¡¯s willing to go to war with the Foltaine Marquisate.¡± ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re trying to hide the sky with your palm. Do you think that¡¯ll prevent the Marquis¡¯ reputation from falling? Rather, people will condemn him as a heartless father who immediately cuts off his child for causing trouble.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all there is to it. Moreover, no one can legally charge him with crimes like privately trading the king¡¯s property. Legally, they¡¯re no longer father and son.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Isabelle¡¯s mouth shut tightly. As much as she hated to admit it, everything he said was true. If the Marquisate turned a blind eye, Isabelle would be left to face the consequences alone. ¡°After all I¡¯ve done for you, how could you do this to me¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Goodness, that¡¯s why we¡¯re trying to resolve this amicably, aren¡¯t we?¡± The other person straightened his posture, seemingly trying to lighten the atmosphere. ¡°The headdy only needs to take care of one thing. Then, the situation will definitely change.¡± A transparent vial was pushed towards Isabelle. ¡°As you might guess, it¡¯s poison.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Are you telling me to poison that boy?¡± ¡°Honestly, we can only rely on you now. The kitchen of a noble house is strictly controlled, isn¡¯t it?¡± Isabelle, who had been staring at the vial for a long time, shook her head. ¡°¡­¡­No. I can¡¯t do this. The moment I leave this room, Hans will be watching me. You saw it too, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t do this, the marquisate can no longer help you. Naturally, after the knight¡¯s exam, you¡¯ll spend a long time in prison. You know how Count Arsene is a stickler for principles.¡± Grit. Isabelle gritted her teeth, ring at the person who threw her own words back at her. ¡°Again, the one most troubled by this situation is you, headdy.¡± After the stick, came the carrot. The man, who was ostensibly a servant of Count Arsene, spoke with a hint of gentleness. ¡°Please make a wise decision, headdy. Does the Marquis really desire the worst-case scenario? Nobles value honor and face more than life itself. Especially a marquisate that leads so many retainers. It¡¯s best to resolve this cleanly if possible.¡± ¡°¡­¡­If I poison that boy, are you sure the situation will turn around?¡± A smile crept onto the man¡¯s lips. ¡°If there are no witnesses or evidence, the marquis¡¯ power alone can cover up the entire incident. Count Arsene isn¡¯t foolish enough to risk everything on a fight he can¡¯t win, is he?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Isabelle pondered for a long time, then eventually nodded. There were no other options anyway. ¡°¡­¡­Fine. I¡¯ll do it somehow. Whether I bribe the head chef or sneak into the kitchen, as long as I give this to the boy, you¡¯ll take care of the rest, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± A faint murderous glint flickered in Isabelle¡¯s eyes. The decision was made; there was no time to waste. ¡°Give me detailed information about the poison. I need it to n ordingly. *** Isabelle¡¯s steps were unhesitating. ¡°Beating up my children and leisurely contemting in the middle of the garden?¡± Her rising anger did not easily subside. The new piece of news she received was like pouring oil on a burning house. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Just then, in Isabelle¡¯s furious sight appeared a face she wouldn¡¯t mind ripping to shreds. She made an effort to calm her anger. Click. Isabelle stopped right in front of the person, a radiant smile like a single rose blooming on her lips. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± He was a boy much younger than her own son. Nheless, Isabelle did not hesitate to bow first. ¡°My name is Isabelle.¡± ¡°You must be the headdy of the Count¡¯s family. It¡¯s an honor to meet you. My name is Ancelot.¡± ¡°I should have visited you sooner, but Icked the courage and thus camete. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience my actions may have caused.¡± At this moment, Isabelle was the very embodiment of a nobledy. Every movement, every word, exuded elegance. No one would suspect that she harbored ulterior motives. ¡°May we have a conversation for a moment?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason we can¡¯t.¡± As Isabelle sat down opposite him, a maid approached, holding a tray as if she had been waiting for this moment. ¡°I-I¡¯ve brought tea.¡± ¡°Set it down there.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, headdy.¡± Tremble. The maid, who was shaking more than usual today, set the tray on the table. Clunk! ¡°Oh!¡± At that moment, there was a rather loud noise. But the maid jumped in ce as if struck by lightning. ¡°¡­¡­Emile, what are you doing, putting on such a clumsy disy in front of our guest?¡± ¡°I-I apologize!¡± ¡°Leave. I¡¯ll pour the tea for our guest myself.¡± ¡°I-I apologize!¡± The maid nced at Ancelot and quickly retreated. Trickle. Isabelle, who briefly looked after the retreating maid, calmly poured the tea. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it will suit your taste.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not much of a tea enthusiast, but it has a lovely aroma.¡± Isabelle, thoroughly hiding her true intentions, maintained a faint smile. ¡®He¡¯s just a mere boy younger than my son.¡¯ Even if he found the previous scene suspicious, it didn¡¯t matter. ¡®At most, he might ask me to drink first to test it.¡¯ That wouldn¡¯t be a problem either. The poison Isabelle had received was harmless if simply ingested. It only became toxic under specific conditions, making it a rather peculiar substance. He had said it was a rare item that only grew in the harsh northern regions of the vast empire. It was called something along the lines of¡­¡­ ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this the White me Burst Poison?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Isabelle¡¯s eyes widened in shock. For a moment, she thought she was hearing things. But seeing the kid¡¯s actions, she realized it wasn¡¯t a mistake. ¡°H-H-How did you¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± The next actions of the boy, who had been intently looking at the tea, was truly astonishing. ¡°What?¡± Gulp. The contents of the teacup disappeared down his throat without a trace. ¡°What a nostalgic taste.¡± Chapter 20 Chapter 20 ¨C Territorial War (1) To reiterate, in my previous life, I was resistant to all kinds of poisons. Even though most were filtered out by my subordinates, peculiar poisons such as this one asionally found their way into my mouth. Moreover, the one who first concocted this White me Burst Poison was¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Raven.¡± One of my five closest subordinates, so there was no way I wouldn¡¯t recognize it. ¡®If Raven had been a traitor, I would have faced countless crises long ago.¡¯ No matter how strong my resistance to poison was, Raven was a true master in that field. If someone was to be called a Poison Master, none would deserve the title more than him. ¡°P-Poison? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I silently stared into Lady Isabelle¡¯s eyes. As they say, a guilty conscience needs no user. Unable to withstand the silence, Grab! She abruptly snatched the teacup from my hand. ¡°It¡¯s quite unpleasant! No matter how grave my mistake, I am not so shameless as to poison a guest!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem to believe me. Let me prove it then.¡± Without hesitation, Isabelle gulped down the contents of the teacup. However. ¡°Here, have this to cleanse your pte.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± I quickly turned my head to the side. Soon, the tea she spat out covered me like a fountain. In my hand was still a cookie meant for the tea. ¡°White me Burst Poison. When ites into contact with white salt refined in a special way, it melts all the internal organs¡ª a deadly poison.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°This cookie must also be made with salt instead of sugar, right?¡± Lady Isabelle couldn¡¯t respond. That¡¯s probably why the maid named Emile was so excessively fidgety earlier. ¡®Still, she has quite the personality.¡¯ People naturally have an aversion to poison. Even if it¡¯s temporarily harmless to the body, she inhaled the White me Burst Poison without any hesitation. ¡°Are you in a hurry?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°The marquis¡¯ knight you trusted was killed, the assassins you secretly sent failed, and now even thest-ditch attempt to poison me has failed. So, what else do you have to show me?¡± Tremble. The shaking in Isabelle¡¯s body grew stronger over time. And then, all of a sudden. ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡± Crash! Atst, at a sweep of her hands, the table overturned and tumbled to its side. ¡°I-Is there a problem, Lady Isabelle?¡± Hearing themotion, the count¡¯s knights quickly grasped the situation and surrounded us. They intended to separate us. Not only that, they even threw murderous nces my way. ¡°After causing trouble, you¡¯re the one raising a fuss?¡± The knights were the first to react to my sarcasm. ¡°You! What have you done to thedy?¡± ¡°However, it doesn¡¯t seem like a wise decision.¡± Before Isabelle could say anything, I pointed to the teacup with my finger. ¡°Now that thedy has a surveint attached¡­¡­ if you escte this, a formal investigation will begin. Are you sure about this?¡± The evidence was clear as day. Tremble. Isabelle, whose eyes were twitching, quickly raised her hand. ¡°Everyone¡­¡­ stand down.¡± ¡°But, mydy.¡± ¡°I said, ¡®stand down!¡¯ Do you take me as a joke?¡± Thedy shouted, losing even her usual grace. ¡°Y-Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Only then did the knights hastily withdraw. Of course, they did notpletely disappear from sight for the sake of security. ¡°Now, you¡¯re ready to have a proper conversation.¡± ¡°Huff, huff, huff.¡± Thedy continued to take deep breaths. Surprisingly, she quickly regained herposure. ¡°You. What do you want from me?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Stop the pretense! You must want something from me to stay quiet this long. I know very well you¡¯re no ordinary child, so tell me what you want!¡± ¡°Oho?¡± A sigh of admiration slipped from my lips. Indeed, she was thedy of a count¡¯s house. ¡®Your way of dealing with things is impressive.¡¯ The water had already spilled. Now she had nothing left but to fall. But even in this situation, she was trying to leave room for negotiation. It might sound like she¡¯s given up, but this was another form of enticement. Her words could be interpreted as, ¡®If you want something, say it. Instead, let¡¯s set a new negotiation table.¡¯ And this was exactly the reaction I wanted. ¡°Very well. Now we can have a proper conversation.¡± A twisted smile formed on my lips. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the circumstances of the Arsene Count¡¯s house. What fault do the children have? I may not be able to help with their life-defining exams, but I shouldn¡¯t cause any harm either.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Enough with the preambles. Tell me what you want.¡± I nodded at her subdued voice. ¡°Then let¡¯s get straight to the point. If you grant me this one favor, I will forget all the mistakes you have made so far.¡± Pause. At that moment, Isabelle¡¯s every action came to a halt. ¡°Wh-What did you just say?¡± ¡°Nothing more, nothing less. Just one favor. If you do this one thing for me, I promise not to testify about any of your crimes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The endless trembling of her eyes gradually subsided. Isabelle¡¯s snake-like eyes busily moved to ascertain the truth of my words. Then, she also realized that I was sincere. ¡°¡­¡­Oh my.¡± She instantly transformed into apletely different person. The venomous viiness was no longer there. Only a dignified noblewoman, like a single rose in full bloom, stood before me. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were such a courteous person. I can¡¯t bear to think of how big of a mistake I almost made¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha. A dog only sees its shit, but a butterfly sees flowers.¡± ¡°Thank you for opening my foolish eyes, honored guest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to have been of help.¡± ¡°It might not be much of a reward, but please, tell me anything, honored guest. I will listen attentively.¡± ¡°As time passes, it seems we understand each other better, which makes me very happy, Lady Dogshit.¡± ¡°Oh my. Isn¡¯t it Lady Butterfly, now?¡± ¡°Ah, right. My apologies, hahaha!¡± ¡°It happens. Hohoho!¡± Weughed together for a long time. Of course, the emotions in our eyes as we looked at each other were entirely different. *** At the terrace of Count Arsen¡¯s mansion. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jake, a servant of the mansion, was silently observing themotion in the garden. When thedy finally ruined the tea time with her own hands, he left the building without looking back. He quietly moved to a secluded area through the back door and immediately took out amunication crystal ball. ¡°It seems thedy has failed.¡± -¡­¡­ There was no response. In a situation where anyone could walk in at any moment, a brief silence followed. Unable to withstand the pressure, Jake spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I should have paid more attention¡­¡­¡± -¡­¡­From this moment on, sever all ties with the Arsene County. Prioritize this above all other missions. ¡°¡­¡­Understood!¡± -Additionally¡­¡­ A shocking order came next. -Eliminate Isabelle. ¡°Gasp!¡± Jake drew a sharp breath involuntarily. -This is yourst chance. If you fail to kill her, don¡¯t think about returning alive. Thunk! Before he could reply, themunication crystal ball dimmed. ¡°K-Kill thedy¡­¡­?¡± This was no ordinary matter. Up until now, it had only been a prelude, but from now on, it felt like a full-scale war. Of course, from the Marquis¡¯ point of view, it was an extremely efficient decision. If you can¡¯t eliminate the witness, eliminate the culprit! As the culprit, Isabelle¡¯s confession held significance. Pressuring thedy through a thorough investigation would eventually force her to confess her crimes. That must be Count Arsene¡¯s current n. A mere testimony from amoner child who almost got sold into very would hardly threaten the Marquis. ¡®Since the mistress of his familymitted a crime, Count Arsene would surely face criticism, but he, who values principles, wouldn¡¯t care much.¡¯ This was certain. Count Arsene would gain two significant advantages from this decision. In the short term, justification. In the long term, trust. In a situation where even the family¡¯s honor was at stake, it would be hard for anyone to think there was any special motive behind his actions. While it might negatively impact Count Arsen¡¯s reputation in the short term, people¡¯s perceptions would soon change. People are always quick to criticize others¡¯ mistakes regardless of the truth, yet they exhibit extreme selfishness when ites to their own matters. In the future, whenever someone faces injustice or needs a fair investigation, they will surely seek out the name ¡®Arsene.¡¯ Thus, he¡¯d be able to get both justification and trust. ¡®However, if thedy is murdered at this point, the situation will be overturned.¡¯ Jake¡¯s back was drenched with cold sweat. He had to kill thedy right in the middle of the Count¡¯s mansion. Could he do it? No, he had to do it. ¡®For the sake of my lord¡­¡­!¡¯ *** Meanwhile, the hostile atmosphere between the two families had finally reached the royal pce. Even the knight examination, the biggest event of the year, was postponed due to these ominous rumors. In the pce of the second prince of the Hart Kingdom. ¡°Your Highness, some rather concerning information has been obtained through the Shadow Unit.¡± At these words, the second prince, Terry Kuhn Hart, tilted his head. ¡°Concerning information?¡± ¡°It appears that a dispute has arisen between the Marquis Foltaine and the Count Arsene.¡± ¡°A dispute, you say¡­¡­¡± Prince Terry, muttering absently, kept tilting his head. The Shadow Unit was an intelligence organization directly operated by the royal family of Hart. This was nothing unusual. Royalty had been running such private intelligence organizations since ancient times. They couldn¡¯t oversee the entire kingdom by staying cooped up in the pce. Rebellion does not happen suddenly. It takes considerable time for the seeds of treachery to sprout and grow. Before a certain force grows beyond control, it must be checked and suppressed. That is the only way for a particr bloodline to dominate the royal family for a long time. Currently, there are two princes and two princesses in the Hart Kingdom. The king had assigned roles to each of them. The heir apparent to the throne had been firmly established as the eldest son from the beginning. This was because in the Hart Kingdom, where the power of the noble faction was strong, internal strife among siblings would lead to self-destruction. Instead, he had directed the second prince to lead thergest royal intelligence organization, the Shadow Unit, to bolster royal authority. However. ¡®I have not given up on the throne yet.¡¯ A parent¡¯s heart can never be the same as a child¡¯s heart. The second prince wanted to prove his abilities and overturn the decision of making his elder brother the heir. Even if it would ultimately be seen as unfilial! ¡®Since I have a dream.¡¯ Shaking off his thoughts, Prince Terry immediately questioned back. ¡°Tell me the exact details.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been confirmed yet, but there are many witnesses who saw members of the Foltaine family being taken to the Arsene family. Additionally, there¡¯s talk that a knight from the Foltaine family was killed in the process.¡± ¡°What?¡± Prince Terry, unable to hold back any longer, stood up. Isn¡¯t this situation far more serious than he thought? ¡°You can¡¯t call that a simple dispute, can you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes. If the rumors are true, it¡¯s not an ordinary issue. Even if the person is guilty, Marquis Foltaine would never admit it. If that happens¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­It would be war.¡± Prince Terry muttered as if groaning. There was only one kind of war between two families. A territorial battle. A cliff-edge showdown where both families stake everything. No, a literal ¡®war.¡¯ The losing side would lose everything. However, a territorial war required prior approval from the royal family. Nobles were also subjects of the kingdom. In other words, they were the king¡¯s property. Moreover, territorial wars could be exploited by local powerful families to expand their influence, so they were strictly forbidden by nationalw without prior approval. ¡°Count Arsene is not one to arbitrarily arrest an innocent person.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Prince Terry stroked his chin and fell into thought. Marquis Foltaine was a representative of the noble faction. In contrast, Count Arsene, who held the significant position of Deputy Minister of Security, was one of the core members of the royalist faction. ¡®If I rashly support Count Arsene, it could give the noble faction a justification for rebellion.¡¯ Prince Terry¡¯s concerns deepened. However, he couldn¡¯t just stand by, as if Count Arsene were to be counterattacked and fall, it would be a severe blow to the royalist faction¡¯s power. Moreover, if that happened, the second prince, who was in charge of the intelligence organization, wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid responsibility either. ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s monitor the situation a bit longer. But instruct the Shadows to focus all their resources on these two families. It¡¯s an emergency.¡± ¡°Will Count Arsene hold out?¡± Prince Terry nodded without hesitation. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t immediately engage in a territorial war. They would either try to negotiate or build a case first.¡± No matter how much power Marquis Foltaine held, now that the news had reached the royal pce, they wouldn¡¯t act rashly. Prince Terry¡¯s voice, having regained hisposure, even carried confidence. However, that confidence didn¡¯tst long. ¡°Y-Your Highness!¡± A new report came from another shadow kneeling outside the open door. ¡°Just now, an application for a territorial war between Marquis Foltaine and Count Arsene has been submitted!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Prince Terry¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°A-Already¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I-I saw it with my own eyes.¡± Prince Terry¡¯s face changed instantly. ¡°Let¡¯s go! If that¡¯s true, I need to see Father immediately.¡± ¡°But, Your Highness, wouldn¡¯t it be better to gather more information first before seeking an audience¡­¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Terry shook his head without a moment¡¯s hesitation. He had already been blindsided once by dithering. If he hesitated any longer and something happened, the situation would be irreversible. ¡°The situation is crystal clear. Marquis Foltaine, unable to withstand the pressure, must have acted. Rather than being branded a criminal, he would rather preemptively im to have been framed by Count Arsene!¡± Having regained hisposure, Second Prince Terry quickly made his decision. The problem was that the informant¡¯s report wasn¡¯t finished yet. ¡°A-Actually, Your Highness, the application wasn¡¯t submitted by Marquis Foltaine, but by Count Arsene.¡± Flinch. Terry froze instantly. His close aide also stared at the informant in shock. Slowly, Very slowly, the second prince¡¯s neck turned toward the shadow. Creak. It sounded like the rusty hinge of an old door that wasn¡¯t properly oiled. ¡°What?¡± The prince¡¯s jaw dropped to the floor. This happened just a few days after the attempted poisoning by Lady Isabelle. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 ¨C Territorial War (2) ¡°Now, tell me what your request is, honored guest.¡± At Isabelle¡¯s beautiful voice, I exhaled lightly. ¡°I would like you to voluntarily imprison yourself in the underground dungeon. Of course, you can keep it a secret from your children. No, I insist that you do.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It took only a few seconds for the subtle malice in her eyes to turn into a murderous re. ¡°You little bastard¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Hear me out. Given that even the poisoning has failed, what do you think the Marquis of Foltaine will do next?¡± Isabelle scoffed coldly. ¡°They¡¯ll keep sending people to tear you apart. People far more specialized in killing than I am!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ Do you really think so?¡± ¡°What, are you scared now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not particrly afraid, but I do agree with what you just said.¡± Isabelle¡¯s sneer deepened. ¡°However, if anyone should be afraid, it should be you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If the Marquis¡¯ family doesn¡¯t give up, the assassination targets will include not just me, but you as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Finally, Isabelle¡¯s eyes widened. In fact, this was only natural. It was the same in warfare. When sending spies to enemy countries, they are always given poison to carry in their mouths. In the worst-case scenario, they can have themmit suicide. If their identity is discovered, it would cause countless problems. And this ce was already a battlefield. A war between two ¡®families,¡¯ rather than ¡®nations.¡¯ And since thedy wouldn¡¯tmit suicide, the Marquis would certainly try to kill her. ¡°After all, as an aplice, your confession would be much more effective than my testimony. That¡¯s why Count Arsene is putting so much effort into the investigation.¡± ¡°Enough with your nonsense! That would be no different than all of us dying together. I¡¯m still a member of the Count¡¯s family!¡± ¡°Is Count Arsene the type of person to care about that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Isabelle quickly mped her mouth shut. ¡°Though I haven¡¯t known him for long, he struck me as someone who values principles above all, even at the expense of the family. That¡¯s how I see Count Arsene¡­¡± Grit. Soon, I could hear the grinding of her teeth. ¡°Unless the Marquis has gone mad¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Of course, the Marquis might choose a different approach. I¡¯m merely suggesting we prepare for the ¡®what if.¡¯¡± ¡°What if?¡± ¡°Ironically, the prison where criminals are held is the safest ce in the estate. There¡¯s a constant surveince system operating day and night, and if you are imprisoned, the security will be much tighter than usual.¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me to walk into that filthy ce just for precautions?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t a filthy ce better than hell? There¡¯s a saying that even rolling in a dung heap is better than the afterlife, isn¡¯t there, Lady Dogshit?¡± ¡°H-Hell? Are you saying I¡¯m going to hell?¡± I deliberately widened my eyes. ¡°Did you expect to go to heaven after trying to poison an innocent child?¡± ¡°Y-You little¡­¡­! Do you even hear yourself¡­¡­?!¡± Isabelle, who was about to explode, took a deep breath. She must have realized that getting agitated here would only work against her. ¡°¡­¡­¡± I calmly waited for her to regainposure before continuing. ¡°One more thing. There is another reason why you must follow my suggestion.¡± ¡°Huff, huff, huff.¡± ¡°As long as the Marquis of Foltaine remains, attempts on your life will continue. In other words, you can say farewell to your peaceful nights¡ª forever.¡± Shudder. Just imagining it made Isabelle tremble. ¡°But what if the Marquis of Foltaine copses?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± As if it were a lie, Isabelle stopped breathing. ¡°¡­¡­What you just said¡­¡­Do you really believe we can defeat the Marquis of Foltaine?¡± Eventually, a smile spread across my lips as well. ¡°If you help me, there¡¯s no reason we can¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the essence of what I¡¯m suggesting. You redeem yourself by making contributions, and I keep my promise. So, what do you say?¡± I quietly extended my hand. ¡°Deal?¡± *** As soon as the conversation with the Duchess ended, I sought out the head of the family. ¡°D-Dere war on the Marquis of Poltaine?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s¡­¡­!¡± Before Count Arsene could say anything, I pointed to a corner. There, the assassins who had infiltrated to kill mest night were lined up and ring at us, bound tightly. ¡°First, let me correct you. They were the ones who dered war first. They dared to send assassins to another family.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°This is no longer something that can be handled within the legal framework. If we just leave it to the nationalw after capturing these assassins alive, how much of a joke do you think other nobles will see the Arsene family as?¡± It would be different if we had killed them all. But since they¡¯re alive, they serve as clear proof. No matter how strict the criteria for territorial war authorization are, even a peace-loving priest king would sign it, saying, ¡®those damned demon-like bastards!¡¯ So, I must persuade Count Arsene at this opportunity. To wage a territorial war, the head of the family¡¯s approval is essential. ¡°Didn¡¯t Vigri de Foltaine already confess everything? If we keep hesitating in the face of greater power, the reputation and trust of the Count¡¯s family will fall to the bottom.¡± ¡°Even so¡­¡­ deciding on a territorial war is not something to be done lightly.¡± ¡°What is the reason?¡± ¡°If we lose, it won¡¯t just be reputation or trust; we¡¯ll lose everything.¡± Count Arsene¡¯s face turned faintly red as he spoke. ¡°I am the head responsible for hundreds and thousands of people. Shamefully, we do not have the strength to objectively defeat the Marquis of Foltaine. It¡¯s much better to conduct a thorough investigation and receive support from the royal family.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± No. There are limits to restraining them with public authority alone. Knowing this, I quietly looked at Count Arsene. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± He avoided my gaze, perhaps feeling ashamed of his inability to act against injustice due to hisck of ability. Soon, I smiled and held up three fingers. ¡°Still, there are three reasons why you must push for a territorial war, Count.¡± ¡°Three reasons¡­¡­?¡± I nodded. ¡°No matter how the process goes, isn¡¯t it clear that if we win, it would be an excellent situation? If we lose, we lose everything, but if we win, we¡¯ll gain everything from the Marquis family.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°That is the first reason.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There is a surefire strategy here. Ways to lead the Arsene family to victory.¡± As I spoke, I pointed to my head with my fingers. ¡°¡­¡­I didn¡¯t want to say anything out of gratitude, but you seem tock a bit of sense of reality.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you some things, for reference. Our family¡¯s regr knights order has five divisions, each with a hundred men. The territorial army numbers less than thirty thousand. Inparison, the Marquis of Foltaine has more than double that number. Even ignoring quality, purely in terms of numbers, we are at a clear disadvantage.¡± ¡°Seems doable.¡± I replied without a second¡¯s hesitation. Just twice the numbers? I was actually surprised the difference wasn¡¯t greater. ¡®Does that mean they rank among the top even among the counts?¡¯ Twice the numbers? In my past life, I held off an eighty-thousand-strong army with just a thousand troops. This is nothing. ¡°I¡¯ll present a detailed n by the end of the day. Judge it when you see it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What on earth¡­¡­¡± Before Count Arsene could say anything, I held up my second finger. ¡°The second reason. I¡¯ll say it again, but, from now on, it¡¯s a race against time.¡± ¡°A race against time?¡± ¡°The longer we dy and let the reputation of the Count¡¯s family fall, the less chance we have of winning.¡± ¡°What on earth are you talking about?¡± ¡°While direct involvement of other families in a territorial war is not permitted, there¡¯s no stopping them from providing logistical support. Even the royal family can¡¯t monitor every back-alley deal.¡± ¡°¡­¡­So, you¡¯re saying other nobles will help the Marquis family?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The situation is already favorable for the Marquis family. There¡¯s a reason nobles value honor and face. Hyenas band together around the strong more than their own kin. If you look weak, they¡¯ll devour you in an instant. That¡¯s the brutal survival-of-the-fittest world of the nobility. ¡°Then that¡¯s more of a reason to avoid a territorial war¡­¡­!¡± ¡°This opportunity won¡¯te again.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± ¡°This territorial war. If we ovee all these adversities and take down the Marquis of Foltaine on our own, the Arsene family will instantly rise to ¡®Marquis¡¯ status.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I saw it. In that moment, the clear desire in Count Arsene¡¯s eyes. ¡°I mentioned this before, didn¡¯t I? That I have a way to elevate the Arsene family to Marquis status?¡± Count Arsene¡¯s eyes began to twitch. ¡°Could it be¡­¡­ you¡¯re saying all of this was part of your n?¡± ¡°To some extent.¡± I¡¯m not a god. I guessed that nobles would react this way based on their characteristics, but I didn¡¯t expect such a swift and drastic move. In the empire where I lived in my past life, this would be unthinkable. There, even the most ill-tempered emperor kept a close watch, making it difficult to act so openly. ¡®This probably means the royal authority in the Kingdom of Hart is weak. The established powers must be rotten to the core.¡¯ Of course, from my perspective of needing to build power, it¡¯s an ideal environment. ¡°For now, I¡¯ll draft a n and submit it. You can make your decision after reviewing it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene continued to look at me with trembling eyes. After hearing all this, he must be curious too. ¡°¡­¡­Before that, what is the third reason? You said there were three reasons.¡± ¡°The third reason is¡­¡­¡± At this point, I paused for a moment. ¡°¡­¡­¡± efore I tell you, how about taking a walk with me?¡± ¡°A walk, out of the blue¡­¡­?¡± I shrugged lightly. ¡°I think it would be better to show you while I exin.¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 ¨C Kirian¡¯s Awakening (1) We walked for a while after dismissing the escort knights, and soon came to a halt. ¡°Please wait here for a moment.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Count Arsene turned to me with a bewildered expression. Well, that was understandable. ¡°Isn¡¯t this an outhouse?¡± An outhouse. In other words, a shit bucket. As a ce to handle physiological needs, the surrounding area was overgrown, perfect for hiding. The reason such an outhouse was situated in the middle of the count¡¯s front yard was simple. It was near the grand training ground. True to the name of a prestigious family, the knights here often engaged in long training sessions. In other words, this was a makeshift outhouse for emergency use. ¡°You wanted to know the third reason, didn¡¯t you? For that, you need to hide first.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I am a count.¡± ¡°Do nobles not poop?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I quickly silenced Count Arsene and hid beside him. ¡°What in the world are we doing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so impatient; they should be appearing soon.¡± ¡°Appearing?¡± ¡°The appointed time is near.¡± Speak of the devil. As I spoke, a familiar pair appeared on the grand training ground. ¡°Isabelle¡­¡­?¡± The count¡¯s bewilderment deepened at the sight of his wife. ¡°Thedy asked me for a favor.¡± ¡°A favor?¡± ¡°She said she would imprison herself but wanted to meet the children onest time without any surveince.¡± ¡°Isabelle¡­¡­ said she would enter prison on her own?¡± Count Arsene¡¯s mouth hung open in disbelief. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s how it is, so please do me this favor.¡± At that moment, Hans, the guard, looked directly at us. We had only hidden our bodies, not our presence. Receiving his gaze, Count Arsene quickly muttered something. Then, his mana came alive and made its way to Hans. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Hans¡¯ eyes widened, and he swiftly disappeared from view. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Never mind that. I¡¯ll ask again. What exactly are you nning?¡± ¡°Thedy will show you soon.¡± Right on cue, the count¡¯s two rascals, Jan and Hersen, ran into the grand training ground. ¡°Mother!¡± ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± Seeing Hanspletely gone, thedy spoke without dy. ¡°¡­¡­Mother?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At Isabelle¡¯s subdued voice, Hersen froze. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, mydy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You two, are you hiding something from me?¡± ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Recently, you seem to be taking things too lightly.¡± As if struck by lightning, the brothers jumped in ce. ¡°N-No way!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯re really working hard!¡± Isabelle nced around and spoke softly again. ¡°Then how do you exin Kirian?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The brothers exchanged nces as if struck at a sore spot. ¡°Th-That¡¯s because we can¡¯t deal with him due to interference¡­¡­¡± ¡°B-But the count also told us to treat him with respect, since he¡¯s an honored guest¡­¡­¡± Isabelle¡¯s eyebrows furrowed more and more. ¡°Come to your senses, will you?¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°You two! With such a weak mindset, how do you n to survive in this harsh world?¡± The brothers, their faces pale, couldn¡¯t utter another word. ¡°Do you think I can leave for another ce, trusting you like this?¡± ¡°We¡¯re sorry! We¡¯re sorry!¡± She must have disciplined them quite harshly; the rascals couldn¡¯t even properly straighten their backs. ¡°I always tell you! Kirian is yourpetitor. If you don¡¯t want to be left with nothing, keep your wits about you. Why don¡¯t you understand your mother¡¯s heart?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll stay focused!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do it properly!¡± The brothers shouted in unison, their spirits high. ¡°Don¡¯t just say you¡¯ll do it properly; show it through your actions! Crush himpletely this time. So that I can feel at ease! How can you not realize that the lord wants exactly that?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­!¡± The final guest of the day arrived at that very moment. In the meantime, a child could be seen walking towards us from a distance. ¡°Kirian¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene, who had been watching the entire situation, muttered as if groaning. Before long, Kirian arrived at the grand training ground and bowed politely. ¡°Greetings,dy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re here?¡± It was astonishing how quickly a person¡¯s demeanor could change; Isabelle greeted Kirian with a warm smile. ¡°I heard you were looking for me.¡± ¡°But, the title dy¡¯ feels a bit off, Kirian.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Call me mother.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Kirian¡¯s eyes widened as if he had never expected this. ¡°Are you surprised?¡± ¡°N-No¡­¡­¡± ¡°I guess this is why they say people change when they¡¯re about to die.¡± ¡°Wh-Wh-What do you mean¡­¡­?¡± Kirian stammered so severely, he seemed pitiable, overwhelmed by shock. Even the delinquent brothers stood with their mouths agape at the shocking statement. ¡°I have a serious illness. So I have to leave for a while to get treatment.¡± ¡°What? Y-You have an illness,dy¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Not dy,¡¯ but ¡®mother.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Kirian stood there, at a loss for words. He likely couldn¡¯t bring himself to say the word. ¡°¡­¡­Well, I¡¯m being selfish, aren¡¯t I? After all, I¡¯ve been so indifferent to you, and now I¡¯m asking you to call me mother.¡± ¡°N-No, that¡¯s alright.¡± As Isabelle gave a forlorn smile, Kirian quickly waved his hands in denial. ¡°I just wanted to apologize before I left. I¡¯m sorry, I haven¡¯t taken proper care of you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what illness you have, but¡­¡­ I pray for your full recovery.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Isabelle patted Kirian¡¯s head with a radiant smile. ¡°The exam ising up soon, right? Kirian, do your best.¡± ¡°Thank¡­¡­ you.¡± It was a very heartwarming scene. That is, if one waspletely unaware of the context. ¡°She acts so well. She could be a star in a theater troupe.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Count Arsene let out an ufortable cough at my sarcastic remark. ¡°I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be cured¡­¡­ but, can you do me onest favor, Kirian?¡± ¡°Please, tell me anything.¡± Kirian lifted his head and responded without hesitation. It seemed that the innocent boy genuinely believed her words. Unaware of what he was about to face. ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you all¡­¡­ I¡¯d like to see the results of your hard work before I leave.¡± ¡°Pardon? Hard work?¡± ¡°I might leave the house before the results of your knight¡¯s exame out. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking.¡± Finally grasping the situation, Kirian¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°In the knight¡¯s exam, there¡¯s a sparringponent between peers, right?¡± Quick-witted Jan clenched his fists. In contrast, Kirian¡¯s face turnedpletely ashen. ¡°Don¡¯t feel too pressured. Just show this mother the skills you¡¯ve honed, like usual. So I can leave with peace of mind. Show me the fruits of your efforts.¡± ¡°Like usual¡­¡­¡± A sly smile appeared at the corner of Hersen¡¯s lips. The two delinquents¡¯ gazes slowly turned towards Kirian. As always. In other words, wasn¡¯t she asking them to beat him up right there? ¡°Come on, Kirian! Since it¡¯se to this, let¡¯s show mother properly! Let¡¯s show our filial piety!¡± ¡°No, I¡­¡­¡± Jan forcibly handed a wooden sword to Kirian. Immediately after. ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡± Without giving anyone a chance to intervene, Jan charged forward. ¡°Hyah, hyah, hyah!¡± With bizarre shouts, Jan¡¯s wooden sword swung repeatedly. Bam, bam, bam, bam! Dull thuds followed. Kirian could only one-sidedly take the beating. As always. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± It seemed Jan was going all out from the beginning. Kirian¡¯s body quickly turned ck and blue. ¡°¡­¡­I should step in.¡± I raised my hand to stop Count Arsene, who was about to intervene. ¡°Not yet. This is still part of training.¡± ¡°Training? You call this training? Are you saying this after seeing that?¡± ¡°This is nothing new.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t this been going on for a long time?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Finally, Count Arsene fell silent. ¡°Haven¡¯t you received enough reports?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t think it was this bad¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene couldn¡¯t continue and averted his gaze. Kirian needs to change. He needs to realize. The bigger the cocoon he builds around himself, the more the helplessness will torment him. If he realizes toote, it will remain a knot in his heart for life. And at the end of his life, he¡¯d be gued with countless should-have¡¯s, and woulf gnaw away at his own soul. For a very long time. Thwack! Thwack-thwack! The sound of ¡®thud¡¯ soon changed to ¡®thwack.¡¯ As if determined to make him fail the exam, Jan¡¯s wooden sword strikes carried emotion. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± Now, Kirian curled up like a pill bug and just took the beating. ¡°Stop¡­¡­!¡± Just as Count Arsene sprang to his feet. ¡°Are you just going to keep taking it?¡± I approached the training ground first. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Immediately, four pairs of eyes focused on me. However, it seemed as if Isabelle had anticipated this and quickly regained herposure. ¡°Pull yourself together! If your real mother saw you like this, she¡¯d sure be thrilled!¡± Twitch. For the first time, Kirian showed a reaction. At that, Jan¡¯s strikes with the wooden sword grew even more aggressive. ¡°What are you twitching for? You think twitching will solve anything?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Look at you, not even opening your eyes properly. You think closing your eyes will make your problems go away?¡± Of course, I didn¡¯t intervene any further. This is a problem that can¡¯t be solved by others. In the end, one¡¯s shell must be broken from the inside. No matter how many times someone says, ¡®Do it, change,¡¯ unless he changes his mindset himself, everything will be like before. ¡°Get up. You said you wanted to change. Isn¡¯t that why you came to me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to live like this forever? Wouldn¡¯t your mother¡¯s heart in heaven be torn apart?¡± ¡°You¡­¡­ what do you know!¡± In the midst of getting beaten, Kirian shouted as if he was having a seizure. I know. Because I would have felt the same. If Andy were alive and saw this scene from the afterlife, I would¡¯ve grabbed god by the cor and threatened him to let me go down. ¡°Your father is worried about you too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Your father said so. He was always sorry for not being able to fulfill the role of a mother. Every time he sees you, it¡¯s like looking at a painful sore. But he couldn¡¯t help because he feared you¡¯d be bullied more if he stepped in.¡± Shudder. Kirian¡¯s trembling intensified. Conversely, the smiles of the matron and the delinquent brothers, who were watching my every move, grew wider. -What on earth are you doing now? Count Arsene¡¯s voice, filled with rage, echoed in my head at that moment. -If I don¡¯t talk to him like this, he won¡¯t understand. Even if it¡¯s a rtionship between a father and son, the resentment will just keep building up inside. -¡­¡­! Count Arsene¡¯s eyes widened. -Wait, wait a minute. My goodness. You can even send mana messages? Are you truly at the level of an Expert? At such a young age¡­¡­! Before I could respond, the delinquents reacted first. ¡°As expected, you¡¯re a wise person. Well, our father also became the head of the family by surpassing his brothers, didn¡¯t he? The weak must die.¡± ¡°That idiot is crying again.¡± I nced quietly in the direction where Count Arsene was hiding. Did you see? These are your sons. -They say children grow up watching their father¡¯s back. But until now, there hasn¡¯t been a back for them to see. You¡¯ve been so busy with your work outside. -Are you¡­¡­ criticizing me, right now? -No. Most fathers live that way. -¡­¡­! Count Arsene¡¯s body trembled greatly. Criticize? How can I, in my position, criticize anyone for something like this? -What does it matter if the family doesn¡¯t recognize the head¡¯s hard work? If you can see your family happy because of the hardships you endured outside, that too is a wonderful thing, isn¡¯t it? -That¡¯s¡­¡­ After empathy, you need to inject facts. -Of course, the children might ¡®slightly¡¯ go astray, as you can see, but if you continue to seed outside, that too would be for the family¡¯s happiness, wouldn¡¯t it? -¡­¡­ There was no response. This was a kind of advice for Count Arsene. No, rather, it was a suggestion. It¡¯s a path I¡¯ve already walked. And I hope that at the very least, you don¡¯t follow in my footsteps. -However busy you are, you should pay attention at times like this. During the few moments a year when you show your back. -¡­¡­ -Every action a father takes affects his children. If you face assassins without raising your voice and just wait for the royal family¡¯s help, the children will learn from that behavior. The heirs who will lead the future Arsene family. Of course, that decision isn¡¯t necessarily bad. Such tactics are indeed the actions of a shrewd noble. Laughing things off and turning a blind eye to absurdities when needed. ¡®But just standing by when there¡¯s a knife at your throat is the action of a fool.¡¯ The bacsh will hit hard once the Marquis of Foltaine¡¯s family ovees this crisis. After the situation ispletely resolved with only minor punishments. Count Arsene conducts the investigation, but the judgment is made by the royal family. No matter how clear the evidence, it can be easily overlooked. That¡¯s politics for you. Given the strong power of the noble faction in this country, it¡¯s entirely possible for the entire incident to be swept under the rug. And then? ¡®In a world where the strong prey on the weak, you¡¯ ll be devoured if you¡¯re looked down upon.¡¯ Therees a moment when a man must act, even if it means losing everything. Just like now. -For the better future of the Count¡¯s family. That¡¯s the third reason you must push forward with the territorial war. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 ¨C Kirian¡¯s Awakening (2) ¡®Count Arsene is like me.¡¯ It was a feeling I had always had. Not in terms of appearance or personality, but disposition. He neglects his household affairs and immerses himself in outside matters. Only after losing something truly precious does he regret and regret again. Only after facing the worst of the worst, something that can never be undone. ¡®So, don¡¯t follow in my footsteps. Don¡¯t you already feel it, too?¡¯ Perhaps, in the midst of misfortune, there was a silver lining. Count Arsene had an opportunity toplete his realization. Because he had lost his dearly beloved wife in the past. ¡®This is my heartfelt advice to you.¡¯ As a fellow father and head of the family, I sincerely hope you do not repeat my mistakes. -It¡¯s not toote. -¡­¡­What¡­¡­? -Your two mischievous sons are young enough to reform, and your other son is flexible as a willow, not yet broken. Step, step, step. Having finished the mana message, I slowly stepped up to the training ground. Kirian hade to me of his own will. So, now it was my turn to respond in kind. ¡®What is needed is motivation.¡¯ From now on, I must make sure hees to his senses. With Lady Isabelle and the troublemakers watching, the educational environment was perfect. ¡°So, in the end, were you just another child of a noble family?¡± I could feel the fearful gaze of Jan. But, my eyes were fixed only on Kirian. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say it sooner?¡± ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± ¡°You just wanted to indulge in self-constion. You¡¯re starting to worry about what happens if you fail the test, right? So, you¡¯reying the groundwork. ¡®I did my best,¡¯ ¡®This is enough.¡¯ Like that.¡± Flinch. Kirian¡¯s body trembled. ¡®He¡¯s starting to react.¡¯ I could feel it. The quickening breath. The racing heartbeat. The goosebumps rising all over his body. A sarcastic smile formed on my lips. ¡°That¡¯s no different from the justifications nobles usually make.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re wrong.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ming you, though. If you¡¯re a noble, you might as well act like one.¡± ¡°I said, you¡¯re wrong¡­¡­!¡± Pfft. Myughter deliberately seeped through my teeth. ¡°Effort, my foot.¡± Grit. At this, the veins on Kirian¡¯s forehead pulsed. It was a natural reaction. If he had truly been giving his all, he couldn¡¯t help but be angry. ¡®Because it¡¯s like I¡¯m denying all the effort he¡¯s put in.¡¯ And, right now, in front of his stepmother andpetitors, no less. ¡°Come to think of it, I wonder if your mother would have been pleased with someone like you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so kind, after all; worrying about your brothers getting hurt.¡± That was hisst straw. Kirian¡¯s face contorted in rage. Jan, who had been watching the situation closely, bit down on a triumphant smile. ¡°Oh? Look at that expression of yours. What are you going to do, huh?¡± He raised his wooden sword again. At that moment. Thunk! ¡°What?!¡± A crisp sound of impact and a streak of bewilderment echoed simultaneously. Kirian, who had struck Jan¡¯s descending wooden sword with his own, staggered to his feet. His eyes now held a fierceness that hadn¡¯t been there before. ¡°I said you¡¯re wrong!¡± A savage roar burst from Kirian as he charged towards his brother, who instinctively stepped back. Jan showed clear signs of panic at the sight of this unfamiliar spectacle. And over the head of that rascal. Smack! A sturdy wooden sword was brought down. ¡°¡­¡­Ugh!¡± Jan, groaning, barely managed to raise his sword to block it. ¡°What do you know!¡± ¡°This bastard¡­¡­!¡± Bam! Though the attack failed, Kirian didn¡¯t panic. The awakened Kirian moved in a way that even impressed me. Tumble! ¡°Argh!¡± Jan lost his bnce for a moment, and fell to the ground. Stance broken, he raised his wooden sword to block another blow from Kirian. At that moment, Kirian inserted his foot into Jan¡¯s wobbly legs,pletely breaking his bnce. ¡®He¡¯s quite a natural at using his body.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. That was a naturally gifted talent. Young kids who have just started learning the sword tend to focus only on the shy movements. The truly importantponent isn¡¯t the weapon, but the body that holds it. ¡®As expected, he¡¯s flexible.¡¯ In a sh, an educational curriculum for Kirian formed in my mind. If Harun¡¯s talent was optimized for quick swordsmanship, Kirian¡¯s was optimized for soft movements. In other words, he was a type specialized in using the opponent¡¯s strength against them. Thud! ¡°¡­¡­Ugh!¡± As he fell, Jan¡¯s sr plexus received a heavy blow from the wooden sword. The unexpected ambush left Jan unable to lift his head. He just rolled around on the ground with a pained expression. ¡°Brother!¡± Hersen hurriedly ran to his fallen brother. Lady Isabelle stood frozen in ce like a statue. p, p, p. ¡°Look at that. See? You can do well if you try.¡± Finally, a genuine smile formed on my lips. But an unexpected situation arose just at that moment. ¡°¡­¡­Did you really have to do that?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Did you really have to belittle and undermine someone else¡¯s effort? Are you happy now?¡± Kirian muttered each word deliberately. ¡°To an outsider like you, I must seem incredibly pathetic.¡± Before I could respond, Kirian quietly looked up at the sky. ¡°But I have no regrets. That was my mother¡¯s dying wish.¡± Wait a minute. ¡°Dying wish?¡± ¡°¡­¡­She told me not to hate my siblings and stepmother. Not to hurt them.¡± For the first time, Isabelle reacted. Her trembling gaze turned to Kirian. ¡°She said it¡¯s a blessing to have a family in this vast world. That we should love and care for each other because family is a bond to be cherished. Only then could Father focus on his work outside with peace of mind.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What a wonderful mother.¡± ¡°Wonderful? No, my mother thought it was natural. Because they are my family. Because hating your family leads to your own unhappiness.¡± Who wouldn¡¯t hate another because they didn¡¯t know that? The saying that life is unpredictable exists for a reason. In life, situations inevitably arise where you can¡¯t help but hate someone. Even if that person is a blood rtive. ¡°Is it so wrong to not want to hurt my family? To want to take care of my family?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± ¡°No matter what your mother¡¯s intentions were, what you¡¯re saying now is a typical loser¡¯s logic.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Kirian¡¯s eyes widened at my reply. ¡°Who do you think you are, to take care of anyone? That¡¯s a choice for the strong and powerful.¡± ¡°You, you bastard¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? Everyone keeps telling you that the world follows the survival of the fittest. In my experience, people like you are the first to die and walk among the dead.¡± What I said was an undeniable truth. On the battlefield, those with sensitive personalities like Kirian¡¯s were the first to die. ¡°Do I need to give you a history lesson? Are you going to justify yourself in the afterlife too? ¡®Ah, but I kept my mother¡¯s will.¡¯¡± ¡°Shut up! What do you know¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Get a grip!¡± For the first time, I put emotion into my voice. ¡°Your so-called family doesn¡¯t even consider you family.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Are you deaf? You¡¯re just an obstacle in their path to power. Your stepmother would tear you apart to be the family head.¡± Would Kirian¡¯s mother really have left such a will if she wanted her child to meet such a miserable end? Of course not. ¡°She just wanted you to grow up straight and true even without her. That¡¯s why she said those words.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°What good is being an angel if your family are demons?¡± Kirian¡¯s eyes filled with tears. ¡°Then¡­¡­ What do you even want me to do?¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®what¡¯? The answer is simple.¡± ¡°Simple¡­¡­?¡± ¡°If the cause of family discord is a demon masquerading as family, you don¡¯t solve it by eating away at your own soul. You either beat or reform the demon. After that, you can forgive and foster harmony, or follow your mother¡¯s will to your heart¡¯s content.¡± Of course, achieving reform is much harder than a beating. ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll have to work yourself to death for that, right? But what can you do? It¡¯s the path you¡¯ve chosen.¡± I nced at Lady Isabelle before continuing. ¡°In my life, I¡¯ve realized something. Consideration for others only has meaning when you have power. When weaklings cower, no one thinks of it as consideration. They just mock and ridicule it as the helplessness of a loser.¡± I had said everything I wanted to say. ¡®Considering I only know about war andck eloquence, I believe I¡¯ve done enough.¡¯ With that thought, I was about to nce in the direction where Count Arsene was hiding. ¡°Stop.¡± The person in question appeared at just the right time. ¡°D-Dear?¡± ¡°W-We greet the head of the family!¡± The mother and her three children, shocked, froze in ce. But Count Arsene didn¡¯t even nce at them. ¡°¡­¡­We¡¯ll talkter. You, follow me.¡± His gaze was fixed solely on me. At that moment, Isabelle, having grasped the situation, furrowed her brow. ¡°Think carefully about what your mother would truly want.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± There was no response. I waved my hand once and followed Count Arsene. *** Even after returning to the head¡¯s quarters, we didn¡¯t speak for a long time. He must have had many thoughts. I waited quietly, allowing him to organize his thoughts. ¡°¡­¡­You told me three reasons why I should force a territorial war.¡± Finally, Count Arsene broke the silence. ¡°Did any of them resonate with you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Count Arsene shook his head. ¡°Because there are ¡®four reasons¡¯ why I can¡¯t force a territorial war right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± My disappointment quickly turned to curiosity. ¡®So, he¡¯s going to add one more reason to my three and argue against it?¡¯ I immediately sat up. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°First, even if we present a legitimate reason and request a territorial war, the royal family won¡¯t allow it.¡± ¡°But we have sufficient justification, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of justification. It¡¯s a more practical issue.¡± A thought shed through my mind like lightning. Come to think of it, I remember hearing from the Mask of Night that the Arsene family is a representative pro-royalist force. ¡°A fight we are certain to lose. Is it because we cannot afford to waste the precious forces of the royalist faction?¡± ¡°Even if you have some miraculous n, it doesn¡¯t matter. From the royal family¡¯s perspective, you¡¯re just a mere child. Moreover, without their permission, a territorial war is impossible.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s say the n came from you, Count. You can pretend I never existed from the beginning.¡± I wasn¡¯t particrly disappointed by this. What use would it be for me to earn credit for strengthening the royal power of this country? ¡®Ah, maybe it is a bit disappointing? I was nning to participate in the Master Tournament as a representative of the Hart Kingdom.¡¯ As I licked my lips in regret, Count Arsene presented another reason. ¡°Second, rumors snowball.¡± ¡°Rumors?¡± ¡°No secret is kept forever. Eventually, the source of this n being you will be revealed. You argued that we mustunch a preemptive strike for the sake of our reputation, but if it gets out that we went to war based on the words of a mere child, it would genuinely damage our reputation.¡± Just like in any other era, nobles worry about things that haven¡¯t even happened yet. ¡°And the third reason?¡± ¡°Before that, let me ask you something.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a monster reaching Expert level at your age. Not even in the vast empire.¡± Count Arsene¡¯s eyes held an unconcealed wariness. ¡°Could it be that you are perhaps the reincarnation of an absolute being?¡± Naturally, his tone became more respectful. It was a usible hypothesis. When mana reaches its extreme, the body ispletely reborn. One¡¯s flesh and bone are restructured, transforming into the optimal state that even surpasses one¡¯s prime. Count Arsene was referring to this phenomenon of rebirth. ¡°Don¡¯t I look too young for that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­And that¡¯s the third reason.¡± Count Arsene¡¯s tone returned to normal. tter, tter. Immediately, the knights around us intentionally made noise as they ced their hands on their sword hilts. ¡°I cannot trust you. And I do not keep uncontroble variables by my side.¡± ¡°Aha.¡± For the first time, I nodded clearly. ¡°A distrust of me as a person. That, I can understand.¡± This wasn¡¯t something to feel wronged about. It simply meant that Count Arsene was a careful person. In different circumstances, he should be praised for it. Constantly thinking and doubting. That is a fundamental quality needed to survive in this harsh world. ¡°Of course, our fault is clear. We have no intention of just brushing it off. If you want anything, we willpensate you adequately in mary terms. So, I¡¯d like you to leave my house by today.¡± It was a tant order to leave. ¡°Oh, well.¡± Without any hesitation, I stood up. ¡°For that reason alone, I understand the Count¡¯s feelings clearly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Thank you for understanding.¡± ¡°Just out of curiosity, what is the fourth reason?¡± At my question, Count Arsene hesitated for a moment before sighing. ¡°¡­¡­Though I may be an ipetent man, I am still a father.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± This was an entirely unexpected answer. ¡°Your life-defining examination is approaching, isn¡¯t it? If a territorial war between families breaks out now, wouldn¡¯t I be taking away the chance for those children to prove their efforts?¡± ¡°They would all understand. The future of the family is more important than the exam.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not for me to judge.¡± Well, thinking about it, this isn¡¯t so bad either. At least it seems that Count Arsene won¡¯t follow the same path I¡¯ve taken. ¡°I will take my leave.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t see you out.¡± ¡°Onest thing¡­¡­ Do you know this?¡± I turned my head slightly to finish speaking. ¡°No matter how much you n and try to proceed with things, sometimes they don¡¯t go as intended. That¡¯s just how the world works.¡± ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I had no intention of doing so, but when I opened my eyes, I found myself at the eye of a storm! Something like that.¡± I turned around and walked out through the door. ¡°People call that ¡®fate.¡¯¡± *** ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him.¡± Isabelle¡¯s eyes were filled with murderous intent as she returned to her room. There was no way her husband had appeared at that moment by chance. ¡°You, I will definitely¡­¡­!¡± She bit her lip so hard that now blood was seeping out. Even though she had talked about turning herself in, that child had ultimately thwarted her final n. In the end, she had shown an embarrassing side of herself, and the situation was beyond repair. ¡°Lady, I heard you were looking for me.¡± The person she had been seeking entered the room. On the surface, this person was a servant of the count¡¯s household, but in reality, they were a spy for the marquis¡¯ family. Naturally, Isabelle¡¯s eyebrow twitched. She couldn¡¯t bepletely calm after hearing that assassins might be sent to kill her. Grit. But that was all. She had decided not to be swayed by that wretched brat any longer. ¡°¡­¡­I have an urgent request.¡± ¡°Please, speak freely.¡± ¡°Before that, if the marquis would allow it, I will go into the prison myself to deal with the witness.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Jake¡¯s eyes widened instantly. There was only one witness. Vigri de Foltaine. Though an illegitimate child, he was still a blood rtive of the marquis¡¯ family. Removing someone like him would naturally require the marquis¡¯ permission. ¡°Is it possible?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a n.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Understood.¡± ¡°In return, you must grant my request.¡± With that, Isabelle took out a sealed letter she had prepared and handed it to him. ¡°Please deliver this.¡± ¡°I can deliver the message myself¡­¡­¡± ¡°No. Just deliver this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Understood.¡± Jake stared at Isabelle with a peculiar look for a moment before bowing his head. ¡°In that case, may I also make a request of you, Lady?¡± ¡°What is it? I must warn you, I no longer have much power.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t require much power. It¡¯s just¡­¡­¡± At that moment, Isabelle felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding. Thunk! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± And that unease quickly became reality. ¡°¡­¡­Cough!¡± Isabelle looked down in disbelief. Bright red blood blurred her vision. The searing pain gradually took over her mind. Her thoughts turned nk. ¡°Please die here. It¡¯s a simple request, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Y-You¡­¡­!¡± Blood rapidl y stained Isabelle¡¯s upper body. Her pupils quickly lost their light. ¡®Ah¡­¡­¡¯ In her fading consciousness, Isabelle felt a sense of futility. What a meaningless life it had been. She had never imagined such an end. Thud! Like a puppet whose strings had been cut, her lifeless body copsed onto the floor. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 ¨C Clouds of War (1) Fate truly is fickle. ¡°C-Count, sir!¡± They say that words have power. The incident urred even before I stepped out of the manor. ¡°S-S-S-Something terrible¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Compose yourself in front of our guest. What is this disgrace?¡± ¡°A-Apologies¡­¡­¡± ¡°Take a deep breath and speak calmly.¡± ¡°Huff, huff.¡± The knight who had just burst in took a moment to catch his breath. And then, after a brief pause. ¡°My apologies. The Lady¡¯s corpse has just been found.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± With those words, the impact hit the room like a massive explosion. A corpse. In other words, it meant that Lady Isabel was dead. ¡°What¡­¡­ Did you say?¡± Even Count Arsene, who was usually the epitome ofposure, stood up in shock this time. This was the same man who had merely gasped once upon hearing that a mere teenager had reached the level of an expert. But now, his pupils were shaking uncontrobly, as if an earthquake had struck. Even his voice trembled. ¡°Lead the way!¡± ¡°At yourmand!¡± They quickly brushed past me. ¡°¡­¡­This is too fast, even for them.¡± I, too, was equally surprised. Left alone in an instant, I fell into deep thought. I could guess the cause of death. ¡®There¡¯s no way it was a sudden natural death. She was likely murdered.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t hard to guess the culprit, either. The issue was that, although I had somewhat anticipated the situation, I hadn¡¯t expected them to act so quickly. ¡®Even though ve trading is illegal, an illegitimate child is still just an illegitimate child. Denying any involvement would have been a better strategy for risk management, despite some loss of face.¡¯ Yet, if they went through with it, there could only be one answer. ¡®It means the factional strife within the Hart Kingdom is far more intense than I had thought.¡¯ Concluding my thoughts, I quickly dashed out of the main hall. It seemed that the entire country had been under the shadow of war for a long time. *** ¡°¡­¡­¡± When I arrived, a heavy silence hung over the scene. Count Arsene, who was tenderly touching his wife¡¯s cold, lifeless body, spoke without even turning his head. ¡°¡­¡­Is this the reality of that fate you spoke of?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± I swallowed my breath, feeling a pang of guilt. Such a significant event had urred right after I mentioned fate. ¡®Fortunately, it doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s particrly suspicious of me.¡¯ After all, it would only take a bit of thought to realize I couldn¡¯t be the culprit. Wasn¡¯t the situation obvious? It was me who brought in the illegitimate child from the marquis, and I even killed a knight of the Foltaine family. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, may I take a look?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I took his silence as an affirmation. Count Arsene stepped aside, giving his silent consent. With a light sigh, I first surveyed the surroundings. ¡®It¡¯s clean.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t referring to the body, but to the scene itself. There were no signs of a struggle. No other special circumstances suggesting an outsider¡¯s intrusion. Next, my eyes turned to the corpse. ¡®At least 30 minutes.¡¯ A soulless body gradually stiffens. Judging by the rate of rigor mortis, Lady Isabel had been dead for quite some time. The murder likely urred before Count Arsene and I arrived at the main hall. ¡®The direct cause of death is a stab wound.¡¯ A sharp weapon had pierced her heart with precision. If there had been any screams, someone would havee, but it seemed there were no witnesses. In summary, the culprit boldly stabbed the Lady in the heart of the count¡¯s manor and left without a trace, and left through the door. Without any interference. ¡®An insider.¡¯ The conclusion formed instantly in my mind. The wound itself was proof enough. She was killed instantly with a single blow from close range. This implied a close rtionship that allowed such proximity. ¡®There must have been an aplice.¡¯ No weapon was found at the scene. Even if the assant managed to hide the blood-soaked weapon in their clothes, they couldn¡¯t mask the ¡®smell.¡¯ This is the count¡¯s manor. Knights with senses far beyond those of ordinary people were present everywhere. They wouldn¡¯t miss the distinct metallic scent of blood. ¡°Investigate the personal attendants, maids, and anyone else who might have had private ess to the Lady.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Count Arsene looked at me with astonished eyes. ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯ve figured out in an instant what detectives with decades of experience have just concluded.¡± ¡°All the circumstances point to that conclusion.¡± At my response, Count Arsene nodded quietly. ¡°First, gather all the servants in one ce. Recall those on leave. This is an emergency. Also, from now on, watch all entrances and exits to the manor.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± The knights quickly sprang into action. And before long. ¡°Motherrrrrrrr!¡± The two rascals, Jan and Hersen, who had just received the news, burst inside. ¡°¡­¡­Didn¡¯t I specifically say to take extra care with the children?¡± ¡°A-Apologies. The rumors spread through the entire manor before we had a chance to control them¡­¡± My eyes narrowed sharply as I listened to the knight¡¯s feeble excuse. ¡®It¡¯s like he¡¯s reading a well-crafted script.¡¯ The situation was unfolding seamlessly, almost too naturally. ¡°Ahhhhh! Let go! I said, let go of me!¡± ¡°Waaahhhh. Mom! Mooooom!¡± Count Arsene closed his eyes tightly at the sight of his two sons wailing in grief. ¡°Get them out of here!¡± ¡°Y-Yes, sir!¡± The knights led Jan and Hersen, who had copsed in defiance, away. Count Arsene watched them with a pained expression before murmuring through gritted teeth. ¡°If this really happened under the orders of the marquis, as you suspect¡­ I will stake everything I have to erase the name Foltaine from this world.¡± His low, clear voice pierced my eardrums. It was like the cry of a wounded beast. ¡°I know it¡¯s shameless to ask, but¡­¡­ will you help me?¡± I nodded without hesitation. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m staying here.¡± *** Jan and Hersen, who had been thrown outside, clearly heard the voices from within. The reality of the situation still hadn¡¯t sunk in for them. Just minutes ago, their mother had been scolding them with her sharp voice. ¡°They said the culprit was definitely an insider.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, I don¡¯t see Mother¡¯s personal attendant. That Jake, who would always go in and out of her room every day.¡± Tears streamed down their faces, mingling with a growing sense of malice. They wanted to inspect the scene closely, but that was impossible. The area was already heavily guarded by knights, allowing no further ess. ¡°¡­¡­The back of the manor.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a ce where Mother used to meet with him regrly. I remember it clearly.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go there quickly!¡± As soon as they reached a conclusion, the brothers headed to the back of the manor. While the entire household was being gathered in the main garden, the less frequented back area drew less attention. After all, there was no exit to the outside from there. ¡°There it is.¡± Hersen pointed to a spot with his finger. It was a ce shaded even in broad daylight due to the high walls. Yet, there stood a table and chairs meant for tea time, untouched by sunlight. ¡°Mother always used to fall deep in thought there¡­¡­!¡± Suddenly, Hersen stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening. He lowered his voice to a whisper. ¡°¡­¡­Jan.¡± ¡°I see it too.¡± A dark, murderous intent filled Jan¡¯s eyes. Their gaze fixed on the shadows that were flickering in that spot. *** I had no intention of personally tracking down the assassin. There were plenty of people around who could handle that task. However, I nned to pursue them in my own way. ¡®Having moved so boldly, they won¡¯t be satisfied with just Isabelle.¡¯ There was another witness besides me. And, if they were nning another major move, the optimal timing would be¡­ ¡®Right now.¡¯ The most dangerous time is when everyone¡¯s attention is focused on a single disaster. This can be exined in terms of military strategy as well. ¡®Create a disturbance in the east, and attack the west amidst the chaos.¡¯ Naturally, my steps led me to the underground prison. Perhaps due to Count Arsene¡¯s orders, no one obstructed my path. ¡°Hey, pig.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It had been a while since I saw the pig. Vigri de Foltaine, imprisoned inside, looked at me with fearful eyes. ¡°Y-You bastard, you¡¯ve finallye to beg me for help, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Beg?¡± ¡°Surely my father must have taken some measures by now? Heh heh. You hadn¡¯t shown your face all this time. Are you here because you¡¯re scared?¡± I let out a light sigh. ¡°Well, your father did take special measures.¡± ¡°You! Can¡¯t you fix that damned mouth of yours? He¡¯s the esteemed Marquis! Call him by his proper title¡­¡­!¡± ¡°That esteemed Marquis sent an assassin. As a result, the Lady of Count Arsene¡¯s manor was murdered.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The pig¡¯s mouth mped shut. No, all movement stopped instantly. ¡°¡­¡­Why would you make such a boring joke¡­¡­¡± ¡°Does it sound like a joke?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The pig stared at me nkly with his mouth agape. ¡°At least you seem to grasp the situation somewhat.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Your esteemed father, the respected Marquis, has decided to ¡®eliminate¡¯ all involved parties. Naturally, that includes you.¡± It was an obvious sequence. An already disowned child. With no trust left, it was cleaner to eliminate him rather than leave him to cause trouble. ¡°Wh-Why would he go to such lengths?¡± ¡°He probably judged it to be more efficient to remove the risk.¡± Fundamentally, unauthorized ve trading is illegal across the continent. In remote areas, it might thrive due tox oversight, but that doesn¡¯t make it legal. If it became known that a family member led the ve trade, the head of the family would inevitably face severe punishment for failing to manage them properly. This means the royal faction would have a justification to weaken the noble faction¡¯s power. ¡°Pig, there¡¯s only one way for you to live now. Cooperate with us.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The pig struggled to regain hisposure. ¡°I-If I¡¯m going to die either way¡­!¡± ¡°If you cooperate well in this matter and help bring down the Foltaine Marquisate, you¡¯ll naturally receive some leniency in your sentence.¡± I interrupted the pig and continued the conversation. ¡°I¡¯ve already received Count Arsene¡¯s permission. You¡¯ll be left penniless, but at least your life will be spared.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What do you need me to do, sir?¡± As expected, he was quick-witted. Finally, a faint smile appeared on my lips. ¡°Count Arsene ns to wage a territorial war against the Marquis of Foltaine, staking the fate of his family.¡± ¡°Wh-What?¡± ¡°Naturally, the royal family won¡¯t just allow it, so we¡¯ll use the fact that thedy was murdered, along with the captured assassins. If we add your testimony to that, even the royal family won¡¯t easily reject it.¡± Shivering like an aspen tree, the pig raised his voice. ¡°Has everyone gone mad? Do you seriously think Count Arsene can defeat the Marquis?¡± ¡°He can.¡± ¡°This crazy¡­¡­! On what basis do you have such confidence? Have you recruited the first ss 8 archmage in history or something?¡± ¡°Not quite, but we have a weapon more formidable than an archmage.¡± ¡°What? Who is it?¡± The smile on my lips deepened. ¡°Me.¡± Chapter 25 Chapter 25 ¨C Clouds of War (2) ¡°State your names!¡± Jan, who had approached the wall, shouted harshly. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Two shadows. They were both familiar faces. After all, they were none other than the stable keeper and the gardener of the household. ¡°Y-Young master!¡± ¡°What are you doing here? You must have heard the emergency summons from the head of the household?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± They were visibly flustered, clearly not expecting such a situation. This only deepened the brothers¡¯ suspicion. Just then. ¡°What¡¯s that¡­¡­?¡± A faint light shimmered in Jan¡¯s view. A giant rectangr brick that made up the wall. One of them was not fully fitted, creating a gap. ¡°You scoundrels! Were you nning to escape through that hole?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± There was no answer. Their flustered expressions, too, vanished without a trace. Suddenly, the faces of the stable keeper and gardener were grim. Shhhing. Jan thought quick and acted fast. He drew his sword without hesitation. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The two, who had been silent, exchanged nces and quietly nodded. ¡°¡­¡­Kill and silence.¡± Suspicion turned into certainty. ¡°You bastards¡­¡­!¡± Jan, nowpletely enraged, exuded a murderous aura. He had expected them to make excuses or try to flee. But contrary to his expectations, they drew small daggers from their waists with the intent to kill. ¡°Forget interrogation¡ª I¡¯ll kill you with a single strike!¡± His mother had been murdered. He had no intention of letting them die an easy death. He went all out from the beginning, intending to tear them limb from limb and throw their remains to the pigs. ¡®They only have a knife!¡¯ Boooom! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Jan gasped. Steel shed with steel. But instead of a ¡®ng!¡¯ sound, it was a booming explosion that echoed. What was this immense recoil he felt at his fingertips? ¡°M-Mana?¡± Jan¡¯s eyes widened in shock. The dagger, which he had dismissed as a mere kitchen knife, was enveloped in ¡®mana¡¯. Refined energy, perfectly formed, unlike his own. This could only mean one thing. ¡®He¡¯s on the level of an Expertat the very least!¡¯ As he realized this, Jan urgently strained his vocal cords. ¡°Hersen! No!¡± Slice! But he was a step toote. A chilling sound of flesh being cut pierced Jan¡¯s eardrums. Like paint flowing down. Thud! His brother, shed through with a sword, fell to the cold ground without even a scream. ¡°Herseeeennnnn!¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t let your guard down in battle, young master.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A chilling voice echoed. Jan instinctively turned his head. But he couldn¡¯tpletely avoid the iing attack. Stab! ¡°Aaaaargh!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Oh, dear. I missed.¡± The dagger, leaving its owner¡¯s hand, deviated from its original target, the center of Jan¡¯s forehead, and pierced his right eye. Despite this, the two assants retreated without hesitation towards the wall. ¡°Oh, well.¡± The gardener, who had cut down Hersen with a single strike, kicked a part of the wall. Bang! A hole opened up, and the two quickly disappeared through it. It was a swift and decisive action. ¡°Aaaaargh!¡± In excruciating pain that nked his mind, Jan rolled on the ground. ¡°Young master!¡± And soon, themotion reached the other knights in the main garden. *** At the Count¡¯s meeting room. Count Arsene, seated at the head of the table, repeatedly wiped his dry face. There were still many empty seats in the room. Most of the members were out chasing the culprit behind the incident. Thus, only one person was seated on either side of him. ¡°How are the children faring?¡± ¡°Not well.¡± The knight on his right answered gloomily. ¡°¡­¡­Be more specific.¡± ¡°First¡­ Young Master Jan haspletely lost vision in his right eye.¡± Count Arsene involuntarily clenched his eyes shut. A swordsman losing sight in one eye. This was an extremely fatal handicap. It would be better for him to give up the sword altogether. Then, the knight on the left hesitantly spoke. ¡°I regret to inform you, but Young Master Hersen¡¯s life is in critical condition. The physician said tonight will be crucial¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At Count Arsene¡¯s heavy word, the knights who were reporting simultaneously closed their mouths. ¡°And the bastards?¡± ¡°They are fleeing towards the north gate of the city.¡± ¡°¡­¡­The direction the culprit who killed Isabelle escaped.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Count Arsene had grasped the general situation. The culprit¡¯s name was Jake. Whether that was his real name was uncertain, but on the surface, his status was Isabelle¡¯s personal attendant. The one who killed his wife hadpletely escaped through the north gate of the city about 10 minutes ago. And now, his aplices were following him. ¡°As soon as their escape route was confirmed, we sent people to the north gate guards. They will not be able to escape.¡± ¡°¡­¡­They must be caught.¡± ¡°Yes, sir! We will definitely capture them alive and bring them before you. The entire family¡¯s forces, except for essential personnel, are pursuing them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A moment of silence followed. ¡°¡­¡­I wonder, since when?¡± Count Arsene¡¯s voice, which soon broke the silence, was exceedingly bitter. ¡°By that, what do you¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I heard the culprits were all insiders. It means they must have been hiding as spies in this house for a long time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The two knights bowed their heads with guilty expressions. ¡°How could this happen?¡± ¡°Please, kill me!¡± Count Arsene¡¯s face gradually twisted in agony. Now he could somewhat understand what the child had said. No matter how important outside affairs were, he had never imagined the household would be so chaotic. No, this was too embarrassing to dismiss merely as a father who was indifferent to household affairs. He was ipetent and ignorant. It is said that only after the house was properly managed could the country be governed. One must guard against internal chaos more than external invasion! ¡°I have wasted my life.¡± Count Arsene let out a hollowugh. Of course, he had never expected the Marquis of Foltaine to go to such lengths. Suchcent thinking had yed a big part in this disaster. Weren¡¯t they fellow countrymen? No matter how much Count Arsene¡¯s family was challenging the marquisate¡¯s stronghold, who would have imagined they would nt spies among their own allies, not enemies? The recent behavior of the noble faction had been rming. From the Foltaine Marquisate¡¯s perspective, they would not want to create such a risk in these times. ¡®If we look back at history, internal rebellions always urred during such peacetime.¡¯ Naturally, during a war with an enemy country, there was no time for other thoughts. On the surface, this was the most perfect peacetime in history. The mighty empire imed to be the continent¡¯s guardian, watching over the entire continent. If one waged a war between countries without their permission, they could not escape the emperor¡¯s wrath. Given the circumstances, other countries could only build their power internally. Conquest wars were out of the question due to the presence of the mighty empire. And when power expanded in a limited space, it eventually exploded like this. ¡®Perhaps the emperor was aiming for this situation.¡¯ Since its rise, the empire had faced numerous checks. Rtively weaker kingdoms had tightly united. However, as ten and then twenty years passed, the vignce among the kingdoms had significantly diluted. The formidable enemy was satisfied with ying the role of guardian instead of thinking about conquest wars. ¡®If all of this is the empire¡¯s scheme and the emperor is targeting the most opportune time¡­¡¯ It might be a spective viewpoint from a result-oriented perspective, but Count Arsene could not help but feel chills down his arms. ¡°I regret to inform you, but¡­¡­ There is information that the spies are all experts skilled in handling mana. It means they excel at hiding their presence.¡± Unable to endure the long silence, one of the knights made an excuse. ¡°¡­¡­So, even though there were expert-level spies capable of taking my life at any moment walking around my front yard, I did nothing and left them unattended like a fool.¡± ¡°C-Count.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± No use crying over spilt milk. Mistakes can be correctedter. The mourning for the deceased can also be postponed for a while. Now ks the time to regainposure more than ever. Above all, at this moment, there was an overwhelming sense of unease in his chest. It felt as suffocating as eating a whole sweet potato without a sip of water. ¡°¡­¡­My wife has been murdered, my eldest son, who was designated as the heir, is crippled. Another child is hovering between life and death at this very moment.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Anyone else would be extremely agitated and unable to think clearly.¡± Count Arsene¡¯s eyes, as he said this, were colder than ever. ¡°What if this is all part of their n?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°By killing Isabelle, they achieved their goal. But why were they loitering around the scene?¡± Only then did the two knights realize something was amiss and widened their eyes. tter. Count Arsene stood up from his seat, knocking his chair over. ¡°The underground prison. We will go there immediately.¡± *** After achieving my initial objective and exiting the prison, I tilted my head in puzzlement. There were noticeably fewer guards than when I had entered. ¡°Did your conversation go well?¡± ¡°Yes. But, where did everyone go?¡± I asked the guard, who had consistently shown me a friendly gaze. ¡°They say aplices have been found. So, all remaining personnel are currently pursuing them.¡± ¡°What? They found the aplices? Where?¡± ¡°They discovered an escape route behind the mansion. Apparently, the aplices were loitering around that area.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I fell into deep thought. There is amon trait among shadowy figures like assassins and spies. They prioritize their ¡®mission¡¯ over their own lives. But what if the escape route was discovered before theypleted their mission? ¡®If it were me, I would use that opportunity to create even more chaos.¡¯ The culprits would have initially been divided into two groups. One would secure the escape route while the other carried out the mission. ¡®In other words, the remaining culprits will definitely show up here.¡¯ With that thought, the long, damp, and eerie corridor before me appeared even more ominous. It felt as if the pitch-ck darkness was baring its fangs at me. ¡®If I leave now, the pig is likely to die.¡¯ Unconsciously, I nced behind me. Having already received his handwritten blood letter, there was no issue with dering war. In other words, he had no further use for the pig. ¡®As much as I¡¯d like to just let him die.¡¯ The pig hadmitted countless capital crimes until now. However, ¡°¡­¡­I boasted quite a bit, and it would hurt my pride to let them y me like a fool.¡± So, even if I kill him, it won¡¯t be now. Moreover, even with the handwritten blood letter, it¡¯s better for the pig to stay alive a little longer. For the sake of the justification that the nobles love so much. ¡°They might im he was tortured and coerced.¡± No, it¡¯s highly likely the Marquisate will make that argument. Thud! As soon as I made my decision, I copsed on the spot and made myselffortable. ¡°Wh-What are you doing?¡± ¡°The culprits wille here soon.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± The guard, wide-eyed, looked down at me. ¡°J-Just a moment, sir!¡± ¡°Ah, a moment. Apologies, but I don¡¯t have the leisure to convince you right now. If you don¡¯t believe me, how about we make a bet? How does 100 gold sound to you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Only then did the guard close his mouth. Not long after. ¡°I-I¡¯ll request reinforcements immediately.¡± The guard hurriedly tried to dash into the darkness. ¡°Did you say your name was Paul, sir?¡± My words made the guard hesitate. ¡°Sorry? Ah, yes. Just call me Paul.¡± ¡°You thanked me earlier for saving girls who were about to be sold into very.¡± I straightened my posture and looked at Paul. ¡°Strictly speaking, it was someone else¡¯s business, so why did you thank me?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ I have two daughters of my own. I couldn¡¯t help but empathize¡­¡­¡± ¡°I thought so.¡± As I expected, he was a father of daughters. ¡°Let me give you some advice; stay right there.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t see your precious daughters again if you go any further.¡± My keen senses were telling me. I could feel it throughout my body. The killing intent emanating from the darkness was growing stronger. ¡°Y-You don¡¯t mean¡­¡­?¡± Paul looked into the darkness with fearful eyes. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°N-No.¡± The guard¡¯s legs gave way, and he stumbled. ¡°Just stay put, and you¡¯ll be safe. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the issue! These culprits are all experts who can handle mana. We can¡¯t stop them on our own¡­¡­!¡± I waved my hand lightly. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± ¡°Trust me. Even if those riff raffe in droves, they won¡¯t be able to do anything to me.¡± Thud! At that moment, loud footsteps echoed from beyond the corridor. My eyes darkened and focused. ¡°They¡¯re finally here.¡± Chapter 26 Chapter 26 ¨C Deration of War (1) Two presences were approaching. ¡®Both at least Expert level.¡¯ Moreover, they were more skilled than Thomas, the knight I faced earlier. Not all Experts were the same. In a society that loved to categorize, it wasmon practice to divide Experts into seven levels: Lowest, Low, Lower-Middle, Middle, Upper-Middle, High, and Highest. Forparison, if Thomas was of the Lowest level, then the ones approaching now seemed to be Lower-Middle level at the very least. In contrast, the five guards on our side were just ordinary territorial soldiers. This kind of menial work was never the duty of high-ranking knights. That¡¯s why I had tried to imprison Lady Isabelle as quickly as possible. Since we wouldn¡¯t be in this situation if I had seeded. ¡®Crying over spilled milk is like preparing a meal for a dead child¡­¡­¡¯ Flinch. ¡°¡­¡­Heh heh heh.¡± Suddenly, that damnedugh escaped from me again. My body was reacting automatically even to old proverbs. ¡®Is this what it¡¯s like for a person to go crazy?¡¯ Vrrr! I shook off my thoughts and quietly activated my mana. In the end, I had to do it alone. I was confident. I hadn¡¯t been sitting idle all this time, after all. Shaaa. As I stood up, burning with resolve, two pairs of eyes revealed themselves in the darkness. ¡°¡­¡­A kid and one guard.¡± ¡°There are more inside. Three? No, four. Far fewer than I expected.¡± ¡°There are priorities even in protection. Especially in such an urgent situation, there would have been no other way.¡± ¡°This is good for us. Eliminate the target and escape quickly.¡± No other conversation was needed for these murderers. Whoosh! The guys who had been muttering among themselves immediately swung their swords, filled with murderous intent. One was aimed at me. The other was aimed at the soldier with daughters. ¡°Eek!¡± Frightened, Paul stumbled backward. In that split second, I hesitated. I had to block both swords simultaneously. If I missed even one, a life would be lost. Whether it was mine or the life of the father with a long future ahead. ¡®A narrow passageway. The swords¡¯ trajectories are fixed, anyway.¡¯ I absolutely must not dodge. If I did, the poor fatherwould lose his life. ¡®No other choice but to face it head on!¡¯ As soon as I made the decision, my sword moved. I went all out from the start. Their guards were down. This was my only chance to reduce the number of enemies by one. Vrrr! ¡°M-Ma¡­¡­?¡± Assassin A, sensing the energy in my sword, tried to shout something in rm. However, Shiing! Before his voice could even trail off, my sword pierced his throat in an instant. Furthermore. ng! My sword collided with the one rushing towards Paul. Instantly, sparks flew as metal shed in the air. My hands felt like they were being torn apart. Cough! The metallic taste of blood rising in my throat was a nice bonus. ¡°For now, imitating the swordsmanship of the Arundel family is the best I can do.¡± It is said that once you master the secrets of the Arundel family¡¯s swordsmanship and reach the pinnacle of quick swordsmanship, you can even cut lightning. These small fry wouldn¡¯t have been able to react at all. ¡°¡­¡­I see. You¡¯re the greenhorn who killed Thomas.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Though he lost hisrade at an unexpected moment, Assassin B remained surprisingly calm. ng! ng! ng! ng! ng! Even with the faint sound of the rm aboveground, his murderous intent only grew stronger. ¡°¡­¡­Are youughing?¡± Not only that, a broad smile spread across his face. ¡°You¡¯re Ancelot, huh? I was looking for you, but you walked right into a grave.¡± ¡°Yeah, yours.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Just like the rumors say, you have a foul mouth. My grave, huh. Well, that might be possible.¡± The opponent wasn¡¯t even fazed by my obvious provocation. ¡°I¡¯ve already given up on this life. You¡¯re dying here with me.¡± Vrrr! Immediately, an undeniable resonance filled the room. I knew from experience. ¡®This is dangerous.¡¯ rms rang incessantly in my head. Boom! Boom! Boom! The aura constricting my entire body grew stronger. A more vivid sword aura filled my vision. The guy who was only at the Lower-Middle Expert level was now emitting mana several levels higher. ¡°¡­¡­He¡¯s using the Mana of Origin.¡± The Mana of Origin. In other words, the energy of life. Once consumed, it couldn¡¯t be replenished by any means. Just as he had dered, he was staking his life on this. -ash! In the blink of an eye, the ferocious, mana-imbued sword disappeared from my sight. I quickly changed my approach. Facing that head-on with brute force would be suicidal. In that case. ¡®Use the opponent¡¯s strength against them.¡¯ The swordsmanship I decided to teach Kirian. I unleashed the secret technique of the Harhel family that my old friend used for so long. *** ¡°Ancelot, did you know? There¡¯s nothing more foolish than facing a suicidal attacker head-on.¡± Naturally, my friend¡¯s face came to mind. Even the situations from back then. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just because you¡¯re scared of a direct confrontation? Coward.¡± ¡°What did you say, you bastard?¡± ¡°What the hell is soft swordsmanship anyway? Using the opponent¡¯s strength against them? Is that why you get beaten by the Arundel guys every day?¡± ¡°Y-You bastard, after being around that annoying king, you¡¯re bing like him, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Is His Highness your friend? Watch your mouth.¡± ¡°Wow, what a loyal subject. Just because he¡¯s your Highness, you think he¡¯s ours too? I still shiver when I think of the shit he¡¯s done out of greed. What? Make the only empire on the continent? It¡¯s ridiculous.¡± ¡°Just because you don¡¯t acknowledge it doesn¡¯t mean Harhel isn¡¯t part of Swallow¡¯s domain.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this with you. Anyway, back to the point. When did we get beaten by the Arundel guys every day? From what I remember, it¡¯s at least 5:5¡­¡­ ahem, more like 4:6.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get back to the point, too. The idea of using the opponent¡¯s strength against them isn¡¯t bad. It¡¯s effective against opponents stronger than you. But you can¡¯t do anything about ¡®speed,¡¯ can you? Before you can use their strength against them, their sword will pierce your heart.¡± ¡°Why do you keep acting like you don¡¯t get it? Do you think only mages have affinities? Swordsmanship has affinities too. That¡¯s why you train all your life to avoid being outmatched by speed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying don¡¯t stick to just one thing. You should start learning a diversity of styles, like me. Just use the right swordsmanship for the situation. Why make thingsplicated?¡± ¡°Crazy bastard. Do you think everyone in the world is like you?¡± ¡°Heh heh. So you admit I¡¯m an unparalleled genius.¡± ¡°Ugh, so annoying. I¡¯ll manage to scrounge up 500 gold. Just let me punch you once, please. You love money, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me, it¡¯s my old man who loves money.¡± *** A smile naturally crept onto my lips. Even in a perilous situation where I could lose my neck at any moment. Looking back, those times were among the few happy moments in my life. ¡®Yes, Jaeger. It seems you were right.¡¯ In the split second that divided a second into fractions. In my time, the sword was slowly but surely rushing towards me. It was clearly strong and fast. But, ¡®As long as one is notpletely outmatched in speed, the swordsmanship of the Harhel family is second to none.¡¯ That¡¯s why we constantly train our bodies. To have dynamic vision that can follow fast swords. To have reflexes that can respond quickly to the opponent¡¯s attacks. To have muscles and cells that canunch the optimal counterattack right after an attack. Yes. There is certainly an element of affinity in swordsmanship. But it is not absolute. In the end, it¡¯s about who has shed more blood and sweat over their lifetime. Victory and defeat are determined solely by that. Fwip! I raised my sword diagonally upward. Connecting the dots along the optimal path. If the essence of Arundel¡¯s swordsmanship is to find the shortest straight line, ¡®The essence of Harhel¡¯s swordsmanship is to draw the most gentle circle.¡¯ My eyes constantly followed the opponent. Where they were concentrating their strength. Where the central point that could disrupt their bnce was. When the optimal timing was. ¡®Now!¡¯ My eyes shed for a moment. It was the instant when the opponent¡¯s sword was about to split my head like ab. Screeeeech! An unpleasant metallic sound reverberated continuously. They say that if softness reaches its peak, such noise won¡¯t even ur, but it doesn¡¯t matter. This is something time will resolve. For now, I focus solely on deflecting the opponent¡¯s sword. And then, using that force to draw a circle. ¡®Swirl.¡¯ The swordsmanship of the Harhel family shines especially in such confined linear attacks. ¡®Draw the optimal circle.¡¯ Don¡¯t try to overpower him. Use the opponent¡¯s strength against them. The stronger the divine power infused in the enemy¡¯s sword, the higher the sess rate. Even if it¡¯s not faster, heavier, or more domineeringpared to other swordsmanships. ¡®No swordsmanship in this world can dare invade the circle I draw.¡¯ The most perfect circle in the world. Who can break through this absolute domain? The basic and core secret of Harhel¡¯s swordsmanship, the first secret technique. ¡®The Splitting White Night.¡¯ *** A strange day where the sun and night coexisted. My sword was the sun. The opponent¡¯s sword was the night. Even though these two opposing forces shed, neither extinguished the other. They mingled and coexisted, eternally illuminating the heavens and the earth. *** Swish. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Sensing something amiss, the opponent tried to let go of the sword, but it was meaningless. sh! Finally, the two swords drew a circle, and at the same time, a single sound resonated. ¡°¡­¡­Light¡­¡­?¡± Thud, roll. These were thest words left by Assassin B. ¡°A-A single strike against an Expert-level knight¡­¡­?¡± The voice of the astonished father reached my ears. Then. ¡°Gasp! My L-Lord!¡± The remaining guards, who had rushed out upon hearing themotion, suddenly prostrated themselves on the ground. Just in time, Count Arsene also arrived at the scene. ¡°I apologize. I am not yet skilled enough to capture such formidable foes alive.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Arsen, who witnessed me cutting down the enemy, stood there with his mouth agape. ¡°The war has already begun.¡± I gave a light nod as a gesture of respect and walked past him. Only then did Count Arsen regain his senses and hurriedly grabbed me. ¡°W-Wait. Where are you going now?¡± ¡°As you can see, there is no time to waste.¡± I nced back as I replied. ¡°So, I¡¯m going to train my disciples in preparation for the impending war. As a teacher, I cannot stand by and watch my disciples die.¡± ¡°D-Disciples¡­¡­?¡± ¡°And, incidentally, I¡¯ll be taking on the role of a father as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Count Arsen¡¯s eyes widened instantly. ¡°They must be struggling. They lost their mother and brother so suddenly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even so, we cannot remain in despair like this. We must show them. No matter what kind of vile actions they take, the Arsene family will not be broken. In the end, it will be you who breaks.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, Count, you should do your part. I will do mine.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps, over time, you might feel a bit grateful to me. When that timees, please show your gratitude in mary terms, not words.¡± I made a circle with my thumb and middle finger and shed a sly smile. Count Arsen, who had be en staring nkly at me for a long while, finally broke his silence. ¡°¡­¡­I already¡­¡­am.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Count Arsen¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he spoke. ¡°I already¡­¡­ am immensely grateful. My¡­ No, our benefactor.¡± Chapter 27 Chapter 27 ¨C Deration of War (2) The way for Count Arsene to win the war. To obtain the first required item, I immediately sent a message to the Mask of Night. ¡®They might contact me as early as tonight. The colorless mask holds that much symbolic value for them.¡¯ Not just for the Count¡¯s sake, but mine as well, we had to win this territorial war. In this kingdom, there are three ducal houses and five marquisate houses. As the highest-ranking nobility and the central power of the Hart Kingdom, there¡¯s no need to exin the extent of their influence. So, if Count Arsene¡¯s family bes one of these influential houses¡­¡­ ¡®The likelihood of me, a foreigner, representing this country in the Master Tournament would significantly increase.¡¯ A representative is the face of the nation. Moreover, the rmendation for the Master Tournament is limited to one per kingdom. Naturally, in addition to skill, one¡¯s background would be thoroughly scrutinized. In that sense, being a foreigner was a significant disadvantage. Unless I naturalized, I would inevitably be scrutinized for my nationality. With countless candidates eager to elevate their honor, they would exclude dubious ones from the start. Consequently, I needed to secure as many ¡®supporters¡¯ as possible in this kingdom. ¡®My n to participate in the Master Tournament remains unchanged.¡¯ On that day, at that ce, I will show them. To the bastards of the Empire who drove me to death, that Ancelot has returned from hell. ¡®And to the Meeke Duchy, this body¡¯s homnd.¡¯ Strictly speaking, they are strangers to me now. Is that all? I hold no personal grudge from my past life. However, it was hard topletely disregard them. The benefactor who gave me a new opportunity and the owner of this body, Andrew, the seventh prince. It¡¯s only right to repay this child, even if a little. ¡°Master!¡± While I was lost in thought, Harun and Kirian came running from afar. It was a scene that made me tilt my head in confusion. ¡°I called three people, so why are there only two of you?¡± ¡°Well, Jan is still injured and seems to have trouble moving.¡± ¡°In other words, he¡¯s faking it?¡± ¡°F-Faking it?¡± ¡°I heard it¡¯s nothing life-threatening aside from a slight scratch on his eyeball.¡± ¡°A slight scratch on the eyeball, you say¡­¡­¡± Harun trailed off with an awkward expression. Even Kirian avoided my gaze this time. ¡®Even on bad terms, they¡¯re still family, it seems.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Sure, despite being from different mothers, how long have they lived under the same roof? Even if most of that time was unbearable enough to make them want to kill each other, they wouldn¡¯t mock each other in such situations. Unlike beasts, humans are beings with morals and ethics. ¡®Then again, if he were truly that wicked, I wouldn¡¯t have considered raising him in the first ce.¡¯ Perhaps realizing I wouldn¡¯t back down, Harun spoke again. ¡°Master¡­¡­ I hate to say this, but if training is the goal, why not leave him out? Honestly, it doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s faking it.¡± ¡°Do the examiners of the state-sponsored tests consider each candidate¡¯s personal circumstances?¡± ¡°What? No, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then he should drag himself out even if he¡¯s hurt. Unless he wants to render all his previous efforts meaningless over the loss of one eye.¡± ¡°But how could exams matter at a time like this¡­¡­¡± Harun muttered in a voice smaller than an ant. But I heard him clearly. ¡°I should ask you in return. If a territorial war breaks out right now, what does that have to do with you?¡± ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± Harun and even Kirian looked at me with open mouths. ¡°You¡¯re an outsider, Harun, and the same goes for Kirian and Jan.¡± ¡°W-Wait, Master. What do you mean by that? If the family is at risk of copsing, who if not the lord¡¯s children would be concerned?¡± ¡°Children should fulfill their roles as children. There¡¯s no need to act like adults.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Right now, even if you y war games, you¡¯ll only be a hindrance. We¡¯d be lucky if you don¡¯t get captured and negatively impact the oue of the war.¡± I said that and looked at Kirian. ¡°Especially you, Kirian. Your brother has lost an eye and is now disabled. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that the future of the Arsene family rests in your hands.¡± That¡¯s how war is. Even if you win, it¡¯s a monster that brings irreparable and terrible damage to both sides. Thus, above all else, the roots of the family must stay strong. Only then can we rebuild steadfastly even from the ruins after the war. ¡°¡­¡­Then all the more, as the head of the family, I must lead by example¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s just a shallow sentiment, perfect for getting yourself killed. What kind of example can a weakling set? Surely you don¡¯t think the knights under you will follow a bloodless wimp with no title, do you?¡± Only then did Kirian bite his lip softly. Just then. ¡°I agree with that sentiment. It¡¯s a shallow sentiment perfect for getting yourself killed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Step, step, step. Footsteps could be heard from not far away. ¡°J-Jan?¡± Harun and Kirian widened their eyes after seeing the owner of the footsteps. A faint smile also appeared on my lips. ¡°Late on your first day?¡± ¡°What do I have to do?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I heard you have a way to take revenge on the Marquis of Foltaine.¡± I looked Jan up and down lightly as he said that. ¡®This guy, his aura has changed a lot. Just a few days ago, he was merely an immature brat.¡¯ Jan was silently staring at me. His only eye was as calm as a windlesske, but I could see it. A fragment of emotion, like a volcano on the verge of erupting. ¡°You look like you want revenge so badly it¡¯s killing you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. What do I have to do?¡± I sighed lightly at the voice filled with suppressed emotion. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do right now. Revenge requires strength. Especially for someone like you, who has no skills and is blinded by anger. I can¡¯t allow such a weakling to step onto the battlefield.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I lost a precious family member right in front of me. And you¡¯re telling me to just watch?¡± Now, even a distinct murderous intent could be felt in his voice. ¡®Guys like this always cause troubleter.¡¯ I scratched my head, thinking I might need to take drastic measures. ¡°Yeah, just stay put. Don¡¯t cause trouble for those around you.¡± ¡°No matter what you say, I¡¯ll find a way to tear those bastards apart.¡± With that, Jan turned sharply. ¡°I thought you¡¯d changed a bit, but you¡¯re still a brat who doesn¡¯t listen to a word.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°What kind of revenge is possible for a cripple who¡¯s lost an eye?¡± Thinking my words might have been too harsh, the other two opened their eyes wide. ¡°M-Master¡­¡­!¡± I raised my hand to silence Harun. ¡°Do you really believe the Marquis of Foltaine killed your mother? Do you feel like you¡¯ll go crazy if you don¡¯t kill him right now?¡± ¡°You, who haven¡¯t experienced such a thing¡­¡­ will never understand how I feel right now.¡± In my ears, his voice sounded like the cry of a wounded beast. Even if Jan replied without even turning his head. ¡®How could I not understand that feeling?¡¯ You lost your only mother, but I lost my wife, my child, andrades¡ª my everything. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you understand or not, I have to say this because I think differently.¡± ¡°What do you even know¡­¡­!¡± ¡°First. It was your immature foolishness that killed your mother.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Jan¡¯s eyes widened for a moment. Yes. The reason I lost my wife so tragically was because of my stupidity, unable to realize what was truly precious. ¡°Second. It was your unworthy mother¡¯s greed and avarice that led to what happened to your younger sibling.¡± It was my vish loyalty that led myrades to their doom. ¡°And it was your weakness, rolling around helplessly on the ground while your brother died before your eyes, that created this oue.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It was my arrogance and weakness, thinking I would never lose, that killed Andy and myself. ¡°Revenge? I¡¯m not stopping you. What I mean is, be stronger first. If a weak person tries to take revenge on a strong one, it¡¯s not revenge. It¡¯s just another meaningless death.¡± ¡°How¡­¡­ How am I supposed to be stronger in this situation! There¡¯s no time!¡± Jan finally shouted, almost in a fit. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you, I can help you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Finally, Jan opened his one remaining eye wide. Harun, who had been watching the atmosphere, hurriedly intervened. ¡°M-Master! Do you have a n?¡± ¡°First, I have to train you so that you won¡¯t die. Even if you gain the upper hand, if your family is taken hostage, the situation can turn around immediately.¡± Having said that, I looked at the three of them in turn. ¡°So, I n to create a temporary knight order.¡± ¡°A knight¡­¡­ order?¡± I nodded at Harun¡¯s question. ¡°By the way, this is a decision with a long-term view. No matter how strong an individual is, they cannot ovee an organization. Therefore, from now on, you must be an undefeated group. A military force that makes the enemy tremble with fear just by hearing your name, so they won¡¯t even think of sending assassins.¡± Even if we win this war, more sessors to the Marquis of Foltaine will emerge. This is inevitable. So, if we¡¯re going to do this, it¡¯s better for Arsene to be the best in this country. We may be checked, but at least the enemies won¡¯t act recklessly. ¡®Just like the current Empire.¡¯ I murmured to myself as I looked around. ¡°First, Harun and Kirian. You two will be the first members of this knight order.¡± ¡°Huh? Me¡­¡­?¡± Kirian pointed to himself with his finger, and I nodded quietly. ¡°You asked me to teach you how to fight, didn¡¯t you? I don¡¯t teach fighting to just anyone.¡± ¡°B-But that¡¯s¡­¡­¡± Kirian nced at Jan. ¡°You cane and go as you please, but once you¡¯re in, you can¡¯t leave without permission. Of course, there are no duties or responsibilities in this knight order I¡¯m creating, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± ¡°No duties or responsibilities? Then what kind of knight order is that?¡± ¡°Just one thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°When a fellow member is in danger like this time, don¡¯t ignore them and extend a hand. In other words, the basic obligation expected of a decent human being.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°If you can do just that, I won¡¯t impose any other obligations or responsibilities.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A silent stillness descended. All three were lost in their own thoughts. After a while, Harun cautiously asked me. ¡°Master, do you have a name in mind for this knight order?¡± I answered without a moment¡¯s hesitation. ¡°Andy Knights.¡± *** As expected, a visitor came looking for me even before the next morning. ¡°We finally meet.¡± When I returned to my room, he was sitting naturally in a chair, as if he were the owner, waiting for me. Unlike the green one, I could tell at a nce that this person was no ordinary individual. He had the skill to deceive and infiltrate even the highly fortified Count Arsene¡¯s household. ¡®¡­¡­Indigo.¡¯ Above all, he was wearing an indigo mask. ¡°What an honor.¡± I calmly walked over and sat across from him. The masked man, who had been observing me with curious eyes, shrugged his shoulders. ¡°If I¡¯m an important guest, it would be nice if you treated me as such. Why does a young boy speak so rudely?¡± ¡°More importantly, you don¡¯t seem to be the person I was supposed to meet.¡± At my question, the indigo mask tilted his head. ¡°Didn¡¯t the green one inform you? I know the person you want to meet is our leader. But due to the circumstances of our organization¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± When I interrupted at the right moment, his eyes behind the mask flickered slightly. ¡°Well, if you have something to hide, I won¡¯t pry. Anyway, as you know, my situation has be quite urgent.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Have we met before?¡± ¡°As I said, the urgent matter is on our side. Let me speak first.¡± Only then did the self-proimed indigo mask nod his head. ¡°A territorial war is about to take ce.¡± ¡°Yes, and this is the information you want. Unfortunately, as we understand it, the current Count Arsene¡¯s household has less than a 10 percent chance of winning the territorial war.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s why you visited so urgently. If I die like this, you¡¯ll never find the colorless mask.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Silence is often an affirmation. I continued to speak. ¡°I need your help.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The importance of information in war is beyond words. If I can utilize the intelligencework of the Mask of Night that spans the entire continent, the odds of winning this territorial war will greatly increase.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°I want you to continuously provide information during the territorial war. For example, the deployment of enemy forces, characteristics of the surrounding terrain, and key points.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± After a brief silence, the indigo mask burst intoughter. ¡°¡­¡­Hah. I almost got sucked along with your pace. The rumors weren¡¯t entirely exaggerated, it seems.¡± ¡°I believe you¡¯ll agree to this since it¡¯s beyond my control. I have to survive to get the item you¡¯re looking for, don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You could be tortured here to extract the information by force.¡± ¡°Go ahead and try.¡± I deliberately spread my arms lightly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of death?¡± ¡°Not particrly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You could lose something more precious than your life.¡± His voice carried a chilling intent. I knew all too well. That my opponent was someone I couldn¡¯t handle at my current strength. Of course, I wasn¡¯t the type to be intimidated by such things. ¡°Something more precious than my life¡­¡­ Ah, you mean my family?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t specifically referring to anything, so don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± ¡°Oh, well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°If possible, torture my family, not me. If they scream in agony, who knows? Even a tough heart like mine might soften.¡± Those who have nothing to lose are the most dangerous. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± After staring at me for a long time, the indigo mask burst intoughter again. ¡°Hahaha. Well, now that I think about it, your family is also quite messed up.¡± Even in a situation where blood could be drawn any moment, heughed cheerfully. ¡°I admit you¡¯re an interesting guy. But the organization won¡¯t be yed by you any longer. That¡¯s why I came personally. We¡¯ve already made too many unprofitable transactions.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. It would be nice if you could lose just a little more.¡± I clicked my tongue as if genuinely upset about it. The indigo mask, watching me quietly, spoke. ¡°So, I¡¯ll buy your information right now.¡± ¡°As I said, I need to survive first¡­¡­¡± ¡°You were curious about the Great Hero, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± My mouth slowly closed. ¡°If that¡¯s what you¡¯re interested in, I¡¯ll give you information rted to him. I¡¯m confident it will beparable to the whereabouts of the colorless mask.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s hear it first.¡± At my response, the indigo mask answered confidently. ¡°Ancelot Heil Edenberg, the Great Hero of the Empire. I know where his legacy is hidden.¡± Chapter 28 Chapter 28 ¨C So You Weren¡¯t a Traitor (1) ¡°A legacy¡­¡­ you say?¡± The child¡¯s expression immediately went nk. Narakas, who hade wearing his subordinate¡¯s mask,ughed to himself. ¡®Of course, he¡¯d be surprised.¡¯ After all, it was an item left behind by none other than Ancelot Heil Edenberg, the greatest hero in history. Anyone, not to mention this mere child, would be interested. ¡®Now, let¡¯s see if we can put this arrogant brat in his ce, shall we?¡¯ The basic principle of negotiation is to maintain psychological superiority. Even if you want something, you must never show desperation or impatience. The moment you do, you¡¯ll be swept along with your opponent¡¯s pace throughout the negotiation. ¡°And it¡¯s right here in the Hart Kingdom.¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s a lie.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I know Ancelot Heil Edenberg had no ties to the Hart Kingdom. You¡¯re telling me someone like that came all the way to this remote ce to leave an inheritance? Ridiculous.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Narakas chuckled softly. Of course, most would think this way. For one, the distance between Ancelot Heil Edenberg¡¯s empire in the northern part of the continent and this southern remote Hart Kingdom was considerable. They were practically pr opposites. ¡°You¡¯ll see if you follow me.¡± Finally, Narakas arrived at the main point he wanted to discuss. ¡°Follow you?¡± ¡°It just so happens that the ce is nearby.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The child¡¯s eyes went nk. Watching him unable to respond and keeping his mouth shut, Narakas felt a chuckle rising from within. Maybe things would be different if the child feigned disinterest from the start. If he refuses now¡­¡­ ¡°If you¡¯re afraid I might harm you after leading you out of here, you don¡¯t need to worry. I¡¯m not that petty.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After saying his piece, Narakas felt a weight lift from his chest. ¡®He¡¯s been annoying from the start.¡¯ This snot-nosed kid, daring to speak informally just because he¡¯s the client. If it weren¡¯t for the item he was searching for, he would¡¯ve started the conversation with a beating. ¡®So what if he¡¯s royalty?¡¯ He¡¯s only a prince in his own country. How dare he. Moreover, he was the prince of a minor country like the Duchy of Meeke, where even the king would grovel before him. ¡°But if you¡¯re scared, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± Narakas crossed his legs with a more rxed expression. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s meet at the central square with the fountain. It¡¯s not like a stray cat can boldly use the main entrance.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I can decide after I see the item, right?¡± Unexpectedly, the youngster stood up with ease. ¡®The brat¡¯s got some nerve.¡¯ Narakas chuckled and waved his hand. ¡°No need to pretend to be tough. I was just suggesting we show a bit of mutual respect in our conversation¡­¡­¡± ¡°Pretend?¡± The young man tilted his head. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The moment he saw that, Narakas knew. The subtle movement of his pupils. The change in the corners of his mouth. Even the minute variations in his voice. His ability to see through human psychology with such small cues was unparalleled. But this kid. ¡®He¡¯s not afraid?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just bravado. ¡®Is he acting?¡¯ He even entertained this suspicion, but immediately shook his head. That was even more absurd. If this mere youngster could act well enough to deceive his eyes, he would have already been famous across the continent as a prodigy in theater. ¡°¡­¡­Unbelievable.¡± Watching the child leave the room, Narakas muttered nkly. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he know the dangers of the world?¡± In the end, he decided to revise his n slightly. It seemed necessary to observe this young man a bit more closely. *** Step, step, step. The sound of Narakas¡¯ and my footsteps continued for quite a while. It had already been half a day. We had traveled a considerable distance from the mansion of Count Arsene. If something were to happen to me in a ce like this, there would be no expectation of help. Despite this, I followed him willingly for a clear reason. ¡®If he intended to kill me, he could have done so easily at the Count¡¯s estate.¡¯ He was certainly capable of it. If his purpose was to kill me, there was no reason to go through all this trouble. Especially since I knew he had a pathological dislike for inefficiency. ¡®But why a mountain, of all ces?¡¯ Despite these thoughts, I couldn¡¯t help but frown. A small mountain behind the estate. Narakas was leading me there. ¡®If my judgment is wrong and I get stabbed in the back like in my previous life, it will be quite painful.¡¯ It would mean repeating the same mistake like a fool. However, as I said, the possibility was very low. ¡®Never betray a client.¡¯ A principle the Mask of Night had upheld for over 100 years. The reason they remained the best on the continent. ¡®Trust.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t just trusting the man in front of me. I was trusting the history of the organization he belonged to. ¡°This is the ce.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but tilt my head. As he had boasted, the destination wasn¡¯t far. But, ¡°Here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I stared ahead. There was a steep cliff. ¡°Have you read about it in books? Treasures are always hidden in the middle of cliffs like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Or are you just scared?¡± Whish! Before I could respond, Narakas threw himself off the cliff. Whooooooosh! The sharp wind of the open cliff rushed past my body. Looking down, I saw a protruding ledge below. Narakas was there, waving one hand energetically. ¡®About 50 meters down.¡¯ This was a test. If I were an ordinary person, I¡¯d be smashed to pieces upon falling. Even most mana users would meet the same fate. However, Whirl! Without hesitation, I leaped toward the cliff. There was no reason to be daunted here. Using my body instead of a sword was my specialty. ¡®The surface isn¡¯t that smooth.¡¯ The characteristic ruggedness of the rocks. Sharp stones jut out here and there. Just enough to act as footholds. Fwish! Fwish, fwish, fwish! I reduced my falling speed by lightly stepping on them. Thud! ¡°Oho¡­¡­¡± As Inded at the destination in an instant, I immediately heard an exmation from beside me. ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t an ordinary guy, but you¡¯re beyond my imagination. Like a wild beast.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Was it a lie?¡± Without responding, I quietly looked around. It was just a small protruding rock, and the cliff face was ordinary. Hummm! A resonant sound suddenly echoed in my ears. Narakas had taken out a small dagger from his bosom and was infusing it with energy. There was no ce to hide. It was the perfect ce to kill someone, with no one around to notice. Thud! However, the anticipated event did not ur. The sword collided with the cliff¡¯s surface. Had it been an ordinary rock, the aura enveloping the de would have sliced through it like butter. But the surface showed not even a scratch. ¡°This is¡­¡­?¡± My eyes widened in realization. A faint ck sheen enveloping the surface finally came into view. The entire cliff face was magically treated in a special way. Upon closer inspection, even faint cracks were visible along the edge of the cliff. ¡®An artificial mark.¡¯ Perhaps an entrance that had been sealed after excavation, or a hole that was manually blocked. Either way, it was clear this was no ordinary cliff. ¡°As you can see, there¡¯s no way to open this ce, unfortunately. Even if you had the ability, who knows? There might be mechanisms in ce to copse it if forced open.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Judging by your reaction, this is new to you too. I had some expectations, considering your umon nature and interest in Ancelot. Ah, well.¡± Narakas clicked his tongue lightly. ¡°¡­¡­You shared this valuable information based on mere expectations?¡± I found his reaction somewhat hard toprehend. Information is valuable. If this were an unopened hero¡¯s tomb, the information alone could be worth a fortune. ¡°Hoping for a big payout without any investment is the mindset of a thief.¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to believe. Information is more valuable when fewer people know it. You could sell it to someone else for a significant profit.¡± ¡°In my judgment, this was a worthwhile investment.¡± Narakas, his gaze intense, stared at me. ¡°A small clue, curiosity, and suspicion. These thingsbine to form a piece of information.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°For instance, why would a mere child from another country be interested in a great hero?¡± Narakas continued his soliloquy. ¡°Sure, anyone can be interested in Ancelot Heil Edenberg, a hero that transcends borders. But is this child an ordinary one?¡± Narakas shook his head. ¡°No. How could a monster, who killed an expert knight with a single stroke at barely over ten years old, be ordinary?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then another question arises. Are such monstersmon? No. So, are the parents of such a monster ordinary? Maybe, but there¡¯s a high chance they are extraordinary. The saying ¡®like father, like son¡¯ exists for a reason.¡± Narakas held up a finger. ¡°Here¡¯s a hypothesis. What if this child is a descendant of the greatest hero in history? Then this unusual talent and interest in him would be understandable.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, unfortunately, that¡¯s an invalid hypothesis. The monster is the abandoned seventh prince of the Duchy of Meeke, and possesses a clear identity.¡± Interrupting, Narakas twirled a lock of his hair. ¡°This leads to another question. Why does this ill-fated prince care about the great hero? And why has he hidden his abilities until now? Did he recently encounter a stroke of luck? Perhaps his royal family acquired special information about the hero?¡± Narakas smiled. ¡°This is the most usible theory so far. Your strength supports my im. In that sense¡­¡­¡± Narakas spoke in a meaningful tone. ¡°Do you really have no idea?¡± ¡°Just what are you expecting from me?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s be more honest. If what¡¯s inside here is another great hero¡¯s secret, you could be even stronger. I don¡¯t intend to hoard the treasure selfishly. The abandoned prince could certainly dream of revenge.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I gazed at him silently. At this point, I was curious too. What could my unknown inheritance be? ¡°The tomb itself could be fake. Do you really think there¡¯s something inside?¡± ¡°No one knows until we go in.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Before that, why do you think this is Ancelot¡¯s tomb?¡± ¡°Look up.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I followed his pointing finger. In very small letters, something was engraved. [Here Lies the Greatest Hero in History] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Despite Narakas standing next to me, my eyes widened involuntarily. I had always been cautious. I acknowledged Narakas¡¯ abilities. He was skilled at seeing through others¡¯ emotions from their reactions. Not just skilled, but talented to a degree that it could be considered a gift. He used this ability to weed out traitors and maintained his position as the leader. ¡°Bastion¡­¡­¡± Despite th is knowledge, I couldn¡¯t hide the surge of emotion welling up from within. Even my eyes grew misty and red. It was because¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­You survived and escaped safely.¡± The handwriting was all too familiar to me. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 ¨C So You Weren¡¯t a Traitor (2) And right below it, there was a short additional line that read, ¡°When the sun rises.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha! My lord, it seems like they were so scared by usst night that they might have even wet themselves. The sun is already up, but there¡¯s still no sign of them.¡± ¡°Bastion, I¡¯ve told you time and time again.¡± ¡°Yes, I know, I know. I may look like this, but my head isn¡¯tpletely empty. You know, the words you always say to us, I¡¯ve got them engraved right in here.¡± He tapped his head. ¡°And what exactly have you engraved?¡± ¡°Oh, you know. When the sun rises¡­¡­ huh, when the sun rises? The round sun rises, get up? Ah, that¡¯s it! When the sun rises¡­¡­!¡± ¡®¡­¡­Idiot.¡¯ I escaped my brief reverie with a bitter smile. It was as if his voice was still ringing in my ears. ¡°Do you not feel anything after seeing this?¡± At the words of the voice beside me, I looked at the writing more closely. Soon, I understood what Narakas was trying to convey. ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s written in blood.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s written in blood.¡± An ordinary person would focus on the tree, but someone who handles information always looks at the forest. Before collecting the picture in front of him, he first constructs the exhibition hall to disy it in his mind. ¡°Red writing has been a symbol of misfortune since ancient times. Even though it¡¯s just superstition, ¡®blood¡¯ gives an eerie feeling even to those who don¡¯t believe in superstitions.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But why would someone honor their respected hero by leaving a message in blood? And on this perilous cliff, no less.¡± As he said this, Narakas gently touched the writing with his hand. ¡°If I were to specte, being the novelist that I am, the person who left this message must have had a very close rtionship with Ancelot Heil Edenberg. In that case, there¡¯s only one situation I can think of.¡± ¡°I¡¯m interested to hear your thoughts.¡± ¡°The person who left this message was being chased and fell off this cliff. As you might have noticed, this ce is not easy to find unless you stick your neck out into the cold winds of the cliff. Anyway, they managed to survive by a stroke of fate and swore a bloody revenge here.¡± Given Bastion¡¯s personality, this wasn¡¯t just a far-fetched story. In fact, it was highly likely to be true. He was that foolishly loyal and stubborn. ¡®That fool.¡¯ If he survived, he should have just looked for a way to live, rather than seeking revenge.¡± At the same time, I once again admired Narakas. Years had passed, but he was still the same. The insight to deduct information from small clues. Narakas possessed this ability. ¡°If we could get inside, we could determine if my theory holds true. Unfortunately, I haven¡¯t found a way yet, although ¡®When the sun rises¡¯ seems to be some password to open the door.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡± ¡°Actually, a password should have a certain allure to it¡ª something like ¡®When the red moon rises, the world will fall.¡¯ What even is this?¡± Narakas scratched his head vigorously. ¡°Treasure is often hidden in in sight, but the sun rises every day, whether it rains or snows. Even for someone seasoned like me, I have no clue what this means.¡± Without a word, I slowly approached the edge of the cliff. More sensitive to energy than anyone, I could feel it. The faint flow of mana on the cliff¡¯s surface. I ced my hand precisely at the center of this flow. ¡°¡­¡­Always doubt and remain vignt.¡± Bastion¡¯sst words from my memory escaped my lips. As Narakas said, the phrase ¡®When the sun rises¡¯ itself has no special meaning. Since the sun rises every day. In other words, it meant, ¡®never let down your guard.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s because we didn¡¯t put it into practice that we got betrayed like fools.¡¯ A bitter smile spread across my lips again. If I could go back to the past, I¡¯d give them new advice. Not ¡®When the sun rises,¡¯ but to always doubt and be vignt of the ¡®sun.¡¯ Rumble! Boom! ¡°Huh?¡± As the ground vibrated slightly and the door began to open, Narakas was startled. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± As I led the way, Narakas, who had been standing there in a daze, finally came to his senses. ¡°H-Hey! Wait a minute.¡± ¡°We¡¯re both short on time. You can ask how I deciphered the passwordter¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Just what are you thinking, to trust me so easily?¡± Atst, I nced back at Narakas. ¡°I¡¯ve been curious. At first, I thought you were just a reckless kid, but¡­¡­ Watching how you act, it¡¯s as if you know exactly what I¡¯m going to do.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the great hero¡¯s treasure, isn¡¯t it? If you knew the password, wouldn¡¯t it make the most sense toe backter and take it all for yourself?¡± A smallugh escaped my lips. ¡°Would you just watch and let that happen?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Narakas fell silent at my retort. Of course, I wasn¡¯t entirely dismissing other variables, but Bastion wasn¡¯t the type to leave behind treasures. ¡®To him, gold was less valuable than the stones on the road, and weapons were too cumbersome for him to even nce at. So, what treasure?¡¯ In other words, what was inside was likely a message Bastion wanted to convey to me or hisrades. ¡°This might sound absurd, but¡­¡­ Are you my lost brother that my mom secretly gave birth to?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, of course not. I¡¯m actually quite old, despite my appearance. So what is it?¡± Seeing Narakas looking at me in confusion, I couldn¡¯t help butugh again. ¡°Let¡¯s go in, brother.¡± *** The cave was not very deep. A space of barely ten pyeong. The interior was brightly lit by a magical device, and as expected, a spectacle of letters filled the space. ¡°I don¡¯t see any treasures or secret manuals.¡± Ignoring mypanion¡¯s disappointment, I began to immerse myself in the spectacle of the letters. [For well over a hundred days, I have been on the run. In the end, I broke through the encirclement and reached this ce. I don¡¯t even know if my otherrades are alive or dead. Despite all my big talk, I turned out to be powerless.] Before I knew it, Narakas hade up beside me and was reading the letters along with me. ¡°Is this the hidden truth of history?¡± It was none other than the situation of that day. The truths I had longed for more than any treasure were left here. [Why did the emperor, that bastard, betray us? We went through hell, swearing our loyalty. We even would¡¯ve licked his feet!] [Maybe he was afraid of our lord. Cowardly piece of shit. How could such a guy have thought he could be an emperor? I can¡¯t make any sense of it.] The curses against the emperor continued for quite a while. As I read those letters, it felt like Bastion¡¯s voice was directly whispering in my ear. ¡°¡­¡­Even someone who didn¡¯t know anything else would be able to tell his grudge against the emperor runs incredibly deep.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± I covered Narakas¡¯s mouth with my hand and continued reading the letters. I had finally found the part I was looking for. [The bastards found out about the mountain I¡¯m hiding in. Damn it! In the end, I couldn¡¯tpletely break through the encirclement. I didn¡¯t leave any trace, so how did they find me?] [The encirclement is closing in. I can¡¯t rule out the possibility that they¡¯ll discover this ce. Therefore, in case of an emergency, I will leave the truth of history here. If someone other than myrades finds this ce, know this. I am Bastion Arkets,mander of the 2nd Eastern Army of Swallow. My lord, Ancelot Heil Edenberg, is no traitor. He was more devoted to the country and its people than anyone else, and he is my respected hero!] From here, the handwriting suddenly became hurried. As if conveying the urgency of the situation at that time. The problem was its content. [Dammit! There was a lingering scent on my neck. They tracked me using this. This tracking technique is a secret known only to us. I hate to believe it, but it seems there was a traitor among us. My foolish self realized this toote.] [I just encountered the initial pursuit squad. I barely lost them by jumping off a cliff, but this ce will soon be discovered, too. Moreover, I finally understood why the lingering scent was left on me.] My concentration reached its peak. [Who could have imagined? That traitor bastard is¡­¡­] ¡°¡­¡­¡± At that moment, my heart sank. At the most crucial point, the text abruptly cut off. ¡°Oh, dear. There¡¯s no continuation. Was he attacked at the decisive moment?¡± I lightly shook my head at Narakas¡¯s voice. ¡°¡­¡­No. It¡¯s not that there¡¯s nothing there.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It was erased.¡± I stared quietly at the wall. Though they had desperately tried to hide it by scraping the surface and applying magical treatment, my eyes could not be deceived. This section was distinctly different from the rest. Hummm! With a small resonant sound, mana began to concentrate in my eyes. The eyes are the weakest part of the body. No reasonable knight would think to surround their eyes with mana. Even a slightpse in mana control could cause the fragile eyeballs to burst. However, if one could manage this, even the dynamic vision, known to be impossible to train separately, could be greatly improved. ¡°Erased?¡± Only then did Narakas quickly run his hand over the surface. Although he didn¡¯t possess mana control abilities like mine. ¡°I-Indeed, the texture is different.¡± He had the experience of living as an informant. ¡°No doubt about it. Someone else was here before us.¡± I closed my eyes at his voice. It was the worst-case scenario I had feared. ¡®I had some hope, but¡­¡­¡¯ Bastion was dead. But, at the same time, I felt a sense of relief. At least it was proven that he was not the traitor. In fact, Bastion had been the onerade I suspected the least among the five. ¡°Something¡¯s odd, though.¡± Narakas, who said this, looked around. ¡°If they wanted to hide the traitor, they could have just sealed it off cleanly. Why bother erasing only thest part? It feels unnecessarily unsettling.¡± ¡°¡­¡­A trap.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± As if he had already expected it, Narakas nodded. The traitor wanted the otherrades to discover this. Blinded by rage, they would return to the Empire on their own. ¡°Then, this Bastion guy wasn¡¯t thest sacrifice. Since the remainingrades weren¡¯t captured, the traitor must have left this trap.¡± As he said, it meant there was a survivor who hadpletely broken through the encirclement and escaped. Should I call it a small fortune amidst misfortune? My heart felt slightly lighter. ¡°There¡¯s another odd thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°From the content, it¡¯s clear this wasn¡¯t written in a single sitting, but across multiple days, one entry at a time. He must have used this ce as a base, leaving regr records and, in between, climbing the cliff to find a way to break through the encirclement. He would have needed to gather food too. In the midst of that, he was discovered¡­¡­¡± Narakas, continuing his exnation, drew his finger across his neck. ¡°He was killed. But those guys already knew this ce was the base of a dead man. They had that special tracking technique called ¡®lingering scent.¡¯¡± ¡­¡­It was as he said. Knowing everything already, they didn¡¯t kill Bastion right away. Like hunters enjoying their prey¡¯s slow demise, they watched him wither day by day. They must have mocked him withughter. ¡°What a cruel bastard. From a third party¡¯s perspective, that traitor seems more despicable than the Emperor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s head back. It seems you didn¡¯t find what you were looking for.¡± I turned around sharply. If I stayed here any longer, I wouldn¡¯t be able to control my killing intent. ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a moment of silence, Narakas spoke. ¡°Our people will begin a formal investigation here soon. If we find anything else, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I looked back at him with a puzzled expression. Why would he extend such a favor? ¡°Well, think of it as a whim or an investment. Let¡¯s call the information about this ce even for letting me look around inside.¡± I stared at him quietly. Though they say the most frightening thing is a favor without reason. ¡®I can trust him for now.¡¯ He must have many questions for me. If it¡¯s Narakas, he won¡¯t harm me until his curiosity is satisfied. Having made my decision, I nodded lightly. ¡°Thank you.¡± *** ¡°¡­¡­¡± Nothing happened on the way back to the count¡¯s estate. However, the real problem arose after we arrived at our destination. ¡°Sobbbb¡­¡­¡± From the entrance, the faint sound of several people wailing could be heard. It was as if someone had died. ¡°¡­¡­Dead?¡± Naturally, my pace quickened. ¡°B-Boss!¡± As I entered, Harun, who spotted me from a distance, ran over. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Th-Th-The thing is¡­¡­¡± Harun, who had reached me, hurriedly took a deep breath. Soon, my suspicions turned into certainty. ¡°Just now, the youngest of the Arsene family died. That¡­¡­ that k id named Hersen.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± My eyes widened in shock. This disaster had finally urred. I steeled myself. There was only one meaning to the current situation. ¡°¡­¡­Now, the destruction of one side is inevitable.¡± Chapter 30 Chapter 30 ¨C So You Weren¡¯t a Traitor (3) The entire Hart Pce was turned upside down. The cause was an urgent letter that arrived from Count Arsene¡¯s household a few days ago. The king wrestled with the issue alone for hours but couldn¡¯te up with a clear solution. Thus, he summoned all the princes and princesses, who were considered the future of the kingdom. ¡°As you may already know, Count Arsene has dered war against Marquis Foltaine.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± ¡°The count lost his wife and his most promising heir was crippled on the same day. Given the circumstances, there¡¯s no choice but to allow this territorial war.¡± King Melio II sighed deeply as he spoke. ¡°What do the princes and princesses think?¡± The first to respond was Prince Fury Kun Hart, the heir to the throne. ¡°Father, a territorial war is absolutely uneptable. It is realistically a stretch for Count Arsene¡¯s household to single-handedly fight against Marquis Foltaine¡¯s household.¡± ¡°However, among the various count¡¯s households, it is true that Count Arsene¡¯s is the only one capable of standing against Marquis Foltaine¡¯s household.¡± This time, it was the second prince, Terry Kun Hart, who voiced his opinion. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the standard. The Foltaine household possesses military power that rivals the top among the five marquis households.¡± ¡°If we refuse the territorial war because of the current reality, we stand to lose much more. Avoiding the fight because we fear defeat will have a negative impact even on the neutral nobles who have maintained a stance of neutrality.¡± Prince Fury gritted his teeth at his younger brother¡¯s words. ¡°We must hold the Foltaine household ountable immediately. How dare they send assassins to another noble household within the same country? Moreover, they are the ones who caused this situation. Illegal ve trading in our country!¡± ¡°The marquis will just deny any knowledge of it. As always.¡± Unlike his somewhat hot-tempered older brother, the second prince, Terry, was coldly rational. ¡°May I say something?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At that moment, one of the two princesses, who had been silent until then, spoke up. Even Terry, the second prince, couldn¡¯t ignore her voice. ¡®Mary¡­¡­¡¯ She was the first princess, Mary, and the eldest among the siblings. Someone Terry personally found more daunting than his older brother, the crown prince. ¡°One thing is clear. Once the war begins, the victor will be deemed just.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± This time, no one hastily responded. Silence itself was an affirmation. In the current situation, where the power struggle between the two factions had reached its peak, this kind of power logic had greater influence than anything else. ¡°Let¡¯s consider the opposite of what the second prince suggested. If we can win this fight, we could potentially bring the neutral middle forces, who have maintained neutrality, under our sway.¡± ¡°But we have to win first. Win! The royal family can¡¯t offer any help. A territorial war is solely a battle between the two households.¡± ¡°Even so, we must find something we can do. If we just sit idly by, iming there¡¯s nothing we can do, the situation will deteriorate further.¡± ¡°How can it get any worse than this¡­¡­!¡± Before Prince Fury could finish his sentence. ¡°Y-Your Majesty! We¡¯ve just received word that the second son of Count Arsene¡¯s household has died!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Immediately, everyone present widened their eyes. ¡°¡­¡­Just like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A suffocating silence descended. It was indeed a dire dilemma. Allowing the war meant certain defeat, but forbidding it meant losing even more than if they had been defeated. At that moment, Princess Mary slowly rose from her seat. ¡°Your Majesty, how about granting a conditional territorial war?¡± ¡°A conditional territorial war?¡± ¡°Allowing the territorial war between the two households with a set time, predetermined location, and limited participants. Think of it as a kind of knight¡¯s tournament¡ª it should be easier to understand.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Finally, King Melio II¡¯s eyes lit up with interest. Indeed, a knight¡¯s tournament would minimize the loss of their forces. Most importantly, it would allow the royal family to control the situation. The real problem, however¡­¡­ ¡°Will the Foltaine Marquisate truly ept a knight¡¯s tournament?¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t, they too stand to lose more, just as Terry mentioned.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this situation somewhat different?¡± ¡°Not at all. From the Foltaine Marquisate¡¯s perspective, the worst-case scenario is being presented with solid evidence and facing punishment. They would wee the Count Arsene household¡¯s rash challenge.¡± ¡°And if they still don¡¯t ept?¡± ¡°That would be fine as well. If we propose a mediation n and the parties fail to reach an agreement, the ¡®state¡¯ can then intervene. In other words, we would have the justification to step in.¡± Mary¡¯s voice brimmed with confidence. ¡°This battle must be controlled by our royal family. For that, we should set the battle location here in the capital. If the Arsene Count¡¯s household loses, we can issue a royalmand to end the conflict with appropriate sanctions on the Foltaine Marquisate. Since they¡¯re the ones at fault, they may grumble but won¡¯t be able to openly defy us.¡± Princess Mary was speaking as if the Arsene Count¡¯s household would definitely lose. In fact, no one else, not just Mary, believed that their side would win. ¡°Does anyone have any other opinions?¡± In response to King Melio II¡¯s question, the second prince, Terry, cautiously spoke up. ¡°There is one fact we are all overlooking.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t actually heard Count Arsene¡¯s own wishes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± In the silence that followed, Prince Fury let out a scoffingugh. ¡°Of course, he would ept. Even the Count must know he can¡¯t win with such a disparity in forces. Though he¡¯s blinded by rage now, he¡¯ll regain his senses soon enough.¡± Princess Mary, frowning, added to his words. ¡°Even though he suffered an irreparable loss, he recklessly dered a territorial war without consulting the royal family, putting everyone in a difficult position. If he dares to refuse a royalmand, he deserves punishment, not help.¡± The first prince and the first princess, who had the most influence after King Melio II, were in agreement. Finally, a consensus was reached. ¡°Coincidentally, the knight¡¯s examination ising up. Announce the territorial war between the two households to coincide with that day. The examiners will serve as witnesses. The two households will engage in a knight¡¯s tournament in front of them.¡± The knight¡¯s examination is a nationally certified test and a grand festival held once every few years. Naturally, countless nobles attend to enjoy the festivities. Their reasons for attending vary. Parents of future examinees. People who want to personally see the country¡¯s future. Those with local influence who wish to catch the eyes of central nobles and advance their status. ¡°W-Wait a moment. Fewer witnesses might be better. In a situation where the Arsene household is bound to lose, there¡¯s no need to expose our royal faction¡¯s shorings to outsiders.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Since the oue is obvious, having many witnesses will prevent the Foltaine Marquisate from acting rashly. They wouldn¡¯t dare defy a royalmand or draw swords in such a setting.¡± Despite Prince Fury¡¯s concerns, Mary continued speaking with unwavering confidence. ¡°Furthermore, no one, including us, believes the Arsene household will win.¡± ¡°So, there¡¯s no risk of public disappointment?¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± Princess Mary¡¯s final words were decisive. Soon, King Melio II made his decision. ¡°As the princess suggested, I grant the conditional territorial war. The number of participants will be one hundred. The timing will be the day after the knight¡¯s examination. Both princes are to inform the Foltaine Marquisate and the Arsene household of this decision.¡± The two princes immediately bowed. ¡°We will carry out your orders.¡± *** Deep into the night. Lying in bed, I quietly opened my eyes. The masked figure, now one with the darkness, was slowly slipping through the window. Without moving, I spoke up. ¡°Is it alright toe and go in someone else¡¯s house as if it¡¯s your own?¡± ¡°Well, if I get caught, I¡¯ll take responsibility. At the very least, I¡¯ll make sure the short-tongued young prince doesn¡¯t get into trouble, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°You¡¯re more shameless than you look.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious that our Mask of NIght would be in a ce where information is likely to leak?¡± As always, Narakas was here, wearing the mask borrowed from his subordinate. ¡°What brings you here this time?¡± ¡°A small pebble is causing far more ripples in theke than expected. I wanted to let you know.¡± ¡°Am I that small pebble?¡± Narakas nodded silently. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re aware, but this country is like a volcano on the verge of eruption. Narakas continued, sitting on the windowsill. ¡°The Kingdom of Hart has long been divided between two factions sharing power: the royal faction centered around the king, and the noble faction led by the two dukes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it.¡± ¡°Like most countries these days, the Kingdom of Hart is no different. It¡¯s be extremely stagnant.¡± Narakas quietly gazed at the moonlight streaming through the window. ¡°The reason is clear. Over the past few decades, countries have rapidly built up their power to check the empire. They desperately tried not to be devoured by the giant monster. But what happens if you keep inting a balloon?¡± ¡°It eventually bursts.¡± ¡°Exactly. Power umtes, but there¡¯s no outlet for it. And since they can¡¯t confront the empire just because they¡¯ve grown a bit, they¡¯re left with pointless internal power struggles.¡± Humanity is fundamentally designed that way. Once they get a hold of even the smallest fragment of power, they be desperate to use it someway, somehow. Despite already having sufficient power, they continuously crave more. ¡°Even if you have a foolproof strategy and the Arsene Count¡¯s household eventually wins, that itself is a problem. Regardless of the oue, the entire country will be engulfed in chaos.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of you. You are the catalyst for that war.¡± Narakas¡¯s voice carried a strange sense of intimidation. ¡°And yet, you feel no guilt? Huh? Seventh Prince of the Duchy of Meeke?¡± He was trying to frighten me. Questioning whether a mere child like me could bear the heavy burden of death. ¡°There¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve realized in my life.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°In the end, what is meant to happen will happen.¡± Narakas flinched. ¡°If I weren¡¯t here, would there be no war in this country? I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Narakas stared intently into my eyes through his mask. Of course, I didn¡¯t avoid his gaze. After a moment of silence. ¡°¡­¡­Alright. I¡¯ll ept your proposal from before. I¡¯ll provide you with information during the war. As you said, we need our client to survive if we¡¯re to get our payment.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°In return, though it¡¯s not much, could you satisfy my curiosity?¡± ¡°I think I know what you¡¯re curious about.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°You want to know what kind of rtionship I have with Ancelot Heil Edenberg, don¡¯t you?¡± Narakas let out a smallugh at my question. ¡°You¡¯re a sharp kid, just as I thought.¡± ¡°As you might have guessed, I learned his swordsmanship.¡± This was an answer I had prepared for such a situation. He would have no choice but to believe it. Natural talent and outstanding swordsmanship. If that was the case, then even my abnormal skills would make some sense. ¡°Though I didn¡¯t receive direct instruction, I consider him my mentor in spirit.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s why you¡¯re uncovering the truth of history? Even though you might get killed by that greedy emperor?¡± ¡°Even so, it would only be right for a student to avenge their mentor.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± At this point, a faint smile appeared on my lips. ¡°Even if I¡¯m not serious, isn¡¯t this the answer I should give right now? In a situation where I¡¯m constantly being tested like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Narakas widened his eyes. And after a brief moment. ¡°¡­¡­Really, what¡¯s with you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You know me too well. I don¡¯t recall ever meeting a brat like you.¡± Narakas¡¯s yful murmur suddenly turned serious. ¡°Honestly, I like you. So here¡¯s some advice¡ª no, a warning.¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°If you really learned his swordsmanship, always be cautious. Until now, you might have met only amateurs who couldn¡¯t recognize it, but if you meet the ¡®real deal,¡¯ the situation will change. If those people are from the empire¡­¡­¡± Narakas¡¯s voice grew chilling as he trailed off. ¡°¡­¡­They will try to kill you no matter what. To them, you are the return of the thorn in their side, the hero they went to such lengths to eliminate. So, don¡¯t use that swordsmanship when there¡¯s a lot of eyes on you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t promise that, as I already have a n.¡± ¡°A n¡­¡­?¡± ¡°To grow stronger and stronger, and then, at the Master Tournament watched by the entire continent, to proudly disy that swordsmanship.¡± ¡°Th-The Master Tournament?¡± So ovee with shock, the Narakas stuttered. And then. ¡°¡­¡­Heh.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Knowing the gist of my n, Narakas burst intoughter. ¡°You lunatic. You¡¯re practically asking to be killed!¡± ¡°Is it that bad?¡± ¡°Heheh. I¡¯ve never heard such a refreshing piece of nonsense in my life.¡± Narakasughed so hard he nearly doubled over. ¡°¡­¡­Hahaha. If that really happens, the expressions on those imperial bastards¡¯ faces will be priceless. They went through all that trouble to eliminate their rival by making him a hero, and now his sessor shows up at the Master Tournament using his swordsmanship¡­¡­ In that case, the empire wouldn¡¯t dare to harm you, given their own words.¡± Narakas patted my shoulder as if to encourage me. ¡°Suddenly, I really want to see this. I¡¯m genuinely rooting for you, kid.¡± ¡°Just with words?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I calmly extended my hand. ¡°Give me. Encouragement money.¡± *** At daybreak, Count Arsene summoned me to the family head¡¯s hall. ¡°The response from the royal pce just arrived.¡± ¡°What did they say?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve granted permission for territorialbat. However, it¡¯s conditional.¡± ¡°What are the conditions?¡± Count Arsene replied to my question with a stern face. ¡°A hundred men. Elite forces from each family will fight in front of His Majesty the King until one side concedes. Killing must be avoided as much as possible. However, given the clear evidence, the royal court will conduct a separate investigation into the matter.¡± ¡°In summary, self-praise experts have once againe up with some bullshit after sitting around a table.¡± There was no point in listening further. A significant event had unfolded, and they expected us to perform a collective charade without any strategy or tactics and wait quietly? The ones who thought of this and those who epted it verbatim¡ªI haven¡¯t seen the king¡¯s face, but I can already guess what kind of person he is. ¡°Send a reply. Ask if they would still say such things if the queen of this country were to die.¡± ¡°Are you suggesting we defy the royal decree?¡± ¡°Royal decree, my foot. If the king ordered you to carry wood and jump into fire, would you obediently say, ¡®I will follow orders!¡¯ and do it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­If there¡¯s a justifiable reason, then naturally, I would. Loyalty is the basic duty of a subject.¡± ¡°I assure you, that¡¯s not loyalty but a ve mentality.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Count Arsene¡¯s eyes widened at my blunt words. ¡°Remember this. Among the preparation required to win this war, the most important thing is to discord that damned ve mentality first.¡± Chapter 31 Chapter 31 ¨C Five Great Assassin Guilds (1) ¡°ve¡­¡­ mentality.¡± Count Arsene grit his teeth. How could he not understand? ¡®Right now, there¡¯s no one here more frustrated than you.¡¯ He lost his wife and child overnight. Another son is now blind in one eye. Yet the king, whom he served with lifelong loyalty, told him to just vent a little and bear with it. This was no reward for loyalty. The position of a vassal was insignificant. No, they received less consideration than rat droppings. It was a choice made solely for maintaining the king¡¯s own power and influence. If he had even a bit of consideration for his vassals, at the very least, he shouldn¡¯t have made this decision. ¡®Either trust your vassals and let them fight even if they break, or call out Marquis Foltaine yourself and deal with him ording to thew. No matter what, isn¡¯t this wrong? O, King of Hart.¡¯ Thus, Count Arsene couldn¡¯t avoid secondary or tertiary damage. The royal family set the stage assuming aplete defeat. Despite being the obvious victim, he had no choice but to show a powerless copse in front of countless onlookers. In this way, Count Arsene would lose not only his family but also himself. ¡®What is it that you want to protect so much that you¡¯d go to such lengths? Is power so important?¡¯ There is no king without vassals. There is no country without its people. Loyalty, chivalry, duty as a vassal¡ª those pretentious values lead to this kind of oue. ¡®I won¡¯t let it happen now that I¡¯m involved.¡¯ I clenched my fists. At this moment, Count Arsene was a reflection of my past self. And that¡¯s why. ¡®I won¡¯t watch this kind of foolishness again. At least not from those around me.¡¯ For that, I had to regain my past strength as soon as possible. I needed to be more ustomed to this new body. And it just so happened that the environment was perfect. ¡®The battlefield.¡¯ I had lived my whole life in a ce where blood and flesh flew. A battlefield where I constantly tread the line between life and death at every moment. The only ce that could forcibly maintain an extreme state of tension. In such an environment, I could regain my strength much faster. ¡°¡­¡­ Even if this is a ve mentality¡­¡­¡± It was then that the silent Count Arsene spoke. ¡°¡­¡­In reality, defying the king¡¯s orders could lead to being used of treason.¡± ¡°Treason? In a situation where every bit of power is precious, would he really cut off his own arm just because of a disobeyed order?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene just looked at me without answering. ¡°¡­¡­Ha¡­¡­¡± It didn¡¯t take long to realize that his silence was an affirmation. ¡°What kind of person is the king of this country? At this point, I¡¯d like to at least see his face once.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Even so, he is praised as a wise king. He tries to avoid fights that can be avoided, and he personally steps in to actively mediate disputes and controversies that happen right in front of him.¡± In other words, he¡¯s a cowardly little chicken. ¡°When opinions among allies diverge, rather than rashly taking sides, he wisely leads them to reach a consensus. So no one feels slighted.¡± In other words, he¡¯s indecisive and delegates all important decisions to his vassals. Basically, he¡¯s shirking responsibility. ¡°Just looking at the fact that he has unequivocally designated the first prince as the next king shows that he believes it¡¯s better not to shed blood among family. No one disputes that the current king is a wise ruler.¡± He¡¯s your typical fool, who thinks he can control his children as he pleases. ¡°Furthermore, he extremely dislikes things going wrong once a decision has been made. I¡¯m not mentioning treason just for the sake of it. Regardless of my feelings, I can¡¯t defy the king¡¯s orders because of such realistic issues.¡± ¡°Fine. Then let¡¯s overturn the board.¡± ¡°Overturn¡­¡­ the board?¡± ¡°The answer is already clear, isn¡¯t it? Even so, we can¡¯t follow such a ridiculous royalmand¡­¡­¡± A faint smile appeared on my lips. ¡°Let¡¯s make those Foltaine bastards defy the king¡¯s orders instead of us.¡± ¡°What?¡± Only then did Count Arsene¡¯s eyes widen. This was actually better. In war, it is natural that the defending side has the advantage over the attacking side. There¡¯s a reason why they say you need at least three times the number of troops to besiege a fortress. ¡°We¡¯ll create a situation where those bastards lose their cool and attack us first.¡± ¡°It would be ideal if we could, but¡­¡­ how exactly?¡± ¡°Before we talk about that¡­¡­¡± I nced towards the garden, which had been noisy since morning. ¡°The spies who escaped. You lost track of them, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Count Arsene¡¯s expression hardened again. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m embarrassed.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so ashamed. You don¡¯t need to scold your subordinates either. This was an inevitable oue.¡± ¡°How can I not be ashamed? We lost them so helplessly, even though their escape route was obvious!¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been hiding in your household for over a decade, waiting for an opportunity. Their level of preparation is not ordinary.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene finally fell silent. ¡°If the Marquis of Foltaine was employing such foolishckeys, you wouldn¡¯t be in such a predicament now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°In any case, to carry out our n, we need to capture them first.¡± Count Arsene let out a long sigh. ¡°It¡¯s toote. The spies disappeared without a trace as soon as they exited the north gate. We should have captured them within the castle, while they were still in our territory. I¡¯m sure there must be another force aiding their escape.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± On this point, my opinion differed slightly. ¡°Given the way the Marquis of Foltaine has behaved so far, he doesn¡¯t seem like someone who cares that much about his subordinates.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Would he realistically take such risks just to save a few spies? From what I¡¯ve seen of the Marquis of Foltaine, he would probably just tell them to bite their tongues and die.¡± ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± ¡°Although illegitimate, you can tell just by how he treats his own children, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Count Arsene flinched, seemingly realizing something. ¡°Lurking around will only provide the enemy with an opportunity. It¡¯s better to sever ties altogether. That way, it¡¯s easier to deny having nted spies here in the first ce.¡± ¡°Then where are those bastards now? Are you saying they escaped right under our noses without any support? That¡¯s absurd.¡± I stood up from my seat. ¡°Well, I have a rough idea where they might be, so please leave this matter to me.¡± *** Late at night, when twilight had fallen outside the window. Without lighting even a singlentern, three men gathered in the living room. They were none other than the spies from Count Arsene¡¯s household who were reported to have escaped outside the castle. ¡°We will stay hidden here for the time being.¡± This ce was a in house located in the center of the city. There was very little chance of arousing suspicion. It wasn¡¯t an empty house; a family of four had lived here until recently. Moreover, the family continued to lead normal lives to avoid arousing the neighbors¡¯ suspicions. ¡°When did you manage to bring the captain of the north gate guard to our side, sir?¡± ¡°He has been on our side for a long time.¡± Jake answered calmly. It was only natural. Anyone with a brain would choose the Marquis¡¯ household over the Count¡¯s. Evenmoners knew about the power of the noble faction in the Hart Kingdom. Fools who knew nothing imed the two factions were evenly matched. Some idiots even said the royal faction was still stronger. This was because Duke Kairos, known as the kingdom¡¯s greatest swordsman, was in the royal faction. However, ¡®Do the other two dukes just sit idly by?¡¯ Out of the three masters in the kingdom, two were in the noble faction. Moreover, they were much younger than old man Kairos. Unlike the eighty-year-old geezer, the two dukes were only around fifty. If the two in their prime joined forces, there was no way they couldn¡¯t handle one old man. ¡°A war is about to start.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The two spies, who had been listening attentively to Jake, widened their eyes. War. They knew what war meant in this context. It wasn¡¯t just about a territorial dispute. ¡°Atst¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Will it be alright? Duke Kairos is still strong, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°People age. There¡¯s information that Duke Kairos hasn¡¯t left his house recently.¡± ¡°Do you mean he¡¯s suffering from old age?¡± ¡°Even a superhuman is still human. He cannot go against the natural order.¡± As if finally understanding, the two other spies nodded. ¡°So we¡¯ll continue with our task.¡± ¡°Our task?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve lost contact with ourrades. That likely means they failed to eliminate Vigri de Foltaine.¡± The two spies exchanged knowing looks. ¡°We will make sure to kill that bastard and silence him.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°That filthy pig is no longer needed. Our real goal was different from the start.¡± They say that ns should have a second, and even a third,yer. It was a kind of diversionary tactic. ¡°We caused amotion in the east and created chaos in the west. By now, they probably think our real target is Vigri de Foltaine and have increased the security around the prison.¡± ¡°Are you saying¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The enemy is extremely confused right now. They are trying to protect that idiot while also chasing us.¡± ¡°You mean there¡¯s another n?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. We don¡¯t have much time. Soon the pursuers will notice something is wrong. Before that¡­¡­¡± Jake¡¯s eyes gleamed with a murderous intent as he trailed off. ¡°¡­¡­We will personally eliminate Count Arsene.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The two spies widened their eyes, not expecting Count Arsene¡¯s name toe up. ¡°C-Count Arsene?¡± ¡°B-But he¡¯s an Expert-level swordsman. Can we do it by ourselves?¡± Jake chuckled at their concern. ¡°Do you know why the Marquis sent me here? Because I¡¯m stronger than him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The meaning of these words was clear. ¡°Were you¡­¡­ hiding your true strength, sir?¡± ¡°The operation will take ce at dawn. I¡¯ll personally kill Count Arsene, and you just need to create a distraction near the underground prison¡­¡­¡± Rustle. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, Jake, who was speaking, fell silent. ¡°The n sounds usible, huh? Maybe that¡¯s because you haven¡¯t been hit yet.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Who¡¯s there?¡± ¡°They say it¡¯s darkest under themp, and here you are, hiding like rats.¡± ¡°You are¡­¡­?¡± Jake¡¯s eyes widened as he confirmed the identity of the figure who casually opened the window and entered. It was none other than that wretched kid from the Count¡¯s household. ¡°How did you find this ce¡­¡­?¡± ¡°My informant is quite exceptional, you see.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jake¡¯s gaze turned dark. Right. Everything had gone wrong because of this bastard. Originally, he would have gradually built trust and then escaped after eliminating Count Arsene at the crucial moment. ¡°Did youe alone?¡± ¡°No need to bring anyone else to deal with a few rats.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Heh, I had a feeling.¡± Shiiing. A chilling metallic sound echoed around the room. Despite this, the arrogant kid remained calm. ¡°I knew as soon as I saw you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it? The one who killed Lady Isabelle.¡± ¡°¡­¡­So? What¡¯s your point?¡± ¡°I examined the wound that caused her death closely. It was clean¡ª too clean. It wasn¡¯t the work of knights swinging their swords around this way and that. It had to be someone highly trained. Like an ¡®assassin,¡¯ for example.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For the first time, Jake¡¯s pupils trembled. ¡°Judging by your aura, you¡¯re at least an Intermediate Expert level. There are only a few organizations on the continent that couldmand someone like you. Maybe one on the level of the Five Great Assassin Guilds.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you find it strange? If Vigri de Foltaine was the real target, why not use someone of your caliber? Why send ipetentckeys?¡± At this point, Ancelot¡¯s voice took on a meaningful tone. ¡°One more thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The first thing Swallow did after gaining power was to eliminate those Five Great Assassin Guilds, right?¡± This I remember clearly. The emperor, who desired immortality, had an intense desire to live. He wasn¡¯t the type to let assassin guilds, who could threaten his life at any time, run free. So, towards the end of the unification war, he personally ordered themanders of the north, south, east, and west to wipe out the Assassin guilds. The Five Great Assassin Guilds, especially, were to be hunted down and killed like rats. ¡°After that, assassins dared not show themselves openly. So how is it that someone like you is still walking around so brazenly?¡± Ancelot hated the Empire but acknowledged their strength. The Five Great Assassin Guilds? Those assassins would have been wiped out within ten years at most. But now, more than twenty years have passed since then. ¡°Just who are¡­¡­?¡± Suddenly, Jake, who was about to say something, froze . In a grotesque twist, Ancelot¡¯s mouth stretched into a wide, unsettling grin. He had never seen such a chilling smile in his life. ¡°I¡¯m really curious. Who is the true master hiding behind a ve like you?¡± Chapter 32 Chapter 32 ¨C Five Great Assassin Guilds (2) ¡®What in the world is this brat?¡¯ An rm rang in Jake¡¯s mind. He had a bad feeling about this. ¡®How does he know about the Five Great Assassin Guilds?¡¯ The Five Great Assassin Guilds had not been active for over ten years. No, it would be more urate to say they ¡®couldn¡¯t¡¯ be active. In the past, the Empire had decided to eradicate the assassinspletely. Of course, at first, everyone associated with the Five Great Assassin Guilds scoffed at this. They were assassins, after all. They were the experts in escaping, hiding, disguising, and erasing traces. Most importantly, they were a ¡®ndestine organization¡¯ where even they didn¡¯t know each other¡¯s identities. No matter how powerful the Empire was, how could outsiders possibly track down and capture all of them? It didn¡¯t take long for them to realize they were mistaken. Just five years. That¡¯s how long it took for the Five Great Assassin Guilds to bepletely annihted. The four who led the mission were truly extraordinary beings. The survivors were only released after they were humiliated, forced to take an oath of loyalty, and had a prohibition ced on them by the Emperor. As a result, the name of the Five Great Assassin Guilds was now fading from people¡¯s memories¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­Even if it¡¯s just a suspicion, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ This brat, he had a bad feeling about him. His actions so far had been particrly annoying. ¡®I¡¯ll kill him here.¡¯ There wasn¡¯t much time left. He would not return to that hellish life again. ¡®If any word gets out from this brat¡¯s mouth about any connection between me and the Empire, I¡¯ll be the one who gets assassinated.¡¯ This was why Jake was desperate. ¡°Murderous intent is just pouring out of your eyes.¡± As I was speaking. Shrrrrrrrrk! At the same time, a curtain of countless weapons emerged from Jake¡¯s chest. *** sh! My body reacted first to the killing intent. Bang! Crash! I immediately threw myself out of the window I had entered through. The source of the killing intent quickly revealed itself. Boom! Boom! Boom! Silver des shed through the narrow space in an instant. ¡®Definitely not an ordinary guy.¡¯ Handling multiple daggers, not swords, to this level. Indeed, with such skill, only the Five Great Assassinse to mind. That¡¯s why it was even more puzzling. Once again, towards the end of the Unification War, the Emperor had directly ordered allmanders, including myself to eradicate the assassins. In fact, I personally decapitated the heads of two of the Five Great Assassins. Of course, I don¡¯t know what happened afterward, but if the Emperor spared a few assassins, I could guess the reason. ¡®It¡¯s probably the same reason why the Empire left the Mask of Night alone.¡¯ Because they¡¯re useful. ¡®Indeed, there¡¯s no doubt the Empire is behind him.¡¯ The judgment was made. If so, Shiiing. I quietly drew the sword I had brought. Hummm! Reacting to the mana, the sword immediately emitted a resonant sound. Narakas, the leader of the Mask of the Night, had clearly warned me. That under no circumstances should I reveal anything to the Empire. Especially my rtionship to the great hero, Ancelot. If the Empire found out, they wouldn¡¯t stay quiet. But, ¡®If the opponent is an assassin of the Five Great Assassins, it¡¯s a different story.¡¯ Now, conversely, it was time to reveal in some way that I was rted to the Empire. ¡®If he really is one of the Five Great Assassins, he will recognize this.¡¯ And with that thought¡ª Whoosh! My mana reacted to my will, instantly transforming into a specific attribute. The energy of nature was turning into ¡®me.¡¯ And soon, that intense heat spread in all directions. ¡°¡­¡­Of all things¡­¡­¡± The assassin, who had immediately followed me outside, groaned. Just as mages have primary attributes, swordsmen also have different innate mana properties. Water, fire, wind, earth, lightning, etc. A mage cannot use magic outside of their innate attribute. Likewise, a swordsman cannot arbitrarily change the nature of their innate mana. In that sense, assassins feared swordsmen with fire mana the most. mes dispel darkness. For assassins, who lurk in shadows waiting for an ambush opportunity, it¡¯s a significant burden. The moment they fail in their initial attack, they can¡¯t utilize their skills to their fullest. Boom! Boom! Boom! The mes that had scattered in all directions soonpressed andpressed again into one ce. mes within mes. Size isn¡¯t everything. Sizzle! The heat, now reduced to just enough to envelop the de, began to melt the surrounding ground. ¡°H-H-H-H-How?!¡± A bted exmation of shock came from the assassin. If this assassin really was from the Five Great Assassin Guilds, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t recognize the special mes that annihted them. ¡®This is none other than the ultimate form of heat, a symbol of Theorg.¡¯ I unleashed the secret technique of the one praised as the haven of the continent at the time. Mana is like nature. It isn¡¯t fixed. Flowing clouds can turn into thunderstorms. A pleasant breeze can be a storm that sweeps the area. A boiling volcano can suddenly pour out all its contents. Mana is the same. Just as water can turn into mist or ice. Ovepping andpressed mes constantly change their nature. How am I able to use one of its final forms? Well¡­¡­ ¡®Because I was the one who led Theorog, who handled ordinary fire mana, to the path of zes.¡¯ In the dancing mes, I saw the past. ¡°Commander, how can I be as strong as you?¡± ¡°You need talent.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke around. Aren¡¯t werades with the same dream? For the first empire!¡± ¡°From the beginning, I¡¯m neither a swordsman nor was I born with fire mana, so why are you asking me how to get stronger?¡± ¡°Come on, why are you pretending to be weak? You¡¯re the one and only ¡®Martial God¡¯ of the continent. Is there anything you can¡¯t do?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± Even since the past, the mana I possessed was a bit unique. ¡°Martial God, please teach this subordinate of yours a trick. At least give me a hint about the ¡®state of mana awakening¡¯ so I can be a Master.¡± In my memory, the young Theorg kept bowing his head to me. ¡°Well, mes are easier to handlepared to other attributes.¡± ¡°What on earth does that mean?¡± ¡°mes have a characteristic that reacts greatly to the user¡¯s ¡®disposition.¡¯¡± Evil demons by nature create ck mes. Those born and raised in the snowy mountains produce blue mes, called cold mes. ¡°Try to imbue your emotions into the mana. The greater your will, or the stronger your anger, the attributes of the me will change in response to your emotions and existence.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Wait a minute. I think I might be getting something. Let me concentrate for a moment.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Young Theorg was indeed a genius. Then, just three dayster, he came to me again. Whoosh! Whoosh! ¡°Commander! I did it! There¡¯s a me within the me! Hahaha! This can be considered a state of awakening, right?¡± ¡°A me within the me¡­¡­ You rascal, you had another n in mind, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Theorg stiffened for a moment in his thoughts. ¡°Well, that¡¯s none of my business. Anyway, that¡¯s the beginning of the ze. Once you can fully control the me within the me, even a brat like you will be called a ¡®Master¡¯ one day.¡± ¡°What? This isn¡¯t the end¡­¡­? Ow! Wh-Why won¡¯t this go out?¡± ¡°See? I told you, it¡¯s just the beginning.¡± I forced myself to erase my thoughts. ¡®Even hotter.¡¯ Whoosh! In an instant, thepressed mana scattered in all directions. Boom! Crash! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The enemies watching gasped in surprise. The flying daggers couldn¡¯t prate the wall of mes I had created and bounced off in all directions. ¡®Hotter.¡¯ Was it because I thought of my enemy? The mes devoured my inner anger even more. Whoosh! Soon, the mes even covered the sky. The mana shot from the tip of my sword rose in a sphere shape. Like the sun. Soon, it was ready to rain fire¡­¡­ No, to rain fragments of rage upon the ground. ¡®Although it¡¯s risky at this level.¡¯ The small sun that lit up the surroundings made the enemies swallow hard. Especially Jake, who was trembling all over. This technique was one of the mass-killing moves he used most often in his prime. ¡°Te, Theo, Theo¡­¡­!¡± -Shh. I brought my finger to my lips quietly, remembering the original purpose. As expected, the spy recognized it immediately. This makes the conversation much easier. -I¡¯m like you. -E-Even a mana message? -The Empire. -¡­¡­! At the word, Jake¡¯s eyes widened. -Right? I¡¯m from there too. We¡¯re on the same side. There¡¯s no need for us to fight like this. Tremble. If he hadn¡¯t recognized Theorg¡¯s technique, it might have been different. But in this situation, he had no choice but to believe it. -Th-Then all your actions so far¡­¡­? -Yes, for the civil war in the Hart Kingdom. That¡¯s the big picture ¡®our¡¯ Empire wants, right? Jake carefully nced at the other two, who were still staring nkly at the small sun. -From the looks of it, the other two don¡¯t know anything, do they? Are you the only spy sent here? -¡­¡­ Still a confused expression. But soon, Jake nodded quietly. How many people in the world could show such divine power? -¡­¡­Yes. His tone became infinitely polite. I smiled inwardly. -Are you a disciple of Sir Theorg? If you had given me a hint in advance, I wouldn¡¯t have been so rude¡­¡­ -Enough. Just pretend to be dead for now. -¡­¡­Pardon? -You said the other two don¡¯t know. If your identity is revealed, it¡¯ll be troublesome for both sides, right? Finally regaining his originalposure, Jake nodded quietly. -I¡¯llply. -I¡¯ll pretend to cut you with my sword. Just act like you¡¯re dead. You can do that, right? It¡¯s a specialty of you assassins. Originally, I nned to behead this guy, who killed the Lady, and disy his head in the capital. So that even if I happened to kill Marquis Foltaine in an ¡®unfortunate ident,¡¯ it would be justifiable. But now that it¡¯s confirmed the Empire is behind them, the n changes. ¡°¡­¡­Here I go.¡± The eyes of the other two, who relied solely on Jake, widened in shock. Whoosh! Fwoosh! The small sun in the sky began to rain fragments of mes. ¡°Ugh, aaagh!¡± The two hurriedly covered their heads with their arms. While blocking their view with mana. Slice! ¡°¡­¡­Ugh!¡± I deliberately made the sound of cutting flesh. And when the rain of mespletely stopped. ¡°Wh-When did¡­¡­?¡± The two, puzzled by their unharmed state, gaped in surprise. As nned, Jake was lying on the ground, bleeding heavily. -Act dead for real. If they find out, it¡¯s over. I-I¡¯ll do my best to pretend I¡¯m dead. Jake wentpletely limp like a corpse, as if leaving the rest to me. Should I say it was as expected of an assassin? He didn¡¯t even make a sound of breathing, let alone move. ¡®He endures pain well.¡¯ Although I avoided his vital points, I made a deep cut for dramatic effect. ¡°Is he¡­¡­ dead?¡± The voice of one of the survivors reached my ears. The act was quite convincing. ¡®Oh right, before that¡­¡­¡¯ I looked at the one pretending to be a corpse. -Just to warn you, don¡¯t be surprised by anything I say and act well. -¡­¡­ -I¡¯ve warned you. If they find out, it¡¯s over. I took his silence as affirmation. A sly smile crept onto my lips. ¡°Hey, you dogs of the Foltaine Marquisate.¡± ¡°Wh-What¡­¡­?¡± I murmured nonchntly towards the two staring nkly at me. My eyes remained fixed on the fake corpse. ¡°This guy¡ª he¡¯s a spy from the Empire.¡± Chapter 33 Chapter 33 ¨C Spy (1) Flinch. It happened simultaneously with the bombshell statement. -What the. Is the corpse moving? Do you want me to make you a real corpse? ¡°¡­¡­¡± The spy¡¯s movements soon quieted down. But that wasn¡¯t all. Fading breaths. Paleplexion. A body stiffening like a board. The assassin quite literally became a perfect corpse. For the record, in such a state, one can¡¯t hear anything. The act of voluntarily stopping the flow of mana to enter a state of apparent death was a specialty of professional assassins. ¡¯Indeed. How could a corpse hear the voice of the living?¡¯ Eventually, I smiled in satisfaction. ¡°D-Did it just move?¡± ¡°I think¡­¡­ I saw it too.¡± Shiver. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± As I revealed my presence, two pairs of eyes quickly focused on me. ¡°Hey, you spies. You¡¯ve never seen such a secret technique in your life, have you?¡± ¡°Wh-Who are you¡­¡­?¡± ¡°No, not me.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I mean the secret technique that the dead guy used. It¡¯s called the ¡¯Iron Curtain.¡¯¡± Dozens of daggers are fired in an instant. All aimed at a single target. Even the paths were diverse. Not even knights skilled in aura could easily pull that off. Anyone would feel something was off. ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange that such a skilled assassin is in the middle of nowhere like this?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You must have heard the rumors; assassins in the continent are dying out. Thanks to the work of a certain cowardly Emperor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yet, such a skilled assassin remains? Doesn¡¯t that mean this guy was an assassin recruited by the Empire¡ª in other words, a spy?¡± It was a perfect deduction, even by my standards. Atst, the two survivors exchanged nces. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, go back and report exactly what you saw today. The eyes there would be much better than yours.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Was my statement entirely unexpected? ¡°Y-You¡¯re letting us go¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Why¡­¡­?¡± I lowered my voice dramatically. ¡°Why, you ask? Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Even if dogs and cows fight each other, they should unite against foreign powers. Because we are all citizens of the Hart Kingdom.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± An earthquake erupted in their pupils. ¡°Unless¡­¡­ are you spies of the Empire too?¡± ¡°S-Spies? Nonsense!¡± ¡°Even a passing dog wouldugh at that!¡± Their responses burst out in a second. They desperately tried to convey their innocence. ¡®Well, that¡¯s to be expected.¡¯ Secrets are more valuable when fewer people know them. In that sense, not all aristocrats would be colluding with the Empire. If the King got wind of it, they¡¯d be doomed before achieving their goals. Moreover, these lower ranks don¡¯t think for themselves. They just follow orders. ¡°So, go and tell your damn Marquis that Jake, the assassin, was a rat and spy colluding with the Empire.¡± ¡°B-But if that really was an Imperial spy¡­¡­¡± I nodded. ¡°Indeed. It seems like the Emperor¡¯s influence has infiltrated your noble faction.¡± Whether there was another infiltrator, or the Marquis of Foltaine himself was under the Empire¡¯s thumb. ¡°You¡¯d better watch your steps. Those involved in treason face execution.¡± Shudder. Just the thought made them gulp nervously. ¡°W-We will definitely report it!¡± ¡°W-We are one people, after all!¡± I chuckled lightly. ¡°Thanks to that, you get to keep your lives. Now get lost.¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± The two spies fled in a hurry. At the same time, my gaze hardened as I watched their retreating figures. Yes. Go and bber away. The more you do, the more you¡¯ll sow division among those trying to sell out our country. ¡®But more importantly¡­¡­¡¯ I nced down at the one in a state of apparent death. I would have to kill him eventually for my future ns. But this was not the ce for him to die. ¡®¡­¡­Someone else has a score to settle with you.¡¯ *** War might break out soon. That fact instilled extreme tension throughout the entire Arsene territory. However, even amidst the tension, there were those who remained dedicated to their duties. Thwack! The crisp sound of impact echoed. Harun dropped the wooden sword he was holding. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­!¡± ¡°That was close.¡± Kirian, who had struck Harun¡¯s wrist with precision, smiled. ¡°Thanks for helping me prepare for the knight exam every day.¡± ¡°Ouch¡­¡­ Please, don¡¯t mention it. I also need the training.¡± Harun mumbled as he repeatedly rubbed his wrist. At first, they seemed evenly matched. No, it looked like they were evenly matched. But as time went on, the hesitation in Kirian¡¯s attacks disappeared. Then, the true difference in their skills became apparent. Now, whenever they sparred, Harun couldn¡¯tst more than five moves. ¡°By the way, are you sure you just started holding a sword recently?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ It¡¯s been a little over a month, I think.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Amazing. To be this good in just over a month¡­¡­¡± Kirian genuinely admired him. ¡°Well, my teacher is an amazing person.¡± This time, Harun straightened his chest proudly as he replied. He meant every word he said. ¡°No, no. Of course, your teacher is amazing, but your talent is also outstanding. As good as any knight cadet I¡¯ve seen.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Kirian nodded with a bright smile. ¡®To think he could train an ordinary person to this level in just a month. And he¡¯s at least an expert himself¡­¡­ Who on earth is our honored guest?¡¯ Given his family background, Kirian had seen many people called geniuses. But in front of the honored guest, they were like fireflies before the sun. ¡®¡­¡­Even Father repeatedly told me not to specte about the honored guest¡¯s identity.¡¯ But that wasn¡¯t the important thing. Kirian soon cleared his thoughts and looked straight ahead. The emotion that had been tickling his heart. What he really wanted to say was different. However, when he tried to bring it up, his face flushed. ¡°Uh¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°F-Frie¡­¡­¡± Damn it. Now he was even stuttering. ¡°Frie?¡± Kirian finally closed his eyes tightly and forced out the words from his heart. ¡°L-Let¡¯s! Let¡¯s be friends!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Was that so unexpected? Harun just widened his eyes and couldn¡¯t respond. ¡°F¡­¡­riends?¡± To the bted response. ¡°Y-Yes!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m amoner. How can I possibly¡­¡­¡± ¡°Th-That doesn¡¯t matter. As long as you¡¯re okay with it!¡± ¡°But what will others think¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to them!¡± Just when a conflicted look started to spread across Harun¡¯s face. ¡°What a bunch of nonsense.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Both of them turned their heads sharply. The person approaching the training ground. ¡°ying friendship games in this situation? Kirian.¡± It was Jan, who had one eye covered with an eyepatch. ¡°Or are you so happy your hated stepmother is dead that you can¡¯t contain yourself?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Despite the thorny words, Kirian couldn¡¯t reply. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just because of the previous fear he had felt. ¡°¡­¡­Sorry. I also feel sad about what happened to the Lady.¡± ¡°Sure, you are.¡± Jan scoffed as he settled in a corner of the training ground. Of course, the other two understood his reaction. It had been several days. In that short period, Jan had be a total wreck. Not only his haggard appearance, but his swordsmanship skills had also deteriorated¡­¡­ Swish! Swish! Swish! He was one to know best. Regardless of personal feelings, Kirian recognized Jan¡¯s skills. But now, Jan¡¯s swordsmanship showed neither the sharpness nor the weight it once had. There was only a vengeful specter blinded by rage. ¡°Uh, Jan. If you swing your sword like that¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is someone of your caliber trying to give me advice?¡± At Jan¡¯s sharp response, Kirian shut his mouth. ¡°When you¡¯re done, get out of here. Don¡¯t ruin my mood by watching me train.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m definitely participating in this territorial war. And I¡¯ll kill anyone I see. That includes you. So, don¡¯t show up in front of me.¡± Malice overflowed from Jan¡¯s one remaining eye. And then, urgent news arrived. ¡°The honored guest has caught the murderer who killed the madaaaaam!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± *** Jake opened his eyes. ¡°Damn it¡­¡­¡± It was right after he woke up from a longa. Was it because he had lost so much blood? Even though he had regained consciousness, his vision was still blurry. However, that wasn¡¯t very important. As time passed, questions began to pile up in his mind. ¡®If he was an agent like me, why didn¡¯t he contact me sooner? If he had, we could have handled things much more sessfully.¡¯ He was that skilled. If he had coordinated from the start, they could have achieved their goal much more easily. However, there was no choice but to believe him. Who else in the world uses the mana of ¡®ze¡¯ besides him? ¡®¡­¡­There¡¯s no need to think and judge on my own.¡¯ With that, Jake reached a conclusion. As soon as he got out of here, he would report to his superiors. But at that moment. Thud, thud, thud. Footsteps were heard from outside the door. For reference, Jake was bound hand and foot, confined in some room. Bang! The door swung open without hesitation, and a one-eyed man walked in. It was the eldest son of the Count of Arsene, whom he had already met. ¡°So, you were here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jake remained silent. Provoking him would only make the situation worse. Hadn¡¯t he already killed his mother? ¡®They wouldn¡¯t have captured me alive if they intended to kill me. Is he just venting anger?¡¯ Jake subtly curled his lips. That man named Ancelot. He was extremely suspicious. ¡®Something about him is definitely off.¡¯ In this situation, he had to consider the worst-case scenario. If he couldn¡¯t make the report, he would kill that man named Ancelot. But then. Stab! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Immediately, the chilling sound of flesh being pierced filled his ears. And with the extreme pain that flooded his mind simultaneously. ¡°¡­¡­Cough!¡± Jake¡¯s mouth involuntarily gaped open. Dark red blood started to gush out. Naturally, his gaze fell downward. A long sword had urately pierced his heart. ¡°¡­¡­Even if others called her a wicked woman, she was precious to me.¡± ¡°Lu¡­¡­natic¡­¡­¡± Swish! Fwoosh! A fountain of blood far worse than before erupted from Jake¡¯s mouth. The sword that had pierced his heart spun around once. It was a sure kill. ¡°She was¡­¡­ my one and only mother in this world.¡± The sword embedded in his body trembled. Life quickly drained from Jake¡¯s eyes. ¡°And he was¡­¡­ my one and only¡­¡­ younger brother.¡± He stayed in that state for a while. ¡°¡­¡­Hic.¡± Jan, copsed on the floor, sobbed silently. Rubbing his face repeatedly with his blood-soaked hands. *** Meanwhile, after handing him over to Jan, I went straight to the head of the household. As expected, Count Arsene was greatly shocked. ¡°He was a spy for the Empire!?¡± ¡°Yes. That man named Jake was an assassin raised by the Emperor.¡± ¡°Wh-Where is he now?¡± ¡°I took him to Jan¡¯s room.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Count Arsene couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and stood up. At that moment, his retainers also rushed in. ¡°L-Lord! Young Master Jan¡­¡­!¡± Count Arsene looked at them with trembling eyes. ¡°D-Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡­ he killed him?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Their silence confirmed his suspicions. Woosh. Immediately, a fierce gaze turned towards me. ¡°Why¡­¡­ why on earth would you¡­¡­! To carelessly dispose of such a crucial witness¡­¡­!¡± I cut him off midway. ¡°And what if I had kept him alive?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What could you have done, Count?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Only then did Count Arsene open his eyes wide. ¡°Would you have confronted the Emperor? Comin to him for sending a spy to our country?¡± ¡°Th-That¡­¡­¡± ¡°You said you couldn¡¯t handle even the Marquis of Foltaine. Do you think you can deal with the Empire?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene couldn¡¯t respond to my repeated questioning. ¡°Powerless justice is mere ipetence. Therefore, it¡¯s better for the spy to die. Possessing something beyond what we can control only brings ruin. Haven¡¯t you realized that with this incident?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene had lost his wife and child because of one pig from the Marquis of Foltaine. And now, the Empire? ¡°If it¡¯s known that we have a spy in our hands, the Empire will do whatever it takes to erase the Count of Arsene from the continent. Just like with the Marquis of Foltaine.¡± It¡¯s said humans learn from experience. ¡°E-Everyone stands united against foreign powers. If we inform His Majesty, surely he will help¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then it won¡¯t just be Arsene, but the entire Kingdom of Hart that will be destroyed.¡± I stated definitively. ¡°That¡¯s the Empire I know.¡± ¡°Then why did you capture him at all!?¡± ¡°There are two reasons.¡± ¡°T-Two?¡± ¡°First. So that there are enough witnesses to confirm that the spy is truly dead, and for the news to reach the Empire.¡± Of course, there were two pairs of eyes besides mine at the scene. But that alone wasn¡¯t enough. Would the Empire be the Empire for no reason? A more certain assurance was needed. The spy who barely clung to life. He was brought in for treatment and interrogation. But he died before anything could be done. Killed by the enraged eldest son of Count Arsene. ¡®¡­¡­This narrative is the most certain guarantee.¡¯ There were countless eyes here. Moreover, the operation to root out spies wasn¡¯t finished. There could still be surviving spies observing the situation from within. And. ¡°Second. For our own purposes.¡± ¡°Purposes?¡± ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want to go against the King¡¯smand. Making those Foltaine bastards attack first was our objective, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Surely not¡­¡­?¡± I nodded. ¡°In the absence of evidence, the Empire will cut its losses. But coborators are a different story. They must be sleepless with anxiety by now.¡± That¡¯s why I left two witnesses alive. To ry exactly what they saw. ¡®If those backwater folks recognized the ze, it would be a different story.¡¯ Of course, that¡¯s highly unlikely. The me within a me doesn¡¯t look visually different. Unless they were insiders with prior information, they¡¯d just think it was some typical fire mana. ¡°In the end, those bastards wille at us with everything they¡¯ve got, anxious as they are. The Empire will egg them on. It¡¯s burdensome to take the lead themselves, but that much they can definitely do. No, it¡¯s the best option.¡± ¡°You¡­¡­ who are you really¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene now looked utterly defeated, as if nothing could surprise him anymore. Of course, there was a third reason I hadn¡¯t told him. ¡®¡­¡­No matter how wicked, she was your only mother.¡¯ I wanted to give that scoundrel, who had experienced something like me, a chance. Who better than me could understand the heartache of losing family? That profound helplessness and despair akin to the abyss¡­¡­ Chapter 34 Chapter 34 ¨C Spy (2) In the stillness of silence. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene stared ahead with a cold gaze. His son was where his eyesnded. Jan was kneeling, his head bowed like a criminal. ¡°Do you understand what you¡¯ve done?¡± He understood the honored guest¡¯s intent. But that was that. ¡°To daremit murder within the family without the head¡¯s permission, and killing a spy who was supposed to provide information¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene¡¯s fury was palpable. Not just in his demeanor but in his actions as well. Shiiing. ¡°M-My lord¡­¡­¡± The guard standing by was startled. However, he did not take any action beyond that. Even if the young master were to be beheaded here, ¡®The lord¡¯s word is thew. We can only hope for leniency¡­¡­¡¯ But what Count Arsene did next waspletely unexpected. ng! ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Jan, seeing the sword rolling on the ground before him, tilted his head in confusion. ¡°The sins of the child are the original sins of the parent. So, use that to behead me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Only then did Jan raise his head abruptly. ¡°M-My lord, just punish me. Behead me. To be honest, I¡­¡­ even now, I don¡¯t regret my actions.¡± ¡°This is the punishment I am giving you.¡± ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Where do you see a father here!?¡± Count Arsene roared in anger. ¡°There is no father here. Only a sinner who raised a murderer.¡± With that, Count Arsene grabbed the sword from the floor. Then. Fwip. ¡°N-No!¡± He immediately moved to cut his own neck with the sword. Not only Jan, who was utterly shocked, but the surrounding guards quickly rushed in. ¡°Unhand me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! It¡¯s my fault, father! Please stop!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene truly seemed intent on taking his own life. The proof was in the blood trickling from the cut skin. ¡°¡­¡­What fault could you have?¡± ¡°F-Father¡­¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. This happened because I couldn¡¯t protect my own wife, let alone my child.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯vemitted a grievous sin against you. Therefore, the punishment should be mine, and not yours.¡± Only then did tears start to flow from Jan¡¯s eyes. ¡°How desperate must you have been to stain your hands with blood, my child¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­ it¡¯s my fault¡­¡­ sob, it¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene looked at his weeping child with a bitter smile. He thought it would be enough to simply adhere to principles. He believed doing his best in his given role was sufficient. He was sure his children would learn by watching him. But, ¡®Is this what I clung to principles so stubbornly for?¡¯ How futile and pointless. So, from now on, he must change. As the child had said. ¡°¡­¡­Wash away the blood on your hands yourself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The meaning of those words was clear. ¡°Blood must be repaid with blood.¡± ¡°F-Father.¡± ¡°You did well.¡± Those words were all it took. Jan copsed in tears, overwhelmed with sorrow. ¡®Once again, I owe that child a debt.¡¯ Count Arsene, with a bitter smile, patted Jan¡¯s back for a long while. *** Meanwhile, the two spies who returned to the nearby city immediately sent a telegram. ¡°¡­¡­He was an imperial spy?¡± -Y-Yes, my lord! That¡¯s exactly what we heard. Upon hearing the voiceing from themunication orb again, Marquis Foltaine¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°Are you telling me that you¡¯re just rying what you heard?¡± -O-Of course not! They definitely used secret techniques only assassins would use! ¡°They used¡­¡­ secret techniques?¡± Finally, Marquis Foltaine¡¯s expression became serious. An assassin revealed their skills. This was something that could not be disbelieved. ¡®Honestly, I didn¡¯t believe it even when I heard it¡­¡­¡¯ Even when he heard that Thomas was killed. Even when consecutive assassination attempts failed. He thought it was merely the result of coincidences piling up. ¡®Could there really be something about that teenage brat?¡¯ Shaking off his thoughts, Marquis Foltaine looked at themunication orb again. ¡°Who else knows about this?¡± -No one. You are the first I am reporting to, my lord. ¡°Nothing has been confirmed yet. Don¡¯t go around spreading rumors about imperial spies and cause unnecessary confusion.¡± -Yes, my lord! ¡°I will send someone soon, so return with them.¡± -Understood! After confirming that themunication orb had turned off, Marquis Foltaine quietly muttered. ¡°Lucien, are you there?¡± ¡°I am here.¡± A man appeared before him like a shadow. ¡°Contact the Mask of Night immediately. The mission is to find out everything about that brat in the Arsene household. Money isn¡¯t an issue.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Once everything is confirmed, I will erase the Arsene household from existence.¡± The shadow stiffened. ¡°Are you sure? The royal decree¡­¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The grand n is imminent. Just ensure you gather the necessary information. Even if you have to take their only child hostage.¡± ¡°I will follow your orders.¡± ¡°And also¡­¡­¡± Soon, murderous intentced Marquis Foltaine¡¯s voice. ¡°Kill these two fools.¡± His gaze was fixed on themunication orb. *** The two left at the training grounds. Harun and Kirian were restless. They had witnessed Jan being arrested right before their eyes. ¡°M¨CMaster!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Just then, the person they had been anxiously waiting for appeared at the perfect time. ¡°Where have you been!?¡± ¡°Why? What happened?¡± ¡°J-Jan got arrested. He killed the spy that Master had caught with so much effort¡­¡­ J-Judging by the atmosphere, it seems like he won¡¯t be able to avoid severe punishment. Can¡¯t you help him, Master?¡± Harun wasn¡¯t the only one. Kirian also sped his hands together with a desperate expression. ¡°Honored guest, I know I¡¯m being shameless, but I also ask for your help.¡± ¡°Why you? Aren¡¯t you on bad terms with Jan?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Anyone would have done the same.¡± Ancelot repeated his words with an intrigued expression. ¡°Anyone would have done the same?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Even someone as meek as you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­If the criminal who killed my mother was right before my eyes¡­¡­ I would have torn him apart myself.¡± There was hardly any hesitation in the answer. There was even a hint of ferocity felt in his voice, which had never been there before. Only then did Ancelot chuckle. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t need to worry. Nothing will happen.¡± ¡°No, Master. The knights really looked deadly serious.¡± ¡°Speak of the devil.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Both of them turned their heads simultaneously. ¡°Jan¡­¡­?¡± Indeed, Jan was walking toward them without any trouble. ¡°What? I thought he¡¯d at least get scolded. He¡¯s perfectly fine without a scratch?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jan, who was looking at Ancelot, averted his gaze awkwardly. ¡°¡­¡­If you want to criticize me, go ahead. But I don¡¯t regret what I did.¡± ¡°Why would I criticize you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Jan tilted his head in confusion. ¡°You did well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± His one remaining eye widened in surprise. He never expected to hear the same words he had heard from his father from this demon. ¡°¡­¡­What did you just say?¡± He asked again. Thinking he misheard. ¡°You did well.¡± Thump. Ancelot lightly patted Jan¡¯s shoulder as he walked past him. Jan waspletely frozen in ce. ¡°He was the one who killed your mother and younger sibling. If you had left him alone, you wouldn¡¯t be a man.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what your only brother just told me. Of course, I would have done the same.¡± Only then did Jan look at Kirian. Kirian, meeting his gaze, made an embarrassed expression. ¡°¡­¡­¡± In the awkward silence, Ancelot had already walked away into the distance. Jan stared nkly at his back for a while, and then. Shiiing. ¡°J-Jan!?¡± He suddenly drew his sword from its sheath. However, the situation they feared didn¡¯t happen. He simply held the drawn sword quietly to his chest. ¡°¡­¡­I sincerely thank my benefactor.¡± A voice smaller than an ant¡¯s. It was a sword salute showing genuine respect for the other. Soon, Harun and Kirian, making eye contact with each other, smiled bitterly. Shiing, shiiing. Then, they also raised their swords in a salute. Yes. Everyone gathered there had received help from that small-statured benefactor. *** I walked without hesitation. Receiving salutes from the now-familiar guards, I left the count¡¯s estate. No, I went far beyond the city center. And finally, I stopped on a deserted forest path. ¡°¡­¡­Who exactly are you?¡± As if waiting for this, a familiar navy-blue mask appeared. ¡°You already know, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you simply the sessor of Ancelot¡¯s martial arts? Andrew von Meeke.¡± However, only his appearance was familiar. The aura emanating from this person was entirely different. An unprecedented sense of intimidation. No, I even felt a sense of hostility. ¡°How can someone iming to be Ancelot¡¯s sessor use the mana of ze, his enemy?¡± Atst, I understood the reason for the hostility. ¡®As expected, you¡¯ve been watching.¡¯ I had anticipated this. There¡¯s no ce in this world beyond the eyes and ears of the Mask of Night. When ites to information gathering and stealth, no one on the continent matches them. ¡°Confessing to spying so openly is rather unpleasant.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject and answer me. Depending on your answer¡­¡­¡± Killing intent radiated from the opponent. ¡°¡­¡­my attitude towards you willpletely change.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Aren¡¯t you hiding something from me too?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You clearly aren¡¯t Ancelot, so why are you so angry? Even to the point of feeling inexplicable empathy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± The opponent, who was about to say something, closed his mouth. ¡°See? Everyone has at least one secret they want to keep hidden, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, for someone who values information more than gold, isn¡¯t it more inappropriate to threaten someone else¡¯s property with a sword?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No, you¡¯re wrong.¡± ¡°Wrong?¡± ¡°You need strength to protect property.¡± The killing intent around me intensified. ¡°So, you intend to take my property by force?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t give me your trust until the end.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± For a moment, I imagined fighting this opponent. In my current state, the chances of winning were¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­Nonexistent.¡¯ I shrugged my shoulders and waved my hand in surrender. ¡°How scary. How will I make deals in the future?¡± ¡°If my doubts are cleared, I will properly apologize and promise adequatepensation.¡± ¡°Well, alright. So, what are you curious about??¡± ¡°The Duke of the Empire, the superhuman of the continent, one of the Three Heavens. What is your rtionship with the Theorg, the Knight of zes?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know? The reason Theorg gained his understanding of the ze was because of the great hero Ancelot.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The opponent stared at me silently. He must have been using his ability to see through my thoughts. Of course, I was confident. ¡®Because it¡¯s not a lie.¡¯ After a while, his intimidating aura eventually diminished. ¡°¡­¡­Huh. If that¡¯s true, it¡¯s even more infuriating.¡± His voice even returned to its usual yful tone. ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Even though I said it with a smile, my advice to keep a low profile until you¡¯re fully grown was sincere. You could have at least out until that ¡®Master Tournament¡¯ you mentioned so confidently, couldn¡¯t you?¡± The opponent continued with genuine regret in his voice. ¡°Thanks to yourmotion, now even Marquis Foltaine himself is seriously wary of you. Moreover, we¡¯ve received requests concerning you.¡± ¡°Is it okay to tell me this? Especially for the Mask of Night, who has conducted business on ¡®trust¡¯.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter since we won¡¯t ept the request.¡± This time, my gaze hardened. ¡°So that¡¯s why you were more sensitive than usual. Well, that aside, you promised properpensation, right? This time, I want you to answer my question.¡± Immediately, I stepped forward. ¡°Your current appearance is unfamiliar to me as well. Unless this is the true face of Narakas, known as the ¡®Thousand Faces.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The opponent, Narakas, flinched. ¡°¡­¡­So you knew about me?¡± ¡°I expected as much.¡± ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t I supposed to bepensated?¡± The opponent¡¯s reaction was iprehensible to me. Although I had some memories of dealing with Narakas in a previous life. ¡®I don¡¯t recall forming such deep bonds of loyalty and friendship to cause such anger.¡¯ In other words, there must be something more that I don¡¯t know. ¡°¡­¡­Fine. I can¡¯t stand being curious, simr to the situation pertaining to the relic of our organization. And in any case, it seems you intend to starve me out. So I¡¯ll give you a hint about some information that¡¯ll make you the same.¡± ¡°Now we¡¯re talking.¡± ¡°Yes. I assure you, you¡¯ll have no choice but to reveal your information.¡± ¡°Quite confident, aren¡¯t you? Let¡¯s hear it.¡± I gestured lightly with my chin. ¡°Of course I¡¯m confident. This is top-secret information known to only a very few on the continent, including myself.¡± I opened my ears wide, rxed. No matter the information brought forth. What could surprise someone who has experienced reincarnating into another¡¯s body? ¡°The descendant of Ancelot, whom you call your teacher, exists. And I am their patron.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I tilted my head, unable to process it immediately. Narakas kindly borated for me. ¡°I¡¯m saying thest bloodline of the great hero Ancelot, who died 20 years ago, is still alive.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± My eyes widened. And, ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± My long-heldposurepletely shattered. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 ¨C Spy (3) There was only one person that came to mind. ¡®Andy is alive?¡¯ But then, I shook my head. That couldn¡¯t be true. Andy was definitely dead. His heart had been pierced. With his hands outstretched towards me. He¡¯d died while resenting his pathetic father. ¡°¡­¡­Heh heh heh.¡± The damnedugh escaped my lips again. Even so, I desperately recalled the memory of that time. Because this was a matter more important than anything else. ¡®As expected, the hypothesis that Andy is alive is impossible.¡¯ I had confirmed it with my own two eyes. No, with all my senses. The sight of the life-like flow of manapletely severed. ¡°Why would Bastion Arkets, one of the five closest aides to the great hero and known as the Iron Knight, flee all the way to this remote Heart Kingdom?¡± Fortunately, Narakas¡¯ voice continued. ¡°And how was I able to discover traces of that cliff?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You also had questions. Why did I believe without hesitation that it was the great hero¡¯s tomb? Just because of a single inscription?¡± Suddenly, an old forgotten memory surfaced. ¡°Five years before the end of the ¡¯Empire Unification War,¡¯ the Eastern Army led by Commander Ancelot returned to the capital briefly. It was right after they subdued the Arundel family, the top sword family of the far east, which was thought impossible to conquer.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ancelot¡¯s wife was pregnant with their second child at that time.¡± That¡¯s right. My deceased wife was from this Hart Kingdom. Though she was expelled from her family before she turned ten. ¡®So that¡¯s how it was¡­¡­.¡¯ A bitter smile appeared on my lips. All the pieces wereing together. Bastion had nned to secretly send the second child to the maternal side of the family. Risking even his own life. Because there was no other ce he could think of to provide refuge. ¡®Fool.¡¯ Rage surged within me. There was no need to hear what happened to the second child afterward. The result was already clear. In the end, Bastion was captured and killed, and the rted records were concealed. So, here¡¯s the question. ¡°What do you mean by saying you are the second child¡¯s patron?¡± ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn.¡± Narakas was a man who ensured give-and-take. ¡°Since when did you know about me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­From the beginning.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°It was written in the diary left by my teacher.¡± Narakas snorted. ¡°Hmph. The legacy of the great hero again? It seems like an all-purpose excuse. At this point, I¡¯d like to see it for myself.¡± ¡°Even if you ask to see it now, I can¡¯t show it to you. I put it all in here and burned it.¡± I tapped my head with my finger. ¡°As someone said, you need power to protect your wealth.¡± ¡°How wise of you. So, what was written about me?¡± ¡°A man who holds the most information and secrets in the world.¡± ¡°A high praise from the great hero.¡± A smirk spread under Narakas¡¯ mask. ¡°And the stingiest person on the continent.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Stingiest?¡± But it was only for a moment. Narakas soon responded in a voice of disbelief. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s not enough to exin it.¡± ¡°Whether you know it or not, there¡¯s no one on this continent who exudes as unique an aura as you.¡± ¡°An aura¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The head of the Mask of Night, Narakas. His energy is like a chameleon. Sometimes cold, sometimes hotter than mes. A person who can change not only his appearance but also his underlying energy at will. That¡¯s Narakas, the man of a thousand faces.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Is that also written in the great hero¡¯s legacy?¡± I nodded and continued speaking. ¡°This is probably rted to the mana training method he learned. There¡¯s no one else in the world who gives off such a vibe, so if you evere across him, pay attention. It never hurts to know a peddler in your life.¡± ¡°A stingy peddler, huh¡­¡­¡± Narakas let out a faint chuckle. ¡°¡­¡­Ancelot, that bastard thought of me like that?¡± At some point, my title had changed from the ¡®Great Hero¡¯ to ¡®that bastard.¡¯ ¡°The Great Hero Ancelot had an exceptional ability to read the flow of mana when he was alive. Like master, like disciple? Truly fascinating.¡± With most of his questions answered, Narakas pulled something out from his chest. ¡°As for the reward I mentioned earlier, the conversation we just had, and the information on the sacred artifact, I¡¯ll pay with this. Of course, the information about the war with the Marquis of Foltaine that you previously requested will be provided as a service. But in return, I want the information on the sacred artifact now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°As you can see, it¡¯s a top-grade elixir.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was a ss bottle filled with a transparent liquid. Different from a potion that ¡®recovers¡¯ spent mana, an elixir increases the absolute amount of mana itself. Permanently. Even a lower-grade elixir was so precious that it could buy a small city. It¡¯s a treasure that couldn¡¯t be bought even with money. Naturally, a top-grade elixir is priceless. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen such a treasure even in my previous life.¡¯ Indeed, it exined why Narakas was so confident. I¡¯ve acquired all kinds of war spoils. However, the highest grade of elixir I ever saw was high-grade. It¡¯s understandable. Top-grade elixirs appear only a few times in historical records. ¡®With that one elixir, I could truly reach the level I¡¯ve only been imitating until now.¡¯ My current limit was clear. My vessel was being polished steadily. But itcked the internal substance to fill it. Time could solve this gradually, but. ¡®That elixir could drastically shorten that time.¡¯ And I wouldn¡¯t be simply imitating, like I have until now. I¡¯d be able to go beyond and maintain a state ofbat for a prolonged period of time. The only regret was¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­It would have been better if it were mana refiner¡­¡­¡± Snap. A vein bulged on Narakas¡¯ forehead. There are a few more treasures that permanently increase mana. Elixirs are effective for wizards. The treasure specialized for knights is mana refiners. In terms of efficiency, mana refiners are at least twice as effective for knights. ¡°You greedy bastard. If you don¡¯t want it, forget it.¡± ¡°Who said I didn¡¯t want it?¡± Swish! I quickly grabbed the elixir. ¡°Can I assume that you¡¯re epting the deal? Now, where¡¯s the colorless mask?¡± ¡°Before that, I need a guard.¡± ¡°A guard?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve received a precious treasure; I need to give it a test.¡± Narakas¡¯ eyes widened immediately. ¡°You¡¯re going to consume the elixir right in front of me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you know what that means?¡± Narakas¡¯ shock was understandable. Consuming the elixir would leave mepletely defenseless. In other words, if someone suddenly attacked, I¡¯d be utterly vulnerable. Pop! The moment I opened the cap, I could tell. The abundant mana instantly filled the surroundings. I could tell it was genuine without even consuming it. ¡°Well, would anyone throw away a treasure that could buy an entire country?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Phew.¡± Narakas frowned again, seemingly distressed. I would¡¯ve believed it even if it wasn¡¯t genuine. As I¡¯ve said, the Mask of Night operates on trust. They rarely betray their customers. ¡®Just look at him now.¡¯ Even when he could easily overpower me, he chose to negotiate. That¡¯s why. Gulp. I consumed the elixir without hesitation. *** Rumble! The mana that had been spreading in all directions soon gathered into one ce. Centered around none other than my mana hole. My whole body felt as if it were insatiably devouring the vast energy. And then. ¡®How much time has passed?¡¯ I could tell as soon as I opened my eyes. My body felt several times lighter. No, it wasn¡¯t just that it was lighter. The mana coiled around my mana hole had be several times more powerful. All the impurities that had hindered its flow within my body had been expelled. The pungent smell that stung my nose was proof of that. ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t believe it even though I¡¯m seeing it with my own eyes.¡± At that moment, a nasal voice sounded. Narakas, who had been pinching his nose, was still standing there. ¡°I¡¯ve seen all sorts of strange phenomena, but I can say for certain this is the first time. Seeing someone with such pure mana as you¡­¡­¡± I quietly looked up. Before I knew it, a bright full moon had risen in the night sky. ¡°Could it be that I was like this for half a day?¡± ¡°Half a day?¡± Narakas let out a faintugh. ¡°You were like that for a full two days.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Only then did my eyes widen in shock. ¡®No wonder. Is that why Narakas looked so haggard?¡¯ For the first time, I felt sorry for him. Was he really standing there like that for two whole days? ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Just how audacious are you?¡± Narakas shook his head. ¡°Do you know? You¡¯re truly a strange one.¡± ¡°I hear that often.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a fledgling¡­¡­ Haha. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve felt like this. Yes, it feels like I¡¯m seeing the real Ancelot.¡± Only then did my gaze shift forward. ¡°Do you have a special connection with him?¡± ¡°A connection¡­¡­¡± Soon, I stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. Every single one of your actions makes no sense to an outsider. No one behaves this way for someone they have no connection with.¡± The Mask of Night knows the truth of history. Supporting the bloodline of a great hero in such a situation? Even risking the emperor¡¯s displeasure? ¡¯There must be another reason.¡¯ It was not suspicion but certainty. Fortunately, Narakas resolved my doubts. ¡°I respected him.¡± ¡°Respected¡­¡­?¡± Even I couldn¡¯tprehend this reaction. ¡°Well, you, who grew up in a greenhouse, wouldn¡¯t understand us who live in the wild.¡± ¡°Ah, I think I get it.¡± There¡¯s a nuance to the atmosphere. ¡°Like the Five Great Assassin Guilds.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Narakas¡¯s eyes widened. The emperor who tried to ce even the assassin organizations under his control. Would intelligence organizations be any different? ¡°You must have been pressured by the emperor. You wouldn¡¯t be the only ones. Mercenaries, the Free Knight Alliance, the Magic Tower¡­¡­ He would have extended his influence to all organizations not affiliated with the state. He¡¯s more than capable of that.¡± So, does that mean the emperor dreams of unifying the continent? ¡°¡­¡­It seems I made the right choice investing in you.¡± After a brief silence, Narakas spoke again. His voice carried a lingering tone for some reason. An informant has many faces. Their lives resemble acting. Naturally, their words might not always be sincere. ¡¯Will I ever see your true self in this life?¡¯ As I was pondering this, Narakas continued. ¡°¡­¡­Now, it¡¯s your turn to answer. Where is our sacred relic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the imperial pce.¡± I answered without hesitation. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Did he think he misheard? Narakas, digging in his ear for a moment, asked again. ¡°The imperial pce?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The imperial pce I know?¡± ¡°Why do you keep asking? Is there more than one imperial pce on this continent?¡± ¡°Let me ask again. The one where the emperor resides? The emperor¡¯s residence?¡± ¡°Yeah, there.¡± ¡°You bastard.¡± *** It was right after I returned to the count¡¯s household. ¡°Where on earth have you been?¡± As soon as news of my return spread, Count Arsene himself came out to greet me. ¡°Why is your face so pale? Did something happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than just something. The Marquis of Foltaine has refused the royalmand and dered war on us!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± My body flinched at that moment. ¡°So, it has begun.¡± ¡°Do you really think we can win?¡± ¡°We must devise a foolproof strategy.¡± In fact, I already had the basic strategy in my head. ¡°Before that, there¡¯s something I want to ask you, Count.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a major point of suspicion that arose from the Empire¡¯s espionage.¡± Count Arsene tilted his head in confusion at my words. ¡°A point of suspicion?¡± ¡°I can understand sending spies to rival families and the actions of coborators willing to betray the country for a position.¡± The factional battles within the Hart Kingdom. The current politicalndscape of the continent. And the emperor¡¯s dark intentions. If you look at the big picture, my previous statements are all within the realm of understanding. However, ¡°But why did the Empire and the Marquis of Foltaine choose the family of Arsene as their first target among all the noble families?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°If their n was to weaken the opposing faction, wouldn¡¯t it be more efficient to target a duke¡¯s household or at least another marquis¡¯ household?¡± Of course, they might have already sent spies to other families as well. However, ¡®The difference in military strength of the two families is already double. There was no need to take the risk and borrow the Empire¡¯s power.¡¯ This was the issue. ¡°Is it just my imagination, or does it feel like the family of Arsene is at the eye of the storm?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t hide anything and answer me. I need to know this first to formte a solid strategy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Despite my urging, Count Arsene hesitated visibly. ¡°¡­¡­Well, I have a rough idea.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Is it because of this?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Count Arsene¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the item I presented. ¡°Goodness¡­¡­ that insight of yours¡­¡­ I¡¯m not even surprised anymore.¡± Judging by his reaction, it seemed my guess was spot on. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 ¨C Fortress (1) I brought out the object¡ª a sword. Yes. It was the very sword I received from Count Arsene. ¡®I realized immediately that it was no ordinary item the moment I saw it.¡¯ Impable bnce. A de sharp enough to slice a falling leaf. The unique mark of craftsmanship that only ¡®they¡¯ could create was especially noteworthy. ¡°Judging by your reaction, it seems it is indeed because of this sword made by the dwarves.¡± Dwarves. Artisans known to be the best at crafting tools on the continent. However, they were fundamentally reclusive. They did not interact with humans. Given this reality, items made by dwarves were incredibly rare. In fact, it was no exaggeration to call them treasures. ¡®There is no being as cunning as a human. The dwarves learned this fact long ago.¡¯ Dwarves were particrly hostile towards humans amongst all the other races. That¡¯s because there was a time when their entire race lived as ves to humans. That was more than several hundred years ago. ¡®But a sword made by dwarves in the hands of a minor count from a remote country?¡¯ As Narakas said. Possessing something beyond what one could handle only brought ruin. Moreover, the sword in my hand was a genuine article. ¡®Druip 97.¡¯ The faint mark engraved on the handle was proof. It meant it was the ny-seventh sword made by the dwarf named Druip. Any item made by dwarves would fetch double the price. Naturally, there were many counterfeits. The mark was to prevent that. Only dwarves could inscribe such miniscule letters on the handle with such skill. ¡®If Count Arsene¡¯s house has a route tomunicate with the dwarves, all the circumstances so far make sense.¡¯ Count Arsene, who was deep in thought, let out a heavy sigh. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re aware, but our Arsene County borders thend of the dwarves. Well, the northern region is practically abandoned, but still¡­¡­¡± Dwarves lived together in one ce. In the harsh Anagri Mountain Range in the north. ¡®On the entire continent, only the Duchy of Meeke and the Kingdom of Hart border that barren region.¡¯ Incidentally, the territory I received from the queen as a reward, or rather, my intended ce of exile, was also there. I was kidnapped by ve traders while on my way there. Knowing that this ce was adjacent to that area, it was not an iprehensible story. ¡®The Empire has monopolized fine swords since ancient times.¡¯ No, it wasn¡¯t just the Empire. Knights, by their very nature, have always craved the highest quality swords. Moreover, if the Empire is indeed preparing for a continental war as I suspect¡­¡­ ¡®The demand for weapons will inevitably skyrocket.¡¯ In the midst of this, a new dwarven weapon had surfaced in the human world. And it emerged here, in Count Arsene¡¯s territory, close to the dwarven domain. How could one not be interested? ¡°Years ago, I went on a reconnaissance mission to the cursednds in the north. By chance, I encountered dwarves under attack by monsters there.¡± ¡°So, you helped them and received this sword as a token of gratitude.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Who else knows about this sword¡¯s existence?¡± ¡°Quite a few people. There were many eyes in the reconnaissance team at the time.¡± There is no such thing as an eternal secret. The more witnesses there were, the more likely rumors would spread. ¡°Moreover, the dwarvester sent hundreds of swords as tokens of gratitude, saying they were failed products and not to worry about it.¡± No wonder all the knights¡¯ swords were so dazzling. Even if they were considered failures, they were still made by the dwarves. They were likely of much higher quality than anything made by ordinary human craftsmen. ¡°¡­¡­Now I understand. Outsiders, unaware of the exact circumstances, must have assumed that you had a special rtionship with the dwarves.¡± ¡°I had a rough idea. We tried to be cautious to avoid rumors¡­¡­ but it seems that was the cause after all.¡± Count Arsene smiled wryly. I, on the other hand, felt a sense of relief. The fog in my mind had cleared. ¡®The Empire¡¯s primary goal was the trade route or dominion over the dwarves. The civil war in this remote country came second.¡¯ The Empire¡¯s spies probably realized shortly after arriving here. The special rtionship between Count Arsene and the dwarves was a one-time urrence. Then, they shifted their focus, using the already deployed spies to incite civil war¡­¡­ This was the most likely course of events. ¡®With their trail uncovered, the Empire will have no room to intervene.¡¯ In war, you must always be wary of variables. But now, the biggest variable is gone. This means I can concentrate solely on the Foltaine Marquisate. ¡°First, convene a meeting with the retainers.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll gather them within an hour.¡± Count Arsene nodded. His eyes exuded trust. ¡°If you expect too much, it¡¯s a bit burdensome¡­¡­¡± Anyway, with little time to spare, I left for the training grounds. *** ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± When I arrived at the training grounds, I tilted my head in confusion. It was the designated training time. ¡®I did wonder whether they¡¯d be cking off or not, but¡­¡­¡¯ I watched the training grounds with an intrigued expression. There was an unexpected individual there. Under the scorching sun, dripping with sweat, were Harun and Kirian. Andstly, the one-eyed Jan. ¡°Is that the third member of the Andy Knights?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At my voice, the three of them stopped simultaneously. ¡°Master?¡± ¡°Honored guest!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Harun, Kirian, and Jan reacted in turn. ¡°But what the hell are you doing?¡± Among them, my gaze fixed on Jan. ¡°Why are you doing the range-of-motion training too?¡± I had assigned training tailored to each of them. Yet, here was Jan, watching and trying to follow along. ¡°¡­¡­I wanted to be as strong as you¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was a voice smaller than an ant. Even the way he addressed me had changed from ¡®bastard¡¯ or ¡®brat¡¯ to ¡®you¡¯. It was a meaningful change, but my furrowed brow remained the same. ¡°I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something. You¡¯re different from these two.¡± ¡°Different¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The swordsmanship of your Arsene County pursues a path of power. Surely, you don¡¯t intend to abandon the swordsmanship you¡¯ve trained for over ten years?¡± ¡°¡­¡­But Kirian¡­¡­¡± ¡°Kirian¡¯s situation ispletely different from yours.¡± I firmly cut off his words. ¡°As you can see, Kirian is slender andcks innate strength. From a distance, he almost looks like a woman.¡± ¡°I-I wouldn¡¯t go that far¡­¡­¡± Kirian¡¯s face turned red. ¡°In other words, he was practically wearing clothes that didn¡¯t fit him. But Jan, you¡¯re different, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why is someone like you, who looks like they can wrestle a bear, doing calisthenics in a corner?¡± Did he finally understand what I was getting at? Jan avoided my gaze. ¡°Moreover¡­¡­ someone needs to preserve the family¡¯s roots. You¡¯re the only one now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°No matter what anyone says, your swordsmanship suits the path of power. I¡¯ll teach you a training method specialized for that. If you want to get stronger, do as I say.¡± ¡°Th-Thanks.¡± Jan looked at me with genuine gratitude. ncing at him, I pointed to the ground. ¡°With that spirit, start with a thousand push-ups. And while you¡¯re at it, put a couple of logs on your back.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°What are you dawdling for? Didn¡¯t you say you were grateful? Don¡¯t you want to get stronger?¡± ¡°W-Wait a moment.¡± ¡°After that, go straight into horse stance for six hours without resting. And put a log on your thighs.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Jan, who had already experienced my training methods, turned pale. What is the path of power? It¡¯s ultimately about overpowering your opponent with superior strength. That strengthes solely from a trained body. ¡°Begin.¡± ¡°Ughhh.¡± Groaning, Jan dashed over to the pile of logs. Harun and Kirian watched him with sympathetic eyes¡­¡­ ¡°What¡¯s with those pitiful looks?¡± ¡°Y-Yes?¡± Harun and Kirian flinched. They noticed my index finger. It was pointed in the exact direction Jan was running. ¡°M-Master. Didn¡¯t you always advocate for customized training?¡± ¡°Physical conditioning is amon requirement.¡± Their faces turned ashen. ¡°Start immediately. If you don¡¯tplete the reps in time, it¡¯s double tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ack!¡± The remaining two also shot off like arrows. *** The retainers¡¯ meeting had begun. There were four vassal families that followed Count Arsene. There was one viscount family and three baron families. Usually, they governed small rural territories near the family¡¯s domain. But now they were in uproar. ¡°My lord! A full-scale war with the Foltaine Marquisate?!¡± ¡°This is madness!¡± ¡°Contact the royal pce at once! Defying a royal decree? The sheer lunacy!¡± It was quite apparent how they felt about the war. It was a battle they were bound to lose. ¡°How did things get so twisted¡­¡­?!¡± Their resentful gazes soon turned towards me. Thanks to Count Arsene¡¯s strict order, they didn¡¯t voice theirints any further. But their expressions said it all. ¡®All this madness, just because of one lowborn brat!¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re all going to die because of some wretched beggar.¡¯ ¡®Damn it¡­¡­ Should I run away?¡¯ Then Count Arsene added fuel to the fire. ¡°I understand you all have many questions, but from today, this honored guest will attend our military meetings and discuss strategies with us.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Cries of shock erupted from all corners. ¡°I look forward to working with you all.¡± I stood up, meeting their ufortable gazes one by one. There was one sure way to handle situations like these. They had only heard rumors, but had not seen my abilities. Since they had only just been called to the meeting. So. ¡°May I borrow that for a moment?¡± ¡°Wha¡­¡­!¡± Shiiing. I swiftly drew a sword from a guard¡¯s sheath. ¡°Wh-What is the meaning of this!¡± Then, before anyone could react. Hummm! I poured my mana into the sword without hesitation. Perhaps it was because I had taken the top-grade elixir? The sword, greedily absorbing my mana, glowed hotter and brighter, asserting its presence. ¡°Au¡­¡­ra?¡± ¡°M-My god. Aura at such a young age! So the rumors were true?¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe what I¡¯m seeing.¡± It wasn¡¯t just the retainers. ¡°Ha¡­¡­ hahaha. The color is deeper and clearer than mine. Isn¡¯t he stronger than me?¡± Even Count Arsene let out a hollowugh. ¡°In this field, skill is everything, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Silence descended. However, even in the quiet, some nobles¡¯ eyes showed defiance. After all, my known status was still that of amoner. ¡°¡­¡­Nobles are the same, then and now¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Was it Ancelot? I¡¯m tolerating you because of the lord¡¯s orders, but you should watch your mouth.¡± The lone viscount, having reached his limit, snapped at me. At the same time, a smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. ¡°Oh dear, does it bother you that a meremoner brat is acting up?¡± ¡°¡­¡­If you intend to continue disrespecting the nobility¡­¡­!¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why we¡¯re in this mess.¡± I pointed my aura-infused sword at the nobles. The four idiots flinched simultaneously. ¡°That pathetic superiorityplex of yours.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°When the spies were wreaking havoc internally, I bet your reactions were just like now, right? You ignored and looked down on anyone of lower status than you, only to get stabbed in the back¡ª after which you were busy ming others instead of finding the root cause.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The retainers¡¯ faces flushed crimson. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you going to me the lord for this situation? Your lord is the face of this region. He¡¯s so busy with external affairs that two bodies wouldn¡¯t be enough. So, who should be managing the household in his stead? That¡¯s your job, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Shame on you. You sit quietly at home, doing who knows what, until someone steps up to fix things¡ª after which you dismiss them for being young.¡± The retainers were speechless. Immediately, Count Arsene stood up. ¡°Listen.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes, my lord!¡± ¡°From now on, the words of this honored guest are my words. No objections will be tolerated.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It was a deration from the lord himself. The retainers wouldn¡¯t dare show any dissatisfaction with my words now. At least not outwardly. Now, all I had to do was prove myself with my abilities. ¡°So, what¡¯s your n, honored guest?¡± This time, the other retainers also showed interest. ¡°The best defense is a fortress.¡± Count Arsene nodded right away. It was a basic military strategy that besieging a fortress required at least three times the number of troops defending it. ¡°And?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°What more do you need?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°At this point, defending is the best strategy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t just Count Arsene. The other retainers who had shown some hope were now standing there with their mouths agape. ¡°Lock the gates securely and wait. Don¡¯t attempt anything else. It¡¯s a waste of manpower.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, we do nothing. We wait indefinitely until they step into our territory.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The one person who had been on my side from the sta rt, Count Arsene, finally allowed a smile to touch his lips. ¡°Was trusting this brat a good idea?¡± ¡°You just said your thoughts out loud.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± His ufortable coughing continued for quite a while. If you decide to trust me, just trust me, mister. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 ¨C Fortress (2) News of the sudden movements of the Foltaine Marquisate reached Narakas as well. ¡°Is this true?¡± Narakas asked in a stern voice. Standing before him was a member of the continent¡¯s most renowned intelligence organization, the Mask of Night. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Codenamed Green No. 4. Ben answered in a rigid posture. He was already tense. After all, the head of the Mask of Night personally came here. Hiding his identity. That happened a few days ago. But now, Narakas was asking him questions directly, despite Ben¡¯s insignificance. ¡°Hey, Greenie. Do you want to die?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡­¡­But today, he seemed in a particrly bad mood. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°Heard something, sir¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve known for a while that the core noble faction, including the Foltaine Marquis, was plotting something, but¡­¡± Even without hearing the rest of his sentence, Ben felt a sense of unease. ¡°They¡¯ve been preparing secretly for so long, and now they¡¯re acting so aggressively because a few spies were captured?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± As Narakas muttered to himself, Ben became certain. ¡®The head is testing me.¡¯ Ben considered himself to be an ambitious person. So, he had to demonstrate his ability here. ¡°I-In my personal opinion, this might be the prelude to a civil war they¡¯ve been preparing for a long time.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°As you know well, sir, coups have often been carried out suddenly and unexpectedly like this¡­¡­¡± ¡°But dismissing it as merely ¡®unexpected¡¯ would overlook the fact that they¡¯ve defied a royal order, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­As you said, the faction including the king of the Hart. Kingdom must be in great confusion by now.¡± ¡°Oh. So, the real goal is internal chaos?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Shiver. Ben trembled as he answered. He worried his spection might be wrong. But his concern was needless. ¡°For a Greenie, you¡¯ve got a good head on your shoulders.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Ben¡¯s face lit up brightly behind his mask. ¡°Anyway, the Arsene Count¡¯s house must be in trouble too. While we know this, that bastard¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ahem. From the perspective of the prince of the Meeke Duchy, who¡¯s hiding his identity.¡± Ben¡¯s eyes shone at that moment. To reiterate, he was ambitious. A beast constantly seeking opportunities to gain merit. ¡®Apetent subordinate should understand what their superior is implying.¡¯ With this thought, Ben spoke up. ¡°I will pass on the information we¡¯ve just gathered to the Count¡¯s house as well!¡± ¡°What? Why would you do that?¡± ¡°Pardon? We weremissioned to provide information for the uing war¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey, you idiot. This is just our spection. Just convey the fact that the noble faction is preparing a coup. Why are you trying to reveal everything, even down to thest detail? Do you want to hand over your underwear as well?¡± Wh-What? Wasn¡¯t the head fond of that prince? ¡®I-I¡¯m sure it seemed that way?¡¯ The fact that the head personally engaged in the deal. And that he revealed the location of the Great Hero¡¯s tomb. These processes clearly demonstrated the emotion of ¡®fondness¡¯. ¡°If left alone, you¡¯d ruin a certain someone¡¯s business. Hey, do you want to be demoted to Yellow?¡± ¡°Gasp! I-I¡¯ll correct my actions!¡± ¡°Come to think of it, it was you, right?¡± ¡°Pardon? Y-You mean¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The one who got the information about the colorless mask from that guy.¡± Crack. Suddenly, the head started cracking his knuckles. A sight Ben found increasingly iprehensible. ¡°Forget it, just take a beating for now.¡± ¡°Pardon¡­¡­?¡± Things were taking a strange turn. Things were going well, so why¡­¡­? ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°H-Head? Ahh!¡± Smack! After that, Ben was beaten senselessly without knowing why. For quite some time. *** Count Arsene¡¯s training ground. ¡°I-I can¡¯t go on. My muscles are screaming. If I keep this up, I¡¯ll really die¡­¡­¡± ¡°Mother¡­¡­ are you well? I¡¯m doing fine¡­¡­ H-Huh? Mother? Is that you¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Damn it.¡± Harun and Kirian reacted in turn. Gasping for breath, Jan cursed as he sprang to his feet. Of course, it was right after he had finished his given training. His whole body was already drenched in sweat. ¡°Meaningless physicalbor at a time like this. We should be learning new techniques, not this¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ugh. Just stopining and do as you¡¯re told.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said you wanted to get stronger. This is what you asked for. Grit your teeth and endure it.¡± Jan red at Kirian as he spoke. ¡°You¡¯ve got an interesting personality these days. You couldn¡¯t even look me in the eye before.¡± ¡°Thanks to someone. Anyway, the results speak for themselves, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Results?¡± ¡°The honored guest is younger than us but is already an expert. That¡¯s a rare achievement to find even in the whole continent. Even the prodigies of the Empiren aren¡¯t on that level. That¡¯s why you came here on your own, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Grr¡­¡­¡± Only then did Jan bite his lip. As annoying as it was, he couldn¡¯t deny a single word. If not for the current situation, he would have followed withoutint. ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient and just follow along. Harun here has only been learning the sword for less than a month.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What? Less than a month? Is that true?¡± Jan had been observing their training closely for the past few days. Of course, he also noticed Harun¡¯s rapidly improving skills. ¡°Well, it¡¯s true¡­¡­¡± Harun smiled awkwardly. Jan swallowed hard at this confirmation. ¡®It seemed like he had been training for years at least¡­¡­¡¯ No. It wasn¡¯t just because his teacher was excellent. No matter how good the soil is. If the seed is poor, the flowers that bloom will be insignificant. ¡®That means that guy¡¯s talent is extraordinary too.¡¯ Jan had to acknowledge the honored guest again. Not only was he a peerless expert, but he also had an exceptional eye for talent. At such a young age. ¡®¡­¡­There¡¯s a lot to learn. I need to watch more closely from his side.¡¯ Even though his mother had passed away, Jan intended to honor her will. She had always wanted him to be the head of the family. ¡°To be honest, Jan, I¡¯m envious of you.¡± ¡°What? Kirian, what are you saying out of the blue?¡± ¡°The swordsmanship that¡¯s the very foundation of our family. The honored guest recognized that it suits you more than me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Jan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The honored guest also felt that you are more suitable as the sessor than someone like me.¡± ¡°You¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Well, you don¡¯t need to console me. I never had a big desire for the head position anyway.¡± Kirian spoke with a genuinely relieved expression. ¡°Because I already have a new dream.¡± ¡°¡­¡­A dream?¡± ¡°As soon as this bad blood with the Foltaine Marquis is settled, I n to leave the territory.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It was something Jan hadn¡¯t expected at all. ¡°If I stay here, it will only increase internal strife, won¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jan couldn¡¯t deny those words. History tells so. It¡¯s better for the loser to leave aptly. Whether outside the territory or to the afterlife. ¡°If only Father would permit it, I would be a free knight and roam the continent with Harun and the honored guest.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Are you nning to run away before even fighting?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m trying to uphold my mother¡¯s wishes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Jan¡¯s single remaining eye widened. Though their paths were different, their goals were the same, weren¡¯t they? ¡®Even if we¡¯re half-brothers¡­¡­ Perhaps brothers are brothers.¡¯ Jan let out a defeated sigh. ¡°You wished for my happiness. But in my happiness, there¡¯s no ce for the position of family head.¡± ¡°¡­¡­HaHahaha!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Jan?¡± Kirian tilted his head in confusion as Jan burst intoughter. ¡®Mother. He¡¯s always been like this from the start. Just what were we afraid of, bullying him so much?¡¯ Regret and self-reproach surged through him. ¡°Have you gone crazy all of a sudden?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hahaha. Yeah, I¡¯ve gone mad, my cowardly brother.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Kirian¡¯s eyes widened. It was the first time he heard the word ¡®brother.¡¯ A smile soon appeared on his face as well. ¡°Yeah. I am a coward.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity. If we hadpeted to the end, I would have made you wet your pants.¡± ¡°Sorry to burst your bubble, but if we hadpeted to the end, you would¡¯ve been the one wetting your pants.¡± ¡°Even with your newfound personality, you still talk the same nonsense.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Both of them finally burst intoughter. Just then. ¡°Isn¡¯t that brat truly insane?¡± ¡°Just waiting here¡­¡­ I¡¯ve never seen such a reckless kid in my life.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we pull out before it¡¯s toote?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really worried about the lord. How can he trust that brat¡¯s words¡­¡­?¡± The sound of noisy conversation reached their ears. Immediately, the three of them looked puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s the retainers.¡± A meeting had just ended. The retainers who had left the lord¡¯s chamber first were venting their pent-up frustrations. From the overheard conversation, the three could guess what had transpired inside. ¡°¡­¡­Even so, how can they talk so carelessly without the person in question present?¡± Kirian was furrowing his brow in displeasure, when suddenly. Step. ¡°¡­¡­Jan?¡± Jan walked towards them without hesitation. ¡°Oh? Young master!¡± The retainers greeted him with delighted faces. They had always regarded Jan as the only rightful heir. ¡°How have you all been?¡± ¡°Goodness. You¡¯ve grown so much, young master. I¡¯m sure you must be worried, too.¡± ¡°Worried? Not at all. Thanks to your help, I¡¯m able to trainfortably.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll do our best to support you, young master. Just leave it to us!¡± It was almost a perfunctory exchange. Jan smiled immediately. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be counting on you for this war as well.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I feel very reassured. With such excellent retainers leading the charge, who would dare encroach on our count¡¯s territory?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A sudden, tense silence fell. The retainers exchanged awkward nces and forced smiles. ¡°Young Master Jan. You¡¯ve always been prickly on the outside, but secretly considerate, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No. This is the first time I¡¯m seeing him like this.¡± Harun and Kirian, who were watching the conversation from afar, were equally bewildered. Albeit forpletely different reasons. *** Now, only the Count of Arsene and I remained in the meeting room. The Count immediately spoke. ¡°Now, tell me.¡± ¡°Pardon? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I know. I understand what you¡¯re thinking.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t fully exin your n because you were worried there might be a spy among the retainers, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I was even more puzzled. ¡°No?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I meant it when I said we should wait.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene stared at me for a long time, as if trying to discern the truth of my words. Then, suddenly. Quiver. His mustache began to tremble slightly. ¡°You fool!¡± ¡°Ah, you startled me!¡± ¡°Youid all the groundwork with your grand talk about three reasons and whatnot, and for what? Just wait? That¡¯s it?!¡± ¡°Sir. Calm down first¡­¡­¡± ¡°Calm down, my foot!¡± The voice of Count of Arsene grew louder. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the pce right now! At the very least, I¡¯ll request support from the royalist faction!¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± ¡°What do you mean, it won¡¯t do! Those lunatics defied a royal decree. They are traitors! In such a situation, His Majesty would surely send reinforcements!¡± I interrupted the Count. ¡°That¡¯s not it. I¡¯m saying that it would be useless.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting now?¡± ¡°Do you still not understand? The Marquis of Foltaine dered war without any justification and started a full-scale conflict. Why do you think that is?¡± Count Arsene trembled. ¡°¡­¡­Are you saying they have another ulterior motive?¡± ¡°They want to draw all the attention here. It¡¯s a precursor to a full-scale civil war, a ¡®coup d¡¯¨¦tat¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The Count¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°A¡­¡­ coup d¡¯¨¦tat?¡± ¡°They intend to elerate their ns before we can prove their connection to the Empire and before the royalist faction can strengthen their defenses. They aim to crush the ¡®enemy¡¯ with overwhelming force.¡± This would also boost the morale of their soldiers. ¡°If the Count¡¯s house falls, or even before that, the enraged King will issue a new royal decree to arrest the traitors.¡± ¡°Th-Then?¡± ¡°Yes. When internal chaos reaches its peak, that¡¯s when the coup d¡¯¨¦tat will happen.¡± The Count¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°This is another opportunity for the Marquis of Foltaine.¡± ¡°An opportunity?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how war is. High risk, high reward. Leading the charge involves sacrifices, butter on, they can im the most s ignificant rewards during the post-war meritorious service assessments.¡± Having said this, I slowly stood up. The Count, already in shock, remainedpletely frozen. ¡°But, if we manage to stop them decisively, what do you think will happen afterward?¡± Chapter 38 Chapter 38 ¨C Fortress (3) ¡°Do you still think defending is a trivial strategy?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± There was no answer. But his expression said it all. ¡®This is serious.¡¯ ¡°Defense has always been the best strategy. If you can ¡®maintain it¡¯, that is.¡± It¡¯s in the basic military manuals for a reason. Besieging a fortress requires at least three times the number of troops defending it. But war never lets you stick to such simple strategies. A monster that can create variables anytime, anywhere. That¡¯s what war is. ¡°Shall I guess what you¡¯re thinking right now, Count?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you restless because you want to rush to the royal pce right now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°With your rigid personality, you must be thinking, ¡®What¡¯s the point of holding off the Foltaine Marquisate if the country falls?¡¯¡± Count Arsene¡¯s face turned red in an instant. He must have felt as if he had been stripped to his underwear. Most people of his kind were like that. ¡°H-How did you¡­¡­?¡± ¡°At first, I was puzzled. Why did the Foltaine Marquisate choose this ce as their first target? To be honest, I thought the dwarves were not enough reason.¡± The enemies know it too. Count Arsene¡¯s exceptional loyalty to the royal faction. ¡­¡­No, his ve mentality. ¡°Frankly, after your wife¡¯s been murdered and your child¡¯s life taken, no one would have stopped you if you had stormed in shouting ¡®to hell with the king¡¯s orders.¡¯ But you didn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­N-No, it¡¯s¡­¡­ not just because of that loyalty.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You said it yourself, it¡¯s that very ve mentality.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± This time, my eyes widened. I never expected to hear such words from him. ¡°War is like chess. Even if you capture the bishop and eliminate the knight, if you lose the king, the result is ¡®defeat.¡¯¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°So I briefly thought, maybe I should rush to the royal pce right now¡­¡­ If war is a chessboard, I am just one piece on it, am I not?¡± ¡°If it were such an easy game to lose, the royal faction would have no chance of winning from the start if the skill difference between the yers was that vast.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes. You¡¯re right.¡± This is not the time to worry about others¡¯ battles. We must focus on the war right in front of us. They are already doing so. Sending spies. Plotting the assassination of the family head. Yet they never give up and continuallye up with new strategies. This is likely true, even at this very moment. ¡°They must have started a new operation.¡± The current noisy full-scale war is proof of that. The Marquis of Foltaine is no fool. He is, after all, one of the highest-ranking nobles. In war, the vanguard usually suffers the most. No matter how much of a carrot public merit is, preserving strength is essential. Nobody knows how long the war willst. But to kindly warn us, ¡®Here wee!¡¯ and start a siege? Ridiculous. ¡°So, the key to this war is for you, Count, to not waver and ensure that the strategy of ¡®defense¡¯ is maintained.¡± Ancelot¡¯s Code, Chapter 13. Formte the best strategy after considering all variables. Chapter 14. Once a strategy is formed, stick to it no matter what. ¡°Truly¡­¡­ they say that there is no set teacher and student in life. I¡¯ve learnt a lot from you. Geniuses really think differently from ordinary people like us.¡± Count Arsene¡¯s eyes, looking at me, no longer wavered. ¡°I trust you.¡± *** Rumble, rumble, rumble! A group charges forward fiercely. It was the White Lion Brigade, the most powerful force of the Foltaine Marquisate. ¡°The main force has started moving.¡± ¡°We need to hurry too. Let¡¯s go!¡± Neigh! Themander Tripier, the Knight of Mist, spurred his horse. In fact, having a title held significant meaning. It meant they were recognized beyond their nation, and across the continent. Indeed, Sir Tripier was among the top three strongest warriors within the Foltaine Marquisate. In the entire Hart Kingdom, there might be less than twenty knights with such titles. ¡°I am truly in awe of our lord¡¯s foresight. He must have known this would happen, which is why he stationed us in that countryside for almost a whole year, even sending themander personally.¡± At the lieutenant¡¯s words, a smile spread across Tripier¡¯s lips. It had been a time of endurance. No outside activities, no seeing family, just endless training. But now, those hardships werepletely over. ¡°That¡¯s why we just need to keep trusting the Marquis.¡± For the past year, the White Lion Brigade had left the main estate at regr intervals in squads of five. It was amon urrence. The knights¡¯ duties were not limited to being guardians. The ¡®dispatch duties¡¯ following the lord¡¯s orders were included as well. And a yearter, all the White Lion Brigade members who had left on their respective missions gathered at one ce. In the northern Emir Viscounty, considered rural even within the Hart Kingdom. ¡°Everyone¡¯s itching for action.¡± ¡°In our current state, we won¡¯t lose to anyone, Commander!¡± Morale was at its peak. The knights, who held semi-noble status, had devoted themselves entirely to training ording to orders. And finally, they received their ¡®real¡¯ mission. ¡°Our role is crucial. While the enemy¡¯s attention is focused on the main force, we will nt our g at the enemymander¡¯s main estate in one swift move.¡± ¡°Yes, Commander!¡± The White Lion Brigade¡¯s objective was clear. It was Count Arsene¡¯s estate, not far from here. It would have taken two weeks from the main estate. But from here, it would take only two days to reach the destination. For this mission, only the best knights, who possessed both stealth and mobility, were selected. ¡°Crush them all!¡± ¡°Raaahhhhh!¡± However, they had no idea. That a pair of eyes were closely watching their movements. Caw! Shortly after they departed, a jet-ck crow flew into the sky from a nearby perch. *** Count Arsene and I were still in the middle of our private conversation. Swoosh. Like a shadow, a man appeared by my side. ¡°Who goes there!?¡± Shiiing! Startled, Count Arsene drew his sword. Even the guards had been dismissed for security, showing his trust in me. But suddenly, a dark man wearing a mask appeared. ¡°An assassin¡­¡­?¡± Such a misunderstanding was natural. Of course, the misunderstanding was quickly resolved. ¡°The Foltaine Marquisate¡¯s elite force, the White Lion Brigade, has just entered Count Arsene¡¯s territory.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°At this rate, they will arrive here in two days.¡± Narakas personally brought me this information. ¡°Two days¡­¡­?¡± Even I was surprised this time. It meant that before they even dered war, they were already within our territory. We had only been monitoring the enemy¡¯s main force, and now we were caught off guard. ¡°¡­¡­Interesting.¡± Indeed, the Marquis was living up to his reputation. If it weren¡¯t for the informant, we would have been attacked from both inside and out. ¡°It seems a rat remains among our ranks. And a rather high-ranking one at that.¡± I particrly noted the two-day timeframe. It suggested the presence of an ¡®insider¡¯ who had hidden them for a long time. ¡°A-An indigo mask?¡± Count Arsene btedly muttered in shock. The family head himself was an expert knight. However, even he hadn¡¯t sensed the intruder. ¡®This must be a first for him.¡¯ So far, the highest-ranking mask seen in the Hart Kingdom was blue. And even so, they existed only among the three ducal houses. ¡°This is a reliable informant.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ha¡­¡­hahaha. This is beyond astonishing, it¡¯s bewildering.¡± Count Arsene¡¯s expression turned to one of exasperation. Narakas turned towards me. ¡°Look. Do you really think we can win this war? It seems to me you¡¯re grasping at straws.¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken.¡± ¡°Your strategy to gather information and leverage the advantages of defense seems usible. But¡­¡­¡± Narakas continued in a subdued voice. ¡°What do you n to do about those 500 troops right now?¡± The first gateway to the north, the Arsenia Fortress. It was the best ce to take a defensive stand. It was about three days¡¯ distance from the main estate. Naturally, most of the troops were being gathered at the fortress. ¡°But if those 500 men tear through thisrge estate, can you really maintain that strategy you¡¯re so confident in? There are families of our allied knights here. How can you sleep soundly with such a threat?¡± More importantly, we haven¡¯t fully identified the traitor yet. Leaving enough troops here to address that issue wouldpromise our main force in the fight. Each knight was an indispensable asset. ¡°Listen, they¡¯ve been preparing for this war much longer than Count Arsene¡¯s family. Based on our analysis, the chance of winning this war is less than 10 percent.¡± That was Narakas¡¯ analysis. However, he forgot one crucial fact. He didn¡¯t consider the ¡®variable¡¯ that is ¡®me.¡¯ ¡°Count, please don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m just stating the objective difference in manpower.¡± But this guy was continuously undermining our morale. ¡°Why? A great hero once stopped tens of thousands of troops with just a few hundred.¡± ¡°Are you talking about the Battle of Andemar Hills?¡± Narakas immediately understood and sneered. ¡°They took advantage of the terrain. The heavens helped them, too. While I can¡¯t deny the Great Hero¡¯s strategy was excellent, if it hadn¡¯t rained that day, no hero could have stopped tens of thousands of troops.¡± Like the slopes of a mountain, the hills have steep and high ground. The narrow path up there became muddy and impassable in the downpour. When one¡¯s legs sank deep into the ground, making movement impossible. I had my troops wear specially prepared shoes and fought against the enemy. ¡°There¡¯s a lesson in that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­A lesson?¡± ¡°Utilize the surrounding environment, be it terrain or weather, to the fullest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy. The northern ins are vast and open. There are no hills like that. And the weather is bright and sunny.¡± ¡°The environment doesn¡¯t just refer to those things.¡± Narakas chuckled at my unyielding reply. ¡°Ha, fine. Let¡¯s see if you can back up your big talk.¡± ¡°Still holding a grudge? Some people really are petty.¡± Tremble. Narakas clenched his fists slightly as I turned to look elsewhere. ¡°On that note, Count, let¡¯s root out the traitor first.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Time is pressing. We need to manage the external war, and we can¡¯t afford to focus on internal matters. The enemy knows this and is making use of the timing. ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to say, but how¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too disheartened. It¡¯s a minor issue.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°History books always show this. There are those who fight to the end in hopeless battles. And those who betray their allies for the promise of a better position. There are far more of thetter than the former.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Count Arsene¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°So let¡¯s show them what happens to those who dare betray Count Arsene¡¯s family.¡± ¡°H-How, exactly¡­¡­?¡± Even Narakas looked intrigued. ¡°We¡¯re going to use their strategy against them.¡± Ancelot¡¯s Iron Rule, Chapter 18. Turn the enemy¡¯s strategy into your own. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 ¨C The Last Rat (1) Nobles who have long protected the Count of Arsene. The four most loyal retainers of the Count of Arsene had gathered in one ce. ¡°I am truly worried about the future of our house.¡± It was Rodri, the only viscount among them, who began the conversation. At the same time, the other vassals started chattering noisily. ¡°Can we win?¡± ¡°Our opponent is the Marquis of Foltaine, one of the most formidable forces in the kingdom. Perhaps it would be better to resolve this amicably through dialogue¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even still, both thedy and the young master have lost their lives. If we extend our hand first in this situation, won¡¯t the other nobles look down on us?¡± For nobles, honor was everything. The moment that honor was tarnished, they would be far removed from the center of power in the future. ¡°His Majesty is being unreasonable. By now, he should have sent reinforcements¡­¡­¡± ¡°That child said it, didn¡¯t he?¡± Viscount Rodri reiterated the context of the conversation. ¡°That it would only be meaningful if we stopped them with our own strength.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A sudden, profound silence descended. In that stillness, Viscount Rodri continued. ¡°I am truly¡­¡­ worried.¡± Finally, pent-up discontent burst forth. It began with Baron Tucker¡¯s outburst. ¡°How can this be reasonable? No matter how much he¡¯s done, to be swayed by the words of a mere child, barely of age! How can we focus on the war with peace of mind? After all, isn¡¯t that child amoner of unknown origin!?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­¡± ¡°Of course, a true noble should repay their dues regardless of the other¡¯s status. I am not denying what the house has received from that child. He exposed thedy¡¯s crimes, yed a crucial role in capturing the spies, and even foiled the assassination n against the head of the house in advance. However!¡± Baron Tucker¡¯s voice dropped even lower. ¡°We must distinguish between public and private matters, mustn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Because of that child¡¯s merits, it seems the head of the house is unable to see the current situation urately. So, at times like this, shouldn¡¯t we, at the very least, speak frankly?¡± Baron Tucker, who seemed to have a lot bottled up, did not stop talking. ¡°We vassals share our fate with the head of the house. If the head is the ruler, we vassals assist and fulfill our roles. Naturally, it is also our important duty to enlighten the head¡¯s eyes and ears!¡± ¡°You make a very valid point.¡± ¡°The courage to say what is wrong. I believe that is what we vassals need more than anything right now. That is all I have to say.¡± At this point, the other vassals began to agree. ¡°How about meeting the head of the house right away? Whatever happens, we all agree that sitting still is not the answer, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We cannot ept the crazy idea of just sitting and waiting.¡± ¡°First, we should remove that child. After that, we can decide whether to reshape the strategy or negotiate with the enemy.¡± ¡°But will the head of the house listen to us? Judging by recent events, he seems overly fond of that child¡­¡­¡± At that moment, Viscount Rodri, who had been silent, quietly raised his hand. ¡°¡­¡­There is one thing that has been bothering me for some time.¡± The attention immediately focused on him, the most influential voice among them. ¡°Since thedy was murdered, and even the young master Hersen passed away. Following that, the hidden spies all revealed themselves in this series of events¡­¡­¡± Viscount Rodri¡¯s gaze hardened as he continued. ¡°¡­¡­All of this happened after that child appeared, didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The eyes of the other vassals widened. ¡°To properly deceive the enemy, gain their trust. It¡¯s a basic principle in military strategy.¡± ¡°Do you mean¡­¡­?¡± ¡°At the very least, we must consider the possibility that the child is a spy.¡± It was the decisive blow. As if nned, the vassals stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the head of the house right now!¡± *** It was right after Narakas had just left. ¡°My lord, we have something to say.¡± A horde of vassals came rushing in. ¡°All of youing in with such dissatisfied expressions¡­¡­ Should I be nervous? Take a seat, everyone.¡± ¡°Before that¡­¡­¡± The leader of the horde, who had been trailing off, stepped forward to speak on behalf of the others. ¡°We would like that child to leave for a moment.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At that moment, I flinched slightly. The leader¡¯s finger was pointed directly at me. ¡°Haven¡¯t I already exined? The honored guest is¡­¡­¡± ¡°Lord, forgive my boldness, but we say this because there is a possibility that the child is a spy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The Count of Arsene¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Oh, so this is how you want to y it?¡¯ I watched with a curious expression. ¡°You¡­¡­ you scoundrels¡­¡­!¡± Count Arsene¡¯s face turned as red as a tomato. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting in front of the honored guest!?¡± ¡°I apologize, my lord. But these are dire circumstances. Please understand our earnest wish to be certain of everything.¡± ¡°Please understand!¡± The other vassals began to join in support of this action. It seemed they hade with a clear intent. ¡°Still, how dare you!¡± ¡°If the truth is revealedter, we will surely bear the consequences, my lord.¡± Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! The four vassals, one after another, knelt to the ground. At that, a look of destion appeared on the Count of Arsene¡¯s face. ¡°Ha¡­¡­ do you even realize what you¡¯re doing? A person who does not repay kindness is no better than a beast. Considering the actions the honored guest has taken, dismissing them simply because of age is¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, excuse me for a moment.¡± I raised my hand, observing the mood. ¡°I agree with what they¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Honored guest, I apologize on behalf of the house for this rudeness.¡± ¡°No. They must be speaking from their hearts. Though I am merely a guest, these are the loyal vassals who have devoted decades to the House of Arsene, aren¡¯t they?¡± I nodded understandingly. ¡°So, I just need to step outside?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The vassals raised their heads. Though there was no verbal response, their expressions said it all, ¡®Shut your mouth and get out!¡¯ ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see youter.¡± I turned and started to leave through the door. ¡­¡­No, I almost did. ¡°¡­¡­By the way.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Since the topic of spies hase up, I suddenly have a question myself.¡± I turned my head to look at the vassals. ¡°What are your duties during wartime?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°As I mentioned, I am a guest and do not know the internal details well. When the enemy invades, don¡¯t each of you have specific areas to defend?¡± ¡°Why do you want to know that? As I¡¯ve told you many times, you are¡­¡­¡± Their lord, noticing the protesting vassal, intervened. ¡°Enough!¡± ¡°¡­¡­My lord.¡± ¡°That is not confidential information, is it? At the very least, show some respect, as the honored guest has done enough to earn it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The vassals, exchanging nces, nodded in agreement. ¡°¡­¡­In case of enemy infiltration, I am in charge of the east gate.¡± ¡°The west gate.¡± ¡°South gate.¡± The answer I was looking for camest. ¡°I am in charge of the north gate, child.¡± At the same time, my eyes lit up brightly. ¡°I see. Thank you for your answers.¡± ¡°¡­¡­As the lord said, you are entitled to at least this much information. Despite how things have turned out, I want to express my gratitude as the representative of the vassals.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too kind.¡± Thinking they had directed the conversation in their desired direction, the leader of the vassals faintly smiled. ¡°By the way.¡± The other vassals frowned, their faces saying, ¡®What now?¡¯ ¡°The spies from the Marquis of Foltaine we captured earlier. They pretended to flee outside the north gate but actually hid within the city, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What does that have to do with anything?¡± ¡°The source of that information came from none other than the north gate.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Viscount Rodri¡¯s face grew increasingly stern as he grasped my point. ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange? There were no spies that actually left through the north gate, so why did the guards make a ¡®false report¡¯¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene quickly spoke up. ¡°We are currently investigating that matter, including the captain of the north gate and all the soldiers on duty at the time. If it turns out there was some other scheme behind the erroneous report¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s precisely what I find odd.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Let me ask you. During each shift, there are at least twenty guards stationed at the north gate. Are we to believe that the discipline of the House of Arsene is sox that all of them could be swayed by a single guard captain?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Multiple guards were stationed to prevent such incidents. Yet, they all agreed to tell the same lie? And not a single loyal soldier reported the truth? ¡°If the house is in such disarray, you shouldn¡¯t expect victory in this war.¡± By this point, Viscount Rodri had risen from his seat and was ring at me as if he wanted to kill me. And that wasn¡¯t all. ¡°Impudent wretch! How dare you insult a noble!¡± Baron Tucker beside him had even drawn his sword. But I wasn¡¯t finished speaking. ¡°What if I don¡¯t hold back?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You can insult the guest of the lord, who aske you to treat them with the same respect as himself, yet I can¡¯t do the same?¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± I fixed my gaze on Viscount Rodri. ¡°Why don¡¯t we hear it directly from you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Viscount Rodri, you¡¯re the traitor, aren¡¯t you?¡± His eyes zed with murderous intent. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Even Count Arsene denied the usation this time. ¡°They may have been rude, but the vassals here have served me loyally for over twenty years. To say that there¡¯s a traitor among them¡­¡­¡± ¡°I understand your feelings, my lord.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called the five stages of grief.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Betrayal is like an incurable disease. No matter how much you manage and strive, there is no guarantee such a result won¡¯t ur. Even if you live your life as best as you can, when faced with that devastating oue, people typically go through five stages of emotion. At first, they deny reality, like the Count of Arsene is doing now, insisting, ¡®That could never happen!¡¯ Then they express anger, ¡®How could those bastards do this to me!¡¯ They attempt to bargain, ¡®There¡¯s still time to turn things back. It¡¯s not toote¡­¡­¡¯ They fall into depression, ming themselves, ¡®I was a fool¡­¡­ A fool.¡¯ Finally, they ept that miserable oue. That¡¯s how most people I¡¯ve met have reacted. ¡®Of course, I intend to stay in the second stage for life.¡¯ I spoke firmly to the Count of Arsene, who was still in denial. ¡°Being betrayed by someone you trusted hurts the most. It¡¯s more painful than having your heart cut out with a knife.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I understand your feelings, but you must face reality.¡± A crisis is also an opportunity. Humans are creatures driven by desire above all else. If thew disappeared from the world, it would immediately be a realm of beasts. History already tells us this. There were far more traitors who changed their allegiance for their own benefit than there were patriots who fought for their country till the end. -If your true aim is to ensure the victory of the Marquis of Foltaine, tell me. We should know, at least. Narakas¡¯s intention echoed in my mind. It seemed he was watching the scene unfold from outside the window. -I personally think this is counterproductive. With a major war approaching, if there¡¯s suspicion, why not send those people to the front line? No. This is not a misstep but a necessary one. Moreover, I cannot entrust the honorable role of the front line to a traitor. ¡®Turn the enemy¡¯s strategy into your own.¡¯ This is the first step to upholding that principle. ¡°Previously, my lord, you exined the four uneptable situations to me. Allow me to add to that with five reasons why Viscount Rodri is the traitor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°If you still don¡¯t change your mind after hearing them, I will leave this house immediately.¡± At that moment, the murderous intent in the room grew even stronger. ¡°Insulting a noble is punishable by death!¡± Swoosh! There was no time for anyone to intervene. A sharp sword was already flying straight at me. ¡®Making things easier for me?¡¯ A twisted smile spread across my face. It¡¯s always more satisfying to catch a rat by hand. Chapter 40 Chapter 40 ¨C The Last Rat (2) Unfortunately, I was deprived of the opportunity to catch the rat myself. ng! Blue sparks flew. A lightning-fast sword blocked my way. Its owner was even more unexpected. ¡°¡­¡­Tucker, what is this rudeness?¡± Viscount Rodri muttered with a frown. ¡°But that brat¡­¡­!¡± ¡°You are in front of the Count.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Only then did Baron Tucker shut his mouth. Watching this scene, I was beyond dumbfounded to the point of being speechless. They¡¯re just having a concert all by themselves, aren¡¯t they? ¡°You bastards¡­¡­!¡± I quickly conveyed my intentions to Count Arsene, who was about to burst with anger. -For now, let¡¯s wait and see. -What? But! -The atmosphere among our allies is not great with the war ahead. So, please give me the chance to turn this situation around. -¡­¡­ I took his silence as affirmation. I was about to step forward when he spoke. ¡°I¡¯d like to hear your reasons.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°You said there are five reasons why I¡¯m a traitor, didn¡¯t you?¡± Viscount Rodri took the lead. Well, we¡¯re back to square one, but this isn¡¯t bad either. ¡°Since I¡¯m also human, being used isn¡¯t particrly the best feeling. Since it¡¯s wartime, I¡¯ll bear with it for now, but if you tarnish my honor with absurd ims¡­¡­¡± ¡°First.¡± There was no need to listen to his bullshit any longer. I immediately held up one finger. ¡°This is an extension of the story about the north gate earlier. I don¡¯t believe this series of events happened solely because of a defection by a mere guard captain of the north gate.¡± ¡°Your words make sense. And as such, the Count said he would conduct a thorough investigation.¡± ¡°Can I take that to mean you¡¯re taking responsibility?¡± ¡°I¡¯m innocent, but if false evidence of my defectiones out during the process, I will actively prove my innocence. Of course, I will also bear the consequences.¡± ¡°By then, it will be toote. This isn¡¯t something that can be dyed. As you said, it¡¯s ¡®wartime¡¯, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Howughable. So, you intend to nder an ally without any evidence?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that exactly what you are doing right now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For the first time, his usually calm face showed a frown. ¡°Am I wrong? You came here like a bunch of stray dogs and said it yourself: ¡®I apologize to the count¡¯, ¡®but since it¡¯s wartime, I want to make sure¡¯, ¡®please consider our concerns¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Though there¡¯s nothing to be done if you say that it¡¯s romantic loyalty when you do it, but outrageous when others do it. What can we do, when rank is a thug and status is a sin? ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But if that¡¯s not the case, you should at least take some responsibility. The north gate is under Viscount Rodri¡¯s jurisdiction during wartime, and likewise, you oversee its security in peacetime. Since your subordinate made a mistake, shouldn¡¯t his direct superior immediately take responsibility?¡± In the silent tension, Viscount Rodri, who had regained hisposure, opened his mouth. ¡°¡­¡­I will bear the responsibility in this war. I stake my life on it; I will utterly destroy the enemy¡­¡­¡± ¡°Second. Actually, this is the most important reason.¡± Before speaking, I sent a signal with my eyes. Count Arsene, quick on the uptake, gave an immediate order. ¡°Knights, listen! Guard all the entrances! Ensure not even a single ant gets close to this area!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± At hismand, Count Arsene¡¯s personal guards swiftly moved. They covered all the entrances and double-checked for anyone who might have been listening outside. They even drew the curtains on the windows. Instantly, the room was enveloped in darkness. ¡°What is the meaning of this¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t panic. It¡¯s just for security.¡± sh! Candles ced throughout the room lit up the interior. ¡°The enemy¡¯s elite force, five hundred members of the White Lion Brigade, are advancing towards this location. Two days¡­¡­ No, quite some time has passed already, so they will probably arrive here in about a day and a half.¡± ¡°What!?¡± The nobles, hearing this for the first time, looked shocked. A natural reaction. Two days meant the enemy was already infiltrating internally. However, two of them. Tremble. Viscount Rodri and Baron Tucker had a slightly different reaction. They closed their eyes tightly, as if to say, ¡®What had toe hase.¡¯ ¡°You both knew, didn¡¯t you? Viscount Rodri and his loyal aide, Baron Tucker.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Of course you did. After all, you¡¯re the traitors.¡± If the Mask of Night hadn¡¯t been our eyes and ears, we would have been caught off guard. Their long-prepared n was perfect. Except for one thing. They hadn¡¯t considered me as a variable. ¡°Their departure point is the vige of Cled, two days away from here.¡± ¡°Cled, you say¡­¡­?¡± Immediately, everyone¡¯s eyes turned to one ce. ¡°Yes. As you all know, that vige is part of the ¡®Emir Viscounty¡¯.¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Shall we hear an exnation?¡± I too turned my eyes to follow everyone¡¯s gaze. ¡°Viscount Rodri Emir.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it something! False information came from your jurisdiction, and it just so happened that five hundred enemies were hiding in your territory!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this suspicious? They say that coincidences happen once, but never twice.¡± This alone was a decisive blow. Even the guards were showing their hostility. The suspicious nces of the two remaining vassals were evident as well. Above all. ¡°Rodri¡­¡­?¡± Even Count Arsene began to look at Viscount Rodri with a face full of distrust. ¡°Third. You said I might be a ¡®spy¡¯, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What are you getting at?¡± ¡°Humans have a tendency to actively hide their own faults. Like a child who mes the family dog for breaking a vase. But Viscount Rodri, you are doing the opposite. That likely means you¡¯re desperate¡ª¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± ¡°Count Arsene has been in the capital for quite a few years. It makes sense for a high-ranking noble. So let me ask you. Who is in charge of security in the Arsene County during the Count¡¯s absence?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Viscount Rodri¡¯s eyes widened again. ¡°Viscount Rodri, isn¡¯t it you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And yet, you brazenly talk about spies in this public setting? Can you say you have no responsibility in this? Despite knowing this, you oppress a child like me for your own mistake?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Fourth. Oh my, once again, if the enemies advance along this route, they will pass right through the ¡®north gate¡¯. As everyone knows, the vige of Cled is a deste rural area in the ¡®north¡¯, the most remote part of this region.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°On the day the enemies arrive here by the shortest route, is it just my imagination that I envision the wide-open north gate?¡± Clink. Baron Tucker, unable to listen any longer, slowly moved his hand to the hilt of his sword. Of course, I pretended not to notice. If he were to swing it, I nned to decapitate him immediately. ¡°The fifth and final reason¡­¡­¡± ¡°Enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It was Lord Rodri¡¯s voice. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Atst, he surrendered. ¡°¡­¡­I apologize, my lord.¡± ¡°Rodri¡­¡­ was it really you?¡± Count Arsene¡¯s pupils shook, still unable to believe the situation. ¡°Why? Of all people¡­¡­ Of all people, I never thought it would be you. You, who stood by me in countless battles¡­ No, you were no different than a brother to me. How could you¡­¡­?¡± Thud! Viscount Rodri fell to his knees. ¡°¡­¡­As a criminal, what more can I say? Please, kill me.¡± ng! Baron Tucker¡¯s sword fell powerlessly to the ground. Yet his gaze remained filled with malice. ¡°This is all the lord¡¯s doing!¡± ¡°¡­¡­What was the reason for your betrayal?¡± It seemed a conversation was necessary. I asked Viscount Rodri. ¡°¡­¡­I was afraid.¡± Viscount Rodri answered in a resigned voice. Immediately, a vein bulged on Count Arsene¡¯s forehead. ¡°Afraid? What could you possibly have been so afraid of? Were you so terrified of the might of the Marquis of Foltaine? Was your faith in me thatcking? We¡¯ve ovee worse adversities in the past. What were those struggles for?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I was afraid of myself. Of the fact that I harbored murderous intent toward my lord¡¯s wife and innocent children.¡± ¡°Wh-What?¡± ¡°Isabelle.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Count Arsene flinched at the unexpected name. It wasn¡¯t just him. ¡®Why is he bringing up that witch here?¡¯ My question was quickly answered. ¡°As this child said, my lord, you have been away from home for quite some time.¡± Wait, wait, hold on. ¡®It can¡¯t be, right?¡¯ A husband frequently away on business. A lonelydy passing her nights alone. And a handsome subordinate nearby¡­¡­ ¡®Damn it. Please don¡¯t let this be like a plot from some trashy novel.¡¯ But my suspicion was quickly turning into certainty. Wasn¡¯t the context clear enough? Considering her perverse tendency to collect young ves with handsome faces¡­¡­ ¡°This incident with Isabelle was just the tip of the iceberg. And among her victims was¡­¡­¡± But thedy, or rather, the witch, far surpassed my imagination. ¡°¡­¡­My own child.¡± ¡°Fuck-¡± The words slipped out of my mouth. ¡°Child? If you¡¯re talking about your child, they¡¯re already¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes. They died. More precisely, theymitted suicide. After being harassed by thedy, unable to confide in anyone, they suffered alone until¡­¡­¡± At this point, Count Arsene¡¯s face turned ashen. ¡°R-Rodri, your child supposedly made that choice out of exhaustion from knight training¡­¡­¡± ¡°I found out toote.¡± ¡°How could¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­ As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Isabelle even threatened severe consequences if word got out. Yet whenever I came home, my child just smiled at me, fearing they would cause trouble for their worthless father¡­¡­¡± Thud! Viscount Rodri dropped his head onto the floor. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lord. Before being your vassal, I am a father. I couldn¡¯t contain my rage¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot. ¡°Why¡­¡­ Why didn¡¯t you tell me? Even a letter would have¡­¡­!¡± ¡°If it could have been solved with a letter, I wouldn¡¯t have gone to such lengths. My lord values principles above all else. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t trust you, but¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t think my rage could be quelled with just your punishment. No, I couldn¡¯t allow it to be quelled. I wanted to personally tear Isabelle apart, her and her family, the House of Count O¡¯Neil¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ahh. Just what have I been doing all this time, while my household was bing such a mess?¡± Thud. Count Arsene copsed to the floor. At this point, I stepped in. ¡°Well, although you were clearly in the wrong, I understand.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze turned to me. ¡°Honestly, which father would stay quiet after losing their only child like that? You should have torn their limbs apart immediately. Even the gods would have apuded that. Of course, the method was entirely wrong.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I am sorry to you, as well.¡± Lord Rodri bowed his head to me as well. ¡°Thanks to you, thedy¡¯s crimes were revealed. I am grateful for that. But at the same time, I became increasingly fearful that my betrayal would be discovered¡­¡­¡± ¡°And you were swayed by the Foltaine Marquisate during that time?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I had been approached before.¡± These people were brazen enough to nt spies in other noble¡¯s territories. Naturally, they would have been simultaneously attempting to win over their vassals as well. In the end, he chose to ally with the enemy for his child¡¯s revenge. I heard the family of Lady Isabelle was a fairly prominent count¡¯s house. Having finished my contemtion, I extended my hand. ¡°Viscount Rodri. If you are truly sorry, how about atoning for your sins from now on?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Thedy is dead, and Count Arsene has lost his child, just like you. In this situation, is there any reason to continue your betrayal? Unless you still hold a grudge against the count¡­¡­¡± ¡°Never! I have always been grateful¡­¡­ and sorry to my lord.¡± Count Arsene, who had been listening, trembled with emotion. ¡°How about giving him a chance to atone, my lord?¡± I had no intention of abandoning this n. The five hundred elite knights advancing here. This was a perfect opportunity to capture them without significant losses. ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a long silence. ¡°¡­¡­Viscount Rodri. No, Sir Rodri.¡± A voice, as if suppressing deep emotions, resonated. At the same time, Viscount Rodri raised his head. Where his gaze fell, Count Arsene stood with reddened eyes. ¡°From now on, fight for the House of Arsene.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Not for your ipetent lord¡­¡­ but for thend your child roamed all their life, thend you loved and dedicated yourself to for decades¡­¡­¡± ¡°M-My lord!¡± Lord Rodri sprang up in surprise. At that moment, the lord he had served all his life was bowing his head. ¡°Please¡­¡­ allow me the chance to correct my mistakes as well.¡± Drip. Tears rolled down from Lord Rodri¡¯s tightly shut eyes. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 ¨C Right Back at You (1) Only two of us remained in the mansion. ¡°I¡¯m in your debt once again.¡± Count Arsene, deep in thought, let out a long sigh. ¡°Self-reproach in the face of an enemy invasion isn¡¯t a good sight.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hahaha, but there¡¯s no helping it, is there? Such self-reflection is necessary to determine the future direction of my life.¡± As he said this, Count Arsene stared directly into my eyes. ¡°Should I just carry you around? Then I wouldn¡¯t make such foolish mistakes.¡± ¡°How much will you pay me?¡± ¡°How much do you want?¡± ¡°Give me this country.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For a moment, Count Arsene flinched. ¡°A man should have at least this much ambition.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene, who had been standing there in a daze, soon burst intoughter. ¡°That was an amusing joke.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a joke. Haven¡¯t you lived your life with such ambitions as well?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± ¡°Over time, the number of mouths to feed increases. You have to protect the pride of the retainers who are part of the count¡¯s family. To do so, you must not only maintain your current position but also gradually climb higher. Haven¡¯t you lived your life that way? Trying to get a little closer to the center of power.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Once again, Count Arsene¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Across this entire country, there are few families greater than the Arsene family. Only a few ducal and marquis families surpass you. And among the counts, you¡¯re number one.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, don¡¯t me yourself too much.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, fighting alone in the capital.¡± Count Arsene¡¯s eyes twitched slightly. ¡°This ability to prate a person¡¯s heart¡­¡­ it must be a talent, right?¡± No. This isn¡¯t a talent. It¡¯s just a path I¡¯ve walked before. So, I¡¯m simply a bit more familiar with it than others. ¡°Anyway, save the self-reflection forter. Let¡¯s talk business first.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Alright.¡± ¡°First, write a letter immediately.¡± ¡°A letter?¡± ¡°Now that we know their scheme, we should inform our allies of what we¡¯ve discovered. We can take some credit for it too.¡± Count Arsene was quick to understand. ¡°You mean to write to His Majesty?¡± ¡°The pce must be fully prepared. Their goal is to usurp the throne.¡± Count Arsene nodded immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll send a telegraph through the Magic Tower. That will be the fastest way.¡± ¡°The Magic Tower is not an option.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The Empire is involved in this matter. It¡¯s clear they are secretly assisting the Marquis of Foltaine. In such a situation, using the Magic Tower, whose allegiance is uncertain¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­There¡¯s a risk the information might leak?¡± ¡°Even the assassin guilds have already fallen into the emperor¡¯s hands.¡± Only then did Count Arsene groan. ¡°Then what should we do?¡± ¡°There¡¯s still one fast, reliable, and certain means ofmunication left.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah!¡± Count Arsene let out a small exmation. ¡°Of course. The Mask of Night.¡± Satisfied with his response, I nodded naturally. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the request. Just make sure the seal is properly stamped and hand it over to me.¡± ¡°Is it necessary?¡± ¡°You¡¯d give them whatever they ask for, wouldn¡¯t you? Ah, I¡¯m talking about themission fee.¡± Count Arsene quickly raised his hand. ¡°Wait. Is that something that can be negotiated?¡± ¡°Negotiation is a skill. At the end of the day, they¡¯re merchants, after all.¡± ¡°Hmm, then I¡¯ll leave it to you¡­¡­¡± ¡°In exchange, I¡¯ll keep half of the money saved from the negotiation, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene looked at me in silence. I took it as his affirmation. ¡°Thank you. Now I¡¯m really motivated to work.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go meet Viscount Rodri for a moment. Write the letter while I¡¯m gone!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I felt a sharp gaze on my back. Of course, I ignored it. ¡®I should earn as much as I can while I can.¡¯ There will be countless expenses in the future. *** Viscount Rodri was immediately taken to the interrogation room. Even if I was going to give him a chance, I still needed to confirm what information he had leaked so far. I headed straight to his solitary cell. Creak. ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s you.¡± As soon as he saw my face, Viscount Rodri gave a bitter smile. ¡°How old was the child?¡± ¡°If he had lived, he¡¯d be about your age. The same age as thete Young Master Hersen.¡± Was it because we were talking about children? A deep sorrow settled on Viscount Rodri¡¯s face. ¡°Come to think of it, Young Master Hersen¡¯s birthday ising up.¡± ¡°You remember that too?¡± ¡°Because I feel guilty.¡± An ¡®uncontroble ident¡¯. From Viscount Rodri¡¯s perspective, Hersen¡¯s death was probably like that. Even if he had allied with the enemy, he couldn¡¯t have known all the infiltrators within. ¡®There wouldn¡¯t have been much loyalty between them.¡¯ It was a simple give-and-take rtionship. Viscount Rodri hid the enemy and provided information. In return, the Marquis of Foltaine must have promised to help him with his future revenge. ¡°It was something I desperately wanted. But after thedy died and Master Hersen met the same fate¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it was in vain.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Revenge is pointless? That¡¯s nonsense. You¡¯re only thinking that because you¡¯ve already achieved your goal.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°If thedy had not died, your dreams would have been haunted every night by your dead child.¡± Viscount Rodri stared intently at my face as I spoke. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m saying that I understand your actions.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re a strange one.¡± Finally, Viscount Rodri let out a faintugh. ¡°More importantly, you came to tell me something, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°I can guess what it is.¡± Viscount Rodri nodded. ¡°You want me to take responsibility and block the north gate, right? So that the enemies who have arrived right in front of our camp will be caught off guard. If weunch a surprise attack amidst that chaos¡­¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Quite the opposite, actually.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Act ording to their ns. Open the north gatepletely and assist the enemy in entering without resistance.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Viscount Rodri¡¯s eyes widened. If he couldn¡¯t understand even after this exnation, he wouldn¡¯t be fit as amander. ¡°Draw them inpletely and annihte them from within?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I¡¯m going to perfectly recreate the events of the day I was killed. Even now, there might be spies from the Empire watching. ¡®I¡¯ll make it so familiar that it makes their guts churn.¡¯ Having said my piece, I turned to leave. ¡°Then, good luck with the investigation. I¡¯ll see youter.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Wait.¡± Viscount Rodri called out, stopping me. ¡°What¡¯s the final reason?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°The reason I¡¯m a spy. You mentioned ¡®five reasons¡¯, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I nodded. ¡°Have you ever been betrayed?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t recall any such event.¡± ¡°Once you¡¯ve been stabbed in the back, you be more observant.¡± I raised two fingers to my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a kind of lesson you learn from experience.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°You behaved exactly like a traitor.¡± ¡°What?¡± Viscount Rodri asked with a face of disbelief. ¡°When thedy died, you didn¡¯t actively work to catch the spies like you¡¯re doing now, did you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Are you saying my acting was insufficient?¡± ¡°In that sense, I must ask you once again.¡± A faint smile spread across my lips. ¡°Act convincingly this time, so they don¡¯t suspect a thing.¡± *** It was right after I returned to my room. ¡°Oh?¡± I quickly encountered the person I needed to meet. As I opened the window where I sensed a presence, ¡°¡­¡­You look like a bat.¡± Narakas was hanging upside down from a tree, ring at me. ¡°Thanks for the advice. Although it wasn¡¯t very helpful.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hmph. You¡¯re a puzzling fellow¡­¡­¡± ¡°Keep observing. Let¡¯s get down to business.¡± I immediately handed him the item I had in my hand. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? It¡¯s a letter.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m asking because I don¡¯t know?¡± For a moment, a vein bulged on Narakas¡¯s forehead. ¡°It¡¯s probably a letter meant to extort something from the king of this country, right?¡± ¡°Extort? That¡¯s a crude way of putting it. I prefer ¡®an exchange of information¡¯.¡± ¡°Setting aside my evaluation of you. No, now that I understand you to some extent, I¡¯m certain.¡± ¡°Certain of what?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be doing any more business with you. Dealing with you only leads to losses.¡± ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be so stingy.¡± ¡°Stingy? Would you still say that if you were in my shoes?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t lie. The location of the relic was urate, wasn¡¯t it? You know that better than anyone.¡± To reiterate, Narakas had an exceptional ability to read people¡¯s psychology. His skill at distinguishing truth from lies was unparalleled¡­¡­ No, perhaps unique on the continent. ¡°¡­¡­If it had been a lie, you¡¯d be up there by now.¡± Narakas pointed towards the sky. ¡°Enough of that. Are you really closing up shop? Will you take the job or not?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You understand the situation. This letter needs to get to the pce urgently. Every second is precious.¡± After a moment of silence, Narakas responded gruffly. ¡°500 gold.¡± I hesitated, my eyebrows naturally knitting together at the unrealistic number. ¡°Did I hear that right? 500 gold just to deliver a letter?¡± ¡°Shall I imitate you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°First, the recipient is the king of this country, who could be deposed in a coup at any moment. If the rebellion seeds, we¡¯ll be targeted by the new regime. Second, such ces are dangerous. It¡¯s like running into a burning house, so I¡¯ve added a hazard pay. Third, the fee varies depending on the client. As the seller, I set the price. If you don¡¯t like it, you don¡¯t have to buy it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­All good reasons, but there¡¯s a hidden jab in thest one, isn¡¯t there?¡± ¡°Our Mask of Night values grudges and favors.¡± Narakas then shed a triumphant smile. ¡°Most importantly, we¡¯re the only ones who can handle this job right now. Fourth¡ª in other words, we¡¯re irreceable. Considering that, I think it¡¯s a reasonable price.¡± This was an undeniable fact. Of course, no matter how valid the reasons, I couldn¡¯t just pay the full amount. ¡°Let¡¯s settle on 300 gold.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± ¡°I have to buy something important. It¡¯s not like we won¡¯t see each other again. Don¡¯t overcharge a valuable customer.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Narakas finally fell silent. From his perspective, who am I? A prince of a nation. Moreover, the sessor of the greatest hero on the continent. Naturally, every move I make is ¡®money¡¯ to them. Most importantly, they can¡¯t forcefully extract the knowledge in my head. Knowing that, the leader of Mask of Night was sticking around despite the potential losses. ¡°Even so¡­¡­¡± ¡°Just charge me the cost price. I¡¯ll make it worth your while in the future.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Make it worth my while? You? For me?¡± Why did that sound like a mocking question? ¡°Geez. If you keep being petty, how can I request additional jobs from you in the future?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Additional jobs? You mean there¡¯s more work for us?¡± ¡°Of course. And it¡¯ll be several times more expensive than this one.¡± Swoosh! Narakas swiftly dropped from the tree and slipped through the window like a flying squirrel. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it. What¡¯s the job?¡± ¡°Two 4th-ss magic scrolls and five sets of armor made from ckworm. The scrolls are urgent, so I need them now. The armor cer.¡± ¡°Scrolls, fine. But ckworm armor? Are you trying to increase your chances of survival in the war or something?¡± Narakas questioned in disbelief. ckworm. As the name suggests, it referred to a ck silkworm. This creature was native only to the far eastern regions of the continent. Furthermore, it was extremely rare. Armor made from ckworm silk was considered one of the rarest treasures on the continent. It was resistant to des without mana, fireproof, and even waterproof. I was ordering five sets of such precious armor. ¡°Aren¡¯t I a big spender? Get them at the most reasonable price. That¡¯s the specialty of the best, the Mask of Night, isn¡¯t it?¡± Since the items were expensive, the middleman¡¯s profit margin would be high too. ¡°It¡¯ll easily cost at least 10,000 gold.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I told you, I¡¯ll have a lot of expenses.¡± After a brief thought, Narakas nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll deliver the letter as a service.¡± ¡°As expected of the best!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡®Earned 500 gold.¡¯ The Count¡¯s house would cover the cost of the goods for the operation anyway. ¡°What 4th-ss scrolls?¡± ¡°Mass Illusion and Growth of nt.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Those aren¡¯t verymon scrolls.¡± ¡°Why act surprised now? You always carry scrolls of this caliber. You¡¯re the leader of Mask of Night.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Is such detailed information in Ancelot¡¯s records too?¡± Narakas sighed and rummaged through his waistband. Soon, a masterpiece developed by the Magic Tower appeared: a subspace pocket. Two scrolls that looked anything but ordinary came out. ¡°I¡¯ll add 20% to the regr price from the Magic Tower. You know that¡¯s not a high markup.¡± That was true too. With the rise of demand, so does price. Battlefield supplies fetched whatever price was asked. ¡°You¡¯re nning to set a trap, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m curious to see how you¡¯ll handle them.¡± ¡°The enemy will rush towards the north gate. They¡¯ll be burning with excitement. At that moment¡­¡­¡± I smiled, holding up the two scrolls. ¡°¡­¡­We¡¯ll cool their excitement with these.¡± *** Thud, thud, thud! Thick smoke billowed into the air. An elite force of five hundred knights, and the pride of the Marquis Foltaine¡¯s household. The White Lion brigade had just arrived near their destination. ¡°There it is, the Arsene County castle!¡± ¡°Finally¡­¡­!¡± It had taken them less than two days. They had driven themselves hard, cutting rest time to a minimum to hasten their advance. ¡°Arrogant bastards. We¡¯ll crush them all.¡± ¡°I can already see them falling back in shock, hahaha!¡± ¡°Leave it to me, Captain. I¡¯ll bring back Count Arsene¡¯s head!¡± The entire White Lion Brigade was burning with excitement. However, their captain, Tripier, worked to calm his emotions. ¡°Tell the members to refrain from any disgraceful actions.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°War is ultimately about legitimacy. I¡¯m sure it wouldn¡¯t happen, but crimes against civilians are absolutely forbidden.¡± Tripier, who had repeatedly emphasized this, now looked straight ahead. ¡°Our top priority is to capture Count Arsene.¡± His now steady voice echoed around him. ¡°Today, we change the g on that castle with our own hands.¡± Chapter 42 Chapter 42 ¨C Right Back at You (2) The advance of the White Lion Brigade was unstoppable. There wasn¡¯t a cloud in the sky, nor a single obstacle in their way. Everything was smoothly sailing. However, there were those who felt uneasy about this smooth progress. ¡°Captain.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Countess of Arsene recently murdered?¡± Tripier, the captain at the front, nodded. ¡°The timing was moved up, but everything is going ording to the Lord¡¯s n.¡± ¡°The timing is precisely why I bring it up. Don¡¯t you think we might have fulfilled Viscount Rodri¡¯s wish too early?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Although it was an unavoidable circumstance due to unforeseen variables¡­¡­ Generally, rewards andpensation are given after the task ispleted, aren¡¯t they?¡± Kieran, the vice-captain, continued speaking. ¡°Viscount Rodri has already achieved his goal. From what I¡¯ve gathered, he doesn¡¯t particrly have ambitions for power.¡± ¡°So, he has no reason to help us anymore?¡± ¡°Yes. If he were to turn against us now, wouldn¡¯t it be dangerous?¡± At that moment, Tripier, the captain of the White Lion Brigade, let out a small chuckle. ¡°Viscount Rodri is a traitor. As a result of his espionage, even the Countess was assassinated. Do you think he could return to his original position now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, it¡¯s absurd to think that someone as rigid as Count Arsene would take back such a spineless person.¡± Tripier¡¯s expression became peculiar as he continued. ¡°Are you, perhaps, afraid?¡± ¡°A-Afraid? Absolutely not!¡± Kieran quickly eximed in surprise. ¡°It seems I was a bit too sensitive. I apologize for needlessly troubling you, Captain.¡± ¡°No, Kieran. As I always say, I respect you. I especially acknowledge your prudence, which Ick.¡± It was advice worth considering. The oue of an operation could be determined by minor variables. That¡¯s how war is. ¡°Tell the troops to fully open their mana senses. Pay especially close attention to the top of the walls.¡± Finally, Kieran¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°If the enemy is preparing an ambush, the optimal time would be when we approach near the gate, within bow range.¡± ¡°Whoa, whoa!¡± Kieran quickly reined in his horse. ¡°Whoa!¡± As the front slowed down, the following members naturally adjusted their speed. ¡°Fully open your mana senses! The enemy may have prepared an ambush!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± At those words, a resonant hum reverberated all around. Five hundred knights were simultaneously circting their mana holes. This was the battlefield. No one questioned it. Their movements were impably coordinated. This spoke volumes. This clearly demonstrated how well the White Lion Brigade had been trained. Thud, thud, thud! The distance closed in an instant. The White Lion Brigade heightened their tension to the extreme. They were now within bow range. Some of the knights around the captain even took out their portable shields hanging from their horses¡¯ sides. However, ¡°Fortunately, there is no ambush.¡± Despite their preparations, no arrows came flying. In fact, the castle gate was wide open. Seeing this, a smile naturally formed on Tripier¡¯s lips. ¡°Now you can rx, Kieran.¡± ¡°It seems my worries were for nothing, after all.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Viscount Rodri is a wise man. He wouldn¡¯t make such a foolish mistake¡­¡­¡± Tripier suddenly stopped speaking. A group of people was pouring out through the just-opened castle gate. At a nce, their numbers seemed simr to their own. Immediately, a murderous aura surged through Kieran¡¯s body. ¡°Could it be¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Wait. They¡¯re allies.¡± Tripier, who had been watching the front closely, waved his hand as if to reassure them. ¡°You recognize him, don¡¯t you? The man on the ck horse, that¡¯s Viscount Rodri.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Logically, if he were to betray us, there¡¯d be no reason for him to abandon the advantage of the fortress and walk out himself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Shortly after, the leaders of both groups came forward alone. ¡°Hahaha! Viscount Rodri, it¡¯s been a while!¡± ¡°Viscount Tripier, you look as splendid as ever.¡± ¡°All thanks to you. I didn¡¯t expect you toe out to greet us.¡± ¡°Well, given the wartime situation, it would be suspicious for the vigers if a sudden influx of strangers poured in. Please,e in with us.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Tripier nced sideways, as if to say, ¡°See?¡± Kieran¡¯s expression rxedpletely. ¡°Our northern gate guard building should be able to amodate everyone here. Let¡¯s move there first and discuss the detailed ns.¡± ¡°I look forward to it. I will make sure to inform the Marquis of Foltaine about today¡¯s events.¡± ¡°I would be grateful.¡± It had only been two days since the Foltaine Marquisate dered full-scale war. Finally, their elite White Lion Brigade of five hundred was entering the main fortress of the Arsene family. *** Meanwhile, News of the full-scale war between the two families eventually reached the other royalist nobles. Consequently, the high-ranking nobles¡ª excluding the sole duke¡ª gathered. These five marquises held an urgent meeting. ¡°This is an unwinnable battle!¡± ¡°They must be out of their minds. How on earth did Count Arsene allow the situation to deteriorate this badly? I heard that His Majesty the King personally mediated the matter.¡± ¡°I thought it had been resolved with that mediation¡­¡­¡± ¡°Who would have thought that a scandal involving an illegitimate child would escte to this extent? Ultimately, this entire mess stems from that illegal ve trade, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°This is something I only heard as a rumor¡­¡­ but it seems the ve you mentioned is at the center of this storm.¡± With the introduction of a new topic, everyone¡¯s attention focused on one ce. ¡°Marquis Dous, what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I heard a story about a young child who not only exposed the Countess¡¯ misdeeds but also caught spies hidden within the Count¡¯s household. It was such an interesting tale that I looked into it further¡­¡­ and it turns out it was that ve.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡­ Where did this informatione from?¡± ¡°It¡¯s information I verified directly through the Mask of Night for a substantial sum.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± There was no choice but to believe it. The reliability of information from the Mask of Night was renowned. ¡°Apparently, because of those exploits, Count Arsene intends to keep the child in the family and raise him as an advisor.¡± ¡°What? A-An advisor? No matter how capable the child is, how could he think of making a mere ve¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Count Arsene is famous for not letting social status hinder his employment of talented individuals. Besides, that ve might actually be from a reasonably good family.¡± ¡°That¡¯s absurd. Even the lowest ve traders would at least evaluate the people they deal with.¡± ¡°The ways of the world are unpredictable. Did any of us foresee that the Marquis of Foltaine and Count Arsene would engage in a full-scale war?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± Listening to their conversation, one would question if they were even on the same side. There was no helping it. They were high-ranking nobles with many dependents to take care of. There were countless viscounts eager to rise up. But the positions were limited. For one of the viscounts under them to rise, an existing noble family had to fall. It was thew of supply and demand. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we send reinforcements? The Marquis of Foltaine has effectively defied a royalmand, so we have ample justification to provide support.¡± ¡°Ah! Our troops have justpleted their summer training, so we have difficulties in providing military support.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have as many private soldierspared to other marquises¡­¡­¡± ¡°Our soldiers are currently deployed to hunt monsters.¡± This was the epitome of nobles seeking personal gain. However, little did they know. That the real target of concern wasn¡¯t Count Arsene, but themselves. *** ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± Tripier first felt a sense of unease just as they passed through the north gate. It seemed he wasn¡¯t the only one. ¡°C-Captain, what is¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Was this a trap?¡± Swish! At that moment, a sharp whistling sound pierced his eardrums. ng! Tripier deftly deflected the attack with his sword, now infused with powerful mana. ¡°¡­¡­What is the meaning of this?¡± It was Viscount Rodri¡¯s sword, swinging right next to him. Naturally, his tone was not pleasant. ¡°It¡¯s an expression of my will.¡± Thwip thwip thwip thwip thwip thwip! Archers hidden behind the walls all aimed their bows at once. ¡°¡­¡­Fools.¡± Tripier sneered bitterly. They seemed to be aiming to maximize the impact by shooting arrows at close range, but¡­¡­ ¡®Arrowsing directly at you are much easier to block or dodge.¡¯ He could clearly see their movements. However, it was as if they had read his mind. ¡°Why do you think there are none above?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Tripier¡¯s eyes widened. A beatter, countless archers appeared atop the wall. The number was overwhelming. ¡®Hundreds? No, at least over a thousand.¡¯ His pupils quaked with shock. This was an entirely unforeseen turn of events. The marquis¡¯s main army was advancing on Arsenia Fortress. Even concentrating their forces there wasn¡¯t enough. And yet, they had left such a significant number of troops at their home base? Above all, the most astonishing part was¡­¡­ ¡°But I didn¡¯t sense anything at all¡­¡­?¡± Even now, despite seeing them, he couldn¡¯t sense their presence. What measures had they taken? ¡®An artifact to erase their presence?¡¯ It was a usible idea. There were many mysterious artifacts in the world. ¡®Or is it an illusion spell cast on such arge group?¡¯ But, there was no information suggesting that Count Arsene¡¯s family had a high-ranking mage capable of such feats. ¡°Is your mind in turmoil?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t rmend gambling. The stakes are your subordinates¡¯ lives.¡± Tripier¡¯s smirk grew more pronounced. ¡°¡­¡­I tend to trust my instincts.¡± ¡°You insist on trying?¡± ¡°Everyone, draw your swords!¡± Shing, shing, shing! The White Lion Brigade swiftly unsheathed their swords. The intimidating disy made even Viscount Rodri shudder. However, the damn situation was far from over. Sniff, sniff. ¡®¡­¡­What is that smell?¡¯ Unconsciously ring his nostrils, Tripier frowned. A familiar scent btedly assaulted his senses. ¡®Oil?¡¯ Suddenly, the smell of oil permeated the air. Crack! Fwoosh! In an instant, the surroundings were bathed in green light. Crackle! Snap! Crackle, crackle! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The unexpected turn of events didn¡¯t end there. The ground suddenly began to split open. ¡°What have you done!?¡± Tripier eximed in bewilderment. Green nts started to shoot up, reaching skyward without any restraint. They were enormous, at least ten meters tall, forming a coliseum-like barrier around them. ¡°Seeds and soil drenched in oil.¡± ¡°What?¡± Fwoosh! Immediately, a knight of Count Arsene raised a torch. ¡°What do you think will happen if I throw this?¡± Shiver. Tripier¡¯s face twisted in despair. He had let down his guard. The possibility of a fire attack had never crossed his mind. The area inside the gate was typically a wide open space. And for a reason. To prevent any intruders who breached or scaled the wall from having cover. Cover would only hinder surveince. And fire needs fuel to burn. ¡°Do you intend to burn to death along with us?¡± ¡°¡­¡­That wouldn¡¯t be so bad.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°In this situation, the only way I can atone to my lord is through an ¡®honorable death¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Tripier bit his lip hard. ¡®No, it can¡¯t be.¡¯ He finally realized the source of his constant unease. As far as he knew, Viscount Rodri wasn¡¯t the type to undertake such a mad n. ¡°Who the hell came up with this insane idea?¡± ¡°I did, you fucker.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Tripier¡¯s eyes widened. On the wall. Amidst the archers, a pretty young child appeared. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 ¨C Tripier, the Knight of Mist (1) ¡°F-Fucker?¡± ¡°Th-That insane little mudfish dares to speak to themander like that!?¡± The offensivenguage came from a mere child, likely no older than fifteen. And it was directed at none other than at their respected captain. Naturally, the five hundred White Lions were outraged. ¡°Insulting a noble is worthy of an immediate execution!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll rip out that insolent tongue of yours right now!¡± ¡°The parents who raised such a brat will also be held ountable!¡± Listening quietly, Ancelot smirked. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°What fault does a kid like me have? The problem lies with the parents who let their child turn out like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ¡°If you can, I¡¯d be grateful if you went right now and gave my parents a good spanking.¡± The White Lions were now beyond confused; they were utterly dumbfounded. ¡°Is this kid insane¡­¡­?¡± Of course, no one took his words literally. ¡®What can you guys do?¡¯ Like such¡ª the White Lions thought it was a mockery. In the midst of all this, only the captain, Tripier, remained calm. ¡°¡­¡­I see. You¡¯re that ve I¡¯d love to rip to pieces.¡± ¡°Calling me a ve to my face isn¡¯t exactly pleasant either, you know.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± The sense of unease Tripier had been feeling grew stronger. This was definitely not an illusion spell. He¡¯d never heard of a mere illusion carrying on a conversation. ¡®No matter how much I focus, I can¡¯t sense their presence.¡¯ This kid was just like the other archers, who had their bows drawn. It was like he didn¡¯t exist until the moment he opened his mouth. There are two hypotheses to consider at this point. Either this kid is a groundbreaking illusion that can hold a conversation. Or he¡¯s a prodigy capable of deceiving Tripier¡¯s senses at such a young age. ¡®Either way, it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡¯ Eventually, Tripier reached a conclusion. ¡®There must be a magic circle or artifact near the wall that¡¯s concealing their presence.¡¯ This was a difficult assumption to believe, but it was the most usible exnation at the moment. ¡°Hey, you fucker.¡± Tripier let out a smallugh. ¡°Looks like Count Arsene prepared quite a lot in various ways.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a bit of a disappointment. To send out a mere child for such an obvious provocation¡­¡­¡± So far, Count Arsene was nowhere to be found. It was a remark pointing that out. ¡°This isn¡¯t a provocation; it¡¯s just delivering facts.¡± Instead, the kid spoke out even more confidently. Tripier furrowed his brow and shouted. ¡°Count Arsene! Are you going to continue with such childish provocations? Come out! Let¡¯s settle this like men!¡± But the kid didn¡¯t care. ¡°Even a trained dog recognizes its owner. But your leader, Marquis Foltaine, not only tried to bite the neck of the king he served but also sought to harm his fellow countrymen for the sake of power.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For the first time, killing intent red in Tripier¡¯s eyes. ¡°Honestly, calling such a treacherous dog a ¡®fucker¡¯ might be too kind.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hahaha.¡± Tripier barely regained hisposure and let out a lowugh. ¡°A traitor, huh¡­¡­ Yes, for now, you might call us that.¡± ¡°Look at this guy,ughing after being called a traitor.¡± ¡°Titles change depending on the situation.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°After this war ends, will I still be called a ¡®traitor¡¯? Or will I be hailed as the ¡®revolutionary¡¯ who saved the country?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Ancelot let out a small exmation. ¡°History is written by the victors. So, brat, no matter what nonsense you spout, I won¡¯t be bothered.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite confident.¡± ¡°Now go fetch your master. I can¡¯t keep conversing with a whelp like you.¡± Immediately, the White Lion Brigade burst into loudughter. ¡®These guys are actually more refreshing.¡¯ Contrary to his expectations, Ancelot was secretly pleased with the current situation. ¡®These straightforward types are much better than those pretentious bastards babbling about chivalry and other nonsense.¡¯ Did Tripier misunderstand the brief silence? Feeling emboldened, he spoke again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? Don¡¯t just stand there stupidly, hurry up¡­¡­¡± ¡°How dare a traitor! On behalf of His Majesty, whom I deeply respect, I shall wipe out your entire lineage!¡± ¡°Brat, no matter what you say¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Is that what you think I¡¯d say?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not like that. How frustrating must the higher-ups have been, if you even considered rebellion?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Tripier tilted his head in confusion. Is that guy being serious? ¡°The one with power is the one who¡¯s right. Like you said, history proves it.¡± The guy who had been cracking his neck suddenly jumped off the fortress wall. Whoosh! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± His movements were as light as a bird¡¯s. Seeing this, Tripier reconsidered. Maybe¡­¡­ as unbelievable as it seemed, this brat might actually be as skilled as he was. ¡°Stop.¡± At that moment, Lord Rodri, who had been silently listening, stepped in. The two knight orders were in a tense standoff. Not knowing when the battle might start, they were frozen in ce. ¡°Give me a chance to atone.¡± Lord Rodri pointed his sword at the White Lion Brigade. His intent was clear. His fierce determination was palpable. ¡°¡­¡­Hahaha, good.¡± Tripier also showed a pleased expression. ¡°I never thought a duel would happen this way. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered disobeying the king¡¯smand.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have a match, Viscount Tripier.¡± Lord Rodri¡¯s tone had shifted to one ofplete authority. Tripier, with his sword still resting on his shoulder, smirked. ¡°Fine. Since it¡¯s a waste of time, all of you cane at me together.¡± Hummm! Tripier¡¯s drawn sword emitted a brief resonant sound. ¡°¡­¡­Are you trying to insult me?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to feel insulted. It¡¯s not against chivalry. It¡¯s natural for weaker beings to band together for survival.¡± Tripier¡¯s mana manifested and took shape. It was the ¡®mana manifestation¡¯ that only knights of Expert level and above could disy. Shhhh¡­¡­ A thick mist began to spread everywhere. The knights of the Count¡¯s house were bewildered. Their vision was suddenly obstructed to the point where they couldn¡¯t see their own hands. This was why Tripier was titled ¡®the Mist¡¯. ¡°Alright, as you said, let¡¯s have a go.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lord Rodri was unfazed. He focused his mind, concentrating on the voice he heard. ¡®I¡¯ll rely on my senses, rather than my eyes.¡¯ At the same time, he opened his mana senses. Swish! Soon, a sharp killing intent was felt from the side. ng! Swords collided. Sparks flew in all directions. ¡®Don¡¯t shrink back. Don¡¯t be fooled by mere mist.¡¯ Viscount Rodri resolved once more. Just feel it with your senses. Ovee it with other senses. ¡®In the end, it¡¯s just some mist!¡¯ However, Viscount Rodri¡¯s confidence did notst long. ng! St! ¡°¡­¡­What!?¡± A sword aimed at his lower body. ¡®I definitely blocked it, so how¡­¡­?¡¯ The tingling resistance still felt at his fingertips was proof. Yet, suddenly, blood spurted from his right shoulder. Even though it had definitely not been cut. St! St! St st! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± That wasn¡¯t the only strange thing. Scratches appeared all over his body. They were very small wounds. However, like clothes getting wet in a drizzle, his whole body became covered in blood over time. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­!¡± Viscount Rodri gritted his teeth. Swords rained down from all directions. He was sure he blocked them all. However, the number of his wounds kept increasing. Naturally, his body became as heavy as a water-soaked sponge. ¡®¡­¡­Could it be¡­¡­?¡¯ A thought suddenly shed in his mind. ¡®The mist!¡¯ Viscount Rodri¡¯s eyes trembled slightly. An element he thought was only blocking his vision. Surprisingly, the mist was imbued with ¡®killing intent.¡¯ ¡°Looks like you finally noticed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°The phenomenon where water vapor floats in the air as tiny droplets. That is the essence of mist.¡± Tripier¡¯s voice echoed repeatedly from his blind spot. ¡°I have long researched how to split water mana into particles and imbue them with killing intent.¡± As if giving pointers to a novice, he continued his kind exnation. ¡°And finally, I perfected this secret technique, ¡®The Mist of the Sage¡¯.¡± The mist around a ship at sea. Indeed, it was quite a fitting name. The sailors often forgot their umted fatigue in the damp, salty sea breeze. ¡°That¡¯s why I told you all to attack together.¡± At the same moment, Swoosh! ¡®The left!¡¯ Viscount Rodri¡¯s eyes shed. A sword was flying towards him. He quickly raised his hand. But this time, his movement was unbearably slow and sluggishpared to before. ¡®I¡¯ve lost too much blood¡­¡­!¡¯ sh! As a result, he allowed an attack through for the first time. ¡°Ugh!¡± A sharp pain was felt in his forearm. It was obviously a severe injury. It seemed the tendons in his left forearm had been severed. ¡°¡­¡­No, what¡¯s truly severed is my future, blinded by revenge and forgetting even honor.¡± Crack! This time, excruciating pain shot through his left knee. Viscount Rodri¡¯s lower body buckledpletely. Simultaneously, his spirit was crushed. sh! With the next attack, a portion of his beard, a symbol of his nobility, was cut off. As if mocking him, questioning if he was truly a noble. In this manner, Tripier deliberately chipped away at his soul. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, brother.¡± Viscount Rodri murmured softly, closing his eyes with a resigned expression. By now, the mist hadpletely cleared. And his miserable state was revealed to all. Tripier, with a triumphant look, pointed his sword at Rodri¡¯s neck. ¡°I deliberately only severed the tendons. Of course, if left like this, you might die of bleeding.¡± ¡°Wooooaaaahhhh!¡± Immediately, the White Lion Corps cheered loudly. ¡°Count Arsene! I know you¡¯re hiding and watching. If you lift the siege and remove those damned nts, I¡¯ll spare your subordinate¡¯s life!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± There was no reply. However, Tripier did not lose hisposure. It didn¡¯t matter if he resorted to incendiary tactics now. ¡®A cold-hearted lord who doesn¡¯t care about his subordinates¡¯ lives. Soldiers wouldn¡¯t risk their lives for such a master.¡¯ In the end, the initial n to break the enemy¡¯s morale was essentially seeding. ¡°Or do you all want to try attacking me now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I promise you. If any of you can defeat me, I will release Viscount Rodri. In fact, you can evene at me all at once.¡± In the midst of the silent stillness, Tripier¡¯s voice echoed once more. ¡°Now, who¡¯s next?¡± At that moment, Ancelot, who had been watching the scene, smirked crookedly. ¡°Hey, you fucker.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Beating just one underling and putting on such airs?¡± For a moment, Tripier thought he misheard. ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Already think the world is yours? You¡¯ve forgotten the adage to conceal 30% of your ability until the very end, revealing all your pitiful skills.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡­¡± ¡°Come at me. Today, I¡¯ll show you the heaven above heavens.¡± By then, the child had approached Tripier on his own and was beckoning him with his finger. ¡°Like you said, let¡¯s throw away our pride and chivalry, and have a real fight.¡± Chapter 44 Chapter 44 ¨C Tripier, the Knight of Mist (2) Meanwhile, Count Arsene was watching the entire situation unfold among the soldiers on the in. Gulp. ¡®He told me not to get involved no matter what, but¡­¡­¡¯ His palms were soaked with sweat. Tripier, the Knight of Mist, was not a name to be taken lightly. A knight who had already reached the intermediate Expert level five years ago. Moreover, he had reached the so-called realm of manifestation. In other words, he was a cut above the rest. The question of whether one had the potential to be a master depended on whether they could manifest mana into another form. Although at the same intermediate level, Count Arsene himself couldn¡¯t achieve manifestation. ¡®Ah, as expected¡­¡­!¡¯ His concern became reality. One of the top five strongest in the entire count¡¯s household. Rodri was unable to even make a proper move and was defeated. ¡®What on earth are you nning?¡¯ Should he step in now? He even felt a bit of bted regret. Wasn¡¯t he still just a child? If only he had continued to defend the castle gates based on the information obtained beforehand. Or, if he had aimed for an ambush, the results could have been much more effective¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­No, let¡¯s believe in him. I must believe him.¡¯ That was the promise. To never step in under any circumstances. Count Arsene, struggling to hold onto his wavering heart, shook his head vigorously. ¡®Hasn¡¯t he already proven his ability enough?¡¯ Count Arsene barely managed to calm his breathing. He wasn¡¯t the only one tense. ¡°Count, he¡¯s just about the same age as the young lord¡­¡­ Is this really right?¡± Even the count¡¯s retainers, who had been silent due to their guilt, voiced their concerns. ¡°Master¡­¡­¡± ¡°This is too reckless.¡± ¡°This is madness. It¡¯s a suicide mission!¡± The apprentice knights, including Harun, Kirian, and Jan, were also worried. ¡°What are you thinking? No matter how great the hero¡¯s will he inherited, the difference in level isn¡¯t easy to ovee.¡± Even the head of the Mask of Night. Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on this first battle. Among them, Narakas found it particrly interesting. ¡°If you win, I¡¯ll make sure to provide thorough after-service.¡± After all, this was just a preliminary skirmish. The oue of this battle would affect the civil war in the Kingdom of Hart. In other words, it would influence the morale of both the royalists and the nobility. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure the name ¡®Ancelot¡¯ is known throughout the kingdom, no, the entire continent.¡± In this field, reputation was everything. Narakas, eyes gleaming, focused on the battle. *** ¡®I don¡¯t know how much I can do as I am right now.¡¯ I lightly wetted my lips with my tongue. In this life, it was the first time I¡¯d encountered someone of such skill. ¡®That assassin called Jake from before was approximately an intermediate-level Expert in terms of prowess.¡¯ However, assassins are fundamentally specialized in ambushes. In a direct confrontation, he would be several steps below this guy named Tripier in front of me. But still. ¡°¡­¡­Well, he¡¯s just a small fry.¡± Compared to knights from the Empire of the same caliber, he was several levels lower. ¡°Why use a knight¡¯s sword to kill a dog? I¡¯ll handle it, captain.¡± ¡°Hm? Kieran?¡± Meanwhile, Small Fry Two stepped forward. ¡°Kid, you have noints, right? Our captain, whom you want to fight, has just finished a battle.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ if that¡¯s the pretext, I have nothing to say.¡± ¡°You should feel honored.¡± Shiiing. A short metallic sound followed. ¡°To face the sword of Kieran, the vice-captain of the White Lion Brigade.¡± Step, step, step. Small Fry Two approached confidently. I let out a sigh. You could ascertain his skill from his stance. ¡®It¡¯s riddled with openings.¡¯ His sword wavered towards the ground like the leg of an octopus. His steps were leisurely as if he were on a stroll. And his expression? He looked like an uncle ying with his nephew. ¡°In ce of your foolish parents who failed to raise you properly, I will personally educate you.¡± ¡°Hey, Small Fry Two. Did you say your name was Kieran?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I should crush that impudent mouth of yours first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious, do you have any children?¡± He looked well over thirty. So, I asked just in case. ¡°Why does that matter?¡± ¡°You keep talking about family education, so I wondered if you raised your own kids well.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m still single.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Shiiing. I immediately drew my sword from my waist. The dwarf-made sword gifted by Count Arsene. ¡°Oh? That¡¯s too good for you.¡± Still, even as a knight in name, he could recognize its quality. Look at his eyes instantly filled with greed. ¡°Your rotten eyes, which can¡¯t even see your own grave, are full of desire.¡± ¡°Not bad. Consider that sword as the fee for this lesson¡­¡­¡± About five steps away. Small Fry Two hadpletely entered my range. Usually, he would need to take two more steps for my sword to reach, but¡­¡­ ¡®Considering the length of my sword aura, this is just right.¡¯ And in an instant. sh! As if throwing a jab, my shoulder lightly shrugged. Then. sh! The sound of something being sliced immediately followed. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± The opponent still had a look of confusion, not knowing what had happened. ¡°¡­¡­Huh¡­¡­?¡± Soon after, realizing what had happened, Small Fry Two opened his mouth in shock. He stared nkly at his nowpletely severed left arm. ¡°For someone with no skills, losing one arm is a cheap price to pay for a life lesson, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m generous, so I left you your dominant hand.¡± St! I flicked the blood off the white de, which was now dotted with crimson. Thud! Small Fry Two staggered back and fell on his rear. It wasn¡¯t the physical pain, but the psychological shock that was overwhelming him. ¡°It¡¯s a shame. If you had children, I would have ended it with one ear.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°After all, I can¡¯t turn someone¡¯s precious father into a cripple, can I?¡± The surroundings were silent. It was as if no one could believe what they had just witnessed. Breaking that long silence was, ¡°W-Woooaaahhh!¡± It was our side. Specifically, the Count¡¯s knights, who had been disheartened by the shocking defeat of Viscount Rodri. ¡°When did he even draw his sword?¡± ¡°You, too? I couldn¡¯t follow it with my eyes!¡± ¡°Honestly, when the Count referred to this young boy as ¡®honored guest¡¯, I couldn¡¯t understand it at all¡­¡­¡± ¡°We just didn¡¯t see it in person. This is the kid who even captured an assassin. He wasn¡¯t an ordinary person, and our Count recognized that!¡± A faint smile formed at the corner of my lips. This was why establishing dominance was important. The situation had flipped in an instant, and the five hundred members of the White Lion Brigade, who had been rigid in shock, moved in a hurry. ¡°P-Protect the vice-captain!¡± ¡°Ah, take him, take him.¡± I waved my hand dismissively, as if shooing away annoying flies. ¡°Now, are you going to step up yourself?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Finally, Small Fry One slowly spoke. ¡°¡­¡­Kid, who are you?¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re curious about my identity?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anyone your age with such skills.¡± ¡°Geniuses of extraordinary caliber tend to appear out of nowhere.¡± By now, he must have realized. That fighting me half-heartedly would never lead to victory. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear any nonsense about being beaten because you let your guard down against a kid. So, give it your best from the start.¡± Normally, I wasn¡¯t the type to give such friendly advice. ¡®This isn¡¯t a yground; it¡¯s a battlefield.¡¯ A ce where you can die at any moment from a stray sword. A single mistake can cost you everything. Letting your guard down is something only fools do. Nevertheless, I acted the same way as my opponent for a different reason. ¡®Like him, it will have a far more dramatic effect in boosting our side¡¯s morale.¡¯ Another reason. This was one of the few opportunities to objectively evaluate my current skills. ¡°Just like before.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°You were talking about that mist nonsense earlier. That¡¯s the best you can do right now, isn¡¯t it?¡± Boooom! Soon, the killing intent emitted by the opponent enveloped my whole body. ¡°¡­¡­Step back.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, sir!¡± Immediately, the knights who were supporting Small Fry Two retreated. ¡°¡­¡­Right. Even a tiger gives its best effort to catch a single rabbit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re not a tiger, you¡¯re a dog.¡± ¡°Regret in the afterlife. Your arrogance is what has brought you to your death.¡± Hummm! Along with the familiar sound of resonance. Shhh¡­¡­ The mist, which had dissipated, reappeared. In an instant, the manifestation of mana covered the surroundings in a gray haze. Before Ipletely vanished from sight, I nced to one side. ¡°Viscount Rodri.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Keep your eyes wide open and watch from there.¡± Perhaps it was because he had already seen my skills? The look in Viscount Rodri¡¯s eyes as he stared at me was different from before. ¡°The sins you¡¯vemitted won¡¯t disappear. They are karma imprinted on your soul.¡± ¡°I¡­¡­ know that better than anyone.¡± Viscount Rodri, biting his lip, replied with difficulty. By then, the mist had fully formed, obscuring everything from sight. ¡°No matter how hard you try, it¡¯s not easy to restore trust once it¡¯s been betrayed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Right.¡± ¡°But.¡± Fwoosh! Suddenly, crimson mes red up on my sword. ¡°Flowers can bloom again, even from ashes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°The decades of dedication you gave to the Count¡¯s family, the resentment of losing a child, and the betrayal from a moment¡¯s poor judgment. If you bury all of that in your heart and strive again¡­¡­ Perhaps your lord might reconsider?¡± Actually, this is a question I once asked myself. The five subordinates I trusted the most. One of them was a traitor. If that traitor had a reason simr to Viscount Rodri¡¯s¡­¡­ For instance, if he was forced to betray me because his aging mother and child were held hostage. Could I forgive him then? ¡®¡­¡­Of course, I¡¯d only know if that time came.¡¯ Whoosh! The mes on my sword spread out in all directions. ¡°M-Mana manifestation!?¡± Tripier¡¯s voice was filled with astonishment. Not just keeping the mes on the sword but spreading them across a wide area was also a form of manifestation. Sizzle! Soon, the collision of two opposing forces produced thick steam. The fog was ¡®evaporating¡¯. ¡®One thing is certain.¡¯ Painful memories. Constant regrets. All kinds of negative emotions. Dwelling on such a past and ming yourself only ends up hurting you. Because it¡¯s an act of corroding your own soul. ¡°Like this mist dissipating before your eyes, burn away the inner demons troubling your heart.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Only then can you move forward again.¡± I knew better than anyone the agony of losing a child. That¡¯s why I could offer sincere advice. ¡°Hey, hey! You crazy bastard!¡± But in this touching moment, someone had to ruin it. ¡®Was it Baron Tucker?¡¯ Another traitor of the Count¡¯s family and Viscount Rodri¡¯s loyal right hand. ¡°What are you thinking, burning that!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why?¡± ¡°¡®Why¡¯, you idiot!? Did you forget? This ce is surrounded by oil!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah¡­¡­?¡± At the same moment as my exmation. Fwoooosh! An enormous inferno, iparable to anything before, engulfed the surroundings. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 ¨C Tripier, the Knight of Mist (3) Sure, the one who ordered everything to be thoroughly doused with oil was me. In other words, everything was going ording to n. Even so, I couldn¡¯t help but be momentarily taken aback. ¡®¡­¡­He¡¯s quite the actor.¡¯ I quietly watched Baron Tucker, who had jumped in at an unexpected moment. His tone, mannerisms, and gestures of bewilderment. Each and every one of them were nothing short of that of a top-tier actor. Just look at him now, shouting his lungs out with an expression full of shock. -If you¡¯re going to do it, do your best, you rascal! Baron Tucker desperately conveyed his will. ¡®Well, it takes two to tango, doesn¡¯t it?¡¯ After contemting, I met his expectations. ¡°Oh no~ I identally set it on fire!¡± Fwoooosh! Just as I¡¯d said those words. The ze grew uncontrobly. Dense trees rapidly grown with magic. They were highly mmable conifers. ¡°Knights of the Count, we retreat as quickly as possible!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a gap between the trees on the left! Squads 2, 3, and 4, head left immediately!¡± Viscount Rodri, who was watching, shouted like thunder. Of course, escape routes were open on both sides. One each to the left and right of the endlessly soaring forest. ¡®Since they can¡¯t have a dogfight in this inferno over just one escape route.¡¯ The knights of Count Arsene¡¯s household were backing towards the left exit. Naturally, our allies retreated in that direction¡­¡­ ¡°Commander! There¡¯s enough of a gap behind us for us to get out too!¡± The White Lion Brigade moved to the remaining escape route. ¡°Wait a moment! We must consider the possibility that the gap itself is a trap, shouldn¡¯t we?¡± Of course, not everyone was a fool, and even in this chaos, some doubted the situation. ¡°No matter how fast we run, we can¡¯t reach the gap on the left before the enemy due to the distance. In the worst case, if those who escape first take the position and ambush us, we¡¯ll have to fight with the inferno at our backs!¡± ¡°Give us the order, Captain!¡± Various reports rang out simultaneously. But in the end, they had only one path to choose. ¡®Burn more fiercely. The more it does, the more impatient they will be.¡¯ The ground was thoroughly soaked with oil. However, there was no worry about the mes spreading to civilian homes. The area near the castle gates was an open field with no cover. ¡°Damn it¡­¡­! To think things would get this messed up because of one mere brat¡­¡­¡± Cursing, Tripier looked this way. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Want to break through?¡± I provocatively pointed the tip of my sword towards his direction. About a hundred knights, including Baron Tucker, stood firmly behind me. The rest of our allies, led by Viscount Rodri, had all reached the gap on the left. ¡°Baron Tucker.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Speak.¡± ¡°If we can take down the renowned White Lion Brigade with just a hundred men, it would be more than worth it, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Shiiing. Instead of answering, Baron Tucker drew his sword. His resolve was clear. If the enemy decided to change their minds and run towards the gap on the left¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s more than enough to be a lucrative deal.¡± He would fight them to the death, without hesitation. Crack! Crash! ¡°Damn it!¡± There was no time to waste. ¡°Fightter! Turn your horses around before we¡¯re engulfed in mes!¡± Tripier, tearing his gaze away from me, shouted roughly. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± ¡°We need to hurry and get out too!¡± Baron Tucker, his face ckened with soot, shouted as if he had been waiting for this moment. ¡°You all go ahead.¡± ¡°Wh-What?¡± However, I decided to stay here. Ancelot¡¯s Code, Chapter 19. Never let your guard down until the very end. ¡°I¡¯ll follow soon, so just go.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­!¡± Baron Tucker, biting his lip, nodded his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking, but you need to get out before it¡¯s toote.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I fixed my gaze on the enemy once more. ¡°Captain! The first line is about to reach the destination!¡± ¡°Tell them to brace their shields! Break through as quickly as possible! Be wary of ambushes taking advantage of the chaos!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°These contemptible Count¡¯s men! They resort to crude traps due to theirck of skill! Ensure no one wavers!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°What is there to fear! We are the White Lion Brigade. It¡¯s much easier to hunt down rats hiding than to break through a closed castle gate!¡± ¡°Woaaaaah!¡± The White Lion Brigade let out a vigorous roar. And finally, when they passed through that rat hole¡­¡­ Boom! ¡°Gasp!¡± With a great noise, the front line suddenly copsed. The ground had caved in instantly. ¡°Aaaaargh!¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s a trap!¡± Dozens of knights, unable to ovee their momentum, were sucked into the pit. Screams echoed continuously from within. ¡°Th-There are spikes installed at the bottom!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The depth alone looked immense at a nce. ¡°You fiendish scoundrel!¡± ¡°¡­¡­It would be unfortunate if that¡¯s all it took to unsettle you.¡± As I muttered briefly, at the same moment, the shield unit at the front crumbled. Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Arrows! Second and third lines, raise your shields!¡± ck dots swarmed, obscuring the view in an instant. ¡°Fire! Don¡¯t let a single one survive!¡± Count Arsene finally revealed himself, demonstrating his prowess as amander to the fullest. *** Fwoosh! A pir of fire shot up, reaching for the sky. The pungent smell of smoke stung the nostrils. ¡°¡­¡­Impressive.¡± Count Arsene, at the forefront, uttered a genuine exmation of admiration. The trap could have been easily uncovered by the enemy. Had they attempted to escape to the left, our forces would have suffered significant damage. But that child stayed on the battlefield until the end, ensuring that the enemymander could not change his decision. An overwhelming presence that turned even the enemy¡¯s horses. That audacity. That wit. The strategic mind that utilized human psychology inyers uponyers. ¡°Did he truly have a reason for his confidence?¡± Count Arsene muttered to himself, a wry smile forming on his face. Having fought alongside him, he now understood the basis of that confidence. ¡°I don¡¯t imagine us losing.¡± He was merely a child, young enough to be his son. Until just before this battle, he had been uneasy. But now, that feeling was gone. ¡°Keep firing! Don¡¯t let the enemy cross the pit, and spare no arrows!¡± Count Arsene shouted continuously. Thwip, thwip, thwip, thwip! The sound of bow strings snapping filled the air. Arrows shot straight ahead. However, the enemy belonged to one of the marquisate¡¯s elite forces. Regrouping swiftly, they advanced slowly with their shields in front. ¡°Was even this included in your predictions?¡± Count Arsene¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Second line! On the ready!¡± Rustle, rustle, rustle! Immediately, the second line of archers stepped forward. Fwoosh! Unlike the first line, they loaded their bows with new arrows. ¡°Fire!¡± Thwip, thwip, thwip, thwip! ¡°Aaaaaargh!¡± ¡°F-Fire arrows!¡± Even the air inside was now thoroughly saturated with mmable fumes. Not only the trees but also the ground had been drenched in oil. ¡°Count Arseeeene!¡± The soot-ckened Tripier let out a furious roar. ¡°Stop hiding and shooting arrows like a coward. Come and fight me!¡± A monstrous roar mixed with mana and rage. For a moment, Count Arsene felt a surge of anger rise within him. ¡°Whatever happens, do not engage with the enemy. The moment you lose, this war is as good as lost.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Whew.¡± However, he soon recalled the child¡¯s words. He barely managed to suppress his desire to fight. Although it was the perfect opportunity to behead the enemymander. ¡®A beast is more dangerous when wounded.¡¯ There was no need to take unnecessary risks in a battle they were already winning. More importantly, he had no chance of winning in a one-on-one fight. Even among all the Count¡¯s men, there was no one with his level of skill. ¡®Therefore, we need to be stronger.¡¯ Count Arsene bit his lip and steadied his resolve. ¡°Damn it!¡± From Tripier¡¯s perspective, it was maddening. If things continued this way, all his knights would be roasted alive without even putting up a proper fight. ¡°It was a mistake to think there were only two paths from the start. We can always make a new one!¡± With that, Tripier sharply turned his head. ¡°Kieran!¡± ¡°Yes, Captain.¡± Kieran, who had lost one hand, responded with a grave expression. By now, the White Lion Brigade couldn¡¯t advance any further and were barely managing to defend against the arrows. ¡°Tell them to stop trying to break through.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just wood. It will take time, but it would be better to break through the wall and escape, even if we suffer some damage.¡± It was a rational choice. The thought hadn¡¯t crossed their minds because of the intensity of the mes. Rather than trying to dodge the annoying rain of arrows and leap over the pit, they¡¯d rather brace for burns. ¡°White Lion Brigade, squads 5, 6, and 7!¡± ¡°Yes, Captain!¡± ¡°Turn around and start breaking through the wall!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± In a way, it was an order that demanded the sacrifice of his men. Yet, there was not a hint of hesitation in the knights¡¯ responses. Rumble, rumble, rumble! As Tripier began to turn his horse around. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A now familiar, yet still aggravating voice was heard. ¡°You¡­¡­?¡± Amazingly, the lone remaining child stood quietly in the middle of the inferno, looking this way. ¡®What¡¯s with him?¡¯ Gulp. Tripier unconsciously swallowed hard. The child stood amidst the roaring mes. A demon from hell¡¯s gates. The bigger problem was¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­The mes aren¡¯t reaching him?¡¯ The sight added to Tripier¡¯s confusion. Even if someone possessed fire mana, it didn¡¯t mean they were immune to actual fire. After all, it was still a mortal wielding the power. A human¡¯s frail body couldn¡¯t withstand such high temperatures. Unless they were a ¡®Master,¡¯ someone who surpassed human limits. A stage beyond manifestation, reaching awakening. A supreme state where one bes one with mana, making such a sight possible. ¡®However, to even mimic an awakened state, one must be at least a high-level Expert.¡¯ Does that mean this child is already at a high level? At such a young age? ¡®Impossible.¡¯ He had never heard of anyone bing an Expert in their early teens, let alone a high-level one. ¡®Moreover, there¡¯s no sign of elemental transformation, the tell-tale sign of awakening.¡¯ Awakening takes various forms. In the past few centuries, there were quite a few who awakened fire mana. Some could manifest a cold me known as blue me. There were knights infamous for wielding ck mes, called demonic fire. But among them, the most renowned was¡­¡­ ¡®One of the current Three Heavens. The Empire¡¯s greatest swordsman, wielding a me that governs other mes.¡¯ Theorg, the Knight of zes. The mana he wielded looked like ordinary fire on the surface. But the most notable feature is that it appeared to dominate the mes, just like now. ¡®Who are you?¡¯ As Tripier¡¯s eyes twitched. Step. ¡°A fight left unfinished should see its end, right?¡± The little demon strode forward with a menacing aura. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 ¨C Urha (1) At the left exit of the fiery hell. ¡°Quickly, reform your ranks! We don¡¯t know when the enemy might change their route towards here!¡± Viscount Rodri continuously urged his knights. Only the minimum number of archers had been left here. Most of the forces were concentrated at the right exit. In other words, they were focused on where the lord was. ¡®In the worst-case scenario, we¡¯ll have to fight the enemy with just these troops!¡¯ As Viscount Rodri steeled his resolve internally, Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! ¡°Hurry! Move quickly!¡± A group came running towards them soon. ¡°Phew.¡± Viscount Rodri sighed in relief at the sight. The hundred knights who had stayed until the end of the battle. It was none other than them. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± However, even Viscount Rodri couldn¡¯t help but look puzzled. No matter how he looked, one important person was missing. ¡°Everyone, to your designated positions!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Viscount Rodri quickly approached them as they took their positions. ¡°Why are you the only ones here? What about that child?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± Baron Tucker, who stepped forward as the representative, bit his lip. ¡°¡­¡­He stayed behind alone.¡± ¡°What!? A-Alone? In that inferno?¡± Viscount Rodri asked in shock. ¡°He told us to go ahead¡­¡­¡± ¡°Tucker! Are you out of your mind!?¡± Grab! Viscount Rodri, forgetting the current situation, grabbed Baron Tucker by the cor. ¡°What do you mean you left that child behind? How could you!¡± ¡°W-We had no choice!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Themand was to never question his orders, no matter the situation. The honored guest¡¯s words are the lord¡¯s instructions. That was the count¡¯s strictmand, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± That was true. Although their past sins had been disregarded, defiance was not permitted. This was a battlefield. A moment¡¯s hesitation could mean the difference between life and death. ¡°Still, what could he do alone¡­¡­¡± Viscount Rodri murmured in a defeated tone. Baron Tucker, watching him for a moment, spoke up. ¡°Viscount. No, brother.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the right time for this, but¡­¡­ anyone would think your lost child had returned.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Viscount Rodri flinched and turned to look at Baron Tucker. ¡°Honestly, to just call him a child¡­¡­ hasn¡¯t he already proven his abilities many times over?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m saying this because Ick faith?¡± ¡°Of course, I understand your concern, brother. Ah, could you let go of me first?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡± Finallying to his senses, Viscount Rodri slowly loosened his grip. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more fickle than human feelings. Just a few days ago, he was someone we were eager to kill¡­¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason they say your thoughts change just after a trip to thevatory. Moreover, that child has given us a favor greater than saving our lives. I can¡¯t stand to see anything bad happen to him now.¡± They weren¡¯t just empty words. If it weren¡¯t for the count¡¯s strict orders, he would have jumped into that inferno right away. No, even if it meant disobeying those orders, he was determined to save him first. ¡°Right now¡­¡­ yes, I feel like I could do anything for that child.¡± These were Viscount Rodri¡¯s genuine feelings. ¡°Ancelot¡­¡­¡± He looked at the raging mes with a worried expression. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯ve grown attached because you don¡¯t have children of your own. Why not adopt him officially as your son?¡± ¡°That would be more of a loss for him than for me.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you already seen it? The vice-captain of the White Lion Brigade lost a hand without even being able to swing his sword properly. Even the captain had his manifestation shattered. All that was against a child of that age.¡± Having experienced it firsthand, he was sure. It wasn¡¯t just an imitation of manifestation. ¡°What on earth is that child¡¯s identity?¡± ¡°I am very curious as well. But¡­¡­¡± For a moment, Viscount Rodri¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°¡­¡­Everyone has things they wish to keep secret. Since he wants to conceal his identity, it¡¯s only polite to respect that.¡± ¡°But you were trying to investigate him secretly only the other day.¡± ¡°Silence.¡± ¡°Haha. You really have already taken him in as a foster son in your heart.¡± Baron Tucker smiled faintly. The trust that surfaced on his face had also grown stronger. ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t be curious anymore, either. Because I trust him.¡± ¡°Good thinking.¡± ¡°But keeping it a secret won¡¯t be easy.¡± Viscount Rodri nodded. This was something he acknowledged as well. ¡°Troubled times create heroes, and a hero¡¯s journey makes the people cheer.¡± If he survived. If he managed to win this battle. ¡®Rumors will spread whether we like it or not.¡¯ In this country. No, across the entire continent, the name ¡°Ancelot¡± will be clearly imprinted. A genius, perhaps never to appear again, will have emerged. ¡°Stay on your guard!¡± Viscount Rodri, shaking off his thoughts, steeled himself. ¡°Prepare yourselves, we might have to jump into that inferno at any moment!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± *** There was only one reason I remained alone on the battlefield. ¡®To maximize the enemy¡¯s casualties.¡¯ This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. From the start, I hadn¡¯t expected to annihte them all. However, even if I couldn¡¯tpletely wipe them out, I had to ensure I took down their leader. That would be the true meaning of gaining the upper hand. ¡°¡­¡­Focus on clearing a path from now on.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± A faint smile appeared on my lips. As expected, they were quite well-trained. The ones who had been ring at me with murderous intent immediately started their tasks at the captain¡¯smand. ¡°That¡¯s how a man should be.¡± ¡°You arrogant brat. You¡¯re just a reckless child.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a fine line between recklessness and courageous.¡± ¡°Your arrogance will shorten your life.¡± Hummm! Soon, a resonance iparable to before echoed. Immediately, a strange light flickered in my eyes. ¡°Have you been hiding your true strength?¡± ¡°As you said, it¡¯smon practice in this world to hide 30% of your true power.¡± Then, Tripier¡¯s mouth twisted into a grin. ¡°You thought that was my full strength, but I adhered to that principle.¡± Shhh¡­¡­ Perhaps he thought further conversation was unnecessary? Once again, a thick mist descended on all sides. Sizzle! However, the mist turned into steam as soon as it appeared. The mes imbued with oil still lingered everywhere. ¡°What will you do? This battlefield seems to be the worst possible for you in terms of affinity.¡± Whoooosh! The opponent didn¡¯t fall for my taunt. He just focused on his mana. Hummm! Whoooosh! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At some point, the hazy mist gathered into one ce. It enveloped the entire de of his sword. ¡°I recently had an epiphany.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The mist is like an illusion. Since in the end, it is my sword that cuts down the enemy.¡± Like a phantom. In the hazy mist, his sword split into multiple des. From two to five. From five to seven. From seven to ten. ¡°¡­¡­Wait.¡± The moment I noticed that peculiar movement, I could no longer remain calm. ¡°Be careful. This is the first time I¡¯m using this in actualbat.¡± Even though his sword waspletely enveloped in the mist, Even though the white-robed swordsmanship was clouding my vision, That movement was vividly etched in my mind more clearly than anything else. The sword energy rippled through the mist. Sometimes gently. Sometimes violently. And then, when those undting movements finally reached their climax, Whoosh! Without hesitation, I thrust my sword into the invisible mist. ng! The flow was instantly severed. ¡°What!?¡± The shock immediately pierced my eardrums. ¡°H-How¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re an agent of the Empire too?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Tripier flinched noticeably. With that reaction, I was sure. ¡°¡­¡­Yeah. Just supporting a civil war wouldn¡¯t be enough of a reward.¡± That¡¯s the nature of humans. They are tempted more by the carrot dangled right in front of them than by uncertain rewards in the distant future. A fierce growl escaped through my gritted teeth. ¡°If it¡¯s the so-called ¡®Imperial Swordsmanship¡¯ known as the best on the continent, even the knights of an average kingdom would be trembling in fear. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What on earth are you talking about?¡± ¡°I should be asking you. How do you know the techniques of the Swordsman of Waves?¡± Step. Fwoosh! With a step fueled by anger, the mes scattered in fear. ¡°Who did you get it from?¡± Compared to the original, it was crude. Much of its essence was missing. If it had been Urha¡¯s ¡®Coastal Wave¡¯ in his prime, it wouldn¡¯t just have been undting; it would have caused a tidal wave. Just the phantom wave of his aura would have extinguished the surrounding mes. ¡°Enough of your nonsense!¡± Crash! Crash! Crash! The murderous intent constricting my whole body intensified several times over. A twisted smile formed on my lips. ¡°So, you don¡¯t n on answering. Why, is it surprising that I recognize that swordsmanship?¡± The hardened look on his face was answer enough. ¡°How long do you n to be so arrogant!?¡± Swoosh! He charged at me without hesitation. His intent to kill me and silence me was palpable. Ssh! About five meters ahead. His sword energy surged and rippled toward me. ¡®As I thought, it¡¯s pathetically crude.¡¯ I dodged all his attacks with minimal movement. Compared to Urha in his prime, the range, power, and movement were all trash. Evenparing the two felt like an insult to Urha. ¡°Raaah!¡± Suddenly, he was two meters away, which was well within striking distance. As the enemy, shouting his battle cry, aimed to split my head in one decisive strike, Swish! I moved my shoulder lightly. sh! At the same time, a surreal sound of flesh being torn quietly echoed around us. Thud. A beatter, the hand holding the sword fell to the ground. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m an idiot? To be defeated by swordsmanship I know, and one that¡¯s missing its essence?¡± The swordsmanship was all too familiar to me. Its original master was Urha, known as the Swordsman of the Waves. And he was one of my five closest subordinates. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 ¨C Urha (2) ¡°Commander.¡± ¡°Do you have to keep calling me ¡®Commander¡¯? It¡¯s embarrassing. Can¡¯t you just call me ¡®brother¡¯ when we¡¯re not on duty?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Ha. That¡¯s just like you, Urha, always so proper¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for visiting sote. There¡¯s something urgent I need to discuss with you.¡± That¡¯s the kind of guy he was. He took extreme caution with what he said and did. But for my sake, he would have carried a bundle of firewood and leaped into the mes. Unlike Bastion, whose brain was filled solely with loyalty, Urha was a capable subordinate who actually thought things through. ¡°Urgent?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve restrained myself until now because it felt like gossip, but¡­¡­ I don¡¯t have a good feeling about Count Theorg.¡± ¡°That¡¯s surprising. To think you¡¯re spreading rumors now, Urha¡­¡­¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s why I told you! It¡¯s not like that¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I-I know, I know. As if I don¡¯t know your personality. It¡¯s a joke. Why is your face all red over something like this¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Is it fun to tease me?¡± ¡°Look at you? ¡®Is it fun to tease me?¡¯ Are you talking back to the Commander now?¡± ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡± The memory brought a faint smile to my face. ¡®Yeah. Even if it wasn¡¯t just some knockoff using this mist, anyone would be tempted by Urha¡¯s swordsmanship.¡¯ Manifestation and Awakening are just means to support swordsmanship in the end. Constantly honing one¡¯s swordsmanship. That is the only way to be strong, and the first step toward Awakening. Fools raised in greenhouses don¡¯t understand this. They rely on mana and neglect the training of their bodies. That¡¯s why most kingdom-level knights¡¯ swordsmanship is crude. ¡®That¡¯s probably why the Empire¡¯s knights have been the strongest for so long.¡¯ It seems things haven¡¯t changed much in thest 20 years. However, the swordsmen born and raised in Swallow are different. They already fought countless battles during the unification of the empire. The life-and-death experiences made them realize the importance of a strong body. ¡®Moreover, just learning Imperial swordsmanship doesn¡¯t make one the best.¡¯ What¡¯s the use of using the same swordsmanship? Mastery varies by user, and training methods are vastly different. The small fry who had copsed in shock before me was no different. Even though its essence was missing, it was still the swordsmanship of Urha, once called one of the continent¡¯s top ten swordsmen. And yet, he was defeated so easily by me, whose body hadn¡¯t even fully matured. ¡®It¡¯s toote, far toote.¡¯ Like wearing clothes that don¡¯t fit. Abandoning swordsmanship honed over decades to learn something new. How can that be easy? Even if mist and waves are based on the same ¡®water¡¯, the methods of mana operation and deployment are vastly different. ¡®If he had used his original swordsmanship, he might have at least injured me.¡¯ His ¡®Manifestation¡¯ was genuine, after all. Using a fluid sword suited to that mist would have been much more effective. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Finished with my thoughts, I looked straight ahead. My opponent was still staring nkly at his own body, unable to believe the current situation. ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. Who did you get it from?¡± ¡°Protect the captain!¡± At that moment, a dozen members of the White Lion Brigade surrounded me. Swish. I pressed my sword to Tripier¡¯s neck. ¡°Come closer, and I¡¯ll cut him down.¡± Having captured the enemy leader, this was a signal for them to surrender. However, an unexpected situation arose at this point. Thud! ¡°¡­¡­We are the White Lion Brigade.¡± Suddenly, they began pounding the ground. Thud! Thud! Thud! ¡°We are the White Lion Brigade!¡± Their sudden madness didn¡¯t end there. Hummm! They all drew their swords simultaneously, channeling mana into them. ¡®¡­¡­Every single one of them is at least an Expert. Did they leave only the real fighters to protect their leader?¡¯ They¡¯re pretty good. Even though they lost their leader, they still have the spirit to fight the enemy to the end. Their desperate resolve is palpable. ¡°¡­¡­Yes, you are indeed the White Lion Brigade.¡± Tripier, who had finallye to his senses, staggered to his feet. ¡°Look at you? You think I¡¯m kidding?¡± ¡°Kill him! We won¡¯t back down!¡± You can tell a lot from just this. Their leader wasn¡¯t ordinary either. ¡®And these guys acted as the Empire¡¯s henchmen?¡¯ It seemed like I needed to verify this. After all, just because they used the Empire¡¯s swordsmanship didn¡¯t necessarily mean they were spies. ¡®They could have received it from their own country¡¯s power figures who had already be puppets.¡¯ A gift of some sorts. For a knight of this level, unless he waspletely naive, he would have quickly recognized the quality of the swordsmanship. Even so, he must have felt uneasy. Since it¡¯s a swordsmanship he had never experienced in his own country. ¡°Did you receive that swordsmanship from a trustworthyrade?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Was it because I had spent quite a while with Narakas? I saw the smallest change in his expression. A smile naturally crept onto my lips. ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, enough. Forget it.¡± Whack! With that, I struck the crown of his head with the back of my sword. ¡°¡­¡­Ugh!¡± Tripier¡¯s mouth opened wide from the shock of pain. ¡°Bastard!¡± Just as the White Lion Brigade was exuding murderous intent towards me. ¡°Stop. He¡¯s not dead yet.¡± ¡°¡­¡­We¡­¡­!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be cremated together, how about getting out of this fire pit first? Looks like you¡¯ve made an escape route.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Boom! At that moment, a huge explosion was heard. Those stubborn guys had finally broken through the wall. ¡°Dying a pointless death isn¡¯t what you think chivalry is, is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The White Lion Brigade didn¡¯t respond. They just looked at their vice-captain, who ranked second-inmand. ¡°Or do you want to get wiped out while fighting a single brat like me? The ¡®great¡¯ knights of the White Lion Brigade?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ugh.¡± ¡°Well, if this gets out, it would be embarrassing for your families to even hold a funeral.¡± Finishing my words, I slung themander¡¯s body over my shoulder, indicating I had no intention of continuing the fight. Only then. ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s get out of here for now!¡± ¡°Good.¡± Small Fry 2 grabbed at his throat in frustration. ¡°Let¡¯s get out together.¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Still on the t ground, slightly away from the intense mes. ¡°¡­¡­Hmm¡­¡­¡± A strange standoff had continued for over 30 minutes. However, unlike before, the morale of the two groups hadpletely reversed. In this operation, about 150 members of the White Lion Brigade had fallen. I had the enemy leader in my grasp, and their deputy was crippled. ¡®But there are still 350 of them left.¡¯ Having experienced it firsthand, I was certain. If we didn¡¯t give up and kept fighting to the end, our side would suffer significant losses too. ¡°Ancelot, we should proceed with the second n¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­No. Please leave this to me.¡± I gestured to Count Arsene to step back, then moved forward. ¡°I have a lot of questions to ask, but I¡¯ll ask just one.¡± At my words, the vice-captain of the White Lion Brigade stepped forward as their representative. ¡°Are all of you spies for the Empire?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A few of them opened their eyes wide in shock. That reaction alone confirmed my suspicion. ¡°¡­¡­Right, of course not.¡± There was no reason to cause unnecessary internal discord. Thinking is done by the head. The limbs just need to follow orders. ¡°What kind of bullshit is that!?¡± ¡°Recently, your leader started practicing a new swordsmanship, right?¡± Though crude, the form of the swordsmanship was quite decent. Given that level, the amount of training must have been enormous. He probably abandoned his previous swordsmanship and becamepletely immersed in it. There¡¯s no way the members who ate, slept, and fought with him didn¡¯t witness that. ¡°The swordsmanship your leader has been using recently is Imperial swordsmanship.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Naturally, my eyes turned cold. I was sure of it. But seeing their reaction, my unease grew stronger. ¡®¡­¡­Urha¡­¡­¡¯ Twenty years ago, the ¡®Swordsman of the Waves¡¯ made his name resonate throughout the continent. Yet, no one, even in this remote corner of the countryside, recognized that renowned swordsmanship? ¡®Both the practitioner and the swordsmanship itself had beenpletely forgotten.¡¯ A feeling of suffocation settled in my chest. I had already asked Narakas to look into the recent status of my subordinates, but there was no time to wait. ¡°¡­¡­Watch carefully.¡± Hummm! I lightly channeled my mana. Ssh! In an instant, I was standing alone at the edge of a vast sea. The blue ocean continuously created waves. At first, gently. Sometimes, violently. ¡®Sword energy like the waves.¡¯ My mana rippled. ¡®Like the raging wave that sweeps everything around it in the blink of an eye.¡¯ That was the essence of this swordsmanship. Crash, crash, crash, crash! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The members of the White Lion Brigade watching were stunned, their mouths agape. Their fleeting wariness vanished. Ssh! The sword energy generated from my sword flew out and instantly extinguished the mes near the breached wall. ¡°¡­¡­¡± A profound silence descended in an instant. It was shocking. I had demonstrated Urha¡¯s swordsmanship far more perfectly than their leader. ¡°¡­¡­Wait¡­¡­¡± The vice-captain, who had finally regained his senses, opened his mouth. ¡°If that¡¯s Imperial swordsmanship, how do you know it?¡± It was a predictable question. ¡°Because I¡¯m also from the Empire.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It wasn¡¯t just the White Lion Brigade. Even Count Arsene, who was standing beside me, was so shocked that his jaw nearly hit the floor. ¡°Don¡¯t lie!¡± ¡°Is there anyone here who knows about my origins?¡± Naturally, there was no response. ¡°None, right? I thought so.¡± I lightly raised my chin. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t from the Empire, how would you exin my skills at this age?¡± My voice was firm and unwavering. ¡°And even if it¡¯s a lie, you can¡¯t do anything about me with your current skills, can you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°First, you need to verify my identity. If you harm me and it turns out I¡¯m an important figure from the Empire, your lord would be in trouble.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I took their silence as their understanding. I quietly turned to Count Arsene. ¡®I-Is this true?¡¯ He mouthed silently. So, I mouthed back in the same manner. ¡®Is that important now?¡¯ Count Arsene took a deep breath and then stepped forward. ¡°I-I promise you! If you surrender peacefully, I won¡¯t harm a hair on your leader or any of you!¡± ¡°To add, Marquis Foltaine¡¯s illegitimate child dared to kidnap an Imperial subject. So, do you still want to continue fighting?¡± The White Lion Brigade began to murmur loudly. At this point, Count Arsene¡¯s reputation shone through. He was a man who valued principles and trust. There was no lie in his words. Moreover, if they insisted on fighting to the end, they had to be prepared forplete annihtion. ¡®No matter how brave they are, they still value their own life.¡¯ While thinking this, the vice-captain, having finished his discussion, spoke again. ¡°¡­¡­We will trust Count Arsene¡¯s words. But we have conditions.¡± ¡°What are they?¡± ¡°Please treat our leader. And¡­¡­¡± His gaze flickered toward me. ¡°¡­¡­Until the Imperial involvement is confirmed, please refrain from making unfounded usations.¡± ¡°I promise.¡± Once the situation seemed somewhat resolved, I stepped forward again. ¡°Conditions are conditions. We can amodate that many people underground, right?¡± ¡°Underground? Are you saying we should go to prison now?¡± The vice-captain frowned. ¡°Are you losing your sense of the situation because we¡¯re being lenient?¡± A cold smile appeared on my lips. ¡°Did youe here paying for lodging? You¡¯re invaders. Bastards who dared to barge into someone else¡¯s home and cause chaos.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Consider yourselves lucky we¡¯re not killing you on the spot.¡± The vice-captain¡¯s face turned red instantly. Before the atmosphere grew too tense, I waved my hand. ¡°There will be familiar faces down there. Let¡¯s make somepromises.¡± *** The entire White Lion Brigade was imprisoned underground. However, the cells were left unlocked. There was only one entrance to the surface, after all. Guarding that area thoroughly was sufficient. Afterward, I continued my private conversation with Count Arsene. ¡°I¡¯ll go meet Marquis Foltaine first.¡± ¡°You¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Their carefully nned operation has failed, so we should try negotiating. They might have had a change of heart by now, don¡¯t you think?¡± Originally, I intended to crush the Marquis and elevate Count Arsene¡¯s house, making myself the real power in the region. However, it had be increasingly difficult to overlook the actions of the Empire. ¡®Do you think I¡¯ll let you get away with this? Using my subordinate¡¯s swordsmanship for your own profit?¡¯ The various pieces of evidence made it clear. The Empire wanted to incite a civil war in the Kingdom of Hart. Therefore. ¡®Look forward to it.¡¯ I was determined to sabotage the Empire¡¯s ns first. ____ Chapter 48 Chapter 48 ¨C Confronting the Marquis (1) ¡°What¡¯s the point of meeting the Marquis of Foltaine?¡± Count Arsene asked with a worried expression. ¡°The strategy is to keep adapting ording to the situation. No matter how skilled a doctor is, emergencies can always arise for a patient. In that sense, this is a kind of emergency surgery.¡± ¡°Surgery¡­?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same for treatment and war? You have to foresee several steps ahead.¡± I was certain after looking at the White Lion Brigade. ¡®The power and influence of the noble faction surpass my expectations.¡¯ The immediate problem is not the battle with the count¡¯s family. Assuming we win this full-scale war. What about afterwards? ¡®There¡¯s no guarantee we can defeat all the other lords.¡¯ I had assumed that the two factions were almost evenly matched in power when I devised this n. I thought that winning the count¡¯s battle, which would be like a preliminary skirmish, would be enough to boost our morale and give us a good chance of winning. ¡®In the end, it was baseless confidence.¡¯ The Empire was supporting them more deeply than I had thought. It¡¯s fine if you can plug a single hole in the ship. But what if that hole has already grown too big to fix? Eventually, the ship will sink. ¡°If the other nobles aligned with the royal faction lose, this victory will be meaningless. So, I will go meet the Marquis of Foltaine and negotiate. I¡¯ll also ask what he really wants.¡± The main force was about to arrive in the vicinity. ¡°Will you be alright?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Count Arsene asked cautiously. ¡°What you said about being from the Empire¡­ is it true?¡± I answered without hesitation. ¡°No, it was a lie.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯m not from an ordinary family, but I¡¯m not from the Empire.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Count Arsene looked bewildered. ¡°Then that Imperial swordsmanship¡­ Ah, never mind. I had decided to trust you no matter what.¡± A grin spread across my face. ¡°I¡¯ll exin when the time is right. Anyway, I¡¯ll be off right away.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± An unexpected person decided to follow me. ¡°Tucker?¡± ¡°Whether this gentleman is from the Empire or a little devil from hell, it¡¯s clear he¡¯s an outsider. We can¡¯t leave our family matters entirely in the hands of an outsider, can we?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Count Arsene nodded in agreement with Baron Tucker¡¯s words. ¡°Moreover, since the situation worsened because of my shorings, please allow me to make amends. I will stake my life to apany the honored guest.¡± Baron Tucker bowed deeply. He was referring to the betrayal he hadmitted. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind.¡± However, in the end, I regretted this decision for a long time. *** It took us ¡®only¡¯ three days to arrive at Arsenia Fortress. ¡°Regardless of status, aren¡¯t I still your elder?¡± ¡°Respectes from words and actions. You must always start with the right mindset.¡± ¡°Hey! The elder hasn¡¯t even taken a bite of his food yet!¡± ¡­No, it was an ¡®entire¡¯ three days. ¡°Especially you, your words and actions are too careless. If someone heard you without knowing better, they¡¯d think you were a street thug from the market.¡± Once again, Tucker¡¯s nagging began today. ¡°Ugh,e on!¡± Even I, usually so patient, finally exploded. ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You¡¯re getting revenge because your betrayal was exposed because of me, right?¡± ¡°To nder someone¡¯s sincerity like this¡­ As I thought, we need to fix that personality of yours first. ¡°Just look at your actions, it¡¯s obvious.¡± Immediately, Baron Tucker adopted a serious expression. ¡°This is all I can do for you.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Your swordsmanship, those ingenious strategies, your maturity beyond your years, and sometimes even theposure that surprises me. You¡¯re perfect in every way.¡± ¡°D-Did you think I¡¯d be happy if you suddenly startedplimenting me?¡± Seeing me clear my throat, Baron Tucker gave a faint smile. ¡°But there¡¯s one thing. I noticed there¡¯s something I can teach you.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Your crude words and behavior, which are void of dignity.¡± Well, considering my background, it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Believe it or not, I earnestly wish for you to grow properly. Like Viscount Rodri, I now consider you almost like a son.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but make a bewildered expression. ¡°What? How much have you seen of me to consider me your son? If you¡¯re grateful for the favor, repay it in another way. This isn¡¯t my thing.¡± I had no memories of my parents. So these emotions felt awkward and ufortable. ¡°More importantly, what kind of person is the Marquis of Foltaine?¡± ¡°He is¡­¡± As the topic changed, Baron Tucker¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°¡­Do you know there are three ducal houses and five marquis houses in this country?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Of course, I knew. I had resolved to win over at least half of them and participate in the Master Tournament as the representative of the Hart Kingdom. ¡°There are eight highest-ranking nobles. However, if you seek power in this country, it¡¯s advised to visit the Marquis of Foltaine first.¡± ¡°Instead of the three ducal houses? Why?¡± ¡°The Marquis of Foltaine is a great merchant. Not just any merchant, but one of the wealthiest in this country.¡± ¡°Ho?¡± This was quite interesting. Now I could picture it in my mind. Being a merchant family, they must have been more tempted by the Empire¡¯s offer. If they opened trade routes with the self-proimed protectors of the continent, they could reap enormous profits from business. ¡°So that¡¯s why the illegitimate child¡¯s mind twisted in a bad direction?¡± That exins why the pig aligned with the ve traders. ¡°If we sessfully handle this surgery, we could extort a significant amount of money inpensation.¡± ¡°¡­As always, you only think about extorting money.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± We need to save up as much as possible while we can. It will all be used as military funds for future wars with the Empire. ¡°Always stay alert.¡± ¡°Again with your nagging.¡± ¡°After this war, many more people will be watching you. Regardless of your intentions, people tend to interpret a person¡¯s actions as they please.¡± Baron Tucker grasped my shoulder. ¡°As I lived, that¡¯s how I found life to be.¡± ¡°If you live worrying about that, you¡¯ll get depressed.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t live while walking on eggshells. Instead, at the very least, don¡¯t harm others. That¡¯s my usual philosophy.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± For a moment, Baron Tucker¡¯s eyes widened before he smiled bitterly. ¡°¡­Hmph¡­ It seems I still have a lot to learn.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just realizing that? If there was nothing to learn, you wouldn¡¯t have thought of betrayal in the first ce.¡± Finally, I lifted my chin. Yes. This is right. Who do you think I am, treating me like a child? ¡°Consider it an honor. Continue learning from me.¡± Whack! ¡°Ow!¡± A flicknded on my forehead. ¡°Why are you hitting me!?¡± ¡°I just told you, you need to know how to respect your elders.¡± Hey, you little¡­! In terms of age, I could have shared meals with your grandfather! And bathed with him too! I would¡¯ve been at that kind of age! ¡°You are now the face of our count¡¯s family. Always watch your behavior.¡± I scowled. ¡°This filthy house! I¡¯m leaving as soon as this is over.¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± A bted sense of regret. I may have chosen the wrong ce to start my revenge. * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * As soon as we arrived at Arsenia Fortress. ¡°Baron Tucker!¡± The interimmander rushed over. ¡°Good work. We¡¯ll discuss the detailster. The enemies?¡± ¡°They are almost at our doorstep. However, something strange is happening. The enemies, who seemed to be rushing like their lives were on the line, have suddenly slowed their advance.¡± ¡°Where are they now?¡± ¡°It will take them less than a week to get here.¡± For reference, the garrison inside the fortress is unaware of the White Lion Brigade¡¯s existence. We were extremely cautious about security, sharing information about the White Lion Brigade only on a need-to-know basis to reduce the risk ofpromising the operation. ¡°We have a bit of leeway, so let¡¯s take a break while inspecting the facilities. Who knows, there might be a traitor in this fortress as well.¡± ¡°Is this your way of getting revenge?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± I shrugged and then looked around the fortress. And then, a weekter. ¡°¡­They¡¯reing.¡± I strode out of the fortress, unbarring the seemingly impregnable gates myself. Beside me was Baron Tucker, holding a yellow g symbolizing a messenger. His face was taut with tension. ¡°It¡¯s the Marquis of Foltaine.¡± We confronted therge army on the in. At the forefront was an old man with white hair. His stature was small, but his presence was anything but. ¡°¡­Baron.¡± I quietly called Baron Tucker. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s the Marquis of Foltaine?¡± ¡°¡­Absolutely. There¡¯s no doubt.¡± Baron Tucker nodded. My expression grew even more serious. At first nce, he looked like amon bent-over old man you could find anywhere. But ¡°¡­Is that man just a merchant?¡± That was how he appeared to ordinary eyes. However, to me, he didn¡¯t seem that way. ¡°Not the greatest knight of the Hart Kingdom?¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Ah, I was just talking to myself.¡± I could tell at a nce. ¡®He¡¯s stronger than any of the riffraff I¡¯ve seen before.¡¯ Did he sense my gaze? ¡°Hmm?¡± Therge army had halted their advance. From within their ranks, the Marquis of Foltaine emerged, riding alone on his horse. His escort knights followed immediately behind. ¡°This isn¡¯t an ordinary envoy.¡± ¡°¡­Leave it to me.¡± At this point, Baron Tucker stepped forward. ¡°Long time no see, Marquis.¡± ¡°You must be¡­.¡± ¡°I am Baron Tucker, a retainer of Count Arsene.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, I remember now.¡± The Marquis of Foltaine nced at the yellow g again with a curious expression. ¡°Are you here to surrender?¡± ¡°If we were, we¡¯d have brought a white g.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to negotiate.¡± Immediately, the Marquis of Foltaine burst intoughter. ¡°It seems we have different understandings of the term ¡®negotiation.¡¯ A negotiation is a rational exchange between equals, isn¡¯t it?¡± He continued in a lecturing tone. ¡°More importantly, your attitude towards negotiation is all wrong. If you wanted to negotiate with me, your lord should havee in person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°He must be that boy. The ve who is the cause of this conflict.¡± The Marquis of Foltaine nced back at me without waiting for a response. ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve brought him as a gift, but the wrapping is terrible.¡± Unable to endure any longer, I stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯m here to hear an exnation for your misdeeds, so there¡¯s no need for Count Arsene toe. Besides, I¡¯m not the gift¡ª we¡¯ve prepared something else.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Baron Tucker¡¯s face turned pale in an instant. Without looking at him, I presented a tightly wrapped package. Thud. Shing, shing! ¡°How dare you!¡± The furious escort knights drew their swords simultaneously. The problem was the gift I had prepared. ¡°¡­A human hand?¡± ¡°It belongs to people you¡¯re familiar with.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°They are the right hand of the captain and the left hand of the vice-captain of the White Lion Brigade.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± For the first time, the Marquis of Foltaine¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°Do you see now? We¡¯re not here to surrender.¡± ¡°¡­What is the meaning of this?¡± ¡°The White Lion Brigade has been captured by us. Even with ¡®just¡¯ double their numbers, you won¡¯t be able to defeat us, who are defending this fortress.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The Marquis still looked skeptical. ¡°Well, it¡¯s up to you to believe it or not.¡± After a moment of silence, the Marquis of Foltaine¡¯s reaction was unexpected. ¡°¡­I believe you.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be asking our purpose for being here instead of who I am?¡± ¡°Fine, what is your purpose?¡± ¡°To prevent a civil war in this country.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The Marquis of Foltaine tilted his head in confusion. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t a citizen of this country.¡± ¡°Did you investigate that far? Anyway, even though I¡¯m not from the Hart Kingdom, I hold a grudge against the Empire. I can¡¯t just watch as an entire country falls to them.¡± For the first time, I felt a strong murderous intent from the opponent. Soon, a thought connected directly in my mind. -How much do you know? -More than you think, Marquis. -¡­Mana messaging at your age, impressive. Anyway, do you think this will work as a threat to me? -Of course. -¡­! My response was immediate and without hesitation. Finally, the Marquis of Foltaine spoke aloud. ¡°¡­Child, why don¡¯t youe to me instead?¡± ¡°All of a sudden?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you truly desire, but I have the power to give you whatever you want.¡± At that moment, Baron Tucker interjected. ¡°Marquis! What is the meaning of this? Trying to recruit the envoy sent by our lord is akin to beheading the envoy himself!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The Marquis of Foltaine looked at me silently. ¡°Do you think the same?¡± ¡°Marquis!¡± A disy of courage from Baron Tucker. To think a mere baron would yell, ¡®Marquis!¡¯ ¡°Hmph. This boy is already a valued member of our household. He is trusted by Count Arsene and several other nobles, and some even consider him as their own child.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes! So please, don¡¯t waste your efforts!¡± I then grabbed Baron Tucker¡¯s wrist. ¡°Wait a moment. I was the one asked the question, so why are you answering?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Simultaneously, Baron Tucker stood dumbfounded, his mouth agape. ¡°Y-You wouldn¡¯t, right?¡± He had finally noticed me. Seeing me licking my lips, he stammered. ¡°¡­You wouldn¡¯t.¡± The expression of fierce resolve quickly turned into a pleading one. ¡°Tell me you wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh.¡± ¡°Please.¡± ____ Chapter 49 Chapter 49 ¨C Confronting the Marquis (2) Marquis Foltaine, who had been watching, stepped forward with a smile. ¡°Did you say this child was highly valued by the Count¡¯s family? Like a child of their own, as you said.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Child, because of you, I lost my son.¡± Marquis Foltaine spoke in a subtle tone. ¡°You didn¡¯t treat that son like your son, though.¡± ¡°A father¡¯s heart is not visible to others.¡± ¡°Anyone listening might think I killed your child.¡± ¡°You did, in essence.¡± ¡°So you wish me dead?¡± ¡°Quite the opposite, in fact.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What if you took his ce?¡± ¡°Oho.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but let out a small exmation. Look at this old man, would you? ¡°I¡¯m quite popr.¡± Saying this, I looked at Baron Tucker. The anxiety on his face had doubled. His eyes were shifting nervously, and even his pupils were darting around. ¡°Are you trying to pressure the child? That¡¯s quite shameless of you, Baron Tucker.¡± ¡°Shameless, you say? Is that something you should be saying, my lord?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it you who turned to me first? With Viscount Rodri, no less.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Baron Tucker bit his lip, guilty as charged. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring it up to criticize you. It¡¯s just that people¡¯s hearts change with circumstances.¡± Baron Tucker looked at me with ast glimmer of hope. ¡°You won¡¯t go, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering? Hm? Is it because I¡¯ve been nagging? I won¡¯t do it anymore. I was only thinking of you.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°You just said ¡®mhmm¡¯, right?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear him out first, shall we?¡± I crushed Baron Tucker¡¯s expectations mercilessly. ¡°What value have you ced on me, my lord?¡± ¡°How much do you think?¡± ¡°When buying something which is not for sale, isn¡¯t it the buyer¡¯s job to name the price first?¡± Marquis Foltaine nodded, his expression one of approval. ¡°I asked you to take the ce of my child.¡± ¡°I decline to fill the spot of a mere namesake bastard.¡± ¡°Of course, you should.¡± Marquis Foltaine smiled and took a few more steps forward. The nearby guards started to follow immediately. ¡°Stand down.¡± ¡°But, sir.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Understood, sir.¡± There wasn¡¯t a trace of concern. It meant they trusted their lordpletely. ¡°Shall we take a short walk together? How about it?¡± I nced at Baron Tucker before nodding my head. ¡°That sounds good.¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * A forest path not far from the ins. Leaving everyone else behind, the two of us walked in here alone. ¡®I know I¡¯m impressive, but this old man is also by no means ordinary.¡¯ No matter how young I might be, he must have heard the rumors about me. Even after that knight under hismand, named Tomato or something, had lost his life by my hand, he showed no hesitation in his actions. Moreover, the important thing was, ¡°It seems you didn¡¯t learn this from your parents.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t teach you to never follow a stranger who offers you candy?¡± The remarkable thing was that he seemed more worried about me than himself. I silently watched the face of Marquis Foltaine as he spoke. His expression was incredibly serious. ¡°In a ce like this, if someone were to die unnoticed, no one would ever know.¡± It wasn¡¯t just his expression and words. Marquis Foltaine deliberately disyed his aura. The sharp killing intent pricked my skin all over. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°You dared toy a hand on my child. Even if you die here by my hand, it wouldn¡¯t be unjust.¡± ¡°Then perhaps you should have raised your child better.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± For a moment, Marquis Foltaine lightly dug into his ear. As if he couldn¡¯t believe what he had just heard. I raised my voice again towards him. ¡°In ce of your foolish parents who failed to raise you properly, I will personally educate you!¡± The killing intent tightening around me grew even stronger. ¡°¡­¡­Was it Sir Kieran, the vice-captain of the White Lion Brigade?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what he said to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a moment of silence. ¡°Pfft¡­¡­ Heh heh heh, hahahahahaha! Marquis Foltaine burst intoughter. Was heughing because he found it genuinely funny? Or was he forcing himself tough? ¡®Hmm.¡¯ I paid attention to something other than his reaction. Hisughter echoed in the air. My mana hole boiled over. Even though his sword wasn¡¯t drawn, it felt like my skin was being peeled off. ¡°¡­¡­People really don¡¯t know the true Marquis Foltaine.¡± The Marquis, who had stoppedughing, now wore a cold smile. ¡°That¡¯s what I want to say.¡± ¡°It seems we both have many questions. How about we have an honest conversation and clear up our doubts one by one? Of course, we promise not to lie, on our honor and mana.¡± ¡°Fine by me.¡± Marquis Foltaine nodded, looking amused. ¡°They say to respect your elders, so you can ask first.¡± ¡°Bold one, aren¡¯t you? Tell me, where are you from?¡± ¡°I¡¯m from the Duchy of Meeke.¡± I answered truthfully. The root of the incident was the ve trade conducted by the bastard of Marquis Foltaine. I had taken care of the trash, but they weren¡¯t the only ones who heard about it. One must consider the possibility that it might have reached the concerned party. ¡°At least it seems your parents have taught you that lying is bad.¡± ¡°So you were testing me. Anyway, it¡¯s my turn now.¡± I stared directly into Marquis Foltaine¡¯s eyes. ¡°What is your dream? To usurp the throne? Do you truly desire power?¡± ¡°What kind of luxury and glory could an old man waiting to die seek?¡± ¡°Yet, you defied the king¡¯s orders and even started this bull¡­¡­ ahem.¡± I almost slipped into my usual coarsenguage but quickly corrected myself. ¡°¡­¡­And even started this battle?¡± ¡°When you see your homnd being destroyed in real-time, could you just stand by and do nothing?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°If I had to describe it, it¡¯s not ambition, but patriotism.¡± For some reason, I found that answer understandable. ¡°You asked about my dream?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°To build a country that truly deserves to be called one. That is my dream.¡± ¡°I see. I understand.¡± ¡°Do you really?¡± ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t seen it myself, but I already know that the king of this country is an idiot.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For a moment, Marquis Foltaine¡¯s eyes widened, then he burst intoughter again. ¡°The more time I spend with you, the more amusing I find you to be.¡± ¡°To my surprise, Marquis, you seem like a decent person.¡± ¡°What? Hahahaha!¡± I meant it. Even though I knew the emperor was going mad, I had dutifully followed his orders. Because of that damn ve mentality. ¡®Compared to him?¡¯ Realizing the wrong and having the courage and initiative to act. Even if his methods were wrong, wasn¡¯t he at least a hundred times better than me? ¡°I heard your name was Ancelot?¡± ¡°Is that your next question?¡± Marquis Foltaine looked incredulous. ¡°I¡¯d like to slit your stomach open, one day. Simply out of pure curiosity. I¡¯d like to see for myself the size of your guts.¡± ¡°To answer your question, yes, that¡¯s my name.¡± ¡°You share a name with the great hero.¡± ¡°I respect him personally.¡± ¡°Yes, he is a respectable figure. I feel the same.¡± ¡°You, Marquis?¡± Marquis Foltaine nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why I cannot repeat the same mistakes. It is wise to learn what is useful and take the failures of others as lessons for oneself.¡± ¡°Indeed¡­¡­¡± As expected, someone of his caliber was well-versed in the buried history. ¡°Before it¡¯s toote, I must set the country right. That is my sole conviction.¡± He did not defy the king¡¯s orders for personal gain. Rather, he acted out of his own beliefs and a desire to protect his country. ¡°Child, what are your dreams?¡± ¡°I have two.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Two questions I want to ask you, after.¡± ¡°Heh, alright. What¡¯s your answer?¡± ¡°If you are asking about my immediate dream¡­¡­¡± While my true intention is to bring down the empire with this sword, I can¡¯t say that directly. ¡°¡­¡­It is to represent this country in the Master Tournament.¡± ¡°The¡­¡­ Master Tournament?¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. At the same time. ¡°Hahahahahaha!¡± A boomingugh erupted, louder than ever before. ¡°You are truly a funny one. Aren¡¯t you from the Duchy of Meeke? Why would you want to represent this country in the Master Tournament?¡± ¡°Due to unavoidable circumstances, I cannot return home.¡± ¡°You wish to make a name for yourself and return home proudly? I see, I see. Hahaha.¡± It wasn¡¯t entirely a lie. It¡¯s just that the home I referred to wasn¡¯t what he thought. ¡°It won¡¯t be easy.¡± ¡°With your help, Marquis, it might be possible.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Marquis Foltaine was a man full of pride. ¡°However, if your goal is to participate in the Master Tournament, my support alone won¡¯t be enough.¡± ¡°There are four other marquises and three dukes above them in this country.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. A foreigner has never participated in the Master Tournament before. It¡¯s a prestigious position representing the country, and one¡¯s lineage can¡¯t be overlooked. Even those dukes are eager to showcase their swordsmanship in the empire. You¡¯ll need the king¡¯s permission, as well as approval from the highest-ranking nobles.¡± ¡°A dream is just a dream, after all. Seeing this country fall apart in real-time, I wonder if I should cross the border and go elsewhere.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a bad thought.¡± That was enough of a prelude. ¡°Now, it¡¯s my turn.¡± ¡°Ask away.¡± ¡°Will you really spare my life?¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Why, are you scared now?¡± ¡°Honestly, considering what I did to your White Lion Brigade, I wouldn¡¯t let it go if I were you. And we agreed not to lie, so if you intend to spare me, I¡¯ll move on to my next question.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh, that¡¯s an odd question. I can always train new subordinates. Why would I kill you?¡± ¡°Do you mean that?¡± Marquis Foltaine nodded. ¡°It might sound like boasting, but I have a merchant¡¯s intuition.¡± ¡°That indeed is a boast.¡± ¡°In that sense, you appear to me as a rare treasure, one without an owner. Acquiring you would be more valuable than training the entire White Lion Brigade.¡± ¡°Then, my next question.¡± I tensed up. Even though he promised, a sudden attack was still possible. ¡°What is your rtionship with the Empire?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a moment of silence, Marquis Foltaine answered surprisingly straightforwardly. ¡°We exchange what we need.¡± ¡°So, a business rtionship.¡± ¡°Does that answer your question?¡± ¡°Yes, it does.¡± An expected answer. ¡°Onest question.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t that thest one?¡± ¡°Since you broke the order first, allow me this.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh.¡± ¡°This is actually my most curious question, so please answer sincerely.¡± Marquis Foltaine silently nodded in agreement. ¡°How strong are you in this country? I¡¯m asking inparison to the official masters of the Kingdom of Hart, including the three dukes.¡± If negotiations break down, I need to fight this old man again. With my current capabilities, this is the most important thing to know. ¡°Well¡­¡­ isn¡¯t that something you¡¯d only know after a fight?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A surprising answer. At the very least, he didn¡¯t say he¡¯d lose. In other words. ¡®He considers himself at least on their level.¡¯ It¡¯s not unusual. Throughout history, there have always been such people. ¡®Unofficial¡¯ masters not recognized by the state. Results of state-level secret weapon programs. People who preferred to remain unknown. Or sudden prodigies like myself. Shiiing. A cool metallic sound resonated. Marquis Foltaine had drawn his cherished sword. A half-curved de, with about three centimeters of the de bent. There was no killing intent, so I quietly observed. ¡°This is a sabre.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s smile deepened at my response. ¡°Would you like to test it¡ª my strength?¡± Chapter 50 Chapter 50 ¨C ¡®Politics¡¯ is Making the Right Connections (1) Tingle. The old man merely pointed a weapon. Yet, I felt an immense pressure, as if surrounded by hundreds of troops. ¡°I can sense emotions from your sword.¡± ¡°Really? It seems my inner discipline is stillcking. My true feelings must have shown without me realizing it.¡± ¡°Please retract your aura. I doubt I am the one who should be at the end of your de, Marquis. I feel myself shaking all over.¡± ¡°Child, do you know that you also make me tremble?¡± ¡°I am confident that your heart does not hold murderous intent. Perhaps, affection?¡± Despite this, Marquis Foltaine still did not retract his aura. ¡°It was so until a moment ago. However, the human heart is fickle like a reed, which sways back and forth.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°A close friend can suddenly be an enemy over a trivial quarrel, and one may wish their spouse dead, for whom they were willing to give everything during their courtship.¡± ¡°It depends on the person. Moreover, I do not think someone of your age would have such poor control over their emotions.¡± I lightly embraced his aura. I tried to ept it, rather than oppose it. If fists sh head-on, the weaker side naturally gives way. But what if one responds to a striking fist with an open palm? ¡°Oho?¡± Perhaps because he saw me evading his aura as smoothly as water flows? An exmation of admiration escaped from Marquis Foltaine¡¯s lips. ¡°Where did a guy like youe from?¡± ¡°I know you are strong, Marquis. But why do you use that strength to cut down the weak? Even killing powerless women and children.¡± Pause. For the first time, Marquis Foltaine¡¯s face hardened. ¡°¡­¡­It is not the weak I intend to cut down. It is my own shame.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not only referring to the ve trading incident with the illegitimate children. You even nted spies in the Count¡¯s household. You have been thoroughly preparing for a long time.¡± ¡°I told you, it¡¯s part of the reform. The country must change for me to survive. Of course, we must distinguish between friend and foe. By my standards, Count Arsene could never be in the same boat as me.¡± ¡°Have you tried?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°How can you judge whether someone will turn away or not without talking to them?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine, who had kept silent for a while, spoke again. ¡°It is a well-known fact throughout the country that the Count values principles andcks flexibility.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it possible that you were too influenced by rumors to make an effort to see him properly?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°Though someone may be considered a bastard by others, they could be an irreceable friend of mine. And the only way to know would be by experiencing it for yourself. Isn¡¯t that the subtlety of human rtionships you spoke of?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Above all, regardless of the reasons, the fact that you killed innocent children cannot be justified.¡± Marquis Foltaine sighed. At some point, the de-like aura had subsided. ¡°¡­¡­Major changes alwayse with sacrifices.¡± ¡°Could you say the same if that sacrifice was your child?¡± ¡°That incident¡­¡­ I regret it as well.¡± Finally, genuine feelings flowed from him. ¡°¡­¡­So we must avoid any more meaningless sacrifices. Child,e over to my side. My offer to make you my child was sincere. If you ept, I will raise you to the best of my ability.¡± ¡°Why are you willing to go so far for someone with whom you have no connection?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t I already told you?¡± ¡°A merchant¡¯s intuition? That alone isn¡¯t enough.¡± Marquis Foltaine shook his head. ¡°No, in business, intuition is everything. I see and touch the goods, and I make judgments based on what I feel. If a merchantcks that sense, it¡¯s better to quit the business.¡± ¡°Thank you for the high evaluation, but let me add something to help you with your judgment.¡± ¡°What?¡± I nced at another part of the forest. ¡°How long do you n on staying hidden?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s pupils trembled for a moment. I had known from the beginning. That someone was hiding in the forest. Rustle. A middle-aged man with slicked-back blond hair emerged from the path. ¡°Since when did you know?¡± ¡°From the start.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Even after seeing it with my own eyes, I can hardly believe it. Hahaha!¡± Unlike the surprised expression on the man¡¯s face, Marquis Foltaine wore a look that said, ¡®I should have known.¡¯ ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± The man responded to my question with another question. He did not say more, but one thing was clear. ¡®¡­¡­It¡¯s certain. He¡¯s also a Master.¡¯ The newly appeared man was at least as strong as Marquis Foltaine. *** Meanwhile, Baron Tucker, left alone in the heart of the enemy camp, was in utter despair. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± Dozens of knights surrounded him with no gaps to escape. Their auras, like des, pressed in on him. As if to say they would send his head flying at the slightest provocation. ¡®I¡¯d love to shout at them and ask what they¡¯re doing to an envoy, but¡­¡­¡¯ Baron Tucker groaned inwardly. He couldn¡¯t do that because he and that child had already offended them. ¡°Oh!?¡± At that moment, Baron Tucker¡¯s face lit up. The ¡®angel¡¯ he had been waiting for was approaching from afar. ¡°Ancelot!¡± ¡°Have you waited long?¡± ¡°No. You¡¯re here just in time!¡± Baron Tucker, who had been weing the child, paused. For some reason, the ¡®angel¡¯ was repeatedly rubbing his wrist. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re really hurt!?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it after we leave.¡± ¡°These bastards¡­¡­!¡± But Baron Tucker had to endure once more. Powerless justice was nothing but ipetence. Shouting about killing and dying here would only endanger his own neck. However. ¡°Wait.¡± The dozens of knights didn¡¯t seem willing to let them go just like that. ¡°Where is the Marquis? Why have youe alone?¡± ¡°What? Are you worried I harmed your Marquis?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Of course not. There are guards hidden all throughout the forest. If I¡¯d caused any trouble, you¡¯d have heard it by now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The group fell silent atst. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re worried, go check for yourselves.¡± Baron Tucker, who had been cautiously observing the situation, tried to quietly step away. ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± The knights exuded a much fiercer aura than before. ¡°What happened to the rest of the White Lion Brigade?¡± ¡°¡­¡­It seems these guys have personal grudges. Who are they?¡± In a hushed voice, Baron Tucker replied. ¡°They are the remaining members of the White Lion Brigade.¡± ¡°Ah, now I understand.¡± Ancelot nodded btedly. ¡°Answer me. Who did that to our captain and vice-captain?¡± ¡°What? You didn¡¯t like my hand-made gifts?¡± Boom! The murderous aura intensified. ¡°A-Ancelot!¡± Even Baron Tucker was taken aback by the provocative words. ¡°¡­¡­It seems you have no intention of answering us.¡± ¡°Look at how you¡¯re acting. Do you think I¡¯d want to answer?¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll find out myself. But!¡± Shing, shing, shing. Immediately, the entire White Lion Brigade reached for their swords. ¡°You must each leave a wrist behind, also.¡± Ancelot clicked his tongue. ¡°Crazy bastards. You may be blinded by revenge, but is this the level of discipline the soldiers of the Marquis possess? Harming an envoy without your lord¡¯s permission?¡± Flinch. The knight who had stepped forward flinched but said nothing more. ¡°¡­¡­Even if the Marquis punishes uster, we must take your wrists.¡± ¡°Try it if you can. Let¡¯s go.¡± Ancelot began to walk ahead, unfazed. The group blocked their path but did nothing more. The highest-ranking knight here had yet to give amand. ¡°If you can¡¯t take my wrist, then move aside.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Finally, the leader took a single step to the side. The other knights followed suit, each taking just one step. Creating a narrow path just wide enough for two people to pass side by side. ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s see if you can get through.¡± ¡°How childish.¡± Ancelot chuckled and took a bold step forward. Then he tilted his head. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you following¡­¡­?¡± He stopped mid-sentence. Drip. Blood was trickling from Baron Tucker¡¯s nose. His face had turned pale. ¡°¡­¡­Haa.¡± Realizing the situation, Ancelot quickly stepped in front of him. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Suddenly, the oppressive aura suffocating Baron Tucker vanished. ¡°Stick close behind me.¡± Step. Now, all the knights¡¯ auras focused solely on Ancelot. Step, step. One step, then another. Boom! With each step, the pressure grew stronger. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The metallic taste of blood spread in Ancelot¡¯s mouth. But that was all. The small back visible to Baron Tucker never stopped. He walked, and kept walking. Never showing weakness. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± As the faces of the remaining White Lion Brigade turned pale at his courage and spirit, Ptooey! Finally reaching the end of the path, Ancelot spat out blood-tinged saliva. ¡°Bullying the weak with numbers. Shame on you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°At least your leader wasn¡¯t like this. You¡¯re not even worth taking a wrist from, you vermin.¡± Grit! The leading knight bit his lip. ¡°Just you wait. We¡¯ll make you pay for¡­¡­¡± ¡°Idiots.¡± And with that, Ancelot and Baron Tucker leisurely left the ce. As if mocking those left behind. * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Upon returning to the fortress, I found that Count Arsene had hurriedly rushed to the main gate. ¡°What on earth were you thinking, going to such a dangerous ce yourself!?¡± ¡°We need urate information about the enemy to win the war. Oh, to give you a report¡­¡­¡± ¡°Never mind the report! Are you hurt anywhere?¡± Count Arsene scanned me up and down. Then, he noticed my wrist, which was swollen and red. ¡°Wh-What happened to your wrist?¡± ¡°Oh. This? Nothing serious.¡± ¡°Nothing serious!? How dare they harm an envoy?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already received ample apologies.¡± Did it end with just apologies? I also received plentifulpensation. ¡°Tell me. Which knight was it? To harm an envoy, and a child at that!¡± However, Count Arsene was still fuming, his breathing out in puffs. He was like a father who found out his child had been hurt. A yful idea struck me. ¡°¡­¡­Since you value principles, surely you¡¯ll punish him, right?¡± ¡°I promise. I will punish him without fail!¡± I then decided to tell Count Arsene the truth. ¡°Who was it? Tell me quickly¡­¡­!¡± ¡°It was someone named Herman.¡± ¡°Herman? Such amon name. I¡¯ll definitely remember¡­¡­!¡± ¡°His full name is ¡®Pieron del Herman¡¯.¡± Count Arsene fell silent, struck dumb. ¡°¡­¡­Who did you say¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, he also mentioned he¡¯s one of the three masters in this country, and a Duke.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Another long silence followed. ¡°So¡­¡­ the one I know¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Unless there are two Pieron del Herman¡¯s in this country.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You mean, the brother of the current queen¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I believe so.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why¡­¡­?¡± It was a question filled with implications. Though I wanted to tease him more, I decided to stop there. ¡°More importantly, I have important news.¡± Count Arsene, finally regaining hisposure, asked in a trembling voice, ¡°What exactly happened there?¡± ____ Chapter 51 Chapter 51 ¨C ¡®Politics¡¯ is Making the Right Connections (2) ¡°Since the fate of the family depends on this matter, please listen carefully and make your decision. Depending on your decision, Count, my approach will change ordingly.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± I began to carefully exin the events that had urred earlier to Count Arsene. About that unexpected encounter. *** ¡°Incredible. How can someone in their teens be like this?¡± The man who appeared in the forest scrutinized me up and down as if examining a fascinating object. ¡°For your body to fully mature¡­¡­ Five years, at most. If you possess other talents on the same level as your ability to sense your surroundings, you would be one of the top ten strongest in this country by then.¡± ¡°With all due respect, may I ask who you may be?¡± ¡°Oh, my apologies for thete introduction. I am Duke Pieron del Herman.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± His response waspletely unexpected. ¡°Duke¡­¡­?¡± The person in front of me was one of only three dukes in this country. ¡°¡­¡­If I hadn¡¯te as an envoy, it would have been a disaster.¡± ¡°It was a fight where the oue was obvious.¡± There was a reason why the Foltaine Marquisate was confident in their victory, defying even the king¡¯s orders. Even if the White Lion Brigade failed in their mission, the main force had two Masters. ¡®Two war machines, each capable of cutting down the castle gate alone amidst a barrage of countless arrows.¡¯ My expression grew increasingly serious. ¡°Shall we shake hands tomemorate our first meeting?¡± The man who introduced himself as Duke Herman seemed very curious about me. Without waiting for my response, he walked over briskly and grabbed my wrist. Rumble, rumble, rumble! ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± Immediately, a massive wave of mana surged inside. He likely wanted to directly gauge the magnitude of the variable¡ª me. ¡®That aside, I don¡¯t sense any malice.¡¯ I didn¡¯t resist and epted the mana calmly. How much time passed doing that? ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman, with a puzzled expression, soon took a step back. ¡°¡­¡­In terms of pure volume, your mana is average. No, it¡¯s rtively poorpared to your ability to sense your surroundings.¡± Well, it¡¯s only been a month since I started umting mana in earnest. Even though I took an elixir before, it¡¯s still at an ordinary level. That must be all there is to it. ¡°How is such a thing possible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a kind of raw gem.¡± Marquis Foltaine answered in my stead. ¡°Raw gem?¡± ¡°There are people like this every now and then, aren¡¯t there? Those with talent in specific fields such as understanding of energy, purity of mana, or sensing skills. Of course, those who train based on such talents grow much faster.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°Though stillcking, considering his age, he will be a splendid gem if polished well. People call such individuals geniuses.¡± Watching the two of them putting on a two-man show, the corners of my mouth rose. ¡®If I had five years, even the two of you together wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against me.¡¯ Immediately, I pulled my hand away with emotion. ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like a handshake.¡± ¡°Did it offend you?¡± ¡°Yes, your first impression is quite terrible.¡± I showed them my bruised wrist. But the two ignored my injury, and they exchanged nces. ¡°Heh, he called you terrible, Duke.¡± ¡°He¡¯s an interesting one, just as you said. Does he perhaps have multiple lives?¡± ¡°Judging from the way he acts, he may have dozens.¡± Duke Herman looked at me with a smile. ¡°Alright. As a gesture of apology, I will give you two great gifts.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll decide whether to ept your apology after seeing the gifts.¡± ¡°Hahaha! I hope my sincerity gets through to you. First, I¡¯ll give you some important information.¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°Soon, the king will fall into our hands. The ipetent fool is about to lose his foot to a trusted axe.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± If true, this was indeed significant information. War became unstoppable once it gained momentum. Checkmate. No matter how sessful Count Arsene¡¯s house was, the game would end if the king was captured. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you believe the information or not. I¡¯m not lying. But out of a sense of pity, I wanted to give a talented young man like you a chance.¡± ¡°A chance¡­¡­?¡± Suddenly, Duke Herman¡¯s voice turned solemn. ¡°Convey this message to the Count; If he promises one thing, we will withdraw our forces.¡± I shook my head without hesitation. ¡°This isn¡¯t a chance; it¡¯s a threat.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a threat. We will fully apologize andpensate for past offenses. If Count Arsene promises, he could soon be a marquis.¡± Wait a minute. Is this how my promise would be fulfilled? ¡°Additionally.¡± Duke Herman took something out from his pocket and handed it to me. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°You see, I cherish talent. From what I see, your potential far exceeds your current state.¡± It was a square box. Inside was a round pill. As soon as the lid opened, a rich, natural scent filled my nose. ¡°Is this¡­¡­ a mana pill?¡± If elixirs were for mages, mana pills were for knights. Duke Herman nodded in response to my question. ¡°It¡¯s an item passed down in our family. It¡¯s a precious treasure that may or may not appear every twenty years. I¡¯ll give this to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Mana pills, like elixirs, have grades. Despite being from a border region, he¡¯s still a duke. The mana pill from such a noble family would be, by no means, ordinary. ¡°This is a very generous gift¡­¡­ but it won¡¯t make me betray others like some people.¡± ¡°If I intended to buy your loyalty with just this, that would be foolish indeed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Regardless of his true intentions, Duke Herman knew how to handle people. ¡°This is an apology for your wrist. And if it earns even a bit of your favor, that will be enough for me, child.¡± He spoke as if bestowing a favor. Still, he didn¡¯t understand me fully. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s an apology¡­¡­¡± I epted the pill without hesitation. He might think I¡¯ll be moved and swayed, but that will not be happening. ¡®If he¡¯s willing to give it away, there¡¯s no reason to refuse.¡¯ That¡¯s my principle. Take what you can, when you can. I¡¯ll just repay the favor when I can. ¡®Well, don¡¯t expect much from someone like me, born a ve with no background.¡¯ Yet, the two of them, unaware of my thoughts, looked at me with satisfied smiles. Such were the nobles. * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * After finishing my exnation, I looked directly into Count Arsene¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­¡­Regarding the matter with thedy and the young lord, they have agreed to issue a formal apology in the name of their house.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Although he¡¯s a disowned son, they also assured that they wouldn¡¯t take issue even if Vigri de Foltaine, who is imprisoned, has already been killed. Of course,pensation for the damage is a separate matter.¡± Count Arsene¡¯s pupils flickered continuously, and I read the fragments of emotion within those eyes. ¡°Their one condition is this.¡± ¡°And¡­¡­what is that?¡± ¡°That you do not get involved in this factional conflict, my lord.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Count Arsene tilted his head in confusion. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s all?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± There was actually one more condition I hadn¡¯t mentioned. ¡®They want me.¡¯ There is no favor without a price in this world. Would they give away a treasure like a mana pill out of the kindness of their hearts? Especially to aplete stranger? ¡®Ridiculous.¡¯ Of course, pure curiosity would be alright. My goal is ultimately to overthrow the empire. Don¡¯t I need more allies for that for a stronger enemy? ¡°I always thought of this fight as a kind of prelude.¡± ¡°Yes. You said they n to cause amotion here and attack the royal pce. Wasn¡¯t that their n?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This fight was already over. This was just a follow-up measure to eliminate any remaining rebels who might continue to resist even after the civil war.¡± Count Arsene furrowed his brow even deeper. ¡°I can¡¯t understand. There¡¯s been no sign of trouble from the royal pce yet. How can they be so confident of victory?¡± ¡°Rather, isn¡¯t it strange that there hasn¡¯t been any sign of trouble?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Count Arsene¡¯s eyes widened. It had already been nearly a week since Marquis Foltaine defied the king¡¯s orders. And yet, there had been no news from the pce. ¡°This means they have been proceeding very discreetly.¡± ¡°The pce is guarded by Duke Kairos. Even as a foreigner, you must have heard of him. He is the oldest Master in this country and the most skilled.¡± ¡°They told me something. That ¡®what cuts your foot is a trusted axe¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°What if that trusted axe is Duke Kairos?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Count Arsene¡¯s face grew even more grave. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! What could he possibly stand to gain?¡± ¡°The country is visibly copsing. The king is old. Despite advocating for the principle of primogeniture session, it¡¯s clear what will happen with time.¡± This wasn¡¯t just about the Hart Kingdom. The history of royal session had always been one of bloody strife. ¡°Are you suggesting Duke Kairos¡¯s intentions for the next throne¡­¡­ differ from those of the king?¡± ¡°I cannot know a person¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°Still¡ª the country truly is in decline. Why would he make such a choice?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not declining. To me, it looks like the country is trying to take a step forward.¡± At least, it¡¯s better than passively following orders and getting crushed like a fool. ¡­¡­Or maybe, my example has emboldened their actions. ¡®It seems I have awakened many people¡¯s minds.¡¯ I nodded in satisfaction. ¡°In the end, the decision is yours, my lord.¡± Count Arsene swallowed hard. ¡°Let me ask you just one thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Do you wish to protect the ¡®king¡¯ or this ¡®country¡¯ itself?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Count Arsene¡¯s eyes widened slowly. ¡°They say the king is the country, but that¡¯s nonsense. It¡¯s just a lie told by those greedy for power to maintain their control. It¡¯s indoctrination and idolization.¡± I had never liked this country¡¯s king. There were practical reasons as well. ¡®A fight that¡¯s difficult to win. There¡¯s no reason to risk my life doing something the empire would love.¡¯ The more intense the Hart Kingdom¡¯s civil war, the more the damn emperor would p his hands in delight. Watching another¡¯s house burn is always amusing. ¡®But it¡¯s also true that Count Arsene lost his wife and child to them.¡¯ I can¡¯t force him to make a decision based on my personal vendetta. Marquis Foltaine imed it was an ident, and the perpetrator had already died by my hand, but¡­¡­ ¡®How could a father¡¯s heart be soothed by that?¡¯ If it were me, I¡¯d have chewed up the Marquis himself, exnations be damned. However, it¡¯s wise to look before you leap. ¡°Or, will you leave this matter to me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke in a subdued voice. ¡°¡­¡­I have decided to trust you to the end. But is there a clear solution in this situation?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I already promise? I will ensure that we do not lose to Marquis Foltaine.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The best course of action now is to uphold that promise while avoiding actions that would please the empire. ¡°I may need to dy the n a bit, but if you trust me, I will ensure we getpensation for Hersen¡¯s death.¡± ____ Chapter 52 Chapter 52 ¨C ¡®Politics¡¯ is Making the Right Connections (3) Meanwhile, on the ins in front of the Arsenia Fortress. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve shared a drink. Shall we?¡± Marquis Foltaine, who was still in the forest, shook a bottle of liquor. Duke Herman smacked his lips, seemingly tempted. ¡°Tomemorate seeing such a rare sight?¡± ¡°Heh heh. That too, but don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a certain charm in having a drink in a ce like this?¡± The warm sunlight filtered through the green trees, shining on the two of them. Birds chirped continuously around them. ¡°¡­Sounds good.¡± At the same time, Swish! Marquis Foltaine shed something with his sword. Crack! Thud! The force of the sword strike, spanning several meters, cleanly cut through arge tree. Using the tree stump as a table, he spread out a mat and sat down. ¡°Have a drink.¡± ¡°What a well-prepared friend you are.¡± Seeing the two sses, Duke Herman promptly sat down beside him. ¡°People would be astonished to see this side of you. To think that the wealthy old man is also a strong one.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one who knows so far, Duke. Please continue to keep my secret.¡± ¡°Haha. Well then, to satisfy my curiosity, how about you tell me a little something?¡± ¡°Now, shouldn¡¯t I be the one to get the payment for the drinks?¡± ¡°Oh,e on. Don¡¯t be like that.¡± Anyone who saw this scene would be shocked. Outwardly, the two had little inmon and weren¡¯t particrly close. But in reality, they thought of each other as ¡®friends¡¯, transcending both status and age. ¡°That kid.¡± ¡°Are you talking about Ancelot?¡± ¡°You even remember his name.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve taken an interest in him.¡± Duke Herman made a peculiar expression. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what piques my curiosity. Just a few hours ago, weren¡¯t you the one singing on about how you would cut him to pieces, calling him a brat? And now, not only have you forgiven him that easily, but you¡¯re even thinking of adopting him? What changed that cunning heart of yours?¡± ¡°Likewise, I never dreamed you would give away that precious mana pill.¡± Despite being on a battlefield, the two casually shared a drink. ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural not to want to lose talented people? Hahaha!¡± ¡°I almost feel like I¡¯m being robbed of my own belongings. And since my opponent is of higher rank, there¡¯s nothing I can do. I can only soothe this bitterness with alcohol.¡± ¡°Cut me some ck. I didn¡¯t make an issue out of your ¡®you¡¯d only know after a fight¡¯ remark, did I?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it?¡± At Marquis Foltaine¡¯s retort, Duke Herman grinned, showing his teeth. ¡°Shall we have a go at each other here?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The two locked eyes in a staring contest for a moment before both burst into chuckles. ¡°Let¡¯s just drink.¡± ¡°Alright. By the way, how do you feel?¡± ¡°Why are you worried about me, and not yourself?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you robbed of that precious item of yours? I¡¯m talking about the mana pill.¡± ¡°My friend, why use the word ¡®robbed¡¯ instead of ¡®invest¡¯? Trying to make me feel worse?¡± Duke Hermanughed again and took another drink. ¡°Well, it¡¯s alright. It wasn¡¯t a family heirloom passed down through generations, just a mid-grade item you could find on the market.¡± ¡°So you tricked him!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why status matters. Since I¡¯m a duke, everyone naturally assumes it must be a treasure, don¡¯t they? Hahaha! Most importantly, if such an item can win over that kid, it¡¯s a small price to pay.¡± Duke Herman would never have reacted like this if he had known the real intentions of the other party ¡°Come to think of it, that¡¯s actually better for me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If the kid feels cheated, he¡¯lle to me instead of you.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t give him anything.¡± ¡°Me stepping back from the battlefield would be the greatest gift for him right now.¡± Duke Herman¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Speaking of which, are you really alright with this?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°This is a matter of your pride, isn¡¯t it?¡± The entire kingdom already knew. The Marquis of Foltaine was humiliated by the Count of Arsene. That¡¯s why, against royal orders, he set out to make an example. If he returned empty-handed, it was obvious what would happen next. ¡°As you know, in this world, reputation is everything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a businessman before I¡¯m a noble. I value practicality over pride.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The White Lion Brigade captured over there are quite valuable subordinates to me too.¡± ¡°Haha, so you¡¯re trying to protect your assets? But I heard those assets have already be defective goods. There are rumors that the captain and vice-captain are crippled.¡± Marquis Foltaine clicked his tongue, as if genuinely finding it a shame. ¡°I intended to make the culprit pay, but¡­ someone intervened and ruined everything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s another problem. Trying to recruit an enemy as an ally. Your subordinates must feel quite disappointed.¡± By now, a flicker of fire was in the eyes of Marquis Foltaine. ¡°Everything, including reputation and subordinates, has a price. I am a merchant who moves strictly ording to value.¡± ¡°In other words, your desire for that kid exceeds all the values you just mentioned.¡± ¡°Yes. So please, indulge me.¡± Duke Herman shrugged. ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t. Let¡¯s settle this fair and square.¡± ¡°This time, I won¡¯t lose to you.¡± ¡°Moreover¡­¡± For the first time, Duke Herman¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°What about the Empire?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s time to sort things out with them too. Truth be told, if I had known Duke Kairos woulde over to our side so easily, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered allying with them.¡± At the mention of ¡®Kairos¡¯, Duke Herman clicked his tongue. ¡°That cunning old man. As soon as the tide turned, he clung to us like a ghost.¡± ¡°This is what we call practical politics. Personally, I think it was a wise decision.¡± ¡°Be on guard. The Empire won¡¯t just let this slide. They¡¯ll try to recoup their investment somehow.¡± ¡°Yes, their goal is to weaken our national strength. They must be furious that their n to escte our civil war through Duke Kairos didn¡¯t even start.¡± Duke Herman nodded. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to have that backfire on us.¡± ¡°As a temporary measure, strengthening rtions with other countries might be an effective method.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, isn¡¯t there an uing diplomatic exchange?¡± The Master Tournament was held every four years, hosted by the Empire. Separately, all kingdoms except the Empire held a conference every four years to exchange views. Of course, the main purpose was to check the Swallow Empire, the continent¡¯s strongest power. That was uring this year. ¡°This time, I¡¯ll attend and meet the representatives from the Duchy of Meeke.¡± ¡°Oh. Come to think of it, that kid is from the Duchy of Meeke, right?¡± ¡°Yes, someone like him wouldn¡¯te from an ordinary family.¡± ¡°You have quite a nasty character. Seems like he ran away from home because he didn¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a worthless family, I can just buy their child with money.¡± Marquis Foltaine smiled faintly as he took hisst sip. ¡°For now, let¡¯s wait and see. We should listen to that kid¡¯s answer first, shouldn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°That is true.¡± *** When I returned to my room, four suits of pitch-ck armor were neatly arranged on the table. ¡°These are the ckworm armor you requested previously.¡± A voice immediately came from behind me. ¡°¡­Narakas, you knew, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°That Duke Kairos had defected to the other side.¡± ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not a god. How could I know all the happenings in the world?¡± I quietly stared at Narakas, who spoke shamelessly. I had my suspicions, but no evidence. ¡°¡­Is this how you intend to get back at me?¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± The corners of my mouth twisted upward. ¡°Then I can¡¯t entrust any more work to you. This incident has made it clear that my partner iscking in capability.¡± ¡°If you truly consider me a partner, may I offer one piece of advice?¡± ¡°Advice?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you multiple times already; stop going against the Empire.¡± Narakas¡¯s voice was deeply serious. ¡°If the Empire recognizes your existence, there will be no turning back. You could¡­ actually die.¡± ¡°And the information I asked you to find?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The child of the great hero. And the five subordinates.¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t tell you that, not to someone as weak as you are now.¡± ¡°So, you do know.¡± This slightly wounded my pride. When was thest time I heard something like this? ¡®¡­Fine. I¡¯ll advance my n.¡¯ Originally, it was a ten-year n at minimum. ¡°I have one more request. Since I¡¯ve lost some trust in you due to this incident, prove your abilities so I can continue to rely on you.¡± ¡°What kind of request?¡± ¡°Use all the resources of the Mask of Night to spread a rumor that the ¡®Empire¡¯ is intervening in the civil war of the Hart Kingdom. How about it? Simple, right?¡± A voice full of disbelief soon pierced my ears. ¡°¡­If we get caught, we¡¯ll be executed by the Emperor. Simple, my ass.¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * This time, I ventured alone into enemy territory. Even the White Lion Brigade, who hade out to meet me just as a gesture, looked at me with astonishment. Of course, I didn¡¯t even nce at those small fries. ¡°The Count has decided not to participate in this fight.¡± ¡°A wise decision.¡± ¡°But, there¡¯s one more condition that the two of you need to fulfill.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Duke Herman and Marquis Foltaine both tilted their heads in confusion, as if wondering what nonsense this was. ¡°Condition?¡± I continued without hesitation. ¡°Duke Herman, you said you wouldpensate for the damage done by elevating Count Arsene to a Marquis, correct?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s postpone this fight for five years. On that day, a representative from Marquis Foltaine and Count Arsene will face each other one-on-one. If the Marquis loses, he will voluntarily relinquish his title.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Both of them widened their eyes simultaneously. ¡°What?¡± ¡°We need to uphold the traditions of the Kingdom of Hart. That¡¯s the rule of thisnd, isn¡¯t it? The loser will exchange positions with the winner. Furthermore, the losing side will be the vassal of the winning side.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°Even if it was an ident, you killed his child, more precious than life itself. You should at least give up something as valuable as your power. Serving the victim with a lifetime of atonement and dedication is the least you can do.¡± At some point, a smirk had formed on one corner of Marquis Foltaine¡¯s mouth. ¡°¡­Fine. Let¡¯s say I relinquish my title. But what if the representative from the Arsene family loses? If the vassge condition is mutual, then they should also put something valuable on the line.¡± ¡°The Arsene family will not lose.¡± I smiled confidently. ¡°Because the representative of the Arsene family will be none other than me.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± I had already decided. I would make the Arsene family the strongest in this country. In that regard, if this kingdom was ruled not by the royal family but by the three ducal houses and five marquis houses¡­ ¡®I will make all of you vassals of the Arsene family.¡¯ Chapter 53 Chapter 53 ¨C Kingdom of Hart (1) How much time had passed? ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡± What finally broke the silence was the sound of Duke Herman¡¯sughter. ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± Heughed like a madman, clutching his stomach and even shedding tears. ¡°Aha! Ahahahahahaha!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± In contrast, the person in question, Marquis Foltaine, subtly furrowed his brow. ¡°¡­¡­You got us. Are you refusing our recruitment proposal in this manner? Even swallowing the precious mana pill?¡± ¡°That was just a gift, wasn¡¯t it?¡± The expression on Marquis Foltaine¡¯s face said it all. He wanted to slit my throat right this instant. In response, I lifted my head a bit more confidently. Return expression for expression. ¡®What can you even do right now?¡¯ Snap. A vein bulged on Marquis Foltaine¡¯s forehead. ¡°An ego sword, with its own will, also chooses its own master. Regardless of this current battle, if you want me, prove your worth.¡± ¡°¡­¡­It seems you¡¯re looking down on me.¡± In a lowered voice, Duke Herman quickly interjected. ¡°Ah, wait, wait. Don¡¯t take your anger out on the kid. There¡¯s nothing more unpleasant than that. Plus, he hasn¡¯t said anything wrong so far, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re being too much. Weren¡¯t you on my side, Duke?¡± ¡°In this situation, there are no sides. Since Count Arsene epted the proposal, we are all subjects of the Hart Kingdom.¡± ¡°This child is from the Duchy of Meeke.¡± ¡°He will soon be a subject of the Hart Kingdom. I will make sure of it.¡± As you wish. Soon, I¡¯ll be a subject of the Hart Kingdom and make you work to the bone, you old fools. ¡°Enough. Where are my knights now?¡± ¡°First, a retreat and an apology. If you are ¡®ufortable¡¯ with retreating right away, I¡¯ll be satisfied with a blood oath from the Marquis. Please write that you will never invade the Arsene family.¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s lips twisted upward. ¡°¡­¡­Child, why should we trust¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Here it is.¡± I quickly handed over what I had prepared in advance. ¡°This is Count Arsene¡¯s handwritten blood oath. No matter what happens in the pce, it states that we will not interfere, sworn on the Arsene family¡¯s honor.¡± ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯ve been outyed again. It can¡¯t be helped.¡± Unlike Duke Herman, who was ted and was even pping the ground, Marquis Foltaine¡¯s eyes were now filled with rage. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Are you nning to go alone?¡± ¡°Do I need to drag these children along just to apologize to someone else?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take him to some secluded ce and take your anger out on him.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Finally, Marquis Foltaine nodded toward me. ¡°Lead the way. We¡¯re going to meet Count Arsene right now.¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Gulp. The sound of swallowing echoed throughout the room. ¡°M-Marquis Foltaine?¡± ¡°H-He actually crawled in here alone.¡± ¡°Just what¡¯s going on in that head of his?¡± I thought the same. This man was certainly no ordinary person. ¡°¡­¡­Wee, Marquis.¡± Count Arsene, who hade to meet him at the entrance, greeted him with a tense expression. ¡°I must apologize for the intrusion.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Would you like to meet the knights first? They are in the underground prison of our main house.¡± Count Arsene also disyed a fitting presence. Even though his family¡¯s killer stood before him, he kept his emotions under control. ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡± What followed was swift and decisive. Just a few dayster, the Marquis Foltaine was able to meet the White Lion Brigade. ¡°Marquis, sir¡­¡­?¡± ¡°H-How are you here¡­¡­? Have we surrendered after all?¡± It was an unbelievable situation for them. Therefore, such a misunderstanding was understandable. One of them, thoroughly delighted, chimed in. ¡°Y-You¡¯vee to rescue me, Father!¡± A pig-faced boy with a look of deep gratitude. He was Vigri de Foltaine, the illegitimate son of the Marquis. Having been starved for some time, his cheeks were sunken, giving him an almost hollow look. ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re dead now!¡± He then pointed at me and started shouting. ¡°What are you all doing!? Open this damned door!¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯ve confirmed the condition of the goods, let¡¯s start with an apology.¡± I ignored the pig¡¯s words and looked at the Marquis. At this, Count Arsene looked flustered. ¡°Ancelot, I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s open the doors first¡­¡­¡± ¡°No. A promise is a promise.¡± Thud! There was no hesitation in the Marquis¡¯ actions. The hopes of those around were shattered in an instant. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Vigri de Foltaine, who had stoppedughing at some point, and the hundreds of White Lion Brigade members. All stunned into silence. ¡°Although it was for the greater good, I, Draksir de Foltaine, deeply apologize for the wrongs I have done to you.¡± Thud! The Marquis knelt and bowed his head to the ground. ¡°¡­¡­¡± At the same time, a suffocating silence engulfed the area. ¡°F-Father¡­¡­?¡± Vigri de Foltaine¡¯s mouth hung open. Until then, Count Arsene, who had been wearing a strange expression, helped the Marquis to his feet. ¡°Please, rise. You¡¯re in the presence of your subordinates.¡± It was indeed a surprising situation even for me. ¡®No matter how much he values practicality, he¡¯s still a noble¡­¡­ Does he not care about things that don¡¯t cost money?¡¯ No. From experience, that¡¯s probably not it. Creak! Soon, the sound of rusty hinges echoed everywhere. Immediately, the knights walked out of the iron bars as if they had been waiting. At that moment. Hummmm! A low resonating sound that only I heard. ¡°¡­¡­Ancelot?¡± I quickly stepped in front of Count Arsene. ¡°¡­¡­Stay back.¡± Someone¡¯s sword was crying. As if reflecting the owner¡¯s feelings. Immediately. sh! A round object flew through the air. It was the head of Tripier, the leader of the White Lion Brigade, who hadn¡¯t even realized he had been cut. That was the beginning of the massacre. sh! sh! sh! sh! ¡°M-Marqui¡­¡­s!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ugh!¡± ¡°Arghhh!¡± A sudden bloodbath erupted in the underground prison. The curved saber continued its relentless dance. Like an emotionless machine, it cut down its subordinates without end. sh! Finally, when he had cut down thest of his subordinates. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Amidst the countless corpses, the Marquis, drenched in blood, smiled, baring his teeth. ¡°I apologize for causing trouble in your household. I have a bad habit of having to break defective goods with my own hands to be satisfied.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± His voice was unbelievably calm for someone who had just massacred hundreds of people. ¡°F-F-F-F-Father¡­¡­!¡± Of course, the one most shocked was someone else. At the very back of the prison. Vigri de Foltaine had wet his pants. ¡°Oh dear. I missed one.¡± ¡°P-Please spare me!¡± ¡°A worthless scum who can do nothing but eat and defecate.¡± There was no mercy in the Marquis¡¯ sword. sh! He decapitated his own son. Ssh! He shook off the blood from his sword. ¡°Count.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes, Marquis.¡± ¡°Although the head of this old man isn¡¯t worth much, I cut off my own fingers for the loss of your precious 350 subordinates and your child.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Therefore, please forgive this old man who doesn¡¯t have much time left.¡± Count Arsene, who had been silent for a moment, spoke again. ¡°¡­¡­You didn¡¯t have to go this far.¡± ¡°To amander on the battlefield!¡± The Marquis¡¯ voice echoed like a rebuke. ¡°Failure in a mission is worse than death.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Our Marquis household has no need for failures, so you need not worry too much. This is my way of atonement.¡± Indeed. He couldn¡¯t end it with just an apology. This was the pride of a noble that I knew. ¡°Ancelot, I look forward to five years from now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For the first time, the Marquis called me ¡®Ancelot¡¯ instead of ¡®child¡¯. A broad smile spread across my face. ¡°Yes. I will also eagerly await the day I meet you again, Marquis.¡± *** With that, Marquis Foltaine went back home. He had faithfully kept the promise he made. As a result, peace soon returned to the count¡¯s family. Though everyone had sworn revenge, even at the cost of their lives, how many can remain indifferent in the face of death? Given the clear disparity in power, it was nothing short of good news. And another day passed. Swish! Swish! Swish! Under the zing sun. Harun, shirtless, was continuing his training. ¡°Harun! Let¡¯s call it a day for morning training and go eat!¡± ¡°Oh! Yes, young master!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Come on. We agreed to speak informally when it was just the two of us.¡± Kirian lips pouted. ¡°Ah, my bad. It still feels a bit awkward, so without realizing¡­¡­¡± Harun, looking embarrassed, quickly changed the subject. ¡°But where did our young master Jan go during mealtime?¡± ¡°To the grave.¡± ¡°The grave?¡± Harun asked back, his eyes wide open. Kirian nodded with a bitter smile. ¡°Today is Hersen¡¯s birthday.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± The mood quickly darkened. From Harun¡¯s perspective, the situation had be even more ufortable. Fortunately, there was a benefactor who saved him from this. ¡°How is your training going?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Both of their heads turned simultaneously. ¡°Master!¡± Harun¡¯s face brightened instantly. Ancelot was walking over from a distance. Carrying various items. ¡°What are all those armors?¡± Harun ran over and received the items. ¡°A present.¡± ¡°A present¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I was going to give them during the war, but it ended too quickly. They will probably be quite useful for you all in the future.¡± For Harun, who came from amoner background, it was the first time seeing such pitch-ck armor. However, it was clear at a nce that it was no ordinary item. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be ufortable. It¡¯s lighter than most clothes.¡± ¡°I-Isn¡¯t this ckworm armor?¡± Of course, Kirian, who came from a wealthy family, recognized it immediately. ¡°I-Is it really okay to receive such a precious thing from you¡­¡­?¡± ¡°More importantly, where is Jan?¡± Harun and Kirian both flinched simultaneously. Besides the items given to them, there were still two sets of armor in Ancelot¡¯s hands. ¡°Even Jan¡¯s¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re all on the same side now, it wouldn¡¯t be right to leave him out.¡± Kirian looked touched. ¡°Honored guest¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make such a disgusting face. Where is he now?¡± ¡°Ah, he should be in the backyard of the mansion.¡± Hersen¡¯s grave was in the sunniest spot at the count¡¯s estate. The very ce where they had been attacked by the enemy spies. ¡°Honored guest, I feel a bit bad saying this, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, go ahead.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Thank you. Jan considers the oue of this war a ¡®cowardly victory¡¯.¡± ¡°A ¡®cowardly victory¡¯¡­¡­¡± Indeed, it might feel that way now. It wasn¡¯t that ¡®we won¡¯, but rather that ¡®we were allowed to win¡¯. However, ¡®Soon, I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t think like that anymore.¡¯ Ancelot, after organizing his thoughts, walked briskly toward the backyard. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡± *** Jan was quietly kneeling in prayer. While blessing his deceased younger brother starting a few weeks prior to his birthday. ¡°¡­¡­Hersen, I couldn¡¯t prepare a birthday gift for you.¡± He was there to report the oue of the recent battle. ¡°Marquis Foltaine came to Father yesterday and bowed his head in apology. I don¡¯t know if this is right¡­¡­ but someone told me that powerless justice was just ipetence. That if I was dissatisfied, I should get stronger.¡± Additionally, it was to fortify his own resolve. ¡°In order that I never have to go through such a terrible experience again¡­¡­ I¡¯ll get stronger.¡± At that moment. ¡°You already knew the answer.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Startled, Jan shot to his feet. ¡°You¡­¡­ Ancelot¡­¡­?¡± Upon confirming his visitor¡¯s identity, Jan frowned. Then, noticing what Ancelot was holding, he tilted his head in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s up with those armors?¡± ¡°One¡¯s yours.¡± Thud. Ancelot tossed it carelessly, and Jan quietly picked it up. Soon after. ¡°B-ckworm armor?¡± Like Kirian, Jan recognized the item instantly, and his eyes widened. ¡°Why are you giving me something like this¡­¡­?¡± Step, step, step. There was no reply. Ancelot simply walked toward his brother¡¯s grave. And then. Thud. He ced the armor he was holding in front of the grave. ¡°One is for your brother.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What¡­¡­?¡± ¡°It was originally a condolence gift, but let¡¯s count it as a birthday present now that things have turned out this way.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jan, who had been stiff, quickly regained hisposure. ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re weird, giving gifts like that to the dead. You must have money to burn, huh?¡± ¡°Did you know? In ancient times, people considered the ¡®ckworm¡¯ a symbol of eternal life.¡± ¡°Eternal life¡­¡­?¡± ¡°A material that is hard to break and doesn¡¯t show signs of burning. There wasn¡¯t anything else quite like it in the world. So, it¡¯s not surprising that they thought of that tough thread as an unbreakable lifeline.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Jan¡¯s single remaining pupil gradually widened. ¡°May it help him live long in the next life. If there¡¯s an afterlife, this armor might save his life at least once.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a long silence, Jan smiled faintly. ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re quite the strange one.¡± ¡°Am I? Heh heh, sometimes I think so too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Still¡­¡­ Hersen would¡¯ve probably liked it.¡± Ancelot gazed quietly at the grave. In his past life, he¡¯d never managed to give Andy a proper birthday gift. Then he died, just like that. He¡¯d breathed hisst with holes in his stomach, just like this boy in front of him, resenting his father. ¡°¡­¡­Thanks.¡± The voice was smaller than an ant¡¯s. ncing over, a glint of moisture reflected the sunlight on Jan¡¯s cheek. Ancelot deliberately did not turn his head as he replied. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± *** ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± Marquis Foltaine looked up as he returned to the forest. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Duke Herman, who had been lyingzily on a tree branch, looked down. ¡°I waited quite a while.¡± ¡°You could have gone back first.¡± ¡°I wanted to return to the pce with you.¡± ¡°By the way, how is the situation in the pce?¡± ¡°Pretty much settled. Soon, a delegation will be formed, and we¡¯ll attend international exchanges with the new king.¡± Duke Hermanughed as he spoke. ¡°Did you handle things well?¡± ¡°As best as I could.¡± ¡°Hahaha, try to gather as much information as you can about that kid. He was so arrogant; you should at least give him a good flick on the forehead.¡± Marquis Foltaine shook his head. ¡°A mere flick won¡¯t suffice anymore.¡± ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± Duke Herman¡¯s cheerfulughter continued. A monthter, astonishing news spread across the entire Hart Kingdom. The king retracted his previous will and installed a new crown prince. At the same time, he abdicated the throne. It was a bewildering situation for the citizens. It was too sudden, far too sudden. Amid the confusion, a controversy erupted throughout the continent¡­¡­ Rumors that the ¡®Empire¡¯ had intervened in the Hart Kingdom¡¯s affairs. *** Chapter 54 Chapter 54 ¨C Kingdom of Hart (2) The current ruler of the Kingdom of Hart, King Melio II, had four children. The eldest was the first princess, Mary Kun Hart. The ¡®former¡¯ crown prince and eldest son, Fury Kun Hart. And the newly appointed sessor, the second son, Terry Kun Hart. Lastly. ¡°Haaah.¡± The youngest princess, Winley Kun Hart, who wore a tired expression. ¡°What in the world is happening to this country?¡± Winley sighed deeply as she watched the situation unfold before her. Despite not being at war, heavily armed knights were wandering around inside and outside the pce. At first nce, you might not think too much of it but no change in the world happens without reason. ¡°Anyone would think a coup has taken ce.¡± In fact, her still-healthy father had suddenly abdicated the throne. Normally, Winley had no particr desire for power and she had little interest in politics. The session of the throne didn¡¯t matter to her. However, it was difficult topletely ignore the situation when her family was falling apart in real-time. ¡°Just why is this happening?¡± Winley began to carefully retrace the current state of affairs. The Kingdom of Hart was fundamentally a nation where the nobility held great power. Yet, suddenly, as if they had nned it out beforehand, the three dukes dered their support for the second prince. ¡°Something is definitely happening.¡± What Winley found most iprehensible was this part. Originally, the three dukes had kept a check on each other¡¯s power. They had even formed the royal and noble faction in order to achieve this. These individuals, who had always been wary of each other, had suddenly joined hands in support of a specific sessor. ¡®¡­¡­The key is Duke Kairos.¡¯ The representative of the royal faction, without a doubt, was the kingdom¡¯s greatest swordsman. However, Duke Kairos and her father were not on bad terms as far as she knew. ¡®What in the world happened?¡¯ Winley¡¯s suspicions grew with each passing day. Then, she heard a rumor that even she found shocking. That the ¡®Empire¡¯ was behind this incident. ¡°¡­¡­Whatever the truth is, it¡¯s true that you¡¯re vulnerable without power.¡± A shadow of concern crossed Winley¡¯s face. In the end, it all came back to the logic of power. Even her strong-willed sister and her headstrong elder brother were dragged around in the face of greater power in just the past few weeks. In that short period, her siblings¡¯ fates had changed drastically from before. Her eldest brother was soon to be sent to the Empire for ¡®study¡¯. And when he returned a few yearster, his room in the pce would likely be neatly vacated. Her sister Mary was also destined to marry into a neighboring country, something she had postponed for so long. It was a political marriage, no doubt. ¡®Then what about me?¡¯ Now, only her fate remained undecided among her siblings. ¡°I¡¯d rather die than agree to a political marriage!¡± Winley felt utterly wronged. She had kept a low profile and lived quietly until now. She had not even shown her face in social circles. She had made all sorts of excuses, saying she was unwell or was suffering from a chronic illness. It was because she had seen other princesses being sent off to other families after showing off here and there. As a result, some nobles were barely aware of her existence. But now, all that effort seemed to be going to waste. ¡°This is driving me crazy, really.¡± Winley tousled her shoulder-length hair roughly. The fate of royals was as fragile as a fly¡¯s life. Survival here was solely about political battles. One must read the flow faster than anyone, and then ride it. Just going with the flow while sipping honey¡­¡­ ¡®No, no. Stay focused.¡¯ Going with the flow naturally was Winley¡¯s life motto. ¡®But if that water is dirty, it¡¯s a different story.¡¯ Winley repeatedly steeled her resolve. She would never be a political scapegoat, even if it meant dying. ¡®At the very least, so that my efforts so far won¡¯t go to waste.¡¯ She had even kept her hair short to kill her charm. Afraid that someone might fall for her shining appearance, she had quietly holed up in the royal library reading books on swordsmanship. Believing that a healthy mind came from a healthy body, she swung her sword endlessly like a tomboy. Now, she could evenugh and mingle with the pce knights. ¡®¡­¡­Wait. Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t exactly been living unnoticed, have I?¡¯ Anyway. Thanks to her father upholding the principle of primogeniture session, Winley could live rtivelyfortably without having to be overly cautious. Aside from the crown prince, the fate of royals was, after all, to be sent off to other families once they came of age. Just that level of recognition. However. ¡®That life is over now.¡¯ The principle of primogeniture session was gone now. Principles existed to be upheld. Once broken, that would be the end. It would provide people food for thought. Whether due to the Empire¡¯s intervention or for some other reason. The sessor of the throne could be reced at any time by a new method. Even her second brother, at the center of it all, didn¡¯t look at her kindly. Just like now. ¡°Winley, where have you been wandering off to again?¡± ¡°Oh, brother!¡± Regardless of what she felt inside, Winley put on a bright smile. ¡°Have you been mingling with the knights again?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s my hobby, after all¡­¡­¡± ¡°Tsk, stop that nonsense already. You¡¯re a girl. Soon, you¡¯ll be of marriageable age, but who would find a girl like you attractive?¡± She barely held back from retorting, ¡®That¡¯s exactly what I want.¡¯ ¡°Hohoho.¡± As always, she justughed. Her insides were burning, but she understood his reaction. The most uneasy person now was none other than her brother Terry. Though he stumbled onto the throne, he could be reced at any moment like a disposable item. Prince Terry only left after giving Winley a long scolding. ¡°Even the heavens are indifferent. Am I asking for too much!?¡± Left alone, Winley pouted. As time passed, her stress reached its peak. Then, one day, a huge uproar erupted throughout the pce. ¡°Th-There¡¯s a huge problem! Princess Winley has disappeared!¡± The youngest princess, with her nerves frayed to the limit, finally ran away from home. It was an escape long overdue. * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * At the grand training grounds of the Arsene County estate. Thud! A massive log was thrown to the ground. ¡°Arrggghhh! I can¡¯t do this anymore!¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Master! This is too much!¡± Harun copsed on the ground, limbs sprawled out, panting heavily. Next to him, Kirian didn¡¯t say anything, but his eyes were full of resentment. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to be as strong as me? How do you n to get stronger like this?¡± ¡°Getting stronger only means something if you¡¯re alive in the first ce¡­¡­¡± ¡°Seems like you still have enough energy to talk. Get up and do a thousand more.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Kirian covered his mouth in shock. Ancelot¡¯s training instructions were simple. Sling a massive log over your shoulder. Sit down. Stand up. Repeat steps 1 through 3. ¡°Why are you whining about such a simple task? Who told you to use your brain?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why is this necessary for getting stronger?¡± Thud! Thest log was thrown by Jan, who had joined the training yesterday. ¡°All human growth energyes from the lower body. Speed, stamina, strength, and virility. If you can prove otherwise, go ahead.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I think there was something weird included in there.¡± ¡°Especially you, Jan. Due to your swordsmanship style, you need to lift even more weight than the others.¡± Flinch. Jan shuddered involuntarily. ¡°Isn¡¯t this already more than enough¡­¡­?¡± In reality, Jan was already carrying twice the weight of the others. Afraid the reprimand would shift to them, Harun and Kirian silently picked up their logs withoutint. ¡°And¡­¡­ One! Huff¡­¡­Two!¡± ¡°If the teacher orders it, of course we mustply. Who are we to argue?¡± Kirian and Harun responded in turn. ¡°I¡¯m not just saying this. It¡¯s rted to the characteristics of your swordsmanship.¡± ¡°Characteristics¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Have you ever considered which type of swordsmanship suits you best?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Jan¡¯s eyes widened in realization. ¡°Are you going to teach me a new swordsmanship style?¡± He had seen it. The bizarre swordsmanship styles Harun and Kirian were using. They were growing stronger by the day. It was partly out of envy that Jan volunteered for the training. ¡°What nonsense is that?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Look at you, the eldest and official heir, sitting here spouting jokes.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± ¡°There has to be someone to carry on the will of the Arsene County.¡± Jan¡¯s face fell in disappointment. ¡°Unlike Kirian, the swordsmanship of the Arsene County fits you.¡± ¡°Fits¡­¡­ me?¡± ¡°Yes. So, you need to continually develop and refine that swordsmanship. That¡¯s your path. In other words¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, Ancelot grinned. ¡°It¡¯s all about the Way of Domination.¡± ¡°The Way¡­¡­ of Domination!¡± A glint appeared in Jan¡¯s single eye. The Way of Domination. Something about it stirred a man¡¯s soul. ¡°Got it?¡± ¡°I understandpletely.¡± ¡°Then add another log over there and do another thousand. Begin.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Jan involuntarily looked down. His two legs trembled as if begging to be put out of their misery. Gulp. ¡®¡­¡­For the life of me, I can¡¯t do any more.¡¯ Jan¡¯s face turned pale. Suddenly, he recalled yesterday¡¯s conversation. ¡°Ancelot, I want to be stronger too.¡± ¡°Really? Then can you follow my orders withoutint?¡± ¡°Of course. I never want to experience something like that again.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Smack! Jan got rid of his distracting thoughts by pping his own cheek. ¡°Idiot.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s punishment for my foolish past.¡± ¡°Stop messing around and get started already.¡± Tremble. With a shaking body, Jan gritted his teeth, biting his lip as he squatted and stood up repeatedly. ¡°I must¡¯ve been¡­¡­ out of my mindddddd!¡± *** When I returned to the main hall, Count Arsene smiled at me quietly. ¡°You have a lot to do because of this useless father.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± I tilted my head in curiosity. For some reason, Count Arsene¡¯s face was filled with worry. ¡°Is something troubling you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­It seems there¡¯s nothing I can hide from you.¡± Soon, he handed me an opened envelope. ¡°I received an invitation from the royal pce.¡± I quickly took it and began reading the contents. ¡°¡­¡­Oh. So, there¡¯s going to be a coronation for the new king soon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. There¡¯s also a schedule for a diplomatic meeting involving several countries, which urs every four years.¡± ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s mentioned at the bottom here.¡± ¡°Usually, a member of the royal family is apanied by three high-ranking nobles as delegates, and one of them must be at least of marquis rank¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene¡¯s voice trailed off as he gave a bitter smile. ¡°¡­¡­The representative noble apanying the Hart Kingdom¡¯s delegation, Marquis Foltaine, has specifically requested our Arsene household to join.¡± ¡°Are you worried?¡± ¡°¡­¡­To be honest¡­¡­¡± Undoubtedly, the person most shocked by the recent massacre was Count Arsene himself. Who would have thought that Marquis Foltaine, known as an ordinary old man, was actually a Master-level expert? ¡®Especially since he had a major fight with such a man not long ago.¡¯ Well, it¡¯s unlikely that he would harm a fellow noble at such an event, but¡­¡­ ¡°If you¡¯re uneasy, shall Ie along?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Actually, you¡¯re specifically requested to be part of the delegation.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Just then, I noticed the exact wording in the invitation. It was in the final section. [I wish to personally meet Ancelot, the young hero who resolved the conflict between the two houses.] The new crown prince himself had written this request. ¡°Let¡¯s go together. It seems that a certain stubborn old man arranged this, probably holding a grudge against me.¡± ¡°Are you sure about this? If you encounter people from the Duchy of Meeke there¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene already knew all my secrets. After gaining his trust, I had shared quite a bit, including the fact that I was a prince from the duchy and was essentially exiled before being kidnapped into very. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± It¡¯s the same as with Marquis Foltaine. Even if I meet people from the Duchy of Meeke, it¡¯s not like they would kill me there, right? ¡°They think five years is a long time, but I need to deal with that narrow-minded old man first.¡± Yes. This is the grace a lord shows to someone who will eventually be his vassal. ¡®After all, it would be troublesome if that old man loses his temper and causes another incident.¡¯ It was just his luck that the vassal had to be a bit of a madman. ____ Chapter 55 Chapter 55 ¨C Knight Exam (1) Throughout your life, there are days like this. Days when work floods in all at once, leaving youpletely drained. Today was exactly one of those days. ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Honored guest!¡± From afar, Harun and Kirian came running. Jan was with them too. ¡°They say the postponed knight exam is going to be held soon.¡± ¡°What? Really?¡± The knight exam had been temporarily put on hold. There had been so many different things happening. But the main reason, of course, was¡­¡­ ¡°Are they nning to put new wine into new wineskins?¡± Those who pass the knight exam must swear an oath of loyalty at the royal pce. With a new king set to ascend the throne soon, the timing was just right. ¡®This actually works out for the better.¡¯ I don¡¯t know much about the second prince. However, I¡¯m sure his head isn¡¯t just for decoration. ¡®From now on, he¡¯ll want to gather his own people and build power.¡¯ In other words, this was a chance for our kids to get noticed. ¡®That¡¯s what I would do if I was in his shoes.¡¯ After all, he saw his father dethroned right before his eyes. He must think that the same thing could happen to him at any time. ¡®I can¡¯t help but feel uneasy, as if it¡¯s my own problem.¡¯ These days, it¡¯s been really hard to suppress my killing intent. My five subordinates. Furthermore, my secret second child may be alive. Yet, there wasn¡¯t anything I could do. Hadn¡¯t Narakas already told me? In my current state, he couldn¡¯t tell me anything. ¡®It¡¯s all because I¡¯m weak.¡¯ That¡¯s why I had to get stronger as soon as possible. ¡°¡­¡­Alright, from today onwards, it¡¯s hellish training.¡± It¡¯s not just about my ownbat skills.I needed to gather allies and make them stronger, as well. So that I never have to go through such a miserable experience again. ¡®Wait for me, Empire. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡¯ At that moment, as I unknowingly bit my lip hard. ¡°M-Master. Why are you making such a scary face? How much are you nning to push us?¡± ¡°Harun¡­¡­ Are you shaking right now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Spare me.¡± Seeing the three of them react one by one, I finally smiled broadly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. I won¡¯t kill you.¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Hummm! A deep, resonant hum echoed throughout the room. It happened just after the mana pill given to me by Duke Herman hadpletely dissolved in my system. ¡®¡­¡­That bastard conned me.¡¯ At best, it was of medium quality. By the Empire¡¯s standards, it was barely worth anything. Even if this countrycked resources, a duke was still a duke. However, was this supposed to be the family¡¯s secret pill? ¡®No way.¡¯ Rubbing my abdomen, I smirked. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine.¡± After all, it was something I got for free. And with this, all the preparations for departure wereplete. All that was left was to follow the scheduled events. First, there was the kids¡¯ knight exam in two weeks. Then, the coronation of this country¡¯s new king in three weeks. Lastly, a monthter, there would be a diplomatic meeting with various nations. Keeping that in mind, we arrived in the capital, Bromhill, a week prior to the knight exam. ¡°Ughhhh¡­¡­¡± ¡°I-I feel like I¡¯m going to puke. Urgh¡­¡­¡± ¡°Kill me¡­¡­¡± Seeing the kids still looking terrible, Count Arsene had a worried expression. We hadn¡¯t stopped training even while traveling here. ¡°The exam is just a week away. Are they going to be alright?¡± ¡°Our kids should be able to protect themselves.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The three kids, who had been listening, tensed up with veins popping on their foreheads. They looked like they were about to snap, ¡®Why are we your kids?¡¯ But at that moment. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Count Arsene and the three kids, no, the entire group fell silent. We had just entered the bustling downtown of the capital. Approaching us from across the street was a familiar face leading a group. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene swallowed hard. ¡°Look at that old geezer.¡± I, too, narrowed my eyes slightly. ¡°¡­¡­Greetings, Marquis.¡± Count Arsene respectfully greeted him on behalf of us. ¡°Wee, Count.¡± ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°Hahaha. Do I need a special reason to walk around my own courtyard?¡± In other words, he was making it clear that this was his territory. Count Arsene¡¯s face hardened even further. ¡°Do you have a ce to stay? If not, why not stay at my house until you enter the pce?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to impose. Fortunately, I have a residence in the capital.¡± ¡°I see.¡± As if he had expected this response, Marquis Foltaine nodded. Then, he turned his attention to me. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you.¡± I casually ran my finger across my neck. ¡°I¡¯m worried I might quietly die in your house without a soul knowing.¡± ¡°Hahaha, really? I think wandering around the streets like this is more dangerous.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Marquis Foltaine shrugged, then said something unexpected. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who spread the rumor that the Empire is interfering in our country¡¯s affairs?¡± His voice was filled with certainty. ¡°I feel wronged.¡± ¡°No, the source was Count Arsene¡¯s family. And you¡¯re the only one bold enough to do such a thing.¡± ¡°Do you have any proof?¡± ¡°What is your rtionship with the Mask of Night?¡± Marquis Foltaine answered my question with another question. ¡°I told you, it¡¯s not me.¡± ¡°Kid, there are far more things you can learn with money than you think.¡± ¡°Are you saying someone sold information about me for money? Then that person is a fraud. You were scammed, Marquis.¡± ¡°Quite the opposite.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°No one was willing to sell information about you, not even the money-loving Mask of Night.¡± Marquis Foltaine had a peculiar expression. ¡°I believe money is the best thing in the world, but if there¡¯s information that can¡¯t be bought with money¡­¡­ it¡¯s not suspicion, but certainty.¡± I see. The Mask of Night values trust too much to spread false information. Now I understand his reaction. At that moment, Count Arsene, who had been watching, stepped in. ¡°Money isn¡¯t everything in this world.¡± ¡°Count, money might not be everything, but no one can deny there¡¯s nothing like it.¡± Marquis Foltaine chuckled and turned away. ¡°I just wanted to rify in case of any misunderstandings; mying here today is purely an act of ¡®goodwill¡¯.¡± ¡°This is goodwill?¡± ¡°Yes. Shall I give you some advice, you fool?¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°Spreading the rumor that the Empire is interfering was a foolish move.¡± Marquis Foltaine clicked his tongue. ¡°Whether you know it or not, those imperial folks are already in this capital.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Regardless of how many weak countries band together for diplomacy, you can¡¯t ostracize them at a new king¡¯s coronation, can you?¡± He clearly had a lot of pent-up feelings towards me. He was trying to provoke me. ¡°It would be troublesome if someone who¡¯s supposed to die by my sword gets killed by another¡¯s hand.¡± Who said anything about dying? ¡®Actually, this is for the better.¡¯ This is my chance to witness the Empire¡¯s progress firsthand. ¡°Thank you for the advice.¡± *** Meanwhile, at therge mansion of Duke Herman in the capital, Bromhill. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman groaned as he looked up at the training ground. A young person with short blonde hair¡­¡­ ¡°Princess.¡± ¡­¡­No, a ¡®young girl¡¯ was sweating profusely as she continued her training. ¡°How long do you intend to stay here?¡± ¡°It seems I make you ufortable, Duke.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. The entire pce is in an uproar right now. They¡¯re saying the youngest princess has gone missing right before an important event.¡± Winley wiped her forehead with her sleeve. ¡°All the more reason to stay here. No matter whoes from the pce, they wouldn¡¯t dare to search a duke¡¯s mansion carelessly.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman groaned again. It was certainly a strange sight. For some reason, this formidable man was acting submissive in front of the young princess. ¡°Just wait for one week, please.¡± ¡°One week¡­¡­ Are you seriously nning to take the knight exam?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t impose on you forever, Duke.¡± ¡°Are you really going to put me in such a difficult position?¡± Winley looked at Duke Herman with clear eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the one putting me in a difficult position, Duke. You already promised me, a long time ago, that you would help me once.¡± ¡°That was¡­¡­¡± ¡°Help me just this once. I won¡¯t bother you again.¡± Duke Herman let out a deep sigh. ¡°What are your ns?¡± ¡°I want to acquire the status of a knight and start a new life.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just stay in the pce? No one would dare to harm you there.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t having my life controlled by others a form of harm?¡± ¡°Political marriages aren¡¯t always bad. A capable husband could be a strong protector for you.¡± ¡°See?¡± Winley¡¯s gaze turned cold. ¡°In the end, you also see me as a tool for a political marriage.¡± ¡°What can I do? It¡¯s the fate of royalty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m choosing to abandon my title as a princess.¡± ¡°But what if you get hurt¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you acknowledge my talent before?¡± ¡°¡­¡­This is apletely different matter.¡± ¡°Why? Are you afraid that your preciousmodity might get damaged?¡± ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°I absolutely don¡¯t want to end up like my sister or brother. So, hand it over.¡± Duke Herman held a badge inscribed with the name ¡°Winzer.¡± Winzer was the alias of the apprentice knight trained by the duke¡¯s household. It was Winley¡¯s new identity. ¡°You owe your life to myte mother, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And yet you supported my second brother without saying a word to me.¡± ¡°Uggghhhh¡­¡­¡± Finally, Duke Herman handed over the badge. ¡°My promise to your mother ends with this.¡± Winley, taking the badge, smiled brightly. ¡°Of course.¡± *** That evening, Count Arsene made a surprising proposal to me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you also take the knight exam?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t reveal your true identity publicly, can you? Besides, even if the Empire finds out you¡¯re the source of the rumors, they won¡¯t be able to harm an official knight of another country.¡± To be honest, it wasn¡¯t like I hadn¡¯t considered this before. After all, I needed to represent this country in the uing Master Tournament. However, there was a crucial problem that had made me dismiss the idea. ¡°I actually already registered you for the exam.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but let out a high-pitched sound. ¡°Wait! Why didn¡¯t you ask me first¡­¡­!?¡± ¡°With your skills, passing the knight exam should be no problem. So I thought, why not?¡± Count Arsene looked at me with a knowing expression. ¡°It¡¯s because of money, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Are you worried about the cost? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve taken care of the registration fee.¡± I stood there with my mouth open, shaking my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not about the money. Isn¡¯t there a written test on the first day?¡± ¡°Huh? Ahh. It¡¯s just a kids¡¯ test. A genius like you can pass without studying, definitely.¡± Looking at his confident face, I couldn¡¯t even get angry. ¡°The important part is the practical test. The written part will just cover basic tactics and chivalry.¡± That¡¯s exactly the problem. ¡®I hate chivalry more than anything, you old man.¡¯ *** Chapter 56 Chapter 56 ¨C Knight Exam (2) I suddenly had to take the knight exam, but it wasn¡¯t necessarily something bad. ¡®After all, I get to witness their growth from close by.¡¯ This time, there were three candidates from the Arsene count family. Jan, Kirian, and me. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been at the academy¡­¡­¡± Kirian muttered with a stiff face. The exam was held at the Knight Academy in the city of Bromhill, the capital. It was a ce the kids were quite familiar with. However, despite that, neither of them couldpletely hide their nervousness. The exam would take ce over three days. The first day would be the written test. The second day would be the practical test, including mana sensitivity. The third day would be the realbat test. Naturally, thest test was the most important. This was because the written and practical tests were graded on an absolute scale, but the realbat test could potentially be graded on a ¡®rtive scale¡¯. For instance, if they were unlucky enough to meet someone like me as an opponent, they might be overwhelmingly defeated without being able to do anything. ¡°Let¡¯s see, let¡¯s see.¡± A huge bulletin board disying the match-ups for the realbat test was up. ¡°There¡¯s Kirian¡¯s name!¡± Harun, who came along, raised his hand immediately. Next to Kirian¡¯s name was the name ¡®Bobson Treman¡¯. ¡°Just from the name, he sounds weak.¡± ¡°¡­¡­He¡¯s in the same year as us. The second son of the Count Treman¡¯s family.¡± Jan answered my question. ¡°How¡¯s his skill?¡± ¡°If you go by grades, he¡¯s about average. If Kirian can show his full potential, he won¡¯t be a tough opponent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Even so, Kirian couldn¡¯t rx his stiff expression. To him, this test was a ¡®battle against himself¡¯. He had always been afraid of hurting others due to his timid nature. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s Jan too¡­¡­!¡± Harun, who was speaking, suddenly fell silent. Soon after, his face turned pale. ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡± Naturally, we followed his gaze. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At the same time, the other two wore the same expression as Harun. ¡°Haiman¡­¡­ de Foltaine?¡± Jan¡¯s opponent was none other than the legitimate heir of the Foltaine Marquisate. ¡°¡­¡­He¡¯s also in the same year as us. The youngest son the Marquis had in his old age¡­¡­¡± Indeed, fate could be truly capricious. ¡°Anyway, both of you, give it your all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Of course.¡± ¡°If you fail, your training will double.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Harun quickly intervened. ¡°M-Master. Since I don¡¯t even have an opponent, you¡¯ll let me off, right?¡± ¡°Asrades, you¡¯ll all share the same fate.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Silence followed once more. Soon, Harun¡¯s cold gaze turned to the other two. ¡°¡­¡­Fuck. Forget nobility and shit, don¡¯t you dare lose. The day you do, you¡¯re dead, and I¡¯m dead, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Typical of Harun¡¯s fierce spirit. ¡°Alright, alright. Harun, in my busy stead, you work hard to whip your peers into shape.¡± Finally, Jan seemed toe to his senses and turned to me. ¡°But¡­¡­ are you really taking the knight exam too?¡± ¡°If I want to make a living in this country, it¡¯d be good to have a decent status.¡± Bing a knight came with the rank of a bar. At the very least, ve traders wouldn¡¯t bother me anymore. ¡°By the way, where¡¯s my name?¡± ¡°¡­¡­There it is.¡± Jan pointed to a spot. ¡°Winzer?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t recognize the name.¡± It seemed that my opponent was new even to Jan and Kirian. ¡°Judging by theck of a family name, they must be amoner. In these cases, they¡¯re usually either a big hit or aplete miss¡­¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Jan readily answered my question. ¡°It doesn¡¯t happen often, but asionally you see this. Sometimes it¡¯s the child of a rich merchant applying for fun¡­¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Or, it¡¯s the first appearance of a retired knight¡¯s apprentice.¡± I finally rxed. ¡°I¡¯d prefer thetter, actually.¡± It would be more interesting that way. Again, the knight exam in this country didn¡¯t have specific qualifications for applicants. The idea was that everyone should be given an equal chance, reflecting the whims of the noble brats. ¡°¡­¡­If you¡¯re hoping for a sacrificialmb, don¡¯t get your hopes up. Nine times out of ten in these cases, it¡¯s the child of a wealthy merchant.¡± ¡°Winzer. Indeed, just the name alone makes them sound weak.¡± Sounds like a liquor brand. Just then¡ª ¡°Excuse me¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± The three of us turned our heads simultaneously. Even to my eyes, the person was quite the handsome youth. With blue eyes like ake and short blonde hair that was quite striking. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop¡­¡­¡± The pretty boy immediately extended his hand to me. ¡°I¡¯m Winzer.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Harun was a beatte in eximing. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re a guy? This is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone as pretty as Master.¡± His voice was filled with certainty. Harun couldn¡¯t be med for thinking this way. Like other countries, the Kingdom of Hart was a typical male-dominated society. Female knights did exist, but they were extremely rare. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Likewise.¡± After staring at him for a bit, I shook his hand. ¡®He has quite the calluses.¡¯ As they say, you can tell a lot from the little things. This one was clearly no ordinary person. ¡®If he were Kirian or Jan¡¯s opponent, they¡¯d have a hard time.¡¯ That was my honest assessment. As I leaned more towards thinking he might be an apprentice of a retired knight rather than a rich merchant¡¯s child¡ª ¡°Sir Ancelot, are you amoner?¡± ¡°Well, something like that.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°What made you decide to take the knight exam? It doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re doing it just for fun.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± My question made him pause for a moment before he gave a faint smile. ¡°For myself.¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Some timeter. ¡°¡­¡­Something¡¯s off.¡± ¡°Huh? What is?¡± ¡°That Winzer kid from earlier.¡± Even if others didn¡¯t notice, my eyes couldn¡¯t be deceived. ¡°To me, she definitely looked like a girl¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey.¡± I immediately closed my mouth. Parents apanying their children to observe the knight exam approached and among them, we saw a very familiar face. ¡°D-Duke Herman?¡± The three others hurriedly paid their respects. Of course, I also lowered my head, though somewhat reluctantly. ¡°Greetings, my lord?¡± ¡°Ah, spare me the insincere pleasantries. I¡¯d rather have a word with you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you.¡± I nodded and obediently followed him. We moved to a secluded spot behind the building. Naturally, I wasn¡¯t worried in the slightest. A person of his stature wouldn¡¯t cause trouble in such an open space. ¡°What is it you want?¡± ¡°I have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°A favor?¡± ¡°The opponent you¡¯ll face in the duel. You might not know, but he¡¯s an apprentice knight we¡¯ve trained with utmost care.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± The identity of my opponent became even more puzzling. His teacher was one of the only three Masters in this country. That exined his skill level. ¡®An illegitimate daughter. Maybe it¡¯s something like that?¡¯ I scrutinized Duke Herman¡¯s face closely. They didn¡¯t really look alike, though. ¡°So, what do you want?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like you to lose, just this once.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± A startled sound escaped my lips. ¡°You want me to do, what?¡± ¡°That kid has plenty of talent, but against a monster like you, they wouldn¡¯t even get to swing their sword properly. I¡¯m asking you to go easy on them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­How ridiculous. You¡¯re asking me to throw the match?¡± ¡°I¡¯llpensate you handsomely.¡± Even so, Duke Herman remained confident. However, there was a reason behind his confidence. ¡°Recently, the seventh prince of the Duchy of Meeke went missing in our country.¡± Flinch. A topic I hadn¡¯t expected came up. Naturally, my brows furrowed. ¡°After investigating, it was found he went missing near our border while heading to his newly granted territory¡­¡­ They say the kid has a face as beautiful as a girl¡¯s.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And he¡¯s distinguished by his rare ck hair and ck eyes, just like you.¡± Then, Duke Herman¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°¡­¡­Just like you right now.¡± I merely shrugged my shoulders. By this point, it was clear he hade prepared. ¡°Can I take that as eptance of my proposal?¡± ¡°What if I refuse?¡± ¡°Then, it won¡¯t be long before knights from the Duchy of Meeke visit our country, looking for their precious prince.¡± ¡°And if I lose on purpose?¡± ¡°Now we¡¯re getting somewhere.¡± Duke Herman burst outughing. ¡°Don¡¯t take it too hard. Just think of it as showing kindness to someone weaker than you. That¡¯s also chivalry.¡± He already knew my situation inside and out and yet he dared to spout such nonsense? ¡®Look at this bastard.¡¯ He clearly didn¡¯t know my temper, and I think it¡¯s about time to show him. Hiding my true feelings, I gave a sly smile. ¡°¡­¡­So, what was the name of that apprentice knight again?¡± *** On the first day, the written exam was conducted in each ssroom. Unlike the other kids who couldn¡¯t sleep all night due to nerves, I was very calm. There weren¡¯t many questions. Maybe ten at most. ¡¸From the knight¡¯s oath of knighthood, the virtues one can discern include bravery, diligence, honor, courtesy, piety, humility, self-respect, tolerance, protection of the weak, elegance in action, and service to women. Among these, which virtue is the most important? And why do you think so?¡¹ ¡°The questions are open-ended, not multiple choice?¡± I had no problem reading it since it was in themonnguage of the continent. I quickly began writing my answer. [None of the above. Virtues are utterly pointless. Survival defines justice and strength.] Next question. ¡¸What does chivalry mean to you?¡¹ ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± There¡¯s a lot I want to say. But putting it into words isn¡¯t easy. How should I exin this¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Ah!¡± A thought struck me, and I quickly filled in my answer. [It¡¯s like carrying out a funeral for the living.] Next. ¡¸You find yourself in mortal danger due to arade¡¯s mistake during a mission. How would you act in this situation?¡¹ [Don¡¯t me others. I¡¯m only in that situation because I¡¯m an idiot.] Next. ¡¸For an unknown reason, arade has betrayed you. What would you consider a reasonable response?¡¹ [Listen to their reason. If it¡¯s not convincing, cut off their head. Someone who has betrayed you once will do it again.] I didn¡¯t spend more than ten seconds on each question. The answers just flowed effortlessly. ¡®Am I a genius?¡¯ As Count Arsene said, these questions were way too easy for me. ¡®I would¡¯ve regretted not taking the exam.¡¯ I nced around wonderingif I was the only one that found it easy, I turned my gaze to the side. ¡°¡­¡­Oh?¡± Right next to me was none other than Winzer. ¡¸Describe the person you respect the most as a knight and your reason.¡¹ Although we were in the same exam hall, the questions werepletely different. From the start, the written exam was divided into type A and type B to prevent examinees from cheating. [Great Hero Ancelot Heil Edenberg.] Wait. Isn¡¯t that me? [Although he¡¯s a foreigner, no one can deny his abilities. First, his bravery. In the Battle of the Hills, he stopped tens of thousands of enemy troops with only a few hundred men, showcasing bizarre yet groundbreaking tactics and strategies thatpletely changed the paradigm of war¡­¡­(abridged)¡­¡­ His daily behavior naturallymanded respect, inspiring loyalty from his subordinates by mere presence¡­¡­(abridged)¡­¡­ Notably, the incident of protecting the weak in Anders Vige¡­¡­(abridged)¡­¡­ For these reasons, Great Hero Ancelot Heil Edenberg is an exemry model for all knights.] Even skimming through it, it filled an entire page. In tiny, dense writing without a single gap. Events I didn¡¯t even remember were written down in vivid detail. ¡®Did I really do such great things?¡¯ I felt my shoulders lift involuntarily. ¡°¡­¡­If you keep turning your head, it will be considered cheating.¡± Feeling a chilly gaze, I straightened my head immediately. The tone conveyed it all. This would be my first and final warning. ¡®Jeez, even though the questions are different, they¡¯re so strict.¡¯ That aside, the apprentice knight Winzer¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­Since they admire me that much, should I show some leniency?¡¯ As the thought crossed my mind, Duke Herman¡¯s sneering echoed in my ears. My lips naturally curled into a smirk. ¡®Alright. I¡¯ll spare you a limb.¡¯ It¡¯s nothing personal. If you want to me someone, me your ipetent lord. *** Chapter 57 Chapter 57 ¨C Knight Exam (3) ¡®Hmm¡­¡­¡¯ Winley slowly furrowed her brows. She simply couldn¡¯t focus on the exam. ¡°Ahem.¡± She even showed some difort on purpose. In the form of a ¡®fake cough¡¯. Despite this, the tant stare did not waver. ¡®¡­¡­What¡¯s his deal?¡¯ At this point, Winley was starting to get irritated. ¡®He had a good first impression¡­¡­¡¯ That boy, Ancelot. He shared the same name with someone she respected. That wasn¡¯t particrly special. Naming a baby after a famous person wasmon, especially amongmoners. It was clear that the boy¡¯s parents also respected the great hero. ¡®Wait. Could he be provoking me intentionally?¡¯ The sudden spection that took over her mind made Winley¡¯s expression harden. Come to think of it, that boy was her opponent in thest exam. ¡®No, it¡¯s just spection. Let¡¯s not assume the worst.¡¯ Winley tried to focus on the exam again. ¡®¡­¡­Your staring is going to drill a hole in my face, you jerk.¡¯ Of course, she couldn¡¯t process anything she read. ¡°You there!¡± Luckily, the proctor intervened, and the gaze finally disappeared. ¡®¡­¡­Phew. I just need to show what I¡¯ve worked for.¡¯ Anyway, Winley made up her mind again. She had talent acknowledged even by a Master. She wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone. She had a clear goal. ¡®For myself alone.¡¯ She would seize this life with her own hands. * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * The second day was practical skills, including horsemanship but the most important was, of course, the uing mana sensitivity test. ¡°It¡¯s pretty crowded.¡± I quietly scanned the surroundings. Unlike the written test, all the candidates gathered in the open training ground. In the center was a single crystal ball. There wasn¡¯t much to do. You just had to show them. Show them that you could handle mana. ¡®The most practical difference between mercenaries and knights.¡¯ Those who wanted to be knights butcked talent in mana usually be mercenaries. That was the case formoners who had next to nothing. Of course, not all mercenaries were unable to use mana. They had their own ¡®grades¡¯. In fact, mercenaries of grade A or higher were treated almost like minor nobles anywhere they went. Hummm! The test was quick and straightforward. All you had to do was inject your mana into the crystal ball. ¡°Oh!¡± Jan was the first among our group. He ced his hand on the crystal ball. Depending on the nature of one¡¯s innate mana, the color of the crystal ball would change. What appeared in response to Jan¡¯s touch was a vivid ¡®red¡¯. ¡°Impressive fire mana. Pass.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Thank you.¡± Next was Kirian. Hummm¡­¡­ Although a bit unstable, there was a definite mana response. ¡°¡­¡­Water mana? Pass!¡± ¡°Whew.¡± Kirian sighed in relief. Meanwhile, the guy named Winzer passed with a disy of clear green mana. ¡°Next¡­¡­ Ancelot.¡± As soon as my name was called, there was a brief murmur. ¡°Ancelot? He has the same name as the great hero.¡± ¡°He has such a grand name for amoner.¡± I ignored all the chatter. I was quite serious at the moment. ¡®Like the king of this country, I must also put new wine in a new bottle.¡¯ I was born a ve. So at first, like other ve soldiers, I used the lowest grade mana cultivation method to first acquire mana. Even that was fortunate. If it weren¡¯t the Empire, I wouldn¡¯t have even seen such a precious thing. ¡®No, is it really luck?¡¯ A bitter smile appeared on my lips. There were two main reasons why the Empire distributed the precious cultivation methods¡ª even the lowest grade ones¡ª to mere ve soldiers. First, to ensure a smoother supply of ¡®meat shields¡¯. For instance, ¡®If you join the Imperial Army, you can learn cultivation methods!¡¯ was their promotional tactic. Second, to create meat shields that wouldn¡¯t die easily. Stronger ve soldiers wouldst longer on the front lines. ¡®My body in my previous life had a lot of impurities from learning those cultivation methods. Every time I advanced, it was a bothersome obstacle.¡¯ I crawled up from the bottom. I led countless wars to victory. I absorbed one cultivation method after another, the spoils of war, directly with my body. I wasn¡¯t called a genius for nothing. I took the strengths of all those methods, and they umted to create the ¡®Ancelot Heil Edenberg¡¯ of my previous life. ¡®But now, I don¡¯t need to go through those trials and errors.¡¯ I clenched my fist tightly. Let¡¯s not be impatient. Even if the progress is slow. No one in this world possesses purer mana than I do. ¡®I am nature, and nature is me.¡¯ Hummm! There was no need for a shy performance like shattering the crystal ball with overwhelming mana. Just show them. The nature of the mana I possess. After a while. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± Perhaps because the usual response didn¡¯t happen right away? Unconsciously, the proctor swallowed dryly and let out a strange sound. ¡°¡­¡­Hmm¡­¡­¡± Even I didn¡¯t expect this situation. The crystal ball was emitting light. It was a response that only urred when reacting to mana. But the crystal ball was still transparent. It didn¡¯t show any color. ¡°What the? Is it broken?¡± The proctor btedly tapped the crystal ball. No. It was not broken. ¡®Because I can see it clearly.¡¯ Purer than anything else, pure white mana. ¡®¡­¡­Oh, well.¡¯ I intentionally imagined ¡®fire¡¯ in my mind. At that moment. Fwoosh! A fist-sized fireball appeared in the crystal ball. ¡°Oh. S-So, it was fire mana. And quite pure at that¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do I pass?¡± ¡°O-Of course. Pass!¡± At the same time, I shrugged my shoulders lightly. It was the moment I passed all the tests, both theoretical (?) and practical, with excellent grades. ¡®At this rate, I might really be the top student?¡¯ There¡¯s still one final test left, but that was the area I¡¯m most confident in. *** Thest day of the knight exam. ¡®¡­¡­That kid¡­¡­¡¯ Winley, who had just stepped onto the training ground, looked nervously at her opponent. Amoner by birth. He had a slouchy gait and a body full of vulnerabilities. But she couldn¡¯t afford to be careless. She knew now. ¡®His mana is definitely at a high level. He¡¯s no ordinary kid.¡¯ Winley tightened her grip. It was her first real battle, that wasn¡¯t just training. ¡®Don¡¯t let your guard down. A predator always gives its best, even when catching a rabbit.¡¯ Maybe because it was the first match. ¡°I believe in you, honored guest!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡± Voices cheering for the kid came from the examinee stands. That¡¯s right. Today, here, she would show all the effort she had put in until now and she would be a knight with dignity¡­¡­ ¡°Begin!¡± sh! Bam, bam, bam! ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± It happened as soon as the examiner shouted. Suddenly, something swished by, and the sky started to spin. ¡®Wh-What just happened?¡¯ No. It wasn¡¯t the world that was spinning. Winley¡¯s entire body was spinning around. ¡®W-Wait¡­¡­¡¯ Boom! ¡°¡­¡­Ugh.¡± Her slender back mmed hard into the solid marble floor. Winley barely held back a scream but the pain was still there. It was so painful she could barely breathe. ¡°What are you doing? Get up.¡± ¡°Wh-When did you¡­¡­?¡± Winley looked up nkly. The situation was simple. The opponent had closed the distance in the blink of an eye. The opponent tripped her lower body. Her body floated in the air. ¡°Get up!¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± Winley sprang to her feet, btedlying to her senses. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t just her back. Her whole body screamed in pain. It was a pain Winley couldn¡¯t understand. Come to think of it, while she was spinning in the air, she heard ¡®bam, bam, bam!¡¯ sounds of impact. ¡®Did he hit me with a wooden sword in that brief moment?¡¯ Winley mentally added two more points. He hit her with a stick while she was airborne. The impact made her body spin. Sweat soaked Winley¡¯s back. ¡®¡­¡­He¡¯s strong. Much stronger than I thought.¡¯ But this time, she wouldn¡¯t just take it. She opened her eyes wide. She would follow his movements with her eyes. sh! Bam, bam, bam! Spiiiin! ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to use your eyes again. That¡¯s why you can¡¯t do it.¡± Bang! A stronger impact than before hit her back. ¡°Cough!¡± A dry cough escaped through her lips. ¡°Your hands are faster than your eyes. You have to feel it with your senses, not your eyes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah¡­¡­¡± A sense of helplessness engulfed her. Winley finally realized. ¡®He¡¯s not my match.¡¯ She could never win. No matter what she did. ¡®What have I been doing all this time?¡¯ Bted self-loathing took over her mind. Her efforts crumbled into pieces. ¡®No, no. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m weak¡­¡­¡¯ That kid is amazing. There are heavens above heavens in this world. Not just his name but his talent was real. ¡®¡­¡­Amazing.¡¯ Was it because the difference in their level was too overwhelming? She didn¡¯t even feel angry anymore. Only pure admiration for her opponent remained¡­¡­ ¡°How longer are you going to stay on the ground?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley finally came to her senses and stumbled to her feet. Right. Even if she lost, this behavior was against the knightly code. She had to show that she epted her defeat gracefully. ¡°I¡­¡­ lost.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Her opponent tilted his head. Yes, that was enough. ¡°Congrattions. You won.¡± Now she would hear those words, right? ¡®Yeah, that was a good match,¡¯ or something like that¡­¡­ ¡°Hey, what kind of bullshit is that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯ve misunderstood something. Do you think this is some sort of duel?¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Hey, this is an exam. A type of evaluation to prove yourself.¡± Winley stood there, mouth agape, not understanding her opponent¡¯s words. ¡°This isn¡¯t a meaningless brawl where winning or losing matters. It¡¯s a ce to show everyone here how much effort you¡¯ve put in and what you¡¯ve achieved so far.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah!¡± Winley let out a bted exmation. ¡°In an exam like this, there¡¯s no such thing as surrender. If you don¡¯t know the answer during a written test, do you shout, ¡®I surrender!¡¯?¡± ¡°N-No.¡± ¡°Right? You don¡¯t. You either guess or write something down using all your brainpower. That¡¯s the least respect you can show for the effort you¡¯ve put in until this point.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley¡¯s eyes widened. He was right. Giving up just because the exam was tough? That was the mindset of a loser. ¡®Even if I can¡¯t do it, giving my best is my duty as a knight.¡¯ Winley¡¯s ears turned red. She was engulfed with shame. She felt so embarrassed. ¡°Pick up your sword, knight-in-training Winley.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Winley bit her lip and picked up her wooden sword again. ¡°¡­¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°Oh, please. I should be thanking you.¡± Huh? ¡®Did he just smile?¡¯ No. She must be seeing things. In this situation, how could he smile at her? Even though she must seem so pathetic to him. ¡°It would have been a shame if you hadn¡¯t gotten up when we hadn¡¯t even started properly.¡± ¡­¡­Had she not been seeing things? At that moment, Winley felt killing intent. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! From then on, the ¡®one-sided¡¯ and ¡®merciless¡¯ beating began. Her vision spun. Her waist bent at right angles repeatedly. The excruciating pain made her mind go nk, and she drooled. Her limbs and entire body convulsed. ¡°W-Wait¡­¡­¡± When even the terrified examiner was about to intervene and stop the exam. ¡°S-Stttoooppppp!¡± Winley shouted, watching her opponent walk towards her like a demon. It was an instinct for survival. No. This was wrong. She might really die like this. ¡°I-I surrender!¡± Of course, this didn¡¯t work either. ¡°I told you, there¡¯s no surrender in an exam.¡± Shiver! Winley realized an ufortable truth. That demon was enjoying this situation. Once again, the natural instinct for survival as a living being surged within her. ¡°P-Princess!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the princess of this kingdom, you bastard!¡± At her voice, which was quieter than an ant¡¯s, the demon smirked. ¡°Then I¡¯m a prince.¡± ¡°Wh-What?¡± ¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t hit you because you said you were a princess?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah¡­¡­¡± It was clear. This guy was a lunatic. ¡°Wh-Why are you doing this to me?¡± ¡°A certain parent, out of twisted love, requested an unfair exam for their child. Can you really say you have no me in this?¡± ¡°What are you saying all of a sudden!?¡± ¡°Answer.¡± Seeing him lift his wooden sword, Winley flinched and stiffened. Then, she shook her head vigorously. ¡°Right? You can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a crime, right? So, your royal family shouldn¡¯t talk about ¡®exterminating three generations¡¯ for personal crimes all the time.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, it¡¯s a crime.¡± ¡°Then you need to be beat.¡± Whaaaaam! At the same time as the word ¡®right?¡¯, Winley felt another pang of immense pain in her back. ¡°Cra¡­¡­ zy fucker.¡± Thud! For the first time in her life, the princess passed out from being beaten. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 ¨C My Children (1) Underneath the training ground, the three of them had expressions full of sympathy. A sense of camaraderie, perhaps? ¡°Master is a bastard who would make even demons cry¡­¡­¡± ¡°I wish I could turn back time. Kirian of the past, why on earth did you sell your soul to that devil¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­From now on, I should be more careful.¡± Harun, Kirian, and Jan responded in turn. The boy named Winzer was already sprawled out like a frog. His limbs were trembling. ¡°Shall I continue?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­¡­¡± At Ancelot¡¯s question, the examiner finally came to his senses. ¡°S-Stop! Th-That¡¯s enough!¡± ¡°Then, now I can leisurely watch the others.¡± Whoosh! Ancelot jumped down from the training ground. ¡°Stretcher! Bring the stretcher! Quickly!¡± The examiner¡¯s loud voice immediately followed. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°Good work, Master!¡± Harun, who recovered first, quickly pulled out a towel and offered it to him. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Jan and Kirian turned to him with expressions that seemed to say, ¡®Look at this guy.¡¯ In response to their stares, Harun just smiled. ¡®This is the kind of awareness you develop when you crawl up from the bottom, you pampered young masters.¡¯ Harun knelt on one knee and presented the towel. ¡°Please wipe yourself.¡± ¡°No need. I didn¡¯t even break a sweat. Give it to themter.¡± ¡°As youmand!¡± ¡°And you two.¡± Ancelot once again shook his fist at the other two. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, but if you end up like myst opponent, you¡¯re dead. I won¡¯t let it slide.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At that moment, both Kirian and Jan had the same thought. ¡®Mother, am I really doing well?¡¯ ¡®They say life is hell. Hersen, where you are must be heaven.¡¯ Of course, Ancelot wasn¡¯t someone who couldn¡¯t read their expressions. ¡°Harun.¡± ¡°Yes, Master!¡± ¡°Judging by their expressions, they seem nervous about the test?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Both of them swallowed the words that had risen to their throats. It wasn¡¯t because of the ¡®test¡¯, but because of ¡®you¡¯, you jerk. ¡°You know that if you lose, it¡¯s collective responsibility, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Soon, Harun¡¯s cold gaze turned toward them. The faint sound of a beast¡¯s growl was a bonus. Ancelot nodded. ¡°I like your spirit.¡± ¡°Grrr¡­¡­¡± ¡°Bite.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Immediately, Harun rushed at Jan. ¡°Ah! Hey, you crazy bastard! Why are you biting my shoulder!¡± ¡°Grrrrr! Woof woof! Woof woof woof (If you lose! You¡¯re dead! By my hands)!¡± ¡°Ack! He really thinks he¡¯s a dog!¡± Smack! Watching the scene, Ancelot smiled and smacked Jan on the back. ¡°¡­¡­Ugh¡­¡­ You too, really¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Stopining and take it. I¡¯m passing on good energy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Jan¡¯s eyes widened. It was almost his turn. ¡°Do well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a moment of silence, Jan finally smiled faintly. ¡°¡­¡­Just worry about Kirian. I¡¯ll definitely win.¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Before he knew it, it was his turn. ¡°Heh.¡± Jan, who had stepped onto the training ground, let out a smallugh. Just a moment ago, his muscles had been tense with nervousness but his body felt remarkably flexible now. His mind was calm, too. ¡°He¡¯s a weird one.¡± Of course, Jan knew the reason why. He let out a snicker again as he clenched and unclenched his fists. Recently, the only preparation for the test had been basic training. He hadn¡¯t learned any advanced swordsmanship or anything special. Yet, he was overflowing with confidence. ¡°Muscles are like that. They tear, heal, tear, and heal again. Through that process, the body grows, and in turn, the strength grows.¡± A voice that made him involuntarily let out a groan echoed in his mind. But when he grasped the wooden sword ording to the examiner¡¯s instructions, he could clearly feel that teaching. His lower body was solid, making his stance much more stable, and his core muscles enhanced his overall bnce. All of this was after participating in a demon¡¯s training for a short while. ¡®¡­¡­No, that¡¯s not it.¡¯ Jan shook his head. Even if the effects of basic training were certain. It was unlikely that his muscles had visibly grown in such a short period. In other words, it wasn¡¯t his body that had changed significantly, but his previously rotten mental state and his trust in the person named ¡®Ancelot.¡¯ ¡®I trust him. If I do as Ancelot says, I feel like I¡¯ll be stronger tomorrow than I am today.¡¯ That was exactly what Ancelot always said like a mantra. Don¡¯t be greedy, just take one step at a time. A life where today is better than yesterday. That alone was enough. ¡®Until now, I didn¡¯t know that obvious fact.¡¯ At a young age, he was tainted with a misguided sense of authority. He thought even people had ¡®grades¡¯. He enjoyed banding together with those in power and tormenting the weak. He wanted to prove that he was superior to others and didn¡¯t want to be seen as a fool in the group. ¡®Without realizing it, I must have fallen for the sweetness of trivial power.¡¯ Because he wanted to get closer to power. He tried to befriend the so-called children of influential families among his peers. ¡®But for what?¡¯ No flower blooms for longer than ten days. Where there is prosperity, there is decline, and where there is rise, there is fall. That was the nature of power. This was clearly evident from the recent forced abdication of the king. ¡®Ultimately, what I need to cultivate aren¡¯t connections, but skills.¡¯ He needed to be an irreceable resource, not a receable expendable. Now, even his mother, who decided his every action, was no longer here. So, it was time for him to break out of his shell on his own. The role model for that was right down there. ¡®Ancelot.¡¯ Yes. That kid with the name of a great hero. I want to live a life like him, not caring about anyone¡¯s opinion and just going straight on my own path. ¡°Hey, Jan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Had he been lost in thought for too long? Jan snapped out of his reverie at the voiceing from the opposite side. ¡°The unpleasant matter between our families has been resolved, so let¡¯s take it easy as friends.¡± The youngest of the Foltaine Marquisate, Haiman de Foltaine. As ate-born child, his personality was not much different from Jan¡¯s in the past. A guy who only thought of himself and believed that power was everything. A friend who perfectly fit the term ¡®birds of a feather¡¯. ¡°I already felt bad enough about what happened, but it¡¯s a relief that my father finally forgave your father.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You and I have gone through a lot. We¡¯re so close, but¡­¡­ well, you know how our fathers are. They would discard even their own children without hesitation if they lost their value.¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s enough chatter.¡± At the same time. The examiner¡¯s voice announcing the start of the match rang out. Immediately after that, Bang! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Jan¡¯s legs, which had been contracting repeatedly, exploded forward. Swooooosh! Without hesitation, he brought the wooden sword down on his opponent¡¯s head, who was now wide-eyed like a rabbit. To Jan, Haiman de Foltaine wasn¡¯t just a test opponent. He was none other than Jan himself. ¡®To be a better version of myself than yesterday.¡¯ He cut away his worthless past with this full-force downward sh. *** Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! The sharp sounds of blows echoed repeatedly. It was Jan¡¯s one-sided offensive. ¡°¡­¡­Not bad.¡± I found myself smiling as I looked up at the training ground. Kirian and Harun were already in a frenzy, shouting for blood. That¡¯s what camaraderie is all about, I suppose. ¡°You broke our promise.¡± At that moment, a new voice pierced my eardrums. ¡®There he is.¡¯ I only nced sideways. Duke Herman was quietly watching the training ground. ¡°Are you looking down on my warning?¡± ¡°Of course not. Who would dare take the words of one of the country¡¯s few Masters lightly?¡± ¡°Then why did you do it?¡± ¡°To protect your honor, Duke.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman turned to me with his characteristic smiling face. ¡°What nonsense is that?¡± ¡°I will be a much greater person than I am now. Soon, the name Ancelot will resonate throughout the continent.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°If it bes known that someone like me was defeated by a mere rookie swordsman from the Kingdom of Hart in the past¡­¡­ Wouldn¡¯t people find it strange?¡± My skills were already acknowledged by Duke Herman. ¡°Eventually, some people would start to investigate the truth of that incident, and they would inevitably discover your corrupt dealings, tarnishing the honor of the Herman family.¡± ¡°Hahaha, child. Power and influence can erase existing crimes and create new ones.¡± Duke Herman smiled broadly as he spoke. ¡°And I have that power.¡± ¡°Scary.¡± ¡°You ignored my warning. So, you wouldn¡¯t particrly mind if I were to punish you, right?¡± I shrugged lightly. ¡°It¡¯s unfair, but if that¡¯s the nature of power, there¡¯s nothing I can do. What punishment do you have in mind?¡± ¡°This year¡¯s international diplomatic event will be held here in Bromhill. It¡¯s been decided since it coincides with the coronation of the new king.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°On that day, the knights of the Duchy of Meeke will be killed.¡± Twitch. For the first time, I turned my full attention to him. Of course, it was aughable statement. ¡°You¡¯re going to harm an envoy visiting the country? The Kingdom of Hart¡¯s reputation will plummet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve already concocted a usible story.¡± ¡°A story¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The exiled seventh prince of the Duchy of Meeke and Count Arsene conspired together. Driven by personal vengeance, they attempted to assassinate the royalty apanying the Meeke delegation.¡± He said such horrendous things with a smiling face which made it even more chilling. However, ¡°What¡¯s your reason for going so far?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason. It just happens because I will it.¡± ¡°I assert that this isn¡¯t love for your child. It¡¯s twisted affection.¡± ¡°Hahaha, do you think that child is my hidden offspring?¡± I shook my head at the man who wasughing slyly. ¡°Not your child, but the daughter of the woman you loved.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It was as if I could hear the sound of something cracking. For the first time, Duke Herman¡¯s smiling face hardened. Slowly, but surely. Soon, a severe, expressionless face stared straight into my eyes. ¡°¡­¡­It seems the one who should die isn¡¯t the knights of Meeke, but you.¡± It was the first time I had seen that expression since meeting the sly Duke Herman. *** Chapter 59 Chapter 59 ¨C My Children (2) ¡°The rtionship between Duke Herman and the knight candidate Winzer¡­¡­? Why do you care?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t ask or question the client¡¯s circumstances. Isn¡¯t that one of the rules of the Mask of Night?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Then you must also know this rule: we do not provide information that could jeopardize the client¡¯s safety. This involves a duke of a nation. You can¡¯t handle this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t start something I can¡¯t handle in the first ce.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just too unsettling for me to dig into.¡± ¡°Is that so? Duke Herman asked me to deliberately lose to that Winzer guy¡­¡­ Well, I guess I should just beat him to a pulp until he shits blood. That¡¯s more my style.¡± ¡°Give me an hour, no, just 30 minutes.¡± I shook off my thoughts and looked straight ahead. ¡°I¡¯ll say what I have to say, even if it costs me my life. Otherwise, I might die with regrets, unable to rest in peace.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The current king, or rather, the former king now, had three wives throughout his life. From the first queen, Princess Mary was born; from the second queen, two princes, and from the third queen, the youngest, Princess ¡®Winley Kun Hart¡¯.¡± I looked directly into Duke Herman¡¯s eyes. ¡°And you, Duke, with that third queen¡­¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t continue speaking. An intense killing intent engulfed mepletely. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll stop here.¡± ¡°Hahaha, alright. It seems that Marquis Foltaine¡¯s words were true after all.¡± ¡°That old¡­¡­ no, the Marquis bad-mouthed me again, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Bad-mouthed? No, quite the opposite. He praised you. He said you seem to have a significant connection with the renowned Mask of Night.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not entirely wrong.¡± ¡°So, are you the hidden son of the Mask¡¯s leader or something like that?¡± I shrugged. The more people misunderstood me like this, the better. It reduced the chances of them bothering me out of sheer difort. ¡°I¡¯m not their son. You already know my true identity better than anyone, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. You are Andrew von Meeke, the 7th prince of the Duchy of Meeke.¡± ¡°In that sense, I¡¯ve already ced a request through the Mask of Night. Should I suddenly drop dead, they are to spread the word far and wide that Winzer is actually Princess Winley, and that you, Duke, are her backer.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman continued to gaze at me with cold eyes. ¡°I doubt you would try to threaten even the Mask of Night. Instead, how about we negotiate?¡± ¡°Negotiate?¡± ¡°Everyone has secrets they want to keep hidden, don¡¯t they? I may have acted rashly, but if you truly wish for the princess¡¯s well-being, today¡¯s events will help her grow much more.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Both as a promising knight candidate and as an individual.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman remained silent for a moment, then let out a smallugh. Then he came up and patted my shoulder. ¡°Why so serious?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°It was a joke. Sometimes you need to scare the disobedient kids a bit. Do you think I would harm a prince of a foreign delegation, and one from a royal family, no less?¡± No. It was no joke. The immense pressure on my shoulder made me frown slightly. By now, my trapezius muscle was likely to be bruised blue. ¡®¡­¡­Forget about being the Duke, should I just flip this guy over?¡¯ I barely managed to suppress my temper this time. I admitted my approach was a bit aggressive. I slowly took a step back. ¡°¡­¡­If only I had a mirror, I would have shown it to you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Despite your words, your expression earlier didn¡¯t look like a joke at all.¡± ¡°Hahaha. My acting skills are as good as my swordsmanship.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take my leave. I¡¯m very busy.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman grabbed my leg as I was about to leave. ¡°Just out of pure curiosity, if the Meeke delegation finds out you¡¯re here, how do you n to act? Do you have a n?¡± ¡°Do you think I would have a n? That¡¯s why I need to study hard from now on.¡± ¡°Study¡­¡­?¡± ¡°In terms of status and situation, the princess staying in your house and I are in simr situations, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Herman¡¯s eyes widened as if he had been struck. ¡°I¡¯ll closely observe how you revive the princess and use that as a reference to prepare my own countermeasures.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a long silence. ¡°Hahahahahahaha!¡± Duke Herman burst into loudughter. His boisterousughter drew the attention of those around us. ¡°D-Duke Herman?¡± ¡°Wh-Why are you¡­¡­?¡± Until now, he had concealed his presence with mana. But now, Duke Herman seemed unconcerned. ¡°Haha! Ahahahahahaha! You¡¯re quite amusing. Truly amusing.¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * The central district of Bromhill. ¡°Is it alright to just leave things as they are?¡± The adjutant nced towards the examination site. ¡°He¡¯s an arrogant one. If you give the order, I will quietly bring you his head.¡± ¡°Hahaha, isn¡¯t he quite the amusing prince?¡± Duke Herman responded with lingering amusement. ¡°He¡¯s a cunning child. I hope he bes good friends with the princess.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Really, sir?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sincere.¡± Duke Herman smiled broadly and waved his hand lightly. Seeing this, the adjutant immediately erased the conversation topic from his mind. ¡°What about the princess?¡± ¡°She¡¯s been quietly escorted to the mansion. The cleric we¡¯ve prepared is also someone who can keep his mouth shut.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t help but like you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Duke Herman looked pleased, when all of a sudden. ¡°Your Excellency!¡± A group hurriedly approached from a distance. ¡°D-Duke Kairos hase to visit the mansion!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The adjutant reacted faster than Duke Herman. ¡°It¡¯s an unupied house. You should have handled it and sent him away!¡± ¡°W-We exined that, but he insisted on waiting until Your Excellency returned¡­¡­¡± The adjutant looked at Duke Herman with a stern expression. ¡°Duke, this is¡­¡­¡± ¡°It seems he¡¯s caught a whiff. Let¡¯s go.¡± Duke Herman quickened his pace with a bitter smile. Soon, they saw a group at the entrance of therge mansion. ¡°¡­¡­Duke Kairos.¡± ¡°Oh dear, I apologize for the sudden visit.¡± Duke Kairos, already well past seventy, was a seasoned old knight with a bald head. He was the epitome of the saying ¡®age is just a number¡¯. His muscles looked ready to burst at any moment, rivaling those of much younger men. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°You may have heard, but Princess Winley has gone missing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± While Duke Herman maintained his smile, the adjutant¡¯s face hardened. ¡°But¡­¡­ Well, this is quite troublesome. We¡¯ve received intelligence that the princess is here at Duke Herman¡¯s residence.¡± Duke Kairos rubbed his shiny head as he spoke. ¡°And you know, as someone responsible for the pce¡¯s security, I can¡¯t just ignore such information¡­¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± Duke Kairos and Duke Herman exchanged nces before the former smiled slightly. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t make such a scary face. Do you think I¡¯d actually search the house of a fellow ally? I just wanted to confirm if the princess was here.¡± For the first time, Duke Kairos turned serious. ¡°Is the princess here?¡± ¡°She is not.¡± ¡°Then, that¡¯s that.¡± As if that was all, Duke Kairos gestured to his men to withdraw. ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± ¡°Understood, sir!¡± The knights of the royal pce withdrew like the ebbing tide. Left alone, Duke Kairos smiled at Duke Herman. ¡°I really do like you.¡± ¡°I respect you as well, Duke.¡± ¡°A coup, you see, if it fails, it¡¯s recorded as treason in history, but if it seeds, it¡¯s praised as a revolution. In that sense, aren¡¯t werades who have rectified the country together? Revolutionaryrades, if you will.¡± As he passed by, Duke Kairos patted Duke Herman¡¯s shoulder. ¡°No matter who tries to drive a wedge between us, it won¡¯t work on me. I can¡¯t embarrass arade over something like this.¡± ¡°Thank you for your trust.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get going.¡± With that, Duke Kairos walked past Duke Herman, but he stopped after a few steps. ¡°¡­¡­May I offer some advice, as a fellowrade?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°At that age, it¡¯s easy to act rashly and foolishly because of uncontroble emotions.¡± Duke Kairos turned his head slightly. ¡°But of course, you aren¡¯t that foolish of a person.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Of course not.¡± ¡°The Empire wants the first prince and the youngest princess to study abroad¡­¡­ Or rather, we need to be straightforward here. They want them as solid ¡®hostages¡¯. So, for the sake of the country, you should lend a hand.¡± Duke Kairos¡¯s voice took on a meaningful tone. ¡°If you brought in foreign forces for the revolution, you should see it through to the end neatly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Once Duke Kairos waspletely out of sight, Duke Herman¡¯s smile faded. ¡°¡­¡­Old fox.¡± His political prowess was truly unparalleled. It was as if he had anticipated the empire¡¯s involvement and switched sides in advance. ¡°¡­¡­Your Excellency, if I may, I believe the old man already knows the princess is here.¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Duke Kairos was no fool. No, he was the oldest fox in this country. Even if the capital was vast, to him, it was like his own backyard. Every significant event here was within his realm. ¡°Would it not be better to send the princess back? If things continue like this, Your Excellency¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then the princess would meet an unwanted fate, like the queen.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Your Excellency.¡± ¡°If that miserable fate spanned generations, wouldn¡¯t that be too pitiful?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After hesitating for a while, the adjutant made a determined expression. ¡°¡­¡­With all due respect, Your Excellency, if this is due to personal feelings towards thete third queen, then I must¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is that so wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Your Excellency¡­¡­¡± ¡°Life is like a maze. Naturally, as you walk, you might enter the wrong path, but that failure isn¡¯t always bad. Through that experience, you gain life lessons, meet new people¡­¡­ and learn feelings like love.¡± Duke Herman finished speaking and gazed quietly at the sky. ¡°Every single person I¡¯ve met, or will meet, is a precious piece of my life. Wealth and fame disappears like a mirage, but the years and memories shared with them remain forever. They are the onlysting treasures of humankind.¡± Duke Herman smiled faintly at the adjutant. ¡°In that sense, you are also a precious treasure to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t know what to say, Your Excellency.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to see my precious memories tarnished by my own hands.¡± Duke Herman had regretted and suffered countless times over that matter. So. ¡°Isn¡¯t that why I climbed the tower of power, so that I could act as I please in moments like these?¡± Indeed. That¡¯s what he had worked his whole life for. ¡°In my future, there will be no more regrets.¡± *** Jan overwhelmingly dominated his opponent and descended from the training arena. ¡°Good work.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I got lucky.¡± It seemed not all offspring of tigers were born tigers. Despite the name ¡®Foltaine¡¯, Jan¡¯s opponent was pathetic. ¡°Just like that pig fromst time, there are so many living leisurely off their father¡¯s reputation. Old man, your children are a disappointment.¡± Well, that exins why he was so eager to adopt me as his heir. I chuckled quietly and then looked at the kids congratting each other. ¡°Is Kirian the only one left?¡± ¡°Worry about yourself.¡± Suddenly, a new voice appeared right beside me. ¡°¡­¡­Why do these people keep showing up out of nowhere and surprising me?¡± The person was none other than Narakas, without his mask. ¡°You¡¯re alive.¡± ¡°Were you hoping I¡¯d be dead?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh, not at all. You¡¯re our precious cash cow.¡± The face hidden behind the mask was quite ordinary. Of course, I didn¡¯t believe such an illusion. ¡°That can¡¯t be your real face, right?¡± ¡°Why, you don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°Well, as an informant, it¡¯s perfect. I¡¯ve seen at least ten people with simr faces on the street.¡± Narakas sneered. ¡°Hmph, if you saw my real face, you¡¯d be so overwhelmed by my good looks that you¡¯d fall over.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s not your real face.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a special mask.¡± Just as I expected. ¡°So, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°People from the Empire have just entered Bromhill.¡± My eyes immediately sharpened. ¡°¡­¡­Already?¡± ¡°There have been many incidents recently. With the king¡¯s coronationing up, they probably saw it as the perfect opportunity.¡± Right after that, Narakas made a peculiar expression. ¡°Are you going to scout them out?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No, there¡¯s no need to rush. My master¡¯s enemies wouldn¡¯te here directly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good chance to observe the Empire¡¯s knights, though.¡± ¡°I need to see my kids¡¯ tests to the end.¡± Narakas looked at me in disbelief. ¡°People might actually think he¡¯s your son. So, was Duke Herman a negotiable opponent?¡± ¡°Maybe? He was more romantic than I expected.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Lunatic. Only you would talk about one of the kingdom¡¯s three Masters like that.¡± A sly grin spread across my face. ¡°Which makes me want him even more.¡± *** Chapter 60 Chapter 60 ¨C My Children (3) ¡°Uh¡­¡­?¡± I flinched and stiffened at the sudden sight. It seemed I had caught a glimpse of Marquis Foltaine entering the exam hall. His goal was obvious. ¡®With that old man¡¯s personality, he won¡¯t let that slide just because it¡¯s his child¡­¡­¡¯ After all, Marquis Foltaine¡¯s child was also participating in this knight exam. Haiman de Foltaine, was it? That kid had been utterly defeated by Jan. ¡°Hmm.¡± Though I felt uneasy, my child came first. Just then, Kirian stepped onto the training ground. ¡°You can do it, Kiriaaaaan!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t embarrass yourself.¡± Encouraged by Harun and Jan, Kirian looked solemnly at his opponent. ¡®Don¡¯t get nervous, kid. Just do what you¡¯ve been doing.¡¯ To be honest, Kirian wascking in many wayspared to Jan. It wasn¡¯t so much a matter of talent as it was that he was still wearing clothes that didn¡¯t quite fit him. But, it didn¡¯t matter. ¡®This isn¡¯t a test where you have to beat your opponent to pass.¡¯ Of course, I couldn¡¯t help but feel tense myself. ¡®Damn it. It¡¯s not even my exam, but my heart is pounding.¡¯ My palms started to sweat. Not all your fingers are the same length. The truth is, I was a little more concerned about Kirian than the other kids. ¡®Just don¡¯t lose your nerve.¡¯ His opponent was nearly 2 meters tall at that age. He was built like a bear. ¡®This isn¡¯t good. For small fry, the difference in size is absolute¡­¡­¡¯ Just as anxiety began to creep up again¡ª ¡°Begin!¡± a voice shouted. ¡°Hup!¡± With a loud shout, Kirian swung his sword. It was the most basic of basics taught in the Arsene family. A diagonal sh, using the whole body starting from the ankle, through the waist, shoulders, and finally the wrist. The family¡¯s swordsmanship fully utilized their innate strength. However, Thwack! ¡°That tickles.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Astonishingly, it was the sound of the wooden sword striking human flesh. Not a ¡®thud¡¯, but a ¡®thwack!¡¯ The bear-like opponent simply took Kirian¡¯s strike to his shoulder. ¡®Is that¡­¡­?¡¯ Even I was so surprised that my eyes widened. No matter howcking Kirian¡¯s strength might be, this was beyond reason. He didn¡¯t even bat an eye. ¡°What are you doing!? If this were a real battle, you would have just given your shoulder to the enemy!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. The attack was just so boring.¡± Was he trying to put on some sort of performance? Despite the examiner¡¯s scolding, the guy justzily nodded his head. But why? His movements seemed so familiar to me. ck! ck! ck! ck! The sound of wooden swords shing echoed repeatedly. Every so often, there was a dull thud. Of course, it was the sound made when Kirian allowed an attack. ¡®That guy¡­¡­ There¡¯s no doubt. He can envelop his body with mana.¡¯ My face stiffened. It¡¯s much harder to envelop the body with mana than to do the same with a sword. To put it in a way that¡¯s easy to understand, let¡¯spare it to ¡®fire¡¯. Iron, the material of the sword, can withstand the heat of the fire to some extent. But human flesh would quickly burn, blister, and turn to ashes. Their thresholds are different. The same goes for mana. It¡¯s incredibly difficult to contain that immense natural mana in a weak human body. Maybe a Master, sometimes called a transcendental, could do it. ¡®More importantly, using mana like that is too inefficient.¡¯ In my past life, there were only a few people who could do that while maximizing efficiency, even at a low level. ¡®But wasn¡¯t the use of mana prohibited in this exam?¡¯ My face crinkled like a piece of paper. Thinking about it, it was clearly a vition. However, even the examiners wouldn¡¯t be familiar with such a subtle use of mana. Judging by their reactions, it didn¡¯t seem like the bear-like kid had bribed them. They probably didn¡¯t even recognize what was happening. ¡®¡­¡­That Bobson Treman, I heard he was from a mediocre family¡­¡­¡¯ I was just beginning to wonder, ¡®Should I intervene?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­Wait.¡± As doubts kept piling up in my mind, something suddenly caught my attention. Crunch! ¡°¡­¡­Ugh!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Along with the sound of something breaking, Kirian was sent flying through the air, unable to even react. It was his opponent¡¯s swordsmanship. A vertical sh that abruptly changed its trajectory to strike the weakest part of the de. ¡°Th-That move?¡± It was a scene all too familiar to me. The secret technique of the one known as the ¡®Weapon Breaker¡¯. ¡®There¡¯s no mistake.¡¯ Even if there were simr sword techniques, they couldn¡¯t fool my eyes. That was the secret technique of ¡®Bastion¡¯. ¡°Could it be¡­¡­? No, it can¡¯t be.¡± At the same time, the fog in my mind began to lift. The current emperor is a greedy bastard. He even killed his own father for power. With the empire he created, he¡¯s been eyeing ¡®continental unification¡¯ for a long time, but as much of a scumbag as he is, he isn¡¯t stupid. He didn¡¯t make the mistake of waging war against the entire continent on his own. He even went to the trouble of sending spies to various countries to instigate civil wars. ¡®So, what would he have used as bait when first making contact with foreign nobles?¡¯ This was an era when the nations were most wary of the empire. Naturally, the greedy bastards of the empire needed ¡®something¡¯ that would catch their interest. I thought that ¡®Urha¡¯s swordsmanship¡¯ was that bait. Even without its essence, it was still the legacy of a hero who once dominated an era. ¡®That¡¯s how the Empire operates.¡¯ First, they dangle bait that the opponent would find tempting. They did it when they gathered human shields, and they used a simr tactic when uniting the tribes to establish the empire. ¡®¡­¡­I see. So that¡¯s how it happened.¡¯ Whether it¡¯s an object or knowledge. The fewer people who possess something, the more valuable it bes. Just ¡®Urha¡¯s swordsmanship¡¯ alone might not have been enough to satisfy the insatiable greed of those pigs. So. ¡®¡­¡­They used the swordsmanship of all my fallenrades as bait.¡¯ In that way, the techniques of those who died because of me were sold across the continent and dissected thoroughly. ¡°Those sons of bitches¡­¡­¡± ¡°M-Master?¡± mes rose in my eyes. I had heard that the imperial dogs had infiltrated this city. ¡®I won¡¯t let you leave here unscathed.¡¯ * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Kirian rolled across the hard marble floor for quite a while. However, the physical pain was nothingpared to what he felt inside. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Sitting on the floor, Kirian stared nkly at his hands. A broken wooden sword came into view. The sword, which a knight should value more than their life, was now shattered in two. Kirian¡¯s spirit was broken along with it. Tremble. He felt hollow and disheartened. He had trained so hard, sacrificing sleep, and yet¡­¡­ How could he face his father now? ¡®He¡¯s probably watching from somewhere in the audience, right?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t even bring himself to look in that direction. Naturally, his body shrank in on itself, feeling small and ashamed. Just then, ¡°Hey!¡± A sharp voice pierced Kirian¡¯s ears. ¡°Who told you to bury your head!?¡± ¡°H-Honored guest¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Lift your head! What, did you think a guy who¡¯s been getting beaten all his life would be a hero after a month or two of training? Even you have to admit that¡¯s a bit much, don¡¯t you think!?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­!¡± A sh of realization struck Kirian¡¯s mind. ¡°You¡¯recking experience, experience! Your friends have been training for years, beating up kids! You¡¯ve barely had a month of sparring with your siblings! Did you really think you¡¯d transform in such a short time!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Yes. He was right. It had only been a little over a month. The idea that he could catch up to his peers in such a short time was pure arrogance. ¡°And if you keep lowering your head like that, I swear I¡¯ll tie your neck to a splint!¡± Harun and Jan quickly intervened to calm the honored guest down. People around them were already staring at this bizarre spectacle. ¡°Master! Calm down! Please, calm down! Here, breathe with me. In, out, in, out.¡± ¡°Stop it. No, I didn¡¯t mean to stop breathing. Keep breathing. Hey! And don¡¯t re like that!¡± The signal to end the exam had long since sounded. Realizing this btedly, Kirian bowed his head. ¡°¡­¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Bobson Treman, who had been watching with a smirk, left the training ground. As if he couldn¡¯t be bothered with such a pathetic sight anymore. Kirian, gathering up the broken pieces of his wooden sword, soon left the training ground as well. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, honored guest.¡± And immediately bowed his head. The once fiery-tempered honored guest suddenly stopped his tirade. ¡°Listen.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± ¡°You were up against a strong opponent. Why are you acting so defeated?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­¡± ¡°Losing is losing. Is your life over?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Kirian couldn¡¯t find the words to reply. He had shown such a pitiful disy. ¡°If you¡¯re lucky and things go well, that¡¯s great. If not, then you train hard and take the test again. This isn¡¯t a battlefield.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let a sense of defeat take over and waste precious years of your life. Or I¡¯ll knock some sense into you myself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Honored guest¡­¡­¡± ¡°Remember this. These years will never return. Don¡¯t tarnish these memories, or you¡¯ll carry that regret for the rest of your life.¡± Kirian bit his lip hard without realizing it. He was right. Wasn¡¯t this the very reason Kirian had sought him out, to avoid bing an adult who wouldter regret not having tried hard enough? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure you never lose to anyone again. A year? Even half a year will be enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Kirian had been silently steeling himself. Suddenly, a new emotion flooded his mind along with those words. That emotion was none other than ¡®fear.¡¯ He trembled all over. ¡°Now, you realize that the swordsmanship of the Arsene family doesn¡¯t suit you, right? Actually, you probably felt that way for a while now.¡± Kirian had, of course, used his family¡¯s swordsmanship for the exam. Although he had recently been introduced to a technique that felt better through the honored guest, he couldn¡¯t abandon the style he had practiced his whole life in the face of such an important test. ¡°Kirian, from now on, I¡¯ll train you even more thoroughly, as if you were receiving personal tutoring.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Kirian¡¯s face turned pale. Memories of recent days flooded his mind. Days where he couldn¡¯t endure the grueling training, vomiting until he had nothing left in his stomach. ¡°Urp¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Fuck.¡± ¡°Thank you, Father. For teaching me swordsmanship that fits me.¡± Kirian, Harun, and Jan all responded in turn. ¡°Phew.¡± Ancelot sighed after saying everything he needed to. ¡°There¡¯s so much to do. Ugh, but how am I supposed to deal with those imperial bastards? It¡¯s not like I can just march into the pce and demand to see them¡­¡­¡± Ancelot grumbled to himself. The ones who hade to the Kingdom of Hart. They were undoubtedly connected to this miserable situation. Those damned officials who had spread his subordinates¡¯ swordsmanship far and wide. ¡°The Empire¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, just talking to myself.¡± Despite his words, Ancelot¡¯s worries only deepened. *** Chapter 61 Chapter 61 ¨C Bastards from the Empire (1) As my worries were piling up, the view of Marquis Foltaine¡¯s back suddenly came to mind. ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s take care of the urgent matters first.¡± Having organized my thoughts, I moved quickly. ¡°I need to go to the restroom for a moment.¡± ¡°Yes! Please go ahead!¡± ncing briefly at Harun, who yfully gave a salute, I quickly circled the training ground. I never get a sense of foreboding for no reason. As expected, Marquis Foltaine was dragging his defeated son to a secluded spot. ¡°Hold on a moment!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± The Marquis turned his head. ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s you.¡± Marquis Foltaine, having nced in my direction, gave a crooked smile. ¡°Are you having fun?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t all of this just child¡¯s y to you?¡± ¡°I am a child, after all.¡± ¡°Only on the outside. With your abilities, you could easily receive a title of nobility without going through any of this.¡± It didn¡¯t feel too bad. After all, he was acknowledging me. ¡°You tter me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not you I hold in high regard, but my eye for something¡¯s worth.¡± ¡°But others might think you¡¯ve gone blind. So what can I do? I have to take the test like everyone else.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sincere, you shoulde to me instead. I could make you the youngest count in this country within ten years¡ªno, five years.¡± At that moment, Marquis Foltaine¡¯s eyes red with desire. Flinch. ¡°F-Father¡­¡­?¡± Was it because the situation was so unexpected? Haiman de Foltaine, who was Jan¡¯s opponent, involuntarily stumbled. At the sound, Marquis Foltaine clicked his tongue. ¡°Fool.¡± ¡°I-I apologize.¡± ¡°That boy is even younger than you, and yet here I am wasting my precious time just to witness such a pathetic sight¡­¡­¡± The more he spoke, the clearer it became. The intense killing intent emanating from Marquis Foltaine. The situation I feared was about to unfold. ¡°You¡¯re not going to behead him, too, are you? Please stop there. You¡¯ll end up shortening your lifespan with a temper like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± For a brief moment, Marquis Foltaine hesitated, showing a peculiar expression. ¡°Are you now trying to interfere in another family¡¯s affairs?¡± ¡°You have a rather unusual temperament. It¡¯s happened once before, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you take the ce of this defect?¡± He never misses an opportunity. On the other hand, as the conversation continued, Haiman de Foltaine¡¯s face grew paler. ¡°F-Father, I-I¡¯ll do b-better from now on!¡± ¡°Address me properly.¡± ¡°M-Marquis¡­¡­¡± Haiman de Foltaine¡¯s face was full of despair. Watching him, I shook my head. ¡°Indeed, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to be your adopted son, Marquis.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°If I lose my value, wouldn¡¯t I be discarded just as ruthlessly as he is now? Or worse, I might lose my head.¡± There¡¯s already a precedent. ¡°Hahaha, that won¡¯t happen. Didn¡¯t I just tell you? I have a good eye for worth.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t about choosing the owner of an object; it¡¯s about choosing parents to serve for life. I don¡¯t want to enter a family where the parents don¡¯t see their child as a child.¡± Marquis Foltaine tilted his head. ¡°Not seeing a child as a child? Me?¡± I nodded without hesitation. ¡°Of course, from your perspective, it might seem unfair. You wouldn¡¯t say, ¡®Get stronger, work hard, train diligently.¡¯, to someone else¡¯s child. On the other hand, you¡¯ve invested your precious time on your own.¡± ¡°If you understand that, then why?¡± ¡°Because all those actions were for your own sake, not for the child.¡± As if caught off guard, Marquis Foltaine stood there with his mouth slightly open. ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t deny it. Even now, aren¡¯t you thinking more about the reputation of the Foltaine family being tarnished than about the dark future of your child?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine silently looked to the side. Haiman de Foltaine was still staring at the ground with his head bowed. ¡°¡­¡­Hmph.¡± ¡°So what if he doesn¡¯t be an excellent knight? There¡¯s no guarantee that bing such a knight will necessarily bring happiness.¡± ¡°Of course it would.¡± ¡°Is that from personal experience?¡± ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s not?¡± ¡°I, at least, don¡¯t believe that strength and happiness are directly connected.¡± Marquis Foltaine scoffed. ¡°Money might not be everything in this world, but there¡¯s nothing quite like it. The same goes for the position and skill that bring in that money.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just advising you to look at your child as a child. You may have said those things for their benefit, but don¡¯t be upset when your grown child doesn¡¯t understand your intentions. I assure you, as time goes on, that rtionship will be increasingly difficult to repair.¡± ¡°Nonsense. You can say that easily because it¡¯s someone else¡¯s child.¡± ¡°I would have said the same even if it were my own child.¡± ¡°What does a kid like you know to be spouting off like this!?¡± For the first time, Marquis Foltaine raised his voice. A faint smile appeared on my lips. The fact that my words unsettled him meant he was already aware of the truth. ¡°What if someone else¡¯s child goes astray because of this? Will you take responsibility?¡± ¡°Even if I do nothing, it seems like he¡¯s already as astray as one can be.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine fell silent. It was an undeniable fact. ¡°Who knows? Maybe it¡¯s your way of educating that¡¯s brought your children to this state.¡± ¡°¡­¡­If I hadn¡¯t done this, they would have gone even further astray.¡± ¡°Who could you me? They¡¯re your own flesh and blood.¡± ¡°You insolent brat¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Life is already so short. The days you spend with your children amount to just a few short years.¡± I spoke with conviction. ¡°So, at least for that short time, why not just give them love? Among the things that money cannot buy is time.¡± ¡°For me, a child¡¯s value is determined by whether they meet my expectations or not. That kind of love, save it for your own children when you have them.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m saying this for your children¡¯s sake?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying this for your sake.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re already getting on in years, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m sure there wille a time when you¡¯ll think, ¡®Ah, if only I treated my family better back then.¡¯ Whether that¡¯s the regret of an old man or the weak sentiment of someone afraid of death.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Heh. You talk as if you¡¯ve experienced death yourself. Trying to lecture an old man, when you¡¯re just a kid yourself.¡± ¡°Why do you think I kept Vigri de Foltaine alive even after he did such terrible things to me?¡± ¡°Are you saying you did that for me?¡± I straightened my posture. Then I answered his question with another question. ¡°I¡¯m curious. How are your nights now, Marquis?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Does that child appear in your dreams every night, ming you for killing him? Even if it¡¯s not every night, hasn¡¯t he appeared at least once?¡± That¡¯s how my nights have been recently. ¡°¡­¡­¡± A long, quiet silence followed. Then, after a while. Fwish! Marquis Foltaine averted his gaze from me. ¡°¡­¡­Follow me.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, Marquis.¡± ¡°And¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine nced at me. ¡°Instead of worrying about me, you should start worrying about yourself.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard some rather interesting stories about who you really are.¡± ¡°Aha.¡± ¡°Watch that mouth of yours. You have a neck that I wouldn¡¯t be surprised to see severed at any time.¡± ¡°Thank you for the advice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a warning.¡± Marquis Foltaine snapped back and abruptly turned away. At that moment, I was certain. I had saved another child¡¯s life. But then, ¡°W-Wait a minute!¡± Haiman de Foltaine, who had been disappearing into the distance, suddenly came running back. ¡°I¡­¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I-I heard that Jan got stronger because of you.¡± I tilted my head slightly. ¡°And?¡± ¡°C-Can¡¯t I join your group too?¡± Any satisfaction I felt quickly dissipated, as if doused with cold water. ¡°Do these brats think I¡¯m some kind of collector of worthless things?¡± ¡°W-Worthless?¡± ¡°Get lost before I make you!¡± The moment he saw me raise my fist, the boy¡¯s head snapped back. ¡°Do you think I go around wanting to hang out with fools like you? You idiot.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯ll regret this!¡± Watching him scurry away, I thought to myself ¡°Maybe I should have just let him die.¡± Even someone as good-hearted as me couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of regret. ¡°Tsk. I only got involved because it reminded me of Andy.¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Duke Herman was in the middle of changing his clothes at home when he was notified about the arrival of an unexpected guest. He hurried to the reception room as soon as he finished changing. ¡°What brings you here without notice?¡± ¡°I suddenly thought of you, Duke.¡± Marquis Foltaine smiled as he shook a bottle of liquor. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve shared a drink. Care for a sip?¡± ¡°Haha, just as it happens, I was craving a drink myself. Perfect timing.¡± Duke Herman promptly took a seat across from him. ¡°I should visit more often, considering we live so close, but it¡¯s not easy.¡± ¡°This is for the better. If you want to maintain a longsting friendship, don¡¯t they say you should avoid meeting too frequently and keep your words to a minimum?¡± ¡°True, this damned mouth of mine is always the problem. Rtionships can fall apart with just a single word.¡± ¡°So, what sort of matter brings you on this special visit today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a kind of consultation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Herman¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°A consultation? From you, to me?¡± ¡°I received an unexpected reprimanding.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman stared at him in a daze. It was a conversation topic he genuinely hadn¡¯t anticipated. Especially in a ce where secrets can easily be vulnerabilities. ¡°So, what happened was¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine recounted everything that had happened that day. ¡°¡­¡­And then, he told me I should treat my children better. So I wouldn¡¯t regret itter.¡± ¡°Pfft¡ª Hahahahaha!¡± Having heard the whole story, Duke Herman burst intoughter. Hisughter was so loud it seemed to shake the reception room. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. Hahaha. That kid, truly¡­¡­ I knew he was something, but he¡¯s truly remarkable.¡± ¡°And you find this funny?¡± ¡°How could I not? Of all people, the iron-blooded Marquis Foltaine, haha!¡± Marquis Foltaine sighed. ¡°As I listened, I couldn¡¯t help but think of my eldest son.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman¡¯s smile faded, and his expression turned serious. There was a time when Marquis Foltaine, like any other father, showered his children with affection. His first child, however, betrayed him. It was to the point where Marquis Foltaine¡¯s life was in danger because of it. The disappointment he felt that day was indescribable. He had even poured so much love into that child that he couldn¡¯t do the same for his other children¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­That was when I realized raising children with nothing but affection isn¡¯t the way to go. That raising children was a poor investment with little return.¡± ¡°A cold-hearted father who even ces value on his children¡­¡­ but I know you too well to believe that¡¯s all there is to it, don¡¯t I?¡± Duke Herman smiled bitterly. ¡°I still remember, you shed tears when you first heard the news.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hmph. That¡¯s all in the past. I¡¯m a heartless father who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to cut down his own child.¡± ¡°Are you referring to that illegitimate child? You didn¡¯t do it for that reason, and besides, it wasn¡¯t even your biological child.¡± Pause. Marquis Foltaine flinched and made a peculiar expression. ¡°¡­¡­You knew?¡± ¡°You were never particrly interested in women, even in your younger days. I thought it was strange from the start.¡± ¡°Ha. They say there are no secrets in this world.¡± ¡°I respect you for providing a roof for that child, even though they were the result of your wife¡¯s affair. Even when they caused trouble with the money they took from the family, you tolerated it for years.¡± Marquis Foltaine scowled and downed his drink. ¡°Damn it. Enough talk about children. What are you nning to do?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯re protecting Princess Winley.¡± Duke Herman¡¯s expression hardened once again. ¡°¡­¡­Where did you hear that?¡± ¡°In this small capital, it¡¯s obvious. The princess didn¡¯t just disappear into thin air.¡± Finally, Duke Herman sighed. After all, Duke Kairos already knew. ¡°¡­¡­Actually, the princess participated in the recent knight examination.¡± ¡°You mean that child, Winzer?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you knew that too?¡± ¡°Probably everyone knows by now. They¡¯re just pretending not to because she¡¯s being protected by someone higher up.¡± ¡°Hah. So it wasn¡¯t just that old man Kairos who was sharp.¡± Duke Herman shook his head. ¡°So, I secretly approached that prince from the Duchy of Meeke and asked him to take it easy on her.¡± ¡°Hahaha. And even better if he lost, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­If something were to happen to the princess, it would be a major problem.¡± ¡°Is that the only reason?¡± ¡°Hah, I won¡¯t try to deceive you. The n was to get her a proper knight status and then send her off somewhere far away.¡± Marquis Foltaine nodded. ¡°So that¡¯s the story. And that ill-tempered prince ended up beating her up.¡± ¡°This might sound strange, but¡­¡­ honestly, it was a relief.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s eyes showed a hint of contempt. ¡°¡­¡­Is that what you¡¯re into, Duke?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Perhaps you¡¯ve developed a new taste, seeing a child like your own being treated that way¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey, you old scoundrel!¡± ¡°Or not.¡± Marquis Foltaine chuckled as he poured another drink. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡­ wasn¡¯t it something we couldn¡¯t have imagined?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Despite all the intimidation I threw at her, that child didn¡¯t back down. Whether it was her faith in the situation or confidence in herself.¡± ¡°With a cheeky brat like that, it¡¯s probably both. She even dared to stand up to me.¡± ¡°If we had that kind of mindset, maybe we could have gone through with it on our own? I suddenly felt that regret. What were we so afraid of that we had to bring in foreign powers¡­¡­? In the end, independence without autonomy is only half-realized.¡± Marquis Foltaine sighed. ¡°You and I had too many people to protect.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t want our people to get hurt, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Duke Herman smiled bitterly. ¡°You might already know, but tomorrow the pce has summoned all the dukes and marquises.¡± ¡°Because of the Empire?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m nning to give a firm warning to the bastards from the Empire.¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That should be quite a sight.¡± ¡°Duke Kairos said something simr. If we brought in foreign powers, we should finish the job properly.¡± ¡°Damn that old man. If he had yed nice from the beginning, we wouldn¡¯t be in this mess.¡± Marquis Foltaine grumbled to himself. ¡°In any case, do as you see fit, Duke.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be okay with it?¡± ¡°I promised them only two things. A marriage of convenience for Princess Winley wasn¡¯t one of them.¡± ¡°But they won¡¯t see it that way. In this world, power is justice.¡± Marquis Foltaine lifted the bottle. ¡°So right now, we¡¯re ¡®evil¡¯, huh?¡± Duke Herman smiled bitterly as he took the drink. ¡°You¡¯re only realizing that now? In this harsh world, the weak are always the viins.¡± ¡°And to that cheeky brat, we¡¯re the justice.¡± ¡°Haha. I suppose you could put it that way.¡± ¡°Duke.¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s expression had turned serious. ¡°I want to adopt that child as my son.¡± ¡°Suddenly?¡± ¡°I thought I had lost all desire with age¡­¡­ but I was wrong. Now, I feel like I¡¯ll go mad if I don¡¯t have him.¡± Marquis Foltaine even straightened his posture as he spoke. ¡°He¡¯s already been abandoned by his own family, hasn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange. Didn¡¯t you want to kill him?¡± ¡°Talented individuals with both character and ability are hard to find across the entire continent. If he cares that much about his family, he wouldn¡¯t betray his father, at least.¡± ¡°I agree with that.¡± ¡°He was born to the wrong parents, and I had the wrong children. As birds of a feather, I think if we develop a father-son rtionship, we might make a pretty good pair.¡± Marquis Foltaine stood up and bowed respectfully. ¡°That¡¯s why I came. My future son offended the princess. Please forgive him this once.¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡­ this is driving me crazy. You¡¯re already acting like his father?¡± ¡°I need your help in this matter, after all.¡± ¡°So that was your real reason. Ah, sit down, sit down. No need for formality between us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s important to be cautious, especially with those we consider close.¡± Duke Herman chuckled softly as he waved his hand. ¡°Enough. But shouldn¡¯t you be asking for permission and help from the Duchy of Meeke instead?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± At that moment, Marquis Foltaine lifted his head and smiled slyly. ¡°To them, we are justice too.¡± *** Chapter 62 Chapter 62 ¨C Bastards from the Empire (2) With Kirian¡¯s defeat, the knight exams for all the participants from the Arsene family hade to an end. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It only served to remind Kirian that he was the only one who had failed. Kirian, who had been trying to hold his head high, suddenly froze for a moment. Then, he quickly adjusted his clothes. A familiar figure was approaching from a distance. ¡°Father¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene, who hade right up to them, looked at his children without saying a word. Even Jan, who had passed the exam, became solemn to the mood. And then, Pat. Count Arsene simply patted both of his children¡¯s shoulders quietly. ¡°You both did well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A faint smile then appeared on his lips. ¡°I am proud of you both. My children, whopleted the exam despite the difficulties, make me very proud.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Especially you, Kirian. The way you acknowledged your defeat and respected your opponent until the end was admirable.¡± At his father¡¯s words, tears welled up in Kirian¡¯s eyes. ¡°You are already an outstanding knight in my eyes.¡± Having said his piece, Count Arsene embraced his two children. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, my sons.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jan and Kirian silently embraced Count Arsene in return. Harun looked on with a slightly envious expression, while the knights guarding them smiled warmly. However, there was one person who didn¡¯t share the sentiment. ¡°Proud? What¡¯s there to be proud of?¡± Only Ancelot spoke up in a dissatisfied tone. ¡°You say he fought well even though he lost? Sure, if he had fought well, I wouldn¡¯t be saying this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Did you really have to ruin such a touching moment?¡± ¡°Touching or not, haven¡¯t you felt it as well, Count? Unlike Jan, Kirian is forcing himself to wear clothes of the wrong size.¡± Ancelot¡¯s voice grew deadly serious. It¡¯s about letting go of the old ways and learning something new. This was about the swordsmanship passed down through generations in the family. Kirian¡¯s situation waspletely different from Harun¡¯s. To make someone learn unverified swordsmanship without the family head¡¯s permission was clearly crossing a line. So, it was time for everyone involved to realize and ept this. ¡°¡­¡­Yes. It did seem that way.¡± Thankfully, Count Arsene¡¯s expression hardened as he nodded in agreement. ¡°Kirian. If you do not wish to give up on the path of a knight, I will do my utmost to support you.¡± ¡°What? But Father, even if it¡¯s new swordsmanship, the costs will be enormous if it¡¯s anything above mediocre¡­¡­¡± In this world, knights held power. As such, high-level swordsmanship and training methods were incredibly expensive. ¡°Do you think I would begrudge spending money on you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Kirian¡¯s face was once again filled with emotion. But at that moment, another troublemaker chimed in. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about the money.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a way to learn top-tier swordsmanship at a low cost, and one that would be perfect for Kirian.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± It wasn¡¯t just Count Arsene who was intrigued. Everyone around them turned their attention to Ancelot. ¡°Yes, we have a walking swordsmanship manual right here, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ancelot pointed to himself with his finger. ¡°I¡¯ll offer my services at a discount, money bags¡­¡­ I mean, clients.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Urp¡­¡­¡± At that, Kirian quickly covered his mouth. Count Arsene looked resigned, and Jan sighed with a pitying expression. Harun, feeling a sense of solidarity, could only react with sympathy. ¡°Harun, you can repay me when you grow up. But of course, I¡¯ll make sure you get your money¡¯s worth.¡± Even Harun wasn¡¯t spared from the sudden blow. ¡°Huh? M-Me?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t show favoritism among my students.¡± ¡°W-Wait, Master. Of course, I¡¯ll repay you, but wasn¡¯t I supposed to be heading to the academy soon? The Count promised to give me a rmendation letter¡­¡­¡± ¡°At first, I thought that was the best path, but after seeing Kirian, I realized there¡¯s no need to take the long way around.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Harun¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Alright then. The enrollment for Ancelot¡¯s premium knight trial prep course is now open.¡± ¡°Urp¡­¡­¡± While Kirian continued to gag at the thought, Jan quietly approached Count Arsene. ¡°Father, would you like me to massage your shoulders?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hmm?¡± ¡°Thank you for raising me so well.¡± ¡°A-All of a sudden¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I just felt like doing it today.¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Meanwhile, at the Herman Duchy. ¡°¡­¡­Gasp!¡± Winley, who had been unconscious until now, suddenly jolted awake, clutching her body with both hands. Her body ached all over, quite literally. However, despite the pain, she wasn¡¯t seriously injured. It didn¡¯t seem like any bones were broken. ¡®Just how many people has he beaten before¡­¡­?¡¯ Cold sweat trickled down Winley¡¯s back. Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of powerlessness washed over her. ¡°I¡­¡­ lost, didn¡¯t I?¡± It was an overwhelming defeat. But it wasn¡¯t just that she lost¡ª She hadn¡¯t been able to show off any of her skills during the exam. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sure I failed it.¡± The reality of the situation doubled her sense of helplessness. Of course, there wasn¡¯t anything she could¡¯ve done. Her opponent had been too strong. Knock, knock, knock. ¡°¡­¡­Your Highness, it¡¯s Harbus. May Ie in?¡± At that moment, there was a knock on the door, which then opened cautiously. The person who entered widened his eyes. ¡°Your Highness! Have you regained consciousness?¡± ¡°Sir Harbus¡­¡­¡± It was Viscount Harbus, the right-hand man and aide of Duke Herman. Seeing him, Winley immediately asked a question. ¡°Who was that?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°My opponent. They were about my age, but I don¡¯t think someone like that could be from an ordinary family.¡± Winley was certain. After all, her talents had been acknowledged by a Master. She had grown up hearing endless praise about how no one her age could rival her, but she had beenpletely defeated without even putting up a fight. ¡®It must have been someone hiding their true identity, just like me.¡¯ It had to be someone from an extraordinary family. Otherwise, there was no other exnation for what had just happened. Her curiosity only grew stronger. ¡®Why?¡¯ It¡¯s only natural to be more curious about someone in a simr situation. Why would they hide their identity and take part in the knight exam? ¡°Could it be a child from another ducal family? Like someone born with immense talent but as a bastard child, facing countless obstacles and leaving their family to prove their worth and dreaming of bing a hero known across the continent¡­¡­¡± Winley quickly spun a story in her head. It was something she had heard many times before. It sounded quite usible, even to herself. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡­¡± ¡°Please, Sir Harbus, tell me.¡± Winley pleaded with a desperate voice. ¡°You know my situation well, don¡¯t you, Sir Harbus?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well¡­¡­¡± Winley was genuinely desperate. Her n to live a proud new life as a knight had just been shattered. ¡°Sigh.¡± Knowing this, Viscount Harbus let out a quiet sigh. ¡°¡­¡­Please, keep this a secret. If word of this gets out, it¡¯ll put me in a difficult position.¡± ¡°I swear! I¡¯ll keep it to myself.¡± Winley¡¯s eyes sparkled with curiosity. There had to be something special about that child! The truth was even more astonishing than she had imagined. ¡°Actually¡­¡­ that child is a prince from the Duchy of Meeke.¡± ¡°What?¡± Winley¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°A¡­¡­ prince?¡± This was an answer she had never expected. So that story about being a prince¡­¡­ was true? ¡°¡­¡­Yes, it seems that while he was essentially being exiled, he was kidnapped by ve traders¡­¡­ but it appears he was hiding his true abilities. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say he¡¯s survived on his own until now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Oh¡­¡­¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, it¡¯s quite simr to the story you mentioned earlier, except for the difference in status.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Winley¡¯s mouth hung open in shock. But despite her dazed expression, her eyes were shining brighter than ever. ¡°¡­¡­Unbelievable¡­¡­¡± An exemr of the life she wanted to live was right in front of her. At that moment, Harbus had no idea. That this reaction would turn the entire duchy upside down, just a few hourster¡­¡­ *** Just as a maid was about to escort the priest to the room, her eyes widened in shock. ¡°P-Princess!?¡± ¡°Wh-What on earth is this¡­¡­?¡± The priest was equally flustered. ¡°S-Sir Harbus!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on!?¡± Harbus rushed in immediately, and his two eyes also widened in surprise. The person who should have been in the room was nowhere to be found. ¡°Wh-Where is the princess¡­¡­?¡± ¡°O-Over there!¡± The maid quickly pointed in a certain direction. The view through an open window entered their line of sight. ¡°Emergency! This is an emergency!¡± Harbus darted outside without hesitation. At that very moment, the drinking session between Duke Herman and Marquis Foltaine was in full swing. *** ¡°¡­¡­What a boring opponent.¡± Bobson Treman clicked his tongue repeatedly, having effortlessly defeated his opponent. The exam had left him feeling unsatisfied. ¡°Even the examiners were a problem. They should¡¯ve matched opponents by their skill level.¡± Kirian of the Arsene County was a notorious loser, even back in their academy days. The gap between them was so vast that Bobson couldn¡¯t even showcase his abilities properly. ¡°Trash.¡± He had felt nauseated when that idiot had thanked him. Thankful for what? For the one-sided beating? ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± At that moment, Bobson Treman¡¯s body stiffened. He had spotted something by chance. A kid was entering the exam grounds, looking around, here and there. A young boy with blonde hair, with bandages wrapped around his forehead,. No, wait¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­How adorable, princess.¡¯ A young blonde girl. Bobson Treman already knew the true identity of this child. He had heard about her from his father. Her alias was ¡®Winzer¡¯, amoner, wasn¡¯t it? ¡®Should I y with her for a bit?¡¯ A sly smile crept onto Bobson Treman¡¯s face as he approached her. ¡°Sir Winzer¡­¡­¡± As he drew closer, Bobson Treman frowned. Winzer was already engaging with someone else. ¡°¡­¡­He¡¯s¡­¡­?¡± Another piece of trash, the type he would¡¯ve immediately pantsed to confirm their gender if they were friends. Wasn¡¯t this one called Ancelot or something equally undeserving? A true low-ssmoner, not just someone pretending to be one. ¡®An idiot who will lose his head as soon as the exam ends.¡¯ That was Bobson Treman¡¯s assessment of him. No matter how well she hid her identity, she was still the kingdom¡¯s princess. And this fool had the audacity to beat her so mercilessly? ¡®Is she nning to take revenge?¡¯ Just as Bobson Treman¡¯s face began to show interest¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± The situation unfolded quite differently from what he had expected. The princess¡¯s attitude toward that piece of trash was the problem. She was hesitating, as if unsure whether to speak or not, her pale face flushing as she fidgeted with her hands. It almost looked like¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Like she¡¯s about to confess?¡± Bobson Treman¡¯s lips twisted into a smirk. ¡°Does the princess have that kind of preference?¡± Bobson made a strange face. Princess Winley Kun Hart, the youngest princess, was known for her stunning beauty but wasn¡¯t very prominent in social circles. It was said that she avoided men, preferring to spend time in the training grounds rather than at balls. But what if that was because of some peculiar taste? ¡°Interesting information.¡± Bobson Treman¡¯s smile deepened. It was undeniable that Princess Winley, with her beauty and status, was an ideal match. Now, he knew exactly how to win her over. ¡®If I find the right moment to beat her up¡­¡­¡¯ Bobson licked his lips. Who in their right mind would dare imagineying a hand on the princess? But that n would have to wait. ¡®This shitter doesn¡¯t know his ce.¡¯ Bobson quickened his pace. Letting someone else take the woman he had marked for himself? Especially a meremoner? Unthinkable. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Did his irritation show on his face? Even the other pieces of trash around them flinched and froze. But, ¡°Oh, you¡­¡­?¡± The most annoying piece of trash smiled brightly. As if he had just reunited with a long-lost lover. ¡®This guy¡­¡­ no, was he a girl?¡¯ Did she fall for him at first sight because of this handsome face? ¡®¡­¡­She does have a rather attractive face, suitable for a ything.¡¯ As Bobson Treman stood there, lost in his thoughts¡­¡­ ¡°Wait, wait. Why are you just standing there? Go on with what you were doing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Bobson Treman frowned again. The voice was definitely male. The realization that he had been momentarily confused made him even more annoyed. ¡°Oh! Yes! That¡¯s the face I was looking for!¡± ¡°¡­¡­What the hell is this lunatic talking about?¡± ¡°You were about to pick a fight with me, weren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t deny it. Your face says it all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What? No, that¡¯s not¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, no, don¡¯t bother denying it. Just go ahead and do what you were nning.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Bobson Treman stood there, mouth agape, bewildered by the strange situation. What was this guy¡¯s deal? ¡°How about this?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Suddenly, the trash had the audacity to wrap his arm around Princess Winley¡¯s waist. ¡°¡­¡­This piece of shit¡­¡­?¡± Finally, mes of anger red in Bobson Treman¡¯s eyes. *** Chapter 63 Chapter 63 ¨C Coronation (1) Winley¡¯s mind wentpletely nk. She hade all the way here on impulse. What now? ¡®What should I say?¡¯ A boy, just as pretty as she was, stared at her. His gaze was piercing. She had to say something, anything. ¡®You¡¯re my dream?¡¯ No, that wouldn¡¯t work. If she suddenly started talking about dreams after suddenly approaching him, he would think she was crazy. ¡®Well fought, that was amazing! As a princess who will one day lead this country, I¡¯m so proud of you!¡¯ ¡­¡­That wouldn¡¯t work either. He¡¯s a prince from another country, isn¡¯t he? ¡®Do you want to be my sparring partner?¡¯ Sparring partner? Who was she kidding? Given their difference in skill, she¡¯d probably just get beaten up every day. Tremble. Just the thought of it made her shudder. ¡®But seriously, did he really have to hit me that hard?¡¯ After all, I¡¯m a princess of this country! ¡°¡­¡­This is driving me nuts.¡± Finally, Winley ran her hands through her hair in frustration. Why had she evene all this way? ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley¡¯s face flushed bright red. She had forgotten. She was still standing in front of him. ¡®Yeah. Come to your senses, Winley Kun Hart. Just say what you want to say.¡¯ All she needed to do was convey her true feelings. ¡®I want to be like you.¡¯ Yes. Watching him from a distance wasn¡¯t enough. She hade to see him in person because she hadn¡¯t wanted to regret thister. ¡°¡­¡­Hey, um, you¡­¡­¡± Just as she was fidgeting with her fingers, struggling to get the words out¡ª ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Some fool interrupted her out of nowhere. ¡®What¡¯s this guy¡¯s deal?¡¯ Winley¡¯s brows furrowed in irritation. ¡®Why is he butting into someone else¡¯s business?¡¯ He looked like half-melted butter. ¡®Why, I ought to beat him to a pulp and spread him over some toast.¡¯ Like an animal that had detected an intruder in its territory, Winley put her hands on her hips and red at him. Her eyes darted around restlessly, trying to convey a message. ¡®Get lost.¡¯ But then¡ª ¡°Wait, wait. Why are you just standing there? Go on with what you were doing. Oh! Yes! That¡¯s the face I was looking for!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At some point, a hand rested on Winley¡¯s waist. ¡°How about this?¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t her hand. She wasn¡¯t a creature with three arms. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± Winley let out a bted gasp of embarrassment. This had never happened before. She had never allowed a strange man to touch her. ¡®What¡¯s his deal¡­¡­¡¯ She started to feel weird, for no reason, when¡ª ¡®¡­¡­Huh?¡¯ She saw the boy out of the corner of her eye. His smug face seemed to silently scream, ¡®Go ahead, hit me.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­This bastard¡¯s a real lunatic.¡¯ But the boy¡¯s provocation was effective. ¡°You piece of shit¡­¡­¡± Woosh. Suddenly, the butter-faced bastard grabbed the boy by the cor. ¡°Hey. Let go while I¡¯m asking nicely.¡± ¡°You filthymoner¡­¡­ Do you have a death wish?¡± ¡°Consider yourself warned. You¡¯re the one not letting go. Grabbing someone by the cor is a form of assault, you know.¡± ¡°What kind of nonsense are you spouting?¡± ¡°Cough! Cough! Oh, I¡¯m dying, I¡¯m dying!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Crazy bastard. I¡¯ll just crush you right here.¡± Winley let out a startled ¡®Huh!?¡¯ in shock. Before she could stop him, the butter-faced bastard had raised his arm high. It looked like he was about to m the boy into the ground. ¡®I-Is he trying to get that boy killed!?¡¯ Fortunately, Winley¡¯s worries were unfounded. Whoosh! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Even with his cor grabbed, the boy moved with remarkable skill. He used his legs to wrap around the arm holding his cor. Slide. Using the momentum, he quickly freed himself from his opponent¡¯s grip. Squeeze! Then, he climbed onto the butter-faced bastard¡¯s back as if on a piggy-back ride, then wrapped his legs around his neck. ¡°Y-You little¡­¡­!¡± Bam! He thennded a clean punch to the temple. Thud! ¡°¡­¡­¡± Therge, butter-faced bastard copsed, goingpletely still. ¡®Wh-What just happened?¡¯ Everything had happened so quickly that Winley¡¯s pupils were still shaking. ¡°This was for my student.¡± The crazy boy said something cryptic. The other children, who had also been standing there, stunned, snapped back to reality. ¡°M-Master! You didn¡¯t kill him, right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°This is insane. How can you be so calm? What are you going to do now? You¡¯ve really messed up¡­¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°This guy¡¯s obviously a noble!¡± ¡°It was self-defense, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter! In this country,moners get executed if they harm a noble!¡± ¡°¡­¡­He¡¯s probably not amoner, though?¡± The words just then didn¡¯te from the boy, but from someone else. Whirl! Harun, Kirian, and Jan turned their heads at the same time. ¡°That¡­¡­ he¡¯s not, right?¡± Spooked by the sudden attention, Winley instinctively took a step back. ¡°What¡¯s going on!?¡± Just then, the exam officials arrived in a group. Smack! ¡°We¡¯re screwed¡­¡­¡± As Harun smacked his forehead, they were quickly surrounded by the officials. But there was a bigger problem. ¡®Duke¡­¡­ Kairos?¡¯ In the midst of the crowd, Winley recognized a familiar face. ¡®What on earth is he doing here?¡¯ That was as far as her thoughts went. ¡°Your Grace, it seems the boy who copsed is the eldest son of the Treman family.¡± ¡°Treman? You¡¯re saying that he¡¯s the son of a Count?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± Duke Kairos furrowed his brows and shouted an order. ¡°Arrest thatmoner immediately!¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * ¡°I managed to get into the pce, but¡­¡­¡± Ancelot stretched his arms and legs, feeling the cold prison floor against his body. Had he been too reckless in his approach? ¡°¡­¡­They wouldn¡¯t actually kill me, right?¡± After all, it was self-defense, at least from his perspective. Step, step, step. Suddenly, he heard footsteps outside the cell. Soon, a group of people came into view. ¡°Look at this bastard. He¡¯s made himself at home.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± As Ancelot sat up, he tilted his head in confusion. Now he understood. The bald man speaking to him was none other than the duke of this country. ¡®Why would someone as important as a duke personally involve himself in something like this?¡¯ While he was pondering this¡ª ¡°How dare you! You¡¯re in the presence of the duke! Show him proper respect!¡± The knight standing next to the duke harshly scolded him. ¡®My ears are going to burst.¡¯ With the way he shouted, you¡¯d think he was on fire. ¡°It¡¯s fine. He¡¯s still just a child.¡± Duke Kairos waved his hand dismissively and then looked inside the cell. ¡°Child, you must know that hitting a noble¡¯s child is a serious vition of thew. Even a child should understand that.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hit him.¡± Duke Karios quickly spoke up before the knight, who was swelling up with anger, could react. ¡°Bring him in!¡± Creeeak! Another man, who had been waiting outside the cell, quickly rushed in. ¡®¡­¡­Maybe I should have hit him harder.¡¯ Ancelot recognized the man immediately. ¡°Bobson Treman.¡± ¡°Yes, Duke.¡± ¡°What exactly happened between you and this boy? Speak truthfully, without any lies.¡± ¡°W-Well¡­¡­¡± Bobson Treman blushed but couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak. Of course, he¡¯d be too embarrassed to admit that he was knocked out by a single punch. ¡°¡­¡­Ahem.¡± When Bobson averted his gaze, Duke Kairos frowned. ¡°¡­¡­Bobson Treman.¡± ¡°W-We just had a small quarrel.¡± ¡°I understand how you feel, but this isn¡¯t something to be hidden. A noble¡¯s child was struck by amoner in broad daylight. If no action is taken, it will disrupt the very hierarchical structure of society.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Even so, Bobson Treman remained silent. Admitting he was beaten by amoner? That would disgrace not only him but also his family. ¡®¡­¡­Just as nned.¡¯ Watching the scene unfold, Ancelot smirked inwardly. Hitting him just once was the right choice. If he¡¯d hit him more, there might have been other witnesses. ¡°It seems he has no intention of speaking.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, what a dilemma. The other children who were there also im they saw nothing¡­¡­¡± Duke Kairos trailed off and with a face that said he had no other choice, he turned to his side. ¡°Simmons.¡± At his call, the knight standing beside him straightened up. ¡°Yes, Duke!¡± ¡°Release this boy. Although he¡¯s not yet fully cleared of suspicion, give him a room in the Royal Knights¡¯ quarters and have him stay there for the time being.¡± ¡°A-As youmand.¡± Though visibly surprised, the knight did not protest. On the other hand, Bobson Treman¡¯s face twisted in frustration. Creeeak. ¡°This is what justice looks like.¡± Ancelot whistled as he walked out of the cell. Not long after. ¡°¡­¡­He¡¯s even more amusing than I¡¯d heard.¡± Left alone, Duke Kairos chuckled quietly. Of course, his decision wasn¡¯t made because he liked the boy. Rustle. From within his coat, he pulled out a piece of parchment. [Alias: Ancelot Real Name: Andrew von Meeke (7th Prince of the Duchy of Meeke) Notes: Currently staying with Count Arsene. Recent activities suggest personal connections with Duke Herman and Marquis Foltaine. Further investigation is ongoing; additional reports will follow upon new findings.] ¡°He really is an interesting one.¡± Duke Kairos read over the document again and chuckled softly. *** At the Royal Knights¡¯ quarters in the Royal Pce. ¡°Well, that¡¯s the strangest baldy I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Even after being swiftly moved to a new ce, I was still surprised by Duke Kairos¡¯s actions. However, that mystery was naturally resolvedter that evening. ¡°Here we are.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I heard a brief conversation outside, followed by a knock on the door. Knock, knock, knock. ¡°Come in.¡± I quickly got up from the bed. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± A surprised exmation slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it. The one entering was thest person I¡¯d expected. ¡°Did you bail me out, Marquis?¡± Because the visitor was none other than Marquis Foltaine. ¡°May we speak alone for a moment?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Understood.¡± Once the attendant had left, Marquis Foltaine looked at me. ¡°What on earth did you do? Why did Duke Kairos just let you go?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to know. But from your reaction, I take it you weren¡¯t the one who got me released?¡± ¡°Why would I go through the trouble for someone like you?¡± Then was it Count Arsene¡¯s doing, after all? He¡¯s certainly capable enough. If Duke Kairos was the number one inw enforcement in this country, then Count Arsene was the clear number two. ¡°If you were released, why didn¡¯t you return home immediately? Why stay in a ce like this?¡± ¡°They told me to stay here for now, until all suspicions are cleared.¡± ¡°¡­¡­And how long is that supposed to be?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t told that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine seemed to be pondering something for a moment. ¡°¡­¡­Tsk. Now I understand what that sly old fox is up to.¡± He clicked his tongue lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t keep it to yourself; help me understand what¡¯s going on too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better for your safety if you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how people are. When you tell them not to go somewhere, that¡¯s exactly where they want to go, and when you say not to look, they can¡¯t help but take a peek.¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to tell you the truth, just to see if that irritating calm of yours is real.¡± ¡°Your generosity knows no bounds.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You may already know this, but the Empire¡¯s delegation is currently in the pce.¡± Of course, I knew. I¡¯d gone through all this trouble just to see those guys. ¡°It¡¯s not just the Empire¡¯s delegation. After them, other delegations from various nations will arrive. The new king¡¯s coronation is in a week, after all.¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s voice took on a meaningful tone. ¡°¡­¡­And naturally, the delegation from the Duchy of Meeke will be among them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Now do you understand? That old fox ns to hand you over to the Duchy of Meeke alive.¡± So that¡¯s what he was thinking? ¡°Of course, the Duchy of Meeke will be grateful to Duke Kairos, and on the other hand, Count Arsene will find himself in a difficult position. It will appear as if he¡¯d been protecting you all this time, despite knowing your true identity.¡± Marquis Foltaine let out a chuckle as he sat on the windowsill, bathed in moonlight. ¡°Starting to feel nervous?¡± ¡°Not over something like this.¡± ¡°Enough with the bravado. I¡¯ll make a formal proposal, be my son.¡± ¡°This again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only way you¡¯ll survive. If you ept my offer, I, Draksir de Foltaine, will protect you with everything I have.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I looked at Marquis Foltaine for a moment before shrugging my shoulders. ¡°How about this instead? Let me make a counteroffer. If I manage to escape from that formidable baldy¡­¡­ I mean, the Duke¡¯s clutches on my own, what will you give me?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If I raise my value, it¡¯s only fair that the investment should increase too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine stared at me in disbelief, his mouth slightly open. ¡°Though I suppose it¡¯s all the same since I¡¯ll eventually take over the Foltaine estate anyway. However, I realize that five years might feel a bit too long for you, Marquis.¡± We had made a promise some time ago. In five years, the representatives of Count Arsene¡¯s estate and Marquis Foltaine¡¯s estate would face off, with the loser serving under the winner. ¡°A day in the life of an old man and a day in the life of a child differ greatly in importance, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡­You cheeky brat¡­¡­¡± Finally, Marquis Foltaine bared his teeth with a smile. *** Chapter 64 Chapter 64 ¨C Coronation (2) ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Narakas, who had just heard my whole situation, gasped in shock. For the record, he was currently disguised as a stablehand in the pce. ¡°You seem even crazier. You actually infiltrated the royal pce under a false identity, and not just one from some random noble family?¡± ¡°Heh, this is the kind of thing you have to do if you want to lead the best intelligence organization on the continent.¡± ¡°But the pce thoroughly checks your identity before allowing entry.¡± ¡°If you disguise yourself as a previously approved servant, that¡¯s not an issue.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t the people around you notice something¡¯s off?¡± ¡°My specialty is mastering the walk, speech, and even the smallest habits of my disguise target.¡± Narakas responded with a voice brimming with confidence. This time, even his expression had changed. Especially those dark, ominous eyes. Looking into those eyes, which werepletely different from before, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of admiration. ¡®Can you even change your eyes? As expected of Narakas, the man of a thousand faces.¡¯ I was thinking this when he spoke again. ¡°Forget about me. What are you nning to do?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Do you really think you can escape the schemes of Duke Kairos on your own in this situation?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I need the help of a friend.¡± ¡°Friends, my foot. If I¡¯d had a child early, I¡¯d have a grandchild your age by now!¡± Yeah, no. In reality, I¡¯m actually a few years older than you. ¡°Now that I think about it, this is really unfair. Damn it, talking more is just going to wear me out.¡± ¡°Forget that, just give me some information on the Empire¡¯s delegation. They¡¯ve already arrived, haven¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Are you really nning to go through with this?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to mess things up out of fear, don¡¯t you think you should give me some information on them?¡± ¡°¡­¡­You have a point.¡± After a brief hesitation, Narakas nodded. ¡°The leader of this Empire¡¯s delegation is Count Kaiman. Have you heard of him?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± I¡¯ve already got all the key figures of the Empire stored in my head. But there¡¯s no one by the name of ¡®Kaiman¡¯ among them. Then again, it¡¯s been over 20 years since I was actively involved. ¡°He¡¯s a rising star in the Empire, and has made a name for himselftely. He apparently earned a nickname in his 30s. The fact that he¡¯s been recognized in the Empire is something to note¡­¡­¡± ¡°Spare me the long story. You¡¯re just saying he¡¯s a talented upstart, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s just drop it.¡± Narakas sighed. ¡°To cut to the chase, based on our intel, he¡¯s at least on par with the Masters of this country.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± Was he excited to see me in deep thought? ¡°Now you understand, right? I acknowledge your talents, but in this situation, there¡¯s no way you can take on a Master from the Empire.¡± ¡°Who said anything about causing trouble?¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying you won¡¯t?¡± ¡°I do use my brain. Do I look that crazy to you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When you answer so bluntly, there¡¯s not much I can say. ¡°¡­¡­Fine, let¡¯s take care of the urgent matters first. Here, deliver this for me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°A letter.¡± Narakas, tilting his head in curiosity, took the item I handed him. ¡°It¡¯s for¡­¡­ what was her name again? Winzer? Anyway, deliver it to the youngest princess of this country. Discreetly.¡± *** Winley had returned to the pce she so despised. As a witness in the noble assault case? No. She came back of her own ord. ¡°P-Princess!? You¡¯ve returned!¡± ¡°We were so worried!¡± ¡°We¡¯re truly relieved that you¡¯re safe, truly!¡± She only gave a slight nod to the servants who greeted her. It reflected just how angry she was at that moment. ¡®So, they knew everything already?¡¯ Winley wasn¡¯t a fool. She knew why Duke Kairos had been there. She recognized that sly look when they briefly met eyes. Even the sudden visit to Duke Herman¡¯s house, which seemed like a random event. ¡®They knew I was hiding my identity, but they just let it happen.¡¯ She especially couldn¡¯t face Duke Herman. It wasn¡¯t that she felt ignored; she just felt overwhelmingly guilty towards him. That¡¯s why she had returned, albeit btedly. ¡°Princess, what about your meal¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± No matter how much she tried to live an independent life, in the end, she was just a fish caught in a, trapped in the hands of the gods. It was her fate. She couldn¡¯t escape this hellish curse. ¡°¡­¡­Damn it.¡± Overwhelmed by this sense of loss, Winley stopped eating and isted herself in her room. But then, ¡°¡­¡­Princess, I¡¯ll leave your meal here in the crack of the door. Please eat, for the sake of your health.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Winley didn¡¯t even respond. She didn¡¯t have the strength to. However, ¡®¡­¡­Didn¡¯t they just say the crack of the door?¡¯ Wasn¡¯t that a strange thing to say? Not ¡®in front of the door¡¯, but ¡®in the crack of the door¡¯. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Winley poked her head out from under the covers, looking around. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± That¡¯s when she noticed it. A note was sticking out from the crack in the door. [Let¡¯s meet around noon, in the back garden of the Royal Knights¡¯ quarters.] That was all it said. ¡°¡­¡­Assassination?¡± That was her first thought. There was no reason to choose lunchtime otherwise. ¡®¡­¡­No. If assassination was the goal, they would¡¯ve chosen midnight, not broad daylight.¡¯ This was the royal pce, after all. If they wanted to kill her, it would¡¯ve made more sense to do it outside, especially since her identity was already known. More importantly, ¡®There¡¯s no political gain in it.¡¯ Killing her outright wouldn¡¯t be as useful as keeping her alive as a pawn in a political marriage. Her status as a princess could be valuable to any faction. ¡®¡­¡­Yeah. If I¡¯m going to live like this, I¡¯d rather just die.¡¯ With that, Winley staggered out of bed. What did she have to fear at this point? Besides, she felt more at ease in the Royal Knights¡¯ training grounds than in this suffocating bedroom. ¡°Let¡¯s see what kind of lunatic this is.¡± At this moment, Winley couldn¡¯t have imagined in her wildest dreams. That this ¡®lunatic¡¯ she casually mentioned in passing would turn out to be the real deal. * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * A peaceful noon, with birds chirping, and the sun warming the courtyard behind one of the pce buildings. As she leaned out the window, the person he had been waiting for slowly appeared. ¡°Princess!¡± Ancelot couldn¡¯t help but shout out in excitement. ¡°¡­¡­You¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get engaged!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley, who had just lifted her head, suddenly froze in shock. ¡°He¡¯s fucking crazy, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Princess¡­¡­ I think you just said that out loud.¡± ¡°Ack, sorry. It just slipped out.¡± Winley quickly apologized, feeling a bit embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m really a prince. The 7th prince of the Duchy of Meeke.¡± ¡°¡­¡­And?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want an arranged marriage, do you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley flinched. ¡°It¡¯s an engagement, not a marriage. You can break it off anytime.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Those Imperial bastards are here in the pce to take you, right? Tell them with your head lifted high. That you already have someone you love.¡± Winley waspletely taken aback by the unexpected proposal. ¡°If that prince bastard isn¡¯t some twisted freak who enjoys stealing other people¡¯s lovers, he¡¯ll probably give up.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Winley didn¡¯t answer right away. Because she disliked the proposal? No, that wasn¡¯t it. ¡®There are more twisted freaks out there than you might think.¡¯ Her father, for instance¡­¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t want a forced marriage, and I don¡¯t want to go home. Isn¡¯t this the best option we can think of?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Despite her logical mind telling her this was crazy, Winley¡¯s emotions were running wild. Was it because she had fallen in love with this lunatic at first sight? Of course not. ¡®This¡­¡­ This n just sounds insanely fun!¡¯ Her heart was practically dancing with excitement. ¡°¡­¡­Yeah, seeking you out was the best decision I ever made.¡± ¡°¡­¡­All of a sudden?¡± At his puzzled response, Winley lifted her chin defiantly. ¡°But I have a condition.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ancelot frowned. ¡°You¡¯re shameless. Hey, didn¡¯t you hear? This is a win-win. I even came up with the n. All you have to do is show up, and you¡¯reining?¡± ¡°So what? Beggars can¡¯t be choosers.¡± ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind.¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s really annoying to hear that from you, of all people.¡± Winley recalled the real reason she had sought him out in the first ce. ¡®My swordsmanship is stagnant.¡¯ That¡¯s what Duke Herman, a Master, had told her. He even said that this wasn¡¯t something his teaching could fix. She would have to learn through direct experience. ¡®I thought there wasn¡¯t anything I could learn from kids my age, but¡­¡­¡¯ Winley¡¯s eyes gleamed. This boy was different. Someone her age, but several, no, dozens of steps ahead of her. ¡°Make me as strong as you!¡± ¡°¡­¡­What makes you so confident?¡± ¡°Make me strong.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wanna.¡± ¡°Make me.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Make.¡± ¡°You brat, you keep shortening your sentences. ¡®Make¡¯, my ass. Should I just beat you up instead?¡± Flinch. Winley instinctively took a step back. It wasn¡¯t her head but her body that remembered that fear. ¡°Enough. Are you going to do it or not?¡± ¡°My answer is¡­¡­¡± ¡°Want me to hit you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll do it!¡± Finally, Ancelot nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Oh, one more thing. I¡¯m warning you in advance, but don¡¯t actually fall for me. This is just an act.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± For the first time, genuine confusion appeared on Winley¡¯s face. ¡°Did you hit your head?¡± *** That night. sh! While I was meditating quietly, I suddenly opened my eyes. ¡®A presence?¡¯ I sensed a very discreet presence outside the door. ¡®It¡¯s as stealthy as an assassin.¡¯ Sliiide. But nothing of concern happened. The presence simply slipped a note under the door and disappeared. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± I picked up the note, puzzled. There was nothing written on it¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Yeah, right.¡± I quickly lit a candle and held the paper over the me. ¡°No?¡± Nothing appeared, no letters revealed by the light. Then, onto the second method. Hummm! I infused the paper with mana. Still, there was no reaction. ¡°Did they get the wrong room?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but wonder. If I were the target, they should have used a method I could easily recognize. ¡®Now that I think about it, I heard that the strict Royal Knights sometimes use this method when arranging secret meetings.¡¯ I kept tilting my head in confusion, eventually lying down on my bed. ¡®¡­¡­There are no coincidences in this world. Only nned coincidences.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I quickly sat upright. With causees effect. ¡®What if it only reacts to a specific type of mana?¡¯ As soon as that thought crossed my mind, I remembered the tiny sliver of mana that had almost disappeared inside me. The mana I had gotten from the mana cultivation method of the Duchy of Meeke. I activated that mana. Hummm! Bzzt! Crackle! As soon as the insignificant mana activated, the note reacted. Red letters quickly began to engrave themselves on the paper. ¡®Bingo.¡¯ I focused on the words as they formed. [Do not trust your allies.] ¡°¡­¡­What kind of nonsense is this?¡± I frowned deeply at the first sentence. I was already sensitive about the idea of betrayal. And now they¡¯re telling me not to trust my allies? Crackle! [They¡¯re a spy of the Empire.] ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± I muttered in confusion as the next sentence appeared. But the real shock came with the final words that followed. Crackle! [¡­¡­Narakas is.] *** Chapter 65 Chapter 65 ¨C A Stab in the Back (1) m! I flung the door open. ¡±¡­¡­No one?¡± As expected, the dark hallway was filled only with silence. My brows gradually furrowed with frustration. ¡®Who¡¯s the bastard that pulled this kind of crap?¡¯ Sitting back down on the bed, I fell deep into thought. It¡¯s not like there weren¡¯t any clues at all. ¡®First, the bastard knows Narakas¡¯ name.¡¯ He was the head of the Mask of Night, an organization renowned as the greatest informationwork on the continent. He always wore a mask in public, avoiding exposure to the point of paranoia. Naturally, the true name of the leader was treated as top secret. ¡®But the fact that they know his name¡­¡­¡¯ An insider, or someone with ess to high-level information of that caliber at the very least. No matter how notorious Narakas might be, decades have passed since he assumed that position. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for a few members of the upper ranks to know his identity. Then, there was the second clue that added weight to this hypothesis. ¡®They also know that I¡¯m a member of the royal family of the Duchy of Meeke.¡¯ A means ofmunication. In other words, they chose to use mana, the ype the Meeke royal family is trained in. Combining this first clue with the second¡­¡­ ¡®Could it be someone in the upper ranks from the Duchy of Meeke?¡¯ There are more than enough reasons for them to do this. It would be troubling if the exiled prince¡¯s influence grew too strong. So, if their goal was to drive a wedge between me and Narakas¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­Of course, they must have anticipated that I¡¯d think this way.¡¯ So far, all the puzzle pieces had naturally clicked together without a single hitch. From my experience, hypotheses that fit together this smoothly are often a ¡®trap¡¯. ¡®Even kings of many nations don¡¯t dare to offend Narakas. Yet, would they really risk antagonizing the Mask of Night just to keep a lowly seventh prince, who has no backing, in check?¡¯ As long as Narakas imed to be my ally, doing so would also risk angering the Mask of Night. ¡±¡­¡­I¡¯ll check for myself tomorrow.¡± With that thought, Iid back down on the bed. *** The night sky was illuminated by a bright, full moon. A man, perhaps in his early thirties, slowly walked towards the stables. A striking scar that etched across his cheek set him apart from the others. Count Kaiman. He was a noble of the Empire, one of the most favored by the current Emperor. ¡±Lord Narakas.¡± Flinch. Narakas, who was busy cleaning up horse manure as usual while concealing his identity, slowly turned his head. ¡±¡­¡­As expected, you always manage to find me, no matter where I hide.¡± ¡±I was quite skilled at hide-and-seek when I was little.¡± ¡±Haha, that¡¯s quite a useful skill for people like us. Can¡¯t you teach me the secret?¡± ¡±I don¡¯t see why not.¡± Count Kaiman faintly smiled. ¡±¡­¡­Forget it. Judging by your face, I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be for free.¡± Narakas returned to cleaning the manure. ¡±You seem quite ustomed to this task.¡± ¡±I¡¯ve done all sorts of menial jobs since I was young.¡± ¡±Haha, if only there were more hardworking people like you, the country would be in better shape.¡± Count Kaiman let out a smallugh. Anyone who witnessed this would have been shocked. He wasn¡¯t known to be a man of many words. His reputation had even earned him the nickname, the ¡®Knight of Silence¡¯. ¡±They say that crises often arrive unexpectedly, but there are usually always signs.¡± ¡±What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± ¡±For example, if a sack of wheat that cost 20 dongs yesterday suddenly costs 25 dongs today, and 30 dongs the next day¡­¡­ prices spiraling out of control, like that.¡± Narakas turned his head back towards Count Kaiman. ¡±In the end, the supply wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with the overwhelming demand. If the goods in question are luxury items for the nobility, then it may not matter. But if it was something essential like food or other necessities, it would be a different story altogether.¡± ¡±Are you trying to give me a lesson on economics?¡± Count Kaiman continued speaking without acknowledging thement. ¡±At that point, merchants from outside woulde in, offering to sell the goods. However, they¡¯d say, ¡®We can¡¯t trust the currency of your small country, so we¡¯ll only ept Imperial currency, or at the very least, gold or silver.¡¯¡± ¡±¡­¡­Those outside merchants must have made preparations in advance, even if they took considerable losses.¡± Count Kaiman nodded. ¡±At first, it might not be a problem, but as that situation repeats, the value of the small country¡¯s currency would plummet¡­¡­¡± ¡±No. No local lord would be so foolish as to manage their resources like that.¡± ¡±What if they were in on it?¡± ¡±¡­¡­¡± Narakas finally showed a strange expression. ¡±That sounds eerily familiar.¡± ¡±Isn¡¯t it always like this? People, by nature, are selfish and prioritize their own safety. For them, others or their country will alwayse second.¡± ¡±Are you talking about the nobles of the Hart Kingdom?¡± ¡±No, I¡¯m talking about humanity.¡± Count Kaiman stared directly into Narakas¡¯s eyes. ¡±Lord Narakas, in the end, life is about survival. Those who fail to notice changes and continue living as they always have will eventually be left behind. Thoughts like, ¡®Our country will be fine¡¯, or ¡®Our family won¡¯t be affected¡¯, are the very thoughts that lead people into their destruction.¡± ¡±So you¡¯vee to threaten me, I see.¡± ¡±You¡¯re smarter than anyone I¡¯ve ever met, Lord Narakas.¡± Under the moonlight, Count Kaiman smiled widely. ¡±Just ride the tide of the times, Lord Narakas.¡± ¡±I understand, so let¡¯s end this here.¡± ¡±I apologize if I overstepped my boundaries.¡± Count Kaiman immediately moved to the main topic. ¡±I¡¯ve heard there was an intruder at Lord Bastion¡¯s tomb.¡± ¡±I¡¯ve already warned them not to get any ideas, but I can¡¯t kill him myself.¡± ¡±The prince of the Duchy of Meeke, correct?¡± ¡±Yes. So I think it¡¯s best not to stir up unnecessary trouble. This could easily escte into a diplomatic issue between the two nations.¡± ¡±I see.¡± ¡±If I find anything, I¡¯ll report it immediately. Since that¡¯s why His Majesty kept me around.¡± Count Kaiman gave a slight nod. ¡±But how did the prince know the code to open the tomb?¡± ¡±I¡¯m wondering that myself. How did that young prince know?¡± ¡±So even you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡±If I knew, I wouldn¡¯t be observing him, would I?¡± At this point, Count Kaiman¡¯s voice dropped a little lower. ¡±¡­¡­Then, why didn¡¯t you inform us immediately when the tomb was opened?¡± Narakas replied calmly. ¡±Believe it or not, I informed you as soon as I knew.¡± ¡±As I mentioned earlier, the tomb was designed to send us a signal upon its opening. However, there was a considerable dy between the time you informed us and when it actually happened.¡± ¡±If I hadn¡¯t informed you at all, it would be a different story. Is it fair to pressure me just because I was a littlete? After all I¡¯ve done, this is disappointing.¡± ¡±Lord Narakas.¡± Narakas¡¯s tone changed. Gone was the usual yful and light-hearted tone, reced by something serious and weighty, befitting that of a head of a vast organization. ¡±Let¡¯s stop here. Honestly, being suspected like this makes me ufortable.¡± ¡±I¡¯m doing this to avoid being suspicious of you. I even sent someone separately, as I want to trust you that much.¡± ¡±Then just trust me.¡± ¡±¡­¡­The tomb¡¯s entrance waspletely sealed off.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it was. I closed it.¡± ¡±Why did you erase the traces of the tomb?¡± ¡±For the same reason. If traces of the Empire are found on foreign soil, His Majesty would be in a difficult position, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡±It was information we didn¡¯t need to hide. All the important parts were erased anyway.¡± Narakas showed his displeasure openly, but Count Kaiman seemed determined to continue. Narakas spoke up again. ¡±I¡¯m aware of the current situation. The Empire¡¯s goal is to trigger a civil war in the Kingdom of Hart, isn¡¯t it? In that context, any story rted to a great hero is only harmful information. It would only increase their vignce unnecessarily.¡± ¡±Hmm.¡± ¡±Do I need to exin further?¡± After a brief moment of scrutiny, Count Kaiman finally took a step back. ¡±¡­¡­My apologies. If that¡¯s the judgment of Lord Narakas, the leader of the Mask of Night, then so be it.¡± ¡±Since earlier, I¡¯ve had a feeling that you¡¯re here to interrogate me, Count.¡± ¡±Indeed, I am.¡± Narakas¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡±I thought I¡¯d already proven my loyalty to the Empire.¡± ¡±Oh, don¡¯t misunderstand, Lord Narakas. Given the recent precedent set by the Hart Kingdom, I just wanted to be extra sure. I have my own position to consider.¡± Count Kaiman bowed his head slightly, seemingly genuinely apologetic. ¡±I¡¯ll be going now.¡± ¡±¡­¡­I¡¯m not in the mood to tell you ¡®goodnight¡¯.¡± ¡±Haha, I do enjoy your pure-hearted nature, Lord Narakas. It doesn¡¯t quite match your station.¡± ¡±Ha! It takes a certain skill to make apliment out of calling someone childish.¡± ¡±Oops. I don¡¯t want to be disliked any further, so I really should take my leave.¡± With those words, Count Kaiman turned to go. ¡±¡­¡­Oh, by the way.¡± ¡±What is it now?¡± ¡±I recently heard a strange rumor. That someone in the Hart Kingdom was using Sir Theorg¡¯s ze.¡± ¡±¡­¡­¡± In the silence, Count Kaiman¡¯s voice rang out once more. ¡±¡­¡­Of course, it¡¯s probably a mistake. The me looks just like regr fire mana on the surface. But, as they say, where there¡¯s smoke, there¡¯s fire. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could let me know if youe across any relevant information.¡± ¡±I wasn¡¯t going to mention this either.¡± ¡±¡­¡­?¡± ¡±I¡¯ve heard that one of our organization¡¯s relics is stored in the Empire¡¯s warehouse.¡± ¡±¡­¡­¡± ¡±You do understand what that means to me, don¡¯t you?¡± Count Kaiman, who had been silent for a moment, smiled faintly. ¡±That¡¯s a baseless rumor. The idea that something you treasure is in the Empire¡¯s warehouse is absurd. Are you implying we stole it?¡± ¡±For your sake, I hope not.¡± Narakas abruptly turned away. It was a clear signal that the conversation was over. ¡±In any case, I trust you, Lord Narakas. And here, a small gift for the prince of the Duchy of Meeke.¡± Narakas only turned his head slightly. ¡±His identity is certain, and if we can bring him to our side, all the better.¡± Suddenly, a box was left where Count Kaiman had been standing. With those final words, Count Kaiman had disappearedpletely. ¡±¡­¡­Sigh¡­¡­¡± Now alone, Narakas walked over to the box. Then, he looked up at the sky. ¡±¡­¡­Damn moon, shining so brightly without a care in the world.¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Rustle. As usual, Narakas slipped through the window. ¡±Are you asleep?¡± At his words, the person lying down quietly opened their eyes. ¡±No.¡± ¡±I brought you a gift.¡± ¡±¡­¡­¡± Normally, just the word ¡®gift¡¯ would have made him jump up immediately. But strangely, he continued to lie there, simply staring at Narakas for a long moment. ¡±¡­¡­Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡±Hey, friend.¡± ¡±Huh?¡± ¡±Are you struggling?¡± ¡±¡­¡­¡± Narakas paused briefly, then casually brushed his hair back. ¡±Can you see my expression even in this darkness?¡± ¡±Very clearly.¡± ¡±This is a mask, you know. I was aware of it, but it seems even you, the stable hand, can tell that I look pretty gloomy.¡± ¡±Your eyes look different than usual.¡± ¡±¡­¡­What?¡± ¡±Of course, you¡¯re skilled enough to even fake your gaze. But even considering that, your mood feelspletely different.¡± For a moment, a shiver ran down Narakas¡¯ spine. ¡®This guy is the real deal.¡¯ Finally, as if he couldn¡¯t help it, Narakas confessed. ¡±I guess I can¡¯t fool you.¡± ¡±If you¡¯re struggling, go ahead and spill it. What¡¯s bothering you?¡± ¡±Well, everyone has a worry of their own, don¡¯t they?¡± Narakas shook his head as he said this. ¡±No, it¡¯s not just one. As humans, we torment ourselves with all sorts of worries and anxieties about things that haven¡¯t even happened yet.¡± ¡±Is that all?¡± ¡±That¡¯s all. I have more mouths to feed than I can count. After all, I¡¯m the leader of an organization, right?¡± ¡±That¡¯s because you¡¯re a warm-hearted guy.¡± ¡±¡­¡­What?¡± ¡±Those who are cold-hearted only think about their own survival.¡± I pointed to his chest. At that moment, Narakas¡¯ mouth fell open in surprise. He hadn¡¯t expected to receive such unexpectedfort from this person. But why did those words sound so sweet? ¡±Most leaders treat their subordinates like disposable tools. Even when their subordinates achieve great things and make them shine, theyter fear losing that shine, so they kill even the most loyal followers. Bastards.¡± ¡±Hahaha. That sounds like a tale of the great hero.¡± ¡±Butpared to that, I think you¡¯re a true leader.¡± In that instant, something swelled up inside Narakas. ¡±¡­¡­Thanks for recognizing that.¡± At the same time, Ancelot slowly stood up. ¡±Did you betray me for your subordinates?¡± *** Chapter 66 Chapter 66 ¨C A Stab in the Back (2) ¡°¡­¡­¡± A heavy silence settled over the room. ¡°Tell me. Did you really decide to be a puppet of the Empire?¡± Narakas did not reply. He was an extraordinary kid. He wouldn¡¯t say such things without reason. However, ¡®¡­¡­Even knowing this, I can¡¯t help but ask myself.¡¯ Did it catch me off guard? It would be a lie to say my heart didn¡¯t skip a beat, but it¡¯s in moments like these that you have to stay shameless. ¡®Above all, my pride is on the line.¡¯ Narakas now felt a hint ofpetitiveness. Some may think he¡¯s crazy but it couldn¡¯t be helped. He had spent his life deceiving others. Just as knights took pride in their swordsmanship, he had immense confidence in these psychological battles. ¡®This is a duel, kid.¡¯ At this moment, Narakas decided to test his opponent once more. ¡°What are you talking about? Me, a puppet of the Empire?¡± Narakas¡¯s eyes gleamed sharply as he calmly questioned back. As if trying to see through everything about his opponent. If there was a lie, he would spot it immediately. But then, ¡°Someone came and told me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Narakas¡¯s calm demeanor quickly shattered. ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t ask me for proof. It burned up as soon as I read it. That¡¯smon, though, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Narakas straightened up after a moment of silence. ¡°¡­¡­So, to summarize, in the dead of night, someone snuck into the heavily guarded royal pce, where royal knights are stationed, handed a note to you alone, then quietly slipped away?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what happened.¡± ¡°And you expect me to believe that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re being unlike yourself.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t believe me. Believe in yourself, like you usually do.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Narakas¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This reaction right now. That¡¯s the second reason I know you¡¯re a puppet of the Empire. You¡¯re far too agitated, unlike the Narakas I know.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Narakas¡¯s eyes darkened. As expected of a worthy opponent. Sweat beaded in his palms. Even his heart began to race. Yes. It was pathetic to watch ignorant swordsmen swing their des to the death. True powery in those who controlled the world from the shadows. The ones who manipted even those swordsmen. The monsters who couldmand people with just a word, without shedding a drop of their own blood. To Narakas, a strong person was such an individual. ¡°¡­¡­Ridiculous. Something like that¡¯s your second reason? Then, is the first reason that stranger¡¯s nder? Do you trust that faceless, nameless person more than me?¡± ¡°No?¡± Narakas sneered. ¡°So you¡¯re just going to deny it?¡± ¡°No, I mean that the nder isn¡¯t the first reason.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I never believe what others say. I only believe what I see and hear with my own eyes.¡± The voice that had stabbed Narakas in the back continued. ¡°And I believe in you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°You said it yourself, didn¡¯t you? ¡®Thanks for recognizing that.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re a warm-hearted guy. But would that warm leader, who cares for his subordinates, gamble with their lives?¡± Those connected to the great hero are the Empire¡¯s top targets. Of course, if a leader were to protect such a person, the entire organization would suffer. That¡¯s why Narakas could offer no retort. ¡°The Mask of Night has always taken in orphans and raised them as members of the organization. Swordsmanship families might only pass on their secrets to select children due to their inherent talent, but intelligence gathering is a field where hard work can ovee ack of natural ability.¡± As he said this, Ancelot held up one finger. ¡°However, ¡®trust¡¯ must be absolute. That¡¯s why the motto of the Mask of Night is ¡®Solely Trust¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The Mask of the Night is no longer just an organization. It¡¯s ¡®family¡¯, thicker than blood. That¡¯s why even a mere green-y knew the leader¡¯s identity and why the look in your eyes changed when your name was mentioned.¡± Narakas had already felt his tension dissipate. However, his voice was still gruff when he spoke. ¡°¡­¡­They¡¯re just guesses.¡± ¡°Yeah, as I said, I don¡¯t have any evidence. That¡¯s why I hope you¡¯ll be the evidence.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°If you say, ¡®I¡¯m not a traitor¡¯, here and now, I¡¯ll believe you. Because that¡¯ll be the evidence.¡± ¡°Hah?¡± Narakas curled one side of his lip. He was clearly mocking him. ¡°Why? Are you suddenly worried about needing my help? But trust isn¡¯t that simple. It¡¯s like trying to get back together with a past lover.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it hard to put a broken vase back together? Even if you do, you¡¯ll constantly be reminded of why you broke up in the first ce. ¡®Oh, this is why we parted ways,¡¯ or ¡®I never liked this part of them.¡¯ But here you are, trying to forgive someone who outright cheated on you. You¡¯ll end up driving yourself mad, torturing yourself with doubt. Do you really think you can trust my information after already doubting me? That¡¯s why maintaining trust from the start is crucial.¡± The words poured out of Narakas. Even he wasn¡¯t sure why he was reacting this way but he was genuinely angry. ¡°You really are in a pitiful situation, aren¡¯t you? Powerless, you¡¯re considering allying with the enemy until the end in order to survive. And how naive. If you had quietly kept the knowledge that I was the ¡®enemy¡¯ to yourself, you could have used the situation to your advantage¡­¡­¡± ¡°I never thought of you as an enemy.¡± Snap. Narakas gritted his teeth. ¡°To the very end¡­¡­!¡± ¡°My stance has been consistent from the beginning, hasn¡¯t it? I suspected you might be a ¡®puppet of the Empire¡¯, but I never considered you an ¡®enemy¡¯.¡± Narakas frowned. ¡°Is there really a difference?¡± ¡°There is. The Empire¡¯s methods are obvious. If they¡¯ve taken your family or subordinates hostage and are threatening to kill them if you don¡¯t cooperate, then you¡¯re a puppet, but not by choice.¡± Ancelot¡¯s voice was firm. ¡°If you were truly loyal to the Emperor, you¡¯ve already had plenty of chances to harm me. That much is certain.¡± ¡°And if I kept you alive to gather information? To a spy, you¡¯re a walking treasure trove.¡± ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you reported it to the Emperor?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say you have. If the Emperor had heard that the legacy of the great hero had surfaced, would he leave it in your hands and let me roam free?¡± Ancelot shrugged his shoulders. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t make sense, would it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Finally, Narakas¡¯s mouth twisted into a smirk. ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re truly impressive, and despite your age, you¡¯re frighteningly perceptive.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m the only one who knows that. If I were to inform the Emperor once you¡¯ve be even more formidable, the reward would be far greater, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t do that. You¡¯re too smart for that.¡± ¡°I should do it, precisely because I¡¯m smart. I want to live a long life.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t trust the Emperor.¡± Stab. His words pierced Narakas¡¯s heart like a dagger. ¡°Of all people, you, who knows more secrets and buried truths from all over the continent than anyone else¡ª someone who knows the truth behind the tales rted to the great hero, wouldn¡¯t trust the Emperor. After all, even that great hero met a tragic fate because of his child, a child who was ultimately killed by the Emperor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Once you¡¯ve outlived your usefulness, you¡¯ll be discarded. The Empire will fake your death and take over your entire organization. That¡¯s how they operate.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You must have been constantly searching for a way out of this situation, unable to confide in anyone. Struggling alone, for over a decade.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Unlike the great hero, who only had a child to protect, you have an entire ¡®organization¡¯ that looks up to you as a father. That burden must be several times¡­¡­ no, thousands of times heavier.¡± As the conversation continued, memories of the past flooded Narakas¡¯s mind. His emotions welled up even more. Especially since the one speaking to him was the sessor of that great hero. ¡°¡­¡­Ha¡­¡­¡± Narakas now had no choice but to admit it. He had lost. Completely. And now, he was certain. He had not chosen wrong. ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t beat you in an argument, you damned brat.¡± Narakas scratched his head, his usual sly grin returning. ¡°So, what¡¯s your answer to my question?¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll give you the answer you want. I haven¡¯t betrayed you. The Mask of Night follows its code no matter what. Even under threat, be it from another person or organization, once trust is broken, it¡¯s as good as dead.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s enough.¡± The infuriating guy nodded with a smile. ¡®How frustrating.¡¯ Did he decide to trust him that easily, from just a simple answer? ¡®No.¡¯ There wasn¡¯t any concrete evidence, but his logic was wless. That¡¯s why Narakas couldn¡¯t make a proper rebuttal. ¡®For now, it seems I have no choice but to rely on this bastard.¡¯ It was a resignation, rather than a thought. ¡°What¡¯s with you? Why are you suddenly grinning to yourself?¡± But why? The moment he made that decision, he found himself smiling. ¡°Tsk. I still can¡¯t stand you.¡± Narakas clicked his tongue and then remembered his original purpose. Thud. He pulled an item from his coat and ced it on the table. ¡°Open it after I leave.¡± ¡°What is it? A gift tomemorate our truce?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± Narakas shuddered at Ancelot¡¯s nonchnt tone, and exined. ¡°It¡¯s not from me. It¡¯s a gift from the Empire to you.¡± On a night bathed softly in moonlight, in the darkness where everyone else slept. Step, step, step. I made my way to the training grounds used by the royal knights. Perhaps it was because of my status as a foreign prince? Fortunately, as long as I stayed within certain boundaries, no one tried to stop me from moving freely. However, ¡°Good evening.¡± There was already another visitor at the training grounds, my destination. A handsome man with a striking scar running across his right cheek greeted me immediately. ¡°You must be Count Kaiman.¡± It wasn¡¯t surprising. Every building within the pce is meticulously designed with specific purposes in mind. As such, the outer pce, where foreign dignitaries stay, is located directly across from the royal knights¡¯ quarters. This is so they can quickly protect the guests in case of an emergency. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Luxiu Bel Kaiman.¡± The moment I saw him, I knew. ¡®He¡¯s strong.¡¯ Stronger than anyone I¡¯ve encountered until now. Perhaps even stronger than the Masters of this nation. ¡°¡­¡­I appreciate the gift.¡± Shaking off my thoughts, I held up the item I had brought with me. One was the box I had received from Narakas. ¡°But I can¡¯t help but ask what exactly this means.¡± In my other hand, clenched in a fist, was a handful of ck powder, now reduced to ashes. Whoosh. I blew the ashes away with a breath, revealing a grin. ¡°It was you, wasn¡¯t it? The bastard who orchestrated this whole mess.¡± *** Chapter 67 Chapter 67 ¨C Who Knows What He¡¯s Thinking (1) Inside the box were two books and a mana pill. Among them, the former were advanced swordsmanship and mana cultivation methods that I was already familiar with. Of course, these are considered advanced by continental standards, but within the Empire, they¡¯re treated as mere mid-tier items. ¡°The moon is quite bright tonight, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Enough with the nonsense.¡± I cut off Count Kaiman¡¯s small talk. ¡°You know who I am, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He agreed so readily that it left even me a bit deted. ¡°Confident, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I just wanted to let you know in advance that there¡¯s nothing I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s this?¡± ¡°As you can see, it¡¯s a small gift from me.¡± My lips naturally curled up into a smile. ¡°Are you trying to recruit me to the Empire?¡± ¡°Of course. His Majesty, the Emperor, values talented people.¡± ¡°What about me caught his attention?¡± ¡°Your very existence makes you the kind of talent His Majesty would wee.¡± He meant that my status alone offered endless possibilities for exploitation. As he said this, his eyes curved into a sly smile. ¡°Won¡¯t you join hands with me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hold hands with men.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking.¡± Although he was still smiling, his voice at that moment was utterly serious. ¡°You want revenge, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°You want to be stronger as quickly as possible and return, don¡¯t you? After all, you almost ended up living your life as a ve because of those you once considered family.¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Was it because I denied it so tly? For the first time, he fell silent. ¡°Answer my question first. It was you, wasn¡¯t it? The one who gave me that damn note.¡± Immediately, Count Kaiman¡¯s expression turned strange. ¡°May I ask why you think that?¡± The reason was quite simple and clear. ¡°Because you¡¯re from the Empire.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Contrary to my expectations, he didn¡¯t deny it. He just stared at me with that same unsettling expression. ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re using the alias ¡®Ancelot¡¯, I hear¡­¡­¡± Count Kaiman spoke up. ¡°Are you perhaps carrying on the legacy of the great hero?¡± ¡°Answering a question with another question¡ª where did you learn such rude manners?¡± ¡°I apologize, but I¡¯m in a bit of a hurry too.¡± ¡°Why should I care about your circumstances?¡± He didn¡¯t relent. ¡°You¡¯re being assisted by the leader of the Mask of Night, you know how to open the Five Heroes¡¯ Tomb, and most importantly, I¡¯ve heard that the mana of someone I respect has manifested in an unexpected ce like this.¡± He was already suspicious that I was the source of the ze. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too much of a coincidence?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Ahahahahaha!¡± Suddenly, I burst intoughter. It was genuinely funny. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s not polite tough like this in front of someone, but¡­¡­ Pffft.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s so amusing? Care to share?¡± ¡°I just wondered if His Majesty, that great Emperor of yours, still hasn¡¯t managed to escape the shadow of the great hero.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For the first time, Count Kaiman¡¯s expression hardened at myment. ¡°It¡¯s been over 20 years since he died. During that time, the Empire has be an unrivaled superpower. And yet, is His Majesty still afraid of a ghost?¡± Even as I spoke, small bursts ofughter kept escaping me. How could I not find it amusing? Using the alias ¡®Ancelot¡¯ and causing the ze. All of it was just a measure to ensure that even the Emperor, like me, would suffer from nightmares, if only for a single day. ¡°¡­¡­So, you already know the hidden truths of history. That only confirms my suspicions.¡± ¡°What you¡¯re doing now isn¡¯t asking questions; it¡¯s called confirmation.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You already had your answer before you even met me, didn¡¯t you? Unless you hear the answer you want from my mouth, you¡¯ll keep bothering me until you do. Or¡­¡­¡± I trailed off, a sly smile forming on my lips. ¡°¡­¡­You might just kill me.¡± Because that¡¯s how the Empire operates. ¡°Well¡­¡­ it seems you have a rather poor impression of us. Swallow isn¡¯t just a ce for madmen. It¡¯s a ce where people live, just like here.¡± ¡°Sure, if you say so.¡± Perhaps realizing that the conversation wasn¡¯t going anywhere, he changed the subject. ¡°¡­¡­Putting everything else aside, the Mask of Night is always motivated by what they stand to gain. Especially not thezy leader.¡± ¡°As you said, I¡¯m not an ordinary talent. I must have something they want if they¡¯re sticking around me, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m genuinely curious about what it is they¡¯re trying to get from you.¡± ¡°Want me to show you?¡± Shiiing. Without a word, I drew my sword from its sheath. Even then, my opponent didn¡¯t flinch. He must be incredibly confident in himself. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m just showing you something.¡± There was a considerable distance between us. ¡°With a single downward sh, mes fall like snowkes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± As I softly murmured, his eyes widened. He was surprised. Fwoosh! It was just a simple downward sh. Yet, in an instant, the surroundings were brightly illuminated. Fragments of mana. mes scattered in every direction like glowing embers, almost like fireflies in summer. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the swordsmanship manual you gave me.¡± I could tell just by looking at his face. He was genuinely shocked, and he had every right to be. It hadn¡¯t even been two hours. Yet, here I was, wlessly executing the sword techniques from the manual he gave me. ¡°I¡¯m a genius, like the great hero.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°The leader is investing in someone like me. As you can see, I¡¯m quite a promising investment. Before long, I¡¯ll probably be the ¡®best on the continent¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For a brief moment, Count Kaiman¡¯s eyes widened. Then, shortly after¡ª ¡°¡­¡­Pfft.¡± He let out a smallugh. ¡°Oh! I wasn¡¯t mocking you just now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­It sure sounded like you were.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­¡­ you¡¯re much more innocent than I expected. It¡¯s rather refreshing.¡± ¡°Enough of that. I answered one of your questions, so shouldn¡¯t you do the same for one of mine?¡± He smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright. What do you want to know?¡± ¡°Whose side are you really on?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Well, obviously, I¡¯m on the Emperor¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°Spare me the obvious answer. There must be someone you truly follow in your heart.¡± I knew. The rtionship between those three¡ª zes, Full Moon, and the Undefeated. Their strongest rival, me, had disappeared. Would those greedy bastards be satisfied with that? Far from it! They wanted to be the best. They wanted to put each other beneath their feet. Because that¡¯s the instinct of a male. ¡°¡­¡­Lord Narakas would have told you if you had asked him.¡± ¡°Nothing in this world is free, especially in a give-and-take rtionship.¡± ¡°¡­¡­To answer your question, I don¡¯t follow anyone. Not yet, at least.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m supposed to believe that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the truth. Now it¡¯s my turn.¡± His face became serious again. ¡°Investing in overwhelming talent¡­¡­ Fine, I can understand that much. But how did you manage to open the hero¡¯s tomb?¡± Swoosh. At that moment, an unexpected figure appeared beside me like a shadow. ¡°You two are practically advertising that you¡¯re having a secret meeting.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Narakas?¡± ¡°Wrap it up. Thanks to this guy, it looks like people will soon be swarming here. And¡­¡­¡± Narakas flicked away the remaining embers and spoke. ¡°I told him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Narakas?¡± ¡°Being in the business of information, I came across the password. Frankly, how could I resist? It¡¯s the Five Heroes¡¯ Tomb, after all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­So you were trying to cover your tracks?¡± ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing, really. I used a kid out of greed and ended up walking right into a trap with no gain. That¡¯s why I¡¯m now stuck being dragged around by this prince.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m notpletely satisfied with that answer, but if that was the case, I can understand somewhat. Still, you went too far, given our rtionship.¡± ¡°Human greed knows no bounds. If you¡¯d given me even a hint about what was inside, I wouldn¡¯t have gone to such lengths.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s my fault?¡± ¡°In a situation where we can¡¯t trust each other, how can we have an open conversation? Let¡¯s stop ruining my investment and call it a day.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Kaiman looked at me again. ¡°One side seeks revenge, the other seeks investment. Alright, I understand that it¡¯s a rtionship of mutual need.¡± ¡°Next time, bring me a gift that¡¯ll tempt me. I¡¯m always open.¡± I threw my arm over Narakas¡¯ shoulder. ¡°What I¡¯m saying is, instead of pulling these kinds of stunts, try and do some business¡ª like him.¡± I nodded at Narakas. ¡°Everything about you is great, except for that cocky attitude. How old do you think I am?¡± Watching this unfold, Count Kaiman smiled warmly. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to take my leave. Regardless, you two look good together.¡± ¡°Look good together, my foot¡­¡­¡± Narakas muttered in annoyance. Count Kaiman chuckled and continued. ¡°In any case, I shoulde prepared with something that¡¯ll really win over my partner tomorrow.¡± And so, our long, long night finally came to an end. At the same time, in the mansion of Count Arsene, located in the capital. ¡°¡­¡­Is this really the right thing to do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the royal pce, of all ces! At least you guys have your status as a safety. If I get caught, you won¡¯t even find my bones.¡± Despite his words, Harun had already covered himself entirely,plete with a mask. ¡°But why did Master suddenly beat up that butter-faced fool?¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s probably because of Kirian.¡± The answer came from Jan. ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡± Harun nodded in understanding. There had been a minor incident with a kid named Winzer or something in between, but no matter how much they thought about it, that was the only reason they could think of. ¡°In the end, because of me¡­¡­¡± Just as Kirian was sinking into gloom, Harun quickly intervened. ¡°Hey, the Master isn¡¯t someone who acts on emotions.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been around the master a bit longer than you guys.¡± Harun vividly remembered it. The sight of his master throwing him into a horde of dozens of bandits. The devilish voice that said if he couldn¡¯t survive, then so be it. He had had nightmares of Ancelot, his eyes rolled back white, who told him to kill or be killed¡ª something he never wanted to experience again. ¡°¡­¡­Fuck.¡± Unconsciously swearing, Harun patted Kirian on the shoulder. ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s no need to feel too guilty. If you feel bad, just get stronger. Strong enough so that you never cause this kind of trouble again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yeah.¡± Kirian nodded slightly. At that moment. sh! The light in the room suddenly brightened. ¡°¡­¡­What are you all doing?¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°F-Father¡­¡­!¡± It was Count Arsene. The sight that greeted him in the room was nothing short of absurd. Three kids dressed entirely in ck, masks covering their faces. ¡®They look no different from thieves.¡¯ Their intentions were crystal clear. ¡°¡­¡­What? Were you nning to sneak into the royal pce?¡± Count Arsene let out a deep sigh, and looked at the other corner of the room. ¡°And what are you two doing?¡± ¡°M-My lord!¡± ¡°Th-The thing is¡­¡­¡± He had noticed Viscount Rodri and Baron Tucker, dressed in the same attire. ¡°H-How could we let the kids go to such a dangerous ce alone?¡± ¡°Our n was to use our status to get into the outer pce somehow, and then secretly rescue the honored guest.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a thing, my lord! We will make sure no harmes to the family!¡± ¡°Yes! We¡¯re doing this because we have our own motives. If we get caught, we¡¯ll bite our tongues and die on the spot!¡± Count Arsene clutched his throbbing head. ¡°Well done, you fools. Instead of stopping the kids from causing trouble, you¡¯re nning to get into trouble with them!?¡± ¡°W-We apologize!¡± ¡°Enough. Everyone, stop.¡± Then Count Arsene talked as if making a deration. ¡°That child is already a member of our family. If a child makes a mistake, it is the head of the family¡¯s duty to take responsibility. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I already requested an audience with His Majesty this morning. During that meeting, I will officially report that Ancelot is a member of our family.¡± ¡°F-Father¡­¡­¡± ¡°M-My lord¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s worth noting that Ancelot participated in this knight exam not as a squire of Count Arsene but as a moner¡¯. ¡®Because officially affiliating him with us might hinder his future prospects.¡¯ Naturally, Count Arsene wanted Ancelot more than anyone. No, who wouldn¡¯t? Any family would eagerly wee such a talented individual. Just look at how Marquis Foltaine acted. But what if he shamelessly forced an affiliation in this situation? ¡®In the future, when that child wants to join an organization for real, our current affiliation could negatively impact him.¡¯ Swearing loyalty to one lord until death. Standing steadfast in one ce, like a thousand-year-old rock, no matter how much time passes. That was the knight¡¯s code shared by all nations. People who switch sides left and right are never respected, no matter where they go. That¡¯s how trust works. Once broken, it¡¯s nearly impossible to restore. There will always be suspicion that you¡¯ll switch sides again in a time of need. As such. ¡°I will tell His Majesty that I¡¯ve taken him in as my adopted son.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Being a son is fundamentally different from being a squire. Even if he changes his affiliationter, there will be no grounds for criticism. Traditionally, when the eldest son inherits the family, it¡¯s customary for the other siblings to leave. This ensures a smoother session. Those who leave often end up serving other noble families. Some be heirs by marrying into other noble families, while others with great talent might serve as knights to distinguished lords for the rest of their lives. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t impose any responsibilities or duties on him. I¡¯ll just provide him with what he needs, and, as a father, protect him if he¡¯s in danger.¡± ¡°M-My lord¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you all forget this.¡± Count Arsene spoke firmly. ¡°Those who forget the favors they¡¯ve received are no better than beasts.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll remember!¡± Their voices resounded loudly. Finally, Count Arsene nodded. ¡°I will bear Ancelot¡¯s punishment, as his father.¡± *** Chapter 68 Chapter 68 ¨C Who Knows What He¡¯s Thinking (2) At the break of dawn, Count Arsene made his way to the royal pce. However, ¡°Today, entry into the pce will be difficult, Count.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hmm?¡± He was stopped by royal guards right at the entrance of the pce. Naturally, Count Arsene¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°I requested an audience with His Majesty in advance. Are you telling me I can¡¯t enter?¡± ¡°There has been a royal decree to postpone all prior engagements.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± A royal decree? Just as his suspicions grew. ¡®¡­¡­Hmm?¡¯ Arge procession inside the pce suddenly came into view. Among them was a familiar face. ¡®¡­¡­Marquis Foltaine.¡¯ The bloodthirsty man he would never forget. Not just him, but other marquises were also beginning to appear one by one. ¡®Now that I think about it¡­¡­¡¯ The Grand Nobles¡¯ Meeting. Today was the day when the three ducal houses and the five marquis houses gathered to discuss major state affairs. ¡®¡­¡­I guess causing a scene here wouldn¡¯t be wise.¡¯ It seemed that nothing had happened to Ancelot, so it would be best to retreat for now. ¡°Well then, please ry a message inside for me.¡± ¡°What message should we pass on?¡± ¡°Tell them that the criminal inside is my child. That should be enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The royal guards widened their eyes in shock. ¡°C-Criminal? Your child?¡± ¡°W-We hadn¡¯t heard anything like that¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene, with an unwavering expression, borated further. ¡°Ancelot, themoner who recently assaulted the heir of the Treman family. That child is mine.¡± ¡°Wh-What did you just say?¡± Of course, the royal guards knew exactly who the criminal was. The strange guest who had recently taken up residence in a corner of their quarters was already infamous. ¡°So, I suppose it¡¯s only right that I take responsibility for the crime. After all, he¡¯s still just a child, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Could you please pass on my message?¡± The royal guards exchanged nces for a moment before nodding. ¡°¡­¡­We will ry it as you¡¯ve asked.¡± *** At the same time, in the royal guards¡¯ quarters. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to leave.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I tilted my head in confusion, having been about to go for a walk as usual. ¡°¡­¡­What the. I thought I could roam around this area freely?¡± ¡°Today is an important day for national affairs. Stay inside and wait quietly.¡± Naturally, a smirk crept up on my lips. ¡°You think just because you tell me to stay put, I¡¯ll obey?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Move. Unless you want to get hit.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The two royal guards at the entrance gaped at me, dumbfounded. ¡°He¡¯s a lunatic.¡± ¡°We thought it was bad enough when he beat up the count¡¯s heir in broad daylight. What kind of parents raised this brat¡­¡­¡± The veins on my forehead popped. These guys weren¡¯t even thinking about confronting the person who started the whole thing, yet they had the nerve to talk like this? ¡°¡­¡­You just crossed the line. You dare bring my parents into this?¡± ¡°W-Wait a second!¡± At that moment, another royal guard came running over, out of breath. ¡°What!? He¡¯s Count Arsene¡¯s child?¡± Immediately, three pairs of eyes turned to me in unison. ¡°¡­¡­I see. So that¡¯s why Lord Kairos reacted that way.¡± ¡°It all makes sense now why he¡¯s been allowed to stay here.¡± From the way the situation was unfolding, I quickly figured out what was going on. It seemed Count Arsene had made his move. ¡°¡­¡­Even so, further misconduct will not be tolerated.¡± ¡°Am I hearing you right? I thought my identity had already been verified.¡± ¡°This is the royal pce. You can¡¯t just cause a ruckus here, even if you¡¯re Count Arsene¡¯s child.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± These guys were practically begging me to hit them. ¡°Are you going to move while I¡¯m being nice, or move after getting hit?¡± The royal guards chuckled softly, their expressions practically saying, ¡®You? Really?¡¯ ¡°You guys are hopeless.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stup¡ª¡± Bam! Bam! Bam! Before they could even react, I delivered clean hits to their temples. Thud! As I looked down at the three unconscious guards, I casually dusted off my hands. ¡°Looks like these brats forgot what I¡¯m capable of.¡± The royal court. The king, the marquises, and other high-ranking nobles were gathered there, along with the delegation from the Empire. Before the internal discussions could begin, the Empire¡¯s official congrattory speech was to take ce. ¡°Once again, I sincerely congratte Your Majesty on your ascension to the throne. And, thank you for your hard work, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Thank you.¡± Sitting on the throne was Melio II, who had recently cut off contact with the outside world. He nodded weakly. ¡°Furthermore, before I step down, I must convey a somewhat regrettable matter regarding the marriage between the imperial prince and the princess¡­¡­¡± At the same time, Count Kaiman, the representative of the imperial delegation, began to get to the point. Winley, who had been bowing her head, suddenly widened her eyes. ¡®You have to say it now, that you¡¯re already betrothed!¡¯ Just as Winley was thinking that. ¡°¡­¡­I apologize. On behalf of the Empire, I offer my sincerest apologies.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°There has been a misunderstanding on our part. The 12th Prince, who was in talks with the princess, already had a fianc¨¦ in mind.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley¡¯s eyes grew wide. A fianc¨¦? No one in the room was naive enough to believe that. It wasn¡¯t even relevant in the first ce. The Empire had always intended to use her as a strategic asset. As a mere ¡®concubine¡¯ to the 12th Prince, no less. ¡°Hoo¡­¡­ Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes. We are deeply sorry.¡± Duke Kairos, who had been observing the situation, began trembling with barely restrained anger. -Count, what is the meaning of this? If this was your n, you should have at least informed me in advance! -I only received the news yesterday. The two exchanged these brazen telepathic messages within the royal court. But that wasn¡¯t thest of Count Kaiman¡¯s surprises. ¡°And¡­¡­ it seems that among the prisoners held here, there is a prince of the Duchy of Meeke.¡± ¡°Wh-What?¡± ¡°I will personally vouch for his identity. So, how about we release him?¡± ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡­?¡± ¡°As the protector of the continent, we do not wish for any misunderstandings between the two nations. I should mention, this is also the will of His Majesty the Emperor.¡± Finally, Duke Kairos exploded. ¡°Count! What do you think you¡¯re doing!? No matter how powerful the Empire may be, you can¡¯t just disregard international agreements and meddle in another country¡¯s affairs like this!¡± Duke Kairos¡¯s anger was understandable. This threw all of his ns into disarray. Moreover, Prince Andrew was a crucial bargaining chip for future negotiations with the Duchy of Meeke. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Kaiman simply stared at Duke Kairos in silence. In that tense silence, neither of them looked away. After a long while, it was Count Kaiman that first spoke. ¡°Do you truly believe that, Duke Kairos?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The situation was on the brink of erupting into violence. Drip. But despite the tension, Duke Kairos felt cold sweat running down his back. ¡®I¡¯m¡­¡­ trembling?¡¯ When you reach a certain level, you can sense things without crossing des. That¡¯s how much ¡®spirit¡¯ tells you. But to be overwhelmed by the spirit of a mere youth, who hadn¡¯t even lived half of his life¡­¡­ Duke Kairos, known as the greatest knight in the Kingdom of Hart, was losing hisposure. ¡°Do you all feel the same way?¡± Count Kaiman looked around with his characteristic smile. ¡°If the Kingdom of Hart continues to cause unrest on the continent¡­¡­¡± His voice suddenly took on a chilling tone that echoed throughout the room. ¡°¡­¡­We will have no choice but to take punitive measures, as the protectors of this continent.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± This was the royal court. Yet, he spoke such words with ease. Duke Kairos felt a deep-seated rage twisting inside him. But there was nothing he could do. The Empire had the power to back up its threats. It had already happened once before. When they first annexed a neighboring country into the Empire, they humiliated the king by forcing him to bow before a mere general in front of all his vassals. Nine times, no less. Such is the sorrow of a weak nation. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ As the tension hung heavy in the royal court, an unexpectedmotion erupted outside. ¡°Seize him!¡± ¡°He¡¯s gonepletely mad!¡± ¡°What are you all doing!? This is the royal court! You must capture him!¡± There was a sudden uproar outside. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Duke Kairos turned away from Count Kaiman as naturally as possible. ¡°All right, all right, let me go.¡± All eyes turned to the entrance of the royal court. There, a ragged figure dragged several royal guards behind him. ¡°Hahaha.¡± Count Kaiman wore a delighted expression as he telepathically sent a message. -I was nning toe find you anyway, so this is perfect. -What are you going on about now? -My gifts are not only materialistic; they include assistance as well. I just prevented your forced detention, Prince. -What nonsense. -Of course, I have many more gifts to offer. A twisted smile formed on Ancelot¡¯s lips. He wasn¡¯t one to refuse a gift. But, -What a pity. This one¡¯s of no use to me. Count Kaiman smiled broadly. -Oh, dear. Is that so? Then I¡¯ll do my best to ensure the next gift meets your expectations. *** After themotion. Once the Imperial delegation had withdrawn, Duke Kairos immediately unleashed his pent-up frustration. ¡°Your Majesty! Their demands have gone too far!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°How can they be so arrogant? We must formally protest to the Empire!¡± King Melio II, sitting on the throne, murmured weakly. ¡°¡­¡­Do as you see fit.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°¡­¡­But¡­¡­¡± Melio II nced toward the entrance of the royal court. ¡°Is that child outside really the prince of the Duchy of Meeke?¡± ¡°¡­¡­With all due respect, Your Majesty, I believe it would be best to send Prince Andrew back with the Meeke delegation. There¡¯s no reason for us to get involved in another country¡¯s session disputes.¡± ¡°Do you really think so?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Then, do as you will¡­¡­¡± At that moment, Marquis Foltaine raised his hand. ¡°I believe that handing over the prince to the Duchy is, in fact, not much different from getting involved in their session battle.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Marquis, are you out of your mind? The Duchy of Meeke is essentially ruled by the queen. Naturally, any children she didn¡¯t bear¡­¡­¡± ¡°You never know. Perhaps she¡¯s just a figurehead, and the real power lies elsewhere¡ª like in our country.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Kairos¡¯s eyes widened with anger. Despite such reactions, Marquis Foltaine continued, undeterred. ¡°No one knows how things will turn out. It¡¯s foolish to make hasty predictions and jump into the fray based on preconceptions.¡± ¡°You insolent fool! How dare you¡­¡­!¡± Duke Kairos¡¯s face turned red with anger, but Duke Herman raised his hand. ¡°I agree with what was just said.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Kairos¡¯s pupils dted again, as if to say, ¡®Why are you agreeing with him?¡¯ ¡°I heard that Princess Winley is dating the 7th Prince of the Duchy of Meeke.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± This revtion sent a shockwave through the court. Even the lethargic king opened his eyes wide in surprise. ¡°Wh-What did you just say, Duke?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something I confirmed directly with those involved.¡± King Melio II quickly turned his head. ¡°W-Winley. Is what he said true?¡± ¡°Ah, w-well¡­¡­¡± Winley, too embarrassed to speak, hesitated. For the first time, the King burst into heartyughter. ¡°Hahaha! I thought you only cared about swordy and had no interest in dating. When did this happen¡­¡­?¡± ¡°For the record, setting aside political considerations, I must say that the prince has extraordinary talent. Far beyond what someone like me could everpare to.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± This wasing from Duke Herman, a man whose skill was on par with Duke Kairos. ¡°I-Is that really true?¡± ¡°Yes. Perhaps we should consider weing him as a royal consort. His status leaves nothing to be desired, as well.¡± ¡°Hoo¡­¡­¡± Of course, Duke Kairos voiced his objections. ¡°What if this strains our rtionship with the Duchy of Meeke?¡± A new voice interrupted. ¡°It won¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ancelot entered the royal court, apanied by the royal guards. ¡°I asked them to bring him here.¡± ¡°What?¡± Duke Herman added an exnation. ¡°Discussing someone¡¯s fate without their presence is disrespectful, considering his status.¡± Another voice, clearly aimed at aggravating Duke Kairos, chimed in. ¡°Why not just raise me well? Who knows? I might grow up to conquer the entire Duchy of Meeke in the future.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Rather than trying to gain something by handing over a weak prince and squabbling over whether to kill or spare him, wouldn¡¯t it be more strategic to look further ahead?¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡­?¡± ¡°And that¡¯s precisely what Marquis Foltaine, the kingdom¡¯s finest merchant, would call a ¡®wise investment¡¯.¡± At that, Marquis Foltaine burst intoughter. ¡°Bwahahahahaha!¡± ¡°¡­¡­What a spectacle.¡± Even Duke Herman couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Instead, shouldn¡¯t we be focusing on how to strengthen the kingdom?¡± ¡°You insolent brat!¡± ¡°Or would you prefer to suffer the same humiliation you did earlier at the hands of that young Imperial noble?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At this, Duke Kairos gritted his teeth. *** Chapter 69 Chapter 69 ¨C The Delegation from the Principality of Meeke (1) *TL/N: Going forth, the ¡®Duchy¡¯ of Meeke will be referred to as the ¡®Principality¡¯ of Meeke. The changes will be made to the previous chapters soon. Even though he was a prince, he was still a foreigner. To act so arrogantly in another country¡¯s royal court, especially toward a duke, one of the highest-ranking nobles, was uneptable. ¡®Should I just kill him?¡¯ Duke Kairos himself was itching to behead the prince right then and there. But he couldn¡¯t. Leaving aside issues of diplomacy and maintaining appearances, it was for the same reason as before. They were still at, after all, the royal court. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s best to stop here, Duke Kairos.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Duke Herman, are you siding with him?¡± ¡°Any further action would be disrespectful to His Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At this, Duke Kairos nced toward the throne. At that moment, ¡°Personally, I think that child has a point.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened in shock. King Melio II, who appeared lifeless until now, suddenly showed signs of interest. ¡°Your Majesty! Are you really considering going to war with the Principality of Meeke?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that something we can resolve through diplomacy? As Marquis Foltaine suggested, handing over the prince might be seen as meddling in another¡¯s conflict.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, are you really siding with this reckless boy?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± King Melio II silently stared at Duke Kairos. ¡°¡­¡­Ugh¡­¡­¡± Duke Kairos let out a groan. He was once the leader of the royal faction. It was also he who had betrayed them first. To im he was on the king¡¯s side now would only prick his conscience. ¡°¡­¡­More importantly, isn¡¯t it uneptable to recklessly hand over a knight of our country?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Kairos¡¯s eyes shot open. ¡°What? Did you just say a knight of ¡®our country¡¯?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The chief examiner of the knight¡¯s exam informed me that the prince of Meeke sessfully passed our knight¡¯s exam.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Kairos¡¯s face instantly twisted in displeasure. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Duke Herman?¡± ¡°It is, Your Majesty.¡± Duke Kairos finally grasped the situation. The final evaluator of the knight¡¯s exam was none other than Duke Herman. ¡®No wonder he didn¡¯t follow me directly to the pce¡­¡­¡¯ Duke Kairos turned again to look at Duke Herman. ¡°¡­¡­Duke.¡± ¡°Please, speak.¡± ¡°I never thought even you, myrade, would side with this foolish prince.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not siding with some foreign prince¡ª I¡¯m siding with our princess.¡± Duke Herman responded with a calm smile. ¡°Moreover, there was nothing wrong with what the prince said, was there?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°We live in a world where a nation must be wealthy and have a strong military to survive. While having powerful allies or alliances is good, ultimately, self-defense is the only way to survive in this wild world.¡± ¡°It seems you¡¯ve learned a lot from this incident.¡± ¡°Well, you could say that.¡± The other high-ranking nobles watched this intriguing battle of spirits in silence. ¡°But what can I do? I¡¯ve already informed the Principality of Meeke that Prince Andrew von Meeke is under our country¡¯s protection.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman nced at Ancelot and smiled. ¡°Nevertheless, my opinion remains unchanged.¡± *** As soon as I left the royal court, I turned to Duke Herman, who was following closely behind me. ¡°What exactly is going on here?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°How could I have been granted a knighthood when I myself didn¡¯t even know about it?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s true. It just hasn¡¯t been officially announced yet.¡± Although I¡¯d expected this oue, something about it made me feel uneasy. ¡°So, am I the top candidate?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No? Then, second ce?¡± Duke Herman looked at me with an exasperated expression. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? Do you have any idea how much I had to fight to get you to pass? I had to persuade the other evaluators!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°How could a madman who writes about chivalry as ¡®a funeral for the living¡¯ be top or second ce?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I genuinely couldn¡¯t understand his reaction. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not wrong, am I?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman averted his gaze, clearly frustrated. ¡®Someone please do something about this kid,¡¯ his face seemed to be saying. However, ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman stared nkly, his mouth slightly open. He had been seeking support, but instead, Marquis Foltaine had chimed in his agreement. ¡°Et tu, Foltaine?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just sharing my thoughts.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have any awareness as a knight¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just an old man who¡¯s a bit stronger than most. Strictly speaking, I¡¯m a merchant, through and through.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I have nothing to say to that.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why I feel drawn to this boy as well.¡± ¡°Your attitude towards him is already fatherly.¡± ¡°That, I¡¯m not so sure about. I have a formidable rival, you know.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Count Arsene couldn¡¯t resist and came to see him, iming that this boy here is his son.¡± The Marquis of Foltaine ced a hand on my head. Duke Herman shot a curious look in my direction. ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re quite popr.¡± ¡°I¡¯m at a loss of what to do with all this attention, myself.¡± ¡°Well, at this rate, your revenge won¡¯t be impossible.¡± It seemed they believed that my ultimate goal was to return to my homnd to inherit the throne. This made me even more curious. How would they react when they discovered that my true target for revenge wasn¡¯t the Principality of Meeke, but the Empire? ¡°Recently, another Master has emerged in the Principality of Meeke, greatly increasing their national power.¡± As he said, the strategic value of a Master could significantly impact a nation¡¯s strength. ¡°If you¡¯re nning to im the throne with our country¡¯s support¡­¡­ At the very least, you¡¯ll need the backing of all the high nobles. Strictly speaking, we¡¯re outsiders, after all.¡± ¡°I was nning to do just that.¡± Of course, the goal remains unchanged. To turn all the high nobles of the Kingdom of Hart, including these two, into vassals of the Arsene County. ¡®Shall we see how well I can carry out my filial piety?¡¯ Two dayster, a group entered Bromhill, the capital of the Kingdom of Hart. At the front, a g with a white hawk flying proudly waved. It was the delegation from the Principality of Meeke. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s about time to decide on Prince Andrew¡¯s punishment¡­¡­¡± Two men sat facing each other inside a luxurious carriage. One was Prince Enzi von Meeke, the undisputed heir to the throne of the Principality of Meeke. The other was Duke Veder, one of the only three Masters in the entire country. ¡°¡­¡­Your Highness?¡± However, Prince Enzi continued to gaze out the carriage window. ¡°The capital is truly beautiful.¡± ¡°What? Ah¡­¡­¡± He was changing the topic using his peculiar way of speaking. Duke Veder shook his head and steered the conversation back. ¡°Your Highness, you have two options. You can bring Prince Andrew to the capital to punish him for his actions, or you can send him to the northern territories as per the queen¡¯s orders¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, enough of this talk about worms. It¡¯s unsuitable for such a beautiful view.¡± Prince Enzi waved his hand dismissively, as if the topic bored him. ¡°What difference does it make whether we burn him a bit brutally or toss him to the monsters? It¡¯s the same either way, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­!¡± Suddenly, Prince Enzi¡¯s eyes sparkled. The beautiful royal pce of the Kingdom of Hart had juste into view. Along with the weing party that hade to greet them. ¡°Let¡¯s prepare to disembark¡­¡­¡± Prince Enzi, who had been speaking, suddenly fell silent. ¡°My word¡­¡­ There¡¯s ady even more beautiful than the pce.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Pardon?¡± Duke Veder, puzzled, turned to look in the same direction. Indeed, a stunning beauty had entered their view. ¡°Judging by her appearance, she must be Princess Winley, the youngest daughter of the current King Melio II. Next to her is Duke Herman, whom I¡¯m also familiar with.¡± ¡°Indeed. So that beautiful woman was Princess Winley.¡± Prince Enzi¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Winley. As the carriage neared the pce, he quickly jumped out. ¡°I am Winley Kun Hart. Wee to the Kingdom of Hart.¡± ¡°Thank you for such a warm wee.¡± Prince Enzi responded with the utmost courtesy. ¡°Please, this way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be guided personally by both the renowned Princess and the esteemed Duke Herman.¡± Prince Enzi expressed his gratitude again and followed them. The atmosphere was pleasant. The prince and princess exchanged pleasantries, as did the two Masters. Outwardly, rtions between the Kingdom of Hart and the Principality of Meeke weren¡¯t particrly bad. ¡°¡­¡­By the way¡­¡­¡± Judging that the mood was as good as it was going to get, Winley cautiously spoke up. ¡°Prince, do you happen to know anything about Prince Andrew?¡± She was well aware of his situation. Before they could take him away or cause any harm, she intended to establish that the two were, at the very least, acquainted. Since that would help him. After all, regardless of how things turned out, it was true that he had helped her. And one more thing. ¡®To be honest, I¡¯m really curious.¡¯ It was pure curiosity on Winley¡¯s part. When exactly had he be so bull-headed¡­¡­ er, reckless? ¡°My! I didn¡¯t expect you to take an interest in my brother.¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s helped me in the past¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, he did take after his mother in terms of looks.¡± Winley fell silent. She had naturally assumed he wasn¡¯t of legitimate birth. If he had been, he wouldn¡¯t be treated so poorly. Winley herself was born to the third queen, after all. ¡°Then, his mother¡­¡­?¡± ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± At that moment, Duke Veder, who had been conversing separately, interrupted. ¡°Princess, may I speak freely?¡± ¡°Of course, Sir Veder.¡± ¡°It would be wise not to take too much interest in Prince Andrew. He is a criminal of the Principality of Meeke, from birth.¡± ¡°Wh-What? A criminal?¡± Winley¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°It seems I should exin further.¡± With a sigh, Duke Veder continued. ¡°Prince Andrew¡¯s mother was a traitor. When her plot was discovered, she fled in the night with the infant Prince Andrew. She was a criminal guilty of high treason.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°As you know, treason is a crime that spans three generations. Despite that, our king and queen have forgiven him and cared for him all this time.¡± The story was so shocking that Winley¡¯s pupils trembled. *** After escorting the delegation from the Principality of Meeke to the guest house, the three of them gathered straight away in Duke Herman¡¯s office. ¡°Is what I heard really true?¡± ¡°It¡¯s likely true, at least on the surface.¡± Winley turned her head toward the voice. ¡°Marquis Foltaine, do you know something about this?¡± ¡°The Queen of the Principality of Meeke¡¯s influence behind the scenes is well-known, even in other countries. For years, she has systematically eliminated her rivals. By ¡®rivals¡¯, I mean the potential enemies of her children¡ª the other heirs to the throne.¡± Winley had heard this before. ¡°Now that you mention it, all the princes from the Principality of Meeke who were granted territories and left the kingdom have all been in mysterious idents¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, they all died. That started when Prince Andrew, the seventh prince, was just a newborn. Imagine what thoughts his mother must have had, witnessing such events.¡± Marquis Foltaine continued. ¡°She must have lived in constant fear. As her child grew older, she knew that he, too, would be sent into exile and killed, just like the others.¡± ¡°S-So, the night escape was¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, it was to save her child. It wasn¡¯t treason; it was a mother¡¯s noble sacrifice for her son.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley covered her mouth with her hands in shock. ¡°Of course, she likely had help from someone within the pce.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± ¡°It would have been practically impossible for her to escape from that enormous pce on her own. If she had attempted it alone, she would have been caught and killed before the escape even happened.¡± Winley¡¯s expression brightened slightly. ¡°Then, there might still be people within the Principality of Meeke willing to help Prince Andrew¡­¡­!¡± But Marquis Foltaine shook his head with a somber expression. ¡°They¡¯re probably all dead by now.¡± *** Chapter 70 Chapter 70 ¨C The Delegation from the Principality of Meeke (2) With that, Duke Herman went to find Ancelot. Like a shadow, Winley followed closely behind him. ¡°The delegation from the Principality of Meeke has just arrived.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do my best to make sure you don¡¯t run into them.¡± Duke Herman owed a debt of gratitude to Ancelot. Thanks to him, Winley was able to avoid an arranged marriage. ¡°Even if we do run into them, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± ¡°What are they going to do? Roast me alive in the middle of a foreign nation? Boil me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman stood there stunned, his mouth agape. He knew Ancelot wasn¡¯t normal, but how could this kid be so fearless? Winley, who was standing nearby, had a simr reaction. ¡°¡­¡­Are you just pretending to be calm?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way you aren¡¯t nervous.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry? You haven¡¯t done anything wrong, but your life is in danger.¡± For a moment, Ancelot¡¯s expression became strange. ¡°Why does it seem like you¡¯re more upset than I am? Have you been bottling things up?¡± Winley flinched, as if struck by those words. ¡°Well, even though there¡¯s a degree of difference, we¡¯re in simr situations, aren¡¯t we? Both our lives are at risk, and your future.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°But what¡¯s the point of suffering alone? It¡¯s your loss.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Winley¡¯s voice slipped out in a whisper, smaller than an ant. ¡°How could I? I¡¯m human¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re already doing a good job.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re already doing well. You¡¯ve been working hard, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯re actually desperately struggling to fight against your predetermined fate.¡± ¡°Me¡­¡­?¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t, you wouldn¡¯t have even thought toe back to find me after taking such a beating.¡± At that moment, something welled up inside Winley. Memories of the past came flooding back. She had learned swordsmanship instead of dancing. She had trained her eyes to see swords, not jewels. She¡­¡­ had merely wanted to be a knight, despite being a woman. How many sneers and whispers had she endured just for that? She had given it her all, regardless. There were times when she wanted to give up and run away, but she never did. She never doubted that her efforts would one day be rewarded. ¡°So just keep doing what you¡¯re doing. Don¡¯t change. Seeing you falter is what the people who wish for your downfall want.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a long silence, Winley¡¯s lips parted slightly. ¡°¡­¡­Thank you.¡± *** The next day, at the crack of dawn, Winley headed to the training grounds. She had a lot on her mind after what happened yesterday. She was eager to work up a good sweat. However, ¡°Princess?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± In the midst of it, she encountered someone she absolutely didn¡¯t want to see. ¡®Prince Enzi, was it?¡¯ Winley forced a smile as she touched the corner of her mouth with her finger. The first prince of the Principality of Meeke was lingering nearby, as if he were out for a stroll. ¡°¡­¡­Good morning, Prince Enzi. Did you sleep well?¡± ¡°All thanks to you, hahahaha!¡± ¡°But what brings you here so early in the morning¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, this is how I start my day. Just because I¡¯m in a foreign country doesn¡¯t mean I can skip my morning routine.¡± Having said this, Prince Enzi tapped his waist. Winley¡¯s eyes widened. Attached to his waist was a sheath. ¡°Have you learned swordsmanship?¡± ¡°It¡¯s both a hobby and a specialty of mine. I¡¯ve heard rumors that Princess Winley is also quite skilled with the sword?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Skilled? How embarrassing. It¡¯s just a hobby for my health.¡± ¡°Well, since we share the same hobby, why don¡¯t we spend time together today?¡± Though Winley still wore a smile, her insides were boiling with irritation. ¡®I was feeling good today¡­¡­¡¯ But she couldn¡¯t outright snub someone who hade all the way from another country to congratte them. ¡°¡­¡­Sure. Then shall we¡­¡­¡± Just as she was about to apany him to the training grounds, she froze. In the distance, she saw a familiar face. ¡®Ancelot? Oh, I mean¡ª Prince Andrew.¡¯ Winley¡¯s pupils dted in rm. If these two met now¡­¡­? ¡®No!¡¯ Without thinking, Winley quickly stepped in front of Prince Enzi. ¡°¡­¡­Princess? What¡¯s all this about¡­¡­?¡± ¡°B-Before that, how long have you been practicing swordsmanship, Prince?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why do you ask all of a sudden?¡± ¡°If there¡¯s too much of a difference in skill, I might be embarrassed¡­¡­ I-I just want to know in advance!¡± Prince Enzi slightly puffed up his chest. It was a male¡¯s instinct to want to impress a woman, especially at his age. ¡°When ites to swordsmanship, I¡¯m fairly proficient. The training grounds are just ahead, so I was thinking of showing off my skills¡­¡­ Huh?¡± Suddenly, Prince Enzi¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°¡­¡­It seems someone has gotten here before us. I deliberately avoided the regr training hours of the royal knights to be polite¡­¡­¡± ¡°There are plenty of other training grounds! Let¡¯s go to an empty one!¡± ¡°But as a guest, I should at least say hello¡­¡­¡± ¡°H-How about we have a match right here!?¡± Winley blurted out anything that came to mind in her haste. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Enzi¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Me¡­¡­ and you, Princess?¡± ¡°Yes! Training should be like realbat. Just a friendly sparring match!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Someone might get hurt¡­¡­¡± Though he didn¡¯t specify who, Winley understood perfectly well. A faint vein appeared on her forehead. ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯ll be difficult. How could a man possibly injure ady?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Winley felt a chill of cold anger run through her,pletely forgetting the situation she was in. It wasn¡¯t anything new. She had experienced this kind of situation countless times, so often that she was sick of it. ¡°¡­¡­We could use wooden swords instead of real ones, couldn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Even so¡­¡­¡± ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m attracted to men who are stronger than me. If you can teach me a lesson, Prince, I¡¯ll grant you a wish.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Atst, Enzi looked intrigued. ¡°If it¡¯s more of a teaching session¡­¡­ I suppose that could work.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care!¡± Winley even bowed her head, as if afraid he might refuse. ¡°Oh, please, Princess. There¡¯s no need for that between us¡­¡­¡± As she lowered her head, Winley¡¯s lips twisted into a smirk. Between us? Since when was there anything ¡®between us¡¯? ¡®You¡¯re dead today, butter number 2.¡¯ Winley hid her murderous intent behind a bright smile. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± I tilted my head, sensing a presence nearby. I was standing in the second training ground. But off in the distance, at the fifth training ground, I noticed a pair¡ª a man and a woman. ¡®It¡¯s rare to see such diligent kids these days.¡¯ It was 6 in the morning. The regr training for the royal knights didn¡¯t start until 8, so they were here two hours earlier. ¡°Oh? I know those kids.¡± As I absentmindedly nced at the girl, my expression grew more curious. ¡°I¡¯ll let you make the first move.¡± The guy, who looked pretty full of himself, spoke confidently. ¡°Thank you for the courtesy.¡± ¡°Hahaha,e at me whenever you¡¯re ready. I¡¯ll take on everything you¡¯ve got.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but click my tongue. You can tell a lot about a person just from their stance. It seemed like he had dabbled in swordsmanship, but the gap in skill between them was obvious. ¡°Well then¡­¡­ here Ie.¡± Princess Winley murmured as she lightly swung her wooden sword through the air. And before she even finished saying the word e¡¯. sh! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± My eyes widened in surprise. Could a bird soaring through the sky be as swift? She was light. And fast. With each step she took on the ground, her figure seemed to shoot upward as if she were trying to leap into the sky. Bam! ¡°¡­¡­Gasp!¡± Her speed was literally terrifying. Of course, the guy was caught off guard. ck, ck, ck, ck! Their wooden swords shed repeatedly. Due to the natural physical differences between men and women, women have a clear disadvantage in terms of physical strength. Especially at that age, ¡®weight ss¡¯ is something that can¡¯t be ignored. However, Winley¡¯s sword was sharp, and it even carried weight. It meant she knew how to use her entire body at the right moment, not just her wrist. ¡®Her fundamentals are solid. Her stance is good, too.¡¯ Whack! Whoosh! In an instant, Winley used the recoil from their swords shing to slip back into the guy¡¯s blind spot. Retreating wasn¡¯t an option. ¡®Good. When you go on the offensive, you shouldn¡¯t give them any room to breathe.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. ¡®I knew she had talent, but¡­¡­¡¯ To be honest, I was too distracted to properly gauge her skills during the knight¡¯s exam. But seeing her now¡­¡­ ¡®There¡¯s probably no one her age who can be her match.¡¯ Harun, who I had no choice but to take in, and Kirian, who was naturally fragile, both had above-average swordsmanship talent. Even Jan, who was more skilled than them, could be considered top-tier for their age group. However, ¡®Even they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against the princess.¡¯ And it¡¯s not just those kids. Even in the Empire, known as the best on the continent, it would be hard to find someone of her caliber. ¡®She¡¯d definitely be worth nurturing.¡¯ Just as I had that thought¡­¡­ Crack! Whoosh! The wooden sword flew off into the distance after a powerful collision. Of course, the owner of the sword was the poor guy. ¡°Phew.¡± Winley let out a refreshing sigh, as if she had just cleared away years of built-up frustration. ¡°P-Princess. What just¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I learned a lot. Thank you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Winley bowed deeply toward the dumbfounded guy. ¡°Thanks to your consideration, I was able to handle the spar easily.¡± ¡°¡­¡­A-Ahem.¡± The guy¡¯s face flushed red with shame. Consideration, my foot. Even a passing dog could see he¡¯d given it his all. p, p, p, p. I approached them, pping my hands together. Both of their gazes turned towards me. For some reason, Winley¡¯s face turned ghostly pale. ¡°Y-You! What are you doing here¡­¡­?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that reaction? You¡¯re acting like you¡¯ve been caught doing something you shouldn¡¯t¡­¡­¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not that¡­¡­¡± Winley nced nervously to the side. It was only then that I understood her strange reaction. ¡°You¡­¡­?¡± The guy even pointed a finger at me. ¡°Worm?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Worm?¡± That couldn¡¯t possibly have been directed at me, could it? *** Chapter 71 Chapter 71 ¨C Winley Kun Hart ¡°Hey, you with the double eyelids and thick lips. Did you just call me a worm?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± In this absurd situation, Prince Enzi stood there, dumbfounded, his mouth agape. ¡®Is this a dream?¡¯ Yes. It must be a dream. Otherwise, there¡¯s no way I would lose to a mere girl, and experiencing something as absurd as this would be unimaginable. ¡®It has to be.¡¯ In other words, this was a continuation of the nightmare. ¡°¡­¡­Ow!¡± Right after, Enzi pinched his cheek hard. ¡°It hurts.¡± Meaning, it¡¯s not a dream. ¡°Then, am I seeing things?¡± This was also a highly likely scenario. He must have been tired after his long journey. ¡®Because otherwise¡­¡­¡¯ Enzi¡¯s gaze soon focused on one spot. ¡°¡­¡­Worm.¡± That hallucination couldn¡¯t possibly be saying such crazy things. Andrew von Meeke. No matter how much he looked, it was the same person. It must be a hallucination. The worm he remembered couldn¡¯t even make proper eye contact like he was now. He was always slumped over, exuding a gloomy aura, like he was the most pitiful person in the world. A hopeless case who was ignored not just by the noble children of his age, but even by mere knights. That¡¯s why they called him a worm. A lowly creature, simr to a parasite. A nickname that perfectly suited the trash who did nothing but take up space in the pce. epting that such a creature was ¡®of the same royal blood¡¯ was impossible in the first ce. ¡°So, you really did call me a worm.¡± ¡°H-Hey, fianc¨¦!¡± Winley quickly stepped in between them. The situation seemed to be on the verge of diplomatic copse. So, she deliberately emphasized the word ¡®fianc¨¦¡¯. ¡°F-Fianc¨¦?¡± Enzi¡¯s expression became one of utter shock, as if he¡¯d just been hit hard by a hammer. Taking advantage of the moment, Winley squeezed out her voice. ¡°I-I¡¯m still not fully warmed up. So, how about sparring with me as part of my morning training?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± ¡°L-Let¡¯s have a match!¡± Winley started blurting out whatever came to her mind. But she immediately regretted it. ¡®A match? I¡¯d be lucky not to get beaten to a pulp again.¡¯ Still, she couldn¡¯t take back what she said. She needed to resolve the current situation first. ¡®Judging by Prince Enzi¡¯s reaction, it¡¯s clear he doesn¡¯t know the true nature of this boy.¡¯ That seemed to be the most likely scenario. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be practically begging for his death. ¡®He¡¯s probably been hiding his true abilities all this time.¡¯ That¡¯s how extraordinary this boy was. ¡®But why?¡¯ Why, after hiding it so well, is he now acting as if they¡¯replete strangers? ¡®Is he trying to impress me?¡¯ Winley shook her head. That couldn¡¯t be it. ¡®I heard there were a lot of incidents. If he lost part of his memory during those events¡­¡­¡¯ Then everything would make sense. ¡®Then that¡¯s all the more reason to de-escte this situation. If he ends up beating Prince Enzi out of anger¡­¡­¡¯ Then the situation would be truly irreversible. ¡°So, you want revenge for the knight¡¯s exam?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Sigh. That¡¯s right.¡± Phew. With a sigh, Winley adopted a serious expression. Once she decided to go through with it, she was determined to do it properly. Even if she managed to defuse the situation now, there was no guarantee it wouldn¡¯t happen again once his presence was known. Therefore, ¡®I have to show Prince Enzi that the worm of the past no longer exists.¡¯ It was toote to help him hide his abilities. There had been too many incidents already. Rather, if she showed a glimpse of his strength now, Prince Enzi wouldn¡¯t dare to act so arrogantly again. Not while they were in the Kingdom of Hart, at the very least. ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care.¡± And so, Winley decided to sacrifice herself. She raised her sword, bringing it level with her nose. It was an exquisitely formal salute that she hadn¡¯t even shown Enzi. ¡°¡­¡­Sir Ancelot.¡± Winley did not address her opponent as the 7th Prince of the Principality of Meeke, Andrew von Meeke. She treated him as Ancelot, an official knight of the Kingdom of Hart. In fact, that was the path she had to follow from now on. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ancelot silently looked at Winley, then a faint smile appeared on his lips. ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t regret this?¡± Flinch. Winley shuddered, maintaining her salute. ¡°O-Of course not.¡± ¡°What on earth is going on here!?¡± But Enzi, who had been watching the situation unfold without understanding Winley¡¯s actions, finally exploded in anger. There was no greater humiliation than this. ¡°Princess, are you really engaged to this worm?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. What could you possibly becking to be engaged to this worm?¡± Unlike Winley, Ancelot didn¡¯t hold back. ¡°You¡¯ve been deliberately choosing words that piss me off. Who the hell are you?¡± ¡°What? Crazy bastard. Have you lost your mind since thest time I saw you? Or are you just trying to deny reality?¡± ¡°Exin it to me in a way I can understand.¡± At that moment, Ancelot¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°H-He¡¯s your older brother. Don¡¯t you remember?¡± Winley, convinced that her guess was correct, quickly approached and whispered. ¡°Brother¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Enzi von Meeke, the 1st Prince from the Principality of Meeke, like you. He¡¯s considered a strong candidate to be the next king.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Oho.¡± Finally, Ancelot¡¯s eyes lit up with realization. ¡°Why? Is your lost memorying back now?¡± Enzi sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He had been seething with anger, needing someone to take it out on. Winley, forgetting the seriousness of the situation, couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. On the other hand, Enzi¡¯s face turned bright red, like a ripe tomato. ¡°This bastard¡­¡­!¡± ¡°If I¡¯m a bastard, then are you a bastard brother?¡± Grab! In an instant, Enzi picked up a wooden sword that had been lying on the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll tear your mouth apart!¡± And he meant it. Enzi¡¯s body shot forward like a bolt of lightning. Hummm! A resonating sound followed behind him. ¡®Stay calm. Just do it like you always do.¡¯ The way Enzi swung his sword was vastly different from before. People learn from experience, and Enzi wasn¡¯t an exception. He had already lost to a girl. There was no guarantee that underestimating another would end any differently. ¡®Though there¡¯s no way that¡¯ll happen again!¡¯ Enzi gripped his sword even tighter. His fierce momentum even made Winley¡¯s eyes widen. But. Grab! ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± The fierce attack was effortlessly caught in Ancelot¡¯s hand, almost anticlimactically. ¡®Th-That move shouldn¡¯t be that easy to catch¡­¡­¡¯ Enzi¡¯s pupils shook wildly. He hadn¡¯t let his guard down. His stance was perfect, and he had poured all his strength into the strike. If it had collided with human flesh, it would have easily shattered bones. After all, he had used ¡®mana¡¯. ¡°All that big talk, and this was all you got?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Utterly worthless.¡± While Enzi was reeling from shock, a disapproving ¡®tsk¡¯ sounded in his ear. ¡°This is the problem with power. Whether it¡¯s a great nation or a small one, once they get a taste of even a little power, they can¡¯t help but misuse it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hah, he¡¯s still trying to act like a prince. If it were me, I¡¯d spend this time swinging my sword instead. No wonder he keeps getting beaten up everywhere he goes.¡± The veins on Enzi¡¯s forehead became even more prominent. ¡°You filthy bastard¡­¡­!¡± Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! In just a matter of seconds, the sound of a series of sharp blows echoed through the air. ¡°Eek!¡± Winley instinctively covered her mouth with her hands. The wooden sword¡­¡­ Correction. The club, which had found a new owner, was beating Prince Enzi like a dog. Having experienced something simr herself, Winley¡¯s face went pale. ¡°¡­¡­Urgh. Grrrk.¡± Eventually, Enzi foamed at the mouth and passed out. Blood streamed down from his cracked forehead. tter! After relentlessly beating Enzi all over, Ancelot finally tossed the wooden sword to the ground. ¡°How long did you think I¡¯d keep listening to your insults?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Winley quietly made a vow. Yep. I¡¯m definitely never going to insult him. Of course, that resolve didn¡¯t change the fact that¡­¡­ ¡°W-We¡¯re doomed¡­¡­¡± Winley¡¯s face was filled with despair. ¡°I can¡¯t believe youmitted such an atrocity!¡± ¡°Atrocity? He¡¯s only a half-brother.¡± ¡°Even if he¡¯s a half-brother, he¡¯s still your brother!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear him? He called me a worm.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Winley fell silent. She realized it was pointless to argue with someone who wouldn¡¯t listen to reason. She might as well have been talking to a mirror. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s finish the conversation we were having earlier.¡± ¡°H-Huh?¡± ¡°You said you wanted to have a match with me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Ancelot quietly picked up the wooden sword from the ground again. Winley couldn¡¯t help but nce over at the unconscious Enzi. ¡°¡­¡­Me?¡± ¡°Yeah, you.¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°About a minute ago?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think you were just hearing things.¡± ¡°Are you insulting me too now?¡± ¡°I-Insult? What a ridiculous thing to say!¡± ¡°He also insulted me by saying I was avoiding reality. Isn¡¯t that basically what you just said?¡± No, it¡¯s not! Absolutely not! ¡®I couldn¡¯t see it again.¡¯ Of course, it wasn¡¯t just fear that was making her hesitate. Winley genuinely wanted to repay the beatings she¡¯d received and be stronger. However, ¡®There needs to be a limit to the gap in power.¡¯ How could she possibly spar with someone when she couldn¡¯t even see how he was beating people in front of her very eyes? ¡°There¡¯s still plenty of time before morning. Let¡¯s get a proper warm-up in before the day starts. You¡¯ll need to pass the knight exam next year, after all.¡± ¡°I-I think I can do it on my own.¡± ¡°Trust me, you¡¯ve got talent. I¡¯ll make you strong.¡± ¡°I said, no thanks, you crazy bastard!¡± ¡°Crazy bastard? Now you¡¯re really insulting me.¡± Flinch. Her survival instincts screamed at her. Her organs felt like they were doing a tap dance inside her. If you¡¯re going to die, keep us out of it, please. ¡°W-Wait!¡± Fortunately, even in dire situations, there¡¯s always a way out. Winley quickly scanned the area and pointed her finger at something. ¡°Wh-What about him?!¡± Her finger was directed at the unconscious Enzi. ¡°Huh?¡± Finally, Ancelot started to seriously consider the situation, propping his chin in thought. Clearly, he hadn¡¯t given any thought to what he was going to do. ¡®They say to let sleeping dogs lie, so why did you have to provoke him, Winley? Huh? You idiot.¡¯ Winley was certain. This bastard definitely had a screw loose. *** Chapter 72 Chapter 72 ¨C Winley Kun Hart ¡°¡­¡­Well, there¡¯s no need to worry about something that hasn¡¯t even happened yet.¡± ¡°Are you being serious?¡± ¡°Yeah. Things will work out somehow, right? I¡¯m a knight of this country, after all. No matter how much of a prince he is, he wouldn¡¯t dare to harm a knight from another country.¡± Hearing his nonchnt response made Winley¡¯s blood pressure slowly rise. ¡°¡­¡­Be honest. You became a knight just for this, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Princess, you talk too much. Knights are supposed to speak with their swords.¡± ¡°Damn it! Fine, bring it on! I¡¯m a princess of this country too. Do you really think I¡¯m going to just stand by and watch while you keep causing trouble in our name!?¡± ¡°Good. That¡¯s the spirit.¡± *** Enzi¡¯s fingers twitched as hey unconscious. He could faintly hear the sound of a conversation. ck! ck ck! ck ck ck! The lively sound of wooden swords striking each other followed. ¡°¡­¡­Ugh¡­¡­¡± How dare they be so noisy while I¡¯m sleeping? With a frown, Prince Enzi suddenly opened his eyes. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ck ck ck ck! The sources of the noise quickly came into view. A beautiful blonde woman was in fiercebat with a viin. No, a worm. Whack! ¡°You left your other shoulder open. Are you asking to get hit?¡± ¡°Ack!¡± ¡°You need to be mindful of your footwork. Even when dodging, don¡¯t just move blindly. Think about where you¡¯re stepping so you can counterattack properly.¡± ¡°I swear, I¡¯ll get one hit in¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Your spirit¡¯s strong as ever, but your attacks are too sloppy. Your sword is dull. You wouldn¡¯t be able to kill a cockroach like that.¡± Enzi¡¯s pupils shook uncontrobly. ¡®How can that cockroach move like that?¡¯ The memory of earlier events came back to him. ¡®Am I¡­¡­ still trapped in a nightmare?¡¯ He had heard of Princess Winley¡¯s swordsmanship skills. There was a rumor in the Hart Kingdom about a peculiar princess who mingled with knights. It was said her talent was far from ordinary. Curious about the truth behind the rumors, Enzi had challenged her to a duel. However, he had suffered an utter defeat. ¡®I thought I was just unlucky due to my carelessness¡­¡­¡¯ Enzi swallowed nervously. He had been gravely mistaken. Just look at how the princess was moving now. Her swift movements were like those of a wild beast. Her thrusts were sharp. Even when her attacks were blocked, she seamlessly followed up with a relentless barrage. ¡®Could I have blocked that?¡¯ The thought didn¡¯t linger long. No, he couldn¡¯t have. Not with his current skill level. Winley was just that strong. Stronger than anyone her age that he had ever seen. At this point, the rumors seemed to be an understatement. But what was even more shocking and terrifying¡ª Whoosh! ¡°Aaah! Why can¡¯t I hit you even once!?¡± ¡ªwas that not even the princess¡¯s sword could touch the hem of the worm¡¯s clothes. ¡°Because I can see everything.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Before you attack, your eyes give away where you¡¯re going to strike. It would be strange if I couldn¡¯t dodge that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your reflexes that are strange for even being able to follow that!¡± How was he supposed to exin the strength of this bastard? ¡®Andrew von Meeke¡­¡­¡¯ At the very least, Enzi could see the princess¡¯s movements. But following this guy¡¯s body with his eyes was a challenge in itself. ¡®¡­¡­This makes no sense.¡¯ Enzi bit his lip hard. He didn¡¯t want to admit it. Even after seeing it with his own eyes, he couldn¡¯t believe it. So, he observed more closely, trying to be as objective as possible. But the conclusion didn¡¯t change. ¡®¡­¡­He¡¯s strong. Much stronger than someone like me.¡¯ That was the objective truth. Those two were clearly stronger than him. ¡®What on earth did you go through in less than a year, worm?¡¯ Enzi epted reality. A true ruler must be able to acknowledge their own shorings. Only then could they improve and take arger step forward. Thud! ¡°Huff, huff, huff.¡± At that moment, Winley fell back,nding on her rear. Though she was lightly pushed back, the force she felt was far beyond what she had imagined. ¡°¡­¡­Ugh¡­¡­¡± The pain from the hits she took now surged through her body. Her back, knees, and hips were all hurting. There wasn¡¯t a single part of her body that didn¡¯t ache. She received a thorough beating. ¡®¡­¡­I feel refreshed.¡¯ But unlike the physical pain, Winley¡¯s heart felt immensely relieved. In this short time, she had learned more than in the entire past yearbined. It felt like she had been possessed by a ghost. Her opponent had shown her exactly how to move to fight more efficiently. He had demonstrated only the moves she could actually perform. ¡®This kid is amazing. Far beyond my imagination.¡¯ Thanks to this, Winley even felt grateful to Ancelot. Of course, ¡°¡­¡­Is this how you treat your fianc¨¦e, you jerk?¡± Her words came out very differently. With a half-serious expression, Winley looked up and jokingly muttered. ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re real fianc¨¦s, so what does it matter?¡± ¡°If we were real fianc¨¦s, would you have not hit me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± Watching him seriously ponder her words, Winley was left dumbfounded. ¡°¡­¡­Are you seriously thinking about that?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s some logic to what you said.¡± ¡°Are you being for real?¡± ¡°Yeah. If the head of the family isn¡¯t around, there could be situations where the family is in danger. To prepare for those threats, it might be better to make the family stronger on their own¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Winley fell silent, then smiled softly. ¡®Yep. I should stay away from this bastard.¡¯ There had been a time when she briefly considered the idea of marriage with this boy. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because she had developed any special feelings during that short time. She¡¯d already gotten engaged with him for her own purposes. To dispel any suspicions from those around her, it was entirely possible she would end up marrying him. ¡®Before that happens, I need to be stronger. Strong enough that no one can ever touch me again.¡¯ Determination shone in Winley¡¯s eyes. Until now, her ideal man had always been someone stronger than herself. But as of this moment, she had a change of heart. ¡®Being kind and gentle is a must. To hell with strength and looks.¡¯ Thanks to a certain someone, Winley had matured early. ¡°¡­¡­Huh? Come to think of it, that guy¡¯s awake now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Breaking out of her thoughts, Winley nced to the side. Sure enough, Prince Enzi had opened his eyes at some point¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­He closed them again?¡± Was he pretending to be unconscious out of embarrassment? ¡°¡­¡­No. Rather¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, Winley noticed the devilish grin on the other guy¡¯s face. ¡®¡­¡­May the gods protect that poor prince.¡¯ He probably didn¡¯t want to get beaten up again. Duke Herman had just received an unexpected report. ¡°¡­¡­Are you saying there¡¯s someone making advances toward the princess?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I witnessed it clearly with my own eyes.¡± Duke Herman¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Enzi von Meeke, the 1st prince of the Meeke Principality.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡­ Of all ces, it¡¯s Meeke again? What sort of cursed fate do we have with that region?¡± He¡¯d been surprised momentarily, but Duke Herman¡¯s expression remained stern. ¡°Anything else of note?¡± ¡°Well, the prince apparently had a sparring session with Her Highness at dawn.¡± ¡°The Prince Enzi sparred with Her Highness?¡± Duke Herman couldn¡¯t help but let out a wryugh. ¡°So he dug his own grave.¡± ¡°Yes, as you might expect, Her Highness achieved an overwhelming victory. However¡­¡­¡± ¡°However?¡± ¡°Sir Andrew von Meeke¡­¡­ or rather, our kingdom¡¯s new knight, Sir Ancelot, was also present.¡± Seeing the knight hastily correct himself, Duke Herman furrowed his brow. ¡°He was there?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°A serious incident must have urred then?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well¡­¡­¡± The knight hesitated before continuing. ¡°He knocked him out.¡± ¡°Knocked him out? Who knocked out who?¡± ¡°Ancelot knocked out Prince Enzi¡­¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Duke Herman¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, and he shook his head in disbelief. ¡°He, too, is digging his own grave. I always knew he was a reckless one.¡± ¡°Fortunately, Her Highness managed to mediate the situation well, and no major incident followed¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman interrupted the knight. ¡°If we were to assign me, who do you think is at fault?¡± ¡°¡­¡­If we look at it objectively, Prince Enzi is mostly to me. The sparring with Her Highness was just that, a sparring match. But for some reason, Prince Enzi got agitated afterward and was the first to attack Sir Ancelot with a mana-infused wooden sword.¡± ¡°Mana? He used mana in a sparring match?¡± ¡°I saw it myself.¡± An icy chill settled over Duke Herman¡¯s face, far colder than before. He was genuinely angry. What if he hadn¡¯t assigned someone to watch over the princess? What if an irreversible ¡®incident¡¯ had urred within the pce walls? ¡°¡­¡­There would have been no greater humiliation.¡± ¡°Rumors have already spread, and royal knights have been deployed throughout the pce. Normally, they wouldn¡¯t be active untilter in the day, but due to this early morning incident, they¡¯re taking extra precautions to prevent further idents.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not enough.¡± Duke Herman¡¯s lips twisted into a smirk. ¡°Follow the orders I¡¯m about to give carefully.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± *** Prince Enzi had barely returned to the annex when he secluded himself, refusing to eat. Eventually, hearing amotion outside, he stepped out of his room. ¡°¡­¡­What in the world is going on?¡± Looking down at the first-floor lobby from the staircase, Enzi was baffled. Knights were divided into two groups, engaged in a standoff. Just then, Duke Veder noticed Enzi and hurried over. ¡°Your Highness! You¡¯ve finallye out!¡± Enzi smiled awkwardly and bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing you concern. But, what is this? Why are there outsiders in our quarters? Who are they?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± Duke Veder hesitated for a moment before sighing. ¡°¡­¡­They¡¯re royal knights from the Kingdom of Hart.¡± ¡°What? Royal knights from the Kingdom of Hart¡­¡­?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve informed us that their previous amodations will be given to another kingdom¡¯s delegation. With so many people from all over the continenting, there¡¯s a shortage of annexes. The King of Hart himself requested that we allow them to stay here.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± Enzi¡¯s brow furrowed. Really? ¡®Ack of annexes?¡¯ In diplomacy, even those with nothing to show put on a show of plenty. ¡°They said we mainly use the first and second floors, and they will use the third and fourth floors, but¡­¡­ As they¡¯re also knights, there¡¯s an odd tension brewing between our groups.¡± ¡°Does this even make sense?¡± ¡°They justified it by iming it¡¯s for the safety of the guests, so technically, we could challenge them on it, but¡­¡­¡± Enzi sighed. The other side had swallowed their pride and admitted to ack of preparation. Challenging them now would only paint themselves as petty. ¡®I¡¯ve heard that the annexes here are short on outhouses rtive to their size¡­¡­¡¯ The thought of so many people sharing those cramped facilities made Enzi uneasy about the days toe. However, ¡°Today¡¯s dish is beans, huh?¡± ¡°No meat¡­¡­ at all.¡± ¡°Damn! How are we supposed to gain strength eating just this greenery?!¡± From that day on, the quality of food at the annex mysteriously declined. Once again, they had no grounds forint. The royal knights of the Kingdom of Hart were eating the same food. ¡®Could this be¡­¡­ revenge?¡¯ At this point, Enzi couldn¡¯t help but think so. ¡®¡­¡­Didn¡¯t that worm say he¡¯s the princess¡¯s fianc¨¦?¡¯ Though it was still hard to believe, if it were true? Then this situation suddenly made sense. ¡®Even so¡­¡­ they¡¯re messing with our food, sleep, and even our basic needs?¡¯ Enzi¡¯s face crumpled with displeasure. This wasn¡¯t just a one-day issue, it had been going on for four days now. ¡°If this continues, our knights will grow increasingly dissatisfied. I¡¯ve discreetly investigated, and the food in the other annexes is far more plentiful than here.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± Duke Veder nodded grimly. ¡°It seems I¡¯ll need to go directly to the pce and lodge aint.¡± As Duke Veder spoke, he moved to act without waiting for a reply. ¡°Y-Your Highness! Duke!¡± A knight came rushing up the stairs to the second floor. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Y-You shoulde downstairs immediately.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s a fight with the Hart Kingdom¡¯s knights? I¡¯ve repeatedly warned you. If that¡¯s the case¡­¡­¡± ¡°N-No, that¡¯s not it. Prince Andrew is here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Both of them thought they had misheard. ¡°Wh-Who did you say was here?¡± *** Chapter 73 Chapter 73 ¨C That¡¯s Not the Prince We Know (1) ¡°We¡¯re going to deliberately treat the delegation from the Meeke Principality poorly.¡± Duke Herman told me this on a sudden visit. ¡°All of a sudden?¡± ¡°I heard about the things that Prince Enzi did to you and Her Highness.¡± ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re going to take revenge for us?¡± ¡°Revenge¡­¡­ Haha. I suppose it could be seen that way. In any case, whether you call it revenge or not, this puts quite a burden on me. The position demands it.¡± Duke Herman was the one in charge of hosting the distinguished guests attending the king¡¯s coronation. Since the task was of great importance, he bore the responsibility that came with it. Such was the nature of the position. ¡°From their perspective, it will seem petty, to the point of being disgraceful.¡± ¡°I see. But why are you telling me this?¡± I received a reply that I hadn¡¯t expected. ¡°Just to take a bit of credit.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t say anything, you wouldn¡¯t know, would you?¡± A bewildered smile crept onto my lips. I¡¯d already known, but Duke Herman was a very straightforward man. ¡®Personally, I don¡¯t hate it.¡¯ In fact, I quite liked it. People like him were easier to deal with. Rather than those narrow-minded bastards who, without saying a word, expect something in return and then make a big fuss when they don¡¯t get what they think they deserve. Looking back, people like Duke Herman didn¡¯t hold grudges either. ¡°The mistreatment isn¡¯t entirely on my behalf, is it?¡± ¡°Well, half of it is because of Her Highness.¡± ¡°Half, you say? That¡¯s unexpected. To think that someone like me would hold the same weight as someone who¡¯s like a daughter to you.¡± ¡°How irreverent, saying that Her Highness is ¡®like a daughter¡¯.¡± ¡°Are you saying she¡¯s not?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman stared at me for a moment. ¡°¡­¡­I can see it.¡± ¡°See what?¡± ¡°Her Highness is drawn to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I tilted my head in confusion. ¡°Is this some sort of proxy confession?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re harboring such insolent thoughts, know that I¡¯ll personally see to your swift death.¡± ¡°Please maintain some dignity. A duke of all people, saying things like ¡®you¡¯ll be dead.¡¯ Really, ¡®you¡¯ll be dead.¡¯¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s this reason that she¡¯s drawn to me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Once again, Duke Herman fell silent. After a while, he spoke again. ¡°To Her Highness, you are a dream. You are the future she must move towards, the hope she holds. That¡¯s why I want to protect that dream.¡± After hearing that, I grew curious too. ¡°As her fianc¨¦, I think it¡¯s time you told me the truth.¡± ¡°The truth?¡± ¡°The real situation the princess is in, and the story behind it that involves you.¡± I¡¯d heard bits and pieces from Narakas, but only the people involved would know the full story. Of course, I didn¡¯t have high hopes when I asked. Surprisingly, however, Duke Herman answered readily. ¡°As you might already know, I was once in a romantic rtionship with thete Third Queen. She was Princess Winley¡¯s mother. I swore at her grave that I would protect her child to the end.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard for someone like me, who¡¯s not smart, to fully understand what you said.¡± Because she was the child of a woman you once loved, you¡¯ve taken care of her this much? I couldn¡¯t quite wrap my head around that. ¡°¡­¡­I practically killed her.¡± Finally, the story I wanted to hear began to unfold. ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered¡ª did the king of this country forcefully take your lover away?¡± Let¡¯s say he couldn¡¯t let go of the resentment from that time and participated in the coup against the throne. Then it would make some sense. The idea that one beautiful woman could bring down an entire nation is a story that¡¯s been told countless times in history. ¡°Do I look like someone so petty that I can¡¯t separate public and private matters?¡± ¡°People who are serious about love are the scariest creatures.¡± Duke Herman flinched for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯ve felt this way before, but you have a way of sugarcoating your words.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I could just ask if you lost your mind and caused chaos because of a woman.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Duke Herman burst outughing at my words. ¡°At the time, the royal faction was immensely powerful, far more so than now. His Majesty was in his prime and was praised as an honorable ruler.¡± ¡°I doubt that someone of the king¡¯s stature wouldn¡¯t have known about your rtionship with the Third Queen.¡± In any case, I found the king to be rather unpleasant. What kind of ¡®honorable¡¯ ruler would steal his subject¡¯s lover? Honorable? More like horny. ¡°The Third Queen came from a fallen noble family. The restoration of her family¡¯s honor and reiming the head¡¯s title were her lifelong aspirations. Unlike me, His Majesty had the power to make that dream a reality. After all, granting titles andnds is the king¡¯s authority.¡± ¡°So she sacrificed her life for the sake of her family¡¯s ambitions.¡± ¡°No. That was the Queen¡¯s dream as well.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re sure you¡¯re not just presuming that was her dream?¡± ¡°Is there any child who doesn¡¯t wish for their parents¡¯ happiness and well-being?¡± ¡°And is there any parent who doesn¡¯t wish for their child¡¯s happiness and well-being?¡± ¡°Marriage isn¡¯t just a union of individuals. Love is a fleeting emotion for the young, but the status of ¡®queen¡¯ would keep her shining forever. At least, that¡¯s how I thought that way at the time.¡± To give up love for the sake of the other¡¯s true happiness? I don¡¯t know. It didn¡¯t really resonate with me, but I couldn¡¯t say it was wrong, either. I had no right toment as a third party. It¡¯s something that has already happened, and Duke Herman simply made that decision at the time. ¡°Haha, do you think I¡¯m a fool too?¡± ¡°¡®Fool¡¯ is a bit harsh.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°In my experience, there aren¡¯t many truly evil-hearted people among those who are as gullible as you.¡± ¡°G-Gullible?¡± Duke Herman stuttered as he questioned me. ¡°More importantly, you regret that decision now, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Herman¡¯s eyes widened. The im that the Queen¡¯s death was partly his fault wasn¡¯t just born out of guilt. ¡®I heard that this country¡¯s Third Queen ended her life by hanging herself.¡¯ An unwanted marriage. A queen who couldn¡¯t forget her old lover. A family that cared only about restoring their honor. If she had chosen to escape from such a suffocating reality, and eventually made an extreme decision after a particr incident¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­Then Duke Herman probably can¡¯t help but feel guilty.¡¯ I was convinced. Even if the picture I had painted wasn¡¯t the full truth, it was likely close. ¡°¡­¡­Anyway.¡± Breaking his silence, Duke Herman shifted the topic. ¡°If the reason on the princess¡¯s side is deeply personal, the reason rted to ¡®you¡¯ is a more rational and calcted judgment.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Marquis Foltaine is one of the most capable businessmen I¡¯ve ever seen. He has an especially keen eye. You are the one he chose.¡± Duke Herman wore a sly smile. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have such talents. So what can I do? When in doubt, follow those who are good at something, and you won¡¯t lose your stake.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you¡¯re also investing in me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s one way to look at it. As a result, this mistreatment will severely damage Prince Enzi¡¯s reputation within the Meeke Principality. It¡¯s his first official diplomatic mission, and he¡¯s being treated like this as soon as he sets foot in a foreignnd. With his recent appointment as Crown Prince, his leadership will also take a serious hit.¡± He may seem light-hearted, but this man is clearly a seasoned politician. ¡°The longer this situation drags on, the more Duke Beder and the knights from the other side will dig into the details. They¡¯ll want to know why they¡¯re suddenly being treated this way.¡± ¡°And what if the diplomatic rtions between the two countries deteriorate?¡± ¡°Hahaha, that won¡¯t happen. The one who first insulted our princess¡¯s ¡®fianc¨¦¡¯ was that prince. They¡¯ll probably me the foolish Prince Enzi instead.¡± Duke Herman spoke with confidence. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like I intend to mistreat them forever. As you said, for the sake of future rtions between our countries.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I n to improve their treatment soon. I¡¯ll move them to the best amodations, serve themvish meals three times a day, and even provide a training ground exclusively for the knights of the Meeke Principality.¡± Then Duke Herman looked at me. ¡°All at the request of the Seventh Prince of the Meeke Principality, Andrew von Meeke.¡± I decided to ept Duke Herman¡¯s favor. After all, the more allies I have to stand against that massive Empire, the better. However, to maximize its effectiveness¡­¡­ ¡®I have to show them myself that I¡¯ve changed.¡¯ Duke Herman¡¯s intentions were clear. He wanted me to establish a ¡®position¡¯ within the Meeke Principality. But he made one major mistake. ¡®He never considered what kind of person the original owner of this body, Andrew von Meeke, was.¡¯ Duke Herman was only looking at the ¡®current me¡¯ and made a bold decision on this sensitive issue that could easily escte into a diplomatic problem. His warning was something along the lines of, ¡°This great of an individual is showing you mercy, and you idiots still n on acting like fools?¡± ¡®But things are different from the Meeke Principality¡¯s perspective.¡¯ Duke Herman doesn¡¯t know, and neither do I. The original 7th Prince, Andrew von Meeke. What if he was actually a symbol of contempt within the principality? In reality, that was quite likely. The scattered memories of this body. The reactions of that infamous First Prince. They said it all. ¡®A worm¡­¡­¡¯ First impressions are important. I expected it to be bad to some extent, but the image of ¡®Andrew¡¯ was worse than I thought. So if rumors spread that such a pathetic person suddenly started doing well in a foreign country? ¡®No one would believe it. They might even think the Kingdom of Hart was using me.¡¯ I can already see it. They¡¯ll probably gossip that a talentless fool used his good looks to seduce a woman and change his fate. ¡°P-Prince Andrew?¡± ¡°What are you doing here¡­¡­?¡± Just look at how those knights guarding the outbuilding are reacting. I¡¯m a prince, yet they start pointing at me as if they¡¯ve seen something unsightly, not even bothering to show any respect. Their eyes keep scanning me up and down. ¡®¡­¡­Should I just beat them up?¡¯ I was seriously considering it when, ¡°You!¡± Prince Enzi came rushing over. Beside him was a rather irritable-looking man. ¡°You¡¯ve finally lost your mind. Do you have any idea where you are¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I apologize for my actions.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Was he caught off guard by my sudden apology? Prince Enzi stood there, mouth agape. ¡°A-Apologize?¡± Even his speech stuttered as he let out a dry ¡®Ahem!¡¯ Then, with a menacing expression, he red at me. ¡°¡­¡­You lunatic. At least you¡¯re notpletely brainless. Did you finally realize what you¡¯ve done?¡± Before long, a crowd of knights who had heard themotion began gathering around us. Even the knights from the Kingdom of Hart, who were staying here, started watching us with interest. Was Enzi aware of their attention? ¡°And who apologizes like that? Get down on your knees and do it properly, right now!¡± His smug expression was easy to read. A smirk tugged at the corners of my mouth. Then I immediately raised my head, which had been bowed. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to beat you up, Brother.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± For a moment, all eyes were on me in confusion. ¡°What did he just say?¡± ¡°I think he said he beat him up.¡± ¡°Prince Andrew looks fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡­He said Brother.¡± ¡°So, does that mean¡­¡­ Prince Enzi got beaten up? By his younger brother who¡¯s nearly ten years younger?¡± As the murmuring continued, I straightened my shoulders confidently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, and I swear by it.¡± ¡°Wh-What?¡± Prince Enzi, now pale, asked in disbelief. The smile on my lips widened. ¡°I¡¯ll never beat you with a wooden sword again.¡± I meant it. Because if I ever have to do that again, I¡¯d be using a real sword next time. *** Chapter 74 Chapter 74 ¨C That¡¯s Not the Prince We Know (2) A hero without a rival. In his past life, it was a phrase he heard so often that his ears bled. It might seem like a pleasantpliment. It made one feel like they could single-handedly change the entire world. However¡­¡­ ¡®It couldn¡¯t be further from the truth.¡¯ Even trying to change the neighborhood where you were born leads to conflicts among the vigers. Changing a whole region is even more challenging. Changing a nation requires the help of the heavens. So, what about changing the world? ¡®Is it even possible?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but think this way. Each person has their own opinions, each culture has its own customs, and each nation has its own values. Subjectivity differs from person to person, as it does from nation to nation. In one country, people might ask, ¡®What¡¯s the big deal?¡¯ when criticized for eating dogs. In another, they might react with outrage, asking, ¡®How could you eat a family member?¡¯ That¡¯s how differences are. But we must ept those differences. Of course, Ancelot isn¡¯t a reformer who wants to change the world. He doesn¡¯t have such grand dreams. He simply wants¡­¡­ ¡®Revenge for my dead child.¡¯ And perhaps, he longs for a future where the world is slightly better for children like Andy to live in. ¡®Isn¡¯t that the same as wanting to change the world?¡¯ For now, the current ruler of the world was the Empire, and it was the Empire Ancelot aimed to bring down. ¡®¡­¡­Anyway.¡¯ Anselot shook his head and looked around. Why had his stream of consciousness led him here? Well. ¡®It¡¯s because I need to judge whether these people can be rehabilitated or not.¡¯ Those who are corrupt to their core won¡¯t listen to reason, no matter how well it¡¯s put. Prince Andrew von Meeke, the Seventh Prince, was an irredeemable vermin. A treat from someone like him, no matter its taste, won¡¯t get a single nce. ¡®Unless, perhaps, it¡¯s shaken right in front of their faces.¡¯ Right as he was thinking this, ¡°What is this rudeness!?¡± The ever-irritable Duke Veder shouted. He bristled with anger. ¡°How could you, the younger brother, treat your older brother like¡­¡­ this?¡± Duke Veder hesitated to say that Enzi had been beaten, but continued speaking. ¡°Moreover, it seems you haven¡¯t heard the news yet. Prince Enzi is now the crown prince of this nation. Show him the respect he deserves, Prince Andrew!¡± ¡°What respect should I show to the son of the enemy who exiled me to die?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Immediately, Duke Veder¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Always stay alert. Who knows? I might just return and snatch that crown prince position right out from under you.¡± ¡°You lunatic! The traitor¡¯s blood runs deep in you, and now you plot treason as well!¡± For a moment, a terrifying killing intent engulfed Ancelot¡¯s entire body. ¡®¡­¡­Hmm.¡¯ Anselot¡¯s brow furrowed. He was still struggling to match the aura of a Master. Especially because of this young body of his. Swoosh. ¡°Murder is not permitted within our pce.¡± At that moment, the oppressive killing intent vanished, almost as if it had never been there in the first ce. Before he knew it, Duke Herman had taken up a position behind him. ¡°¡­¡­Duke Herman, this is an internal matter of our nation.¡± ¡°Protection of our knightes first.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­ Did you say?¡± ¡°For your information, during the recent knight examination in the Hart Kingdom, Prince Andrew earned his title with honor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Shock, far surpassing simple surprise, washed over Duke Veder¡¯s face. ¡°Could it be¡­¡­ Are you saying Prince Andrew has sought asylum?¡± ¡°Asylum¡­¡­ That¡¯s an odd way to put it. It¡¯s more urate to say it was a desperate struggle for survival.¡± ¡°Survival? What nonsense is that!¡± ¡°The ck Swan territory that your nation bestowed upon Prince Andrew borders our kingdom¡¯snd. Do you think we¡¯re unaware that it¡¯s thend of death?¡± Duke Veder furrowed his brow. ¡°ck Swan? Are you referring to Death Valley?¡± ¡°We call it ck Swan in our country. If you look at the territory closely, it¡¯s shaped like an upside-down swan.¡± ck Swan. Certainly, it sounds much more elegant than something as tant as Death Valley. ¡°So, your nation calls it Death Valley. The name itself suggests that you¡¯re familiar with thend. Will you still deny that you sent this child there hoping for his death?¡± ¡°I must reiterate, this is not your kingdom¡¯s concern. This is an internal issue of the Meeke Principality.¡± Duke Herman nodded. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not our concern.¡± ¡°Then¡ª¡± Just then, Duke Herman casually draped his arm over Ancelot¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That is, if this prince hadn¡¯t be a part of our family.¡± Tremble. At that moment, Duke Veder¡¯s eyes twitched uncontrobly. It was the phrase ¡®our family¡¯ that did it. ¡°Are you saying¡­¡­ you¡¯re siding with Prince Andrew?¡± ¡°We¡¯re taking his side, yes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why would you risk straining rtions with our nation to do this?¡± ¡°Because I believe this man has the true qualities of a ¡®ruler¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± This time, it wasn¡¯t just Duke Veder who was stunned; everyone¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°For the record, I personally owe Prince Andrew a great debt.¡± Duke Veder gaped, dumbfounded. What kind of debt could it be? The question was on the tip of his tongue, but he grit his teeth instead. This was Prince Enzi¡¯s first official diplomatic mission as the crown prince. Duke Veder had been entrusted with an important task. There was no way he could ept such an oue. Prince Enzi had been sent to make a name for himself, but instead, they¡¯d dirtied his reputation. As soon as this rumor spread, the queen wouldn¡¯t stand idly by. ¡°A personal debt¡­¡­ In that case, I must confirm this directly with His Majesty. If this decision was made on a whim solely by Duke Herman, our nation will not take it lightly.¡± ¡°You have my assurance on that.¡± At that moment, a new figure entered the room. ¡°And you are¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Apologies for thete introduction. I am Draksir de Foltaine.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Yet another influential figure had made his entrance. Although the Kingdom of Hart was on the outskirts of the continent, his influence couldn¡¯t be ignored. This was especially true in neighboring countries, where he was known as a famous merchant with remarkable business acumen. Even within the neighboring Meeke Principality, his influence was immense. Due to its geographical location, the principality had to rely on imports for iron and minerals. Conversely, the Hart Kingdom controlled a whopping 80% of the region¡¯s major mines. Most of them were located within the territory of the Foltaine Marquisate. If Marquis Foltaine decided to cut off the supply of essential minerals like iron? It might be an exaggeration, but the knights of the Meeke Principality might have to wield wooden swords instead of real ones. ¡®What¡­¡­ on earth is happening right now?¡¯ Duke Veder wasn¡¯t the only one who was thinking this. At this point, even the other knights began to grow deeply uneasy. ¡°Is the Kingdom of Hart truly attempting to exert influence over our country by propping up Prince Andrew?¡± It seemed entirely possible. A fool of a prince bing the son-inw of a princess, with power being wielded from behind the scenes¡ª They weren¡¯t unfamiliar with the narrative. ¡°Alright, enough. That¡¯s enough.¡± Ancelot, who had been watching the situation unfold, waved his hand dismissively. ¡°It seems like we¡¯re just going in circles. Let¡¯s get straight to the point. It¡¯s better for both sides that way, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± For a moment, not only Duke Herman but also Duke Veder and Marquis Foltaine had quite the expression on their faces. What Ancelot said wasn¡¯t wrong. But hearing it from his mouth made something inside them squirm ufortably. ¡°Hey, you.¡± ¡°¡®Hey, you¡¯?¡± Prince Enzi btedly pointed to himself in bewilderment. ¡°Did you really expect to be addressed as ¡®Brother¡¯ by me after all you¡¯ve done?¡± ¡°Wh-What have I done¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Do I really have to spell it out for you¡­¡­?¡± Ancelot let out an exaggerated sigh. ¡°You hit on your brother¡¯s lover, got beaten up by that lover, and in your anger, tried to take it out on me, only to get your ass handed to you. And to top it off, this whole embarrassing situation became known to these gentlemen, which is how we ended up here, isn¡¯t¡­¡­?¡± ¡°W-W-W-W-W-W-Wait a minute!¡± Before Ancelot could even finish speaking, the prince hastily waved his hands as if he¡¯d been burned, his face turning as red as a ripe tomato. ¡°Wh-What did he just say?¡± ¡°He hit on¡­¡­ his brother¡¯s lover?¡± ¡°And got his ass handed to him?¡± Of course, everyone here had already heard everything. ¡°I-Is it true, Your Highness?¡± Even Duke Veder asked, his voice heavy with disbelief. ¡°I-It¡¯s not true¡­¡­!¡± Prince Enzi tried to deny it immediately, but¡­¡­ ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The arrival of Princess Winry, the other party involved, silenced him. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Veder¡¯s eyes darkened with realization. Silence was confirmation enough. A sigh escaped from deep within him. He knew the prince wascking, but even so¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­This is driving me insane.¡¯ * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * At the same time, questions arose in his mind. ¡®How in the world did Prince Andrew manage to win her over?¡¯ His looks? Duke Veder asked himself silently and nodded. That seemed the most usible exnation. At that age, appearance was everything, and Prince Andrew¡¯s face was quite famous, even in the kingdom. But that alone didn¡¯t satisfy him. ¡®Even if the princess was swayed, how do you exin Duke Herman and Marquis Foltaine?¡¯ At that moment, Prince Enzi hurriedly tried to add to his exnation. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know she was my brother¡¯s lover! If I had known, would I have done such a thing?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Your Highness, does that mean the part about being beaten is¡­¡­?¡± ¡°It happened because I was caught off guard! If I hadn¡¯t been, would I have allowed myself to be struck by that worm, even as a joke?¡± A voice cut through, interrupting Prince Enzi¡¯s words. ¡°Caught off guard?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Prince Enzi froze. ¡°Are you being serious?¡± ¡°I-I mean¡­¡­¡± Watching this, Duke Veder couldn¡¯t help but admit it to himself. ¡®This is unbelievable.¡¯ How could someone change so drastically in such a short time? Duke Veder distinctly remembered the pitiful prince who had tried to hang himself in a corner of a room. It had been just a year ago. And now, how¡­¡­? ¡°It seems some of you can¡¯t tell if this is a dream or reality, so why don¡¯t you experience it firsthand? See for yourselves how I¡¯ve changed.¡± Ancelot deliberately tapped the scabbard of his sword. It hung by his side¡ª a fine dwarven de gifted by Count Arsene. ¡°I didn¡¯t earn my knighthood in this country for free? The Kingdom of Hart isn¡¯t a ce that hands out titles so easily, is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Of course, the person most upset by this must be my dear brother. So how about we settle this here and now?¡± At this, Prince Enzi averted his gaze. Duke Veder couldn¡¯t allow his reputation to be tarnished further. ¡°¡­¡­Prince Andrew, how can you be so proud aftermitting the heinous act of assaulting your own brother?¡± ¡°And it¡¯s okay for a brother to flirt with his sibling¡¯s lover?¡± ¡°Responding to someone¡¯s vulgarity in the same way only reflects your own shorings. It shows what kind of upbringing you had.¡± ¡°Then what should I have done?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Of course you should have¡­¡­¡± For a moment, Duke Veder faltered. What¡­¡­ should he have done? The proper course would have been to report the incident to a higher authority and receive appropriate measures. Given that both parties were princes, the only higher authorities would be the king or the queen. But what would their reaction have been? Would they have scolded him, saying, ¡®As an elder brother, you should be ashamed of yourself for flirting with your sibling¡¯s lover!¡¯ Or perhaps¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­No, they would probably have had Prince Andrew executed for disgracing his brother.¡¯ Eventually, Duke Veder sighed deeply. ¡°¡­¡­Personally, I believe this issue could have been resolved amicably between the parties involved.¡± ¡°Talking it out is always good.¡± Unexpectedly, Ancelot nodded readily. ¡°That¡¯s why I came here in the first ce, to have that conversation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s clear what would happen if we shed again like this.¡± ¡°Are you trying to justify yourself?¡± ¡°Not justify¡ª have a conversation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Alright, conversation.¡± ¡°Listen carefully. I¡¯ll keep it short and to the point.¡± Ancelot cleared his throat and quickly continued. ¡°On my way to the territory that was bestowed upon me, I encountered ve traders. These bastards tried to sell me off as a ve because they were tempted by my looks. So, I killed them. During the process, I also killed one of Marquis Foltaine¡¯s expert knights. That unfortunate event has led to everything that¡¯s happened since. I also helped out Count Arsene¡¯s family along the way. You know how life is¡ª once you get entangled with someone, it all starts snowballing. Before I knew it, I ended up engaged to this country¡¯s princess.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the most absurd nonsense I¡¯ve ever heard.¡± ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± Ancelot¡¯s lips twisted into a smirk. ¡°What¡¯s with all this bullshit? It¡¯s pissing me off.¡± *** Chapter 75 Chapter 75 ¨C Further Conversation is Unnecessary ¡®People believe what they want to believe.¡¯ I must make it such that they have no choice but to believe me. ¡®That I¡¯ve changed.¡¯ Just hiding isn¡¯t enough. When you show something, you must show it definitively. Shiing. In an instant, everyone shuddered. It was right after the de, smoothly drawn from its sheath, made its appearance. Of course, the knights of the Meeke Principality didn¡¯t even flinch. On the contrary, they even had sneers on their faces. However, Hummm! Crackle! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± As soon as a deep blue light enveloped my sword, along with a resonating sound, ¡°S-Sword energy!?¡± Rumble! The knights of the Meeke Principality were shocked and hurriedly took a stance between me and Prince Enzi. Sword energy. A telltale symbol of an Expert. For now, this level of spectacle was enough. Considering my physical age, this alone was enough for me to be called the greatest prodigy on the continent. ¡°This¡­¡­ this is impossible¡­¡­¡± Even Prince Enzi, who had been uncertain, now stood with his mouth agape. They had decided to kill me. They exiled me to the wastnds to die. Long ago, they had done the same to my mother. They¡¯d even killed my siblings as well. In such a situation, should I just keep hiding my strength and cowering? ¡®If they think you¡¯re weak, people will treat you even worse.¡¯ Now was the perfect time to show my true strength. Prince Enzi had been recently crowned the heir. When the people, the entire country, are filled with both anticipation and a lingering anxiety about the next king, ¡®I need to shake things up, to show that the Queen¡¯s choice was a mistake.¡¯ From what I¡¯ve seen, Enzi is in no way fit to be a good ruler. Naturally, this is a great misfortune for the citizens of the Meeke Principality. Especially since they¡¯d made the worst choice out of mere greed despite having the better option¡ª me. ¡®There must be people within the Meeke Principality who harbor resentment towards the Queen.¡¯ It¡¯s been over a decade since the Queen started her tyrannical rule. Wherever you go, factions always exist. Human nature tells us to form groups and divide into sides. The Meeke Principality is no different. ¡®Rumors spread quickly. If those who resent the Queen begin to favor me in return?¡¯ I have no immediate ns to return. However, the more the Queen¡¯s tyranny continues, the more the people of Meeke will naturally start to see me as an alternative. For now, that¡¯s more than enough for me. ¡°Let¡¯s leave it at this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± But then, Duke Herman, who had just stepped in to mediate, made things even more interesting. ¡°Our king¡¯s coronation is just two days away. Wouldn¡¯t any furthermotion be ufortable for both sides?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± In front of the stunned people of the Meeke Principality, Duke Herman intentionally led me outside. It was in a very hurried manner, as if he was determined not to let anyone else take away this precious treasure. ¡°Let¡¯s return, Sir Ancelot. As per the orders, we will make sure your homnd is treated with utmost respect.¡± Of course, I could clearly see it. The yful smile that lingered on Duke Herman¡¯s lips as he turned his back. *** When we had distanced ourselves a bit from the annex, ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± Duke Herman asked me slyly. The other two had already returned to their ces. It was a precautionary measure, fearing that sticking together too long might cause them to harbor resentment. ¡°You¡¯re bold, truly bold. You really are a madman.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m going to do something, I should do it properly. Especially since you all were so kind as to set the stage for me.¡± ¡°Did you see their faces? It was a sight to behold. I felt so refreshed.¡± Duke Herman then said in a more subdued voice, ¡°Now you have no choice but to live as a citizen of our nation. If you go back now, the Queen will have your head in no time.¡± ¡°Was that your real intention?¡± Duke Herman put on his signature sly expression. ¡°Hahaha, yes. I¡¯ve used you for my purposes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I used you too, Duke.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I wanted to judge for myself. Whether you people are worth siding with in the future, or not.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡­¡± My standards were quite clear. As long as they didn¡¯t cross a certain line, I was willing to overlook past wrongs. Honestly, right now, I¡¯d be d to even borrow a helping hand from an ant. ¡®I hold no personal grudge against the Meeke Principality.¡¯ The bad blood is only tied to the original owner of this body, Andrew von Meeke. Of course, I intend to punish the wicked Queen as a form of repayment. But other than that? ¡®It would be a waste not to make use of this body¡¯s background.¡¯ It¡¯s not just an organization, but an entire country. Above all, the opponent is the Empire. I must utilize everything I can. ¡°Should I call you bold or practical?¡± ¡°I prefer ¡®pragmatic¡¯.¡± ¡°Then, if you decide that they are beyond redemption?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I deliberately didn¡¯t answer. Perhaps that silence was enough of an answer for Duke Herman. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m looking forward to your future course of actions. In any case, make sure to visit Marquis Foltaer and offer your greetings.¡± ¡°Greetings?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t n on bing his child, do you? Count Arsene got a step ahead. I don¡¯t want to see one of my few friends get disappointed over baseless expectations.¡± As I listened, I suddenly became curious. ¡°I¡¯m just wondering, but why has Marquis Foltaine been so kind to me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman made a strange expression. After a brief silence. ¡°¡­¡­Though not quite like you, he once had high hopes for his eldest son.¡± ¡°Did he pass away?¡± ¡°That friend of mine killed him, to be precise.¡± Flinch. My body trembled involuntarily. ¡°You already know, but the Foltaine family has been merchants for generations. As the eldest son born into such a family, once he reached a certain age, he had to venture out into the world to gain experience.¡± ¡°And he must havemitted an unforgivable crime during that journey.¡± Based on the flow of the conversation, that seemed to be the case. As expected, Duke Herman nodded. ¡°They say he was attacked by the Verdant Veil.¡± Verdant Veil. Despite its grand name, it¡¯s actually a notorious group that blocks key routes across the continent, robbing travelers and merchant caravans. In short, bandits. The problem is that this group was too formidable to be dismissed as mere bandits. Even 20 years ago, their leader was a master. Although they¡¯re not an officially recognized organization like the Mage Tower, mercenaries, or the Free Knight Alliance, no one could ignore this criminal group. ¡°People show their true nature when faced with a crisis. But even considering that, the eldest son did something unforgivable.¡± ¡°What did he do?¡± ¡°He fled alone, abandoning the servants who were with him. The day before, they say he even drank with his lover, whom he secretly brought along on the journey.¡± Duke Herman gave a bitter smile. ¡°In the end, the Verdant Veil only took the goods and sent the servants back to the family.¡± ¡°Well, they weren¡¯t known for killing people back then.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t widely known at that time. The bandits must have scared him out of his wits. Anyway, when the servants returned, they reported what had happened during the journey. Naturally, the reputation of the Foltaine family plummeted.¡± ¡°So, he killed him?¡± ¡°As the head of the family, a decisive action had to be taken.¡± I suppose it¡¯s like a general who flees in fear during a war. Considering the morale and discipline of the entire army, the right action would be to behead him and restore order. The same likely applies to the rules of a merchant family. If you let such a useless son off because he¡¯s family, who would be willing to risk their lives for the family in the future? ¡°That might be why he¡¯s taken an interest in you. After all, innate character can¡¯t be taught. You need to have a certain kind of guts. Of course, only he knows the full story.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Originally, he simply ced great importance on personal strength, but since then, he has be straight obsessed with it. Above all, he regrets that decision to this day.¡± Since he was his son. No matter how much he hated his son. No matter how useless his son was. Even if it was a decision made for the sake of the family, he must have regrets. ¡°His theory is that the bloodline that inherits the family must be strong. Because even a vast fortune can only be protected by strength.¡± I bowed my head. ¡°Thank you for telling me.¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Late at night, Duke Veder found himself unable to sleep. ¡®Is it right to just leave Andrew von Meeke as he is?¡¯ In truth, the decision was practically the same as exile, and it was made by none other than the Queen herself. She thought highly of the Duke Veder. Thanks to that, he was entrusted with a task that anyone would covet. The prince¡¯s first diplomatic mission. He had been given the significant royalmand to carry it out. If he seeded in this task? The Queen¡¯s trust in him would deepen further. He might even be officially recognized as the right-hand man of the future king. ¡®That¡¯s why I have to make a decision now.¡¯ Honestly, he was still in shock. An Expert in his mid-teens! It was impossible to even estimate how fast someone like that could grow. Moreover, he was the husband of the kingdom¡¯s princess. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t the only one who had seen it. ¡®If I let him return now¡­¡­¡¯ The Queen certainly wouldn¡¯t stand by idly. The hard-won trust would also likely be lost. Since there was an alternative now. Recently, a ¡®third¡¯ Master had emerged within their own nation. Now, like other ¡®kingdoms¡¯, Meeke had three Masters. Considering all these factors¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­He must die.¡¯ Yes, killing him was the only option. Even if the crime was discovered, it wouldn¡¯t matter. With both the motive and the capability for assassination within the royal pce, even without evidence, the Kingdom of Hart would be convinced he was a monstrous criminal. ¡®Such is the nature of international diplomacy.¡¯ If the situation doesn¡¯t escte, it might be different. But once it does, instead of protests, they¡¯ll seek practical benefits. They¡¯ll cover up what they can and focus on what they can gain from the incident. Their nation¡¯s interests would take precedence. That was the essence of diplomacy. ¡®Prince Andrew is currently staying at the quarters of the Hart Kingdom¡¯s knights, for some reason.¡¯ It was fortunate, in a way, and an opportunity as well. The guest rooms where dignitaries usually stayed were heavily guarded. But now, that ce was¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­Practically empty.¡¯ With only two days left until the coronation of the new king, most guests had already arrived. Security was already stretched thin. Moreover, due to the recent incident involving Prince Enzi, even those forces had been upied with cleaning up the mess all day. As a result, the knights¡¯ quarters were almost deserted. Prince Andrew was practically living alone there, without a single personal guard. ¡®¡­¡­Here it is.¡¯ The Duke Veder murmured quietly. Lost in thought, he had reached his destination before he realized it. Fortunately, there was no one who stood in his way. ¡®There won¡¯t be many more chances like this.¡¯ Now that the prince had be the princess¡¯s husband, this was the best timing. A murderous intent radiated from the Duke Veder¡¯s entire being. Just then. -Have youe to kill me? ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The words were conveyed directly into his mind. The Duke Veder jerked his head up in shock. The target was already calmly looking down from an open window. ¡°Prince Andrew¡­¡­¡± Duke Veder murmured in a whisper. -Did you¡­¡­ know I woulde? -You had the face of someone ready to kill. -¡­¡­It seems you¡¯ve changed a lot, Your Highness. Quite drastically, I might add. -I never imagined you¡¯d be bold enough to attempt murder in the heart of a foreign nation. There was no time. Hummm! ¡®I¡¯ll jump straight through the window in one leap!¡¯ Duke Veder quietly channeled his mana. Step, step, step. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Another presence made itself known. And it was right behind him. The problem was¡ª ¡®They already know I¡¯m here!¡¯ Even though he was a Master who could erase his presence, the neer had already detected him. As if to say, ¡®Stay where you are¡¯, they were now intentionally revealing their aura. ¡®Who is this? Such an overwhelming presence¡­¡­¡¯ Duke Veder¡¯s eyes shook wildly. It was unmistakable. This aura belonged to a Master. At least one on par with himself. ¡®Duke Herman?¡¯ He was the first person that came to mind. And the possibility was quite high. ¡®If not him¡­¡­ Duke Kairos?¡¯ Kairos, the oldest Master in the Hart Kingdom. He was a possibility too. If Duke Herman was in charge of the coronation, Duke Kairos was responsible for the pce¡¯s security. ¡®Whoever it is¡­¡­ I¡¯ll have to talk my way out.¡¯ The die had already been cast. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± But the person who had just appearedpletely defied the Duke Veder¡¯s expectations. An old man with snow-white hair. And it was not just any old man, but one he recognized well. ¡°M-Marquis Foltaine¡­¡­?¡± The Duke Veder¡¯s mouth fell open. He was utterly shocked by the identity of his adversary. ¡°W-Wait. This doesn¡¯t make any¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Surprised that an old man is so strong?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Veder¡¯s pupils shook violently. ¡®He¡¯s been hiding his strength!¡¯ In other words, he was an unofficial Master. ¡°The night wind is chilly, Duke.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re speaking my thoughts aloud. Taking a walk at this hour¡­¡­ The night wind isn¡¯t good for your age.¡± ¡°It¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it? The older I get, the less I sleep. Have you ever wondered why, Duke?¡± Duke Veder quietly shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s due to lingering regrets.¡± ¡°Regrets¡­¡­?¡± ¡°When you¡¯re close to the grave, you start to reflect on your life, and sleep feels like a waste. It¡¯s like you¡¯re tying up loose ends. You know how, when you look back on your life, there are things you regret? Those regrets keep you awake.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Everyone has regrets.¡± ¡°But an old man¡¯s regrets carry a different weight. Because soon, it¡¯ll be impossible to do anything about them.¡± Duke Veder frowned. The conversation was going in circles. Time was running out. So, he got straight to the point. ¡°I consider you a wise man, Marquis.¡± It was a statement full of implications. But Marquis Foltaine simply shook his head in silence. Seeing this reaction, Duke Veder¡¯s face twisted even more. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why are you doing this for the 7th Prince? Is it because of the princess? But even so, it¡¯s not worth making enemies of us¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doing this because of the princess.¡± ¡°Then why!? What is it about him that makes you do this? He¡¯s just a foreigner, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not just a foreigner to me.¡± Marquis Foltaine then faintly smiled. ¡°He is another of my regrets.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Shiing. In the moonlight, Marquis Foltaine quietly drew his curved sword. ¡°I¡¯d like to keep my night short, Duke.¡± *** Chapter 76 Chapter 76 ¨C The Empire¡¯s Bold Merchant (1) In the eerie silence of night, interrupted only by owl hoots. Rumble, rumble, rumble! Could this be the calm before the storm, like the sea before a tidal wave? The atmosphere around Marquis Foltaine was just as quiet as it was intense. His determination was so palpable it could be felt by his opponent. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Veder, the person in question, remained silent for a long time. Eventually, he lifted his head. ¡°¡­¡­Your Highness, what kind of sorcery have you used?¡± His gaze was fixed on me. ¡°Sorcery?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a limit to how much a person can change overnight. This is too much, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I stared silently into his eyes, which expressed his disbelief. I don¡¯t know what kind of person Andrew von Meeke was before, what kind of life he led, or what experiences he had gone through. The little memories I have as Andrew are scattered and iplete. However, ¡®At the very least, it seems you¡¯ve lived a life as troubled as my own child.¡¯ As the thought crossed my mind, ¡°¡­¡­Heh heh heh.¡± That damnedugh slipped out, recalling Andy. My child would have felt the same. He would have longed for his father, who had left for the battlefield. Then, he was captured as the child of a traitor and died a meaningless death because of his ipetent father. ¡®Andrew von Meeke. I won¡¯t waste the second chance you¡¯ve given me.¡¯ Perhaps this is fate as well. A life not so different from Andy¡¯s. This time, I¡¯ll try to prevent the same oue. The heavens seemed to be telling me that. ¡°Laughing in such a situation¡­¡­ You¡¯re not the 7th Prince I know. Is there perhaps another soul inside you?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± I replied nonchntly. Duke Veder had already made his decision. The hostility in his gaze hadpletely vanished. He sighed. ¡°Continuing this conversation is meaningless. As such, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t bid you farewell.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Your Highness.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I genuinely look forward to the day you return.¡± It was a curious statement. ¡®Is he threatening me?¡¯ If not a threat, then? ¡®¡­¡­It must mean he harbors some resentment.¡¯ Not everyone is as progressive as the nobles of the Kingdom of Hart. In fact, they¡¯re more likely the minority. The more a person has, the more they fear change. Step, step, step. Duke Veder disappeared beyond the path, without a trace of hesitation. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Only an old man with hair white under the moonlight remained. Perhaps it was because of what he had said earlier, but now even those gray hairs seemed somewhat different. ¡°Thank you for your help, Marquis.¡± ¡°Just words?¡± His gruff voice pierced my eardrums immediately. ¡°Then, how should I express my gratitude?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. Be my son. That¡¯s all I need.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I quietly looked down at Marquis Foltaine, who had said this. ¡°Is it because of your deceased eldest son?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Marquis Foltaine flinched for a moment. ¡°Did you hear?¡± ¡°Just bits and pieces.¡± ¡°¡­¡­If I had a son like you, whether it was bandits, pirates, or thieves, they wouldn¡¯t turn tail and run. You¡¯re skilled enough to cut them all down.¡± ¡°But if someone stronger than me stood in my way, who knows what I would do. A person¡¯s true naturees out in a real crisis.¡± Marquis Foltaine shook his head without hesitation. ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The you I know would rather sacrifice yourself than leave your family behind. You understand shame, and you have a sense of honor.¡± ¡°You speak as if you know me better than I know myself.¡± ¡°I might not trust my own son, but I trust my eyes.¡± I felt it. The other emotion woven into Marquis Foltaine¡¯s voice. ¡®Even if he says otherwise, he must still be grieving for his lost child.¡¯ However, what¡¯s gone will never return. Not Marquis Foltaine¡¯s child nor Andy. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Suddenly?¡± ¡°About what I said before, that you treat your children as mere decorations to uphold the marquisate¡¯s honor. I take it back.¡± Pause. ¡°Though everyone expresses it differently, a parent¡¯s love for their child is always sincere. I was short-sighted.¡± ¡°Just be like you usually are. It doesn¡¯t suit you.¡± ¡°I sincerely hope that your nights are no longer as long as they¡¯ve been.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about time I go! I¡¯m feeling sleepy now.¡± As if embarrassed by his own words, Marquis Foltaine quickly turned away. ¡°Yes. Once again, I respect your decision back then. After all, because of that choice, the marquisate is still moving in the right direction.¡± ¡°The real issue is the future! You need to find a good timing to move forward. I¡¯m too old now to walk in the right direction.¡± ¡°Comining doesn¡¯t suit you, Marquis.¡± ¡°Wait until you¡¯re my age. When you get old, everything hurts¡ª both body and mind.¡± Marquis Foltaine moved on, leaving only his final words behind. ¡°So, be the strong legs of this old man. I truly mean it.¡± He was a man who didn¡¯t know the meaning of giving up. * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * The next day, I encountered an unexpected situation early in the morning. The king of this country personally summoned me. ¡°Come in, Sir Ancelot of the Kingdom of Hart.¡± King Melio II greeted me with an infinitely kind smile. The weak demeanor he showed in front of the nobles was nowhere to be seen. ¡°I greet Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Princess Winley was also by his side. ¡°You two look good together.¡± At the same time, the princess¡¯s face twisted in difort. Of course, Melio II continued speaking without paying any mind. ¡°I called you because I want to grant you a title.¡± He got straight to the point. Anyone would be moved by such a proposal, but¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­I think I can guess what you¡¯re thinking.¡¯ On the contrary, I felt rather displeased. Melio II had eyes and ears. He must have known my true identity by now. Offering me a title under such circumstances? That means¡ª ¡®He¡¯s trying to secure at least one ally before stepping down.¡¯ He¡¯s the kind of person who believes he can at least control his own child. ¡®He must resent the nobles who forcibly dethroned him.¡¯ But to use his daughter and me, without even a proper conversation, just to maintain power¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­I really don¡¯t like it.¡¯ Of course, I might be judging Melio II based on the bits and pieces I know about him. ¡®Using his daughter, stealing his subject¡¯s lover, abandoning loyal followers to avoid political risks¡­¡­¡¯ Bits, my foot. This person is clearly unfit to be a leader. ¡°Even though you¡¯re engaged to my daughter, it has bothered me that you don¡¯t have a title.¡± It was at this moment that a voice rang out. ¡°The grand nobles are entering!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The voice of the grand chambein echoed through the hall. There was no need for Melio II¡¯s response. The eight grand nobles entered the room through the open door. ¡°Why are you all here at this time¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I heard you were going to grant that young man a title.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Kairos pointed at me. Melio II¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°¡­¡­Could it be that you¡¯ve been keeping an eye on me?¡± ¡°Of course not, Your Majesty. Given the presence of distinguished guests in the pce, we¡¯ve simply kept our ears open to the internal matters.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a baron¡¯s rank, the lowest title. Even a soon-to-be-departing king can grant that much, don¡¯t you think?¡± Nevertheless, the grand nobles showed no intention of backing down. However, ¡°We will follow His Majesty¡¯smand.¡± ¡°Please proceed as you see fit.¡± Only Duke Herman and Marquis Foltaine expressed their support, one after the other. They must havee all this way just to voice their approval. Of course, the remaining grand nobles were opposed. ¡°It¡¯s uneptable. What merit does he have to receive a title?¡± Duke Kairos was the first to voice his anger. He never liked me or those two in the first ce. ¡°Moreover, have you forgotten? He is a prince from another country. Considering future rtions with the Meeke Principality, I believe even the knight title previously granted to him should be revoked.¡± The other five grand nobles each presented their own opinions. The problem was that their reasons were not without merit. ¡°There¡¯s no precedent for this. Once a precedent is set, it bes custom. We must be cautious, Your Majesty. Honestly, granting him a knight title was already crossing the line.¡± ¡°New wine should be put into new wineskins. Why not let the new king decide?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just hand out noble titles to anyone.¡± ¡°The majority is against it. I¡¯ll follow the majority.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I am against it.¡± With that, they all withdrew from the discussion. Just from listening to their opinions, it was clear that the grand nobles of this country each had strong personalities. ¡°Six against two. The decision is made. You cannot grant him a title, Your Majesty.¡± Finally, when Duke Kairos withdrew¡ª ¡°How insolent!¡± Even Melio II, uncharacteristically, burst out in anger. ¡°We shall take our leave as well.¡± Duke Herman and Marquis Foltaine, the only ones who maintained decorum, quietly led me away. ¡°It¡¯s karma, but I do feel a bit sorry for him.¡± I spoke up at Marquis Foltaine¡¯s remark. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the two of you to side with His Majesty.¡± ¡°We weren¡¯t siding with the king, but with you. If you had a title, the Meeke Principality couldn¡¯t openly threaten to take you back. After all, you¡¯d be a noble.¡± This was rather touching. ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll have to convince the new king.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too disappointed. Tomorrow is the coronation of the new king.¡± I wasn¡¯t particrly disappointed, but they seemed to think I needed some constion. After each said what they wanted to say, they soon disappeared from sight. ¡®A title, huh¡­¡­¡¯ Now that I think about it, having one might not be so bad. I needed some credible backing, and a position could be a driving force for gathering people. *** Finally, it was the day of the new king¡¯s coronation. ¡°Stay quietly in your room today. It wouldn¡¯t be good to catch the eyes of the people from the Meeke Principality.¡± I carefully observed Duke Herman¡¯s face as he said this. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Did it show?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At my reply, Duke Herman sighed. ¡°It seems the Empire has no intention of leaving quietly.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°After the coronation, there will be diplomatic events. The next one is nned to take ce here in our country.¡± There was no need to move the venue unnecessarily. I understood that much. ¡°The event is meant to strengthen unity among smaller nations in the face of the Empire, but the Empire wants to participate? Other nations won¡¯t be pleased.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem. Since it¡¯s happening here, our country will have to take the me.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± I was beginning to understand the situation. ¡°Of course, the other delegations won¡¯t wee the Empire¡¯s presence. But at the same time, we can¡¯t just kick out guests who are already here, can we?¡± If they expelled them, they¡¯d have to deal with the Empire¡¯s wrath. If they didn¡¯t, the other countries would be upset. It was a real dilemma. ¡°It will likely be the new king¡¯s first test.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± After a moment of thought, a smile crept onto my lips. ¡°I think I might have a way to deal with that.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Dealing with the Empire has always been my specialty, even in my previous life. ¡°Please gather the other grand nobles as well.¡± ¡°Why them?¡± ¡°You saw yesterday, didn¡¯t you? They told me to earn my title, so I¡¯ll do just that.¡± *** Chapter 77 Chapter 77 ¨C The Empire¡¯s Bold Merchant There was no need to hesitate in summoning the grand nobles. After all, a meeting with them had already been scheduled for the morning. ¡°Why did you bring that child here?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the fianc¨¦ of the youngest princess. He deserves to be here.¡± ¡°Is there anyone here who doesn¡¯t know that engagement is a sham?¡± ¡°Duke Kairos, you¡¯ve just misspoken.¡± ¡°Hmph. More importantly, this is a royal meeting for internal matters. How can you carelessly allow a foreigner in?¡± ¡°He is part of our family now. We cannot simply reject him as a foreigner.¡± Neither Duke Herman nor Duke Kairos were willing to give an inch. At that moment, the new king stepped in to mediate. ¡°Let¡¯s set aside personal feelings for now.¡± Terry Kun Hart. Although his coronation was scheduled for the afternoon, the second prince¡¯s official duties began today. ¡®Oh, he¡¯s quite impressive.¡¯ I whistled inwardly at the sight. Fortunately, unlike Melio II, this fellow didn¡¯t seem to be the two-faced type that schemed with a smile. Well, the nobles of this country aren¡¯t fools. They must have been willing to take the risk since they had a solid alternative. ¡°Ahem.¡± Not wanting to make a bad impression on the new king from the start, Duke Kairos backed down. ¡°Let¡¯s resolve urgent matters first. What should we do about the Empire?¡± ¡°We must send them back, Your Majesty.¡± Duke Kairos¡¯ response was the start. The other grand nobles agreed as well. There was no conflict of opinion. They must be sent back. There was unanimous agreement without a single dissenting voice. ¡®But how?¡¯ That was the real issue. At my nce, Duke Herman subtly nodded his head. ¡°First, let¡¯s summon the concerned party.¡± I had advised Duke Herman beforehand. No matter how bold you are, politics is ultimately about creating justifications. When the host is this ufortable, they can¡¯t just stubbornly stand their ground without any justification. ¡®Well, since it¡¯s the Empire, they might do just that.¡¯ If it came to that, they could be driven out by force. ¡°I believe it¡¯s only proper to hear why they refuse to leave.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Indeed, that would be wise.¡± Terry Kun Hart, who had maintained a stern expression, immediately ordered the head steward. ¡°Bring in Count Kaiman.¡± ¡°At yourmand, Your Majesty.¡± It didn¡¯t take long. Soon, a man with a noticeable scar across his cheek walked in, as if he had been waiting for this moment. ¡°Congrattions on your coronation, Your Majesty. The position suits you well.¡± ¡°Thank you, Count.¡± ¡°In the afternoon, I will formally present His Imperial Majesty¡¯s gift.¡± ¡°Your sentiments are more than enough.¡± After the formal greetings were out of the way, Terry Kun Hart¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I hear you wish to remain in the pce even after the coronation, Count.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The grand nobles¡¯ eyes shed with interest. Terry Kun Hart was certainly different from his father. If it were his father, he wouldn¡¯t have dared to ask such a direct question. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Kaiman, who had been staring at the throne for a moment, soon smiled. ¡°It seems we are causing you difort.¡± ¡°To be honest, yes.¡± At this point, even I was impressed. ¡®It seems I don¡¯t need to intervene.¡¯ As I was thinking that, Count Kaiman began to exin. ¡°We are not entirely oblivious, Your Majesty. We know that it would be inappropriate for the source of discord to be present at a meeting meant to foster goodwill.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re aware of that, then why?¡± ¡°We simply ask for Your Majesty¡¯s understanding.¡± ¡°Did you just say ¡®understanding¡¯?¡± ¡°In our Empire, we have an information organization called ¡®The Crescent Moon¡¯.¡± The Crescent Moon. Indeed, there was such an organization. ¡®An ultrarge intelligence organization directly under the Emperor.¡¯ Its informationwork extended throughout the continent. Once, I asked Narakas about the current capabilities of the Crescent Moon. ¡°The private organization of the reigning Emperor is in no way inferior in its intelligence-gathering ability to our Mask of Night.¡± That was Narakas¡¯ reply at the time. ¡°Recently, the Crescent Moon received a piece of intelligence.¡± ¡°What kind of intelligence?¡± ¡°The leader of Verdant Vale, the group of bandits, was recently spotted in this vicinity.¡± Terry Kun Hart¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Did you just say ¡®Verdant Vale¡¯?¡± ¡°I certainly did, Your Majesty.¡± A groan escaped from the new king. ¡°As you know, Verdant Vale is an enemy of the entire continent. If left unchecked, they will eventually stir up public unrest with their banditry in any country. Especially their leader, whom we have been pursuing for a long time.¡± ¡°Where was this leaderst seen?¡± ¡°Death Valley. In the Hart Kingdom, it¡¯s known as the ck Swan.¡± Hold on. Why does that name sound familiar? ¡®Isn¡¯t that my territory?¡¯ sh! The realization hit me, and I raised my hand. It was to request permission to speak. ¡°¡­¡­Do you have something to say?¡± Terry Kun Hart¡¯s stern gaze turned to me. ¡°Coincidentally, that happens to be my territory.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°On my way to the territory I was granted, I was kidnapped by ve traders, which led to my current predicament.¡± Duke Kairos, who had quietly approached the throne, confirmed that what I said was true. ¡°Since I acquired a knighthood in the Hart Kingdom, I have be something like a dual citizen, but that area is still my domain. So, I believe¡­¡­.¡± I deliberately trailed off and looked at Count Kaiman. ¡°¡­¡­It would be appropriate for me, as the person involved, to handle this matter.¡± ¡°What? You?¡± ¡°Whether I confirm the rumors or capture the leader, as long as that¡¯s resolved, doesn¡¯t that mean the Empire will leave?¡± Count Kaiman, who had been observing my actions, nodded with a smile. ¡°Of course. But are you sure, Your Highness? You may not know, but the leader of Verdant Vale is a Master.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I will lead three knight orders to apany him.¡± As if he had been waiting, Marquis Foltaine spoke up. ¡°He is still a child, even though he is a knight of our country. He must be apanied by a guardian, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± His voice was very subdued. Surprisingly, no one opposed this. ¡®They must know about the story involving the bandits and Marquis Foltaine.¡¯ After all, Marquis Foltaine lost his child because of Verdant Vale. Thud. At that moment, someone grabbed my shoulder. I turned to see Duke Herman. ¡°¡­¡­Both of you, this isn¡¯t a matter that should be discussed so lightly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°As Count Kaiman already mentioned, the current leader of Verdant Vale is¡­¡­¡± Count Kaiman finished the sentence. ¡°¡­¡­Also a traitor to our Empire.¡± ¡°A traitor¡­¡­ to the Empire?¡± I reflexively asked in confusion. ¡°Yes. He was once one of the five heroes who unified the Empire and was known as the most capable advisor of the great hero Ancelot. Trevor, the Swordsman of Illusions.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For a moment, I felt something heavy crash down inside me. ¡°¡­¡­You. Say that again?¡± Forgetting that I was in a formal setting, I couldn¡¯t help but ask in disbelief. As soon as I returned to my room, I immediately searched for him. ¡°Narakas! Where are you, you bastard!?¡± ¡°You called?¡± Fortunately, Narakas was hiding in my room as usual, like a rat. ¡°You knew, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Knew what?¡± ¡°Who the leader of Verdant Vale, those bandit scum, really is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± His silence was as good as confirmation. Narakas didn¡¯t offer any response. ¡°How am I supposed to trust you anymore?¡± ¡°¡­¡­If you¡¯re frustrated, get stronger. The rules of our organization are clear. We don¡¯t provide information that our clients can¡¯t handle, even if it kills us.¡± ¡°Fine. Then today, you¡¯ll die at my hands.¡± I stormed towards him. ¡°Spill everything you know, if you don¡¯t want to die.¡± Even as I advanced, my mind was racing. First, Bastion wasn¡¯t the traitor. The circumstances surrounding the records left at the grave make it clear it wasn¡¯t him. Second, what about Raven, who developed the White me Burst Poison? Considering the situation during the betrayal, it¡¯s possible. After all, he hadn¡¯t activated his mana hole at the time. But it doesn¡¯t feel right. He developed a deadly, odorless poison near the end of the Imperial Unification War, a creation so terrifying it even chilled me to the bone. If he wanted to kill, he could have used that poison. There was no reason for him to go through the trouble of taking hostages. Third, Urha, the Swordsman of the Waves. He¡¯s straightforward. Pure and upright, like a clear mountain stream. That¡¯s why, like Bastion and his blind loyalty, I judged him least likely to be the traitor from the start. That leaves two. If Trevor is now the leader of a mere bandit gang and considered a traitor to the Empire, then¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Was the traitor Zion?¡± Surprisingly, Narakas shook his head when he heard me mutter to myself. ¡°Zion, the Swordsman of Mana. It¡¯s not certain. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t provide information that would only confuse our clients. That¡¯s another rule of our organization.¡± Narakas stared intently at me. ¡°You¡¯re probably thinking that out of the five, the one who¡¯s still ¡®doing well¡¯ must be the traitor, right?¡± That¡¯s exactly what I was thinking. ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, but none of the five are ¡®doing well¡¯.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Though their deaths aren¡¯t known, thest known whereabouts of all five weren¡¯t exactly favorable.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Shock hit me like a hammer to the back of my head. ¡°Have you ever considered that your hypothesis might be wrong from the start?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Maybe there isn¡¯t a traitor at all. You said you saw it in the records left by the Great Hero, but¡­¡­¡± I shook my head without hesitation. ¡°No, there is definitely a traitor.¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± It was just a feeling. The situation before I died told me so. But I couldn¡¯t exin that to this guy. ¡°¡­¡­The swordsmanship of those five close aides that¡¯s spread across the continent. That¡¯s the proof.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I see¡­¡­¡± Finally, Narakas nodded. ¡°Swordsmen never willingly give up their secret techniques. No one can steal knowledge from their minds. So, there must be a traitor.¡± This was something I could be sure of, given my own experience. Most of the swordsmen I faced during the war were like that. The knowledge in my head either came from books I stumbled upon or was something I developed on my own. ¡°What if they were threatened?¡± ¡°They¡¯d bite their tongues and die before they handed over their secret techniques under duress. It¡¯s more likely they entrusted them to someone they trusted.¡± ¡°¡­¡­That does make sense.¡± The conversation ended there because Narakas had made his stance clear. ¡°Hah¡­¡­ Fine. When have I ever just sat around waiting for someone else¡¯s help?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just find out for myself.¡± With that, I stormed out of the room. *** At the royal coronation, even middle and lower nobles of the rank of count and below attend. Thanks to this, Jan, Harun, and Kirian had all entered the pce. I summoned them to the grand training ground. Somehow, Winley heard the news and rushed over as well. ¡°¡­¡­Everyone.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°We¡¯re about to have our first real battle.¡± The four of them opened their eyes wide at my words. ¡°Real battle¡­¡­?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to go crush some bandits. They¡¯ll be the perfect opponents for our first real fight, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Soon, all of their eyes sparkled without exception. ¡°This should be fun!¡± ¡°Yeah. It sounds like a good opportunity.¡± Harun and Kirian responded one after the other. ¡°¡­¡­Wait.¡± On the other hand, the more practical Jan frowned. ¡°We¡¯ve got the King¡¯s coronation this afternoon and a diplomatic mission in two weeks. Are we really going to skip out on such important events to go chase down some bandits?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of our concern, is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­You bastard. How can you say that with such a straight face?¡± Jan¡¯s face waspletely crumpled in displeasure. ¡°Am I wrong? Princess.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At that moment, Winley, who was pointed out, shed a bright smile, baring her teeth. ¡°Of course! It¡¯s none of our concern!¡± ¡°Good.¡± I nodded in satisfaction. ¡°And you may not know, but this mission is actually part of ensuring that the diplomatic visit goes smoothly.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really get it, but¡­¡­ I¡¯ll do whatever you decide, Master!¡± ¡°Right, Harun. We¡¯ll crush those bandits and be back in two weeks.¡± In two weeks, I will meet Trevor. I¡¯ll hear the hidden truths of history directly from him. ¡°Just so you know, our destination is the ck Swan.¡± *** Chapter 78 Chapter 78 ¨C The Little Marquis (1) ¡°No way!¡± This was Duke Herman¡¯s immediate reaction when he heard my n. ¡°Are you out of your mind? You can¡¯t take the princess to a ce like that!¡± ¡°We need to raise her strong. She has to develop the independence to survive in this harsh world, doesn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Absolutely not. Do you think all royalty is like you?¡± Duke Herman, who was practically a parent to her, vehemently opposed the idea. ¡°¡­¡­Your Grace.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not happening.¡± Even Winley¡¯s pleading gaze was useless. ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause you any more trouble, Your Grace.¡± ¡°How can you not see that this is exactly what causing trouble looks like?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Duke Kairos mentioned something at the royal council, didn¡¯t he? About a ¡®false engagement¡¯.¡± Flinch. Duke Herman¡¯s eyebrows twitched at her words. ¡°The Duke is already suspicious of us. He¡¯ll probably steadily push for my political marriage to be arranged by my brother¡¯s¡ª no, the King¡¯s¡ª side.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to sit idly by and live like a puppet.¡± Duke Herman sighed and shook his head. ¡°¡­¡­But that¡¯s not a reason for Your Highness to go to such a dangerous ce.¡± ¡°We have to do something. I have to show that I¡¯m trying¡ª that I¡¯m not just a political pawn dragged around ording to everyone¡¯s ns, but an individual with my own will.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A heavy silence fell over the room. How long did that silencest? Eventually, Duke Herman sighed again and looked in my direction. ¡°¡­¡­Marquis Foltaine alone won¡¯t be enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley¡¯s face instantly brightened. ¡°Thank you, Your Grace! I won¡¯t forget this kindness.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t given my permission yet.¡± In other words, he was granting conditional approval. That was my cue to step in. ¡°Then you coulde along, Your Grace.¡± ¡°If I leave as well, who will take care of the pce?¡± ¡°True, who knows what tricks that bald old man might try to pull.¡± ¡°Just so you know, Count Arsene is out of the question. He¡¯s a good person, butcks the necessary skills.¡± It was as if Duke Herman could read my mind. ¡°Convince one of the grand nobles. The princess should have a personal guard of that caliber to ease my worries.¡± ¡°Not all grand nobles are strong entrics like Marquis Foltaine, though?¡± ¡°A grand noble isn¡¯t called a grand noble for nothing. Some are highly skilled themselves, and even if they aren¡¯t, they all have at least one Expert-level knight under theirmand.¡± Duke Herman¡¯s voice was firm, as if this was non-negotiable. ¡°So find a trustworthy guard. Then I¡¯ll try to convince them to allow Her Highness¡¯ leave.¡± *** I went straight to Marquis Foltaine to select the appropriate guard. I wasn¡¯t sure if having another guard was necessary, but a condition is a condition. ¡°I don¡¯t know the grand nobles of this country very well. Could you rmend just one person?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re only asking for my opinion¡­¡­¡± ¡°Your opinion is all I need, Marquis.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine looked at me silently for a moment before responding. ¡°¡­¡­I would personally rmend Marquis Milon.¡± ¡°What kind of person is he?¡± ¡°Do you remember the guy at court yesterday who only said ¡®I¡¯m against it¡¯ in response to your title acquisition? The one who looked like he had no social skills whatsoever.¡± Ah, him. I remembered him clearly¡ª not just because of his curt words, but because of his unusual appearance. ¡°You mean that kid?¡± ¡°¡­¡­He may look like that, but he¡¯s probably thirty by now.¡± ¡°Huh? That kid?¡± He didn¡¯t look a day older than me, even at a generous estimate. ¡°They say it¡¯s because of an illness.¡± ¡°What kind of illness?¡± ¡°A type of dwarfism. His body doesn¡¯t grow, no matter how old he gets.¡± ¡°A curse, then.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s any silver lining, it¡¯s that he was born with extraordinary magical talent.¡± It¡¯s not that unusual. I¡¯ve heard that those born with one disability often have other senses that develop extraordinarily. ¡°Marquis Milon is one of the few nobles who is also a high-ranking magician. He¡¯s as smart as his natural talent suggests. If I had to choose the most brilliant person in our kingdom, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to pick him.¡± ¡°That impressive?¡± ¡°Impressive enough that even Duke Herman wouldn¡¯t object if you took him along. Though, hisck of conversation could be an issue.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that bad?¡± ¡°The day he said ¡®I¡¯m against it¡¯ was probably the most he¡¯s spoken in a long time. He avoids meeting people altogether.¡± That¡¯s a bit concerning. ¡°Why not just give up on the princess? As the Duke said, there¡¯s no need to take her to such a dangerous ce.¡± ¡°She¡¯s very determined.¡± ¡°Then do as you wish. I have to admit, imagining you struggling with this does sound quite entertaining.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t rmend him just to mess with me, did you?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± We both chuckled softly, neither of us taking the joke too seriously. When I mentioned Marquis Foltaine¡¯s rmendation to Duke Herman, ¡°¡­¡­So Marquis Foltaine rmended Marquis Milon? How fitting.¡± He nodded repeatedly, as if he agreed that this was the best choice. ¡°To reach the ck Swan, you¡¯ll have to pass through the Valley of Death. With all the monsters and poisons lurking there, it¡¯s wise to have a skilled magician with you.¡± ¡°It would be even better if I could use this opportunity to build a good rtionship with him and bring him to my side.¡± ¡°¡­¡­But taking him along won¡¯t be easy.¡± His voice became increasingly doubtful. ¡°If it¡¯s the Marquis Milon that Marquis Foltaine and I both know.¡± His reaction was simr to Marquis Foltaine¡¯s. * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Marquis Milon, who had been out and about since morning, was now sprawled on his bed. ¡°¡­¡± The energy reserved for outdoor activities had beenpletely drained. However, he had no choice but to go out again in the afternoon because of the annoying king¡¯s coronation ceremony. ¡®Can¡¯t they just handle it themselves?¡¯ While he was already in a foul mood¡ª Knock, knock, knock. ¡°Marquis Milon, you have a visitor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Milon¡¯s brow furrowed. The pce never seemed to leave him alone. ¡°Pardon the intrusion.¡± Creak. The door slowly opened, and the head of a child, wearing an apologetic expression, peeked inside. ¡°I-I apologize. I wanted to take care of it myself, but the guest is the princess¡¯s fianc¨¦¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the princess¡¯s fianc¨¦. That¡¯s me.¡± It was a silentmunication. Milon hadn¡¯t uttered a word, but the child continued the conversation through expressions alone. ¡®Just hearing the identity makes your intentions seem dubious.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­It seems something about this displeases you?¡± ¡®Obviously. He probably wants to undermine the old men and build his own reputation. He needs to establish himself in this country, and he can¡¯t do that without securing a decent position. But the old men are dead set against him.¡¯ The child bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯ll just send him away.¡± The child¡¯s head disappeared through the door. But before long¡ª ¡°Um¡­¡­¡± ¡®What now?¡¯ ¡°Well¡­¡­ He said that if you don¡¯t want to meet him, he¡¯d at least like to leave you a gift.¡± Milon¡¯s lips curled into a smirk. ¡®Don¡¯t get cute with me.¡¯ Of course, the child read that expression too. ¡°The thing is¡­¡­ the gift is a high-grade elixir.¡± ¡°!¡± Suddenly, Marquis Milon¡¯s eyes shot open, and he sprang out of bed. ¡®Is it for real?¡¯ It was his first sign of any intense emotion. Even if all other gifts were returned, elixirs were always to be reported. That was a consistent internal rule of the Milon family. *** Pat, pat, pat. I couldn¡¯t help but be puzzled by the sudden show of hospitality, which included pats on the shoulder. Marquis Milon, who was shorter than me, had a warm, gentle smile stered on his face. ¡®Could it be because of the gift I brought?¡¯ It seemed like that was the case. There was no other reason for this behavior. ¡®I¡¯ll have to thank Marquis Foltaine.¡¯ For the record, the high-grade elixir was something Marquis Foltaine had given me to bring. Whoosh, whoosh! He gestured towards the chair, and I sat down without hesitation. Without a single word, he sped his hands together as if telling me to say what I wanted. ¡°Perhaps¡­¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t even said anything yet?¡± This guy was certainly peculiar. It was as if he already knew what I was going to say, shaking his head even before hearing it. And that wasn¡¯t all. ¡®No.¡¯ He made an X with his fingers. ¡®Go back.¡¯ He waved his hand dismissively as if shooing away a bothersome fly. ¡®This is even more annoying than just saying it out loud.¡¯ Should I just punch this little brat? ¡°I-I¡¯ll trante for you!¡± At that moment, the child who had greeted me rushed over. ¡°Trante¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Y-Yes. My name is Arden.¡± Arden bowed and quickly sat next to Marquis Milon. ¡°¡­¡­So, why not?¡± ¡°He says it¡¯s bothersome.¡± ¡°What kind of nonsense is that?¡± ¡°He¡¯s asking, ¡®Why do you keep speaking so rudely?¡¯¡± At that point, I looked at Arden. How does he trante all of this just from expressions? But the child nodded at me as if he understood everything. ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re doing the same.¡± ¡°You, do you know how old I am?¡± ¡°In a society of ranks, why are you bringing up age?¡± ¡°Ranks? You¡¯re just a knight. I¡¯m a marquis.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a prince, though.¡± ¡°If you want to be treated as a prince, go back to your country.¡± Should I really just kill him? More importantly, is this trantion even urate? ¡®¡­¡­Then again, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for him to lie in front of a marquis.¡¯ In other words, this interpretation was the little brat¡¯s true thoughts. ¡®This kid has a talent for getting under people¡¯s skin.¡¯ I pressed my temples lightly. ¡°So, you¡¯re just going to keep the gift for free?¡± ¡°If you expect something in return, it¡¯s not a gift.¡± ¡°If you know that, shouldn¡¯t you have refused it outright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the type to turn down gifts.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not going to grant my request, shouldn¡¯t you at least give the gift back? After all, you care about your noble reputation.¡± ¡°Reputation? I don¡¯t care about that.¡± I turned away without hesitation. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to work.¡± Was my response unexpected? Arden¡¯s voice reached my ears again. ¡°He¡¯s asking, ¡®You¡¯re giving up more easily than I thought. Are you upset?¡¯¡± ¡°Not particrly.¡± ¡°You should be. You¡¯ve lost a valuable gift and are now leaving empty-handed.¡± I nced back slightly. ¡°I have nothing to be upset about. You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If you give something with an ulterior motive, it¡¯s not a gift. It might as well be a bribe.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I could feel a sharp gaze on the back of my head. ¡°Let¡¯s just call it a day.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Are you going toe back?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the type to give up.¡± ¡°Just give up. Don¡¯t waste your time. I¡¯m giving you this advice because you don¡¯t seem as awful as I thought. You need results before the diplomatic visit, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Thanks for the advice.¡± Maybe he noticed the determination in my words? ¡°When you¡¯re in a hurry, you lose. No matter how urgent, you shouldn¡¯t let the other person see it.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have much time.¡± ¡°More importantly, I already know all about your situation. Do you think you can negotiate under these circumstances?¡± I nodded quietly. ¡°At least your head seems fine. Goodbye. I won¡¯t see you out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m feelingpetitive now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Two days.¡± Both of them tilted their heads simultaneously as I gave a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to get you to open that mouth of yours within two days.¡± *** Chapter 79 Chapter 79 ¨C The Little Marquis (2) ¡®What a strange guy.¡¯ Marquis Milon, now alone, kept furrowing and then unfurrowing his brow repeatedly. ¡°My lord.¡± Just then, Arden, who had gone to see off the guest, returned. At least in appearance, the age difference between the two didn¡¯t seem that great. Arden was fifteen years old this year. In other words, it meant that he didn¡¯t have many days left in this role. Marquis Milon had a habit of recing his aides before they turned neen. ¡®Arden, take this to theb.¡¯ Marquis Milon handed back the elixir he had received as a gift. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡®From now on, if any elixirse in, make sure to report them to me immediately.¡¯ ¡°Of course.¡± ¡®Good. Dismissed!¡¯ Marquis Milon waved his hand after finishing what he had to say. ¡°Um¡­¡­¡± ¡®Yes?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s just my imagination, but my lord¡­¡­ did something good happen to you today?¡± Marquis Milon paused. His eyebrow twitched. ¡®To me?¡¯ ¡°Your expressions have been much more varied than usual¡­¡­ Ah, I¡¯m sorry! That¡¯s not my ce to speak.¡± As Milon¡¯s face quickly turned nk, Arden quickly apologized. Kids were certainly quick-witted. ¡®¡­¡­Fine, but from now on, don¡¯t let anyone else into the room.¡¯ ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Left alone again, Marquis Milon let out a deep sigh. ¡®At most, I have three years left¡­¡­¡¯ That was the time Milon predicted he had left. ¡®¡­¡­Until then, happiness is a luxury I can¡¯t afford.¡¯ *** In the office of Duke Kairos. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Themunication crystal on the table emitted a bright light. -How have you been, Duke Kairos? ¡°Haha, I¡¯ve been well. The only thing sturdy about me is my body. But before I greet you properly, I must apologize.¡± It wasn¡¯t just words, Duke Kairos even bowed respectfully towards the crystal. ¡°I tried to have Prince Andrew, whom we are sheltering, sent over, but the opposition from other nobles was so strong that it wasn¡¯t easy.¡± -Don¡¯t worry. If it weren¡¯t for your help, Duke, I wouldn¡¯t have even thought of passing through the Kingdom of Hart when I first sent him to the territory. ¡°Since he¡¯s decided to go to the destination himself, leave the rest to me. It seems that meeting the people of the Meeke Principality during the diplomatic visit was a burden for him, but he¡¯ll soon realize he¡¯s digging his own grave.¡± -Well, it is Death Valley after all. ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± -No, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s grateful, Duke. I look forward to the day we meet in person. As the light from the crystal faded, Duke Kairos rubbed his bald head. In truth, the ck Swan (Death Valley) was a very dangerous ce. Even a Master would find their life in danger there. ¡®Marquis Foltaine might be a variable¡­¡­ but the result won¡¯t change even if I don¡¯t do anything special.¡¯ In any case, Marquis Foltaine must have made such a decision despite knowing the danger. It was Verdant Vale, after all. He must want to avenge his child. ¡®¡­¡­Which works out well for us.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just the thorn in his side, Marquis Foltaine. Considering the future rtionship with the Meeke Principality, it was better if Prince Andrew died there as well. As he was thinking this¡ª ¡°Your Grace!¡± A knight rushed inside. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Just now, Unit 5 made contact with Marquis Milon.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Unit 5 met with Milon?¡± ¡°Yes. I confirmed it again with the pce servants on the way here.¡± Unit 5 referred to Prince Andrew. Duke Kairos let out a smallugh. He could easily see what was going on in his mind. ¡°He really intends to go to the ck Swan.¡± The uneasiness he had felt vanished. In fact, he was even pleased with the news. Wasn¡¯t that as good as admitting that he didn¡¯t have any other schemes nned? ¡°His effort ismendable, but he¡¯s wasting his time right from the start.¡± Duke Kairos shook his head. Of all people, Andrew had chosen the one who was least likely to join his group¡ª a reclusive loner whocked empathy and had no interest in others. *** When I returned to the room, Marquis Foltaine hadn¡¯t left and was waiting for me. ¡°Did everything go well?¡± ¡°Thanks to you, I made a good first impression. Ah, and thank you for the elixir.¡± Marquis Foltaine, who had been staring at me for a moment, spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I think I was too focused on taunting you.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± I tilted my head at his sudden apology. ¡°I only thought about efficiency, not about the possibilities.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll consider the elixir something I used myself, so you should start looking for someone else now.¡± Marquis Foltaine continued, as if making a deration. ¡°Milon will never follow us.¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s a person who likes being alone.¡± I looked at Marquis Foltaine, who was speaking in such a manner. ¡°Is there really anyone in the world who likes being alone? Sometimes being alone can befortable, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn. There¡¯s another reason why he won¡¯t follow you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Perhaps because he realized I wouldn¡¯t give up easily, Marquis Foltaine let out a sigh, but he still answered my question. ¡°I mentioned before about the curse he¡¯s suffering from, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Are you referring to dwarfism?¡± ¡°For your information, it¡¯s a hereditary disease. His only sister is also suffering from the same curse. He¡¯s made it his life¡¯s mission to cure her.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why he¡¯s so obsessed with elixirs?¡± Marquis Foltaine nodded. ¡°He¡¯s not interested in power or position. Unlike me, there¡¯s no benefit for him in working with you.¡± After hearing the full story, my resolve became even stronger. ¡°He must be lonely.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Lonely? Did you even listen to what I just said? That guy has no time to feel lonely¡­¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s human, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°If he has to take care of a sick family member, he¡¯s probably even lonelier. He¡¯s carrying a huge burden by himself.¡± Marquis Foltaine frowned as he hesitated. ¡°¡­¡­I really don¡¯t understand why you keep focusing on that.¡± ¡°I need to win over Marquis Milon, don¡¯t I? Since my goal is to win his heart, I should try to stand in his shoes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine stared at me in silence for a long time. ¡°You cheeky little brat. Do you always charm people like this?¡± ¡°Can I take that to mean I¡¯ve charmed you too, Marquis?¡± ¡°Not a chance.¡± A faint smile appeared on my lips. ¡°In any case, I¡¯ve been thinking from the perspective of Marquis Milon. If I were suffering from such a curse, how would I feel as time went on?¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I would at least want to avoid meeting the friends I had when I was young. I would feel a sense of alienation watching everyone else grow up except for me. Besides, when you¡¯re young, people tend to make fun of you for being just a little different, don¡¯t they?¡± Even nobles have to attend the academy when they¡¯re young. It¡¯s not a choice but a requirement, a long-standing tradition in the Kingdom of Hart, and the same across the continent. The purpose is to keep the children of powerful regional nobles essentially as hostages in the capital, so they can¡¯t harbor rebellious thoughts. Of course, you can build connections, but there are also many drawbacks. Children learn about status at the academy, realize that they¡¯re different, and understand the importance of belonging to a group. At that age, they tend to unt themselves. Just like Jan, who used to bully Kirian. ¡°He might not have a single true friend.¡± ¡°You think he¡¯s the only one? That¡¯s life. Especially when you have a family, friends be even more meaningless. Rtionships drift apart naturally, even without any disputes.¡± ¡°The problem is that the person in question doesn¡¯t see it that way.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll start looking for reasons why they¡¯re drifting away from their peers. Since they see a clear w in themselves, they¡¯ll gradually talk less.¡± ¡°Friends aren¡¯t that important to begin with¡­¡­¡± ¡°They are important. How lonely would it be to go through this long life without a single friend to talk to? Even you, Marquis, have at least one drinking buddy, don¡¯t you?¡± I was referring to Duke Herman, whom I was also familiar with. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I had a friend like that too. His time also stopped around fifteen years old.¡± ¡°¡­¡­The world really is vast. I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s someone else suffering from such a cursed condition.¡± ¡°He was just like that. Even though he did nothing wrong, he was constantly mindful of others¡¯ opinions. ¡®Do they think I¡¯m weird?¡¯ ¡®Do they dislike me?¡¯ He would attribute meaning to every little action of others, driving himself to the brink.¡± One of the fivepanions I trusted most, and the only one who wasn¡¯t a swordsman. His name was Raven. ¡°In the end, he built a wall between himself and others. He thought that if he didn¡¯t form rtionships in the first ce, he wouldn¡¯t get hurt. You could say it was a kind of defense mechanism.¡± Maybe because of that, he became the best poison expert thanks to the time he spent alone. ¡°In any case, my first impression of Marquis Milon was that he was simr to my friend.¡± ¡°¡­¡­How was he simr?¡± I certainly saw it. In those two eyes, I saw the same fragments of emotion that I had seen in Raven. ¡°It was as if he was silently screaming with his entire being, ¡®Please, someone pay attention to me.¡¯¡± The name of that emotion was loneliness. That night, I quietly went to see Marquis Milon. ¡°He asks, ¡®What¡¯s this? You¡¯re here again?¡¯¡± Fortunately, I wasn¡¯t turned away just because it was night. The young servant, who now knew my face, even greeted me politely. Of course, interpreting was also his job. Clink. I shook the bottle I had prepared in advance in my hand. Marquis Milon¡¯s face instantly brightened. ¡°It was the right call not to send you away. Come in! Give me that elixir¡­¡­¡± Arden, who had been interpreting, tilted his head in confusion. It was only then that he realized what was in the bottle he had just received. ¡°¡­¡­My lord, that isn¡¯t an elixir.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s alcohol.¡± ¡°Alcohol¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The night breeze is cool, and I feel like having a light drink, but I had no one to drink with.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Marquis Milon, who had been gaping in confusion, finally let out a smallugh. ¡°¡­¡­Ah, interpretation! Interpretation!¡± Arden quickly observed the expression on Marquis Milon¡¯s face. ¡°This prince is really cheeky, huh? How old are you exactly this year?¡± ¡°Try being in my shoes. Do you think I¡¯d be able to fall asleep without a drink?¡± Marquis Milon paused and then nodded. ¡°But I¡¯m sorry to say, I don¡¯t drink with kids.¡± ¡°Ha, don¡¯t act all high and mighty. How about we make a bet then?¡± At the word ¡®bet¡¯, Marquis Milon scoffed as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. ¡°Why, so that you can ask me to join you in thatnd of death if you win?¡± A smile slowly spread across my face. ¡°You scared?¡± *** Chapter 80 Chapter 80 ¨C The Little Marquis (3) ¡°Unit 5 has just made contact with Marquis Milon.¡± ¡°Again¡­¡­?¡± Duke Kairos paused and gazed out the window. It was pitch ck outside, with zero visibility. ¡°At thiste hour?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­This is starting to bother me.¡± Duke Kairos rubbed his bald head. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°In the pce¡¯s back garden, near the 13th training grounds, which are no longer in use.¡± ¡°Training grounds¡­¡­?¡± For a moment, Duke Kairos flinched. ¡°Are you saying that Milon is outside?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Kairos made an ufortable expression. Sensing the tension, his lieutenant quickly added¡ª ¡°Surely, Marquis Milon won¡¯t be swayed by the prince, will he? As you know, Marquis Milon is extremely unsociable by nature.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Have you ever heard the saying ¡®Never say never¡¯?¡± Despite the lieutenant¡¯s reassurances, the Duke¡¯s expression didn¡¯t lighten. Two figures he never expected to side with the prince had already been won over. ¡°Neither Marquis Foltaine nor Duke Herman would ever risk their political careers for the whims of a young prince.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to check this out myself.¡± Without hesitation, Duke Kairos stood up. ¡°L-Let me escort you, Your Grace.¡± *** The abandoned training grounds were bathed in moonlight. Whoosh! With a single motion, a red carpet wasid out, giving the ce an odd sense of charm. ¡°Arden, was it?¡± ¡°Yes? Y-Yes¡­¡­¡± The now-familiar young servant hesitantly answered my question. ¡°Can you interpret drunken expressions too?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± Arden nced nervously at Marquis Milon before responding. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve never seen the Marquis drunk before.¡± ¡°So, that means he holds his liquor well?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve never seen him drink at all.¡± I frowned in confusion. Well, that¡¯s an unexpected variable. Thud! To my surprise, Milon¡¯s response came through his actions. He sat down and grabbed the bottle without hesitation. ¡°Just because I don¡¯t drink doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t out-drink anyone!¡± That was the message his bodynguage seemed to convey. ¡°¡­¡­Hey, Arden. I think I¡¯m finally getting used to that marquis of yours.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll need your interpretations anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Arden¡¯s eyes widened for a second, and then, strangely enough, he looked delighted. ¡°Really?¡± Splish. After that, the two of us sat silently, each holding a ss of liquor. Under the calm moonlight, we exchanged drinks. Of course, there was no need for any conversation. I tried to read his expression without any help, and Milon¡ª being Milon¡ª stayed quiet. Eventually, even Arden started nodding off beside us. ¡°¡­¡­Hey, you¡¯re quite the drinker.¡± We had just finished our third bottle when I couldn¡¯t help but admire him. At that, one side of Milon¡¯s lips curled up. ¡®This is nothing.¡¯ No interpretation needed. ¡°You¡¯ve got some serious pride when ites to drinking.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a shame we¡¯re in the pce. If we were outside, we could have some pretty girls join us.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that face? You think you could charm them all?¡± I burst intoughter. That¡¯s how confident Marquis Milon¡¯s expression was. ¡°As if. You look like the type that can¡¯t even speak to girls.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Pfft. What¡¯s with that look of defeat? You think your face isn¡¯t good enough?¡± This time, I couldn¡¯t quite read his face. He seemed angry, maybe annoyed. Suddenly, Milon stood up quietly. ¡°¡­¡­What the. Why are you getting up?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You want me to stand too?¡± He nodded. His expression seemed somewhat angry. ¡®Is he really mad?¡¯ I started to consider it seriously. Telling someone they¡¯re ugly can hit hard, even if it¡¯s true. However, Milon wasn¡¯t ugly. If he had matured fully, he would¡¯ve been a stunningly handsome man. He had soft, full cheeks, fair skin, andrge eyes. If he went to the market in disguise, people would definitely be drawn to him because of his cute appearance. ¡®¡­¡­Is that why he has aplex?¡¯ I smiled bitterly at the thought. This was clearly my fault. ¡®I guess the alcohol is getting to me too.¡¯ Swaying, I got up as well. This wasn¡¯t a big issue. Just a fleeting emotional scuffle between friends during a drinking session. ¡®Maybe that¡¯s why he started talking less over time.¡¯ He¡¯s familiar with words, and how they can stir trouble. ¡®Besides, friendships often get stronger after conflicts.¡¯ With a sly grin, I spoke up. ¡°You know, friends get closer by fighting.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°We¡¯re both a bit drunk. How about some sparring under the moonlight? I heard you¡¯re the best battle mage in the kingdom. Even the head of the Mage Tower was jealous of your talent.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I didn¡¯t need an interpretation this time, either. His face looked even more annoyed now. ¡®Did you run a background check on me?¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t call it a background check, that sounds bad. Think of it as my effort to get closer to you, or my use of connections.¡± ¡®Shameless bastard.¡¯ ¡°Sure~ If you don¡¯t like it, why don¡¯t you run a background check on me, too?¡± A vein bulged on Milon¡¯s forehead. Hummm! A single resonance rang out, as if waiting for this very moment. ¡°Good. That¡¯s how a man should be.¡± Spot on. The thing we were both most curious about in this situation. ¡°Let¡¯s be honest, you¡¯ve wanted to test me too, right? To see if I¡¯m really the genius everyone says I am.¡± In an instant, the drinking session turned into a duel. ¡°¡­¡­Hoh.¡± Duke Kairos, who had just arrived at his destination, was in disbelief. Marquis Milon was drinking with someone else, of all things. ¡®It was a good thing I came.¡¯ Normally, he wouldn¡¯t even leave his room. As his adjutant had mentioned, Milon had a seriousck of social skills. But now¡ª ¡°¡­¡­What are they doing all of a sudden?¡± At some point, the two men who had been drinking started emitting battle auras directed towards each other. ¡®Are they about to fight?¡¯ Duke Kairos soon gave a knowing expression, as if to say, ¡®Of course.¡¯ Marquis Milon had always been difficult when it came to socializing. Having dealt with him several times for work, Duke Kairos knew this as a fact. ¡®It¡¯s difficult to get close to Milon.¡¯ While he was thinking that¡ª Boom! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Suddenly, the two of them started fighting. The handicap seemed to be enough. Marquis Milon had lived twice as long, but in one-on-one closebat, a knight would naturally have the upper hand over a mage. However¡­¡­ ¡®Milon is a battle mage who fights using his body like a knight. That rookie picked the wrong fight.¡¯ A typical fight between a knight and a mage was usually boring. The mage would try to create distance, and the knight would try to close it. They were nd and predictable. However, Milon was different. ng! ang! Whenever his opponent stepped forward, Milon would do the same. There was no retreat. Haste, Strength, Invisibility, and Gravity. He cast every enhancement spell on himself to increase his physical abilities and took the iing sword strikes head-on. He even swung magic circles in his hands, formed from raw mana. ¡®A battle mage is a ss allowed only to the most exceptional of mages.¡¯ What was even more terrifying was that Milon was also incredibly gifted as a regr mage. ¡®No wonder they sought him out to be the head of the Tower.¡¯ Even Duke Kairos, who wasn¡¯t particrly knowledgeable in that field, was amazed by Milon¡¯s abilities. But then, ¡°¡­¡­!¡± As the battle progressed, something else shocked him even more. ¡°Is that¡­¡­ even possible?¡± His gaze was fixed on the young prince. He had heard that the boy was hiding his true strength. Though he hadn¡¯t believed it, there were already rumors that the boy had reached the level of an Expert at such a young age. Of course, rumors are often exaggerated, so he thought the ¡®rookie¡¯ was simply a ¡®talented novice¡¯. After seeing him with his own eyes, however, the rumors seemed anything but exaggerated. If anything, they had been an understatement. ¡°¡­¡­Even after seeing it, I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Boom! That enormous chunk of mana was not pushing back the prince¡¯s shimmering blue sword at all. That was undoubtedly sword aura, a symbol of an Expert. Whoosh! Furthermore, what about the prince¡¯s movements which were perfectly keeping pace with Milon¡¯s magically enhanced body? The way he dodged iing spells in ways that no one could have predicted? The efficiency and sheer power with which he wielded his sword aura, even retracting it during smaller attacks? ¡®¡­¡­A genius beyond geniuses.¡¯ He was born with an extraordinary talent for swordsmanship. Bring any other so-called ¡®genius¡¯ in front of him, and they would surely turn tail, crying. ¡®What was I doing at that age?¡¯ Now it made sense why Marquis Foltaine and Duke Herman were so obsessed with him. Just then¡ª ng! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The battle was nearing its end. Unbelievably, Milon¡¯s solid shield spell was beginning to break apart. At the same time¡­¡­ Crack! Ancelot¡¯s sword shattered into pieces. *** ¡°It¡¯s a draw.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Or maybe I lost? After all, closebat usually favors the knight.¡± It wasmon sense. In closebat, a mage could never win against a knight. Even a battle mage like Milon was at a slight disadvantage when it came to a one-on-one fight. But then¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Why did you lose on purpose?¡± Arden, who had been watching the battle with bated breath, asked, interpreting for Milon. ¡°I didn¡¯t, though?¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying. Are you looking down on me, as well?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I shook my head calmly. ¡°Who in their right mind would insult a high-level mage?¡± ¡°You probably think I¡¯m strange too. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t havee all this way just for this.¡± For a moment, Arden, who had been frowning as he tried to make sense of the situation, suddenly froze. ¡°M-My lord!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone over there.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Only then did Marquis Milon¡¯s eyes widen. Of course, I had noticed long ago. It wasn¡¯t just his energy that gave him away; his bald head was reflecting the moonlight from afar, making him easy to spot. ¡®This guy isn¡¯t ordinary, either.¡¯ So I was more surprised by something else. Arden, was it? ¡®Someone who canmunicate so vividly through just their expressions can¡¯t be ordinary.¡¯ He probably had an extraordinary sense for detecting people. I nced at Arden with newfound appreciation. Of course, Marquis Milon¡¯s gaze was still fixed in this direction. ¡°He¡¯s asking, ¡®Did you do all this just to protect my honor?¡¯¡± ¡°Squeak, squeak.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got a rat eavesdropping on us.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°And the best way to deal with a rat is to catch it and beat it.¡± A faint smile spread across my face. ¡°So why don¡¯t we invite that guy over for a little night time exercise?¡± I pointed directly at Duke Kairos. Instantly, Marquis Milon¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you insane?¡± This time, it wasn¡¯t Arden who tranted. ¡°M-My lord?¡± Even Arden, the person involved, looked up at me in shock. It was the first time I heard the voice of Marquis Milon himself. ¡°So you finally opened your mouth.¡± Naturally, a wide grin spread across my face. *** Chapter 81 Chapter 81 ¨C To ck Swan (1) ¡°Is that what¡¯s really important right now?¡± Milon, utterly baffled, responded with frustration. ¡°Do you even know who that man is?¡± ¡°He¡¯s one of only three dukes in this country.¡± ¡°Then why¡ª?¡± ¡°Just because he¡¯s a duke, does that give him the right to eavesdrop like some rat?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At that, Milon bit his lip. Ancelot was right. Wasn¡¯t the duke eavesdropping the real problem in the first ce? The bewilderment that had initially overtaken him soon turned into anger. ¡®¡­¡­Right. He¡¯s the one in the wrong here.¡¯ Duke Kairos was a Master. Of course, he must have immediately recognized who they were. ¡®If it had been anyone else, would they have dared to behave that way?¡¯ Milon shook his head without hesitation. No. They wouldn¡¯t. People like to say that appearance doesn¡¯t matter; that inner qualities are more important than such superficial things. ¡®Bullshit.¡¯ But for those experiencing it, it was noughing matter. How many times had he subtly been looked down on because of his kid-like appearance? It was like women who say they hate guys with delicate features because they don¡¯t seem ¡®manly¡¯, yet somehow always end up dating those same delicate-looking men¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­Damn it. Has he rubbed off on me?¡¯ In hindsight, the analogy was strange. He hadn¡¯t had any interest in romance, anyway. He just wanted to make the point that appearance has a significant influence in life. ¡°Hey, even I can tell what you¡¯re thinking.¡± A voice broke through Milon¡¯s thoughts. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re putting yourself down again, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Startled at having his inner thoughts exposed, Milon furrowed his brow. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink things. You¡¯re not the problem here, alright? It¡¯s that bald guy who¡¯s out of line.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a prince, too, you know. It¡¯s not just you here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, from now on, just remember one thing. That bald guy¡¯s a rat. Rats need to be dealt with.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Milon stood there, mouth agape. ¡°¡®It¡¯s impolite to eavesdrop on others¡¯ conversations.¡¯ That¡¯s something even toddlers know, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Milon closed his mouth. The reasoning wasn¡¯t wrong, although the conclusion seemed a bit off. ¡°So stop thinking about it and just beat him up. You¡¯ve got to teach people without manners a lesson.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re seriously insane.¡± Maybe it was because they had been ring at him for so long, but Duke Kairos had drawn near. And. ¡°¡­¡­¡± His face looked quite fierce. Milon wore a look that said, ¡®Surely not¡¯. ¡°¡­¡­Seems like he heard everything we said.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say a word. You deal with it, you lunatic.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so cold. We¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t we? Friends share their joy. And their suffering.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never considered a lunatic like you a friend! How old do you think I am, anyway?¡± ¡°What does age matter? As long as we¡¯re like-minded, we¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°Like-minded? You and me?¡± ¡°Deep down, you want to beat that guy up too, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Milon liked to think of himself as a logical person. He always tried to speak in a coherent manner. In that sense, there was nothing ¡®logical¡¯ about this lunatic¡¯s words. ¡°¡­¡­Heheheheh.¡± But for some reason¡ª Why was he oddly convincing? Suddenly, Milon found himself letting out a soft chuckle. A sort of helplessugh that escaped him, because it was all just so ridiculous. The problem was, he wasn¡¯t even in a bad mood. At that moment, Duke Kairos, now standing right in front of them, spoke up. ¡°Prince Andrew, what kind of manners are these?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hold on. Who¡¯s lecturing who about manners?¡± ¡°I take it they don¡¯t teach in the Principality of Meeke that bad-mouthing others isn¡¯t polite?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Marquis Milon narrowed his eyes as he watched. As expected, the duke had heard everything. Which was probably why his face was turning so red. ¡®Not that he wasn¡¯t already a notoriously ill-tempered man.¡¯ While Milon was trying to figure out what to do¡ª ¡°And eavesdropping on others¡¯ conversations is eptable in this country?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not fitting to speak of ¡®manners¡¯ when someone of a higher rank happens to overhear a subordinate¡¯s conversation.¡± ¡°Subordinate? You think I¡¯m your subordinate?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t your goal to abandon your homnd, be a knight in our country, and take a position in the Kingdom of Hart? With positiones responsibility. Surely you¡¯re not trying to im all the privileges while shirking the responsibilities, are you?¡± As expected of a seasoned politician, Duke Kairos spoke smoothly. ¡°Make your choice. Return to your homnd or live on as Sir Ancelot of the Kingdom of Hart.¡± ¡°Sure, sure, as you say, Your Graceness.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Tsk.¡± Perhaps thinking it beneath him to argue further with a child, Duke Kairos didn¡¯t bother engaging with the lunatic any longer. ¡°Milon, you¡¯re one of the wisest nobles in this country. I¡¯m sure you can discern right from wrong on your own.¡± Milon silently nced at Ancelot. Logically, considering his rtionship with the Duke, or even broader diplomatic concerns, it would be wise to ignore Prince Andrew. After all, he was clearly a lunatic. Reason and logic both screamed at him to act otherwise. ¡®But¡­¡­ how strange.¡¯ Despite that, why did he find himself so drawn to this lunatic? It was all so bizarre. * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Unfortunately, there was no opportunity to teach the rat a lesson. ¡°I¡¯ve said my piece, so I¡¯ll be going now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The two of them stared at each other for a long moment, then, without a word, both turned and walked away. Just like that, Marquis Milon and Duke Kairos disappeared from my sight. It was a wise decision, befitting their noble status. With that tension, a fight would¡¯ve been inevitable. ¡°¡­¡­Ah!¡± At that moment, Arden, who had been nervously watching from the sidelines, suddenly snapped back to his senses. He started to follow after Milon but then abruptly bowed deeply to me. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Huh? All of a sudden?¡± ¡°¡­¡­It was the first time.¡± ¡°The first time for what?¡± ¡°For someone to treat the Marquis without prejudice, to interact with him so openly, and for him to engage in such a long conversation with someone personally. It¡¯s also the first time I¡¯ve seen him in such a good mood.¡± ¡°You think that was him in a good mood?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it seemed in my eyes.¡± Arden lowered his head again in gratitude. ¡°Thank you once again for caring about the Marquis.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I gazed quietly at Arden before asking¡ª ¡°Why are you so fond of the Marquis? You¡¯re going to be dismissed when you turn neen anyway.¡± ¡°Because I understand him. I know how much being ¡®different¡¯ can hurt.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You understand?¡± ¡°Yes! I was ostracized as a child. Because my eyes were like this.¡± What about his eyes? ¡°They look perfectly normal to me.¡± ¡°In my eyes, the world is made up only of ck and white. I¡¯ve been like this since birth.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± As expected, Arden wasn¡¯t an ordinary guy either. ¡°¡­¡­So it really doesn¡¯t bother you if you get dismissed?¡± Arden nodded without hesitation. ¡°Of course! More than anything, the Marquis is my family¡¯s benefactor. Without him, my family would have starved on the streets long ago. Even if I¡¯m dismissed, all that changes is my role.¡± ¡°So, all the previous attendants who left are still working for the family?¡± ¡°Yes! They all work in other roles within the household!¡± The more I learned, the more I liked this guy. ¡°If everything you¡¯ve said is true, I definitely want to be friends with him. Since that means he¡¯s someone who values loyalty.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Arden¡¯s face lit up with joy. ¡°The prince will surely be a good friend to the Marquis!¡± ¡°In that case, let me ask you something.¡± ¡°Anything!¡± ¡°He¡¯s looking for elixirs for the sake of his only younger sister, right? Is that true?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± At the mention of his sister, Arden¡¯s face turned somber. ¡°Elixirs are a vital ingredient to achieve the Marquis¡¯s lifelong goal. But of course, the experiment will likely fail again, and the precious ingredient will disappear into thin air, just like the hundreds of bottles that have already been used up.¡± ¡°Because he doesn¡¯t want his sister to live like him?¡± ¡°No. Unlike the Marquis, I hear that Lady May¡¯s life is in danger.¡± Arden continued to exin. As it turned out, the ursed condition was a hereditary disease. One that inevitably led to death. Everyone who had it died before the age of thirty. Milon had researched the curse for years and finally reached a conclusion. ¡°Maybe because of the small body, those afflicted with the curse have an extremely fast heartbeat.¡± I started to understand the situation. A fast heartbeat would naturally have a negative effect on lifespan. Milon likely used his ¡®talent¡¯ to ovee the curse, using the mana in his body to deliberately slow his heart rate. However, the story was different for those who had no magical talent. ¡°He said she has at most three years left.¡± Milon¡¯s estimate of his sister¡¯s remaining lifespan was three years. ¡°¡­¡­He must have been through a lot.¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s why, during my breaks, I¡¯ve been diligently searching through rare books. Just in case I find something that might help the Marquis.¡± I stared at Arden. ¡°Milon is one thing, but you¡¯re quite something, yourself. You know how to repay your debts.¡± A slight smile appeared on my face. ¡°If you do get dismissed,e to me. I¡¯ll take good care of you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Arden tilted his head in confusion for a moment, then smiled warmly. ¡°I sincerely appreciate the offer, but I wish to stay by the Marquis¡¯s side until the very end.¡± *** The day of the departure ceremony arrived. ¡°So, in the end, we¡¯re going without the princess? She¡¯s going to be very disappointed.¡± I sighed lightly. But there was no helping it. That was the agreement. ¡°Too bad. How many chances in life do you get to go on a journey with a beautiful princess?¡± ¡°The princess¡­¡­ I get how she feels. If I could, I¡¯d help her in any way possible.¡± ¡°¡­¡­There¡¯s nothing we can do. Besides, I understand Duke Herman¡¯s concerns. We¡¯re not going on a vacation.¡± Harun, Kirian, and Jan all chimed in one after another. Just then¡ª Clip, clop, clip, clop. ¡°Are you all ready?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Marquis Foltaine approached, riding a brilliant white horse. Apanying him were three hundred knights. ¡°You look good.¡± Without realizing it, I gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Look good¡­¡­? This cheeky brat always manages to say something that makes me want to punch him.¡± By now, Marquis Foltaine and I had grownfortable with each other. I was never one to care about others¡¯ opinions, and Foltaine wasn¡¯t the type to mind such things either. Naturally, the nobles watching us began whispering. ¡°It¡¯s surprising that Marquis Foltaine is supporting them, but can they really conquer ck Swan with so few people?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not surprising. The Marquis is going to avenge his son, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point. Isn¡¯t the Marquis afraid for his life? Also, why hasn¡¯t the Principality of Meeke, which shares the border, said anything?¡± To the public, Marquis Foltaine was just an old merchant with no power. It was only a matter of course that most nobles were worried. The few that knew the truth wore unreadable expressions. ¡®No matter how capable the Marquis is, he can¡¯t achieve his goal with this small group.¡¯ Among them was Duke Kairos, watching from a distance. ¡®Milon¡­¡­ isn¡¯t here.¡¯ Duke Kairos smiled in satisfaction. It was a good thing he¡¯d made his appearance that day. But at that moment, something he could never have imagined happened. Clip, clop, clip, clop. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Suddenly, everyone¡¯s gaze focused on one person. ¡°Y-Your Highness?¡± It was Winley, fully armored, riding a jet-ck horse. Duke Kairos¡¯s head snapped to the side. ¡°¡­¡­Weren¡¯t we internally informed that the princess¡¯s departure wouldn¡¯t be permitted without proper guards in ce? Did I misunderstand something?¡± Duke Kairos¡¯s eyes were fixed on Duke Herman, who wore a troubled expression. ¡°U-Up there!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Just then, everyone saw something that left them speechless. Above the princess, floating in the air, was a child radiating an overwhelming presence. ¡°M-Marquis Milon!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was none other than Milon, the kingdom¡¯s greatest mage. He said nothing, but he made his intent clear. Hummm! A translucent shield appeared, covering both the princess and her massive ck horse. ¡°How dare he¡­¡­¡± Duke Kairos¡¯s face twisted in anger. Things were already taking a strange turn from the very start. *** Chapter 82 Chapter 82 ¨C To ck Swan (2) ¡®Journeys should be taken in a good mood.¡¯ With this, everything was in ce. A smile naturally spread across my face when, ¡°Milon!¡± A loud voice erupted from one side. Of course, it was none other than Duke Kairos. ¡°¡­¡­Of course he wouldn¡¯t just sit and let this happen.¡± Old man, did he eat a chimney for breakfast? ¡°Come down before you set off and have a quick chat with me!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Your Grace.¡± Duke Hermann, who was beside him, called out with a grim expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep my promise.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If something happens to Her Highness, won¡¯t it bring disgrace to the country? At the very least, I must offer some words of caution.¡± Duke Hermann, who had been locking eyes with him for a moment, finally averted his gaze. ¡°¡­¡­Do as you will.¡± ¡°Then, excuse me.¡± With that, Duke Kairos tried to take Marquis Milon aside. Of course, I wasn¡¯t about to just stand by and watch, either. ¡°Marquis Milon!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t regret this decision!¡± At that moment, a sharp vein bulged on Duke Kairos¡¯ shiny head. *** Once they were a fair distance away, Duke Kairos turned to look behind him. Marquis Milon was standing there, staring nkly. ¡°I thought you were a smart man.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But it seems I was wrong.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is there any specific reason you made this decision?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Say something. You¡¯re not mute, are you? I know you¡¯re not the type who dislikes talking.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve learned a lot about you this time. I didn¡¯t know you were such a drinker. If I had, I would have invited you to our gatherings long ago.¡± Marquis Milon, who had been silently listening, finally opened his mouth. ¡°It depends on thepany.¡± ¡°Finally, that precious voice of yours. Go on.¡± ¡°If you drink with someone you dislike, the alcohol tastes bitter. On the other hand, if you drink with someone you like, even the strongest liquor tastes sweet.¡± ¡°¡­¡­So?¡± ¡°Why ruin your body with alcohol, especially with unpleasantpany?¡± Duke Kairos let out a small chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re still young.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Politics and social life often require drinking that awful alcohol, even if you don¡¯t want to. Do you think they willingly ruin their bodies because they like it?¡± Marquis Milon sighed. ¡°I¡¯m getting a little tired of this. As expected, Your Grace and I think very differently. Maybe it¡¯s because of the generational gap.¡± ¡°I understand that you have no interest in power or status. But you should at least consider your country. You were born a noble of thisnd, after all.¡± ¡°Do you think associating with that child is neglecting the country?¡± ¡°Do you even hear what you¡¯re saying? You¡¯re well aware of the internal situation in the Principality of Meeke.¡± ¡°My perspective differs somewhat.¡± ¡°Look here, Marquis!¡± The usually calm Marquis Milon¡¯s brow furrowed slowly. ¡°¡­¡­This is starting to annoy me.¡± ¡°What? A-Annoy?¡± ¡°If the 7th Prince of Principality of Meeke gains power and ascends the throne, will you still be able to say the same?¡± ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± ¡°You, among our grand nobles, have been in politics the longest, Duke Kairos. You may see things that we younger folks have missed. Experience is not something to be dismissed.¡± Though Milon¡¯s words acknowledged him, Duke Kairos¡¯s face only grew harder. After all, Milon wasn¡¯t finished speaking. ¡°But stagnant water rots. A stone that doesn¡¯t roll gathers moss.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it that Your Grace simply doesn¡¯t want to ept change? You¡¯re not willing to let go of the principles you believe are right in the first ce, are you?¡± Duke Kairos gritted his teeth. ¡°You¡¯re just the same. No matter what I say, you won¡¯t budge. What do they call someone like you these days?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wish to provoke you any further. Let¡¯s discuss something more realistic. What will you do about your sister?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For the first time, Marquis Milon flinched. ¡°She can¡¯t afford to be wandering around outside, can she? Every second is precious. What if something happens to her while you¡¯re away? What if her heart races too fast and an emergency emerges?¡± Marquis Milon¡¯s face gradually twisted in anguish. ¡°As far as I know, there¡¯s no other high-level mage in this region as skilled as you. Can you confidently say you won¡¯t regret it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­May is¡­¡­¡± At that moment. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that part.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Both of their heads turned around to look at the source of the voice that came from behind them. Marquis Foltaine had been quietly walking in their direction. ¡°My apologies for eavesdropping.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What brings you here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost time to depart, but since no one seemed to being, I decided to check for myself. I couldn¡¯t just send the kids on their own.¡± At that, Duke Kairos nced sideways at Marquis Milon. ¡°¡­¡­We¡¯re almost done. I¡¯ll return shortly¡­¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve invited a very capable pharmacist from my family. He should be arriving in the capital soon.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Both of them widened their eyes in surprise as Marquis Foltaine smiled faintly. A conversation with a certain annoying brat naturally came to mind. ¡°What brings you here at thiste hour?¡± ¡°I have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°A favor?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you behind the attempt to poison me using Lady Isabelle of the Arsene County?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ahem. Did something like that happen? I don¡¯t recall¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here to me you. I¡¯d like you to introduce me to the pharmacist who concocted the White me Burst Poison back then. It would be even better if you could summon them to the capital right away.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why would you need them?¡± ¡°I know the form of a certain medicine, but I don¡¯t have the skills to make it myself.¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * The smile on Marquis Foltaine¡¯s face deepened as he shook off his wandering thoughts. ¡°That pharmacist can make a medicine that slows down the heart.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°That cheeky brat even asked me for a favor and even gave me the form.¡± Milon felt as if he was in a vivid dream. ¡°¡®Brat¡¯¡­¡­?¡± Bam! Duke Kairos, watching the scene unfold, mmed his fist into the wall. With one tremendous punch, debris came crashing down. ¡°What kind of ridiculous nonsense is this!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t understand it at all! You, Duke Hermann, and everyone else¡ª why are you all acting out of character? There¡¯s a saying that when people suddenly change, they¡¯re close to death. Are you all about to die?¡± Marquis Foltaine shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re from the same generation. If we die, we¡¯ll going hand in hand. Why would you say something like that?¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to understand. That kid isn¡¯t someone we canprehend with our heads. Just keep doing what you¡¯ve been doing. You can even think of it as my political scheming if you like.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Do you really mean that?¡± Marquis Foltaine nodded without hesitation. ¡°After all, it¡¯s no secret that neither you nor I are clean. We were both willing to sell out the country for our goals.¡± ¡°Sell out the country? That¡¯s diplomacy! You make deals with the devil if it¡¯s for the nation¡¯s benefit! You¡¯re the one saying this?¡± ¡°Then this situation isn¡¯t much different.¡± ¡°What?¡± Marquis Foltaine straightened his posture. ¡°I¡¯ve judged that the 7th Prince of Meeke, Andrew von Meeke¡ª or rather, our knight Ancelot¡ª will be of greater benefit to our nation than that crazy old woman running Principality of Meeke. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Kairos¡¯s eyes twitched uncontrobly. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡­ You¡¯re weighing a single person against an entire nation?¡± ¡°I believe that one person has the power to change a country. Just like the real Ancelot, who was called the Great Hero.¡± ¡°¡¯¡± This time, Duke Kairos had trouble thinking of a response. Just days ago, he would have shouted that it was utter nonsense. Butst night, he had witnessed that brat¡¯s greatness with his own eyes. He couldn¡¯t deny it. The 7th Prince of the Principality of Meeke¡­¡­ He was a genius among geniuses, unmatched even across the entire continent. In terms of potential, he was on a level above the heavens. ¡®¡­¡­But there are limits to what one person can change.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t this evident from the story of the Great Hero Ancelot? With power, your voice grows louder. You might scold a king to govern on a grander scale, or point fingers at corrupt officials, cursing them for ruining the country. But beyond that? ¡®¡­¡­That¡¯s it.¡¯ Still, changing the world is impossible. In the end, the Great Heromitted joint suicide with the emperor. Humans are creatures driven by desire, and power constantly changes hands. Even when the corrupt ruling ss fades, their spots are filled by new embodiments of greed. That¡¯s politics. But still, ¡°What in the world is that brat¡­¡­?¡± These thoughts spilled from Duke Kairos¡¯s mouth. At the same time, the other two nced at each other, smiling as if on cue. ¡°If I could ask one question to the gods, that would be it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°What in the world is that brat, to shake up people¡¯s hearts like this?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± *** Pause. Milon, who had been heading back to the marching grounds, stopped in his tracks. Ancelot had stepped away from the group and was waiting for him. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you for this journey.¡± Milon stared at the outstretched hand for a moment. Then, after a brief silence: ¡°¡­¡­You did something unnecessary.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°My sister.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The silent Ancelot shrugged his shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re saying things you don¡¯t mean.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I told you, I won¡¯t let you regret this choice.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°All the obstacles have been dealt with. Let¡¯s go. Time is of the essence. We need to be back before the diplomatic meetings.¡± As Ancelot turned and began to walk away, Milon, watching his back, finally spoke from the heart. ¡°¡­¡­I will repay this debt, without fail.¡± For some time, he had scoured all sorts of books. However, there was no mention of a form for a drug that slows down the heart among them. If such an incredible medicine were to be developed¡­¡­ ¡®Even if something happens to me, May will survive. By analyzing the drug, we can even find a way topletely cure her.¡¯ If that happened, this child would be nothing short of their savior. But then, ¡°¡­¡­We talked about that before, didn¡¯t we?¡± Unexpectedly, Ancelot paused and replied. ¡°That if you give something expecting something in return, that¡¯s a bribe.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ancelot turned his head and shed a mischievous smile. ¡°What kind of bribe is there between friends? Just buy me a drink when your sister gets better.¡± For a moment, Milon¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, but then he grinned back. ¡°I do have a sense of conscience.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Next time, stick to orange juice, you cheeky prince.¡± *** Chapter 83 Chapter 83 ¨C To ck Swan (3) Duke Kairos couldn¡¯t send out the expedition like this. ¡°Simmons, Palomo, and Rivat.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace!¡± ¡°You three, escort Her Highness.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± At once, three men stepped forward from the royal knights. ¡°¡­¡­Your Grace.¡± Before Duke Herman could voice any objections, Duke Kairos quickly added anotherment. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware, but I¡¯m responsible for guarding the pce and the royal family. I admit that Milon is an exceptional wizard, but he¡¯s not enough by himself.¡± Though he said ¡®guarding¡¯, what he really meant was surveince. ¡°These three are some of the best in the royal knights. They¡¯re all at least mid-level Experts. Shouldn¡¯t that be sufficient to protect Her Highness?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Though his intentions were obvious, Duke Herman couldn¡¯t argue further. After all, he too had to consider the political risks. If anything happened to the princess, he¡¯d be held fully ountable. ¡®¡­¡­This way, I can at least spread the responsibility a little.¡¯ Duke Herman gave a bitter smile at the conclusion his thoughts naturally arrived at. At the end of the day, he was no different from the rest of the corrupt politicians. ¡°Alright, then.¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± With the matter settled, Duke Kairos discreetly called the three royal knights over. ¡°Watch him carefully and report back immediately after you return.¡± His outstretched finger pointed directly at Ancelot. ¡°Report on what kind of person the prince is. What he does. Don¡¯t miss a single detail.¡± ¡°As youmand, Your Grace!¡± *** The ck Swan expedition had already set off and was a fair distance from the royal pce. Clip, clop, clip, clop¡­¡­ Snort. Suddenly, the princess¡¯s horse stopped moving. ¡°It should be okay to dismount now, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Marquis Foltaine, who was riding beside her, tilted his head. ¡°Your Highness, is there a reason you¡¯re not using the horse?¡± ¡°Look.¡± Winley pointed to the rear of the expedition. There, children around the princess¡¯s age were marching on with small logs strapped to their waists. ¡°Fuuucckkkkk¡­¡­ He said every second counts, so what in the world are we doing?¡± ¡°Sh-Shut up, Harun. Want that log to get heavier?¡± ¡°Walk¡­¡­ Ugh. Faster! He said he¡¯d leave us if we fell behind.¡± Harun, Kirian, and Jan were drenched in sweat. ¡°I feel guilty ridingfortably.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s a clear difference in your status. Why would you say such a thing, Your Highness?¡± ¡°No, I left the pce because I wanted to live a life no different from others, free from the walls of being a princess. And yet¡­¡­¡± Winley¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the group of children. ¡°¡­¡­If I neglect my duties as a princess but enjoy all the luxuries and privileges, wouldn¡¯t that seem too shameless to the people?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The Marquis Foltaine, quietly listening, soon smiled faintly. ¡®When did the princess be so mature?¡¯ Even the usually silent Marquis Milon widened his eyes in surprise at this unexpected situation. ¡°Whoa, whoa!¡± Snort! Immediately, Marquis Foltaine stopped his horse. ¡°Then I must follow as well.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your Highness is dismounting. How could I shamelessly ride on alone?¡± ¡°N-No, that¡¯s not¡­¡­¡± ¡°This is perfect. They say moving as much as possible at my age is the key to a long life.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Milon, watching them in silence, found himself at a loss for words. He was sure he knew these people. He¡¯d crossed paths with them countless times within the pce. However, their current actions were anything but familiar. ¡®Did you cast your magic on them, too?¡¯ Milon¡¯s gaze shifted to the very back of the group. There, walking leisurely while observing the surroundings, was the prince. ¡®¡­¡­But this journey won¡¯t be easy.¡¯ This ck Swan expedition was fraught with internal dissatisfaction. Since the expedition started, Milon had been using magic to enhance his hearing. He could still hear the grumbling of the knights. ¡°This is ridiculous. Can we really reach ck Swan with kids like those?¡± ¡°Quiet. It¡¯s the Marquis¡¯s orders. Can¡¯t you shut up?¡± ¡°¡­¡­But Vice Captain, Prince Andrew is practically an enemy of the White Lion Brigade. We saw with our own eyes the tears of those left behind in the family.¡± ¡°This was the Marquis¡¯ decision. Surely, he has his reasons. Are you betraying your loyalty?¡± Milon sighed quietly as he listened. ¡®As expected, they¡¯re restless.¡¯ The Foltaine Marquisate was known for its strict discipline. Even so, this was their reaction. Of course, there was a clear cause. The feud with the Arsene family. That incident was probably the spark. ¡®¡­¡­This isn¡¯t good.¡¯ Milon¡¯s gaze turned in another direction. Nearby, three men dressed in different attire. It seemed the royal knights sent by Duke Kairos had also heard the grumbling, as they had perked up their ears. ¡°Halt!¡± Just then, a loud shout came from the lead scout. ¡°There are goblins ahead! Five in total!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Milon lightly floated into the air using his fly spell. From above, he could see five pitch-ck goblins sprawled out on the ground far in the distance. They had just reached the entrance of the forest of monsters that led to ck Swan in the north. The goblins appeared right at the edge. ¡°Wait a moment!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just goblins. Why don¡¯t we let the kids handle it?¡± At the familiar voice, Milon frowned. ¡®That crazy prince, does he not understand the situation¡­¡­!?¡¯ But Princess Winley took it a step further. ¡°Me too! Let me handle it!¡± Unable to hold back, the royal knights stepped forward with furious faces. ¡°Prince! Is this some kind of joke!?¡± ¡°What? What joke?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten the importance of this mission? We must send that empire back with this journey! If you¡¯re taking this too lightly just because it concerns another country¡­¡­¡± Flinch. The royal knight Rivat, who had been speaking, suddenly faltered. The prince, Ancelot, was approaching, his face menacing. ¡®The face of a kid¡­¡­ looks this vicious?¡¯ While Rivat was lost in thought, and before he knew it, Ancelot was standing in front of him. ¡°If someone needs to take responsibility, I will.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Do your job and stop meddling in other people¡¯s business. Did your captain order you to interfere?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The faces of the three royal knights flushed red with shame. ¡°If you insisted oning along when you weren¡¯t needed, then don¡¯t try to pull anything funny. Just go back and file your reports before I hang you and beat you to a pulp.¡± Tremble. When had the proud royal knights ever suffered such an insult? Still, they had a final point to make. ¡°Prince, you may not know since you¡¯re from another country, but the monsters in this magical forest are on apletely different level!¡± The northern forest of monsters. As he said, the monsters that resided there were indeed extraordinary. Their skin was all dark, and they were at least three times the size of ordinary goblins. The royal knights¡¯ outburst, however, was futile. Stomp, stomp, stomp! ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Before they knew it, four people were already sprinting past them. ¡°Finally, freedom!¡± ¡°No more logs, thank god!¡± ¡°Now I can finally warm up properly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re all dead!!!¡± With even Winley joining the fray, the scene had devolved intoplete chaos. The royal knights, who were a step behind, quickly tried to catch up, but sh! ¡°This is light work. One down!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± They all stopped in their tracks. The boy leading the charge, with the same momentum, sliced a goblin clean in half. ¡°Wow, Harun, you¡¯re getting the hang of it!¡± The child executed such a clean and impressive strike that even the royal knights were taken aback. But that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Screech! Another boy, arriving just a momentter, seemed much more timid inparison. ¡°O-Oh, no!¡± A massive club came crashing down toward the boy¡¯s head. Unintentionally, Rivat let out a gasp, his throat tight with tension. ng! sh! ¡°H-Huh¡­¡­?¡± The boy deflected the blow effortlessly with the back of his sword and, using the momentum, sliced through the goblin¡¯s midsection in one swift motion. ¡°This is it!¡± Kirian shivered as he felt a rush of exhration for the first time. sh! ¡°¡­¡­¡± The third goblin split in half with a ¡®crack¡¯, despite its tough skin. The boy with the distinctive one-eyed gaze¡ª wasn¡¯t he the eldest son of the Arsene family? ¡°What in the world¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Was Arsene¡¯s swordsmanship always this formidable?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Maybe the defeat of the White Lion Brigade wasn¡¯t just because of a trap after all.¡± The knights murmured among themselves. Then¡­¡­ Leap! Swish! ¡°L-Look over there!¡± Their gazes quickly shifted skyward. There, like a butterfly, was Winley, leaping gracefully into the air. sh! sh! Like a shooting star, she dove down, swiftly decapitating the remaining goblins in an instant. ¡®¡­¡­I always knew Her Highness was skilled, but¡­¡­¡¯ The royal knights began to sweat, a cold chill running down their backs. How could they not know? They had trained with her for years, sparring together and getting dirty in the training grounds. With the king¡¯s quiet approval, Princess Winley had steadily honed her swordsmanship, a talent even acknowledged by the kingdom¡¯s Masters. But still¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­Practice and realbat are entirely different.¡¯ This was, after all, Princess Winley¡¯s first actual battle. Most would hesitate in cutting down a living creature, even against monsters. Facing the killing intent of a goblin¡¯s club could easily freeze someone in ce in fear. Moreover, aren¡¯t the monsters¡¯ appearances a bit terrifying? ¡°They look kinda cute after having faced a real brush with death.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley¡¯s soft voice reached Rivat, who was standing nearby. ¡°Faced¡­¡­ a real brush with death?¡± Rivat¡¯s eyes widened in realization. Could it be? Had the princess seen her arranged marriage as a fate worse than death? ¡®¡­¡­Maybe we were the ones putting her through something horrible.¡¯ Of course, the royal knights held a special bond with Winley. It was a type of camaraderie, born from their time together. That¡¯s why they felt guilty, unable to help despite being aware of her situation. However. ¡®Compared to that bastard prince¡¯s beatings, these goblin clubs are nothing.¡¯ Had they known Winley¡¯s true thoughts, their guilt might have been slightly eased. Thud! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Just then, Rivat, who was about to speak to Winley, flinched. The ground trembled ominously. Then, a suffocating sense of dread washed over them. ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s?¡± Roooaaarrr! Had it been drawn by the scent of blood? Something massive came crashing through the trees in a mad rush. When Rivat finally identified the creature, his eyes bulged wide. ¡°A-A troll!?¡± A troll, native to the monster forest. Without magic, its thick hide couldn¡¯t be scratched, and it boasted monstrous regenerative powers, healing from injuries almost instantly. ¡°Y-Your Highness! Watch out¡­¡­!¡± Rivat hurriedly stepped in front of Winley to shield her. Leap! A shadow suddenly soared from behind. No. ¡®¡­¡­A person?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a shadow, but a person. Their hair, ck as night, glinted under the sunlight. The graceful figure etched itself into his vision. With movements as elegant as they were deadly, and with a beauty that was hard to ignore. ¡®¡­¡­The prince!¡¯ At the same time as his recognition. sh! A silver line was drawn in the air. Whish! Thud! At the same time, something rounded fell from the sky and rolled across the ground. It was none other than the troll¡¯s head. That terrifying creature had been felled so easily. By a mere teenager, no less. ¡°I¡­¡­ can hardly believe it, despite seeing it for myself.¡± Even the knights of the Marquis¡¯ household were left speechless, too stunned to say a word. It was, after all, the most shocking thing they had seen all day. * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * After themotion had settled. ¡°We¡¯ll camp here for the night and move again at dawn!¡± As the sun began to set, the ck Swan expedition set up camp. No matter how skilled a group may be, the forest at night was dangerous. Crackle, crackle. Avoiding the others, I sat by the fire alone. At that moment, someone quietly approached. ¡°I delivered the materials to the Marquisate.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯ve got guts.¡± I chuckled quietly as I recognized the person. It was none other than Narakas. ¡°Medicine that slows the heart rate¡­¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of anything like that. Where did you learn such a form?¡± ¡°And you, now that you¡¯ve got a proper party together, isn¡¯t it time you started talking?¡± ¡°About what?¡± Narakas replied, feigning ignorance. ¡°No matter what you say, I¡¯m still going into thatnd of death anyway.¡± ¡°So, what exactly do you want to know?¡± ¡°Verdant Vale.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± That had been the lingering question. Everyone knew that the ck Swan was surrounded by death on three sides. To the north, monsters constantly appeared. To the east, the Dwarves would never allow humans to trespass in the mountains. And to the west, the vast forest of the Elves was equally imprable. ¡°There¡¯s no way the empire¡¯s proud people lied about it. And those bandits¡ª they¡¯re still human, right? How are they surviving in that cursednd of death?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Narakas remained silent, and I gave him a small smile. It didn¡¯t seem like he was going to tell me. ¡°¡­¡­I learned something important after you screwed me over so badly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Narakas looked at me, half curious, half confused. After my near-death experience, I had a new, irond rule, Chapter 0. ¡°Are you going to talk, or are you going to make me beat it out of you?¡± Never let the same person get the better of you twice. *** Chapter 84 Chapter 84 ¨C To ck Swan (4) ¡°¡­¡­How sad.¡± Narakas, who had been staring nkly in my direction, finally spoke. ¡°You take such good care of your people, yet you treat me so poorly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not one of my people, though, are you?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡°Or would you like to be one of them now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Narakas remained silent, and I let out a chuckle. ¡°You get everything you¡¯re owed, all the while saying, ¡®Client, client¡¯. That¡¯s not something you call one of ¡®my people¡¯. At most, it¡¯s a transaction.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re really going to say you paid me fairly? Do you even have a conscience?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get everything back eventually. Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯ve stuck with me, thinking of it as an investment in the future? That¡¯s why you¡¯ve gone so far as to take care of my life.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Another period of silence followed. Under normal circumstances, I would¡¯ve waited, but I didn¡¯t have that luxury right now. ¡°Do you not want to do business anymore?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to go home?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Go home, then.¡± At that, Narakas let out a long sigh. ¡°Damned bastard.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s your answer to my question?¡± ¡°Haaah.¡± Narakas, who had been ring at me somewhat resentfully, finally answered. ¡°Just to rify, the ck Swan isn¡¯t somewhere we can just waltz in. It¡¯s notorious for being a ce where no onees out alive.¡± ¡°I get it, so just get to the point.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Even so, who are we? We are the Mask of Night. Aside from me, the strongest within the organization, we sent three of the top indigo masks. Yet they just barely escaped alive after a near-death encounter with a monster. They ended up having to retreat from the outskirts¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re rambling.¡± ¡°Hey, you rotten bastard! If I can¡¯t get paid for this, at least let me brag!¡± Narakas breathed heavily, clearly feeling wronged. ¡°Brag? What¡¯s the point when no one cares?¡± ¡°You son of a¡­¡­!¡± At that moment, Narakas clutched his neck in mid-sentence. ¡°Urgh¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Are you okay!?¡± I quickly grabbed Narakas, who was about to copse backward. ¡°If you¡¯re going to die, at least answer my questions!¡± ¡°¡­¡­I seriously want to kill you. How did I ever end up involved with someone like you¡­¡­?¡± Narakas straightened himself up in an instant, as if he couldn¡¯t stand to deal with me any longer. ¡°To be exact, the ce where Verdant Vale is believed to be staying is not the heart of ck Swan. The trail leads eastward. Is that enough for you?¡± ¡°East? So that means¡­¡­¡± Narakas nodded. ¡°We suspect a connection between Trevor, the Swordsman of Illusions, and the dwarves.¡± *** Fortunately, we didn¡¯t encounter any more monsters while passing through the forest. That¡¯s because Marquis Milon volunteered to act as a scout. Using flight magic, he floated high above the trees, carefully guiding us along the safest paths. And above all, ¡®We also have the grumpy old man who does all that he has to, despite his grumbling.¡¯ This time, my gaze turned to Marquis Foltaine. The forest was so vast that it was impossible to avoid all encounters with monsters. At every instance, the old man didn¡¯t hesitate to reveal the full extent of his aura. Monsters and wild animals are creatures of instinct above all else. They will never challenge an opponent they know they cannot defeat. Just like how prey freezes at the roar of a predator. ¡°We¡¯re approaching the edge of the forest!¡± Thanks to this, we managed to pass through without any major incidents. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit disappointed inside. It was one of the few chances I had to push the others to their limits. ¡°Finally, we¡¯re out of this cursed forest.¡± Marquis Foltaine waved his hands dismissively as he marched on ahead. As soon as we exited the forest, a vast wastnd stretched out before us. Beyond thaty the ck Swan, known as the Valley of Death. ¡°H-Halt!¡± However, it seemed that our real troubles started now. ¡°There are corpses ahead!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°There are at least thirty? No. More than forty bodies!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Upon the scout¡¯s report, I, along with Marquis Foltaine, quickly moved forward. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± Before long, the gruesome scene of bodies scattered the wastnd came into view. It was an awful sight. The stench of decay was overwhelming, indicating that the bodies had been there for quite some time. Most of the corpses had been picked apart by monsters, and it was harder to find one that wasn¡¯t intact. ¡°Urp¡­¡­¡± Kirian, who had a weak stomach, started retching. Winley, Jan, and Harun were also making faces of disgust and horror when ¡°I need to take a closer look.¡± ¡°M-Master!?¡± Ignoring Harun¡¯s shock, I approached the bodies without hesitation and started examining. ¡°Judging by their clothing and belongings, there¡¯s nothing here that can tell us anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I began swiftly rummaging through the corpses with my hands. I could feel everyone¡¯s eyes on me, but that wasn¡¯t important right now. ¡°Fortunately, there are some bodies the monsters didn¡¯t touch. Judging by the bluish tint on their faces, it seems they were poisoned.¡± ¡°Did you just say ¡®poison¡¯?¡± Marquis Foltaine, suddenly interested, approached me. ¡°Yes, and the wounds are strange too. Usually, injuries caused by monsters are rough and irregr. But here, the wounds on the vital points are clean, almost like sword cuts.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re right.¡± After carefully examining the wounds with me, Marquis Foltaine nodded in agreement. ¡°This was a fight between humans.¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, their clothes are different too. It seems there were two separate groups.¡± Having made his conclusion, Marquis Foltaine raised his voice. ¡°Knights of the Marquisate, listen up!¡± ¡°Attention!¡± The response echoed back with perfect coordination. ¡°From now on, search for any evidence that can identify these bodies. Look for marks or personal belongings, and leave nothing unchecked!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * The marquis¡¯ knights immediately began their search, working in sync. However, even after some time, they found nothing noteworthy. ¡°¡­¡­There¡¯s nothing here that helps us identify who they are. Could the survivors have taken everything and left?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± I nodded and continued. ¡°From what we can see, the two groups were evenly matched. If a smaller group had fought against arger one, the bodies of the outnumbered side would bear many more injuries. But that¡¯s not the case here. They only targeted vital points. It means the battle was intense. Moreover, the number of casualties is simr on both sides.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re right. As you said, both groups were of equal strength.¡± Marquis Foltaine examined the bodies again, agreeing with my assessment. ¡°One more thing. The fact that they had no time to spare is evident from the scene.¡± ¡°The scene?¡± ¡°These men left theirrades¡¯ bodies behind and fled. Do you think they had time to carefully gather all their belongings?¡± ¡°Or maybe they hurriedly grabbed just the essentials to hide their identities.¡± ¡°If that were the case, it¡¯s more likely they never had anything identifiable to begin with. Their outfits suggest that they didn¡¯t erase any marks; there were none to begin with.¡± ¡°¡­¡­One thing¡¯s clear. Something is definitely happening here.¡± Marquis Foltaine wore a troubled expression. ¡°How about we turn back now? I don¡¯t have a good feeling about this.¡± ¡°Turning back now would be a shame, don¡¯t you think?¡± The marquis expressed his concern again. ¡°Are you sure about this? Moving forward when the enemy¡¯s identity is unclear is risky. Not to mention, we have the princess with us.¡± ¡°On top of that, we have the unofficial Master, admired across the continent, Marquis Foltaine, with us too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine paused for a moment, giving me a strange look. ¡°Are you ttering me?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°It sounds like ttery.¡± ¡°If it makes you happy, then sure, we can call it that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a brief stare, Marquis Foltaine shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Looks like I need to score some points with you now.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If you insist on going, I¡¯lle along too. As the marquis admired by the whole continent. I haven¡¯t given up on you yet.¡± This old man was really pushing it now. ¡°Let¡¯s be honest. It¡¯s not me, but those bandits you¡¯d love to get your hands on, right?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t lose another child over a dead one.¡± I stared at the marquis, taken aback. ¡°¡­¡­This feels weird.¡± ¡°Do you get how I feel now? There¡¯s no need for us to exchange sentimental words. Look, I¡¯ve got goosebumps all over my arm.¡± Marquis Foltaine showed me his thin arm, covered in goosebumps, before continuing with a serious face. ¡°Still, I meant it when I said we should turn back.¡± ¡°They¡¯re just bandits.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not just any bandits. Their leader is supposedly one of the five closest who were closest with the Great Hero. If we end up facing him, even I can¡¯t guarantee victory. The difference in skill between a Master from the Empire and one from another country is significant.¡± Fear of the unknown is natural. It¡¯s nothing special. Life is a continuous process of confronting the unknown. But¡­¡­ ¡°The way I see it, growthes from oveing that fear of the unknown.¡± I stared off at the barrennd that faded into the distance. ¡°If we avoid obstacles out of fear, we¡¯ll never grow. Life is about facing challenges head-on, oveing them, and bing a better person. Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Even if that challenge puts your life in danger?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re born a man, there are times when you need to risk your life. I¡¯m curious about what opportunities to grow lie ahead.¡± Marquis Foltaine let out a smallugh. ¡°Does growth even mean anything to someone like you at this point?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± That was an incrediblepliment. his words quickly reached everyone else. ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard the marquis praise someone so much. Who exactly is Prince Andrew?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± ¡°The way he calmly examines the corpses and, more than anything, the way he cut down that troll¡ª the scene is still fresh on my mind.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± ¡°Did you see it too, captain? Trolls have exceptional regeneration, especially the ck Trolls from this forest. Even an Expert can¡¯t cut one down in a single strike. What he did defiesmon sense, doesn¡¯t it?¡± The knights, who had been gossiping about me from the start, were now joined by the kids. ¡°Master! I¡¯ve been wondering, how are you so perceptive?¡± ¡°Th-That thing you used to cut the troll¡­¡­ W-Was it mana? How are you so strong, despite your age?¡± ¡°¡­¡­As I¡¯ve said before, nothing surprises me anymore.¡± ¡°I wonder¡­¡­ if I can ever be like that.¡± Harun, Kirian, Jan, and Winley each asked me in turn. Looking at them, I smiled faintly. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get going.¡± The smile on my face widened slightly. ¡°My dear little pups, time for you to grow up.¡± *** Chapter 85 Chapter 85 ¨C To ck Swan (5) Just when we¡¯d finished investigating the bodies and were just about to head into the wastnd. ¡°Wait!¡± As if on cue, three men stepped forward from the group. They were the royal knights assigned by Duke Kairos. ¡°You cannot go any further.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°A conflict has erupted in our territory. Neither of the two groups involved have been identified.¡± The one speaking, a royal knight named Rivat, stepped forward as their representative. In other words, he was implying that even abandoned wastnds were still considered territory. This was starting to irritate me. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, haven¡¯t I? If you n to meddle in other people¡¯s business, just go back.¡± ¡°As you said, we¡¯re just trying to fulfill our duty. To put it inly, we can¡¯t allow the princess to apany you to such a dangerous ce!¡± Another knight, Palomo, added in a rough tone. ¡°And how can you dismiss this as someone else¡¯s business? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s truly mistaken, Prince!¡± ¡°Mistaken?¡± ¡°This is a matter of our nation¡¯s concern. As a foreigner, it¡¯s not your ce to interfere!¡± My lips curled into a smirk. ¡°Aren¡¯t I also a knight of this country, just like you?¡± ¡°If you truly see yourself as one of our country¡¯s knights, then you should follow our words all the more. Have you forgotten? We are ¡®royal knights¡¯ of this nation!¡± I shook my head. ¡°That¡¯s just a title. It¡¯s the position you¡¯ve been assigned. What, are there ranks among knights outside of strength?¡± ¡°In our kingdom, royal knights take precedence over all others! You are in the Kingdom of Hart, so follow ourws, Sir Ancelot!¡± The knight named Simmons downright tried giving memands. At that moment, I heard someone click their tongue from nearby. ¡°If you wanted to die that bad, you should¡¯ve just said so.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± As expected, it was Marquis Foltaine, a man who shared my sentiments. ¡°Why are you doing this, Marquis? We¡¯ve thought this through carefully, and it¡¯s a reasonable¡­¡­¡± ¡°Enough.¡± I cut Rivat off mid-sentence. ¡°If this is indeed a dispute between outsiders, I believe that gives me even more reason to cross this wastnd.¡± ¡°What nonsense is that!?¡± ¡°If you are truly knights of the Kingdom of Hart, isn¡¯t it your duty to thoroughly investigate and report incidents within your own borders?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°What are you going to say if you return and your superiors ask about it? ¡®We found mysterious corpses scattered everywhere, so we had no choice but toe back!¡¯ Is that what you¡¯re going to say?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± My sarcastic remark finally silenced the royal knights. ¡°If you¡¯re still determined to obstruct me, then I¡¯ll show you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Show us what?¡± ¡°That I have the skills to uncover the truth behind this massacre. And that, right now, the princess is safest by my side.¡± I beckoned them provocatively. ¡°Come at me. I¡¯lly your needless worries to rest, right this instant.¡± The three royal knights ground their teeth, no one wanting to be the first to act. Their gaze then shifted in unison. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind me. I have no intention of getting involved.¡± Marquis Foltaine, noticing their stares, replied nonchntly. ¡°¡­¡­Are you serious?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m serious. Why would I meddle in someone else¡¯s fight? And besides, an old man like me doesn¡¯t have the strength for that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that you¡¯re particrly close to this bast¡­¡­ er, to Prince Andrew¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I have no intention of missing this entertaining spectacle.¡± Marquis Foltaine chuckled. ¡°I can already hear the sound of that old geezer¡¯s underlings getting cut down. How could I pass up such a golden opportunity?¡± The royal knights¡¯ expressions stiffened. The marquis was under the assumption that they¡¯d definitely lose. ¡®You didn¡¯t have to provoke them, did you?¡¯ ¡®Hahaha, watching other people fight is the best form of entertainment.¡¯ The marquis and I exchanged quick nces. ¡°¡­¡­Prince, you put yourself into this situation. If you lose, you¡¯ll have no choice but to turn back quietly.¡± ¡°Whether I¡¯m ¡®Prince¡¯ or ¡®Sir Ancelot¡¯¡ª just choose one.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ancelot, swear on your honor.¡± Honor? Did I ever have something like that? ¡°Fine, whatever. I¡¯ll bet my honor, my parents who live in the Meeke Principality, or whatever. Just hurry up. We don¡¯t have all day.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± As soon as I spoke, the killing intent directed at me grew stronger. ¡°¡­¡­Killed one troll by luck and now you think you can take us too? What do you take royal knights for¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Ha. Didn¡¯t you hear me say we don¡¯t have time? You know what? Juste at me, all three of you at once.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I ced my hand on my sword hilt. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about your pride. I¡¯ll still win, regardless.¡± ¡°How¡­¡­ how arrogant and insolent can you be¡­¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. ¡®Arrogant and insolent¡¯ are words that you should be using to describe yourselves.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°How many people here outrank you? There are two marquises here, yet you¡¯re parading around like this just because you rely on your lord¡¯s power. Is this why you came along?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I see now that there¡¯s no point in talking with you.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. You¡¯re out of things to say, aren¡¯t you? You probably just think I got lucky with that troll.¡± I could clearly see their thoughts. I¡¯ve always focused on efficientbat. Having spent most of my life on the battlefield, it became second nature. There¡¯s no need for unnecessary showmanship. I focus on killing the enemy with as little effort as possible. That way, I can kill one more enemy. That way, I can save one morerade. However, ¡®That doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t put on a show.¡¯ Those internal thorns are constantly obstructing my way. I wasn¡¯t nning to drag them along into such a perilous ce. So¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll crush that mouth of yours right here, so I don¡¯t need to hear any more of your barking.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At the same moment, the three exchanged nces and quickly formed a surrounding. All of them were at least mid-level Experts. Though they appeared dismissive, they instinctively knew. Challenging me individually wouldn¡¯t end well. ¡®End it in one move.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s no need to think about our pride. The greater causees first.¡¯ ¡®For the homnd!¡¯ That¡¯s what their expressions seemed to say. And then, Swish! They each took their positions and shot towards me. Hummm! All of them channeled mana into their des. ¡°You dug your own grave. Don¡¯t me us, Prince!¡± ¡°me your own loose tongue!¡± The ones charging in from either side shouted with fervor. Meanwhile, thest one quietly approached from behind. I tracked them, not with my eyes, but with my senses. And then, ¡®Just connect the dots.¡¯ The enemies and me. Find the shortest distance between us. ng! The sound of metal rang out. It was the result of perfectly striking the center of their sword. Before the first opponent could fully exert his strength, I had already moved. Whirl! Taken off guard, Rivat lost his grip on his sword, a look of shock spreading across his face. ¡°Oho. How can he be so agile?¡± The admiring voice of Marquis Foltaine echoed just a momentter. ¡®This is the pinnacle of the swift sword that Harun needs to master.¡¯ By then, my body was already in motion. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Next, I saw the startled face of the royal knight, Palomo. ng! I lightly met his sword with mine, which was falling toward my head. The sound of metal rang out again. I wasn¡¯t shing with brute strength. I simply changed the direction of the strike. It was as natural as the flow of water. ¡®Watch and learn, kids.¡¯ They should¡¯ve already grasped the basics when we fought those monsters earlier. That wasn¡¯t training, but a real battle. I wanted to ensure they wouldn¡¯t forget the sharp instincts they gained from the battlefield. Thunk! ¡°Oof!¡± I used the charging opponent¡¯s own strength against him. Deflecting his sword while simultaneously sweeping his legs. Palomo, still gripping his sword, was lifted entirely off the ground. Whirl, whirl, whirl! Hisrge body spun three times in mid-air. Thud! And then he crashed to the ground,nding awkwardly on his backside. ¡®One more to go.¡¯ I quickly spun around. Thest knight¡¯s sword was already inches from my face. -sh! The tip of my sword, which had been pointing downward, shot upward like a volcanic eruption. As a result ¡°Gasp!¡± Startled, Simmons hurriedly retreated, barely dodging the tip of my sword as it grazed his hair. The sword in his hand had already split in two, ttering to the ground. ¡®A sword that doesn¡¯t retreat, even if it means enduring a blow.¡¯ The essence of the sword that crushes with sheer force. ¡®Jan, this is the sword you need to learn from now on.¡¯ Hoping the kids would take something away from this, I calmly surveyed the surroundings. Soon, the royal knights, who hadpletely lost their will to fight, caught my eyes. ¡°Anyone still have aint?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Of course, there was no response. Their pride must have taken a serious blow. In the heavy silence, I heard someone gulp. ¡°M-My goodness¡­¡­¡± ¡°Was the prince always this strong?¡± ¡°Those knights are among the best in the royal guard¡­¡­¡± ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? The marquis¡¯s judgment is always spot-on.¡± The marquis¡¯s knights began whispering among themselves. ¡°The mood¡¯s a mess.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, I think it¡¯s best if the cause of it¡ªnamely you guys¡ªleaves now.¡± At my words, Ribat, the royal knight, flinched and prepared to speak. ¡°¡­¡­Prince, even so, that¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not seriously thinking of tagging along after all this, are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Biting their lips in frustration, the three knights reluctantly stood up. After exchanging nces, they trudged off towards the forest like defeated soldiers. A faint smile crept onto my face. ¡°Chivalry can be handy sometimes, huh? At least they care enough about their appearances.¡± They would likely have a rough time on their way back. It would be no easy feat to get through the monster-infested forest with just the three of them. ¡°Now I understand what you meant.¡± Just then, Marquis Foltaine approached me quietly. ¡°Youth really does have its perks. They can afford to deal with their problems head-on.¡± ¡°Is that how you took it? Honestly, I¡¯m surprised. I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d leave so easily.¡± ¡°Hahaha. It¡¯s a good thing they didn¡¯t end up face down in the dirt. Three grown men got bested by a mere teenager.¡± Marquis Foltaine gave me a knowing look. ¡°So, tell me. Did you provoke them on purpose?¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite shameless, aren¡¯t you? Coming from you?¡± ¡°I just read your mind and helped you out.¡± Foltaine¡¯s voice was low, but it carried clearly. ¡°If word gets out that something like this happened near our territory, the King or other nobles might use it as an excuse to confront the Empire again.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s what this was about.¡± Marquis Milon approached us, nodding. ¡°Two unknown factions. One seems to be Verdant Vale, and¡­¡­¡± Milon nced in my direction. ¡°¡­¡­The Empire that is chasing Verdant Vale.¡± ¡°Judging from the oue, they¡¯re chasing their own traitors without seeking cooperation from another nation, and the pursuit led to a conflict within another country¡¯s territory. Duke Kairos won¡¯t stay still once he finds out. Those knights likely wanted to report it as soon as possible, which is why they left.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s better if it¡¯s reported now. If we enter ck Swan and it turns out the group isn¡¯t from the Empire, the justification to expel them weakens.¡± Both marquises fixed their eyes on me. ¡°How many steps ahead are you thinking, you crafty brat?¡± ¡°To be honest, I had a more important reason.¡± ¡°A more important reason? And what¡¯s that?¡± I looked off to the side without a word. There, the kids were deep in thought. ¡°¡­¡­The oues of facing the unknown won¡¯t always be positive. Sometimes, they¡¯ll taste defeat like those royal knights did.¡± ¡°Haha. They¡¯re gonna have a bitter taste in their mouths, alright.¡± ¡°Whether they copse from it or use it as a stepping stone to grow is ultimately up to them.¡± At that moment, the two marquises seemed to catch on to where my gaze was directed. ¡°In any case¡­¡­ I¡¯m curious to see how they¡¯ll report on you once they return. I expect interesting developments when we get back.¡± With my eyes still fixed on the kids, a faint smile appeared on my lips as well. ¡°I¡¯m also looking forward to seeing how this journey ends.¡± *** Chapter 86 Chapter 86 ¨C Who Are You? (1) This was annoying. ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Please, tell me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey, fianc¨¦! Are you ignoring me right now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh,e on, why am I the only one being treated differently!¡± It was always one problem after another. Watching Winley follow me persistently, I let out a light sigh. ¡°Can¡¯t you just take it down a notch?¡± ¡°Oh, finally, you¡¯re paying attention to me.¡± ¡°You asked me to help you get stronger, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What? So, you were listening to me all along!¡± ¡°Think about it logically. If a fianc¨¦ mistreats their partner, what do you think people around us will think? Especially with so many eyes watching.¡± Winley had a genuinely puzzled expression. ¡°What would they think? They¡¯d probably just think we¡¯re a friendly, close couple.¡± I shook my head. ¡°You used to call me crazy all the time, didn¡¯t you? You do realize you¡¯re not exactly normal either, right?¡± ¡°Even better! If we¡¯re a crazy couple, people will just think it¡¯s one of those quirky dating trends of this generation!¡± What am I supposed to do with her? ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s fine. No need to worry about what others think. I¡¯m already known as that weirdo. You know, the princess who¡¯s obsessed with swords, willing to do anything to get stronger.¡± ¡°So what exactly do you want me to teach you? If you just want to be put through the wringer, why don¡¯t you grab a log and runps like those guys over there?¡± At that point, Winley suddenly adopted a serious expression. ¡°You can see, can¡¯t you? What I¡¯mcking.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Of course I can. The problem is that there¡¯s too much to point out. I looked at her without saying anything. ¡°Yeah, I thought so. You¡¯re a genius, after all.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t even said anything yet.¡± ¡°Show me what I¡¯m missing. Please, I¡¯m asking you.¡± Winley bowed deeply, folding at the waist. ¡°No.¡± Of course, I declined tly. Even if I were to teach her, it wouldn¡¯t be here. What kind of disaster would unfold if I were caught beating up a princess of this country? ¡°¡­¡­Please help me.¡± Then, from her bowed blonde head came a small voice. ¡°I¡¯m desperate.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I stared quietly at the back of her head for a moment before speaking. ¡°Why are you in such a rush? You¡¯re already way ahead of most people.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m ahead? Even if that¡¯s true, it¡¯s not enough. You heard the royal knights earlier, right? I was their very first reason to turn back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your skill that¡¯s the issue, it¡¯s your status. Even if you were stronger, they¡¯d still act the same way.¡± ¡°If I were at least stronger than them, I could¡¯ve scolded them and sent them packing while saying, ¡®Who are you calling weak?¡¯¡± Hmm. That does make sense. ¡°If you¡¯re so worried about how people see you, then at least give me some advice. What do you think is my problem?¡± ¡°This attitude right now.¡± I replied without hesitation. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m serious right now. Stop joking around¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re too impatient, like you are now. In everything¡ª your actions on a daily basis, and your swordsmanship.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley¡¯s eyes widened in realization. ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re pretty amazing. You have plenty of talent, you practice enough, and you¡¯re highly motivated. To put it bluntly, there¡¯s not much to teach you in terms of your mindset.¡± ¡°¡­¡­But I¡¯m too impatient?¡± ¡°Exactly. You¡¯re always in such a hurry, and that shows in your swordsmanship too.¡± I poked a finger at my chest. ¡°Have you heard of posure¡¯?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it.¡± ¡°A swordsman must always have a calm heart. No matter the situation, you shouldn¡¯t be shaken. But you¡¯re not like that, are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Winley fell deep into thought. Even if she denied it, to me, that¡¯s how she appeared. Of course, I understand. She doesn¡¯t know when she might be forced into a political marriage. She needs her skills to be recognized as soon as possible. She has to be stronger, even if just a little. And, ¡®There are environmental factors too. She¡¯s probably been dismissed as just a princess or underestimated as a woman more times than she can count.¡¯ With her personality, it must have been hard for her to hold back from punching those jerks on the spot. ¡°Assuming you manage to achieve that peace of mind, if I had to rmend a sword style that suits you¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley perked up her ears. The royal swordsmanship has no real foundation. It¡¯s simply a matter of going into the vast private archive, exclusive to the royal family, to find books to study from. Others might seek out an exceptional sword master to hone their skills. That¡¯s why it¡¯s crucial to find a style that suits you as early as possible. ¡°For you, it¡¯s best to embrace ¡®change¡¯ in your sword movements.¡± ¡°Change¡­¡­?¡± ¡°As a woman, your physical limits are clear. Something like Jan¡¯s swordsmanship, which relies on brute force, doesn¡¯t suit you.¡± Winley listened to me as if entranced. ¡°Speed-focused swordsmanship also has its limits due to your body. The length of your arms, your natural reach, and the force you can generate¡ª all of that is naturally weakerpared to men.¡± ¡°Yeah, I get it.¡± ¡°Of course, with effort and talent, you can ovee many of those physical limitations. You¡¯re proof of that. But one day, when you face geniuses like yourself, those differences will be apparent.¡± ¡°And the way to narrow that gap is adopting the sword style of ¡®change¡¯?¡± I nodded quietly. The flexible swordsmanship that Kirian is learning isn¡¯t bad either. Even I had to admit, Winley¡¯s greatest strength was her extraordinary flexibility, a benefit she has from being a woman. The more powerful her opponent, the more suited she would be to a style that uses that strength against them. However¡­¡­ ¡®She¡¯d need to have some exceptional talent.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t enough to rmend this style of swordsmanship based on just that. Winley¡¯s talent, in various ways, left something to be desired. More importantly, flexibility also greatly benefits change-based swordsmanship. Exceptional muscle flexibility allows for unpredictable changes in sword trajectories that her opponents wouldn¡¯t be able to foresee. ¡®Besides, I already have the perfect sword style in mind for her.¡¯ The problem was, I felt a bit uneasy about teaching her that particr swordsmanship. ¡°Come find me every dawn starting tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley¡¯s face lit up instantly. ¡°But promise me one thing.¡± ¡°Huh? Promise what¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Try not to use that swordsmanship in front of people from the Empire. If you do, they might try to kill you right away.¡± Winley was quick-witted. ¡°Wait, are you saying it¡¯s Imperial swordsmanship?¡± ¡°One more thing. If you¡¯re going to learn swordsmanship from me, don¡¯t ask about anything else.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Okay, I get the conditions. But not using it in front of the Empire¡¯s people¡­¡­ that might be tough.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­My goal is to participate in the uing Little Star Tournament¡­¡­¡± Her voice was barely above a whisper. Narakas once asked me the same thing. If my goal was the Master Tournament, had I ever considered the Little Star Tournament. The former is, as the name suggests, for Masters¡ª only one chosen knight from each country can participate, showcasing the strongest of the strong. The strength of each participant often reflects the power of their nation. And if the Master Tournament represents the ¡®present¡¯, the Little Star Tournament is a measure of a nation¡¯s ¡®future¡¯. It¡¯s an event where the most promising knights, those with the potential to be the next absolute powerhouses,pete¡ª excluding the Masters, of course. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to adapt it to suit you.¡± ¡°Adapt an already established sword style? Can I even do something so extreme?¡± ¡°You can. You¡¯re a genius in your own right.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley straightened up at thepliment. ¡°¡­¡­Strangely enough, getting apliment from a real genius feels pretty good.¡± ¡°Until then, don¡¯t recklessly use this swordsmanship in front of the Empire, or anyone else, for that matter. Can you promise me that?¡± Winley soon nodded resolutely. ¡°Yeah. I promise.¡± The sky was turning dark in the wastnd, just a day or so before we arrived at the Valley of Death. ¡°Is this ourst night camping out?¡± It waste in the afternoon, the sun setting low. The massive canyon ahead had finallye into view. Just then, Marquis Foltaine and Marquis Milon quietly approached me. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you twoe together. Should I be worried?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After exchanging nces, Marquis Foltaine spoke on their behalf. ¡°Your decision to send back the royal knights was wise.¡± ¡°Well, how serious must this conversation be for you to start withpliments?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just being cautious. You seem to be overlooking what mighte after this.¡± Marquis Foltaine chuckled, his eyes darkening as he looked at me. ¡°Word will soon spread throughout the capital about who you are and what happened here. And if you return with glory, the more ambitious nobles will be wary of you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they will.¡± In politics, sess often invites opposition. ¡°This country has three dukes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± ¡°My personal advice is to immediately seek an alliance with Duke Serin once you return.¡± Milon nodded, agreeing. ¡°This is crucial if you want to establish yourself properly in this country in the future, especially given what happened here.¡± ¡°You both are forgetting one important detail.¡± I pointed off into the distance. ¡°First, shouldn¡¯t I first make it out of that nd of death¡¯?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll survive.¡± I widened my eyes in surprise. Both of them had answered in unison, as if they were of one mind. And I have to admit, it felt good. It didn¡¯t matter if their confidence was in me or in themselves. Either way, it was a positive reaction. ¡°¡­¡­Then let¡¯s focus on just one thing for now.¡± ¡°One thing?¡± ¡°umting envious amounts of merit.¡± A faint smile crossed my lips. ¡°That way, it¡¯ll make Duke Serin¡¯s decision that much easier.¡± *** We finally arrived at the entrance to the canyon of ck Swan. ¡°¡­¡­There are corpses here, too.¡± Marquis Foltaine, who was leading the group, spoke in a somber tone. Indeed, bodies were strewn across the ground, even more than before. There must have been at least a hundred of them. ¡°It¡¯s truly tragic. Even if this ce is neglected, it¡¯s shocking that outsiders got this far without anyone noticing. When we return, I¡¯ll have to deal with the border guards. They probably took bribes.¡± Once again, we didn¡¯t find anything particrly notable among the corpses. ¡®What in the world is going on here?¡¯ As we all wore grave expressions, someone suddenly shouted. ¡°O-Over there!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone on the cliff!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A clear cry echoed through the canyon. At the entrance to ck Swan, where cliffs towered on both sides, a shadow flickered atop one of the cliffs. ¡°Good heavens¡­¡­ how did they get up there?¡± ¡°A-Are we sure that¡¯s even a person?¡± ¡°If it is, that raises its own set of issues¡­¡­¡± Just as the knights began to murmur among themselves, something unbelievable happened. Dash! Step, step! Tap, tap, tap! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A sight so shocking it would be burned into their memories forever unfolded before their eyes. ¡°Th-Th-Th-Th-That crazy bastard¡­¡­?¡± They saw a boy sprinting up the nearly vertical cliff, as if it were t ground, at an incredible speed. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you get away, you bastard!¡± It was Ancelot. *** Chapter 87 Chapter 87 ¨C Who Are You? (2) Winley clenched and unclenched her fists repeatedly, her face noticeably brighter. ¡®I can be so much stronger than I am now.¡¯ This was the greatest takeaway from her journey. Someone she acknowledged as a genius among geniuses, and the very future she was working towards had recognised her abilities. ¡®They told me I had talent.¡¯ It feltpletely different from the countlesspliments she had received from Duke Herman. There¡¯s a distinction between encouragement from a sessful adult, and recognition from a peer who routinelyes first in everything. ¡®I knew I did.¡¯ Though it felt embarrassing to say it herself, Winley had long been aware of her own talent. No one her age had stood a chance against her. However, she didn¡¯t allow herself to growcent. She knew her physical limits as a woman, and was more aware than anyone of her shorings. ¡®So figuring out how to widen that gap had always been my goal.¡¯ She was unrivaled among those her age. But this was temporary. It¡¯smon for girls to be stronger than boys during childhood, as their growth rates differs. But that gap narrows quickly with age, and before long, the tables turn. ¡®I¡¯ve felt it already. If I stay like this, I¡¯ll soon be overtaken by the boys in my country, let alone those across the continent.¡¯ Winley had turned sixteen this year. Among her fast-growing male peers, some were already a full head taller than her. At this rate, even the trio (Harun, Jan, and Kirian) would soon catch up to her. ¡®That can¡¯t happen.¡¯ She had to remain the best among her peers, at the very least. There¡¯s nothing more obnoxious than someone with no real skill who speaks the loudest. Luckily, she had found a clue. ¡®Change.¡¯ Dazzling movements that bewilder the opponent, hiding a lethal strike amidst feints to cut them down. ¡®¡­¡­I like it.¡¯ Is this what it feels like to find the answer in a maze? At that moment, Winley felt as though her entire body was about to float away. Then suddenly¡ª Dash! Step, step! Tap, tap, tap! ¡°Wh-What is that!?¡± Winley¡¯s eyes bulged; any wider, and they¡¯d pop out of her head. That¡¯s how shocked she was. Because there was someone who was, quite literally, floating up into the air before her eyes. An endlessly steep cliff, so tall that its end was barely visible. It had to be at least a hundred meters high. ¡°I-I¡¯m not dreaming, am I?¡± A child was flying up that sheer rock face as if they had wings. The murmur of the knights nearby confirmed that this was no dream, as if pping Winley awake. ¡°How can that be¡­¡­?¡± ¡°E-Even a mountain goat would leap off a cliff in shock after seeing Prince Andrew.¡± ¡°A mountain goat? They can climb cliffs thanks to their special features. Their sharp front hooves fit easily into cracks in the rock. But humans? Our bodies aren¡¯t built for that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley, who had been quietly listening, suddenly lit up. Humans aren¡¯t built for that. That phrase stuck in her mind. ¡®Oveing the limitations of the human body¡­¡­?¡¯ Yes. That child was showing her exactly that. In front of everyone, they were breaking the limits of what it meant to be human. With that, how could she not ovee the so-called limitations of ¡®gender¡¯? Whooooosh! Just then, a strong wind blew directly at Winley. She widened her eyes as she recognized the source of the wind. ¡°M-Marquis Milon!?¡± ¡°My apologies, Your Highness. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Without waiting for a response, Milon shot up into the sky using flight magic. ¡°Why are you following him!?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still a child. I have to help him.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t apply to him!¡± Marquis Foltaine shouted after him. By then, Milon had already risen far above their heads. All eyes shifted toward Marquis Foltaine, and he coughed awkwardly. ¡°¡­¡­I need to protect the princess, you fools.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why are you all looking at me like that? You expect an old man to climb that damn cliff?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ouch, my back is starting to hurt. I¡¯m getting old.¡± No one had said anything, but Marquis Foltaine still muttered and patted his back, offering an excuse that nobody had asked for. The knights¡¯ surprise only grew as they watched him. Would even a Master like him struggle with such a feat? ¡®¡­¡­Sure, I could climb it if I had to.¡¯ Marquis Foltaine¡¯s gaze shifted toward the towering cliff. As a master, he instantly understood Ancelot¡¯s technique. ¡®He¡¯s channeling mana through his feet instead of his sword. And by using the same principle used when pulling enemies to yourself, he¡¯s sticking to the cliff face like glue.¡¯ But that wasn¡¯t all. When he stepped, he used adhesion to hold on. When he pushed off, he used sticity tounch himself even higher. Of course, his climb was possible in theory. But if everything that could be done in theory could also be carried out in reality, life wouldn¡¯t be so difficult. ¡®And they say geniuses are heaven-sent. How in the world can he manipte mana like that?¡¯ Marquis Foltaine could easily replicate such a technique with a sword. Sometimes, he would stick his opponent¡¯s weapon to his own, and reflect it at others. ¡®But to do that with a frail human body?¡¯ Marquis Foltaine shook his head. It was no easy feat. It wasn¡¯t something that could simply be learned. Receiving forging techniques from a dwarf doesn¡¯t give you their craftsmanship skills, after all. ¡®Hahaha. How much more do you n to astonish me, you little monster?¡¯ While Marquis Foltaine was silently marveling at his talent, Ancelot had already disappeared over the top of the cliff. * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * The peak was just within reach. As I reached a specific point on the cliff, I channeled mana into the soles of my feet with full force. Whoosh! My body shot upward in an instant. ¡®Where is he?¡¯ I quickly scanned the top of the cliff. The higher I ascended, the more vast the upper section of the cliff appeared. Yet, the one I was chasing was nowhere in sight. ¡®I can sense him.¡¯ I immediately expanded the range of my senses. In my prime, I could detect even an ant hundreds of kilometers away. Now, my limit was about a 5-kilometer radius, but if he was within that range¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­Below!¡¯ My eyes shed open. I felt it. A presence rapidly descending the mountain beyond the cliffside¡¯s edge. ¡®I can catch up.¡¯ I didn¡¯t hesitate to channel more mana. There was no way I could let him slip away. ¡°Ancelot!¡± A familiar voice called out from behind me. But there was no time to turn around. ¡®I can¡¯t let him get away!¡¯ Boom! With a deafening explosion, my body propelled forward. Whoosh! Wind mmed into my face, branches scraped my cheeks, and rocks jutted out dangerously from the cliff face. Cuts formed all over my body, but I ignored them all. My sole focus was catching him. Perhaps it was that determination. ¡®There¡­¡­!¡¯ Before I knew it, the figure I was chasing had be visible in my field of view. A silhouette moving swiftly, fleeing ahead of me. ¡®It¡¯s definitely one of the two involved with the bodies.¡¯ My eyes narrowed sharply. I briefly worried he might be from a different race, like an elf. This was, after all, near the border of territories where non-human races lived, and the chances of encountering them were high. It wasn¡¯t called thend of the dead for nothing. ¡®Even the other races here are hostile to humans, not to mention monsters.¡¯ Humans had done terrible things to them in the past. But fortunately, this one wasn¡¯t from another race. His outfit was familiar, even to me. ¡°Stop right thereeeeeeeeeeeee!¡± I roared, my voice echoing like a predator¡¯s growl. Flinch. The figure looked back at me in disbelief. No, he didn¡¯t just look back¡ª he actually stopped in his tracks. ¡®I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d really stop.¡¯ Well, that worked in my favor. ¡°Don¡¯t moveeeeeeeeee!¡± We were in a spacious clearing nestled in the mountains. Boom! Inded with a thud, about ten meters from him, causing the ground beneath me to crack and splinter. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Despite seeing all this, the figure remained motionless. ¡°Who are you?¡± I red at him with beast-like intensity. ¡°To think you climbed that cliff¡­¡­ I can¡¯t believe it, despite seeing it myself.¡± ¡°You bastard. Who taught you to ignore a question and change the subject like that?¡± I was irritated, and naturally, my words were harsh. ¡°¡­¡­Go back. I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± ¡°Hurt me? Who, you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, he stopped talking. Rustle. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At the same time, I sensed movements all around the forest. ¡®Could it be that he¡¯s being chased too?¡¯ That thought briefly crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. His reaction was far too calm for that. More importantly, the energy of those approaching felt very simr to his. ¡®Aha. So I¡¯ve walked right into the tiger¡¯s den.¡¯ It seemed I had stumbled into their hideout. My suspicion was confirmed when, momentster, another figure wearing the same outfit quietly appeared and knelt. ¡°We found Tail Star.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes. However¡­¡­¡± The neer hesitated briefly, casting a sideways nce at me. ¡°¡­¡­I didn¡¯t expect there to be a guest.¡± ¡°He¡¯s Anemochory, who Full Moon has been watching.¡± ¡°Full Moon? But for this mission¡­¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re an uninvited guest.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Immediately, killing intent surged from all sides. But I didn¡¯t care. ¡°You see, I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, you¡¯d better answer my questions from now on.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Tail Star, Anemochory, Full Moon. Why do those code names sound so familiar to me?¡± I saw it, one of them flinched visibly. Now that I think about it, the energy they were giving off felt strikingly simr to someone I knew. ¡°You. You¡¯re not from that group I think you are, are you?¡± There were at least thirty presences around me. All of them wore the same outfits as the corpses I¡¯d encountered earlier. Which raised an even bigger question. ¡°Why the hell are you wearing those clothes? Damn Mask bastards.¡± *** Chapter 88 Chapter 88 ¨C Your Father¡¯s Working His Ass Off (1) Though I dramatically called it a code, that was really just the everyday conversation of the Mask of Night. They often mixed such words into their speech to make information warfare a daily urrence. You know how even seasoned swordsmen incorporate training into their everyday lives? ¡®In that sense¡­¡­¡¯ Tail Star. Even I¡¯m not exactly sure what it means. But from the context, I assumed it was referring to a target they were pursuing. The other two, though¡ª I definitely knew what they meant. ¡®Full Moon.¡¯ Most organizationspare their leader to the sun. Even the Emperor, for instance, is often likened to the sun. However, the Mask of Nightpares their leader to the ¡®moon¡¯. After all, the very name of their organization contains the phrase ¡®of night¡¯. ¡®And above all, there¡¯s the word, ¡®dosari¡¯.¡¯ Yes. If my memory is correct, these were all ¡®everyday codes¡¯ used by the Mask of Night. Of course, a real code would be impossible to decipher even with this much information. ¡®Could Narakas really be losing his grip on the organization?¡¯ I was particrly intrigued by the word, ¡®dosari¡¯. It refers to fruit that falls before it gets the chance to ripen. At first, it might seem like it refers to someone who was once a promising prospect. That fruit, however, can fall due to both internal and external forces. Pick it as you walk by, take a bite, and toss it on the ground. That¡¯s what a ¡®dosari¡¯ is. In other words, ¡®Someone who can be discarded at any time they wish. That¡¯s the extent of the value they ce on me.¡¯ That stings my pride a little. Count Kaiman. I didn¡¯t think much of it when he sent that letter, but could Narakas really have been nning to stab me in the back? ¡®¡­¡­No.¡¯ The idea that Narakas has only betrayed me now, after all this time, seems less usible now. Rather, the earlier theory that he¡¯s losing his grip on the organization feels closer to the truth. ¡®Things are bing more tangled, instead of unraveling.¡¯ I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. I decided there was no need to overthink it. ¡®Let¡¯s just do what I always do. My way.¡¯ The ones who could answer my questions were right in front of me. ¡°Are you all mute? Why are you here?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got fake faces on instead of your masks, so I assume you know you¡¯re not in the clear.¡± Boom! The killing intent pouring from them intensified. Among them, the aura of the head Mask bastard I¡¯d been chasing stood out as particrly dangerous. ¡®That must be the navy mask, one of only three in the organization.¡¯ Narakas had mentioned this. He said he¡¯d dispatched a navy mask to this region to investigate. ¡°¡­¡­Prince, I don¡¯t like you.¡± ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re finally showing your true feelings.¡± ¡°So don¡¯t provoke me any further. If you provoke me more than this¡­¡­ I might just kill you right here.¡± Suddenly, I considered it from their perspective. How would these junior Masks view me? ¡®How else? As that guy said, they¡¯d want to kill me right now.¡¯ If they weren¡¯t careful, they risk bing an enemy of that vast Empire because of me. If that happened, these Masks in front of me were as good as dead. They were, after all, aiding the greatest rebel in the history of the Empire. ¡®It looks like my first hypothesis was right after all.¡¯ It was at that moment that my suspicion solidified into certainty. Yet, even so, there was still an unsettling feeling I couldn¡¯t shake. Narakas hadn¡¯t just taken his position yesterday, he¡¯d held it for decades. ¡°Is this why they say that there¡¯s no use living for a long time?¡± So, I decided to confirm the source of my unease. There was no response. Even their killing intent showed no significant change. ¡®They clearly don¡¯t have much loyalty to their leader. If they were my subordinates, they would¡¯ve charged at me with everything they had.¡¯ What was I missing? As my thoughts spiraled, I couldn¡¯t help but grin. ¡°I¡¯m in a terrible mood right now. There are too many things on my mind.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What were you nning to do here, with your leader in the dark?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard the leader of Verdant Vale is Trevor, the Swordsman of Illusions. Were you nning to catch this traitor of the empire and offer him up to the Emperor, swearing new loyalty? All the while keeping it a secret from your leader?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Was the Emperor that terrifying? So much so that you¡¯d make things more difficult for the man who¡¯s practically your father? You pathetic cowards.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At that moment, the killing intent around me reached its peak. * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * The name he used when introducing himself to outsiders was ¡®Navy No. 3¡¯. Also known as ¡®Gold¡¯ within the organization, he genuinely disliked the prince. ¡®Should I kill him?¡¯ Of course, it wasn¡¯t just because of his personal feelings. The benefits of killing him far outweighed those of letting him live. ¡®If I kill the prince¡­¡­ not only would I eliminate the risk posed by the Empire, but I could also establish a new rtionship with the Meeke Principality.¡¯ In other words, it would be like catching two birds with one stone. What would I lose in return? ¡®¡­¡­Hardly anything. Just a little bit of the boss¡¯ trust.¡¯ The loss was negligible, really. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Did his subordinates sense what he was thinking? One of them, who was kneeling beside him, quietly stood up. ¡°That arrogant brat of a prince¡­¡­ How much must he be underestimating the Mask of Night to act so high and mighty? If we leave him alive, we¡¯ll keep being dragged around by him, even without our gullible boss nearby. In that case¡­¡­¡± The subordinate deliberately trailed off. Gold didn¡¯t bother to respond either. His silence was good enough of a ¡®go-ahead¡¯. Moreover, the subordinate standing beside him was well-known for his fiery temper. ¡®¡­¡­I usually berate him for not keeping hisposure as an informant, but today, I find it rather satisfying.¡¯ At the same time, ¡°Not even the king of the Meeke Principality, or the true power behind the throne, the queen, would dare spout such nonsense in front of us.¡± Gold hesitated for a moment. He suddenly thought, ¡®Maybe bringing parents into this is a bit much¡­¡­¡¯ But he quickly shook his head. The dead tell no tales. ¡®He¡¯s as good as dead anyway¡­¡­¡¯ However, once again, the prince¡¯s response far exceeded their expectations. ¡°I¡¯ve never cared about my parents, anyway.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°My parents may bow to you, but why should I? Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Contrary to expectations, it was the subordinate who fell for the prince¡¯s provocation. ¡°And since we¡¯re on the subject of parents, aren¡¯t you guys worse than me? ¡°What do you mean¡­¡­?¡± ¡°While your father¡¯s out working his ass off to feed you, you kids don¡¯t even listen to him. Instead, you¡¯re nning to sleep with someone else¡¯s wife, causing all kinds of trouble.¡± Gold unconsciously clenched his fist tightly. What kind ofparison is that? Saying it like that makes us sound like the real viins. ¡°What kind of bullshit¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Youck respect for your father, you filthy little brats!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Gold closed his eyes tightly. He wasn¡¯t exactly a pious person, but he had internally prayed to the gods countless times by now. At the same time, any lingering hesitation in his heart disappeared. ¡°¡­¡­Just kill him, Green No. 7.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The response came immediately, as if it had been eagerly awaited. The killing intent from his subordinates had already reached a point beyond control. After all, the prince was a walking disaster waiting to happen. However, as a leader, Gold maintained hisposure until the end. Or rather, he tried to. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down. ording to the information, the prince has already reached the rank of Expert. He recently earned a knighthood in the Kingdom of Hart, so his skills are verified.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard.¡± There are only thirty people in the entire organization ssified as green masks. From that level onward, they¡¯re all skilled fighters. After all, information warfare involves infiltration, escape, and stealth. Physical prowess wasn¡¯t optional, it was essential. ¡°It¡¯s strange. To think you¡¯re trying to kill the boss¡¯s client without his permission¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t resent me too much.¡± There was no need for further conversation. Once you¡¯ve decided to kill someone, it¡¯s best to do it swiftly and quietly. But then, ¡°Stop! Stop right there!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Gold couldn¡¯t aplish his goal. His face crumpled like paper. ¡°Boss¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Narakas.¡± Soon, Ancelot muttered the name of their new visitor. He had already known. Narakas had arrived here earlier, like a scout. That familiar voice calling ¡®Ancelot!¡¯ from earlier had also belonged to him. ¡°My head¡¯s about to burst.¡± Since Narakas¡¯ appearance, the difort Ancelot felt had reached its peak. If it was the real Narakas, he wouldn¡¯t have let things within the organization reach this point. With that thought, he began to see everything that had happened in the past in a different light. ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you over and over again!? To leave the prince alone!¡± ¡°¡­¡­But Boss, the prince has already clearly crossed the line.¡± ¡°Crossed the line, my ass! It was an order! Are you saying my words mean nothing to you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Gold finally shut his mouth in response to Narakas¡¯ angry outburst. Realizing he¡¯d let his emotions get the better of him, he sighed deeply. ¡°And! If you¡¯ve already decided to kill someone, isn¡¯t it essential to gather urate information in advance? You call yourselves informants¡­¡­!?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°If you fight him, you¡¯ll lose. You¡¯ll die. Especially you, Navy No. 3. If you¡¯re leading the mission, shouldn¡¯t you at least know the strength of your opponent? Or are you just underestimating him because he¡¯s young?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Silence fell over the room. Of course, none of this mattered to Ancelot. ¡°Hey.¡± At the sudden call, Narakas flinched. ¡°I think I need to ask you the same question I asked that Navy Mask earlier.¡± Ancelot stepped forward. There were many mountains to climb. He didn¡¯t have the luxury of being dragged down by someone he considered an ally. So, ¡°Who are you?¡± He wasn¡¯t going to drag this out. ¡°Wh-What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not Narakas.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± He was going to uncover the true identity of this imposter. *** Chapter 89 Chapter 89 ¨C Your Father¡¯s Working His Ass Off (2) The subtle sense of unease I¡¯d asionally felt with Narakas had reached its peak at this moment. ¡®Wait.¡¯ And then, suddenly, a bolt of realization struck me. ¡®What if this guy isn¡¯t the Narakas I knew from twenty years ago?¡¯ Everything falls into ce. His weak grip on the organization. His subordinates¡¯ attitude. The source of the dissonance I kept feeling. ¡®If the new leader was leading the organization to ruin, I wouldn¡¯t just sit idly by either.¡¯ Until now, I hadn¡¯t doubted for a second that the person standing before me was Narakas. Though we hadn¡¯t interacted much over the years, I recognized him from his ¡®feel¡¯. The air around him. That unique aura of someone naturally born to lead. Even down to his smallest mannerisms. Everything was eerily simr to the Narakas I once knew. ¡°¡­¡­¡± However, I received no answer even after a long silence. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is it difficult to answer?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I have nothing more to say to you.¡± I stared intently at this Narakas. Then, I said what was on my mind. ¡°I just had a thought.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Maybe you aren¡¯t the real Narakas.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Narakas¡¯ expression hardened. Right. That thought just came to me. What if someone who had studied him for a long time, or perhaps a family member who had spent years with him, was now impersonating him? ¡®Now that I think about it, there are multiple things that just don¡¯t add up.¡¯ When I first made contact with the Mask of Night, Greeny had said something. That the leader was currently unable to be active on the field. That as a result, a high-ranking member would be meeting me in his ce. ¡®At the time, I thought they were trying to trick me.¡¯ Because I recognized him the moment I saw him. That he was definitely Narakas. The resemnce was uncanny. There were plenty of reasons to lie. The leader¡¯s movements were top secret. That was my first mistake. ¡®I put too much faith in my own instincts.¡¯ At the time, my skills were still immature. Even now, I¡¯m just a mere teenager. I¡¯m not the Great Hero Ancelot that I was in my past life. Compared to my former strength, my abilities now are insignificant. If I had regained my old power, I would¡¯ve already confirmed my suspicions by other means. ¡°¡­¡­Ridiculous. You¡¯re doubting me now, after all this time?¡± I spoke over him. ¡°First reason.¡± I held up one finger. Narakas, No, the imposter, remained silent. ¡°You were way too sloppy with your work. That¡¯s not like the Narakas I know.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Sloppy?¡± ¡°Think about it. If one of the two groups in conflict here is your Mask of Night organization, what does that make me? Everyone in this country now knows I have ties with you guys. You guys are known for taking care of even the smallest detail, yet you handled this so sloppily?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°Sure, I get it. You must feel wronged. I never imagined your family would be in this kind of state either. Life doesn¡¯t always go as nned, after all. It¡¯s hard enough controlling your own kids, let alone your subordinates.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± But the Narakas I know would have foreseen how his subordinates would act and ounted for it in his grand n. I didn¡¯t say that part out loud, though. After all, I still had a shred of affection for him. He was probably already in a difficult situation, and it wouldn¡¯t do any good to publicly humiliate him in front of his underlings, especially if I wanted to preserve our rtionship moving forward. ¡°If your kids don¡¯t listen to you, stop spoiling them and discipline them. You¡¯re too soft-hearted. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t think you¡¯re the real Narakas.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The killing intent pouring out of him intensified. At the same time, I held up a second finger. ¡°Second reason. This right here confirms my suspicion.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The leader of an underground empire who¡¯s ruled from the shadows for decades suddenly shows up in person, and even reveals his killing intent to a client?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The Narakas described in the records would never tolerate such behavior. He was the undisputed ruler of the night. Blood would¡¯ve already been shed long before he had to step in.¡± The imposter shook his head. ¡°Your so-called reasons are nothing but emotional spection. I see no logic or reason in them.¡± ¡°Is that really something you, of all people, should be saying?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re no different. You¡¯ve made emotionally driven decisions at key moments. That¡¯s the third reason.¡± I held up a third finger. That was the source of the unease I¡¯d felt all along. ¡°To be more precise, there¡¯s no consistency in your actions.¡± ¡°What in the world are you talking about?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve always provided information tailored to the client¡¯s rank. Along those lines, you never shared anything about the Empire or, specifically, the five closest subordinates of the Great Hero.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because protecting the client is part of our rule¡­¡­¡± ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s the rational thing to do.¡± I lightly tapped my head with my finger. Then, I quietly conveyed my thoughts directly to the imposter. -But if you¡¯re so rational, why did you tell me about the Great Hero¡¯s ¡®daughter¡¯? ¡°¡­¡­!¡± -As if you were being driven by emotion. This time, I pointed a finger at my chest. -If you didn¡¯t share any information about the five heroes because you were really worried about me causing trouble, then shouldn¡¯t you have kept quiet about the daughter too? ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¨CSo, why did you tell me? ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¨CShould I guess? It was probably an unconscious decision. You likely judged, however faintly, that the information wasn¡¯t dangerous. This sloppiness only further reinforces my first reason. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¨CWhy, then? Was the information a lie? Or¡­¡­ was it because the Great Hero¡¯s daughter was somewhere safe, even if I caused chaos? After conveying all my thoughts, I shrugged my shoulders. As the conversation between the two of us dragged on, the navy mask looked like he was ready to step in. ¡°¡­¡­Taking everything into ount, I¡¯m saying you¡¯re not the Narakas I know.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± There was no response. But the change was clear. Narakas¡¯ expression had already shifted. His entire face was starting to crack. ¡°¡­¡­It seems like it¡¯ll be a long day at the canyon. We have much to discuss.¡± Just as I finished speaking. Step. For whatever reason, the navy mask stepped forward. ¡°I think I understand why the boss has been protecting this prince, after seeing things firsthand.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± With a deadpan expression, the navy mask continued. ¡°However, that doesn¡¯t change my opinion.¡± At that, a faint smile appeared on my lips. ¡°So, you¡¯re asking for a beating, is that it?¡± ¡°Green No. 7!¡± Shiiing. Right on cue, another masked underling revealed his killing intent. ¡°Draw your sword, you arrogant brat.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What a mess.¡± I sighed, reaching for my sword¡¯s sheath. It just so happened that I was carrying the sword gifted to me by Count Arsene, the one that I had carefully stored away at home until now. ¡®Wasn¡¯t it said that if I met a dwarf, this symbol of friendship would be useful? At the very least, it wouldn¡¯t provoke hostility.¡¯ A bitter smile formed on my lips. That symbol of friendship was about to be drenched in someone¡¯s blood before I even met its intended recipient. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me say stop!? This is an order!¡± Narakas, finally snapping back to his senses, yelled. ¡°Boss! You¡¯re caught in a delusion, unable to see things as they are!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Narakas gritted his teeth at the navy mask¡¯s defiance. ¡°A delusion? You think I¡¯m not thinking straight?¡± ¡°How long do you n to flounder in the shadows of ghosts? The Empire rules this continent now. Not the dead Great Hero, but the Emperor, who has absolute power!¡± The navy mask¡¯s voice grew more impassioned. ¡°I understand that you have a special attachment to that child, as he carries the Great Hero¡¯s legacy. I understand. No, I tried to understand the baseless hope you ce in him!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But this isn¡¯t right, is it? Our lives are on the line here. Even if the Great Hero who died twenty years ago came back to life, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against the current Empire. Do you think they¡¯ve just been idly sitting by?¡± The masked underlings nodded in agreement. ¡°The Empire¡¯s undefeated reputation dominates the entire continent, and the mes of ze cover the heavens and earth. The full moon lights up the dark night as if to dere that the Empire thrives around the clock. Why can¡¯t you see the reality before you!?¡± Thud! At that moment, I heard the sound of something copsing. When I turned, I saw Narakas slumped on the ground, his face buried in his hands. ¡°Just why¡­¡­ Why can¡¯t you, the only ones in this world who are on my side, understand me? Just why¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Because this is the only way to protect the family.¡± The navy mask, having said that, turned to face the masked underling. ¡°Your mission today is crucial. You must show our boss that it¡¯s time to wake from this dream.¡± ¡°Leave it to me, sir!¡± ¡°Give it your all from the start. Prove that the Great Hero¡¯s legacy is nothing but an empty title in today¡¯s world.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Watching this scene unfold, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh. ¡°¡­¡­This is driving me nuts, really.¡± ¡°If you won¡¯t draw your sword, I¡¯ll cut you down where you stand, Prince.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to suck up to the Emperor, you might as well do it properly. You can¡¯t even deal with a gang of thieves, and yet you¡¯re here threatening me. What a joke.¡± sh! This time, he didn¡¯t hold back. As soon as I finished speaking, the masked underling lunged at me. ¡°Die!¡± ¡°Kids, raised as orphans, disrespecting their father like this¡­¡­¡± In an instant, he was just five meters away. I quietly reached for my sword¡¯s sheath. Then¡ª a ¡°Ugh!¡± My sword, drawn in a sh, struck the masked underling squarely on the crown of his head. ¡°¡­¡­You need a good hit toe to your senses.¡± Thud! At the same time, the masked underling, tongue hanging out, copsed to the ground. ¡°¡­¡­¡± A heavy silence fell around us. Everyone present made a baffled expression, unable toprehend what had just happened. All except Narakas, who sighed deeply with his head hanging low. I beckoned to the others around me. ¡°Come over here. You all need a beating. Let¡¯s start from there.¡± *** Chapter 90 Chapter 90 ¨C Your Father¡¯s Working His Ass Off (3) ¡®It¡¯s true that it¡¯s important to educate disobedient, unfilial brats like these, but¡­¡­¡¯ I lightly brushed my lips with my thumb. ¡®¡­¡­But I could also use them to achieve my personal goals.¡¯ There were three big reasons I decided to head for ck Swan. First and foremost, it¡¯s because of ¡®Verdant Vale¡¯. The current leader of those bandits was Trevor. I needed to hear the untold secrets of buried history from him. Second, it was to gain a ¡®justification.¡¯ This canyon was unique in that the border between the Hart Kingdom and the Meeke Principality was divided by ck Swan¡¯s entrance. My territoryy beyond that. To be precise, it was thend bestowed upon Andrew von Meeke, the seventh prince. ¡®It¡¯s mynd and a gift from the queen, so I should at least check on it.¡¯ There might not be any residents, but I needed to nt my g on thend, at the very least. Doing so would make it harder for the Meeke Principality to raise any objections in the future. It would clearly be an issue if the lord, on the king¡¯smand, didn¡¯t even show up to his assigned territory. But once the lord arrived andpleted the official inauguration, no one wouldin about him stepping out for a while. ¡®Lastly¡­¡­¡¯ Third, I needed to gather allies. In truth, this wasn¡¯t the main reason for going to ck Swan, but ultimately the direction I needed to pursue in the future. I had to spread my name whenever the opportunity arose. That reputation would be the driving force that attracted talents. ¡®Look at these kids. They don¡¯t listen to their father just because they¡¯re not in his sight, and they keep acting up like this.¡¯ So, I¡¯ll show them. ¡®I¡¯ll show them the overwhelming difference in skill.¡¯ I had to umte achievements that would shake not just a kingdom, but the entire continent. That¡¯s how talents would flock to me from across the continent, and not just from the Hart Kingdom. Isn¡¯t it clear from the likes of the Three Heavens, the Five Stars, and the Twelve Transcendents? The feats and tales those people achieved in the past. Their fame became the ma that now draws new talents to them like a flood. There were probably countless people who would consider it an honor for their family to receive a lesson from one of them. I needed to be someone like that. Like the Great Hero of the past, Ancelot Heil Edenberg. ¡®¡­¡­In that sense, these Masked bastards handle the most information on the continent.¡¯ There were probably countless people bringing sacks of money, just waiting to buy information. Asking them to sell them even the smallest bits of information. In time, there would certainly be more and more people asking about me. ¡®Given the standing of that imitator, they wouldn¡¯t blindly hide information about me either.¡¯ In short, there were plenty of reasons to beat them up. The Mask of Night didn¡¯t refuse to sell information, but they also didn¡¯t provide false information to clients. That was the policy of their organization, a way to maintain ¡®trust¡¯. ¡®Take the beating today and spread the word about me. Tell everyone what kind of guy I am.¡¯ As my thoughts came to an end, a smile crept across my lips. ¡°You¡¯re noting at me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Blue No. 2!¡± Step. Soon, one of them stepped forward, each of his steps firm. ¡®¡­¡­This one¡¯s different.¡¯ I could tell just from his walk. He was definitely a cut above the previous small fry. But, ¡®At the end of the day, he¡¯s still small fry.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t enough. One of them alone wouldn¡¯t have the impact I needed. ¡°Anyone could tell you¡¯re only blue rank. Why don¡¯t you alle at me at once?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Greeny couldn¡¯t even get a proper hit in. Do you really think you can take me on?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The guy walking toward me froze, his expression hardening. ¡°Plus, you¡¯re not even knights. There¡¯s no reason to insist on a fair one-on-one fight, is there?¡± Although, in reality, there was. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have ears, so I heard everything they were talking about. ¡®They probably want to prove their boss was wrong.¡¯ Even if they won by ganging up on me, it¡¯d only hurt their pride. I knew that, but I deliberately provoked them. ¡®Now, how will they respond?¡¯ Hummm! Surprisingly, my opponent calmly infused his sword with mana first. I liked that. ¡°¡­¡­Good. Your posture¡¯s starting to take shape.¡± Fwooosh! His sword was engulfed in mes, but it didn¡¯t stop there. The mana that had red up around his sword took on a special attribute, emitting a stronger aura. Fwooosh! ¡°¡­¡­Blue mes?¡± A gasp of admiration escaped through my clenched teeth. Unexpectedly, this guy possessed the aura known as ¡®cold me¡¯. ¡®This means he¡¯s glimpsed the bare minimum for bing a Master. In other words, he¡¯s had a taste of enlightenment.¡¯ In terms of skill, he was at least a mid-grade Expert. No¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­He might even be closer to upper-grade.¡¯ Among all the opponents I¡¯d faced in this life so far, this one was easily the strongest. ¡°Be careful! In terms of purebat power, Blue No. 2 is easily within the top five in the organization!¡± At the same time, Narakas issued a warning. ¡®Of course. Well, they are the continent¡¯s top intelligence organization. This is the level they should be at.¡¯ Still, there are only ten people ranked Blue in the organization, right? At this point, I was curious, myself. Compared to the era I once lived in, how much have these guys improved? Or¡­¡­ had they deteriorated, instead? -ash! In that instant, my opponent¡¯s figure disappeared from sight. ¡®¡­¡­To my right.¡¯ Without even looking, I thrust my sword to the right. ng! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Not expecting me to block his attack, the enemy¡¯s eyes widened in shock. But that reactionsted only a moment. ng! ng! ng! Our swords collided again and again, sparks flying with each strike. Crack! Crack-crack! ¡°Hmm.¡± At some point, an intense chill spread through my body. It was the energy emitted by the freezing mes. That cold sensation traveled along my sword, until it reached my hands. If I let myself be mesmerized by the enchanting blue mes, I¡¯d find myself frozen solid in no time. Even worse, direct contact with it would cause frostbite and burns. A peculiar effect of these dangerous mes. Thud! However, the opponent wasn¡¯t finished yet. ¡°Woah¡­¡­¡± A voice filled with admiration rang out from someone nearby. me petals began falling from the sky, like snowkes. However, unlike snow, they didn¡¯t descend randomly. They surged toward me with a clear intent to kill. ¡°¡­¡­Beautiful.¡± This time, it was the voice of the navy mask. Indeed, it was a skill worthy of admiration, even from my point of view. I could feel it without touching it. If even one of those countless me petals touched me, ¡®My entire body would freeze solid.¡¯ So, how should I counter this? ¡®¡­¡­Simple.¡¯ Hummm! For the first time, my drawn sword resonated. Crackle! ¡°S-Sword energy!¡± It was the first time I had revealed my mana before these Masked underlings. Naturally, they reacted with shocked voices. ¡®It¡¯s too soon to be surprised.¡¯ I had been thinking. What kind of skill would make these fools reconsider their actions? How could I make theme to their senses? ¡®¡­¡­I¡¯ll borrow your swordsmanship for this one.¡¯ It didn¡¯t take long. I¡¯d already decided from the start what technique I¡¯d use to crush their spirits. ¡®For a bunch that ims to rule the night¡­¡­¡¯ I¡¯ll show them. The true ruler of the night, the one who currentlymands this era. I would demonstrate the swordsmanship of someone undeniably skilled, as much I hated to admit it. ¡®Full Moon.¡¯ Swish. My sword traced a circr arc in the air. It wasn¡¯t just any circle. ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± A voice of confusion soon broke out. My mana began to create a unique phenomenon. It was called ¡®darkening¡¯. Suddenly, the surroundings were plunged into night, and the enemies, unable to adapt to the abrupt change, were thrown into disarray. Crackle. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± In the pitch-ck darkness, pure white mana continued to weave a circle, its light trailing endlessly. ¡°The moon¡­¡­?¡± The masked man directly in front of me was the first to spot it, his eyes widening in shock. Fwoosh. ¡°N-No way¡­¡­!¡± Another gasp of disbelief echoed. The falling snow-like mes couldn¡¯t prate the circle I had drawn, vanishing one by one. Just like how the snow falling below the clouds could never reach the moon hanging high above. ¡®The full moon rising in the night sky illuminates the world¡­¡­¡¯ Everyone woulde out, gaze at that moon, and worship it. This was the fourth secret technique of Elunber, the Knight of the Full Moon. ¡®The Piercing Night of the Full Moon.¡¯ My opponent could only stare, dazed, at the moon I had created. As if entranced. ¡°This idiot¡¯s still out of it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It wasn¡¯t until I spoke, my voiceced with scorn, that the masked man snapped out of his trance in surprise. ¡°If your attack¡¯s been blocked, you should prepare the next one or at least defend yourself. Instead, you¡¯re just standing there like a fool.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you lost.¡± Bang! Before he knew it, both the blue me petals falling from the sky and the full moon in the night had vanished. I leapt high into the sky where the mes had once been. Thud! I brought my sword down directly onto the masked man¡¯s head. Thump! And just like that, he copsed, knocked out in one blow. This time, his tongue was hanging out even further than thest Green Mask. ¡°From now on, keep your eyes wide open. Whether you¡¯re fighting or just going about your day.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At the same time, a suffocating silence enveloped the area. But unlike before, the mood had changedpletely. ¡°Yes, this is more like it.¡± Only then did I survey my surroundings with a satisfied smile. ¡°This is how it should¡¯ve been from the start. Eyes wide open, like they¡¯re about to pop out. Good, just like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Still think your father was wrong?¡± The trembling gazes of the remaining masked underlings soon turned to Narakas. ¡°Your father believed I was a better investment than some lousy empire. And, yeah, that was the precise judgment you¡¯d expect from the leader of the Mask of Night.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯smon sense, isn¡¯t it? Supporting someone who already has everything won¡¯t earn you any gratitude. The emperor won¡¯t be thankful for something he thinks is his due. It¡¯s like how a dog will ¡®shake¡¯ and expect a reward¡­¡­ Well, sure, maybe you¡¯ll get apliment.¡± There was still no response. The move I¡¯d shown just now had clearly shocked them speechless. ¡°But if you help someone who needs it, someone like me, the rewards will be much greaterter on. Especially someone like me, who never forgets a favor, nor a grudge.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Now do you get it? Your father considered all of this and chose to back me.¡± After finishing my words, I turned to Narakas. Or rather, the imposter. -By the way, this is something I wanted to tell you, too. Tremble. The imposter¡¯s body began to shake. The smile on my lips deepened. ¡°Now. It¡¯s time to wake up from your dream, you Masked bastards.¡± *** Chapter 91 Chapter 91 ¨C Your Father¡¯s Working His Ass Off (4) ¡®Just how high is this cliff?¡¯ Milon was still under the effects of his Fly spell. The problem was that the higher he climbed, the harder it became to breathe. It was due to the thinning air in the atmosphere as he climbed in altitude. ¡®I never felt inadequate being a 5th-ss wizard before¡­¡­¡¯ A wizard¡¯s proficiency influences their speed, especially during moments like these. Fly was a 3rd-ss spell. Milon, being a high-level wizard, wasn¡¯t that much slower than others. But the problem was¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­This is like a firefly in the face of the sun.¡¯ Compared to the child who had scaled this cliff on foot, the difference in speed was staggering. Milon smiled bitterly. Yes. This was the reality of the current age. Where knights, not wizards, dominated the continent. For nearly a century, ever since the age of the Great Heroe, this immutable truth had never been broken. Could it be that, during this time, wizards hadn¡¯t tried to find a way to defeat knights? ¡®No.¡¯ In fact, they had tried harder than anyone. In this world, strength equaled power. ¡®The reason wizards are destined to lose to knights is that once you give up distance, there¡¯s no way to fight back.¡¯ In other words, once a single attack is blocked, defeat is inevitable. Using a spell like Blink, which teleports the body instantaneously, could help dodge one more attack, but that¡¯s it. ¡®Even if you save the first spell using Memorize, you can¡¯t just use Blink, a 5th-ss spell, continuously without casting.¡¯ To use a specific spell with just an incantation, you need to be at least two levels above that spell. In other words, you would need to be a 7th-ss wizard. However, across the entire continent, there was only one 7th-ss wizard¡ª the Tower Master. Even then, he barely held the lowest rank among the twelve transcendents of the current age. ¡®No one desires it more than the Tower Master. The day when wizards rule the continent.¡¯ For that reason, extensive research had long been conducted within the tower. All to find a way to defeat knights. Hundreds, no¡ª thousands of brilliant wizards had dedicated themselves to this pursuit. The result of their efforts was the creation of the ¡®Battle Mage.¡¯ ¡®Facing them head-on, without fear of distance. That¡¯s the only way to fight a knight.¡¯ Of course, not just anyone could do this. You had to be naturally gifted in physicalbat, possess magical talent, and be incredibly intelligent. The problem was¡­¡­ ¡®In this day and age, if someone had that kind of talent, wouldn¡¯t they just learn swordsmanship? Who in their right mind would choose magic?¡¯ Milon¡¯s self-deprecating smile deepened. Even he might have pursued swordsmanship over magic, if not for this cursed fate of his. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± His thoughts were interrupted. He had finally crossed the cliff and arrived at the center of the forest, where he could sense multiple presences. ¡°Why is it so dark all of a sudden¡­¡­!¡± Milon couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. Because what he saw left him speechless. ¡°The moon¡­¡­?¡± A thick darkness had settled only at the heart of the forest. Within it, a round moon was glowing brightly, suspended in the air. Countless blue mes, which were anything but ordinary, were blocked by that moon and could not advance. ¡®¡­¡­This is the problem.¡¯ Milon soon realized what they were. ¡®Every time I think I¡¯m closing the distance, some ridiculous monster appears and forces me back.¡¯ The distance between knights and wizards. At this moment, Milon felt that gap widening once again. His gaze was still fixed on Ancelot. ¡°That monster-like kid¡­¡­¡± But the show was only just beginning. ¡°That just now¡­¡­¡± Gold hadn¡¯t even finished voicing his question. ¡°The Knight of the Full Moon! Isn¡¯t that Elunber¡¯s swordsmanship?¡± Blue No. 5 was the first to cry out in shock. He was one of only ten blue-ranked members in the organization. Naturally, his rank came with a wealth of knowledge and information. ¡°I-I¡¯m sure of it. The unique darkening that urs when the surroundings grow dim while wielding a sword¡ª that¡¯s a phenomenon only seen when Elunber, known as the Sky of the Continent, swings his de¡­¡­!¡± As the exnation continued, the voices of the other Masks, who were initially slow to react, grew louder. At that moment, Blue No. 10 quickly approached Gold. For context, there were four blue masks present here. Nearly half of the highest-ranking agents had been deployed for this single mission. ¡°How could the prince possibly know the Full Moon Swordsmanship?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Gold, who had been deep in thought, didn¡¯t respond right away. He knew that the prince had somehow inherited the legacy of the Great Hero. Then¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­If the Great Hero, or one of his five closest subordinates, had passed something down to their sessor¡­¡­¡¯ It might have included information about their enemies¡ª perhaps even weaknesses they could exploit. Naturally, they would have left information about their greatest foes, the Three Heavens. If they had thoroughly studied and analyzed everything about them¡­¡­ ¡®No, there¡¯s no way simple observation and research would allow for something like this.¡¯ If that were the case, then everyone who attended the Master Tournaments would have be a Master themselves. ¡®¡­¡­This must be a heaven-sent talent.¡¯ Gold turned his gaze toward Ancelot, his fingers trembling. The ability toprehend and master martial arts on such a deep level was beyond imagination. It was the only exnation he could ept. ¡®So, the boss wasn¡¯t wrong?¡¯ Gold quickly shook his head at the thought. Wouldn¡¯t epting that hurt his pride too much? ¡®I¡¯m not wrong.¡¯ He had been in the organization as an indigo mask for nearly 30 years now. In fact, he was once purple. If the colorless mask, the symbol of the highest rank, hadn¡¯t been lost over a decade ago, things would have been different by now. However, the current leader hadn¡¯t even lived as long as Gold¡¯s time in the organization. While Gold had to recognize the clear hierarchy, it didn¡¯t mean he had to agree with every decision. ¡®It doesn¡¯t mean I have to support his every decision without question.¡¯ If the child made mistakes, it was the responsibility of the adults to correct them. Finished with his thoughts, Gold finally spoke up. ¡°At the end of the day, it¡¯s just an imitation.¡± His gaze flickered toward Narakas. ¡°A copy can never surpass the original.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Mimicking the swordsmanship of the Empire with the foundations of the swordsmanship from the unworthy Meeke Principality will not bring about revenge.¡± ¡°Gold¡­¡­¡± ¡°I admit the child has great talent. But thinking that one boy can take on the entire Empire¡­¡­ That is like trying to break a rock with an egg.¡± Before anyone could respond, Gold continued speaking quickly. ¡°Rallying power? Perhaps if every nation united against the Empire¡­¡­ yes, in terms of sheer numbers, it might seem possible. But wars between nations aren¡¯t decided by numbers alone, are they?¡± The biggest problem, after all, was that the three absolute rulers of the continent, without question, belonged to the Empire. ¡°Elunber, the Knight of the Full Moon, and the Undefeated Knight. Who will face them? Even among Masters, the skill gap between those from the Empire and those from outside of it is vast.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, do you think they will stand idly by while the child grows? No¡­¡­¡± Gold trailed off, casting his gaze back toward Ancelot. ¡°Unlike the prince, who is just now inheriting the legacy of a ghost from the past, the Empire continues to evolve, both in the past and in the present. And they will keep evolving.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Especially the Three Heavens¡ª they¡¯ve already reached a level where they create new forms of swordsmanship. Isn¡¯t it odd to think they haven¡¯t made any progress in thest 20 years?¡± Unable to stand it any longer, Ancelot cut in. ¡°For a coward, you sure can run your mouth.¡± His face was full of disdain. Because there was a major w in Gold¡¯s reasoning. ¡°You¡¯ve got it wrong. Why would you think I don¡¯t have that kind of swordsmanship?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Gold responded calmly to Ancelot¡¯s question. ¡°Because your life has been too short for you to develop or improve upon anything. Besides, the Great Hero didn¡¯t have any signature swordsmanship to pass on¡­¡­¡± ¡°Because he didn¡¯t?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Gold fell silent. ¡°¡­¡­Yes. I scoured countless texts, but there was no mention of it anywhere.¡± Of course, as amander, the Great Hero rarely needed to engage inbat himself. ¡®But wasn¡¯t the Great Hero different?¡¯ He was always at the frontlines, leading his men. That was why he earned their boundless respect. ¡°It¡¯smon knowledge that the Great Hero was a former ve. Despite his innate talent, his background was humble. Soter on, he mostly used the swordsmanship of his five closest aides. Unlike the Great Hero, they were all from prestigious families. Like you, he was quick to master his subordinates¡¯ swordsmanship, thanks to his innate genius.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame. While hypothetical scenarios are meaningless, if he had learned advanced swordsmanship as a child¡­¡­ or if he had been born into a better background¡­¡­ maybe, just maybe, history could have been different.¡± Ancelot shook his head quietly. While it was true that he used his aides¡¯ swordsmanship on the battlefield, it wasn¡¯t for the reason Gold assumed. ¡®Those five wanted to learn from me and improve as much as they could.¡¯ So, whenever he had the chance, he demonstrated their techniques in a way that made them even better. That was all. ¡°The reason the Great Hero¡¯s swordsmanship is unknown is simple.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°First, no opponent survived long enough to witness it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Gold flinched. It was an arrogant and grandiose statement. Yet,ing from the sessor of the Great Hero, someone was known as the greatest absolute of his time, it somehow felt convincing. ¡°And second, anyone who did see it¡­¡­ died.¡± Ancelot cast his gaze down toward the sword in his hand. The swordsmanship he had spent so long honing and improving. However¡­¡­ ¡®That technique is a monster that demands blood.¡¯ It had an overwhelming, lethal presence. Ancelot was a former ve soldier. To survive, he killed and killed, again and again. More efficiently. More swiftly. Focusing solely on killing power. That¡¯s how his swordsmanship developed over time, so there was no helping it. ¡®¡­¡­After all, the man who taught me swordsmanship in the first ce was the worst murderer in history.¡¯ At any rate, that brutal swordsmanship had caught the eye of amander back then. But after achieving a certain level of sess, he refrained from using it much. It brought back too many memories. Memories of those desperate days of struggling for survival. Above all¡­¡­ ¡®Even if I imitated other swordsmanship, no one could block it, anyway.¡¯ Finished with his thoughts, Ancelot spoke. ¡°¡­¡­Shall I give you a little taste?¡± This entire disy was to raise his own value, after all. Swish. Ancelot slowly extended his sword forward. ¡®With a single stroke, even crows rejoice.¡¯ He silently recited one of the mysteries within his terrifying swordsmanship. -The mound before you is a mountain of corpses. -The stagnant pools are rotting blood. -All is quiet. -None remain standing. -The ck spots finally consume the heart. -Even this body shall meet the death of its soul. Swish. In an instant, Ancelot¡¯s sword lightly traced a path, then returned to its original position. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± In that strange silence, Milon narrowed his eyes. ¡®What was that? Something felt off.¡¯ He had only blinked. But something seemed different about the angle of Ancelot¡¯s sword. ¡®Did he do something?¡¯ As it turned out, aside from a very small number of people, no one had truly witnessed what Ancelot had just done. But soon¡­¡­ Rip! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The sound of something tearing filled the air, and everyone¡¯s eyes widened. Especially the three blue masks, who were utterly stunned. ¡°¡­¡­Wh-What¡­¡­?¡± Their masks of skin were shredding apart. ¡®In that split second¡­¡­ did he cut just the thin surface of the masks?¡¯ Milon stood there, mouth agape in astonishment. ¡°That monster-like bastard¡­¡­¡± Narakas, who had been silent until now, muttered in disbelief. It was almost the same reaction as before. ¡°I thought this conversation was dragging on, so I made the first move.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even see what I did, did you? I think that means I¡¯ve taken care of all the blue ones¡­¡­¡± Ancelot trailed off as he turned to face another. ¡°Hey, Mr. indigo.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop hiding behind your subordinates and face me yourself?¡± *** Chapter 92 Chapter 92 ¨C Your Father¡¯s Working His Ass Off (5) ¡°¡­¡­¡± They say that one can only see as much as they know. That¡¯s why the most shocked person here was none other than the man with the indigo mask¡ª Gold. ¡®All he did was unleash sword energy.¡¯ Three streaks of pitch-ck sword energy. Those streaks reached their target with unimaginable speed, cutting down only the intended targets. ¡®In other words, he possesses power, speed, and precision.¡¯ Gold¡¯s eyes twitched uncontrobly as he asked himself repeatedly, ¡®Is this opponent¡¯s skill beyond what I expected?¡¯ Yes. ¡®Do I acknowledge that there were valid grounds for the boss¡¯ judgment?¡¯ I do. ¡®Could an absolute being, like a star or the sky itself, emerge from some ce outside of the Empire?¡¯ Perhaps one day. ¡®And do you think one of them could bring down the three heavens and even challenge that same Empire?¡¯ Impossible. This time, Gold shook his head. In the end, his thoughts remained unchanged. Nothing else changed either. Therefore¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Do not waver. Our choice wasn¡¯t wrong.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The blue masks, having their faces revealed after a long time, could not hide their dismay and took several steps back. Step, step, step. ¡°I¡¯ll prove it myself.¡± Gold was certain. He was indeed a remarkable talent. Someday, that child might even reach the level of the legendary Transcendents or Stars. But right now, he could not defeat Gold. ¡®The foundation of his swordsmanship is probably centered around speed.¡¯ His swordsmanship just now was overwhelmingly quick. In that case, Gold was clearly a bad matchup for him. The swordsmanship Gold used emphasized heaviness. ¡®Heaviness ovees speed. That is an unchanging truth of the world.¡¯ Shiiing. Gold, now standing at the forefront, unsheathed his sword. ¡°Prince, you alone cannot even defeat me.¡± Fwooosh! A zing, fiery aura surged around Gold¡¯s sword. It was a massive blue me, iparable to what had appeared earlier. In truth, this blue me had be a symbol of the higher ranks of the Mask of Night. ¡®You need power to protect information.¡¯ The organization had long been developing its unique military power, and this blue me was the result of that effort. Moreover, ¡®For decades, we¡¯ve perfected a swordsmanship that fits this attribute.¡¯ The organization managed all the information across the vast continent of Igrant. There wasn¡¯t any group that could rival them in scale. Naturally, some of the information they handled included long-lost sword techniques and cultivation methods. Though they often sold such information for high prices, there were asions when the organization monopolized certain others. Just like now. ¡®I¡¯ll show you.¡¯ Crackle! Crack-crackle! The mes scattered, freezing the air. In this paradoxical scene, Gold¡¯s sword stood firm like a mountain. ¡®¡­¡­Our sword.¡¯ His opponent had already entered his domain. Even though there was no visible reaction, his body was likely feeling immense pressure by now. Gold¡¯s aura was pressing down on the entire area with overwhelming force. Crackle! Crack-crackle! Like frost settling in the winter, blue mana weighed down on his opponent¡¯s shoulders. At the same time, that area began to freeze. This was the reason. The reason why Gold¡¯s sword style paired so well with the blue me. The air in the area grew heavier, and heavier. Furthermore, the opponent¡¯s body would begin to freeze, hindering their movement. Under such circumstances, speed-based swordsmanship was useless. ¡®A sword that dominates not just the opponent, but the entire space where I stand.¡¯ This was the ultimate direction Gold wanted his life to take. To rise from the shadows and soar into the light, he would need to dominate the entire area perfectly. Gold nced briefly toward Narakas and muttered quietly. ¡°¡­¡­Today, with our sword, we shall cut down your vain delusions, as well as your obsession with ghosts of the past.¡± *** His shoulders felt heavy.bNo, it was as if his entire body had sunk into the depths of the sea. Even raising his arm was difficult. Shiver. The arm holding the sword trembled endlessly. ¡®The Mask of Night has acquired a rather decent sword technique.¡¯ Above all, the blue mes surrounding the area constantly hindered his movement. He couldn¡¯t just blow them away with mes like he had earlier. The blue mes were unique in that they caused both frostbite and burns. ¡®This must be the greatest benefit of mana awakening.¡¯ It allowed one to render even elemental differences meaningless. But, ¡®Would a sword that can cut the sky itself really fail to cut through this small space?¡¯ I silently raised my sword. -Heh heh heh, it¡¯s been a while. ¡®Shut up.¡¯ -Do you want him dead? Want me to kill him for you? At the same time, the whispers of the bloodthirsty ghost echoed in my mind. I had to drown that voice out. The moment I was swayed, I would be a murderer, with killing the only thing in my mind. It would be the death of my soul. ¡®Wanting to kill someone isn¡¯t such a rare thing.¡¯ I, too, had more than a few people I wanted to tear apart. ¡®And I doubt I¡¯m the only one.¡¯ In this long life, how many people have managed to avoid making a single enemy? Mistakes ruin rtionships, and greed even defies familial bonds. Sometimes, the people you once loved most be targets of greater hatred than strangers. An ex-lover you once cherished. A friend who you were inseparable with just until yesterday. A subordinate sworn to loyalty. A blood-rted sibling. Even the parents who raised you. All of us, as human beings, have such feelings. However, ¡®If you can¡¯t even control that emotion, you¡¯d be no different from a wild animal.¡¯ Don¡¯t let yourself be consumed by bloodlust. The one I must cut down isn¡¯t a lover, a friend, a sibling, or my parents. I must sever the mistakes of my past. The boundless greed of humanity, and the lingering emotions that continue to erode my soul. ¡®Blinded by revenge, if I fail to see what¡¯s around me¡­¡­ I¡¯ll just repeat the same wretched life.¡¯ That¡¯s something neither my wife nor Andy would wish for. ¡®So, no matter what you say, I won¡¯t lose my focus.¡¯ -What a shame. I was happy to see you again. The demon that disturbed my heart quickly disappeared. I would not be a killer, dragging everything around me into ruin. That was the ultimate aim of my swordsmanship as well. To never crumble under any circumstances. If I couldn¡¯t do that, ¡®Shatter the sky instead.¡¯ A sword style that continuously tests the self. But if one ovees those trials, they can even bring down the heavens itself. The first secret technique of the newly-established Heaven-Splitting Sword. Heaven and Earth Reversal. ¡®I will cut down the Empire.¡¯ And in its ce, I will create a new sky. Gold¡¯s lips twisted into a grin. His opponent didn¡¯t move. No, it would be more urate to say he couldn¡¯t move. ¡®He must¡¯ve realized that if he moved carelessly in this heaviness, he¡¯d be cut down.¡¯ The boy had the insight and skill to know that much. However, simply standing still wasn¡¯t the solution. If he remained like this, his entire body would be consumed by the blue mes. But then, at that very moment, Step. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± His opponent, motionless until now, took a step forward. ¡®¡­¡­Come.¡¯ Gold¡¯s eyes gleamed as he raised his sword. Rumble, rumble, rumble! Just that small action must have put an unimaginable amount of pressure on that boy. Gold had poured decades of effort¡ª his entire life¡ª into this single sword. ¡®You and I have lived entirely different lives, Prince.¡¯ The opponent began to walk towards him. Slowly. Too slowly. So slow it was almost yawn-worthy. ¡®Now!¡¯ Atst, the boy had entered the range of Gold¡¯s sword. Gold¡¯s eyes shed as he brought his sword down with all his might. Slice! ¡®¡­¡­What¡­¡­?¡¯ The sound came before the action. Was it because his sword had surpassed the speed of sound? No. Gold did not seek mere speed but heaviness. Moreover, that sound had resonated before he even moved. ¡®Am I the one who was cut?¡¯ Gold hastily nced down at himself. But there was no wound to be found. Nor did he feel any pain. ¡°¡­¡­Ah¡­¡­¡± Raising his head, Gold saw it. Thud! Right before his eyes, his sword, split cleanly in half, fell to the ground. ¡®Was it my sword that was cut¡­¡­?¡¯ No. It wasn¡¯t just the sword. It was the aura, the essence of the de, and even the life he had poured into it. ¡®What just happened?¡¯ Gold couldn¡¯tprehend the move that had just been made. But then, ¡°Th-There!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The trees!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Gold quickly lifted his head higher. ¡°Sword energy!¡± It was sword energy. The same sword energy that had cut down the indigo masks earlier had flown past Gold¡¯s sword, sliced through the dense forest trees, and was now soaring high into the sky. It was as if¡­¡­ ¡®Is he trying to cut the sky itself?¡¯ Gold let out a hollowugh. To send sword aura flying was already an incredible feat at that young age. But the fact that it still hadn¡¯t dissipated, seemingly reaching for the sky¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­Even if we fight again, I have no chance of winning.¡¯ The conclusion was clear. Thinking that, Gold forgot about his opponent and stared nkly at the sword aura. ¡®Cutting the sky¡­¡­¡¯ Could it be that one day, that sword energy would truly cut down even the Empire? ¡®¡­¡­I thought it was something out of reach.¡¯ Perhaps he had been wrong all along. ¡®Perhaps I am the one who was truly shackled by the ghosts of the past.¡¯ Shackled by the glory of the Empire. By the achievements they had amassed. By the overwhelming power they had maintained for so long. He had been afraid. He thought swearing loyalty to them would guarantee a better life. No, he had already been content with just maintaining the current rtionship. ¡®In mycency, I ignored the approaching threats and refused to ept change.¡¯ Despite the precedent set by the Great Hero. Despite the fact that there had been someone who devoted his entire being in loyalty only to be discarded like a worn-out tool. He had ignored such a past. Because he was scared. He had too much to lose. To change the world meant to willingly give up everything one possessed. Thud. ¡°Do you want to keep going?¡± The opponent¡¯s sword was already at Gold¡¯s throat, its tip resting against his Adam¡¯s apple. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve lost.¡± Gold acknowledged his defeat. Still, his gaze remained fixed on the sky. Shiver! Simultaneously, gasps of astonishment burst out from every direction. At this moment, the masks were in shock. Milon was overwhelmed by a sense of futility. Andstly¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­I made the right choice.¡¯ Narakas couldn¡¯t suppress his trembling. ¡®That guy will change this damned fate. Without a doubt.¡¯ *** Chapter 93 Chapter 93 ¨C Swordsman of Illusions It was after the situation had somewhat settled. ¡°B-Boss¡­¡­¡± The blue masks, havinge to their senses first, hesitantly approached Narakas. ¡°W-We¡¯re so sorry!¡± ¡°We¡¯vemitted a grave sin!¡± ¡°We acted on our own without even reporting to you! We¡¯re ready to ept any punishment!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Narakas quietly observed his subordinates. He had only instructed them to ¡®monitor¡¯ Verdant Vale. However, in the end, they had gone beyond that, escting the situation to a full confrontation. Of course, he understood why. ¡®¡­¡­Who should I me?¡¯ It had all happened because he hadn¡¯t earned their full trust. Yet, despite what he felt inside, the words that came out of his mouth were entirely different. ¡°If you¡¯vemitted a crime worthy of death, then you should die, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m kidding. Don¡¯t be so tense.¡± For a brief moment, the blue masks, who had just crossed to the other side and back, wore solemn expressions. ¡°Anyway, isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me?¡± Contrary to the tension, a bright smile had formed on Narakas¡¯ face. ¡°That diamond I found.¡± *** While the Masks were handling follow-up matters, Milon quietly approached me. ¡°When did you get here?¡± ¡°I saw everything from the start, so don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡± ¡°What do you n to do now?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Two mysterious groups crossed swords on our territory, and one of them turned out to be the Mask of Night. If this news reaches the pce, it¡¯ll cause quite a stir.¡± As he spoke, I nced over at the indigo-masked figure. He stood there with his head hung low, unable to say a word. ¡®I¡¯d love to report it all to the king out of spite, but¡­¡­¡¯ I shook my head. That would be a foolish move. Now that I knew there was internal discord among them¡­¡­ ¡®It¡¯s better to exploit that weakness and bleed them dry, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ After all, I had even given them time to have a nice little chat among themselves for that exact purpose. ¡°¡­¡­Why are you smiling like that?¡± ¡°Huh? Am I?¡± I quickly wiped the grin off my face. ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re so transparent. What a schemer.¡± ¡°You mean, ¡®what a genius¡¯. How many teens have you seen with as much talent as I do in so many areas?¡± ¡°You really need to learn some humility.¡± Milon shook his head in disbelief. ¡°Honestly, don¡¯t you feel like age isn¡¯t even a disadvantage anymore?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you d we became friends?¡± At that, Milon let out a small chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re shameless, too.¡± ¡°So, as a friend, I have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I think I can guess what it is. You want me to keep this a secret from everyone else, right?¡± Milon looked straight into my eyes. ¡°But, as you know, I¡¯m also a noble of this kingdom.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m appealing to our friendship here.¡± ¡°For someone asking for a favor, you¡¯re way too confident.¡± ¡°Should I bow my head?¡± Milon shrugged his shoulders. ¡°You told mest time, friends help each other out.¡± ¡°Huh? Did I?¡± ¡°Not exactly, but that¡¯s what I took from it. Anyway, with that in mind¡­¡­¡± Milon smiled faintly. ¡°Buy me a drinkter.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A wide grin spread across my face. ¡°Looks like my tongue is in for a treat. I¡¯ll have to get you something expensive if you¡¯re going to keep your mouth shut.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ll drink it all myself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s stingy.¡± ¡°You can have orange juice. Act your age.¡± ¡°You stingy bastard.¡± At that moment, Narakas approached us, having seemingly finished up on his side. ¡°I have something urgent to discuss with you.¡± ¡°Shall we move somewhere else?¡± Narakas nodded without hesitation. ¡°Thanks for the consideration. And¡­¡­¡± His gaze shifted to Milon. As if he¡¯d been waiting, Milon spoke up. ¡°I didn¡¯t see a thing today.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Narakas flinched for a moment before bowing deeply in gratitude. ¡°Thank you sincerely for your understanding, Lord Marquis Milon.¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * As soon as we had distanced ourselves from the clearing, he spoke. ¡°As you might have already guessed, I¡¯m not the Narakas you knew.¡± ¡°Yeah, I figured.¡± I gave him a once-over with fresh eyes. Was it because I realized he wasn¡¯t the real Narakas? Suddenly, everything about him seemed new. ¡®¡­¡­Or is it ¡®her¡¯?¡¯ Considering Narakas¡¯ mastery of disguise, it wasn¡¯t an impossible thought. As my imagination spiraled, another absurd idea popped into my mind. ¡®I hope this isn¡¯t some messed-up ¡®I am your father!¡¯ scenario.¡¯ I shook my head to clear the thought, but the nagging feeling remained. If this person was the daughter I once mentioned, then all their past actions would make sense. ¡®I hate being kept in the dark.¡¯ So, I decided to ask outright. ¡°You¡¯re not a woman, are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Of course not. I¡¯m a man.¡± Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t that kind of twisted situation. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with the previous leader?¡± ¡°He was my biological father.¡± Aha. If they were blood-rted, it made sense that he carried the same energy. He must have learned from watching his father for a long time. ¡°So, let¡¯s talk about the daughter of the Great Hero.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m warning you in advance. If you start spewing nonsense about how I¡¯m not qualified to know, I¡¯ll beat the crap out of you.¡± I shed a determined re. ¡°Is the information a lie?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No. The daughter of the Great Hero is alive.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°As you guessed, she¡¯s being protected in a safe ce. Even the emperor wouldn¡¯t dare harm her.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Really?¡± Hearing this, I felt a little guilty. ¡®He¡¯s a good guy.¡¯ Given his position, he could have leveraged this information to negotiate with the empire. Since it¡¯s not like the former leader and I had any deep ties. ¡®Now that I think about it, something doesn¡¯t add up.¡¯ Even his subordinates were causing trouble¡­¡­ ¡°She and I are in love.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± For a moment, I didn¡¯t process what he had just said. ¡°Come again?¡± ¡°I mean, we¡­¡­ ahem¡­¡­ we were once lovers.¡± By then, his face had turned a shade of red. ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s enough, you bastard.¡± Without thinking, I grabbed him by the cor. ¡°W-Why are you doing this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Just die. Go and drop dead, you son of a bitch.¡± I shook him violently, fueled by irritation. ¡®Good guy¡¯, my ass. ¡°S-Stop! My head¡¯s spinning. I think I¡¯m going to¡­¡­¡± ¡°Puke? Go ahead. I¡¯ll make sure you puke all day long.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Urp.¡± ¡°How old are you? Your real age.¡± When I stopped shaking him, he finally managed to take a deep breath. ¡°Wh-Why does that matter¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Do you want me to shake you again?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m 29.¡± ¡°¡­¡­And this daughter of the Great hHero?¡± ¡°She¡¯s 21¡­¡­¡± The veins on my forehead visibly bulged. Even though I¡¯d never seen her, I couldn¡¯t let this slide. ¡°You filthy thief¡­¡­¡± ¡°Wh-Why are you pulling out your sword¡­¡­? Ack! Ow! I¡¯m going to die!¡± ¡°Shut up. Before I actually kill you.¡± I jabbed the tip of my sword into him, poking him all over. I wanted to tie him to a tree and torment him all day. ¡®¡­¡­But I need to hold back. There¡¯s still more I need to hear.¡¯ There were too many waiting on the oue of this conversation, so I had to stop here. ¡°A-Anyway, with things the way they are, I needed someone I could trust!¡± When I stopped prodding him, he started shouting, desperate to exin. ¡°If you¡¯ve inherited the Great Hero¡¯s legacy, you¡¯re my only hope. But I had no way to confirm that¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Forget that. Let¡¯s talk about your subordinates.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Narakas flinched before letting out a deep sigh. ¡°First, I apologize for what happened. As the leader, I sincerely want to make amends.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take your apologyter, in another form, so save it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I mentioned this before, didn¡¯t I? That maybe there wasn¡¯t a traitor among the Great Hero¡¯s closest allies.¡± ¡°You did.¡± I nodded. ¡°At first, I suspected that Trevor, the leader of Verdant Vale and the Swordsman of Illusions, was the traitor. He was the only one who continued to live as a noble after the Great Hero¡¯s death, and it¡¯s only been about 10 years since he became the leader of a group of bandits. That¡¯s rtively recent.¡± ¡°What if he was just used and then discarded, like the Great Hero?¡± Narakas shook his head without hesitation. ¡°The current emperor has constantly tried to distinguish himself from the former emperor, his father, for over 20 years. If he betrayed a loyalist the way his father did, it would undermine the very legitimacy he¡¯s built. That would ultimately damage the imperial authority. The emperor I know isn¡¯t that foolish.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t the empire dere Trevor a traitor and pursue him?¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s the second reason. He really did plot a rebellion to seize the throne. He spent 10 years preparing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I paused to think. If what he was saying was true¡­¡­ ¡°So your subordinates tried to capture that traitor and deliver him to the emperor? That would be quite the achievement.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± ¡°And Count Kaiman, that bastard, knew about this?¡± ¡°It sounds like they¡¯d already discussed it.¡± There was no way the empire would deploy their forces for such a sensitive matter. And above all, the Mask of Night operated based on ¡®trust¡¯. They were the perfect organization for such a task. ¡®Plus, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered whether they brought him back or not.¡¯ Even if they couldn¡¯t capture him, just confirming his presence would be enough to justify the empire¡¯s continued presence in the Hart Kingdom. ¡°Those imperial bastards¡­¡­ always the same.¡± They really rubbed me the wrong way. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Now that things havee to this, I¡¯ll fulfill your wishes, even if it¡¯s just to repent.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I turned my gaze back to Narakas. ¡°¡­¡­It might be a bitte to ask, but.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­?¡± ¡°What should I call you now?¡± He let out a small chuckle. ¡°Just call me Narakas. I¡¯ve decided to carry on not only my father¡¯s dreams but also everything he stood for.¡± ¡°A dutiful son. Got it, Narakas.¡± ¡°One more thing¡­¡­¡± Narakas¡¯ face suddenly grew serious. ¡°¡­¡­If you happen to meet the Swordsman of Illusions, don¡¯t be too surprised.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­He¡¯ll be very different from what the records say.¡± *** Chapter 94 Chapter 94 ¨C Swordsman of Illusions (2) We descended the cliff easily on our way back. Whoosh! ¡°Oho¡­¡­ Is this the famous Fly spell?¡± It helped that my reliablepanion was a high-ranking mage. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t suddenly drop me, right?¡± ¡°Should I try it? You¡¯re tough, so you probably won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°You want to send one of your only friends to the afterlife?¡± ¡°You really want me to drop you?¡± Exchanging jokes, Milon and I soon reached the bottom of the cliff. ¡°W-We¡¯ve arrived!¡± Everyone¡¯s attention immediately turned towards us. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± As we justnded, Marquis Foltaine quickly approached us, tilting his head in confusion. ¡°Why are only the two of you here? Weren¡¯t you supposed to capture him?¡± In response to the Marquis¡¯ question, Milon quickly spoke up. ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± It was as if he had already prepared an excuse. ¡°We lost him¡­¡­¡± ¡°We let him go.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± But I was a step ahead of Milon. Immediately, two puzzled sets of eyes turned towards me. ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ Milon asked me with his gaze. ¡®No need to lie, especially not to someone who wants to be my foster father.¡¯ Keep this in mind, always. A small mistake can ruin rtionships. Lies pile up, leaving behind only disappointment. If Marquis Foltaine were to find out the truthter¡­¡­ ¡®He would probably feel pretty let down by me.¡¯ More importantly, I didn¡¯t want to lie to someone on my side. So, I spoke truthfully. -He was a spy from the Mask of Night, hired by the Empire. He was part of one of the two groups shing at Verdant Vale. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± As I conveyed my thoughts, Marquis Foltaine¡¯s eyes widened. -Is that true? -Yes. However, the Mask of Night is now on our side. Personally, I think it¡¯s better to overlook small actions like this for the greater good. -You call this a small action? A major incident involving fighting in foreign territory at the behest of the Empire? -If we can gain the Mask of Night as allies, doesn¡¯t that make it rtively minor? Marquis Foltaine, who had been listening quietly, shook his head. -You¡¯re truly insane. -Thank you for thepliment. -Haah. So, you¡¯ve charmed the Mask of Night with that damned charisma of yours as well? -You could say that. At my cheeky response, Marquis Foltaine let out a smallugh. As the conversation grew longer, ¡°What are those two talking about?¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s suspicious. Letting that shady guy go on purpose?¡± ¡°I doubt the court will ept that.¡± ¡°Quiet. As long as we keep our mouths shut, everything will be decided by the Marquis.¡± The murmurs among the Marquis¡¯ knights grew louder. -I¡¯ll exin it to them properly. Just as I was about to step forward, Shiing. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A chilling sound of steel echoed through the air. At the same time, a heavy silence fell over the area. ¡°Listen up.¡± Suddenly drawing his sword, Marquis Foltaine spoke in a low voice. ¡°Everyone, attention!¡± ¡°Attention!¡± A thunderous chorus followed. It was a glimpse into the discipline of the Marquis¡¯ household. ¡°From now on, you will forget everything you have seen and heard here. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Tension was written all over everyone¡¯s faces. This was the first time since our departure that Marquis Foltaine had drawn his sword and disyed such authority. ¡®Well, he is the one who single handedly wiped out the White Lion Brigade, one of the most powerful militant groups under the Marquisate.¡¯ They probably understood better than I did that he wasn¡¯t just all talk. ¡°Now that everyone¡¯s here, enough idle chatter. We move forward!¡± ¡°Forward!¡± Our old man sure had charisma in spades. The entrance to the canyon was quite long. After walking for about another hour, Shhh. Without a sound, a man appeared beside me. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was Narakas, with his incredibly in face. Some knights nced at him, but they all pretended not to see him. That was the Marquis Foltaine¡¯s order. Of course, Marquis Foltaine himself expressed his curiosity without hesitation. ¡°I thought you were just an errand boy¡­¡­ But now I see, this person is part of the Mask of Night too, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them. Ah, I¡¯m the Marquis Foltaine of the Hart Kingdom.¡± Marquis Foltaine extended his hand freely. Surprisingly, Narakas epted the greeting. ¡°I always appreciate the Marquis¡¯ consideration. My name is Narakas. I am the leader of the current Mask of Night, though I am far from perfect.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Both the Marquis and I were surprised, though for different reasons. ¡®He revealed his identity?¡¯ Let me say again¡ªthe leader¡¯s position is a huge piece of information in itself. He¡¯s someone that the highest-ranking officials of any country, including the king, would want to meet. And rightly so¡ªhe¡¯s the head of a massive organization that deals with all sorts of information. To put it in more simple terms, ¡®If Narakas set his mind to it, he could find evidence of an unfaithful spouse in less than an hour.¡¯ That¡¯s not all. If he wanted to, he could easily uncover the weaknesses of any political rivals. -Is he really the leader? The Marquis¡¯ voice echoed in my head. -Who would dare lie in front of someone like you? -Ho¡­¡­ It¡¯s hard to believe even though I¡¯m seeing it with my own eyes. Marquis Foltaine, whose pupils had been trembling, quickly straightened himself. He had realized the gravity of the situation. ¡°I apologize for my rudeness. I was just so surprised¡­¡­¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Goodness, you¡¯ve charmed an extraordinary person.¡± Marquis Foltaine nced at me with a smile. At that, Narakas grinned. ¡°Even someone as impressive as you has been charmed, Marquis.¡± ¡°Hahaha. You must truly be the leader. Each word you speak makes this old man feel good. If your words say so much, there¡¯s no need for further doubt.¡± ¡°If you ever need assistance, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask. I¡¯d be happy to help.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very reassuring. I thought this journey would be just another business venture, but it turns out to be quite a profitable one. Haha!¡± Marquis Foltaineughed heartily, clearly in a good mood. Then, he turned to me. ¡°You really are my golden goose, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, what about me? Don¡¯t I get something?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± My eyes lit up. If even that stingy old man was offering me something, it had to be good. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the gift.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Feeling somewhat irritated, I muttered a joke under my breath. ¡°If that hade from the mouth of a beautifuldy, it would¡¯ve been a real gift.¡± ¡°You cheeky brat, already chasing after women?¡± ¡°To be honest, even if the most beautiful woman on the continent confessed to me, I think I¡¯d still be happier with your gift.¡± ¡°Hmph. You¡¯re a bit toote.¡± ¡°That is, assuming you were being serious about the gift.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The Marquis fell silent. I could feel his intense gaze on me, but I deliberately didn¡¯t look his way. ¡°I¡¯m dragging this out. So, why are you here?¡± ¡°I came to inform you of some newly discovered information.¡± ¡°Newly discovered information?¡± I tilted my head at Narakas¡¯ response. He nced briefly at Marquis Foltaine before continuing. ¡°It seems that the Swordsman of Illusions is at the end of this canyon.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± Both Marquis Foltaine and I widened our eyes in shock. ¡°Th-The Swordsman of Illusions is at the end of this canyon?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be in the dwarves¡¯ territory?¡± The Marquis and I questioned him in turn. ¡°Wait. Dwarves? Did you say dwarves?¡± Realizing this a stepte, Marquis Foltaine was startled once again. ¡°Ah, I apologize for not mentioning it earlier. It was still unconfirmed information at the time¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡­¡± The Marquis waved his hand quickly, and I thought I saw a golden gleam sh in his eyes. ¡°¡­¡­This trip has turned out to be a goldmine.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Hahaha. Does this mean I¡¯ll meet the dwarves before I die?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Apparently, we hadn¡¯t been on the same page. Ignoring the old man, I turned back to Narakas. Meeting my eyes, he continued. ¡°For now, the members of Verdant Vale who were injured during the battle are still recovering in the dwarves¡¯ territory.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°The problem is that only the Swordsman of Illusions has left the area¡­¡­¡± At that point, I began to grasp the situation. ¡°He probably doesn¡¯t want to cause any more harm to those around him. The Trevor I know is that kind of person.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t know about his intentions, but the dwarves wouldn¡¯t want any uninvited guests. They must be cautious.¡± ¡°So, he left alone to minimize the casualties of his followers?¡± ¡°Exactly. The entrance to the ck Swan is through this canyon. There¡¯s no detour.¡± ¡°This ce is perfect for a small group to hold off arger one.¡± At myment, Narakas nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll speak with him personally.¡± ¡°You will?¡± ¡°He likely holds a significant grudge against us. After all, many of his people were hurt because of our greed.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s your reasoning, you might be better off staying away.¡± ¡°No. If we¡¯re to maintain any kind of rtionship moving forward, I need to apologize properly as the leader. Although I¡¯m not sure he¡¯ll ept it¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine let out a small sound of admiration. ¡°Sincerity is always understood. I admire your courage, leader.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± Still, I felt differently. Something was still bothering me. ¡°Now that I think about it, something¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve fought your people directly, haven¡¯t I?¡± ¡°¡­¡­And?¡± ¡°They were certainly skilled for informants¡­¡­ but nothing that should trouble the legendary Swordsman of Illusions.¡± Understanding my point, Narakas smiled bitterly. ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too surprised when you meet him. He¡¯s quite different from the records.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± In silence, I stared at the unseen end of the canyon. ¡°So, he¡¯s at the end of this path? The Swordsman of Illusions?¡± My eyes filled with emotion. It had been twenty years since ourst meeting. *** Chapter 95 Chapter 95 ¨C The Truth of the Past ¡°Scout! Report!¡± ¡°No unusual activity spotted ahead, sir!¡± Was it thanks to the capability of the Marquis¡¯ knights? Our journey through the canyon was uneventful. There were no signs of ambushes, even along the cliffs above us. This was because as we ventured further, the sky slowly tapered and eventually disappeared from sight. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s why he came up with such a bold n to hold this ce alone.¡± I muttered quietly and nced to my side. ¡°Go ahead and continue what you were saying earlier.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Narakas, who had now fully joined the group without hesitation, tilted his head in confusion. I had already uncovered the full story and resolved the Mask of Night¡¯s internal issues. Now, I figured I could trust him to some extent. ¡°Tell me everything you know about the Five Heroes of the East, including the Swordsman of Illusions.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Even Marquis Foltiane and Milon, who had been pretending not to listen, perked their ears. ¡°Hm¡­¡­¡± Narakas nced at the two briefly and then nodded. ¡°¡­¡­Alright. I suppose it¡¯s okay to tell you now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about being okay. If you hadn¡¯t told me this time, I would¡¯ve beaten you first.¡± He stubbornly avoided eye contact with me. ¡°Start with Bastion Arkets¡ªthe reason you and I are even connected, and the one we found traces of here in the Hart Kingdom.¡± ¡°The Iron Wall Swordsman¡­¡­¡± Narakas¡¯ expression quickly darkened. ¡°¡­¡­After hisst sighting here, he vanished without a trace. No one has discovered anything about his whereabouts to this day.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± That statement could only mean one of two things. He¡¯s either no longer of this world, or¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­He¡¯s trapped in the Abyss?¡± In this context, the ¡®Abyss¡¯ wasn¡¯t a literal deep pit. It referred to the deepest section of the Empire¡¯s underground prison¡ªsaid to be more horrific than hell itself. To date, no one who entered had ever returned alive, making them disappear from the world altogether. ¡°¡­¡­What about Raven?¡± ¡°Raven, the Poison Master. He willingly became the Emperor¡¯s ve.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I involuntarily shuddered. ¡°A ve?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the best way to describe it. He became the Emperor¡¯s loyal dog. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say he knows every poison in existence. Meaning, there¡¯s likely no poison in the world that he can¡¯t neutralize.¡± He was right. After all, poison and medicine were two sides of the same coin. ¡°To the Emperor, he must have been the most desirable talent among the Great Hero¡¯s subordinates.¡± I could only nod in agreement. Of course. The higher one¡¯s status, the more reason they had to fear poison. ¡°¡­¡­But he wasn¡¯t the type to create poison for someone else so willingly.¡± I wasn¡¯t under any illusion that he had some undying loyalty toward me. I didn¡¯t even deserve that. But based on his personality¡­¡­ ¡®He¡¯d rather bite his tongue and die than serve anyone loyally.¡¯ Narakas soon cleared up my doubts. ¡°It¡¯s because of his daughter.¡± ¡°Daughter? Are you talking about the Great Hero¡¯s daughter?¡± Narakas gave a bitter nod. ¡°As you already know, the current Emperor isn¡¯t one to let future threats live.¡± He was right. Like father, like son. After all, those same people had mercilessly killed Andy, who was still a child, right before my eyes. ¡°¡­¡­Heh heh heh.¡± I instinctively covered my eyes with my hand. ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°In exchange for sparing the Great Hero¡¯s daughter and her family, Raven became the Emperor¡¯s ve. For a full ten years.¡± ¡°¡­¡­And then?¡± ¡°The Emperor dly epted the deal. Though it was only ten years, it included training a new generation of students. Thus, the Poison Pce, the pride of the Imperial Pce, was born. It¡¯s practically a collection of all of Raven¡¯s knowledge.¡± I unconsciously clenched my teeth. ¡°So, what happened to Raven after that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t say I know everything about him. Even in the Empire, information about the Five Heroes is ssified. But¡­¡­¡± ¡°Cut the excuses. Do you know or not?¡± ¡°¡­¡­One year after he escaped his ve duties, Poison Master Raven came to see my father with the young child. He asked him to take care of her, since she was of the Great Hero¡¯s bloodline.¡± Come to think of it, Raven had connections with the Mask of Night in my past life, too. In his quest for rare poisons, information was as valuable as any substance. ¡°We gave him information, and in return, he provided us with poisons and antidotes for various missions. His skills were indispensable to our work.¡± ¡°Now I understand. That¡¯s how Raven ended up connected with your father?¡± ¡°Yes. For each other, they became one of the few people who they could speak truly openly with. Age, nationality, and circumstances didn¡¯t matter. It was like¡­¡­¡± Narakas nced at me out of the corner of his eye. ¡°¡­¡­Like how Marquis Milon and you are now.¡± As we both turned to look at him, Milon flinched. I ignored him and turned back to Narakas. ¡°So your father looked after the Great Hero¡¯s child, and you became interested in her, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Enough. Let¡¯s move on. Next, tell me about Zion.¡± Narakas¡¯ face flushed red but quickly turned serious. ¡°¡­¡­Zion, the Swordsman of Mana. After the Great Hero¡¯s death, he was the first to return home.¡± ¡°Return home?¡± ¡°He gave up wealth, power, and all his achievements, and returned to the rural estate where he was born. He said he no longer wished to serve the nation.¡± I shook my head slowly. ¡°Even if he gave up everything, the Emperor wouldn¡¯t have just let him go.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t have the justification to kill him.¡± I see. ¡°The Emperor was someone who turned the one he despised for being a threat to his power into a ¡®Great Hero¡¯¡­¡­¡± ¡°Exactly. He couldn¡¯t ignore the aplishments of the hero¡¯s closestpanions. If he treated the nation¡¯s war heroes poorly, it would harm the Emperor¡¯s authority in the future.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s likely why Raven was also let go.¡± Narakas nodded. ¡°However, unlike Raven, the Poison Master, whose personal strength wasn¡¯t much to speak of, Zion was an absolute force who dominated his era.¡± ¡°So, they must¡¯ve had eyes on him. And then?¡± ¡°After returning home, the Swordsman of Mana never once left his homnd. Even now, after 20 years. By now, even the pce likely doesn¡¯t pay attention to him anymore. They say all he does is drink all day, every day.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What about Urha? What happened to him?¡± Narakas hesitated for the first time. ¡°¡­¡­The Swordsman of the Waves. His end was the most tragic.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°After the Great Hero¡¯s death, he was the first target the Emperor dealt with. The Swordsman of the Waves had a sharp insight and knew the truth from the beginning. The Emperor demanded his silence and loyalty, but he refused without a second¡¯s hesitation. As a result¡­¡­¡± Narakas sighed deeply before continuing. ¡°¡­¡­His entire family was enved, and he, the man who once shone brightest, was reduced to crawling on all fours through the capital like a dog, a cor around his neck.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°The Swordsman of the Waves was upright and fiercely loyal to the Great Hero, so naturally, he became a thorn in the side of the higher-ups.¡± Unable to bear hearing any more, I quietly closed my eyes. ¡°¡­¡­How could that even happen?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You said earlier that the Emperor wouldn¡¯t treat war heroes like that, even if it was to maintain his own reputation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­He used the conflict with the Swordsman of Illusions at the end of that road as an excuse.¡± The conversation shifted to Trevor, the Swordsman of Illusions. ¡°The Great Hero, who had never lost a battle, was defeated once during the unification wars. That was when information leaked from within, endangering the entire army.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve heard about that.¡± ¡°Of course, the Great Hero kept it quiet at the time. Finding the spy was important, but he knew better than anyone that mistrusting his allies in the middle of a war could lead to self-destruction, before the battle even began.¡± I remembered it clearly. Honestly, I didn¡¯t want to doubt my subordinates at the time, especially the five men who followed me. Back then, I believed I could trust them with my life. ¡°The Swordsman of Illusions used the Swordsman of the Waves of being the spy who leaked the information.¡± ¡°¡­¡­So they used that as an excuse?¡± ¡°Exactly. Unlike the other four, the Swordsman of Illusions was the first to swear loyalty to the Emperor. He continued to serve and eventually rose from a mere baron to a marquis, showing just how much the Emperor favored him.¡± As the story went on, my face grew hard. ¡°So at first, I thought the Swordsman of Illusions was the traitor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You don¡¯t think so now? Because he¡¯s a criminal thatmitted treason?¡± ¡°I understand what you¡¯re thinking. You assume he was loyal and then discarded, like the Great Hero. That wouldn¡¯t be an unreasonable conclusion, but¡­¡­¡± Narakas continued, gazing at the end of the canyon. ¡°Given the circumstances, it seems more likely that he was only pretending to be loyal from the start.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°One of his subordinates broke under torture and confessed. The rebellion had been nned since the very day the Great Hero died.¡± I raised my hand slightly. ¡°Wait. There¡¯s a contradiction in the story. If he was a traitor, why did he betray hisrade, the Swordsman of the Waves?¡± ¡°¡­¡­We¡¯re almost at the end of the canyon.¡± At his words, I turned my gaze forward. Sure enough, there seemed to be light shining in the distance. ¡°Ask him yourself. It would be more urate to hear it from the man himself.¡± I recalled the Trevor of my past life. He was once considered the most ¡®beautiful¡¯ man on the continent. That was how mesmerizing his swordsmanship and movements were. In particr, he wielded the rare dual swords with skill and finesse¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­What if he¡¯s not there?¡¯ It¡¯d taken me so much toe this far. Even I was at the end of my patience. But my worry was unfounded. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± My eyes widened. In the distance, a figure stood tall and proud. Thump! As soon as I saw him, my heart began to race wildly. And before I knew it, my body moved on its own. Swoosh! ¡°H-Hey!¡± From behind, a startled Milon shouted. Still, I didn¡¯t stop as I dashed forward. ¡°Wha-!¡± ¡°Wh-What the!?¡± I passed the scouts at the front, running with all my might. The distance between us shrank considerably, enough that I could clearly see his face. ¡°Trevor!¡± I found myself shouting without even realizing it. It was him. It really was him. Whoosh! At that moment, the wind from the canyon whipped Trevor¡¯s clothes, making them flutter. And then¡ª I halted in my tracks. ¡°¡­¡­You¡­¡­?¡± It was definitely Trevor, the Trevor I knew, but¡­¡­ His appearance was far too different from the man I once knew. ¡°You¡­¡­ bastard¡­¡­¡± A curse slipped out of my mouth without me realizing it. Was it because he was a traitor? No. Trevor, the Swordsman of Illusions. The man who once moved with a beauty like no other, whose swordsmanship was like a dream¡ª ¡°¡­¡­Child, do you know who I am?¡± ¡ªNow stood before me, missing an arm and a leg. *** Chapter 96 Chapter 96 ¨C ¡®The Empire¡¯s Greatest Beauty¡¯ Long ago, something other than ¡®The Swordsman of Illusions¡¯ came to mind when Trevor¡¯s name was brought up. A face so handsome it could put even the most beautiful woman to shame. A slender figure, hard to believe that it belonged to a swordsman, and with pale skin. Large, doe-like eyes. And to top it all off, exceptional swordsmanship. Together with Urha, it wasn¡¯t for nothing that they were called the twin pirs of the Eastern Army in terms of appearance. ¡°Women have no eye for men. True handsomeness means looking manly, like me!¡± As the memories of the past naturally surfaced, a faint smile spread across my lips. It was as if Bastion¡¯s booming voice was still echoing in my ears. ¡®¡­¡­But, what in the world is this?¡¯ The Trevor I once knew existed no more. What stood before me was not the most beautiful human in the empire, but a ragged, old man with one arm and one leg. The appearance I once knew was nowhere to be found. Sunken cheeks, a beard covering his entire face, hollow eyes, and scars etched all over his face¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­What a pathetic fool.¡¯ Suddenly, anger took hold of my mind. Even if Trevor was a traitor, this anger wouldn¡¯t subside easily. Because it would¡¯ve meant that he had betrayed hisrades for such a miserable oue. Of course, even if that weren¡¯t the case, I¡¯d still be boiling inside. ¡®I¡¯ll make sure the same thing happens to you, Emperor.¡¯ Shaking off my thoughts, I finally opened my mouth. ¡°There¡¯s so much I want to ask you¡­¡­ but looking at you now, I don¡¯t even know where to start.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± At the same time, Trevor tilted his head in confusion. ¡°That¡¯s my line. I¡¯m not sure I understand. This isn¡¯t a ce for a child like you toe alone.¡± ¡°Do you really think I came here alone?¡± Trevor hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly. ¡°¡­¡­I suppose not.¡± ¡°Let me formally introduce myself. I am Andrew von Meeke, the new lord officially appointed to the territory.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± For a brief moment, Trevor¡¯s eyebrows twitched. But that was the extent of his reaction. ¡°¡­¡­I see. So, you¡¯re a prince of the Meeke Principality.¡± The weak voice that followed made a vein bulge on my forehead. ¡®I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡¯ This wretched temperament wouldn¡¯t allow for anything beyond a simple introduction. ¡°Is this the peaceful retirement you wanted?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ¡°You said you wanted to live a long, happy life with your loved ones after the war. Forgetting all about fighting, you dreamed of living peacefully on the Andres ins, farming. Wasn¡¯t that your dream?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Trevor¡¯s eyes slowly widened. It was the first time since our meeting that he showed such intense emotion. ¡°You said Urha¡¯s swordsmanship would be perfect for watering crops. And yet, you sold that precious watering can to that bastard Emperor?¡± Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! In an instant, an overwhelming bloodlust wrapped around my entire body. It was clear that his old reputation wasn¡¯t for nothing. His energy was stronger and more brutal than anyone I had faced so far. ¡®¡­¡­It¡¯s hard to breathe.¡¯ I quickly circted my mana, freeing myself from his oppressive presence. Trevor¡¯s eyes flickered with a brief surprise, but it passed just as quickly as it came. ¡°¡­¡­It seems you aren¡¯t exactly ordinary, Prince.¡± ¡°If I were ordinary, would I havee here on my own two feet?¡± ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll have to answer my questions honestly. If not¡­¡­ you won¡¯t leave here alive.¡± It was a vicious threat. ¡°You bastard!¡± A booming voice suddenly echoed from behind me. It was Marquis Foltaine. Behind him were hundreds of knights. Of course, I didn¡¯t even nce their way. ¡®I know exactly what this guy is going to do next.¡¯ sh! Just as expected, Trevor¡¯s figure vanished in an instant. The most cautious of the five closest to me. Despite his beautiful appearance, he was colder and more ruthless than anyone. aaaaang! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The sound of metal shing violently. Sparks flew as our swords collided. I had drawn my weapon and blocked his attack just in time. ¡°How¡­¡­?¡± Trevor¡¯s bewildered voice rang in my ears. ¡°You were aiming to cut off my arm in one strike, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°What, were you nning on taking me hostage?¡± Sarcasm slipped into my voice. As I¡¯d said, had I not blocked the attack, my arm would¡¯ve been severed. ¡°Trying to make me a cripple like yourself? You has-been.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°With that pathetic skill, you couldn¡¯t even scratch the old emperor¡¯s beard.¡± In that moment, mes ignited in Trevor¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re running your mouth, you insolent little prince. Do you want to die?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± A smile crept across my lips, almost involuntarily. ¡®There it is. His old self is finallying out.¡¯ By that time, my allies had already reached a close distance. ¡°You! What do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡± Of course, the first to arrive was none other than Marquis Foltaine. ¡°How dare you swing your sword at the prince!?¡± ng! Trevor swung his sword wide and backed up without hesitation. If he hadn¡¯t, the marquis¡¯ sword would¡¯ve cleaved his skull in two. Hummm! A transparent barrier soon formed in front of me. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll kill him.¡± Milon, who had swiftly cast a shield spell, growled ferociously from the front. ¡°Wait! Both of you, stop.¡± I quickly raised my hand to calm them. ¡°I had a bad feelingst night¡­¡­ I knew today wouldn¡¯t go smoothly.¡± Trevor, now at a full distance, gave a bitter smile. ¡°¡­¡­I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d bring a Master with you.¡± Even if he was a fallen hero, Trevor¡¯s eyes still worked well enough. In an instant, he had discerned the strength of Marquis Foltaine. ¡°But¡­¡­ I suppose I have no choice.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± sh! Suddenly, Trevor used his sword to draw a long line in the ground. ¡°Whoever crosses this line will die by my de.¡± That was a threat from the Swordsman of Illusions. Once known as the most brilliant hero of the eastern part of the Empire. Gulp. The sound of dry swallowing echoed from all around. Then¡ª ¡°Captain!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Trevor¡¯s eyes shook violently. Whip! Everyone¡¯s gaze turned toward the direction behind Trevor. There, another group of people was rushing toward us. ¡°All of you. Why are you¡­¡­?¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t just stay hidden in safety while you, Captain, were fighting all alone.¡± They numbered around 500. However, they weren¡¯t all well and able¡ªeach of them was either injured or had broken limbs. They were likely the remnants of Verdant Vale. ¡°I told you to stay hidden, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°How could we?¡± ¡°Fools¡­¡­¡± ¡°Luckily, our friends from the other races lent us weapons. With such fine swords in hand, we can at least take one of them down with us on the way to the afterlife, can¡¯t we?¡± The group burst intoughter. The tension in the air grew even thicker. ¡°I heard Count Kaiman has entered the Hart Kingdom. It seems that bastard threw them a scrap of rotten meat. Rotten meat, as in the Emperor¡¯s favor. And without a shred of shame, they gobbled it up like the hyenas they are.¡± Hostile gazes were now fixed in their direction. ¡°¡­¡­We¡¯ll stay with you until the end, Swordsman of Illusions.¡± The curious thing was that the group appeared to be divided, like oil and water. ¡®The ones from the Empire must be in the first group¡­¡­ then the second must be the original Verdant Vale forces.¡¯ Considering that, 500 people seemed woefully little. ¡®¡­¡­So, the rest are all dead.¡¯ My face hardened as I realized this. ¡°Wait!¡± Narakas, who had arrivedte, quickly stepped forward. ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to fight among ourselves!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the leader of the Mask of Night. I have something to discuss with you!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Narakas was stepping in to clear up the misunderstanding. He likely believed this conflict was sparked because of him. However¡­¡­ ¡°That son of a bitch¡¯s the leader of the Mask of Night¡­¡­?¡± His words only served as a catalyst for more tension. ¡°That damn bastard!¡± ¡°So it¡¯s true that the Mask of Night has allied with those weaklings!¡± ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll kill you all. This will be your graveyard!¡± At that moment, Krong, the former leader of Verdant Vale, stepped forward. ¡°Captain, you should retreat to the back.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll fight, too.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no ce in this world where amander takes the front line.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Trevor gave a bitter smile. There was indeed one suchmander. ¡®¡­¡­Although I can only think of one.¡¯ Of course, he didn¡¯t say it out loud. ¡°If anything happens to you, the morale of the entire group will copse.¡± ¡°Do you not trust me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± Krong replied without the slightest hesitation, giving a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s just that we want to keep our dream safe, as much as we can.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You promised, didn¡¯t you? That you would help us achieve our dream. If something happens to you before that, the Verdant Vale will never find peace.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. In this terrain, a group, small in number, can fend off arge force. We¡¯ll show them that we¡¯re not to be trifled with. Besides, your body isn¡¯t in great condition right now, is it?¡± As Krong said, Trevor was a wreck both outside and inside. It was because he was suffering from poison. The chances of fully regaining his former strength were slim. ¡®How did I end up like this¡­¡­?¡¯ Trevor smiled bitterly once more. ¡®¡­¡­I wonder if I¡¯ll ever return to my former self.¡¯ Not only had his strength vanished, but so had the happy days of his youth, all lost to the ashes of the past. ¡®How pathetic.¡¯ During their escape from the Empire, most of his subordinates had been killed. Verdant Vale, which had allied with him, wasn¡¯t much better off. Most of them were wanderers, unable to return home or belong anywhere else due to various circumstances. These people had one dream. ¡®To have their sincerity recognized by the world.¡¯ Though the people of the continent scorned Verdant Vale as mere bandits, these ouws never stole indiscriminately. They targeted only the wealthy who were rotten to the core¡ªthe viins of society¡ªand distributed their plunder to the poor. But¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­Even that has its limits.¡¯ The Empire¡¯s relentless suppression campaigns had reduced the thousands who once belonged to Verdant Vale to just this small, sorry group. Trevor was theirst hope. ¡®But¡­¡­ what can I possibly do for them?¡¯ Trevor genuinely wanted to repay the kindness of those who had sheltered him in his time of need. Many of Verdant Vale¡¯s members had been drawn to his reputation and supported the idea of making him their new leader. However, Trevor was now a broken man. As the young prince had said, he could no longer use his famed illusion swordsmanship or dual-wielding techniques. ¡°Hey! Why are you making things worse?¡± At that moment, the prince¡¯s voice snapped Trevor out of his thoughts. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t the brightest, but this is beyond belief. Get lost!¡± The prince suddenly shoved aside the man who had introduced himself as the leader of the Mask of Night. Trevor found himself gaping in surprise. ¡®¡­¡­Is that guy really the leader?¡¯ What kind of leader carries themselves with such ack of dignity? More importantly¡ª ¡®If he really is the leader, then that means the prince isn¡¯t normal either.¡¯ Despite this unexpected scene, the prince¡¯s subordinates remained silent but watchful. The prince had started walking forward, alone. Meanwhile, the enemy forces began to move like predators closing in on their prey, stealthily encircling him. Trevor couldn¡¯t help but think¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­The young prince is too reckless, and relies too much on his own talent.¡¯ Even with all the talent in the world, it would mean nothing once the prince was surrounded. These were veterans who had survived the Empire¡¯s brutal hunts. That was what Verdant Vale had be. But then¡ª ¡°Oh, right! You, the scout knight over there.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± The prince¡¯s bizarre behavior didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡± The scout, who was rtively close, quickly ran toward the prince. And the strange scene continued. ¡°Let me borrow your sword for a second¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Your sword. Let me borrow it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­But Your Highness, you have a fine sword on your waist. Why mine¡­¡­?¡± The prince nced in Trevor¡¯s direction. ¡°I just happen to need one more.¡± *** Chapter 97 Chapter 97 ¨C Fallen Blossoms (1) ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Trevor furrowed his brow. ¡®He wants someone else¡¯s sword, all of a sudden?¡¯ Having faced the prince directly, Trevor knew better than anyone. ¡®The sword the prince wields isn¡¯t just any ordinary weapon.¡¯ In fact, it was no less powerful than the dwarven-forged sword Trevor had received as a gift. The prince had such a fine sword that he was already familiar with, so why would he want to borrow someone else¡¯s? ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Trevor¡¯s question was soon answered. Shiiing. ¡°Hmm.¡± The prince had drawn the sword from his waist with his right hand. ¡°This sword¡¯s bnce isn¡¯t bad. Maybe it¡¯s of mid-grade quality?¡± He had gripped the newly acquired sword in his left hand. ¡°Dual-wielding¡­¡­?¡± At that sight, Trevor let out an involuntary chuckle. Dual-wielding. The act of using two swords simultaneously. To the uninformed, it might seem like simply increasing the number of weapons would give them an advantage. But anyone who had even a basic understanding of swordsmanship knew otherwise. ¡®It¡¯s far more likely to divide your attention and scatter your focus.¡¯ This was an immutable truth, proven by countless real-world examples. Even with a single sword, who ever swung it with only one hand? In fact, modern swordsmanship overwhelmingly favored a two-handed grip. The reason was simple. It was stronger that way. ¡®What on earth is he thinking?¡¯ If one didn¡¯t take this weakness into ount, And if the sheer number of swords were truly a measure of strength, then people would be fighting with three swords, even holding one in their mouth. Of course, there¡¯s an exception to everything. Some used a secondary weapon to support the main one. There were those who wielded shorter des, like daggers, purely for the purpose of deflecting attacks. Such individuals had always existed, even though they belonged to the extremely niche group of dual-wielders. And most of these people were mercenaries or wanderers, who cared more about practicality than prestige. ¡®¡­¡­No. In reality, even most wanderers don¡¯t use it much.¡¯ If the purpose was simply to deflect attacks, wearing a small shield would be far more efficient. At any rate, Trevor was the only one in thest fifty years to use two longswords in that manner. And then¡ª ¡°Capture the prince!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A loud shout broke his train of thought. ¡°You immature prince! Who do you think you¡¯re mimicking?¡± ¡°Your arrogance, having looked down on people your whole life, will be the end of you!¡± ¡°Kneel now, and we¡¯ll spare your life!¡± The prince stood alone, separated from his group. Trevor¡¯s enemies rushed in, rapidly closing the distance, and tightly surrounded the prince. ¡°¡­¡­Thanks to the reckless prince, this might be easier than expected.¡± The help from his own allies was too far away. No, for some reason, even in this dire situation, the enemies showed no sign of movement. Of course, Trevor had no idea this was due to Ancelot¡¯s prior warnings. But then¡ª ng! The harsh sound of metal crashing together forced Trevor to rethink everything. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± An utterly surreal scene unfolded before his eyes. ¡°¡­¡­What the¡­¡­?¡± His subordinates, who charged from both sides, wielding their swords with all their might using both hands¡ª ng! ¡ªWere effortlessly deflected with mere flicks of the prince¡¯s hands, each holding a sword. ¡°¡­¡­Ugh!¡± ¡°Wh-What the? What was that?¡± The two attackers looked stunned, their hands throbbing with the sharp pain of nearly having their swords ripped from their grips. And then. ng, ng, ng! The same situation repeated over and over. A second wave, and a third¡ªswords poured in from all directions, but the prince responded to every attack without hesitation. He met each strike head-on and deflected them all without any sign of strain or retreating a single inch. ¡°Am I¡­¡­ am I seeing things?¡± Rubbing his eyes repeatedly, Trevor finally focused his mana on his optic nerves. And before long¡ª ¡°¡­¡­Ah¡­¡­!¡± Trevor saw it. The minute changes in the prince¡¯s muscles just after each sh. ¡®He¡¯s using the principle of reflection!¡¯ Trevor shuddered as if struck by lightning. There are five main principles of swordsmanship. The swift sword. The changing sword. The strong sword. The heavy sword. And the flexible sword. Most renowned knightly families focus on these principles to develop their sword techniques over time. However, these aren¡¯t the only foundational principles. In fact, several other principles¡ªlike explosion, dispersion, pulling, bending, thrusting, and reflection¡ªcame to Trevor¡¯s mind. But these were so rare that information on them was scarce, and even if one found techniques based on them, learning them was a grueling process. There was always a reason why people didn¡¯t easily approach such things. And yet¡­¡­ ¡°Gasp!¡± Another one of his subordinates gasped in shock, and another sword flew into the distance with a ng. Each time metal shed, without exception, his subordinates¡¯ weapons were flung into the air. ¡®Natural wrist flexibility, the ability to urately track the enemy¡¯s center of gravity, and wless timing¡­¡­¡¯ Trevor clenched his fists without realizing it. The scene was all too familiar to him. It was the signaturebat style of a man who possessed overwhelming natural talent, who once struck fear into the hearts of countless enemies. ¡°Aah¡­¡­!¡± A dazzlingly beautiful sight from his youth, one he thought he¡¯d never see again. It was none other than Trevor¡¯s own past, unfolding before him. Everyone has their time of youth, a time when memories can tug painfully at your heartstrings. ¡®Is this¡­¡­ a dream?¡¯ For Trevor, it was more than that. Yes. In the prince, Trevor saw his younger self. A time when he had feared nothing. When tomorrow was more exciting than today. The bold and spirited young Trevor stood before him once again, a deep smile ying at his lips. ¡°What the? Is that all?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°We¡¯re just getting started. Don¡¯t just stand there like that.¡± The prince¡¯s voice interrupted Trevor¡¯s reverie. ¡°Come at me. From now on, I¡¯ll show you the most beautiful swordsmanship on the continent.¡± But this was only the beginning. It was right after I deflected a dozen swordsing at me. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Following the sh, a deep, eerie silence fell over the area. Was it because I had shown unexpected skill? Despite my taunt, not a single person dared to recklessly charge at me now. ¡®They must be starting to feel a sense of danger.¡¯ The smile on my face grew even deeper. It¡¯s too early for that. I nced, almost unconsciously, in Trevor¡¯s direction. ¡®¡­¡­Because there¡¯s still something I want to show you.¡¯ From the moment I first saw him, my mind had been filled with thoughts of swordsmanship. The famous tale that made him a hero of the east, and the one that came to mind whenever people spoke of the ¡®Swordsman of Illusions¡¯. ¡®The story of how you, carrying a newborn¡ªthe sole survivor of an eastern nobility¡ªcut down two hundred enemies on your own and broke through their siege is still spoken of today.¡¯ They say a beast leaves behind its skin, and a person their name. So¡­¡­ ¡®The continent hasn¡¯t forgotten your name yet.¡¯ No, even if the world had forgotten, I¡¯ll remember. I quietly raised both swords to either side of me. The ones at the tip of my des visibly flinched. But the ones I was targeting weren¡¯t just them. ¡®Let it bloom.¡¯ Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh! Soon, my swords. No, my entire body began to spin in ce. It was the prelude to a reproduction of the past. ¡°Argh! What are you all doing!? Attack!¡± Whoooooosh! Enemies charged in from all sides. It didn¡¯t matter. My dance had already begun. ¡°¡­¡­No, to be exact, it¡¯s ¡®your¡¯ dance.¡± Fshhh! My spinning swords began to emit refined shards of mana. The splintering energy started to take on physical form. It was a multitude of petals made from aura. ¡®Even if a flower falls, its scent remains.¡¯ And if that flower falls before it has fully bloomed, its lingering fragrance stays even stronger. -The fully bloomed flower falls. -It¡¯s cut by another¡¯s hand andys in the dirt. -Yet, who would dare to easily trample that flower? -It¡¯s still so beautiful, even now. ¡®Don¡¯t be deceived by appearances. The price of being enchanted by that beauty will be your lives.¡¯ Engulf them. Sweep through everything in the vicinity. Devour the space. The Fifth Act of the Illusionary Dance. ¡®Falling Flowers.¡¯ Fshhh! Petals imbued with power scattered in all directions. They shed at everything around me. Amidst the storm of aura, I calmly looked toward him. ¡®Trevor, isn¡¯t this the perfect secret technique for you?¡¯ Flowers are destined to wither someday. Humans are the same. Everyone wishes to hold on to beauty for as long as they can, but youth is fleeting. Sometimes, disease or an ident snatches the petals away before their time. That¡¯s just how life works. ¡®It¡¯s natural for flowers to wither. It¡¯s just as natural for them to fall in a storm.¡¯ But even withered flowers and fallen blossoms take on their own unique forms. The past won¡¯te again. The same goes for mistakes already made. Greed, vanity, ambition, betrayal, deceit, nder¡­¡­ Flowers tainted by such toxic nourishment will only emit a foul odor, even after they¡¯ve fallen. However¡ª ¡®With nourishment, you¡¯ll exude fragrance.¡¯ You¡¯re no feeble old man, not even fifty yet¡ªstill young and full of life. So. ¡®Show me.¡¯ Show me how beautiful a fallen flower can be, even as it plummets to the ground before it has even fully bloomed. How richly it can spread its scent, soaked in the nutrients of the dirt. ¡®Don¡¯t disappoint me, Trevor.¡¯ *** Trevor stood there, frozen like a statue. ¡°Who¡­¡­ Who in the world are you?¡± His eyes, filled with shock, were fixated on only one thing. The prince¡­¡­ No. What he saw was his past, something he thought would never return. A level of skill he had assumed he could never regain. The brilliance of his prime was being recreated before his very eyes. ¡°Aah¡­¡­¡± The prince was recreating the most radiant moment of Trevor¡¯s life. ¡®No¡­¡­ that¡¯s not it.¡¯ In fact, could those wretched memories have been the dream, and this the reality? As Trevor reached the point of denying his present, he frantically shook his head. His gaze fell downward. The miserable body he saw there reminded him of the harsh reality he faced. Like the ashes of his burnt-out dreams, his empty arms and legs. Right. This was reality. The vision before him was a beautiful dream, nothing more. That¡¯s why¡ª ¡°Aaaah¡­¡­¡± He wanted to hold on to this fleeting dream, even for just a second longer. But why? Why, when this dream was so sweet, did he feel tears instead ofughter? ¡°Aaaaaah¡­¡­¡± He thought the well of his tears had dried up long ago. Yet why were they now streaming down his face? Hot, torrential tears flowed down his parched, weathered cheeks like rain after a drought. ¡®My glorious¡­¡­¡¯ No. ¡°¡­¡­Our glorious past¡­¡­¡± It felt like his tear ducts had brokenpletely. *** Chapter 98 Chapter 98 ¨C Fallen Blossoms (2) Trevor wasn¡¯t the only one witnessing the illusion. ¡°Cherry blossoms¡­¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like spring has already arrived.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Beautiful.¡± The knights of Marquis Foltaine were murmuring in awe. On the other hand¡­¡­ ng! ng, ng, ng! ¡°Aaaaaah!¡± Those caught in the midst of it were going through nothing short of a living hell. No matter how much they shed, the petals kept oning, endlessly surging forward. Moreover, each petal carried an immense force. ¡°How could such overwhelming power be packed into these tiny fragments of mana!?¡± It was just like when they first shed with the prince. A repulsive force far beyond what they could have imagined. They could feel it in each and every petal. However, is it because mana isn¡¯t infinite? ¡°Oh! Th-They¡¯re disappearing¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Wh-What was that? I definitely hit it with my sword¡­¡­!¡± ¡°These petals¡­¡­ It seems most of them are fake!¡± The members of Verdant Veil raised their voices in unison. As they said, most of the petals vanished without a trace the moment they were struck by the swords. As the name ¡®Illusions¡¯ suggested, much of it was nothing more than an illusion. ¡°These blossoms¡­¡­ To think someone could disy them with such perfection.¡± Trevor, however, couldn¡¯t help but voice his admiration. In the first ce, the key to this illusionary dance was the precise bnce between real and fake strikes. Otherwise, one¡¯s mana would be drained in an instant. ¡°¡­¡­And yet, no flower blooms for more than ten days.¡± Suddenly, Trevor unconsciously muttered the final line of the Fallen Flower. The petals, dissolving like pigment upon contact. They resembled the fleeting nature of human glory and wealth. Even if they endured life¡¯s storms and didn¡¯t fall, it was a reminder to always remain humble and diligent. Yes. With this one move, the prince was illustrating the long journey of a human life. Thud! Atst, Trevor copsed where he stood. Not long after¡ª Slice! sh, sh! One by one, wounds began to appear on the bodies of the Verdant Veil members. ¡°E-Everyone, retreeeaaat!¡± Krong, btedly grasping the reality of the situation, screamed in desperation. Throwing oneself into the storm of relentless petals was nothing short of suicide. At that instant¡ªas if they had been waiting¡ªhis subordinates hurriedly retreated. Some even discarded their swords, choosing to escape with just their bodies. ¡°Impossible¡­¡­!¡± Krong¡¯s eyes twitched as he fully withdrew from the range of the attack. Of all the Verdant Veil members, he was undoubtedly the most shaken. ¡°How¡­¡­ How could you be using the exact same sword technique as our leader? Prince Andrew.¡± Krong immediately recognized the prince¡¯s move. He had grown up reading and re-reading tales of the Great Hero and the Five Heroes of the East, until the books wore out. Of course, the one he admired and respected most was the Swordsman of Illusions. How many sleepless nights had he spent, his heart pounding as he read of his feats? Like the Swordsman of Illusions, Krong was also from a fallen noble family. With no backing, Trevor had dominated the world purely with his own skill, and Krong had dared to dream of the same for himself. He firmly believed that one day, he could be someone just as extraordinary, wielding his sword relentlessly in pursuit of that dream. Though the reality was that both his idol and he had fallen to nothing more than a band of thieves¡­¡­ Whip! Krong, lost in thought, turned to where Trevor had copsed. The first time he had met Trevor. He could never forget the shock of seeing him in such a pitiful state. It was as if a long-held dream had been shattered into pieces. After all, even the idol he had so admired had turned out to be nothing more than human. ¡®Against overwhelming power, even the greatest are helpless¡­¡­¡¯ he had despaired. ¡®Yet, I could never abandon my dream.¡¯ Because he was now the leader of countless followers. Due to his past deeds, he was fated to be chased for the rest of his life. He believed he owed it to the idol who had once given him hope and dreams to return the favor now that their roles had reversed. ¡°Prince¡­¡­¡± Looking at his fallen idol, a face so much like his own, Krong¡¯s curiosity reached its peak. ¡°Just who are you?¡± One thing was certain: he was no ordinary prince. The situation had somewhat settled down. Or rather, it would be more urate to describe it as a ¡®temporary truce¡¯. In the midst of the strange standoff, the representatives of both groups stepped forward. ¡®From now on, I¡¯m in control here. If you touch my people again, I¡¯ll kill you.¡¯ ¡®The enemy of my friend is my enemy. If you keep this up, I¡¯ll tear you apart.¡¯ On either side of Ancelot stood Marquis Foltaine and Milon, their eyes burning intensely. One more person joined them. ¡°P-Please, listen to my exnation first!¡± Narakas stepped forward with an anxious expression. Thud! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Then, without hesitation, he got on his knees. The leader of the Mask of Night, an organization that was said to never bow down even to kings, did so himself. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± At this point, the heated atmosphere of Verdant Veil began to cool down slightly. ¡°I will exin everything. Please listen and then make your judgment.¡± Narakas quickly began exining the situation. The reasons why his subordinates had to pursue Verdant Veil, their excessive actions driven by concern for the future, and the presence of Count Kaiman, currently within the Hart Kingdom. ¡°¡­¡­So, you¡¯re saying that the oh-so-great leader failed to control his own organization? You think we would believe that?¡± Krong responded incredulously. ¡°I take full responsibility. It was my own inadequacy that caused this.¡± To add credibility to his words, Narakas even revealed a significant secret. ¡°I haven¡¯t been the leader for long¡­¡­ My family still doesn¡¯t fully trust me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­A new leader?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Only then did Verdant Veil seem to ept the exnation, at least partially. However, their eptance didn¡¯t mean that their wariness and hostility vanished. How could their hatred dissipate with just an apology from the leader? Just yesterday, they had been fighting to the death. Both sides had suffered considerable losses in the process. ¡®I guess it¡¯s my turn to step in again.¡¯ Before the atmosphere grew any more hostile, Ancelot spoke up. ¡°Let¡¯s make some concessions where needed. What¡¯s more important now is the future, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Prince, do you even hear what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Men be friends by fighting each other like this.¡± The two standing beside him quickly interjected. ¡°But¡­¡­ someone died. Isn¡¯t what you just said a bit too much?¡± ¡°Shut up, you lunatic.¡± Marquis Foltaine and Milon spoke in turn. Yet, Ancelot remained undeterred. ¡°Or what? Do you want to continue fighting for revenge? Want to see this through to the end?¡± ¡°¡­¡­The prince is mocking us.¡± Krong¡¯s frown deepened. The other members of Verdant Veil behind him bristled, their killing intent intensifying. Then, Ancelot delivered the final blow. ¡°In return, I¡¯ll generously forgive you all.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yeah, your leader tried to cut off my arm and make me a cripple, didn¡¯t he? And who were those people who attacked me in a mob, trying to take me hostage?¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± Krong, who was about to say something, sighed deeply. ¡°I¡¯ll apologize on behalf of our group. However, understand that all of this stemmed from a misunderstanding¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is that how you apologize?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The leader of the Mask of Night got on his knees because of a misunderstanding. What about you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Krong¡¯s face twisted in frustration. There was nothing wrong with what Ancelot had said. By the same logic, Krong had to admit his faults. Most importantly, based on everything he¡¯d heard so far, the prince didn¡¯t seem to be particrly involved in this incident. ¡®¡­¡­To be honest, from our perspective, he¡¯s more of a benefactor than anything.¡¯ After all, it was because of the prince that the leader had decided to reconsider his actions. Yes. That was certainly true, but¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­Why do we feel like the ones being wronged here?¡¯ Pushing those thoughts aside, Krong knelt down with a heavy sigh. ¡°I apologize to the prince. However¡­¡­ The matter between us and the Mask of Night remains unresolved. Unless this grudge is properly settled, incidents like this will only happen again, so I ask for your understanding and leniency.¡± At that moment, Narakas interjected again. ¡°They say one must repay a life with a life. If you spare my people, the Mask of Night, under my leadership, will do everything in its power to ensure Verdant Veil¡¯s survival.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± To Krong, this was an extraordinary offer. ¡°We will provide all necessary information, including the Empire¡¯s future movement.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Krong asked quickly, wary of any change in Narakas¡¯ words. When hiding in a remote area like this, information was the most vital resource. Without it, they werepletely in the dark about the outside world. ¡°What if you end up incurring the wrath of the Empire?¡± ¡°We need to bear the consequences of our actions. Besides¡­¡­¡± Narakas trailed off for a moment, casting a nce in one direction. ¡°¡­¡­Thanks to a certain someone, we¡¯ve already angered them, so there¡¯s no need to worry about that.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze turned to Ancelot. Naturally, the conversation shifted to the most important topic of the day. ¡°Who are you?¡± Krong, struggling to his feet, asked Ancelot. ¡°Before we get to that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯ve gotten everything you wanted in exchange for the misunderstanding, don¡¯t you think you owe me something too?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Krong immediately understood what he meant, groaning inwardly. ¡°After all, not only did you cause trouble on someone else¡¯snd, but you also tried to cut off my arm. And yet, in the end, I helped you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I offered to forgive you without asking for anything in return, but you even ripped off valuable information from the Mask of Night¡ªinformation worth a fortune, no less.¡± ¡°I-I wouldn¡¯t say¡­¡­¡± Krong looked genuinely wronged. Anyone who heard this would think they had held someone at knifepoint for that information. But given his position, he couldn¡¯t voice his true feelings. ¡°¡­¡­What do you want from us, Your Highness?¡± At this, Marquis Foltaine shook his head with a sigh. ¡°At the very least, you¡¯ll never starve.¡± It was a statement that reflected the feelings of everyone present. But Ancelot¡¯s bizarre behavior didn¡¯t end there. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± Marquis Foltaine flinched. Ancelot had suddenly grabbed his hand. ¡°Wh-What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°I have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°A favor?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one in this kingdom who can outdo you in business, right?¡± Marquis Foltaine gave a knowing look. ¡°So, you want me to bleed these thieves dry for you?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± The marquis let out a smallugh. ¡°My servicese at a high price. Themission will be steep. Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be worth every penny.¡± ¡°Heh, this¡¯ll be fun. Alright, I¡¯ll do it.¡± With his agreement, Ancelot turned back to Krong. ¡°You heard him, right? Discuss the details with my representative here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Understood.¡± ¡°Oh! And¡­¡­¡± Ancelot trailed off with a sly smile. For some reason, that smile made Krong feel very uneasy. ¡°By the way, this man is none other than Marquis Foltaine from the Hart Kingdom.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The moment the word ¡®Foltaine¡¯ was uttered, the entire mood of Verdant Veil changed. ¡°Remember what you said earlier? If you don¡¯t resolve grudges properly, they¡¯ll resurface.¡± ¡°W-Wait. Are you saying that he¡¯s the Marquis of Foltaine?¡± Ignoring Krong¡¯s shocked reaction, Marquis Foltaine smiled bitterly. ¡°I hadn¡¯t nned on revealing it in this mood¡­¡­¡± ¡°As they say, it¡¯s better to clear the air early. Unresolved anger only festers.¡± ¡°You sly bastard. Is that why you named me as your representative?¡± ¡°Maybe?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well, in that case, I suppose I¡¯ll have to collect the price for my son¡¯s life.¡± Avoiding the intense stare from the Marquis, Ancelot turned his gaze to the final figure¡ªa one-armed, one-legged man who had been silent throughout. ¡°Lastly¡­¡­ I think we have a lot to talk about, don¡¯t we?¡± Trevor, still standing there as if in a daze, caught the attention of both men. *** Chapter 99 Chapter 99 ¨C Death Penalty (1) ¡°¡­¡­¡± It had already been over ten minutes since the subordinates were dismissed. Despite this, a deep, unsettling silence filled the surroundings. Both Milon and Narakas, who were essentially outsiders in this negotiation, were on the verge of going crazy. One was a fellow citizen of the Hart Kingdom, and the other was the leader of the Mask of Night, who oversaw the flow of information across the entire continent. How could they not know the history between Marquis Foltaine and Verdant Veil? ¡®It¡¯s been over ten years now.¡¯ Narakas thought, smiling bitterly. At that time, the trade convoy of the Marquis of Foltaine had been ambushed. Of course, it was a massive incident back then. After all, even the family of a marquis had fallen victim to banditry. Fortunately, everyone in the convoy had made it out alive, but¡­¡­ ¡®Later, when it was revealed that the marquis¡¯ eldest son had abandoned the rest of the group and fled, putting his life before theirs, the marquisate became aughing stock of the entire continent.¡¯ Later, the marquis, swallowing his tears, executed his own son. It was a decision fitting for the head of a family, prioritizing the future of the house over familial ties. He made it clear that rank held no sway over justice. That even family shouldn¡¯t becent. He personally ensured discipline was enforced. As a result, the other children redoubled their efforts to avoid suffering the same fate, and the family servants took their duties more seriously. Following the incident, the marquis also doubled the rewards for those who performed well. Without such decisive action from the marquis, the Foltaine family wouldn¡¯t be where it is today. ¡®¡­¡­In many ways, he¡¯s an extraordinary person.¡¯ Ultimately, that event became a turning point for the Foltaine family, propelling them forward. But still, who could possibly tell the marquis that he was fortunate? ¡°How do you intend topensate?¡± The long silence was broken as Marquis Foltaine spoke. ¡°First of all¡­¡­ I offer my sincerest apologies.¡± Thud! Krong knelt before him, bowing his head deeply. ¡°There is¡­¡­ no excuse I can give for what happened to your child.¡± However, to Krong¡¯s surprise, the marquis shook his head quietly at this point. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking aboutpensation for my living child, not the one who¡¯s already dead.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Krong¡¯s eyes widened in realization. ¡°I¡¯ll ask again¡ªhow do you intend topensate?¡± ¡°By living child¡­¡­ do you mean Prince Andrew?¡± ¡°Ancelot.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Ancelot de Foltaine. Soon, that will be the name of my child.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Krong fell silent, overwhelmed. ¡®Now that I think about it, what¡¯s the rtionship between those two?¡¯ A prince of the Meeke Principality and a marquis of the Hart Kingdom. In the first ce, it didn¡¯t sound like a natural connection. ¡®¡­¡­But the nature of their rtionship is not what¡¯s important right now.¡¯ Krong quickly refocused. ¡°By the way, if that child of mine wishes to pursue a future alongside you, I will dly forgive you. Of course, adequatepensation must be made.¡± ¡°I-Is that true?¡± ¡°Of course. But be warned, if thepensation is inadequate, not only will you face an uncertain future, but you will also have to reckon with my wrath.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Given the gravity of the situation, Krong realized he needed to approach this with utmost seriousness. ¡°What is it you want from us?¡± ¡°The thirsty man must dig his own well. That¡¯s the basics of any negotiation, isn¡¯t it?¡± As expected. Marquis Foltaine was no easy opponent. ¡°To be frank¡­¡­ Currently, we don¡¯t have much to offer. Although I¡¯m not sure you would believe us.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°B-But our desire to improve our rtionship is genuine. If you would kindly offer wise advice, we will do our best to consider it.¡± The marquis stroked his chin thoughtfully, though his expression remained unimpressed. Soon after, he spoke again. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯d beg to differ¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you have so little to offer. There¡¯s still a veryrge gift you can give.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The dwarves.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Krong¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°Marquis, that decision is not ours to make. We¡¯re already intruding on them as uninvited guests. How can we ask for more from those who have already saved our lives?¡± Krong¡¯s response was only natural. It would be like saving a drowning man, only for him to demand his belongings afterward. ¡°In that case, this negotiation is over. Tch. I even gave you a chance to say it first.¡± Marquis Foltaine rose from his seat without hesitation. ¡°W-Wait! Please, hold on, Marquis!¡± ¡°Is there anything else to discuss?¡± ¡°M-May I ask just one question?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Krong hesitated for a moment before his face showed a resolute decision. ¡°What exactly does Prince Andrew¡ªno, your child¡ªdesire?¡± ¡°Power.¡± The marquis responded without a hint of hesitation. ¡°P-Power? Does that mean¡­¡­ he ns to seek revenge on the Meeke Principality?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At that, the marquis fell silent. That¡¯s what he had thought at first as well. However, considering all the extraordinary things he had heard on their journey here¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­No. He does seek revenge, but the target is different.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°The Empire.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Krong¡¯s eyes widened to the point of tearing. ¡°Heh heh heh.¡± The marquis couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the sight. Yes. This was the reason the prince intended to enter the Master Tournament. At first, I thought it was just a warning to his homnd¡ªsomething like, ¡®Look how much I¡¯ve grown, you¡¯d better watch out!¡¯ But it turned out, he was looking much further ahead than that. ¡®Will I be able to see the overturning of the heavens before I die?¡¯ Marquis Foltaine smiled, wider this time, as he raised two fingers. ¡°There are two conditions for this deal. First, a life for a life. I agree with that. You did try to harm that child, so you¡¯ll have to support him for life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°By the way, this is a pretty favorable condition for you as well.¡± The seasoned Marquis Foltaine continued smoothly. ¡°You need a hideout, don¡¯t you? How long do you n to inconvenience your non-human friends?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°When I say ¡®support him¡¯, I¡¯m really saying just live in his house without having to walk on eggshells. If you¡¯re ¡®family¡¯, then you can do that. You¡¯ve probably heard, but the prince has his own territory within ck Swan.¡± Crong had indeed heard about that. ¡°Are you¡­¡­ Telling us to be the first settlers in thatnd of death?¡± ¡°If you earn his trust, you won¡¯t just be settlers. You could be his close confidants.¡± Marquis Foltaine was determined to hit two birds with one stone. ¡®It always bothered me, that kid struggling alone on barrennd.¡¯ The most important thing for any territory is its poption¡ªthat is, manpower. And. ¡°Second. Convince the dwarves to build a proper ¡®city¡¯ on thatnd.¡± ¡°M-Marquis, as I mentioned earlier, that part is¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you can do that, both my child and I willpletely forget about the past.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Crong was left speechless, while Marquis Foltaine smiled warmly. ¡°I¡¯ve given you the framework. Now, you fill in the rest, you fool.¡± Step, step, step. ¡®What should I talk about first?¡¯ I quietly observed Trevor walking ahead of me. He seemed pretty ustomed to his wooden leg, as he walked without much difficulty. ¡®There¡¯s so much I want to ask¡­¡­¡¯ But out of everything, the thing I was most curious about was¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­The traitor.¡¯ Which one of the five betrayed us? Though Narakas had given me a rough ount of the situation, my thoughts remained unchanged. ¡®There definitely is one.¡¯ So, at the very least, I had to hear from the culprit why they betrayed us. As my thoughts led me down that path, the direction of the conversation naturally became clear. ¡°Why did you betray yourrades?¡± Trevor stopped in his tracks. When I thought we¡¯d gained some distance, I opened my mouth again. ¡°Don¡¯t try to change the subject or lie. If you do, we won¡¯t get anywhere.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Trevor slowly turned his body. And he silently stared at me for a long moment. ¡°Who¡­¡­ exactly are you, Prince?¡± ¡°I ask the questions.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± With that response, Trevor mped his mouth shut, his expression unyielding and unconcerned with life. It left a bitter taste in my mouth. ¡°If you don¡¯t answer, I won¡¯t either.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll talk when the sword¡¯s at your throat.¡± ¡°If anyone¡¯s going to die, it¡¯d be you, Prince.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but scoff at his obvious bluff. ¡°In that state?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Even if my body¡¯s like this¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not just talking about your limbs. You¡¯re poisoned, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Trevor¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Your fingernails are blue, and your eyebrows are missing. Above all, your eyes have bulging blood vessels, visible even from here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Those are ssic symptoms of poisoning by ¡®Wind me Poison¡¯, developed by the Poison Master Raven.¡± Trevor¡¯s pupils shook violently. Wind me Poison wasn¡¯t especially fatal to normal people. But for knights who use mana, it was a different story. The poison wouldy dormant, but if they tried to use their mana, it would cause unbearable pain throughout their entire body. ¡°And yet, you¡¯re trying to intimidate me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve always been good at enduring pain.¡± In other words, he had no intention of answering. ¡®That stubbornness of his hasn¡¯t changed.¡¯ I shook my head, deciding to at least answer his question in return. ¡°Well, calling myself a sessor might exin it.¡± ¡°A sessor¡­¡­?¡± Trevor¡¯s brow furrowed deeply at that. ¡°Nonsense!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not nonsense.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s why that¡¯s ridiculous. First, my lord never went to the Meeke Principality in his life. He didn¡¯t even see his own newborn child properly, spending his entire life on the battlefield with us. I know that for certain.¡± ¡°He could¡¯ve gone without you knowing.¡± ¡°Second, even if he had gone to Meeke, the man I knew wouldn¡¯t leave something as important as his legacy to aplete stranger. He was always cautious, knowing how dangerous it was to give power to someone unworthy.¡± Trevor¡¯s voice was filled with conviction. ¡°And most importantly, based on your age alone, the timing doesn¡¯t even make sense.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You really admire him, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Despite being called a Great Hero, he was just a fool, used and discarded. Isn¡¯t that what happened to your lord?¡± Boom! In an instant, an overwhelming killing intent filled the air, making even me tense up. ¡°¡­¡­Prince. I¡¯ve felt this from the beginning, but you need to watch that mouth of yours.¡± ¡°Bluffing again?¡± ¡°Even in this state¡­¡­ Do you think I couldn¡¯t handle a whelp like you?¡± His tone shifted, bing rough. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± I observed him with a strange expression before shrugging. ¡°Don¡¯t get too worked up. That¡¯s just what I think.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Third. That right there.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Even if my lord had left a legacy behind, it wouldn¡¯t have gone to an ill-mannered brat like you. He valued respect above all.¡± I tilted my head in confusion. I¡¯d never particrly stressed the importance of respect to Trevor. ¡®I even smacked around those who didn¡¯t get the message.¡¯ Of course, there was no helping it. I¡¯d lived my whole life on a battlefield, where a single mistake could cost you everything. ¡®It¡¯s going to be tough convincing this guy.¡¯ I stroked my chin thoughtfully. ¡®So, what should I do?¡¯ It¡¯s a touching reunion straight out of a novel. The title could be something like, ¡®The Miraculous Reunion of a Lord and His Subordinate¡¯. But exining everything wasn¡¯t going to be easy. ¡®¡­¡­Aha!¡¯ Suddenly, a brilliant idea came to mind. *** Chapter 100 Chapter 100 ¨C Death Penalty (2) Even though I¡¯ve never been to the Meeke Principality, and have no significant ties to that ce, an exnation that ounts for my bitchiness came to mind. ¡°Master! Is this how you connect the dots?¡± ¡°That just looks like you¡¯re drawing polka dots in the air.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The face that shed in my mind unexpectedly was Harun. ¡°¡­¡­Master.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± At the same time, Trevor tilted his head in confusion. ¡°I learned swordsmanship not from the Great Hero, but from the retired master of the Great Hero.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Trevor¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Of course, the only one I could call my master, that murderer, never reached out to me again after he got married. Specifically, after his first child was born. ¡®If my talent had been passed down, that murderer would¡¯ve set his sights on Andy too.¡¯ The Heaven Splitting Sword is undoubtedly a brilliant form of swordsmanship. At least when ites to the techniques. However, the downsides were equally terrible. It constantly leads the user into madness. ¡°Th-Themander¡¯s master is still alive?¡± Trevor asked in disbelief. These guys already knew about the ¡®existence¡¯ of my master, but that¡¯s about all they knew. I never went into detail about him. In the first ce, there was no reason for them to know more. ¡®Did he even think of me as his student? He was just a man who taught a crazy sword technique to a child who wasn¡¯t even ten years old for his own selfish desires.¡¯ I shook off the thoughts and muttered quietly. ¡°Heaven Splitting Sword.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Just the mention of those three words caused shock to spread across Trevor¡¯s face. ¡°If you were close to the Great Hero, you should recognize this sword technique.¡± I raised my sword high with one hand, the de seemingly reaching toward the sky. This left my entire body exposed. A stance focused purely on offense,pletely abandoning defense. This reckless posture was the initial form of the Heaven Splitting Sword. ¡°H-How¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that hiding 30% of one¡¯s true power was the key to surviving on the battlefield¡­¡­ But the Heaven Splitting Sword was said to be the most secretive of secrets, even among the Great Hero¡¯s closest aides. Apart from his five subordinates, no one was ever shown this technique, and those who witnessed it met their ends.¡± It wasn¡¯t that I purposely kept it hidden. If I had, I wouldn¡¯t have used it against those masked bastards before. I just never felt the need to use it until now. Besides, it always left me feeling uneasy. ¡°S-So, themander¡¯s master really is alive?¡± Trevor¡¯s bold demeanor had finally softened. ¡°Are you aware that the Heaven Splitting Sword is a technique that leads its user to ruin?¡± ¡°I believe¡­¡­ I¡¯ve heard that somewhere before.¡± Trevor¡¯s tone had subtly shifted from informal to respectful. ¡°Of course, I too was constantly tested by my master. I had to prove that I was worthy of learning his swordsmanship.¡± ¡°Wait. Please hold on for a second.¡± Trevor waved his hand, still looking bewildered. These were all things he must have heard from me before, though it seemed he was still uncertain. ¡°So, the Heaven Splitting Sword aside, how could themander¡¯s master know about my sword techniques? Even if it¡¯s him, there¡¯s no way he would know about Falling Blossoms¡­¡­¡± ¡°The Great Hero was constantly studying his subordinates¡¯ swordsmanship to make them stronger. He probably received some advice from my master in that process.¡± Once the conversation started flowing, the words came to me smoothly, like water. Of course, what I just said was a lie. The only reason their swordsmanship developed was thanks to my own genius. ¡®I never had the intention to give that murderer any credit, but¡­¡­¡¯ Well, he¡¯s probably dead now, so it doesn¡¯t matter. If he were still alive, he¡¯d be over 100 years old by now, and that¡¯s just too horrifying to think about. Anyway, despite being a murderer, I¡¯ll admit that he was skilled. ¡°I¡¯m not speaking on behalf of the Great Hero, so don¡¯t take this too personally.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But how unreliable must his subordinates have been for him to seek help from his old master?¡± I continued my own defense. ¡°In the end, though, the Five Heroes ended up ruling the continent¡­¡­¡± ¡°I never thought of it that way. No one knows the Great Hero better than I do.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well, I¡¯m d you understand.¡± ¡°I¡¯m convinced for now.¡± A smirk spread across my face. ¡°But for some reason, something about your words¡­¡­ I can¡¯t quite put my finger on it, but something still feels off¡­¡­¡± This guy always gets picky at the worst times. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ve said everything I need to say. Believing it is up to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°More importantly, isn¡¯t this the main point?¡± I continued to speak with my sword still pointed toward the sky. ¡°One must serve their master as they would serve their parents. Though I¡¯ve never met him, and though he died before I was born, the Great Hero is practically my brother, having shared the same master as me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­By that, you mean¡­¡­¡± ¡°I mean, I have to avenge my brother. That¡¯s the only way I can repay the debt I owe to our master.¡± Even as I said it, I felt a wave of nausea rise inside me. That insane master would probably be rolling in his grave,ughing, if he could see what I was doing now. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to destroy the emperor who killed my brother.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°So now, give me a straight answer. Trevor, the Swordsman of Illusions, did you betray my brother?¡± Finally, Trevor¡¯s face twisted in agony. ¡°How could¡­¡­I? Betray the Great Hero? That¡¯s absurd¡­¡­¡± ¡°History tells the story, doesn¡¯t it? You alone have been living as a nobleman for ten years.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Trevor remained silent for a long time before he finally spoke. ¡°¡­¡­On the day the Great Hero died, we were each summoned to different locations. It was an imperial order, so we couldn¡¯t refuse.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s when you received the terrible news?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Of course, I couldn¡¯t believe it. The current emperor packaged it as a tragedy caused by his father¡¯s greed and envy, and praised the Great Hero as the savior of the nation, who sacrificed his life for the country¡­¡­¡± Trevor gazed up at the sky in silence. ¡°¡­¡­Lions give birth to lion cubs. The emperor¡¯s statement back then didn¡¯t make sense in many ways.¡± This much, I had somewhat expected. The problem lies in what followed. ¡°Not just me, but all of ourrades had doubts. Especially Bastion, who stormed the imperial pce, shouting that our lord¡¯s death was nonsense. He didn¡¯t realize it might have been the emperor¡¯s intention and, like a fool, couldn¡¯t control his temper¡­¡­¡± ¡°He must have thought he was justified in his outburst.¡± ¡°¡­¡­It wasn¡¯t entirely without meaning. In the end, he managed to escape with one of the young princes as a hostage.¡± A young prince¡­¡­ ¡°Are you referring to the current emperor¡¯s youngest brother?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Trevor made a surprised face. ¡°This is something not even recorded in history¡­¡­¡± ¡°The emperor¡¯s greed is well-known. No one would be surprised if he orchestrated his own brother¡¯s kidnapping.¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s exactly what happened. The emperor wanted to monopolize his power.¡± So that¡¯s it. That must have been the real reason the emperor let Bastion flee so far away. ¡°Though it was maddening, I tried my best to stay calm. I didn¡¯t want to be manipted by the emperor any longer.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°By process of elimination, I ruled out Bastion since he was already being pursued¡­¡­ The next one I suspected was Urha.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smirk at that. ¡°I heard that story too. You sold out the righteous ¡®Swordsman of the Waves¡¯ to save your own skin, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I wish that were the truth.¡± Trevor¡¯s expression twisted in genuine anguish. ¡°Our otherrades didn¡¯t know¡­¡­ but I did.¡± ¡°Know what?¡± ¡°That Urha was two-faced. Everyone was being deceived by him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Trevor continued. ¡°They say that even if you can fathom the depth of water, you cannot fathom a person¡¯s heart¡­¡­ That¡¯s why the betrayal stung even more. At one point, I thought I was especially close to him, even considering sharing a peaceful life after retirement¡­¡­¡± ¡°Give me proof. Just from what you¡¯ve said, I¡¯m not convinced the ¡®Swordsman of the Waves¡¯ was the traitor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­During the Empire¡¯s Unification War, there was only one battle in the east that we lost. We were preparing for a nking maneuver, but for some reason, the enemy had alreadypletely figured out our strategy. As you know, the result was a disaster.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that Urha leaked the information? How can you be sure?¡± Trevor¡¯s face hardened. ¡°¡­¡­Because I saw it.¡± ¡°Saw what?¡± ¡°The night before the operation,te into the night, I saw Urha meeting with an outsider.¡± ¡°An outsider?¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain. It was a face I had never seen before. Later, I wondered if I had imagined it. After the war ended, I checked every body I could, even going through corpses¡­¡­¡± Trevor¡¯s face twisted in pain, remembering that time. ¡°¡­¡­But back then, I let it slide. It was the will of our lord. Besides, I didn¡¯t want to keep doubting a friend before such an important battle.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s true, your suspicion was justified.¡± ¡°That was my mistake. My doubts gave the emperor another reason to eliminate one of ourrades.¡± ¡°So, Urha wasn¡¯t the traitor? Then what was that meeting with the outsider?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? You call that an answer?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one suffering the most! Me!¡± Trevor suddenly clutched his hair, pulling at it. ¡°I¡¯m the most confused! I was certain Urha was a traitor¡­¡­ but after I reported him and the emperor swiftly got rid of him, how could I keep doubting him?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± My gaze naturally darkened. ¡®In the end¡­¡­ the emperor destroyed these men without lifting a finger.¡¯ At the very least, the current emperor was sharper than his father. ¡°If Urha wasn¡¯t the traitor¡­¡­ how could I ever face him in death?¡± The more I listened, the more furious I became. Was it because of this fool¡¯s stupidity? No. ¡®¡­¡­Emperor, you bastard¡­¡­¡¯ In hindsight, it¡¯s clear that the emperor had nned this internal strife from the very beginning. ¡®¡­¡­Trevor. My suspicion of you isn¡¯t entirely gone yet.¡¯ I gestured for him to continue. ¡°When I saw Urha running around the capital like a mad dog¡­¡­ I swore to myself. If he really was a traitor, I had to find undeniable proof.¡± ¡°So, did you find anything?¡± ¡°In the end, all I could do was continue the process of elimination. Afterward, I started watching Raven, and one day, I saw him willingly submit to the emperor, even creating that wretched Poison Pce.¡± I nodded slightly. ¡°So you swore allegiance to the emperor? To stay by his side?¡± ¡°The Poison Pce is in the heart of the imperial pce. Toe and go without suspicion, I needed at least the title of marquis. So I worked like a dog for 10 long years to gain his trust.¡± When a lie grows too long, cracks appear. I paid close attention to each word he spoke. Raven had been the emperor¡¯s willing ve for 10 years. Trevor had been cast aside as a traitor about 10 years ago, too. So, everything roughly aligns. ¡®At the very least, he¡¯s not lying.¡¯ I sighed lightly. ¡°A knight¡¯s revenge is never toote, even after 10 years. That was all that kept me going.¡± ¡°They say Raven built the Poison Pce because of the Great Hero¡¯s daughter, right?¡± Trevor¡¯s face twisted again. ¡°¡­¡­I only learned of thatter. I didn¡¯t even know our lord had another child.¡± Well, he¡¯d spent his entire life on the battlefield with me. News would¡¯ve been slow. Moreover, even I didn¡¯t know of it. ¡°Since Raven kept it a secret, the misunderstanding deepened. I can understand why he made that decision at the time. After what happened to the lord¡¯s son, Andy, no one could trust anyone anymore. Like me¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Then how did Raven find out about the daughter? He spent his life on the battlefield alongside you.¡± ¡°I heard he received a message from the lord¡¯s family shortly after arriving in the capital. Raven was the best expert on poison I¡¯ve ever known, as well as on medicine.¡± ¡°Medicine? Why?¡± ¡°¡­¡­For the mother. The lord¡¯s wife and daughter were both born frail. The lord¡¯s wife passed away from illness just before he returned. The family requested Raven¡¯s help so that the lord could meet his daughter healthy.¡± I unknowingly closed my eyes. ¡°By the time I learned that truth 10 yearster, Raven was also ruled out by my process of elimination.¡± ¡°So, after all this, are you saying Zion is the traitor?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t know. No, I don¡¯t care anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I stared silently at Trevor. His body swayed as if he might copse at any moment, his voice trembling. ¡°Isn¡¯t¡­¡­ it obvious? I already lost a dear friend because of my foolish suspicions. For over 10 years, I doubtedrades who were like family.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°How could I¡­¡­ now go to another friend and repeat the same thing?¡± Trevor¡¯s eyes gleamed with bitterness. ¡°I¡¯m exhausted. My soul ispletely worn out.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re saying things unlike you.¡± ¡°The more exhausted I became, the more my hatred grew. This was all the emperor¡¯s doing. After earning his trust and bing a marquis, I resolved to kill him.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s how you ended up being caught and punished.¡± ¡°The emperor¡­¡­ suspected me for 10 years, even as he pretended to trust me.¡± When Trevor finished speaking, his face looked hollow. ¡°In any case, my story ends there.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. It¡¯s the same for me. Whether you believe me or not, this is the truth¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll believe you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Trevor flinched at my words. ¡°You¡¯ll¡­¡­ believe me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll believe you because if I didn¡¯t, your life would be too pitiful.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Trevor¡¯s face crumpled in despair once more. ¡°Ha¡­¡­ To think that both apprentices would be so simr. Your words are sharp, just like ourmander¡­¡­¡± ¡°Of course, you could still be deceiving me. But if that¡¯s the case, I have more reason to let you live.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°Because if you did something so vile, then ¡®death¡¯ is too easy a revenge, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯d just be released from all this pain.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Bitterness spread across Trevor¡¯s face, as if he understood but found the truth unptable. ¡°Well¡­¡­ I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°So, live.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I slowly reached out my hand toward him. ¡°I¡¯ll still think of you as a traitor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Your Highness¡­¡­?¡± ¡°So don¡¯t even think about revenge. Besides, how would you manage that with a body like yours?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Trevor¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Who knows? Maybe you¡¯ll have better days ahead of you in the future.¡± Yes. One day, I¡¯ll tear this hellhole apart. ¡°As long as you stay alive.¡± *** Chapter 101 Chapter 101 ¨C Estate Construction n (1) For those who had remained behind, the mood was tense. There was no helping it. Although the conversation had ended peacefully, they¡¯d been fighting to the death just a few hours ago. Naturally, this included the leaders of the group¡ªMarquis Foltaine, Narakas, and Krong. Then suddenly, ¡°Hey! The captain and His Highness are returning!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Good news arrived. Everyone¡¯s attention instinctively turned to one spot. ¡°¡­¡­Looks like the talk went well.¡± Marquis Foltaine was the first to crack a smile. Milon looked at him with a puzzled expression. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell just by looking at their faces?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Just look at that smug face. Makes you want to give him a good smack. Clearly, he¡¯s very satisfied with the oue.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Milon was left even more confused by the answer. ¡®What the¡­¡­ Are they really not blood-rted?¡¯ Soon, the stars of the show arrived at the scene. Krong, who had been waiting for this moment, quickly stepped forward. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If you¡¯d permit it, we of Verdant Vale would like to stay here at ck Swan.¡± Even Trevor, standing nearby, widened his eyes at the statement. ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t say I understand. Aren¡¯t you already living well beyond the border without my permission?¡± ¡°We cannot continue imposing on foreignnds forever. We wish to be your first subjects.¡± At that moment, Ancelot nced sideways. ¡°How about that? Quite a satisfying result, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± Marquis Foltaine, meeting his eyes, smiled and asked. ¡°You truly are the greatest businessman.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early for that. This was merely a mutually beneficial deal. A kind of ¡®win-win¡¯, if you will.¡± ¡°Win-win?¡± Krong interrupted. ¡°I¡¯ll exin. The marquis here proposed another condition, that we serve as a sort of bridgehead.¡± ¡°A bridgehead¡­¡­?¡± Krong respectfully turned towards Trevor. ¡°A n to build a city in this barren wastnd. He suggested we gain the cooperation of the dwarves for this endeavor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Even Ancelot was quite surprised by this proposal. ¡®Building a city in thend of death?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that he had never considered it. However, using the dwarves to establish the framework was something he had never thought of. They were such a reclusive race. ¡®If it can be done, it would be perfect.¡¯ Ancelot quickly made an intrigued expression. Beyond this canyon was and filled with non-humans and monsters. It had its clear cons, but its pros were equally undeniable. A resource-rich area with rare minerals and materials. An entirely independent territory, without the need to worry about interference from surrounding nations. Even from a geographical standpoint, it was practically a natural fortress. This was because there was no other way other than this long canyon. ¡®And what¡¯s more, the closest territory to the canyon¡¯s entrance is ruled by Count Arsene.¡¯ If Ancelot decided to establish this as a base, it meant even the supply route would be secure. ¡°However, it¡¯s our captain who has connections with the dwarves¡­¡­ Ah! Of course, the final decision lies with the Swordsman of Illusions. I¡¯m merely exining the situation as it stands¡­¡­¡± Krong subtly nced at Trevor for his reaction. But judging by Trevor¡¯s face, his mind was already made up. ¡®It¡¯s a pretty satisfying deal for them as well.¡¯ As long as their safety is guaranteed, wouldn¡¯t Verdant Vale also find this to be the perfect ce of refuge? ¡°It¡¯s settled. Haven¡¯t I already entrusted this matter entirely to you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Captain¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll speak to my dwarven friends. But I can¡¯t guarantee the oue, so don¡¯t get your hopes up too high.¡± Then, in an uncharacteristically humble tone, Marquis Foltaine murmured, ¡°Our final decision-maker is His Highness.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ancelot got a warm feeling in his chest. Of course, this wasn¡¯t even a matter worth debating from the start. ¡°We won¡¯t force a specific oue. That would be too harsh.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ancelot¡¯s resolve was clear. Finally, Krong, as well as the rest of Verdant Vale, brightened visibly. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Your body isn¡¯t even in the best condition. Don¡¯t overexert yourself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Trevor quietly observed Ancelot. ¡°Forgive my boldness¡­¡­ but I have a request for Your Highness.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Ancelot responded politely, given the crowd present. ¡°These people gathered here, they all admire me¡ªor more urately, the Swordsman of Illusions.¡± There was a trace of bitterness in Trevor¡¯s expression. ¡°But in my current state, I can no longer give them hope. It¡¯s a shameful thing to admit, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hm, so?¡± ¡°I ask of you. Now that we are like family, could you help shape these ragtag bunch into proper people?¡± At this point, Trevor didn¡¯t care about Ancelot¡¯s age. It was natural, considering the person he served. The heaven above the heavens. In Trevor¡¯s eyes, the Great Hero he revered transcended borders and age¡ªand stood taller than any other. He was sure that treating Ancelot with such respect was the right course of action, given that he possessed talent that was in no way inferior to his own. ¡°Before that, I have one question.¡± ¡°Please go ahead.¡± ¡°Not to you.¡± Ancelot nced at Trevor, then turned his gaze to Verdant Vale. ¡°Do you have any particr reason for wanting to be stronger?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At that, the members of Verdant Vale exchanged nces with one another. ¡°If it¡¯s just to survive, there¡¯s no need for further exnation. After all, there¡¯s no clearer reason than that.¡± Krong stepped forward to speak on behalf of the group. ¡°Most of us in Verdant Vale¡­¡­ Were forced to leave the ces we once called home. Ah, of course, none of us were exiled formitting crimes. We don¡¯t take in that kind of trash to begin with.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°We have nobles who narrowly escaped being sold into very after their families fell into ruin, framed soldiers, knights who lost their honor due to unjust circumstances, and peasants who fled to avoid starving to death from excessive taxes¡­¡­ Each of us carries a simr story.¡± Naturally, Ancelot¡¯s expression twisted with unease. ¡°So, you want to reform this unjust society? That¡¯s a dangerous thought.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have such grand dreams.¡± ¡°Then?¡± Krong smiled bitterly. ¡°We just want to live like human beings. We long for a world where people like us¡ªvictims like us¡ªno longer exist.¡± At the same time, Ancelot clicked his tongue softly. ¡®So that¡¯s why you only targeted the wicked.¡¯ Among them was probably the eldest son of Marquis Foltaine. ¡°That is the ultimate dream of Verdant Vale. To live a proper life. For that, we want to be stronger. And¡­¡­¡± Krong nced over at Trevor again. ¡°¡­¡­And to the benefactor who made it possible for us to have such a dream¡ªwe want to return that dream to him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a brief moment of consideration, Ancelot nodded. ¡°Well, if my subjects grow stronger, it¡¯ll make me stronger too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Krong¡¯s eyes widened. The meaning behind Ancelot¡¯s words was clear. ¡°Wooooaaaaaah!¡± Ovee with joy, the members of Verdant Vale burst into cheers, their voices loud enough to tear through the air. No, more than that¡ª ¡°H-Hey! What are you doing?!¡± Suddenly, they rushed forward, lifting Ancelot high into the air. ¡°That dual sword technique earlier was super amazing! You¡¯re the hope of us wandering souls!¡± ¡°Thank you, my lord! For helping us continue to dream!¡± ¡°You¡¯re our new benefactor!¡± ¡°Long live the captain! Long live His Highness!¡± As he was lifted high into the sky, Ancelot scratched his head. ¡®Not a bad feeling.¡¯ Soon, a faint smile crept onto his lips. More than anything, he couldn¡¯t let his adoptive father¡¯s efforts go to waste. It was clear from the mood. ¡®Marquis Foltaine must have decided to let go of his personal grudges for my sake.¡¯ How could he ignore someone who would do such a thing? ¡®The n to establish a base here is brilliant. But¡­¡­¡¯ As Ancelot soared higher, he furrowed his brow. ¡®¡­¡­I never thought the first step would be as a bandit leader.¡¯ If he had to give this journey a title, it might be something like, ¡®Once a Prince, Now a Bandit Leader!¡¯ Meanwhile, inside the royal pce of the Hart Kingdom. Fwoosh! The candlelight flickered, deep into the night. At the same time, Count Kaiman, who had been quietly reading, adjusted his sses. ¡°Count, it seems the Mask of Night has betrayed us.¡± He slowly looked up from his book and smirked. ¡°Betrayed?¡± ¡°They¡¯re making excuses, saying they lost track of them in Death Valley, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°The timing is suspicious, isn¡¯t it? Right as the prince and their leader arrived.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± p! Count Kaiman closed his book, his smile deepening. ¡°Interesting. I didn¡¯t expect the guild master¡¯s control over his organization to be that strong. Have I underestimated him?¡± After a moment of thought, he shook his head. ¡°¡­¡­No, that¡¯s unlikely. If he had that much power, he would¡¯ve taken full control by now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to see for yourself than hear a hundred times. ¡®The prince is simply too capable¡¯¡ªthat¡¯s a much more reasonable exnation.¡± With that, Count Kaiman rose from his seat. ¡°Seventh Prince of the Meeke Principality, and heir to the Great Hero, Andrew von Meeke¡­¡­¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we inform His Majesty soon?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No, not yet.¡± Count Kaiman¡¯s voice was firm. ¡°There¡¯s no need to stir up the Empire with uncertain information. I¡¯ll handle this.¡± ¡°As youmand.¡± ¡°Anyway, since n A has failed, we¡¯ll need to prepare n B immediately, right?¡± Count Kaiman¡¯s eyes curved into a sly smile. Before him, ten figures in ck robes knelt, having appeared without a sound. ¡°We¡¯ve been far too quiet for far too long.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If we return empty-handed after the prince¡¯s activities¡­¡­ How will others view the Empire? We¡¯ve always held our heads high, and now we¡¯re being chased out of some backwater country.¡± Count Kaiman shook his head in disbelief. ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± ¡°Just give us the order.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­ What to do¡­¡­¡± Under the moonlight, a chilling grin spread across Count Kaiman¡¯s handsome face. ¡°Whether we leave or stay depends on the will of the host¡­¡­¡± In a monotone voice, he continued, ¡°¡­¡­Shall we set an example and kill the mother of this country first?¡± *** Chapter 102 Chapter 102 ¨C Estate Construction n (2) ¡°¡­¡­Ha. I really must have met an extraordinary master.¡± Watching the still-cheering Verdant Vale, Harun sighed deeply again. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing. Why the constant sighing? That¡¯s unlucky.¡± Kirian tilted his head and asked. ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s because of that luck.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I feel like I¡¯m blessed with too much luck, and it makes me reflect on myself.¡± ¡°Reflect¡­¡­?¡± Harun pointed again at Verdant Vale. ¡°There are so many people who want to receive even a single lesson from Master. Yet here I am, already enjoying that blessing, but Iin at the slightest difficulty. Suddenly, I feel pathetic.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­ Hm¡­¡­¡± The mood turned solemn. Of course, if Ancelot had heard this, he would have shouted, ¡®Oh, so should I give you training in both the morning and afternoon, and even at night?¡¯ Fortunately, he was currently soaring through the sky, so Harun¡¯s voice didn¡¯t reach him. ¡°I-I¡¯m always grateful to the honored guest! That¡¯s why I always give my best in training¡­¡­ Well, maybe not always¡­¡­¡± Kirian¡¯s voice grew quieter. ¡°I-I¡¯ll definitely repay this kindness one day.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Never forgetting a favor. That¡¯s the way of a knight.¡± Jan added to Kirian¡¯s words. ¡°Just don¡¯t mention anything about chivalry or whatever in front of my fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°P-Princess?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah. You guys don¡¯t know.¡± Winley, the only one who knew the ¡®truth about the knight¡¯s exam¡¯, shook her head. She still couldn¡¯t forget the shock she felt when Duke Herman first told her about it. ¡°¡®Like having a funeral while you¡¯re still alive?¡¯ Did he seriously write that on the actual answer sheet? Is he out of his mind?¡± She was so horrified that she even swore in front of the duke, something she usually wouldn¡¯t dare to do. ¡°Anyway¡­¡­ let¡¯s just work harder. That¡¯s probably the only way to repay the honored guest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it, either.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡­?¡± As she watched the na?ve Kirian, Winley furrowed her brow again. ¡°How would getting stronger be any sort of repayment for him?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­ Well¡­¡­¡± ¡°In the end, it¡¯s just something that benefits us, right?¡± As the oldest, Winley had a slightly different perspective than the others. ¡°If you truly see him as a benefactor, then at the very least, don¡¯t say something clich¨¦ like, ¡®I¡¯ll repay you with progress.¡¯ In the end, it¡¯s just something we¡¯re doing for our own good, and wrapping it up nicely to make it look like a favor doesn¡¯t change that.¡± ¡°S-Sorry!¡± Harun, who unconsciously felt the gap in status between them, apologized without even realizing it. Such was the intimidating aura of the princess. ¡°¡­¡­Hah. No, I didn¡¯t mean for you to apologize.¡± ¡°Then, Your Highness, how do you think we should repay Ancelot?¡± Jan asked, his one eye gleaming. ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t know, either.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not even sure if a kid who shines that brightly would need any help from someone like me.¡± Winley, in an uncharacteristically uncertain tone, looked toward the center of the excitement. Naturally, the mood around them sank even further. ¡°¡­¡­But.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°If we do our best in our respective roles, we might find some way to repay him. After all, even if that kid asked for help right now, we¡¯re pretty much useless, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The children fell silent, each to their own thoughts. ¡®As far as I can tell, that kid¡¯s only real weakness is his background.¡¯ At least, that¡¯s how it appeared to Winley. No matter how noble one¡¯s birth was, or the amount of talent they had, all that was merely the added value of a rtive factor called ¡®power¡¯. ¡®Power.¡¯ Alone, you can do nothing. That was something Winley, and probably the boy himself, knew better than anyone. Being a royal without a im to the throne was more of a curse than a blessing. ¡®Is this the ce where your background will be forged?¡¯ Winley brushed away her thoughts and quietly looked beyond the canyon. ¡°¡­¡­Maybe a legend is about to be born in this barrennd.¡± ¡°A legend¡­¡­!¡± Winley grinned. ¡°So, let¡¯s get strong enough to y our part in that legend.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Finally, the other kids smiled back at her. ¡°But¡­¡­ Do you really think the dwarves will help? As far as I know, they¡¯ve been a reclusive race with no contact with humans for centuries.¡± Kirian¡¯s concern was something Winley also shared. But¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­We¡¯ve already witnessed a miracle, haven¡¯t we? Who would have thought we¡¯d meet the Swordsman of Illusions, a figure you¡¯d only read about in the empire¡¯s history books?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Yes. If it¡¯s the Swordsman of Illusions.If it¡¯s that annoying fianc¨¦ of hers, he¡¯ll find a way through this too. We finally emergedpletely from the canyon. ¡°Wow¡­¡­¡± And soon, the sight that unfolded shocked most of the marquis¡¯ knights. ¡°Such an expansive in¡­¡­¡± It was a sight none of them had ever seen before. No one had anticipated that beyond the dry gorge, there would be such a vast, lush green field. ¡°The end is nowhere in sight.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors that the inner part of thisnd is so fertile that it¡¯s one of the most arablends on the entire continent¡­¡­¡± ¡°In fact, there was almost a war between our Hart Kingdom and the Meeke Principality over thisnd once, wasn¡¯t there? Both sides tried desperately to make it a part of their territory.¡± That was over several decades ago. The full-scale war between the two nations, which became known as the ¡®Northern War¡¯,sted for three long years. But in the end, there was neither a victor nor a loser. The war was forcibly put to an end by external factors, not by thebatants themselves. ¡°When both sides were weakened, the scent of blood attracted monsters. ording to the records¡­¡­ They said that the number of monsters in thatnd almost equaled the total number across the entire continent¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. The next day, high-level magic rained down in the middle of the camp. At first, they thought it was an enemy attack, but if the reports of 5th-ss spells being cast relentlessly were true¡­¡­¡± ¡°It must have been the elves.¡± ¡°I also heard that arrows were fired from several kilometers away with such destructive power that they pierced through steel armor. That had to be the work of dwarves, with their innate divine power and craftsmanship.¡± The knights of the marquis¡¯ house continued to chatter. ¡°It was inevitable. From their perspective, after being driven and driven into that corner by humans, they couldn¡¯t afford to lose theirst stronghold¡­¡­¡± And I heard all of their conversations. ¡°I have something to say.¡± At the same time, Trevor, who had been beside me, spoke. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°When we meet the dwarves, I want you to leave the matter to me and not interfere.¡± ¡°You¡¯re stating the obvious. We already agreed to that, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°No matter what happens.¡± Despite my answer, Trevor didn¡¯t back down. ¡°To be more specific, I mean don¡¯t go beating up the dwarves.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I furrowed my brow. ¡°That¡¯s a bit offensive. Do I look like some sort of thug to you?¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want to say this, but every time I look at you, I¡¯m reminded of my lord.¡± Flinch. His words struck like a dagger straight to the heart. ¡®What am I supposed to say to that?¡¯ Feeling awkward, I looked away. ¡°¡­¡­That reaction is exactly the same.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°My lord always had the habit of avoiding my gaze just before causing trouble.¡± Trevor¡¯s piercing stare was hard to endure. ¡°L-Look, you don¡¯t need to worry that much! It¡¯s not like I¡¯d go beating up the craftsmen who are helping us build our city or anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Who knows, though? With your upbringing being so simr to my lord¡¯s, you might¡¯ve inherited his personality as well¡­¡­ Actually, to my eyes, that hypothesis seems pretty solid.¡± The more we talked, the more I felt like I was being backed into a corner. ¡®This guy knows me too well.¡¯ In that moment, I made a resolution. ¡®Trevor, I¡¯m appointing you as the first deputy in my territory.¡¯ If I kept him around, I¡¯d be constantly on edge. Plus, I wasn¡¯t sure the blood from my ears would ever dry. ¡°Once again, I¡¯m reminding you¡­¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright, Mom.¡± ¡°¡­¡­That ¡®Mom¡¯ thing¡­¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± I cut him off sharply and stomped forward. ¡°W-Wait! I still have more to say.¡± ¡°Ugh, what now?¡± ¡°One day¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, Trevor¡¯s face turned unusually serious. ¡°If you ever find out who the traitor is¡­¡­¡± I froze. For the first time, I turned fully to face him. ¡°Before you kill them, could you let me know?¡± ¡°¡­¡­They might already be dead.¡± ¡°No. They¡¯re alive. They must be.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t that he knew for sure. He just wanted to believe it. ¡®He¡¯s no different from me.¡¯ If that traitor had betrayed us just to die a dog¡¯s death, it would make everything too miserable for all of us. ¡°¡­¡­Why? You want to take revenge yourself?¡± ¡°I just want to ask them something.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why did they betray us? Why did they have to stab our lord in the back after he treated them so well?¡± My expression turnedplicated. ¡°And then?¡± ¡°If I can¡¯t ept their reason¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, Trevor¡¯s blue eyes glinted with a sharp killing intent. ¡°Even if you¡¯ve already beheaded them, I¡¯ll tear their body apart myself. I¡¯ll toss their remains to the beasts to honor our fallenrades.¡± ¡­¡­No. I take that back. That wasn¡¯t just a glint of cold blue rage. Trevor was weeping blood with his whole body. ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s take it one step at a time.¡± I turned away from his silent outcry. If I didn¡¯t, I feared I might be swept up in those emotions too. *** Before we knew it, the sun was slowly setting. ¡°We¡¯ll camp here tonight!¡± Soon, the marquis¡¯ knights and Verdant Vale started scrambling to prepare the camp. Amidst themotion, Krong quietly approached Trevor. ¡°Captain.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Krong bowed deeply at a right angle. ¡°Why are you apologizing all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Because of my greed, I proceeded with things without your permission¡­¡­ I feel like I¡¯ve caused you unnecessary trouble, and I¡¯m truly ashamed.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s about that, there¡¯s no need to apologize. I¡¯ve already entrusted everything to you.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­ isn¡¯t it troublesome for you?¡± Krong spoke with concern. ¡°Those damn humans dare set foot in our sacrednd!? I¡¯ll smash their heads in with a hammer!¡± He was reminded of their first encounter with the dwarves. ¡°Considering their fiery temperament¡­¡­¡± Before Krong could even finish his sentence¡ª ¡°Well, with that temper, they¡¯re bound to cause trouble.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Indeed¡­¡­¡± Just as Krong was about to lower his head even more, Trevor spoke again. ¡°I just hope that fool stays out of it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me? Fool?¡± Krong raised his head again. ¡°If he cuts them down with a sword, it¡¯ll be a disaster¡­¡­¡± ¡°A sword, not a hammer¡­¡­?¡± ¡°And we still need the shovels¡­¡­ Hmm¡­¡­¡± Trevor, muttering to himself, soon turned around. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯d better give him another warning, just in case.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Krong could only stare nkly at Trevor¡¯s retreating back. Um, Captain? Is that really what you¡¯re worried about? ¡®What kind of person is this prince?¡¯ Krong suddenly found himself very curious about Ancelot. Soon, he¡¯d be able to make a solid judgment about him. That bastard was, without a doubt, the biggest lunatic in the history of mankind. *** Chapter 103 Chapter 103 ¨C Estate Construction n (3) The sun had set, and night descended upon the campsite. ¡°The stars are bright tonight.¡± ¡°It¡¯s undoubtedly a beautiful ce. But don¡¯t let your guard down. This is the infamous ck Swan, and it¡¯s our first night here.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Of course, the knights of the marquis¡¯ household remained vignt. Even though half of the ck Swan region had been incorporated into their territory, no one had visited this ce in the past ten years. Would it be called thend of death without reason? The nights were considered even more dangerous than the days. ¡°Verdant Vale, listen up!¡± At that moment, a booming voice came from the other side, as if aware of the knights¡¯ caution. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any immediate danger at the entrance, but just in case, spread Mon (a substance that repels monsters) around! Also, maintain at least a minimum of vignce on the outskirts all night long!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± At the sound of Krong¡¯s shout, the captain of the marquis¡¯ knights made a strange expression. ¡®They¡¯re trying to reassure us.¡¯ Without hesitation, he approached Krong. ¡°We¡¯ll take turns standing watch with you.¡± ¡°We¡¯d appreciate that, but¡­¡­ Are you sure it¡¯s all right?¡± ¡°Of course. We don¡¯t intend to unt our knightly status to non-citizens. Besides, aren¡¯t your people the prince¡¯s subjects?¡± Strictly speaking, they were subjects of the Meeke Principality. ¡®Then again, you never know. If His Highness gains a title from the Hart Kingdom for his aplishments¡­¡­ They might be our citizens too.¡¯ That would be if he also imed the other half of the territory that had been annexed into the Hart Kingdom. If that happened, he would be the first lord in history to rule the entire ck Swan region. ¡®The chances are high.¡¯ Since as impressive as the prince was, no one had shown interest in thisnd up until now, either. From the perspective of those higher ups, isn¡¯t this the perfect territory to show off? ¡°Then, we¡¯ll leave it in your hands.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll coordinate the watch shifts with Verdant Vale.¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡± With this arrangement, the tension between the two groups eased slightly. In truth, there was still considerable awkwardness between them. How could there not be? Though it had been a long time ago, one side had been the aggressor in a raid, while the other had been the victim. ¡°Hm¡­¡­¡± Watching from afar, Marquis Foltaine frowned in dissatisfaction. ¡°¡­¡­This won¡¯t do. We haven¡¯t even met the dwarves yet, and the mood¡¯s already so dreary.¡± He soon raised his voice. ¡°You lot! Let¡¯s take this opportunity to have a small get-together!¡± ¡°M-Marquis?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing more annoying than watching men sulk around each other! I¡¯ll allow some moderate drinking, so don¡¯t hold back on the booze you brought!¡± At his, a loud cheer erupted immediately. ¡°Yeeeeaaaahhhh!¡± The knights, who had been refraining from drinking due to their mission, were ecstatic. With just a few words, Marquis Foltainepletely changed the atmosphere. ¡°Consider yourselves lucky.¡± As the alcohol flowed, the remaining awkwardness quickly vanished. ¡°If we had shed, I would¡¯ve avenged our seniors with these hands.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t doubt the skill of the marquis¡¯ knights, but¡­¡­ We¡¯re no pushovers either.¡± Verdant Vale didn¡¯t back down from the knight¡¯s taunt. Despite their current submissive stance due to circumstances, no one here regretted the past. In fact, they were proud of it. They had always targeted only those who had deserved it, avoiding unnecessary killing as much as possible. ¡°Even so, you¡¯re still thieves, aren¡¯t you?¡± Of course, from the perspective of the marquis¡¯ knights, the situation was bound to rub them the wrong way. After all, the marquis had lost his heir because of that incident. Indeed, alcohol was a double-edged sword. ¡°Plenty of people ended up dead for underestimating us.¡± ¡°Hmph. It¡¯s a pity we can¡¯t settle it here.¡± ¡°Who says we can¡¯t?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not suggesting crossing swords, since themander forbade it¡­¡­ But how about an arm-wrestling match?¡± ¡°Haha, feeling confident in your strength?¡± ¡°Why? Are you scared?¡± ¡°As if? I¡¯ll crush your pridepletely.¡± In no time, a makeshift wooden table was set up in the middle of the campsite. The two groups locked hands, testing each other¡¯s strength. ¡°Rexel! Show them what you¡¯ve got as a former knight!¡± ¡°Prove that it¡¯s the prince who¡¯s impressive, not these so-called knights!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re anything special¡ªyou just got backing from the right person!¡± As Verdant Vale cheered, the marquis¡¯ knights weren¡¯t about to back down. ¡°Our¡¯s is an active knight! Mason! If you lose to a bunch of thieves, I¡¯ll kill you myself!¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you join our prince¡¯s side like we did!?¡± A retort quickly followed. ¡°We already have, haven¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Oh wait, they¡¯re right.¡± The campsite filled with raucousughter that only grew louder. Among them, however, were some who took the match very seriously. ¡°Make sure to win! The first heir didn¡¯t even get a grave due to the marquis¡¯ orders! The poor thing¡­¡­ For his sake¡­¡­!¡± Tap, tap. At that moment, one of the marquis¡¯ knights, flushed with alcohol, turned his head sharply. ¡°What now? I¡¯m trying to focus!¡± Then his eyes widened. ¡°Y-Your Highness?¡± He¡¯d finally noticed the person who had tapped his shoulder. He sobered up in an instant. ¡°I-I¡¯vemitted a grave offense.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t. Just lend me that bottle of alcohol in your hand.¡± ¡°Pardon? Alcohol¡­¡­?¡± The flustered knight quickly offered an unopened bottle. ¡°O-Of course! Here¡­¡­!¡± ¡°No, you cannot.¡± At that moment, another figure stepped in between. ¡°Th-The princess, too¡­¡­?¡± Winley ced her hands on her hips, ring fiercely. ¡°Hand over that bottle.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­¡± Without waiting, she snatched the bottle from the knight¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯ve really gone too far. Want this elder sister to teach you a lesson?¡± ¡°Hand it over.¡± Flinch. For a moment, Winley trembled but quickly regained herposure. ¡°Over my dead body.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Over your dead body?¡± Watching the demon who mimicked her words, Winley stiffened. Yet again, her answer remained the same. ¡°I have to uphold my responsibilities. Besides, drinking at your age? If Jan, Harun, or Kirian did the same thing, would you just let it slide?¡± ¡°I¡¯d kill them.¡± ¡°Exactly! As their teacher, you need to set an example.¡± Ancelot sighed. ¡°All right, I get it. So give it here. I¡¯m not asking to drink it.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­ Huh?¡± Winley, who had been hiding the bottle behind her, tilted her head in confusion. ¡°You¡¯re not going to drink it?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± Ancelot scratched his head. ¡°¡­¡­Never mind. Just follow me with the bottle. I¡¯m toozy to exin.¡± Step, step, step. Ancelot walked with Winley for quite some time. They were now far from the campsite. In fact, they could no longer hear the ruckusing from the rest of the group. ¡®Wh-Why?¡¯ By now, Winley couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart racing. Moonlight poured down from the sky, illuminating a deserted in. And it was just the two of them. It was as if¡­¡­ ¡®Is he nning to beat me up for taking the bottle of alcohol?¡¯ Winley unconsciously began to back away slowly. Just then¡ª ¡°This should do.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± He stopped abruptly in his tracks. It was a spot marked by arge elephant-shaped rock. ¡®D-Does he want to beat me up here, away from the rest of the group?¡¯ As she watched Ancelot walk behind the rock, Winley distanced herself a bit more. ¡°With something this big, it¡¯ll be easy to spot from far away.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± A small voice reached Winley¡¯s ears, and her misunderstanding was quickly cleared up. ¡°We¡¯re going to make a grave out here in this open in. It¡¯ll be helpful to have a marker for when we returnter.¡± ¡°A grave¡­¡­?¡± Winley stared, mouth agape, at Ancelot, who was casually tapping the elephant rock. His words only confused her further. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand theree help.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­ Right!¡± They began digging and piling up dirt around the area, soon forming a small burial mound. Then¡ª Swish! Before Winley even realized what was happening, Ancelot swiftly drew his sword and sliced off a chunk of the rock. Swish! Swish! Swish! In no time, the stone fragments began to take shape, forming a neat rectangr block. ¡°A tombstone¡­¡­?¡± Creeaak! Creak! Without hesitation, Ancelot began engraving a name onto the stone. Winley watched closely, observing his every move. After a short while¡ª ¡°¡­¡­Ah¡­¡­¡± The mood suddenly grew heavy, almost suffocating. [Demir de Foltaine¡¯s Grave] ¡°Demir de Foltaine¡­¡­?¡± Winley¡¯s eyes widened as she recognized the name. A nobleman of her own kingdom, and the eldest son of a marquis family, no less. How could a royal like Winley not know that name? ¡°He was once the eldest son of the Foltaine family¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re doing something unnecessary again.¡± ¡°Eek!¡± Winley jumped in fright, startled by the sudden appearance of a man who had somehow crept up on them without making a sound. ¡°M-M-Marquis Foltaine?¡± ¡°I apologize, Your Highness. I was worried that he might do something reckless, so I followed in secret.¡± ¡°E-Even Marquis Milon¡­¡­?¡± Just as she said, Milon stood nearby, his face showing clear disinterest. ¡°Well¡­¡­ You must be pleased, though.¡± ¡°Pleased, my foot.¡± Marquis Foltaine let out a sigh at Milon¡¯s remark. He slowly walked toward Ancelot. ¡°That alcohol. If you¡¯re thinking of pouring it on the grave, give it to me instead. I¡¯ll drink it.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± It was only then that Winley realized¡ªsomehow, the bottle of alcohol hadpletely vanished from her hands. ¡°It¡¯s mine, though?¡± ¡°What kind of foolish custom. Why waste good alcohol by pouring it on a grave?¡± Trickle. Ancelot, with no second thought, poured the entire bottle over the grave. ¡°¡­¡­Ugh. This guy never listens to a word.¡± ¡°And what kind of person would drink in front of a child?¡± Ancelot pointed at Winley. ¡®You¡¯re more of a child than me!¡¯ Of course, Winley bristled at the remark. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and have a drink with me instead.¡± But that troublemaking prince made it even worse. ¡®I seriously just want to punch him¡ªjust once. Really badly.¡¯ All traces of solemnity had nowpletely vanished from Winley¡¯s mind. ¡°Hurry back. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh¡­¡­?¡± At that moment, Winley caught a glimpse of Marquis Foltaine¡¯s face as he turned away. ¡®Is¡­¡­ Is he being shy?¡¯ But she didn¡¯t get a chance to examine him more closely, as the marquis soon left the scene. ¡°Enjoy your time together.¡± ¡°Huh? T-Time together?¡± With a smile, Milon also departed without another word. ¡°Ah!¡± Only then did Winley¡¯s face flush a bright red. She realized how this entire situation could easily be misunderstood. ¡°N-No, wait! Marquis, it¡¯s not what you think!¡± ¡°See? You made a misunderstanding where there didn¡¯t need to be one¡­¡­¡± Veins popped on Winley¡¯s forehead as her temper red. ¡°You told me to follow you, you idiot!¡± *** Chapter 104 Chapter 104 ¨C Dwarves (1) A silent night, with most of the group asleep. ¡°Hm¡­¡­¡± Thunk. Suddenly, I looked down at something I had kicked. ¡°Snore¡­¡­¡± It was someone from Verdant Vale, snoring loudly in their sleep. Just like him, the others were sprawled all over the ce after passing out from drinking. My mood soured, but I decided to suppress my irritation for now. ¡®¡­¡­Sigh. I¡¯ll let you off for today.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t because I found them endearing. It was because the two leaders had allowed it. Especially since it was Marquis Foltaine who had ordered the drinks to flow. How could I repay his kindness by making a scene? ¡°Y-Your Highness!?¡± Of course, not everyone waspletely passed out. Even among the ones sprawled out, there were those who quickly scrambled to a sitting position when I approached. ¡°Please, continue sleeping. We¡¯ll all be busier starting tomorrow. Since we¡¯re all knights, there¡¯s no need for formalities.¡± ¡°H-Have a good night.¡± The marquis¡¯ knightsy back down. Despite the heavy smell of alcohol lingering in the air, they remained on edge. ¡®That means Marquis Foltaine must have kept them in check quite strictly.¡¯ When they¡¯re told to drink, they drink. When told to rx, they rx. And yet, they never fully lower their guard. Well¡­ Considering that the marquis killed his own child without hesitation, how could his subordinates not be tense? Thunk. Snore. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lost in thought, I had kicked another Verdant Vale soldier. ¡°¡­¡­But just how much did Trevor pamper and raise these guys for them to be like this?¡± I frowned. Breathe. I had to hold back. These men weren¡¯t just strangers¡ªthey were ones I would have to lead from now on. ¡°Don¡¯t take your frustration out on innocent people. Come over here.¡± Right on cue, a voice came from inside the tent. ¡°Between running from the Emperor, being chased by those damn masked bastards, and walking on eggshells around the dwarves, this is the first drink they¡¯ve had in years. Of course they¡¯d let their guard down.¡± The voice belonged to Marquis Foltaine. ¡°But why is there no roof here?¡± As I stepped into the tent, I tilted my head upwards. I noticed the ceiling had beenpletely removed. ¡°If there were a roof, how would we see the sky?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± If I had been my old self, I would¡¯ve asked him right then and there. ¡®Do you dream of reaching higher? Is that why you gaze up so longingly?¡¯ But. ¡®¡­¡­Not anymore.¡¯ My expression softened. I had already seen his true self. The way he genuinely treated me was no different from how a father would. ¡®He¡¯s mourning his dead child, in his own way.¡¯ I decided to join his quiet memorial. There was even a bottle of alcohol sitting on a small table. ¡°Why are you drinking alone? You should have called for Milon, at least.¡± ¡°Being surrounded by others can be nice, but sometimes it¡¯sforting to be alone, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pour you a drink.¡± Trickle. I politely picked up the bottle. ¡°¡­¡­How nice.¡± Marquis Foltaine smiled contentedly after downing the drink. Then. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± He looked curiously at my outstretched hand. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only right that if you receive, you also give something in return, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­You want a drink too?¡± ¡°My arm¡¯s going numb.¡± For a moment, the marquis just stared at my outstretched hand, then chuckled softly. ¡°Well, you wouldn¡¯t listen even if I told you not to, right? Rather than sneaking drinks behind my back, better you learn properly from an adult.¡± Oho. Our marquis is always straightforward. Before my annoying fianc¨¦e could show up, I quickly epted the drink. But. Trickle. Before I knew it, the alcohol was dribbling from my mouth. ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± Marquis Foltaine, equally surprised, widened his eyes. ¡°Wh-Why is this so bitter?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What¡­¡­?¡± Then, heughed heartily at my reaction, loud enough to fill the tent with the sound of his guffaw. ¡°Ah, you really are still a kid. Maybe I should¡¯ve bought some candy for you.¡± ¡°N-No, it wasn¡¯t like this before! What is this¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Must¡¯ve been fruit wine you drank before. Haha! This stuff¡¯s pretty strong. We carry it around at night camps to keep warm. There¡¯s no way it¡¯d be weak, is there?¡± No way. Is it really that strong? Now that I think about it, the alcohol did seem pretty potent. Maybe my developing body couldn¡¯t handle the strong stuff? ¡°¡­¡­Now, I¡¯m determined.¡± ¡°Stop that.¡± Marquis Foltaine quickly snatched the bottle from my hand. ¡°Now you finally seem like a kid.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Haa¡­¡­¡± I sighed at the marquis¡¯s firm decision. How did things end up like this? ¡°Well, I guess there¡¯s no helping it. Either way, thank you, Marquis.¡± ¡°Finally, you understand my sincerity.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always understood. You even forgave your son¡¯s death because of me.¡± Flinch. Marquis Foltaine paused mid-drink. ¡°¡­¡­Hmph. There was no grudge to begin with. My foolish son brought it on himself. Who would I me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for a parent to think like that. Would your finger not hurt if you bit it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine fell silent. For a long while, he stared at me without saying a word. ¡°¡­¡­¡± In that quiet night, interrupted only by owls¡¯ hoots, who knows how much time had passed? ¡°¡­¡­I¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Should be the one thanking you. For reminding me of something I had forgotten.¡± His voice was smaller than an ant¡¯s. A faint smile spread across my lips. After that, we spent a long time, just gazing up at the wide-open night sky in silence. By now, I¡¯m sure Marquis Foltaine was thinking the same thing as me. ¡®Andy, are you watching?¡¯ Unlike you, I have found a wonderful father. ¡®¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ For that, I¡¯m sorry. I am truly¡­¡­ so sorry. The day of the march dawned. ¡°Gentlemen!¡± At the crack of dawn, I gathered the Verdant Veil soldiers. Some of them, still not fully sober fromst night¡¯s drinks, were swaying on their feet. The sight made a smile tug at the corners of my lips. ¡°At your captain¡¯s request, from today, I will personally be responsible for your training!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± In that instant, even those who hadn¡¯t quite gathered their wits yet snapped their eyes wide open. ¡°Wooooaaaah!¡± A roaring cheer erupted in response. I nodded in satisfaction. However, there were exactly four individuals looking at the cheering crowd from the sidelines with pity in their eyes. ¡°I noticed you were arm wrestling yesterday, full of energy. I trust you¡¯ll be able to handle this, right?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Their loud response echoed far and wide. ¡°Good. I¡¯m truly moved by your eagerness to learn.¡± ¡°Yeeeeaaaahhhh!¡± ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll answer only with ¡®Yes, sir!¡¯ Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± After showing them a little bit of my strength, their willingness to learn was quite impressive. ¡°Repeat after me.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Everything starts with the basics.¡± ¡°Everything starts with the basics!¡± ¡°Skills, techniques, even character. Sticking to these basics is the foundation of life.¡± ¡°Skills! Techniques! Even character! Sticking to these basics is the foundation of life!¡± ¡°Good. Assistants, to your positions.¡± ¡°Good! Assistants! To your posi¡­¡­ Huh?¡± The entire Verdant Veil looked confused for a moment. ¡°Not you.¡± The four individuals who had been watching pityingly stepped forward¡ªWinley, Harun, Kirian, and Jan. ¡°They are your seniors, and they will assist in your training.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The faces of the Verdant Veil soldiers fell instantly. ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s with those expressions? Are you ashamed to be learning from children?¡± ¡°N-No, sir!¡± ¡°If we¡¯re going by age, I¡¯m younger than most of you here.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Each swordsmanship style relies on different muscles. In other words, your body must be trained ording to the style you use. However, there are some basic elementsmon to all styles. ¡°You might even struggle because you¡¯re older. What we¡¯ll be focusing on is ¡®flexibility¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± As one ages, muscles and joints naturally stiffen up like stone¡ªa fatal w for a swordsman. In contrast, young bodies stretch easily with just a little guidance. For this training, those four are clearly their seniors and superior in rank. ¡°Starting today, we¡¯ll train every day, ensuring every single one of you can rotate your calves 90 degrees. After that, we move on.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The training from hell had begun. *** ¡°Agh¡­¡­ Agghhhhhh!¡± ¡°Stop! I¡¯ll die! I¡¯m going to die!¡± ¡°It¡¯s ripping! It¡¯s ripping ¡®there¡¯!¡± Cries of agony echoed across the training grounds during every break. We marched for three hours at a time and rested for 30 minutes. During those breaks, the flexibility training continued, since the march couldn¡¯t be dyed for training alone. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we didn¡¯t rest at all and just kept going, Captain?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got plenty of energy to spare, sir!¡± ¡°I¡¯m terrified that I¡¯ll die before I can leave descendants¡­¡­¡± As expected, the Verdant Veil soldiers were desperately asking for a continuous march. But Ancelot didn¡¯t budge. ¡°H-How dreadful.¡± At this point, the marquis¡¯ knights were sighing in relief. It was, after all, the kind of training that was painful even to those watching. ¡°Y-Your Highness.¡± That¡¯s when Krong approached Ancelot cautiously. ¡°We¡¯re approaching the territory of the dwarves.¡± As he said, the lush green ins were now giving way to rugged rocks and boulders scattered across thendscape. ¡°Was that giant elephant-shaped rock we passed yesterday a marker for the entrance?¡± Ancelot stroked his chin thoughtfully. True to the dwarves¡¯ nature, the rock formations around here seemed of exceptional quality. In the distance, he could even make out somerge mines and rocky mountains. ¡®¡­¡­This terrain reminds me of the eastern front during the Unification War.¡¯ Thend is sloping, with the hills bing steeper as you go deeper. In terrain like this, the mostmon threat was¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­An ambush.¡¯ Instinctively, Ancelot opened his senses wide and immediately raised his hand. ¡°Stop!¡± The moment he gave themand, countless presences could be felt behind the rocks. Crunch! Suddenly, creatures emerged from behind the rocks, wielding longbowsrger than their bodies. ¡°D-Dwarves!¡± Even the marquis¡¯ knights, who had never seen such a sight before, were visibly shaken. Yet, they swiftly assumed a battle stance. They were still well over a hundred meters away, far too distant for an ambush, but the dwarves didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°You filthy vermin¡­¡­ Now you¡¯ve even brought other bugs with you!?¡± One of the dwarves stepped forward, shouting, while the rest kept their bows trained on us. ¡®The terrain is unfavorable, and those are dwarven bows.¡¯ Arrows shot from above, raining down. If they were using those master-crafted bows, even steel armor would be pierced in an instant. The uracy? ¡®People often think elves are better with bows, but that¡¯s a misconception.¡¯ From what Ancelot knew, no one could match the dwarves when it came to archery. Elves may have superior eyesight for long-range vision, but the dwarves had unrivaled craftsmanship and precision. ¡°Still, for old times¡¯ sake, I¡¯ll let you go. Get lost!¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll handle this.¡± At the right moment, Trevor stepped forward with his frail body. ¡°Trevor! Because of your request, I even took in your subordinates! But now you bring other humans with you!?¡± ¡°Sorry. Let me exin¡­¡­¡± ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± The dwarves didn¡¯t hide their hostility. ¡°I¡¯ve done enough for you! I hid your men, and I even provided you with weapons! If you don¡¯t back down now¡­¡­ I won¡¯t hesitate to shoot, even at you.¡± ¡°Wait. Bolt, please, just hear me out.¡± ¡°Trevor!¡± Fire sparked in Bolt¡¯s eyes, reflecting his fiery temper. ¡°Consider yourself lucky I¡¯m leaving it at this. If it were anyone else, they¡¯d already be riddled with arrows. Not only that, but I¡¯d personally cut open their corpses and feed their brains and guts to monsters!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At this, the marquis¡¯ knights began to grow visibly ufortable. Thankfully, they refrained from any rash actions, likely due to prior orders. ¡°I don¡¯t understand you at all! Or am I misinformed?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Trevor, didn¡¯t your ownrades betray you?¡± Bolt clicked his tongue in disdain. ¡°This is why humans are called fools. They make the same mistakes over and over, likeplete idiots.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°Humans are just like chimpanzees. I thought you were different, but¡­¡­ What a disappointment. You¡¯ve lost more than just your limbs.¡± Crack! At that, Krong bit his lip so hard it started to bleed. Despite everything, weren¡¯t his words too harsh? ¡®¡­¡­Let¡¯s trust him. The captain is holding back, so I¡¯ll trust him and wait.¡¯ Krong took a deep breath to calm himself. Thankfully, the other soldiers were also holding theirposure. Yes. If they just keep calm and trust in the captain¡­¡­ ¡°Who¡¯s hiding in the mountains because they got driven out by the ¡®chimpanzees¡¯ again?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°And we just want to go through. Are your brains as tiny as your bodies?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Krong¡¯s dyed realization kicked in as he rushed to cover Ancelot¡¯s mouth. ¡°Wh-What are you doing!? Weren¡¯t we supposed to leave this to the captain?¡± ¡°Let me go. Do you hear the crap they¡¯re spewing?¡± Ancelot¡¯s voice was anything but quiet. Of course, the murderous intent from the dwarves intensified. Krong quickly bowed his head in apology. ¡°S-Sorry! Our prince is still young¡­¡­ H-He doesn¡¯t know better. Please, he¡¯s still just a child, so show him mercy!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Haa. Now even the chimpanzees¡¯ cubs are acting up. Puny little creatures without any sense of manners.¡± ¡°I promise that¡­¡­ this won¡¯t happen again.¡± Fortunately, it seemed the dwarves weren¡¯t inclined tosh out at a child. ¡°Please, Your Highness.¡± Krong pleaded, giving Ancelot a desperate look, urging him not to escte the situation any further. Of course¡ª Ancelot didn¡¯t give a shit. ¡°Manners, my ass. And what? Puny? Who do those midgets think they are? Why, I ought to¡­¡­¡± Smack! Finally, Krong pped his forehead in frustration. ¡®Oh, gods¡­¡­¡¯ Inwardly, he even prayed to a deity he didn¡¯t usually believe in. *** Chapter 105 Chapter 105 ¨C Dwarves (2) The air grew thick with killing intent, almost suffocating. ¡°This damned bastard¡­¡­¡± The veins in Bolt¡¯s arm bulged as he gripped his hammer tightly. ¡®This bastard definitely has the blood of a demon.¡¯ Otherwise, there was no way anyone could grate a dwarf¡¯s nerves so thoroughly. ¡°Remove the wooden shafts! Reload the arrows with metal heads!¡± Bolt¡¯s shout rang out, and immediately¡ª Creak! Creak! The other dwarves reacted with remarkable speed. Wooden arrows on bow strings were swapped out for metal ones. This would maximize their destructive power and pration, allowing them to pierce through crude armor with ease. However, this wasn¡¯t something humans could imitate. Inhumane strength was required to draw such a bowstring¡ªliterally. ¡°You worthless scum! That filthy mouth of yours will be the cause of your death.¡± Bolt sneered, raising one corner of his mouth. ¡®These insects are already a thorn in my side¡­¡­¡¯ His hatred was not without reason. How would he have forgotten what the humans did to his people in the past? ¡®Along with the elves, we dwarves were treated as meremodities in human ve markets.¡¯ The bitter memory made Bolt bite his lip hard. His kin, once sold, were imprisoned in solitary confinement and worked to death. Though dwarves live twice as long as humans, many didn¡¯t even survive the ordeal¡ªchoosing suicide over a lifetime of unbearable servitude. Bolt¡¯s own child had narrowly escaped death on more than one asion, driven to the brink by human greed. ¡°Heh¡­¡­ I wonder what kind of expression your parents will make when I send them your corpse.¡± Step. Step. ¡°¡­¡­I tried to avoid stepping in out of respect for your kind, but you are an unbelievably rude race.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Bolt tilted his head. An elderly human, frail and unremarkable in appearance, was calmly walking toward them. ¡°You should have stopped by now. Moderation is a virtue, you know.¡± It was none other than Marquis Foltaine. Bolt slung his hammer over his shoulder, ring at him with a sneer. ¡°And what¡¯s this greenhorn babbling about?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re the leader of these brats? Hiding behind children until things became dangerous, and only now showing your face?¡± Marquis Foltaine responded with a crooked smile. Normally, he would have been irritated by the mention of his life being in danger. But this time, it was another part of Bolt¡¯s words that angered him more. ¡°He¡¯s not a ¡®brat¡¯. He¡¯s our leader.¡± Boom! Suddenly, Bolt froze in ce. A suffocating pressure seized his entire body, overwhelming him. ¡°Y-You¡­¡­ Were you a Reaper?¡± Bolt clenched his hammer instinctively, feeling his heart race. To dwarves, a ¡®Reaper¡¯ referred to a Master. ¡®If this human is truly a Reaper, we¡¯re in grave danger.¡¯ rms red in Bolt¡¯s mind. He knew better than anyone the terrifying power of a Reaper. The Imperial Reaper that had lit the surroundings with hellfire akin to a sun god that had descended from the heavens. ¡®Theorg, the God of Fire¡­¡­¡¯ That one man alone had decimated thousands of dwarven warriors. Their vaunted weapons had been useless, and even divine powers had crumbled before him like sand. And yet¡­¡­ ¡°Give the order, my leader.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The most shocking thing was how that terrifying Reaper acted like a mere subordinate to someone else¡ªto that impudent little demon spawn. ¡°If you tell me to strike, I will. If you tell me to stand down, I will.¡± ¡°What¡¯s for sure is that we don¡¯t necessarily need to fight.¡± ¡°No, we fight when we must. I¡¯ll show you why humans are the rulers of this continent.¡± At that moment, Trevor stepped forward to diffuse the tension. ¡°Please, let me handle this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Knight of Illusions, even if these are your friends, they have crossed a line.¡± Marquis Foltaine emphasized the word ¡®friends¡¯ deliberately. ¡°Just let me speak with them a little longer.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The situation was like a powder keg, waiting to explode. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll watch for just a little bit more.¡± With that, Marquis Foltaine grudgingly took a step back. Trevor turned to Bolt with a serious expression. ¡°Bolt! I truly owe you an apology.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Trevor¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you this as a favor.¡± Trevor, ignoring the strain on his body, bowed deeply. ¡°¡­¡­Fine. Exin yourself. Just who is that brat? Some high-ranking human noble?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Trevor hesitated briefly. Technically, the answer was yes¡ªhe was a prince, after all. But Trevor knew he needed something morepelling to win the dwarves¡¯ trust. And he already had the perfect answer. ¡°He is the disciple of my lord.¡± ¡°Disciple¡­¡­?¡± Bolt blinked in disbelief, his voice thick with confusion. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that demon brat serves a god?¡± ¡°Not that kind of disciple¡­¡­ They share the same master.¡± ¡°What in the world are you talking about? ¡®Lord¡¯? Since when do you even have a lord?¡± It was an answer Bolt found impossible to believe. ¡°Trevor, I know for a fact that you¡¯ve never served anyone. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve had only one master in my entire life. Past, present, and future.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Bolt¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Y-You¡¯re telling me¡­¡­ He¡¯s the disciple of Anselot Heil Edenberg?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bolt¡¯s jaw fell open, stunned beyond words. Ancelot Heil Edenberg. How could one ever forget that name? ¡®It¡¯s already been more than a few decades, hasn¡¯t it?¡¯ He was nothing short of a savior to the dwarves. At one point in time, the n had been driven into the eastern region of the Empire. It was a ce rich in minerals along with artisans skilled beyondpare in refining those ores. Of course, greedy humans couldn¡¯t just leave such wealth untouched. Every dwarf, young and old, was enved. It was Ancelot Heil Edenberg who freed them from that hellish life. ¡®¡­¡­That¡¯s also when I first met Trevor.¡¯ Bolt had witnessed the brutal, endless battles between humans. On one hand, it was satisfying. On the other, it was suffocating. Even if a victor emerged, he knew that only the master would change¡ªnothing would improve for his people. The only good human was a dead one. The first to shatter that belief was the man standing before him¡ªTrevor. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one week. Take your kind and leave.¡± ¡°What? W-We¡¯re¡­¡­ Free to go?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s the reason? If you¡¯re going to set us free only to hunt us down¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m simply carrying out my lord¡¯s orders.¡± Even though it had been so long ago, Bolt still remembered that day vividly. ¡°¡­¡­Hold on. If he really is a disciple of Ancelot Heil Edenberg, then could his goal perhaps be¡­¡­?¡± Trevor gave a small nod. ¡°He seeks revenge for his death.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Bolt¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Revenge¡­¡­ against the Empire? That child?¡± ¡°He won¡¯t stay a child forever.¡± ¡°¡­¡­And the Reaper agrees with this?¡± ¡°He¡­¡­¡± Trevor nced briefly toward Marquis Foltaine and smiled bitterly. ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t say for certain, but judging by his actions so far, he seems willing to help.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Bolt sank deep into thought. Then, after a moment, a grin crept across his face. ¡°¡­¡­Interesting. Revenge against that damn Empire, huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking the dwarves to join in this revenge. But if nothing else, don¡¯t get in our way.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Trevor locked eyes with Bolt, his gaze unwavering. ¡°My lord has never once harmed another race. He lived by a strict principle, ¡®Don¡¯t create unnecessary enemies.¡¯¡± ¡°I know. I always found that strange. Heh heh heh, ¡®enemies¡¯, huh? So, he truly regarded us dwarves as equals, not as ves or lesser beings?¡± What amazed Bolt the most was that Ancelot Heil Edenberg had been fighting in the war at the time. He could have easily used the dwarves to achieve victory. In fact, the damned human Emperor had tried to hunt them down after the war. However, Ancelot never resorted to such methods. ¡°So what¡¯s brought that revenge-seeking human child all the way to this remote ce?¡± At some point, Bolt¡¯s way of referring to him had shifted¡ªfrom ¡®demon brat¡¯ to ¡®human child¡¯. ¡°He ns to build a city. Here, in Death Valley.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Technically speaking, thisnd belongs to humans, too. He¡¯s the new lord appointed to govern it.¡± Thud! Bolt mmed his hammer into the ground, furious. ¡°Those greedy human sons of bitches! They want to take away ourst ce of refuge too, don¡¯t they!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Bolt. I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s nothing to get worked up over.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just as disgusting as the rest of them, Trevor¡ª¡± ¡°Think about it!¡± Trevor cut in urgently. ¡°They raised their banner here, but even two nations couldn¡¯t conquer thisnd. What could that child possibly achieve with just a small group of people?¡± Bolt hesitated and slowly lowered his hammer. Trevor¡¯s words made sense. ¡°¡­¡­So, they¡¯ve sent him here as some kind of exile?¡± Having spent so many years as a ve, Bolt hade to understand human customs to a degree. ¡°It¡¯s as you say.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Hearing Trevor¡¯s confirmation, Bolt, who had been staring at Ancelot, sighed deeply. ¡°¡­¡­Tch. So he¡¯ll just die on his own soon enough. I got angry for no reason.¡± ¡°Maybe he won¡¯t die, if you help him.¡± ¡°Why the hell would I help that arrogant brat? He can rot for all I care¡­¡­¡± ¡°Because humans will never give up on thisnd.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Bolt fell silent. ¡°And they¡¯ll likely try to enve other races again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You think I¡¯d stand by and let that happen? Let theme. I¡¯ll smash every single one of their skulls in like before!¡± ¡°I¡¯m only suggesting we improve our odds of survival. You said once that my lord was someone you could trust.¡± Trevor¡¯s voice carried a note of earnestness. ¡°Think about what might happen if this young lord manages to establish himself here.¡± Bolt shook his head. ¡°Hah! Who knows? What if we build the city, and then some other bastard takes over and uses the city as a base to attack us?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay by his side and make sure that doesn¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± There was such conviction in Trevor¡¯s voice that Bolt found himself looking toward Ancelot again. ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t trust the words of humans. Not even yours, Trevor.¡± ¡°Please, just once¡­¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why!¡± Thud! Bolt mmed his hammer into the ground once more, eyes zing. ¡°I¡¯ll see for myself if that brat is worth trusting or not. You won¡¯t object to that, will you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Trevor¡¯s face lit up with a bright smile. ¡°Of course not!¡± ¡°But mark my words¡ªif he fails to meet my expectations, Trevor, you and your people will leave this ce. And you¡¯ll never disturb us again. Can you promise me that?¡± Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Trevor nodded. ¡°I promise.¡± *** Chapter 106 Chapter 106 ¨C Dwarves (3) ¡°Put down your weapons!¡± At Bolt¡¯smand, the dwarves lowered their drawn bows. ¡°Phew¡­¡­¡± Trevor let out a sigh of relief and turned to look at me. ¡°¡­¡­Thank you for trusting me with this.¡± ¡°Well, we did agree to this beforehand.¡± ¡°You did good¡ªholding yourself back.¡± His words made me feel a little prick of guilt. ¡°Don¡¯t act like you know me so well. Anyone would think we¡¯ve known each other for years.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Trevor gave me a strange smile. ¡°Did I hit a nerve?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Looks like I did.¡± ¡°I said no.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s say I didn¡¯t.¡± Watching his annoying grin, I could feel something bubbling inside me. ¡®I should really teach this guy a lesson.¡¯ If he wasn¡¯t injured, I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to smack him on the back of the head. ¡®¡­¡­Sigh. I should be the bigger person and hold back.¡¯ My eyes drifted to Trevor¡¯s empty knees, devoid of legs. Suddenly, I remembered a memory from the past. ¡°My lord! What would you like to do once the war is over?¡± ¡°Why are you asking all of a sudden?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve asked me once, too, haven¡¯t you? What I¡¯d do when the war ended. I¡¯ve been curious about your answer too.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, you said you wanted to live on a wide-open in and farm, right? And use Urha as a watering can.¡± ¡°Hahaha, yes. Would you like to join me?¡± Back then, I didn¡¯t hesitate to shake my head. ¡°How much more of a pathetic family man do you want me to be?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°No thanks. After the war, I just want to live happily with my family, not with sweaty men.¡± ¡°That sounds nice, too. Then, how about taking a trip with Andy sometime?¡± ¡°A trip¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes! My hometown is known for its beauty, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll serve you a meal made with crops I grew myself, the renowned crops of the Swordsman of Illusions!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ Well, I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°Is that a promise?¡± Trevor beamed at my answer. ¡°Or I might not.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go back on your word.¡± ¡°Hey, your hometown¡¯s in the middle of nowhere and it¡¯s far from my ce.¡± ¡°Distance doesn¡¯t mean much to someone like you, anyway, my lord.¡± ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re saying that my suffering is none of your business, huh?¡± Trevor was cheerful back then, and a real chatterbox. ¡°What¡¯s a little hardship, really? Even if it¡¯s a journey across the continent, think of it as priceless memories with your kid.¡± ¡°Andy would hate it more than me.¡± ¡°If I were Andy, I¡¯d be jumping for joy! Who wouldn¡¯t love a trip with their beloved father?¡± Trevor smiled brightly as he pressed me further. ¡°They say kids these days hate going through hardships. It¡¯s not like the time when we were young.¡± ¡°If Andy doesin, I¡¯ll give them a piece of my mind. I¡¯ll say, ¡®What¡¯s the use of having a perfectly good body? Get up and move!¡¯¡± ¡°Seriously, leave the nagging to me. I¡¯m a champion at that.¡± ¡°Andy needs to know, too. Even when life is hard, when you fall and feel like giving up, even if you lose everything¡­¡­ As long as you have both legs, you can always stand back up.¡± Back to the present, I let out a long sigh. The one who said those words no longer has strong legs¡ªor even arms. And here I was, practically forcing him to stand back up again. ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s just go eat.¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s a bit random.¡± ¡°Hey, we¡¯ve taken care of the urgent stuff! We need to eat to keep going, don¡¯t we!?¡± Annoyed by Trevor¡¯s questioning look, I snapped at him. ¡®If you really aren¡¯t the traitor¡­¡­¡¯ I then vowed to myself. I would be the legs he no longer had. The ufortable journey continued for a while. Eventually, under the dwarves¡¯ strict surveince, Ancelot¡¯s group arrived at their destination. ¡°Wow¡­¡­¡± A few members of the party gasped in awe, their jaws dropping to the floor. After traveling deep into the hills, an imposing stone mountain appeared before them, towering high above their heads. The dwarves had carved out homes in various parts of the mountain. Murmurs filled the air. Startled by the sudden arrival of unexpected visitors, some dwarves poked their heads out to look down at them. ¡°You should stay here for a while.¡± Bolt¡¯s voice echoed from beside them. ¡°Huh? Here?¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t enough dugouts because of Trevor¡¯s men. Got a problem with that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± For reference, the area around them was nothing but a deste in. Even worse, the rocky terrain made it a poor ce to camp. ¡°A perfect ce to be wolf food.¡± Marquis Foltaine clicking his tongue in dissatisfaction. ¡°They say stone beds are better as you get older, though.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Milon, you¡¯re starting to sound like him.¡± ¡°You misunderstand me.¡± Even Milon, who rarely spoke, muttered, ¡®We should¡¯ve just stayed in the ins.¡¯ in discontent. It was clear this treatment was a deliberate slight. ¡°Should I have just given them a beating?¡± ¡°You really are on the same wavelength as me.¡± As Ancelot voiced his thoughts to himself, Marquis Foltaine grinned. Then¡ª ¡°¡­¡­What did you just say?¡± It seemed Bolt had heard, too. ¡®Well, since he heard it, no point denying it.¡¯ Ancelot stepped forward without hesitation. ¡°Are you going to keep being petty?¡± ¡°What? Petty?¡± ¡°Instead of this petty stuff, let¡¯s just settle things like men. I thought dwarves were supposed to be bold and straightforward? You¡¯re not living up to the rumors.¡± Bolt grinned wide at Ancelot¡¯s words. ¡°Heh heh heh¡­¡­ Damn demonic bastard. I¡¯ve felt this, but you really have a wicked tongue.¡± ¡°W-Wait! You were doing just fine until now. Why are you being like this!?¡± Trevor hurried over, clearly rmed. Ancelot only smiled slyly. A memory from the previous night surfaced in his mind. ¡°How about a strength contest? You know, as a little bonding activity.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s eyes lit up at the familiar suggestion. ¡°¡­¡­Strength contest?¡± Bolt repeated, looking both confused and amused. ¡®It¡¯s a well known fact that no other race can match the dwarves in raw strength.¡¯ Dwarves were born craftsmen and warriors. Unlike the elves, who pursued peace, dwarves shared humans¡¯ love ofpetition. ¡°Last night, I saw these guys here ying a fun game. Ever heard of ¡®arm wrestling¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­¡­You bastard. Do you even know the origins of arm wrestling? It¡¯s one of our race¡¯s traditional¡­¡­¡± Ancelot cut in while Bolt was still speaking. ¡°So what? Do I really need to know where ites from?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re a chicken, feel free to run away.¡± Bolt¡¯s lips twisted upward in a grin. At this moment, he felt he could give away all the precious minerals he had just for the chance to pummel this demon¡¯s smug face. ¡®Demon spawn. I see exactly what you¡¯re trying to do.¡¯ But as the leader of his n, Boltposed himself. ¡®He must have some hidden motive behind this behavior.¡¯ Bolt suspected he knew the reason. What was the reason humans had be the dominant force on the continent? Their skill in forging weapons? From a dwarf¡¯s perspective, their abilities wereughable at best. Magic? Compared to the big-eared bastards, humans were equally unimpressive. ¡®No, it¡¯s their absurd reproductive ability And¡­¡­¡¯ Bolt¡¯s gaze shifted to Marquis Foltaine. ¡®¡­¡­The existence of Reapers.¡¯ Because they wielded mana in unique ways, the existence known as ¡®knights¡¯ were dangerous. The weapons they used, called cultivation methods, were a privilege exclusive to humans. However¡ª ¡®They still think we can¡¯t use mana, don¡¯t they?¡¯ That assumption was outdated. Dwarven warriors had now learned to harness mana for themselves. ¡®Thanks, Trevor. I do owe you.¡¯ Humans cherished their cultivation methods as if they were more precious than life itself. Yet Trevor had generously shared these secrets with the dwarves. He¡¯d even tailored them to fit their bodies perfectly. ¡®Of course, we¡¯re not yet as skilled in mana control as human knights.¡¯ But in a game like arm wrestling, it wasn¡¯t mana that mattered. Strength and technique were what counted¡ªthings that were deeply rooted in dwarf tradition. And so¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­There¡¯s no way we¡¯ll lose to these humans.¡¯ It was certain that retreat wasn¡¯t an option. That bastard probably threw the bait, knowing they¡¯d have no choice but to ept. Indeed. There was no way that his mouth wasn¡¯t that of a demon¡¯s. ¡®Alright. I¡¯ll crush your spirit right here and now.¡¯ Bolt¡¯s grin widened. The first blow was crucial in any fight, after all. If this contest allowed him to exact some revenge on these humans, so much the better. ¡°Everyone, gather ¡¯round!¡± Having gathered his thoughts, Bolt called out to the others. More dwarven faces appeared from various holes in the mountain, curious about themotion. ¡°A-Are they going to fight?¡± ¡°Shh. Bolt knows what he¡¯s doing. Let¡¯s just watch.¡± A crowd quickly formed a circle around them. ¡°Any special rules in mind?¡± He was willing to ept most of their terms. After all, this was their home ground. Even if they lost on their terms, he wouldn¡¯t change his mind. If they lost, they lost¡ªhe wasn¡¯t about to stoop to the humans¡¯ level of dishonor and betrayal. But then. ¡°We can¡¯t have people getting hurt¡­¡­ so let¡¯s not use our mana holes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± But the demon bastard took it a step further. ¡®What did this lunatic just say?¡¯ Bolt blinked, unsure if he¡¯d heard correctly. ¡°Are you serious? No mana holes?¡± ¡°Is that rock dust clogging your ears?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t kidding. Bolt was ready to offer them an advantage, but Ancelot had imposed a handicap on himself instead. ¡°Oh! One more thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What now?¡± ¡°Winner stays on. The winner keeps facing challengers until they lose. And if you lose the match, you¡¯ll shut your mouths and treat us like proper guests.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Bolt, who had been listening, ck-jawed, burst intoughter. He especially liked the part about ¡®shutting their mouths¡¯. ¡°And if we win?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do as you say. If you want, we¡¯ll sleep on the ground, leave¡ªwhatever.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not half-bad, demon. For the first time, I like you.¡± Bolt meant it. This kind of boldness was rare, even among young dwarves. ¡°Let¡¯s make it quick. I¡¯ve got soldiers to feed and might need to borrow some tools for it.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh, fine by me.¡± Bolt nodded and shouted. ¡°Wheel! Nut! Wrench! Sten! Step forward!¡± Four more dwarves emerged, each with thick, muscr arms easily twice the size of most others¡ªborn warriors. ¡°And who¡¯s your representative?¡± ¡°Right here.¡± Ancelot pointed to himself. ¡°¡­¡­Demon bastard, you¡¯ll step forward yourself?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± For the first time, Bolt hesitated. Even after everything, wasn¡¯t he still a human child? ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m saying this for you, but it¡¯s not toote to change your mind. If you¡¯re not careful, that frail wrist of yours might snap¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do dwarves fight with their tongues now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Bolt¡¯s muscles tensed, veins bulging in his arms. ¡°¡­¡­Heh heh heh, fine. And the rest of your team?¡± Bolt decided not to get caught up in the provocations of that demon bastard, to which he had now be ustomed. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say? Winner stays on.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of knowing who¡¯s next? I¡¯ll be all we need.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Of course, that¡¯s what Bolt had told. *** Chapter 107 Chapter 107 ¨C Dwarves (4) ¡°¡­¡­Do you have a n?¡± Trevor asked in a low, sunken voice. ¡°You don¡¯t honestly think you can beat a dwarf without using mana, do you?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s impossible. Even if my lord returned, it can¡¯t be done.¡± Trevor spoke with unwavering conviction. Dwarves were born with overwhelming strength. No matter what trick one pulls, they can¡¯t be outmatched in a contest of power. It¡¯s like no matter how much a human trains their body, they would still be physically outssed by a gori. ¡°Stop being stubborn and change the rules to allow mana. The others are already grumbling, and things will only get worse if you keep this up.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t quite catch what I said, did you?¡± ¡°What?¡± Ancelot smiled like a devil. ¡°I said I¡¯d ban ¡®mana holes¡¯, not that I wouldn¡¯t use ¡®mana¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Still don¡¯t get the difference?¡± Ancelot looked straight at Trevor. If it were anyone else, they might have missed what he was trying to say. But Trevor understood the meaning immediately. ¡°¡­¡­A bit underhanded, but you¡¯ll use whatever means necessary to win, huh¡­¡­? Hahaha, so that¡¯s your game n.¡± ¡°So what if they call me a bit dirty? As long as I don¡¯t get caught, who cares? Besides, if it boosts our morale, it¡¯ll be worth it.¡± For a moment, Trevor¡¯s expression softened, as if he was recalling something from the distant past. ¡°¡­¡­That part of you¡­¡­¡± But he couldn¡¯t finish what he was going to say. ¡°What are you doing!? What happened to wanting an arm wrestling match!?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be off.¡± As Ancelot walked away, Trevor let out a helpless chuckle. The oue was already clear as day. And sure enough, things yed out as expected. ¡°Begin!¡± Thud! ¡°Ugh!¡± On the hard stone ground, ¡°H-How is this possible¡­¡­?¡± Before anyone could react, the mighty dwarf stumbled sideways. ¡°One down.¡± ¡°Wrench! What the hell are you doing!? How many times have I told you not to let your guard down just because of appearances!?¡± Wrench, lying on his side, muttered in confusion. ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t off guard! I swear! What just¡­¡­?¡± But that was just the beginning. ¡°You! Wheel! You¡¯re up!¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll show what I¡¯ve got!¡± Crash! ¡°Huh? What the¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Show them what, exactly? All you¡¯ve shown is how tond in the dirt.¡± Wheel had tumbled off the stone tform, covered in dust from head to toe. Bolt shook his head in disbelief at the sight of his dirt-coveredrade. ¡°¡­¡­This won¡¯t do. Sten, looks like you¡¯ll have to go¡­¡­¡± Booom! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± No matter who stepped forward, the oue was the same. The supposedly invincible dwarves were being toppled one by one by a mere human child. ¡°That¡¯s four.¡± Booooom! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± By this point, even Bolt was stunned, his eyes bulging in disbelief. ¡°You. You¡¯re thest one.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Get up here. I don¡¯t have all day.¡± All eyes turned toward Bolt. Left with no other choice, he slowly climbed onto the stone tform. And then¡ª ¡°Begin!¡± Crash! ¡°Ugh!¡± Before Bolt could even gather his strength, he tumbled down the rock. ¡°All done?¡± With a satisfied expression, Ancelot dusted off his hands and held up a fist in victory. ¡°Keep treating your guests like this, and you¡¯ll end up dead.¡± ¡°Wooooaaaahhhh!¡± At that moment, the marquis¡¯ knights and Verdant Vale burst into a chorus of cheers, united in celebration. ¡®¡­¡­What a fraud.¡¯ Trevor shook his head in disbelief as he observed the situation unfold. While others might have missed it, Trevor saw it clearly. The blue mana flickering momentarily around Ancelot. ¡®So Marquis Foltaine noticed too, huh?¡¯ The marquis was the only other one wearing a simr expression. ¡®Typical knights draw mana from a hole located beneath their abdomen.¡¯ That was the conventional concept of mana usage. The ¡®hole¡¯ functions like a well. Water is stored for regr use, then drawn as needed. The ¡®mana cultivation method¡¯ is the method of filling this well. Just like how the size of a bucket determines the amount water you can draw up at once, the efficiency of umting mana varies with this cultivation. But Trevor¡¯s lord, whose feats are still sung as legends, had a very different approach. ¡°I wonder every time¡­¡­ Why does it feel like your mana is infinite, my lord?¡± It was right after the two of them had fought their way out of an enemy encirclement¡ªfacing hundreds at once¡ªTrevor, still catching his breath, had asked curiously. ¡°If you ever die, your body should be dissected. I need to see what kind of hole you have¡ªand how it holds mana like the vast ocean. It¡¯ll be an essential study for humanity¡¯s progress.¡± ¡°Well, I doubt you¡¯d find anything special, even if you cut me open.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Ordinary cultivation methods teach you to filter mana scattered in the air, refine it, and store it in your hole forter use, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t use that method. I don¡¯t even have a hole in my abdomen to store mana in the first ce.¡± ¡°What in the world does that mean?¡± At the time, Trevor had no idea what his lord¡¯s words meant. No hole means no mana. That wasmon sense. ¡°It¡¯s because of my cultivation method and unique constitution.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± That day, Trevor discovered one of his lord¡¯s secrets¡ªunknown to the rest of the world. ¡°I absorb mana directly through the skin of my entire body, instead of into the hole.¡± ¡°W-Wait. That¡¯s actually possible?¡± ¡°The fact that I¡¯m standing here is proof of that, isn¡¯t it?¡± Trevor¡¯s shock went beyond surprise¡ªit was pure astonishment. Did that mean his lord could tap into the vast ambient mana of the world as if it were his own? Absorbing it effortlessly through his skin and instantly refining it to suit his needs? ¡°D-Does that mean you¡¯re invincible, my lord!?¡± ¡°Invincible? Come on. As if that¡¯d be the case.¡± ¡°You are! If your mana never runs out, what could ever stop you?¡± ¡°Hmm. Consider a mage, for instance. Even with infinite mana, would that make them invincible?¡± ¡°A mage?¡± ¡°No, right? No matter how much mana they have, there are limits to how many spells they can cast at once. Besides, higher-tier magic requires more than just mana¡ªit demands deep understanding and mastery.¡± That was true. Advanced magic bes increasinglyplex, demanding intricate calctions and precise execution. High-level sword techniques were the same. ¡°¡­¡­Regardless, in my eyes, you¡¯re still a monster, my lord.¡± Snapping out of his thoughts, Trevor blinked and refocused his gaze. Countless flickers of blue mana floated in the air before him. ¡®He doesn¡¯t limit mana to a single part of his body.¡¯ In other words, the container for that child¡¯s mana wasn¡¯t within his body¡ªit was the entire world. *** Within half a day, Ancelot had be a star among the dwarves. ¡°Did you see that? I¡¯m telling you¡ªthat human child, earlier¡­¡­¡± ¡°I heard he¡¯s insanely strong.¡± ¡°So cool¡­¡­!¡± Most of those still in the mine were either young or female dwarves, and news of the day¡¯s events spread quickly among them. This reaction was only natural. Each species valued different traits in their ideals of attraction. For deer, it was majestic antlers. For peacocks, it was vibrant, abundant feathers. And for humans? Standards of beauty shifted with time and culture. Among dwarves, however, the most desirable trait was ¡®raw strength¡¯¡­¡­ ¡°Ugh¡­¡­ Embarrassing as it is, I can¡¯t not acknowledge him any longer.¡± Even among males, such strength sparked undeniable admiration. And, of course, a promise was a promise. Bolt, sitting alone, stroked his thick beard in contemtion. ¡®I¡¯ll hear him out for now, but¡­¡­¡¯ Still, his lingering unease wouldn¡¯t go away. Years of deep distrust toward humans were hard to shake off. ¡®¡­¡­If we were to build a city here together¡­¡­¡¯ Bolt imagined the future¡ªworking side by side with that powerful demon spawn. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like a mutually beneficial alliance, provided no one betrayed the other. What was the tribe¡¯s greatest issue right now? Food and essential supplies. If they could secure those resources safely¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­No, not yet.¡¯ Bolt shook his head and stood abruptly. He¡¯d need a more reliable guarantee of trust. *** Later that evening, Bolt came to see me. ¡°¡­¡­How was the food? Was it to your taste?¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks to you.¡± And I meant it. Thanks to the fresh ingredients they provided, I¡¯d been able to whip up a meal that even Trevor found satisfying. ¡°So, what brings you here at this hour?¡± ¡°Ahem. I have a proposal for you.¡± ¡°A proposal?¡± ¡°With strength like yours, it¡¯d be a waste to let it rot. How about learning our craft?¡± I hadn¡¯t expected that. ¡°¡­¡­So, since you can¡¯t take revenge on me directly, you want to put me to good use legally?¡± The way Bolt winced told me I¡¯d hit the mark, somewhat. ¡°What do you take the dwarves for!¡± ¡°¡­¡­No?¡± ¡°Ahem. I heard you¡¯re nning to build a city here.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not just going to leave the work to others, are you?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± To be honest, the offer wasn¡¯t bad at all. After all, the craftsmanship of dwarves was priceless¡ªsomething money alone couldn¡¯t buy. ¡°Whether it¡¯s architecture, smithing, or jewelry, no human could everpare to us.¡± Of course, I knew that. What made me hesitate was the nagging suspicion of ulterior motives. ¡°If you ept our offer, we¡¯ll even provide you with equipment¡ªfree of charge.¡± Oh? Free dwarven equipment? ¡°Now we¡¯re talking.¡± I sat up. ¡°If you can prove your trustworthiness, we¡¯ll also assist with the construction of your city.¡± Oho! They¡¯d even help with the most urgent task on my list. ¡°Not just that¡ªwe¡¯ll send workers regrly to help maintain the city afterward.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t stop the small exmation of satisfaction from slipping out. They say once you befriend a dwarf, their loyalty knows no bounds. I hadn¡¯t expected them to offer post-construction support too. This was a deal I couldn¡¯t afford to refuse. ¡°So, what do you want in return¡­¡­¡± ¡°And there¡¯s one more, big gift.¡± I froze. ¡°¡­¡­A big gift?¡± My eyes sparkled with curiosity. ¡°Come on in!¡± At Bolt¡¯s call, a group of smooth-faced dwarves filed into the room. ¡°S-So fast! Are these the ones who¡¯ll help with construction¡­¡­?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Bolt scowled at me. ¡°Manualbor is for men. These are the unmarried maidens of our n.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Maidens? They looked exactly like beardless old men to me. If you pped a beard on them, you wouldn¡¯t be able to tell any of the dwarves apart. ¡°They seem to like you quite a bit as a potential partner.¡± The women blushed shyly. Chills ran down my spine, followed by goosebumps. ¡°Among all races, dwarves are the most devoted mates. Once married, they¡¯ll never stray and will cherish their partner for life.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± My sense of foreboding deepened. ¡°So, what do you say? How about marrying one of them?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t human rulers secure alliances by marrying off their children? This shouldn¡¯t be anything unusual for you.¡± Ah. That¡¯s a bit¡­¡­ *** Chapter 108 Chapter 108 ¨C Dwarves (5) I was on the verge of losing my mind. ¡°Dear human prince! Please, have a potato!¡± ¡°How can someone so small be so strong?¡± ¡°Tell us your secret!¡± Being strong is something these muscr men¡ªno,dies¡ªwould know better than me. ¡°Did you sleep wellst night? Would you like me to give you a massage?¡± I was startled by how close she got. ¡°W-Where exactly are you nning to massage?¡± ¡°Huh? D-Didn¡¯t you sleep in that bed? Since it¡¯s made for dwarves, it must¡¯ve been pretty ufortable for you¡­¡­¡± Ah. Although I¡¯d say I was a pretty patient person, I was reaching my limits. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s hold a strategy meeting! Everyone, gather up!¡± In the end, I summoned all the key figures to my den. Every single person besides Narakas, who was nowhere to be found. Everyone else showed up¡ªMarquis Foltaine, Milon, Trevor, Krong, Winley, and even the children. Listening in on the meeting would be valuable for their growth, after all. ¡®But that aside¡­¡­¡¯ Raising my disciples was important, but first and foremost, I had to survive this ordeal. ¡°You all know my current situation, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Trevor! Tell me, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d try to do something about this?¡± Among the gathered crowd, Trevor was desperately avoiding my gaze. ¡°¡­¡­I did talk with Bolt, but their side is quite firm on this.¡± ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ Arranged marriages aren¡¯t umon for royalty, are they?¡± Should I just scrap this whole n? Noticing the increasingly furious expression on my face, Winley quickly raised her hand. ¡°Can¡¯t you say you already have a fianc¨¦? It¡¯s not exactly a lie.¡± ¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t try that? Of course I did.¡± ¡°A-And they¡¯re still insisting on the marriage?¡± Winley looked baffled, her eyes looking me up and down. ¡®Why does that feel oddly insulting?¡¯ I frowned. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not such a bad deal, right? They promised to help build the city if you seal the agreement. Just think of it as taking a non-human concubine¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you hear yourself right now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Krong immediately shut his mouth, shrinking back. ¡°Damn this cursed life of mine. A dwarven concubine, of all things¡­¡­¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Who justughed?¡± My eyes narrowed with deadly intent toward the culprit. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± Harun jumped, and quickly bowed his head. ¡°Let¡¯s have a talkter.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Harun¡¯s face twisted in distress. My other disciples looked at him with pity, and I decided that I¡¯d have that same talk with them. Especially Kirian, who patted him on the back like it was the end of the world. ¡®There are too many people testing my patience today.¡¯ Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself and looked around. Trevor caught my eye and quietly began to speak. ¡°In the end, it alles down to earning the dwarves¡¯ trust, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Phew. Finally, a sensible discussion. ¡°The problem is the method. Marriage shouldn¡¯t be used as a token of trust.¡± Trevor offered a bitter smile in response to my sharp words. ¡°Please be understanding. Honestly, I¡¯m surprised things have gone this well.¡± ¡°What¡¯s surprising about it?¡± ¡°Most of Bolt¡¯s n was either killed or enved by humans. Even Bolt¡¯s parents were among those who were in.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A solemn silence settled over us. ¡°Bolt had to step up as the leader without having enough time to mourn his parents. There¡¯s a heavy burden thates with such responsibility, one that only those who¡¯ve experienced it can understand. For them, this is about survival, so they can¡¯t help but tread with caution.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I think I get it now.¡± Winley was the first to voice her empathy, a pained look on her face. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s so surprising. Given their hatred toward humans¡­¡­ It¡¯s shocking that they¡¯d propose marriage, even indirectly, as a way to show goodwill toward a human prince.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Our dear prince is quite the charmer. Although I didn¡¯t expect his charm to extend even to dwarves.¡± Marquis Foltaine, who had been listening quietly until now, added with a chuckle. ¡°His appearance likely ys a role, too. Even by human standards, he¡¯s still quite young¡­¡­ Naturally, that lowers their guard.¡± ¡°¡­¡­If I were them, I¡¯d probably think of raising him into something useful, too.¡± As if they were waiting, both Milon and Krong pitched in their opinions. However, the disciples I had already decided to punish clearly felt differently. ¡°What Marquis Milon said is¡­¡­ Erm¡­¡­¡± ¡°Does raising a little devil right turn it into a big devil¡­¡­?¡± ¡°More like a demon king. He¡¯s an entirely different species.¡± It was Jan, Harun, and Winley. Meanwhile, Kirian kept nodding in agreement. ¡®¡­¡­I really raised these kids the wrong way.¡¯ Suppressing a sigh, I looked around the room. ¡°So, the bottom line is that unless we earn the dwarves¡¯ trust, they won¡¯t help us. If anyone has any clever ideas, speak up now.¡± Marquis Foltaine neatly summarized the situation. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Of course, the freeloaders remained silent, as if they had no thoughts at all. After a long pause¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Why not just take a concubine?¡± Without hesitation, I chucked the potato I was holding straight at Krong¡¯s head. ¡°Get out, you scoundrel.¡± Meanwhile, the dwarves were in the midst of a heated debate of their own. ¡°Who do you think we should marry off to that boy?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Even in response to Bolt¡¯s question, no one answered. But their expressions betrayed a deep difort. ¡°¡­¡­Bolt, may I speak?¡± A dwarf seated in the corner raised his hand, suppressing his fiery temper. ¡°Steel, what¡¯s yourint this time?¡± ¡°Honestly¡­¡­ I want to tear those humans to pieces right this moment. And I¡¯m certain most of us here feel the same way.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The other dwarves remained silent, implicitly agreeing with Steel¡¯s words. Seeing this, Bolt sighed lightly. It was a reaction he had anticipated. ¡°You all know that not all humans are the same.¡± ¡°You were the one who said, ¡®The only good human is a dead one.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s true. However, in the past, there was a human that even you acknowledged, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°The Great Hero of the humans, again?¡± Bolt smiled bitterly. ¡°Let¡¯s think more practically. Unlike the elves, we dwarves are a race that values practicality above all else, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°First, we must solve the problem of survival. As you know, this ce is ideal for crafting, but it¡¯s the worst for securing food.¡± The area consisted mostly of hard rock, with plenty of mines and natural resources. At the same time, however, it was ill-suited for growing crops. Because the terrain was nothing but barren mountain, gathering fruits or hunting wildlife was also a challenge. In the end, the only way to address these fundamental issues was to expand their territory. But¡­¡­ ¡®That won¡¯t be easy. Not only are there monsters, but the elves won¡¯t stand idly by, either.¡¯ Amid this dilemma, salvation had appeared. ¡°Let¡¯s set aside old grudges and hatred for now. Let¡¯s focus on the future and the well-being of our kin. Please.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± Seeing Bolt bow his head even as he sat, the others swallowed their frustrations. ¡°¡­¡­But still, can we really trust the humans¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Bolt, sir!¡± At that moment, a dwarf burst into the room. ¡°Oh. You were holding a council meeting. I apologize. But this was urgent¡­¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you Ras?¡± The neer was a child whose appearance made it difficult to tell if he was a dwarf or a human. Due to his unique looks, the n had used Ras as their primary connection with the outside world. ¡°Why are you here when you should be outside¡­¡­?¡± ¡°First, please take this letter!¡± ¡°A letter¡­¡­?¡± The envelope bore an impressively ornate seal. Bolt quickly scanned its contents. And then¡ª ¡°¡­¡­!¡± He shot to his feet. ¡°Wh-Where are you going all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I¡¯m off to meet that boy for a moment!¡± *** The letter Bolt received was from the only human friend he had. Someone with whom he had exchanged greetings until fairly recently. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Count Arsene?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I hear you possess Bullet¡¯s sword.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡± The young man named Ancelot, who had been puzzled by the question, reached for the sword at his hip and pulled it forward. ¡°This?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Let me see it.¡± Shiiing. The de slid gracefully from its sheath. ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Bolt¡¯s pupils trembled as though he were about to shed thick tears. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll ask again. What is your connection to him?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± Before Ancelot could answer, Jan, who happened to be in the den, interjected. ¡°He¡¯s more than just a friend to our family¡ªhe¡¯s our family¡¯s most cherished benefactor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­And who might you be?¡± ¡°I am the eldest son of Count Arsene.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Bolt¡¯s eyes widened in recognition. ¡°You? Oh¡­¡­ Now I remember. Back then¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­You were very young, so you may not remember. But what happened to your eyes¡­¡­?¡± Bolt couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. In his memory, that child had possessed perfect vision. Jan responded with a bitter smile. ¡°¡­¡­A lot has happened.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡± Bolt nodded as though he roughly understood. ¡°For as long as history remembers, the enemy of humanity has always been other humans¡ªjust as it has been for us.¡± With that, Bolt turned to one side. ¡°I will help you build your city.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ancelot¡¯s face lit up with joy. While he had hoped for this oue, he hadn¡¯t expected it to happen so soon. ¡®A city built by dwarves¡­¡­ The queen of the Meeke Principality will lose her mind when she hears about this.¡¯ The ce meant to be a banishment would now make him the lord of a grand city. ¡°But, in exchange¡­¡­ Could you do me a favor?¡± Ancelot¡¯s expression instantly twisted. ¡°As long as it isn¡¯t a marriage proposal.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You must really hate the idea.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just a matter of dislike.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Arrangements born out of need always end badly.¡± Bolt flinched, hesitating for a moment before giving a wry smile. ¡°As expected¡­¡­ You truly are different. No wonder they call you the disciple of Ancelot Heil Edenberg.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s the favor?¡± ¡°I need you to kill two people.¡± The request was so unexpected that even Ancelot was taken aback. ¡°One is a human, like yourself¡­¡­¡± What came next was even more surprising. ¡°¡­¡­And the other is an elf.¡± *** Chapter 109 Chapter 109 ¨C Return to the Royal Pce ¡°¡­¡­What the?¡± I tilted my head in confusion. ¡°Aren¡¯t the other races supposed to get along?¡± ¡°Get along, my foot! Who¡¯d want to hang out with those pointy-ears?¡± ¡°But I heard you joined hands against human invaders here.¡± ¡°That was only because those human bastards barged into ournd! We just attacked from different directions to fend them off!¡± Aha. ¡°So it was a temporary alliance?¡± The enemy of my enemy is my friend. It¡¯s one of the oldest unwritten rules of war. It¡¯smon to first eliminate a stronger foe together and fight each otherter. ¡°That¡¯s why going into an all-out war now isn¡¯t an option. If we weaken now, who knows when the humans will invade again. Damn it, I¡¯d love to bash those pointy-eared scoundrels right now¡­¡­!¡± ¡°What exactly happened between the dwarves and the elves?¡± At this point, I couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°¡­¡­It all started when the elves elected a new leader.¡± ¡°A leader? Like a chief, simr to how you¡¯re the head of your n?¡± ¡°Something like that. But unlike me, their leader¡­¡­ was a half-blood.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A half-blood. That said everything. ¡°A mix?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yeah. Rumor has it his father was human.¡± ¡°Wait, they made someone like that in charge?¡± I wasn¡¯t surprised for nothing. This was unheard of, even in my past life. ¡°We were just as shocked. The elves are even more closed off than we are. But one day, that half-blood snuck into their ranks, and they not only epted him, but crowned him their leader. It was a curse for us.¡± ¡°A curse? Why?¡± ¡°That half-blood might look like an elf, but inside, he¡¯s a cunning human. A good-for-nothing bastard. Just thinking about it¡­¡­!¡± Bolt mmed his fists on the table repeatedly, as if on the verge of an outburst. ¡°He was the one who suggested we join forces when the humans attacked. But that damn half-blood had ulterior motives.¡± ¡°Ulterior motives?¡± ¡°While we drove the humans off, the half-blood¡¯s separate unit raided our warehouses. Weapons, tools, ores¡ªeverything, gone!¡± Well, damn. ¡®Smart.¡¯ Now I could see why Bolt said he had a human¡¯s cunning. ¡®But they sure are bold. To think they would steal ores from dwarves.¡¯ It was in their nature. Dwarves weren¡¯t particrly obsessed withpleted goods, but raw materials¡ªespecially ores¡ªwere another story. Their passion for raw resources knew no bounds. ¡°And that¡¯s not all! Even when we brought supplies from outside, they ambushed us in the forest and took everything.¡± ¡°¡­¡­At that point, he¡¯s an enemy of the n. In some ways, worse than the humans.¡± ¡°So we were ready to march on them immediately! If it weren¡¯t for Arsene stopping us¡­¡­¡± ¡°Count Arsene intervened?¡± Bolt nodded. ¡°¡­¡­He said fighting would only benefit the humans. Supplies could be restocked, so we just needed to endure a little longer.¡± As expected of the Count¡ªalways so wise. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for a chance ever since¡­¡­ But there haven¡¯t been any more attacks for months now. Hah! Those pointy-eared bastards must¡¯ve realized we¡¯re not pushovers.¡± That seemed unlikely. If their leader really thought like a human. ¡®They¡¯d wait until the supplies dwindled before striking again.¡¯ Time erodes vignce and causescency. Disasters that im thousands of lives are quickly forgotten, and people eventually go back to acting like it¡¯d never happened. ¡°That¡¯s why we can¡¯t act just yet. Don¡¯t think we¡¯ve given up on revenge, however. Dwarves never forget a grudge.¡± His eyes burned with determination, locking onto mine. ¡®Looks like I don¡¯t have a choice.¡¯ I nodded slowly. Stabilizing the area around us was essential for building a safer city. And more importantly¡­¡­ ¡®In other words, those pointy-eared bastards took what was ours, right?¡¯ Then of course we had to reim what was ours. ¡°¡­¡­Wait. Did those bastards also attack that Bullet guy?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Bolt, who had been venting furiously, froze. He then made a bitter smile. ¡°¡­¡­Of course not. If they had, we¡¯d have stormed their ce already¡ªregardless of what Arsene said.¡± His expression turned grim, filled with fear. An expression I¡¯d never seen him make before. ¡°An enemy of the n.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°A human who single-handedly killed or enved half our poption. The god of fire that took away my parents and children.¡± His trembling voice echoed painfully in my ears. ¡°The Reaper you humans call the ¡®Knight of zes¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± My expression darkened. ¡°O-Of course, I know it¡¯s not an easy request. But¡­¡­ if you can grant this request, our entire n will support you, even if it costs our lives. We¡¯ll provide anything you need, without reservation!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°No matter how long it takes. Dwarves live much longer than humans, after all. Time isn¡¯t an issue for us.¡± Suddenly, Bolt grabbed both my hands tightly. ¡°I know it¡¯s shameless to ask someone so young. But there¡¯s no one else we can trust. Only you, the disciple of Ancelot Heil Edenberg¡­¡­¡± I raised a hand, signaling him to stop. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Bolt¡¯s shoulders slumped, regret filling his expression. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry. I got too worked up. What am I saying to a child¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Forget what I said. Just take care of that half-blood¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill him for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Bolt¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. To be honest, I¡¯d nned to kill him anyway. ¡®I was only deciding who to take out first.¡¯ Yeah. I¡¯ve made up my mind. In the uing Master Tournament, I knew exactly who I¡¯d challenge. For reference, as the tournament¡¯s victor, I¡¯d earn the right to duel any current Master. If I won the majority vote from the judges, I could rece the defeated Master, no matter the oue of the fight. Of course, most winners challenge non-Imperial Masters since it¡¯s easier to prove their abilities with rtively lower risk. But, ¡®¡­¡­You¡¯re first, Theorg.¡¯ I intended to challenge the only Imperial Master present at the event. And the one hailed as the ¡®Heaven¡¯ of the continent. Before the meeting, I quietly summoned Trevor. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving this ce soon.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, I¡¯d like you to stay behind with Verdant Vale and help build the city.¡± As I spoke, Trevor gave me a wry smile. ¡°You mean you want me to act as a watchdog.¡± ¡°No, I want you to protect the newly built lord¡¯s castle in my ce.¡± ¡°What do you¡­¡­?¡± Shiiing. I quietly drew my sword. Trevor flinched for a split second but did nothing more. ¡°Trevor Ben Minas. From this moment on, cast aside every title the Empire gave you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you to live a new life as Trevor Heil Edenberg.¡± Tap. I rested the drawn sword gently on Trevor¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m offering you the position of deputy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Trevor stood frozen like a statue for a long time, then finally let out a chuckle. ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s quite the offer. Considering I¡¯m a traitor to the Empire.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to do it, might as well do it right, no?¡± ¡°¡­¡­But¡­¡­¡± At this point, I even felt a bit nervous. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s going to refuse.¡¯ Thankfully, my worries were unfounded. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if I went with you? You¡¯ll need all the help you can get.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I blinked at him before bursting intoughter. ¡°Enough. With that body, you¡¯d just get in the way.¡± ¡°True enough.¡± Thud! From where he stood, Trevor dropped to one knee. Because the height wasn¡¯t right, he adjusted his stance awkwardly for a while, but to no avail. Frustrated with himself, he frowned. Then, he even threw the prosthetic leg aside. ¡°¡­¡­Forgive me for my poor form.¡± He ced a hand over his chest and bowed his head. ¡°Trevor Heil Edenberg swears to devote the rest of his life to his final lord.¡± ¡°Stop with the formalities. That¡¯s not what I wanted.¡± Feeling a bit ufortable, I turned away. ¡°The meal you gave me before. It was delicious.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ttery won¡¯t get you more. My services don¡¯te cheap.¡± ¡°It reminded me of the meals my first lord made for me.¡± I halted mid-step, a bitter smile forming on my lips. ¡°Is that supposed to be apliment?¡± ¡°It¡¯s high praise¡ªnothing betteres to mind, no matter how hard I search my lousy brain.¡± When I nced back, Trevor was already struggling to stand, swaying slightly as he did so. ¡°Thank you. It felt like I¡¯d gone back to those times.¡± ¡°If you wee me back with good results, I¡¯ll cook for you again.¡± Trevor grinned brightly. ¡°I¡¯d better push us and the dwarves harder, then.¡± *** After sending Trevor off, the other key figures gathered in the room. I quickly briefed them on the current situation. ¡°¡­¡­I never expected rtions between the dwarves and the elves to be so bad.¡± Marquis Foltaine sighed after hearing the details. ¡°If I could, I¡¯d love to quickly subdue those pointy-ears andy the groundwork for the city right away.¡± ¡°We should nt a proper g while we¡¯re at it. If the Meeke Principality meddles, we¡¯ll need evidence.¡± ¡°What better evidence than a fully built city on what was previously tnd?¡± ¡°Hah, true. The dwarves wouldn¡¯t build a city for humans unless they were hit with a crossbow bolt to the head.¡± That¡¯s when Milon spoke up. ¡°¡­¡­I have a different concern. What if Meeke tries to install their own lord and take everything we¡¯ve built?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that this ce has always been a coveted treasure trove and natural fortress for nearby nations.¡± I cut into the conversation. ¡°I won¡¯t stand by and let that happen.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why, are you nning to turn your own family upside down this time?¡± ¡°If I have to, yes.¡± The marquis burst out in heartyughter, amused by the thought. ¡°Now that¡¯s a show I¡¯d pay to see.¡± ¡°This is noughing matter. This also concerns our country¡ªthe Hart Kingdom.¡± However, Milon remained cautious. ¡°Thisnd is on the border of the Hart Kingdom. The pce may not care now, but if a city rises here, right at the frontier¡­¡­¡± ¡°Exactly. Tensions will rise, and military conflict may follow.¡± The marquis¡¯ jovial mood shifted to seriousness. ¡°That¡¯s why I think we should head back to the capital for now.¡± ¡°And the pointy-ears?¡± The marquis raised an eyebrow in question. ¡°We need a valid pretext for war. How about we return and deal with them if they provoke us during the construction?¡± ¡°True¡­¡­ The deadline to report back to the Empire is also approaching.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s decided?¡± A sly grin crept across my face. ¡°Let¡¯s head back¡ªto send that Imperial rat, Kaiman, or whatever his name is, back on his merry way to the Empire.¡± *** Chapter 110 Chapter 110 ¨C Return to the Royal Pce (2) The dwarves, who were usuallyzy, saw us off all the way to the entrance of the canyon. ¡°Strong human! Come back soon! I¡¯ll be waiting for our next arm-wrestling match!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be working hard on your city!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have plenty of potatoes ready for you!¡± That was one of the dwarves¡¯ strengths. While they are quite reserved when you first meet them, once they ept you, they have no reservations about showing their affection. After they learned I was a disciple of the Great Hero and that I had epted Bolt¡¯s request, their fondness for me only grew. However¡­¡­ ¡®They¡¯ve been used and betrayed many times because of that personality.¡¯ They were diligent to a fault, dedicating themselves wholly to their work. Once they gave their heart to someone, they remained loyal until death. Yes. The dwarves were like Bastion. And so, I didn¡¯t dislike them. At some point, Bolt, now at the front of the group, turned to me. ¡°Our promise¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not like other humans¡ªI keep my word.¡± ¡°¡­¡­The more I see of you, the more I like you.¡± Bolt grinned widely, the corners of his mouth curving upwards. ¡°By the way, here.¡± I unhooked the sword hanging from my waist and held it out to him. ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I know you dwarves don¡¯t care much for finished products.¡± ¡°Then why are you giving me this?¡± ¡°Because, for you, Bolt, isn¡¯t this finished sword far more valuable than any raw ore?¡± ¡°¡­¡­You bastard¡­¡­¡± Bolt¡¯s eyes trembled slightly. ¡°This sword. It¡¯s your child¡¯s work, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The moment he first saw the sword, I knew. One look at his reaction told me everything. ¡®Nostalgia, longing, and beyond that, a deep, unfulfilled yearning.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just intuition that made me so sure. I had a solid piece of evidence. ¡®He said the elves stole all their weapons and gear.¡¯ Given the circumstances, the weapons crafted by his child would have been among the stolen items. This sword must be thest memento Bolt had left. ¡®He must¡¯ve wanted to ask for it back, but couldn¡¯t bring himself to because of his pride.¡¯ His thoughts were crystal clear to me. I couldn¡¯t ignore that kind of sentiment. No matter how valuable a sword might be, it could neverpare to family. I knew that feeling better than anyone. ¡°Heh heh heh.¡± ¡°Wh-Why are youughing?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Sorry. Don¡¯t take it the wrong way. It¡¯s just a habit.¡± I fixed my expression and gestured toward the sword. ¡°Anyway, take it. It¡¯s yours.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Bolt stared at me for a long moment before shaking his head. ¡°¡­¡­No, that sword belongs to you.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t ask twice, you know. Are you sure you won¡¯t regret it?¡± ¡°Bullet would have wanted it that way, too.¡± ¡°What?¡± Suddenly, Bolt grinned. ¡°You¡¯re going to use that sword to cut down the Empire, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Rather than letting it gather dust in a corner, he would¡¯ve wanted to use it to cut down those damned bastards. Bullet was a great warrior, after all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A faint smile tugged at my lips. ¡°For Bullet¡¯s sake, I¡¯ll have to put extra effort into taking those bastards down.¡± ¡°Bwahahaha! Now that¡¯s a response I like to hear!¡± Bolt pped me on the shoulder with boomingughter. Yet, even as heughed, his eyes were filled with sadness. The same kind of sadness that hid behind my own habitualugh. The other dwarves watched Bolt with sympathetic expressions. ¡°¡­¡­I promise.¡± Bolt froze midugh at my words. ¡°I¡¯ll repay blood for blood. That¡¯s a promise.¡± Bolt¡¯s body trembled for a moment, but when he lifted his head, his face was as steady as ever. ¡°¡­¡­I believe in you, friend.¡± Meanwhile, watching the scene from afar, Krong couldn¡¯t help but mutter in awe. ¡°Isn¡¯t he something?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone win the dwarves hearts so quickly.¡± Trevor chuckled. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve never heard of it happening before, and I doubt it¡¯ll ever happen again. Our young lord truly is something else.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s unprecedented. It has happened before.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Krong whipped his head toward Trevor. ¡°Really? You don¡¯t mean yourself, do you?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s not me.¡± ¡°Then who was it? Where is this incredible person now?¡± Trevor nced skyward for a moment before lightly tapping his chest. ¡°Right here.¡± *** Atst, we had fully traversed the canyon and were approaching the monster forest. Ancelot stopped and turned to the rest of the group. ¡°Verdant Vale should turn back here.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better for us to go together, at least through the forest?¡± ¡°That¡¯s being disrespectful to the knights of the marquis.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Trevor nced briefly toward Marquis Foltaine and gave a polite nod. ¡°My apologies. I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for the Swordsman of Illusions to apologize. It¡¯s that rascal¡¯s mouth that¡¯s the problem.¡± Ancelot shrugged and raised his voice again. ¡°For the rest of us, we¡¯ll stop at Count Arsene¡¯s estate for a night! We¡¯ll need to restock on supplies, and I have something to discuss with him, anyway.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At that moment, both Jan and Kirian¡¯s faces brightened. ¡°Father will be pleased to hear this.¡± ¡°I heard he returned right after the knight exam¡­¡­ I hope he¡¯s doing well.¡± High-ranking nobles like counts usually spent most of the year in the capital. However, Count Arsene was different. He returned to his estate the moment his children¡¯s knight exam concluded. The household atmosphere had been unsettled after a series of incidents, and the count was doing his best to restore order as the family head. ¡®In the end, the long absence gave others in the estate the chance to develop different loyalties.¡¯ Where the body is, the mind follows. A truth as unchanging as time itself. Distance was bound to allow for disloyalties to form. ¡°Before that¡­¡­ Assemble.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The moment Ancelot uttered ¡®assemble¡¯. ¡°A-Assemble!¡± ¡°Assembleeeee!¡± Verdant Vale members shouted across the area in perfect unison. That was the rule. If they didn¡¯t respond within five seconds of amand, the day¡¯s training would be doubled. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± ¡°Gasp, gasp.¡± Panting heavily, the members gathered as quickly as they could. ¡°The reason I¡¯ve gathered you here is¡­¡­ Just because you might miss me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Pardon¡­¡­?¡± Verdant Vale stared at Ancelot, their expressions asking, ¡®What kind of bullshit¡­¡­?¡¯ ¡°I promised to train you hard, but if I suddenly leave without warning, wouldn¡¯t that upset you? I didn¡¯t even teach you any swordsmanship¡ªjust made you do grunt work.¡± Indeed, at some point, the whole of Verdant Vale had harbored a crazy thought. They wanted to be stronger, fast. They wanted to move on to the next training, no matter how difficult. But after just a few days, they had changed their minds entirely. ¡®Um, no thanks?¡¯ ¡®Please¡ªjust leave already, you demon!¡¯ ¡®Shoo! Shoo!¡¯ Sure, the physical drills were exhausting, but they could endure them. However, they couldn¡¯tprehend ¡®that¡¯ terrifying sight, even now. Everyone here had witnessed it. Countless dwarves, armed with bows that could pierce steel, unleashed their killing intent¡­¡­ ¡°Manners, my ass. And what? Puny? Who do those stumpy little bastards think they are? Why, I ought to¡­¡­!¡± And yet, one deranged human had boldly shouted back at the dwarves. ¡®If we keep following him, we¡¯ll all die.¡¯ That was why everyone cheered when they heard the captain had be their ¡®deputy lord¡¯. And so. ¡°¡­¡­Really?¡± ¡°Really!¡± ¡°So there are noints, right?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ Anyway, let me ask you a favor. Could you help the dwarves for the time being? It¡¯s a ce for all of us, after all.¡± The faces of Verdant Vale members brightened noticeably at those words. ¡°Yeeeeesssss, siiiirrrr!¡± Their response was louder than usual. It was a perfect oue for them¡ªkilling two birds with one stone. ¡°Well, to make up for it, I¡¯ll resume serious training afterward. With double the load. Think of everything so far as just warming up.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The bright expressions quickly soured. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes, sir.¡± It was the weakest response they had ever given. *** Half a dayter, we arrived at the Arsene estate. ¡°Jan! Kirian!¡± ¡°Father!¡± The two brothers, who had quickened their steps as we neared the estate, sprinted ahead. They rushed into the waiting arms of Count Arsene, who hade out to greet them. ¡°Gosh¡ªGrown men, acting like children¡­¡­¡± Despite his words, the count¡¯s face was filled with joy. Harun and Winley watched the scene with a hint of envy. ¡°Our honored guuueeesssttt!¡± Suddenly, a figure ran toward me. Fwip! Fwip! Then, he swiftly inspected me from head to toe. ¡°¡­¡­What are you doing?¡± ¡°Hmm. It seems you¡¯re uninjured, thank goodness!¡± Baron Tucker announced this loudly, as if reporting a crucial observation. ¡°Is this really something to make such a fuss about?¡± Marquis Foltaine asked, bewildered. Baron Tucker flinched slightly at the question¡ªhe was still not entirelyfortable around the marquis. But the moment of difort onlysted a split second. ¡°Of course it is! This guest is an important benefactor to our family. Oh, by the way! Congrattions.¡± ¡°Congrattions?¡± ¡°The whole kingdom was buzzing with news. That a genius had been born into the Hart Kingdom.¡± Viscount Rodri, who had quietly walked up to us, smiled faintly. ¡°Although that goes without saying.¡± ¡°And yet, the head of the household is still busy fussing over his sons. He always insisted he would repay his debts¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s been a while since theyst met.¡± ¡°We apologize on his behalf. Even the princess is with us, and yet¡­¡­¡± Baron Tucker and Viscount Rodri bowed deeply. ¡°Since the death of the countess, he hasn¡¯t been himself¡­¡­¡± ¡°O-Oh, it¡¯s fine! It¡¯s a heartwarming sight.¡± Winley quickly assured them. ¡°Rather, may we impose on you for just one night?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Baron Tucker and Viscount Rodri exchanged curious nces before smiling warmly. ¡°Impose? Think of it as your second home and stay as long as you like.¡± ¡°Wee to the Arsene estate. We will do our best to make youfortable.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± None of us knew, however, that this warm atmosphere would notst through the night. *** Late at night. Was it because I¡¯d let my guard down, finally sleeping in a soft bed for the first time in a long time? -Dad. Why did you leave me to die? Andy appeared in my dreams without a head, resenting me. -You seem happy, Dad. While I¡¯m cold and lonely¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry, Andy. In my next life, I¡¯ll live only for you. So, please¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Lot!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ancelot!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Gasp!¡± Bang! I inhaled sharply and shot up from the bed. A sharp pain immediately throbbed through my skull. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­ I-Is your head made of stone?¡± ¡°I-I could say the same? My eyes are glistening with tears.¡± The collision cleared my head instantly. The one I had bumped heads with was none other than Count Arsene. ¡°Th-This isn¡¯t the time. There¡¯s an emergency.¡± ¡°An emergency¡­¡­?¡± As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw his face clearly. And with it, a familiar expression I hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. ¡°¡­¡­What happened?¡± Every remaining bit of drowsiness vanished in an instant. ¡°There¡¯s been an¡­¡­ Incident at the royal pce.¡± It was the same expression he wore when the countess passed away. *** Chapter 111 Chapter 111 ¨C Return to the Royal Pce (3) Bang! Ancelot mmed open the conference room door. Count Arsene followed closely behind him. Under the bright lights, all the key figures had already gathered. Among them, Winley stood out the most. The poor thing¡¯s whole body trembled uncontrobly, her face pale. ¡°¡­¡­Haa.¡± With a sigh, Ancelot soon walked towards her. ¡°Calm down.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. Nothing is confirmed yet.¡± Ancelot tried to help Winley stand. ¡°For now, we should have her step outside.¡± Suddenly¡ª Grab! Winley seized Ancelot¡¯s wrist. ¡°¡­¡­No.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± In a steady, unwavering voice, she dered. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ancelot looked at her for a moment, then gave a small nod. ¡°Please brief us in detail.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± Viscount Rodri let out a low groan as he stood up. ¡°¡­¡­Just now, an urgent report was sent through the telmunications crystal ball to high-ranking nobility. A fire has broken out at the Twilight Pce.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The Twilight Pce. There is no eternal day. The rising sun must eventually set. It was the residence of the former king, who had abdicated the throne. ¡°Father¡­¡­¡± Winley¡¯s trembling intensified. Ignoring her distress, Ancelot pressed on. ¡°Has something happened to Melio II?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well¡­¡­¡± Viscount Rodri stole a nce at Winley, then sighed. ¡°The fire broke out while the former king was sleeping¡­¡­ He has suffered severe burns¡ªserious enough for his life to be endangered¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­This makes no sense. A fire in the heart of the pce? What caused it?¡± At that moment, Marquis Foltaine, who had been silent until now, spoke up. ¡°The world is full of strange happenings. Children vanish from viges, unexined gues spread, and people mysteriously die one after another. ¡± His sharp gaze glinted as he continued. ¡°More often than not, in the end, it turns out ¡®humans¡¯ were behind it all.¡± ¡°Who do you think is responsible this time, Marquis?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sure all of you must be thinking the same thing. Who else but those Imperial bastards?¡± Marquis Foltaine responded sardonically to Viscount Rodri¡¯s question. ¡°¡­¡­The Empire was the first to be suspected, and they are apparently displeased by the suspicion.¡± ¡°Hmph. Of course they would be.¡± ¡°If the Empire is indeed responsible¡­¡­ We must hold them ountable.¡± Marquis Foltaine scoffed even louder. ¡°And how, exactly? We¡¯re just a weak country with no power. How do you n to pressure the Empire without any evidence?¡± ¡°Even without evidence, we have to find a way. Especially with an important national event just around the corner.¡± He was talking about the uing diplomatic meeting. Viscount Rodri continued in a concerned voice. ¡°¡­¡­I can already picture the chaos at the pce. The guests must be anxious. The host country¡¯s security has been breached, after all.¡± ¡°Our national reputation is in shambles. How did thingse to this? How regrettable.¡± It was then that Milon, a man known for his quiet demeanor, spoke up. ¡°Perhaps this was inevitable.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°We were the ones who invited foreign powers here because of our own weakness.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine narrowed his eyes. ¡°¡­¡­Are you ming me, Milon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just stating the facts.¡± A vein bulged on Marquis Foltaine¡¯s forehead. ¡°Disgusting. It¡¯s people like you¡ªapathetic bystanders without a shred of political conviction¡ªthat are the real problem. Changing who you stand with like the whimsical ps of a bat¡¯s wings.¡± ¡°Personally, I¡¯d rather be a bat than a wolf.¡± ¡°And you, Milon, wouldn¡¯t even lift a finger if the country were to copse¡ªyou¡¯d just hole up somewhere, toozy to care.¡± ¡°Better to be a bystander than to sell out the country.¡± A murderous glint flickered in Marquis Foltaine¡¯s eyes. Booom! Milon didn¡¯t back down, his aura surging to meet Marquis Foltaine¡¯s head-on. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene swallowed nervously. Though both men outranked him, as the host of the meeting, he had to intervene. ¡®But how?¡¯ These were not the kind of people to heed words of reason. ¡°Enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At that moment, his savior appeared. ¡°This is no time for such bickering.¡± With just a few words. At his quiet voice, the tension in the room dissipated. ¡®¡­¡­What¡­¡­?¡¯ Count Arsene turned toward the voice, amazed. ¡®What in the world happened to him?¡¯ It was Ancelot. Count Arsene couldn¡¯t help but smile at the sight. ¡°As expected, the Empire must have predicted this internal discord. This was all part of their scheme.¡± Ancelot¡¯s calm, confident voice resonated throughout the room. Even the two marquises, who had been ready to fight, seemed impressed. The other nobles, who usually remained indifferent, had no choice but to fall in line. ¡°¡­¡­Hmph. Anyway, I¡¯ll take my leave for now. This is no time to sit idly.¡± Marquis Foltaine stood first. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the capital. I¡¯m worried about my sister, too.¡± Milon followed suit. Of course, this time, Ancelot didn¡¯t stop them. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± He shared the same sentiment. Meanwhile. Count Kaiman stood in front of the scorched remnants of the Twilight Pce, quietly conversing with Duke Herman. ¡°Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­No need. I actually had something I wanted to ask you.¡± Count Kaiman¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°You wanted to ask me something?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt. Was this fire your doing?¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve already exined everything to Duke Kairos¡­¡­ If baseless suspicions like this keeping our way, it¡¯s only natural we won¡¯t be happy about it.¡± Count Kaiman let his displeasure show openly. ¡°¡­¡­Apologies. This is a delicate matter, and I may be a bit on edge.¡± ¡°I understand. As a pro-Empire noble, surely you can appreciate that, Duke Herman.¡± Kaiman¡¯s stern expression softened into a beaming smile. ¡°Though, I must admit, it¡¯s a bit of a disappointment.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re disappointed?¡± Herman felt his anger rising again, despite his attempts to contain it. ¡°Yes. You begged for our help when you needed it, but now that we¡¯re of no use, you cast us aside as if nothing ever happened.¡± ¡°¡­¡­That was a fair transaction.¡± ¡°Oh, I love a good transaction¡ªalways putting your own country¡¯s interests first. That¡¯s the essence of diplomacy, after all.¡± Kaiman¡¯s eyes glinted. ¡°And that brings me to my point, Your Grace.¡± He lowered his voice. ¡°Once again, you must make a wise decision for your country¡¯s benefit.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°Surely a small nation can¡¯t hope to stand against a great one.¡± Herman trembled with rage. The humiliation was unbearable. ¡°So, let us help you again. Another unfortunate incident might unsettle the other guests, wouldn¡¯t it? With the former king injured, how anxious must the queen and other visitors feel?¡± ¡°¡­¡­How exactly do you intend to help?¡± Kaiman smiled gently. ¡°Nothing out of the ordinary. The Empire is, after all, a guardian of peace on the continent.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll take full responsibility for investigating this incident.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman looked up at the sky, feeling utterly defeated. The idea of a criminal investigating their own crime¡ªwhat an absurdity to hear face-to-face. ¡®They say weakness is a sin¡­¡­¡¯ And yet, Kaiman wasn¡¯t finished. ¡°For your information, this arrangement was requested by Duke Kairos, who oversees the pce guards.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Haa.¡± ¡°In that spirit, I have two proposals for your nation.¡± Herman lowered his head. ¡°Two, you say?¡± ¡°First, cancel the uing diplomatic event and send the guests back to their respective countries. This is, of course, for their safety, which I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll understand. And second¡­¡­¡± A mysterious smile spread across Kaiman¡¯s lips. ¡°¡­¡­How about temporarily relocating your king to our Imperial Pce? For his own protection, of course.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°At least until the culprit behind the fire is caught.¡± In other words, they intended to take the king as a hostage. ¡°You insolent¡­¡­!¡± Herman¡¯s eyes zed with fury. *** That night, a special task force was formed. Even the children, awakened by themotion, rushed outside. ¡°You all wait here.¡± Of course, I had no intention of dragging these kids along. ¡°That includes you, Princess.¡± Winley red up immediately. ¡°No, I¡¯ming too.¡± ¡°Absolutely not.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! This is about my family¡ªour home¡­¡­!¡± ¡°They say justice without power is mere ipetence.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley mped her mouth shut. ¡°What can you even do if youe along?¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°What if they take you as a hostage? Those Imperial bastards would be thrilled.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Winley had no response. I knew how she felt. Frustration was written all over her face, ready to explode at any moment. ¡°It¡¯s okay to be angry. It¡¯s okay to feel frustrated. If it¡¯s too much to hold in, go to a mountain and scream your lungs out. Shout, ¡®You fucking, sons of bitches!¡¯ as loud as you can. You don¡¯t have to worry about your dignity. No one will hear you there.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Jan, Kirian, Harun. Take good care of the princess.¡± The three of them nodded solemnly. ¡°And¡­¡­ Remember. You could be in the same situation someday.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± There was no need to say it, but I did anyway. Jan had already lost an eye by acting on emotion. They¡¯d all lost their brother, Hersen. Even so, I gave them onest warning. ¡°Let¡¯s move out.¡± The task force was finally assembled. Me, Marquis Foltaine, his knights, and Milon. ¡°Do we have a n for when we reach the capital?¡± ¡°We need to assess the situation first¡­¡­¡± Milon cut in. ¡°We must seek an audience with the king. This kind of crisis would surely terrify someone so young.¡± ¡°The Empire wants to send a message: ¡®Don¡¯t mess with us. Defy us, and this is what happens.¡¯¡± Marquis Foltaine nodded grimly. Yes. I knew this strategy well¡ªtheir signature tool of diplomacy. ¡°¡­¡­Then we¡¯ll have to show them.¡± I stared down the dark path ahead. ¡°We¡¯ll show them exactly what happens when they provoke us.¡± *** Chapter 112 Chapter 112 ¨C Duke Serin (1) As soon as we arrived at the royal pce, we were hit by an unexpected and powerful obstacle. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you are not allowed to enter right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The eyes of Marquis Foltaine, who was leading the group, widened. Standing beside him, Milon also didn¡¯t bother to conceal his displeasure. ¡°Not allowed to enter? Do you not know who we are?¡± ¡°There is a royal decree to prohibit entry, regardless of identity, rank, or any other consideration.¡± ¡°A royal decree, you say?¡± ¡°Yes. As you might already be aware, a fire broke out in the Twilight Pce. Until the cause of the incident is identified, this measure has been taken, and we ask for your understanding. Even those inside cannot leave, and ess is currently restricted for all esteemed guests.¡± The royal guard swiftly provided additional context. At this point, even Marquis Foltaine had no choice but to back down. When entry is denied to everyone without exception, what more could be done? ¡°In that case, we will take our leave for now.¡± With a polite gesture, the royal guards retreated inside the gate. Simultaneously, Marquis Foltaine let out a groan. ¡°Damn it. If they were going to be like this, why bother informing the high-ranking nobility¡­¡­!?¡± ¡°That must have been part of their scheme.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Milon muttered grimly. ¡°Watch closely. We¡¯ll make you wither. This is the power of the Empire.¡± ¡°¡­¡­So this is more than just isting the weak. This is a clear warning directed at us?¡± ¡°They must have included foreign delegations as well, leaving them trapped and helpless.¡± ¡°Damn it. Though it¡¯s presented as a royal decree, I¡¯m sure this is the work of Duke Kairos, that cunning old fox. After all, he controls the pce security.¡± Having listened quietly to their conversation, I let out a sigh. ¡®They¡¯ve effectively built a fortress in the heart of someone else¡¯s kingdom.¡¯ Who could have conceived such a wild idea as setting fire to the royal pce? These people, who used to settle for slipping poison into meals, now acted on a much grander scale, befitting their growing power. Just then, Marquis Foltaine turned towards me. ¡°Let¡¯s head to Duke Herman¡¯s estate for now. I need to see with my own eyes what thatzy man has been doing while all this unfolded.¡± *** ¡°I heard of your return. Good work, all of you.¡± Duke Herman greeted us with a strained smile. Though it was still early morning, he was already awake. However, he looked utterly exhausted. ¡®Maybe he didn¡¯t sleep at all?¡¯ Just when the question popped into my mind, Marquis Foltaine asked him bluntly. ¡°Did you stay up all night?¡± ¡°With the kingdom in this state, how could I sleep?¡± ¡°Tch. If you say that, I can¡¯t even vent my frustrations on you.¡± ¡°Haha. Were you nning to vent on me? More importantly, where is the princess?¡± After a brief exchange, Duke Herman immediately inquired about Winley. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We left her back with Count Arsene.¡± ¡°With her personality, she must¡¯ve insisted oning along.¡± ¡°All thanks to this cheeky fellow, we managed to persuade her to stay.¡± Marquis Foltaine nodded towards me, and at that, Duke Herman gave me a small, amused smile. ¡°The princess chose her fianc¨¦ well.¡± ¡°Now, tell me. What exactly happened while we were away?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman briefly summarized the recent events and his conversation with Count Kaiman. ¡°Joint investigative authority? Are they insane!? They dare demand this nonsense after causing the mess?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s no evidence to prove it.¡± ¡°Weck material proof, but the circumstantial evidence is clear!¡± ¡°The only fortunate part is that His Majesty is actively working to uncover the truth. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t allow himself to be dragged around as the Empire wishes.¡± Marquis Foltaine scoffed. ¡°Now that¡¯s more like a proper king. Imagine if the former king were still on the throne¡ªhe would¡¯ve fled to the imperial pce in fear the moment the queen was murdered.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we sparked the revolution, wasn¡¯t it? Although result-wise, it ended up inviting the wolf inside.¡± Duke Herman gave a bitter smile. ¡°In any case, we need to clean up the mess we made.¡± ¡°I take it you¡¯re thinking the same thing as I am?¡± Perhaps it was the bond between close friends¡ªwithout needing to say too much, they both seemed aligned in their thoughts. ¡°Care to fill me in?¡± Unable to suppress my curiosity, I finally asked the two. ¡°Do you remember the advice I gave you? That you should meet Duke Serin as soon as you returned?¡± ¡°Yes, I remember.¡± ¡°I n to persuade him first.¡± My eyes sparkled with understanding. ¡°You mean to eliminate their justification?¡± First, we gather support from the influential figures within our own ranks. Setting aside political factions and personal beliefs for the time being. Even rivals who often sh must unite in the face of foreign threats. That is politics, and that is patriotism. ¡°There are three dukes who act as the elders among the nobility. But unless you raise your voice together with the other two, they won¡¯t listen.¡± As I said, the other side currently had the justification. This was because Duke Kairos had thrown his full support behind the Empire. However, the influential nobles of this country still remained. What if the remaining two dukes came together and spoke out against the issue? ¡°We can convince Duke Serin and dere that the Hart Kingdom will conduct an independent investigation into the incident. The suspects should, of course, include the Empire.¡± ¡°Haha, see? Tell him one thing, and he understands two. That¡¯s why it¡¯s so convenient to have him around.¡± At Marquis Foltaine¡¯spliment, Duke Herman also nodded approvingly. ¡°I have a question.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I heard that Duke Kairos is the core of the royalist faction, while the other two dukes lead the noble faction. Did I misunderstand?¡± Duke Herman gave a knowing smile. ¡°You¡¯re wondering if Duke Serin is already on our side, correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°In short, no. His stance has always been ambiguous.¡± Seeing my puzzled expression, Marquis Foltaine exined further. ¡°Why do you think the royalists and nobles have been locked in a standoff for so long, despite the imbnce in their strategies?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°As you know, we have two Masters¡ªindividuals akin to one-man armies. Including me, unofficially, we have three.¡± ¡°Technically, it¡¯s only two. You¡¯ve had to keep your abilities hidden, after all.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Marquis Foltaine raised an intrigued brow. ¡°Keep going.¡± ¡°The point is, an unofficial Master is a card to be kept hidden until the right moment. The deadliest weapons are most effective when left sheathed, aren¡¯t they?¡± Again, Marquis Foltaine was an ¡®unofficial¡¯ Master. If the existence of a third Master became public knowledge, the Hart Kingdom would face not only the Empire¡¯s scrutiny but also the watchful eyes of neighboring nations. The situation differed from that of the Meeke Principality. They publicized their third Master to elevate their status to a ¡®kingdom¡¯. In contrast, the Hart Kingdom already had three Masters. ¡°In situations where the risks outweigh the benefits, it¡¯s better not to draw your weapon at all.¡± ¡°Heheh. I¡¯ve nothing left to teach you.¡± Though Marquis Foltaine smiled warmly now, I found his demeanor unsettling. After all, he had once been ready to unleash his power in a conflict with the Arsene family. Up until then, he had been regarded as nothing more than a powerless old man¡ªaside from his title. Which could only mean one thing. ¡®He had intended to kill them all from the start.¡¯ Now, that same dangerous figure was my staunch ally. It¡¯s true what they say¡ªyou never know what life has in store. ¡°Since you¡¯re quick on the uptake, I¡¯ll be blunt. Duke Serin is merely a noble in name¡ªhe avoids involvement in state affairs. Think of him as someone like Milon. It¡¯s a crucial secret we keep to maintain morale among the lower ranks.¡± ¡°That makes me even more curious.¡± Marquis Foltaine grinned mischievously. ¡°Shall we go meet him, then?¡± ¡°Right now?¡± Duke Herman offered a word of caution. ¡°Just be careful what you say in front of him. Unlike us, he¡¯s quite sensitive.¡± ¡°Heheheh. If you act toward him the way you do with us, you might get pped.¡± ¡°Oh? That would be quite a sight.¡± ¡°I agree. Let¡¯s get going.¡± And just like that. Off I went to meet the kingdom¡¯s final duke. Duke Serin resided in a grand mansion in the southern part of the capital. ¡®Is he really a man?¡¯ That was my first impression of him. Standing by the window with his back to the rising dawn, Duke Serin was breathtakingly beautiful. So much that even in my previous life, I could count the people with such a striking appearance on one hand. ¡°Wee.¡± He greeted us with a smile. Even his voice was androgynous, making it difficult to discern his gender. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Yes, it has, Marquis. And¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin¡¯s light blue eyes¡ªlike a reflection of the sky¡ªturned towards me. ¡°¡­¡­You must be the renowned Seventh Prince of the Meeke Principality.¡± Despite my youth, Duke Serin treated me with utmost courtesy. ¡®This feeling¡­¡­ Where have I felt this before?¡¯ A face immediately shed through my mind. ¡®¡­¡­Ah! That Imperial bastard, Kaiman!¡¯ Duke Serin exuded a simr aura to Kaiman. In other words, the aura of someone deliberately wrapping themselves inyers of courtesy to conceal their true nature. ¡®Kaiman¡¯s core was madness and ambition. I wonder what this man hides under his polite exterior?¡¯ While these thoughts ran through my mind, Duke Serin spoke again. ¡°So, what brings such distinguished guests to this humble abode?¡± ¡°You are a man, right?¡± Thunk. Marquis Foltaine swiftly delivered a kick to my foot ¡®Are you crazy?¡¯ ¡ªIs what his expression seemed to be saying. Meanwhile, Duke Serin made an odd face. ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re more entertaining than I¡¯d heard, Prince Andrew. No one has ever walked out unscathed aftermenting on my appearance like that¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, my apologies. I didn¡¯t realize your appearance was a sensitive topic.¡± ¡°Hahaha. And you, Prince, are quite beautiful yourself. Are you certain you¡¯re not a princess?¡± ¡°Shall I strip to prove it?¡± Just as I¡¯d gripped the waistband of my trousers, Marquis Foltaine conveyed his thoughts into my mind. -You lunatic! What do you think you¡¯re doing? That¡¯s enough! -Come on, who would think that face belongs to a man? -Haven¡¯t you heard that curiosity kills the cat?! You only have one life, you fool! -It¡¯s not like he¡¯d listen to anything we say anyway. -What? -Living so close to the pce, he must know everything going on. But he¡¯s dropping hints about his annoyance by asking why we¡¯re here, isn¡¯t he? -¡­¡­Wait. You¡¯re saying he¡¯s annoyed? While we exchanged silent thoughts, Duke Serin¡¯s voice took on a chilly edge. ¡°¡­¡­I suspect this meeting will leave quite an unpleasant memory.¡± Marquis Foltaine urgently transmitted another thought: -Stand down, for now. Don¡¯t make things worse! Cough, cough. Clearing his throat, Marquis Foltaine tried to steer the conversation back on track. ¡°We apologize for the early visit, Your Grace. We came today because¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin interrupted. ¡°You apologize, yet I believe you intend to keep bothering me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°¡­¡­Your Grace.¡± ¡°Allow me to be blunt. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware. Opposing the Empire is suicide.¡± Marquis Foltaine fell silent at those words. ¡°I didn¡¯t oppose your previous idea to involve the Empire because it didn¡¯t seem to harm the national interest. But this time, it¡¯s different.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I see you¡¯ve already made up your mind.¡± ¡°You came knowing this, but still hoped for a miracle, didn¡¯t you, Marquis?¡± Marquis Foltaine let out a silent sigh. ¡°¡­¡­Yes. It¡¯s true I came to try my luck.¡± With that, he turned to me. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Wait, we¡¯re just going to leave?¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s thoughts rushed into my mind again. -We¡¯ve learned his position, so it¡¯s a tactical retreat. If we push further, he might side with that old snake, Duke Kairos. He was never someone we could persuade anyway. Taking my wrist, Marquis Foltaine began to lead me out. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll take our leave.¡± ¡°Wait. May I offer some advice to the young prince?¡± Marquis Foltaine froze as Duke Serin spoke again. I nodded without hesitation. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Words mark both the beginning and the end of rtionships. They can bridge distances, but they¡¯re a double-edge sword that can also burn the bridge.¡± He smiled gently. ¡°Sometimes, silence is the wisest option. Holding your tongue can be as useful as knowing what to say. I hope you remember that.¡± ¡°I appreciate the advice.¡± At that moment, I heard a faint sigh beside me. I didn¡¯t need to look to know who it came from. ¡°So that¡¯s why. Now, I understand.¡± ¡°Wait. Can¡¯t you not say the next part?¡± How desperate must have Marquis Foltaine been to have spoken out loud? ¡°Why you¡¯ve chosen to hide, whether or not the nation falls apart. Since silence is the wisest opt¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Damn it.¡± Marquis Foltaine shut his eyes, as if resigning himself to the inevitable. Of course, Duke Serin¡¯s blue eyes turned ice cold. ¡°¡­¡­In any case, I personally will pass on cowardly silence. Holding in my words will only rot me from the inside. I¡¯ll say what I need to say and live ordingly.¡± ¡°And if those words cost you your head, Your Highness?¡± I gave him a bright smile. ¡°Will keeping silent change anything?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± If my insides rot and dpose, it¡¯ll be the same, anyway. *** The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 113 Chapter 113 ¨C Duke Serin (2) ¡°¡­¡­¡± A suffocating silence fell over the room. ¡°¡­¡­Haa. Marquis?¡± The one who broke the quiet was Duke Serin, his expression cold as ice. ¡°I just had a thought¡ªcould this be your strategy? Raising my blood pressure until I die, then taking my position?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­ I understand the misunderstanding, but as you can see, the prince is beyond my control.¡± ¡°So, can I take it that this behavior has nothing to do with you, Marquis?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Watching Marquis Foltaine struggle to respond, Duke Serin sneered. ¡°Let me ask again. If this prince is found dead tomorrow without a trace, will you just stand by and do nothing?¡± Marquis Foltaine let out a long sigh. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that would be hard to overlook.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll manage the diplomatic issues with the Meeke Principality.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the diplomatic issue that concerns me.¡± Duke Serin¡¯s sneer deepened. ¡°So you were in on it after all? I¡¯m a bit disappointed. I thought we were like family. I guess I need to rethink things.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re free to think however you like.¡± ¡°Are you being serious, Marquis?¡± At that moment, Marquis Foltaine nced in my direction. ¡°What kind of parent would let a child die because of his recklessness?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Serin¡¯s eyes widened for a split second. ¡°I¡¯m not doing this out of greed for your position, nor out of ill will towards your family. Nor is it for some grand reason like serving the nation. It¡¯s simply because¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine locked eyes with me as he continued. ¡°¡­¡­This is what I think being a father means.¡± ¡°Marquis, what are you saying¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m too old to live with regrets again. My body can¡¯t take it anymore. So¡­¡­¡± A faint smile formed on Marquis Foltaine¡¯s lips. ¡°¡­¡­Now that I¡¯ve be a Master, if youy a hand on my child, I¡¯ll take that position you¡¯re so worried about.¡± ¡°I was truly moved.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you start.¡± ¡°¡®This is what I think being a father means.¡¯ Phew! I almost agreed to be your son on the spot.¡± ¡°Shut it. I¡¯m seriously considering canceling that adoption of yours.¡± ¡°Oh,e on. Don¡¯t say things you don¡¯t mean.¡± On our way back, Marquis Foltaine radiated the vibe of ¡®Just wait until we get home.¡¯ Soon enough, we reached our destination. ¡°Seeing you two walk in hand-in-hand like that, people might think you¡¯re really father and son.¡± Duke Herman, who had been lounging near the mansion¡¯s training yard, waved at us. ¡°Father and son, my foot!¡± Marquis Foltaine burst out immediately. ¡°Does this look like holding hands to you? I¡¯m dragging him along so he won¡¯t cause more trouble!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Did something happen?¡± ¡°Father and son? If I had one more kid like him, I¡¯d be nning a funeral tomorrow, damn it!¡± Duke Herman widened his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡­ Duke Serin copsed from high blood pressure?¡± ¡°Not him¡ªme!¡± Marquis Foltaine thumped his chest in frustration. ¡°I knew he was a nutcase, but you know what he said to Duke Serin? He called him a rat that would hole up at home even while his parents dropped dead!¡± ¡°Wait, when did I ever¡­¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s basically what you said!¡± Somehow, I had be Marquis Foltaine¡¯s most precious headache. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ Don¡¯t get too worked up. They say the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree, don¡¯t they?¡± Fwip! Marquis Foltaine¡¯s murderous rended on me again. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°I take it back.¡± ¡°Are you implying I¡¯m just as crazy as you?¡± I avoided his gaze with everything I had. ¡®Honestly, isn¡¯t it crazy enough that he decapitated hundreds of his own men right in front of everyone?¡¯ Of course, I kept that thought to myself in case he really did drop dead from the stress. ¡°Better I die than deal with this!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Rough day, huh?¡± ¡°Huff¡­¡­ So, Duke Herman, why are you out here?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ Couldn¡¯t sleep. Thought I¡¯d train a bit for a change.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hm?¡± Marquis Foltaine paused and shot him a suspicious look. ¡°Training? And wearing that armor you usually avoid because it¡¯s too cumbersome?¡± ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s nice to shake things up with a little armor.¡± ¡°I saw some familiar faces lurking around on the way here¡­¡­ Were you perhaps preparing for the worst, expecting this brat here to cause trouble?¡± Duke Herman shrugged nonchntly. ¡°You could say that.¡± ¡°Heheheh. That¡¯s why I like you better than that fox, Duke Serin¡ªyou¡¯re honest.¡± ¡°I am quite straightforward, true.¡± ¡°Anyway¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s gaze turned back to me. ¡°If you ever feel like dying, let me know in advance. I¡¯ll find you a nice burial plot.¡± ¡°I knew I wouldn¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ve finally found something to teach you. Follow me this instant. Today is the day I teach you about respect and manners.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. I knew you¡¯d protect me.¡± Marquis Foltaine stopped in his tracks. ¡°Right now, I¡¯m seriously regretting not letting you die.¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s a lie if I¡¯ve ever heard one.¡± ¡°You lunatic! ttery won¡¯t work today.¡± However, despite his words, his expression didn¡¯t seem too harsh. At that moment¡ª Swoosh. As if perfectly timed, Narakas appeared from the shadows nearby. ¡°¡­¡­Good thing I wore armor. Did the Duke Serin already send an assassin?¡± Seeing him, Duke Herman stood up with vignce. ¡°No matter how bold they are, this is still my domain¡­¡­¡± ¡°What kind of assassin strikes in broad daylight?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ¡°He¡¯s on our side. He¡¯s quite an important figure as well.¡± Duke Herman tilted his head in confusion at Marquis Foltaine¡¯s tone of voice. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the leader of the Mask of Night. Even a nation¡¯s king bows before him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Herman¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°I-Is that true?¡± ¡°Surprising, isn¡¯t it? I was just as stunned when I first found out.¡± ¡°What business would someone of that stature have here¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Even more shocking, he¡¯s close friends with this impudent brat.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Herman¡¯s astonishment was understandable. But given the circumstances, he quickly regained hisposure. ¡°Honestly¡­¡­ I wonder how much more your foster son ns to surprise us.¡± ¡°Heheheh. I did raise him well, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°What happened to the father who was ready to p him into ce?¡± Narakas greeted both men briefly before turning to me. ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste, so I¡¯ll get straight to business. I¡¯ve investigated those who contacted Count Kaiman, as you requested.¡± It was the first thing I had asked for after the fire at the Twilight Pce. After experiencing betrayal once, I became much more cautious, especially about internal threats. Enemies from within are always much more dangerous. ¡°How did it go?¡± At my question, Narakas nced at Duke Herman cautiously before replying. ¡°On the day of the fire, Count Kaiman met with all three dukes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Both men¡¯s eyes widened simultaneously. ¡°So Duke Serin also met with Count Kaiman?¡± ¡°I knew something was off about him¡ªhe¡¯s already jumped ship!¡± Two pairs of admiring eyes turned toward me. ¡°Did you act that boldly because you predicted all this?¡± ¡°It felt strange. If Duke Serin were truly on our side, he would¡¯ve backed Duke Herman already, rather than standing by and doing nothing.¡± Exactly. That was my first impression of Duke Serin. ¡®A politician.¡¯ He acted indifferent, as if he didn¡¯t care about anything, but in truth, no one was more attentive. He was nothing like Milon. ¡°I bet he¡¯ll keep pretending not to care while carefully pursuing his own interests.¡± ¡°This is Duke Serin¡¯s past.¡± Narakas handed me a parchment. Marquis Foltaine tilted his head in curiosity. ¡°Why dig into his past?¡± ¡°Knowing someone¡¯s past helps you understand their present and predict their future.¡± The parchment was filled with information, but I only wanted the essentials. Narakas, thankfully, understood this. ¡°As you know, Duke Serin is considered the most beautiful person in the Hart Kingdom. And¡­¡­¡± He paused briefly, ncing at the other two men. ¡°It¡¯s fine. They¡¯re practically family.¡± Duke Herman and Marquis Foltaine both chuckled lightly. ¡°This brat¡­¡­¡± ¡°So even the leader of the Mask of Night fell for his charms, huh?¡± ¡°And you, too, it seems.¡± Ignoring their banter, Narakas summarized the document¡¯s contents. ¡°Despite his stunning appearance, Duke Serin is extremely sensitive about it.¡± ¡°Why? If I looked like that, I¡¯d thank my parents.¡± ¡°Duke Serin is the illegitimate son of the former duke and a concubine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unexpected. What happened to his other siblings?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all dead.¡± ¡°Power struggles?¡± ¡°Not just the men. His sisters, the duke¡¯s other wives and concubines¡ªall of them were killed by Duke Serin himself. He didn¡¯t spare a single one.¡± The other two men showed no reaction¡ªthey were already familiar with this dark history. But what came next shocked them. ¡°Did he really have to go that far, even for power?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason.¡± ¡°A reason?¡± ¡°The first wife and half-sisters habitually sexually abused Duke Serin from a young age.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Both men inhaled sharply, stunned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°D-Duke Serin was sexually abused by his own family?¡± Narakas nodded. ¡°With his dazzling beauty, exceptional talent, and low status as an illegitimate child, he was their perfect prey.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What is wrong with the aristocrats in this country?¡± I muttered, recalling the Arsene family¡¯s twisted deeds. ¡°It¡¯s not just them. The heads of noble houses are all the same. It¡¯s just a matter of who does it openly and who doesn¡¯t. Noblemen can indulge their depravity in broad daylight, but noblewomen must act in the shadows.¡± The Hart Kingdom is a deeply patriarchal society. Men can take multiple concubines, but if a married woman seeksfort from another man, she¡¯s branded a whore and executed. Therefore, they indulge their twisted desires in secrecy. ¡°Are you sure about this? I¡¯ve never heard anything about Duke Serin being assaulted as a child¡­¡­¡± ¡°We are the Mask of Night.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well, if anyone would know, it¡¯s you. It makes sense¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t want to speak about it openly.¡± Marquis Foltaine furrowed his brows even deeper. ¡°This makes things worse for you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You told someone that got assaulted by their family for their appearance, ¡®Shall I strip?¡¯ Didn¡¯t you?¡± Duke Herman¡¯s jaw dropped, and even Narakas stared at me in disbelief. ¡°Y-You lunatic¡­¡­¡± ¡°It reminded him of the good old days, I¡¯m sure.¡± Shaking his head, Narakas refocused on the task at hand. ¡°So, what¡¯s your n now? Without Duke Serin¡¯s help, entering the pce will be nearly impossible. You won¡¯t be able to meet Count Kaiman.¡± ¡°With time slipping away, the peace negotiations will fall apart¡­¡­ Exactly what the Empire wants.¡± Duke Herman spoke gravely. ¡°And with Duke Serin now against us¡­¡­¡± Hearing their concerns, I turned to Narakas with a grin. ¡°Did you know?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Politicians only act if it benefits them. Even if you beg on your knees, they won¡¯t move unless it¡¯s in their favor.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± ¡°On the flip side, if they see a chance for profit, they¡¯ll move without hesitation.¡± Marquis Foltaine interrupted skeptically. ¡°So, what¡¯s your n? You do have a n, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ If he won¡¯t listen, I could always pay him a visit with a sword in hand.¡± Fortunately, things didn¡¯t escte to that point. That night, Duke Serin came to me first¡ªwith a sword in his hand. *** The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 114 Chapter 114 ¨C Duke Serin (3) Having received the message, I walked out into the front yard of the Duke¡¯s estate. ¡°Wee.¡± Just then, Duke Serin was approaching with a guide at his side. ¡°Were you startled by my sudden visit?¡± ¡°Not particrly.¡± Duke Serin gave a sly smile. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have been, though?¡± ¡°Well, I figured you¡¯de to give me a hit since I deserved one.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m going to get hit, here is better. I assume you wouldn¡¯t go so far as tomit murder in someone else¡¯s home.¡± And this wasn¡¯t just any house¡ªit was Duke Herman¡¯s estate. ¡°How should I say this¡­¡­ It seems the prince has a natural talent for getting under people¡¯s skin.¡± ¡°I hear that from time to time.¡± Although in truth, it was more like ¡®a lot¡¯ rather than ¡®from time to time¡¯. ¡°Shall we go inside and talk?¡± ¡°No, the night breeze feels refreshing. Let¡¯s just talk here.¡± With that, Duke Serin nced at the guide. ¡°Could you give us a moment? I¡¯d like to speak with him alone.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­ Yes. Of course.¡± It seemed the guide had already been informed of the situation, as he withdrew without any fuss. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve actually looked into you a bit myself, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious¡ªwhat did you find out?¡± ¡°I heard you were kidnapped on your way to your estate. They almost sold you off as a sex ve.¡± After saying that, Duke Serin lightly waved his hand. ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand; I bring this up because I can rte.¡± ¡°You can rte¡­¡­? What do you mean?¡± Feigning ignorance, I asked. ¡°I went through something simr as a child. When I was nine, my stepmother assaulted me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I hadn¡¯t expected that answer. ¡®I¡¯m surprised he said that so casually.¡¯ In a world where empathy and sympathy are often seen as weaknesses, it was surprising that someone of Duke Serin¡¯s stature would reveal such a personal story so openly. ¡°But more importantly¡­¡­ I did ask to speak with you alone. Was that really such a difficult request?¡± Flinch. Just as Duke Serin¡¯s voice turned cold. ¡°Ahem.¡± ¡°What did I tell you? You should¡¯ve just had a drink with me. Why¡¯d you have to go and bother with night training out of the blue?¡± From behind the practice yard, Marquis Foltaine and Duke Herman, who had been crouching, quickly stood up. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware the two of you had such a penchant for eavesdropping.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°How about maintaining at least some semnce of dignity?¡± Although Duke Serin mocked them with words, the two eavesdroppers could say nothing to refute him. ¡°In any case, it¡¯s clear you both care deeply for the prince. Even now, it seems you¡¯re caring more for him than your guest.¡± ¡°Urgh¡­¡­ You¡¯ve misunderstood, Your Grace.¡± ¡°I might even get jealous. But once again, I¡¯d like to talk to him alone.¡± Both men looked flustered once more. Of course, Duke Herman and Marquis Foltaine must have known all along. They would¡¯ve realized hiding wasn¡¯t exactly effective. After all, everyone present was among the nation¡¯s masters. Still, the reason they hid was obvious. ¡®They were probably ready to step in if anything went wrong.¡¯ And at the same time, they wanted to send a warning. We¡¯re watching you, so don¡¯t try anything foolish. Just then, Duke Serin¡¯s expression softened, and a gentle smile appeared on his face. ¡°Is this too much to ask?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°With things like this, if I were to join your group, I might end up feeling left out. I wouldn¡¯t be able to help sincerely.¡± At that point, I broke my silence. ¡°Let¡¯s do as he says.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Since he agreed¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°How about we climb the hill overlooking the capital while we¡¯re at it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± My eyes darkened. A hill far enough on the outskirts to bepletely outside the city¡¯s jurisdiction. -Are you seriously chickening out after all your arrogance? Duke Serin¡¯s expression seemed to say just that. Of course, I didn¡¯t back down. ¡°Why not? Oh! You two¡ªdon¡¯t follow us. You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll get along after all, Your Highness.¡± His satisfied voice echoed in my ears. Step, step, step. We had ventured far beyond the outskirts of the capital. Whether the others had truly stopped following us or were trailing us secretly, I wasn¡¯t sure, but at least for now, I didn¡¯t sense anyone else nearby besides Duke Serin and me. ¡°¡­¡­¡± We traveled in silence. Both Duke Serin and I were lost in our own thoughts. How much time had passed like that? ¡°¡­¡­When someone dies out here, no one would care, would they?¡± When we finally arrived in a ce devoid of people, Duke Serin broke the long silence. ¡°Even if those two were following us earlier¡­¡­ By the time they arrive, the body will already be buried.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be threatened the moment we changed locations.¡± ¡°Did it sound that way to you?¡± I shrugged nonchntly. ¡°However, there are three reasons why you can¡¯t kill me, Duke Serin.¡± ¡°Are you stalling for time?¡± ¡°First, it would go against your principles.¡± I continued, undeterred. ¡°And what principles might those be?¡± ¡°If I were to be killed, Duke Herman and Marquis Foltaine would inevitably suspect you. That would cause more harm than good. Acting on impulse would cost you dearly.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be too sure. Would they really threaten me when the timees? Even I can see that they¡¯re fond of you, but it¡¯d be water under the bridge. Wouldn¡¯t they try to get anything they can out of me, instead?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the type to gamble on uncertainties like that, Your Grace. You¡¯re not one to be dragged into messy situations willingly, either.¡± Duke Serin tilted his head slightly, as if intrigued. ¡°You speak as if you know me well.¡± ¡°I do. You¡¯re the kind of leader who firmly believes that sometimes doing nothing is the best course of action.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± His expression grew colder. ¡°Second, you¡¯re curious about me. You won¡¯t kill me yet¡ªat least not until you¡¯ve satisfied that curiosity.¡± ¡°Curious?¡± ¡°You want to know what makes me so bold, don¡¯t you? What it is that draws others to me.¡± At that, his threatening aura eased, if only slightly. As if he himself couldn¡¯t deny it. ¡°You wonder if there¡¯s something you¡¯re missing¡ªsomething only you don¡¯t know. You feel unsettled, perhaps even left out.¡± ¡°¡­¡­So there is something, then?¡± ¡°And third, because you¡¯re human, not a beast.¡± For a moment, Duke Serin gave me a look of disbelief. ¡°What kind of nonsense is that?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve both endured simr pains¡ªwe¡¯re both victims, aren¡¯t we? Humans naturally feelpassion, and with shared experiences like ours, thatpassion bes even stronger. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re entirely heartless, Your Grace.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Pft.¡± Despite himself, Duke Serin let out a shortugh. ¡°For someone spouting nonsense, you sure know how to dress it up nicely. Though, I must say, I personally like the third reason best.¡± By the time we finished talking, we had reached the top of the hill. It wasn¡¯t a particrly high hill, so the climb hadn¡¯t taken long. ¡°But¡­¡­ You¡¯re still too young. Or should I say, too na?ve?¡± Just then, I sensed someone¡¯s presence behind a tree. ¡°In reality, humans are often more wicked than beasts.¡± ¡°It has been a while, Your Highness.¡± The figure that emerged greeted me with a wave, acting as though we were old friends. ¡°Oh, dear. Was this all a trap?¡± Before me stood a beautiful man and woman, both smiling as if they had stepped out of a painting. Technically, Duke Serin wasn¡¯t a ¡®woman¡¯, but his appearance could easily mislead anyone. ¡°Thank you for keeping your word, Your Grace.¡± ¡°¡­¡­No need to mention it.¡± The new arrival was Count Kaiman. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll excuse myself.¡± ¡°You invite me here, and now you¡¯re leaving?¡± ¡°Haha, I must thank you for the lovely walk. See you next time, pure-hearted prince.¡± With that, Duke Serin turned and began retracing his steps. It felt like he was heading back to guard the narrow, steep path¡ªperhaps to intercept any reinforcements that might arrive. ¡°Surely that ¡®next time¡¯ won¡¯t be in the afterlife?¡± ¡°That depends on what you do next, Your Highness.¡± Duke Serin replied without turning around. ¡°Didn¡¯t you once offer me some unsolicited advice, Your Grace?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± His shoulders twitched ever so slightly, as if the memory had resurfaced. ¡°Mind if I offer you some advice this time? Consider it my final words, if you like.¡± Duke Serin halted for the first time. Meanwhile, Count Kaiman watched us with amusement, as if in no hurry at all. ¡°¡­¡­And what advice might that be?¡± ¡°While I call it advice, the truth is, I can¡¯t afford to die right now.¡± Duke Serin smirked, as if amused by my supposed plea. ¡°Was this not advice, but an appeal?¡± ¡°I recently made a promise to a new friend. I told him that a man¡¯s word is as good as gold, and breaking that promise from the start wouldn¡¯t be right. It wouldn¡¯t bode well for our rtionship moving forward.¡± A faint smile curled at my lips. ¡°If I die, I won¡¯t be able to keep that promise.¡± ¡°So, keeping that promise is more important than your life?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. At least to me.¡± To me, loyalty means more than life itself. Even if a de were at my throat, I would never abandon it. ¡°You¡¯re just stalling again. Get to the point. What exactly is your advice¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The promise I made isn¡¯t much.¡± I tapped the hilt of the sword at my waist lightly. ¡°I promised that little friend of mine that I would cut down the Empire.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°You once spoke of rtionships in terms of ¡®distance¡¯¡­¡­¡± In the quiet night, only my voice echoed. ¡°¡­¡­The distance we¡¯ve established between us today. If this is your answer, that distance will copse before it even has a chance to form.¡± For a fleeting moment, a murderous glint shed in Duke Serin¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­¡­So, you¡¯re not advising me¡­¡­¡± I nodded. ¡°Exactly. I¡¯m warning you, Your Grace. Watch your behavior.¡± *** Chapter 115 Chapter 115 ¨C True Luantic (1) Duke Herman and Marquis Foltaine were climbing the mountain. However, their attire was rather peculiar. Wearing ck that blended seamlessly with the darkness could be excused, but¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Do we really have to go this far?¡± Both of them wore masks thatpletely covered their faces, with only holes for their eyes. They were dressed likemon thieves. ¡°It was you, Your Grace, who insisted oning along.¡± ¡°I can be worried too, you know.¡± ¡°Heheheh. Well, a father-inw always dotes on his son-inw. Make sure to bring something nice; he¡¯ll probably devour it happily.¡± ¡°Cut the nonsense. I mean, won¡¯t he figure out what we¡¯re up to, even with this?¡± At that, Marquis Foltaine rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ Now that you mention it, that cunning brat might not be fooled by this at all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Good grief.¡± Duke Herman was, of course, referring to Duke Serin. On the other hand, Marquis Foltaine naturally assumed he was talking about Ancelot, focusing entirely in that direction. ¡®How did someone who never paid his own grandson any mind end up like this?¡¯ As Duke Herman pondered this, Marquis Foltaine suddenly yanked off his mask with a huff. ¡°Phew! I was getting sick of it anyway. This is better.¡± Duke Herman, pulled out of his thoughts, voiced his concern. ¡°Aren¡¯t you underestimating Duke Serin?¡± ¡°Your Grace, do you honestly believe I¡¯d lose to that guy?¡± ¡°Still, he¡¯s one of the three official dukes in the entire country.¡± ¡°Heheheh. Such titles mean very little in a weak nation. With enough money, you can buy as many as you like. If I packed all my wealth and went to the Rune Principality, who¡¯d care about a mere duke?¡± ¡°Fair point¡­¡­ if anyone, the Rune Principality might agree. Their economy is in shambles, and now even the Meeke Principality is surpassing them. They¡¯re the only ones with just two Masters currently¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, Duke Herman¡¯s lips curled into a strange smile. ¡°¡­¡­By the way, have you always seen me that way too?¡± Of course, Duke Herman¡¯s question was meant to be lighthearted. But the reply was unexpectedly sincere. ¡°As you know, I measure people by numbers but there are two exceptions.¡± Duke Herman froze momentarily, unable to hide his reaction. ¡°Am I one of them? I¡¯m touched.¡± He wasn¡¯t joking¡ªhe was genuinely moved. ¡°I¡¯d rather say no, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°Haha, your tone gives you away.¡± ¡°Anyway, how many years do I have left? When I¡¯m gone, there¡¯ll be no one to pour a drink on my grave. With the things I¡¯ve done, even my children won¡¯t.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had such a sentimental side.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just practical.¡± ¡°It seems more emotional to me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same thing. As men grow older, they appeal to emotions. Even brutes who once beat their wives lose their strength with old age and cling to them, pretending nothing had ever happened.¡± The crude analogy made Duke Herman understand Marquis Foltaine¡¯s logic even more. ¡°Tch¡­¡­ You always derail good conversations.¡± ¡°Heheh, that¡¯s life, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You old rascal.¡± ¡°Better than being a bum.¡± Their banter was interrupted by a voice. ¡°It seems you two gentlemen are out for a midnight stroll.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Both men had already sensed it¡ªsomeone was blocking their path ahead. Underneath the moonlight filtering through the trees, a strikingly beautiful man looked down on them with quiet arrogance. ¡°¡­¡­Did you know?¡± ¡°Know what?¡± ¡°Personally, I¡¯d rather be a bum than a politician.¡± ¡°I agree. I¡¯d also rather be an old rascal than be a fox.¡± Duke Serin, who had been listening quietly, clicked his tongue in disapproval. ¡°You two are unbelievable. Talking trash about arade right to his face?¡± ¡°Better than doing it behind your back, isn¡¯t it?¡± Duke Herman quipped. ¡°Still, we¡¯re family. However, this seems like more than just light teasing.¡± ¡°Heheheh. Family ties are trivial. They shift with circumstances. Besides, I¡¯m the kind of old man who¡¯d behead his own son without hesitation.¡± ¡°And you expect us to work together?¡± ¡°I could say the same to you.¡± As the tension mounted between the two, Herman sighed. ¡°It seems like the rtionship between our family members are worse than strangers.¡± ¡°Family tends to be worse than strangers. You can ignore strangers, but you can¡¯t do that with family.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bitter truthing from you.¡± At that moment, Marquis Foltaine unleashed his full aura without reservation. At the same time, Duke Serin¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°¡­¡­So you were hiding your strength. I thought you were merely an upper-level Expert, maybe a little higher. But this¡­¡­ This is the realm of a seasoned Master.¡± ¡°Is there a problem? It¡¯smon to have emergency funds hidden even from your closest family members, no?¡± ¡°You live life far toofortably.¡± Step, step, step. Marquis Foltaine started climbing the mountain trail, undeterred. ¡°Let¡¯s get straight to the point. Where is the boy?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wise, but picking a fight is a poor choice. Do you think you can take both of us?¡± Duke Serin chuckled quietly. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯de alone?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s expression shifted to confusion. And then¡ª Rustle! ¡°¡­¡­¡± Multiple presences emerged from all directions. ¡®We didn¡¯t sense them at all until now?¡¯ That could only mean one thing. ¡®They¡¯re at least on par with us.¡¯ Marquis Foltaine¡¯s face hardened. Three figures had revealed themselves. ¡°¡­¡­Your Grace, it seems the Empire is quite serious. With this level of force, they could storm a royal pce.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather avoid bloodshed. Why don¡¯t you go back and wait quietly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡± Boom! The sh of auras shook the surrounding trees violently. ¡°Heheheh.¡± Yet Marquis Foltaine¡¯s face remainedposed, rxed even. Duke Herman, watching from the side, was the same. ¡°You overlooked one important fact also, Your Grace.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t think we¡¯de alone, did you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Serin¡¯s eyes widened. At that moment, countless presences surged up from below the mountain trail. Meanwhile, at the mountain¡¯s summit. ¡°Your Highness. If it were me, I would¡¯ve gone after him immediately and stabbed him in the back.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The world is merciless. Show weakness, and you¡¯re left behind. No one spares a nce at stragglers.¡± I shifted my gaze away from the mountain trail and looked toward the direction of the voice. ¡°So, you¡¯ve decided to drop the pretense of politeness?¡± ¡°Haha.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Count Kaiman. You once said something, didn¡¯t you? Of the three Knights¡ªzes, Undefeated, and Full Moon¡ªyou still haven¡¯t chosen your lord.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I did.¡± Count Kaiman gave a firm nod. ¡°I can assure you, you¡¯ll have a hard time deciding on that lord anytime soon.¡± ¡°Maybe my mind is dull, but I¡¯m not following, Your Highness.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. You aren¡¯t someone who can live pretending to be normal under someone else¡¯smand.¡± That¡¯s right. Thistest incident made me sure. A lunatic who sets fire to the pce housing a foreign nation¡¯s former king without a second thought¡­¡­ A person like that can¡¯t possibly be sane. ¡°Isn¡¯t it exhausting? Living a life where you constantly pretend to be polite and normal.¡± ¡°Oh, dear. This is troublesome. Duke Serin once said that I resemble him quite a bit. Are you perhaps insulting both of us¡­¡­¡± I shook my head before he could finish. ¡°No, you¡¯re different.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°While Duke Serin suppresses his emotions and maniptes circumstances to his advantage as a politician, you¡­¡­ well.¡± I locked eyes with Count Kaiman, who looked utterly entertained. ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re a lunatic psycho who enjoys killing for the sake of killing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. A lunatic like you can¡¯t live a normal life under someone else¡¯s authority. So, let me ask; do you have any family?¡± Count Kaiman tilted his head. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°I had a hunch you wouldn¡¯t have any left.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Silence fell between us, heavy and profound. ¡°That scar on your cheek¡ªdid it happen back then?¡± I pointed to the distinct sword mark etched across his face. Swish. Soon after, Count Kaiman began stripping off his clothes¡ªdown to his pants, leaving only his underwear. Under the moonlight, his muscr physique came into view. However, his entire body, from his upper torso to his legs, was covered in gruesome scars. ¡°These scars, you mean?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I studied them closely. One scar in particr stood out¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­His wrist.¡¯ On his left wrist, the scars bore the clear signs of hesitation wounds¡ªshed in a deliberate, patterned sequence. The rest of the scars seemed ordinary. It was clear that most of them had been inflicted by others. But still¡­¡­ ¡®A body covered in scars like a canvas of scribbles. Scars like those mean you¡¯d need to recklessly throw yourself into the heart of a battlefield, without caring if you live or die.¡¯ In other words, he had no qualms about killing¡ªor being killed. In conclusion¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­I imagine this is your biggest struggle when choosing a lord? Of who will bring you the greatest thrill.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Who, when you finally plunge a knife into their back at the veryst moment, will give you the most euphoric satisfaction?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°That must be a tough decision. After all, you only get one shot at choosing your lord in your lifetime. You won¡¯t have many chances to topple the heavens again.¡± At that moment, Count Kaiman broke the long silence. ¡°¡­¡­Heh. Hehehehe.¡± His handsome face began to twist grotesquely. ¡°Ahahaha. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!¡± He let out a bone-chillingugh, baring his white teeth. ¡°Ah¡­¡­ I¡¯m going insane.¡± Shiiing. The eerie sound of a de being drawn followed his words. ¡°What should I do, Your Highness? I can¡¯t hold back anymore.¡± Of course. Someone with his temperament couldn¡¯t have restrained himself for long. ¡°I wanted to nurture you before devouring you¡­¡­¡± Unable to listen any longer, I let out a small chuckle. ¡°Put your clothes back on and shut your mouth before I rip it apart.¡± *** Chapter 116 Chapter 116 ¨C True Lunatic (2) My voice, almost provocative, resonated in the air. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Count Kaiman smiled softly. And then¡ª Swish! Without a hint of killing intent or hesitation. Without any preparatory movements, as if it was second nature, he unleashed his sword aura. It seemed as natural as breathing. His target was clear. ¡®Face.¡¯ ng! In an instant, my sword shed violently with his aura. The resounding crash echoed around us like thunder. ¡°You¡­¡­ Blocked that?¡± Even the usuallyposed Count Kaiman widened his eyes in disbelief. ¡°It seemed like you were nning to carve a scar identical to yours on me, as a keepsake.¡± A sharp jolt ran through my hand, still trembling from blocking his attack. As much as I hated it, I had to admit that this lunatic was absurdly strong. Stronger than most Masters, by far. ¡®¡­¡­Is this what makes the Empire different?¡¯ My expression hardened. In some ways, Count Kaiman was a prime example of the Empire¡¯s current power¡ªa standard by which to measure it. ¡®I might have to give everything I¡¯ve got here today. If only I had a little more time¡­¡­¡¯ As that thought crossed my mind¡ª ¡°Aaah¡­¡­ No. I must resist. I have to.¡± True to his lunacy, Count Kaiman muttered to himself in a strange tone. Then, to my surprise, he sheathed his sword. ¡°There may be three heavens, but only one to carry on the will of the Great Hero¡­¡­ I can¡¯t mess up such a monumental show before it even begins, can I?¡± ¡°What are you even yapping about?¡± ¡°You are currently fourteen, Your Highness, right? Just four more years until you¡¯re of age. If I wait just a little longer, your death will be so much sweeter¡­¡­ I should wait, of course.¡± Everything became clear then. Why he let me live, and why he hadn¡¯t reported this to the Emperor. ¡®He doesn¡¯t want anyone else taking what he considers his.¡¯ Despite the gravity of the situation, I felt a strange sense of relief. ¡®He doesn¡¯t n to kill me. Not here, anyway.¡¯ Without hesitation, I slid my sword back into its sheath. ¡°If we¡¯re not going to fight, just say what you came to say and leave. I¡¯ll lose my mind, too, if I keep talking with a lunatic like you.¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± ¡°Dragging me out here at this hour¡ªwhat¡¯s your real intention?¡± ¡°There¡¯s just¡­¡­ Haha, one thing I wanted to ask.¡± A grin tugged at my lips. ¡°You think I¡¯ll answer your question in this kind of atmosphere?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t, I¡­¡­ Can¡¯t kill you, but I could always set fire to the guest pce instead.¡± As expected. Reasoning with a madman is impossible. ¡°Anyway, my question is simple. You¡¯ve met Trevor, the Swordsman of Illusions, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I knew it. I suspected as much when the Mask of Night failed to capture him. They said they were on his trail just days ago.¡± Count Kaiman¡¯s smile deepened as he nodded repeatedly. ¡°Hahaha, I see. So, you did meet him. It seems our prince truly intends to follow the will of the Great Hero. Taking his name and even seeking out his oldpanions¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you scared?¡± ¡°Scared? No. I¡¯m excited!¡± At my provocation, Count Kaiman pped his hands gleefully. ¡°Here¡¯s an idea! Convince Duke Serin for me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I also need a reason to withdraw. If two of the three of this country¡¯s dukes oppose the joint investigation, I can say we have no choice but to call it off.¡± I shook my head in disbelief. ¡°So this is all for your twisted entertainment?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not entertainment¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, a wide grin spread across his face. ¡°It¡¯s my entire life, Your Highness.¡± *** Duke Herman made sure his family¡¯s top knights followed at a steady pace. Two hundred in total. With the addition of the Marquis¡¯ elite knights, the number swelled to four hundred. ¡°There are four of them¡­¡­ If you take one and I take another, the younger ones can handle the rest.¡± ¡°Stay sharp. We may outnumber them, but they are Imperial Masters.¡± Duke Herman furrowed his brow as he muttered. ¡°Heheheh. We don¡¯t have much time, so I¡¯ll make the first move.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Then I¡¯ll cover your back.¡± Just as their energy was peaking¡ª Step, step, step. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened in shock. The oppressive tension shattered by the sound of footsteps. Even Duke Serin turned around, puzzled. The sound hade from behind him. ¡°Count¡­¡­?¡± But before Duke Serin could finish his question¡ª sh! Marquis Foltaine vanished from where he stood. He charged like lightning towards the summit. ¡°You insolent bastard!¡± His enraged roar followed. Everything happened so quickly that no one had time to react. aang! Steel met steel with a deafening sh. Sparks flew everywhere, briefly illuminating the surroundings. ¡°¡­¡­Interesting.¡± Count Kaiman raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. ¡°So¡­¡­ You¡¯ve been hiding your strength, Marquis Foltaine.¡± ¡°Where is the boy!?¡± ¡°The boy? Ahh¡­¡­¡± Still locked in a sh, Count Kaiman gave a sly smile. ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re this upset because of the prince? Enough to reveal a secret you¡¯ve hidden for so long?¡± ¡°Answer me!¡± ¡°Hahaha. This keeps getting more interesting.¡± Bam! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s eyes widened. Count Kaiman had kicked him square in the stomach. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine groaned. The move might have seemed easy enough, but he knew better¡ªit was far from it. They had been locked in a sh of strength, each using their full force to maintain bnce. With both legs firmly nted, their focus was entirely on the weapons they held. And yet, in the midst of that struggle, Count Kaiman had managed to lift one leg and strike. ¡®It¡¯s like removing a key pir from a building mid-construction.¡¯ Despite that, Count Kaiman had lost no ground. In fact, he had pushed the marquis back. It meant his physical strength and bnce were perfect. ¡®¡­¡­This fight¡­¡­ might not go as nned.¡¯ Marquis Foltaine, shaking off his thoughts, gave a rxed smile. ¡°Heheheh. Perhaps I should¡¯ve already kicked the bucket. It sure is good to be young.¡± ¡°I myself have no desire to torment a powerless old man. Let¡¯s leave it here¡ªgo on, head up the mountain.¡± ¡°What?¡± Marquis Foltaine blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected statement. But what came next left him even more baffled. ¡°You three over there! We¡¯re heading straight back to the pce!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A suffocating silence descended. Count Kaiman¡¯s words were not empty, he acted upon them. At that very moment, the Imperial forces vanished, one after another. ¡°What in the world¡­¡­!¡± Just then, Marquess Foltaine¡¯s eyes widened. He had just caught sight of me, who had just happened to being down from the summit. ¡°You! Are you unharmed?¡± ¡°Of course. Whose foster son do you think I am?¡± As his expression brightened with relief, I turned my gaze to another person. ¡°More importantly, I think we have something to discuss.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin, meeting my eyes, narrowed his gaze. He didn¡¯t say anything aloud, but his expression said it all: -What happened with Count Kaiman? How did you walk away unscathed? I gave a casual shrug. ¡°Curious about what we talked about up there?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The curiosity will keep you up at night, won¡¯t it?¡± Duke Serin brushed his hair back with a sigh. ¡°¡­¡­Well, if things were resolved smoothly between those involved, I guess that¡¯s all that matters. My job was just to ensure he met with Your Highness in the first ce, after all.¡± This meant he now had a solid foothold within the Empire. Even if everyone knew his true motives, no one could afford to sever ties with Duke Serin. Especially not when the pce¡¯s politicalndscape was already so unstable. If Duke Serin were to align fully with Duke Kairos at this point, things would escte for the worst. From Duke Serin¡¯s perspective? Even if the Empire took full control of the pce, it wouldn¡¯t matter to him. With this favor, he had secured a clean te. ¡®A true politician, through and through.¡¯ Watching Duke Serin, I couldn¡¯t help but think he seemed like the kind of man willing to do anything¡ªno matter how underhanded¡ªto secure his position. And I already knew why. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t people, as human beings, avoid causing harm to others just because they were once harmed?¡± For the briefest moment, Duke Serin faltered, then gave a dryugh. ¡°If you feel wronged, then get stronger. The only reason others walk over you is because you¡¯re powerless. You¡¯d do well to learn that now, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I was walked over because I was powerless¡­¡­ I see. So that¡¯s why it happened to me, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Count Kaiman raised an eyebrow, puzzled. -Walked over? What are you talking about? His expression seemed to be asking me. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit embarrassing to say this myself, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Duke Serin, after you left, Count Kaiman started stripping in front of me. His pants, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Serin¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Wh-What nonsense are you spouting now?¡± Even Marquis Foltaine, standing nearby, couldn¡¯t keep his voice from trembling. ¡°What I¡¯ll say from now on is the absolute truth. I swear it on my honor and my mana.¡± ¡°Th-Then what?¡± ¡°He trembled as he looked at me and told me he couldn¡¯t hold back any longer.¡± ¡°That lunatic¡­¡­!¡± Marquis Foltaine whipped his head around, scanning the mountain path below. Of course, Count Kaiman was already gone. ¡°He said he wanted to raise me a bit more before enjoying me properly. He even tried to brainwash himself to endure it. And that¡¯s why he let me live.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ugh¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman, who had been listening quietly, closed his eyes tightly. In moments like these, my newly acquired face came in handy. It gave credibility to my words that words alone couldn¡¯t. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can confirm it with Count Kaiman yourself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A suffocating silence settled over the group once again. I hadn¡¯t told a single lie. However, I also didn¡¯t given any further exnation. That was for what came next. ¡°Duke Serin, what do you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you feel even the slightest bit of guilt toward me now?¡± There was no need to hear his answer. The way his pupils trembled uncontrobly told me everything. *** Chapter 117 Chapter 117 ¨C Force Majeure (1) ¡®Duke Serin, you truly are a pitiable person.¡¯ I meant it. The weak suffer because theyck power. I couldn¡¯t help but feel pity for someone who could only view the world from that perspective. ¡®Even though I understand how you feel, I just can¡¯t agree with what you said.¡¯ There are people in this world who, no matter how hard they try, can never attain power on their own. Haven¡¯t I seen it firsthand in the people around me? Harun, born the son of a poor serf, yearned to be stronger, but was held back by his environment. If fate hadn¡¯t brought him to me, he would still be living as a ve to some noble family. What about Winley and her siblings? Though born of noble blood, they were on the brink of losing their father to a force far greater than theirs. That¡¯s just how rtive ¡®power¡¯ is. And Andy¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­He was killed by those in power before he even had the chance to be strong.¡¯ Yes. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t agree with the Duke¡¯s words. ¡°¡­¡­Heheheh.¡± Andy didn¡¯t suffer because hecked strength. He suffered simply because he had the misfortune of being born to a pitiful father, withered before being able to bloom. This is what you would call a ¡®force majeure¡¯¡ªan irresistible force. Something that no amount of personal effort could ever change, much like a natural disaster. After all, no matter what you do, you can¡¯t change your parents. ¡°So, let me ask you again. Can you dismiss what happened to me or to you as something beyond our control?¡± Duke Serin had been assaulted at the age of nine. Not much younger than I am now. ¡°Or ¡®Since I endured it, so should you. Tough it out.¡¯ Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And yet, as an adult now, don¡¯t you feel ashamed of saying such things?¡± Duke Serin stared at me with a sunken gaze. ¡°¡­¡­The world is a ce where you live alone. It¡¯s a cruel world where even parents can¡¯t be trusted.¡± A fitting response from someone who had been assaulted by his parents and siblings. ¡°Surely, you can rte, Your Highness?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m saying this.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Because I went through that pain. If I ever have children, I will make sure I never be that kind of parent.¡± Duke Serin visibly flinched. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be heartbreaking if my child grew up like us¡ªming the world and their parents, filled with resentment for the rest of their life?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Because I suffered, I want to create a better world, at least for my children.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It alles down to the environment. Children who grow up loved behave and think differently from people like you or me. Adults say it all the time, don¡¯t they? That¡¯s why they tell you to find a partner from a happy family.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If I ever have a daughter, I¡¯ll make sure she never marries someone like us, whose soul is stained ck.¡± Thatst remark was meant as a joke. And perhaps it worked, because Duke Serin let out a faint chuckle. ¡°So, you¡¯re fourteen this year, right?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know your own age?¡± ¡°When life wears you down, you tend to forget things like that.¡± ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re something else. Everything you say is so out of ce for your age. You¡¯ve thought about things I¡¯ve never even considered¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin trailed off, but a gentle smile crept onto his face. ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re quite amusing, I must admit.¡± His voice was as soft as a whisper. Soon, Duke Serin¡¯s usual expression returned. ¡°Now, tell me honestly. What really happened up there?¡± ¡°It was as I said.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I didn¡¯t realize Count Kaiman was such trash.¡± For a fleeting moment, contempt flickered across the Duke¡¯s face. ¡°Then, Your Grace, would you help me get rid of that deranged molester?¡± Duke Serin¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Tough it out, Your Highness.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Tch.¡± As he threw my own words back at me, I clicked my tongue. Clearly, my words weren¡¯t enough just yet. Meanwhile, at the Arsene estate. ¡°Phew¡­¡­¡± In the grand training ground, thick beads of sweat dripped from the tip of Harun¡¯s chin. ¡°Harun is seriously relentless.¡± ¡°Out of all of us, he¡¯s probably the most tenacious. I thought I was pretty hardworking, but I¡¯m nothingpared to him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I agree.¡± Kirian, Winley, and Jan muttered in turn as they watched from the sidelines. Indeed, Harun was the most diligent in his training among the four of them. Though everyone was working hard, Harun¡¯s intensity was unmatched. ¡°¡­¡­He told me something like this before.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The others turned toward Kirian. ¡°He said that since he started from a different point, he has no choice but to work harder than we do.¡± Kirian and Harun were the same age, and despite the difference in their social status, they had be friends. As such, they often had honest conversations like this. ¡°Harun said something that mature¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Are you talking about me?¡± Winley flinched at the familiar voice. Unnoticed, Harun had finished his training and approached them. ¡°Harun, aren¡¯t you pushing yourself too hard? At this rate, you¡¯ll catch up with me in no time.¡± Winley joked, wearing a sheepish expression. ¡°¡­¡­Honestly, I was frustrated.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Frustrated that I couldn¡¯t even follow Master and was treated as nothing more than a burden.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The air grew heavy. ¡°Remember what Your Highness said before? That we need to be stronger if we want to repay Master. Otherwise, we¡¯d only be a hindrance.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yeah, I did say that.¡± Winley nodded with a solemn expression. ¡°The truth is, I¡¯m a firm believer in fate.¡± ¡°¡­¡­All of a sudden?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always thought that a person¡¯s fate is determined at birth. Early fortune is dictated entirely by one¡¯s parents. Even if I were born with talent, if I were born the son of a serf, my whole life would be spent farming. If not that, I¡¯d be a bandit or maybe a war mercenary¡ªa meat shield, at the end of the day. That¡¯s how everyone lived back in my vige. We just worked to get through the day, and the next.¡± None of the others could truly empathize with Harun¡¯s words. ¡°Then, I was captured and sold into very. At the time, I thought, ¡®This must also be my fate.¡¯ It was beyond my control¡ªsomething no amount of effort could change.¡± Harun gazed up at the sky. ¡°I resented the world. At times, I even resented my parents. As I lived each day like that, I slowly lost all attachment to life.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Harun¡­¡­¡± ¡°And then, I met someone¡ªan extraordinary benefactor, the kind you meet only once in a lifetime.¡± At the mention of this ¡®extraordinary benefactor¡¯, both Jan and Kirian flinched. They¡¯d never heard Harun speak this way before. ¡°I will repay him for what he did. He gave me the chance to dream again, to imagine a future that wasn¡¯t bleak and hopeless. He gave me hope. To me, he is like a god.¡± Harun¡¯s gazended on Winley. ¡°So I¡¯ve been thinking.¡± ¡°¡­¡­About what?¡± ¡°Your Highness said that bing stronger is just a means, not the goal itself. Getting stronger won¡¯t particrly benefit Master.¡± ¡°Yeah. I did say that.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡± Harun ced his fist over his heart. ¡°My dream is to be a knight. I told Master that from the beginning. Now that Master is on his way to bing a lord, I¡¯ll be his first knight. I¡¯ll devote my life to repaying him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s a pretty amazing dream.¡± At Winley¡¯s response, Harun looked around with a grin. ¡°Since I¡¯ve set my heart on it, I¡¯m not going to give that position to anyone else.¡± *** ¡°Well, until next time.¡± As soon as their descent from the mountain wasplete, Duke Serin returned to his grand mansion. ¡°Ugh, I really can¡¯t stand that guy.¡± Marquis Foltaine clicked his tongue as if he¡¯d been waiting for Duke Serin to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s head back and rest for the day.¡± ¡°Yes, I must be getting old. This simple hike up the mountain has worn me out.¡± With that, Duke Herman and Marquis Foltaine began to make their way home as well. ¡°What are you standing around for? Let¡¯s go, you fool.¡± But my gaze remained fixed on the path ahead. ¡°¡­¡­I think I¡¯ll postpone going home for now.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The two turned to follow my gaze. Beyond the dark road¡ª Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. ¡ªThe faint sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the ground. ¡°¡­¡­What is that?¡± ¡°From their attire¡­¡­ They look like royal knights.¡± At the mention of ¡®royal knights¡¯, a bitter smile crept across my face. ¡°¡­¡­It seems that crazy Count and Duke Serin aren¡¯t done with us yet.¡± Soon, a group of knights appeared before us, led by a man with a muscr, bald figure¡ªDuke Kairos. ¡°We¡¯ve been looking for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯ve been looking for us?¡± Duke Herman stepped forward, and Duke Kairos nodded. ¡°As you know, there was a fire at Twilight Pce. We¡¯d like to ask for your cooperation in the investigation.¡± ¡°What?¡± Duke Herman furrowed his brow. ¡°We only just returned to the capital. We weren¡¯t even there when the fire broke out. What kind of investigation is this?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have the luxury of knowing everyone¡¯s individual circumstances.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Duke Kairos, surely you¡¯re not trying to eliminate political rivals with such underhanded tactics?¡± Duke Herman¡¯s voice dripped with icy contempt. If not for Duke Herman holding him back, Marquis Foltaine would have likely charged at Duke Kairos. ¡°You misunderstand. The investigation concerns one person¡ªPrince Andrew von Meeke, and no one else.¡± ¡°What?¡± Marquis Foltaine bristled with fury. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. The prince was with us the whole time. He was struggling through the northern mountains, as you know, when the fire broke out!¡± ¡°And that¡¯s exactly what we aim to verify.¡± ¡°What nonsense¡­¡­!¡± Duke Kairos continued without missing a beat. ¡°When did he leave for ck Swan? When did he arrive? Who apanied him? Where was he when the fire broke out? Or¡­¡­ Did he even travel with you at all?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what an ¡®investigation¡¯ is¡ªa thorough process to rify the facts.¡± With that, Duke Kairos turned his gaze toward me. ¡°So please cooperate. If your alibi holds, you will be released immediately. There¡¯s no need to worry, Your Highness.¡± A crooked smile curled on my lips. ¡®They¡¯re not waiting for an opening to hammer a nail in¡ªthey¡¯re hammering the nail to make an opening.¡¯ Yes. This is politics. And I¡¯ve already stepped into this world. *** The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 118 Chapter 118 ¨C Force Majeure (2) A tense situation where a battle could erupt at any moment. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Everyone turned to look at me. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Marquis Foltaine asked, clearly caught off guard. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious? With all this preparation, don¡¯t you want to know what¡¯s in store?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You two don¡¯t need to worry. Just go home and rest. With such impressive patrons watching over me, they wouldn¡¯t really kill me, would they?¡± Only then did the two of them let out faint chuckles. ¡°True enough. I¡¯ll keep an eye on this investigation, just as Your Highness requested.¡± Duke Herman bowed politely, which was unusual for him. Even though his response was directed at me, both gazes remained fixed on Duke Kairos. However, the other person took it a step further. Boom! Suddenly, an overwhelming pressure was emitted from Marquis Foltaine, causing the royal guards to tense up instinctively. ¡°What in the world¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Did Marquis Foltaine learn swordsmanship?¡± ¡°W-With pressure like that¡­¡­ He must be a Master.¡± In an instant, all eyes were drawn to Marquis Foltaine. Soon after, one could even hear the sound of people nervously gulping. Even Duke Kairos had a stony expression. ¡°¡­¡­Marquis. I knew you were training secretly, but I never imagined it was to this extent.¡± ¡°Heheheh. So, you should see to it that my child is safely returned. I just happened to be out of training dummies at home, anyway.¡± Marquis Foltaine nced slyly at the royal guards, as if to say they might just serve as the perfect substitutes. But Duke Kairos was focused elsewhere. ¡°Your child? You mean the prince here?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? Abandoned even by his own parents, this poor child is now my adopted son.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Kairos fell silent. ¡°¡­¡­I just don¡¯t get it. I always thought of you as a highly rational person.¡± ¡°You mean a calcting miser. I don¡¯t mind, please speak your mind freely.¡± ¡°And yet, such a calcting person is acting so irrationally?¡± ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s more rational than you think.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Is it that irrational for a parent to protect their child?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± There was another long silence. Even the royal guards nced my way in surprise. ¡®This is a bit embarrassing¡­¡­¡¯ As I was thinking this. ¡°¡­¡­I see. I understand what you¡¯re saying. Although I can¡¯t say if this is worth risking your life over¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine grinned. ¡°My life isn¡¯t worth much anyway. So please, lend me your assistance, Your Grace.¡± ¡°What is it you¡¯re asking me to help with?¡± ¡°Mine is a life alreadyden with sins. Adding more would only increase my punishment in hell, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Duke Kairos chuckled softly. ¡°I¡¯ll send you a message in private, then.¡± ¡°As you should.¡± After briefly ring at Marquis Foltaine, Duke Kairos raised his voice. ¡°Escort the prince!¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯m off.¡± I headed into the pce with the royal guards. They called it an investigation room. An image popped into my head. A damp basement. A confined, enclosed space with a lone table in the middle. An intimidating investigator, and various metallic toolsid out to one side. But instead¡ª ¡°The investigation will take ce here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Duke Kairos had brought me to the training grounds. The royal guard¡¯s exclusive training grounds, a ce I was familiar with. ¡°The investigation is going to be done here?¡± ¡°Why? Is that strange to you?¡± ¡°Honestly, yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask you. Did you set fire to the Twilight Pce, Prince?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± Duke Kairos nodded. ¡°Then that¡¯s all. You¡¯re cleared of suspicion.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± This was just getting stranger. ¡®Surely, he¡¯s not the type to back down from a mere threat?¡¯ What was this old, cunning fox nning? ¡°What? Did you expect me to press you without evidence?¡± ¡°Well, I did think you¡¯d fabricate something if necessary.¡± Duke Kairos gestured toward the pce gates. ¡°Hardly. With your esteemed foster father watching, how could I?¡± A small smirk crept across my lips at his sarcasm. ¡°So, does that mean I¡¯m free to go?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Duke Kairos shook his head. ¡°Our business here may be finished, but there¡¯s another matter to discuss.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Another?¡± Step, step, step. It was at that moment¡ª A group appeared from the opposite side of the training grounds. ¡°¡­¡­Is that¡­¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only right to return a troublesome visitor to their family.¡± Duke Kairos lifted one corner of his mouth in a smirk, as if this had been his n all along. ¡°¡­¡­Aha. So this is your way of handling things without getting your hands dirty?¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± The new arrivals were a group from the Meeke Principality, led by Prince Enzi and Duke Veder, with ten knights in tow. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡± Duke Veder gave a respectful nod on behalf of the group. Duke Kairos responded with a nod of his own. ¡®What a spectacle they¡¯re making.¡¯ I sighed, shaking my head. ¡°You! How dare you hold your head so high, criminal! Kneel at once!¡± The 1st Prince Enzi suddenly shouted, practically throwing a tantrum. ¡®What¡¯s with him?¡¯ I was sure he¡¯d been taught a lessonst time. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± My brow soon furrowed. I¡¯d caught sight of where Prince Enzi¡¯s gaze was drifting. ¡°¡­¡­So that¡¯s what you¡¯re really after.¡± His eyes were fixed on the direction from which his group hade. As a reminder, the royal training grounds were close to the guest hall, where distinguished visitors were staying. Apparently alerted by themotion, the foreign guests were now peeking out of their windows. ¡®I suppose they¡¯re probably grateful for the unexpected entertainment amid their confinement.¡¯ After all, what¡¯s more entertaining than a fight, second only to a fire? ¡®And that fool over there is just eager to unt his might.¡¯ For the sake of a diplomatic meeting, all the key figures from every nation except the Empire were gathered at the pce. Opportunities like this were rare. ¡®This isn¡¯t just a show to teach me a lesson.¡¯ They were proiming to the other countries: Look at the newly reborn power of the Meeke Principality! Even in this situation, only Meeke canmand such privilege! ¡®¡­¡­Conversely, however¡­¡­¡¯ If I ruin their disy here, it¡¯ll be the long-awaitedeback of the 7th Prince. I stood, motionless, in the middle of the training ground as I entertained that amusing thought. ¡°You dare ignore me?! Kneel now and take on the stance of a criminal!¡± Shiiing. A faint metallic sound echoed around me. ¡°Kneel, Your Highness.¡± It was Duke Veder¡¯s voice. When he, a Master, unsheathed his de, even more heads appeared at the windows above us. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Looks like there¡¯s some trouble within Meeke¡¯s ranks?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Duke Veder, right? One of the three Masters in the Principality.¡± ¡°Well, well, this is getting interesting!¡± ¡°That pretty child¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t he the 7th Prince of the rumors?¡± Just then, lights red up around the rooms. Not only that. Boom! Boom! Boom! The lights installed near the training area for nighttime drills also came on, illuminating us. How considerate of the bald old man. I looked at the scene. ¡°Feels like we¡¯re on a stage.¡± I unintentionally voiced my honest impression. Spectators murmured on all sides. Actors filled the stage. All of it topped off by zing lights. ¡°Force him to kneel!¡± ng, ng! As I failed toply with themand, a dozen royal knights approached me, swords drawn. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you tell me my crimes first?¡± Before anyone could respond, Prince Enzi stepped forward. ¡°You think I came unprepared? Take a look at this!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I tilted my head, noticing a parchment in his hand. ¡°See this? It¡¯s an official document, stamped with the Meeke Royal Seal!¡± Was it because there were so many onlookers? Prince Enzi raised his voice, as if asserting that he was in the right. ¡°Andrew von Meeke! This is your official lordship appointment order!¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°There¡¯s even a deadline clearly stated on it! ording to this, you were supposed to be officially inaugurated in your territory as of yesterday!¡± Prince Enzi wore a smug expression as he finished. ¡°In other words, you disobeyed a royal order. The fact that you¡¯re here is proof enough! Are you going to deny it?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°An inauguration on barrennd? You¡¯re kidding. I might as well hold my own hands in a one-man wedding while I¡¯m at it, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I interlocked my own fingers together defiantly. Snickers came from around us. ¡°And why did you leave out the part where that territory¡¯s known as the ¡®ck Swan¡¯ or ¡®Death Valley¡¯? Guess that detail was embarrassing for you, huh?¡± ¡°Ack¡­¡­!¡± Prince Enzi¡¯s face turned bright red. ¡°Silence! Are you still refusing toply with the royal order?!¡± Rumble! At Duke Veder¡¯s shout, killing intent poured in from all sides,ing from the knights aiming their des at me. ¡°So that¡¯s the issue then? That I didn¡¯t go to my assigned territory?¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s right! Now you understand your crime?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say, but I have a response for that.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Not only have I gone to my territory, I also gathered the people residing there and came up with a n to build a city.¡± For a second, Prince Enzi looked dumbfounded. ¡°What kind of bullshit is that? A city on that wastnd?¡± ¡°Even you seem to know how ridiculous it sounds. Anyway, I made sure to nt the Meeke Principality¡¯s g firmly there. So you have no grounds to use me.¡± ¡°I-Impossible! You expect me to believe that!?¡± Duke Veder finally stepped forward, unable to hold back. ¡°¡­¡­Your Highness, do you really expect me to believe that? Again, this is a royal order. If you¡¯re trying to get out of this situation by lying¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you check for yourself?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Veder closed his mouth. ¡°Why? You sent a child there to die, but you¡¯re afraid to go there yourself?¡± Duke Veder, who was furrowing his brows, was about to say something in rebuttal, when¡ª ¡°If that¡¯s the case, isn¡¯t the Prince innocent?¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s a power struggle, threatening so tantly is a bit¡­¡­ In the end, he¡¯s still a young child.¡± ¡°Everyone knows that the Queen of Meeke has a vicious personality. They say she already killed off the 3rd through 6th Princes in simr ways.¡± ¡°It would be a waste to kill that child, though! Especially with such a lovely face¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Is appearance really what you¡¯re focusing on in this situation?¡± Duke Veder clenched his jaw in silence. He had finally realized the gravity of the situation. It was alreadymon knowledge that the Queen had eliminated the other heirs to the throne. However, that should have been regarded as merely a conspiracy theory; having it brought up like this was problematic. ¡°¡­¡­Phew.¡± Duke Veder took a deep breath. ¡°Would Your Highness believe me if you were in my shoes? After all, that ce is called ¡®Death Valley¡¯.¡± In the end, he decided to admit what needed to be admitted. It was a remark made to add legitimacy to his words. The focus of the trial was that ¡®the 7th Prince disobeyed a royal order¡¯. Nothing more, nothing less. ¡°D-Death Valley?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the military bordend where war broke out with the Hart Kingdom? The ce where the nonhumans reside¡­¡­¡± ¡°So the Queen nned his death!¡± However, it backfired. Duke Veder shut his eyes. There was no use crying over spilt milk. ¡°Answer me!¡± ¡°And if I say ¡®yeah!¡¯ you¡¯ll believe me?¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Not. You wouldn¡¯t. So ask around. There were a lot of people who went there with me. For example, Duke Herman, Marquis Foltaine, or Marquis Milon.¡± Without hesitation, Duke Veder shook his head. ¡°The credibility of those three is low. It¡¯s well known that they¡¯re on your side, Your Highness.¡± ¡°This is exhausting. Can we just cut to the chase?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just looking for an excuse to do as you please. At the end of the day, you just want to brand me as a criminal. Right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Veder¡¯s gaze turned icy. He could no longer let this insolent tongue do as it pleased. There were simply too many eyes watching, and the audience was no longer an advantage to him. ¡°¡­¡­This is your final warning. Kneel. And follow the appropriate procedures. I will personally judge the matter as the responsible party.¡± At his words, the knights approached me again, waiting to strike. ¡°You should¡¯ve just done this from the start.¡± Shiiing. I calmly drew my sword from its sheath. ¡°It would¡¯ve been simpler if you started this way. I could¡¯ve just beat you all down without having to waste my breath.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± *** Chapter 119 Chapter 119 ¨C Force Majeure (3) Were they wary of onlookers? The ten knights forming a circle around were hesitant to make any sudden moves. Suddenly, one of them darted forward to confront me. ¡®That damn chivalry again.¡¯ A smirk crept up my lips. This is why. This is why I regard chivalry as nothing more than a funeral for the living. ¡°¡­¡­If you were my men, you¡¯d all be in coffins by now.¡± But just then¡ª ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡± A thunderous voice boomed through the air. It was none other than Duke Veder, who had some awareness of my strength. ¡°We¡¯re here to arrest a criminal! Do you think this is some sparring match?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The ten knights, taken aback by the rebuke, finally began to briskly close in around me. ¡°If only you¡¯de at me like this from the start.¡± With my sword drawn, I drifted into thought. A sword technique effective for taking on multiple opponents at once. Several came to mind right away. ¡®Yes, that one should do.¡¯ A technique I remembered specifically because of the word ¡®inauguration¡¯. ¡®Come to think of it, I never gave my deputy a proper appointment ceremony.¡¯ Watch closely, Trevor. The swordy I¡¯m about to show is my own way of offering you encouragement. ¡®And¡­¡­ Brace yourself, Empire.¡¯ I was certain that somewhere, the Empire¡¯s eyes were on this scene. ¡®I personally verified that the Swordsman of Illusions had lost his limbs, but his spirit remains unbroken.¡¯ Slowly, I took up the basic stance of the swordsmanship I had in mind. ¡°Form a defensive line!¡± At Duke Veder¡¯s order. ng! ng! ng! The ten knights moved as one, their discipline impressive enough to draw admiration. Not a single hint of disorder could be seen. ¡®The atmosphere here is definitely different from Verdant Vale.¡¯ Well, what could you expect from bandits who have no sense of decorum? Their backgrounds were as varied as their conduct. But these men were different. Each one was a properly trained knight. Moreover, they were among the principality¡¯s finest, tasked with the vital duty of guarding the 1st Prince. ¡®I can feel it.¡¯ The Expert-level energy each knight radiated pricked my skin. This would be the perfect moment to pair my words of encouragement with a suitable gift. But then, a minor issue came up. ¡°Where will I find another sword?¡± The Swordsman of Illusions was known for his dual-wielding style, after all. ¡°What to do¡­¡­¡± I pondered briefly but concluded it shouldn¡¯t be much of an issue. After all, Trevor could no longer dual wield. ¡®I could think of this as a kind of rebirth, and refine the swordsmanship to suit him better.¡¯ My body was moving on its own, faster than my mind. Soon, I held the sword upright, level with my chest. The tip pointed skyward. ¡®Conceal it.¡¯ Hummm! Simultaneously, a powerful resonant sound echoed from the de. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Was he perhaps rmed by the sight? ¡°Make him kneel! If he resists, you may slice off a limb!¡± Only one person could give an order like that to royalty. The 1st Prince Enzi pointed a finger at me. Step, step, step! At his signal, the knights rushed me from all directions. ¡°¡­¡­Idiots.¡± Once again, a smirk crept up my lips. ¡®They should have stopped my dance before the stage was set.¡¯ Ssss. ¡°What!?¡± By then, my mana-induced vapor had thickened, shrouding the area around us. Their confusion followed quickly. By now, their vision of ¡®me¡¯ would have started to blur. ¡®Light is a curious thing. Depending on the angle and refraction, an object¡¯s shape can appear altered or even vanish.¡¯ I recalled the subtleties of the swordsmanship. -What is an illusion? -A hallucination in which lies appear as truth through sensory deception. -In other words, it¡¯s any phenomenon that deceives all five senses. -True ¡®illusion¡¯ doesn¡¯t just deceive sight; it maniptes sound, smell, and all other bodily senses as well. ¡®As your lord, I¡¯m breaking my back here, so there¡¯s no way I¡¯d let you rest just because you¡¯re missing a limb, Trevor.¡¯ My sword began to sway and dance. ¡®Even if you only have one sword, you don¡¯t need to abandon your technique, Trevor.¡¯ The vapor around us grew even denser with each swing. Erase your presence. Hide within the illusion. Strike the confused enemies in their back. The Illusionary Dance, First Chapter, revised. ¡®Twin Rainbow.¡¯ Puff! In the blink of an eye, my figure vanished like smoke. ¡°Wh-Where did he go!?¡± ¡°Magic¡­¡­?¡± ¡°He was right there just a moment ago¡­¡­!¡± While hidden in the world¡¯s shadows, I gazed intently at them. I continued to use my sword to deflect, reflect, and disperse light. With the help of the mana vapor, it was no difficult feat. The colors surrounding me shimmered like a rainbow in the sky. ¡®Rainbows look different depending on the viewer¡¯s position.¡¯ Sometimes, they can even disappear entirely. That¡¯s why this dance move is called the Twin Rainbow. Though, it¡¯ll need a new name now. It¡¯s not dual-wielding, but a secret technique I developed with a single sword. ¡®Name your gift yourself, Trevor.¡¯ Only I could see it clearly. In the hidden realms of this world, I could see the enemies¡¯ bewildered expressions as they whipped their heads around. Whack! ¡°Argh!¡± I swung the back of my sword against the back of the head of the guy right in front of me. That was the beginning. Smack! ¡°Ack!¡± Bam! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± One by one, the enemies fell with a scream. Many of them fainted without even getting a chance to act. Every hit struck squarely on the back of their heads. In an instant, nearly half of them were down. ¡°What are you all doing!? How could knights rely only on their eyes to track an opponent!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you feel that overwhelming presence!? You might as well close your eyes! Even if you can¡¯t hear it, smell it, or see it! Maintaining that illusion requires ¡®mana¡¯!¡± The voice of Duke Veder rang out. ¡®He¡¯s half right.¡¯ As expected of a master, he could see through the essence of the swordmanship. Of course, this sword technique makes even the presence of mana fade as one¡¯s skill grows. ¡°And¡­¡­ It¡¯s already toote.¡± Ignoring him, I kept moving my feet swiftly. Thwack! ¡°Ugh!¡± Three more fell in quick session. Even if they closed their eyes and swung their swords wildly, how would they adapt simply by willing it? People can¡¯t easily adapt to something they¡¯ve never seen. ¡®Only two left.¡¯ The remaining ones were now desperately trying to ¡®sense¡¯ me. Ssss. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At that moment, I stopped moving. ¡°Huh!?¡± Seeing me suddenly appear right before him, one of them froze in shock. Crack! I struck his cheek with the t of my sword. ¡°Get a grip, will you?¡± Thud! The knight¡¯s eyes rolled back into his head and copsed. ¡°Hmph¡­¡­ Who were you trying to capture with only this much strength?¡± ¡°Wh-What is the world¡­¡­?¡± Thest one looked at me with trembling eyes. ¡°Attention.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? You won¡¯t stand at attention?¡± The knight flinched and trembled in fear, but that was all. Despite his fear, he didn¡¯t let go of his sword to the end. ¡°If you wanted to capture me, your leader should havee in person. A bunch of weaklings like you won¡¯t cut it, no matter how manye.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The knight bit his lip, clearly unwilling to admit it but unable to deny what he¡¯d seen. ¡°D-Did you see that?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see a thing¡­¡­ One moment the knights were up, and the next, they were all down.¡± ¡°I saw it! Prince Andrew vanished like a mirage!¡± ¡°What if he just moved so fast we couldn¡¯t see him?¡± ¡°My word¡­¡­ So the 7th Prince was hiding such skills.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a matter of survival, who wouldn¡¯t go to any lengths? He must have watched his brothers fall, one after the other.¡± By now, the whole guest pce was abuzz. ¡°¡­¡­Stand down, Harksen.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, sir.¡± With a small voice, thest knight quickly retreated as though he¡¯d been waiting for this chance. ¡°So you¡¯ve finally decided to step in yourself.¡± I quietly watched the man approaching with steady steps. One of two. No, one of three Masters in the Meeke Principality ¡®It¡¯s a bit early to face someone of that caliber, but¡­¡­¡¯ Can I do it? ¡®¡­¡­No, I have to.¡¯ In my current state, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to win. But I needed to hold my ground for at least a few exchanges. By then, those watching from the shadows would step in to stop the fight. Whether it was a lunatic psycho trying to fatten me up or a bald-headed official trying to prevent things from getting worse. ¡®I don¡¯t know how many of a Master¡¯s strikes I can block with this young body of mine.¡¯ But apart from worry, I also felt a surge of pure curiosity. It was my first time facing a true Master in this era. ¡®I suppose I really am a martial artist at heart. To feel a thrill at a time like this¡­¡­¡± Just five steps away now. A range where a single swing could take my head off. -sh! It was Duke Veder who made the first move. ¡®I can see it!¡¯ aang! Once again, my body reacted faster than my mind. Sword against sword in a fierce sh. Sparks brighter than the surrounding lights scattered in all directions. ng! aang! Left to right. Top to bottom. I moved instinctively. My blood pumping as if my heart would burst. ¡®What¡­¡­ Are you!?¡¯ Duke Veder was staring at me, beyond astonishment, his face frozen in disbelief. But I had no time to revel in his reaction. ¡®My left shoulder!¡¯ Hummm! A deep, resonant sound echoed in my ears. ¡®Sword spirit?¡¯ My face crumpled. A technique several levels above mere sword energy. A power only masters possessed. A force said to cut through iron as if it were paper. ¡®So you n to cut off my arm?¡¯ My palm was soaked in sweat. I couldn¡¯t afford to meet that brutal sword head-on. If I did, I¡¯d lose both my sword and my arm. ¡®As much as it stings my pride, dodging is my only option¡­¡­¡¯ aang! Suddenly, a deafening roar resounded, rendering my dilemma meaningless. A new sword had unexpectedlye between us. ¡®Who?¡¯ Instinctively, I thought of Duke Herman or Marquis Foltaine, but the silhouette of the figure before me was unfamiliar to me. Unlike them, the person had long, flowing hair. It shimmered under the moonlight, giving off a soft radiance. ¡°¡­¡­What am I to make of this?¡± The identity of the figure surprised me. ¡°Duke Serin.¡± Duke Veder¡¯s voice rang out, filled with suppressed rage. ¡°My apologies. I happened to get a scolding for the first time in a while.¡± ¡°Scolded? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t it the role of adults to protect the young?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Veder¡¯s eyes narrowed, and at the same time, I sent a thought into Duke Serin¡¯s mind. -I know you¡¯re not such a kind person. What¡¯s the real reason you¡¯re helping me? -Comining even when I¡¯m helping? -There¡¯s a saying¡ªnever trust a favor thates without a price. Only then did Duke Serin shrug. -You made quite an impression. -Excuse me? -A young one who doesn¡¯t flinch and stands strong, even before adults or older siblings who only care about their own gain. Aha. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. -So you feel relieved, don¡¯t you? Reminiscent of the past, too, I¡¯d suppose. -¡­¡­ After a pause, Duke Serin¡¯s thoughts returned. -With this, I¡¯ve repaid the debt, young prince. I swallowed back my retort about him solving the problem he¡¯d created in the first ce. Atst, I was starting to understand his nature. ¡®You lead a tiring life, Duke Serin.¡¯ Politicians always keep several ways out in preparation of the unexpected, after all. *** The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 120 Chapter 120 ¨C Sense of Belonging (1) The person most affected by all of the happenings was someone else. ¡®Just what¡­¡­?¡¯ Duke Veder gritted his teeth¡ªhe¡¯d already drawn his sword, and he couldn¡¯t just put it back into his sheath. ¡®Just what is it about Prince Andrew that draws in the people around him?¡¯ The fact that he¡¯d hidden his skills? Well, the recent incident had made that obvious enough. Or was it the personality change, as if he¡¯d be a different person? Humans don¡¯t remain the same forever. Yes. They are like nature. As time passes, the mind grows along with the body. So although it was surprising, it wasn¡¯t exactly unheard of. ¡®But how am I supposed to take this?¡¯ There are times when people gather around a particr figure without that person doing anything at all. From experience, such phenomena often have little to do with sheer strength. Of course, it would be incorrect to say it¡¯spletely irrelevant, but it¡¯s not everything. Otherwise, the world would be ruled by brute tyrants. ¡®The power to attract people. That¡¯s a talent, too.¡¯ And even more so, an essential one for a ¡®ruler¡¯. ¡°Stop right this instant!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At the sound of a thunderous voice, Duke Veder snapped out of his thoughts. A certain old man was storming toward them with an intimidating presence. Of course, he already knew who the old man was. ¡°Marquis Foltaine¡­¡­¡± And that wasn¡¯t all. Swish! ¡°Wha-!?¡± Was he trying to draw everyone¡¯s attention to himself? A man leaped gracefully, cutting through the night sky andnding lightly on the training field under the moonlight. ¡°That¡¯s enough, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Duke Herman, as well¡­¡­¡± ¡°I have no particr desire to interfere in your country¡¯s affairs, but let¡¯s remember that this is thend of the Hart Kingdom.¡± More importantly, tonight¡¯s highlight was yet toe. Clunk, clunk, clunk! Before he knew it, a group had encircled the entire training ground. Seeing them, Duke Veder immediately realized what was happening. The group was none other than the royal knights of this kingdom, who had stepped aside earlier. ¡°Duke Veder, I believe this may be going too far.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Veder gaped in disbelief at the audacious tone of the voice that addressed him. Because it was none other than Duke Kairos. ¡°I gave permission for a necessary investigation, not for murder or assault. If punishment is required during the investigation, wouldn¡¯t it be a matter of courtesy to return to your own country to carry it out?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± With Duke Kairos drawing a firm line, Duke Veder was almost beside himself with rage. ¡®Are you saying that after witnessing this madness!?¡¯ ¡®Can¡¯t you see the situation is different now?¡¯ ¡®You were always pushing me to act before, weren¡¯t you!?¡¯ ¡®Ultimately, the choice was yours. Don¡¯t me me. I only offered to help with good intentions.¡¯ ¡®Hmph. Now I see clearly that our rtionship is a shallow one that changes with the situation!¡¯ The twomunicated swiftly through their expressions alone. Duke Veder, of course, wanted to explode in anger. But speaking out now would only worsen the situation. The Hart Kingdom¡¯s high nobles had united in their stance. ¡°Sigh¡­¡­¡± With a low sigh, Duke Veder looked up at the night sky. There was only one answer left for him. ¡°Wake the men. We¡¯re withdrawing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The knight standing alone immediately stood at attention. ¡°Understood!¡± *** As soon as they withdrew, Prince Enzi, the 1st Prince of the Meeke Principality, erupted with frustration. ¡°How could we retreat like that!?¡± ¡°There was no choice, Your Highness.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already received official orders from the homnd! The pce is aware of our situation here, so how am I supposed to report back like this!?¡± ¡°Your Highness, as I mentioned earlier, withdrawing was the best course of action given the circumstances¡­¡­¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Bang! Prince Enzi mmed his fist down onto the table. It wasn¡¯t as though he didn¡¯t understand. He, too, had eyes and ears. ¡°What¡­¡­ What am I supposed to tell Mother?¡± The 1st Prince¡¯s voice, oddly enough, held a tinge of fear. At the same time, Duke Veder sighed. ¡®Knowing the Queen¡¯s character, she¡¯d probably make sure that His Highness wouldn¡¯t step outside the pce for at least a year, even if he¡¯s the crown prince.¡¯ No, in the worst case, the crown prince¡¯s position itself might be in jeopardy. His dignity had crumbledpletely in front of such arge crowd of spectators. ¡®It¡¯s not like there aren¡¯t alternatives. Her Majesty might even give the second prince a chance¡­¡­¡¯ Of course, Duke Veder knew that he wouldn¡¯t be free of responsibility either. Right then. ¡°¡­¡­We need to kill Andrew.¡± Duke Veder flinched, looking back in shock. ¡°Your Highness, are you serious?¡± ¡°Do you know why I, who is less skilled than Enma, was ultimately recognized by my mother?¡± Prince Enzi smiled bitterly. ¡°You could call it diplomacy, or just say I¡¯m extremely perceptive.¡± ¡°Perceptive¡­¡­¡± Duke Veder looked at him in surprise. ¡°Not only me, but everyone knows that Mother sent Andrew to Death Valley to die. Her reason was clear. He would only be an obstacle to her own children¡¯s ascension to the throne. She wanted to remove that thorn in her side.¡± It was indeedmon knowledge. ¡°But imagine her soning back empty-handed instead of meeting her expectations. Would she just let me be?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you understand, Your Grace.¡± The 1st Prince Enzi¡¯s eyes sparkled with an unknown madness. ¡°So he must die. Absolutely, he must die! While we¡¯re in this country, by whatever means necessary!¡± Duke Veder sighed inwardly. This was the power of rule by fear. Without needing to lift a finger, everyone would act on their own out of sheer terror. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ll need you to remain here for a day.¡± In other words, the result of my actions was a sentence of one day in solitary confinement. ¡°I¡¯m the victim, so why does it feel like I¡¯m the one being punished?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. It¡¯s not a punishment. It¡¯s just a necessary measure to assess the situation.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°To avoid getting caught up in other people¡¯s battles, we need to conduct ourselves properly too, don¡¯t we?¡± With a softened expression, Duke Kairos continued. ¡°Just give me one day. I¡¯ll handle things with them and wrap up the investigation.¡± ¡°Well, I understand for now.¡± ¡°And¡­¡­¡± Duke Kairos, on his way out, turned with a meaningful smile. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m genuinely impressed. I¡¯d heard the rumors, but I never imagined the prince would be this powerful at such a young age.¡± ¡°Thank you for thepliment.¡± ¡°The future of our kingdom looks bright. With a son-inw as strong as you, thete king would have felt reassured seeing this¡­¡­ It¡¯s truly unfortunate.¡± Thatstment sounded suspiciously like a veiled threat. ¡°Get some rest, for now.¡± Boom! With that, Duke Kairos left the room. I was about to lie down on the bed when¡ª Knock, knock, knock. Another visitor arrived, catching me mid-recline. ¡°May Ie in?¡± The unwee guest was Duke Serin. ¡°Well, it seems I won¡¯t be getting any sleep tonight.¡± ¡°After causing such amotion, did you think you could sleep peacefully?¡± Without waiting for permission, Duke Serin approached the table and sat down. I sighed and took the seat across from him. ¡°You surprised me quite a bit.¡± ¡°Duke Kairos had a simr reaction.¡± ¡°In that vein, may I offer you one more piece of advice, Your Highness?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Whenever you see me, you always seem inclined to give advice, Your Grace.¡± ¡°I do it because I find it unfortunate.¡± ¡°People don¡¯t feel pity for strangers they have no connection to.¡± I met Duke Serin¡¯s gaze directly. ¡°You feel a sense of kinship, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I deliberately framed ¡®politics¡¯ as kinship. Since he had helped me, it was only right for me to respect his pride. After a moment of silent tension, he broke into a soft chuckle. ¡°Hahaha. Let¡¯s call it that, then.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll listen to your advice carefully.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯ll need to take it to heart, Your Highness¡ªif you want to keep it beating for a long time.¡± Duke Serin¡¯s gaze shed with intense light. ¡°Debts must always be repaid, especially grudges. Even if the one you owe is family.¡± ¡°So, it wasn¡¯t advice but rather a ploy to lead me to ruin?¡± ¡°The real ruin woulde if you fail to heed my advice.¡± Duke Serin shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Now that the entire continent knows your true colors, and not just the Meeke Principality, what do you think your own country will do to you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t actually expect them to apud you for your aplishments, do you?¡± Duke Serin smiled wryly as he finished his sentence. ¡°A bright young prince like you will understand what I¡¯m implying.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll keep your words in mind, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Thank you for listening without taking it the wrong way.¡± I inteced my fingers and leaned forward. ¡°Shall we talk about business now?¡± ¡°Business?¡± ¡°Allow me to be direct. I need your help.¡± Duke Serin¡¯s smile grew slightly wider. ¡°I may have already settled my debt by rescuing you from that wretched ce, haven¡¯t I?¡± ¡°It was none other than you who created that situation, Your Grace. No one would throw a child into the den of human traffickers and then consider their rescue as repayment. Not if they had even a shred of conscience.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin looked at me intently for a while. ¡°Your request is to drive out Count Kaiman, isn¡¯t it? But I¡¯ll tell you now¡ªI won¡¯t meddle in Imperial affairs. I¡¯d rather avoid attracting the emperor¡¯s ire.¡± I shrugged. ¡°You misunderstand. That¡¯s not my request.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Duke Serin tilted his head, intrigued. ¡°Then it¡¯s something else?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s something more important than that.¡± He was bound to be curious by now. ¡°¡­¡­What is this request?¡± ¡°Would you help me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so foolish as to agree before hearing the details.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much.¡± I replied, acting as though it really was trivial. ¡°I just want to put your advice into practice.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°As you know, I share simr hardships with you, and I am set on following the same path.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Serin¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°So, to take your advice to heart, lend me your support. Help me repay that worthless sibling in full¡ªlet¡¯s make it a grand repayment.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°With your support, don¡¯t you think I can make my revenge burn much hotter than you did?¡± For the first time, Duke Serin looked as if he¡¯d been truly caught off guard. *** The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 121 Chapter 121 ¨C Sense of Belonging (2) ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a moment of contemtion, Duke Serin shook his head. ¡°That would be difficult.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Your Highness, are you really nning to entrust your vengeance to someone else? That¡¯s hardly a manly thing to do.¡± I was well aware of Duke Serin¡¯s background. I had gathered sufficient information through the Mask of Night. Despite being young and born an illegitimate child, he had managed to exact his revenge sessfully. ¡°It¡¯s always a challenge to make a change on one¡¯s own.¡± These were words born from my own experiences. ¡°I heard that even you, Your Grace, received significant help from your maternal family to rise to your current position. Isn¡¯t that so?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin fell silent. His mother was merely the daughter of a lowly baron. Meanwhile, his father¡¯swful wife was of royal blood¡ªa vast difference in social standing. Yet, his maternal background was not entirely useless. Since his maternal family was merely that of a baron, no one paid them much mind. Moreover, his brothers were betrayed by those they underestimated at a critical moment. ¡°Didn¡¯t Your Highness once say that there¡¯s no such thing as kindness without a price? You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t believe my maternal family helped out of mere goodwill. In the end, their choice turned out to be a sessful gamble.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not so different from my current situation, is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Another stretch of silence followed. ¡°¡­¡­Your Highness, to be honest, I have nothing more to lose. I don¡¯t wish to get involved in someone else¡¯s fight only to end up resented.¡± ¡°But haven¡¯t you already gotten involved?¡± ¡°That was just¡­¡­¡± ¡°The Meeke Principality won¡¯t consider personal debts between you and me at all.¡± I stated confidently. ¡°I know exactly why you decided to act. Your body moved on its own, didn¡¯t it? It must have reminded you of the past.¡± Of course, what I truly meant was entirely different. You¡¯re a politician. That sense of urgency made your body react before your mind could. ¡°There¡¯s nothing special about it. Just follow where your instincts take you this time as well.¡± ¡°Then, this time, I¡¯ll have to step back.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a decision your mind made after careful consideration, not your instincts.¡± I intentionally released energy, as if expressing fury from my whole body. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll stop here? If I do nothing, situations like earlier, where my life is threatened, will only continue to happen.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do, right? I will struggle even harder to survive. The more I do, the greater the resentment my homnd will harbor towards you. From now on, whenever they plot against me, your face will be the first they envision.¡± Unable to bear it, Duke Serin shot up from his seat. ¡°I need to clear up this misunderstanding. Now seems like the perfect time, with Your Highness currently confined.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already toote.¡± Duke Serin flinched and halted in his tracks, looking down at me as I shed a faint smile. ¡°By now, others would have already started moving ahead of you, Duke Serin.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Who might that be?¡± ¡°The ones who im to be my patrons.¡± *** ¡°¡­¡­¡± The night had deepened, but Duke Veder could not find rest. The same was true for Prince Enzi, who was anxiously pacing in the room. ¡®We can no longer expect support from the Hart Kingdom.¡¯ A heavy sigh echoed in the room. Duke Kairos had made it crystal clear. No murders or assaults would be tolerated here. Given the current situation, what other options did they have? ¡®Should we resort to assassination?¡¯ As Duke Veder pondered this grim option with a serious expression¡ª Knock, knock, knock. ¡°Your Highness, Your Grace. Some guests have arrived.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The two men stiffened. It was already well past midnight. The only people who would visit at such ate hour¡­¡­ ¡°Let them in!¡± As expected, the lineup of people that entered the room was surprising. ¡®Duke Herman, Marquis Foltaine, and even Marquis Milon¡­¡­¡¯ No less than three of the most influential noblemen from the Hart Kingdom hade. ¡°Apologies for visiting at thiste hour.¡± ¡°Not at all. We weren¡¯t able to sleep anyway.¡± Duke Veder greeted them in ce of the startled 1st Prince Enzi. ¡°Please, have a seat.¡± ¡°Then, if you¡¯ll excuse us.¡± As they settled in, Duke Veder asked with a hint of curiosity. ¡°So, what brings you all here?¡± ¡°Though the incident has already urred, we must tie up loose ends properly, don¡¯t you think?¡± A gruff voice cut through the air. It was Marquis Foltaine. ¡°We just came from receiving a detailed report from the joint investigation team.¡± ¡°The investigation results, you say?¡± Duke Herman nodded. ¡°Yes. Regarding the fire at the Twilight Pce. It was confirmed that the envoys from the Meeke Principality were staying in the Guest Pce at the time.¡± In other words, the people from Meeke had been cleared of any arson charges. Though it was undoubtedly good news, Duke Veder and Prince Enzi couldn¡¯t shake off a sense of unease. ¡°So, given everything that¡¯s happened, we believe it would be best for the Meeke envoys to return home at first light.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It was like a bolt from the blue. ¡°Wh-What are you saying!?¡± As Prince Enzi¡¯s voice echoed with disbelief, Marquis Foltaine stepped forward again. ¡°It¡¯s not just the Meeke Principality. We¡¯ve decided that anyone cleared of charges should return home in order.¡± ¡°What nonsense is this¡­¡­!¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s lips curled into a sly smile. ¡°I fail to see how this is unreasonable. The real culprit is still on the loose¡ªsomeone who even threatened the former king¡¯s life. How can we be certain they won¡¯t target our guests next? Or would you take responsibility for their safety?¡± ¡°But¡­¡­ Why should we take responsibility for a failure to protect your own pce?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you to leave. We won¡¯t ask you to take responsibility.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It sounded reasonable on the surface, but from the perspective of the Meeke envoys, it was uneptable. ¡°W-We can help!¡± At that moment, Prince Enzi shouted out in desperation. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve been cleared of suspicion, we¡¯ll do our utmost to assist your kingdom! We can help catch the perpetrator!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine sneered coldly. ¡°Does that assistance include continuing your power struggles on ournd?¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­¡­!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve had enough chaos as it is. Take your family feuds back home.¡± Faced with Marquis Foltaine¡¯s harsh retort, Prince Enzi¡¯s face turned deathly pale. If they were sent back like this¡­¡­ ¡®B-Being confined to the pce will be the least of my worries. For sure.¡¯ That was how terrifying his mother, the Queen, was. ¡°¡­¡­Please, just wait a moment.¡± Finally, Duke Veder, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. ¡°Has this matter been coordinated with the Empire?¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s face twisted in displeasure. ¡°We¡¯re merely sending guests back from ournd. Why would we need the Empire¡¯s permission for that?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a state of emergency.¡± ¡°You..!¡± Before Foltaine could lose his temper further, Duke Herman intervened. ¡°This isn¡¯t something the Empire should involve itself in. Three of our great nobles have already agreed on the matter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s thew in this kingdom that, during a national crisis, a majority of great nobles can act in ce of a royal decree.¡± Duke Veder¡¯s lips curved into a subtle smile. ¡°I¡¯m familiar with your kingdom¡¯sws. Given that the former king was harmed, I understand the urgency, but His Majesty the current king is still very much alive, isn¡¯t he? And besides, you don¡¯t even have a majority.¡± ¡°Do you want us to drag our king, who¡¯s been resting, out of his chambers in the dead of night because of your blunder?¡± Unable to contain himself any longer, Marquis Foltaine shouted. ¡°Enough. Calm down. You¡¯re too old to be getting this angry.¡± ¡°Just take a deep breath. In, out. In, out.¡± Duke Herman and Marquis Milon took turns trying to calm him down. Just then. A sudden voice rang out from the direction of the entrance. ¡°If it¡¯s about reaching a majority, I believe there¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Everyone turned their gaze to the source of the voice. ¡°D-Duke Serin?¡± Duke Veder¡¯s expression twisted in shock. The suspicion he had feared was now a confirmed reality. Simultaneously, the others present exchanged knowing nces. ¡®You should¡¯ve sided with us earlier. After all, at least on the surface, we¡¯re on the same team.¡¯ ¡®Heheheh, you sly fox. I can see right through your schemes!¡¯ ¡®Honestly, I just want to go home.¡¯ Duke Herman, Marquis Foltaine, and Marquis Milon conveyed their thoughts through their expressions. On the other hand, ¡®Why are you doing this to us, Duke Serin?¡¯ ¡®I never took you for this kind of person¡­¡­ How could you!?¡¯ The other side bristled with hostility. ¡°Phew¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin couldn¡¯t help but sigh as he observed the scene. ¡°¡­¡­Apologies for my tardiness.¡± As dawn broke, five prominent nobles gathered in the royal audience hall. ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯ve alle together so early in the morning because ofst night¡¯s incident, I see.¡± Duke Herman, Marquis Foltaine, Marquis Milon, and Duke Serin. However, he just looked at the rest of the nobles one by one with a meaningful look. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the gist of it. But first, let¡¯s summon the one responsible for this mess.¡± With that, King Terry turned to his attendant. ¡°Bring that boy here at once.¡± ¡°As you wish, Your Majesty.¡± Before long, Duke Kairos entered with Ancelot in tow. King Terry stroked his chin with a curious expression. ¡°Before we get into anything else, I have just one question for you. As a knight, what exactly is your current skill level?¡± Ancelot nced around at the royal guards surrounding him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Feel free to speak your mind.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit hard to quantify, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°An estimate will do.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯d lose to any of the royal knights of this kingdom.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± King Terry¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. The royal guards stiffened, but the other nobles remained unfazed. ¡®Haha, such spirit. Was I like that at his age?¡¯ ¡®Heheheh. Even if the guards came at him in droves, they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.¡¯ ¡®This is getting more interesting, Prince.¡¯ ¡®I wanna go home.¡¯ They all harbored different thoughts. ¡°Now, should I consider this a blessing for the kingdom¡­¡­?¡± King Terry¡¯s eyes locked onto Ancelot, probing him. Asking if he was going to leave after they¡¯d nurtured him so well. ¡°I¡¯ve already been abandoned by my own family.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m the fianc¨¦ of Princess Winley.¡± A vague answer for a vague question. King Terry¡¯s lips curled into a grin. ¡°You¡¯re quick-witted.¡± ¡°If I do return home, by then I might even be sitting at the same level as Your Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ancelot¡¯s voice rang out confidently. ¡°If things progress that way, the Hart Kingdom and the Meeke Principality may soon call each other brother nations, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ha! Ahahahahahaha!¡± The king burst into heartyughter. ¡°A bold son-inw, indeed.¡± ¡°And on that note, Your Majesty, may I request something in return?¡± At that moment, Ancelot¡¯s eyes gleamed with determination. ¡°If you entrust me with catching the arsonist of the Twilight Pce, I will bring them to justice.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± King Terry and the assembled nobles held their breath. They all knew who the culprit was. It wasn¡¯t a matter of ignorance, but rather theck of concrete evidence to act upon. ¡°¡­¡­Can you really do it?¡± In essence, what King Terry was really asking was: ¡°Can you prove the Empire¡¯s guilt without getting yourself killed?¡± Basically. ¡°Yes.¡± Ancelot nodded resolutely. ¡°Very well! If you manage to catch that scoundrel, I shall bestow a great reward upon you.¡± ¡°Your generosity knows no bounds. There is, in fact, a specific reward I have in mind.¡± King Terry couldn¡¯t help but ask, intrigued. ¡°A specific reward? What would that be? A title? Or perhaps a sword or mana pill that¡¯s been passed down in our family?¡± King Terry¡¯s voice was filled with certainty. It was a reasonable assumption given Ancelot¡¯s young age and his apparent obsession with the sword. But his response was anything but ordinary. ¡°ck Swan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ¡°The remaining half of that barrennd. If it pleases Your Majesty, I would like to im it as mine.¡± * * * The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 122 Chapter 122 ¨C Politicians (1) The meeting at the royal pce had just ended. ¡°I¡­¡­ I need sleep.¡± ¡°Well then, see youter.¡± ¡°With this, I¡¯ve repaid my debt.¡± Milon, clearly exhausted, headed straight home. Duke Herman and Duke Serin went their separate ways, iming they had other business to attend to. But, ¡°Let¡¯s have a word, you rascal.¡± Marquis Foltaine was different. Without waiting for my response, he strode ahead with heavy steps. He seemed more vexed than usual. Of course, I could see it¡ªthe genuine concern he held for me. And so. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I bowed deeply in apology. Marquis Foltaine halted abruptly and turned to look at me. ¡°What¡¯s with you all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I acted on my own without any prior notice. I¡¯m sorry for causing you unnecessary worry.¡± After a moment, he let out a dismissive snort. ¡°¡­¡­Hmph. You were the one who decided to y with fire. Who am I to say anything?¡± But as he started walking again, his steps were noticeably lighter. Only then did a faint smile appear on my lips. ¡®Well, I can understand his concern.¡¯ After all, Count Kaiman, who I was about to face, was far stronger than I had anticipated. He was a force to be reckoned with, capable of holding his own against any Master in this kingdom. No one was more aware of that fact than Marquis Foltaine. ¡®¡­¡­It¡¯s time to acknowledge it. The Empire has not fallen behind even after twenty years.¡¯ No, they¡¯d grown even stronger. I already had a sense of why. ¡®The ones they call the Three Heavens¡¯.¡¯ The current pirs of the Empire, known respectively as the ze, the Undefeated, and the Full Moon. I was particrly interested in the ¡®rtionship¡¯ between these three. Usually, once someone reaches such heights, they tend to growcent. It¡¯s often said, they fall into ¡®the trap of habit¡¯. It¡¯s only natural that power grants you endless indulgences¡ªexquisite feasts, beautiful women, and loyal followers willing toy down their lives at a mere flick of a finger. However, ¡®¡­¡­The Empire now, well¡­¡­¡¯ From the information I¡¯ve gathered, those three continue to constantly check each other, even to this day. Power is never truly shared, after all. Of course, I had a theory as to why this was the case. ¡®When rivalspete internally, building their power and influence, it¡¯s bound to erupt sooner orter.¡¯ But wouldn¡¯t the Emperor be aware of that? Of course, he would. That¡¯s precisely why, right before the pressure boils over. ¡®He¡¯ll create a war, redirecting their focus outward.¡¯ In other words, that will mark the beginning of a true continental conquest. ¡®Yes, I admit it, Empire. Right now, you are strong.¡¯ Acknowledging one¡¯s opponent is vital. It¡¯s difficult to acknowledge, but easy to deny and criticize. But I¡¯m different. ¡®Emperor, if that is truly your intention¡­¡­¡¯ The words slipped out of my mouth unconsciously. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll dig into that opening.¡± The same goes for this country. Whether it¡¯s the Empire or the Hart Kingdom, gaps exist everywhere. ¡°What openings are you talking about? Why don¡¯t you just dig your nose instead, you rascal!¡± It was as if he was shouting, ¡®Stop bbering and hurry up¡¯ ¡°Hahaha!¡± A burst ofughter escaped me. It seemed I had fallenpletely under his spell. Now, even this gruff side of Marquis Foltaine was endearing to me. After receiving a thorough scolding from Marquis Foltaine, I headed straight to another destination. It was none other than the Duke Serin¡¯s mansion. ¡°You¡¯vee again.¡± Fortunately, I wasn¡¯t turned away at the door. On the contrary, it was as if he had anticipated my visit, as he greeted me with a smile. ¡°Before we begin, let¡¯s rify one thing.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Who holds the upper hand now? In terms of our dealings, that is.¡± Duke Serin was quick to assert, ¡®There¡¯s no debt between us anymore.¡¯ ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± ¡°I have a pretty good idea why you¡¯vee. Surely, you didn¡¯te here to ask another favor after I¡¯ve just granted you one?¡± This was clearly his way of throwing my own words back at me¡ªback when I¡¯d said that he¡¯d only fixed the problem he caused. After all, Duke Serin was the type who believed firmly in repaying debts. ¡°¡­¡­No. I¡¯m simply here to offer my thanks.¡± Once again, I bowed sincerely. Today alone, I had already bent my back twice for the wrong reasons, but what did it matter? My body was still in good shape, far from wearing out. ¡°Thank you for your help. I never expected you to step up during the royal council meeting.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Thanks to you, I was able to enact my revenge. I even managed to drive out one of the principality¡¯s own Masters with my own hands.¡± At this, Duke Serin gave a knowing smile. ¡°Skip the preamble and get to the point.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I came for.¡± ¡°¡­¡­So, you¡¯re saying you came here just to offer some gratitude?¡± His voice, dripping with displeasure, pierced my ears. I didn¡¯t need to look up to know that Duke Serin was likely furrowing that pretty brow of his. ¡°You did say debts must be repaid, didn¡¯t you? It¡¯s only natural to express my gratitude for the help I received.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really all there is?¡± Duke Serin¡¯s voice took on a mocking tone. ¡°Does my behavior seem to annoy you? Perhaps I should have brought a gift¡­¡­¡± ¡°No need for that. Soon enough, I believe I¡¯ll receive a much more entertaining gift.¡± Duke Serin¡¯s eyes gleamed as he spoke. ¡°Catching an arsonist is one thing, but what on earth were you thinking when you demanded the ck Swan? Thatnd is teeming with monsters; it¡¯spletely worthless.¡± ¡°I was already granted half of that territory by the Principality. It¡¯s already a barren wastnd. I simply don¡¯t want to invite foreign interference.¡± My exnation made Duke Serin grimace. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a deal that benefits His Majesty regardless. Whether you catch the arsonist or not, the oue of the deal¡­¡­ Is clear.¡± With that, Duke Serin waved his hand dismissively, signaling that our conversation was over. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you another time.¡± ¡°Hmph. Always acting tough¡­¡­¡± I pretended not to hear his muttered taunt as I left. ¡®You¡¯ll soon realize this is more than just an act.¡¯ *** Meanwhile, Duke Herman was in a private conversation with Duke Kairos. ¡°Should I be thanking you?¡± At Duke Herman¡¯s question, Duke Kairos let out a chuckle. ¡°Feel free to curse me if you¡¯d like. I suppose you¡¯re wondering if I¡¯m handing out the antidote along with the poison.¡± ¡°You senile old bastard, what are you up to this time? Another one of your political games?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Duke Kairos tilted his head, feigning confusion. Then, as if understanding the situation, he furrowed his brow slightly. ¡°Did I offend you? I was merely trying to mimic a certain someone I know.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been too quiet, hiding in the shadows all this time. I figured it was time to make my presence felt.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to curse you if I¡¯d liked?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Haa.¡± Duke Kairos finally sighed and shook his head in exasperation. ¡°I just don¡¯t get it. Maybe it all started when that prince showed up? Ever since he came, everyone who gets involved with him, including Marquis Foltaine, seems to lose their mind.¡± ¡°Would you consider joining us? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll soon see why it¡¯s worth it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass. I have no desire to go senile just yet.¡± ¡°A pity.¡± ¡°Leave the camaraderie to the younger generation. As for me, I¡¯ll stick to my politics.¡± Duke Kairos gave a sly smile. ¡°Someone has to be the anchor for this country. That¡¯s the duty of an elder statesman.¡± ¡°Personally, I have no fondness for that kind of politics.¡± ¡°Do you think I enjoy it? Sometimes you have to do things you despise for the greater good.¡± ¡°Regardless, my answer remains the same.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you shouldn¡¯t have be a noble. As I recall, you have a talented younger brother, don¡¯t you? Why not pass your title to him and live that leisurely life you crave?¡± Duke Herman shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re well aware of my circumstances, yet you say that?¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± Duke Kairos chuckled quietly. The invisible battle of wills between the two continued. Knock, knock, knock. At that moment, a timely knock came from outside. ¡°Your Grace, you have a visitor.¡± ¡°A visitor¡­¡­?¡± Duke Kairos raised an eyebrow. ¡°I invited them.¡± The unexpected guest stepped in. ¡°Why, if it¡¯s not the prince? I thought you were busy catching an arsonist. What brings you here?¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s a pawn or a bishop, as long as I capture the king, isn¡¯t that all that matters?¡± ¡°What on earth are you implying?¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that the arsonist is the Empire?¡± Duke Kairos¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°¡­¡­It seems the prince is in quite a hurry. using foreign guests without evidence¡­¡­¡± ¡°Count Kaiman admitted it to me himself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ¡°He told me to just give him a pretext. If two out of the three dukes permit it, he ims that would be enough justification to withdraw.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± For a moment, Duke Kairos¡¯s eyes widened before he regained hisposure. ¡°I find it hard to believe Count Kaiman said that¡­¡­ But isn¡¯t Duke Serin already on your side? If he truly said that, then¡­¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t lie. My rtionship with Duke Serin was purely transactional¡ªone thing given, one thing received.¡± Duke Kairos¡¯s eyes glinted with intrigue. ¡°A transaction, you say¡­¡­ This conversation is bing more and more interesting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all, either.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om A smile crept across the prince¡¯s lips. ¡°After all, there¡¯s no rule that says one can only make deals with a single person. And there are three of you, Dukes.¡± Only now did Duke Kairos fully grasp the purpose of this unexpected visit. ¡°You¡¯re asking me to side with you?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m suggesting you do what you¡¯re best at¡ªpolitics.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­?¡± Seeing the bewildered look on his face, the smile on the my face deepened. This was how one should deal with politicians¡ªconstantly creating new variables, forcing them to stray from their predetermined paths. ¡®The world has grown toocent.¡¯ Beneath the Empire¡¯s dark schemes, the continent had continued to enjoy a period of false peace. The Emperor lulled everyone into a sense of security, and they¡¯re stuck in a rut now. Each nation is preupied with its own internal power struggles. Once thatcency reaches its peak, the Emperor willunch his conquest of the continent. ¡®That¡¯s why it¡¯s my duty to shake them awake.¡¯ To make them realize that if they keep chasing short-term gains, they risk losing everything. * * * Chapter 123 Chapter 123 ¨C Politicians (2)n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om On the night before I was to leave ck Swan, Trevor quietly came to see me. ¡°You know¡­¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°At first, I thought myte lord had returned from the dead.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± My body flinched involuntarily. Trevor was staring intently at my face as he spoke. ¡°No matter how much you studied under the same teacher, the resemnce was uncanny. For someone who¡¯s supposedly never even met him¡­¡­ After all, my lord passed away before Your Highness was even born.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re speaking in the past tense. Are you saying that¡¯s no longer the case?¡± Trevor nodded. ¡°To put it nicely,pared to my lord, Your Highness is more flippant and¡­¡­ Oh, I guess that¡¯s not exactly apliment either. Let¡¯s just say the way you act is fitting for someone of your age.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just be honest? What¡¯s the harsher take?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ Aren¡¯t you already well aware?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, though?¡± ¡°A madman, a lunatic, a scoundrel¡­¡­ You¡¯ve got quite the collection of nicknames.¡± Anger bubbled up inside of me, and I was about to clobber him when, ¡°My lord wasn¡¯t¡­¡­ Entirely normal, but at least he wasn¡¯t a madman.¡± His words froze me in my tracks. That was when I began to reflect seriously. ¡®Has my personality changed enough for the people around me to notice?¡¯ If that was true, then perhaps it started from that moment. ¡®¡­¡­It must¡¯ve been back then.¡¯ That day. The day Andy died in front of me, cursing me to hisst breath. But none of that really mattered right now¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­After all, madmen recognize each other.¡¯ Even from my deranged perspective, Count Kaiman and Duke Serin were clearly not in their right minds. They seemed ready to explode at any moment. So I decided to target the most rational one first. Even if he was a miserable old man, he at least adhered to basicmon sense. ¡°Let¡¯s talk openly, then. Are you saying you¡¯re throwing away Duke Serin and aligning yourself with me?¡± Yet this crafty old fox still yed his political games to the end. ¡°I already told you, didn¡¯t I? There¡¯s no need to partner with just one person.¡± ¡°Sounds to me like you¡¯re saying you won¡¯t give up on Duke Serin either.¡± ¡°Does that matter?¡± At my question, Duke Kairos shrugged. ¡°Not at all¡ªas long as it doesn¡¯t lead to losses on my end.¡± Duke Kairos ced particr emphasis on the word ¡®losses¡¯. ¡°So, what do I gain from this deal?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ You could at least hold onto the position you seem to treasure so much.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Although I had toned it down, Duke Kairos¡¯ face immediately turned icy. At the perfect moment, Duke Herman interjected. ¡°Including this year, we will ensure you monopolize the export rights for northern crops for the next three years.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Kairos quickly turned his head. For context, the northern region¡¯s climate was considerably colder than other regions. This meant arablend was scarce, and the regionrgely relied on importing crops. Naturally, the resulting profits were enormous. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Have I ever lied to you? If you¡¯d like, we can put it in writing as well.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d appreciate it¡­¡­ But don¡¯t youck the power to make such promises?¡± Crops from the Hart Kingdom were practically monopolized by two tradingpanies. These were the P.K. Trading Company and the Folstan Trading Company. As their names might suggest, the former operated under Duke Kairos¡¯ patronage, while thetter was backed by Marquis Foltaine. All smaller tradingpanies also fell under one of these two giants. ¡°Have you forgotten about a close friend of mine?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Only then did Duke Kairos nod as if he understood. Two emotions crossed his face. The first was joy at the enormous profit, and the second was jealousy. ¡°In fact, I¡¯ve just returned after obtaining their signed agreement.¡± Thunk! Duke Herman ced a document on the table. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be¡­¡­ I still can¡¯t believe it, even after seeing it with my own eyes.¡± Although astonished, Duke Kairos swiftly read through the document. ¡°¡­¡­Indeed, it bears his personal signature. To think I¡¯d ever get such a concession from that old miser¡­¡­¡± ¡°Who¡¯d be more surprised than me?¡± At the same time, Duke Herman¡¯s gaze shifted toward me. ¡°That¡¯s why they say having a childte in life is so scary.¡± ¡°Huh? Child?¡± ¡°Just talking to myself.¡± The news that I had met with Duke Kairos spread throughout the pce in no time. And then¡ª Bang! Sure enough, Duke Serin came to see me without so much as a warning. ¡°¡­¡­¡± He red at me in silence for a long time. ¡°¡­¡­What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Duke Serin finally spoke after a lengthy pause. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t that be my question, Your Grace?¡± ¡°You dare y two sides with me?¡± ¡°So what if I am? This isn¡¯t some love affair, and unlike you, I¡¯m no politician.¡± ¡°You call that a fair transaction? Your actions reek of a scheming old fox who¡¯s been in politics for a century.¡± At his mocking remark, I simply shrugged. ¡°What¡¯s the problem here?¡± ¡°You really¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so angry, but if you¡¯re jealous, why not strike a deal with me yourself? Frankly, my dealings with Duke Kairos don¡¯t cause you any harm.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hah¡­¡­¡± Even as I spoke, the hostility in Duke Serin¡¯s gaze remained unchanged. Unlike Duke Kairos, who prioritized profit, Serin was more prone to emotional reactions like this. He was the type who believed grudges had to be repaid, no matter the cost. In moments like this, when his temper red, he loses sight of reason entirely. ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s settle this another way.¡± After managing to suppress his emotions, Duke Serin muttered coldly. ¡°I feel utterly betrayed by someone I trusted, and it hurts here.¡± He jabbed a finger at his chest as he spoke. ¡°I never realized how much I meant to you, Your Grace.¡± ¡°However, since I¡¯m older than you and a generous man¡­¡­¡± Trailing off, Duke Serin pulled something from his coat. It was a coin, polished smooth from use. ¡°¡­¡­We¡¯ll let this decide. Whether to ept your deal or not.¡± This was precisely why I sought out Duke Kairos first. The actions of this politician were often outside of my expectations. ¡°What happens to me if the result isn¡¯t favorable?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin offered no response. But his expression said it all. ¡°That¡¯s answer enough for me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I do appreciate your quick understanding. Depending on how the coinnds, our fates will be decided. You may go first, Prince.¡± ¡°It feels oddly poetic, doesn¡¯t it?¡± For a moment, Duke Serin furrowed his brow. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting now?¡± ¡°You know, people often liken life to the face of a coin.¡± I pointed to the front of the coin, engraved with a soaring dove, a symbol of peace. ¡°This intricate image on the front represents the sunny side of life. Just looking at it fills one with hope, surrounded byughter and prosperity.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The flip side of the coin, marked only by numbers, represents the shadows. Those who live in the shadows are often nameless, reduced to numbers like this.¡± Duke Serin¡¯s brows furrowed even tighter. ¡°What are you rambling on about now?¡± ¡°Take ve soldiers, for example¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin fell silent. ¡°¡­¡­Or kitchen maids, stable hands, or other nameless workers. The kind of people who the privileged don¡¯t even nce at¡ªwhose deaths wouldn¡¯t warrant a flicker of sympathy.¡± ¡°What does their anonymity have to do with your absurd metaphor?¡± ¡°Think of high society. When nobles talk, do they ever say, ¡®Our kitchen¡¯s Emma is remarkable¡¯ or ¡®Our stable¡¯s Hans does excellent work¡¯? No. Instead, they brag, ¡®Our estate has this many workers!¡¯¡± I let out a small sigh. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate. Shadows are necessary for the sun¡¯s presence to shine brighter. I bring this up with a bitter heart because few seem to acknowledge that.¡± If more people did, maybe it¡¯d result in less resentment-filled souls like you. Though my words were well-meaning, Duke Serin responded with derision. ¡°How noble of you to speak from the brightest part of the sunniest side yourself.¡± ¡°Who knows? A lowly number on the back might one day be a celebrated figure across the continent.¡± Duke Serin flinched. ¡°¡­¡­Are we talking about the Great Hero now? Well, he used to be a mere ve soldier¡­¡­¡± I shook my head without hesitation. ¡°No. I meant us.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°After all, illegitimate children are closer to the shadows than the light. If someone like me or the younger you were to die, those basking in the sunlight wouldn¡¯t so much as blink.¡± At that, Duke Serin¡¯s eyes widened in realization. There are no inherently lowly people in this world. Some are born into misfortune, but life is unpredictable. One born on the front side of the coin might end up on the back someday¡ªand vice versa. You did, and so did I. ¡®So take this as my way of telling you to stop scheming like a politician and pay attention to people who are like your past self. Get your priorities straight, man.¡¯ And if someone like me could understand you, that would be even better. ¡°Shall we begin?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin stared at me with a peculiar expression before nodding. ¡°I suppose you¡¯ll choose the front side.¡± ¡°Wrong again. I¡¯ll take the back. It suits me better.¡± ¡°The champion of the shadows, I see. Fine, have it your way.¡± ¡°And¡­¡­¡± Snap. I snatched the coin from his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be the one to toss it.¡± His sneer deepened. ¡°Afraid I¡¯ll cheat?¡± ¡°Games are only fair when the proposer and the conductor are different, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Fair enough. Go ahead.¡± Duke Serin¡¯s eyes widened, keenly watching my every move. ¡°Here goes.¡± Clink! The coin soared high into the air, spinning as it rose. The way it twisted and turned before its fate was decided¡ªit felt just like life itself. *** After dealing with the urgent matter, I made my way to the separate pce housing the Imperial delegation. ¡°Halt.¡± Imperial guards blocked my path at the entrance. ¡°¡­¡­Ah, it¡¯s Prince Andrew.¡± Recognizing me, one knight gave a polite bow. ¡°Let Count Kaiman know I wish to speak with him.¡± ¡°Upon Your Highness¡¯ arrival, I was instructed to ask you.¡± ¡°Ask me what?¡± ¡°He told me you¡¯d understand if I just said, ¡®Have you convinced two?¡¯¡± I chuckled. ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­¡­In that case, I¡¯m afraid I must respectfully ask you to¡­¡­¡± I shook my head. ¡°Tell him it¡¯s three, not two.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± * * * Chapter 124 Chapter 124 ¨C The Fire? That Was My Doing. I was promptly escorted to the room. As I stepped inside, Count Kaiman was perched on the windowsill, staring at me intently. ¡®Now that I know what kind of guy he is, just looking at him makes me want to beat him senseless.¡± Steeling myself, I opened my mouth to speak. ¡°I kept my promise. Now, isn¡¯t it about time for you to leave?¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± Suddenly, this lunatic burst intoughter. Not only that, ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, Your Highness, you¡¯re so naive. Did you actually believe what I said?¡± Momentster, Count Kaiman rose from his seat. ¡°As a matter of fact, Duke Kairos stopped by earlier to ask me whether I¡¯d truly made such a promise to Your Highness.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I told him no, of course not.¡± The smile on Count Kaiman¡¯s face quickly shifted into a feigned look of sadness. ¡°Oh, dear. Don¡¯t make such a scary face. I was just curious, you see.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Curious about what?¡± ¡°Your reaction. I was really looking forward to seeing you struggle.¡± As he spoke, Count Kaiman licked his lips with his tongue. ¡°So please, don¡¯t misunderstand my affection. This is all part of life experience, isn¡¯t it? If you go through something like this when you¡¯re young, you won¡¯t fall for scams when you¡¯re older.¡± ¡°You crazy bastard. I knew you¡¯d pull something like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh¡­¡­?¡± For a moment, Count Kaiman tilted his head in confusion. Clearly, my unexpected response had caught him off guard. ¡°But what are you going to do? Thanks to the confirmation from not two, but three¡­¡­¡± Trailing off, I reached into my coat and pulled out the item I had prepared. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve even got a royal decree.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It was an official edict, stamped with the seal of the King of the Hart Kingdom. ¡°With the kingdom¡¯s only three dukes and an additional two marquises in agreement¡ªfive out of eight grand nobles have united to denounce you as a threat. How could the King turn a blind eye to the pleas of his loyal subjects?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± From the beginning, I never trusted any promises made with a lunatic. That¡¯s why I had nned this meticulously. When thendlord says to leave his house, what can the tenant do but leave? ¡°Now get out of our house.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Haaaaa¡­¡­¡± At that, Count Kaiman, who had been silent until now, let out a deep sigh. ¡°Your Highness always exceeds my expectations.¡± ¡°Enough of your bullshit.¡± ¡°At this rate, even I can¡¯t hold back, can I?¡± I didn¡¯t bother replying and simply waved my hand dismissively. With a faint chuckle, Count Kaiman picked up the royal edict. ¡°But¡­¡­ While I can see how you persuaded that bat-like old Duke Kairos, how on earth did you convince Duke Serin?¡± It takes one entric to recognize another. Count Kaiman looked genuinely curious. ¡°What will you give me?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°If I tell you, will you grant me one favor before you leave?¡± ¡°A favor¡­¡­?¡± Count Kaiman blinked in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re the reason I¡¯m being kicked out of thisfortable home, and now you want a favor?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one demanding justification earlier?¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Soon, Count Kaiman let out a heartyugh. ¡°That¡¯s true. I was the one who intended to break my promise. So, what is this favor?¡± ¡°I doubt that bat-like geezer will stop his scheming just because of this.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°So, if you have any shred of conscience, make sure to tell him as you leave, it was because of me that you were kicked out.¡± ¡°In other words, you¡¯re asking me to support you, Your Highness.¡± Count Kaiman once again let out his characteristicugh and nodded. ¡°Very well. And what about my question?¡± ¡°A blood oath.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Fool me twice, shame on me. Write it down in blood and make it official. Then I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Standing there dumbfounded, Count Kaiman eventually let out a wry chuckle. ¡°You¡¯ve learned well. Alright. I¡¯ll do it.¡± With that, Count Kaiman began writing in blood. All the while muttering nonsense like, ¡®Our dear prince is growing up so well¡¯. ¡°Here it is. Now, please tell me.¡± ¡°Though you can read ten fathoms into a man¡¯s heart, you¡¯ll never grasp the depths of a madman¡¯s mind.¡± Count Kaiman tilted his head again. ¡°¡­¡­That sounds slightly different from the saying I know.¡± ¡°What do you think it means?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± ¡°It means that thanks to a few lunatics like you, the world is changing beyond your empire¡¯s control.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At that moment, a new emotion flickered in Count Kaiman¡¯s eyes. It was unmistakable ¡®ecstasy¡¯. ¡°¡­¡­What a delightful world.¡± Of course it is¡ªthis lunatic longs for war more than anyone. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± Left alone in the room, Duke Serin stared silently at the floor. There, a coin engraved with a soaring dovey still. It was the ¡®heads¡¯ result the prince had predicted. ¡°¡­¡­You truly are fascinating, Your Highness.¡± There had been no trickery during the wager. If there had been an attempt at sleight of hand? The offending fingers would¡¯ve been sliced clean off. If mana had been used to influence the coin¡¯s movement? The mage¡¯s core would¡¯ve been crushed to bits. Or if he¡¯d propped the coin vertically while spouting nonsense about ¡®fate¡¯? His mouth would¡¯ve been smashed, and Duke Serin would¡¯ve forced him to flip the coin until he got a proper result. But the wager had been conducted transparently. In short, Duke Serin had lost fair and square. The prince¡¯s words afterward still buzzed in the duke¡¯s mind. ¡°Was it dull, having no twist at the end?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Well, life is often like that, isn¡¯t it? Everyone dreams of a dramaticeback, but it¡¯s not so easily achieved. Unless, of course, someone is as extraordinarily fortunate as you or me.¡± Duke Serin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®So I¡­¡­ was purely outmatched in luck?¡¯ Even Duke Serin himself considered his luck remarkable. Born an illegitimate child, his rise to family head was nearly unprecedented. He didn¡¯t know the exact statistics, but surely more than 90% of illegitimate children perished before adulthood, victims of the intense power struggles that defined noble society. Yet Duke Serin not only survived, but he also pierced through the needle¡¯s eye of 1%, ascending to the role of family head. It wasn¡¯t a feat mere talent could exin¡ªluck had undoubtedly yed a key role. And yet. ¡®¡­¡­Better luck than my 1%?¡¯ Duke Serin chuckled quietly to himself. He¡¯d been intrigued. So he asked, ¡°You¡¯re saying this was a pure test of fortune¡­¡­ But what would you have done if it hadnded tails?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Well, judging by your reaction, I doubt you¡¯d have let me off easily. I might¡¯ve just insisted we flip it again.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a sharp instinct, Your Highness. For the record, I¡¯d have cut off your limbs and sent you as a gift to the Meeke Principality.¡± ¡°A gruesome oue.¡± ¡°So, answer me. Enough joking around.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the type to take risks without confidence in my odds. Let¡¯s just say¡­¡­ Luck is one of my stronger suits. But, since you brought it up, I did think of an idea.¡± Duke Serin raised an intrigued brow. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t want to lose my limbs at this age. So, what if I cut off one of your limbs instead? Send it to the Queen, who no doubt grinds her teeth at the mention of ¡®Duke Serin¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin¡¯s face turned icy. The previous duchess of his family was of royal blood. In other words, the sister of the current Queen. The Queen likely still bore a grudge against Duke Serin for killing her blood rtive. It was the reason Duke Serin had initially taken an ambiguous position within the nobility as part of the ¡®Noble Faction¡¯. ¡°So please, stop saying such frightful things.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hahaha. If Your Highness dies, I¡¯ll be sure to open you up. Surely, you have at least two hearts?¡± The prince simply shrugged. ¡°Debt must always be repaid in full, right?¡± *** After concluding my talk with Count Kaiman, I returned to my quarters, where Duke Serin¡¯s parting words echoed in my mind. ¡®How did it feel, seeing someone just like you? Duke Serin.¡¯ Yes. For someone like Duke Serin, I prescribed ¡®mirror therapy¡¯. ¡®Someone who¡¯s lived a life like yours¡ªme. I¡¯ll endlessly continue down the path you took and reflect your every move. But if you still don¡¯t feel anything, then¡­¡­¡± There would be no other choice. On a lifeboat with limited space, not everyone coulde aboard. ¡®¡­¡­I¡¯ll have to kill you.¡¯ *** That evening, Duke Kairos paid ate visit to Duke Herman. ¡°The prince lied to us.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You said Count Kaiman wanted ¡®justification¡¯ to return. Yet the count himself acted as if he knew nothing of it.¡± Duke Kairos grimaced, deeply displeased. ¡°I believed the prince¡¯s words and lent him my support. Now I¡¯m caught in a precarious position, risking enmity with the Empire in my old age.¡± Watching him sigh deeply, clearly agitated, Duke Herman frowned. Ultimately, this worn-out snake would¡¯ve supported Ancelot, anyway. The king¡¯s stance toward the Empire was still crucial, and Duke Kairos would prioritize loyalty to the crown. With Duke Serin¡¯s agreement, opposing the prince would achieve little, and defying the king would be disastrous. ¡°The promise from before is also concerning.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°The royal decree guarantees Count Kaiman¡¯s return to the Empire. But wasn¡¯t the original agreement more than that?¡± Catching the arsonist behind the fire at the Twilight Pce¡ªthis was the promise Ancelot had made. Duke Kairos highlighted this failure. ¡°Stop beating around the bush. What¡¯s your point?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice that you¡¯re quick-witted.¡± Duke Kairos¡¯s sly smile grew as he revealed his intent. ¡°Since I¡¯ve been stabbed in the back, and the prince failed to uphold his promise¡­¡­¡± The words that followed were audacious enough to stun even Duke Herman. ¡°¡­¡­The half of ck Swan that the prince requested¡ªI¡¯ll take it for myself.¡± *** ¡°¡­¡­Is what that senile fool said.¡± Duke Herman stormed into my roomter that night, huffing with anger. ¡°The fact that he¡¯s a fellow noble is an embarrassment!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get so worked up. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not fine, you rascal.¡± ¡°Well, I anticipated this and already made preparations.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± Duke Herman looked puzzled. By the next day, he understood exactly what I meant. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality. We¡¯ll take our leave now.¡± ¡°Safe travels, Count.¡± ¡°Yes. Then, we¡¯ll be going back to the Empire.¡± The three dukes and I escorted Count Kaiman and his entourage to the gates. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, the count turned back. ¡°Oh, right! Before I forget, there¡¯s something important I must tell you¡­¡­¡± True to his word, the count had kept his promise, though in his usual madman fashion. -The fire at Twilight Pce? That was my doing. ¡°¡­¡­What!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°This lunatic¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Kairos, Duke Herman, and Duke Serin responded in turn. Judging from their reactions, I wasn¡¯t the only recipient of this revtion. Should I say it was fitting of a Master of the Empire? He used a sophisticated method of conveying his will to multiple specific targets simultaneously. ¡°That lunatic.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but curse out loud. I asked him to push me a little, and he nearly hurled me off a cliff instead. * * * Chapter 125 Chapter 125 ¨C The Fire? That Was My Doing (2) Narakas received an unexpected guest. This time, it was someone in the guise of an old man. However, they hadn¡¯t bothered to disguise their voice. There was no need to, as the other party already knew their true identity. ¡°I never expected you, my lord, to ask for me first.¡± ¡°I hope I¡¯m not being too much of an inconvenience.¡± At Marquis Foltaine¡¯s words, Narakas offered a gentle smile. ¡°Inconvenience? The wealthiest man in the Hart Kingdom requested a meeting¡ªof course, I¡¯d drop everything and rush over.¡± ¡°Heheheh. I¡¯ve got nothing but money, true. At my age, I¡¯ve little to spend it on, too.¡± ¡°Perhaps you have a request?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s smile turned bitter as he replied. ¡°Before that, are you familiar with the political situation in this kingdom?¡± ¡°I know as much as most.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ I suppose the question was pointless. You¡¯re the illustrious leader of the Mask of Night, after all.¡± Marquis Foltaine chuckled again. ¡°I owe a debt of gratitude to that rascal. Without that connection, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to meet someone as esteemed as you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. Even without Ancelot, I would havee to you myself.¡± Both men knew this was merely a polite remark. After all, wasn¡¯t Narakas known as someone who didn¡¯t even bow to the king of an entire nation? Deciding the pleasantries had gone on long enough, Marquis Foltaine shifted to the main topic. ¡°I must admit, it¡¯s embarrassing to show you our shameful side.¡± ¡°Please speak freely. As you know, the Mask of Night ces the highest value on mutual trust.¡± Finally, Marquis Foltaine nodded. ¡°This time, to rece an ipetent leader, we even involved external forces. While we imed it was to minimize the national loss from civil strife, the truth is¡­¡­ There was a more critical deal in y. The Empire wanted our trade route with the dwarves¡­¡­¡± ¡°It involved Her Majesty, the Third Queen, didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Marquis Foltaine¡¯s eyes glimmered sharply for a moment. ¡°As expected of the Mask of Night. It was a secret even to the person involved¡­¡­¡± ¡°That person would be Duke Herman.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± Narakas began quickly recounting what he knew. ¡°Her Majesty, the Third Queen, maintained an inappropriate rtionship with Duke Herman. Angered by this, thete King Melio II exiled her to the Empire. Normally, the Empire uses the pretext of ¡®peacekeeping¡¯ to keep foreign royals as virtual hostages. But a queen being exiled? That was unprecedented. Overwhelmed by longing and sorrow for her homnd, Her Majesty ultimately hanged herself in despair.¡± Narakas¡¯ gaze darkened as he finished. ¡°Is what I know correct?¡± ¡°¡­¡­The truth differs, but what you¡¯ve stated matches the official narrative perfectly. That¡¯s also why Princess Winley still harbors ill feelings toward Duke Herman.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the truth?¡± ¡°That alleged affair was orchestrated by thete king himself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I see what might have happened now.¡± Narakas nodded thoughtfully. ¡°King Melio II was endlessly jealous of Duke Herman, the Queen¡¯s former lover, despite the fact that neither of them harbored feelings for each other anymore. I¡¯m sure it was out of his own guilty conscience.¡± ¡°I understand. Then, what did you request from the Empire in return for this trade agreement?¡± ¡°They informed me that Her Majesty left behind a will and some personal effects. While all her other belongings were returned, these were secretly kept. That¡¯s what they told me.¡± Narakas nodded knowingly. ¡°As expected of the Empire¡­¡­ In any case, you wish to resolve the misunderstanding between Duke Herman and the princess.¡± ¡°Correct. In hindsight, all of this feels like the Empire¡¯s ploy. They lured us in with bait we couldn¡¯t resist.¡± ¡°The Empire merely added fuel to an already zing fire.¡± Narakas offered a faint, bitter smile. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll investigate the Third Queen¡¯s will and belongings and contact you as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Marquis Foltaine grabbed Narakas¡¯ hands in gratitude. ¡°How much do I owe you for this service?¡± ¡°It¡¯s free of charge.¡± ¡°F-Free?¡± Taken aback, Marquis Foltaine stammered, while Narakas smiled warmly. ¡°All I ask is that you continue to take good care of that child.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± After a moment of silence, a broad smile spread across Marquis Foltaine¡¯s face. ¡°Of course. He¡¯s my child, after all.¡± *** Count Kaiman shocked everyone, leaving the three dukes with very different reactions. Duke Herman was furious and Duke Kairos was flustered. Lastly, Duke Serin stared at him with disdain that bordered on outright disgust. -Did you honestly think we¡¯d stand by and watch as you weaker nations gathered together and got all buddy-buddy? Count Kaiman¡¯s voice rang in my mind alone, brimming with cold arrogance. -How narrow-minded, unbefitting of the Empire¡¯s size and power. ¡°Hahaha, no, not at all. This is how the Empire got to where it is today. They say it¡¯s not the strongest who survive, but those who survive, no?¡± It was clear what the lunatic was thinking. It was obvious why he would suddenly admit to being the one who set the fire. -When word gets out, the majority of nobles in the Hart Kingdom will hate me, regardless of their usual political leanings. -Of course they would. A foreigner tried to burn their pce to the ground. If they didn¡¯t get angry even after that, then they wouldn¡¯t be true patriots. -So go ahead and spread the news far and wide. Weren¡¯t you asking for my support earlier? Tell them I¡¯m the one who lit the fire. You¡¯ve got three witnesses here, all three of which are perfectly credible! For a moment, madness flickered in Count Kaiman¡¯s eyes. -After that, unite the nobles of this kingdom around yourself, Your Highness. Rally them under his banner. -Hah¡­¡­ -Aren¡¯t you grateful? I¡¯m giving His Highness the perfect opportunity to grow even stronger. Right. Again, all this lunatic desired was a war, but fighting the Empire with just the Hart Kingdom would be suicide. Without forming an alliance with other nations, it would be like smashing an egg against a rock. The problem was¡ª ¡®Will the other nations cooperate willingly?¡¯ The continent had been rotting under the guise of peace for two decades. Without undeniable evidence of the Empire¡¯s schemes, no country would act rashly. Not to mention, ¡®My actions have already strained rtions with the Meeke Principality.¡¯ If a simr victim cried out, ¡®We were also kicked out for ridiculous reasons!¡¯, it would be seen as strange to others. Above all, the Meeke Principality was nothing but a rising dark horse. Recently, they had gained another Master, elevating themselves to a national power that other countries count not ignore. ¡®That damned lunatic probably ounted for all this when he spouted such nonsense.¡¯ In short, he wasn¡¯t hoping for my growth¡ªhe simply wanted to revel in my struggles. Even now, look at him. He¡¯s licking his lips, as if it¡¯s truly a shame. If he leaves like this, he¡¯d have to go back without seeing the sight he longs for. -Everyone must be seething with rage! You understand, right? Push hard for them to fight back against us! If the three dukes take your side, the other nobles will see the prince in a whole new light!¡± Unable to hold back, I finally voiced my thoughts. ¡°This son of a bitch.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Herman, red-faced with fury, froze in shock. Duke Kairos snapped his head to re at me, wide-eyed. Even Duke Serin, who was alwaysposed, stared at me with trembling pupils. ¡®What¡¯s your n?¡¯ The dukes¡¯ expressions seemed to ask me. But no matter how angry I was, my rage couldn¡¯tpare to theirs. ¡°Let¡¯s just raise an army and invade immediately. Burn the Emperor¡¯s pce to the ground while we¡¯re at it. That¡¯s the only way to get proper revenge, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Among those present, it wasn¡¯t just the three dukes witnessing this exchange. Their retainers, royal knights, and even lower-ranking nobles were also nearby. Of course, they hadn¡¯t heard Count Kaiman¡¯s insane confession. That had been shared only between the four of us. -What¡¯s your n here? Duke Herman¡¯s voice echoed in my head again, filled with concern. Meanwhile, Count Kaiman reclined theatrically, taking a deep breath. -The point is, the others should see what kind of twisted freak this guy really is. -This isn¡¯t a trivial matter. This could lead to actual war! -And do you think a war won¡¯t happen anyway? ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At that, Duke Herman¡¯s transmissions stopped. ¡°The Emperor¡¯s conquest of the continent is inevitable. Look around¡ªevery nation is too busy fighting among themselves to pay the Empire any heed.¡± This wasn¡¯t just the Hart Kingdom¡¯s issue; the same dynamic existed in every other country. At the very least, I had to ensure that this kingdom got its act together. ¡®Thanks, you lunatic. You¡¯ve just made my job easier.¡¯ Count Kaiman likely thought I was here to wallow in revenge or plot my return to power in Meeke, but he was mistaken. ¡®To cut down the Empire.¡¯ That was my one and only goal. Everything else was merely a means to that end. -Oh, and about Duke Kairos. Didn¡¯t you mention he¡¯s been greedily eyeing my possessions? -¡¯¡­¡­!¡¯ Duke Herman¡¯s eyes widened. He then slowly shook his head. -Are you trying to provoke him just because you might as well? -Let¡¯s call it a side. The shock therapy is the entr¨¦e.¡¯ As we exchanged words, Duke Kairos finally broke the silence, having finallye to his senses. ¡°¡­¡­Then, safe travels, Count.¡± His tone was curt as he turned away. ¡°I have pressing matters to attend to, so I¡¯ll head back now.¡± ¡°Oh, dear. Well then, do take care.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Right.¡± Duke Kairos paused mid-step and looked back. ¡°For the record, the remarks of the 7th Prince of Meeke earlier have nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Thank you for seeing me off.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Then, I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± Duke Kairos cast me a final nce before disappearing toward the pce. See that? Even now, he only cares about himself. Anyway, he won¡¯t dare spew any nonsense about broken promises or bullshit about being ck Swan¡¯s rightful owner. ¡°¡­¡­Since it seems the main parties failed to reach an understandingst night, I¡¯ll excuse myself as well.¡± ¡°I look forward to our next meeting, Duke Serin.¡± Duke Serin, who had been watching in silence, turned to me with a faint smirk before conveying a thought. -A revenge scheme as fiery as it is bold. With that, he too disappeared from sight. ¡°¡­¡­We will¡­¡­¡± Finally, Duke Herman¡¯s voice, low and brimming with suppressed fury, broke the silence. The gaze of the two remaining people was fixed on Count Kaiman. ¡°¡­¡­We will not suffer this indignity much longer, Empire.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Count Kaiman¡¯s eyes sparkled at Duke Herman¡¯s words as he broke into a bright smile. ¡°How disappointing. I thought we¡¯d see eye to eye, Duke Herman.¡± ¡°The idea that I could ever align with a madman like you is revolting.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who came to me for help.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who spread false information!¡± Herman hissed through clenched teeth, but he turned sharply on his heel. He was unable to argue further with so many ears around. ¡°¡­¡­I won¡¯t forget this insult.¡± ¡°Good. Please don¡¯t. That¡¯s exactly what I want.¡± Count Kaiman¡¯s final taunt hung in the air as he tilted his head mockingly. ¡°Your Highness, aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± ¡°May I offer a piece of advice?¡± ¡°Oh, by all means!¡± Count Kaiman¡¯s curiosity was piqued as he straightened his posture. ¡°You mentioned earlier that you¡¯re still undecided about who to serve?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Pardon?¡± Clearly expecting something about the fire incident, his confusion was palpable. ¡°Oh, yes, I did.¡± ¡°Let me rmend one for you.¡± Count Kaiman¡¯s eyes gleamed with interest. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Choose either of the remaining two¡ªnot the Knight of zes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­May I ask why?¡± I transmitted my answer telepathically. -After all that agonizing over your choice, wouldn¡¯t it be tragic if your new master didn¡¯tst long before being killed by someone else? -What do you mean? ¡°What else? That ze of yours will burn your Imperial Pce to the ground. Consider this my warning.¡± Count Kaiman stiffened before bursting intoughter. ¡°Hah! Hahahaha! Ahahahahaha!¡± ¡®Go ahead,ugh now.¡¯ My deal with Theorg was already set in stone. ¡®But if Count Kaiman chose The Knight of zes as his master anyway¡ª I¡¯ll send you both to the grave on the same day.¡¯ * * * Chapter 126 Chapter 126 ¨C Baron Ancelot (1) [Knight Ancelot of The Hart Kingdom has been summoned to the royal pce tomorrow morning.] In return for driving out the damned Imperial bastards, the King had prepared some empty words of praise. I headed toward an inn in the central district. I could have sought refuge at the residence of Marquis Foltaine, Duke Herman, or even at Milon¡¯s estate, but I deliberately chose not to. ¡®The Empire and the Meeke Principality aren¡¯tpletely out of this kingdom¡¯s picture yet.¡¯ What if one of them disguised themselves as an assassin? I wouldn¡¯t be able to look them in the face if that happened. Worse, my involvement could bring harm to their families. Especially since I had already received so much kindness from them. However, ¡°Are you out of your mind, staying alone at an inn at a time like this?¡± ¡°The Lazy Duke told me everything. Stop being reckless and juste stay at our ce!¡± The fiercely protesting Marquis Foltaine and Duke Herman, who were conveniently in the pce at the time, were adamant. ¡°It¡¯s just one night, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Again with that stubbornness of his¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not one to just let myself get jumped, right?¡± Eventually, I managed to talk them down and rented a decent room in a high-end inn. Deep into the night, ¡°¡­¡­¡± I opened my eyes silently. ¡®¡­¡­As expected, the assassins came knocking the moment I separated myself from everyone.¡¯ I slowly got out of bed. This was the third floor, but I could sense numerous sinister presences. They were on the roof, outside the window, inside the neighboring rooms and on the floor below. ¡®How could I possibly stay at someone else¡¯s home under these circumstances?¡¯ I know better than anyone the pain of losing one¡¯s family. ¡®Besides, I¡¯ve been living rather quietly recently, haven¡¯t I?¡¯ More importantly, I had already decided to kill every assassin who came for me. I needed to send a clear message early on. I need to show them that I¡¯m no pushover, nor am I some cocky fledgling relying on raw talent. Ssss! Suddenly, a sound like a snake¡¯s tongue flicking echoed. Swish! Immediately, I swung my sword lightly to the left. Slice! ¡°¡­¡­Urk!¡± A chilling sound of flesh being torn sounded followed by a wheezing sound. Even as the assassin¡¯s pupils darted left and right in their dying moments, I felt no pity. Crash! Smash! Bang! At that moment, the waiting attackers poured in all at once. They broke through the windows, smashed the door and even burst through the walls. ¡®Ten in total.¡¯ In all honesty, every single one of them was no ordinary opponent. Swish, swish, swish! The sound of clothing brushing filled the room. Despite being discovered, their movements were almost soundless. They didn¡¯t speak a word, executing their roles with lethal precision. Hiss! Then, one of them behind me flung something into the air. A dark green powder. Obviously poison. Bam! Immediately after, I used the t of my de to swing it back toward him. Whoosh! ¡°Aaaargh!¡± The poison, caught in the gust from the swing of my sword, sttered onto his body. Whoosh! Even as the assassin screamed, the others didn¡¯t falter. Four daggers came flying at me from the sides, timed just right to my sword swing. Fwip! I spun my body like a windmill. My specially reinforced shoes, designed with thick steel soles for fighting multiple enemies, deflected the daggers. ng, ng, ng, ng! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Precisely for a situation like this one. Each dagger, after making contact with the foot, returned to its sender. Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk! The sound of metal meeting flesh echoed four times in quick session. The four assassins died having their necks, hearts, and other vital points struck with precision. And it didn¡¯t stop there. -ash! I swung my sword once in a perfect circle. In the darkness, silver lines traced brilliant circr paths. As if the moon had fallen into the room. ¡°What¡­¡­ Is this¡­¡­?¡± One assassin stumbled back, having barely avoided the path of death. He clutched his neck with his hands as blood poured out from a deep wound. The other three had their heads severed instantly. ¡°That was meant to kill. Looks like you¡¯re not too shabby.¡± ¡°You¡­¡­ Who¡­¡­ Are¡­¡­ You¡­¡­ Grrghh!¡± His body went limp, and he¡¯d just copsed to the ground, when Crash! Thest attacker appeared, bursting through the floor. ¡®Thest one.¡¯ I moved to strike him with my sword. Squelch! But another de pierced his forehead first. The silver sword, having precisely pierced the skull of the assassin, stopped inches from my nose. ¡°Such a strong scent of blood on this lovely night.¡± ¡°And why does everyone insist oning through anything but the door?¡± I shook my head. Pop! The sword disappeared from my vision. Stter! At the same time, my face was sshed with hot blood from the wound. ¡°You don¡¯t like me too much, do you?¡± I asked calmly, wiping the blood away. Through the window stepped a handsome man. ¡°If I disliked you, I wouldn¡¯t have helped, would I?¡± Duke Serin smiled as he replied. ¡°This is what happens when revenge is iplete.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re here to give me another lecture. At this hour?¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I should report to His Majesty tomorrow during the ceremony that one of this kingdom¡¯s great dukes has far too much time on his hands.¡± Duke Serin made a peculiar expression in response to my half-joking remark. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m the only one with time to spare?¡± At that moment, a loudmotion erupted outside, followed by hurried footsteps. ¡°S-Sir Ancelot! Are you alright!?¡± A group burst into the room like a wave breaking onto the shore. They were knights I recognized. On the left were those under Marquis Foltaine, and on the right, those under Duke Herman. They must have been assigned to watch the area and were clearly caught off guard. It was no wonder, given the skill level of the assassins who had visited tonight. ¡°It seems the great nobles of this nation all tend to free up their schedules when ites to matters involving the prince.¡± ¡°Duke¡­¡­ Serin?¡± The knights noticed Duke Serin for the first time and their eyes widened in surprise. Worrying they might misunderstand the situation, I quickly waved my hand. ¡°All is well. The Duke came to assist me.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± ¡°You may head back. As you can see, the area is now secure.¡± After a brief hesitation, the knights nodded in agreement. ¡°I-In that case, we will thoroughly investigate the vicinity for any lingering assassins.¡± ¡°Please ry my gratitude to those who dispatched you.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The knights departed quickly, their faint smiles visible even as they moved with purpose. As soon as they left, Duke Serin began speaking again. ¡°And this is why grudges are best avoided.¡± I bit back the response bubbling up within me. Is that why you¡¯re a politician, through and through? And if so, why meddle in someone else¡¯s business now? Instead, I responded with the opposite of what I truly felt. ¡°So, you really dide to offer advice.¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Trantor ¨C San] [Proofreader ¨C Abstract] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * ¡°Your Highness, please don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Just because Duke Kairos has relinquished his im, do you think other nobles will simply stand by asnd within their territory is handed over to a foreign power?¡± So this was the real reason he hade. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so keen on obtaining ck Swan, but even with His Majesty¡¯s approval, you will not seed.¡± ¡°Then should I kill those nobles too?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For a fleeting moment, Duke Serin¡¯s eyes shed with a sharp gleam. ¡°As you saw earlier, I was prepared to take on the Empire. Dealing with some minor nobles in a small country like this would be nothing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I wonder, if Marquis Foltaine or Duke Herman saw you now, how would they react?¡± ¡°Remember, I never forget a grudge. I¡¯ll make sure those in the Meeke Principality, who tried to bury me while I was abroad, pay dearly.¡± Duke Serin shook his head. ¡°Your Highness, you truly lead an exhausting life.¡± Without missing a beat, I responded¡ª ¡°Are you tired?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Yes, I agree. It¡¯s exhausting for me, too.¡± I shrugged, and Duke Serin frowned. He had realized I wasn¡¯t speaking sincerely. ¡°First, there were parents who treated me worse than strangers¡­¡­¡± Twitch. The lines of his carefullyposed expression faltered. ¡°Then it was a sibling who shared my blood¡­¡­¡± Now his eyelids quivered faintly. ¡°¡­¡­And finally, even those closest to me¡ªfriends andrades¡ªbecame objects of suspicion. ¡®Are they approaching me with ulterior motives?¡¯ ¡®Do they dislike me? Should I deal with them before they act?¡¯ Or even, ¡®Why not cut ties with everyone and live alone, since trusting anyone is futile?¡¯¡± ¡°What are you¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m not talking about you, Your Grace. This is my story.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The cold light in Duke Serin¡¯s eyes grew even icier. ¡°It¡¯s just that living a life where you suspect everyone, one where you¡¯re constantly on edge, is utterly exhausting.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even when it¡¯s for my own peace of mind, it feels like I¡¯m driving myself to the brink. And that kind of life? It¡¯s unbearably lonely.¡± Atst, Duke Serin spoke in a low voice. ¡°Then tell me, Your Highness¡ªcan you endure it? Can you stop yourself from cutting them all down?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying to endure it. If they deserve to be cut down, then they must be.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you contradicting yourself?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. What I mean is, the root cause of hatred, grudges, and the fatigue of life isn¡¯t others. It¡¯s yourself.¡± A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Duke Serin¡¯s lips. ¡°Now I see that Your Highness is a self-loather.¡± No. You, who see the world in such a twisted light, are the true misanthrope. ¡°Life is short. I¡¯d rather spend it with those I care about¡ªarguing,ughing, and living together.¡± Even if it meant facing betrayal again, it was preferable to bing a demon consumed by vengeance. I had already walked that bloody path and lost what mattered most. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡­¡± After hesitating for a long moment, Duke Serin finally turned sharply on his heel. ¡°¡­¡­Haa. If life is so short, you might as well enjoy it. You seem destined not to die an ordinary death, anyway.¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± A faint smile ying on my lips. ¡°Perhaps the people around me will end up prolonging this brief life of mine.¡± *** The next day, in the grand hall of The Hart Kingdom¡¯s royal pce. This was the firstmendation ceremony since Terry Kuhn Hart ascended to the throne, and every noble in the capital had gathered. Yet, as Duke Serin had predicted, the uproar began almost immediately. ¡°This is uneptable!¡± ¡°Granting ck Swan to a foreign royal, and from the Meeke Principality, no less?!¡± ¡°Just recently, we were at war with Meeke over that very territory! This is essentially cedingnd to an enemy nation!¡± Seated on the throne, King Terry clutched his temples, trying to keep a headache at bay. He had anticipated this, but facing it directly was another matter entirely. Knowing his personality, however¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­A promise is a promise. Sir Ancelot is the hero who drove out the criminal who set fire to Twilight Pce.¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± ¡°So! Instead of persecuting the hero, perhaps you should discuss how to punish the criminal properly!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The hall fell silent, as if on cue. ¡°¡­¡­Tch.¡± Amidst the silence, King Terry clicked his tongue softly. ¡°How pathetic. You won¡¯t speak a word against the powerful who deserve judgment, yet you¡¯re quick to trample on a powerless child¡­¡­¡± ¡°Y-Your Majesty, confronting the Empire without evidence would provoke severe repercussions¡­¡­¡± Terry raised his hand, signaling he had heard enough.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°I hereby grant thends of ck Swan to Sir Ancelot. Furthermore!¡± His voice rang out, reverberating through the Grand Hall. ¡°Though it is uninhabitednd, its size rivals that of any duchy. Thus, I find it unfitting for andowner of such stature to hold no title.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°And so, by my authority as king, I grant Sir Ancelot the rank of baron.¡± Just as the lower-ranking nobles were about to voice their protests. ¡°A wise and just decision, Your Highness.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Marquis Foltaine was the first to bow. ¡°I have no objections.¡± Marquis Milon, who stood nearby, also opened his mouth in a rare moment. ¡°I will heed yourmands, Your Highness.¡± Andstly, Duke Herman as well. ¡°Your Majesty. I may be being presumptuous, but let me just say¡­¡­¡± Just as Duke Kairos was about to interject. ¡°I also have no objections.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Forgetting what he was going to say, Duke Kairos whipped around. He froze, jaws slightly agape. ¡°D-Duke Serin¡­¡­?¡± It was unexpected, to say the least. ¡°Well¡­¡­ Since I¡¯m powerless, I have to go with the flow. Besides, wouldn¡¯t tossing away a useless piece ofnd be better than to leave a debt unpaid?¡± But I caught the subtle nuance in his expression. ¡®Your Highness. If I had lived like you, would my life have turned out differently?¡¯ Indeed. A storm was raging within the grand hall. * * * Chapter 127 Chapter 127 ¨C Baron Ancelot (2) ¡°I have a house in the northern part of the capital. It was a gift from my Mother during my days as a prince, but I no longer have any use for it. Baron Ancelot, you may use it as your own.¡± At the end of his speech, the King personally bestowed upon me afortable residence. ¡°You¡¯ve done well. I¡¯m proud of you.¡± In the warm atmosphere, the royal council finally adjourned. ¡°Wow¡­¡­¡± I headed straight for the estate I was gifted. The estate¡¯s condition exceeded my expectations¡ªas expected of its extraordinary owner. ¡°Wee. We¡¯ve been awaiting your arrival.¡± His Majesty had even arranged for all essential staff needed to maintain the estate. ¡°Could you take this baggage for me?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Of course.¡± I handed my belongings to the butler who greeted me. Though I wanted to leisurely explore the estate, there were other tasks I needed to prioritize. ¡®Taking kindness for granted is dangerous. That¡¯s how rtionships crumble.¡¯ A one-sided dynamic where one only receives cannotst long. I had received considerable help from many people recently. Although they might not express dissatisfaction openly, resentment could build over time, potentially leading to an eventual fallout. So, if you received something, you should remember it and give back. ¡®Even if they consider themselves like foster parents, they¡¯re not my real parents. Friends aren¡¯t subordinates either.¡¯ With that in mind, I decided to visit Milon first. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Despite looking visibly exhausted, likely just having returned himself, Milon personally came to greet me. ¡°What do you want now?¡± ¡°Do I need a reason to visit? You¡¯re going to make me feel hurt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. My social battery ispletely drained¡­¡­¡± As Milon started to protest, he let out a deep sigh. ¡°¡­¡­Sigh. Well, knowing you, I¡¯d only be wasting my breath. Come in.¡± ¡°Pardon the intrusion.¡± I promptly entered his house. As expected of a marquis, the interior was breathtakingly grand. The first-floor lobby was entirely covered with what appeared to be a plush carpet that practically screamed luxury. ¡°Wow¡­¡­ How much did all this cost?¡± A single roll of such a carpet would be exorbitantly expensive, yet it wasid across the entire building. ¡°You really splurged, didn¡¯t you? And here I thought you weren¡¯t one for extravagance¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s not like that.¡± But just then¡ª Bang! ¡°Wow!¡± A door nearest to the first-floor entrance swung open. The butler, who had disappeared earlier, emerged from it, along with someone else. ¡°Are you perhaps Prince Andrew?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± It was a girl who bore a striking resemnce to Milon. Judging by her appearance, she seemed around my age, perhaps younger. The issue was. ¡®¡­¡­A wheelchair¡­¡­¡¯ The butler pushed her custom-made wheelchair closer to us with a faint squeak. ¡°This is my sister, May. Although she might seem young, she¡¯s much older than you, so I hope you¡¯ll forgive any unintentional discourtesies.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± As Milon exined, I quietly closed my eyes to sense her energy more clearly. Just as I suspected, there was no energy flowing through her legs. ¡®In other words, she¡¯s unable to use them.¡¯ Beyond that, her overall vitality seemed quite faint. ¡®Much like Raven.¡¯ This must be the family curse that has gued their lineage for generations. ¡°She wasn¡¯t like this at first. Her legs were fine, and both her eyes were normal, too.¡± Now that she was closer, I noticed one of May¡¯s retinas had lost its color. ¡°I¡¯m truly delighted to meet you! I¡¯ve wanted to for so long!¡± She extended her hand to me from her seat. Lowering myself, I sped her hand gently with both of mine. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. Please feel free to call me Ancelot.¡± ¡°Pardon? ¡®Ancelot¡¯?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something of a nickname.¡± Hearing this, May¡¯s face lit up with joy. No, she practically radiated cheerfulness. It was easy to imagine her personality from this short interaction. ¡°It¡¯s an honor! But¡­¡­ Is it okay for me to call you by a nickname?¡± ¡°Please, it¡¯s not much. Compared to your brother, I¡¯m nothing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± May quickly shook her head. ¡®¡­¡­She¡¯s even kind-hearted.¡¯ Just as I felt a pang of pity rising again¡ª ¡°Myzy brother, who¡¯s always stuck at home muttering ¡®the outside world is scary!¡¯, actually went on a trip thanks to you!¡± ¡°Hey, May¡­¡­¡± Milon sighed heavily, trying to interject. ¡°Am I wrong, brother? Without Ancelot, you¡¯d have holed up in your room for at least a week after a single visit to the royal pce, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± At that moment, I caught it. A wry smile flickered across Milon¡¯s face mid-conversation. ¡®¡­¡­I had a vague idea about his situation, but¡­¡­¡¯ His impatience now resonated sharply with me. Seeing his sister¡¯s condition with my own eyes, I understood why he was so restless. ¡°Now that I think about it, it¡¯s almost time¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± My muttering made the siblings turn their heads toward me. A faint smile crept across my face. ¡°I called for someone. There¡¯s some unfinished business I need to settle.¡± I had been covertly searching for someone through Narakas until now. A week ago, I finally received the message I had been waiting for. ¡°We found the person you mentioned, Leo.¡± ¡°Really?¡± A long time ago, there was a kid who used to tail Raven everywhere. She was an orphan, and although she was a nuisance to him, Raven taught her a great deal. Moreover, it was with a passion he hadn¡¯t shown ever since he¡¯d pledged allegiance to me. It seemed he wanted to have at least one disciple since death was always one wrong step away on the battlefield. After all, he was a pitiable bachelor who never married, let alone had children. ¡°Who do you think we are? We¡¯re the Mask of Night, an organization that worked closely with Raven, the famed poison master.¡± Narakas replied with a sly grin. That¡¯s exactly why I entrusted him with this task. The diverse herbs and poisons scattered across the continent. Gathering them required extensive intelligence. And when it came to information, the Mask of Night was unmatched. ¡°If you¡¯d told me from the beginning that her name was ¡®Ne¡¯, we might¡¯ve found them sooner¡­¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Ne?¡± ¡°I guess she changed her name.¡± I had some idea why, but that wasn¡¯t the issue right now. ¡°So, where is she now?¡± ¡°Actually, I brought her here myself.¡± ¡°What? S-She¡¯s here? In person?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om My eyes widened in disbelief. I hadn¡¯t dared to hope for that. ¡®That kid had quite the temper, even back then.¡¯ After all, there was a time when the child imed she wanted to be exactly like her teacher over and over. If she¡¯d even taken on Raven¡¯s personality, ¡°You weren¡¯t clobbered with a staff?¡± At that, Narakas shrugged. ¡°As if. We¡¯re business partners now. I told them we should get along as fellow sessors, and she was all for it¡ªpacked her bags and came right away. I even spent a fortune to bring her here safely via the Magic Tower¡¯s teleportation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± My mouth hung open at the implications. ¡°By that, do you mean¡­¡­ Have you decided to live as a whole new leader?¡± A faint smile yed on Narakas¡¯s lips. ¡°Well, thanks to someone.¡± *** Milon watched the new guest with guarded eyes. A slender woman wearing an absurdly tall pointed hat was examining May from head to toe. ¡®She¡¯s grown so much.¡¯ That kid. Or rather, that woman, now a full-fledged adult, was Ne, Raven¡¯s former apprentice. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± Adjusting her expensive sses, Ne studied May, who was sitting with an awkward smile, before delivering her diagnosis. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s dwarfism. The same curse that once afflicted Raven, the Empire¡¯s greatest poison master¡­¡­¡± She seemed reluctant to reveal her connection to her teacher. Thud! Ne closed the hefty book she had been reading. ¡°To get straight to the point, it can be cured.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Even Milon, who rarely showed emotion, widened his eyes at the revtion. His sister May, too, stared in astonishment. ¡°I-Is that true?¡± Milon asked urgently, yet uncharacteristically respectfully. ¡°Yes, my teacher¡­¡­ Ahem. It¡¯s not apletely new ailment, but a curse with precedents. I¡¯ve researched it extensively in the past. Not only can the symptoms be halted, but full recovery is entirely possible.¡± ¡°F-Full recovery¡­¡­!¡± Milon¡¯s eyes lit up with hope. ¡°However.¡± Ne adjusted her sses again. ¡°That¡¯s only if we have all the necessary materials.¡± ¡°Wh-What materials? Whatever they are, I¡¯ll get them no matter what!¡± Milon¡¯s voice was filled with desperate resolve. After all, it was a matter of fulfilling his lifelong wish. ¡°It¡¯ll cost quite a bit of money.¡± ¡°If money¡¯s the issue, I¡¯ll sell this estate¡ªor even my title. Just tell me what¡¯s needed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After ncing between Milon and May. ¡°¡­¡­Tsk. If youe out like this, I can¡¯t even overcharge you.¡± Ne sighed deeply. ¡°Just give me the material cost. I¡¯ll get the ingredients for you.¡± ¡°I-I couldn¡¯t possibly ask that of you¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not doing this for free either. Thanks to a certain someone, I¡¯m getting a good deal and direct ess to the leader of the Mask of Night¡­¡­¡± Trailing off, Ne turned toward me. ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s you, right? That An¡­¡­celot.¡± I nodded silently. ¡°You¡¯re younger than I expected.¡± ¡°But can all the materials be obtained with money?¡± At my question, Ne furrowed her brows, as if recalling a headache-inducing problem. ¡°¡­¡­Just one. Out of all of them, there¡¯s one that even I can¡¯t guarantee. For this, I¡¯ll need to consult the leader of the Mask of Night¡­¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°A blue herb called Pane. It only grows in one specific area on this vast continent¡ªas far as I know.¡± ¡°And that ce is probably quite dangerous.¡± Ne smirked. ¡°Dangerous doesn¡¯t even begin to cut it. Going there means certain death.¡± ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°In this country, it¡¯s called the ck Swan, thend of death. Pane only grows deep in the heart of the elven forest.¡± As Ne tucked her hair behind her ear, she continued. ¡°You know about it, right? Thatnd once spurred a war between two nations. Even they were driven out, and no one has imed it since. At this point, it¡¯s better to hope I¡¯m wrong about it being the only ce Pane grows.¡± The more she exined, the broader my smile grew. Fate seemed to have a hand in this. ¡°Perfect. I have a promise to a friend, anyway.¡± No point in waiting¡ªshould I give that crazy elf a visit? Grab! ¡°Wait. If you¡¯re doing this because you feel indebted to me, you really don¡¯t have to.¡± At that moment, Milon grabbed my wrist. ¡°Thanks to you, May is already much better. I don¡¯t want to burden you further. I¡¯ll find a way to get that Pane.¡± I frowned. ¡°Hey, did you forget? Thatnd belongs to me now. Even if we¡¯re both nobles from the same nation, did you think you could wander around in it without my permission?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Milon¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°¡­¡­But¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± After staring at me for a long moment, he finally relented. ¡°¡­¡­Thank you. This debt¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, stop it. Again¡ªif you¡¯re grateful, just buy me a drink.¡± Milon chuckled. ¡°¡­¡­Again, orange juice for you, you cheeky friend of mine.¡± * * * Chapter 128 Chapter 128 ¨C Baron Ancelot (3) Just as I stepped out of Milon¡¯s mansion. ¡°Please wait!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Ne, Raven¡¯s disciple, was rushing after me. ¡°Do you have something to say to me?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± After hesitating for a moment, Ne took a deep breath. ¡°First of all, I want to apologize.¡± ¡°Apologize?¡± ¡°Before I came here, I heard from Narakas about who your master is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Narakas, from what I¡¯ve seen, is quite tight-lipped. Trust is the foundation of information trade, after all. If he said something, there must have been a reason. ¡°You¡¯re not angry?¡± ¡°I trust him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ne¡¯s eyes widened for a split second before reverting back to her usual expression. ¡°I heard you haven¡¯t known him for long, though¡­¡­¡± ¡°The depth of trust isn¡¯t always proportional to the time spent together.¡± There were plenty of people whose trust lessened the more you got to know them. ¡°¡­¡­Well, I can¡¯t help but envy that.¡± ¡°Envy?¡± ¡°I know better than anyone how hard it is to find someone you can truly trust.¡± Though it seemed there was more to her story, I didn¡¯t have the time to dig into it now. ¡°What is it you want to say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s connected to what we¡¯ve just been talking about. I don¡¯t trust people easily. However, the fact that you know my old name, which only a few would remember¡­¡­ That alone proves you¡¯re the Great Hero¡¯s fellow disciple.¡± Now it made sense why Narakas had revealed my identity. Even he wouldn¡¯t have known the old name of one of countless orphans. He must have asked to confirm her identity, and Ne likely grew curious in the process. ¡°Are you nning to seek revenge?¡± By this point, I had no choice but to ask in return. ¡°Revenge for my master? Or yours?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Ne¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I see you don¡¯t trust my master.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no trust between him and me yet.¡± I heard he worked for the emperor in the Poison Pce for ten years to protect a daughter I didn¡¯t even know I had. But now, I couldn¡¯t believe anything without seeing the proof for myself. ¡°¡­¡­I understand your reaction.¡± ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡± ¡°Well, if someday I sessfully create a cure for dwarfism¡­¡­¡± Muttering as she looked at the ground, Ne suddenly lifted her head. ¡°In other words¡­¡­ If you¡¯re convinced I¡¯m someone you can trust, then¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then?¡± Looking at me as I repeated her words, she asked earnestly. ¡°Would you make a deal with me, then?¡± After the brief encounter with Ne, I went to meet the Marquis Foltaine, as originally intended. ¡®I don¡¯t know what kind of deal that kid is talking about, but it must be rted to Raven somehow.¡¯ I was curious about what kind of deal she would propose. In any case, I needed to procure the medicinal ingredients quickly for various reasons. ¡°Why are you here, you rascal?¡± Aside from that, the other party seemed quite miffed with me. He must have heard from his men that assassins targeted mest night. Since I¡¯d stubbornly brought the danger upon myself, his reaction was entirely understandable. ¡°I apologize for worrying you.¡± ¡°Hmph. Why are you apologizing if you¡¯re so bent on risking your life?¡± ¡°No matter how recklessly I treat my body, isn¡¯t it a different story for someone who sees me as family?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine red at me like a tfish. ¡°You think calling me family only when it¡¯s beneficial for you will melt my heart?¡± ¡°I was only being honest. I¡¯m always grateful.¡± ¡°Oh, gratitude, you say? How about you be my actual child, then? Then I¡¯ll forgive you for everything.¡± A wry smile crept onto my face at his remark. Look here, friend. If I hadn¡¯t died, we¡¯d be of the same age. Still, rational thoughts aside¡­¡­ ¡®Somehow¡­¡­¡¯ As someone who had never had parents, I always felt something stir in me when I saw Marquis Foltaine. A corner of my heart would ache in an unfamiliar way. ¡®¡­¡­If I had real parents, would it feel like this?¡¯ Letting out a sigh, I spoke up again. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving for the ck Swan soon.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s face scrunched up immediately. ¡°You apologize, but nothing changes!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Being like this brought back memories of my dead Andy. I regretted being able to y with my son only a few times. I endlessly med myself for not spending even a little more time with him when I had the chance. I figured many fathers must feel what I felt now. Caught up with work, busy earning money, or just tired. For various reasons, they drift further from their children. And before they know it, their kids have grown up too fast. A wall grows between parent and child during that time. Tearing down that lifelong wall is no easy task. ¡®If Marquis Foltaine truly thought of me as his child, he might feel the same.¡¯ With that thought, I made a suggestion. Or rather, a request. ¡°Will youe with me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s eyes widened as if they¡¯d pop out of his head. ¡°To that cursednd of death again?¡± ¡°If youe with me, I¡¯d feel much more at ease.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a long silence, he stared at me and then. ¡°¡­¡­Heheheh.¡± A soft chuckle escaped him. ¡°This time, I like what I¡¯m hearing. Fine. Let¡¯s go together.¡± Hearing his response, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Thank you, Marquis Foltaine. For caring so deeply about someone as unworthy as me. *** The next visit was to Duke Herman¡¯s estate. ¡°I appreciate what you did at the royal court.¡± ¡°Did youe all the way here just to offer thanks?¡± Duke Herman asked, a faint smile ying on his lips. ¡°I felt that if I didn¡¯t say it in person, you might not recognize my sincerity.¡± ¡°As expected of a child beloved by my old friend. Your social skills are already exemry.¡± That old friend, of course, referred to Marquis Foltaine. ¡°Still, it was your own skill that earned you the title andnd. There¡¯s no need to thank me.¡± ¡°Even so, gratitude is gratitude.¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯re truly thankful¡­¡­¡± Duke Herman¡¯s expression suddenly grew serious. ¡°Take good care of Princess Winley. If I ever see tears in her eyes because of you¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you truly think I¡¯m the kind of shameless man who makes women cry?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m saying this because it¡¯s you, though? You really didn¡¯t hold back your blows back at the knight¡¯s exam.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± I cleared my throat awkwardly. After all, I understood what he was feeling. I bet at that time, he wanted to beat me half to death. His affection for Winley likely mirrored those Marquis Foltaine had for me. Perhaps even more so. ¡®Since he believes himself responsible for the death of Winley¡¯s mother, the third queen.¡¯ Having already heard the general details from Narakas, I gave him a bitter smile. ¡°Oh, by the way, I¡¯ve heard from Marquis Foltaine. You¡¯ll soon be heading to your territory, yes?¡± ¡°Sorry? You got word already?¡± But I¡¯d only just left¡­¡­? ¡°Do you thinkmunication crystals are just for show?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± I don¡¯t know about anything else, but he really is good at taking action. ¡°I¡¯ll get two of my knight orders prepared. Take them with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The Herman family had seven knight orders in total. To offer two was a significant gesture, nearly a third of their forces. ¡°That¡¯s too much. Now that I¡¯ve seen the area, I don¡¯t think such precautions are necessary¡­¡­¡± ¡°Think bigger. An emptynd with no people is too deste. Security will be a concern as well.¡± ¡°There are people, though.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mean the Verdant Veil, do you? Are you seriously considering putting thieves in charge of security?¡± Since I didn¡¯t know each one of them personally, I couldn¡¯t say that I was going to. At my silence, Duke Herman smiled slyly. ¡°Use them well and return them when you¡¯re done. I¡¯ll just consider it a temporary reassignment.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t the knights haveints?¡± ¡°Well, what can they do? Orders are orders.¡± Duke Herman, who had responded jokingly, became serious again. ¡°This isn¡¯t just about maintaining security. You saw it at the court, didn¡¯t you? The hostile nces aimed at you.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already been targeted once. Someone else mighte for you out of jealousy. But no one would dare act rashly when faced with my family¡¯s emblem.¡± How could I refuse his generosity when he was going this far to make me ept? ¡®And they say that a single word can pay a debt of a thousand gold.¡¯ I bowed deeply with sincerity. ¡°I¡¯ll repay your kindness when I¡¯m stronger.¡± ¡°Kindness? If you¡¯re really thankful, just treat Her Highness well.¡± No. That wasn¡¯t enough. True gratitude required direct action. ¡®I heard the third queen left a will in the Empire.¡¯ Though Duke Herman didn¡¯t know yet, I did. ¡®If Narakas fails to retrieve it, I¡¯ll do so myself.¡¯ Yes. Even if the Emperor refused to hand it over, I decided I would take it¡ªby force, if I had to. *** The final meeting of the day was with Duke Serin. ¡°I must admit, I was surprised you chose to help me. I never imagined you would.¡± ¡°I realized how reckless the prince truly is. Better to align myself with you than risk the madness turning my way.¡± ¡°So this time, I¡¯ll be bathing in my own blood, and not someone else¡¯s.¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± Duke Serin chuckled, then smoothly shifted topics. ¡°Speaking of which, the assassins fromst night? They were hired by the Meeke Principality.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°They spent quite a sum trying to kill you. Given the Empire¡¯s efforts to eradicate skilled assassins, findingpetent ones must¡¯ve been a challenge.¡± ¡°How did you find out?¡± Duke Serin shrugged. ¡°You underestimate me, Your Highness. I¡¯m one of only three dukes in this kingdom, and this is my territory.¡± ¡°I never underestimated you, Your Grace. I¡¯m simply impressed.¡± Duke Serin leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with expectation. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should exact some fiery revenge?¡± It was clear he relished testing me. Perhaps he believed we were alike, certain that no matter how I pretended to be different, the end results would be the same. He wouldn¡¯t ept that he might be wrong. To do so would mean questioning everything he¡¯d lived for. ¡®If he needs a turning point¡­¡­ I¡¯ll give him one.¡¯ ¡°Where are they now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Serin¡¯s eyes sparkled. He looked delighted. Soon after, he leapt to his feet. ¡°Follow me. I¡¯ll take you to them myself.¡± * * * Chapter 129 Chapter 129 ¨C To Steal a Kingdom (1) A day had passed since the delegation from the Meeke Principality was forced to return home. For Prince Enzi, the diplomatic mission was nothing short of a humiliation. They hade to offer congrattions on a joyful asion, only to be pped across the face by their host and sent away like beggars. Returning home in such a state would surely shake his standing as the crown prince. And so, ¡®¡­¡­I have to at least kill that damned bastard Andrew.¡¯ His mother had always stressed the same point. Eliminate the trouble at its root. Following that principle, Prince Enzi had spent all his money to make secret contact with the most skilled assassins in the area. Though the Empire had once eradicated the assassin groups across the continent, crime never truly disappears just because thew exists, does it? As with contract killing, prostitution, and the ve trade, the more such things are suppressed, the more vigorously they flourish in the shadows. That¡¯s why he had spared no expense in selecting the very best from among the most active groups, but¡­¡­n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡®¡­¡­I can¡¯t shake this uneasy feeling.¡¯ There had been no word from the assassins. The deadline they had promised had already passed. ¡®Could they have failed?¡¯ Prince Enzi bit down hard on his fingernails. He¡¯d chewed them so often that the tips were now ragged and frayed. At that sight, Duke Veder stepped closer. ¡°Your Highness, is something troubling you?¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± The prince¡¯s stammering reply made Duke Veder tilt his head in confusion. ¡®He¡¯s definitely hiding something¡­¡­¡¯ The duke¡¯s suspicions were soon confirmed. ¡°H-Halt!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± A loud shout rang out from the front of their procession. Not only that, but a knight came rushing over in a hurry. ¡°I-I apologize. Suspicious figures are blocking the road¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Blocking the road?¡± Duke Veder frowned in disbelief. They were only a day¡¯s journey from the capital. Moreover, this was during the time when foreign dignitaries from across the nations were gathering. ¡°There¡¯s no way the Hart Kingdom would let their security deteriorate to this extent¡­¡­¡± With a furrowed brow, Duke Veder stepped forward decisively. Before long, the scene unfolded before his eyes. ¡°Huh?¡± Two figures, suspiciously masked, were indeed blocking the road. The two masked individuals. Duke Serin let out a small sigh behind the mask he¡¯d hastily donned. -What in the world are we doing here? -It was you who insisted oning, your grace. It was you who refused my suggestion to stay hidden. -How could I miss such a spectacle? I only wanted the best view. -Then perhaps you should¡¯ve hidden in a tree. -Where do you see any trees around here? An irritated voice shot back. True to theint, the area was entirely t, an endless expanse of ins. ¡°¡­¡­They¡¯re no ordinary people.¡± A voice came from the front. Should I say it was to be expected of a Master? Even with both of their faces covered, he had instantly gauged the masked pair¡¯s capabilities. ¡°A child and an adult. And the adult¡­¡­¡± Duke Veder¡¯s eyes widened in shock mid-sentence. ¡°¡­¡­Could it be¡­¡­?¡± ¡°We¡¯re merely passing bandits.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The moment I spoke. Duke Veder¡¯s expression shifted from doubt to certainty. From behind the mask, Duke Serin let his irritation show. ¡°¡­¡­Bandits¡­¡­?¡± Duke Veder repeated my words, bewildered. I had left my voice deliberately unchanged. I never intended to hide my identity. ¡°Hahaha! I see. Passing bandits, you say?¡± ¡°Your Highness¡­¡­!¡± Duke Veder flinched and turned back sharply. Prince Enzi, who should have stayed safely behind, had stepped forward. And at the same time¡ª Shwing! ¡°Die, you wretched bandit!¡± A figure charged toward me. The sting of their killing intent on my skin was a bonus. There was no hesitation in their movements, as if they had been ordered to act without mercy. ¡®Judging by their skill, this must be one of the prince¡¯s top guards.¡¯ Even from slight movements, much could be discerned. I instantly assessed the opponent¡¯s strength. Aside from Duke Veder, this was likely the strongest person here. Step. I took a single step forward. The opponent¡¯s target was clear. My neck. Slide. As my hand quietly reached for my sword hilt, my eyes tracked two points in the air. Calcting the shortest path to the knight barreling toward me. sh! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Without a word, the knight who had been viciously swinging his sword widened his eyes in shock. It was the moment a chilling sound of flesh and bone being severed echoed. In the air, his hand¡ªstill clutching the sword¡ªwas floating. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­!¡± Even so, perhaps clinging to his pride, he clenched his teeth and refrained from screaming. He pressed down on his severed wrist to stop the bleeding, ring at me with eyes full of hatred. ¡°For a mere bandit¡­¡­ You have exceptional skill.¡± Despite losing an arm, the knight smirked at me. It was as if he had expected me to act this way all along. -What will you do now? From a step behind me, Duke Serin¡¯s calm voice cut through the tension. It was a marked difference from how he might have reacted just days ago. Back then, he likely would have shouted, ¡®You should¡¯ve cut his head off on the spot!¡¯ Yes. He, too, was changing¡ªif only little by little. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± A quick nce revealed his eyes brimming with a strange sense of anticipation. Of course, I had no intention of indulging that expectation, not even slightly. ¡°You¡¯ve tried to kill me without warning¡ªagain.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Again¡­¡­?¡± Duke Veder, still stunned by the abruptness of it all, flinched at my words. ¡°You¡¯ve aimed for my life twice now, yet I¡¯ll let you go with just an arm again. I¡¯ll take something much biggerter.¡± ¡°What are you¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Are you going to feign ignorance? You sent assassins after mest night, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Veder¡¯s eyes shot open. His expression was one of utter disbelief. Momentster, his head whipped around. ¡°Damn it! What are you doing? He said he¡¯s just a bandit! Kill him already!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Veder bit his lip hard. Prince Enzi¡¯s outburst had all but confirmed the truth of my usations. ¡°¡­¡­Sigh. Your Highness, from here on out, please leave everything to me.¡± ¡°Duke! Are my words a joke to you? Didn¡¯t I tell you to kill them!? This is an order! Remove them from my sight immediately!¡± Duke Veder ignored the ranting prince, raising his voice instead. ¡°Anyone who acts without my orders will be executed on the spot!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Prince Enzi¡¯s eyes went wide in disbelief at this unexpected turn of events. ¡°Duuuuuuke! You dare defy my orders¡­¡­!¡± ¡°When ites to security, my authority as duke takes precedence, Your Highness.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­!?¡± Prince Enzi¡¯s face turned beet red with anger. ¡°¡­¡­For now, please follow my lead, Your Highness.¡± Duke Veder¡¯s steady gaze turned sharply to me. ¡°So, what did you mean earlier when you said you¡¯d take something bigger? Sir Bandit.¡± ¡°As an aspiring master thief, and since I owe you for the two attempts on my life¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t it only fair that I steal the most precious thing from my opponent to bnce the scales?¡± ¡°And what is this most precious thing you¡¯re referring to?¡± A faint smile spread across my face. ¡°Tell your people at the pce that a certain thief will soone to steal the entire kingdom.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At my words, everyone, including Duke Veder, widened their eyes in shock. ¡°This lunatic¡­¡­¡± Even Duke Serin, who had remained silent until now, couldn¡¯t hold back his astonishment. *** We were on the way back after my bold deration. ¡°I expected something different when you said you¡¯d show me something new¡­¡­ Are you out of your mind?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve just killed them all. With things left like this, they¡¯ll only grow more underhanded and relentless in targeting your life.¡± Duke Serin¡¯s tone was steeped in genuine disbelief. ¡°And yet, you not only let them go but also arrogantly dered war on them like a fool.¡± He ripped off his mask in frustration, throwing it to the ground. ¡°¡­¡­So you are still a child after all, Your Highness. I must¡¯ve been mistaken. If you were going to be like this, why even bother wearing the mask in the first ce?¡± Finally, I spoke up, my voice calm. ¡°As for the mask¡­¡­ I am now a noble of this country, am I not?¡± ¡°And what of it?¡± ¡°If I had acted openly without the mask, it could¡¯ve escted into an international diplomatic incident. Having earned my title, it wouldn¡¯t do to tarnish the reputation of the Hart Kingdom, now, would it?¡± ¡°And yet you didn¡¯t even bother disguising your voice. No one truly believed you were a real thief, Your Highness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just a suspicion. Just as their involvement in sending assassins is also a suspicion.¡± This was, in truth, a critical matter. Both politics and war boil down to a battle of legitimacy. Even if everyone knew the culprits behind an attack, without concrete evidence, no action could be taken. Acting on suspicion alone could backfire, leaving one vulnerable. Of course, I had no intention of merely letting them off the hook. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s a nation I intend to steal someday.¡± Unlike Duke Serin, I had a different n: to seize power without bloodshed. ¡°If the Meeke Principality¡¯s standing falls too low, it would be a problem for me. They¡¯ve already suffered the humiliation of being bested by a mere child in front of foreign dignitaries.¡± Duke Serin sneered coldly. ¡°Unlike me, you won¡¯t even get the chance to im that nation. You¡¯ll be dead long before then. What if Duke Veder had simply killed you, thinking you really were a thief?¡± ¡°That would¡¯ve been impossible. You were by my side, Duke Serin, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Serin¡¯s sneer deepened. ¡°¡­¡­So you used me.¡± ¡°I must remind you; it was you who insisted on tagging along, your grace.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hah¡­¡­¡± After ring at me for a long moment, he finally sighed in exasperation. ¡°¡­¡­Anyay, you¡¯ll regret today¡¯s decisions, Your Highness.¡± He turned abruptly, as though he wanted nothing more to do with me. ¡°The one regretting things seems to be you, Duke Serin.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°If you give in to every urge to kill, you¡¯ll eventually find yourself utterly alone¡ªlike you are now, my lord.¡± Duke Serin shot me a re, his expression icy. ¡°Aren¡¯t you lonely?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± His lips eventually curled into a bitter smirk. ¡°Better lonely than dead, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For a moment, my eyes widened at his unexpected response. I hadn¡¯t expected him to so readily admit his loneliness. A grin tugged at the corners of my mouth. ¡°I won¡¯t die. As you saw, I have plenty of guardians to keep me safe¡ªincluding you, Duke Serin.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself. I¡¯ve had enough of you. Don¡¯t expect anything from me anymore¡­¡­¡± I cut him off. ¡°I¡¯m no fool. For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯ll gain three advantages from letting them go this time.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about¡­¡­?¡± Step, step, step. Duke Serin flinched as faint footsteps sounded from the shadowy path ahead. ¡°Herees the first reason now.¡± A smile yed on my lips as a voice called out. ¡°May we have a word?¡± It was none other than Duke Veder of the Meeke Principality. * * * Chapter 130 Chapter 130 ¨C To Steal a Kingdom (2) I understood how Duke Serin felt. ¡®Sparing an enemy on the battlefield is, as he said, a foolish thing to do.¡¯ Showing mercy to an enemy isn¡¯t kindness. It¡¯s foolishness that invites danger. However, if it was for another purpose, the story changes. ¡®When amander captures an enemy general, there are usually four major options.¡¯ Execute them immediately to eliminate the threat. Release them for a specific strategic advantage. Detain them for prisoner exchange. Andstly¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­Persuade the other side.¡¯ Persuasion doesn¡¯t always require sweet words. Sometimes, a single action speaks louder than a hundred words. Just like right now. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, so let me get straight to the point.¡± Duke Veder spoke quickly, as if being chased. ¡°The discourtesy at the pce was indeed due to my judgment, but sending assassins was not my intent.¡± At least he had the right attitude for the conversation. ¡°Before we proceed¡­¡­ I wish to apologize for my offense.¡± Duke Veder began by bowing his head. Then, he went further, kneeling and lowering his head toward me. Duke Serin frowned at the sight. ¡°¡­¡­Are all nobles politicians at heart¡­¡­?¡± The cynical Duke Serin couldn¡¯t take this act at face value. Of course, I felt the same. After all, wasn¡¯t this the same man who had, not long ago, debated killing or sparing me on behalf of Prince Enzi? Even if it had been for a royal decree, there was no way such actions would sit well with me. ¡°I don¡¯t think you came just to apologize, so what do you really want to say?¡± ¡°To be honest, I was impressed.¡± His words made me tilt my head. ¡°Impressed?¡± ¡°Your Highness was driven from the pce with no foundation to speak of.¡± ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°My poor eyes never anticipated that Your Highness possessed such remarkable abilities, nor did I realize you could attract so many people to your side.¡± Duke Veder¡¯s voice continued. ¡°With the exceptional feats you¡¯ve demonstrated here¡­¡­ Yes. It must mean you¡¯ve deliberately concealed your true self until now.¡± He was free to misunderstand, and I didn¡¯t bother to correct him. There was no point exining that the reality was different. ¡°At your age, most would be eager to boast to their peers¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ugh. This is embarrassing. Let¡¯s cut the ttery. What do you really want to say?¡± ¡°If Your Highness would forgive my rudeness¡­¡­!¡± For a moment, Duke Veder¡¯s eyes gleamed intensely. ¡°I would like to pledge my loyalty to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn Duke Serin¡¯s pupils shook immediately. He whipped his head toward me. His expression silently asked, ¡®Was this what you were aiming for?¡¯ ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to believe you¡¯d abandon the sturdy rope of my brother, only to grasp at the straws of the Seventh Prince, who has nothing.¡± ¡°I trust my own two eyes.¡± ¡°But I cannot trust you, Duke.¡± ¡°If youmand it, I will swear an oath as a knight here and now.¡± Knights, as a rule, value honor more than life itself. Moreover, in this situation, we had a Master and a Duke from another nation acting as a witness. ¡°Hah. Anyone can make a promise with their mouth.¡± At that moment, a disgruntled voice interrupted. It was Duke Serin. ¡°Let¡¯s not y games among those who understand each other. Speak frankly about your intentions. It¡¯s fortunate His Highness is kind; if it were me, I would¡¯ve already severed an arm. Blood debts are repaid with blood.¡± I didn¡¯t bother to stop Duke Serin. I knew full well that his actions were for my sake, and no one else¡¯s. ¡°¡­¡­Your Highness must already be aware of the current situation in our country.¡± Duke Veder¡¯s gaze was fixed on me. I immediately delved into the memories of this body. ¡®What I know about the current state of the Meeke Principality can be summed up in two points.¡¯ First, the real ruler of the principality is the Queen. Second, a new Master has recently emerged in the Principality. Interestingly, Duke Veder¡¯s words were rted to both of these facts. ¡°Now that the principality possesses three Masters, symbols of a kingdom, we are preparing to elevate our national status officially.¡± In this world, Masters equate to national power. With newfound strength, the next logical step is to change the signboard to reflect it. ¡°Naturally, other kingdoms are fiercely opposing this.¡± ¡°Of course they are. It¡¯s irritating when someone weaker than you suddenly tries to stand shoulder to shoulder with you.¡± It¡¯s human nature to resent others¡¯ sess. It is even more pronounced when ites to international rtions. ¡°Some countries have even dered that if we elevate our status without adhering to conventional procedures, they will sever all trade rtions with us. Among them, the opposition from this very Hart Kingdom is especially strong.¡± ¡°Well, that makes sense. We¡¯ve recently been in a territorial dispute with the Meeke Principality.¡± The one for ck Swan. ¡°As a result, other nations have also joined the opposition. With the Empire as amon threat, the alliance cannot afford internal divisions¡­¡­¡± ¡°They all want to maintain the status quo.¡± The more people have, the less they desire change. That is why conservatives overwhelmingly outnumber progressives among the privileged. Changees with unpredictable risks. ¡°This is ssified information, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°Duke Veder! Where are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± We all froze for a moment. At the end of the corridor, Prince Enzi¡¯s voice echoed. Simultaneously, Duke Veder¡¯s speech hastened. ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point. Her Majesty the Queen is secretly preparing for war.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Both Duke Serin and I widened our eyes. ¡°The most effective way to prove power¡­¡­ Yes. By devouring another kingdom¡­¡­¡± ¡°With Duke Serin present, I¡¯ll say this carefully; the Hart Kingdom is one of the candidates. The ck Swan territorial dispute is still fresh on our minds, and there¡¯s this incident as well.¡± ¡°I see. That makes sense.¡± Duke Serin now had a look of understanding. ¡°People must suffer greatly under that greedy Queen.¡± ¡°Indeed. Believe it or not, I am a pacifist. I wish to prevent war at all costs.¡± Duke Veder nced towards the corridor. ¡°So far, I¡¯ve managed to keep things restrained. However, the newly emerged Master has a very aggressive stance¡­¡­ Combined with the existing pro-war Master, there are now two hardliners.¡± ¡°You¡¯re outnumbered now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s why Her Majesty sent me to the Hart Kingdom. She wanted to give me a chance¡ªand win my favor by creating a situation where I could gain merit.¡± ¡°The Queen of your country is certainly shrewd. If she lost the favor of even one Master, the dream of elevating the nation¡¯s status would evaporate entirely, anyway.¡± Duke Serin¡¯s sneer deepened. ¡°On that note, may I ask onest question? Duke Serin, why are you following His Highness?¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly dragging me into this?¡± ¡°Because your sentiments probably aren¡¯t so different from mine. Doesn¡¯t that exin my pledge of loyalty?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Serin widened his eyes briefly before letting out a faint chuckle. ¡°¡­¡­I see. So, that¡¯s how people see me now.¡± At the same time, Duke Veder tilted his head. ¡°Am I wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin nced briefly at me. ¡°¡­¡­No. I am indeed on the prince¡¯s side.¡± Surprisingly, he admitted this without hesitation. Before we knew it, Duke Veder had disappeared entirely. ¡°Duke Veder!¡± Prince Enzi had approached quite close. ¡°We should leave as well. Let¡¯s avoid any unnecessary suspicions.¡± With that, Duke Serin and I began walking side by side through the royal capital. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to take my side so boldly back there.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Don¡¯t read too much into it. I¡¯m a politician. It means I could side with Prince Enzi at any moment.¡± ¡°Still, thank you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin paused briefly and looked back at me. ¡°If you¡¯re grateful, why not tell me? The second and third reasons, I mean.¡± ¡°You¡¯re referring to what I stand to gain from this situation?¡± ¡°Yes. I already understand the first reason is about people.¡± I nodded. ¡°If the first reason is securing talented individuals like Duke Veder, the second is about creating the right atmosphere.¡± ¡°Atmosphere?¡± ¡°It¡¯s far from easy to show mercy to someone who tried to kill me. Especially considering how the Queen has been killing off princes who aren¡¯t her children for a long time. Naturally, many people, including myself, have suffered under her orders.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°If I can forgive someone who tried to kill me, can¡¯t I forgive those who have only caused minor inconveniences?¡± Duke Serin eximed an ¡®Ah!¡¯ in realization. ¡°Duke Veder, now on my side, will reinforce this narrative upon returning. This will be fertile ground for me to establish a foothold in the Meeke Principalityter.¡± ¡°Even so¡­¡­ will they really believe in Your Highness? If it were me, I¡¯d feel too guilty and resist with all my might¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. They don¡¯t need to trust me.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m offering them an opportunity. Like Duke Veder, they¡¯ll need to rush to me, kneel, and beg. Only then will they find a way to survive.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± As expected, Duke Serin found my words intriguing. This was undoubtedly a fresh approachpared to mercilessly ughtering adversaries. ¡°Oho¡­¡­ That¡¯s quite the fascinating strategy.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s the third reason?¡± At this, I looked directly at Duke Serin. ¡°It¡¯s because of you, Duke.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you? I want to show you a world that doesn¡¯t reek of blood.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± For a moment, Duke Serin¡¯s eyes sharpened. Then, with a smallugh, he rxed. ¡°Well¡­¡­ This has been entertaining. I think I made the right decision in following Your Highness.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± ¡°So, about that¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin¡¯s eyes sparkled with curiosity. ¡°I¡¯d like to observe you more closely.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯re heading to ck Swan, right?¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Do I really need to investigate? That¡¯s your home now.¡± Despite his words, he must have been monitoring my every move. After all, the capital was his domain. ¡°Take me with you.¡± For a moment, I hesitated, then smiled faintly. Given the circumstances, his deration to join me carried great significance. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go together.¡± * * * Chapter 131 Chapter 131 ¨C Home (1) ¡°Where in the world have you been!?¡± Prince Enzi eximed furiously at Duke Veder, who had just returned. His face was filled with anxiety and dissatisfaction. ¡®¡­¡­That shows how little he trusts me.¡¯ Duke Veder couldn¡¯t help but give a bitter smile. Even if one feels anxious, they should maintainposure not to show it outwardly. That¡¯s how you handle people. ¡®¡­¡­Comparison, at the bare minimum, requires a few simrities. Butpared to his much younger sibling, isn¡¯t he far too childish?¡¯ Concealing his disappointment, Duke Veder immediately bowed his head. ¡°I have no excuse.¡± Naturally, his thoughts turned to hisst conversation with Seventh Prince Andrew. ¡°There¡¯s no need for an oath of loyalty just yet. For now, return and pretend to be on the Queen¡¯s side. You can¡¯t possibly serve two masters as a knight, can you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Your Highness doesn¡¯t trust me, after all. Well, I suppose that¡¯s my fault¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, on the contrary. It¡¯s because I trust you that I¡¯m asking this.¡± ¡°Pardon? Then why Her Highness¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Well, because the betrayal of someone you trust the most hurts the deepest.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ept your oath of loyalty when the timees.¡± Despite his words, this must have been Prince Andrew¡¯s way of showing consideration for Duke Veder. ¡®If I swore loyalty there and had to act like I served another master, it would be ufortable in its own way.¡¯ A faint smile tugged at his lips. ¡®Prince Andrew truly excels at handling people.¡¯ After one positive aspect stood out, everything else would start to seem impressive. It was no wonder the nobles of the Hart Kingdom flocked to him. By contrast¡­¡­ ¡°Do you think I¡¯m doing this just to get an apology? I¡¯m asking you to exin why you suddenly disappeared.¡± Duke Veder suppressed a sigh as he responded. ¡°I went for the sake of our future.¡± ¡°Our future?¡± ¡°As they say, even walls have ears. If there are any witnesses to what happened today, wouldn¡¯t that be troublesome for us?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Prince Enzi¡¯s eyes widened instantly. ¡°Judging by their use of masks, it seems they have no intention of making today¡¯s events public. But if the situationes to light through another witness, it would undoubtedly put Your Highness in a difficult position.¡± ¡°Ah! Truly meticulous. As expected of you, Your Grace!¡± Atst, Prince Enzi¡¯s expression rxed with relief. It seemed he had been fretting until now, worried that the duke might have had a change of heart. ¡®¡­¡­Yes, this is all for my future.¡¯ As he half-listened to murmurs of apology for sending assassins without prior consultation, Duke Veder¡¯s gaze was fixed on something else. It was none other than the direction of his future. *** Count Arsene hurriedly prepared for his first outing in a long while and ran outside the castle gates. After all, the news had just arrived yesterday. ¡°Th-There they are!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It was the message that someone practically considered family, the honored guest of the household, was returning. For some reason, hundreds of people were following Ancelot, but none of that mattered to Arsene. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere!?¡± Count Arsene rushed up to Ancelot, scrutinizing him from head to toe. ¡°I-I heard you were mistreated by the Meeke Principality at the pce!¡± ¡°Ah! So the rumors have already reached here?¡± ¡°Not just here¡ªit¡¯s already spread across the entire nation!¡± Ancelot gave a knowing look. ¡®Well, from the Hart Kingdom¡¯s perspective, they¡¯d want to publicize the details as much as possible.¡¯ Otherwise, baseless rumors might circte, using them of unfairly driving out the Meeke Principality or oppressing a weaker nation. ¡°Phew¡­¡­ In any case, I¡¯m just d to see that you¡¯re okay.¡± Hearing this voice filled with relief, a grin spread across Ancelot¡¯s lips. ¡°Do I seem like the kind of person who¡¯d let someone beat me up?¡± ¡°Well, true, but considering who we¡¯re dealing with¡­¡­¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om At that moment, two individuals stepped forward behind Ancelot. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Count Arsene¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Marquis¡­¡­ Foltaine¡­¡­? A-And even Duke Serin!?¡± His surprise was genuine. It was greater since Duke Serin rarely left the capital. ¡°I hope it¡¯s not too much trouble, but could we impose on you for just one night?¡± Count Arsene made a puzzled face at Ancelot¡¯s question. ¡°One night¡­¡­?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll leave for ck Swan at dawn tomorrow. It¡¯s officially be my territory now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Of course, Count Arsene had already heard that news. His face instantly lit up with joy. ¡°That¡¯s right! Congrattions! Hahaha! Should I start calling you Baron Ancelot now? I need to think of a proper gift¡­¡­¡± ¡°For now, please ept my gift. The next time I visit, I¡¯ll secure direct trading rights with the dwarves for you.¡± A n that would benefit both parties. ¡°Direct trading rights¡­¡­ With the dwarves!?¡± At this, Count Arsene¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement. As the head of his family, how could he not desire a way to restore its glory? ¡°We¡¯re going to need substantial funds in the future. And in every way, I think you¡¯re the perfect person for the job, Count Arsene. The dwarves already consider you one of their few friends.¡± ¡°Wh-What a bundle of good fortune.¡± Marquis Foltaine, who had been quietly observing, let out a chuckle. ¡°You just voiced your inner thoughts aloud, Count.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Count Arsene shut his mouth, looking sheepish. ¡°Ahem¡­¡­¡± Even Marquis Foltaine, realizing the situation, awkwardly cleared his throat. Hisment, meant to ease the tension, only served to highlight his presence. Right. The atmosphere between the two was still tense. At that moment, Ancelot stepped in. ¡°Also, since traders need suppliers, why not leave that to Marquis Foltaine, the finest merchant in the Hart Kingdom?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Thepletely unsuspecting Marquis Foltaine eximed in surprise. ¡°Wh-What are you saying?¡± Even his voice trembled with unease. An apology wouldn¡¯t erase the past. In the past, Marquis Foltaine had tried to destroy Count Arsene¡¯s household. Such an event could create a lifetime of tension. But avoiding the issue just because it was ufortable wouldn¡¯t lead to progress. ¡®If I¡¯m determined to bring them both along, this lingering unease won¡¯t benefit anyone.¡¯ Ancelot hoped that through this opportunity, the two of them could resolve a fraction of their feelings. Of course, he had no intention of forcing it. It wasn¡¯t his ce to do so, either. While both of them were precious to him, it wouldn¡¯t have been surprising if they still regarded each other as enemies. ¡®All I want is to give them the chance to reconcile, even a little.¡¯ Perhaps he sensed Ancelot¡¯s earnest intentions? ¡°¡­¡­Would you like to share a drink?¡± Count Arsene quietly proposed. ¡°Count¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine, who had been stiff and silent, gave a faint, bittersweet smile. ¡°¡­¡­I sincerely appreciate the consideration.¡± Atst, the awkward tension eased slightly. Then¡ª ¡°Ancelot!¡± At just the right moment, a group of children ran toward them. ¡°Maasssttteeerrr!¡± Harun was the first to leap forward, wrapping his arms around Ancelot. ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re alright, honored guest.¡± Next to him, Kirian wore a radiant smile. ¡°I¡¯ve heard all the rumors, you monster¡­¡­¡± Jan sighed in mock exasperation, shaking his head. ¡°Good work.¡± Andstly, Winley murmured her wee quietly. But even amid their joy, a hint of dissatisfaction lingered on their faces. ¡°¡­¡­Have you been keeping up with your training?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Oh? Then I can test you, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At the mention of a ¡®test¡¯, Harun and Kirian¡¯s faces turned pale. ¡°For the record, the testing grounds will be ck Swan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± But their initial reaction didn¡¯tst long. Their expressions soon brightened. ¡°Yeah! Test us as much as you want!¡± Winley quickly responded, in case he changed his mind. They had spent days worrying, being shocked, and feeling awed by the circting rumors. ¡®I don¡¯t want to experience that again.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll be by his side. No matter what!¡¯ ¡®To not be a burden¡­¡­ I have to grow stronger.¡¯ ¡®I can do it, too.¡¯ In their hearts, they were all united. The forces apanying Ancelot to ck Swan this time were more formidable than before. Two elite knight orders from Duke Herman¡¯s household. An entourage that included not one, but two, Masters. As such, reaching the inner areas of ck Swan was much smoother than before. The trouble began only after their arrival. ¡°We haven¡¯t even started digging yet?¡± ¡°That¡­¡­ I have no excuse.¡± With Trevor nowhere in sight, Krong stepped forward, scratching his head. Mynd remained a barren expanse. Considering the dwarves¡¯ capabilities, the foundation should have been well underway by now. ¡°It¡¯s those cursed pointy-eared pests!¡± Just then came a thunderous voice. It was Bolt, the leader of the dwarves. ¡°Every time we try to level the ground for construction, spells rain down on us from all directions. Thankfully, they¡¯re only low-tier magic, one or two circles at most, so the damage isn¡¯t severe¡­¡­ However, we can¡¯t catch them even if we want to¡ªthey¡¯re too quick. Captain Trevor is out dealing with it now.¡± Krong quickly added an exnation. ¡°Those pointy-eared bastards also have eyes and ears. I¡¯m sure they already know we¡¯re working with you.¡± ¡°Why is that a problem?¡± ¡°Because of what they did to us! They¡¯re probably thinking we¡¯re allying with humans for revenge. Those damn pointy-eared bastards!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± A sly grin spread across Ancelot¡¯s face. ¡°So, to summarize, those big-eared pests are interfering with my city¡¯s construction?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to get the perfect justification like this¡­¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Justification¡­¡­?¡± Bolt tilted his head. Yes. War, after all, is about justification. With proper justification, extracting reparationster bes much easier. ¡°Well, sitting aroundining after being attacked doesn¡¯t seem very manly, does it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Bolt¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Hahaha! Well said! Sitting still after taking a hit? That¡¯s no way for a man to act!¡± ¡°Then, shall we go? Go and give those pointy-eared pests a beating.¡± ¡°Beating? Hahaha! The more I see of you, the more I like you!¡± A faint smile yed on Ancelot¡¯s lips. As amander, one of his tasks had already been aplished. It was none other than raising the morale of his forces. ¡®The morale on this side is already at an all-time high.¡¯ * * * Chapter 132 Chapter 132 ¨C Home (2) The first night in ck Swan. ¡°Are you sleeping?¡± Marquis Foltaine visited my tent. For the record, humans, including the knights of Verdant Vale and Duke Herman¡¯s knights, were staying in temporary tents. It was a gesture of consideration for the dwarves. ¡°Still awake?¡± ¡°Heheheh. They say you sleep more as you age, but for me, it seems quite the opposite.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I silently observed Marquis Foltaine as he spoke. ¡°Do the nights still torment you?¡± ¡°Enough nonsense. I didn¡¯te here seeking words offort from you.¡± Even as he waved his hand dismissively, the faint smile on his lips remained. ¡°Do you know the true reason why thisnd of death led to a war between our Hart Kingdom and the Meeke Principality?¡± I tilted my head. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it because this vast and fertilend is rich in natural resources? Border disputes aren¡¯t anything special, after all.¡± ck Swan was evenly split between the two nations, east and west. In terms of size, half of it rivaled a duchy in most kingdoms. And now, I have been appointed as the lord of this expansivend by both nations. Though the title was one of a baron, the territory I governed exceeded the size of two duchiesbined. ¡°That alone isn¡¯t enough to spark a war, wouldn¡¯t you agree? Besides, our rtions with the Meeke Principality weren¡¯t particrly bad before this.¡± Looking back, he was right. Even in my past life as an imperial citizen, the rtionship between the two nations was rtively amicable. After Swallow became the sole empire, their bond likely grew stronger. History bore testament to that. For the past 20 years, other nations had united in fiercely opposing the empire. ¡°The reason you mentioned is a weak pretext for war. No matter how blessed thend, its resources couldn¡¯t even be harvested because of the monsters and non-human races.¡± ¡°Humans have always been famously arrogant. They likely believed that arge army could subdue the monsters. As for the dwarves and elves¡­¡­ If they resisted, well, maybe they would have thought it made things more convenient, too.¡± The non-human races¡ªespecially elves and dwarves¡ªremained in high demand in the ve markets even now. ¡°I¡¯ll cut to the chase. There¡¯s a greater reason behind it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious.¡± ¡°Rumors spread. There was bits of intelligence iming that an immense quantity of Prisia and Rune could be found in the elven forest.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± My eyes widened. Prisia was the key ingredient in the highest-grade elixirs. Likewise, Rune was an extremely rare material essential for crafting mana pills. ¡°Is that¡­¡­ True?¡± The methods for the production of mana pills varied by nation and family. As such, each produced vastly different results. Like swordsmanship and mana cultivation techniques, these recipes were treated as closely guarded secrets. However, amon factor in all recipes was the inclusion of ¡®Rune¡¯. Its unique ability to condense highly concentrated energy made it indispensable, which is why it had the highest value of any material in existence. ¡°So, the war broke out to im that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s true¡­¡­¡± A smile crept across my lips. Blessednd, indeed. And since I already needed to venture into that forest for that elusive herb called Pane¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Would this be what they call ¡®killing two birds with one stone¡¯?¡± Marquis Foltaine smirked. ¡°I figured a greedy fellow like you would appreciate this story.¡± The western region of ck Swan. In the heart of a vast forest. Nestled in the tallest tree, stood a hut where elves had gathered. ¡°Erina, no matter how much we warn them, they don¡¯t seem inclined to retreat. What do we do now?¡± At the sound of her name, Erina slowly opened her closed eyes. She had long silver hair and pure white skin. However, the eyes she opened were an ominous shade of red. It wasn¡¯t a brilliant ruby-like red, but a deep, bloody crimson. ¡°If they refuse to retreat despite the warnings, we must crush them for good this time.¡± Her delicate voice rang out, and the gathered elves made a sour face. For context, all those present were elder-level figures of significant age. ¡°Still¡­¡­ Any more, and it feels too extreme.¡± ¡°Indeed, especially given what we did to the dwarves not long ago¡­¡­¡± For a moment, Erina¡¯s gaze turned icy. ¡°What we did¡­¡­ It seems you¡¯ve forgotten, elders, about what humans did to us in the past.¡± Flinch. The gathered elves¡¯ brows furrowed. Though they cherished peace and harmony with other races, ¡®humans¡¯ were the exception. ¡°The dwarves made an unforgivable mistake. Blinded by revenge, they allied with demons they should never have trusted. They will target our forest again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The elders¡¯ expressions darkened further. They had recalled the memory of that terrible day. The humans had indeed assembled an army to invade theirnds. Driven purely by greed. ¡°It seems the elders feel guilty toward the dwarves¡­¡­ But let¡¯s not forget¡ªthey¡¯re no different from humans. We¡¯ve learned our lesson¡ªnever trust anyone outside our kin.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡­¡± ¡°Repeating a miserable history is the act of fools. That¡¯s why we must make a clear statement this time.¡± Gradually, the elders began nodding. ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll deliver our final warning. If they don¡¯t retreat, we will wipe them out¡ªadults and children alike.¡± ¡°W-Wipe them out? Are you saying we¡¯ll kill them all?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At her resolute answer, the elders hesitated again. Erina¡¯s gaze turned colder still. ¡°Elders, our kin who were enved by humans lived lives worse than death. Death would¡¯ve been a blessing.¡± This was an undeniable truth. The fate of the elves who were captured by humans were truly miserable. They were used as sex ves, regardless of gender, or as test subjects for magicians, and so on. ¡°¡­¡­Very well, Erina. We¡¯ll follow your lead again.¡± Atst, a beautiful smile spread across Erina¡¯s face. ¡°Good. We¡¯ll give them three days. If they don¡¯t retreat by then, we¡¯ll kill them all. This meeting will end here.¡± *** The following morning, all the key figures gathered in my tent. Trevor, who had been out until now, was also present. ¡°You¡¯ve returned safely.¡± ¡°Anything noteworthy?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll report the recent developments separately. In any case, it¡¯s a relief to see you healthy.¡± Trevor smiled faintly and bowed politely. I¡¯d noticed this before¡ªhe was someone who knew how to keep work and personal matters separate. This is a formal meeting, after all. ¡°These are the high-ranking nobles of the Hart Kingdom.¡± I introduced my people briefly to Trevor. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Trevor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you again, Sir Trevor.¡± Marquis Foltaine, who already knew Trevor, returned the greeting with a polite nod. While Trevor held no title in the Hart Kingdom, his reputation as a hero of the Empire preceded him. Marquis Foltaine showed him the utmost respect. At the same time, a warm smile spread across Trevor¡¯s face. ¡°Wait. By Trevor, do you mean that Trevor?¡± Duke Serin¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as he seemed to piece something together. He alternated his gaze between Marquis Foltaine and Trevor, as if confirming a suspicion. ¡°Heheheh. Indeed, Your Grace, it¡¯s exactly who you think it is.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡­?¡± Duke Serin turned toward me with a bewildered expression. -How did you manage to recruit such an impressive individual, Your Highness? ¡­¡­Is what his face seemed to say. ¡°I¡¯ll exin the situation.¡± Trevor said with a slightly awkward smile, redirecting the conversation. He probably wasn¡¯t entirelyfortable with the attention just yet. It was understandable, given the state of his body. ¡°Please take a look here.¡± Flutter! In one smooth motion, Trevor spread a map across the table. ¡°The elves have been employing guerri tactics, and their methods are bing increasingly brutal. Initially, they stuck to 1st-circle magic like Magic Missile, but recently, they¡¯ve escted to more destructive spells like the 2nd-circle magic Fireball and Poison, which is lethal. These attacks have severely hindered our city construction ns.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty brutal, yeah. Those elves resorted to fire and poison?¡± I frowned at this revtion, and Trevor nodded with a bitter smile. This was likely the handiwork of that half-elf. ¡°Even young dwarves watching from nearby have been poisoned, with some suffering burns as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A heavy silence fell over the room. ¡°Here, here, and here.¡± Trevor pointed to several red-circled locations on the map, marking areas in the western ins. ¡°The elves typically strike from these locations, then retreat swiftly into the forest when pursued. They repeat this hit-and-run strategy.¡± ¡°Is ambushing them an option?¡± ¡°Not really. The western region is mostly open ins, and just beyond that is the vast elven forest.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om There was no cover whatsoever, meaning that they could run to home ground whenever necessary. The terrain heavily favored the elves. ¡°As such, I propose a drive hunt strategy.¡± ¡°Oh? The ssic approach.¡± ¡°I expected you to recognize it.¡± Trevor looked at me with a smile. Others in the room tilted their heads curiously. ¡°Don¡¯t keep it between the two of you; share it with us.¡± The impatient leader of the dwarves, Bolt, interrupted. ¡°Simply put, we¡¯ll establish a wide encirclement around the western forest. If the elves venture out, we¡¯ll cut off their retreat and force them into terrain that¡¯s advantageous for us.¡± This was textbook strategy. Block the enemy¡¯s retreat to sow panic. However, ¡°¡­¡­I think there¡¯s a better n.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Everyone turned to me. ¡°Honestly, with our limited manpower, it¡¯s not realistic to cover such a vast forest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯ve stationed scouts around key paths. Even if the forest is huge, the elves must have preferred routes.¡± Trevor¡¯s instincts were sharp as always. However, I still wasn¡¯t satisfied. ¡°Why settle for the second-best option when we can have the best?¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡­?¡± ¡°We have a better method. Why not make those pointy-eared bastardse out of their hidey-hole on their own?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Trevor tilted his head. Marquis Foltaine, who couldn¡¯t stand to stay in the dark any longer, asked while pounding his chest. ¡°How do you n to do that?¡± ¡°I was just about to exin. But first, since time is of the essence¡­¡­¡± I turned toward the entrance of the tent, where Winley had been listening intently, her ears perked up. ¡°Princess, I need a favor.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Go to the dwarves and ask them to gather the oil that they use innterns. The more the better.¡± ¡°A-Alright!¡± With that, Winley dashed out of the tent. *** Meanwhile. Harun, Jan, and Kirian were surveying thend around the future city. ¡°This ce is perfect for people to live in. The sunlight warms every corner without casting shadows¡­¡­¡± ¡°The soil is excellent, too. With a nearby river, we could grow crops here that would yield abundant harvests year after year.¡± Jan and Kirian turned toward Harun, puzzled. ¡°Wait, how can you tell the soil quality just by looking?¡± Jan¡¯s question made Harun puff out his chest smugly. He even clicked his tongue in mock pity. ¡°I can just tell by touching it. You poor sheltered noble boys.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t know about Kirian, but I never told you to drop formalities with me.¡± ¡°Ahem. Let¡¯s not be petty, sir. Real men don¡¯t quibble over every little thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Fine. Now answer the question.¡± Harun¡¯s shoulders rose even higher. ¡°Have you forgotten who I am? Harun, the son of a farmer¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Hey, you guys! Stop babbling and start hauling this oil!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± All three heads whipped around. ¡°Y-Your Highness?¡± Winley was charging toward them with fierce determination. ¡°I thought she was going to participate in the strategy meeting. Why¡¯s she back so early?¡± Kirian muttered, puzzled. Just this morning, Winley had been deeply anxious about the elves. She¡¯d warned that they were powerful mages and summoners. Their half-elf leader was likely as cunning and deceitful as any human. ¡°But why the oil¡­¡­?¡± ¡°What else? Ancelot, that lunatic, must be nning something again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Hearing the name ¡®Ancelot¡¯, the children¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement, Winley included. Her face was flushed with anticipation as she urged them on. ¡°And pay attention! Watch and learn. Your master has already been recognized by countless people and has even been given a title¡ªnot only for his swordsmanship, but also for his other extraordinary talents!¡± At that moment, Winley had no idea. But she¡¯de to regret her words for the rest of her life. *** Fwoosh! ¡°Burns nicely, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Winley stared nkly at the scene before her, her mouth agape. The sky was blue, and the mountains and trees were beautiful. And the vast forest in the middle of it all. The pristine, god-given wilderness was being consumed in a hellish inferno right from the entrance. And as in the past, all for the sake of human greed. ¡°That¡­¡­ Crazy bastard¡­¡­¡± In addition, in front of the fire, a group of nobles were casually roasting sweet potatoes. High-ranking nobles of the Hart Kingdom, no less. ¡°So¡­¡­ We¡¯re supposed to learn how to roast sweet potatoes together with the adults, right?¡± ¡°Of course nooooottttt!¡± Winley screamed, tearing at her hair. ¡°I take it back! Forget it! Close your eyes! Don¡¯t learn any of this!¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you hear me!?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± At that moment, Winley swore to herself. She would never, ever let that madman corrupt these innocent children. * * * Chapter 133 Chapter 133 ¨C The Half-Elf With Eyes of Red The children weren¡¯t the only ones shocked. ¡°Is this really okay?¡± One of Duke Herman¡¯s knights muttered anxiously. ¡°I heard elves value their forests more than their own lives¡­¡­¡± To elves, forests were indeed precious. They were more valuable than life itself. A symbol akin to the knights¡¯ honor, and their very home. ¡°And yet, to set fire to such a ce and wreak havoc like this¡­¡­¡± The knight muttered in disbelief. Was Ancelot the first to consider burning down their forest? Of course not. After all, human greed knows no bounds. Even the continent¡¯srgest ve traders, operating in the shadows of the continent, had once tried something simr. And they, along with their families¡ªand even the humans living in the surrounding regions¡ªwere massacred by the enraged elves. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sure they have a n.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they do, right¡­¡­?¡± The knights wiped the cold sweat from their brows and nced at a specific spot. The only three here who seemed unperturbed. They looked toward Ancelot, Duke Serin, and Marquis Foltaine. ¡°Hey, dogshit.¡± At that moment, Bolt, the leader of the dwarves, approached them with an unusually worried expression. ¡°Do you even understand what you¡¯ve done?¡± ¡°Yes. Arson.¡± ¡°Yes, you did. But the forest¡­¡­¡± Bolt went on to exin briefly about the differences in disposition between the two races. It was no exaggeration to say that dwarves and elves wereplete opposites. The former would destroy nature without hesitation if it meant crafting high-quality weapons. In that sense, they weren¡¯t much different from humans, who ravaged nature for their own gain. This simrity had once fostered a rtively good rtionship between dwarves and humans. ¡°But elves are different.¡± They love nature and value coexistence with other living beings. Although recent events involving a certain half-elf had disrupted this, such principles were the norm for elves. Naturally, they had never been on good terms with dwarves or humans, who had entirely different principles. ¡°They might go after you until the day you die. While I appreciate that you¡¯re helping us with our vengeance¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Before that happens, I n to tie up everything here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Bolt fell silent at his calm voice. Truthfully, he hadn¡¯t ruled out such thoughts himself. The dwarves¡¯ armory had been raided, and they had lost precious ores and materials worth more than their lives. This was undeniably an act of malice. The elves wouldn¡¯t even have much use for those raw materials. Still, he hadn¡¯t dared to consider setting fire to the forest. Because he feared the elves¡¯ retaliation. It wasn¡¯t just a matter of defending one spot;unching a preemptive strike was akin to suicide, especially as slow-footed dwarves. ¡®Especially with those crazy pointy-eared bastards¡ªthere¡¯s no telling what they¡¯d do¡­¡­¡¯ As Bolt was lost in thought, a voice broke his reverie. ¡°Those pointy-ears stripped the dwarves of everything¡­¡­ It¡¯s only fair to repay the favor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Just as Bolt was about to express his concerns again¡ª ¡°You fucking, insolent, human pieces of shits, you¡¯ll pay for this!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A deafening voice rang out from deeper within the forest. It was hard to believe such foulnguage came from peace-loving elves. ¡°They¡¯ve finally appeared.¡± Marquis Foltaine and Duke Serin rose from their seats. ¡°If I¡¯d known it woulde to this, I should¡¯ve brought Milon. His expertise in magic would¡¯ve been a great help.¡± Marquis Foltaine clicked his tongue lightly in regret. Of course, had Milon offered toe along, Marquis Foltaine would¡¯ve stopped him. He was already aware of Milon¡¯s situation. By now, Milon was likely frantically gathering herbs to treat his sister, and Marquis Foltaine couldn¡¯t possibly ask for his help. ¡°For today, you and I will have to push ourselves a bit, Your Grace.¡± As Marquis Foltaine jokingly murmured, Duke Serin turned to Ancelot. ¡°You always use me, Your Highness. I thought I made it clear I only came to watch.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not nning to sit back and offer your neck, are you? After setting fire to the forest, the elves will ughter every human they see.¡± ¡°Hahaha. It¡¯s certainly an unconventional method. Even I couldn¡¯t havee up with such madness.¡± Hummm! At that moment, powerful mana surged from all around the forest. ¡°Ice Wall!¡± Crack, crack, crack! Soon, an ice wall over ten meters high soared into the sky. The strength and scale of an Ice Wall depended entirely on the caster¡¯s skill level. The height and scale alone of the ice walls were enough to gauge the elves¡¯ prowess. But that was merely the beginning. ¡°Ice Wall!¡± ¡°Ice Wall!¡± ¡°Ice Wall!¡± The incantations continued relentlessly. In front of the zing entrance, ice walls extended left and right. In doing so, it created a barrier to stop the mes from spreading further into the forest. ¡°All remaining members, focus on extinguishing the fire!¡± The elves¡¯ coordination was astonishing, reminiscent of the efficiency of humans. ¡°Water Ball!¡± ¡°Aqua Shower!¡± ¡°Water Rain!¡± Swooosh! Though the sun shone brightly, streams of water cascaded from every direction. The resulting spray created beautiful rainbows scattered throughout the area. ¡°Those filthy humans¡­¡­!¡± Amidst the shimmering water, about twenty figures rapidly approached. ¡°I-It¡¯s them! Those bastards!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The raiding party! The ones who plundered our empty homes!¡± Bolt shouted, his voice ringing loud. At the same time, Ancelot¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡®They¡¯re certainly no ordinary group.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t only referring to their skills. Elves were typically gentle by nature. So much so that they were often mocked as overly kind-hearted. But the eyes of these elves brimmed with raw emotion. Surpassing anger and hatred, they radiated pure bloodlust. ¡®They don¡¯t look like that just because the forest is burning.¡¯ Ancelot, a seasoned warrior, knew. Eyes like those were forged only by taking countless lives. ¡°Mun, Yaru.¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Erina!¡± ¡°Go. Wipe them out.¡± Whoosh! At hermand, two elves vanished from their positions. And then¡ª ¡°What!?¡± They reappeared directly in front of the knights from the house of Duke Herman. It was shocking enough that the elves, skilled magicians, would willingly give up their distance advantage. That alone was astonishing, but¡ª ¡°¡­¡­Is that why they stole the dwarves¡¯ weapons?¡± ¡ªThey even wielded swords. Their actions defied every notion of what elves were thought to be. Slice! Slice! A series of swift, precise sounds echoed as two knights¡¯ severed heads rolled onto the ground. Their speed was so extraordinary that even those with skill struggled to follow their movements. ¡°Wh-What kind of speed¡­¡­!¡± ¡°What are you all doing?! Snap out of it! There are only two of them!¡± They tried to take action quickly, like one of the best knight orders in the Hart Kingdom should¡¯ve. -ash! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± However, despite themanding shout, the knights struggled to organize. The two elves darted between their ranks, tearing through the formation with terrifying precision. ¡°Incredible. Based on speed alone, each of them rivals a Master.¡± Marquis Foltaine muttered, his expression grim with awe. And then¡ª Boom! Ancelot stomped the ground with mana-infused strength. Stumble. The shockwave disrupted the bnce of the two attacking elves momentarily. Soon after. ¡°Wh-When did he?¡± Their shocked eyes locked onto Ancelot as he suddenly appeared before them. Grab! m! Without even drawing his sword, Ancelot grabbed their faces and drove them into the ground. Rumble! The impact sent violent tremors through their bodies as their heads struck the earth. In the meantime, five knights had already been in, their arms and necks severed. ¡°Th-Thank you, Lord Ancelot.¡± A knight who had narrowly escaped death expressed his gratitude. But just then. ¡®¡­¡­Something¡¯sing!¡¯ Before the thought fully registered, Ancelot moved instinctively. He released the elves and reached for his sword. Whoosh! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± However, others acted before him. Before he knew it, Duke Serin and Marquis Foltaine had stepped forward, blocking his path. They wielded a rapier and a curved saber, the weapons were respectively renowned for. ng! ng! ng! Metal shed violently against metal. The attacking elf took on both Masters without yielding an inch. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine let out a low hum, and Duke Serin furrowed his brow. aang! Suddenly, the silver-haired elf swung a massive greatsword. And not only that. Swish! Using the recoil of the sh, the elf propelled himself toward a single target. ¡°What?!¡± Their gazes followed the elf¡¯s path. Their eyes widening in rm. The elf¡¯s target was none other than Bolt, the dwarves¡¯ leader. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± As the elf appeared inches away, Bolt stared wide-eyed. Then, he sighed and looked to the sky in resignation. His bodynguage made it clear. He couldn¡¯t block that damned pointy-ear¡¯s iing attack. ¡°¡­¡­Bullet¡­¡­¡± Boom! A thunderous roar ripped through the air. ¡°¡­¡­How¡­¡­?¡± For the first time, the silver-haired elf¡¯s face showed surprise. Bolt¡¯s trembling eyes shifted as Ancelot appeared, sword drawn, standing in his defense.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Impressive. For such a young human to block my strike¡­¡­¡± ¡°A half-elf with silver hairs and red eyes¡­¡­ Are you the madman I¡¯ve been hearing about?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The elf¡¯s eyes shed dangerously at Ancelot¡¯s words. ¡°You even know who I am¡­¡­?¡± Just then, a voice came from behind Ancelot. ¡°Th-Thanks.¡± ¡°¡­¡­No, I should be thanking you.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± Ignoring Bolt¡¯s confused expression, Ancelot continued. ¡°I¡¯ve never met him, but I can tell Bullet was the best cksmith.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Bolt¡¯s eyes widened further. ¡°This is the best sword I¡¯ve ever wielded. Thanks to it, I blocked this pointy-ear¡¯s attack with ease.¡± At those words, the light returned to Bolt¡¯s dimming gaze. ¡°A-Ancelot¡­¡­¡± Unable to contain his emotions, Bolt¡¯s voice trembled. ¡®You, as well as your son, Bullet, are already fighting alongside us.¡¯ * * * Chapter 134 Chapter 134 ¨C The Half-Elf With Eyes of Red (2) Burning the forest. It wasn¡¯t easy, even for me. I knew all too well what the forest meant to the elves. However, ¡®It¡¯s wrong to harm others just because you¡¯ve been hurt.¡¯ The elves had set fire to the dwarves¡¯ warehouses, which was their everything. Such actions were something humans, full of malicious intent, would do. And, ¡®At the center of it all is the half-elf with eyes of red.¡¯ Creak! Creeeeak! Still locked inbat, I stared intently at my opponent. There were a lot more half-elves across the continent than you might expect. It was the legacy of humans recklessly enving elves in the past, leading to the birth of many mixed-bloods. However, as far as I knew, there was only one half-elf with such striking silver hair and those ominous red eyes. ¡°Erina, the Swordsman of ughter. You were still alive?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± In that instant, her crimson eyes glinted with a murderous light. Bingo. Swish! I rolled swiftly to the ground. A crimson sh streaked past where my head had been just moments ago. Swish! Swish! Swish! More strikes followed in rapid session. It was hard to believe that such a massive de could be so quick. The sword¡¯s edge was razor-sharp, its aura unbearably heavy. A perfect trinity of speed, precision, and destructive power. ng! ng! ng! Gritting my teeth, I blocked the iing strikes. I parried every blow with a dwarven sword. And so, we shed once more. ¡°You¡­¡­ Blocked even that?¡± Erina¡¯s pupils widened in shock. She had unleashed a strike meant to kill, yet here I was, a mere child, neither dodging nor faltering, but deflecting every blow. ¡®Honestly, I feel like I¡¯m about to die, you pointy-eared bastard.¡¯ With every strike she unleashed, a deafening ¡®Boom!¡¯ resounded in my ears. My young, fragile body couldn¡¯t fully withstand the shockwaves. Even so, I had one thing to rely on. ¡®I¡¯m not alone anymore.¡¯ The moment that thought crossed my mind. ¡°You brat!¡± Shwip! As the des flew toward her from both sides, Erina leapt gracefully into the air. In mere moments, Marquis Foltaine and Duke Serin were standing reliably by my side. Even Bolt, who had been frozen in ce behind me, let out a relieved sigh. Hummm! Suddenly, a deep, resonant hum filled the air. The most oppressive bloodlust I had ever felt radiated outward. ¡®Danger!¡¯ An rm red in my mind. Tremendous mana swirled around Erina¡¯s massive greatsword. The red-eyed elf took a steadying breath. aash! Sensing the imminent threat, the three of us simultaneously struck toward Erina. The best measure of defense is prevention! ng! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± But that monster fended us all off with a single swing. sh! Then, with just one slender arm, she hoisted her enormous greatsword high into the air. The wild mana condensed and condensed on that sword, and¡ª Boom! She brought it crashing down onto the ground. -Die, all of you. It was as if the voice of a madman echoed in my ears. Craaaack! The earth quaked violently, fissures forming everywhere. Fragments of shattered ground erupted skyward, each piece ensnared by the murderous aura. Fwooosh! One by one, the fragments were engulfed in crimson mes. Meteor Shower. The signature move of the ¡®Swordsman of ughter¡¯. Crash! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± As if that weren¡¯t enough, Erina¡¯s other hand, now free of her sword, stretched toward the knights. The air around us twisted violently, shimmering like a heatwave. ¡°Shockwave.¡± A 6th-circle spell, so powerful that among humans, only the Tower Master could wield it. Boom! A monstrous shockwave surged toward the Duke¡¯s knights. In that split second, the three of us exchanged nces. We had never fought together before. Yet, in this moment, an unspoken understanding passed between us¡ªa resonance of shared resolve. We were already steadfast pirs of support for one another, sharing not just thoughts but our very hearts. -I¡¯ll handle those damn boulders. -Not a bad idea. Being owed a debt by Duke Herman mighte in handy. Schwip! With that silent exchange of nces, Marquis Foltaine leapt high into the sky, while Duke Serin pushed off the ground in the opposite direction, charging toward the knights. Crack! Crack-crack-crack! The curved sabre struck the falling stones relentlessly, smashing them to rubble. sh! Shrrriiiiip! The rapier in Duke Serin¡¯s hand moved like threads being woven at incredible speed, its piercing sound akin to fabric being shredded. The weapon tore through the iing shockwave with surgical precision. However, Even in the midst of all this chaos, Erina was on the move again. This was the true terror of the Swordsman of ughter. When a mage simultaneously casts two spells, it¡¯s called double casting. Managing three is called triple casting. Yet that bastard wasn¡¯t merely juggling advanced magic and high-level swordsmanship, she was adding physical attacks to the mix. And her target was crystal clear. Swish! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Serin froze mid-action, his body stiffening as a lethal intent prickled against his back. ¡®Damn it¡­¡­!¡¯ He quickly turned around, just in time to see¡ª aang! Sparks exploded in every direction as my sword shed with the one aimed at his back. He nodded his thanks with his eyes. ¡°Who the hell is that elf!?¡± Marquis Foltaine, who had barely finished demolishing the meteor shower, shouted in exasperation, his voice tinged with disbelief. ¡°A monstrous wielder of a massive sword who became the first to achieve the ss of ¡®magic swordsman¡¯. Surely, there¡¯s only one name thates to mind?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Both the Marquis and Duke Serin¡¯s eyes widened in realization. Magic swordsman¡ªthe domain forbidden to humans. The most basic teachings of swordsmanship and magic dictate that, ¡®The mana circle in the heart and the mana hole in the abdomen cannot coexist within the same body.¡¯ The conflicting nature of the two manas ensures constant turmoil. However, there are always exceptions. Just one. There had been just one exception in the past. ¡°Are you talking about the Swordsman of ughter!? That¡¯s absurd! That was over fifty years ago¡­¡­!¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s voice trailed off as he visibly trembled, the truth dawning on him. If this being wasn¡¯t human but a half-elf with a longer lifespan¡­¡­? ¡°¡­¡­This is crazy.¡± He cursed under his breath. Erina had been one of the ¡®Twenty Sovereigns¡¯ who once ruled the world, before the age of the Three Heavens, Five Stars, and Twelve Transcendents. However¡ªn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡®Her cruelty turned the entire continent against her. She was hunted down and ultimately disappeared.¡¯ That same cruelty had earned her the title of ¡®ughter¡¯. This lunatic had wiped out an entire city of thousands¡ªmen, women, children¡ªleaving no survivors. Booom! Erina swung her de, forcing distance between us. Then¡ª Zip! A nearly imperceptible sound. Her massive sword, moving with the grace of a dagger, shot toward me. Its trajectory splintered into countless feints, veiling my vision with blindingly intricate patterns. A swordsmanship that was much more secretive and shier than anything I¡¯d encountered until now. Swish. Against that contradictory spectacle, my sword began a dance of its own. Hummm! I summoned mana in a rush, the sharp tang of blood filling my throat. ¡®This time, you¡¯ll have to block me.¡¯ Clink-clink-clink! Duke Serin, quick to sense the shift, tried to prevent the shifting in Erina¡¯s sword. Yet, even as he disrupted many, stray threads of murderous intent streaked toward me. ¡°Damn it!¡± As Duke Serin cursed. Whoosh! My sword moved. A thousand cherry blossoms scattered in all directions. They embroidered the air. ¡®Who could predict the flow of nature and deflect every petal in a storm?¡¯ The Third Chapter of the Illusory Dance: Blossom Rain. ng! ng-ng-ng! Swords shed in relentless exchange, neither side giving an inch. Swish! Swish! Duke Serin wasn¡¯t idle, his rapier darting like a serpent, probing Erina¡¯s blind spots. It was a situation where a single mistake could cost you your life. But then¡ª ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Amidst the pandemonium, I caught sight of something through the rainbows refracted by dissipating mes. Another rainbow¡ªartificial yet familiar. ¡®¡­¡­Ah, you were with me all along.¡¯ A faint smile tugged at my lips. The one-handed Illusory Dance, a technique I¡¯d hoped to give to that person. But now, they were performing their own beautiful choreography with a single sword. ¡®I¡¯ming, my lord.¡¯ ¡®Yes,e.¡¯ Our gazes met, and unspoken resolve passed between us. Just like in the past. My oldrade, whose next move I could predict just by looking at his expression. Without a sound, their de struck. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± sh! The half-elf whipped around, even offering to sacrifice Erina recoiled, strands of her silver hair severed as she narrowly avoided the strike. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going¡­¡­!?¡± aang! A powerful uppercut. sh! Simultaneously, the other arm of my ally, Trevor¡ªhis prosthetic arm¡ªrose up. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Erina¡¯s smirk faltered for the first time, as her hand failed to register the familiar resistance of flesh. ¡®That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a prosthetic.¡¯ Screech! Free from physical pain, Trevor¡¯s de didn¡¯t waver. Erina, sensing danger, redirected her swing. Ca-ng! Her de barely managed to deflect Trevor¡¯s, grazing her cheek. Fury painted her face just as I saw it¡ªthe singr, clearest path between us. sh! ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Finally, a monster-like scream burst from a half-elf. My most precise and devastating strike of this lifetime had severed her flesh. It was the shortest line I¡¯ve ever drawn in this life. ¡°Urgh¡­¡­¡± A pained groan followed, her left arm dangling by a thread, white bone exposed through a grievous wound. ¡°You maimed one of my preciousrades. It¡¯s only fair if you repay in kind.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Trevor offered me a faint smile, wordlessly affirming our coordination honed through countless battles. Thunk. By then, Marquis Foltaine and Duke Serin had Erina pinned. One de pressed against her throat, the other poised at her heart. ¡°Halt!¡± The marquis roared, his voice echoing across the battlefield. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Every fighter froze, turning to face us. ¡°E-Erina?¡± The elves¡¯ faces were painted with disbelief as they gazed at her restrained figure. ¡°I don¡¯t usually take hostages, but if you insist on continuing¡­¡­ I¡¯ll start by severing her neck.¡± ¡°Keep fighting! Don¡¯t worry about me¡­¡­!¡± p! I silenced her with a sharp p. ¡°The defeated have no say.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Trevor stepped forward with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the prisoner.¡± ¡°How do you feel?¡± I asked. ¡°¡­¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°This must be the first time, in that body, that you¡¯ve fought and defeated a monster like this.¡± Trevor froze briefly, his eyebrows twitching before his lips curled into a radiant smile. ¡°I feel alive for the first time in ages.¡± At that, I allowed myself a faint grin as well. That¡¯s good enough, then. * * * Chapter 135 Chapter 135 ¨C Negotiation (1) ¡°Goodness¡­¡­¡± Kirian, who had been observing the battle from afar, stared ck-jawed in astonishment. Of course, he couldn¡¯t see anything. Every time there was a sh of light, the person had already vanished. With his current skills, even following the movements with his eyes was nearly impossible. ¡°The honored guest¡­¡­ Just how strong is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not just strong. He¡¯s a Master, which even the Hart Kingdom only has four of.¡± Even Jan looked visibly overwhelmed. A child caught between adults. Not just any random adults¡ªthese were the bestbatants in the kingdom. It was a scene straight out of a painting. ¡°Master¡­¡­ No matter how much talent someone has, isn¡¯t this too much?¡± Harun was sweating as he tried to take in the fight. But, ¡°Those two¡­¡­ Don¡¯t they seem different?¡± Only Winley noticed something unusual. ¡°Excuse me? What do you mean, Your Highness?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about Ancelot and the Swordsman of Illusions.¡± The three children tilted their heads in unison. Jan spoke on their behalf.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°What do you mean by ¡®different¡¯?¡± ¡°In the first ce, I¡¯d have to be able to see them to notice anything.¡± Harun chimed in. Winley furrowed her brow and continued on. ¡°With the others, it felt like their movements didn¡¯t quite match. It was as if they were improvising in response to the attacks.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Now that she mentioned it, it was true. That monstrous elf had relentlessly pressured their allies from the start. But the ones who disrupted the battle, dealt the first critical blow, and ultimately secured victory were those two. Ancelot and Trevor, the Swordsman of Illusions. ¡°They were definitely different. It was like¡­¡­ They could read each other¡¯s thoughts, just by looking into each other¡¯s eyes.¡± Their teamwork was wless. ¡°Even if you say so, we can¡¯t really¡­¡­¡± Kirian scratched his head, looking embarrassed. It was clear that, unlike Winley, the others hadn¡¯t perceived anything special. This in itself spoke volumes about her unique talent. ¡®Could I ever do something like that?¡¯ At that moment, Winley¡¯s realm of thoughts began to expand. Until now, her sole focus had been on bing stronger. But after watching that battle¡­¡­ ¡®There¡¯s a limit to what one person can change alone. Even the Great Hero faded into the shadows of history after falling at the hands of great evil.¡¯ Being strong alone held no meaning. That¡¯s why she felt a deep sense of envy. ¡®I have so much to learn from you.¡¯ Someday, would she be able to entrust her back to apanion and fight together like that? She asked herself, but she couldn¡¯t give a confident answer at this moment. Winley had felt a sense of istion for a long time. Although she had been allowed to learn the sword in the royal pce, that was it. The knights she trained with subtly, no, tantly kept their distance. It was only natural. She was a princess of the kingdom, and they were knights sworn to protect the royal family. ¡®If one day I stand on the battlefield with them, they¡¯ll try to protect me as part of their duty, not as arade they trust with their back.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a childish rebellion against her situation. It was just that, watching Ancelot being acknowledged and fighting alongside others despite simr circumstances¡­¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t even imagine¡­¡­ How hard you¡¯ve worked to get here.¡¯ Should she say she was seeing Ancelot in a new light? ¡°Maybe I judged him too harshly. Just because he¡¯s a bit quirky and likes roasted sweet potatoes¡­¡­¡± ¡°Stop fighting this instant!¡± Suddenly, his booming voice cut through the air. ¡°Would you look at that? You won¡¯t drop your swords? Want me to send this bastard¡¯s head flying?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Winley couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly. ¡°Let me have one good thought about you in peace, you bastard.¡± Somehow, he was always so consistently crazy. A brief ceasefire followed. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin frowned as he walked into the thicket, having recently captured the Swordsman of ughter. ¡°Hm¡­¡­¡± His back still throbbed with pain. His forehead was drenched with cold sweat, though invisible to others. Shrug. Duke Serin removed his shirt. It fell away to reveal a long scar running vertically down his back. It was no minor wound. The devastating sword energy unleashed by the Swordsman of ughter had sliced his back. Had Ancelot not intervened, it could have been fatal. ¡®This is the first time someone has protected my back.¡¯ Duke Serin ran a hand through his hair. The feeling was strange. It was definitely a new emotion. A mix of a slight itchiness in his chest and difort. But, ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± ¡°What¡¯s not bad?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Serin flinched as he turned around. At some point, Ancelot had approached from afar. ¡°Did you get hurt?¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s just a scratch.¡± Duke Serin quickly attempted to put his shirt back on. ¡°That will make it worse.¡± But Ancelot stopped him before he could. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Treating your wound.¡± ¡°I said it was nothing.¡± ¡°To me, it¡¯s not nothing. You got hurt while fighting because of me.¡± Still, Duke Serin didn¡¯t rx his furrowed brow. ¡°You¡¯re meddlesome.¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite knowledgeable in medicine, you know. Now, sit down. You¡¯re much taller than me.¡± Ancelot tapped the ground. ¡°¡­¡­¡± After ring down at him for a while, Duke Serin finally sat down. ¡°Look at this. Blood¡¯s pouring out, and you¡¯re saying it¡¯s nothing?¡± Ancelot swiftly applied medicine he¡¯d brought with him. He didn¡¯t stop there, quickly wrapping the wound tightly to keep it from being exposed. ¡°When did you bring this?¡± ¡°Essential supplies for the battlefield.¡± ¡°Surprisingly cautious, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know? I always was.¡± Ancelot tied off the bandage and looked up at the sky. Yes. One must always be prepared. Who knows when the cursed heavens might take something precious from you again? ¡°All done.¡± He gave Duke Serin a pat on the back. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin tested his movements before slipping his blood-soaked shirt back on. ¡°I¡¯ll find you a spare set of clothes when this is over.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Your Highness.¡± Duke Serin fixed Ancelot with an unreadable expression. ¡°You know I¡¯m not the type to live in debt, especially not a life debt.¡± ¡°I know that well.¡± Duke Serin abruptly stood and turned. ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll guard your back.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± His voice was barely audible, but Ancelot heard it clearly. ¡°What was that? I don¡¯t think I caught that properly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± No response. Duke Serin had already vanished without a trace. *** When Ancelot returned, everyone was waiting for him. ¡°Our hero of the day has finally arrived.¡± Marquis Foltaine was unable to hold back hisughter. ¡°You know what¡¯sing, don¡¯t you? Capturing the enemymander has brought a temporary lull in the fighting, but the real negotiations begin now.¡± ¡°Meaning we should all brainstorm what we can squeeze out of them, right?¡± Ancelot joked lightly, though the atmosphere remained heavy. The unexpected prowess of their enemies, coupled with the loss of one of Duke Herman¡¯s knights, weighed heavily on everyone. ¡°Despite the sacrifices, this battle holds great significance. We¡¯ve captured none other than the Swordsman of ughter, amon enemy of the entire continent.¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t execute them outright, can we? That would effectively ruin the negotiation table we¡¯ve just set up.¡± What¡¯s more, if the elves chose tounch relentless guerri attacks in retaliation, their side would suffer immeasurable losses. ¡°And yet, letting them live isn¡¯t a simple choice either.¡± This was equally valid. A public enemy was a public enemy for a reason. They were a menace that transcended nations and races. Leaving her alive was akin to ignoring a dark sorcerer attempting to resurrect a demon lord. ¡°If word got out that we let the Swordsman of ughter free¡­¡­¡± ¡°It would disgrace not just you, Your Highness, but the entire Hart Kingdom.¡± Duke Serin seconded Marquis Foltaine¡¯s statement. ¡°We can neither release nor easily kill her.¡± ¡°In other words, this is His Highness¡¯ first true political test as a noble of his country.¡± Duke Serin fixed Ancelot with a peculiar gaze. ¡°You must make a prudent decision. This matter will be asting reference for your future political inclinations.¡± ¡°I agree. A series of poor decisions will¡­¡­¡± He hesitated briefly, ncing toward Winley. ¡°¡­¡­Make it much harder for you to achieve your goals. Especially since, as someone with foreign roots, you¡¯ll need the trust of other nobles to represent our kingdom in the Master Tournament.¡± One could guess that the phrase he originally meant to say was something like, ¡®¡­¡­Make you another fool like King Melio II.¡¯ But then¡ª ¡°Oh? So Your Highness¡¯ goal is the Master Tournament?¡± Duke Serin, learning this for the first time, smiled with great amusement. ¡°Considering your age, one might think it¡¯s at least eight years away¡­¡­ But judging by your performance today, perhaps we can expect it in just four.¡± ¡°Heheheh. People who hear you say that might call you mad, Your Grace.¡± ¡°True, as no teenager has ever participated in the Master Tournament before.¡± ¡°But remember, skill alone isn¡¯t enough topete in that arena. Your patriotism will also be tested politically.¡± Everyone¡¯s attention shifted to Ancelot. At that moment, Winley, who had been holding her curiosity back, finally voiced her question. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just keep this quiet, whether you kill or spare him? If everyone here maintains secrecy, wouldn¡¯t that solve the problem?¡± Marquis Foltaine let out a bitter smile. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s no such thing as an eternal secret.¡± ¡°But everyone here is trustworthy¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even if we remain silent, the elves could leak the story. And there are the dwarves, too.¡± Winley¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The elves, I understand¡­¡­ But the dwarves, too?¡± ¡°Secrets are fragile things. A slip of the tongue while drinking can be all it takes. Even if you try to contain it, suddenly, hundreds of people are all in on the ¡®secret¡¯.¡± Marquis Foltaine finished with conviction. ¡°The moment someone else knows, it¡¯s no longer a secret.¡± ¡°In politics, secrets tend toe back as weapons against you.¡± Hearing their exnations, Winley blushed deeply. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that far ahead. I apologize for interrupting and causing a distraction.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Not at all. It¡¯s refreshing to see such youthful innocence for a change. This one here has none of that.¡± Marquis Foltaine nudged Ancelot. ¡®¡­¡­Yeah, it¡¯s not something to be ashamed of.¡¯ Life was about learning. Building on those lessons, one by one. ¡®And one day, I¡¯ll be able to stand as tall as you.¡¯ Winley felt certain of that. She was even more curious now. How would Ancelot handle this situation? ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Ancelot, who had been keeping silent until now, responded with a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯ll ensure we suffer no losses while stripping the elves clean¡ªdown to their pointed ears if I have to.¡± Ancelot¡¯s Code, Chapter 9. Once you have the upper hand on the table, make sure to squeeze them bone dry. * * * Chapter 136 Chapter 136 ¨C Negotiation (2) At the edge of the forest, small huts were scattered throughout. They served as a kind of shelter. To guard against intrusions, the elves took turns patrolling the area. These patrollers were also known as Rangers. It was an idea more likely toe from humans. One of the huts had been chosen as the negotiation table. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to follow them in?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve agreed the representatives would talk, and we were told to wait here¡­¡­ So, let¡¯s wait and hope for good news.¡± Duke Serin posed the question, and Marquis Foltaine replied. There was also a fairly spacious clearing at the forest¡¯s edge. The two of them, along with their party, were in a tense but non-violent standoff with the elves in that area. ¡°You put a surprising amount of trust in the prince, Marquis.¡± ¡°Of course. If a parent doesn¡¯t trust their child, who will?¡± Duke Serin made a face of disbelief. ¡°Anyone overhearing this might think he¡¯s your biological child.¡± ¡°If he were, I wouldn¡¯t have gone to such lengths. Am I not the same cold-hearted father who once beheaded his eldest son?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin fell silent. Though time had passed, it was still a shocking incident at the time. How could he not know the story behind it? ¡°¡­¡­Come to think of it, Marquis, you¡¯ve left Verdant Vale untouched. When I learned who they were, I was quite surprised. Surely, you must hold considerable resentment toward them?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing more pitiful than ming others for your own shorings, is there?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin frowned slightly. ¡®He¡¯s changed so much.¡¯ Marquis Foltaine had once been of a simr mindset to him. If someone was bothersome, he would simply eliminate them, leaving no potential for future threats. So, it was highly unexpected when he recently revealed the strength he had always kept concealed. ¡®Marquis Foltaine has definitely changed. He¡¯s not the man I knew.¡¯ And the reason was obvious. ¡®That prince truly is a fascinating figure to observe.¡¯ At that moment, Marquis Foltaine shifted the topic. ¡°In any case, let¡¯s focus on what we need to do.¡± ¡°¡­¡­And what would that be?¡± ¡°The Swordsman of ughter. We need to report to His Majesty first, don¡¯t you think?¡± Duke Serin tilted his head, puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s bound toe to light eventually, but¡­¡­ Must we?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s going to be revealed anyway, wouldn¡¯t it be better for us to take charge and control the narrative? Besides, there¡¯s no reward to be received without reason.¡± ¡°Capturing the Swordsman of ughter is certainly an achievement¡­¡­ But doing so will inevitably lead to her death. Are you nning to overturn the negotiation table your beloved child worked so hard to set up?¡± Marquis Foltaine shook his head. ¡°That depends on how we proceed. I¡¯m not particrly fond of the idea of shifting all the me onto him.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s your n?¡± ¡°Well, we could try to make excuses. Perhaps argue that we spared her to maintain rtions with the elves¡­¡­¡± Duke Serin shook his head before the Marquis Foltaine could finish. ¡°Such excuses won¡¯t work.¡± The elf in question was no ordinary criminal, but the worst mass murderer in human history, responsible for hundreds, if not thousands, of deaths. Yet, Marquis Foltaine simply smiled faintly. ¡°Making such imusible excuses ptable to the public¡ªthat¡¯s the essence of being a politician, isn¡¯t it? After all, that¡¯s why we work so hard to wield this power.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s just my personal opinion. I¡¯d like to hear your thoughts, Your Grace.¡± After a moment of silence, Duke Serin finally spoke. ¡°¡­¡­Frankly, I think it¡¯s better not to reveal her existence at all. Keep it hidden as long as possible, and if ites to it, feign ignorance.¡± ¡°If ites down to it, silence anyone with a loose tongue.¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s how it was always done.¡± Marquis Foltaine nodded. ¡°I thought you¡¯d think that way, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Just so there¡¯s no misunderstanding, I¡¯ll say this upfront; this is also for the prince¡¯s sake. Envy is a primal human instinct, after all.¡± Despite what others said, Ancelot was now a noble of their country. He had already received a title, oveing significant opposition. But if he gained something more here¡­¡­ ¡°When someone excels, envy and resistance naturally follow. Although, the prince might already be past the point of no return¡­¡­¡± ¡°Heheheh. If that¡¯s the case, why not let him go all the way? After all, jealousy only follows when someone is ambiguously extraordinary.¡± Of course, this was purely Marquis Foltaine¡¯s personal opinion. He knew the Duke Serin¡¯s thoughts wouldn¡¯t change so easily. ¡®He¡¯s lived his whole life this way. Why would his mindset change now?¡¯ Marquis Foltaine was confident of this. But then. ¡°¡­¡­To show them he¡¯s truly different¡­¡­ Indeed. That prince might be capable of such a move.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For a moment, Marquis Foltaine¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°What¡­¡­!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± At the same time, Duke Serin tilted his head, puzzled. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine, who had been momentarily stunned, soon made a hollow smile. ¡®When did you manage to charm even this madman, you rascal?¡¯ Heughed silently to himself for a long while. His eyes, fixed on the duke, now carried an unfamiliar warmth. There were three trophies that needed to be collected immediately. First, Pane, the medicinal herb needed to treat Milon¡¯s younger sister. Second, Prisia, which would be the source of funds that could develop the territory for a long while. It was the main ingredient for the highest-grade mana elixir. Third, Rune, an ingredient for mana pills, which could rapidly elerate the growth of the family, including the kids. ¡®In particr, the first and third are must-haves.¡¯ Even without the Swordsman of ughter, the elves were powerful. So much so that several knights of Duke Herman¡¯s household were decapitated in an instant. However, looking back at her swordsmanship. ¡®It was fast, but the technique was considerably crude.¡¯ It meant there was an imbnce. Her physical abilities were exceptional, but her swordsmanship skills were unimpressive inparison. ¡®The Swordsman of ughter, that lunatic, was definitely a monster, like the rumors said.¡¯ However, just because the master is a monster doesn¡¯t mean their disciple is one, too. Because the ability to teach is apletely separate matter. For example, while the Swordsman of ughter wielded a greatswordrger than her own body, the other elves only used ordinary longswords. This implies that the subordinates were far inferior to their leader. And yet, they disyed such incredible speed. That must mean¡­¡­ ¡°They consumed mana pills like daily meals.¡± In other words, they even knew the ¡®recipe¡¯ for mana pills. Not just any recipe, but one so advanced it could make years of effort meaningless inparison. ¡®So, if possible, I must take that recipe, too.¡¯ If the elves heard this, they might curse me for being a little(?) shameless, but from my standpoint, it was much needed. I didn¡¯t retain much knowledge of the recipe myself. That was always Raven¡¯s responsibility. ¡®Besides, I can¡¯t handle everything myself going forward.¡¯ It was simply impossible in practice. Moreover, trulypetent leaders don¡¯t take on much work themselves. Thanks to having the right people in the right positions, there¡¯s not much for them to do directly. Bang! Just then, the door to the waiting cabin burst open. Soon after, an unusually elderly elf entered. ¡°I am called Prune.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Ancelot.¡± This white-haired elf seemed to be the oldest of their n. ¡°I¡¯ll say this upfront¡ªsetting the forest aze was excessive.¡± ¡°Setting fire to the dwarves¡¯ warehouse was excessive too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a matter for a human to intervene in.¡± ¡°Shall I summon Bolt, the dwarves¡¯ representative, here?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Prune immediately fell silent. Then. ¡°Why are humans so eager to take from us!?¡± His voice erupted in anger. ¡°We elves yielded the vastnds of the continent. This forest is all we have left. Yet you insist on taking even that? Does your cursed greed know no bounds!?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t. Greed is practically the driving force of humanity.¡± ¡°You brazen¡­¡­!¡± ¡°And you seem mistaken. I haven¡¯te here to take your forest from you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯vee to restore what¡¯s gone awry.¡± I gestured toward the opposite seat. Finally, the elven elder, Prune, reluctantly sat down. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Take what¡¯s due, fix what¡¯s wrong. After that, let¡¯s live together harmoniously.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For a moment, Prune looked as if he¡¯d been struck on the back of the head with a hammer. ¡°Live together? With you humans?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Stop spouting nonsense! Humans are an utterly untrustworthy species¡­¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re contradicting yourself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°You im not to trust us, yet you¡¯ve entrusted the fate of your entire n to a half-elf? That crazy murderer, whose soul is essentially that of a human.¡± At this, the elder bit her lip tightly. ¡°¡­¡­Half of Erina¡¯s blood is the same as ours, the elves.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s clearly an unprecedented exception. I¡¯m merely suggesting we add one more exception to the list.¡± Prune¡¯s pupils trembled. She was starting to take the bait. ¡°Do you really intend to continue this endless cycle of mutual ughter? With Erina defeated, this is clearly a losing battle for you. Especially since we also have dwarves, whose hatred for elves has reached its peak.¡± This point would further contribute to the conflict in her mind. The dwarves, another race, had already allied with us. Why couldn¡¯t the elves do the same? That was the underlying question I was asking. ¡°If you ept my proposal, I¡¯ll actively mediate to resolve the conflicts between our two races.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hah¡­¡­¡± Prune sighed deeply and stared straight into my eyes. ¡°Human child. The more we talk, the more absurd you seem. It feels like this isn¡¯t a matter to be discussed with you.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Unlike us, I¡¯ve heard humans have clear hierarchies and structures. Bring someone with more authority than you. For example, someone like that strong old man from earlier¡­¡­¡± I stood up without listening any further. ¡°Come to think of it, I forgot to introduce myself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I am Ancelot, the new lord who rules over the entirety of ck Swan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Prune¡¯s pupils widened in shock. *** Meanwhile, in the forest clearing. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Winley stared at the Swordsman of ughter, who was gagged and bound. The air was filled with suffocating silence. Countless elves were still ring at the humans with hostility. In turn, the humans were tense, ready to draw their swords at any moment. Then. Step, step, step. Unable to hold back, Winley stepped forward. ¡°Y-Your Highness?¡± A startled Kirian muttered. At the same time, the hostility from the elves watching from the trees intensified. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of doing something stupid¡­¡­¡± A warning mixed with killing intent came from somewhere. Even the Marquis Foltaine, who was monitoring the Swordsman of ughter, seemed caught off guard by this unexpected situation. ¡°Your Highness, this is dangerous.¡± ¡°I have something to say.¡± But Winley showed no sign of backing down. She couldn¡¯t help herself. After hearing ¡®that kind¡¯ of past, how could she just stand by and watch? ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve heard about you.¡± Winley¡¯s gaze fixed on the Swordsman of ughter. At the same time, Erina¡¯s crimson eyes were filled with questions. She must have been wondering what this human girl was about to say. ¡°Would it be alright to remove the gag for a moment?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine, who had been watching silently, eventually nodded. ¡°Do as you wish.¡± ¡°Thank you, Marquis.¡± Winley carefully removed the gag from Erina¡¯s mouth. But the surprises didn¡¯t end there. Winley suddenly pulled something out from her chest pocket. ¡°This is a highest-grade potion, issued only to royalty.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The luminous potion sparkled in Winley¡¯s hand. Her gaze was fixed on Erina¡¯s bloodied wrists. ¡°I¡¯d like to treat you, but¡­¡­ Unfortunately, it¡¯s beyond my authority.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Foltaine, who had been ready to intervene, sighed in quiet relief. On the other hand, Erina¡¯s lips twisted upward. ¡°Human girl, are you here to mock me?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s just that you don¡¯t feel like a stranger to me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°My mother was just like you.¡± Everyone was stunned as Winley¡¯s voice echoed around them.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°She was sexually assaulted against her will too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± * * * Chapter 137 Chapter 137 ¨C Negotiation (3) In a world like this, it was amon story. A person in a ce of absolute power could take anyone they desired as their lover. A wild era where strength alone could make one reign like a king. And if the person in question was an actual king, there was nothing more to be said. ¡®Strangers might praise him as a benevolent king, but¡­¡­ when he was young, Father was said to have a remarkable appetite for women.¡¯ Light always casts shadows, but there are exceptions. A woman who already had a partner. Even for a king, stealing a subject¡¯s lover was a morally reprehensible act. However, perhaps that only fueled the king¡¯s carnal desires? The king who could have everything he wanted fixated obsessively on the few things he couldn¡¯t. Eventually, hemitted an unforgivable crime. ¡®¡­¡­They say he spiked Mother¡¯s drink before their marriage.¡¯ Winley had discovered this fact by pure chance. ¡°Princess! Please, save our poor Queen!¡± ¡°D-Dwen? What in the world are you talking about?¡± ¡°Sniff¡­¡­ sniff¡­¡­ His Majesty is a piece of trash! How could he exile her after everything, after what he did before their marriage?!¡± Dwen, the Queen¡¯s loyal handmaid of over 20 years. She sought Winley just before her departure to the Empire, clutching at straws in desperation. Yes. Even Duke Herman, who was directly involved, likely doesn¡¯t know the truth yet. Contrary to the rumors circting among the public, Winley¡¯s father, the former king, Melio II, had married the third queen in this despicable manner. A powerless woman from a fallen noble house, she hadn¡¯t even had the authority to refuse the king¡¯s drink. When Winley eventually learned the truth, she suffered from a hatred toward her own family for a long time. She buried herself in swordsmanship. She poured sweat in ce of tears. Had she not found something to immerse herself in at that time¡­¡­ ¡®I might have gone mad. Or ended up making the same choice as Mother.¡¯ That¡¯s why Winley was curious. ¡°Why did that half-elf, Erina, massacre humans?¡± Because every oue has a cause. There is no hatred without reason. ¡°Why are you asking me?¡± ¡°Because I thought you might know.¡± Despite his grumbling, Ancelot always satisfied Winley¡¯s curiosity with clear answers. ¡°If an elf¡ªa being born to love peacemits ughter¡­¡­ It¡¯s usually driven by hatred.¡± ¡°I expected as much. What I¡¯m curious about are the details.¡± ¡°To put it simply, the beauty of elves has always led to misfortune.¡± Ancelot began recounting what he knew. Erina¡¯s father was human, and her mother was an elf. The issue was that her mother wasn¡¯t his wife, but rather a form of sex ve. Much like¡­¡­ Winley¡¯s own mother. She was treated as a possession, rather than a partner, throughout her life. But it didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°That wretched man extended his vile desires to his own daughter.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Winley let out a sigh. There was no need to question its validity. Recalling the half-elf¡¯s appearance, it was entirely believable. ¡°She endured abuse from her father all her life. Then, through some incident, she gained power and massacred the humans in the area, including that bastard¡­¡­ That¡¯s all I know.¡± ¡°I¡­¡­ I¡¯ve never heard anything like that before.¡± ¡°Of course not. Humans covered up this story thoroughly. At the time, they needed any excuse to justify hunting elves.¡± Humans, the enemies of nature and root of all evil. Upon hearing this story, Winley couldn¡¯t help but feel some sympathy for Erina. However, ¡°A father assaulting his own wife¡­¡­ And you speak of it so casually?¡± Erina, in turn, looked at Winley strangely. She had no way of knowing the detailed circumstances. ¡°I think the truth should be known.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Erina nced around her. Did they say that they were knights of a duke? Judging by their reactions¡ªgaping mouths¡ªthey, too, were hearing this story for the first time. ¡°A princess must be of the noblest rank in yournd¡­¡­ Why, then, would you reveal such a secret to me in front of others, even at the cost of bringing shame to your family?¡± ¡°I¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know, I just felt like it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a strange woman.¡± ¡°But even if the perpetrator is my father, I don¡¯t think his crimes should fade from people¡¯s memories, reced only by pity.¡± Royalty of tragedy were often remembered only for their sorrowful end, with their wicked deeds buried beneath sympathy. The victims of such actions, too, would inevitably be forgotten. Winley disliked that. Because one of those victims was none other than her mother. ¡®Even if the world forgets, families will remember until their dying breath.¡¯ Winley¡¯s mother had been forced apart from the one she loved and endured an unwanted marriage. Even death had note easily while her father¡¯s obsession lingered. She had feared retribution against her family¡­¡­ And most importantly, by then, she wasn¡¯t alone anymore. ¡®By that time, she must¡¯ve been pregnant with me.¡¯ Her life had been entirely stolen from her. It would¡¯ve been reasonable for her to curse Winley, the oue of it all. Yet, until her departure for a foreignnd, her mother had given Winley nothing but love and affection. ¡°That¡¯s why¡­¡­ I understand you.¡± Perhaps it was the memory of the past, but Winley¡¯s voice trembled as it escaped her lips. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Erina¡¯s expression grew peculiar as she gazed at her. ¡®What a strange princess.¡¯ Elves innately possessed the ability to distinguish between lies and truth. Although only a half-elf, Erina had inherited this talent. In other words, she could tell that the human princess¡¯s words were sincere. ¡®How odd.¡¯ Until now, humans had never tried to understand Erina. They had either been in a rush to flee based on the rumors they¡¯d heard, or were busy branding her a demon. The asional human that didn¡¯t recognize her tried to exploit her beauty. ¡°¡­¡­How refreshing.¡± Perhaps that¡¯s why, for the first time, Erina found herself intrigued by Winley as a person. It was a curiosity different from the kind Count Kaiman disyed toward Ancelot. ¡°Looks like the princess is just as mad as I am.¡± ¡°How dare you¡­¡­!¡± While the knights bristled at Erina¡¯s remark, Winley only smiled brightly. ¡°Bing this lunatic¡¯s fianc¨¦e must¡¯ve rubbed off on me.¡± The reaction of Prune, the elves¡¯ representative in the negotiations, was one of utter shock. ¡°Human child, are you saying you are the lord of this ck Swan territory?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Thisnd has long been a disputed zone between two nations.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a prince of the Meeke Principality and, at the same time, a noble of the Hart Kingdom¡ªessentially a person with allegiances to both sides.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Prune¡¯s pupils shook violently once more. She had eyes capable of discerning lies, and yet, they didn¡¯t react a single bit. ¡°That outrageous im¡­¡­ Is true?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the absolute truth.¡± ¡°E-Even if that¡¯s the case, coexistence, you say? Are you asking us now to submit under the humans?¡± ¡°Do the dwarves appear to you as though they¡¯ve submitted under humans?¡± Prune shook her head without hesitation. The fiery dwarves would sooner die than live as ves under humans. ¡°Since we¡¯re on the topic, let me ask. Why did the elves betray the dwarves?¡± Ancelot asked openly. He didn¡¯t trust half-elves but pure-blood elves were different. They were not called a race of virtue without reason.N?v(el)B\\jnn They would rather keep silent than speak lies. ¡°You¡¯ve always criticized humans for their infighting and betrayals. However, isn¡¯t this precisely the kind of behavior you¡¯ve condemned humans for?¡± Prune¡¯s expression darkened immediately. In truth, she had always felt guilty over the matter. ¡°That¡­¡­ Was for the survival of our race. We had nowhere left to retreat.¡± ¡°It was the n of the half-elf, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Prune avoided answering directly. ¡°It¡¯s not just Erina¡¯s fault. Besides, wasn¡¯t it you humans who first made the proposal?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb. You im to be a prince and noble among humans, but surely you already know this?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Ancelot¡¯s confusion only grew. ¡°I truly have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°The humans approached us first, suggesting we strike at the dwarves when their defenses were down. They promised to guarantee our territory regardless of the war¡¯s oue.¡± Ancelot¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°Humans incited infighting among other races? Did you ept such a proposal? You risked making enemies of the dwarves for nothing.¡± ¡°Do you think we were unaware of that risk?¡± Prune pulled two documents from her sleeve. ¡°That¡¯s why we kept evidence.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Stamped with the seals of both nations, the documents were irrefutable proof. Even the seal of the royal family of the Meeke Principality was present. ¡®These bastards.¡¯ It seemed some shady dealings had taken ce without Ancelot¡¯s knowledge. ¡°They threatened that if we didn¡¯tply, humans would unite and destroy us first. Although it wasn¡¯t fear that drove us, Erina had her own thoughts.¡± ¡°And what were those?¡± ¡°She believed humans didn¡¯t really want us to get involved in their war. So, we should give them what they want and let them fight each other, staying out of the conflict altogether.¡± That was certainly a bold and unconventional way of thinking. ¡°How bold. What if it was all a human ploy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Erina added a safety measure. Humans asked us to fight the dwarves, but instead, she set fire to their armories and seized their materials and weapons. Without weapons, they couldn¡¯t fight even if they wanted to, achieving the same oue.¡± ¡°Clever. Although it left the dwarves defending their territory with few remaining weapons, constantly fearing a human invasion.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Prune¡¯s face turned somber once more. Meanwhile, Ancelot scrutinized the documents carefully. The name ¡®Marquis Laksir¡¯, amander of the Hart Kingdom¡¯s northern forces, stood out in particr. ¡®Looks like there¡¯s one more person I need to meet when I return.¡¯ Ancelot noted the date on the document. It was written precisely one month before the two nations signed a ceasefire agreement. A strong sense of unease stirred in him. ¡®At any rate, if she¡¯s already made agreements with humans, this works in my favor.¡¯ Clearing his thoughts, Ancelot spoke again. ¡°Things are always hardest the first time. Let me make this formal proposal; as the lord of ck Swan, I recognize the elves¡¯ right to their territory. I have no intention of isting or alienating other races.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The elves¡¯ highest value¡ªharmony.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Prune flinch slightly. ¡°I envision a ck Swan where all races live in harmony. Sharing resources and thriving together. I promise there¡¯s no hidden agenda here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Prune thought carefully. A human city built so close was undoubtedly a risk. But, ¡®We can¡¯t remain isted forever.¡¯ The humans would inevitably march against them again withrger forces. Change was unavoidable. Prune wanted to confirm one more thing. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Erinamitted atrocities in the human world, ughtering countless people.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can you forgive that child?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ancelot¡¯s expression shifted slightly, as if he¡¯d been expecting this. This was the crux of the negotiation. He had anticipated this exact question. After licking his lips thoughtfully, he spoke. ¡°I will be honest. Sparing that lunatic is difficult.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± With those words, the air that had grown warm with hope turned frigid once more. * * * Chapter 138 Chapter 138 ¨C Negotiation (4) Prune¡¯s eyes narrowed. A new hostility flickered in her pupils. ¡°Erina is one of our kin, no matter what anyone says. If you intend to harm her, this will be the end of our negotiations.¡± Ancelot didn¡¯t flinch at the deadly re. There was no way to avoid criticism without killing her. If so, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. Erina, the Swordsman of ughter, must die.¡± Thud! Prune shot up from her seat. At the same time, Ancelot added another statement. ¡°As such, after her death, she must be reborn entirely.¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Like a pupa shedding its old shell, she will cast off her old self and begin a new life under an identity known only to us.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°She disappeared over 50 years ago, so concealing her telltale red eyes and silver hair should be enough.¡± Prune¡¯s eyes widened gradually. ¡°However, this n must remain a secret known only to a select few, including you and me. Even our knights and the other elves must not know about her new identity.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Prune fell into thought. She hadn¡¯t voiced it aloud, but she was well aware of the unease and dissatisfaction other elves harbored toward Erina. As time passed, those feelings became increasingly apparent. ¡®Even if it was for the sake of our kin¡­¡­ That child¡¯s actions were far too human-like.¡¯ Even so, Prune had wholeheartedly supported Erina up to now, all for the future of their people. ¡®¡­¡­I put her in the forefront, fully aware of the hatred she would face.¡¯ At that moment, Ancelot continued speaking. ¡°In addition, a minimal safety measure will be necessary.¡± ¡°¡­¡­A safety measure?¡± ¡°We would need her to swear a mana oath.¡± An oath sworn with mana. It was a form of restrictment. Breaking it would result in theplete loss of all mana in one¡¯s body. ¡°That¡¯s an absurd demand¡­¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not absurd at all. Her life would have ended if not for us. She should be grateful we¡¯re sparing her.¡± Prune immediately mped her mouth shut. For a long moment, she pressed her lips together, until. ¡°Phew¡­¡­¡± Finally, she let out a deep sigh. ¡°¡­¡­No matter how I think about it, this isn¡¯t a decision I can make. Let¡¯s hear her thoughts first. After that, we¡¯ll decide whether to ept your proposal.¡± A smile spread across Ancelot¡¯s face. ¡°Very well. Shall we go right away?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Having been informed about the whole conversation, Erina twisted her lips into a crooked smile. ¡°So basically, you want me to live the rest of my life as a ve to humans.¡± Her low, subdued voice echoed softly. This was moments after she had been brought alone into a secluded hut. Including Elder Prune, the people inside the hut numbered four. In case of any emergencies, Marquis Foltaine was also there. -Cunning scoundrel. What a ridiculous idea you¡¯vee up with. Marquis Foltaine¡¯s expression conveyed this sentiment clearly. ¡°Try not to think too negatively about it. At least pretend to give it some thought.¡± ¡°You want me to consider such ridiculous nonsense?¡± ¡°Besides, you¡¯ll get to decide the terms of the oath yourself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Wait. I¡¯ll decide the terms?¡± I nodded without hesitation. ¡°As I said, we¡¯re not demanding unconditional obedience. We just need a token of trust¡ªsomething to assure us you¡¯ll no longer ughter humans. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After thinking briefly, Erina suddenly looked toward the entrance. ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± Noticing her gaze, I tilted my head in confusion. ¡°¡­¡­Fine. Let¡¯s do it this way.¡± ¡°What way?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll remain by your side. For the entirety of your fleeting lifespan, I¡¯ll stay with you. That should be more than enough as a token of trust.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± This was an entirely unexpected counteroffer. Keeping her close would serve as both a means of surveince and an assurance of her loyalty. Above all else¡­¡­ ¡®If pushes to shove, maybe she could be used as a powerful asset¡­¡­?¡¯ Of course, my sly thoughts didn¡¯t get very far. ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself, child with the thoughts of a conniving old geezer. Things won¡¯t go as you wish.¡± I flinched. Half-elf or not, her elven nature was undeniable. ¡°My new identity will be that of a ¡®bodyguard¡¯. I have no intention of being used to harm or kill others under your schemes.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡­ You¡¯re even deciding the identity we¡¯re supposed to fabricate for you. How considerate.¡± Clicking my tongue lightly, I asked again. ¡°But a bodyguard, huh¡­¡­ Are you nning on bing crippled and using that to get back at me?¡± Erina smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself, you insolent human. I have no intention of bing your bodyguard.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Erina, who had just spoken, turned her gaze once more toward the door. ¡°Winley, was it? I will live as the bodyguard of that human princess outside.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Twitch. Marquis Foltaine¡¯s eyebrows shot up immediately. I took a moment to envision returning to the heart of the royal pce with this lunatic in tow. ¡®Is this really a good idea?¡¯ While I was entertaining such thoughts, Marquis Foltaine spoke up as though he had been waiting. ¡°If Her Highness agrees, and the oath is properly done¡­¡­ It might not be a bad idea.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°I have a vague idea why she¡¯s acting this way.¡± Apparently, something had happened during my absence. ¡°Well, if you say so, Marquis.¡± ¡°Heheheh. Don¡¯t trust people too much, kid. This could all just be a ploy for your downfall.¡± ¡°If it is, I¡¯d have only myself to me for misjudging someone.¡± ¡°Enough ttery, you rascal. How do you n to exin this to the people outside?¡± ¡°Outside?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just suddenly announce that Her Highness now has a bodyguard, can you?¡± It seemed he was convinced that Winley would take Erina as her bodyguard. ¡°There¡¯s also the matter of the elves. If Erina suddenly disappears, they¡¯ll find it suspicious.¡± ¡°Well, I happen to have a n that solves both problems at once.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The gazes of all three present turned toward me. ¡°That said¡­¡­ Hey, red eyes. I have a favor to ask of you.¡± ¡°A favor?¡± Erina tilted her head, puzzled. ¡°No, calling it a favor isn¡¯t quite right. Since Winley will be with you, let¡¯s call it a mission.¡± The gears in my head started spinning. ¡®You might im you won¡¯t be exploited, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t.¡¯ I smiled inwardly. ¡°I am the lord of ck Swan. Up until now, the reason humans haven¡¯t dared to step onto thisnd isn¡¯t just because of the dwarves and elves¡­¡­¡± I unfolded another finger as I spoke, together with the two I was already holding up. ¡°¡­¡­But also the monsters in the north.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I decided to take this opportunity to eliminate all threats around the territory. ¡°Monsters are undoubtedly a significant threat to non-humans as well. Therefore, we¡¯ll head to the north to investigate the activities of thesemon enemies, clearing out the outskirts, and establishing outposts and fortified walls.¡± At this, sounds of contemtion came from the others. The monsters, the main culprits that turned ck Swan into and of death. Considering their numbers, it was impossible topletely exterminate them. But at the same time, sitting idly by wasn¡¯t an option either. ¡°The skilled dwarves will quickly construct outposts and walls, the sharp-eyed elf rangers will monitor the area at all times, and the humans will provide active support and eliminate any approaching monsters.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°In other words, the three races will unite as one against amon foe.¡± This n would create a happy ending for dwarves, elves, and humans alike. ¡°If that¡¯s possible, it would be ideal. However, is it really feasible? The monsters in the north are on a different level entirely¡­¡­¡± I lightly shrugged at Elder Prune¡¯s concerns. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s fortunate. In the process, the Swordsman of ughter will meet her end. No suspicions will arise, and she¡¯ll be remembered as a hero who sacrificed herself for the revival of the n.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Though she had her worries, Prune¡¯s face lit up with hope. Erina, too, gazed at me with eyes filled with mixed emotions. At the very least, whatever thoughts this lunatic was harboring, they didn¡¯t seem hostile. -You¡¯re a true schemer, aren¡¯t you? This was your n all along! No longer able to hold back, Marquis Foltaine conveyed his admirations through his thoughts. -Thank you for thepliment. -Impressive, impressive. Especially how you intend to use that lunatic to your advantage¡­¡­ Heheheh. While Marquis Foltaine was still conveying his thoughts to me. ¡°Then, the elves will assist you. This seems far too dangerous to do alone.¡± ¡°Great. We won¡¯t need too many¡ªjust five skilled mages should suffice.¡± We would need witnesses to observe the situation anyway. ¡°Only five? Will that be enough?¡± ¡°Too many eyes wouldn¡¯t be good, either. After all, we have to stage a death.¡± ¡°Well, this seems like it¡¯s benefiting us elves too much¡­¡­¡± Before Prune could finish his thought, Erina interjected. ¡°No need to feel indebted, Elder. This is something the humans are doing for their own benefit as well.¡± Look at that attitude, spoiling a perfectly good atmosphere. Unlike this half-blood, elves were refreshingly straightforward. Unlike humans, they didn¡¯t y any games. ¡°Then, can we release Erina now?¡± ¡°Only after the oath is made.¡± Erina dered without hesitation. ¡°I, Erina, swear by mana that I will bring no harm to the humans here. Furthermore, if Winley, the human princess, epts my proposal, I will serve as her bodyguard until the day her lifees to an end.¡± Hummm! A resonating hum filled the air as her oath concluded. She was quite bold, befitting of a lunatic. With a swift motion, Marquis Foltaine cut her ropes with his de. ¡°We should start with her treatment.¡± She had a fatal wound that had nearly resulted in the amputation of her wrist. Though I had provided first aid to prevent infection, without proper treatment, she might break before I could make full use of¡­¡­ I mean, be crippled. Drizzle! Without dy, I poured my highest-grade potion onto her wounds. ¡®What a waste.¡¯ It was a treasure I had kept for emergencies. Who would¡¯ve thought I¡¯d use it on this lunatic? ¡®I¡¯ll make sure to milk this for all it¡¯s worth.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­Ugh¡­¡­¡± As I mused, Erina let out a faint groan of pain. ¡°Thank you.¡± Elder Prune lightly bowed with gratitude. Seizing the moment, I posed a question. ¡°Since we¡¯re allies now, may I ask one thing?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that a flower called Pane grows here. Is that true?¡± ¡°Pane¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Apanion of mine is currently sick. It¡¯s a crucial ingredient needed to cure a curse that stunts growth¡­¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om I gave a detailed description of the flower. ¡°Ah! You must mean Ussia!¡± ¡°You know of it?¡± ¡°Of course. I even know exactly where it grows.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± My face lit up instantly. I could already imagine the joy on Milon and May¡¯s faces. ¡°But¡­¡­ There¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°A problem?¡± ¡°Ussia grows in the deepest part of this forest, but¡­¡­¡± Thinking about it, Ne had mentioned something simr. ¡°The problem is, that area is currently hard to get to, even for us.¡± ¡°What? Wasn¡¯t the entire forest elven territory?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t judge us by human standards. How could we im the entirety of this vast forest as our own?¡± Elder Prune spoke firmly, her tone unyielding. ¡°The forest isrger than any major human city you could name.¡± If ck Swan as a whole was the size of a ¡®duchy¡¯, then the forest was its city. Itsrgest metropolis, at that. ¡°If you divide the forest into north and south, we live mainly in the south, while other creatures inhabit the north.¡± ¡°Are you saying those other creatures in the north are¡­¡­?¡± Prune nodded grimly. ¡°As you know, the north of ck Swan is home to monsters. The northern forest is teeming with them as well.¡± ¡°How troublesome.¡± ¡°Thankfully, a massive river runs through the center of the forest. It acts as a natural boundary, and the monsters rarely cross it.¡± It seems I have one more reason to head north. ¡°Incidentally, the northern forest is also rich with Bell and Aransi, which are coveted by humans.¡± ¡°Bell and Aransi?¡± Erina, grimacing in pain, rified further. ¡°You humans call them Rune and Prisia¡ªkey ingredients for elixirs and mana pills.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At once, my face brightened. I had been pondering how to negotiate for these ingredients, but it seemed there no longer was any need to. ¡®Why bother negotiating when we can just take everything for ourselves?¡¯ * * * Chapter 139 Chapter 139 ¨C Let¡¯s Fight Together (1) Meanwhile, the Hart Kingdom was in utter upheaval. ¡°Y-Your Majesty!¡± ¡°What is all thismotion?¡± ¡°W-We¡¯ve just received an urgent message via the Mask of Night¡­¡­¡± ¡°The Mask of Night? Isn¡¯t that an external intelligence organization?¡± The King, tilting his head in curiosity, took the telegram without dy. The envelope had already been opened. It was a routine procedure for any iteming from outside the pce. And momentster, ¡°¡­¡­!¡± King Terry¡¯s eyes slowly widened in shock. ¡°Summon the nobles to the royal audience hall immediately! This is an emergency!¡± Not long after, the nobles began to assemble. They were influential figures who usually stay in their mansions at the capital, rather than their estates. It was safe to say that nearly all nobles with significant political influence were in attendance. Soon, they were confronted with astonishing news. ¡°Th-The Swordsman of ughter has been captured?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. ording to reports, Duke Serin, Marquis Foltaine, and¡­¡­ Unbelievably, even Baron Ancelot joined forces to capture the murderer at ck Swan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The nobles were stunned into silence by what seemed an absurd statement. But with the king himself as the speaker, they couldn¡¯t dismiss it as mere nonsense. ¡°B-But I heard that the Swordsman of ughter lived over 50 years ago¡­¡­¡± Duke Kairos¡¯s voice trailed off. He was straining to recall the stories about the infamous Swordsman of ughter. ¡®Does that mean the rumors that they were a half-elf weren¡¯t false after all?¡¯ The elven forest was at ck Swan. It seemed usible the murderer had been hiding there all this time. ¡®¡­¡­Damn it.¡¯ The report was more than believable. Duke Kairos¡¯s face twisted into a grimace. ¡°To think we¡¯ve captured a criminal condemned by the entire continent. Surely this is a monumental achievement for the Hart Kingdom!¡± King Terry¡¯s expression was brimming with satisfaction as he spoke. He had not only defied widespread opposition to grant Baron Ancelot a noble title but had also rewarded him withnd. Now, with such an extraordinary aplishment added to the Baron¡¯s name, how could the King not favor him even more? ¡®That damned upstart¡­¡­!¡¯ This sess also elevated the standing of Duke Kairos¡¯ political rivals, Duke Serin and Marquis Foltaine, much to his frustration. He groaned inwardly. Though he didn¡¯t like it, he had to acknowledge the significance of the aplishment. ¡°Indeed¡­¡­ Even the Empire will surely be pleased.¡± ¡°You think so too, Duke? Hahaha! Well, of course.¡± The matter promised to be a valuable diplomatic tool. After all, the Swordsman of ughter wasn¡¯t just amon criminal. The atrocities she hadmitted were carried out in one of the ten major cities of the Empire. In the past, when the Empire was still a kingdom and hadn¡¯t risen yet, it was arge city called Helbern, which was among the top fivergest cities. ¡°However, it seems transporting the captive to the capital immediately won¡¯t be possible.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Kairos¡¯s eyes glinted sharply. Atst, he found a reason to criticize. ¡°What do you mean by that? If the captive had been killed, it would be one thing¡ªbut why is it difficult to transport a live prisoner?¡± Killing the ughterer would have been foolish. A live capture could serve as undeniable proof and yield even greater rewards when handed over to the Empire. In politics, grand gestures like this were crucial. ¡°They say a deal was made.¡± ¡°A deal? Are you telling us they negotiated with that murderer?¡± Duke Kairos¡¯s voice rose in outrage, emboldened by the apparent misstep. However¡­¡­ ¡°They n to use that murderer to subjugate the monsters in the northern territories.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­!?¡± Even Duke Kairos was taken aback by the sheer audacity of the n. ¡°Isn¡¯t it amusing? They¡¯ve decided to employ a criminal who terrorized the continent for a task like that. And how on earth did they convince such a monstrous figure?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°To wipe out the monsters of the ck Swan¡¯s forest¡­¡­ Haha! Ahahaha! If that seeds, we¡¯ll no longer have to abandon thosends.¡± Unable to contain himself, King Terry burst intoughter. ¡°Baron Ancelot! You never fail to exceed my expectations. I¡¯m thoroughly impressed! Hahaha!¡± In stark contrast, Duke Kairos¡¯s brow furrowed deeply. At the same time. ¡°¡­¡­¡± There was another figure who remained silent, his expression equally grim. He was a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair and a distinguished mustache. It was Marquis Laksir, the power behind the military. At the northern regions of ck Swan. The camp bustled with preparation for the monster subjugation. ¡°¡­¡­¡± From a corner, Duke Serin silently observed themotion. It wasn¡¯t long before Marquis Foltaine approached him. ¡°What brings you here alone?¡± ¡°Are those kids going too?¡± Instead of answering, Duke Serin posed a question of his own. His gaze was fixed to where Jan, Kirian, Harun, andstly, Winley stood. ¡°I didn¡¯t take you for someone who¡¯d concern yourself with children, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ It¡¯s just fascinating how they follow the prince around like a bunch of baby ducks.¡± A faint smile tugged at Marquis Foltaine¡¯s lips. ¡°So your interest was in Baron Ancelot. I misunderstood.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the same?¡± ¡°Not just me¡ªeveryone seems bewitched by that kid.¡± With a chuckle, Marquis Foltaine continued. ¡°Those kids see Baron Ancelot as their mentor¡ªsometimes in swordsmanship, sometimes in ideals¡­¡­ He¡¯s shaping their lives, guiding their path, so to speak.¡± ¡°Does that mean they¡¯ll grow up to be ruffians like him?¡± ¡°Ahahaha!¡± Marquis Foltaine burst intoughter at Duke Serin¡¯s blunt remark. ¡°I share your concerns, but one thing is clear.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Not just the children¡ªthe entire camp trusts Baron Ancelot.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Parents wouldn¡¯t leave their kids in someone else¡¯s care without good reason, would they?¡± Duke Serin¡¯s expression shifted slightly, showing a glimmer of intrigue. ¡°So, what do you think, Your Grace? Will those kids grow into remarkable ruffians?¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen during training, they do have potential.¡± ¡°I see. But when I first saw them, they were a mess. It¡¯s been, what, just a few months?¡± Duke Serin turned his attention back to Marquis Foltaine. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°One was the child of impoverished serfs who had never touched a sword. Another was the timid offspring of a warrior family. The third? A spoiled brat, the very definition of an arrogant noble.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Well, Princess Winley was always an exception¡­¡­¡± ¡°Surprising. Are you saying they¡¯ve changed this much in just a few months?¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Which is why they follow him like ducklings. Smart kids, really.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± But the perspective of each person varies. Duke Serin saw things differently. ¡®The prince hopes to raise these children and strengthen his forces, but¡­¡­¡¯ To Duke Serin, the strategy felt questionable. How long would it take to mold these children into capable adults? ¡®Eliminating threats and using this area as a base to consolidate power¡ªthat part is sound. But¡­¡­ that¡¯s about it.¡¯ In the end, the forces consisted of a handful of children and a few hundred bandits. Although they had the famous Swordsman of Illusions in their ranks, he was a cripple now¡ªa shadow of his former self. ¡®It¡¯s harsh, but that¡¯s reality.¡¯ Duke Serin habitually swept his hand through his hair. The knights from Duke Herman would eventually return home. The remnants wouldn¡¯t even constitute a proper militia. Even with dwarves and elves lending aid, their involvement in human affairs would remain limited. ¡®Ultimately, the prince¡¯s power base is still woefully inadequate.¡¯ And so, his curiosity grew. How would this reckless prince go about expanding his forces in the future? ¡°Shall we begin constructing the watchtower?¡± At that moment, Bolt and the dwarves approached Baron Ancelot. ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care. Please do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s us who are in your care.¡± Bolt¡¯s stern face reflected his caution. ¡°Stay alert. Monsters have an incredibly keen sense of smell. The moment they realize we¡¯ve encroached on their territory, they¡¯lle rushing in.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± And within half a day, Bolt¡¯s warning became reality. *** Roaaarrr! ¡°M-Monsters are approaching.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It happened as everyone was hauling construction materials. In the distance, the faint but menacing cries of monsters filled the air. ¡°Fly!¡± A few elves, stationed for support, swiftly elevated themand post into the sky. From above, Duke Serin, Marquis Foltaine, the lunatic Erina, and I surveyed the horizon. ¡°Whoa¡­¡­¡± From this vantage point, the scene below was starkly clear. In the distance, like a massive swarm of ants, a dark horde advanced. The sheer number was overwhelming. Hundreds. No¡ªeasily over a thousand. ¡°They¡¯re probably excited to catch the scent of humans again after so long.¡± Erina smirked. This was the primary reason the two nations had ceased their territorial disputes. The further the war expanded, the more blood was spilled, drawing hordes of monsters southward. ¡°This is overkill, though, especially from the start, isn¡¯t it?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head..The monsters varied in kind. Goblins and orcs were the least of it. Trolls, ogres, and even rare colossal monsters like minotaurs, desert-dwelling basilisks, and harpies in the skies were among them. ¡°A sight like this could shatter morale in an instant. Others on the ground must have seen it by now.¡± Marquis Foltaine muttered, sighing. Indeed, ck Swan deserved its reputation as and of death. Thump, thump, thump. But I felt something different. My heart began to race for the first time in a while. ¡®How long has it been since I¡¯ve experienced a battlefield like this?¡¯ Standing on this ¡®true¡¯ battlefield, my blood surged with excitement. ¡°Give the orders, Commander.¡± Marquis Foltaine, who had already returned to the ground, said yfully. Command for this operation had been entrusted entirely to me. ¡°Stay close and assist as much as you can.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m glued to you, isn¡¯t it?¡± As I prepared to issuemands, something caught my eye. It wasn¡¯t just Duke Serin, Marquis Foltaine, and the Swordsman of ughter standing nearby. Unexpectedly, figures who shouldn¡¯t have been here stood not far away. ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± ¡°We¡¯re¡­¡­ Here to fight, too!¡± ¡°What? You guys aren¡¯t¡­¡­¡± ¡°Wh-When the vers captured us, didn¡¯t you say it yourself? That if we wanted to grow stronger, we¡¯d have to make the effort ourselves.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Harun stammered but stood firm in his resolve. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hide behind your back anymore¡± Jan said, his single eye glinting with determination. ¡°We won¡¯t get in the way. I swear, honored guest.¡± Kiriann said, his usual timidity reced with unshakable confidence. Shiiing. Winley unsheathed her sword, her aura crackling with energy as she faced me. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Their resolve was palpable, as if no amount of reasoning could dissuade them. But then¡ª ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Why was it? Why did these children suddenly ovep with a memory¡ªa vision of someone I¡¯d lost? -This time, let¡¯s fight together, Dad. Yes. It was ridiculous, impossible even, but¡­¡­n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°¡­¡­Andy¡­¡­?¡± At that moment, I saw myte child in them. * * * Chapter 140 Chapter 140 ¨C Let¡¯s Fight Together (2) Humans and non-human races were mixed together. It was an allied force that included dwarves and elves. The sight alone would shock the world. All of them steadied their breathing. They fixed their gaze on the horizon where the monsters were now clearly visible. ¡°Earth Wall!¡± Rumble, rumble, rumble! The elves were the first to chant their spells. Having been briefed on the n, the allies didn¡¯t panic. Boom! The ground beneath their feet rose up. ¡°Archers, load your first shots!¡± From the instantly created makeshift walls, the dwarves and humans drew their bows. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Everyone silently stood in anticipation. With their focus, the monsters would be skewered the moment they entered bow range. But, Whoosh! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At that moment, a figure leapt high into the air like a bird. This was a situation almost no one had anticipated, save for a select few. ¡°E-Erina!?¡± The elves who had constructed the makeshift walls shouted in rm. She was Erina, the silver-haired, crazy half-elf. Swish! Swish! Swish! Spinning an enormous greatswordrger than herself in midair, sh, sh, sh, sh! She shed in a sweeping motion, creating a barrage of strikes like a raging storm. The monsters were not within the range of archers yet. Rooooaaaarrrr! Boom! Crash! Crash! However, shockingly, explosions erupted among the monsters. Sword energy shot across the distance. Shockwaves disrupted the air. And monsters hit by her overwhelming onught howled in pain. But that wasn¡¯t all. Rippp! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Erina charged into the heart of the monster horde alone. Deeper and deeper. Until she disappeared from the allies¡¯ sight. ¡°Wh-What the¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Erina! That¡¯s too dangerous! Get back here immediately!¡± Her reckless behavior left even me shaking my head in disbelief. ¡°I told her to fake her death, but she¡¯s not actually trying to die, is she?¡± Hearing my muttered words, even Marquis Foltaine chuckled bitterly. ¡°After having battled against a lunatic like that¡­¡­ We should be thankful our heads are still attached to our necks.¡± ¡°That lunatic¡¯s recklessness is also disrupting the formation, though.¡± This was indeed a pre-arranged n. However, her unpredictable actions weren¡¯t shared with the rest of our allies. Since she needed to fake a death, the fewer the people that knew the truth, the better. ¡®Everyone is confused.¡¯ A sigh escaped through my teeth. ¡®In this case, I¡¯d rather step in myself.¡¯ Resolving myself, I stepped forward decisively. Hummm! A powerful hum resonated around me. Before a battle, amander beats the drum and blows the horn. This makes the distracted troops focus, delivers orders swiftly and effectively, and raises morale with its majestic sound. It lifts the spirits of the entire army. Starting slow and steady, Growing faster and louder as the enemy approaches. But even without instruments, there are ways to achieve simr effects. ¡®This battlefield is my stage, and only victory lies ahead.¡¯ I closed my eyes. At the same time, I pursed my lips, and whistled sharply. Whistle! Whistle! Whiiiistle! Adjusting the tempo to match the enemy¡¯s pace. ¡®From this moment, I dominate this space.¡¯ Whiiiistle! The mana-infused whistle spread far and wide, just like the gentle ripples created by a pebble thrown into ake. At the same time, the hearts on the battlefield began to beat faster. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Atst, one or two pairs of eyes began turning toward me. ¡°What is this¡­¡­?¡± Marquis Foltaine, sensitive to energy, widened his eyes in surprise. Some soldiers even shouted, ¡®Wooooaaah!¡¯ Their hearts must have been pounding fiercely by now. ¡°We will!¡± I opened my mouth. My voice rang out, shaking the mountains and forests. ¡°Win no matter what!!!!!!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Everyone¡¯s gazes sharpened. And soon. ¡°Waaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!¡± Humans and dwarves alike roared. Even the usually reserved elves clenched their fists and joined in. ¡®The battle cry.¡¯ There is no rule that says that mana techniques must only be used for swordsmanship. This, too, was a form of its application. ¡°Truly¡­¡­ I¡¯m speechless.¡± Marquis Foltaine, who had been staring at me nkly, let out a hollowugh. ¡°I¡¯ve heard mana can be used in infinite ways, but¡­¡­ I¡¯ve never seen anyone use it like Your Highness.¡± Duke Serin, his face stiff, nodded in agreement. But, ¡°The fight has only just begun.¡± Without waiting to hear more, I leapt down. The two hesitated briefly before quickly following. We needed to sow chaos in the enemy ranks with our strike force. So our allies could fight more easily. ¡°Trevor, take care of the rear.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Trevor, who had been watching me in silence, finally nodded. ¡°Leave it to me.¡± ¡°And¡­¡­¡± My gaze unintentionally shifted toward a group nearby. Some children had gathered, peeking down at us. ¡°¡­¡­Argh¡­¡­¡± Normally, I would have asked him to watch over them too. As much as this was a battlefield where everyone had to fend for themselves, those kids were still so young. ¡°¡­¡­¡± But the more I thought, the clearer Andy¡¯s face became in my mind. I sighed and spoke up. ¡°¡­¡­Don¡¯t think too much, and just make good use of them. Every extra hand counts in times like these.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The kids widened their eyes. Trevor, quick to grasp my intentions, smiled faintly. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll put them to good use, Commander.¡± ¡°Aaaaahahhhhhhhh!¡± Harun shouted fearlessly, his expression as fierce as ever. ¡°We will survive. No matter what!¡± Even Kirian, who couldn¡¯t be called a coward anymore, radiated fighting spirit. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jan silently took the lead. ¡°¡­¡­Come on, you damned monsters.¡± Winley said, smiling as she weed the enemy, Wearing an expression brighter than I¡¯d ever seen in the pce. ¡®Yes. Let¡¯s fight together.¡¯ After watching their reactions, I stepped forward once more. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯ll be a hassle if that lunatic actually dies.¡± Pew, pew, pew, pew! Arrows rained down from the heavens. Boom! Boom! Crrraaassshhh! Elsewhere, a barrage ofrge-scale magic with explosive power erupted. And, ¡°¡­¡­¡± I finally understood with my own eyes why Masters were called ¡®one-man army¡¯. Shrrrkk! Marquis Foltaine¡¯s curved saber danced on the battlefield. The sword energy whipped around like a storm, shredding monsters of all sizes. Thunk, thunk, thunk! Even the durable troll hide, known to withstand most famed swords, was no match for Duke Serin¡¯s rapier. His strikes were precise and efficient, aiming solely at critical points like the brow or heart with minimal wasted movement. Kraarrr! Suddenly, a guttural roar echoed. ¡°¡­¡­We¡¯re surrounded.¡± As we continued to y monsters, we looked around. Somehow, without us noticing, we¡¯d been surrounded on all sides by hostile monsters, all exuding a murderous intent aimed directly at us. ¡°¡­¡­This is odd.¡± Duke Serin remarked, frowning. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen monsters behave so cohesively before. It¡¯s almost¡­¡­¡± ¡°Human-like?¡± Marquis Foltaine finished, earning a slight nod from the Duke. ¡°When prey is right in front of them, beasts should fight among themselves for dominance. They don¡¯t share.¡± ¡°That does seem strange, as you say.¡± I interjected. ¡°There¡¯s likely a leader among them.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Beasts instinctively fear predators stronger than themselves.¡± Unlike reckless humans, beasts are often acutely aware of their limits. ¡°Remember the elven forest? The monsters never fully crossed south of the river, even though tender, delicious elven flesh was abundant just beyond. They respected territorial boundaries because they knew better.¡± That instinct likely stemmed from recognizing, deep down, that the elves were apex predators despite their gentle appearance. ¡°This means we need to establish a concrete hierarchy between us and them.¡± ¡°Still, winter is a problem. When food bes scarce, their instincts will drive them to press southward anyway, just like now. Remember, the war between us and the Meeke Principality halted during the harsh winter.¡± ¡°By then, the watchtowers and fortress walls should be fully constructed. It¡¯ll be far easier to hold them back. Besides, the dwarves work quickly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Even so, Marquis Foltaine¡¯s expression remained clouded with concern. I already knew what was worrying him. ¡°The greatest reason our nations withdrew from war wasn¡¯t the monsters. It was humans.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Neither side could deal with the monsters while also fending off the threat of a surprise attack from the other. That¡¯s why no one ever managed to im thisnd for themselves.¡± Atst, Duke Serin gave a knowing smile. ¡°But unlike them, Your Highness has been officially recognized as a lord by both nations. You can eliminate the threats with peace of mind¡­¡­ Hahaha.¡± ¡°Heheheh. This brat is downright terrifying at times.¡± Marquis Foltaine chuckled, shaking his head. Raarrr! Just then, the roar from earlier thundered again, this time nearby. Boom! Boom! Boom! As if coordinated, the monsters retreated, screeching as they made way for something massive. Emerging through the ranks of cowering creatures was a monstrous, towering figure. ¡°¡­¡­Twin Ogre?¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°As expected¡­¡­ It seems the leader you spoke of is that thing.¡± At the same time, Duke Serin was about to take a step forward, but then. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Shing. I quietly drew my sword. ¡°You fool! That¡¯s no ordinary beast. Unless you sever all three heads at once¡­¡­!¡± I tuned out Marquis Foltaine¡¯s voice. No, I blocked out all noise. These two people, fighting at the frontlines. And the children, who reminded me of my dead child. They had stirred something fiery within me. ¡®I am the sword.¡¯ Hum! Hummm! The sword cried. The mana-infused steel trembled, resonating like a living being. In one stride, I cleave my enemy in half. In two strides, I split the very earth. Why not aim for the heavens in three? ¡®Heaven-Splitting Sword, Second Technique: Decisive Cut.¡¯ The tip of the sword moved. In an instant,pressed energy surged forward. Slice! The sound was soft. Saaaash! However, the result was anything but small ¡°¡­¡­!¡±. Before anyone could react, the Twin Ogre¡¯s massive body split in two, cleaved vertically from its middle head. ¡°You brat¡­¡­ Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re already a Master?¡± Marquis Foltaine muttered in disbelief. Screeeech! The remaining monsters scattered in terror. Of course, they moved forward instead of retreating. They were following their instincts, and heading towards weaker prey. ¡°Shall we let them be?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t kill them all. Trevor¡¯s forces will clean up the rest.¡± Marquis Foltaine hesitated for a moment before casting me a strange look. ¡°I had this feeling for a while, but¡­¡­ You and the Swordsman of Illusions seem like oldrades.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve grown quite fond of each other, surprisingly.¡± ¡°Fond? Do you even know how old he is?¡± Marquis Foltaine chuckled at my jest before asking. ¡°So, do we keep marching north?¡± ¡°We still need to track down that runaway lunatic.¡± Just then, Duke Serin interjected. ¡°Even so,pletely eradicating the monsters is impossible.¡± ¡°I never intended to.¡± Both tilted their heads in confusion. ¡°Human greed knows no bounds.¡± I said cryptically. The monsters had served as ck Swan¡¯s natural barrier for years. No one dared covet thisnd because of them. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to go out of our way to eradicate these helpful creatures ourselves, is there?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± The two quickly understood what I was saying. ¡°You mean to avoid doing all the hard work only for others to reap the rewards?¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s true. If the threat of monsters disappears and even a city is built, thend might start to get coveted by nobles from both kingdoms. No¡­¡­ Worse, even the king who granted Your Highness thisnd might recall it.¡± Duke Serin added with a faint smile. ¡°Exactly. We must maintain a bnce of peace and danger, just enough to keep others wary¡ªlike walking on thin ice in politics.¡± ¡°Heheheh. Now that¡¯s our area of expertise.¡± Still, I had an additional n in mind. Even if others desired thisnd, I¡¯d ensure there was something far scarier than monsters waiting for them. ¡°Mask. Are you nearby?¡± Narakas, along with two figures in indigo masks, stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°I have a request. Spread a rumor discreetly.¡± ¡°A rumor?¡± It¡¯smon knowledge that defense is far more advantageous than offense in war. ck Swan, in itself, is a natural resource hub and a ¡®fortress¡¯. Even if just the entrance to the canyon is blocked, it can hold back an entire army. ¡®They¡¯ve had their eyes on thisnd for a long time.¡¯ A faint smile crept across my lips. Once a full-scale war of conquest begins, thisnd will likely be their first target. The dwarves¡¯ weapons will be of great help in the long run. ¡°The target is the Empire. The news is that Baron Ancelot is on the verge of conquering the ck Swan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened at the same time. ¡°Hahaha. So you¡¯d drive off the wolves by inviting in the tiger?¡± Marquis Foltaine let out a heartyugh. This way, even the nobles of our country won¡¯t be able to covet thisnd so recklessly. Additionally, there¡¯ll be a sense of crisis that whoever takes it will be the first to take the brunt of the Empire¡¯s attacks. Of course, from my perspective, this was an opportunity to reap the rewards without lifting a finger. ¡®You¡¯re wee anytime, Empire.¡¯ The sky exists everywhere. And here, too, I can cut down as much as I please. * * * Chapter 141 Chapter 141 ¨C Return (1) How far north had they traveled? There was no sign of any monsters around. In other words, all the monsters in the area had moved south. ¡°Is this really okay?¡± Marquis Foltaine seemed concerned, ncing back repeatedly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you putting too much faith in the Swordsman of Illusions? He¡¯s not even in proper physical condition.¡± ¡°Just because his body is weak doesn¡¯t mean his mind is too.¡± This time, Duke Serin made a peculiar expression. ¡°Is it his reputation that you trust?¡± ¡°No. I trust the man I¡¯ve seen with my own eyes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± That response would have sounded particrly significant to him. In another sense, it also meant that I trusted the two people here just as much. ng! aang! At that moment, a faint sound made all three of us stop in our tracks. ¡°That sound¡­¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s head there immediately.¡± It was the sound of a sh. A battle had likely begun. Without hesitation, the three of us dashed toward the source of the sound. And soon. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± In no time, a vast swamp spread out before our eyes. ¡°¡­¡­Haynes¡¯ Swamp.¡± Marquis Foltaine muttered with a tense voice. ¡°It¡¯s thest gateway to the northern region of ck Swan. In the past, our nation¡¯s scouting forces swept through this area, but none ever crossed this point¡ªthey all perished.¡± ¡°As you¡¯ve probably noticed, stronger monsters like Twin Ogres appear in bunches from here on. And with terrain like this¡­¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no choice but to retreat and regroup.¡± As they exchanged words, Marquis Foltaine nced in the direction of the shing sounds. The clear, resonating ngs of battle were growing louder. ¡°More than anything¡­¡­ Monsters like that reside in the swamp.¡± Marquis Foltaine¡¯s brow furrowed deeply. The Swordsman of ughter, who had disappeared for a while, was locked inbat there. Her opponent was a gargantuan monster, farrger and more overwhelming than anything we¡¯d encountered so far. ¡°A hydra¡­¡­ So such a creature actually exists.¡± Even Duke Serin shook his head in disbelief at the sight. -ROOAARRRR! It was a three-headed monster of the highest rank, often thought of as a subspecies of dragons. Not only did it resemble a dragon, but each of its heads could also unleash deadly breaths. It was truly the kind of monster you¡¯d only read about in books. ¡°If something like that is guarding the northern border¡­¡­ Hahaha. What could possibly lie beyond? This continent is still brimming with untouched, unknown realms beyond human reach.¡± ¡°At any rate, this confirms it.¡± Marquis Foltaine turned his gaze toward me again. ¡°There¡¯s no way the Meeke Principality and the Hart Kingdom didn¡¯t know about that monster¡¯s existence.¡± ¡°They must have intentionally concealed the truth.¡± Duke Serin readily agreed. Even if they annexed ck Swan into their territory, people wouldn¡¯t move in unless thebel of a nd of death¡¯ was removed. With territorial disputes and the constant looming of the fear of wars, who would want to live in a ce where such a monster existed? So, they had hidden its existence. ¡®Did the two nations agree to a ceasefire after learning of that monster?¡¯ With the war dragging on and unpredictable variables like that monster in y, the prolonged conflict must have seemed unsustainable. However, retreating without any gain would¡¯ve been a blow to their pride. They must have made ns to revisit thisnd someday. And for that¡­¡­ ¡®¡­¡­They must have pitted the elves and dwarves against each other.¡¯ As those two races advanced, their unpredictability as variables would only increase. After that, humans had likely withdrawn their armies, feigning goodwill. ¡®Humans and their endless greed¡­¡­¡¯ Marquis Foltaine¡¯s words gave credibility to my hypothesis. ¡°To take down that thing, they¡¯d have to send at least a Master. But no king, whether from those two nations or anywhere else, would ever allow that.¡± Masters were game-changers. One Master alone could shift the tide of a war. However, nations rarely deployed Masters in international conflicts. Because such an act would escte into full-scale war. ¡°It¡¯s an unspoken rule. Everyone knows that if Masters enter the fray, mutual destruction is inevitable.¡± Duke Serin brushed his hair back as he spoke. The presence of the ¡®Empire¡¯, a shared enemy, ensured this. With the threat of such a formidable foe looming over their heads, no one could afford to risk losing their strongest assets. Soldiers could be trained, but Masters could not be easily reced.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°And yet¡­¡­ We currently have three Masters here with us.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s step in.¡± The lunatic was already fighting the hydra on equal footing. If we joined in, we could likely y the creature without much difficulty. ¡°Are you sure? Killing it might tempt the two nations to covet thisnd again¡­¡­¡± ¡°We won¡¯t kill it.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The hydra holds back the northern monsters and suppresses human greed¡­¡­ From our perspective, it¡¯s a kind of guardian deity.¡± A faint smile crossed my lips as I finished speaking. ¡°So we¡¯ll simply make it understand. We¡¯ll show it who the real rulers of thisnd are.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just sever one of its heads. We can say that the Swordsman of ughter died during that intense battle, and was devoured by the monster.¡± At that moment, the three of us leapt into the air simultaneously. Booom! A scorching breath swept past the spot where we¡¯d stood. Perhaps due to previous battles fought together, we exchanged intentions with just a nce. Swoosh! Marquis Foltaine took the left head, and Duke Serin took the right. -Screeeech! The tide of the battle quickly turned in our favor. At the same time. Swish! I vaulted upward as well. ¡°You may have three heads¡­¡­ But we¡¯ve got four on our side.¡± -ash! My sword neatly severed the hydra¡¯s middle head. -Screeeech! The hydra writhed in pain. It quickly retreated into the depths of the swamp, leaving behind the severed head. Of course, we didn¡¯t pursue it. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± Marquis Foltaine tilted his head, puzzled. Something was glowing in the severed Hydra head. ¡°It¡¯s the hydra¡¯s spirit stone.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A spirit stone. An essence condensed from a creature¡¯s life force after countless years of existence. As much as it was difficult to obtain, if used properly, it could be a very special ingredient for a mana pill. ¡°I¡¯m too old to have much use for it.¡± Surprisingly, Marquis Foltaine didn¡¯t seem greedy for the spirit stone. No¡ªperhaps he wanted to give it to me, using his age as an excuse. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The lunatic Erina let her actions speak for her. She abruptly cut off a horn from the hydra¡¯s severed head. Snip! Snip! Snip! Using the horn, she sheared off her long silver hair. In mere moments, her hair was cropped short, and she dyed it with the Hydra¡¯s ck blood. And then. ¡°Wow¡­¡­¡± A ck-haired woman, with an entirely different vibe from before, was born. ¡°¡­¡­Remarkable. Who would¡¯ve thought hydra blood could be used like that?¡± ¡°Thankfully, it doesn¡¯t seem to be poisonous despite its appearance.¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t think I could stomach doing that¡­¡­ She¡¯s really something else.¡± All eyes turned to Duke Serin. ¡°Since you severed it, the spirit stone is yours, Your Highness.¡± Thankfully, he, too, didn¡¯t seem overly greedy. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll dly ept it.¡± Personally, I had no reason to refuse. This would be a valuable material to help me grow stronger. Finally, when we crossed the swamp. ¡°That¡¯s the forest ahead.¡± The dreadful swamp had ended, and beside us, a beautiful river flowed. Following the stream, a lush northern forest soon came into view. ¡°My goodness¡­¡­¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡­!¡± Before usy a breathtaking sight. At the river¡¯s end, a waterfall cascaded down. Beyond that, flowers of all colors were in full bloom. Rare medicinal herbs, many of which I recognized but never saw before in person, were scattered all around. ¡°Look, there¡¯s Rune and Prisia too.¡± ¡°An alchemist or a poison master would faint with joy at this sight.¡± It truly was a forest of treasures, but I restrained myself and picked only the flowers we needed most. Fortunately, I found our target quickly. I had memorized its description in great detail. ¡°Let¡¯s head back now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At those words, Marquis Foltaine clicked his tongue, clearly reluctant to leave. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to look around a bit more? There¡¯s treasure everywhere.¡± ¡°No treasure is more precious than myrades.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At that, Marquis Foltaine¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile. ¡°Heheheh.¡± Duke Serin gave me his characteristic peculiar look, and Erina looked at me with her brusque eyes. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go back.¡± *** Meanwhile, at Milon¡¯s estate, Duke Herman had arrived on official business. However, Marquis Milon seemedpletely uninterested in his guest. His thoughts were clearly elsewhere. ¡°Aren¡¯t you waiting for them too desperately?¡± Duke Herman teased lightly. Indeed, Milon was repeatedly sighing as he stared out the window. ¡°I¡¯m worried.¡± ¡°Marquis Milon, worried about someone else¡­¡­ A sudden change like this is quite offsetting, even for the people that witness it. That¡¯s not who you used to be.¡± ¡°Is it so strange to worry about a friend?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Herman¡¯s eyes widened at those honest words. It was an extraordinary shift. ¡®Truly¡­¡­ it¡¯s hard to believe, even seeing it with my own eyes.¡¯ Duke Herman shook his head in disbelief. He even felt a spark of doubt. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not your sister¡¯s cure you¡¯re worried about?¡± ¡°Honestly, even if they return without the medicine, it won¡¯t matter to me.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve already done so much for me. Someone they have no real connection to.¡± Duke Herman wanted to confirm his sincerity. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s sly. At first, it was to bring you into the ck Swan, andter, to gain a title¡­¡­¡± ¡°They went back into that deathtrap of a ce for my sister, without any conditions attached.¡± ¡°That just makes them clever. They¡¯re not letting their guard down, even with a fish already on the hook.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the kind of fisherman they are, I¡¯d dly be caught.¡± Duke Herman was left utterly speechless. ¡°A true friend is someone who reaches out in your time of need. Don¡¯t you have anyone like that, Your Grace?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Duke Herman flinched, immediately thinking of Marquis Foltaine. ¡°When you¡¯re at your lowest, having a friend who lifts you up is a blessing I now understand deeply.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want to lose that kind of friend.¡± Atst, Duke Herman let out a small, resignedugh. ¡°Ancelot haspletely enchanted you, hasn¡¯t he?¡± At that moment. ¡°Isn¡¯t it rude to talk behind someone¡¯s back?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Both men turned, wide-eyed. ¡°Ancelot!¡± Milon couldn¡¯t suppress a bright smile. Duke Herman was equally taken aback. ¡°When did you return? I should¡¯ve been notified immediately¡­¡­¡± ¡°I just arrived, so don¡¯t be too hard on your men. I came straight here as soon as I got back.¡± With that, Ancelot turned to Milon. ¡°By the way, I¡¯m on my way back from leaving the Pane in Ne¡¯s care.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Milon¡¯s pupils quivered violently. ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited yet. Save your joy for when the cure isplete.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± ¡°More importantly, listen to this. I discovered something incredible out there.¡± Duke Herman tilted his head in curiosity. ¡°Something incredible? What are you talking about?¡± Milon also nced quizzically at Ancelot. With both men¡¯s eyes fixed on him, Ancelot broke into a mischievous smile so wicked it seemed almost sinister. ¡°Heheheh, I¡¯m rich now. Possibly the richest man in this country.¡± * * * Chapter 142 Chapter 142 ¨C Return (2) The Hart Kingdom¡¯s Royal Audience Chamber. ¡°Isn¡¯t Baron Ancelot remarkable?¡± King Terry couldn¡¯t stop showering him with praises. In what was almost no different from a private meeting, Marquis Laksir, the real power of the military, was seated alone. ¡°When he requested that troublesome ck Swan territory, I thought nothing of it at the time¡­¡­ But now, to think he¡¯d n to build an entire city there.¡± Marquis Laksir was once themander of the ck Swan War. Naturally, the conversation drifted toward this topic. ¡°Above all, isn¡¯t it true that the Meeke Principality hasn¡¯t uttered a single word in protest? Ha! How could those rude asses have imagined that the prince they exiled to his death would develop it into something grand?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And we must also thank Duke Herman. Dispatching two knightly orders during a manpower shortage can¡¯t have been an easy decision. To be honest, I didn¡¯t do it myself because I was worried about the other nobles¡¯ reactions.¡± King Terry¡¯s tone was direct and honest. Knowing his character, Marquis Laksir listened in silence, then spoke up at the right moment. ¡°Your Majesty, I can¡¯t help but be concerned.¡± ¡°Concerned?¡± ¡°If a city is really built in ck Swan, do you think the Meeke Principality will remain idle?¡± ¡°Surely, they wouldn¡¯t object to something happening onnd where they appointed him as lord?¡± Even King Terry chuckled at the notion. ¡°That would be shameless.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something to be taken lightly, I believe.¡± At that, King Terry abruptly stoppedughing. ¡°What exactly are you trying to say, Marquis?¡± ¡°Let me rify that I do not intend to dismiss Baron Ancelot¡¯s contributions. On the contrary, I recognize his achievements, which is why I¡¯m bringing this up.¡± King Terry¡¯s brows furrowed even more. ¡°Perhaps I am too dull to understand your point.¡± ¡°Baron Ancelot single-handedly uncovered the Empire¡¯s plot. It was certainly a great achievement, and Your Majesty has rightly rewarded him. I have no disagreement on this point, and it¡¯s not my ce to do so in the first ce.¡± Only then did King Terry¡¯s face, which had hardened, rxed again. ¡°Then what is the problem?¡± ¡°Baron Ancelot¡¯s territory was a reward for his ¡®achievements¡¯, but for Prince Andrew, it was an exile, a ¡®punishment¡¯. Even if he hasmitted no crime, Baron Ancelot¡¯s origins are his sin. That is the reality of things.¡± King Terry smiled bitterly. His origins were a sin. Those words struck like a dagger to the heart. After all, wasn¡¯t he once the second son, far down the line of session? ¡°Given the changed circumstances, will the Meeke Principality let Baron Ancelot retain thend peacefully? I think not. And¡­¡­¡± For a moment, Marquis Laksir trailed off, his eyes glinting. ¡°¡­¡­If a new lord takes his ce after he¡¯s stripped of his position¡­¡­ Another war might erupt between the two nations.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At the word ¡®war¡¯, King Terry¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Then what do you suggest? Surely, we cannot simply demand that the Meeke Principality leave it alone.¡± ¡°I will meet Baron Ancelot personally. I¡¯ll hear his thoughts and, if there is a way to assist him, I¡¯ll take the initiative.¡± King Terry, who had been staring at Marquis Laksir with a peculiar expression, eventually nodded. ¡°If the ck Swan expert himself takes charge, I trust you. Can I count on you?¡± ¡°I am practically the former lord of ck Swan. It is only natural to ensure a proper handover.¡± ¡°I trust you.¡± ¡°Thank you. Then, I will take my leave.¡± After a brief bow, Marquis Laksir withdrew from the royal audience chamber. At the same time.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°¡­¡­The wolves are already on the move, Baron Ancelot. Heheheh. What delightful news will you bring me next?¡± Left alone, King Terry¡¯s eyes gleamed quietly. *** As Marquis Laksir exited the chamber, his aide quickly caught up. ¡°How did it go, sir?¡± ¡°I try to act like a gentleman, but everyone keeps forcing me to y the viin.¡± Marquis Laksir had made a secret pact with the Meeke Principality long ago during his time asmander at the ck Swan. Before the war escted too far, both sides had agreed to a temporary ceasefire. However, before departing, he had deliberately nted seeds of discord. ¡®I¡¯ve been waiting for the right moment after enduring every hardship¡­¡­ And now he¡¯s just going to snatch it all away?¡¯ In truth, Marquis Laksir felt as though his own territory had been stolen. No one understood the value of ck Swan better than he did. He had seen it firsthand during the long years of war. ¡®The value of thatnd rivals that of the entire Hart Kingdom.¡¯ That was Marquis Laksir¡¯s cold, calcted assessment. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration¡ªjust the reality. Once territorial disputes with the Meeke Principality were resolved, he had intended to im ck Swan for himself as a reward for his efforts. But now. ¡°I waited too long. This feels like losing a thousand-year-old bottle of wine to a thief.¡± His aide chimed in as if waiting for the right moment. ¡°I¡¯ll create a usible justification. If needed, we¡¯ll stage a territorial battle to reim it.¡± ¡°Stop. If you do that, His Majesty, brimming with youthful fervor, won¡¯t stand idly by.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­¡± ¡°For now, let¡¯s try to solve this with words. After all, humans are creatures of reason.¡± Marquis Laksir was known as a gentleman. ¡®I already smell blood in the air.¡¯ However, his aide knew better than anyone whaty beneath the facade. Yes. Soon, a storm of blood woulde. And at the center of it all would be Baron Ancelot. Meanwhile, elsewhere. Crash! The front door of Milon¡¯s estate burst open violently. Ignoring the startled butler behind her, the guest who entered shouted loudly. ¡°I did it! I¡¯ve made the cure for dwarfism!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At Ne¡¯s deration, her wide-brimmed conical hat drawing attention, everyone gathered in the lobby widened their eyes. ¡°Already?¡± Even I was astonished at the speed. Even Narakas, who happened to be present, shook his head in disbelief. ¡°As expected¡­¡­ The most exceptional apprentice of the continent¡¯s greatest alchemist, Raven¡­¡­ Remarkable.¡± With those words, Narakas turned with a smile to face someone. ¡°Congrattions, Miss May.¡± His tone was genuine, conveying sincere congrattions. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The subject of thement, however, was so overwhelmed by the news that her mouth simply hung open in stunned silence. But then. Drip. Tears began streaming down Milon¡¯s usually apathetic face. It was a natural reaction. A lifelong dream, once thought unattainable, had just been realized. ¡°B-Brother¡­¡­¡± His younger sister, May, who had been too stunned to speak, finally stammered. She had reached a point where she could no longer stand properly, and her vision was beginning to fail. Yet she had always made an effort to remain cheerful. I knew why, as she hade to my room the night before to tell me. ¡°Thank you. Even if the cure doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll never forget your kindness!¡± ¡°Save your thanks for when the cure works.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already grateful enough! And¡­¡­ Forgive me for being selfish, but if something happens to me, please take care of my brother.¡± Her voice had been bright and casual, yet those words had slipped out so naturally that I had to ask. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t dared to hope, it wouldn¡¯t hurt so much. Isn¡¯t it worse when something you¡¯ve been promised is taken away?¡± May¡¯s answer was unexpected. ¡°I¡¯m scared. It¡¯s hard, painful and hopeless. That¡¯s how my life has been.¡± ¡°But you still stay so bright.¡± ¡°Because the more I despair, hurt, and struggle, the sadder my brother bes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Her bright smile as she said that struck me deeply. ¡°One person in pain is enough, don¡¯t you think? I don¡¯t want to see the only family I have suffer too.¡± Returning to the present, Ne held up a blue vial and continued her exnation. ¡°Just to set expectations, the treatment will restore her legs and eyesight in no time. The blocked blood and energy channels have already shown signs of clearing. But¡­¡­ Since her growth phase is long over, her body won¡¯t grow anyrger, even after curing her dwarfism.¡± Who cared? The cure was already a miraculous sess, even as it was. Grab! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Overwhelmed, Milon stepped forward and grasped my shoulders. ¡°¡­¡­Thanks.¡± He bowed his head, silently weeping for what felt like a long time. ¡°Thank you so much, Ancelot¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I watched him with a faint smile, letting him release his emotions fully. Good. I¡¯m happy for you, Milon. *** The treatment involved more than just taking the medicine¡ªit also required procedures to restore proper cirction. So, to avoid getting in the way, I quietly stepped outside. As I exited, my eyes met those of the maniac waiting in the garden per my request. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t know the form for mana pills?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± At my question, Erina¡ªnow with dark hair¡ªreplied without a hint of hesitation. ¡°Be honest. You¡¯re just lying because you don¡¯t want to share it, right?¡± She frowned. ¡°You humans are always like this. Always doubting, criticizing, and showing zero trust in others.¡± ¡°Well, what can I do? That¡¯s the kind of world we¡¯re born into.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Erina fell silent for a moment. ¡°In a world where you¡¯ll get stabbed in the back if you¡¯re not doubtful, is it just humans who act that way?¡± I¡¯ve been there, and so has she. Although I was a victim, and she was a perpetrator. ¡°Anyway, your strength didn¡¯te from some self-made mana pill form, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. Our strength came entirely from the mana pills I possessed.¡± The reason Erina had been dubbed the Swordsman of ughter. Again, she had massacred an entire imperial city. Afterward, she had taken all the mana pills from the noble families¡¯ vaults and disappeared. She¡¯d gotten away with looting once, which was why she had no qualms about pulling the same stunt on the dwarves. ¡°While we¡¯re on the subject. Why kill everyone, regardless of whether they were kids or adults?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you hate someone, you could have killed just that person. Did you really have to kill all of them?¡± Despite my reproach, Erina remained silent. She had no intention of addressing this part of her past. ¡°Ancelot.¡± At that moment, Narakas interjected. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to be disappointed, is there?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s the form you want, isn¡¯t the best expert in the field already right here?¡± Of course, I knew that. But this situation was too unsettling. Because I still didn¡¯t know who among the five was the traitor. Just then. Ne emerged from the mansion, her expression confident. ¡°All the initial procedures areplete. If she rests properly today, the results will be evident by morning.¡± ¡°Good work.¡± ¡°Well then¡­¡­ Shall we proceed with our deal?¡± Raven¡¯s apprentice adjusted her sses, her eyes glimmering with anticipation. I had promised her this. One deal, in exchange for her crafting the cure. ¡°¡­¡­¡± After staring at her for a long moment, I shrugged. ¡°¡­¡­Fine. Let¡¯s hear what you have to say.¡± Given the circumstances, I decided to listen to what Raven¡¯s past might reveal. * * * Chapter 143 Chapter 143 ¨C Marquis Laksir (1) ¡°How much do you know about my teacher?¡± Ne asked. ¡°He founded an organization called the Poison Pce under the Emperor, and worked there for ten years. However, all of that was an effort to help the Great Hero¡¯s daughter escape.¡± I ryed what I had heard from Narakas. At the same time, Ne silently nodded. ¡°You know about the past. But the important part is what happened afterward.¡± ¡°Where is he now?¡± ¡°Before talking about his whereabouts¡­¡­¡± Ne adjusted her sses that had slipped down her nose. ¡°Give it to me, too.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Trust.¡± Since she hadpleted May¡¯s cure as promised, she was asking for me to trust her in the same way. ¡°I need to know if you¡¯re truly capable of handling the truth, and whether you can truly be called the Great Hero¡¯s disciple.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t hurt to listen.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a simple request. Just catch one person.¡± At the same time, my body stiffened slightly. Even Narakas, who had been listening nearby, raised his eyebrows. It was such an unexpected request. ¡°Catch someone? Who?¡± ¡°That person is a poison master and pharmacist who once worked with my teacher at the Poison Pce. I also heard that he¡¯s currently in the capital of the Hart Kingdom.¡± From there, Ne¡¯s story continued for a while. The Poison Pce had many employees. As an organization under the direct control of the royal pce, its scale needed no further exnation. However, one of them had stolen a valuable medicinal ingredient. It was essentially embezzlement. ¡°That person had skills and a good reputation around him. He was even quite favored by my teacher. Until hemitted that damned crime¡­¡­¡± ¡°It must have caused an uproar in the pce.¡± Ne nodded with a stern face.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°It was more than just an uproar. My teacher had a particrly hard time.¡± He was the head of the Poison Pce. As such, he was responsible for anything that happened within the organization. Because he was in charge of managing who had ess to the medicinal storage. ¡°I see that antisocial poison master, who¡¯s always had no eye for people, was put in a position beyond his ability.¡± ¡°Exactly! My teacher was someone that got ripped off routinely. If it weren¡¯t for the Great Hero¡¯s daughter, he wouldn¡¯t have even been given that position¡­¡­¡± Ne trailed off. And as if sensing something strange, she tilted her head repeatedly. ¡°¡­¡­Wait a minute. But you speak as if you know the Master very well?¡± I immediately changed the subject. ¡°So? What happened after that?¡± At the same time, Ne¡¯s face grew grim. ¡°Honestly, it would have been better if he had stolen an expensive but abundant medicinal ingredient, but he chose the rarest one to escape with. A treasure with only three roots left.¡± ¡°Of course. The rarer something is, the more expensive it is. After all, that¡¯s thew of supply and demand, isn¡¯t it?¡± If you¡¯re going to embezzle, it¡¯s best to take the most expensive one. After all, you¡¯ll be a criminal after that either way. ¡°Because of that, someone who was suffering from a rare disease couldn¡¯t receive timely treatment. As you know, poison and medicine are two sides of the same coin.¡± ¡°So, who is that person?¡± ¡°They¡¯re like a second parent to me.¡± Ne answered without hesitation. She was an orphan. If someone like her called them ¡®parents¡¯¡­¡­ ¡°Your guess is correct. My teacher was the one who couldn¡¯t receive treatment.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you find it odd? Why I knew so well how to treat Lady May, and why I could make the medicine so quickly.¡± The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fall into ce. ¡°For a long time, we had been researching to cure my teacher¡¯s ¡®dwarfism¡¯. The research was in its final stages.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡± ¡°There was no time. Just like Lady May, my teacher¡¯s health was slowly deteriorating.¡± Suddenly, a thought shed in my mind like a lightning bolt. ¡°Could that ingredient be¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the Pane you brought this time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Having obtained it myself, I understood. Considering the difficulty, there must have been significant issues with supply even back then. ¡°Even the royal pce couldn¡¯t be told about the embezzlement. As I said, everything that happened in the Poison Pce was my teacher¡¯s responsibility. They covered it up by saying it was just a new poison experiment gone wrong.¡± ¡°Did they get away with it?¡± ¡°No. Somehow, the Emperor, that bastard, found out about everything, and he was even harsher in his punishment. He even gave my teacher an unbearable insult.¡± ¡°What kind of insult?¡± ¡°He called him a fool who couldn¡¯t even manage his subordinates in front of the nobles¡­¡­ It was a total disgrace.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Remembering that, Ne¡¯s face turned bright red with fury. ¡°If it¡¯s not going well, you can just kill him. He¡¯s worthless anyway.¡± ¡°Alright. That¡¯s enough.¡± I nodded. ¡°Describe his appearance in detail. I¡¯ll decide whether to kill him or not after I catch him.¡± It was after Ne hadpletely left the mansion. ¡°You heard everything, right?¡± I asked, and Narakas shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I knew you¡¯d ask, so I already had the kids investigate.¡± At that, a satisfied smile appeared on my lips. ¡°This is why it¡¯s convenient to have smart friends around.¡± ¡°Friend¡­¡­¡± Narakas, who had been muttering my words for a moment, suddenly let out a softugh. ¡°I didn¡¯t know ¡®friend¡¯ could be such a pleasant word.¡± ¡°If you think so, I¡¯m grateful.¡± ¡°By the way, what will you do if the person you¡¯re looking for is already affiliated with a certain family?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡­¡± I momentarily ced my hand on my chin, lost in thought. This was a problem I hadn¡¯t considered yet. ¡°A skilled poison master is valuable in and of itself. Especially if they have such extensive knowledge from working in the Imperial Pce, all the influential figures would definitely covet them.¡± ¡°Before that, I have a question.¡± ¡°A question?¡± ¡°Why did the Emperor leave such a person alone?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Only then did Narakas¡¯ eyes widen. From Ne¡¯s story, it was clear the Emperor knew about the embezzlement. ¡°Are you saying that the criminal who stole from the Imperial Pce was just left alone and not arrested?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Are you suspecting that the Emperor intentionally set up this situation?¡± That¡¯s exactly what I was thinking. If Raven wasn¡¯t a traitor, but just a temporary business partner, he would have been an eyesore to the Emperor anyway. ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll find out once we catch him and interrogate him, right? Your way, of course.¡± I immediately nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s affiliated with a family, that family probably worked hard to cover up his past and give him a new identity.¡± This sounded very familiar. ¡°¡­¡­Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Naturally, I turned my gaze to Erina, the lunatic, who frowned at me. At the same time, I shrugged my shoulders and looked back at Narakas. ¡°So, do you think you can find him?¡± Narakas shed a sly smile. ¡°You¡¯re in luck. You¡¯ve got Narakas, the best in this field, as your friend.¡± A smile of appreciation spread across my face. ¡°What a reliable friend I have.¡± *** After finishing everything I needed to do, I headed straight to the heart of the city I was going to meet with the kids. At the same time, the conversation I had earlier with Jan came to mind. ¡°I¡¯m going to check around the heart of the city, with some others.¡± ¡°Are you nning to stay at an inn? It¡¯d be better to stay here.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a ce to stay, we also have the mansion of Count Arsene. More importantly, even though he¡¯s your friend, Marquis Milon is still a difficult person for us.¡± ¡°So, what are you going to do there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of picking people out.¡± ¡°People¡­¡­?¡± Jan silently nodded in response to my question. ¡°Even with the watchtowers we¡¯re building in the North, we can¡¯t cover the vastnd with just Verdant Vale. Eventually, the knights from the Duke of Herman¡¯s family will have to return to their own family.¡± The unexpected voice continued. ¡°As your territory develops, you¡¯re going to need a lot of people. So, I¡¯m going ahead to pick them out.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry too much. I don¡¯t overly trust my own judgment either. Fortunately, the talent manager from the main house has been sent. We¡¯re just helping out. The final decision will be yours, since it¡¯s your territory.¡± I didn¡¯t notice at first, but the more I interacted with him, the more I realized how capable he was. ¡®He¡¯s already fit to lead a family, isn¡¯t he?¡¯ I looked at Jan with a feeling of admiration. ¡°When did you think of all this?¡± ¡°I have to repay my debt.¡± ¡°Oh~ A debt.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Jan quickly walked away after letting out a small chuckle, as if he was embarrassed by his own words. That was what he had said. However, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Back in the present, the scene in front of my eyes was unexpected. ¡°Who said you could do business here?¡± ¡°Business? Is gathering people considered business?¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely business. People business.¡± Some familiar faces, Jan included, were surrounded by a group of people. ¡°And there¡¯s a thing called business ethics. This is our area for recruiting talent.¡± ¡°¡­¡­We¡¯re just paying the proper fee to the pce and posting an advertisement on the city board.¡± ¡°Really? Then you should pay us too.¡± They were clearly picking a fight. ¡°By the way, the fee is 100,000 gold.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Laughter erupted from all directions. It meant they were all in on it. Because it was such an unreasonable fee. ¡°If you don¡¯t have the money, you beggars better get out of here. This isn¡¯t a ce for some baron¡¯s family to walk around.¡± Narakas, who had been watching this from the side, quietly whispered to me. ¡°They¡¯re the knights from the Laksir March.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Their toxicity didn¡¯t end there. On the other side. [Laksir March, Recruiting Talent] They were proudly pinning a message of their own, as if out of ridicule. I couldn¡¯t help but think that they didn¡¯t really need to go this far. Objectively, we were a newly titled baron family. And our future domain was the notorious ck Swan, known as thend of death. This was a fight already in their favor, but resorting to such disgraceful acts was¡­¡­ ¡°They¡¯re openly trying to provoke me.¡± At that moment. ¡°Lord Narakas.¡± A masked figure, who had appeared out of nowhere, quietly whispered to Narakas. At the same time, his eyes lit up. ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s him.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The one with the green hair, putting up the post. He¡¯s the one who embezzled from the Poison Pce.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A slight smile appeared on my lips. Was this what they called ¡®killing two birds with one stone¡¯? ¡°So¡­¡­ Those bastards are begging me to kill them, right?¡± Without another word, I took a confident step forward. ¡°Good, they¡¯ve saved me the trouble of finding him.¡± * * * Chapter 144 Chapter 144 ¨C Marquis Laksir (2) Marquis Laksir hired people to gather information about his target. ¡°Hiring workers in the heart of the capital under the name of Baron Ancelot?¡± ¡°Yes. However, the individual in question has yet to leave Marquis Milon¡¯s residence.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Marquis Laksir stroked his mustache briefly before gazing out the window. ¡°Well then, we¡¯ll just have to make hime out on his own.¡± He muttered as if talking to himself. ¡°What action should we take?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t our march happen to need people as well?¡± The knight under hismand bowed quietly. He knew the drill. Marquis Laksir had a preference for speaking indirectly. ¡°I¡¯ll personally take a squad of ten knights to the center of the capital and ask around.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll do it yourself?¡± ¡°Pardon my boldness, but I believe that without practice, I won¡¯t improve my judgment of people.¡± ¡°An undeniable point. Very well, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± ¡°You can count on me.¡± Marquis Laksir nodded. ¡°Should, by any chance, disputes arise with others, don¡¯t press too hard. I¡¯ll be heading out shortly as well.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± After a short bow, the knight exited swiftly. ¡®ck Swan has been mine, from the very beginning.¡¯ Marquis Laksir¡¯s n had already taken shape in his mind. He had found a simple way to snatch ck Swan. *** Ancelot strode forward briskly. ¡°Wait!¡± Narakas quickly blocked his path. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Wh-What are you nning to do?¡± ¡°What do you think? They¡¯re practically begging to be killed, so I¡¯ll give them what they want.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Narakas¡¯s face turned pale. By now, he was familiar enough with his temper. ¡°Th-This is the capital of the kingdom.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Ancelot tilted his head, puzzled. ¡°So?¡± ¡°The king is practically next door.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Hey, you bastard! Are you seriously thinking of causing trouble in a ce like that?¡± Ancelot¡¯s head tilted further in defiance. ¡°Bastard?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Narakas stiffened for a moment, then hurriedly continued in protest. ¡°I-I get it, I do. But don¡¯t forget the bigger picture. The ck Swan should be your top priority right now. We need chefs, farmers, and even essential personnel for security. There are so many people we need. If word spreads that the lord is a reckless fool, who would go through the trouble ofing all the way out here?¡± After listening silently, Ancelot finally asked back. ¡°Let me ask you one thing. Forget the residents of the territory for a moment. As a knight, would you want to serve a master younger and weaker than you? Someone who isn¡¯t part of your family¡¯s long-standing duty but aplete stranger?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Narakas¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Right, you¡¯re not a knight. Then let me phrase it differently.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Would you trust a leader who just stands by idly while their subordinates get beaten up somewhere?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Step, step, step. Ancelot brushed past Narakas. ¡°Humans, you see, always want to follow someone stronger and more charismatic than themselves. They long for a leader who will guide them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ha¡­¡­¡± Narakas closed his eyes tightly. ¡°Well, I tried.¡± And in his heart, he offered a silent prayer for the fools ahead. ¡°Hey, you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Ancelot came to a stop. He had already made his way to the center of themotion. Before the excitement could fully register on the children¡¯s faces, he spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t be childish. If you have a problem with our business, prove it with your skills.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Are you all bark, no bite? Come at me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Seeing Ancelot beckon with a flick of his hand, the knights of the Laksir March widened their eyes in surprise. The leader of the mission, Minae, narrowed his eyes at the peculiar sight. ¡°What¡¯s that crazy bitch babbling about?¡± ¡°Not a girl, a guy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a man?¡± ¡°And the leader of the people you¡¯re picking a fight with.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± While the knights exchanged puzzled looks, Minae pushed his way through and stepped forward. ¡°Baron Ancelot, correct?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± One by one, the knights¡¯ eyes widened in shock. ¡°Th-That reckless prince¡­¡­?¡± A hush fell over them as one knight jabbed hisrade in the side. As if not to call me a ¡®prince¡¯. ¡°Your beauty is just as the rumors say. So, you¡¯re Baron Ancelot.¡± ¡°And who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Baron Minae.¡± Of course, Ancelot wasn¡¯t interested in him. His gaze remained fixed on the green-haired figure beyond. The wrinkled old man watched intently, as if he¡¯d found an amusing spectacle. The problem. ¡®If things take a turn for the worse, he¡¯ll slip away without a second thought.¡¯ Looking into a person¡¯s past reveals much about their present and future. This man had stolen treasure and left his country without a shred of regret. You could say he was exceptional at crisis management¡ªor, less charitably, a cunning opportunist. ¡®So, I¡¯ll end this quickly and capture him.¡¯ As Ancelot cleared his thoughts, he smiled. ¡°You started this.¡± ¡°What nonsense is he muttering on his own¡ª¡± Bam! Baron Minae¡¯s words were cut short. Ancelot¡¯s figure disappeared in an instant. A gust of wind whooshed past. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± One of Minae¡¯s subordinates was suddenly mmed head first into the ground. ¡°Wh-What is this¡­¡­?¡± Before he could get the word ¡®speed¡¯ out, Ancelot had already closed in on the next target. ¡°Hah!¡± The second man gasped but was still better off than the first. He, at least, managed to ce his hand on his sword¡¯s hilt. But, Crack! That was it. Ancelot¡¯s foot struck the man¡¯s jaw with a fierce upward kick. Crunch! ¡°Ugh¡­¡­ His jaw¡¯spletely dislocated.¡± Harun, who had been holding back his anger, now looked at the scene with pity. Smash! Thud! The third man fell unconscious, struck square on the crown of his head with the t of Ancelot¡¯s de. He wasn¡¯t even given the opportunity to scream. Shiiing! The fourth and fifth men charged forward, swords drawn and confident. However, sh! sh! sh! ¡°H-Hiiieekk!¡± Their pants shredded into strips, leaving them scrambling to cover their exposed skin with their hands. And just then. ¡°Grab him!¡± Ancelot¡¯s booming voice echoed. His outstretched finger pointed precisely at the green-haired man attempting to sneak away. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Even the man himself froze in shock at being called out so directly. ¡°You there, old man. Don¡¯t you dare move an inch. I have business with you, too.¡± ¡°D-Damn it!¡± Of course, the old man wasn¡¯t the type to listen. Instead, he hastened his steps. But then, Whoosh! ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear him? He said to stay put.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The old man¡¯s retreat was cut short by the imposing presence of Jan, who now stood in his path. ¡°Y-You insolent brat! Move aside, now!¡± ¡°Old man, do you think your age is something to boast about?¡± The old man stiffened at the young boy¡¯s words. He definitely was a child. So how could the killing intent pouring from his one eye be so overwhelming? ¡®This kid¡­¡­ If he wanted to, he could kill a person without hesitation.¡¯ The old man had a gift. That gift was called ¡®survival instincts¡¯. And at this moment, the old man¡¯s survival instincts were screaming in rm. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Thest of Minae¡¯s men copsed, foaming at the mouth, leaving only Baron Minae himself standing. ¡°Jan! Keep an eye on him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Leave it to me.¡± The child named Jan nodded grimly. ¡°Wh-What do you want with me? I¡¯m Marquis Laksir¡¯s family!¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I-If you harm me, the marquis will make sure you don¡¯t leave unscathed¡­¡­¡± The old man¡¯s voice grew fainter as Jan¡¯s killing intent intensified. ¡°Good. Let the world know.¡± ¡°K-Know what¡­¡­?¡± ¡°What happens¡­¡­ When you mess with the Ancelot Barony.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The old man¡¯s eyes widened in terror. And then. ¡°Stop this at once, Baron Ancelot!¡± The old man heard a voice he couldn¡¯t have dreamed of hearing. ¡°M-My lord!¡± The old man¡¯s face lit up with relief at the familiar voice. Having made his way through the crowd, Marquis Laksir had appeared, and was quickly heading towards them. Behind him were several heavily armed knights. ¡®We picked out knights who were considered capable, even in the march, but¡­¡­¡¯ However, he couldn¡¯t believe it even after seeing it with his own eyes. He was a mere boy in his teens. However, even nine knights weren¡¯t able to lift a finger against that one child. This could mean only one thing: ¡®¡­¡­He¡¯s far stronger than the rumors suggest.¡¯ As someone who had raised the knights himself, the marquis knew. The knights of his family weren¡¯t weak. In other words, the opponent was just that strong inparison. ¡®Even so, nothing changes.¡¯ The overall framework of his n remained the same, although he needed to alter the details a little bit. ¡°There seemed to be a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°A misunderstanding?¡± ¡°I apologize for my subordinates¡¯ excessive zeal, Baron.¡± To everyone¡¯s astonishment, Marquis Laksir bowed respectfully to Ancelot. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The murmurs among the crowd reached a fever pitch. A marquis bowing to a baron was an unprecedented sight. But the real shock came next. ¡°I think my subordinates misunderstood my wishes. I ordered them to help your people in recruiting¡­¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Allow me to be direct. Baron Ancelot, won¡¯t you join my house as a vassal?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Gasps erupted all around. The high nobles all had their own vassal families. It wasn¡¯t anything special. Humans, since ancient times, have loved to band together and relished the idea of ruling over others. And so, groups, organizations, and nations were born. In the same vein, bing a vassal meant bing part of a noble¡¯s ¡®family¡¯. The lord cared for their vassals as though they were children, and in return, the vassals followed their lord as if they were parents. Of course, not just anyone could join their family. After all, these people believed that even humans had ¡®ranks¡¯. However. ¡®Trying to take credit for someone else¡¯s achievements, are you?¡¯ From Ancelot¡¯s perspective, there was no way he could view this kindly. Because he could clearly see what Marquis Laksir was after. ¡°All the necessary manpower will be supported by the Laksir March. Not only that, but money and daily necessities will be provided as well. Just so you know, the Laksir March has only six vassal families across this vast kingdom¡­¡­¡± Ancelot interrupted before he could finish.N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°Honestly, Marquis Foltaine, who suggested I be like his son, was a true gentleman. This? This bastard¡¯s just a thug pretending to be a noble.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For a moment, Marquis Laksir thought he¡¯d misheard. ¡°A¡­¡­ Thug? Bastard?¡± He was a man often referred to as a gentleman. Naturally, this was the first time in his life he¡¯d been called a thug. That aside, his opponent¡¯s intentions were made very clear. ¡°So¡­¡­ You¡¯re going to choose punishment?¡± At those words, Ancelot brushed his hair back and replied nonchntly. ¡°How could a tiger lower itself to serve under a mere dog?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± * * * Chapter 145 Chapter 145 ¨C Marquis Laksir (3) News of the conflict quickly reached the royal pce. ¡°Baron Ancelot did¡­¡­ What to the knights of the Laksir Marquisate?¡± ¡°He assaulted them, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­¡­ He beat them up?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± King Terry just barely suppressed hisughter. The capital was teeming with spies who served as his eyes and ears. This was thetest bit of news they had delivered. ¡°Moreover, the knights belong to the ck Mane Order, the most powerful military force under Marquis Laksir.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ahem.¡± King Terry masked his amusement with a forced cough, nodding repeatedly. ¡°Well, that¡¯s quite something.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At his reaction, Count Harbor, who was practically King Terry¡¯s right hand, gave a bitter smile. ¡°Your Majesty. I apologize for being presumptuous, but this is not a moment for mere admiration.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you intervene immediately? If a mere baron has insulted Marquis Laksir¡¯s pride¡­¡­ This could escte into a territorial war.¡± At the mention of a ¡®territorial war,¡¯ King Terry was struck by a memory. Simultaneously, a smile reappeared on his face. ¡°Who knows? Perhaps, like with Marquis Foltaine, this might be an opportunity to bring Marquis Laksir fully onto my side.¡± The possibility was real. Even Duke Serin and Duke Herman were now backing that child. However, Count Harbor, a fellow noble, had a different view. ¡°I believe the chances of that happening are close to zero.¡± His voice was resolute. King Terry narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why do you think so, Count?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s a clear differencepared to the previous case.¡± ¡°A difference?¡± ¡°Duke Serin, Duke Herman, and even Marquis Foltaine¡ªwhatever their true intentions may be, they share amon ground. They¡¯ve all belonged to the same ¡®noble faction¡¯ for a very long time.¡± The Kingdom of Hart had long been divided into two factions vying for power¡ªthe royal faction and the noble faction. It wasn¡¯t just this country. Factions existed everywhere, in every nation or organization. ¡°Do you not see the significance of this?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I understand your point, Count.¡± These factions were so sharply opposed that even minor policies became battlegrounds. Once part of a faction, it was considered unwise to express dissenting views. Doing so risked beingbeled a traitor or infiltrator, leading to swift ostracism. In the same way, opinions on the ¡®treatment of the Seventh Prince of the Meeke Principality¡¯ sharply divided the two factions. The royalist leader, Duke Kairos, argued for Ancelot¡¯s return to his nation, while the noble faction were adamant about protecting him. ¡°Yes, unlike them, Marquis Laksir has historically been a royalist.¡± ¡°Hmph. Spare me the term ¡®royalist¡¯. I¡¯ve never liked it.¡± King Terry scoffed, prompting another bitter smile from Count Harbor. ¡°To put it simply¡­¡­ They¡¯ve walked entirely different paths from the start. Water and oil do not mix.¡± King Terry sighed deeply. He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but he couldn¡¯t deny the truth. Even if this kingdom were to fall, the wretched factionalism would likely persist to the bitter end. North and south, east and west¡ªdivided and subdivided further into pro-duke and anti-duke cliques. Such was the history of humanity. However, even so. ¡°What if¡­¡­ by some miracle, Baron Ancelot managed to unify the factions? What would happen then?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Count Harbor stiffened, his bitter smile deepening. ¡°If that were to happen, the Hart Kingdom would experience an unprecedented golden age.¡± ¡°In that case¡­¡­ Could I hope for a destiny different from that of my predecessor?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a moment of gazing at the throne, Count Harbor bowed his head. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Even if the odds were nonexistent, it was not his ce as a subject to crush his king¡¯s small hope. Bang! King Terry suddenly shot from his seat. It was as if he had resolved a long-standing dilemma. ¡°Leave the central district alone for now. If Baron Ancelot shows me even a glimmer of that possibility¡­¡­¡± Then, King Terry dered. ¡°I will risk everything and give him my full support. No matter what anyone says!¡± Naturally so. For this was tied to King Terry¡¯s very future. ¡°As youmand, Your Majesty.¡± The provocation due to being called a ¡®son of a bitch¡¯ was undeniably effective. Booom! At once, the knights loyal to Marquis Laksir released their killing intent. ¡°How dare you!¡± Their anger was understandable¡ªtheir lord had been insulted. ¡°Baron! Have youpletely lost your mind?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard tales of your reputation, but you¡¯re nothing more than an arrogant brat!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t expect mercy from my de today! Treason demands immediate punishment. Even if I face consequencester, I¡¯ll cut off your head for the Marquis and hang it outside the city gates!¡± Amidst the murderous shouts echoing from all directions, someone muttered quietly. ¡®This is driving me crazy.¡¯ The only person cloaked in a robe within the group, Winley, grimaced in frustration. She had been watching the entire situation unfold from the beginning. Of course, her face had been concealed under the hood for anonymity. However, this time, she could no longer stand idly by. ¡°Enough¡­¡­!¡± Just as she was about to throw off her robe and step forward. ¡°Unbelievable.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± She flinched. Someone else from beside her had stepped out before she could intervene. ¡°Harun¡­¡­?¡± The one who intervened was entirely unexpected, even to her. ¡°Your shamelessness knows no bounds. Don¡¯t you think this is going too far?¡± Harun had shown remarkable restraint up until now, given his personality. ¡°Interrupting someone else¡¯s family event on purpose and then demanding they be your subordinate? What kind of gentleman threatens another to submit after resorting to violence first?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The knights of Marquis Laksir, already red with humiliation, grew even more rigid in their expressions. ¡°Plus, isn¡¯t this embarrassing? Adults bothering children and making a sh¡ª¡± Harun, who was about to say, ¡®shit show,¡¯ instead caught his breath as if reconsidering his words. ¡°¡­¡­Scene.¡± Even though his words were restrained, the venom in them was unmistakable. ¡°That insolent brat¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Marquis Laksir raised a hand, halting his knights, who were ready to charge. ¡°My lord¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Laksir¡¯s gaze was fixated on one spot. ¡®Her Highness?¡¯ It was directed at the robed figure, Winley. Even in the brief moment when her face was visible under the robe, he recognized her. ¡®Though I heard she was traveling with the prince as his fianc¨¦¡­¡­¡¯ Marquis Laksir¡¯s expression gradually darkened. Given her status, he had assumed she would be staying safely in the royal pce upon returning to the capital. Yet here she was, wandering the streets¡ªsomething utterly inappropriate for someone of her standing. To make matters worse. ¡®And those children are supposed to be from the Count Arsene¡¯s household.¡¯ Though technically a county, the Arsene family wielded enough power to ascend to a marquisate at any time. It meant that the members of the county were no ordinary individuals. After all, who could have imagined the prince of the Meeke Principality would end up getting sold into very in this kingdom? ¡®¡­¡­Perhaps this child, too, has powerful backing.¡¯ He decided it would be wise to confirm first. ¡°Child, who are you?¡± ¡°My name is Harun.¡± ¡°And yourst name?¡± Out of pride, he avoided asking outright about the boy¡¯s family. ¡®The surname alone should give me an idea of his background.¡¯ But the response waspletely unexpected. ¡°Harun is the only name I¡¯ve had.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Harun replied as if this question was one he¡¯d heard countless times. Marquis Laksir frowned. ¡°No, your surname. The family name thates after your given name.¡± ¡°Surname? I don¡¯t have one.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± ¡°In the first ce, I¡¯ve barely even been called Harun. The nobles prefer to refer to us by numbers.¡± ¡°Numbers¡­¡­?¡± Harun nodded. ¡°Like ¡®ten from this house¡¯, or ¡®twenty from that one¡¯. Something along those lines.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you¡­¡­¡± Before he could continue, Ancelot stepped in when he felt he needed to. ¡°Harun is the child of a serf.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A serf. A person tied to thend, considered property of the nobility. In simpler terms¡­¡­ A ve. Crack. For the first time, a vein visibly bulged on Marquis Laksir¡¯s forehead. ¡°¡­¡­Haa¡­¡­¡± Yet, surprisingly, he took a deep breath and suppressed his anger. ¡®Oho?¡¯ Watching this, Ancelot couldn¡¯t help but let out an amused chuckle. ¡°¡­¡­If I stay here any longer, I may lose myposure. We¡¯ll discuss any misunderstandingster.¡± ¡°Leaving already?¡± Marquis Laksir nced to one side. From afar, Marquis Foltaine was approaching. Since he had only intended to exchange greetings today, a direct confrontation was best avoided. ¡°We¡¯ll meet again¡­¡­ Next time.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Marquis Laksir gave one look at Ancelot, who hadn¡¯t bothered to return a proper farewell, and left with gritted teeth, knights in tow. ¡°Wait. What about that poison master? Are we really letting him go like that?¡± Narakas finally spoke up. Jan also turned to Ancelot with a questioning look. ¡°Just let him go.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jan stepped back without further argument. ¡°Damn it!¡± Only then did the old man quickly follow behind Marquis Laksir. ¡°That was unexpected. I thought you¡¯d grab him immediately¡­¡­¡± ¡°If I had, there would¡¯ve been bloodshed here and now.¡± There was no need to corner a wounded beast. Besides, Ancelot had every intention of visiting Marquis Laksir¡¯s estate before the day was over. ¡°¡­¡­Still, I¡¯m d you¡¯ve shown somemon sense for once.¡± Narakas heaved a long sigh of relief. ¡°Is he alright?¡± Marquis Foltaine had reached them by now. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking about you, but about him.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Hearing this, Narakas couldn¡¯t help but chuckle dryly. ¡°I heard what happened on my way here. You¡¯ve done well to hold yourself back.¡± ¡°Hold back? Come on, now. You know that¡¯s not like me.¡± Ancelot waved his hand dismissively, causing both Narakas and Marquis Foltaine to tilt their heads in confusion. ¡°What are you nning?¡± ¡°They gave me a hint.¡± While he couldn¡¯t be sure of Marquis Laksir¡¯s thoughts, his motives were easy to deduce. ¡®ck Swan.¡¯ It was clear that he had his eyes on that piece ofnd. That¡¯s why he¡¯d spouted nonsense about vassals. Because he thought that anything belonging to his vassals was as good as his own. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s an appealing idea?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Hearing Ancelot¡¯s n, Narakas¡¯s eyes widened. Marquis Foltaine was equally taken aback. ¡°So, you mean to¡­¡­ Bring him to your side, too?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Without answering, Ancelot simply watched the departing figure of Marquis Laksir. Whether they would ally or sh depended entirely on Marquis Laksir himself. ¡®Marquis Laksir, what kind of person are you?¡¯ A tiger cannot bow beneath a dog. However, the reverse is always possible as long as the dog isn¡¯t a rabid one. * * * Chapter 146 Chapter 146 ¨C Marquis Laksir (4) Upon my return to Milon¡¯s mansion, ¡°You met him but came back empty-handed!?¡± Ne let out a sharp shout the moment she heard what transpired. ¡°Just why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I could threaten him in broad daylight and have him hand the person over.¡± ¡°Where is he? Where is that guy now!?¡± ¡°Why? Are you going to go after him yourself?¡± ¡°Of course! Ugh, I didn¡¯t think you were this soft¡­¡­!¡± Ne shot a resentful re in my direction. ¡°I should just go and kidnap him myself¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why are you so impatient all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Impatient? How could I not be!? What if the Marquis hides him away or he escapes!?¡± Without the slightest hesitation, I shook my head. ¡°That won¡¯t happen. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ne¡¯s expression immediately twisted into a frown. ¡°You¡¯re certain? Based on what?¡± ¡°Because now even Marquis Laksir knows that I¡¯m targeting that old man.¡± ¡°What does that even mean?¡± ¡°Think about it from the Marquis¡¯ perspective.¡± I calmly continued exining. ¡°He wants something from me. He¡¯s particrly curious about what I saw in ck Swan and how things are operating internally there.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°However, he knows I wouldn¡¯t share that information willingly, right? That¡¯s why he probably spouted nonsense about making me his vassal or whatever.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At some point, Ne had started paying full attention to my words. ¡°He¡¯s probably been thinking hard about it¡ªwhat he needs to offer to make me agree, or at least to get me to the negotiating table. But then, surprise! He suddenly found out what I wanted.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°In that situation, if you were the Marquis, would you just let that old man run away?¡± Ne¡¯s eyes widened gradually. ¡°Of course not, right?¡± ¡°You¡­¡­ Did you even anticipate this?¡± I nodded silently. ¡°Knowing what the opponent wants and folding immediately is the act of a fool, especially for a seasoned high noble like the Marquis. He¡¯s more likely to use that guy as a pawn to increase his chances of victory.¡± Above all, this assumption solidified into certainty after I learned about Marquis Laksir¡¯s hobbies. ¡°Do you know how to fish?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What? Why bring up fishing all of a sudden?¡± Ne¡¯s aggressive energy faltered slightly, and she frowned again. ¡°Marquis Laksir is fishing right now.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The moment he realized what I wanted, he retreated without hesitation despite his pride taking a hit.¡± All of the Marquis¡¯ knights had been thoroughly beaten by me. Moreover, there were plenty of onlookers. ¡°In other words, he decided the bait was set well enough.¡± ¡°So¡­¡­ you¡¯re saying Marquis Laksir is fishing for you right now?¡± I nodded again. ¡°If you pull the line too quickly when you get a bite, the fish might just escape.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve just exined it inly instead of using this fishing analogy.¡± ¡°Fishing is Marquis Laksir¡¯s hobby.¡± ¡°You even found out something trivial like that?¡± This wasn¡¯t trivial¡ªit was essential. Know your enemy and know yourself, and you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not your enemy, you¡¯ll win one and lose one. If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you¡¯ll be in danger in every battle. ¡°To devise an infallible strategy, you must know the person thoroughly.¡± With that in mind, it was time to go catch the fish. Before dusk, I visited Marquis Laksir¡¯s mansion alone. His residence was more beautiful than any I had ever seen. However, this didn¡¯t necessarily mean it was the most expensive. After all, the value of real estate depends on its location. By the same logic, houses closer to the royal pce are more expensive. Marquis Laksir¡¯s mansion, however, was quite far from the pce. ¡°Ho¡­¡­¡± In front of the mansion was the Rubiton River, which flowed through the capital. Marquis Laksir was waiting for me by the river, seated alone with a fishing rod cast into the water. ¡°My hobby.¡± At his nce, the escorting knights promptly withdrew. However, they didn¡¯t forget to cast hostile nces my way as they left. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe alone after causing such amotion. You must have nerves of steel.¡± ¡°As you said, that was an ¡®ident¡¯. I have no reason to be afraid when I¡¯ve done nothing wrong.¡± At that, Marquis Laksir turned to look at me with a curious expression, as if he wanted to see what I would do next. ¡°You certainly live up to your reputation as a daring baron.¡± By ¡®daring¡¯, he clearly meant ¡®reckless fool¡¯. ¡°Since I¡¯ve mustered the courage, may I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°What dealings have you had with the Meeke Principality? I¡¯m referring to ck Swan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Cutting straight to the chase, are we?¡± Marquis Laksir asked, seemingly caught off guard. ¡°I had a feeling my assumptions weren¡¯t the whole story.¡± ¡°What assumptions?¡± ¡°A truce would have been a rational decision for amander acting in his country¡¯s interest. Continued warfare would have required the involvement of Masters. Moreover, with a hydra in the north, you¡¯d have judged that conquering thatnd with just one Master would be impossible.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Marquis Laksir¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Did you encounter that creature?¡± His reaction confirmed that he was already aware of the hydra¡¯s existence. ¡°If two masters from the Hart Kingdom were deployed, the Meeke Principality would surely send two of their own. That would escte into a full-scale war. If the conflict spiraled out of control¡­¡­¡± My voice trailed off as my gaze darkened. ¡°¡­¡­The casualties on both sides would have been catastrophic, benefiting a third party instead.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± That ¡®third party¡¯ was, of course, the Empire. If the war continued, victory would have been likely. Objectively, the Hart Kingdom had the superior forces. But it would have been a pyrrhic victory. ¡°So, you decided on a truce and sowed discord among the other races to prepare for the future¡­¡­ That¡¯s my theory.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Laksir¡¯s face remained calm. But the slight tremble in his pupils betrayed him. He hadn¡¯t expected that I might have encountered the other races. ¡®From the dwarves¡¯ perspective, it¡¯s an unforgivable betrayal, but for the humanmanders, it was a highly rational decision.¡¯ Still, this approach required one critical condition. ¡®Having allied with the elves once, there was no guarantee they wouldn¡¯t do so again.¡¯ Relying on the truce alone and withdrawing left them vulnerable to betrayal. The elves might side with one kingdom and split ck Swan between them. Thus, the Hart Kingdom and the Meeke Principality needed a definitive token of trust. ¡°¡­¡­Impressive.¡± Marquis Laksir finally broke his silence. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. You exceed your reputation. However, I cannot answer your question. I swore to keep it confidential.¡± ¡°I understand. That¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now, anyway.¡± Yes. Everything so far had been a prelude to what I truly wanted to say. ¡°It seems you want to make a deal with me as well. Am I correct?¡± ¡°What makes you think that?¡± ¡°If not, there would be no reason for the honorable Marquis of Laksir to engage in such petty behavior.¡± At my words, Marquis Laksir chuckled bitterly. ¡°Was I that petty?¡± ¡°Beyond petty¡ªit was disgraceful. A seasoned noble sabotaging a new noble¡¯s attempt to recruit people?¡± ¡°Despite such a vile act, you preserved my dignity.¡± ¡°Did it seem that way to you?¡± ¡°It did.¡± Marquis Laksir fixed his sharp gaze on me. ¡°With your temper, it wouldn¡¯t have been surprising if you had beheaded all my knights¡­¡­ Yet, you restrained yourself.¡± To be honest, yes, I restrained myself quite a bit. ¡°At first, I suspected you had the backing of the Meeke Principality.¡± ¡°The Meeke Principality? All of a sudden?¡± ¡°Why else would Marquis Foltaine, Duke Herman, or Duke Serin have any reason to support you?¡± Marquis Laksir¡¯s once-calm eyes now gleamed with intensity. ¡°But¡­¡­ Now, I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Should I take that as a good sign?¡± ¡°Of course. I find myself deeply intrigued by you and even desirous.¡± Whether he was bluffing or not, the mood had shifted for the better, making it easier to approach my main point. ¡°In that case, I¡¯d like it if you handed over just one person as a gift.¡± ¡°And in return, you¡¯ll be my vassal?¡± ¡°Are you married, my lord?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Marquis Laksir looked puzzled but soon nodded. ¡°At my age? Of course, I married long ago.¡± ¡°When courting your wife, you didn¡¯t propose on the first day with a gift, did you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Laksir fell silent, understanding my point. ¡°Treat me as you would a prospective partner. If I end up falling for you, who knows? I might seriously consider bing your vassal.¡± ¡°Hahaha, sounds like you¡¯re nning to take everything I have. That must be my imagination, right?¡± Marquis Laksir burst intoughter. ¡°Still, it¡¯s impossible. Managing the fish I¡¯ve already caught is just as important as pursuing the ones I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then, shall we make a bet?¡± ¡°A bet¡­¡­?¡± I stepped closer, stopping not far from Marquis Laksir. ¡°Lend me a spare fishing rod.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I challenged him in his strongest domain. ¡°If you lose, you¡¯ll grant my request.¡± ¡°So¡­¡­ You want to settle this with a fishing contest?¡± I nodded. ¡°You choose the rules, my lord. Should wepete to catch the first fish or thergest one?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Marquis Laksir¡¯s previously rigid lips curved into a smile. Then. ¡°Bwahahaha!¡± He erupted in the loudestughter I¡¯d heard from him. ¡°Unbelievable¡­¡­ To think someone would challenge me to a fishing contest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m confident.¡± ¡°I feel guilty about how unfair it feels. You set the terms. Largest fish or the most fish¡ªit¡¯s your call.¡± Marquis Laksir turned to look at me, and continued with a smile. ¡°Personally, thetter sounds more enjoyable. I¡¯d like to talk with you a bit longer.¡± We¡¯ll see about that. ¡°Sounds good. Then let¡¯s go with the most fish caught.¡± ¡°You there! Bring my fishing rods immediately!¡± Marquis Laksir shouted, as if worried that I might change my mind. ¡°Oh, by the way. What¡¯s at stake? If I lose, I¡¯ll hand over Abidal, that old man, as you asked¡­¡­ But if I win, what do I get? Will you skip the dating phase and ept my proposal outright?¡± ¡°No.¡± I offered him the best gift I could. ¡°At the very least, I¡¯ll let you live.¡± * * * Chapter 147 Chapter 147 ¨C Marquis Laksir (5) ¡°¡­¡­¡± A chilly silence descended. ¡°You¡¯ll let me live, you say?¡± ¡°Where have I heard that before?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I heard you said something simr to the elves. ¡®Attack the dwarves, and at the very least, I¡¯ll let you live.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Marquis Laksir, who had been ring at me for a long time, soon burst intoughter. ¡°Well¡­¡­ Am I talking to a human noble, or the representative of another race? It¡¯s bing hard to tell.¡± Still, he seemed to have enough pride to feel embarrassed, befitting a self-proimed gentleman. ¡°Do you fish?¡± ¡°Somewhat.¡± I had spent my entire life on the battlefield. Sometimes, I ate fruits from nearby mountains, or I hunted wild boars. Of course, if there was a river, I would fish and grill whatever I caught. At times, food was scarce, and I had to survive in isted regions by being self-sufficient. However, ¡®There was someone I truly wanted to fish with.¡¯ I once dreamed of such a thing. After the war ended, I would grab a fishing rod and take off with Andy. Leaving behind a nagging wife, I wanted to take a trip with my son. Just the two of us. But now, that dream was unattainable. ¡°When you fish, you must first empty your mind. They often say you¡¯re not catching fish but time itself, don¡¯t they?¡± Whirrr! The contest had already begun. As we continued our conversation, Marquis Laksir kept pulling in fish. It hadn¡¯t been long, yet he had already caught about ten fish. ¡°Youngsters often yank the line the moment they feel a bite. It¡¯s all because of impatience. Due to this, the fish which merely nibble below the surface scatter immediately.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same in life. Impatience always ruins things. There¡¯s ack of caution in everything, just like you now. Ah! Don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m merely talking about fishing.¡± His words, akin to lecturing me, continued without pause. While he teased me, he kept pulling up fish with ease. I couldn¡¯t help but admire his skill. ¡®The continent¡¯s greatest angler, they say. He certainly lives up to the title.¡¯ No wonder he so readily epted my challenge. Marquis Laksir showed no signs of holding back. The gap between us only widened with time. By the time he had caught thirty fish, I had barely managed to catch ten. ¡°Indeed. One cannot beat a person who enjoys something to the point of obsession.¡± Shaking my head, I finally raised both hands in surrender. ¡°Hahaha, giving up already? Keep going. I¡¯d like to chat with you for as long as possible.¡± What he meant, of course, was that he wanted to keep teasing me. ¡°Well, I feel the same.¡± ¡°Or would you like me to teach you a thing or two?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll teach you something, instead.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Before Marquis Laksir could voice his confusion, I slowly approached the riverbank. Then, I gently ced my palm on the surface of the water. Hummm! A deep, resonating hum filled the air. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Startled by the sudden surge of mana, the hidden bodyguards appeared. They had concealed themselves well. At least thirty of them were surrounding me now. Shiiing! Shiiing! They drew their swords and pointed them at me. However, I didn¡¯t stop. ¡®It doesn¡¯t need to be strong. Just spread the waves as widely as possible.¡¯ Hum! Hummm! The mana flowing from my hand spread over the river, rippling farther and farther. Then, all at once. Saash! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A loud explosion erupted, and water sprayed everywhere. Shhhhhh! Amidst the cascading water, Marquis Laksir sprang to his feet. Dozens of fish, belly-up, floated to the surface of the river. Their number easily reached hundreds. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡± ¡°This is how I usually fish.¡± This wasn¡¯t a lie, but the truth. In the midst of war, who had the leisure to fish patiently? With an enemy attack possible at any moment, I had to devise ways to feed many people quickly. This was the result borne out of such a situation. ¡°Are you joking?¡± ¡°Surely, you¡¯re not going to call this cheating? There weren¡¯t any restrictions on methods, as far as I recall.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t fishing! It¡¯s simply chaos!¡± ¡°Well said.¡± I nodded calmly. ¡°Nor was what you did at ck Swan. It wasn¡¯t war, it was chaos. Petty destruction because you didn¡¯t want others to have what you couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For the first time, Marquis Laksir¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That wasn¡¯t gentlemanly behavior. It was unworthy of your reputation, Marquis.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And¡­¡­ How about we all lower our swords now?¡± Still, the des pointed at me didn¡¯t waver. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll warn you once. Twice won¡¯t end with words.¡± ¡°Baron!¡± Marquis Laksir shouted, his face red. ¡°I can¡¯t understand you! Aren¡¯t you human? Why side with other races?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. I dream of being the first human lord to coexist with other races.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Marquis Laksir¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°Madness¡­¡­ Do you really think that¡¯s possible? You clearly don¡¯t understand the depths of their hatred for humans.¡± ¡°That hatred was created by humans.¡± ¡°To be exact, it was created by our ancestors!¡± ¡°If our ancestorsmitted wrongs, it is our duty as the descendants to make amends.¡± ¡°I see you¡¯re an idealist, Baron.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather be an idealist than a brute who swings first and thinkster.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a long pause, Marquis Laksir finally gave an order. ¡°Lower your swords.¡± Clink, clink. The des surrounding me were sheathed. ¡°Will you ept the oue of our wager?¡± Without a word, Marquis Laksir clenched his teeth. ¡°¡­¡­¡± From the shadows, a pair of eyes quietly observed the entire scene. When passing by the main gate of Marquis Raksir¡¯s estate, ¡°Huh?¡± I stopped. ¡°Have you been waiting for me this whole time?¡± Amidst the crowd of knights, there was a face I recognized all too well. ¡°I just happened to have business here.¡± Marquis Foltaine replied nonchntly. Judging from the expressions of the knights from the Laksir estate, it was easy to grasp the situation. Their expressions were the definition of sheer misery. ¡°You didn¡¯t threaten them into opening the gate, did you?¡± ¡°Enough chatter, let¡¯s leave. These scoundrels have made this ce unbearable for an old man like me.¡± With that, we left the estate of Marquis Laksir. ¡°Did everything go well?¡± ¡°Yes. I won a wager.¡± ¡°A wager¡­¡­?¡± I exined the details of the event. As the story unfolded, Marquis Foltaine¡¯s expression became more puzzled. ¡°You used a trick like that, and he still epted the oue?¡± ¡°If he didn¡¯t, it would¡¯ve been the same as admitting that his own tactics at the ck Swan were just as underhanded.¡± ¡°Oho?¡± Marquis Foltaine let out a small chuckle. ¡°Heheheh. You¡¯ve got a good grasp of how much noble pride is worth.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t even seem to realize it was a trick. Isn¡¯t it amon delusion among us humans? ¡®If I do it, it¡¯s romance. If you do it, it¡¯s adultery.¡¯¡± ¡°For someone as prideful as Marquis Laksir, it must¡¯ve been quite the eye-opener.¡± ¡°Are you close with him?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve never been fond of hypocrites like him. Our paths diverged a long time ago.¡± Come to think of it, Marquis Laksir had long been a part of the royal faction, unlike Marquis Foltaine. In any case, Marquis Foltaine¡¯s straightforwardness was refreshing. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m curious to see how he responds. What if he doesn¡¯t hand over Abidal?¡± ¡°I already warned him. If he keeps being uncooperative, I¡¯ll chop his head off.¡± ¡°Ahahahahaha!¡± Marquis Foltaine burst intoughter. ¡°A mere baron dared to speak to a marquis like that? I thought you went to negotiate, but you ended up causing chaos.¡± ¡°Well, at least one person¡­¡­ Or rather, one elf probably viewed my actions favorably.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Marquis Foltaine tilted his head, puzzled. I was particrly sensitive to energy. There was no way I hadn¡¯t noticed being observed. ¡®Even if she thought she was well-hidden.¡¯ Of course, I hadn¡¯t intended to be so conspicuous, but some unintended consequences can be beneficial. ¡°Since I¡¯ve shown my sincerity, I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t cause much trouble.¡± *** Meanwhile, at the royal pce¡¯s training grounds. Under the bright moonlight, Drip, drip, drip. Sweating from her rigorous training, Winley tilted her head. ¡°Where have you been?¡± She noticed the dark-haired beauty approaching from afar. ¡°A walk.¡± Erina, the red-eyed elf, replied curtly. Of course, entry into the royal pce required strict identity verification. However, Erina had almost unrestricted ess to all areas, except for the main royal quarters. ¡®Eri, the youngest child of the Karot Barony.¡¯ That was Erina¡¯s new identity. The Mask of Night had yed a major role in creating this. The organization covered a wide range of operations. They were mainly known for dealing with information. As such, manipting information was another one of their specialties. To them, creating a new identity was child¡¯s y. ¡®But¡­¡­ Creating one capable of deceiving even the royal household must¡¯ve been quite a feat.¡¯ Winley had been genuinely impressed. To move freely without suspicion in the pce required at least the status of a noble family member. The Mask of Night had spent an unbelievable fortune embedding operatives within noble families across the continent. Some were there from birth, while the others were bribed muchter. Thanks to that, Winley was able to understand why the Mask of Night was known as the continent¡¯s greatest information organization. ¡°By the way, you¡¯ll have to prove yourself to be my bodyguard. I can¡¯t just appoint someone on my own. You¡¯ll need approval from the Guard Pce as well¡­¡­¡± Trailing off, Winley smiled bitterly. Thinking about it, was there a need to worry? The person before her had bested two Masters from her own homnd. Her concern wasn¡¯t about Erina¡¯s skills, but the potential for her to go overboard and cause unintentional issues. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Alright, Erina¡­¡­ Or rather, Eri. I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°If we¡¯re going to pull this off, we should do it right.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After observing Winley for a moment, Erina nodded. ¡°I have a personal question.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Erina had always spoken only when necessary, as if it was her nature. Asking something personal was unheard of, until now. ¡°Ask me anything!¡± Winley eagerly jumped down from the training tform. However, ¡°What kind of person is Ancelot?¡± The question waspletely unexpected. ¡°¡­¡­Huh? Why the sudden curiosity?¡± And yet, the real shock was yet toe. ¡°I¡¯ve be interested in him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Winley¡¯s pupils quivered violently. ¡°I-Interested?¡± *** The next day, at Milon¡¯s mansion, ¡°He¡¯ll reallye, right?¡± Ne red at me with narrow eyes. ¡°He¡¯lle. He¡¯s already been contacted.¡± ¡°And you think he¡¯ll just hand him over?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re about to find out. Look, here hees.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ne followed my finger and saw what I had spotted. Sure enough, leading the group was a green-haired figure bound in ropes. Having said that, there was a slight issue. ¡°¡­¡­Are you sure this was peacefully resolved? From what I¡¯m seeing, it looks like they¡¯re challenging us.¡± Following the group, over five hundred heavily armed knights marched towards us. * * * The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!