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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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“Die!!”
“Gah…”
“Model! Ah, no…!”
Screams and battle cries intertwined.
A soldier with bloodshot eyes swung not his sword, but his unpadded helmet, while another stabbed at a face with the pointed pommel of his sword.
This was only a fraction of the foul play occurring in the arena.
The mock battle had been forgotten, replaced by a blatant desire to kill.
“Fight back! Kill them all!!!”
The Royalist faction didn’t just take it. Returning a blow with two was the custom of this era.
The mock battle turned into a bloodbath. The ground, like a sponge, soaked up by blood, turning crimson.
“Kill them! Kill!”
“Revenge!!”
The buzz of excitement spread to the spectator stands. The crowd, packed against the railing, shouted and waved their fists.
Some people got so excited that they even started fighting with people who were supporting the other team.
Aaron’s face stiffened as he witnessed the descent into chaos.
“Why did you explain everything to me?”
His hand was already on the hilt of his sword.
As for my next opponent, he was worried that I’d shut him up. My silence only made him more obvious of his suspicions.
“Don’t tell me… you’re going to kill me to silence me?”
“Why would I kill my future brother-in-law?”
I said, my gaze still fixed on the chaotic match.
The snowball I had set in motion had grown too large for even me to stop. It would corner the King on its own. Now it was Count Dressten’s turn.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about! It’s true that your plan has worked so far, but if I tell the King and the nobles what I’ve heard, the tables will turn!”
“Who would believe a man who has a secret relationship with the King?”
Many had seen Aaron’s secret meeting with the King at the last banquet. He had been so loud and boorish that he had drawn a lot of attention.
He seemed to realize this and fell silent. Only then did I turn to face him.
“The Count asked me to kill you. Disguised as an accident in the mock battle.”
“Do you think I’ll fall for such a ridiculous attempt to sow discord?”
“You, of all people, know it’s not.”
Aaron’s expression, despite his words, didn’t show a hint of surprise.
The Count was a man who would use his own children as bargaining chips for the benefit of his family. And Aaron, his heir, had made a deal with his family’s rival, the King.
He must have anticipated some form of retribution, if not assassination.
“What do you want from me?”
“Why do you think so?”
“You said you wouldn’t kill me, and yet you continue to reveal the truth. There must be a reason.”
For a Margrave’s heir, Aaron wasn’t a complete fool.
“You want to be the Count, don’t you? I can help you.”
“You’ll help me? Why?”
“The proposal to assassinate you was also a trap to ensnare me. Wouldn’t you be outraged if you were in my position? We made a marriage alliance and I promised to join the expedition to the Northern Continent, and yet he tries to stab me in the back…”
“Then you can side with the King.”
In the close distant future, I would be serving under the King. But not now. First, I had to join the expedition to the Northern Continent and save the witch.
“That’s like fleeing from a tiger only to run into a bear’s den.”
That should be enough of an explanation. Aaron had been the bear’s paw that tried to strike my back.
“So you’ll help me?”
“Is there any other way to keep my promise to the Dressten family and give the Count a good slap in the face? If you have a better idea, I’m all ears.”
If the eldest son, whom he had tried to kill, fulfilled the family’s long-cherished ambition, the Count would be in a very difficult position. What could be a more satisfying revenge?
“You wouldn’t help me just for revenge…”
“Of course, there are conditions.”
“I’m listening.”
“I’ll be the only one participating in the expedition to the Northern Continent. You’ll have to provide the troops.”
The war between the King and the opposing nobles was now inevitable.
The nobles who opposed the King wouldn’t want me to participate, but there might be a madman who would dare to provoke a sleeping lion. My territory would seem defenseless in my absence.
With the justification of attacking a royal knight, someone would obviously try to test the waters. That was why I planned to leave my knights and troops behind.
“Haa… so you’re the only reinforcement?”
“You’ve seen what I can do on my own.”
The look of disbelief on Aaron’s face quickly faded.
I knew he had no choice but to accept. The fact that he was willing to ally himself with his family’s rival, the King, was proof that he was cornered.
I continued, watching him hesitate…
“It was Eric’s idea to aim for the throne of the Northern Continent, wasn’t it? Such a grand scheme to fulfill the family’s ambition. No wonder his position is being challenged by his younger brother.”
“How did you…!”
Quaran and Dressten had been on the verge of war. That was why Jin had been gathering information on Dressten.
After receiving Count Dressten’s assassination proposal, I had summoned Jin and learned more about the Dressten family’s internal affairs.
“Eric may have planted the tree, but you’ll be the one to reap the fruit. With my help, that is.”
Words were cheap. Eric’s plan was bold, but it was meaningless without the power to execute it.
In other words, if Aaron achieved a great victory in the expedition to the Northern Continent, he could push aside his younger brother and reclaim his position as heir.
“The important thing is, I can’t trust you.”
“I wonder if you’ll say the same when your skull is being crushed in the next match.”
He was in a position where I could kill him if I wanted to. To talk of trust in such a situation was absurd.
“I… had no choice.”
“It’s better than being used by the King. At least our goals are aligned.”
“Haa… fine. I accept your offer.”
“It’s best to prepare as many troops as possible. The Count has promised to supply my army. It’s an opportunity to give him a good slap in the face before the expedition even begins.”
Aaron looked at me in disbelief.
“So you’re saying you’re going to fight a war with my troops and my father’s supplies? This is…”
-Toot~
Just then, the horn sounded, signaling the end of the match. However, both teams, as if they hadn’t heard, continued their attacks.
The King’s guards hastily entered the arena and forced the two teams apart.
“Let go! Let me go! I’ll kill them all!”
“You bastards!”
Even as they were being separated, both teams couldn’t contain their excitement. In the end, Bronce II had to intervene.
“Enough! Guards, separate the two teams so they can’t see each other!”
Only then did the commotion begin to subside. Instead, the crowd’s attention turned to Bronce II.
He looked around at the crowd, shook his head, and raised his voice.
“Calm down! What is this shameful display! This mock battle was held with good intentions, and yet you’ve forgotten its purpose and allowed yourselves to be swayed by base emotions! Do you call yourselves nobles?!”
The nobles, who had been cheering enthusiastically just a moment ago, coughed and averted their gazes. They had belatedly realized that they had gotten too carried away.
Bronce II nodded and shouted again…
“This mock battle has lost its meaning. We’ll end it here. You’re all dismissed!”
Bronce II tried to end the mock battle. He must have heard the nobles in the spectator stands suspecting him.
“Why does Your Majesty get to decide that?”
However, they had come too far to simply go back as if nothing had happened.
Countless families and knights had been crushed by my hand. On the other hand, the families on the King’s side had suffered almost no losses.
The nobles who opposed the King would definitely be convinced that this mock battle was the King’s plot.
“Who is it! Who dares!”
Bronce II whipped his head around in the direction of the voice, his eyes blazing with anger.
The startled spectators moved away from the source of the voice.
In the now empty corner of the spectator stands stood an elderly man with a snow white skin and an intelligent face.
Bronce II’s face crumpled like a piece of paper.
“Count Dressten…!”
On the contrary, Count Dressten’s expression was relaxed. He spread his arms wide, gesturing to the nobles in the spectator stands.
“These families have traveled a long way to participate in this mock battle. If you wish to end it here, you’ll have to offer them a suitable compensation. And not only that, who will be the winner of the prize Your Majesty has offered?”
As expected of the family’s rival. Seeing that the mock battle was causing trouble for the King, he had taken the lead.
Of course, that wasn’t the only reason. I glanced at Aaron, who was staring intently at Count Dressten.
“Even if the Count ends the mock battle, he’ll at least want the next match to be held.”
“Because I’m your next opponent?”
I didn’t answer. Aaron would have already figured it out.
As if to prove my point, Count Dressten glanced at me.
The King, following his gaze, also spotted me and glared. If looks could kill, I would be dead.
“I will grant each family a suitable compensation.”
Bronce II tried to control the situation, but Count Dressten was persistent.
“The surviving teams won’t be satisfied with anything less than a prize equivalent to the winner’s.”
Count Dressten sought their agreement with his eyes, and the heads of the families who hadn’t yet been eliminated raised their voices in support.
“He’s right! We’re so close to victory, and you want us to give up? We won’t, not without a suitable compensation!”
“Ahem, I agree! Do you know how much it cost me to come all the way from the north?”
They couldn’t accept the current situation, where the nobles who opposed the King were the only ones suffering losses.
They wouldn’t back down without at least equal losses on the other side, or a suitable compensation.
Bronce II was speechless. A king was just a great lord with more territory and power than other nobles.
He didn’t have enough territory to satisfy everyone. And even if he did, he wouldn’t give it up. He couldn’t afford to be reduced to a minor lord.
As the atmosphere turned against the King, the nobles’ voices grew louder.
In terms of both numbers and power, the nobles outnumbered the Royalists. In the end, Bronce II had no choice but to back down.
“If you all insist, the mock battle will continue tomorrow.”
“Wooo!”
The madness was only postponed.
Bronce II glared at me again, as if he wanted to kill me, then turned his back. The nobles who followed the King followed after him.
They would likely spend the night agonizing over how to deal with tomorrow’s madness.
But they would soon realize that whatever they chose, there would be no good outcome.
If they actively resisted the nobles who were seeking revenge, they would only incur more resentment, and if they simply let it happen, their forces would be weakened. They were trapped.
‘There’s no best choice. They’ll have to choose between the worst and the lesser of two evils.’
Whatever they chose, war was inevitable. I was certain of it. As I turned to leave, Aaron came and called out to me.
“Sir Allen, since we’ve formed an alliance, may I ask you a favor?”
“If it’s not too difficult.”
“Ahem, I’d like to ask you to go easy on me in tomorrow’s match.”
Aaron asked, feigning nonchalance. He was asking me to throw the match. Since he had decided to cooperate with me, he was trying to get a small favor out of it.
It wasn’t a difficult request, so I nodded and walked away.
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A little later on the evening, I was summoned by Bronce II. I managed to shake off Eleanor, who insisted on coming with me, and met with the King.
The meeting was held in a large hall, with the royal knights in full armor lined up on either side, a clear attempt to intimidate me.
“That’s enough, isn’t it?”
“I’m not sure what you mean, Your Majesty.”
“Do you think I don’t know that you’re deliberately killing your opponents in the mock battle?!”
Bronce II, sitting on his throne, slammed his hand on the armrest and shouted. In response, the royal knights placed their hands on their swords.
I looked at the King, with a face of confusion.
“You suspected my loyalty. So, to prove my loyalty, I simply punished those who have been disloyal to Your Majesty.”
“How dare…! Are you still trying to play games with me?!”
I rose from my kneeling position and faced Bronce II.
“Anyone who hears this would misunderstand. Weren’t you the one who started this?”
“What? You insolent knight…! Guards!”
Shing! At the King’s call, the royal knights drew their swords. The blades glinted menacingly in the torchlight, as if they were about to run me through.
And yet, I remained calm. I knew the King couldn’t attack me.
“That insolent knight controls a territory comparable to a Margrave’s. And he has hundreds of elite mercenaries who have fought alongside him for two years. You already have many nobles who resent you. Do you really intent to make another enemy?”
“Insolent! What kind of talk is that?!”
One of the royal knights charged at me. Opportunists were everywhere. He must have thought this was an opportunity to get on the King’s good side.
The King’s startled reaction, jumping to his feet, told me that this wasn’t his intention.
In my slowed perception, I saw it all and gripped the Trolls Blade.
The hilt didn’t budge, not even when I put all my strength into it, and welcomed my grip. My frustration just melted away. I had a bit of a mishap during the mock battle and almost broke my warhammer.
Did the royal knight charging at me knowing this?
‘If he did, he wouldn’t be doing something so reckless.’
The Trolls Blade, crushing even the air, advanced towards the royal knight.
Startled, he raised his sword to block. For a royal knight, his transition from offense to defense was as fluid as water.
It was a technique honed through countless repetitions. But it was a technique for fighting humans, not monsters.
The royal knight’s sword shattered upon impact. The Trolls Blade, still carrying momentum, cleaved the royal knight’s body in two, from head to toe.
His body was split in two, and he collapsed, spewing blood, guts and white brain splatter. The royal knight didn’t even have time to scream.
The scene was unbelievable. The royal knights, who should have drawn their swords to avenge their comrade, froze.
The silence was broken by the sound of someone swallowing.
-Gulp.
“The Trolls Blade…?”
Bronce II’s eyes, fixed on the Trolls Blade, trembled. Come to think of it, this was the first time I had used the Trolls Blade since coming to the capital.
“D-Drop your sword!”
The royal knights, finally regaining their senses, surrounded me, their faces tense and rigid.
Before I could say anything, Bronce II spoke.
“E-Enough! Stand down! Now!”
Bronce II’s face was filled with fear. His gaze was fixed on the Trolls Blade in my hand.
‘Don’t tell me… he doesn’t know the exact extent of her ability?’
I had a rough idea of what was going on. Could it be that Bronce II was suspicious of Eleanor’s ability?
Even Eleanor herself didn’t know why she had chosen the Trolls Blade when she left the palace. Bronce II would have been the same.
And yet, that Trolls Blade had returned, fully restored, in the hands of a knight who was hostile to the King.
It was too much of a coincidence. As if Eleanor, exiled by her brother, was taking revenge through her ability.
It meant that he wasn’t afraid of the sword, but of Eleanor’s ability. To test my theory, I subtly pointed the sword at him…
“D-Don’t come any closer!”
Despite the considerable distance between us, Bronce II took a step back. I couldn’t help but smirk.
This changed everything.
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