Chapter 193
3IZa…What the hell did that vermin just say?z5xUaA
wb3The third prince of Esrin, who had never in his life heard such insults, was at a loss for words.NaC
HOqYGBC“How dare you speak such insolence to His Highness…!”E75
ajgD83“Do you want to die?!”icwfYm
CWsxDBxThe furious voices of the knights rang out, but they barely registered with him.bU7ARvS
Efyi‘That I should know my place? That Esrin doesn’t compare to Pellenberg?’scPpmB
D4hbImpossible. Esrin, while perhaps not comparable to the Empire, was undoubtedly one of the continent’s great powers.RuGxN2n
v2t4FwA mere duchy couldn’t even dream of rivaling it.TKVt6eB
HXfzxoThe prince squinted, trying to think calmly.MEf
a5Ez‘That Esrin’s support is worthless?’pflywB
h0j763Fine, that he could accept. For an Elector Prince of the Empire like Armian, support from an equal would always outweigh that of a foreign nation.FZkpaZ
TDwNBut that wasn’t because Esrin was weak—it was simply due to differing circumstances.P9dzz
ykL0XIn that, Fernan’s words held merit.rhDzA
KHY2But the next part did not.mt5
E1fliWv‘A mere merchant family compared to Esrin’s standing army?’AWseguJ
qBAuKbYNo matter how many mercenaries Pellenberg hired, they were still just mercenaries.bglYlOU
WQ9Esrin, on the other hand, maintained a permanent army of fifty thousand—a true military power.9f34hI
310In both quality and quantity, the gap with Pellenberg’s mercenaries was immense.wGVG
jrxXb‘Though sending them into the Empire would be another issue.’lqVP
fcPQ4oThat was the real problem.7MRzL8z
9zrImperials might fight each other over whims, but when facing foreign invasion, they always united.qAEgGX
U5VXvuISending regular troops into the Empire would be seen as a declaration of war. And hiring tens of thousands of mercenaries for someone else’s conflict? Pure madness.UMH
PP0M4Plus, after a civil war, the cost of rebuilding the kingdom would be enormous.b0TOs
hZyuj3j‘Fine. I’ll concede that point too.’Rp13Sw8
198PbIn the end, Fernan was right about that as well.c5rrvW
nmrBA0It hurt to admit it, but he had to.0vSZzS
eyWG1i5However, on the third matter, he was certain.HaeCc
tegl0‘…Pellenberg’s wealth.”HSlXKB
kFHtT9There was no room for debate. Not only the greatest on the continent, but in the world.6Ahj
eOFDTiMIt was joked that selling the Pellenbergs could buy the entire continent.aNUVuFA
8XZnY‘…Damn it.’lZSKH
sLXDINwTulwin clenched his lips.dMW9X
4hVfvfWhat infuriated him wasn’t just the insults—it was the fact that he couldn’t refute a single one because they were true.rs6W4S
u1WWqd‘I swear I’ll ascend the throne and make Esrin a great power…’wq6
mgKvpLHe would turn Esrin into an empire. And then he’d exterminate that arrogant House Pellenberg.MaB
L5PThat his eyes landed on Fernan Pellenberg in that moment was no coincidence.aduZ
HfsUu‘Yes, the Pellenbergs are a great lineage.’TYsRoum
dSjHUSo what?F5XbICi
ahUNDid that power and wealth serve him here, right now?bMDJ6sP
A8l1No. Definitely not.1yfYRB
1Rpb4CTulwin’s eyes glinted with madness.0xpn0
8js11DPerhaps he was witnessing a historic moment—the fall of the “gold of the Empire,” House Pellenberg,xpOI1E
nJMand the rise of Esrin.dHp
vw7wq8“…You’re right. Compared to Pellenberg, Esrin is much more limited.”TUuqaf
CGNwHHe spat the words as if chewing poison, staring at Fernan with absolute hatred.o8Z
8PTOx2‘Fernan Pellenberg… you’ll die today.’H1V
W7lcp09Today, he would fulfill his purpose.3KL
IQvU***HilU1JK
sMRqZC2“So he stayed silent because he was mulling it over. I see he’s finally accepted it as truth.”g54lYVs
ymUKBThat unexpected admission, combined with those eyes full of bloodlust, made Fernan’s smile twist slightly.TwvYNc
AkGy9“At least I’m glad you’ve finally recognized your place.”rIC48
Ne8W“But tell me, so what?”CQJMzx
nAs09“Excuse me?”dU3Xe5h
sEm“That your arrogance made you commit a blunder.”gZNTs
ebJhZVPff, pff—Tulwin Esrin let out a short laugh.dNgAj7
0HrXRKM“No matter how grand the Pellenbergs may be, what can they do here and now? If you die here, what will become of your house?”BinOT
kisRHe didn’t expect Fernan to tremble in fear or apologize. He just wanted him to lower his head a little and acknowledge the difference.9TL
TQDqm87But—qjUtwm
1jFFfP“After hearing that, I now understand why Esrin will always be beneath Pellenberg.”4x2nWxa
DwrofThe response was even more insulting.8itT
iT0T4“…What did you say?”yNzWa
evqO“With such short-sighted thinking and poor judgment, of course you can’t progress. I suppose that’s why you turned to the foolish decision of allying with the corrupt.”z01ZR
cl5J6dO“What?”mTfG2Br
WReuK3r“Did you really think I came unprepared?”GVbzs
N6umuCE“How did you listen to what I just said? There are only six of you in total!”cozTY
D5lS1BThis wasn’t the Empire—it was Esrin. Fernan couldn’t have brought his elites or a mercenary army.uGfrLxZ
exBgIf he had, Tulwin would have known.5Veu
8yR“And did it not occur to you that the first prince might be helping us stay hidden from your view?”4MyBH
2TyZGv“No. There are countless demonic creatures in this area. If there were another force here, it would have already been discovered.”R7p0Af7
9mbac6And that was true. The creatures hadn’t detected anyone other than Fernan’s group.7Lt
Ojfv“Am I wrong?”zDnjJ
BycKlTq“No, Your Highness. You’re right.”e89r
VdGtsJNFernan clapped softly, as if admiring the deduction.huT9Pct
7qZE“I must confess my admiration for Your Highness’s insight.”W5zxsE
LJ7Z993The mocking tone twisted the prince’s expression.pts
EezB09“There’s no point in bluffing.”p2J
xkD“Bluffing? No, I didn’t bring Pellenberg’s elites or hire mercenaries either, as Your Highness correctly stated.”LLAOK
fCgCBut there’s one detail.aRmZyM
MON18TC“We are not just six, Your Highness. We are no less than six.”hDKrw9
UBgy2No, I was wrong. Fernan corrected himself.S3IsCIB
qp6Jv“To be exact, it’s no less than one.”edlJCm
z7Ghe6g“…One?”xbMd
JI0UT9“Shall I tell you a little story?”kTmbTeE
5qEFernan continued without waiting for a reply.QYV
8JZPqv“Perhaps the corrupt already told you. Not long ago, I traveled to Alprosen and exterminated another of them.”o2P6DQJ
oitiHe risked his life in that battle, saving none other than the crown prince of Alprosen.xiM
ORTUK“The crown prince, unlike you, understands honor and gratitude. As payment for saving his life, he promised me much. Do you know what I asked in return?”9xzsm3
pwaH“And why should I care?”DoY
5UqQEc“Oh, you should.”LQK8eZ
NAiFernan took a step back.wWYg4
KpfS“Because it’s something that will help you understand your place.”Kdd
7VSFfOne of the hooded figures stepped forward.qLNDmxn
z5q9nM“That payment will show you in person.”dvI
Odo0u5Y“…What?”ziD
9bbThe cloak slowly fell.wnE5f
Lpy“Treating a person as payment? You’re definitely a Pellenberg to the bone.”qmCd7
aW8E7The voice was old, marked by experience.gJxTcE
ZXK“…That face… C-Can it be?!”DxkT92
V0tKZ“…You are…?”PcH
TqyThe expressions of the prince’s knights hardened as they recognized him. One after another, they all identified him.1vgeG
AZ9Even the corrupt and Tulwin himself paled upon realization.m1PY
NDFhvz“Heh… I haven’t shown myself in public in some time. It’s an honor that the prince of Esrin still remembers this old man.”IDqy9b
ZuKjKum“H-How are you here?”4hAxNG
yeK“Didn’t young master Fernan already say? This is the payment for saving the crown prince’s life.”hlz
Iic01CMThe old man took another step forward. Without exerting any pressure, the knights and the prince instinctively stepped back.LnkEy
p6jN“And since those corrupt vermin tried to kill the crown prince, I also have a personal score to settle.”wY1
J8EakT“…A knight of Alprosen infiltrating Esrin and raising your sword to a prince! Even you will have to answer for this!”v8LHUuZ
rrwejEe“Prince? No. I only cut down the corrupt. And no one will reproach me for it.”S9LWd4
uaZBsF6More than anything because—9RPcq4
ZHmhSwoosh—yR1Zw
fiuThe old man drew his sword.Nma
dkuW“I just accompanied my grandson to visit some friends from the Academy. Old age leaves too much free time, you see?”LqvFA
L9Xb“You expect us to believe such a ridiculous excuse?!”rRx
d27The prince shrieked in desperation, but the old man’s gaze was no longer on him.nIlZ
dTKwu4It had settled on the two corrupt ones flanking him.zIJDfPh
7N0“The rank 66 demon, Kimaris, right? The same one Albinos and Garrett barely managed to defeat together.”fEuvER2
x96R7The old man took a stance.vBR
eQXwqH“I may not be equal to the two of them combined, but…”VXsm
knnx3GHe slashed with a simple movement.42uU
IV3FA cold wind blew.Shrl
aR6gAA second later—XCLdn
igxX6pi─────!TP39tW
6AA1uA sword gust split the air. Five nearby demonic creatures were cleaved in two without even managing to scream.9hMw6h1
v03a“At the very least, unless you summon a demon of that level, you won’t be able to stop me.”f3Q9
4yKhxThe First Knight of Alprosen was beginning to unleash his true power.0T3
bfUS***We9B5
OVtj“…This is absurd!”Q3p
32UCount Daniel let out a scream.xOmopz
1BjLAaIt made no sense. Two rank-1 Rahnas and, on top of that, the elite forces commanded by the third prince.zfbQRg0
vqyThey had prepared the perfect trap to catch Aint and were waiting for the right moment, but suddenly Fernan appeared.ooloNSn
JjMZ70IUp to that point, it was still comprehensible. But then a Royal Knight appeared too.Sr9l
jAeAIf it had only been a Royal Knight, he might have still managed, even if he had to burn all his books and sacrifice everything.AFbHvS5
wRQResIf, on the other hand, the Royal Knight hadn’t shown up, he also might’ve had a chance.TVuk7
8aXOsvWhat should never have happened was Aint and a Royal Knight existing on the same battlefield. And that was exactly what had occurred.OwkuCTT
Ol9Z“Fernan Pellenberg! Fernan Pellenberg! How did you break the hypnosis?!”phQAMx
0Su0More than how he had broken the enchantment, what he wanted was to rip that detestable face off, shred it, and feed it to the hounds of hell.IH7
CA4zBut he couldn’t. Before thinking about killing Fernan, he had to worry about his own survival.I1MT
zekbWhen the Royal Knight moved, Count Daniel screamed in desperation.SYT8wX8
KsL“Stop him! Stop that crazy old man!”sFknA
HOnjTV──!MClHsWx
xG9bThe two Rahnas rushed forward. Three swords clashed, and demonic magic and aura mixed, unleashing a shockwave.KmUE
N6pzAP0Just from that exchange, Count Daniel understood even more clearly that there was no hope.G2hT
S5z0“We have to run.”h6zg7
CpMAmid the chaos, Roderick approached him and whispered.tGcoFfo
Ghsg1“I think the same.”Map
ukiO7MQ“With these monsters, even with Aint Armian and a Royal Knight here, we’ll have time to escape.”Agx23iZ
6LG“And the third prince?”5N3m
oCZDG3L“If we leave him behind, our chances of survival go up.”gTi27l
tto8kNow that the third prince had been exposed for making a pact with the corrupt, he’d fight with everything he had. That would buy Daniel and Roderick some time.stpWs
J8P1LNodding briefly, the two began to retreat quietly, hiding their presence as much as possible.eDZSy
JhOoGcThey managed to reach the cave’s exit without anyone noticing their absence.M40O
EnbNo one, except one.b0y9
s9yOh“How rude, my dear Count. After so long without seeing each other, you leave without saying goodbye?”apFf10q
xclThey didn’t know how or when, but Fernan Pellenberg was already waiting for them at the exit, blocking the path.MG7Lwp
ju1c“…Fernan Pellenberg.”r5XzB
cgSzvd“Seems like you’ve changed a bit. Perhaps now that you’ve been exposed as corrupt, you think courtesy is no longer necessary?”8rlZpg
FYRKGE“So the hypnosis…?”8Hl
5s4s3“I broke it. A while ago.”7Xsftf2
lOm5Fernan clicked his tongue in feigned disappointment.8LdsNZ
ysTQHymHis original plan had been to keep pretending, infiltrate the corrupt more deeply, and extract vital information from them.Tm0A
9S5CV‘No helping it.’esOc
8H6UIMxEverything has its priorities.eCCpfE
thrrPlaying spy was useful, but letting Aint die would’ve been sheer folly.Yvp6
LufierjThat would be putting the means above the end.S2aRzo
Go0“How did you…?”efw
N4Vn“Do I really have to explain it to you? Though I must admit I’m surprised, Count. You must be quite busy with your distilleries, and yet you still find time to meddle in another country’s civil war. Knowing that, if discovered, it wouldn’t be a simple matter to resolve.”0Wl3Pzv
UcsGA foreign count involved in another kingdom’s succession wasn’t just simple interference.uvyR0
ChyCLENo country would tolerate it; it would be grounds for condemnation across the continent.QHpnX0W
hBE1C“After thinking it over, there are only three possibilities.”uzgJ
3JBYTap, tap— Fernan drummed his fingers on his thigh.46GlLLP
paLvqp“Either you were confident you could crown the third prince as king of Esrin. Or, you believed that even if you failed, you wouldn’t be discovered. Or, the third option…”Dhwi
Fo2YcHe paused briefly.9lkBXHz
okvSP4“…You wanted to be discovered.”cIZoc
KWRBR“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”3msp
Iqk“Don’t you find it an interesting picture? An imperial noble interfering in another kingdom’s civil war. And then the criticism raining down from all other nations.”Oswi2
l3c0USINo kingdom would dare declare war on the Empire, that colossal force.cEALmX
qRGGHMaybe the entire continental coalition together could attempt it, but who would risk their nation’s existence over Esrin?x31J
RIBZRb6Even so, they wouldn’t sit idly by.MKYoj
142MForeign relations would fracture, the Empire would be diplomatically isolated, and when the demons made their move in earnest, it would be a massive obstacle to forming an alliance led by Armian.2YCT
KMsN“Isn’t that right?”TDeP
7JyKdX8“No.”Nfc
47RfOG“Oh, but it will be. Because you’ll die here today.”HfRf1K
9zu9XIV“How dare you…!”OGAm
G64YbMWell, though he didn’t plan to kill them immediately.XNHNos0
BXTtYviFernan struck the ground with his staff.QxOU
tV6TI“Leave here all the information on the corrupt and demons.”UjU
PIUA steel wall rose up, completely sealing the exit.vQyyc
YiQF“And march.”RUxk4P
xWkmTo the underworld.Rpb
4HxtE“Luina, I leave them to you. Senior, the same to you.”1O5
rAUFernan stepped back. Two of the hooded figures beside him let their cloaks fall.8fIDu
C5r“With pleasure.”IuuKh
nuuLuina Bercheff drew her sword.pUJBLv
fQH7xJ“It’ll be my pleasure. I’ve never fought against the corrupt before. Did you really try to assassinate the crown prince?”eCaW
NgVOZvJThe Royal Knight’s grandson, Rob Kaelin, showed his teeth in a feral grin.69kc
5MiNn9S“Perfect.”wcMviyf
YnLIRoderick growled, gripping his weapon.h0Yo
KboO“I’ll kill them all and get out of here!”GGz
wqrUcHe thrust his spear. Luina’s sword met it.9JTXMvW
azyE───!ZT3
9nPOSFnAt the same time, Rob Kaelin launched a surprise attack on Count Daniel.Eb8
H1mTIwThe battle had begun.frvV
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