Chapter 202
hGuHAbout ten days had passed since Fernan Pellenberg sent Aint Armian with mercenaries to the north.ccrwhUJ
5Wa1The first prince of the Kingdom of Esrin, Ferant Esrin, noticed that something strange was happening.ANcKFwB
fUC“Explain yourself in detail!”vU5hiK
Kf4PAs soon as he heard the messenger’s report, he sounded the alarm and gathered all his close associates. The nobles who followed him gathered at his villa.MiWR
yJ3g2pT“Yes, your highness. Currently, Viscount Balrotan has gathered soldiers, and some divisions have moved near Mount Hagal.”UIVPHM
mpLj2“Mount Hagal…?”OIXXF
y36“Yes. Moreover, Count Flaris has abandoned his territory along with his guards. He is marching north along the main road and, if he continues, will arrive directly at Viscount Balrotan’s domain.”2Ke
tg1LaCount Flaris was the father-in-law of the third prince, and among the nobles who supported him, he was the most powerful. Indeed, he was the unifying point of the nobles backing the third prince.zZx
kulTrFor him to suddenly head to Balrotan’s territory could only mean a serious problem had arisen.wvxh7Yz
oAvMs“Mount Hagal? What’s there?”gioh
XxxIAt a noble’s question, the messenger lowered his head.ttDZgE
4IG“Apologies, your highness, I don’t know beyond that…”44t
NxjbaXN“Could it be that some special mine was discovered in Mount Hagal?”M9j
WeCA“But why cause such a fuss just for a mine? Especially in the current situation…”llur
Dnk“Exactly. Even if they say they’re being discreet, their haste is far too obvious. They’re not even maintaining proper security…”WdbJU
FxKWhile the nobles speculated, trying to guess the cause, Ferant already knew better than anyone the real reason.3Gg8UR1
vgUtWyz‘It’s Aint. Aint Armian is the one who caused this.’l2BlQX
gVLLMount Hagal was the place suspected of harboring the corrupted nests, and that’s exactly where he had sent Aint.xhgd
NIXrMThe problem was he didn’t know whether the commotion meant the operation had succeeded or failed.CnjAVb
kmlUntil he confirmed that, he couldn’t reveal anything — not even to his closest allies.rJoxXF
XKDc5“For now, let’s send more men. We need to find out what they’re hiding.”wUhcT2
wml74e“Yes, your highness.”9Wlw
7BlowThe first meeting ended without concrete measures.jBfX
e41zdl2However, the suddenly reinforced security prevented spies from succeeding, and all Ferant could do was pray for Aint’s swift return.ehM0K
G6FBut one day became two, then a week, then two — and Aint still hadn’t returned.Tke4qlL
kJqUoqEven so, the blockade on Mount Hagal hadn’t been lifted.s7FyyU5
CHA“We failed again. They say all access to Mount Hagal is closed off.”u1PBvhN
bejDUOi“Anyone who raises even the slightest suspicion is captured and tortured.”8qkz
1XY“Count Flaris still hasn’t left Balrotan’s territory.”w3E
MCEI“What the hell is in Mount Hagal…?”BpX
Bm4imThey tried everything to discover the secret — to no avail.hSrcsNB
0dKlThe daily meetings grew increasingly fruitless. Ferant felt anxiety eating him alive.gKP
TUv‘When will you return, Aint Armian…?’PQkfGBm
WMFDE6UIt had already been over a month since his departure. A whole month. A terribly long time.jrsR
J83FM7‘Could it be he failed?’OR4h
R3kZlzgNo. If he still hadn’t returned, it could only mean he had failed.XjOOUP
ENtvAnd yet, the third prince and his followers continued acting nervously.dmO
MSe2BCThat could only be for one reason — because it was Aint Armian.TZz
GO88A‘If they kill him, it’s a problem, but if they keep him alive, it’s also a problem… Could it be they’re holding him prisoner and have reinforced their defenses to hide it?’2AEI
7Rl6ZnZIn that case, what should he do?GpSWH
3erPnaHis instinct told him to mobilize an army and head north immediately.PLSy
rVUF5QJBut even as a prince, he couldn’t move troops against a noble’s territory without a clear justification. That would amount to accusations of treason.VmcFXnz
BuVXmkg‘I can’t let them keep Aint captive. I have to rescue him and use that as an excuse to pressure Tulwin…’zU1F5W
sy65At that moment, a messenger rushed in.kqBAv
CnfAIgnoring the presence of the nobles, he ran straight to Ferant and whispered something in his ear.MHEeg
06mvSImmediately, Ferant rose from his seat.W1cg9Lq
zRrCs6T“Your highness? What has happened…?”4UA58eE
Fx89“This meeting is over!”uvItRME
50hnpyWFerant’s face lit up with joy.K7PIK
ZX2kAint had returned!GMO
S4eSs79***T1H
vS9GfTheater and opera were noble pastimes.e5xSw
S7X4nMany enjoyed them knowing in advance how the play would end.7Z0qM
XN2PeNg“Sorry for the delay, your highness.”5nhx
J2pD“You took too long. What happened?”bpCm
sjR7A7b“You’ll understand when you see this.”tEjp6
Q9U8XTpAint handed him a recording crystal.9Saw8
GeUOEven just knowing that Aint had returned safe and sound made the ending clear, but Ferant couldn’t stop his heart from pounding as he watched the recording.9uCz
SUF— Take my hand, we can join forces.nbVI
SVfThe most shocking part was seeing Tulwin trying to win Aint over.pXQWq
kexThe recording showed the overwhelming number of monsters and corrupted surrounding them. For a moment, Ferant even suspected Aint might have fallen under Tulwin’s influence.Yv0fF9
l5KDa“…Could it be…?”gUr
jp3Ki“Please, watch until the end, your highness.”9xb
sMJTulwin’s voice reached its climax.RZUXhY
r2YdX1— If you need support, I’ll give you support. If you need troops, I’ll give you troops. If you need money, I’ll give you money.IY0z
YectoHe promised to give all the kingdom’s resources. Ferant clenched his fist in fury.3slne0
qokRtAWho did he think he was? No matter how much he wanted the throne, how could he talk about selling the entire kingdom?erXpWIV
4KWjsDNDamn you, Tulwin…!5HFiPy
Wr32Jp— So don’t take my brother’s hand, take mine. I’ll be king, and you’ll be emperor.55Eirm
5nWjNonsense! He wanted to scream and punch him right then — but he couldn’t.PReg0N5
RwazUBecause at that moment, someone unexpected appeared before Tulwin.nnkB7
LnQ1h— That’s a ridiculous absurdity, your highness.AKQjdT
Nu0M“…Fernan Pellenberg?”C5qx
TdwHe was the one who shut the third prince up.Gkdep
2UNpgsW“Yes, that’s me, your highness.”qccVzHK
67M5I“How is Fernan Pellenberg here…?”Ysad
bcRac“I’m the one who asked him for help. Without senior, we would’ve been in serious danger.”gMie
rf72And that was supposed to explain it? Fernan should have been at the academy — why the hell had he shown up in Esrin…?4865
EWejZmG— Does Esrin have more money than Pellenberg? How dare you talk about money in front of Pellenberg, your highness?vNz3P
r8Fs5cDespite his surprise, Ferant kept watching. Tulwin had no response to Fernan’s words.yWowIJx
4hdfVFrom how it looked, the scene should have been satisfying — but still, Ferant felt uncomfortable.uMG
dhvBecause what Fernan said to Tulwin could also apply to himself — without Esrin, he was nothing too.lmFS
9LrF— It means you were arrogant and did something foolish.Q4rkB
v86lThen the recording showed the battle.Tji
OPxZ“Ah, during the fight the recording isn’t clear due to magical effects.”juc6
v0lB“…I see.”JMy
PXZUZAint quickly explained, though in truth he had edited the recording to hide the involvement of Hakon Kaelin and Rob Kaelin.bNCnKK
vyMEyJ“Incredible…”ZdI1
fj70The recording ended showing Aint defeating the beast named Rahnas, and Prince Tulwin being captured.znnuq
MMmat“To defeat Rahnas… Aint, you truly accomplished something great.”pZw9
0SEKW“I’m deeply honored. Without senior Fernan’s help, I never would’ve managed.”gGNU4
CXQ“I’ll have to seriously rethink what I think of Fernan Pellenberg. May I keep this?”drXjzY
4ylfmS“Of course. That’s why I brought it.”Ovv7ivm
Y7rHao“Good. Then tell me — where is Tulwin? And where is Fernan Pellenberg? According to this recording, no one died.”0oBcRNK
xNjyFerant straightened in his seat. From the moment Tulwin Esrin was captured, a growing unease had begun to creep into him.8ligA
ZZr“Is it what I’m thinking?”fUxCK
WO1eq3W“Senior Fernan told me something. That some merchants don’t pay mercenaries after the job’s done. So certain mercenaries collect payment first — and then actually finish the job.”FUbB2wV
dxF“They hid it.”RwgdKJ
IzubaYeHaha… Aint laughed awkwardly.9ykC8UF
RC7“Did I misjudge you? Or is it more that…”dua5xGN
tuBJ“Yes, it’s true. That was senior’s advice. I told him that His Highness would never do something like that, but he insisted that it’s always better to be thorough in everything…”6L7
wxwtkQEven after cutting the part where Hakon Kaelin and Rob Kaelin appeared, the rest remained intact.QzK
a3UM6The reason was clear—to make evident how close the relationship between Aint and Fernan Pellenberg was, and to show that behind Aint stood Fernan.glEIHvD
fTrITThat way, no one could take advantage of Aint’s naivety.5Ylb
zGEfnHT“Where is Fernan Pellenberg now?”1leG
fP2J6M“With the third prince.”MajlLAF
PFt“And what else did he say?”yjXR
JVZg“He advised me to sincerely express what I desired.”2g4LXUs
QvRPOuO“And? What do you desire?”F6t
mdgS5H“I… don’t understand complicated things.”1sMKNVC
Xg2KYOSHe didn’t know what to ask for that would bring the greatest advantage to Armian. He was learning, but he still had a long way to go.b5vz
YToThat’s why what he wanted was the simplest, most direct, and safest.7oMgA1R
eU0p“Money. I want money.”a8uhR
5HdfMoney.yDQQLA
yz6vEven though Fernan had already injected a considerable amount of funds, they were still loans he’d have to repay someday.nERfXit
Lw1And the more money he had, the more time and soldiers he could maintain.3eEiAW
K7Nlo“How much?”6zMX5
nY88“About…”BiE3f
acRwxEAs soon as he heard the figure, Ferant held his breath.PdX
LDk7Qb6“Are you aware of how much money you’re asking for?”Yv4mmY
ubHrqLq“Your Highness, if it hadn’t been for me, Esrin would already be in the middle of a civil war. Compared to the economic losses, land devastation, and human lives that would’ve cost, can you really say this is too expensive?”uo3rY
u7p8“……”FCxS
GXKOpD6Ferant Esrin pressed his lips together in silence.8ny5
U63osIn truth, he didn’t plan to take advantage of Aint.oZend
vCpuH7Aint was the rising hero in an era plagued by the corrupted. Making an enemy of him would’ve been an unforgivable mistake.JjnGV
vFwBut he wasn’t willing to hand over more than what was fair either.WAspP
f6OQVAfter all, Aint was a foreign noble. As a future king, he couldn’t become a fool who gave away the kingdom’s riches to another country.mVr
TDx“No matter how worthy, this is excessive. I’m still just a prince!”MFpQ2An
2Fs4Po“But you will become king. With proof that the third prince allied with the corrupted—and captured by your own hands—will any rival remain?”dPwv2B
BpCqvIq“……”iMvNSK
seTEGY“And remember, it’s senior Fernan who has the third prince in custody. I don’t know if he’d be willing to let Your Highness try to haggle.”KLyBYzb
YpM6i3G“Are you threatening me? You know very well that abducting and imprisoning a foreign prince is a serious matter.”9NAUo
1zmnGFerant growled, but Aint smiled calmly, without blinking.d9aLhj5
JUACI“Do you think this is the only recording?”kf0z
fHNceIG“……!”dsNEu
499iMT“Before talking about abduction or imprisonment, it was the third prince who first tried to kill us by allying with the corrupted. Isn’t that more serious?”052vNSS
PIbDnGY“And if it’s argued that the problem was your intrusion into Esrin’s territory?”0mUUPex
iHBjr“When it comes to exterminating corrupted, do borders matter? Besides, we prevented Esrin from falling into civil war. If you want to take this all the way, go ahead.”6KW0uj
d53xWNAt that moment, Aint’s eyes turned cold.IIfjEeB
02M“It’s disappointing, Your Highness. I came all this way at your request, I risked my life… and even then, you say this to me.”AljZDEr
jXl“That wasn’t my intention…”p3254Qn
laA3KyThe light in Aint’s eyes made him come to his senses at once.Tvby
4eZsY‘What am I doing? After working so hard to build a good relationship with Aint Armian, and now that he’s helped me, I’m going to make him my enemy?’vQzpR
Vy1BQoBesides, even if the demanded sum was colossal, it was still cheap compared to having saved the kingdom from disaster.6hA
jRp5I3“…Fine.”Flrr70u
R7Di2NsHe had no choice but to give in.mDmg0
gXg“But I can’t pay that amount immediately. I have to become king first, and even then I’ll need to deal with the nobles. The payment will have to be made in installments…”h84n
V5Vtor“I understand. Then, why don’t we put it in writing?”Z7am
VFmCAint pulled out a pre-prepared contract. Ferant noticed it bore the notarial seal of the Golden Turtle Guild and let out a dry laugh.32l
Hip“…How meticulous.”FzrQfu
mZr6ePC“They say it’s more efficient this way.”fBJ
hk6“Even if it sounds like an excuse now, I never intended to take advantage of you. I wanted to reward you properly, but your request far exceeded my expectations.”8HGsr
YHb“I understand. I know I’m asking for a lot.”InkXltV
m7GAnd with that—f20M
JKwAint firmly crossed out the initial amount.EhWlgo
la0L“…What are you doing?”lYeJHp9
m0YwPo“I don’t think Your Highness was trying to take advantage of me. I also value our relationship.”tIvGwQN
I1IUbThen he wrote a new figure. It was barely a third of the original.lYPvJ1z
0EGg“I don’t want this to cause further conflict. What do you say? I think I’m already making quite the concession in your favor.”MfF
7u4Even so, it was still a fortune. And worse, the nobles would surely criticize Ferant for giving in too easily.ZD1QsX
cgh3OBut—eVRJ
bYoLL8“…Are you really willing to lower it this much?”O7TqbSp
sVL“Of course. It’s just between you and me.”pfklJsh
4754“Thank you…! I truly thank you!”6hnAHuV
ow23UoMIndeed, compared to the first amount, the reduction was massive.HDqm
sRFav“I’ll never forget this generosity!”CF9kmp
N72tUXFerant Esrin signed the contract, moved.VJy
kHZ0lK— And so, by answering as advised by Fernan Pellenberg, things ended up like this… In the end, he managed to take from a great kingdom its entire monthly budget.fYVqE
md7HTk3It wasn’t that Ferant was a fool. He had accepted because Aint had saved the kingdom from a civil war and because, at that moment, Aint was indispensable.ae6KsP
N6T— Poor Ferant Esrin. Once he ascends the throne, the nobles won’t leave him alone.pEyJ
tnmGardner clicked his tongue, pitying him.yUs5a
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