Chapter 84: Discord
xfC7Mornings in Count Consilus’s territory began with military songs during the morning run.jrbRSp1
toxH“Hey! Hey!”fcer
1ohV“One, two! One, two! Start the song!”waAiTku
Eq8J“Look, we have arrived!”3RmWp
3Pw7“Louder!”XP10Tp
nHV“Advance! Advance! The final defensive line! There’s nowhere left to retreat! Use your wife as a shield and advance again today! Advance! Advance! If we become heroes, we’ll go find a new wife!”uaIs2c8
PNhSEQThe marching song echoed as they ran laps around the castle.dUA5
0B8a5They ran every morning along the walls, but the difficulty varied enormously depending on who led the training.8jMzH
Uv1EwZAnd among all of them, Arwen was the strictest of the strict.KUH
5NYVF‘Damn it, why can’t we just run half a lap and be done with it?’Omo
qDSdWR‘Every time this knight is on duty it’s suffering.’COCS9f
FFRQNot only did they have to keep singing while running, but the route full of slopes was already difficult on its own, and on top of that, using patrols as an excuse, he added extra routes and remote corners, making the distance easily exceed two full laps.f54F
I6m“Good work, soldiers! Go eat breakfast and prepare for the morning duties!”PVj
o4WAj“Eeh…”uUa
sZv8fU“That voice has no spirit. Do you want another lap?”L8k
QRbzr“No, sir!”qDr8n
HtEs“Then disperse at the speed of light! If I catch you, there’ll be another lap!”DGlc0
D0D5Fearing he was serious, the soldiers hurriedly scattered.6gt
d9qAs Arwen wiped away his sweat with a towel, the gate guard approached and saluted him.Paz9
hPFJx6“Loyalty. Officer of the watch, you’ve worked hard.”PxnZ
Zl9VEpB“What is it?”oMlMw
i11cWC“Well… he says he’s a knight from Castle Valdrova and wishes to see you.”tPhn
otqVACastle Valdrova.RndwN
NwaThere were only two knights there.EOe8J
C3BAnd among them, there was only one who would come looking for him.Eg0HQT
PCd2Arwen frowned reflexively.dY2eQ
tEeM“Where is he now?”CtR
YDth“Hey, Arwen!”15luW
LZeg“No, I already see him.”8FXGlD
gzrhcThere was no need to ask.b6JSCo
I75mk8That man was already approaching while waving his hand.igd
jzYwWFArwen wiped his face with the towel while looking at the man.bHEfM
Vg1DwBrown hair and delicate features.EqaK3s
5Rxb“It has been a while, Sir Zed.”V9O
AmY“Ah, yeah, quite a while. Everything good?”sTDQU
hi2“I didn’t expect to see you here. What brings you?”XpNL
cX8LC“Nothing special. I came because I wanted to be put through that knight training thing.”N2lga
GHDQ“Knight training?”0iX11MP
TUxVKeArwen’s eyes widened at that request.Xxmxu
kWN0M“Why? Can’t nepotism knights do it?”3EQmD
VwPdM“It’s not that they can’t. In fact, they’re the ones who need training the most. I just never imagined you would want it…”xl4jj3
5AdEaG3“Yeah, I know. I never thought I’d end up like this either.”8ozw4iF
gAyYeZed scratched his head as he admitted it casually.aySo1B
N2XUd5Seeing him like that, Arwen began to worry.mfU
RfRydfDidn’t people say that when someone starts doing things they never used to do, it means they’re about to die?agc
0caBl“Did something happen?”zkg
olEV“You know about the wolf monsters that appeared in Hallim, right?”skJ
30OjtnS“Yes. I heard the regent performed greatly there. The whole Empire is talking about it.”PmI56tQ
V67There were two main reasons for all the commotion.Np3Bdq
35nY5yvThe first was that seven wolf monsters had appeared inside the city.mgDm9BR
mPDkSThe second was that despite that, there wasn’t a single fatality.HvVJsd
Pmq6l“I heard you also stood out there. They say you moved like a sylph, mocking the enemies while buying time.”Z14iu8u
IfCJ8“Mocking them? Bullshit. If I made one mistake, I died. I was scared shitless.”6dGz
1b5g“Then what’s the problem? Valdrova’s name gained fame, and you got a good story for picking up women, didn’t you?”lFlMvsR
kr7eThat was the image Arwen had of Zed.kfZtW24
xe0Being a knight was the perfect profession for lying, and with one exaggerated heroic story, conquering young noblewomen was practically as easy as eating bread.F2BG
JwG“When that wolf bastard lunged at the regent, I stepped in front.”jO7ry9e
RF8jxbO“It went for the regent, you blocked it, and then?”dorj
fZs6if“Well, I couldn’t stop it. The moment I hit it, my body got sent flying. Like a wooden plank.”2os
9hHHF0uAfter hearing that, Arwen shrugged.q0FKak
Wh8R“That was inevitable. Not even most knights can withstand a monster’s attack head-on.”i3rTPkh
mB3C“And you?”DStGU7B
cI6z4Y“I can.”W93EQ
DNk“That’s exactly the problem. Others can and I can’t, right?”5Ud
adKRJe“I received formal training and was carefully selected as a knight. You can’t compare me to an ordinary person.”ZyQ
RZJIArwen said it trying to comfort him, but Zed merely frowned as though regretting asking.yjs
83gkfO5“So what you want is strength to stop enemies in a frontal confrontation?”350Zym
bxm“Even if it’s not frontal, I want to gain something that lets me actually do something in situations like that.”Lqy
bE6“You mean swordsmanship or defensive techniques, right?”6dN
zt2H“Yeah.”BOWQ2L7
YThDQyb“I can teach you, but how old are you, Zed?”ObrM4tL
QDKFC“Twenty-seven. Soon twenty-eight.”Zynaeh
jeok“Then it’s already fairly late to start training.”3KsyTI
XSqn“I’ve trained my body for years. I also fought quite a bit as a mercenary.”JUSd
IiQArwen knew well that Zed had combat skill.U3H23eP
FvegHe had watched him during the rescue operation for the Director of Escolleia.n2ed4
Cvm“It’s not simply a matter of training the body. Enduring attacks from creatures like monsters belongs to the domain of aura. It requires years of constant training for that, and you’re already at a difficult age to comprehend and adapt to those kinds of techniques.”tQbT
SrSDKnH“Aura… you mean this?”akP
gVaZed clenched his fist and concentrated all his strength.JXX
XGlLnVIA bluish light began wavering around the surface of his body.D8OyMTv
6Rk5HokArwen was surprised when he saw it.YCZR
1rm6Although it was unstable and burst out like uncontrolled solar flares, that was, without question, aura.eBw1
k9yJ9VR“How can you use it?”OP942Cb
B2RVECw“I told you I was a mercenary. You meet all kinds of people there. So, can I or not?”4YgWlyK
FfRR1e“If you undergo aura correction and train, it should work. Simply being able to externalize it already means you’ve completed half the journey.”VaH7y
zKc11ryArwen spoke firmly.rroV
fXi4“Even so, it’ll be hard. Everyone has habits, and the more rigid the mind is, the harder it becomes to correct them. In the worst-case scenario…”iV5xFL
UfkHe paused, emphasizing the gravity of his words even more.SSYsM
obro“You could end up becoming a cripple incapable of even holding a sword.”AUATdVu
bzaBecoming an invalid was a truly miserable ending.ohWNM
GnqKlqeFor someone like Zed, who lived clinging to the present, the terror of becoming a living corpse was not something he could take lightly.rZUy
3pEbMjt“I’m already prepared for that.”p5Npbj
oD7KbJZed answered immediately as if it were nothing.zA5MzAV
saBI8“Is it really worth going that far?”uDKut0r
Qy891K8“I don’t want to feel like that again when the time comes to protect something.”181O
cEISABOnly then did Arwen see what lived inside Zed’s eyes.oUy
TN0Regret born from helplessness.NO3
BedIGNIt wasn’t simply that he had failed to protect Perda. There was something deeper behind it.a5T
dg7vfjmHearing that, Arwen smiled.FeHO1j
BZFcqZed frowned at that smile.JI6THuz
hbvJzX“And what the hell are you laughing at?”3wVqc
eB6“Nothing. Then we’ll start with some light physical training.”iQN9q1
Tfal“What kind of bullshit physical training—?”F0FZHe
sf1E“Let’s do a simple five laps around the castle and think about it afterward!”pW96
ZIBEhT“Five laps!?”QknCQk
weD“To become a knight under Count Consilus, you need at least that level of stamina. Besides, we can’t spend entire years on this, right?”6W5DuDL
klbGhOR“No, well, that’s true, but—.”EUaxjFx
Vzz“Then let’s run.”wLZ6Vfc
gDG408GArwen started running, and Zed followed behind him.2wy6h
dgaMaybe he could end up growing close to this man.5GlmjXB
o9W“Ah, Zed-ssi. Could you help me with something after training?”hxcgG
z3nd“With what?”ra4X
MbVUgep“I have to write a letter, but my head can’t come up with a single decent sentence. I thought that with your talent, maybe something could come out…”2dl
PU9“And what use would my writing be…?”OqQh
zqO4jPZed left the sentence unfinished as he realized something.tUIpT8
juaVay“Don’t tell me it’s the girl who was staring at you so intensely during the Grand Council?”hd3hQw
MpwT5aArwen turned to look at him.M8J
YpeXpHis face clearly said, “How the hell did you know that?”mTfMtC
2ktt“Yes, well…”w8haX
plm“So all that knightly honor and all that bullshit, but in the end you’re a man too! Since when have you been writing to each other?”3qv5l70
2oik“I received a letter three days ago. It said she liked seeing me serve in the Far East.”SMDbEA
v4bzLf“That means she likes you. I’ll help you all you want. Just say the word. I can even teach you perfectly how to pick up women using wolf monster stories.”CAdoGI2
DVdqF“Yes, tha— wait a moment, wolf monsters?”c6Bcg
ycGEDu4“Yeah, wolf monsters.”cxi7
bvIj“Didn’t that happen recently?”5toxKQ
VjWg“That’s right.”jSH
uK1Arwen blinked.QXCC
3OQ4sN“And even while being so tormented, you still had the energy to chase women?”4bOF
Fnimp“Ah, well…”ETc
z1O89In truth, Zed did not want to do it either.S38x
9EYDO7But there was an unavoidable reason.uqHAp9I
jDe9p“Why!? Why aren’t you going to do it!? You promised you would! You said that since I used magic, you’d let me absorb your energy! Harem buffet! You promisedddddd! Liar! Liar!”8fPA9n
q3WPenelope was hitting his head with a pillow while making a scene, demanding what she considered an entirely legitimate claim.Wt7Q
zeUTf1uSince he did not want to explain that whole process, Zed answered briefly.Ojla
3fnyv“There are things a man has to do.”CMuPBbe
VHfFUu“…….”G93ckg
arVM“You have to eat, right?”pgYzAqz
uq2o9“……Ten laps.”WfNYZm
luweQu“What? Why!?”gQFBuan
lMSU***DX7qdX
DaA5Stephan returned.YQhu
KqQ1The joy from the successful business lasted only briefly, because inside the carriage, his mood became unsettled again.xSfNZ
rbLd9Perda’s words continued echoing in his ears.FX6G
hTRJ7I— Then you have no value.9k4v
9GcUxDid he have no value if he did not obtain the Pascal Trading Company?h74
CjiWas the only reason Perda recruited him the value of the company?gpnEb
C6JIf he became independent, he could grow perfectly well.17y2x
LrK1YKAnd not just any growth, but explosive growth.WxgoL
h51BPWrPerda had been regent for less than a year.XH4C
KWH6QAnd his economic knowledge barely scratched the surface.PkKG4
6JiDpAIt was impossible for someone like that to understand how aggressive and revolutionary this strategy was.9wro
aXNnDThe Pascal Company would look like nothing more than a turnip growing in a field compared to what they could achieve.CyeihY
JdIV‘And what’s the point of explaining it?’CRb
mGCgfUStephan wanted to at least breathe a little.JQz90u5
IUH0amHe wanted to sit at his desk and relax, if only for a moment.NNOyG
meVgI“You’ve returned?”ObDCXw
4DKYwJs“Yes, I’m back. But why is the atmosphere so tense?”j7pxzL
qrAiULo“It’s because he came…”IG6Rx
7Az“Me? Because I came, everyone’s this tense…?”XHb
xWf9o8“No, not you, division chief…”dXJKVcu
LExGOnly then did he understand.IIRzA
Nu0Who could create such a heavy atmosphere.xj7ZAlK
x9lHGX“M-my brother?”pdJc3
OsMThe secretary nodded slightly.aRzRBF
1Nk5zRyThe moment he understood, Stephan also began to tense up.g8DI
Ln6lLfEverything that happened in Hallim had already been reported, and his brother surely understood the situation perfectly.Tkpi
YDL1T“……Couldn’t you tell him I had to go somewhere else?”IYC
sjW6“We can’t.”StQbHSa
DMWP“No, then at least let me change clothes or something before seeing him…”6u0
Faa“Division chief.”8Gh0
pCRThe secretary grabbed Stephan’s shoulder as he nervously babbled.atA9jQt
mRGEuo“You must go.”jxdFVM
20wNWQjThe last thing Stephan wanted was to do exactly that.Y6PrP
RPt6UBut he still dragged his feet toward the stairs.0pQ
uzCHe opened the door cautiously, as though entering an execution chamber.kXpToA
ya56Sitting in front of his desk was a very familiar muscular man.h5m
3jJZtXw“Stephan? Long time no see.”rEk0sT
qiHNThat man greeting him like a thug was Merchit Pascal, Stephan’s older brother.9Fu
FxpLYThe muscles in his arms looked as though they were about to tear through the silk of his clothes.P9Wq
PQ4Stephan swallowed nervously.RMO7ia
FzMPLg“It’s been a long time… hyung-nim.”yop2
smB3Gk“What’s with the hyung-nim? Call me hyung, idiot. More than a hundred bastards call me hyung-nim, so among blood of the same family we should be closer, don’t you think?”7yC3
jDQL“……No, hyung-nim. How could I…?”E7BpG9
MCBhSuc“What a suffocating guy.”ivC
n15TAMerchit smiled mockingly as he spoke.6t83s
LYPXSr1“I heard you went to Hallim.”0alUK
8fSNY21“Yes.”YN3
xXj“Why?”M1JW0Ou
XSDE“There was an exhibition in the Far East, and I went to support it.”AbNKIeP
a4TD“Wasn’t that the place Father said we should stay away from? You’re still clinging to that?”GMzb
Gw5“Yes. It has enough commercial value to invest in.”vsNCV
bzC“So you’re saying your eye for business is better than Father’s?”s2R
5Y9“How could I dare insult Father…?”n5Mn
qJJTFh“You still have no backbone, damn it. Just speak clearly already. Don’t be so damn frustrating.”kX4IaFo
5IsiBang!d8abA
EyAlMerchit slammed the desk violently.jAWrpY
ZdKq269A desk that would not move even under mountains of documents cracked from a single blow.jgtTbX
dfxMMerchit looked at the crack and scratched his head.8uiii
p9N“Ah, shit. I hit it too hard. I’ll pay for it later. Anyway, I heard everything. So you even opened trade with Lord Ahmad in Hallim?”Y4xNbis
SM8FyJ“Yes.”rKYA
265AAf5“You know I’ve been working that region for years, right?”KpVfYMk
gTE“Yes, I know.”tnMY
NHN“And even knowing your hyung was conquering the south, you tried to swallow everything for yourself? That juicy piece?”ubv0
IBrs8Stephan hurriedly tried to justify himself.2IN
i5A“That wasn’t my intention.”ajA
mq1D“But you still accepted it knowing everything.”ZIdfc3
EkTJgXe“I had no reason to refuse. Besides, this agreement was directed and achieved by Regent Perda.”qCZ
XfdMBRd“Sure, and since I was sitting around doing nothing, I have no connection to it whatsoever, right?”4O07Ci
A8ew1R“It’s not that you have no connection, but…”bZ7dir
OE0jHis voice faded.n6qk
mEUH0SMerchit looked at him in disgust before sighing.DFNd
LArNhy“Well, what can you do? It’s not good for family to tear each other apart either.”biP
SMdeWould the conversation end there?dUR4X
LaCA5Unfortunately, that wish would not come true.ktfppfT
clp“Your hyung isn’t asking for much. I just want to share the trade of goods circulating through Hallim. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?”MgT
SGK8“Share…? You mean putting it under both our names?”nNE8eg
OitVSRr“Yeah. In the end, it’s business for the same family. You can grant me that much, right?”V9QSVy
gUAThe road to Hallim was a road to a gold mine.GuNc7Sa
MR96sHcEven if they split it between two people, both could sit atop mountains of money.Rz7
eafStep back a little.vMY33F
Xt2Give a little.cXKb0
zUXeIGSHowever.i7KEV
3l00For some reason, Stephan no longer wanted to do that.voMEJr
lAjwu“That…”3Nf2Rj
O4nKStephan opened his mouth.o9ryd
iw6And what came out was the first shot announcing war.tSa6
DvbnR9“It’s my business.”EJx
QvlMerchit’s face completely hardened.nQVyT
P9UFwp0“Hey, Stephan.”HQN1QS
8Ez“Yes.”xAGOQpE
ivYKK“So what you’re saying is that you won’t even lend the road or the carriages to your hyung, is that it?”HGbN
dse76It felt as though a tiger were staring directly at him.U51
LyaStephan’s legs began to tremble.0OdUT
oeUPAjMerchit never hesitated to use violence.LtU
7rqEAnd once he started, he did not stop until he broke something.c07
1y2Stephan had always been the target of that violence, which was why the fear was deeply engraved into him.5zgc
hN2But there was something even greater than that fear.NdxzWl
VcGpo‘Losing his trust…’pVUh
l4WThe trust of Perda, who believed in him as a merchant without questioning him.LMz
jlJsJKUHe had already disappointed him once by backing down from the succession struggle.fhBUTC
ADbWPAnd back then, Perda had told him this.k5dIt
9O8NThat abandoning even what you already possessed just to settle for less was what ordinary merchants did.KPAO
LzVbn2ECompromise.Y3kF501
RMXL5Compromise is a useful tool for mediating conflict.i6D
TWZrQkBut only now did Stephan understand what kind of compromise Perda had meant.rfqW
RyFcGznIt was exactly this.trsdT
vKb4qX3Like a camel first sticking its head in and eventually taking over the entire tent.vj0Ly5
XUiPeople who do not stop until they take everything from you.dCcwdMu
UmhvYStephan could no longer disappoint someone who trusted him.vCKz
3wCtLH‘And not myself either…’lfbKU8x
uEjqThat was why he stepped forward.LjO
qAbFlDD“As for Hallim… I’ll monopolize it myself.”XmrI
S7O49“…….”iRvH
Cuh9u9kMerchit stood up.d6F5Jc
ycN3PHe was already intimidating while seated, but standing made his presence overwhelming.U22t
vKKCVStephan felt as though that fist could bury itself into his stomach at any moment.MGCx
Fhkkv“Fine. If that’s your decision, then so be it.”5MOa
HR6ZyxW“…….”xigK2h8
D1i“But if you’re not going to consider our situation, then we won’t consider yours anymore either.”Hd0
5JdMerchit walked past Stephan and patted him on the shoulder.VWDT
Fdfoe“Let’s see how long you survive without me.”u4pYQrc
pg1fZqCAnd then he left the room.nghSP
DOmRSThe moment Stephan realized that storm had passed, the strength left his legs.6Y4jPd
z07O0It was the first time.9xpyj
lXAwcBThe first time he had stood against that terrifying, untouchable brother.ph5Vi4X
hCQBJQ“Huff……”lH72f
4JjBePerda had promised Stephan that he would make him the owner of the Pascal Company.pk8Z5
SO5BWhat did one need to become an owner?2JM
SfqQeHerman Pascal’s seal of approval?gOYATLW
lQbYr9Or more money and connections than them?1Sf1xU
PSnZThe most important thing was—T8lB
Bev‘Having the heart of an owner.’rLl
a1CkThe ability to protect what was yours.sfguSa
fdI1i6The ability to assert your rights without yielding to outside pressure.IT7
cYP2VThat was why Stephan spoke with difficulty.jJyBQ0
s6M9wD“I did the right thing.”2AG2
PYlWpEven if it meant opening a path covered in painful thorns…Lk42b
7nKYwThat was what he believed.IPfy0Bh
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Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationStephen family is messed up.