Chapter 113 – Chapter 12

After completing the business she had to convey to Kaisent, Akina approached Lillian.
Unlike the weak young ladies, the nobles here are those who survived the civil war.
That’s why the light momentum she sowed did not scatter like her ants.

“I’m going to have an important talk with you, but I want you all to step aside.”

However, when she began to show her spirit in earnest with her subtle smile, some of the nobles who could not overcome her spirit hurriedly avoided her.

Still, some nobles resisted Akina’s momentum.

Prana was a means to strengthen one’s realm without bone-breaking training, so it is no exaggeration to say that all nobles in this world learned Prana.

Among them, nobles with a lot of money basically reached expert level and countered Akina’s momentum.

“I’m sorry, but our business is not finished.”
“Anyway, the party hasn’t even started, isn’t it time?”

If it’s not urgent, they came first, so it’s a legitimate protest to keep your turn.
However, Akina lightly dismissed such protests.

Oh oh oh —-

“Kuk!”
“Town!”

The aristocrats who had the courage to see Lillian and Priscilla’s beauty began to break out in a cold sweat as Akina, who reached Origin’s realm, applied her momentum in earnest.

“Wait a minute.”

At that time, thinking that if Akina lost her pretense with her nobles, her revenge would be affected, Lillian intervened in her middle and took Akina’s momentum with the power of the master.

“Do we really need to frown at each other on such a fine day? Count Akina seems to have something important to tell me, so I’d appreciate it if you all generously conceded.”
“…If it’s that urgent, I can’t help it.”
“It’s big. We’ll concede this.”

When Lillian gave the nobles a chance to step back while building their pride, they, who were struggling with Akina’s momentum, backed down, saying they were giving in.

“Tsk. Anyway, the central aristocrats’ bluff. Let’s move for a while.”

Akina invited Lillian and Priscilla to move to the corner.

Lillian, who couldn’t understand why she wanted to talk to them secretly, moved her seat and opened her mouth, opening a curtain that blocked out the sound.

“What do you want me to do, Count Akina?”
“You can talk comfortably here, Princess Lillian Valen Prosteni.”
“!!”

Lillian made an expression of astonishment at the sight of Akina, who clearly saw through her true identity.
If he hadn’t been able to cover his face in a corner, it was loud enough to be noticed by other nobles.

“How to do it!”

Priscilla, who came with her, shouted softly and reflexively stood up to protect Lillian.

“In the past, when dealing with a greenskin army led by heterogeneous orcs, there was an opportunity to identify you as a Wolf. At that time, I was surprised that a person who used to be a man pretended to be a woman, but after taking time to think about it, I felt a sense of incongruity that the mercenary leader and vice-captain were experts.”

Once he had doubts like that, he thought every action had a meaning, and after secretly investigating the background, he was able to arrive at the fact that Wolf was Princess Lillian.

“…Do you intend to threaten me?”
“Threats? Heh. It seems you’ve been away from aristocratic society for too long.”
“What…”
“Do I look like a piece of crap doing just that?”

As Akina, a one-man army, focused her energy on Lillian, she looked straight into her eyes while breaking out in a cold sweat.

“I apologize for the rudeness.”
“Heh. Fortunately, you haven’t lost your dignity as a princess.”

Akina, who smiled at the woman who did not show her servitude even while taking her own momentum head-on, thought about something for a while before opening her mouth again.

“But you seem to have a different face from what I remember? Magic doesn’t work in this place.”

In preparation for an emergency, the royal party cannot use all magic throughout the party, and there is an anti-magic magic circle that dissolves the magical effect.

“I had to work hard to get her head rolling because things get annoying when her face is known.”
“I heard that the Murim people change their faces with a technique called reverse yongjutsu.”
“That’s pretty much it.”

Unable to reveal that Kai Sent even uses her divine power, Lillian evasively evaded her face.

“By the way, I don’t think you came to the party to confirm that I’m a princess. What’s the point?”
“I know my position well. I’m a margrave who blocks the kingdom of the dead, but among the nobles I’m called a stubborn, rude, strong-willed man.”
“…?”
“So I planted my own person in order to grasp the atmosphere in the center. But from that, the royal family is showing strange movements.”

Akina, using her mana as if it were her hand, brought her distant drinking goblet and quenched her throat slightly.

“It’s like attacking the kingdom of the dead.”
“!!”
“I have also confirmed information that a person from the royal family has contacted you. From here on out, it’s just my guess, but the royal family expects to regain some territory from the Command Kingdom and appoint you there.”

Whenever Lillian heard Akina’s story, she couldn’t hide her surprise.
Because she was right in what she said.

‘I knew he wasn’t just a strong warrior, but that was it…’

Akina also knew that it was difficult for her to get along with other nobles, and that she was displeased with herself for remaining neutral both at the court and before civil war.

Therefore, she independently operated an information network to quickly catch the atmosphere of the royal family and prepare for various situations in advance.
This is an idea she would never have thought of if she were a warrior who only pursued strength.

“That reaction is enough, but I’d like to hear it from your mouth, right?”
“…Exactly.”
“Haa. There are still undead left in the country, but you’re attacking the kingdom of the dead. I didn’t look that stupid when I saw it before.”

Akina, who openly cursed at the second prince, now the king of Harlot Kingdom, frowned at her as if she didn’t understand.

“When I pointed out that part, it seemed like I had my own thoughts.”
“I don’t know what it is, but it looks like you’ve found a way out of this situation.”

From the person Akina planted, it was impossible to gather more information than this.
In the first place, checking only the atmosphere of the royal family is the limit.

Akina, who learned of her royal plan, thought of something about her as she twirled her wine glass.

“But I don’t understand this much. Why did you accept the royal offer? Is it to revive the Luciar Kenel family once again?”

Use the power of Harlot Kingdom to regain the Kingdom of Lucy Arkenel… There is a limit to what you can see.

From Akina’s point of view, she could sense the purpose of using the royal family’s territory as bait to make Lillian and Priscilla fight against the Realm for the rest of their lives.

If you go on like this, you will be bound by the gaudy name of territory without any benefit or honor, and it will only serve as a meat shield to block the invasion of the kingdom of spirits first.

Still, the royal family will provide some support, so are they trying to get revenge on the kingdom of the dead that destroyed their homeland with that support?

“Because I felt hope.”
“Hope?”
“The hope that, with luck and good timing, we can get our country back.”
“…That requires two absolute conditions.”
“Yes. The people of the Kingdom of Lucy Arkenel in the Kingdom of the Dead must be alive. And they must miss the royal family.”
“Are you betting all your chips on uncertain luck knowing that?”
“If that doesn’t work, I’ll just throw away all of my nobles and run away to the East Continent and start over. No one knows my real face anyway. Hohoho.”

Akina had a strange feeling that Lillian, whom she thought would be clinging to the restoration of the royal family, was free.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but from now on, I’ll tell you the business I came to this place for myself.”
“You mean me?”

She was expecting Count Akina, who never attends parties, to come here and talk about something.

“Jean Leslie Kaicent.”
“!?”
“Give the child to me.”
“What is that…”
“If you accept this offer, we will give full support to the princess’ estate. We cannot change our nationality for the contract as a nobleman, but if the princess wishes, we will indirectly help rebuild the royal family.”

Before Lillian could say anything, Akina threw the best move she could come up with.

Lillian and Priscilla looked devastated at her proposal, but quickly regained their cool.

“I refuse.”
“Don’t you like the terms?”
“It’s not that I don’t like it. Even if Count Akina comes in as my servant, I will refuse.”

The three women faced each other and engaged in an intense fight.
Akina sighed and explained why she should give Kai Cents to herself.

“That child is a genius. But he is a genius with poor foundations. Do you know how vainly geniuses without a proper education collapse and fade?”
“That…”
“5 years. If he gets 5 years of education under me, that child can reveal his genius to the continent. And I can stop the envy of the nasty people who are jealous of that genius.”
“…”
“Even if you go through many real battles under you, you will be able to rise to the ranks of the strong enough. However, geniuses who have laid the foundation through systematic training and geniuses who have built a foundation without foundation are completely different.”

Akina’s goal is to bring Kaicent under her.

Kaicent, who has seen and experienced himself, has enough talent to downgrade those who have been called geniuses so far to geniuses.

As a person who finds a treasure, it is unbearable to see such a talent wasted in vain.

“If Kai Sent’s talent blooms like that, I’ve also planned to marry one of her daughters. It’s her son-in-law’s way, but it would be better for that child who has become heterogeneous and has no ties.”
“!!”
“Please give me that child for Kaicent’s future.”

That’s right.
If things go according to Count Akina’s plan, Kaicent will become a member of an aristocratic family and walk on a solid road while publicizing his outstanding genius.

‘For Kaicent’s happiness, one way is to send it to Count Akina, who can understand its value more accurately than anyone else and treat it with care.’

But,

“Even so, I can’t give you Kaicent.”

No matter what Lillian did, she couldn’t let Kai Cent go.

How could she sell her husband, whom she loved so much that it broke her heart when she could only imagine falling.

“Disappointed, Princess. Are you willing to sacrifice the child’s talents to her own selfishness?”
“She has no intention of sacrificing the child. I will do anything to help him grow up right.”
“As the leader of a mere mercenary group? If the kingdom’s plan succeeds, that child will have to fight under you for the rest of his life against the kingdom of the dead?”
“If he is with me, many hardships will come to that child too. But even in difficult circumstances, I will nurture that child’s talent. Even at the risk of my life.”

It was Akina who was taken aback by Lillian’s determination to risk her own life.

‘What? Why are you willing to risk your life for Kaicent?’

Isn’t this more than a level to treat as a subordinate, but to cherish like life?

In addition, it was even more embarrassing to see Priscilla, who was with Lillian, agreeing with that.

Of course she became Kaicent’s wife and Akina, who didn’t know that she was in love, couldn’t understand their strange behavior.

“If that’s all you’re talking about, let’s end the conversation.”

As Lillian glanced behind Akina, she could see the King there, who had arrived at the party with a lightly-clad escort.

“His Majesty Fenion de Val Galaig, the rightful ruler of the great Kingdom of Harlot and the 13th King, enters.”

Lastly, the servant announced the appearance of the king, and all nobles bowed and bowed.

“Everyone stop being polite. Didn’t we overcome countless national difficulties thanks to the noble blood here?”

After the king spoke, everyone began to straighten their backs.
The king is so old that he can’t believe that not long ago he was a prince.
No matter how good you look at it, late 30s?

When you think of a prince, you feel like someone in their 10s or 20s, but in fact, it was common for princes to take the throne at the age of 30-40, unless there were special circumstances.

In fact, the king, who was the second prince who won the civil war, had already given birth to three children, and his youngest was even in his mid-teens.

As proof, the princes who appeared with the king were all grown up except for the youngest.

“I’d like to start a party right away, but before that, there’s something I need to tell you.”

The late nobleman thought it was a story related to a mercenary named Noriyoshi who pulled out the legendary sword said to have been used by the first king, but those who quickly acquired information like Akina knew that Noriyoshi was a taboo word at this party.

It’s because Noriyoshi disappeared along with the first king’s sword.

Even now, pursuers were attached to find Noriyoshi, but his corpse was buried in an appropriate place by Kaisent and was used to expand the black dimension storage, so no matter how skilled and experienced the pursuers were, it was impossible to trace them.

Since Galaig, who originally occupied Noriyoshi’s body, moved after killing all the watchers, as long as the pursuers gather information based on the power and majesty of the sword, they will not be able to capture even Kaicent’s shadow forever.

“Wolf of the Mercenary Corps, no, Lillian, come to Jim.”

Naturally, the name Lillian was not a name exclusive to the princesses of the Lucy Arkenel royal family, so she confidently revealed her real name.

Oh oh–

When Lillian showed off her beautiful figure and gracefully headed toward the king, exclamations came out of the mouths of the nobles.

Even if his face has changed, it is because the original version is so superior and reveals the dignity of a princess.

Lilian knelt down on one knee, looking up at Fenion, who was sitting on a throne several steps higher.

‘Sorry, Obama. Forgive me for kneeling before another king. But all this is to resurrect the kingdom.’

Inwardly apologizing to her father, she waited for the king to open her mouth.

“You are the hero who showed your strength as a master and prevented foreign followers from polluting this land.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Since the filthy vampires of the Realm of the Dead have roamed our lands and revealed their filthy ambitions, Jim needs a young hero like you. So let me ask you officially.”

The story has already been agreed upon in advance, but the king speaks as if he is talking for the first time.

“After Jim has calmed the undead situation in the country within half a year, he will punish the Necromancer Kingdom for daring to do dirty tricks to us.”

Here, the reaction of the nobles was divided into two.
In response to what is to come and what do you mean by this?

“Lillian, I ask you. After half a year, will you use your power in a righteous war to punish the kingdom of the dead?”
“Yes. I will use my power for the sake of mankind in a large scale, and further for the kingdom of Harlot.”
“Okay. If you play a big role in the war half a year later and regain the territory of mankind, I will entrust that territory to you by formally appointing you as a nobleman.”

The nobles, who had not expected this situation, could understand what was going on when they heard the king’s words.

That the king was trying to make the most of the strength of the Wolf mercenaries with two masters.

Even if the territory is successfully seized in war, it is impossible to recapture the entire old Lucy Arkenel.

In other words, even if you become a noble, you will have to spend your whole life fighting against the kingdom of the dead.

The aristocrats who survived the civil war, the definitive version of all sorts of conspiracies and divisions, stupidly said, ‘How can you make a lowly mercenary a nobleman!’ He didn’t complain.

“I will summon you in half a year. Until then, try to grow your strength.”
“Yes. I will prepare the mercenaries in the best condition for the Harlot Kingdom.”

Both Wang and Lillian acted together, knowing that what they wanted was the master’s power.

“The Church of Medelgard is angered by the dirty deeds of the kingdom of the dead and is organizing the purification knights! Our kingdom will prosper by occupying the area of ​​the royal family of Lucy Arkenel!”

At the king’s command, the musicians who had arrived earlier and were making final adjustments began to play soft, old-fashioned music.

‘The Order of Medelgard and the Purification Knights?’
‘If only the Medelgard Church, which is specialized in vs. When, would help!’
‘There is black soil in Lucia Arkenel! If you take that soil… !’

Due to the king who deliberately informed that the Order of Medelgard was organizing the Knights of Purification, the nobles who were swollen with greed to obtain a territory with black soil that exists only in Lucy Arkenel got together and discussed something.

Naturally, the king, who wanted this situation, smiled with satisfaction, expecting the nobles to provide their own troops and military funds.

However, no one here noticed the presence of bats flying over the party garden.