novelraw Chapter 303: Beggar Siblings - The Clever Giant
Chapter 303: Beggar Siblings - The Clever Giant
302: Beggar Siblings - The Clever Giant
“That, then I shall take my leave. I will continue to keep an eye on Prince Gilbert Forte.”
Brian Sauer, a man with oddly many fine wrinkles for his age, backed out of the marquis’ office.
Marquis Benar Tatian only nodded from his desk, making no further movements.
His interest was gradually waning.
When the Sauer barony came to him complaining about foreign interference, it had been quite intriguing at the time…
Despite the considerable help he had provided, the barony eventually fell into the hands of Bretin Sauer, and Brian Sauer—the man before him—was utterly useless.
He proclaimed himself the master of every auction house in Orville and tried to prove his worth, but it was all just a noisy nuisance.
Benar quickly erased Brian Sauer from his mind. His world was too vast to waste time on such trivial matters.
Clink. Finishing the remainder of his drink, Marquis Benar Tatian pulled out a new folder of documents and began to skim through them.Recently, the situation in the Holy Kingdom of Jerome had been unusual. There had been numerous noteworthy incidents, all centered around Saintness Meriel.
Cardinal Michael, the most esteemed theologian and a key figure of the church, had been abruptly ousted from power.
It was said he had engaged in some illegal dealings with the House of Count Simon. Well, that wasn’t Benar’s concern. The real problem was that the saintess was throwing her support behind the Frederick royal family.
This might have adverse effects on “trade.”
Benar thought he should contact the House of Count Oscar, which bordered his western territories.
And then there was something else…
The Maunin-Reti Tournament in the Kingdom of Aslan concluded successfully, and Prince Eric de Yeriel of the Kingdom of Conrad is still pressing for marriage to the Princess of the Kingdom of Aisel... Nothing of much importance there.
After quickly skimming through foreign affairs, Benar tossed the document folder into the fireplace.
His attention now turned inward, to matters within the kingdom.
The King.
Karoman de Tatalia, who had been quiet for a while, was up to something interesting again.
He had recently invited Prince Vivian de Isadora of the Kingdom of Aisel. What was he planning this time?
Observing the King’s actions, it was impossible to look away; everything he did was bizarre.
It seemed as if he was deliberately trying to ruin the kingdom. He wasn’t obsessed with wine, women, or gambling, yet he neglected state affairs. The last time he had proposed expanding the prisons, Benar had made a sarcastic remark.
- "It seems His Majesty has a peculiar interest in where the moss grows."
The way the King had glared at him, seething with anger, had been amusing. Benar still couldn’t fathom what went on in that man’s head—a truly peculiar person.
He shifted his thoughts.
Like the King, another eccentric person came to his mind: his political rival, Count Forte, who obsessively shielded the Crown Prince.
Count Herman Forte had been fervently expanding the knight order, using the Kingdom of Aslan’s rise as a superpower under King as an excuse.
Last year, he caused controversy by significantly lowering the standards for entry into the knight order, proclaiming, “Knights can be trained!”
Why was he in such a hurry?
It didn’t seem like he was preparing for a rebellion, given his loyalty to the royal family... Surely he wasn’t planning to target me, was he?
Benar chuckled to himself, dismissing the thought. He paced around his vast office, slowly moving from the fireplace to the opposite wall, where a portrait of his deceased wife hung. His thoughts drifted to a young man who had recently piqued his interest.
A commoner who was in a relationship with Lady Jenia, a reckless noblewoman.
At first, he had been outraged that she, who had refused to marry even his own son, was now involved with a commoner.
But as he looked into it, things didn’t seem so simple.
The man was more intriguing than Lady Jenia. Benar's curiosity grew, and he began investigating the young man.
He had once been a beggar on the streets, recently taken in by a gang called the Rauno Family, and had a stunningly beautiful younger sister.
At first glance, there was nothing remarkable about it.
Perhaps he simply had good looks that caught Jenia’s eye — that was understandable.
But then a report came in that the young man had single handedly beaten a group of thugs who had picked a fight with him.
Setting aside how a skinny beggar could do such a thing, why had he remained a beggar for so long? And with such skills, why wasn’t he working as a gangster himself instead of as a servant?
And how on earth had he managed to get Gustav’s permission…?
That was the crux of the matter.
Hiding one’s abilities and plotting in secret was one thing.
For an ambitious young man, that was to be expected.
But the fact that this young man had won the approval of Count Gustav Peter, whom Benar knew to be deeply obsessed with bloodlines, was nearly impossible to fathom.
And yet, he had done it.
Benar was so perplexed by this that he couldn’t even think about revising his existing plans.
He had intended to approach the young man with a deal when he found himself in trouble over his relationship with Jenia... but now, he had no pretext to get involved.
Tsk.
What should he do now?
As Benar clicked his tongue and glanced out the window, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
A young man with light blue-blond hair, riding a white horse with a slight limp, was approaching the mansion. Benar muttered,
“Indeed, this one is no ordinary fool.”
He put down his drink and straightened up. Soon, the young man arrived and personally handed him an invitation to his own engagement ceremony.
Along with an unbelievable introduction.
---
“Woody. Stay still.”
- Neigh!
A pure white mare licked Lean’s head.
As Lean expected, the mount awarded to him through the achievement was Woody. He felt a bit wounded in his pride.
It wasn't that he particularly disliked Woody, but why was he the only one given a mare?
The affectionate brown horse, Bante, who often pouted, had been assigned to Rev, while the muscular black stallion, Kus, had gone to Rev. But when it came to the mount achievement, a strange bias was clearly at play. It was an odd assumption that a mare suited him best.
Lean clicked his tongue in frustration.
- Neigh?
"...Stop licking me. I need to focus now."
He tidied his hair, which had been messed up by the mare’s tongue, and as she tried to lick him again, he grabbed the reins to stop her, calling out to a nearby guard.
“What business do you have here?”
“I’ve come from the House of Count Peter. I have a letter that must be delivered directly to the marquis.”
Showing the proof of Count Peter’s authority, Lean passed through the front gate easily.
But now, the real challenge began.
Meeting Marquis Tatian from this point on was the point of no return. In truth, ever since he had met Jenia, this meeting had been inevitable, so Lean had decided to make the first move.
It was a decision meant to leave a stronger impression on the marquis, but also influenced by Astroth’s recent actions.
Is it because he’s no longer bound by the reins?
Since defeating the Malhas, the history of the Kingdom of Aslan had changed.
However, given that certain {events} inevitably happen, Astroth summoning a prince from another kingdom was highly unusual.
This could eliminate the largest event in the engagement scenario, the {war}, but Astroth seemed to be making decisions that suited his altered reality without concern.
Astroth had likely concluded that waging war with the Kingdom of Aslan posed too great a risk. Though he desired the Kingdom of Bellita to fall into some level of chaos to supply him with divine power, he didn’t want it to completely collapse.
That meant Astroth would likely continue to act this way moving forward. Lean’s purpose was to observe how these new developments unfolded, even from a distance.
And while he was at it, he wouldn’t mind securing an achievement or two…
Lean had expected to wait for a while in the reception room, but the butler immediately led him to the study.
On the way, they passed Brian Sauer, who walked by with a grim expression. Lean glanced at him briefly.
Why is he still around? He’s not even a baron anymore.
Lean wondered why the marquis kept someone like him close by so frequently as he stepped into the study. The air felt cold as he entered.
Icy blue eyes.
The massive desk, the piles of documents, the neatly arranged liquor bottles, and the window reflecting the cloudy sky—all these elements seemed perfectly fitting for the marquis.
Marquis Benar Tatian was waiting for him, looking exactly the same as before. In the past, Lean had swallowed nervously in his presence, but this time, his demeanor was different.
“...”
“...”
He didn’t greet the marquis first.
He simply stood awkwardly in the middle of the study, and the marquis quickly grasped the reason. Even understanding it, he did not move.
He wants me to stand up and greet him. The marquis put on a deliberately displeased expression.
“If you have a letter to deliver, leave it and be on your way.”
It was a polite way to dismiss an unwanted guest.
But Lean had his own response.
“This is an invitation. I’ve come personally to deliver news of my engagement to Lady Jenia.”
He wasn’t just some courier.
—That was the message, but the marquis countered.
“Congratulations, and well done. But why should I stand for this? Even Count Gustav Peter doesn’t make me rise from my seat.”
I am the marquis—a noble among nobles. Apart from the royal family, there is no one higher than me in this kingdom, barring the duke of royal blood, who is somewhat of an anomaly.
Moreover, in the Kingdom of Bellita, there were no ducal houses, so no higher noble existed here.
However, this was all part of Lean’s plan. Standing firm, he declared decisively,
“You were the one to raise the matter of qualifications, so let’s not be ashamed. I will break tradition and introduce myself first. I am Lean de Yeriel, heir to the House of Yeriel. Now, how will you introduce yourself to me?”
The marquis froze for a moment. Lean de Yeriel? But he died—ages ago.
However, as the pieces clicked into place, Marquis Tatian realized the truth.
The past as a beggar wandering the streets, the beautiful younger sister, and the reason why Gustav had granted permission. The light blue-blond hair and the golden eyes...
I didn’t connect the dots.
Marquis Benar Tatian slowly rose from his seat and bowed his head slightly. He spoke with considerable politeness.
“Benar Tatian. I failed to recognize the rightful heir of the Yeriel royal family. But…”
Aside from your title, you have nothing to your name, do you? The ruler of the western territories of Bellita Kingdom probed the impoverished prince.
“It is an honor that the deposed prince himself would bring me his engagement invitation, but I assume you have another reason for visiting me beyond extending the invitation?”
Now, he had to be extremely careful with his words.
If he made the wrong move, he could find himself politely detained. But Lean de Yeriel simply scoffed and replied,
“You failed to seek me out, despite having something you desire from me. So I came to you first, Marquis Tatian. If you question why I am here while watching over us, what answer can I give?”
“...”
“First, please accept the invitation. My engagement with Jenia is in three weeks.”
“Three weeks? But Prince Vivian de Isadora is arriving next week. It seems you’ve chosen the wrong date.”
Lean shook his head.
“No, the prince will return home around two weeks from now. It’s the very reason your king invited him…”
“...?”
Ask. You will certainly ask.
Do I have nothing to show for myself other than my title? Lean, who had deliberately left his sentence unfinished, was already sitting at the top of the mind of the clever giant.