novelraw Chapter 115 : Chapter 115
Chapter 115 : Chapter 115
Chapter 115
Sven’s slanted gaze bore down on Ian.
“So, you want me to craft armor using that?”
“Eh, we can’t use just one material. Of course, we’ll mix it with other leather.”
26 hours.
The guy who had been in a coma for a whopping 26 hours came looking for him at the break of dawn and was making this fuss.
“If miscellaneous things are mixed into scales of that caliber, it will ruin them instead.”
“Why don’t you bring out the materials you’ve been saving? You must have a lot stored up.”
Of course, there were plenty.
Whenever dangerous creatures appeared in the forest, the Count personally stepped up to deal with them.
Instead of selling the usable materials to the Magic Tower, he kept them in the warehouse.
However.
“Ha, anyone would think you left them in my care for safekeeping.”
“Eh, isn't the fortress Moner's, and Moner is Moner?”
Now he didn't even try to hide his greed.
I had thought so from the moment he confidently walked into the office and said he would ‘borrow’ a blacksmith.
“What happened to you?”
Behind Ian, who was wrapped in confidence and self-assurance, there was an anxiety and fear I had never seen before.
The guy who had accomplished miracles one after another so far.
The guy who said he was going out for training but came back having caught the Serpent King.
He came looking for me, trembling in fear.
“Among the Special Mission Unit, you woke up first, so I haven't heard the report yet. I thought you had simply succeeded in hunting a high-ranking monster until now…….”
Everyone in the fortress just thought the Special Mission Unit Captain had done something peculiar again, but no one took it seriously.
The eccentricities of the Special Mission Unit were nothing new.
Everyone was just waiting for the Special Mission Unit to wake up and blabber about their adventure tales.
“It seems that’s not the end.”
The Young Lord's gaze, which should have been boasting about succeeding in an absurd hunt, shook slightly.
* * *
He was a sharp-witted man.
I explained what happened calmly.
“…So Jeremy and Garius moved with the witch for training.”
“…….”
Even until the report ended, the Count didn't say anything and just looked at me.
“The Special Mission Unit collapsing was due to my greed. I absolutely couldn't give up the Serpent King's corpse.”
As I slightly avoided his gaze, feeling ashamed, the Count opened his mouth.
“You are bad at lying.”
“……?”
“Is that why you were so afraid? Because you met a strong person that neither your power nor Moner's military force could deal with?”
I frowned at the Count's words.
“No.”
Just considering the demonkin or the World Tree I had met…….
“Did that strong person target your people, not you?”
“…….”
“When Viscount Godman said in the meeting hall that he would create a ranger unit centered around Hoodwock, you got furiously angry, telling him to do as he pleased if he wanted to die.”
The Count, chuckling, continued.
“The commanders who saw that still think you are crazy. Because it was a foolish act, enough to shake all the trust and evaluation you had built.”
I couldn't help it.
There was no soldier better suited for the new ranger unit than Hoodwock, and the command's judgment was reasonable.
To not lose Hoodwock, I had to be stubborn even if it meant forcing it.
“You, being like that, would absolutely never want to entrust the two wizards to the witch. Because you don't know what such a strong person might do to them.”
I clenched my two hands at the overwhelming sense of powerlessness.
“Do not worry. If the witch is as strong a being as you say, she won't be able to break her word easily.”
Just as I was about to nod quietly, my inner thoughts slipped through my lips.
“My things might be taken away.”
“Is that why you are so impatient? For fear that the witch might demand the two wizards?”
The moment I first sensed the witch's mana.
I thought the Special Mission Unit was dead.
Because no one's mana except the witch's could be felt.
So, what I fear is.
“I fear everything.”
Hoodwock, Vergil, Jeremy, Tail.
I was afraid of facing the death of all Special Mission Unit members.
The reason I accepted the witch's proposal to buy time, and the reason I hoped Garius and Jeremy would become stronger even through that, were the same.
If they can become stronger by that amount of time.
If we can prepare more and get better equipment.
The number of members lost in this war will decrease by that much.
I realized it only the moment I thought I had lost someone.
That I was actually not ready to lose anyone.
* * *
Sven stared blankly at the door Ian had left through.
“If what the Special Mission Unit Captain said is true, the royal family’s backlash will be extreme.”
At the secretary-general's words, the Count nodded.
“They are already bitching about sending the northern nobles back, so if we tell them to wait two more months, they’ll foam at the mouth.”
“Rumors are already spreading in the capital that the Orc invasion is a self-made drama by Moner.”
At the secretary-general's report, the Count frowned.
“Already? That’s too fast.”
Moner is steadily preparing for war.
Right now in the fortress, they are conducting tactical training for small-scale battles every day as the Young Lord said.
The nobles are also doing practical training under the pretext of hunting.
No matter if it's the royal family, spreading malicious rumors now when no one knows when the battle will start was too much.
“Yes, the royal family's movements are unusual. If battle really doesn't break out for over two months…….”
“No, it’s not that.”
Something was strange.
It would be one thing if it was in the territories of the northern nobles, but a rumor starting from the capital.
Even if it spreads throughout the entire south, the northern nobles in the fortress wouldn't hear it.
“It seems the royal family has other ideas……?”
The rumors starting in the capital are not rumors intended to move the northern nobles.
‘Then… are they trying to block other support troops?’
Even seeing it that way was strange.
Since there are no families left to support Moner now anyway.
“…Unless it’s not the royal family. I’ll have to contact Central Hold.”
The Count, frowning, headed to the communication room.
* * *
Marquess Dmitry, who attended the state council meeting, examined the documents with a tired face.
“Next item on the agenda. Once again, regarding the support troops for the Moner family…….”
Just as someone was about to emphasize why Moner needed help.
“Move aside! Who dares to block my way!”
At the shout heard from outside, the gazes of the nobles who entered the meeting hall moved simultaneously.
‘Isn’t that voice the First Prince?’
‘Why is the First Prince here…….’
‘I heard the King didn’t allow a private audience…….’
The nobles’ gazes turned to the King simultaneously.
“Are you saying it’s wrong for a son to want to see his father?! If you don’t let go immediately, I will make sure you never set foot in this palace again!”
As the First Prince's shouting grew louder, the King's face gradually hardened.
The nobles held their breath, waiting for the King's reaction.
‘Worst case scenario.’
The Marquess, holding his breath, scanned the faces in the meeting hall and thought.
‘Of all days, why today when all the ministers of the kingdom are gathered?’
More than the embarrassment and awkwardness blooming on the faces of the King's faction, the curiosity rising on the faces of the nobles' faction was a bigger problem.
The moment they leave the palace, rumors that the First Prince lost his mind and went wild at the state council meeting would spread uncontrollably.
If left like this, even the nobles who kept their neutrality and remained silent, and the nobles' faction, would doubt the First Prince's qualifications.
‘What are the knights outside doing! They should at least knock him out and drag him away!’
It might be different at other times, but not now.
“Move! I said move! If the King is busy, I must see the Marquess at least!”
Just as the Marquess, flinching at the First Prince's voice looking for him, was about to move hurriedly, the King opened his mouth.
“Let him in.”
Simultaneously, the door opened, and the Prince who entered shouted.
“Father!”
Watching that scene, the Marquess's face crumpled quite nicely.
‘Calling His Majesty “Father” in front of the ministers!’
This was troublesome.
Even if the First Prince succeeds to the throne, the nobles might not follow him.
Just as the Marquess, having steeled himself, was about to shout something, the King opened his mouth.
“What is the matter?”
It was a voice with neither anger nor annoyance felt.
To the point where the listening nobles doubted if there really was a problem with the First Prince.
“F-Father! Please punish Trimia, who disobeyed Your Majesty's strict order and has not yet withdrawn his troops!”
It was something he had said dozens, hundreds of times already.
To the point where the King did not allow the Prince's visits because he hated seeing that sight.
“Punishment…….”
However, the King pondered deeply as if he had heard a loyal subject's admonition.
“Of course, disobeying my order is treason in itself. Is it not?”
No one answered that question.
The King continued as if he knew they would.
“But son, Trimia headed to the monster forest directly for the kingdom and the people. If I punish Trimia, wouldn't everyone in the kingdom criticize my judgment?”
“Father is the one and only master of this palace. Unless it is a traitor, who dares to doubt Father's judgment!”
Suddenly, the gazes of the nobles in the meeting hall turned to each other.
The fact that this happened today, when the agenda for Moner's support was brought up thanks to the efforts of some southern nobles, could never be a coincidence.
“You are right. My word is law.”
Suddenly, the King's gaze turned to the Marquess.
As if he knew that his influence was behind the fact that Moner's agenda had come up to the state council meeting after all.
“No one here would dream of doing something I didn't allow. Because I will never just watch.”
Just as the flustered Prince was about to shout something, the King continued.
“Also, I never allowed you to attend the state council meeting. Go back now.”
Before the Prince could answer anything, the Royal Guards appeared and dragged the Prince out.
Just as the bewildered nobles looked at each other, the King laughed and said.
“Hahaha! I hope everyone isn’t offended. That guy is worried about his younger brother beyond measure.”
Although not a single person believed those words, the King continued calmly.
“In the midst of that, rumors even spread that there is actually no enemy trying to invade Moner, so he must have run here surprised. Please understand even if the Prince showed a lacking appearance.”
While the dumbfounded nobles looked at each other, someone opened their mouth.
“Your Majesty, it may not be just a groundless rumor.”
Like a well-scripted play, Count Saite, who naturally gained attention, continued.
“Moner's request is merely a general claim. No one other than Moner has confirmed the existence of the enemy.”
It was an obvious statement.
Since only Moner can see the enemies in the monster forest.
“Perhaps all of this is Moner's scheme. It is a clear fact that they gathered the northern nobles in one place.”
“If support isn't needed, there's no reason to request the kingdom's army!”
When a noble who had given troops to Trimia shouted, the Count continued with a hardened face.
“As the First Prince said, they might be aiming for treason. There would be no place easier to devour support troops than that notorious Front Hold.”
Some with flustered expressions, some with absurd expressions, the nobles' gazes looking at Count Saite reached the King.
Count Saite, the King's long-time loyal subject, is merely a chess piece, and the one who moved him must be the King.
“Hmm… Moner wouldn't do that, but I cannot ignore the Count's advice.”
The Marquess watching the situation couldn't hold back a scoff.
With this crude play, the King succeeded in leaving a suspicion in the nobles' heads that ‘trying to help Moner might get you framed as a traitor’.
“However, we cannot ignore Moner's danger even after seeing it. I will station the kingdom's army at the three Count families, and if the enemy's attack begins, we will support Moner.”
Hearing those words, the Marquess's eyes sank deeply.
‘Is he abandoning Moner in the end…….’
Once the invasion begins, the kingdom's army will block the three Count families and silence the rumors instead of supporting Moner.
Until the war ends, or Moner collapses.