Chapter 185
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 185
‘Marquis Bernhardt has made his move.’
‘His Excellency the Marquis has acted!’
The moment they saw Viscount Oleg Lerum, Lucian and Ernst both had the same thought.
If the Marquis had merely tipped him off about Lucian’s visit, the Viscount wouldn't be this composed. It was clear he had been instructed exactly how to handle Lucian from here on out.
‘As expected of His Excellency!’
‘Let’s see how he plays this.’
Ernst felt a sense of relief at the opponent's swift response, while Lucian felt a surge of competitive spirit.
Though Viscount Oleg was the one standing before them, the true mastermind behind the plan was undoubtedly Marquis Bernhardt. In a way, the battle of wits between Lucian and Marquis Bernhardt had just begun.
“Thank you for the hospitality, Viscount Oleg. I shall trouble you for about three days.”
Lucian spoke in a polite tone to the bowing Viscount.
Viscount Oleg looked startled and shook his head.
“Three days? You are welcome to rest for a full week. I have made preparations for at least that long.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I shouldn't keep the one who invited me to the banquet waiting too long. I’ll leave after a brief rest.”
“If that is the case, I cannot force you to stay. Please, rest as much as you wish.”
Viscount Oleg clicked his tongue in regret and bowed his head. Then, as if he had just remembered, he turned to the messenger, Ernst.
“Ah, Sir Ernst. The Marquis left a message for you.”
“Pardon? For me?”
“Indeed. He said, ‘If you feel the weight of your responsibility, see to our guest’s safety.’”
It was a loaded statement, but its true meaning was difficult for even Ernst, let alone Lucian, to grasp.
See to his safety?
If it was sarcasm, Ernst wasn't even at a level where he could pose a threat to Lucian. If taken literally, the sentence was far too ambiguous.
“Oh dear, I’ve kept our guests standing for too long while chatting. My apologies. Please, come inside.”
While Lucian’s party pondered the hidden intent behind the Marquis’s message, Viscount Oleg Lerum bustled about with a flourish.
Since it was a message they couldn't decipher immediately anyway, Lucian set his doubts aside for the moment and followed the Viscount. He knew that even if he didn't struggle to uncover the opponent's intentions, their true colors would be revealed soon enough.
Oleg Lerum emptied the Viscounty’s storehouses to provide impeccable hospitality for the five-thousand-strong army. It was a performance that could serve as a textbook example of how to receive a massive force.
Lucian was once again impressed by the flawless execution, which left no room for complaint.
‘The Viscount is no ordinary man. I didn't hear much about him in my past life, so I didn't pay him much mind, but he’s more of a force to be reckoned with than I thought.’
However, regardless of his competence, the Viscount didn't try any tricks. Lucian’s party tilted their heads in confusion when he showed no signs of scheming, despite having the resourcefulness to pull something off.
‘Does he really intend to just host us and send us on our way?’
Just as the other retainers—and even Lucian—began to think so, trouble struck on the third day, right when they were scheduled to leave the Lerum Viscounty.
“What? The road is blocked by a rockslide?”
“Yes. Boulders have rolled down and completely blocked the path. And it’s not just one spot. The entire road is blocked in several places, so it looks like it will take quite a while to clear.”
Lucian blinked at the report from the scouting party he had sent ahead to check the route. The timing was far too coincidental to be a mere accident.
“Is it truly a rockslide? Not someone intentionally blocking the way?”
“There is no way to know.”
It was Felicia, standing quietly behind him, who answered Lucian’s question.
“The West is a region known for its severe gales. Rockslides are frequent occurrences here. It’s not uncommon for boulders to roll down and block the roads.”
“In other words, even if it was intentional, there’s no way to prove it.”
“Yes. If we raise suspicions, it will look like we’re nitpicking a common accident.”
“Hmm.”
Lucian fell into thought for a moment.
When he first met the Viscount and said he would stay for only three days, the Viscount had urged him to rest for a full week. At the time, he thought it was just a polite gesture.
But thinking back on it now, something felt off.
‘He didn't just say stay longer; he specifically said a week.’
If it were mere politeness, he would have used a hollow phrase like "stay as long as you like." The fact that he mentioned a specific duration suggested that it would be difficult to provide this level of hospitality beyond that point.
‘Well, feeding and housing a five-thousand-strong army is indeed a burden an individual Viscounty can't handle for long. But mentioning the duration like that is suspicious.’
It was as if he were implying that it would be an imposition on Viscount Oleg if Lucian stayed longer than a week. Naturally, Lucian had no intention of staying longer, but the situation changed if he was stranded by an unexpected disaster.
Sensing something fishy in the strangely perfect alignment of circumstances, Lucian sought out Viscount Oleg while feigning ignorance.
“I heard that we can no longer move forward due to a rockslide. For my part, I would like to depart immediately, even if it means taking a detour...”
“That would be difficult. This area is mountainous, so taking a detour would delay your scheduled arrival by more than a month.”
“Is that so? Then how long will it take to clear the rockslide?”
“Five days should be more than enough.”
“I see.”
Lucian nodded, but inwardly he clicked his tongue.
If you added those five days to the three they had already spent at the Lerum Viscounty, it came out to exactly one week. He could feel the malice behind the act, as if the dates had been calculated in advance.
Above all, he doubted whether this sudden accident would end with just a rockslide. The moment the rocks were cleared, another problem would likely arise to strand them again.
However, since he couldn't interrogate Viscount Oleg based on suspicion alone, he had no choice but to let it go for now.
“Then I shall impose upon you for a little longer.”
“Of course. Please, make yourself at home.”
Despite the fact that a five-thousand-strong army would be staying longer, Viscount Oleg didn't lose his smile and maintained his respectful attitude. He even went out to the site of the rockslide himself to give orders, striving to clear the road as quickly as possible.
Thanks to his efforts, the road blocked by the rockslide was cleared in four days, and Lucian’s party was able to set out again.
Or rather, they tried to.
Rumble—!
“...Didn't you say there was a road here?”
“There certainly was a road, but it seems to have been washed away. It appears a levee upstream has burst.”
When Lucian asked the question while facing a river with a violent current, Ernst replied in a nonchalant tone. The flustered demeanor he had shown previously was gone, replaced by a face full of composure.
“This is a truly rare accident. To think it would happen right after the rockslide. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.”
“Save the admiration and tell me if there’s a solution.”
“You should ask Viscount Oleg for help. Since this is an accident that happens occasionally, repairing the broken bridge won't be difficult.”
“How long does it usually take to fix the bridge?”
“It depends on the current, but looking at the speed of the water now, it will likely take about fifteen days.”
“Ha.”
A hollow laugh escaped Lucian’s lips. Now he finally understood what the Marquis’s plan was.
Having no other choice, he sought out Viscount Oleg again, and as expected, the anticipated reaction followed.
“Your Highness... I am terribly sorry, but I cannot provide the same level of hospitality for fifteen days. I could manage for a week, but...”
“Do not worry. I have no intention of imposing on you further. We will survive by consuming the military provisions coming through the supply route, so just leave our sleeping quarters as they are.”
“I am truly sorry.”
Viscount Oleg bowed his head as if he didn't know what to do with himself, but Lucian didn't even look at him as he walked out of the castle. He chose a tent, dismissed the others, and gathered his retainers.
Once the retainers were assembled, Lucian got straight to the point.
“They intend to keep us tied down here.”
The retainers weren't particularly surprised by Lucian’s words. By this point, it was impossible not to realize that the enemy was intentionally blocking their path.
Hugo frowned and asked, “I don't understand their motive. Are they trying to force us back to the North like this?”
“No, it’s more likely they want to make us struggle with the maintenance costs of a five-thousand-strong army. And while they’re at it, they want to make us indebted to the Western lords.”
“Is it so bad for a guest to owe a small debt to a host?”
“Once or twice isn't a bad thing. The problem is being faced with a situation where we can't do anything and have to constantly rely on others for help.”
Since they didn't know the West well, they had no choice but to rely on local lords for help with these kinds of accidents and disasters. The problem was that the more help they received, the more it would look like they couldn't do anything without the local lords.
Setting aside external perceptions, the soldiers Lucian led would inevitably start feeling a sense of isolation and helplessness.
“The Marquis used his head. He’s slowing us down while simultaneously making us look like fools who can't do anything without outside help. If this keeps happening, even the Western lords will start looking down on us.”
The Western lords were likely trembling in fear at the news of a five-thousand-strong army approaching. But what if they saw Lucian repeatedly getting stranded and pleading for help? He would look like nothing more than a member of a ragtag rabble—big in size but empty inside.
Marius, who had been silent until now, spoke up hesitantly after Lucian’s explanation.
“If I use magic, I can resolve most of these sabotage attempts...”
“No.”
Lucian rejected Marius’s suggestion flatly.
“I know your skills, but we must conserve your strength here. We don't know when a time will come when magic is absolutely vital.”
Magic was not an inexhaustible power. Like a knight, a mage had to consume mana every time they used it, and replenishing that consumed mana took much longer than it did for a knight. If they used magic recklessly just because it seemed necessary now, they might not be able to receive its help when they truly needed it.
“Then what should we do? Are we just supposed to dance to Marquis Bernhardt’s tune?”
“No.”
Lucian smiled as he looked at Hugo, who was shifting uneasily.
“There’s no need for that. If the Marquis wants to make me a laughingstock, I just need to remind the people around me who I really am.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It means you need to go and challenge someone to a duel.”
Hugo blinked at the sudden statement. He hadn't particularly made any enemies in the West, so why a duel?
“Against whom? And on what grounds?”
“It doesn't matter who, and just make up some grounds. Any knight belonging to the Lerum Viscounty will do.”
“Any knight...? No, before that, why me? If the goal is to win the duel, wouldn't Sir Felicia be a better fit?”
Felicia nodded at Hugo’s words. Hugo’s swordsmanship, having learned the Lion Sword Technique, was improving by the day, and in terms of potential, he surpassed even Raymond. However, he was merely at the level of a top-tier knight; it was hard to say he was nearly peerless. He would win against most knights, but he could lose if the opponent was a hidden master.
Lucian smiled and answered Hugo’s question.
“Felicia is a Sword Saint; she couldn't lose even if she wanted to.”
“Pardon?”
“What I want isn't a victory, but a defeat.”
“...!?”