Chapter 201
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 201
One day, you will pay the price for that arrogance.
Marquis Bernhardt barely suppressed the urge to scream those words.
But what would saying them change?
A curse that could not affect the opponent was nothing but an empty echo. If anything, it would only make him look pathetic—a dog that couldn't bite, only bark.
It was better to remain silent.
"…What are you all doing?! Return to your posts immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Marquis, struggling to contain his rage, bellowed at the soldiers.
Startled by their lord’s fury, the soldiers of the Marquisate scattered in a flurry.
However, Lucian’s soldiers remained where they were. Their commander was Lucian, not the Marquis.
Lucian shrugged at the Marquis, who was glaring at him with sharp eyes, and then called out to his men.
"You all should head back to your quarters as well. It’s almost dinner time. If you keep wandering around, you’ll end up swallowing cold soup later."
"Yes, Your Grace!"
Unlike the Marquis’s men, Lucian’s soldiers answered cheerfully. Their tone was light, as if they were heading home after watching an enjoyable performance.
Marquis Bernhardt’s face contorted at their attitude as he turned away. Judging by his hurried pace, he didn't want to remain there for a single second longer.
Once the soldiers had dispersed, Hugo and Felicia approached Lucian and bowed.
"Well done, Your Grace."
"Felicia is the one who did the hard work. I told her to take her revenge as she pleased, but I didn't expect someone from their side to approach us first."
"Thanks to that, I gained the justification I needed and got the revenge I wanted. It worked out well for me," Felicia replied, a radiant smile gracing her face.
It seemed the resentment that had built up over more than a decade had finally begun to ease.
Lucian watched her for a moment before asking, "I’m glad to hear that, but surely you don’t intend to end your revenge here?"
"No. But I don't think I'll need to take the initiative myself."
"What do you mean?"
"Marquis Bernhardt will undoubtedly try another scheme. Rather than me moving first, it’s better to wait for them to act and then strike back."
Even if one overwhelmed the opponent with sheer power, the presence or absence of a justification made a world of difference. Moving without a pretext would only allow for a moderate level of retaliation, but catching the opponent in a scheme and striking back allowed one to return the blow several times over.
For Felicia, who had so much pent-up grievance against House Roglan, the latter option was far more appealing.
Lucian nodded at Felicia’s opinion, though his expression remained slightly skeptical.
"It would be better if the opponent moved first, but… after things have come to this, do you really think the Marquis won't give up and will come at us again?"
"Yes. I am certain of it."
Felicia answered without a moment's hesitation. The Marquis Bernhardt she knew was exactly that kind of man.
"If His Majesty the King were scheduled to return to the North immediately, the Marquis might have given up. But we have only just arrived, and we plan to stay for quite a while longer."
In other words, the Marquis would have to endure today’s humiliation for a long time. Given his personality, the option of silently enduring until Lucian’s departure did not exist. He would surely plot another scheme to turn the situation around.
"The Marquis will likely make his move just before Your Grace returns. He won't want to give you time to counter-attack once he’s managed to restore his dragged-through-the-mud reputation."
"So he wants to win decisively at the end and then kick me out? Even though if he loses, it’ll all be over without a chance for redemption?"
"He is weak at improvisation, but he is a man who has rarely failed once he has completed thorough preparations. He probably hasn't even considered the possibility of losing."
"Aha."
So he thinks the reason he’s been one-sidedly beaten by Lucian so far is purely due to a lack of information. Now that he knows Lucian’s strength, does he believe he can drive him into a corner?
Lucian’s lips curled into a mocking smirk at Felicia’s analysis, as she knew the Marquis’s personality better than anyone.
"How amusing. Does he really think what I showed in the West is the full extent of my power?"
The person the Marquis truly needed to be wary of was someone else entirely—an existence that, while hidden in the shadows of others, was actually more unpredictable than anyone.
Lucian shifted his gaze from Felicia to the shadow standing behind him.
"Marius."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"I assume you have enough mana?"
At Lucian’s words, Marius broke into a deep smile.
"More than enough."
"The Duke has crossed the line!"
"Even if the Third Young Master was the one who started the provocation, isn't this response far too excessive?!"
"We must protest immediately! we cannot let this slide!"
Inside the Lord’s Manor, the relatives of House Roglan were clamoring loudly. Every word out of their mouths was a condemnation of Lucian and Felicia.
"If we let this pass, the authority of House Roglan will fall even further!"
"At this rate, even our allies might turn their backs on us!"
"…"
Marquis Bernhardt watched his relatives prattle on like parrots without saying a word. His attitude suggested they should say whatever they wanted.
However, no matter how much time passed, the voices showed no sign of diminishing. Some even repeated the same points over and over.
Finally, the Marquis’s patience ran out, and he spoke.
"And then?"
"Pardon?"
"How exactly do you propose we protest to the Duke?"
"W-well, we must point out the Duke’s tyranny and demand the compensation we deserve…!"
"By what means? If I yell that it’s all his fault, do you think he’ll just hand over compensation?"
"…"
The noisy relatives fell silent all at once.
If they merely demanded compensation with words, they would almost certainly be ignored. Only if a proper act of retaliation followed would he even pretend to listen.
The problem was that their opponent was not the type to back down just because he faced some retaliation.
"He is a madman who turned my third son’s face into a bloody mess right in the front yard of House Roglan and then demanded an apology from me. What do you expect me to do against someone like that? Should we actually start a war?"
"N-no, that’s not what we meant…"
"If that’s not it, then what? I trust you weren't talking about protesting without the resolve to go to war. Even a newborn chick can chirp without a plan."
The Marquis’s expression was calm, but his tone was sharp enough to cut. The relatives, who had been so loud just moments ago, fell silent at the ominous atmosphere.
Amidst the silence, the Marquis sighed and muttered.
"Everyone, get out."
"L-Lord Marquis."
"Get out."
At his firm tone, which brooked no argument, the relatives scurried out of the room.
Left alone, Marquis Bernhardt closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. After a moment, Dirk approached the Marquis, who still had his eyes closed.
"I have come at your summons, Lord Marquis."
"Sir Dirk."
"Yes, my lord."
"I need you to do some dirty work with me."
Dirk’s eyes widened at the unexpected words. It was common knowledge that the Marquis engaged in various behind-the-scenes machinations. However, with very few exceptions, he never involved his knights in such schemes. He knew how important honor was to a knight.
In a way, it was the Marquis’s consideration for his stiff-necked knights. To hear such a thing from him, and directed at Dirk of all people…
"My lord."
"Be silent."
"…"
"You should have stopped Felicia back then. Whether you felt indebted to her for past events or thought the third son’s suffering was poetic justice, you should have stopped her. And yet, you did nothing but watch?"
"My lord."
"Enough. My consideration for you ends here. From now on, you will move with me."
"I cannot."
Marquis Bernhardt blinked at Dirk’s firm tone. I cannot? Was he really saying he couldn't follow his orders? Dirk, who always preached that a knight must be absolutely loyal to his lord?
"What did you just say?"
"I cannot. Please reconsider."
"Are you saying that even though things have come to this, you must protect your honor?"
"That is not what I mean. Please, just let the Duke go as he is."
The Marquis’s eyes snapped open. It was bad enough that Emil, the guard captain of Beor Castle, had said the same thing, but now even Dirk?
Dirk spoke calmly to the Marquis, who was speechless with shock and rage.
"My lord, the Duke’s skill is a level above yours."
"…!"
"He may be young, but he is a man who prepares countermeasures for every action and shifts the flow in his favor even when the unexpected occurs. If you compete in schemes, you have no chance of victory."
"How dare you!"
"I understand your feelings, but any more than this is just inviting trouble. We have certainly suffered a great loss because of the Duke, but we have also gained something. If you face him later as a monarch leading an army…"
"Shut your mouth!"
With a loud thud, Marquis Bernhardt’s fist slammed onto the table. Unable to contain his fury, he instinctively grabbed a glass cup nearby but couldn't bring himself to throw it.
As much as he resented him, Dirk was one of his closest aides who had served by his side since the Marquis was a young man.
"…I don't want to see your face, so get out this instant!"
As the Marquis barked his command and set the glass down, Dirk bowed with a bitter expression and withdrew.
Marquis Bernhardt gritted his teeth as he watched Dirk disappear.
I am inferior to that green upstart? Damn it, you all underestimate me far too much.
Thinking of Dirk’s words made his blood boil, but the Marquis forced himself to suppress his anger. It wouldn't be long before Dirk was proven wrong.
But if Lucian really did break through this trap head-on and launch a counter-attack…
…Then I will acknowledge your advice. I will admit that the brat was indeed above me.
Of course, that would never happen. No warrior, no matter how great, could do anything against an attack launched from a distance they couldn't reach.
After Gaemon was beaten to a pulp by Felicia, the hierarchy between the two factions was completely established.
Lucian’s soldiers walked around with their heads held high, even though they were in someone else’s backyard. In contrast, the soldiers of the Marquisate slunk around their own territory with slumped shoulders, avoiding Lucian’s men.
To an outsider, it would have looked as if Lucian’s troops were the locals of the West and the Roglan soldiers were the outsiders.
"What are you doing in front of our guests?! Get your heads on straight!"
"Even a rabbit is brave in its own burrow! Why are you all acting so pathetic?!"
"The Third Young Master was the one who got hit, not you! Square your shoulders!"
The Marquis’s knights tried to scold the soldiers, but it had little effect. A soldier’s confidence stems from the dignity of their commander-in-chief. Yet, hadn't Marquis Bernhardt shown nothing but a one-sided defeat in his conflict with Lucian?
Naturally, the soldiers couldn't find any confidence even if they wanted to.
It wasn't just the low morale of the soldiers that troubled the knights. In fact, the soldiers' morale was a secondary issue. They could at least scold the dejected soldiers, but no one could stop Felicia as she roamed freely through the Marquisate.