Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Reinforcements
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Rex's deception ploy proved far more effective than anticipated.
"Didn't you say Duke was definitely on the eastern front?"
"Yes. I even got word yesterday that he was up on the walls..."
"Then what the hell is that?!"
The news that Duke had come down from the eastern front to the southern front made the lords start holding back for a moment.
They had joined the fight to prevent the empire's revival, as warned by the royals, but that was ultimately for their own survival.
Though they hadn't witnessed Duke's prowess firsthand, tales of him slicing through counts and barons like weeds left them intimidated.
Then, upon hearing he was in the east, the southern lords rejoiced and resumed their invasion.
But what was this?
Duke's figure appeared atop the walls of the southern citadel.
A massive knight in a helmet, his cloak billowing.
Seeing this, the lords halted their advance and began blaming each other.
"What kind of scouting was that?!"
"We did it properly! Duke was definitely in the east!"
"Then what's that?!"
A faint suspicion crossed the lords' minds that this Duke might be a scarecrow.
But none dared to test it themselves.
Word had spread of a foolhardy count who marched on the citadel to probe and ended up dead.
To emphasize again, the lords waged war for utterly selfish reasons.
To preserve their power, they had to stop the empire; to rise in rank, they needed to seize Lord Sneria's domain.
Having gathered not for some noble cause but for personal gain, they were hypersensitive to their own deaths.
But they couldn't hold back forever.
"How long are we going to watch that wench strut around just because one knight showed up?"
Even now, Lord Sneria was advancing to reclaim her conquered territories.
People are always more sensitive to losses than gains, after all.
Though it wasn't their land originally, handing over territory they'd already conquered felt too bitter a pill.
In the end, they dumped this group project on one unlucky soul.
"You take the lead."
The traditional and rational decision-making of lords: shove the weakest one out front.
The baron grimaced as he approached the southern citadel.
Imagining he'd be dragged in and chopped in half the moment he got close.
With a deathly pallor, the baron drew nearer to the citadel.
But the closer he got, the more something felt off.
'Huh? No attack?'
The baron's hope that Duke was a scarecrow solidified into conviction.
Duke didn't even twitch within arrow range.
'No way!'
Ecstatic, the baron shouted to his knights.
"Now's our chance! That Duke is fake, and the enemy is exhausted from overextending! Hurry, before those pigs in the rear catch on!"
If he could be the first to breach the citadel and claim a domain, he could shed this humiliating weakest-link status in no time...
That was the baron's final dream.
Splat.
A greatsword dropped from above the baron's head, turning him into a puddle of blood.
The knights' faces drained of color.
Looking up at the walls, they saw Duke—who had been silent moments ago—now standing with arms crossed, gazing down at them.
"Any true knight understands the meaning of drawing a sword, yes?"
Not wasting time on excuses, the knights dropped their blades and knelt in surrender.
After accepting their capitulation, Duke let out a sigh of relief from within his helmet.
'That was a close save.'
Duke arrived at the south in the nick of time.
He praised the fake Duke, then headed to Yu Hana to catch up on postponed greetings.
"My lord. Thank you. Perfect timing."
"Glad I wasn't late. Will you push south like this?"
"Yes. I need to reclaim my people's homeland. And exact revenge."
"Hm."
Duke studied Yu Hana's face.
Nearly half a year of war had etched deep fatigue under her eyes.
But more troubling was her level.
'Still level 52.'
Ari was about to hit 50, and the other company commanders had all reached fourth circle, eyeing fifth, yet Yu Hana hadn't advanced much since their last meeting.
Amid the chaos of war, there was no time to seek fortunes, nor chances for them to come knocking.
Of course, she'd battled numerous lords in recent months, even felling some—a remarkable feat.
But since she rejected killing intent as her path to enlightenment, those fights hadn't helped her grow.
'At this rate, it'll follow the original story.'
But Duke wasn't worried.
He just had to protect her here.
Prevent the situation from arising before the original tragedy could unfold. Simple.
As Duke gazed at her with such resolve, she tilted her head.
"My lord? Is there something you wish to say?"
"No. Nothing. Just worried about the eastern front."
"Don't be. Information and espionage? We don't lose to anyone."
She smiled faintly, extending her shadows.
Of course, word of Duke's presence in the south would soon reach the east.
But she and her vassals were shadow mages who had guarded their domain for nearly a century through intel wars and sowing discord.
Spreading fake news, scrambling spy networks, dominating public opinion—that was their specialty.
"So rest easy. They'll think you're an avatar user."
"Good."
Of course, Duke already knew this.
It was Rex's plan, premised on Yu Hana's cooperation—odd if he didn't.
Though he'd dozed off during the strategy meeting and pieced it from the quest log in his peripheral vision.
After catching up with Yu Hana, Duke headed to his tent to prepare for tomorrow.
"We'll counterattack at dawn."
To avert the original tragedy, Duke mentally listed the lords he must fell, then rose.
At that moment, Yu Hana replied cautiously.
"On that note, my lord... I'd prefer you not participate in the war if possible."
"?"
Duke froze mid-rise.
He couldn't help doubting if he'd misheard.
'What? She'll go alone?'
Was this one of those fateful clichés from novels?
The butterfly effect summoning a storm, yet the original destiny inevitably unfolding?
An unavoidable event for the protagonist's awakening?
Grit.
'Like hell.'
Duke didn't believe in fate or heaven.
Electrocuted to death, denied the afterlife, reborn into this shitty world—why trust such nonsense?
Above all, he hated any fate forcing misfortune on his favorite.
That's why he aimed to be a final boss flipping off destiny...
Before his thoughts deepened further, Yu Hana pulled him back to reality.
"My lord? Did I overstep?"
"No. But why take this war on alone?"
"Because I'm this land's lord. If I can't reclaim what I lost due to my weakness, my people won't trust me."
Duke met her eyes.
She hid it well, but they held the desperation of one cornered.
He couldn't read emotions from eyes generally, but with her, certainty bloomed inexplicably.
And he could guess why.
Failure to prove herself had shattered her confidence.
Only then did Duke realize what he'd overlooked.
'Is a bird in a cage truly happy?'
To keep her safe, he could charge out now and drench the plains in those lords' blood.
But then, she'd be left as someone unable to live without others' aid.
Was that truly best?
Caging the queen he admired?
After agonizing, Duke spoke.
"Let's consult my liege."
Duke left the tent and contacted Rex immediately.
"My liege."
"Such-and-such happened, but this isn't for me to decide, so I'm reporting."
He said that, but Duke was half-bewildered now.
Overstepping would undermine her autonomy.
But leaving her alone out of respect could lead to irreversible losses, burdening her with guilt.
With no centuries of experience, he couldn't judge militarily what to allow.
Rex snickered through the interface at Duke's question.
"?"
What the hell is this hikikomori loser babbling about?
Daring to tease me, Rex of all people?
A vein bulged on Duke's forehead.
He was loyal, sure—but to bitcoin, not genuine respect.
In his heart, Rex was too flawed a human for true admiration.
But Duke kept his feelings hidden.
"No, my liege."
Rex snickered at the screen.
Hero romances were content in the games he played.
He'd play matchmaker as their lord, with dialogue and skill unlocks varying by outcome.
But most importantly, it was fun to watch.
One hero's romance was sweet, another's bittersweet.
Endgame boredom? He'd collect heroes just to spectate.
In that vein, Duke's consultation thrilled Rex.
'Look, it's unlocked.'
Proof: Duke's romance log unlocked with advice functions.
The coward Rex retreated; gamer Rex emerged, grinning slyly.
'Why am I pissed?'
Duke felt a rare twinge at the nape of his neck.
Rex's misunderstanding didn't irk him.
Linking him with his fave? Hardly.
Just irked that the guy grunting under his desk suddenly acted like a confident love guru.
'Can't even make progress with Ari.'
As Duke mentally sharpened his blade, Rex diagnosed Sneria's state.
The people pledge loyalty to the government protecting them.
Thus, even if Yu Hana won this war, impressions of Rex—an outsider—securing victory would shake her rule.
History from Earth to this world proved it.
Mishandled, her reclaimed lands could become a marquessate puppet.
Hence, she'd accept Duke as reinforcements only; the decisive blow had to be hers.
"Then what should I do?"
"?"
"That really suffices?"
"...I'm asking in a military sense, not romance."
Duke followed Rex's advice, dubious but compliant.
'Militarily sound, I guess?'
This way, Yu Hana regains pride, war proceeds smoothly.
Duke sighed in relief and ended the call.
Then it hit him.
'Why'd I even ask something so simple?'
Now it looks like relationship advice.
Darn it.
Denying it repeatedly, Duke returned to Yu Hana.
'Insolent Rex. When I get back, I'll shove a massive troll where the sun doesn't shine.'
Burning pointless vengeance toward innocent Rex.
.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, Rex in his office.
"Heh heh..."
He'd omitted one fact from Duke.
The east's sentiment had swung to Duke; even her heroics wouldn't reclaim it easily.
But he didn't tell Duke.
Historically, bolstering rule wasn't just reclaiming land oneself.
Among nobles' power tools, blood ties were the strongest and most common...
"Heh heh... Romance content's the best..."
The veteran gamer infamous as a serial voyeur in communities couldn't kick old habits, world changed or not.