Chapter 46
This plan could only even get off the ground if Somac Baron was willing to marry a woman his own age.
I'd better talk to him. To convince him, I needed to understand why he was so against marrying an older woman or someone his age.
But first—
"Welcome at last, Baron Amolrang! I've been waiting impatiently!"
"Hello, Knight Captain."
The man, a full head taller than me, looked down with an appraising gaze.
"I hear you know your way around a spear."
"Just the basics."
"Hm. We'll see if that's modesty or not soon enough. Use this spear."
Whoosh! The Knight Captain tossed the spear in his hand my way as he spoke.
"A spar?"
"But not with me. I'm no good at holding back my strength. Vice Captain, you're up."
"Yes, Captain."
Unlike the gorilla-like bulk of the captain, the vice captain was lean and wiry, like a cheetah.
"Please go easy on me."
"Attack at will."
"Then I won't hold back..."
Swoosh— I thrust the spear from maximum range, probing for openings. A basic stab.
But the vice captain twisted his waist just enough to dodge lightly, then swung the spear shaft at my midsection like a club.
He's underestimating me! He wasn't using the sharp spear tip—instead, treating it like a bludgeon. His intent was crystal clear.
In that case!
"Hup!"
I stepped forward, closing the distance before the wide arc of his swing could hit my side.
"Ho?"
The vice captain, letting out a light exclamation, took a step back.
"Where do you think you're—!"
From the moment our eyes met, I'd sensed I couldn't beat this man no matter what. The gap in accumulated time, effort, talent, and experience was insurmountable.
These weren't amateur bandits. So, just land one solid hit somehow! If I didn't have absolute certainty he wouldn't kill me, I'd never have charged so boldly.
"Predictable."
Whoosh— Without losing his composure even as he retreated, the vice captain flicked his wrist holding the spear.
What—?!
The spear tip traced an '8', spinning around—then suddenly, the shaft whipped at my ankle.
Could I dodge it? I had to, even if I couldn't.
"Kuh...!"
But it was too fast. I let him tag my right ankle.
Still okay! Using the long spear to steady my disrupted balance, I leaped forward with my left foot, evading the shaft and advancing another step!
"Ho?"
A second exclamation. Driven by sheer determination to land one hit on this unflappable vice captain, I barely closed the gap.
At this range! Even the greatest knight couldn't evade, I was sure as I thrust.
"Watch your tongue."
"What— guk?!"
The spear spun a smooth 180 degrees, its blunt rear end uppercutting my jaw.
Thwack! If he hadn't warned me, I might've bitten my tongue clean off.
But with my vision shaking from a mild concussion, I couldn't continue the spar.
Thud.
"I yield."
I surrendered, slumping onto the training ground's dirt.
"Hm. I didn't see everything, but you're about on par with an elite soldier from our kingdom who's rolled around battlefields for two years."
"I see."
I wasn't disappointed or disheartened by the vice captain's cool assessment. The reason I'd beaten those bandits before was my superior stamina.
A total novice with no fighting experience couldn't become a master after a few days of basics.
"...You're taking it well."
"Shouldn't I?"
"Hm. The captain earned his barony from Duke Somac purely on martial prowess. But you're no warrior, Baron Amolrang..."
The vice captain gave a wry smile, trailing off as he turned away.
"Frustrating. Can I learn from you?"
Creak. He halted at my question about getting stronger.
He glanced not at me, but at the watching captain, before answering.
"Ask the captain."
"Ah!"
I should've gone straight to the man in charge!
The captain, looking slightly annoyed, spoke in a challenging tone.
"Baron Amolrang. You seem more civil official than military... But if you insist on playing soldier, run ten laps around this place right now."
"...Understood."
Wobble. Still dizzy and struggling for balance, I slowly stood.
Hard or not, I have to! To avoid getting killed by the protagonist's men, I had to get stronger.
* * *
War! Murder! Politics! Training! Amid a romance fantasy novel full of love that keeps men and women on edge—what the hell was I doing?
For the first time, after straying way off-genre so far, I'd finally stepped onto the right path.
"Young master."
"I said no!"
Somac Baron snapped irritably.
"Why do you hate older women and peers?"
"How many times have I told you I'd get killed if I said?!"
"I'll keep your secret."
"How can I trust you, Baron Amolrang?"
"Look into my eyes. Do I look like the type to deceive you?"
"Oh! I can see it plain as day! Eyes full of schemes!"
"Kgh."
The moment that convinced me he had the makings of a king. The novel's author had gifted his fiancée the talent of "reading people."
Why give her such a boon? Obviously not for good reasons.
Ridiculous.
The fiancée had the right and justification to smack the faces of any men sniffing around her betrothed.
But that would've stopped the protagonist from freely meeting and romancing other men besides Somac Baron, right?
So the author made the fiancée willing to yield her.
"Baron Amolrang. Who are you planning to sell me to?"
"Not selling! I just want to introduce you to a fine lady your age."
"This time, I sense sincerity."
"......"
The author set it up so she'd spot the extraordinary qualities of men eyeing the protagonist and feel burdened by marriage.
All for this one plot point! He gave the fiancée-to-be the supreme talent no ruler could lack.
"Just one question."
"Answer it, and you'll tell me why you hate older women and peers?"
"Hear it and judge."
"Kgh. What?"
"If I marry that peer lady, how much benefit does the Somac house gain?"
Family over love. Another "trash trait" the author gave only the fiancée because it hindered romance.
Perfect.
A mindset prioritizing the whole over personal feelings! Essential for a true king.
"Insurance."
"Insurance?"
"Lady Chimac, your former fiancée, knows the future like I do. We need a countermeasure."
"...I get it."
"So?"
"Sigh... Fine, I'll tell you. You probably know already, but I'm the eldest son—yet the baby of the family. All sisters, no brothers."
"No way...?"
As a fellow man, I'd suspected as much.
"Baron Amolrang. I want to hear 'oppa'."
"......."
His expression was so earnest I couldn't laugh.
"...But for my house, I could endure a wife who won't call her husband 'oppa'."
"Impressive resolve."
Squeeze. I stomped my heel on my other instep to stifle the laughter bubbling up.
"So, who's the candidate?"
"Lady Anmirina."
"Third daughter of the Chimac count family...?"
"You know her?"
"Of course. I hated peers so much I knelt and begged my father. He delayed the betrothal with various excuses..."
"And then the count family had another daughter."
"Exactly. Lucky break. If she hadn't been born, I'd have been stuck marrying my peer. Never imagined the wedding would get this tangled..."
Somac Baron, who'd kept cracking me up, finished with a bitter smile.
"Valentine."
"Cough! Wh-why bring up her name all of a sudden?!"
"Baron, you hear 'oppa' from this side plenty."
"...Would she? Unlike my sisters, without that look of disgust...?"
"Become king. Then no one can despise you."
"King... Right. If I'm king, I can command my wife to call her husband 'oppa'. Defy it? Execution."
"......"
I suddenly wondered if making this man king was such a good idea.
* * *
No matter how much I knew the future, founding a kingdom would take ages.
Can't have that. My real body was at risk too, and I couldn't predict what happened after the novel ended in two years.
So what to do? The original story held the answer.
"A banquet?"
"Yes."
I answered Duke Somac's confirmation with emphasis.
"Why?"
"Owning vast lands doesn't make you king."
"Using the banquet to gather talent?"
"Exactly."
"Baron Amolrang. You think this is too easy."
At Duke Somac's rebuke, I rattled off the names I'd memorized from reality.
"These people must be invited and befriended. Broccolin Count, prime minister of the military kingdom; Tropican Marquis, supreme commander of the knight kingdom; Bulgareth Cardinal of the holy kingdom; Pimaang Count, imperial governor; Bitcolin Baron, the empire's great merchant..."
"Not one pushover among them."
Duke Somac, who'd listened without breathing, swallowed a groan.
"Handpicked them."
"Baron, I apologize for calling it a lie. But why invite them? Doubtful they'll even come."
"They'll come."
I met the duke's eyes, speaking with utter conviction.
"Hm. Does that future book say they'll attend?"
"No."
"...Then why are you so sure?"
Perfect question! For that, I named the woman Duke Somac loathed most.
"Anjilina Chimac."
"Hm?"
"What do you think of her?"
"I'd like to skin that so-called kingdom's jewel alive and hang her from the gates."
"......"
I'd make damn sure these two never met.
Skin her alive... A real medieval torture method, but surviving that would leave mental scars making normal life impossible even after waking.
"Why ask?"
"They think the same as you, Your Grace."
"...Really?"
"Really. Broccolin Count's boasted son abandoned his house for love; overprotective Tropican Marquis lost his daughter's fiancé; Holy Kingdom's Bulgareth Cardinal was shunned by her disciple raised like a child; Bitcolin Baron's daughter was jilted; Pimaang Count's son betrayed him..."
Pure chaos!
On the surface, the protagonist's blameless. All those hunks chased her on their own.
Proof? She occasionally turns them down in dialogue.
But too kind-hearted for harsh words... leaving things ambiguous.
And this is the fallout!
"Many nobles have seen sons go strange or daughters weep because of Anjilina Chimac."
"I see. Must wound deeply."
"Yes."
"So I invite them to share pain and console each other?"
"Oh! Brilliant idea, Your Grace!"
"Good! Excellent!"
In the novel, the author deliberately glossed over or ignored these negatives.
But I'm no reader, right?
I planned to exploit the dark side the author buried.
"Your Grace."
"More?"
"Don't forget powerless commoners not invited to the banquet."
"Ah! Nearly made a huge mistake! Separate list?"
"Of course."
Time to start a cross-border victims' alliance!