Chapter 145
Chapter 145
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: Even a Traitor Has Uses
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While the Kmel army, the Imperial Capital army, and the Garkan Republic forces were engaged in their final all-out struggle before surrender, the Valderian army's camp was peaceful.
Being the victorious army, the overall mood was good, they had collected a great deal of armor and equipment from the enemy corpses for a proper haul, and the hope that they could now return home had arisen, but the biggest factor was undoubtedly that a moderate amount of alcohol had been permitted.
Of course, the knights and nobles were busy dealing with headaches like ransom negotiations, but since that was precisely their duty, no one could complain.
And as for Beonald, he was leisurely modifying the Magi-Armor, pouring effort into researching how to make it even better. However, other knights who had learned of the Magi-Armor's power through Heidi were already swarming Beonald with questions.
"This... how is it made? No, how much does it cost?"
"The frame is made of mithril and adamantium... so it would be incredibly expensive."
"Tch, only someone of a lord's stature could afford it."
"Of course, I plan to make cheaper versions too. The goal is to equip everyone in the Valderian family. That's why I'm testing it like this now."
"Is that so? I'll look forward to that time then."
After having that conversation—who knows how many times it had been today—Beonald continued to focus on maintenance.
Heidi and Selina sat side by side next to Beonald, assisting him as the work progressed smoothly.
Just as the work was proceeding without a hitch, Selina spoke up as if she had suddenly thought of something.
"By the way, you've earned a great merit with this... what will you ask of Count Valderian? Honestly, it's Sir Heidi's achievement, but this Magi-Armor is your work, Lord Beonald."
"Whatever it is, I'll likely be entrusted with an important role within the Valderian family. Aside from this Magi-Armor business, personally, working within the Valderian family suits my disposition better than receiving a territory."
"Oh... so you're confident in that direction?"
'Well, if I receive a territory, it'll be a tiny speck of one. What use is that? It would have limited population and land... It would be much more convenient to be in a position to influence Valderian territory itself.'
Sticking Beonald in a small territory would be like using a forklift to turn over soil in a flowerpot.
It was far better to work within the Valderian family, which had the appropriate scale for him to utilize his abilities, and it was also more comfortable given his position.
Using the prestige of the already high noble Valderian family was definitely more helpful than holding a title himself.
The only problem was... how to respond to the 'one' scheme the Valderian family was sure to propose.
"Hoo~ Your position seems very comfortable."
"You've come? Senior... no, it's the Young Master."
"Right, I'm in a very busy situation. Anyway, congratulations. You've achieved a great merit. Fifty knight heads, that's no ordinary value."
"Please praise Sir Heidi for that."
"Aren't you her teacher and master anyway? You're the one who trained her martial arts, and you're the one who made that Magi-Armor or whatever magic tool. A real treasure has truly entered our family. Hahah."
Kedron, who had been busy with work, joined them and sat beside Beonald, boasting cheerfully.
As the family heir, he must have been heavily involved in learning post-war procedures, which would have been quite taxing.
And naturally, he would have discussed Beonald with the family head, skyrocketing Beonald's value to the number one irreplaceable talent for the Valderian family.
"So, about that..."
"It's about a marriage alliance, isn't it."
"Caught already? How are you so perceptive?"
"I thought it was the natural course of events."
The best way to secure talent was to make them family.
As it was a method Beonald himself often employed, it wasn't hard to figure out.
Once Kedron realized Beonald had caught on, he got straight to the point.
"I won't go so far as to ask you to marry as the legal wife. But we need a pretext to show our other vassals and knights that we favor you."
"The family heirloom, slaying the Black Drake, developing the Magi-Armor... and now merit in this war. Isn't that enough?"
"That's exactly why. Those who can't compete on ability will eventually have only one thing to bite into, won't they? Your only flaw."
"Lineage... I see. Heh."
Even though it was getting tiresome to hear, once again, the most important thing in noble society was lineage.
As long as he didn't show weakness elsewhere, this would keep being pointed out. The only way to block it was to become a son-in-law of a prestigious family.
Because once he became part of the Valderian family, it would become a taboo word that no one could mention, at least where the Valderian family's influence reached.
"So, tell me your preference in women. I need to scout potential spouses in advance. Ah, of course, it doesn't have to be the legal wife. Just getting engaged would be good for both our positions. We're making quite a concession here, so what do you think?"
'Hmm... This is a bit troublesome.'
It was obviously something that needed to be done, but Beonald was reluctant to marry into the Valderian family.
In his past life, as the master of the Valderian family, he had an inseparable relationship with them, and 500 years ago, he had already married his daughter to the heir of the then-head, Kerwell, forming a strong blood alliance.
'Meaning, these guys are descendants of that Kerwell, but also my own descendants. And now I'm supposed to marry into that as a son-in-law...'
Of course, one couldn't say the same bloodline had continued purely for 500 years, and its purity would have diluted over that time with mixing, but Beonald still felt uneasy.
If absolutely necessary, he would do it, but engaging in this kind of near-incestuous bloodline preservation reminded him of his damned father, Felix von Neumel, making Beonald even more resistant.
'...If it really comes to it, I'll have no choice. I can't abandon the Valderian family after coming this far.'
Ultimately, to enter the Empire's core, he needed the Valderian family's power.
Otherwise, he would have to find a better marriage prospect than Valderian, but in the current Empire, the choices were so narrow that only the Kmel family and the Imperial family had greater prestige than Valderian.
'There's Princess Gelsey, but... impossible, just impossible.'
He had finally found work that suited his disposition and was living happily.
He couldn't force a marriage alliance on her, who trusted him, left the Imperial family, and was shining with her talent.
That would make him no different from that damned Felix, so Beonald quickly shook his head and dismissed the thought.
"Hmm~ My preferences? Well, I don't really look at appearance first."
"With such beauties around you?"
"I accepted them into my garden because they match the key points I look for. Ah, Saein's case is a bit different, though."
"So, what do you desire?"
"'Talent'. The field doesn't matter. I desire a woman with talent more outstanding than anyone else's. If that alone is satisfied, I don't care about race, age, or even if she's a demi-human. I might consider personality a bit, but if the talent is enough to subdue me, I'd gladly accept that personality too."
At Beonald's absurd statement, Kedron made a face of utter disbelief.
He asked about preferences in women, so why was 'talent' coming up? A normal person would mention height or looks. Kedron had a bewildered look, but thinking Beonald was always like this, he barely held onto his sanity and decided to confirm one more time.
"That... are you serious?"
"Yes."
"...The range of demi-humans is broad. Up to where?"
"Any level of intelligence where communication is possible. If we can't talk, then... it's just an animal."
"You, this is strictly about marriage. Are you really fine with that?"
"Yes. That's enough. Simple and clean conditions, right?"
At Beonald's bizarre conditions, not only Kedron who was speaking directly, but also Heidi and Selina listening nearby exchanged horrified looks, talking quietly so Beonald wouldn't hear.
"...I thought he was strange, but to have such thoughts..."
"I'm a bit... shocked. But that explains... why he loves someone like me."
"What are you talking about? That glossy, vibrant blonde hair even without maintenance, fair skin, sculpted features! Just because your frame and height are large might divide opinions, but you're plenty beautiful. You deceiver!"
"Eh? Ah... um... sorry."
Beonald heard the bizarre banter behind him but paid it no mind.
Everyone has different tastes and preferences. What did it matter what his were or what anyone said?
Amidst shocking everyone, Beonald added one more thing as if he had just remembered.
"Ah, and one last thing."
"What is it?"
"In my case, if there's 'talent,' almost anything is OK, but the other party might not like me. In that case, please ensure she can refuse without any burden. That's the most important."
"Hmmm... Usually it's the opposite, isn't it? Anyway, understood. I'll definitely consider that point."
Perhaps because there had already been too many shocking parts earlier, Kedron calmly accepted Beonald's additional request.
Afterwards, they talked about the political situation after the war, and when Kedron asked Beonald to make him Magi-Armor, Beonald explained the cost of the mithril and adamantium for the frame, shocking Kedron again, and the conversation naturally shifted to ruins... when they noticed a soldier running urgently from afar.
"Young Master Kedron! Urgent news!"
"What is it?"
"Urgent news has arrived from the battle currently ongoing in the south between the Garkan Republic and the Kmel and Imperial Capital armies, and it's... shocking. Today, the Kmel and Imperial Capital armies launched an all-out attack against the Garkan Republic forces."
As if the news was shocking, Kedron jumped up in surprise, but Beonald remained calm, as if he had expected it.
"What do you mean?"
'Ah... Must be due to political stance. Probably to show they did something too.'
"You'll be surprised, but the story doesn't end here. The Empire's strongest knight and only Special-Class Knight, Duke Kmel... he... he... had a one-on-one duel with the Garkan Republic's leader, Prime Minister Neumel, a half-elf! Duke Kmel gained the upper hand, but that hybrid elf bitch! Cowardly, during the sacred duel, used poison... poison! So Duke Kmel has collapsed, and though barely rescued, is now in critical condition!"
At the word 'poison' from the messenger's mouth, this time not only Kedron but Beonald also showed a slight expression of surprise.
Frankly, ignoring knights' talk of chivalry and such, not holding back means and methods on the battlefield was natural, and since the opponent wasn't a knight, they likely had no resistance to such things, so it wasn't strange. The problem was who it was used on.
'...A 'poison' that works on a Special-Class Knight?'
A Special-Class Knight. The peak among knights who transcend humanity, the strongest of humankind.
A 'superhuman' perfect in all aspects: aura control and mastery, swordsmanship power, physical perfection. To them, poison was merely a trivial last resort; normally, they could ignore poison's power with just aura and breathing, or directly puncture blood vessels to expel it, burn it away, etc. Through inhuman feats, they nullify poison, so it was accepted that poison didn't work on Special-Class Knight-level beings.
"So he's in critical condition now, and the priests are flustered, not knowing what poison it is. A strange symptom with purple, snake-scale-like spots appearing on the skin... Anyway, everyone's in an uproar, saying he'll die if this continues!"
'Purple... snake scale spots, then...!'
"H-hey, where are you going?"
Familiar with the symptom, Beonald's mind flashed. He set aside his work and suddenly mounted a horse, starting to gallop somewhere.
The identity of the 'poison' that felled a Special-Class Knight. He had his suspicions, but hearing the symptoms gave him certainty.
From the 'purple snake scale' spots, perhaps no further explanation was needed.
That poison that could even knock down a Special-Class Knight... was none other than Beonald's own creation.