Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Guest
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As soon as they arrived in Decaron, Marder and Wilson fled from Carlyle’s side.
It seemed that as mere soldiers, they were uncomfortable around Carlyle, a nobleman.
Within the unit, Carlyle may have been a low-ranking private and the youngest member of the reconnaissance team, but in Decaron, he was the lord’s son and the second young master of the Sigmund family.
Grand Duke Guntram’s carriage came to a halt.
Guntram, who had disembarked first, stared intently at the carriage of Carlyle’s party, which had stopped a moment later.
“Is there something you wish to say?”
“You’ve done well.”
“Yes.”
“…”
“Ah, and one more thing.”
Carlyle said, as if something had just occurred to him.
“Please send a mage to the unit.”
“A mage?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know how rare mages are?”
“In the North, they are.”
“As you know, most mages are stationed on the front lines.”
“Then I suppose it can’t be helped.”
“You give up quickly.”
“What choice is there? You said you don’t have any.”
“It doesn’t occur to you to make a deal?”
“A deal?”
“Don’t you think it’s shameless to ask for a mage without offering anything in return? Haven’t you always demanded compensation from me for everything?”
“Why would that be shameless?”
Carlyle retorted to Grand Duke Guntram’s attack, as if asking what he meant.
“If the unit has a mage, am I the only one who benefits?”
“...Well.”
“I asked for a mage for the sake of the unit, not for my own convenience. I’m not the only one there. The force at Bowden Fortress is about a hundred strong, and they are all people of Decaron, your subjects. So why should I be the one to pay the price?”
“Ahem.”
“Besides, I was planning on using my own money to supply the unit with weapons and even hire mercenaries…”
“…”
“If you don’t want to send one, then I have no choice. I’ll just hire one through a mercenary guild. That should be fine with you, right?”
Maranello, who had been listening silently, cleared his throat.
Seeing Grand Duke Guntram in a bind was a rare sight even for Maranello, and he had to try desperately not to laugh.
“A mage… I will send one.”
Grand Duke Guntram said, his eyes squeezed shut.
“However, I cannot guarantee a skilled one. There are very few mages in the North.”
“Then wouldn’t it be better to hire one?”
“I cannot permit that.”
“Why not?”
“Hiring a mercenary is not a decision to be made lightly. There are security concerns, and it’s too risky.”
“Because you don’t know when they might turn on you?”
“Yes.”
“Wouldn’t a trustworthy mercenary company be fine?”
“Such companies are generally expensive. Can you afford it?”
“That’s also true.”
“Furthermore, mages belonging to mercenary companies are often problematic individuals. So while it might be acceptable for infantry, I am against hiring a mercenary mage.”
“I understand perfectly.”
“Good. Then I will be on my way.”
“Take care.”
Carlyle gave a slight nod and then headed toward his room.
Just after Carlyle disappeared around the corner.
“It seems you’ve been thoroughly outmaneuvered.”
“I am aware.”
Grand Duke Guntram replied gruffly to Maranello’s subtle remark.
“Don’t laugh.”
“Heh heh.”
“I said, don’t laugh.”
Grand Duke Guntram glared at Maranello.
“Somehow, I feel like I’m being played by him.”
“How could that be? Heh heh.”
“Hmph.”
“Still, it is all because your second son has become a new man. This old man hopes you do not consider it a loss.”
“What parent in this world can win against their own child? On the battlefield, I would never wish to lose, but my son is an exception. I am content to be defeated any number of times.”
“Your Grace…”
“I must go now. I need to carefully review the boy’s proposal before the Victory Day celebration begins.”
With those words, Grand Duke Guntram departed, and Maranello watched his lord’s back with eyes shining with respect.
He couldn’t help but admire the duke’s willingness to seriously consider a proposal from his son, who was known as the world’s worst scoundrel, rather than dismissing it outright.
***
Feeling stifled, Alicia was out for a walk when she ran into Carlyle coming from the opposite direction.
As always, Carlyle didn’t even glance at Alicia.
Alicia knew Carlyle’s personality and his stance on the Lauren family, so she decided to let it be.
At first, she had been angered by Carlyle’s complete disregard for her, but now she felt he had his reasons and didn’t think much of it.
However, apart from that, a thought crossed her mind as she looked at him.
‘I think this every time I see him, but he’s ridiculously handsome.’
Indeed, there was something about Carlyle’s appearance that inspired awe in those who saw him.
As Carlyle brushed past her, a murmur escaped Alicia’s lips unconsciously.
“I’m jealous. To be able to live like that…”
“?”
Carlyle stopped in his tracks and stared at Alicia.
Thump!
When their eyes met, Alicia felt her heart drop.
It was the first time Alicia realized.
That looking a truly handsome man straight in the eye was such a breathtaking and heart-pounding experience.
“What is it?”
A flustered Alicia snapped at him.
“What do you mean, ‘live like that’?”
“Uh…”
“Do you think I just sit around and do nothing?”
“Th-that’s not what I meant.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
Carlyle glanced at Alicia for a moment, then nodded as if he understood.
“Right. I suppose so.”
“What do you suppose?”
“It’s nothing.”
“What do you mean, nothing? If you start something, finish it.”
“You really want me to?”
“Yes.”
“You’re struggling and scrambling just to survive, while that damn scoundrel, despite being a Sigmund, seems to just coast through life without a care. It must get on your nerves, right?”
“...!”
Alicia flinched in surprise.
She hadn’t expected the northern scoundrel to see right through her.
“What do you know to be spouting such nonsense?”
“I know enough.”
As Alicia bristled, Carlyle scoffed and replied.
“The head of the Lauren family’s first wife and your mother, the second wife, don’t get along. Their support bases are also rivals. As a result, your relationship with Kaldor is terrible, isn’t it? Since you’re both fighting for the position of heir.”
“Th-that’s…”
“And all the while, the head of the Lauren family is just standing back with his hands behind his back, watching the fire from across the river, telling you two to fight it out.”
“You… Who in the world are you?”
Alicia stared at Carlyle in disbelief.
The words that had just come from Carlyle’s mouth were not something that could be said by a man supposedly obsessed with wine, women, and gambling.
“Who else? The northern scoundrel.”
Carlyle replied gruffly.
“Anyway, I may not have it as bad as you, but I have my own tiring life to live, so don’t say things like that to my face.”
“...I apologize for that.”
“Fine.”
Carlyle gave a nod and, as if he had nothing more to say, left Alicia behind and went on his way.
‘Still, at least you don’t have to worry about being killed by your own flesh and blood.’
Alicia couldn’t help but envy Carlyle.
***
“Nom nom nom!”
As soon as he got to the room, the hatchling devoured snacks like cake and cookies, then curled up on the cushion Evangeline had made for him and fell sound asleep.
‘Is it because he’s a newborn? He just eats and sleeps.’
Watching the softly sleeping hatchling, Carlyle chuckled and sat on the windowsill.
Sipping a cup of tea, Carlyle was lost in thought.
‘Alicia van Lauren. She has ambition and considerable skill. She even cornered Kaldor once.’
Kaldor was one of the main characters in the game [Overlord], the eldest son of the Lauren family and the future lord of Schwerin.
His personality was sinister, cunning, and deceitful; he cared nothing for his reputation as long as it served his own interests.
No wonder he was called the [Cunning Serpent].
‘If left alone, she’ll be killed by Kaldor. Not just her, but her entire extended family.’
Of course, it was none of his business whether Alicia lived or died.
To Carlyle, her life was worth less than a single cookie.
However, as a strategic means to keep the Lauren family in check, Alicia could be a rather attractive card to play.
‘The Laurens are disgusting. It would be better in many ways to crush them decisively if the opportunity arises.’
Setting aside the historical incidents between the two families, the Lauren family was a very tricky and troublesome entity.
They were masters at sowing discord among other families, backstabbing them, and switching sides like bats.
‘If I use Alicia well, I could shatter the Lauren family. Should I give it a try?’
If he did, both Carlyle and Alicia could get what they wanted.
Carlyle would be able to check the Lauren family—the Sigmunds’ long-standing rivals who were still sucking their blood like parasites—and Alicia would be able to save not only her own life but also those of her relatives.
‘I’ll have to think about this. Alicia is no pushover.’
Having inherited the Lauren bloodline, she was not the type to meekly play the role of a puppet.
From what Carlyle knew, Alicia was intelligent, at times cunning, and possessed considerable strategic insight.
One wrong move and he could be backstabbed by Alicia, and there was also the risk that the Sigmund family could be put in a difficult position by misinformation, so he couldn’t decide rashly.
Joining hands with her without a solid safety net was very likely to be a dangerous choice.
Just as the continent had sayings like [Never worry about the Sigmunds] or [Only a Sigmund can defeat a Sigmund], there was also a reason for the saying, [Trust a Lauren and you will surely be betrayed].
‘For now, I’ll just watch.’
Carlyle left open the possibility of joining forces with Alicia.
It was risky, but if things went well, they could both get what they wanted.
As Carlyle sipped his tea and gazed out the window, he saw a massive white carriage in the distance, escorted by hundreds of knights.
‘That’s…’
Carlyle recognized the massive white carriage at a glance.
A pure white eight-horse carriage, drawn by a team of eight horses.
Even the horses pulling the carriage were clad in pure white armor.
The carriage was adorned with pure gold, and a crest in the shape of an eye was embossed on the door.
Furthermore, with hundreds of fully armed knights surrounding it… there was no need to look further.
‘The royal family.’
Confirming the arrival of a royal delegation, Carlyle’s eyes gleamed.
Oracle.
The family that had ruled the United Kingdom for the past several hundred years through the power of foresight.
The current king was unable to attend to state affairs due to a long illness, so it was highly likely that the one riding in that pure white eight-horse carriage was the crown prince, [Gordon von Oracle].
‘Even for Victory Day, I didn’t expect the royal family to come in person. What are you plotting, Gordon?’
Crown Prince Gordon’s visit was something Carlyle had not predicted at all.
One thing was certain, however: the crown prince’s visit would be anything but welcome.
The royal family had always sought to check and weaken the twelve great families and the grand duchies they ruled.