Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: To the Land of Promises Flowing with Politics and Backstabbing
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“Young Lord Sion.”
Once again, Raido vanished with a twirl like some magical girl.
At this rate, he’d probably start transforming with some funky music next.
After that, Lucia finally spoke to Sion for the first time.
“If it’s not too much trouble, could we talk for a moment?”
“Well...”
Sion started to reply but instinctively glanced at Lilite.
She didn’t quite fit the Succubus Queen image, constantly wary of Lucia.
It wasn’t simple jealousy—Lilite had the overwhelming advantage there.
Lucia merely watched Lilite closely but hadn’t aggressively approached Sion yet, so he couldn’t figure out why Lilite was so guarded against her.
“Why’re you looking at me?
You decide.
Why’s a guy like you checking with a woman?”
But Lilite responded coolly, as if she’d never shot those anxious glances.
Just as Sion wondered what was going on and nodded to agree,
“...”
Risika was glaring at Lucia with intense wariness.
Her eyes were like a house cat eyeing a new stray brought home.
“Rishi.”
“Yes, Young Lord.”
“I’ll step away to talk with Lucia for a bit. Can you wait?”
“...Of course.”
Her words said one thing, but her eyes still flashed with caution.
Sion genuinely worried she might tail them.
Suppressing his unease, he headed with Lucia to the garden inside the castle.
Lucia walked silently, lost in thought as he was.
‘I’ve been so focused on Lilite and Rishi that I neglected Lucia.’
Normally, right after the war, he’d have poured effort into advancing things with Lucia.
But Risika’s sudden arrival had shifted his focus, costing him time.
“Are your wounds okay?”
At Lucia’s question, Sion blinked, then sighed in realization.
“No problem.
Thanks to you, we completely crushed the enemy’s assault.”
“That doesn’t erase my mistake.
Even Father rarely got angry like that.”
“...”
No, the old man who beat enemies to death on whims getting mad over a magic mishap was over the top.
Scratching his cheek, Sion repeatedly insisted it was no big deal.
Her mistake was big, sure, but she’d already blunted their sharp momentum with one prior strike, more than covering it.
“More importantly, you had something to say.”
“...Yeah.
I did.”
Lucia hesitated, seemingly conflicted, then took a deep breath and spoke.
“Don’t you think I’m a bit weird?”
“Weird how...”
“In every way I treat you.
To you, I’m just Raido the mage’s daughter, but I keep hoping you’d see me differently.”
“...I don’t think it’s weird.
It’s natural when dealing with someone you like.”
“They say I’m weak to your type.
Father always said so.
That I take after Mom, falling for sleazy guys.”
So that’s how it was.
But by that logic, Raido wasn’t scrawny at all?
For a mage, he was overly muscled—not brutish, but far from the stereotypical lanky wizard.
“Oh, and just so you know, Father hounded Mother 24/7.
He bragged about it—pushing on a woman who hated it!
Begging her to give him a chance.
Saying he loved her so much he’d die, but couldn’t die because then he couldn’t love her.
So why not just love him?”
“...”
The mad mage grandpa who’d snap at the drop of a hat was that romantic?
Sion got chills just thinking about it.
No, what the hell did that wife do wrong to marry a guy like that...
“But... Mother wasn’t entirely against it.
Honestly, a guy that persistent? She figured she could trust him with her life once.”
“...”
Enough. Couples don’t just resemble each other after marriage—they start similar.
That mom was clearly unhinged too!
“In that sense, I think I take after Father.”
Whoa, that sent a shiver down his spine.
Sion felt a chill without knowing why.
Take after her father how?
Did she punch well too?
Was she gonna beat him until he said he’d marry her?
“Would that be so bad?”
“...Pardon?”
“I know you feel nothing for me.
This is all my one-sided delusion, and it’ll probably end badly.”
Lucia fidgeted, wringing her clasped hands anxiously.
It was obvious she’d mustered tremendous courage to say this.
“People’s hearts are like that, right?
The one who falls in love always loses.
The one who loves is wrong.
But you still hope that person looks at you once.”
“Lucia, that’s...”
“Just smile at me sometimes, walk with me a little less often, and very rarely smile only at me.
Is that too greedy?”
Sion let out an involuntary groan.
This dialogue from Lucia—it was exactly what she’d say to Kim Yu-hyun later!
Stealing another guy’s girl felt oddly thrilling, not bad.
No, it was straight-up exhilarating.
Was this the NTR some readers raved about!
‘Shit, am I that kind of guy?
Is some remnant of Sion Claussen still lingering?’
Even with Lilite’s advances or Rishi calling him master, it hadn’t hit this hard.
Of course, sex with Lilite was a different story.
Was this the thrill of immoral relations?
Sure, Kim Yu-hyun and Lucia hooked up much later, but knowing the novel’s plot, it felt like it had already happened to Sion.
“Lucia.”
“Yes, Young Lord.”
“This question feels awkward coming from me.”
“Don’t worry—just ask.”
“What exactly do you like about me?
I just don’t get it.”
Lucia pondered, caught off guard and suddenly shy.
“It started as simple fondness.
Then I saw sides different from the rumors—like humbling yourself for something—and got intrigued.
Then... that speech.
It hit me hard.
Ah, this man isn’t someone anyone can just dismiss.”
That speech made Sion slap his forehead internally.
No way Lucia had the mindset only vets would get.
“Honestly, I thought it was just fancy noble talk.
But that day.
In the middle of the battlefield turned inferno by my mistake, the moment I saw you charge into hell for some random soldier I’d never met, this thought struck me.
If I’d been lying there instead of that soldier, would you have come to save me?”
Of course he would’ve.
He’d have dived in unless it was certain death.
Raido going berserk if Lucia got hurt or killed was a risk.
He had to prevent that rampage before the celestial war even started.
“And... I still can’t forget it.”
“Forget what...”
“The day we first met.
That very day I almost suffered something awful—when you brushed off my knight and looked at me.
Your eyes, full of worry for me, even a flicker of fear that I might be too shocked.”
“...”
Hearing that, Sion couldn’t say, ‘Actually, that was pure terror because of Kim Yu-hyun.
Shit, I was so moved tears welled up.
Relief that your arm was fine and you were alive.’
“Does that answer it?”
“...Plenty.”
Lucia at the novel’s start wasn’t oozing pink vibes with Kim Yu-hyun.
Just his master’s disciple and the master’s daughter.
Then, over time, she fell for his tough exterior hiding a soft heart, feeling sorry for him and growing close.
That’s when her stock skyrocketed, as he recalled.
But then this body, Sion Claussen, relentlessly exploited Kim Yu-hyun’s gaps, split them, and eventually killed Lucia.
‘And his line was, “See how it feels.”
Shit...
Feel what? What?
Crazy.
He flipped out alone, got beaten alone, twisted alone, and raged alone!’
Luckily, that wouldn’t happen now.
But the problem was the world itself would crumble without his idiocy.
“No good, Young Lord?
I just want to get a little closer.
If it bothers you...”
That line matched the novel exactly.
Timing differed, but words could be the same. Sion steeled himself.
Sorry, Lilite, but Lucia had her own role.
“If you promise not to set me ablaze again, Lucia.”
“Eek!
Th-that was a mistake.
Sorry.”
“Don’t worry.
Your magic was undeniably powerful.
And maybe magic isn’t your only talent.”
“...What do you mean?
That magic isn’t all I’ve got?”
She wouldn’t know now, but Sion did.
Unlike her court mage father Raido, Lucia had plenty of mana and cast well but couldn’t handle the output most times.
A mage controlled by her own spells—a fatal flaw.
Thus, she’d been dead weight in Kim Yu-hyun’s party for a while.
Drawing ire from party members and reader complaints alike.
‘Then she awakened mid-celestial war, finally getting it.
But soon kidnapped by Sion, suffered horrors, and retired...’
Sion mused on that.
Maybe the author wrote her out not for world order, but because her power would shatter the crumbling balance.
―
The war with Nudia officially ended.
While Margrave Lichten watched with half hope, half worry, Sion busily prepared for the capital trip.
“Will Basura County really honor that negotiation, Sion?”
“Don’t worry.
Count Dishe has no choice but to follow through.”
Sion held countless weaknesses on Count Dishe.
He even knew exactly how to drag him to ruin with them.
Count Dishe wanted to scream how a Hispania noble knew Nudia’s internal politics so well, but lacked the guts.
Sion’s wicked grin seemed to ask, ‘Can you handle knowing the source?’
“I reported your achievements to the capital, but I’m still worried.”
“Because my mana affinity is zero?”
“That’s a big weakness in this world.”
Sion knew that.
In the novel, Kim Yu-hyun said this world’s qi—mana—was far denser than his old martial realm.
Hence more powerhouses.
Using it properly was key, but Sion couldn’t at all.
“Don’t worry, Father.
Others fight with swords up front; I’ll fight from behind in other ways.”
No intent to abandon strengths for Kim Yu-hyun-style rampages.
Lacking basic self-defense sucked, but it wasn’t urgent.
“Have you set the personnel?”
“Rishi for escort.
Plus Lucia, Kim Yu-hyun tagging along as her guard, and Lady Lilite.
Fill the rest with knights and soldiers.”
“That should be fine.”
Fine my ass—it wasn’t remotely ordinary.
One upper knight, one soon surpassing her, and a top demon.
This was terrorist-level, enough to bomb the palace.
‘Now the real start begins.’
In the novel, Claussen Margraviate was just the opener.
Real plot and chaos kicked off now, meeting all sorts.
Before, Kim Yu-hyun led; now it was Sion Claussen.
‘Let’s go!
To the land of promises where politics and backstabbing are daily life!’
[Author's Note] From Sunday's 4 consecutive updates to today's... !
If recommendations pile up, maybe more...?
Will I?