Chapter 204
Chapter 204
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 204
Chapter Title: The Elf Envoy
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“……!?”
Whether mercenary or knight, everyone versed in tactics furrowed their brows.
Concentrate the main force on defense and launch attacks with small detachments?
Even if cavalry was powerful on open plains, this was an unheard-of tactic.
But since the one who suggested it was Eugene, no one could openly point it out.
Eugene didn’t even glance at the knights expecting a response. Instead, he spoke to Trevik, who was staring at him with a serious expression.
“The enemy is the royalist army under the king’s orders. They’ve branded us rebels, right? That makes them irreconcilable enemies with Maren. Isn’t that so?”
“Y-Yes… that’s right.”
Unable to understand why Eugene was asking something so obvious, Trevik hesitated. Eugene continued coldly.
“Then, if we lose, how do you think they’ll act? For example, what about the disposition of the merchants and guild masters?”
“…Execution for all.”
The very pretext for the king mobilizing his army was to suppress the rebellion. No magnanimous lord would forgive traitors.
Moreover, these were the leaders of Maren, who had opposed the king since the past and driven out all the royalists.
“That’s right. This fight isn’t some ordinary dispute or territorial skirmish. Honor? Mercy? We can’t expect any of that. If we lose, we lose everything. And as I said earlier, I’m not here as Duke of Brantia. I’m just a knight branded a heretic and traitor by King Kaylor.”
He scanned the knights and mercenary leaders watching him with expressions mixed of realization, anticipation, and tension.
This was the Kingdom of Kaylor. The situation was entirely different from Brantia, where he had fought to place Luke on the throne.
For Eugene, aside from a tiny handful of friendly forces like Maren and Essendra, he had no need to consider anyone else’s circumstances.
Especially when his opponents were the king and cardinal who had struck first.
So.
“There’s no need to hold back. We can use any means necessary, right?”
Even if he unleashed all his abilities as a Vampire Origin and slaughtered the king and everyone else, it wouldn’t matter.
After all, they were the ones who had declared total war first.
* * *
“Hahaha! My lord, you didn’t seriously think you could defy the king by relying on those weak, pathetic scum, did you?”
“……”
Viscount Codi Jenath, infantry commander of the royal house, sneered alternately at the captured noble knights from defeated families and the people beside them.
‘This lowly bastard!’
Jevin, the newly appointed Earl of Evergrow, barely suppressed his rising contempt with a twitching cheek and forced a smile.
“Defy? What nonsense. My house of Evergrow has always been a loyal vassal to the king and royal family. Those are the ones who betrayed me.”
Some among the prisoners were connected by blood. But from the moment he chose the king’s side, the earl had resolved to sever those ties.
The prisoners glared at him with contempt, but Jevin deliberately ignored their gazes.
Honor could be set aside for now, in exchange for the chance to become the true overlord of Maren and the surrounding regions.
‘Besides, isn’t true honor found in a vassal’s loyalty to his king? I’m on the righteous path.’
Having rationalized it to grant himself absolution, Jevin noticed Viscount Jenath’s face twist into an arrogant grin, as if reading his inner thoughts.
“Hahaha! Sure, let’s say that’s true. Anyway, when we return to the capital with news of victory, I’ll put in a good word for you with the king.”
‘Vulgar, base cur!’
No matter how one looked at his words or actions, Viscount Jenath was utterly unnoble and crude. In truth, he had started as the leader of the Ashpile Mercenary Corps, a large mercenary band.
Jenath, commanding over three hundred men, had swallowed up three minor territories and demanded a title from the royals.
It was something no sane person would grant, but he promised half their produce as taxes and swore to obey only the king and cardinal’s direct orders. They had hastily approved, and it had continued to this day.
It also helped that the lords of the territories Jenath seized had been vocal in their discontent with the royal house.
To the king and cardinal, one lord loyal only to them—even if a former mercenary leader—was preferable to three disobedient ones.
In any case, Jenath and his Ashpile Knight Order—formerly the Ashpile Mercenary Corps—had renewed their annual contract with the crown, serving as the king’s blade.
Supported by just over two hundred warhorses from the king, they supplied everything else through plunder.
They spared royalist territories but repeatedly ravaged and looted those disloyal to the crown.
Even fellow royalists had called for reining in Jenath and his Ashpile Knights, but the king and cardinal ignored them.
Because they had tolerated the group’s excesses precisely for times like this.
“By the way, when we take Maren, remember to keep your promise to fill the leadership with my men.”
“Heh heh. That’s up to you. Me and my boys just want to loot. They say the women of Maren are soft and supple. Looks like my lower half will feast too. Uhahaha!”
“Heh heh! Heard elves show up at the port sometimes. You’ll get a proper recharge, boss.”
“Not boss, my lord. You illiterate fucks just can’t get it right.”
“Hehe. Sorry about that, milord.”
The former mercenaries who had served Jenath for years and earned knighthoods snickered.
Jevin found their crude vulgarity so repulsive it felt like hives breaking out on his skin, but for his ambitions, he forced a smile and endured.
At that moment, the scouts returned, and a long deerhorn trumpet blast echoed.
“Lord Jenath! An envoy from Maren!”
“Huh? They already scouted our movements?”
Jenath’s brief admiration turned into a sly grin.
Nothing would change now. With Earl Evergrow on their side, no territory would aid Maren.
Sieging would take time, but he was confident in capturing it within a month.
With three hundred battle-hardened Ashpile Knights and five hundred mercenaries, there was nothing to fear.
Plus, Evergrow’s joining had given him a rough idea of Maren’s situation.
It was a battle they couldn’t lose.
‘Heh heh! Envoy or whatever, lop off his head and toss it at the gates.’
True to his origins, Jenath cared nothing for noble customs or knightly honor.
They were all doomed for the gallows on charges of treason anyway, and he had permission to raze everything without restraint.
Killing the envoy would properly instill fear of royal authority and himself in the rebels…
“……!”
“Gasp!”
“Oh!”
“What’s that?”
As Jenath’s eyes widened, exclamations erupted everywhere.
Bearing two flags—one Maren’s emblem and another he’d never seen—a knight approached with three mounted escorts. Her appearance was that shocking.
With clear, milky skin and green eyes gleaming with an otherworldly light, this female knight possessed beauty not merely rare, but peerless enough to be called heavenly.
She exuded both nobility and sensuality—opposing auras in harmony—and her ears were one finger’s length longer than a human’s.
“An elf.”
“An elf knight.”
“Wow……”
Even the crude, lewd tongues that usually spewed filth fell silent as everyone swallowed dryly.
Not only that, though no order was given, they parted like magic to make way for the elf knight and her party.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
Jenath himself—who moments ago had vulgarly appraised Maren’s women—gaped dumbly as she drew nearer.
‘A g-goddess! I’ve finally met my soulmate!’
Electric thrill coursed through Jenath’s body.
But when the goddess incarnate’s full, red lips parted…
“Who’s the commander here, you fuck?”
“……!?”
Everyone’s eyes bulged, wondering if they’d misheard.
But they hadn’t.
“Are you all as retarded as you look? Or do you have cute little cunts stuffed in your ears? I asked who the commander is.”
“……!!!”
Silence like a hammer blow to the head engulfed them.
Such intense(?) profanity from that beautiful face?
‘B-but this is kinda…’
‘In our mercenary circles, this is a reward, right?’
‘M-more, please!’
As some perverts thought that—including Jenath, one such himself—he hurriedly cleared his throat and stepped forward.
“Ahem! For one so beautiful to have such a foul mouth. I am the knight Viscount Codi Jenath of Kaylor Kingdom, faithfully executing His Majesty’s glorious command with honor and distinction.”
‘Has this bastard lost his mind?’
Jevin was dumbfounded by Jenath’s instant shift, puffing himself up and aping nobility.
Even his long-time followers eyed him with chills of disgust.
But Jenath ignored the stares, standing tall like a true noble knight and declaring proudly.
“My lady. You seem no ordinary knight at first glance. Why not abandon the doomed rebels and entrust yourself to me? I’ll specially plead with His Majesty to treat you nobly…”
“This knight despises uglies.”
“……!?”
The peerless beauty, Princess Lilisein, tilted her head at Jenath’s bulging eyes.
“But my lord, are you perhaps goblin mixed? Oh, judging by your build, troll mixed? The continent truly is full of wonders. Even our kin don’t know all its mysteries. I’m genuinely impressed.”
She meant it!
Not mockery—genuine admiration!
Hundreds watched, unable to laugh, alternating between Princess Lilisein and Jenath, whose face reddened by the second.
“Y-You… youuu…….”
His face contorted monstrously, truly half-troll now, Jenath finally bellowed.
“You fucking cunt! I’ll strip you naked and fuck every hole till you’re ruined, aaarrgh!”
Back to his usual self at the “ugly” remark.
But even rough mercenaries winced at his gutter filth—yet Lilisein’s expression didn’t change.
No, her cheeks faintly flushed, clearly shocked…
“Imagining it raised my temperature. Ugly, but your imagination’s top-notch. I admit it.”
“You crazy bitch……!”
“Impressive as ever!”
“Wh-what……?”
“My brothers, this knight sometimes called them that. Must be your troll blood giving you mysterious powers. Truly astonishing ability.”
“You fucking bitch! I’ll kill you!”
“No! Lord Jenath! W-wait a moment!”
Only Jevin, who had been scrutinizing the two flags she bore—not her looks—stepped forward.
“Hey, Lord Evergrow. Do you know who I—”
Ignoring Jenath’s tantrum, Jevin asked urgently.
“M-my lady. That flag—is it Sir Eugene Yan’s crest?”
“Sharp eyes. Correct. I represent Maren and His Grace Duke Eugene Yan Bartla.”
“Urk!”
Jevin’s face drained pale at Princess Lilisein’s reply.
“Sir Eugene!?”
“Returned from Brantia?”
The Evergrow knights couldn’t hide their shock either.
Different from Jevin, but Eugene had left an indelible impression on them.
How could they forget? Rugates, tournament champion of the earl’s house, slain by Galpredic’s hand; three knights led by Marble defeated and captured by Eugene.
But for Jevin, it was more. The last words Eugene spoke to him still rang in his ears.
“L-Lord Jenath!”
“What?”
Though Jevin outranked him, as royal infantry commander, Jenath bared ill feelings at the interruption.
But Jevin had no time for the crude ex-mercenary’s mood.
“W-we can’t kill the envoy. We must let her go!”
“What? Didn’t you hear what that bitch said to me? Send off the cunt who insulted this body carrying the king’s command?”
“Please, listen! The one this knight serves is Sir Eugene Yan!”
“Eugene? Who’s that?”
“Hah!”
Jevin grew even more exasperated.
Even before leaving for Brantia, Eugene had been a famed knight.
Setting aside his myriad achievements, becoming the tournament champion of the Winslon earl’s house was known to all Kaylor knights.
“Ah! W-wait, surely…….”
“Surely my ass. I don’t know the guy. Looks like some rebel helper in Maren. Just go kill her.”
Seeing Jenath truly ignorant and raring for blood, Jevin became certain.
‘The king and cardinal never intended to attack Maren immediately! This—this was a deception!’
Notorious as they were, the Ashpile Knights were less the royal blade, more like hunting dogs.
Useful to have, but not essential.
This greedy, vulgar hound before him had no idea he was dispensable and had come bounding like a dog.
And…
The most dangerous predator Jevin knew was now nearby, ready to devour that hound.
(To be continued in the next installment)