Chapter 222
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 222
Chapter Title: What Did We Just Hear?
What did we just hear?
Paradon and the knights stared at Eugene in disbelief, their faces gradually flushing red.
The offhand remark Eugene had tossed out was on a completely different level from the crude curses of ignorant mercenaries.
No matter how arrogant they were, they were knights. That was why they had treated Eugene with at least outward courtesy, and they wanted a response befitting the honor they had shown first.
But what came back was an insult so vicious it made every hair on their bodies stand on end.
Warhammer, longsword, battle axe, mace...
As the eleven knights raised their weapons, a ferocious killing intent filled the air in all directions.
Even battle-hardened mercenaries gulped dryly at the murderous atmosphere for that instant.
But Eugene simply stared at them impassively.
"It was the Archduke who first mentioned a duel to the death. Please don't hold it against us."
'Knights are always so easy to handle.'
To think they would escalate things on their own with just this much provocation.
Eugene suppressed a laugh and continued.
"Don't blame me either. Of course..."
Eugene slung Madarajika onto the atlatl and grinned.
"If you die, you won't be able to blame anyone."
Hwaaaak!
The moment Eugene finished speaking, Paradon and three knights charged forward with roars of fury.
In that instant, Eugene's arm blurred.
Swaak!
Madalajika launched from the atlatl streaked toward Paradon like a beam of light.
With a dull thunk, it shattered his breastplate and pierced his chest.
Paradon, who had no idea what kind of weapon Madarajika was, died without even a scream.
Kwajijik!
Having punched a fist-sized hole through Paradon's chest, Madarajika skewered two more knights behind him before embedding itself in a massive siege engine.
"...!?"
The knights charging at Eugene instinctively froze at the shocking sight.
What was that?
What just happened?
Was this really reality?
And that split-second hesitation sealed their fates.
Swaaak!
Several strands of silver sword light flew in a straight line, slamming into the gaps in the knights' visors and their sides.
The knights, their brains and hearts destroyed by the Wolfslayer blade infused with blood energy, collapsed like bundles of straw.
From the moment Madarajika left the atlatl, about five seconds had passed.
In that short time, more than ten knights had all met their ends.
"...!!!"
The mercenaries gaped at Eugene as he shook the blood and flesh from his spear and sword.
Most had seen Eugene fight at least once or twice, but this scene was overwhelmingly dominant. He didn't seem human at all.
"The War God..."
Someone's murmur perfectly captured the mercenaries' feelings about Eugene.
Maren's Archduke was truly the God of War.
* * *
News of the bloody battle before the Archduke's castle spread throughout Maren City in an instant.
The people of Maren cheered at the report that more than ten foreign knights had been massacred by Eugene without landing a single proper blow.
No one in Maren was willing to wish eternal rest upon the foolish and frivolous fools who had dared to claim they would become Maren's new king.
"Archduke Eugene is Maren's pride!"
"Do they think we became a duchy because we surrendered to his military might? The citizens of Maren elevated him to Archduke by our own free will granted by the gods!"
Everyone in Maren knew exactly why Eugene had become Archduke.
It was because the preliminary work by the guild masters, centered on the Merchant Guild, using their money had been that thorough.
And now, he had proven his worth after a long time.
- Though we've become a duchy, the citizens can continue living as before. I'll uphold Maren's pride with the sword and protect our peace.
Eugene had thoroughly kept the reason he was enthroned as Archduke and the promise the council had made to the citizens.
The citizens rejoiced and cheered, but not everyone was pleased.
In particular, the nobles and merchants from foreign lands who had come for various reasons couldn't help but feel a chill down their spines.
"He didn't just subdue them—he killed them all?"
"He doesn't even need ransom? Well, with his immense wealth, he doesn't need it... but shouldn't he have considered the opponent's honor?"
"Didn't they boast about defeating the Archduke and becoming the new king right in front of him? They have no ground to complain even in death."
"Still, that was a bit..."
The foreigners' reactions were mixed.
Some called it karmic retribution, while others noted that a prestigious great noble and head of state had disregarded convention.
In noble society, slaughtering opponents indiscriminately was dishonorable and foolish, as it needlessly created enemies.
However, regardless of their reactions, one fact was unanimously acknowledged deep down.
'Mess with him carelessly, and you're really screwed.'
Even setting aside rumors that Maren's Archduke might be a high-ranking vampire, the fact that he had mercilessly killed those who challenged him carried huge implications.
Naturally, after that day, rowdy behavior in pubs and inns across Maren dropped sharply.
Of course, the Archduke wouldn't personally go around cracking down, but there was no harm in being cautious.
Subtly disparaging remarks about Eugene or bold attempts by nobles to curry favor with him also nearly vanished.
It was a natural response, as most hadn't believed in his achievements and had tried to use him.
Some even packed their bags and returned home due to their "crimes."
The Governor-General and council, who had hoped to expand influence through the founding of the duchy, were greatly flustered at first but soon became more than satisfied within days.
Foreign nobles and merchants began approaching the council even more aggressively than before.
"His Highness the Archduke truly had a plan."
"He's not called Maren's God of War for nothing. Hahaha!"
To those who lived by the sword, he was the War God; to those who tallied accounts, he was the God of Wealth. That was Maren's Archduke.
Of course, that was only in Maren. Elsewhere, Eugene was called something else entirely.
The Ghost.
It was in Kailer Royal Castle.
* * *
"The new king can only be Duke Jebio! Who else but he, eighth in the royal line and bearer of the previous king's blood, can succeed the throne?"
"Duke Jebio's maternal family, Bolten, was implicated in treason. Speak sense. The only one fit for the throne is Duke Pelione."
"You're talking about making a six-year-old brat king? Why not just declare yourself regent?"
"Did you just speak informally? Huh?"
"Yeah! So what? Should I be grateful a backwater baronet like you didn't get cursed out, just informal speech?"
"You old fool!"
"Enough! My lords! The gods are watching this chamber! Do you not fear divine punishment? For the sake of those like you who lack faith, the king must be one in whom honor and piety are perfectly balanced..."
The traditional royal nobles, the knightly nobles following Count Hartres, the noble alliance centered on Count Winslon, and even the holy knights.
The Kailer Kingdom's nobles, divided into four factions, pointed fingers and veins bulged in their necks. Some even grabbed collars and shook each other.
"......"
Count Winslon squeezed his eyes shut, unable to bear watching what looked less like an honorable noble assembly and more like a marketplace brawl over a single coin.
They should be uniting to establish a king quickly and lead the kingdom together, yet here they were, already in this state.
'Is the kingdom's fortune... truly exhausted?'
Count Winslon shook his head hurriedly, banishing the thought unfit for a great noble of the realm.
Then, his eyes met Count Hartres's.
Seeing his face flushed like a blooming flower of rage, it was clear he was thoroughly pissed too.
But like himself, Count Hartres couldn't clean up this mess.
The reason was simple.
The moment one of them took the lead, three of the four factions would unite against him.
And the result would inevitably be...
'Civil war again. One where, no matter who, one or perhaps both of them must be exterminated to end it...'
That was why the two counts could only watch this frustrating situation.
And as Count Winslon had noticed, Count Hartres had recently realized something too.
Who had started this endless pandemonium.
"Yan Eugene..."
Count Winslon murmured the name, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
Yan Eugene was undoubtedly the benefactor and hero who had saved the capital and royal castle. Without him, the capital would have fallen, and the kingdom torn asunder.
Moreover, it was Eugene who had somehow united the chaotic royal castle after the cardinal's assassination of the king, by putting forward the Roman Empire's prince.
He could have seized control himself but exercised unbelievable restraint and noble honor to preempt any misunderstandings.
In other words, based on the stories heard and results seen, Yan Eugene was less a hero and more a saintly figure.
Count Winslon and Count Hartres had no disagreement on that.
'And that's exactly the problem!'
Yan Eugene had remained a thorough bystander in state affairs after being a hero, and the shadow of the Roman prince—as an observer rather than participant—loomed too heavily.
'Could it have been intentional?'
The thought made something boil up, but he couldn't curse the man for it.
After all, hadn't he kept faith with him and even sent hundreds of mercenaries and the exceptional knight Edmund to help directly?
'They say ghosts come and go silently... Not wrong.'
In any case, whether Yan Eugene intended it or not, that wasn't important now.
They had to resolve this chaos and move forward somehow.
Maren had declared itself an archduchy, and the border count Essendra of the Karsbagen Peninsula was making suspicious moves. Local lords' defections would accelerate visibly.
But the most worrisome was...
'The neighboring countries, especially the Roman Empire, won't just sit idly by.'
Feeling a chill down his spine, Count Winslon shook his face vigorously and lifted his head.
As an honorable noble of the kingdom, with desperate resolve...
"Duke Jebio is the only..."
"Duke Pelione is the sole rightful heir..."
"As Prince Rokarop advised, we must consider new candidates even now..."
"Gods above!"
Count Winslon unwittingly closed his eyes again amid the endless mad banquet.
* * *
"You're speaking of subjugating the demonic frontiers?"
"Indeed. I plan to personally clear them, focusing on areas where mid- and high-tier monsters haven't been sighted."
Eugene scratched his suddenly itchy ear with a finger and said.
"Maren City might be fine, but the territories are in disarray, right? Before the enthronement ceremony hype fades, I can soothe the lords, resolve issues in the uncharted demonic frontier zones, and sweep through for security while I'm at it."
Plus, fill up on blood enough to satisfy the blood armor and erase this tattoo.
Oblivious to Eugene's ulterior motives, the Governor-General was moved to tears.
"To think of the archduchy and its subjects so deeply. Elevating Your Highness as Archduke is truly Maren's great fortune."
"What fortune? Anyway, just me and the Elrand Knights will go, so keep that in mind. Oh, and for this subjugation..."
The Governor-General continued with a knowing expression.
"The mana stones and monster byproducts from the subjugation will all go to the royal treasury after allocating each territory's share. Completely tax-free, of course."
"Having a capable man like you as Governor-General is my fortune."
"That's what I should say."
Now at the level of telepathic understanding, Eugene and the Governor-General exchanged meaningful glances and smiled.
"Oh, right. Where do you plan to go first? We should notify them in advance so they don't panic."
To the Governor-General who had just risen, Eugene answered without hesitation.
"Tiwin Territory."
The territory of his first squire sent to Mungard, and also his starting point.
Eugene intended to delve into its dungeon to the end.
And also...
'Broadwin Village. There's a clue there.'
No matter how many times he thought about it, it was strange.
Why would a monster with a red mana stone be in that backwater village's pond, of all places?
Moreover, it was a spirit that hid whenever it sensed human presence, yet among countless spirits, this bizarre one whose very identity was questionable lived there?
The stage was too perfect.
As if someone had set it up.
(To be continued)