Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: The Mad Knight
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“Alone? A single knight is going to subjugate the demon realm?”
“Yes. Sir Gecko, knight of Duchess Essendra, confirmed it. He said the Duchess permitted that knight to subjugate the demon realm by himself.”
“Ha! That Sir Eugene from Maren, right? Is that the latest suicide fad there?”
“Hahaha…….”
The nobles and knights of the territory chuckled lightly at the joke from Edrike, the fourth son of the House of Marquis Archibald.
He had no chance of inheriting the title, but he was cheerful and took good care of those beneath him, making him quite popular among the nobility.
His ears were a bit too thin, but he actively incorporated the opinions of his subordinates and had skillfully balanced things between Essendra and Gabriel up until now.
No matter who ended up inheriting the title and becoming the new Marquis Archibald, it was certain Edrike would be appointed as lord and heavily favored.
“My sister Essendra wouldn’t start something like this for no reason. Still, we can’t exactly refuse it either…….”
Refusing would lack justification, but accepting felt off somehow. The sister Edrike knew was bold and a bit eccentric, but never one for pointless pranks.
“My lord, what if it’s that?”
“That what?”
One of the territory nobles cautiously spoke up.
“What if that Sir Yan Eugene is actually just plain insane?”
“……?”
As everyone looked puzzled, the noble hurriedly continued.
“No, just look at the feats that knight supposedly achieved. Do you believe one person could do all that? In such a short time? I think it’s impossible. What do the rest of you say?”
“Hmm. Yeah.”
“I thought it seemed implausible myself.”
“Exactly, right? But even if all those feats are true, that’s what’s ridiculous. Would any sane person even attempt such things?”
“……!”
Seeing everyone react with surprise to the plausible theory, the noble grew excited and expounded on his hypothesis.
“And isn’t Duchess Essendra famous for her sharp eye for people? She saw right through that knight’s true nature.”
“True nature, you say?”
“Ah! Whether the feats are real or not, she realized this lunatic was bound to die soon. He’s been insanely lucky so far. So she sent him to our territory under the pretext of subjugating the demon realm.”
“No way……!?”
“Yes. If that knight pulls some crazy stunt again and dies in our territory, won’t Duchess Essendra use it as an excuse to pressure us? Maybe he hasn’t gone completely off the rails until now because he’s on borrowed time. Like, ‘I’m dying anyway, might as well boost my fame’ or something?”
“……!”
The eyes of the astonished nobles and knights turned to Edrike.
Edrike, who had been wearing a grave expression like a furious man, finally parted his lips.
“It’s… convincing!”
* * *
“Wooow! This place has a totally different vibe from the others, huh? As expected from high-ranking nobles ruling here—the humans all look so relaxed.”
“Kiek!? Master, Master! See that fortress on the mountain over there? If we station familiars there, we could monitor everything! Let’s build one just like that! Yeah? Yeah? Yeah?”
“And that sexy auntie… no matter how I think about it, doesn’t she have the hots for you, Master? Hot! D-Did you fall for her? Already? Is that it!? No way! Kieek!”
After a long time alone with Eugene, Mirian buzzed around incessantly like a fish in water, chattering nonstop.
‘Right, he is a water spirit.’
“You’re annoying, so shut up already.”
“Hmph! You’ve changed, Master. Back then, when it was just us, you’d be like, ‘I’m lonely,’ or ‘Let’s depend on each other and live forever,’ saying all sorts of sweet things… and now… Gahk!”
Eugene snatched the scheming, fabricating spirit and placed him on Sillione’s neck, tying him tightly with her mane.
But as a water spirit, he liquefied to slip free and quickly climbed onto Eugene’s shoulder.
“Don’t make up stuff I never said and stay quiet. People are coming.”
“Yep.”
In the distance, at the end of the trail path, three horses approached at a moderate pace.
They clearly looked like nobles and knights under Edrike, so Eugene halted Sillione for now.
“Whoa, whoa! Are you Sir Yan Eugene?”
“Something like that. And who might you sirs be?”
“I am Mekber, knight serving Lord Edrike. These gentlemen are…….”
“Theodora of Bangel. Pleased to meet you, Sir Eugene.”
“Paminon Yoris. I am Lord Edrike’s retainer. It’s an honor to meet the knight who gained fame across the peninsula.”
The nobles under Edrike greeted Eugene with utmost courtesy.
‘Why are they being so polite?’
Meeting people from Edrike’s side was a given.
But Eugene had planned to go to them himself, not expecting them to come out personally, let alone with such decorum.
From Edrike’s perspective, he was little more than an unwelcome intruder.
‘Well, this works out fine.’
Even if he subjugated the dungeon alone, he’d need manpower to dismantle monster corpses and transport the byproducts.
And Eugene planned to ask Edrike for that help when they met.
Essendra would cover the labor costs, so Edrike had no grounds to refuse.
Of course, he had a backup plan in case of refusal.
“Pleased to meet you all as well. I didn’t expect such a warm welcome—it’s an honor for me too. May I ask what brings you here?”
Following his principle of giving back as good as he got, Eugene even cracked a rare smile.
But since he rarely smiled, it came off awkward. His mouth curved up, but his eyes looked ready to murder someone?
That smile was more than enough to give the three—tasked with observing and reporting Eugene’s every move—a certain conviction.
‘That bloodthirsty grin. A warning that he’ll flip out if we came for anything trivial?’
‘Even more brazen and terrifying than I imagined.’
“Ah, hahaha. Well, you see, Lord Edrike wishes to host you.”
“Lord Edrike holds your achievements in the highest regard. We wouldn’t want to disappoint him, so please spare some time—it would mean the world to us, Sir Eugene.”
Desperate not to offend the madman, the three nobles tried their utmost.
If he suddenly snapped and rampaged, they’d have no choice but to beat, kill, or detain him.
That would drag Essendra into it, no matter what, potentially ending Edrike’s delicate balancing act.
They didn’t care if he died in the dungeon, but he absolutely could not cause trouble in Edrike’s territory.
‘Don’t upset him, no matter what!’
“Haha…… What do you say, Sir Eugene?”
Though sensing something odd in their laughter, Eugene wanted something from Edrike too, so he tried smiling even brighter.
“That’s an honor. Haha. Then I suppose I should go see him. Hahaha.”
“Thank you, sir. Haha…….”
“I should be thanking you. Haha.”
“Haha…….”
‘Are these guys crazy?’
‘No, he’s matching our laughs just to one-up us?’
‘He’s the real deal! This knight is truly insane!’
Eugene and the three smiled at each other competitively, each thinking the same.
Mirian, lounging on Sillione’s mane, watched them all with pitiful eyes.
“Are they all idiots or what? Why keep laughing like morons?”
* * *
The three who escorted Eugene to the castle rushed breathlessly to Edrike.
“So, what’s he like?”
“Disaster, my lord! He’s even crazier than we thought.”
“What?”
Knight Mekber reported to the astonished Edrike.
“The areas he claimed to conquer were total hellholes, right? So we asked how he took them, and get this—he said he just killed every bastard who came at him. Didn’t even blink.”
“A-And?”
“We asked about his tactics, said most were criminals and mercenaries so resistance must’ve been fierce—how’d he handle it?”
“And?”
“He said he and some Sir Galpredic just charged in yelling. Said they retook Silverlight with just the two of them too. On a rainy night, even.”
“Ugh!”
“My lord! That’s not knightly valor. He’s just nuts. Suicidal maniac.”
“What if it’s exaggeration?”
When Edrike asked in shock, Knight Mekber sighed deeply.
“Fuu! Even if it is, that’s a problem. Isn’t he signaling he’ll do it again anytime things don’t go his way?”
“Kh! Arrogant bastard!”
No matter that he wouldn’t inherit, threatening a direct heir of the marquis house like this!
Offended, Edrike trembled with rage.
“My lord, you mustn’t get worked up. If that arrogant lunatic causes a scene here, you’ll bear the full fallout.”
“Exactly. Isn’t that why Duchess Essendra sent him—to exploit just that?”
Edrike’s face darkened at the two nobles’ advice.
“Grr!”
His sister Essendra had landed a solid hit.
Not just crazy, but arrogance to the bone, fearless of death—a true madman.
But one they couldn’t touch.
Essendra had dumped this headache on him.
“So what do we do? Send him straight to the dungeon?”
“We’ve already invited him, so you must at least see him briefly. Host a banquet and treat him well.”
“But no alcohol. Who knows what he’ll do drunk?”
“Ugh…….”
Edrike furrowed his brow, then lifted his face as if resolved.
“Hold the banquet, but exclude all the hot-tempered knights. Grant whatever he wants as much as possible. Prepare some silver coins too. Limit drinks to a sip or two, no spicy food. Assign only pleasant, gentle maids and servants.”
“Yes, my lord!”
* * *
‘Something’s off…….’
Eugene tilted his head inwardly.
Regardless of status, gender, or age, everyone in the castle startled at eye contact, then forced awkward smiles.
No malice, but they watched him like guilty men tiptoeing around.
‘Because Essendra sent me?’
They surely knew she was the top contender for the title.
So Eugene figured they were wary of him, a temporary hire from her entering their territory.
“Lord Edrike approaches.”
Edrike entered with a few nobles, so Eugene removed his helm, held it at his side, and bowed.
“I am Yan of the Eugene family. It is an honor to meet Edrike, one of the direct heirs of the House of Marquis Archibald.”
“……!”
Edrike’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of Eugene.
He’d expected a raving madman, but this face was not just tidy—it was strikingly handsome?
‘And… so young! This knight pulled off those absurd feats in just one or two months?’
Edrike’s doubts and fears about Eugene deepened, steeling his resolve.
No matter what, do not provoke this man.
“Ahem! Pleased to meet you, Sir Eugene. Welcome to my castle! Hahaha!”
“……!?”
Eugene was slightly flustered by Edrike’s unreserved approach—like greeting a close brother—complete with a light embrace.
“I’ve heard so much about your skills and feats on the peninsula my ears are callused. They say you even took down a wyvern at Baron Beogalan’s ruins? Incredible!”
“Got lucky here and there. And Sir Beogalan’s support was a huge help.”
In truth, the knight and mercenaries sent to kill him had ended up contributing to the wyvern kill.
Ultimately, none of Eugene’s men died because the monsters attacked the fools charging in.
Good was good, so Eugene credited Baron Beogalan with part of it.
With the baron as a future neighbor, if the marquis heir praised him and attributed it to his aid, relations would improve.
But Edrike interpreted Eugene’s words entirely differently.
‘This guy!? Threatening that if Baron Beogalan doesn’t support him like that, there’ll be trouble?’
How could such a beautiful face spew such sly, vile threats!
(To be continued)