Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Gold and Treachery
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“Oh! Lord Eugene!”
Jebin practically ran over and extended his hand to Eugene.
There were plenty of eyes on them, and after all, Jebin was the heir to the most powerful family in the region, so Eugene took his hand.
“Long time no see, Lord Jebin.”
“Haha! You’re right. We should’ve met more often.”
“We’re here too, Lord Eugene!”
Eugene’s eyes widened slightly at the knights who had come with Jebin.
“Kkieak? Aren’t these the guys who got a proper schooling from the young master?”
The ending had worked out well enough, but seeing the three knights who had been beaten senseless by him just a few months ago grinning brightly made Eugene even more puzzled.
“The knights were so eager to see you, Lord Eugene. Anyway, I heard about your exploits at Earl Winslon’s knight tournament. My blood’s boiling—I couldn’t just sit still! That’s why I came. Ah! And this is a gift.”
At Jebin’s glance, burly, well-dressed slaves carried over a large chest.
“Open it.”
Clank!
“Ooooh!”
“Kkieak! Kkiek! Th-th-the gold bars!”
Admiration erupted from all around, while Mirian fainted dead away.
Dozens of gold bars, gleaming with hypnotic radiance, filled the chest—big enough to fit a child inside.
“This is my token of respect for Lord Eugene, who brought honor to our region. Please accept it.”
Eugene snapped out of his momentary daze at the gold bars and looked at Jebin.
Having suddenly seized everyone’s attention with his arrival and the gold, Jebin wore a radiant smile.
Anyone would think it befitted the heir of a great noble house—bright and confident.
‘Hmm.’
Eugene’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Jebin’s face was smiling, but his pupils trembled faintly. And mixed with his cologne was the distinctive scent humans gave off when tense.
From Eugene’s experience, there was only one type who reacted this way.
Those who feared him.
Eugene was completely certain now.
‘It’s this guy.’
Jebin. Jebin was definitely the one who had sent the Holy Knights to Earl Winslon’s tournament on behalf of the royalists.
The funny part was that Jebin didn’t seem to know Eugene already knew that.
‘But why show up? Ah…’
Eugene glanced at the royalist figures who couldn’t tear their eyes from the gold bars, mouths agape.
As Earl Winslon had said, the ones who sent the letter to someone powerful enough in the capital to move Holy Knights—the ‘instigators’—were Maren’s royalists.
Jebin Evergrow was merely the delivery boy. Whatever the truth or circumstances behind it, that was the outward situation.
“By the way, Lord Eugene. I heard you claimed the Twin Crowns at the tournament—is that true?”
“Hoo. I don’t know how you heard, but yes, it’s true.”
Ooooh…!
The crowd let out a collective gasp of admiration.
They knew Eugene had placed highly in the tournament, but the details hadn’t spread yet.
That was because Eugene had asked the Mercenary Guild Master to keep his results quiet for the time being.
“As expected! With so many famed knights competing, to take the championship in both the joust and swordsmanship bouts! And you even led your squad to victory as captain in the mock battle? Incredible!”
Jebin exaggeratedly raised his arms in awe. His words were more than enough to stun everyone at the banquet.
“The Twin Crowns!”
“Captain in the mock battle too!?”
“Doesn’t that mean he swept the entire tournament?”
Jebin glanced at the excited, buzzing crowd and raised his voice even louder.
“And the Holy Knights from the capital joined too, right? Not only did you form a squad with them, you became their captain and led them to victory! Everyone, isn’t Lord Eugene the hero of Maren and our region!?”
‘What the hell is this nonsense?’
Eugene was dumbfounded. It was absurd enough that Jebin brought up the Holy Knights first, but why twist the facts completely around?
Regardless of Eugene’s bewilderment, the banquet hall heated up even more.
Ooooh…!
The prestige of the Holy Knights rang in their ears.
Exceptional skill, noble bloodlines, unwavering faith. Only those who possessed all three could become one of the chosen elite.
The idea that Eugene had ‘led’ such Holy Knights to victory in the mock battle was a bigger shock than him slaying a high-tier monster.
And it was more than enough for the royalists to gain even greater conviction.
‘No doubt about it! The Holy Knights from the capital have fully won Lord Eugene over!’
‘Those proud bastards accepting a knight they’d never met as captain? Impossible unless he swore loyalty to the royalists!’
With Jebin—the one who’d forwarded their letter—saying so, there was no room for doubt.
The royalists couldn’t hide their grins as they rushed to Eugene, chattering away.
“Amazing, Lord Eugene! Teaming up with Holy Knights!”
“Holy Knights symbolize pure faith and burning loyalty, right? The sword of the Church and His Majesty the King.”
“Did you know, Lord Eugene? We’re the ones who requested the Holy Knights.”
“We never dreamed they’d actually come to you. But for them to aid your feats so valuably—this must be proof that God and His Majesty love you! Hahaha!”
“……!”
The royalists’ behavior made the expressions of many notables shift in an instant.
If true, it meant Maren’s hero—the unparalleled knight worthy of the title—was already in the royalists’ pocket.
Hahaha!
Haha!
Ha…
As the royalists smugly scanned the notables, their laughter gradually died down.
The man they expected to praise and thank them showed no reaction at all.
“Lord… Eugene?”
Eugene, who had stood silently watching them, slowly parted his lips.
“It’s true Holy Knights participated in the tournament, but you say you requested them?”
“Of course! Haha!”
“I see. However.”
“Hm?”
Eugene scanned the banquet hall and spoke clearly, word by word.
“For some reason, these Holy Knights I’d never met were extremely wary of me. And in the joust and swordsmanship bouts, they tried to kill me.”
“Eek!?”
Eugene continued calmly, ignoring the royalists choking on their breath.
“As a knight, I couldn’t tolerate Holy Knights—no matter how honorable or noble—trying to harm me without cause. So I fought with everything I had. And the result…”
Eugene’s red eyes, sweeping over the notables, fixed on the royalists, whose shoulders shook like boats in a storm.
“Two Holy Knights died in unfortunate accidents during our matches, and the last one fled with his entourage at dawn on the day of the mock battle.”
“……!”
The royalists froze as if time had stopped.
“Such despicable and dishonorable scum! Daring to target the hero bearing our city’s emblem!?”
The brief silence was broken by the mayor of Maren, his voice thick with outrage.
“And at the instigation of those viper-like wretches? Lord Eugene! As mayor representing Maren, I apologize on their behalf.”
The mayor bowed slightly to Eugene, then whipped a fierce glare at the pale, trembling royalists.
“You lot! Don’t you know commissioning a noble’s assassination is a grave crime? Guards! Arrest them at once!”
“Arrest them!”
“Yes!”
Tredic, the Mercenary Guild Master and Maren’s recruiting officer, barked the order. The mayor’s guards responded with a thunderous shout.
“Aaah!”
“W-We…”
One flustered royalist gritted his teeth and yelled.
“This is a trap! A frame-up! What are you doing? Protect us!”
“It’s do or die!”
“Fight! Protect me!”
The royalists, snapping to their senses, bellowed at Kano and their escort warriors.
At that moment.
Shuuuak!
Eugene drew the Madarajika hidden inside his cloak and hurled it with force.
“Argh!”
“Guh!”
Like a black meteor, the Madarajika streaked through the banquet guests and impaled two charging escort warriors—swords drawn—straight through, pinning them to the wall.
“Aaah!”
“Someone’s dead!”
Thud thud thud!
Eugene bolted across the chaotic banquet hall like lightning, swinging Wolfslaughter. The royalists’ protective escorts sprayed blood and collapsed.
“R-Run!”
“Hurry!”
Meanwhile, a few quick-thinking royalists tried to flee under their slaves’ protection.
Shick!
“Krk!”
Silver streaks flashed twice, and two burly slaves crumpled with holes in their heads and chests.
“Huh!?”
“Where do you think you’re going? We’re under Lord Eugene’s orders for now, so bear with us.”
If not for the situation, his ecstatic smile—enough to mesmerize—while flicking blood from his longsword would belong to Ranslo.
“How dare you against the Master!”
Luke wasn’t idle either.
The young slave who revered his master above all charged the royalist escorts, his rage unmasked for the first time in ages.
“Kill them!”
“Run!”
“Kkieak!? Blood on the gold bars!”
“Don’t let a single one escape!”
“Uwaaak!”
“You trash!”
“Kkieeek! My gold nuggets!”
With bizarre cries mixed in, utter pandemonium unfolded.
* * *
It didn’t take long to capture every last one of Maren’s longtime headache—the royalists—without exception.
Eugene and Ranslo were overwhelmingly strong, and seeing their comrades fall like autumn leaves made the royalists’ slaves and escorts surrender swiftly.
Though the banquet had devolved into chaos, the remaining notables raised their glasses, praising Eugene and celebrating the royalists’ ousting.
“Even as the king’s advisor, for a cardinal to be involved in such dishonor!”
“Indeed. Lucky our city’s church cut ties with the capital’s central church long ago.”
“Vile royalists with no sense of honor. The central church lot are the same scum.”
“Mayor, you must lodge a strong protest about this in the next quarterly report.”
“No worries. I’ll take responsibility and sever all ties with the capital once and for all.”
Having not only crushed the royalists but unified the city’s will in one stroke, the mayor soothed the notables while barely containing his ear-to-ear grin.
Watching the scene from afar, Eugene spoke to one man peeking nervously at him from a distance.
“Don’t we have business, Lord Jebin? Ah, should I first praise you for the brilliant scheme?”
“That’s…”
Jebin shuddered before approaching with a long sigh.
“You knew everything, didn’t you?”
“I’d be an idiot not to. Anyway, I played along with your little game. Satisfied?”
“Thank you, Lord Eugene. And… I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? Anyone hearing would think you did something truly evil. Like…”
Eugene glanced around and leaned in close, whispering low.
“Tampering with the royalists’ letter to request Holy Knights from the central church?”
“……!”
“That won’t happen again, right?”
“O-Of course. I swear on my family’s honor and my title.”
“Naturally. But leaving it as our private promise feels a bit empty.”
“What…”
Ignoring Jebin’s words, Eugene called out to the clustered notables.
“My lords!”
“Oh! Lord Eugene! Something to say?”
With the mayor’s fondness for Eugene off the charts, he lit up. Eugene placed a hand on Jebin’s shoulder.
“Lord Jebin here deserves credit for crushing the royalists’ filthy plot, doesn’t he?”
“Er… yes.”
It felt off, but since Maren’s hero said it, the mayor agreed readily.
“However, it’s also true that Lord Jebin sent the assassination commission letter to the capital without verifying it. So he feels deeply sorry toward me. Right, Lord Jebin?”
“Y-Yes! Even if it was a mistake, I’ve no excuse even with ten mouths.”
Jebin was just as flustered but played along enthusiastically, as Eugene held the hilt.
“So here’s the thing. Lord Jebin wants to swear to me, Yan Eugene, that he’ll cooperate actively from now on.”
“……!”
“Hoo!?”
Jebin flinched, but the mayor and others widened their eyes in interest.
“As atonement, he’ll open his territory’s mana realm whenever I wish, leave all mana stones and byproducts from it to Maren, and never oppose me or anyone bearing my emblem. Finally, he swears all this on the honor of the Evergrow Earl family and himself. Hahaha.”
With a dry laugh, Eugene yanked Jebin’s shoulder hard.
Feeling the strength in Eugene’s fingers and the killing intent in his red eyes, Jebin sweated profusely but managed to speak.
“Y-Yes. I, Jebin Evergrow, swear before you all to do as Lord Eugene says, on my and my family’s honor.”
Waaaaah!
As Maren’s notables marveled, the mayor and guild masters’ jaws dropped.
Eugene felt immense satisfaction at gaining control over the Evergrow Earl family.
“Ptoo ptoo! My gold bars, my gold nuggets… Hng! Hiiiing! Ptoo! Hng hng.”
Only the spirit, spitting, wrapping, and scrubbing blood-smeared gold bars, had a sorrowful evening.
(To be continued)