Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Greed Invites Poison (2)
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Nior Bellun was a greedy bastard.
There was no way he'd sit idly by after hearing the rumors about the mithril mine.
[So that's why you advertised the labor recruitment so openly? To make sure it reached that punk's ears?]
‘Exactly. It's best to nip troubles in the bud.’
On top of that, Nior even thought I'd slunk back from the Founding Festival after getting humiliated.
So he'd act without any hesitation.
“Milord Count, isn't today the day you return to the estate?”
“Indeed. I have matters to attend to there first.”
“You must be terribly busy.”
You could say that again.
Practicing the Solitary Moon Divine Sword here, managing the territory there.
I practically needed a few extra bodies.
“But what in the world have you been doing under the dungeon?”
Rabin asked out of curiosity, but I just smirked.
“That's a matter involving the Fairy Queen, so I can't divulge it lightly.”
“A-as expected. There must be some grand reason if it's you, Milord.”
This time, it really was a grand reason.
I was in the middle of mastering the Solitary Moon Divine Sword, after all.
“Anyway, we'll take our leave then…….”
As Rabin bowed and turned to go, a bright light twinkled and zipped over, tapping the tip of my nose.
‘Suspicious humans have come to Kitten Forest!’
The fairy who appeared out of nowhere was Shasha, the one who'd guided me through the dungeon before.
She was the exclusive fairy Beatrice had assigned to me.
Surprisingly capable, she had most of the other fairies patrolling Kitten Forest under her direction.
Thanks to her, we got reports like this whenever suspicious folks showed up—to me or the Fairy Queen.
“Suspicious humans?”
‘Ironclad humans. I think the humans call them knights?’
“Oh? Is that so?”
Speak of the devil.
I'd figured they'd show their hand soon, but this timing was impeccable.
‘But those humans are trying to set the forest on fire!’
“Fire?”
Their absurdity left me dumbfounded.
Setting fire to a forest in someone else's territory?
This could easily escalate into a full-blown territorial war.
“What do those idiots think will happen if they set Kitten Forest ablaze?”
Kitten Forest was under the Fairy Queen's protection.
No fire would spread unless a mage unleashed their full power in a blaze of flames.
“Shasha, guide me there right away.”
‘Got it!’
I chased after Shasha as she flew off energetically.
To meet the fools trying to burn the fairy's forest.
* * *
“Sir Veil, the fire won't catch.”
A knight reported in a crestfallen tone, and the vicious-looking man scowled fiercely.
“What? Don't talk nonsense! How can a forest not burn?”
“B-but it really won't catch.”
“You idiot!”
Jack Veil.
A knight of the Bellun Count Family, who'd reached upper Sword Expert in his early thirties.
He was exceptionally skilled, but his temperament was brutal and cruel.
After berating the trembling knight a few more times, he snatched the torch from his hand.
“Talking rubbish about wood not burning.”
They were currently at the entrance to Kitten Forest.
The merchants and villagers who'd been trading there had long since fled in terror.
‘Set the forest ablaze and wait at the entrance. Kill anyone who flees out.’
Kitten Forest was vast, but the paths for humans were limited. Especially now with roads laid for the mine excavation—it made predicting escape routes easy.
‘Fairy magic? Useless if we don't enter the forest!’
Jack knew that venturing into Kitten Forest meant wandering lost back to the entrance.
So just burn the whole thing down.
‘Intel says the Timons Merchant Leader and Clay Banheart are inside right now.’
Clay Banheart had been in there for ages without emerging, but that was irrelevant. His job was to torch the forest and slaughter anyone who ran out.
The trembling villagers could be dealt with later.
“Huh?”
But no matter how hard Jack tried to light the trees, not a single leaf caught fire.
“What the hell is this?”
“It seems like fairy magic.”
“Ridiculous.”
Jack irritably tossed the torch to the ground.
“Annoying, but no choice. Ambush at the entrance and strike anyone who emerges!”
“Understood!”
It would take time, but they had no option. Searching the forest would just loop them back due to the fairy magic.
‘Come out already.’
Jack and the knights stifled their scant patience, hiding in the grass and trees at the entrance.
Ready to kill whoever appeared.
How long had they waited like that when a small light twinkled above Jack's head as he held his breath.
‘What’s this light?’
Thinking it a firefly, he reached to grab it.
Whoosh! Thunk!
“Ar-arrows incoming!”
Dozens of arrows suddenly rained down on the knights' hiding spots.
“Damn it all! What the hell is happening?!”
“Arrows from inside the forest!”
The arrows flew as if they knew exactly where the knights hid.
Many targeted Jack too, but he deflected them with his superior skill.
“Right flank! Arrows from over there. Charge and kill them!”
“Yes, sir!”
The knights charged toward the forest at Jack's command, only to bizarrely emerge from the opposite side.
“You stupid bastards! What are you doing?!”
“W-we don't know! We definitely ran forward, but we ended up here…… Ack!”
An arrow lodged in the neck of the knight mid-reply.
Only then did Jack realize they were in dire straits.
‘If trying to go deeper pulls us back to the entrance, then arrows from deep inside mean we can't even counterattack?’
He hadn't brought archers or bow knights. Even if he had, uncertain enemy positions would limit their use.
“Damn it! Retreat now…….”
“Retreat? To where?”
“……!”
Jack reflexively swung his mana-infused sword toward the voice.
But it sliced only air, leaving trails of blue mana.
“I didn't think you'd bring only small fry…… You're Jack Veil, right?”
“W-who are you?! Show yourself!”
“I'm right behind you anyway.”
Clay, hidden by fairy invisibility magic, revealed himself.
“You fool! Actually showing yourself?!”
Veil thrust his sword with all his might at Clay behind him.
Clay was lower Sword Expert.
At this range, he couldn't dodge.
Squelch!
“Hahaha! If I bring back your corpse…… Huh?”
Jack laughed loudly as his sword pierced Clay's body, then sensed something wrong.
No wound on Clay's body, no resistance at all.
Slash!
“Sorry, lied about that.”
Jack's thoughts didn't last.
A chill at his neck, then his vision spun.
‘What?’
He quickly realized what happened.
His headless body staggered and fell, Clay standing calmly beside it.
“As you said, who'd be dumb enough to show their real self?”
Jack died hearing Clay's mocking words, eyes wide with injustice.
* * *
‘Fairy magic…… Definitely cheat-level.’
Experiencing it firsthand, fairy magic had different utility from standard spells.
I'd asked Shasha to cast the invisibility spell the fairies used on me.
Then I crouched low and crept toward Jack.
Dodging his swung sword by a hair, I had Shasha summon my illusion behind him as pre-arranged.
Jack reflexively attacked the sudden apparition, and I severed his unguarded neck in one stroke.
‘Taking out Jack Veil is a big win.’
A top-tier talent who'd be trouble later if left alive.
Ambushing him one-shot was a huge gain.
“Milord Count, no escaped knights in sight.”
“All dead then?”
“Yes. About thirty of them.”
Behind Rabin stood mercenaries laden with quivers.
They'd been guarding the Timons caravan for such scenarios.
They looked stunned at dispatching knights so easily.
“Should we silence them?”
“No need.”
With things this far, rumors would spread anyway.
The Bellun Count Family had committed an outrageous act—they'd try to cover it up somehow.
“Jack Veil's a Bellun knight, so they can't deny it.”
“Exactly. But Jack wasn't well-regarded to begin with. They might cut him loose, claiming he acted alone out of greed.”
“Indeed…….”
It was too grave to brush off lightly.
I wasn't some noble brat—I was a count.
A war hero fresh from fame in the Kainzel Kingdom conflict.
Attempting my assassination and seizing the mithril mine? If Leogart the King learned, they'd face severe punishment.
‘Now, what will you do, Nior Bellun?’
He'd stirred this mess without a thought about consequences—should I thank him?
I could milk this for extra gains.
* * *
A lavish carriage halted near Banheart territory.
With attendants and knights lined up, its owner was clearly no ordinary soul.
Indeed, the carriage belonged to imperial royalty.
“……Your Highness, are you sure you’ll be fine alone?”
“Yes. Banheart territory is just around the corner, isn’t it?”
“A bit further and we’ll reach the village with Count Banheart’s manor…….”
“That’s fine then.”
Princess Riya Asktalin smiled brightly at the reluctant Ian Silverst.
Even so, the imperial nobles felt remiss letting her go unguarded.
“Must Your Highness go personally? I believe I’d suffice.”
“Sir Silverst.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Are you trying to ruin my fun?”
“……No, Your Highness.”
“Good.”
Her smile was cheerful, but her eyes were icy cold. Most would shrink under that gaze.
But Ian was a Sword Master, unbowed by mere eyes.
He took a deep breath and continued calmly.
“Will you be staying long?”
“I’m free, with no claim to the throne. Duration doesn’t matter.”
True, but unwelcome to her escorts.
‘Crown Prince isn’t incompetent…….’
Far from it—exceptional, worthy of Asktalin blood.
Above all, his ambition surpassed Riya’s.
Likely why the Emperor named him heir.
‘Princess wasn’t this driven before.’
Ian found recent Riya baffling, so changed from the woman he knew.
‘Which makes it all the more regrettable.’
Had she shown this from the start, she’d be the next Emperor.
“Then I’ll proceed alone from here. Thanks for escorting me this far.”
Riya lightly bid farewell to her retainers, then strode calmly over rough dirt in high-heeled shoes.
She seemed a reckless noble miss, but she was a dragon.
‘……No danger for her.’
She could subdue him with a word.
The worry was her intended meeting.
‘Clay Banheart.’
Heir to the hero who wielded the Human Sword Genova.
Ian sighed softly, recalling the princess who’d come herself to protect Genova’s wielder.