Chapter 29: The Time for Revenge (1) - My Lucky Encounter From The Game Turned Into Reality

Finally, we had returned home. It had only been three months since the departure ceremony from the territory. I had already received commendations on the battlefield, and in the old days a grand parade would have been expected. Yet the territory was eerily silent, and the only people greeting me were Father, Mother, and a few retainers. “It’s a shame we couldn’t welcome you more splendidly…” Father’s bitter smile told me everything. This mess was Anna’s and Cedric’s doing. They probably thought, “Why bother with a parade for someone who’s going to die anyway?” “I’m not exactly the type who enjoys noisy celebrations.” Father kept apologizing as he led me into the lord’s residence. “Instead, I’ve prepared an abundant feast. Enjoy the joy of coming home, my son.” Father had fulfilled his role by safely welcoming me back. The way he handled the poison attempt had disappointed me at the time, but now I wondered if it was the best outcome. Had I dug deeper into the incident and targeted Anna, her family would have wiped us out for sure. Such humiliation stemmed entirely from the family’s lack of power. Just before entering the lord’s residence, I stole a glance at the floating air fortress high above the territory. [Energy Conservation Mode] Satisfied after reading the information on Mankyung, I curled my lips upward in satisfaction. The victory banquet for the soldiers had been set up in the lord’s garden. Maidservants and pages darted around, carrying trays of food and wine. Yet the soldiers, sensing the mood, did not cheer loudly. They kept glancing at me, wondering what was going on. “What’s all this? It’s a welcome banquet for us. We should enjoy it.” My parents looked puzzled by the strange atmosphere, but the expeditionary force, who knew my true self, found themselves in a situation where anything could explode at any moment. When I teased them with a wink, William and the other Vanguards nodded vigorously and shouted, “That’s right! Understood!” “Come on, let’s drink!” My subordinates treated me with utmost respect, and their hesitation only deepened Father and Mother’s shock. Both of them simply could not understand what was happening. “Lord William, you’ve worked hard.” “Fighting alongside you was an honor!” “Lord Albert, you worked hard too.” “Because of Master, we were able to return alive! Thank you!” My parents’ bewildered expressions grew even stronger as I encouraged the knights and officers. After all, Anna and Cedric’s group were now fawning over me. Next, I approached the soldiers. They cheered as if welcoming a victorious general. Even though they had fought great battles and returned, the once-silent territory now buzzed with excitement thanks to them. “You’ve learned how to win the hearts of people on the battlefield.” Father looked pleased that I had gained everyone’s recognition, yet his face was filled with regret as he scanned the expeditionary force. I had no reason to worry, but his expression screamed that I was the one who needed comfort. “From now on, Father will no longer have to hide his weakness.” The words carried countless meanings. Of course, my parents were startled. Before they could respond… “Adrian!” A guest had arrived. A very welcome one. “We haven’t seen you in three months.” I greeted Anna and Cedric formally, accompanied by the knight commander and butler. Slowly lifting my head, I faced Anna and let out a mocking smile. Her ghost-like expression twisted under my grin. “Y-yes. Welcome back.” Yet behind her stood a figure with an unusually bright expression. My curiosity peaked when I realized he was Anna’s personal butler. [Morris Goodyear] Age: 61 Position: Chief Butler of the Lawrence Estate, Lheinhatz Kingdom Talent: Administrative Ability (High), Intellectual Ability (Medium), Mana (Low) Traits: Adaptable Relationship: Friendly / ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Hostile Status: Relieved, Joyful What in the world…? I had heard Anna’s butler had served her for over thirty years. According to Mankyung, he had no choice but to serve her, yet I could sense warmth toward me. ‘This is an unexpected discovery. If I can turn him, it won’t be bad at all.’ My gaze then moved to Anna and Cedric’s core power—the knight commander. [Clon Dyck / Aura Expert] Age: 61 Position: Commander of the Lawrence Estate Knights Talent: Physical Ability (High), Aura (High), Learning Ability (Medium), Intellectual Ability (Medium) Traits: Power-oriented Management Relationship: Hostile / Hostile Status: Doubtful, Puzzled As expected, the knight commander’s stats were excellent. But the fact that a power-oriented trait was attached to someone whose combat ability should have been superior made my skin crawl. I had always thought people were calculating, but apparently it was the trait’s influence. ‘Anna and Cedric are truly insignificant.’ Reviewing their stats with Mankyung, I sighed inwardly. They were typical powerless humans. The fact that I had let them toy with me made my stomach boil. “You’ve accomplished quite a feat for the family. It’s not enough to fully satisfy me, but I’ll acknowledge your hard work.” I felt like slashing their throats right there, but I needed to fill in some excuses first. These fools had suffered at my hands. It wasn’t clean to kill them. I would make them build a swamp, use them thoroughly, and strangle them when they were at their lowest. So for now, I merely smiled strangely at Cedric’s mumbles. “Heard my praise and you’re happy? Such a vain person.” Of course I didn’t mean I would overlook all his actions. “Impossible. Why would I be pleased to hear praise from my brother? It’s because your words sound ridiculous, as if you think you’re something.” “What?” I had to scratch his feelings gently until he showed his true nature. What I needed was an atmosphere. These fools had every right to die. ‘In that sense, my discovery of the butler is worthwhile.’ The assassin incident I had thought was hard to unravel might be able to surface if handled well. It was the best situation in every way. I poured out my current feelings. With pure delight. “If my brother had dragged you to the battlefield, you would have been wiped out. I can clearly see you handled strategy like a professional and only charged in blindly.” “Y-you child!” “And when people grow older, they should learn to think more complexly. You took my laugh as emotional expression. So in the family, you’re called the single-celled organism.” Cedric’s extreme roast from his position was unimaginable. Cedric, struck by my words, flapped his mouth like a fish out of water, only letting out incomprehensible gasps of “I-I!” My sudden action had an unexpected side effect—Father and Mother froze in stone-like shock. But Anna alone covered her mouth with her fan, hiding her expression. Yet her eyes screamed at me. ‘You’re crazy to want to die.’ Astonished that I had returned alive after being targeted by assassins, her expression was bewildered, but the absolute superiority she felt was plain on her face. I smiled at her and said, “Oh, my brother’s foolishness must be influenced by maternal side.” A weightless, casual remark. -Clang! -Thud! The maids carrying trays to welcome the territory’s return stumbled and dropped them. The pages rushing with wine spilled their bottles. Anna’s face turned beet red, and like Cedric, she could only let out “I-I!” “What? If you have something to say, say it directly. Stop acting pretentiously noble.” Someone was always saying, “Who knows who’s watching?” My reaction was the same. I looked at Arsia with a playful expression, wondering what was wrong with these humans. She, who was munching on sausages like a rabbit eating carrots from her seat, shrugged as if she didn’t know either. “Hahahaha!” Cedric’s reaction was unexpectedly different. He suddenly burst into loud laughter. “After touring the battlefield, you’ve become quite rough. You’ve lost all fear.” And as expected. Cedric drew the decorative dagger at his waist and pointed it at me. “Cedric!” Father and Mother, panicked by my sudden action, rushed forward to stop it. ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠“What are you doing on such a joyous day!” “Adrian has only just returned from the battlefield and looks tired! First, put that sword down…” Father scolded us, Mother desperately defended me, but Cedric refused to listen. Cedric, with an expression as if he wanted to stab me, closed the distance. Father truly exploded. “You won’t draw that sword!” “I’m sorry, Father, please just watch silently.” A father whose eldest son tries to kill the second should not remain silent. But Cedric’s next words surpassed everyone’s expectations. “Adrian, this brother is a person who plays above your head. I also know exactly why you suddenly acted like this. Isn’t all of this the scheming of the rebel?” The word “rebel,” which nobles could not ignore, made Father’s face harden. Cedric’s dagger then turned not toward me, but toward the vice-commander, William. “You dare plot to overthrow the family? Have you gone mad?” I stared at Cedric in bewilderment, and William tilted his head in confusion. “Didn’t you try to persuade Adrian to divide the family!” It seemed William’s first suggestion to me had been overheard. It reached Cedric and led to this situation. “It’s beyond absurd. Lord William, is that true?” Anna, thinking Cedric’s response was fine, looked at Father and added, “William, you’re the core figure of the lord’s faction, right?” William’s noble status made his confusion impossible to hide. “Arrest this rebel at once!” Cedric’s smug cry. “What are you all doing! Execute the orders immediately!” The order to arrest William went to the expeditionary force who had fought beside him. Anna and Cedric were the family’s real power. Naturally, even if William had fought alongside them in the battlefield, they could not refuse their orders… “If you want to arrest Lord William, you should do it yourself, Young Master Cedric.” The situation had changed from before. No one in the expeditionary force who returned with me acknowledged Cedric. “What? Lord Berto, what did you just say?” Berto was the knight Cedric had once self-appointed to watch me. He had believed himself to be someone I could trust with secret missions, yet who would have imagined such mockery coming from his mouth. “Hahaha…” I finally burst into laughter. Laughing echoed from every corner of the expeditionary force. Cedric, the party involved, Anna, who held family power, Father, the lord of the family, and even Mother, who had raised me for half her life, had not expected this scene. “Everyone here knows. Lord William, ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the one my brother wants to drive out, is truly a loyal subject.” “These children ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dare…” The humiliation I had never experienced. Numerous emotions flashed across Cedric’s face. Finally, the eyes of the fool who could not contain his anger fixed on me. And Cedric, unable to hold back, swung his dagger wildly. -Thud! “W-what? You bastard.” But Cedric’s dagger never reached me. It was caught by Arsia, who was tearing off the entire leg of a giant turkey. -Gulp. Gulp. Cedric, who stood over 190 centimeters, was dwarfed by Arsia, who had the average build of a woman. Cedric’s face twisted even more fiercely under Arsia’s light grip. “Let go!” Cedric panicked, but Arsia didn’t move an inch, as if his arm were stuck to a rock. The difference in pure physical strength, without Aura support. After all, she was a homunculus crafted by a great magician as a pure warrior type. Cedric, a street thug, was no match in power for her. And the situation continued. -Smack! Cedric’s face was struck by Arsia’s slap.

The Time for Revenge (1)

Comments 000

Comments