Chapter 343: If You Can't, You Die (1)
Chapter 343: If You Can't, You Die (1)
“And here I was, telling you I was being framed.”
“……”
“……”
“I told you over and over that it wasn't like that.”
“……”
“……”
“Wow, this is miserable. Just miserable. How can you not believe me? I’m your husband, for goodness' sake.”
Patrick Schneider.
The strongest man on the continent, known as the Double Dragon.
He had one peculiar trait…
“It’s so bitter. So unfair. How am I supposed to live when life is this miserable?”
When he pouted, it lasted a long time.
Patrick’s cheeks were puffed out. To anyone watching, he was the textbook definition of someone who was deeply offended.
Before him stood the women who had just caused a massive scene, now desperately avoiding his gaze.
“To be fair, the situation was a bit… misleading, wasn't it?”
The moment Isabella tried to squeeze out a word of defense—
“Ho? So, you’re saying you didn't trust me?”
Patrick pounced on the opening like he’d been waiting for it.
“No, it’s not that. It’s just that anyone who saw that would have thought…”
“So, my wife trusts what she sees with her eyes more than her husband, who should be as high as the heavens to her?”
“No, well…”
“I told you it was a misunderstanding, and you didn't believe me? Wow… I guess I have no credibility. None at all.”
“……”
“I’m soooooo miserable! What’s the point of living like this? Forget the war with the Outer Gods or whatever, let’s just all die. Just die.”
Patrick actually drew his sword.
Startled, his wives rushed to stop him.
“Wait, Patrick!”
“Honey! Don’t do it!”
“Disciple. When I die, carve on my tombstone that I died of a broken heart from being framed.”
“Young Master! Please stop!”
It took no time at all for things to turn into a chaotic mess.
Well, to be fair, it wasn't entirely incomprehensible. They had misunderstood, thinking Patrick was using his power and position to take advantage of a widow who had lost her husband.
Though his current behavior made it hard to believe, Patrick was a man who had walked the path of righteousness his entire previous life, known as a Great Hero. For such a man to use a widow’s weakness to force her to be his?
He had never done such a trashy thing in either his past or present life. So, having his own wives—of all people—misunderstand him must have felt incredibly unfair.
“I’m soooooo miserable! Oh! Everyone, look at this! My wife is treating me like total human trash… Mmph! Mmph!”
“Honey, wait. My brother is listening.”
“Just shut up! You brat of a husband!”
“Young Master, please calm yourself.”
They desperately tried to soothe him, but his sulking didn't seem like it would fade easily.
As someone who had spent a lifetime as a Great Hero, how unpleasant and unfair must this be? It wasn't something that would be resolved so simply.
“I’ll wear that mini-skirt maid outfit you asked for before.”
Isabella suddenly blurted out something strange. And she wasn't the only one.
April and Elione also squeezed out their courage, their faces turning beet red.
“I… I’ll wear it too. The… Bi…kini Ar…mor…”
“I’ll do that ‘Ugh, just kill me’ roleplay you mentioned before.”
What on earth were these women talking about? It seemed they had all lost their minds collectively. If they thought this was the time for jokes, they were sorely mistaken—
“Okay. That works.”
That was all it took? Really?
“Hahaha. Well, misunderstandings happen in life, don’t they?”
So much for the honor of a Great Hero…
What is wrong with them?
There was one person who couldn't wrap her head around the behavior of Patrick and his wives. It was Catherina, who had been watching from the side.
In truth, she had squeezed her eyes shut when Patrick’s wives burst in. It was a situation where she wouldn't have been able to say a word even if she’d been slapped or insulted as a loose woman.
No, it was more than that. An outsider had just intruded upon the succession line of the Schneider Duchy—a rising power on the continent that would likely soon drop the ‘Duchy’ label. In a way, she wouldn't have been able to complain even if she’d lost her life.
But for it to be resolved like this?
How can it end this way?
Born and raised as royalty, she couldn't understand it. The Overlord had been a monarch who didn't care much for formality, but even he wasn't like Patrick. To think a husband’s questioned authority could be restored just by his wives wearing slightly revealing clothes?
As she stood there in utter confusion, Isabella approached her.
“Queen Catherina.”
“Please… speak.”
“First, I offer my condolences for the tragedy that has befallen you.”
“……”
Catherina nodded heavily. Patrick had comforted her earlier, but she hadn't expected to receive such condolences again. At the very least, it seemed that being the Overlord’s wife wasn't a reason for hostility to them.
Isabella continued.
“However, let me be clear. I cannot accept you as part of our family.”
Catherina bit her lip at those words. Right. She had expected as much, but it was still a blow.
“Is it because I was the Overlord’s wife?”
“That doesn't really matter. The real problem is…”
Isabella glanced at Patrick before saying, “It’s that you don’t love Patrick.”
“……”
“I cannot allow someone to become part of our family just to secure their own safety without actually loving my husband.”
“Love…?”
Catherina looked bewildered. She would have understood if the other two had said this. Elione was an Elven princess, and April was known to be a knight of commoner origin.
But wasn't Isabella a princess of the Atronia Kingdom? As royalty, she should know. Love meant nothing in a royal marriage. It was common for couples with an age gap of over forty years to be wed for the sake of national interest.
And yet, she was talking about love?
April looked straight at Catherina and spoke.
“I know what you’re thinking. But things are different here.”
“Here? You mean the Schneider Duchy?”
“I mean our home.”
“……”
Catherina bit her lip again. It wasn't an argument that made sense to her, but regardless of whether she understood it or not, Isabella’s stance was impenetrable. Looking at the other two, they seemed to share the same opinion.
Actually, she had prepared words for this scenario. She had planned a political negotiation, suggesting that taking her as a concubine would benefit the governance of the Yuzef Kingdom after its annexation. But…
I don’t think it’ll work.
The strength left her shoulders. Her plan had essentially failed. But then…
“Well, even if you don’t become my wife, there is a way for you to secure your own safety,” Patrick spoke up.
At those words, Catherina raised her head and asked urgently, “What is it?”
“What you’re worried about is your son living his whole life under the stigma of being the Overlord’s son, right?”
“……”
She gave a small nod. The son of the Overlord. It would be a brand that would never fade from his life. What parent would want their child to carry an indelible mark and live a life of hardship and adversity?
Patrick continued.
“As the saying goes, faults are offset by merits. Well, strictly speaking, merits and faults are separate, but that’s not how the world perceives things.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Don’t make him the son of the Overlord. Make him the son of the Salamander Princess, the hero who stood at the vanguard and fought valiantly in the war against the Outer Gods.”
“……”
Catherina was stunned by Patrick’s words. He was right. If she achieved great feats and gained fame across the continent, her son’s life would be much better. But the problem was…
“With my skills, that is impossible.”
Catherina was a swordsman at the 6-Star Realm. On top of that, she was born with the unique abilities of the Spirit Royal Family. If you calculated her total combat power, she was around the middle or lower tier of 7-Star Knights. She was undoubtedly strong, but not strong enough to achieve a feat great enough to erase the Overlord’s name. However…
“What if it were possible?”
“Pardon?”
“With my current self, I can awaken the true power sleeping within you.”
“……”
“If that succeeds, your strength will explode. More importantly, as someone who possesses the Divine Power of the Spirit King, you will be an incredibly useful asset in the war against the Outer Gods.”
“How can you… guarantee that?”
“Actually, I’m not the one guaranteeing it… There are people who told me so.”
To be precise, he had been told that the Salamander Princess was a vital asset in the war against the Outer Gods and must be recruited. If Patrick could trigger her awakening, her power could even rival Persona’s.
“……”
As Catherina agonized over the decision, Patrick spoke with a serious expression.
“You only need to choose. I will provide the power to fight.”
A look of resolve appeared on Catherina’s face. To begin with, she was a brave knight who had once led a knight order onto the battlefield to challenge the Overlord. The blood of a knight, which she had briefly set aside while living as the Overlord’s wife, began to boil.
She dropped to one knee and placed her fist against her chest in a knight’s salute. Then…
“I will do it. I, Knight Catherina bin Yuzef, hereby swear my loyalty to Young Master Patrick Schneider.”
“Welcome, Salamander Princess.”
Accepting her oath, Patrick thought to himself: With this, I’ve gathered all the cards I can.
Now, all that remained was to wait for the moment of the final battle.
* * *
After the war with the Yuzef Kingdom ended.
Under Patrick’s orders, the Schneider Duchy was busy preparing for the next war. The training of the knights was accelerated, and the other races were no exception.
Even the Tower of Truth made the shocking move of placing itself under the jurisdiction of the Schneider Duchy. It was news enough to turn the entire continent upside down.
“Wait, the Tower of Truth is being incorporated into the Schneider Duchy?”
“That’s impossible.”
“How could they… They even turned down the Emperor’s proposal.”
“Haha… There’s no room for debate now. The Schneider Duchy is clearly the strongest nation on the continent.”
People were filled with constant surprise and admiration. In truth, this had come about through a certain deal between Patrick and the Seven Sages.
* * *
Immediately after the war.
The Seven Sages had sought out Patrick in a group to ask for a favor.
“So, you want me to introduce you to Persona?”
“That’s right. I am earnestly requesting this.”
Hearing the 1st Sage’s words, Patrick frowned.
“Tsk, isn't that a bit much?”
“It might be rude, but given our relationship… please, I beg of you.”
“No, but still. Sage, your age—well, Sona is older, but still, think about your appearance. Have you no conscience?”
“…What on earth are you talking about?”
“Aren't you asking me to set you up with my disciple?”
“……”
“No matter how pretty she is, I didn't think the 1st Sage would be this shameless…”
“What kind of bullshit is that, you brat?!”
BOOM!
There was a brief commotion. But afterward…
“Ah, so you’re saying you want to learn magic from my disciple?”
“Yes. Did you really think I’d ask for a date at my age?”
“Hahaha. You should have said so from the start.”
Before you blew up everything around us.
Yesterday it was his wives, and today it was the Sages. His surroundings were constantly being leveled.
“Ahem, but Sona can’t use magic. At least, not right now.”
“I know that. But isn't it that she chooses not to use it because of the lack of Divine Rank, not that she can’t?”
“Well, that’s true.”
As expected of the Seven Sages. Patrick had never told them, but they had already researched ancient records and literature independently to learn much about dragons.
The 1st Sage continued.
“I believe the Lord’s Seal contains knowledge related to the magic of the ancient age of myths.”
Is that so? I didn't even know that.
“I beg of you. Let us receive guidance from the Lord. It is our lifelong wish.”
“I ask this of you as well.”
“Patrick, please do not turn us away.”
“We beg of you. Please…”
The pure desire of the Seven Sages, who had dedicated their entire lives to magic, reached Patrick.
“How much are you going to pay?”
But what good was reaching him? The man was a devil.
Patrick looked at the frozen Seven Sages and spoke with a devilish smile.
“Ahhh. You’re that desperate? Then, in exchange for that desperation, you’d be willing to pay any price, right?”
“……”
“……”
By the time they realized they had fallen into a trap, it was already too late.
“Let’s become one family.”
Patrick demanded that the Tower of Truth be fully incorporated into the Schneider Duchy. He was attempting to swallow the Tower of Truth whole—an organization that had maintained its independence from any nation until now. He was telling the Tower of Truth, one of the three great powers of the continent alongside the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, to come under the Schneider Duchy.
The Seven Sages raged, saying they could never accept such a thing. But…
“Ah, well, then there’s nothing I can do. Forget about receiving magic lessons from my disciple.”
“Urgh…”
“It’s a unique opportunity to learn incredibly precious magic known only to the Dragon Lord, but I guess it’s no big deal. It’s just magic, after all.”
“Ggggh…”
“Just give up. What’s so special about magic anyway? If you don’t have it, you just live without it. Right?”
“You son of a…!”
It was a sad fact. Even the Sages, called the pinnacle and symbol of intellect, could not defeat the devil.
In the end, the Tower of Truth completely moved its affiliation to the Schneider Duchy.