Chapter 127
Chapter 127
Honestly, Logan didn't know much about the Second Prince, Romain von Grandia.
The only things he remembered were that Romain was known as a tyrant who ruined the country—worse than his elder brother Rohiter—and that he had the makings of a foolish ruler.
Beyond that, he recalled glimpses of Romain arrogantly nodding at the Grand Noblesse or pointing fingers at his brother in fits of rage.
'Well, that alone was enough to judge his character.'
But even considering his flaws, Logan hadn't expected him to be this stupid.
"You think I'd welcome you with open arms just because you kneel now? You're nothing but opportunistic rats! Switching sides the moment you sniff victory! That's—"
Victory? Who's winning?
Did he not even grasp the current state of the war?
Logan was so dumbfounded he couldn't help but lift his head.
The only saving grace was that behind this idiot, most of the nobles were either staring at the ground or the sky, as if embarrassed by his words.
At least the leadership wasn't entirely as brainless as him.
"Your Highness, I believe the Baron has heard enough. Allow me to take over from here."
"Hmph, hmm. Very well, Duke. I'm rather tired, so I shall retire."
What exactly had he done to be tired...?
From his first words to his abrupt exit—every single thing about him was astonishingly idiotic.
Only after the fool had completely disappeared behind the castle gates did Logan finally engage in a proper conversation with the real power behind the faction.
"First, welcome to our ranks."
"The honor is mine, Your Grace."
"At least you're more courteous than your son."
"My son is courteous as well."
"Is he? Doesn't seem like it."
Jordan's sharp gaze shifted toward Logan, who was currently facing off against Roger Vifros in the distance.
"It's been a while, Count."
"Hah... Hahaha. This is truly absurd."
"Isn't this a favorable situation? Didn't you once say that the southwestern territories should unite? Now it's finally happening."
Crack.
"You insolent little—"
"Ah, the gentlemen behind you—Baron Jeff Percival and Baron Derek Lufman, correct? A pleasure to meet you. Though, forgive my bluntness—what exactly do you plan to do after the war ends, standing with him?"
"You bastard—!"
"Wow. Still as loud as ever, I see. Glad to know you're in good health."
Roger Vifros trembled with barely contained fury, looking as if he might explode at any second.
And Logan was cheering him on (in his own way).
At first, he had only intended to provoke the Count, but the man's reactions were too immediate—as if his patience had worn impossibly thin.
'If I push just a bit more, he might actually snap. Come on! Don't hold back!'
At this close distance, Logan was confident he could slit the Count's throat before he could pull any tricks—especially now that he had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
If Vifros struck first, no one would blame Logan for killing him in self-defense.
After all, no one would feel comfortable with a known enemy at their back, even if they were temporarily on the same side.
But that hope vanished when a silver-haired man stepped between them.
"Your Grace, please restrain yourself. Getting close to filth only makes you stink."
The moment Flanz's ghostly eyes swept over Logan's body with a cold smirk, Logan could only click his tongue inwardly.
'Tch. Missed my chance.'
"...Hmph. Fine. We'll settle this later."
As Roger Vifros turned away, regaining his composure, Logan caught Aslan—who had been glaring daggers at his father—pointing at him and drawing a finger across his throat.
Logan smirked and turned away—only to find the gray-haired giant suddenly standing right in front of him.
'Gah! Scared me for a second!'
Though inwardly startled by the man's silent movement, Logan maintained a composed smile.
"It's been a while, Your Grace."
"Hm? Have we met before?"
"I saw you from afar during the naming ceremony of your master's children."
"Ah, that's right. Had I known things would turn out like this, I would've introduced myself properly back then. Don't you agree?"
"No one can predict the future, but I do regret it as well. Haha."
"Still, I didn't expect you to actually come. What's your angle? When I asked the Baron, he told me to ask you instead. He said you're practically MacLaine's leader now..."
The gray-haired giant's serpent-like eyes scanned Logan from head to toe.
"Haha. My angle? Profit, of course."
"Profit...?"
"Betting on the underdog yields higher returns, doesn't it?"
"Don't tell me your earlier 'condition' wasn't a joke."
"Why would it be a joke? Given our assistance in securing victory, it's hardly an excessive demand. Especially since we came after receiving 'that gift.' Shouldn't we be rewarded further?"
At the word gift, a spark flickered in Jordan's brown eyes—but it quickly died out, replaced by a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha. So you think we'd lose without you? But the world is full of things you can't judge at a glance."
"And I'm sure the same applies to them, no?"
"You don't yield an inch, do you? No wonder Roger despises you."
"Haha. I'll take that as a compliment."
"But you do realize that even if you've joined us, we can't fully trust you, right?"
The sudden shift to the main topic mid-banter.
But Logan didn't falter.
"Of course."
"Your soldiers will have to remain outside the castle for now. And while I'll grant you the right to attend high command meetings, you won't have speaking privileges—not until MacLaine proves its loyalty."
"And how do we prove that loyalty?"
"This is a battlefield. Prove it through achievements."
"Simple enough."
The conversation, laced with hidden blades, reached an agreement far too easily.
"The last assassination attempt on His Highness was a week ago. That means their means of reaching him are dwindling. Now it's our turn to strike back!"
"Yes, Your Grace!"
Five nobles—including Half-Giant Luther Kyle, Border Lord Julio Tritan, Luchen Talos, Famille Chernov, and former Border Lord Roger Vifros—responded in unison as Duke Jordan slammed the table.
Watching the core leadership of the Second Prince faction, Logan suppressed a laugh.
'As if they weren't doing the same.'
This was a war for the throne, not land.
The moment one prince fell, the war would end—no matter the circumstances.
If the war continued even after the heir's death, neutral factions would flock to the opposing side, and mass desertions would follow.
Thus, assassinating the enemy prince wasn't dishonorable—it was essential.
That was why the strongest forces of both factions—Jordan Walterheim, the Blazing Sword, and Juan Douglas, the Freezing Archmage—rarely left their princes' sides.
'A war not to capture land, but to kill people.'
And the targets were men willing to sacrifice everything to survive.
That was what made the previous civil war so brutal, prolonged, and ultimately devastating to the nation.
'Kill the targets as quickly as possible to end the war. And then...'
Logan half-listened to the tactical discussions, already knowing they were meaningless.
But then—
"We want the MacLaine forces to flank the enemy and strike their rear."
All eyes turned to Logan.
Some looked down on him for his youth, while others burned with murderous intent.
And then there was one—filled with curiosity.
'Hm? Curiosity?'
Logan's gaze locked onto Border Lord Luchen Talos—a brown-haired, blue-eyed man with an unremarkable face.
Come to think of it, he had given Logan the same odd look earlier at the western gate.
'What happened to him in my past life...?'
Logan couldn't recall much about him, which made the man's expression all the more intriguing.
As Logan pondered, a sharp voice cut in.
"Silence means refusal? Or should I ask the Baron who entrusted you with full authority?"
"Ah, no. Flanking and striking the rear, you said?"
"Correct. Both sides already know each other's elite forces. The only variable is your house. So you must create the opportunity."
Logan nearly laughed at the sheer audacity.
With each faction fielding over 50,000 troops, sending a mere 5,000 to flank a visible battlefield was tantamount to suicide.
Even Roger Vifros was struggling to keep a straight face.
"An interesting proposal. I accept."
"...What?"
Jordan, the one who had made the suggestion, was the most shocked.
The other border lords stared at Logan in confusion.
"Are there any additional details I should know?"
"N-No. If you understand, that's enough. Plan the specifics yourself."
"Understood."
As if there was much to plan.
Hiding his thoughts, Logan left the meeting.
"If you'd refused, I would've dispersed your troops and stripped you of command—just to legally seize those weapons of yours."
"I figured."
"And if you'd refused that, I would've sent you charging at the frontlines. If you reject both flanking and dispersal, what else is left?"
"...I suspected as much."
"But you agreed immediately? Do you actually intend to carry out that absurd plan? You didn't strike me as an idiot."
"He's no fool."
"Then what's his game? What do you think?"
Even as Duke Jordan pressed him, Roger Vifros couldn't answer easily.
The man who had always defied expectations—who had ultimately stolen his lands.
Nothing about him could be taken at face value.
But then—
"He's confident."
The annoying bastard chimed in again.
"Luchen?"
"No need to overthink it. If someone agrees to a suicide mission without protest, they're either a fool or confident—and that young man is no fool."
"Confident about flanking an enemy in plain sight? Even I would struggle to pull that off with my knights."
"That's because the enemy would throw everything they have to stop you, Your Grace. But they are different."
Jordan nodded slightly, but doubts remained.
"...Even so, they won't just let it happen. I'd send at least 5,000 troops—border lord-level forces—to intercept, even at the cost of weakening the main front."
"Exactly. And if we would do that, so would the enemy. And so would he."
"Meaning?"
"Same conclusion. He's confident he can crush a border lord's forces—unless he plans to defect."
Roger Vifros scoffed.
"Preposterous! Even I could've crushed them easily given time! How much time has passed—?"
"By common sense, you're right. Even accounting for those weapons."
"Then it is nonsense!"
Luchen Talos clicked his tongue at Roger's outburst.
"Tch. Roger, I get that you hate him, but this isn't like you. If that young man isn't a fool, then he must have a plan. All we have to do is watch."
"True. Even if they betray us, they can't inflict major damage from that position."
Jordan agreed.
"If he's a fool, he'll die pointlessly. If not, he'll bring results."
In a way, Roger Vifros was the one who held Logan in the highest regard—which made it harder for him to believe Logan was an idiot.
Yet he couldn't fathom how MacLaine could've surpassed his own forces in such a short time.
Torn between fury and cold logic, the former border lord fell silent, lost in thought.
And before him—
"Personally, I hope you weren't beaten by an actual fool."
The infuriating man shook his composure once more.