Chapter 33
Chapter 33 - What is it when you're scared?
After a long while, Lord Margrave finally managed to speak.
"... Nonsense, that's nonsense."
He let out a hollow laugh with a dejected face. The way he looked at me was like a father looking at his son who said he would become the president.
He shook his head repeatedly and directly denied my words.
"Why would I be living alone in this state? If I could have done it, I would have twisted that hateful bastard's neck right away. But..."
"But right now, aren't you hiding your power, Lord Margrave ?"
"..."
"Quite a lot too. Right? I'm right, aren't I? I'm probably right."
Lord Margrave closed his mouth at my sudden probing words.
I nodded at his reaction.
Lord Margrave hides his power.
Yes. Lord Margrave is a genuine power-concealer... rather, a true power-concealer (one who genuinely hides their power). I realized this quite a while ago.
Though Lord Margrave always plays innocent like that.
I know because I've fought beside him for over a month. He deliberately doesn't go deep into enemy territory to match my level.
‘With Mimir's eye level being what it is, I still can't see his status.’
He is a man at a level beyond my imagination. A level that even I, who can now crush steel with bare hands, cannot look up to.
That must be why he could protect this castle alone for so long.
"Lord Margrave . Shall I share my thoughts?"
It's just as Lord Margrave explained. Catching the small fries is like peeing on a frozen foot—it’s useless.
We can prevent immediate attacks on the castle, but they revive perfectly fine after a few days, while we living ones accumulate fatigue. Food supplies are also gradually depleting.
We can't beat the undead in a game of chicken no matter how many we kill.
To significantly slow down the undead army's advance, we need to penetrate deep into enemy territory and strike at their core.
Taking out beings higher than ghost knights, like liches or death bishops, would definitely slow their march.
The one reason Lord Margrave can't do this now is because my capabilities are lacking.
I am holding Lord Margrave back.
I told Lord Margrave exactly what I was thinking. He listened silently with a grave expression.
"Am I wrong? What I said."
When I asked, he firmly nodded.
"You're wrong, Sir Jeong-yong."
Wrong, he says.
I scratched the back of my head and let out a hollow laugh.
"Lord Margrave, you're overestimating me too much."
"You underestimate yourself too much. Your growth rate is astonishing. I've never seen such a frightening rookie before."
"Well... that's..."
"I would have been impressed if you just properly managed my luggage for at least a month. But look at your current state. You're already taking care of half of the remaining enemies."
"That's just, well, good luck, that's all."
"When luck repeats, it becomes inevitable and skill."
Lord Margrave said so, but I still couldn't shake the feeling that I was being overestimated.
My incredibly fast growth rate is due to the skill 'Divine Favor' that I received as a Guardian's special privilege. After maxing this skill to level 10, the rate at which it absorbs experience points increased tremendously.
Currently, I gain 50 percent additional experience points. In other words, my hunting efficiency is 1.5 times that of others.
In short, it's just a silver spoon skill that I was born with, that's what it is.
"Tsk."
I frown and click my tongue with an uneasy feeling.
Lord Margrave slowly approached me. Then, patting my shoulder, he said:
"You're overestimating me too much. Even if I enter the center of that massive undead army alone, I would be nothing but a speck of dust. At best, I might be able to kill a few liches... but I would lose my life too."
"... Is that so?"
"My death would mean the death of this castle. Therefore, killing the Eldritch is impossible. As a nobleman and soldier of Mittelland, I must maintain this castle for as long as possible."
That was a firm conviction that didn't contain even a sliver of possibility.
I started to respect this man in a way.
'No. He knew all this and still didn't run?'
Lord Margrave objectively understands that he has no chance of victory.
What thoughts must he be having as he faces certain death slowly approaching? When they say someone is a soldier to the bone, they must be talking about someone like him.
"Are they that strong? Those guys?"
"What's there to say? The problem is that their numbers never decrease. Because they keep reviving endlessly."
Indeed. That's why they're called the undead army - they don't end even if you kill them.
In other words, the only meaningful damage against them would be either killing the liches who control the undead, the death bishops who are high-level undead wizards, or defeating their leader, the Eldritch, in one go.
When I finally nodded, Lord Margrave laughed heartily.
"I'm investing in you. If I could have defeated the undead army alone, why would I have constantly requested support from the capital and formed a suicide squad?"
"... That's true."
"My power alone has limits. To inflict meaningful damage, I need you. Of course, I mean you when you're stronger than now. This is just the preparation phase for that."
No.
That's not it. I don't need to get any stronger.
I denied his words internally while raising the corners of my mouth.
'What's needed is time. And... my death.'
But this conversation was very informative.
I decided to probe Lord Margrave's true intentions one last time.
"I'd like to ask one more thing, Lord Margrave ."
"... Sure. What is it this time? If it's another nonsensical thing like before, I'll have to decline. Hahaha."
"Is the country not providing support despite the territory being in this state because of you, Lord Margrave ?"
"..."
This time too, Lord Margrave kept his mouth shut.
According to the unwritten rule, silence means agreement. I continued speaking under that assumption.
"Did you fall out of favor with the central authority?"
Lord Margrave looked at me with trembling eyes.
After appearing to contemplate deeply with his mouth firmly shut, he slowly nodded. His growling voice scattered directionless anger.
"... Yes. I was falsely accused by the Interior Ministers who follow the Seven Wizards. That's why I, who was once considered a promising successor to the Seven Wizards, was exiled to this remote place."
"False accusations? Why?"
"It shames me to say this with my own mouth, but they were jealous of my magical talent. They feared that I, who had neither power nor backing, might truly rise as a new force to succeed the Seven Wizards."
"Well, someone of your caliber would naturally attract jealousy, Lord Margrave."
When I nodded in sympathy, Lord Margrave gave a deflated smile. However, that smile didn't last long.
His face gradually contorted to a frightening degree.
"Those swine in the royal capital are waiting for my death. Even if they plan to subjugate Eldritch, it will be after I'm dead."
"... Yes. I think so too."
"I'd gladly give up my life. I can accept exile. I simply do my best wherever I am. Here too, I fought with all my might to protect the territory's people. I fought desperately against demons and undead. If death is the result, I'll gladly accept it. However."
With an expression full of rage, Lord Margrave emanated an ominous aura. Creak, his fingers dug into the metal chair's armrest.
The air seemed to tremble. It became difficult to breathe.
"I cannot forgive them for abandoning the territory's people to death. They shouldn't have done that. They shouldn't have. How could they do such a thing while wearing the mask of humanity...?"
"......"
"Even the evacuation of the territory's people was barely achieved under the leadership of my old comrade Baron Essentar. From the royal capital... no one lent a hand. No one. Not a single person."
Tears streamed down Lord Margrave's wide-open eyes. The tears flowing from his bloodshot eyes burned bright red like blood in the sunset light.
I swallowed at the color that seemed to manifest his hatred.
"Lord Margrave... you really..."
Looking at Lord Margrave, I felt a painful sense of kinship.
This guy. His way of thinking is like a textbook pushover. Saying 'I'll do my best wherever I am' even after being exploited like that. This is crazy. Are we filming a youth drama?
'Ah... he's so pitiful...'
I feel like crying because his way of thinking is similar to mine. Was my life also this pathetic when others looked at it?
As a senior pushover in life, let me give you some stern advice, Lord Margrave .
"Then all the more reason you shouldn't throw away your life meaninglessly."
At my words, Lord Margrave's tears stopped.
I took one step forward toward Lord Margrave and spoke firmly.
"Those bastards want your death, don't they? So why give it to them so easily? You should stubbornly cling to life, even out of spite. That's what will really get under their skin. Don't you think?"
"However... then I wouldn't have the face to look at the territory's people and soldiers who died due to my ignorance and lack of virtue. Other than fighting to the death here in resistance.”
“I have... no choices left."
Lord Margrave mumbled. My eyebrow twitched at his defeatist attitude.
I opened my mouth again in a somewhat cold tone.
"Is that why you were kind to me even knowing I'm a Hero? Do you blame yourself even for the Hero's uprising?"
"... No. That's somewhat different."
Lord Margrave unexpectedly shook his head. His true feelings slowly began to pour out.
"I told you, didn't I? I'm already someone who was betrayed once in the royal capital and exiled here."
"......"
"It's not just the Heroes who were wrong. That's just how human beings are. Selfish. Self-righteous. In the end, everyone thinks of themselves first so no one can see far ahead. What happened was inevitable."
"......"
"That's why I don't resent them. What I should resent is myself, for forgetting that fact due to the urgent situation. As a leader, I should have seen through the desires hidden behind goodwill... but I couldn't."
Lord Margrave's words contained a great emptiness. That was his unfiltered truth.
A cold smile hung on his lips. It was self-mockery.
"And ironically. The one who helped me most in the desperate situation of civil war was Gwyn, one of those Heroes."
"... Is that so?"
"Because he followed me while sacrificing everything, I too have been able to hold on until now while sacrificing everything."
That's what he says.
Let me be honest about my feelings at this point.
Though I feel sorry for Lord Margrave whose heart must be breaking, I'm honestly happy right now.
'Perfect.'
That level is just right.
Right now, Lord Margrave shouldn't trust me, a Hero, too much, but shouldn't distrust me too much either.
This state of moderate resignation is the best state for accepting my proposal.
Then let's get started. I've gathered all the information I needed. The status is all green.
I immediately threw my proposal to Lord Margrave .
"Then let's do this."
When I changed my tone and raised my voice, Lord Margrave blinked his eyes.
I showed Lord Margrave a confident smile and said.
"From now on, I'll buy your life, Lord Margrave . Please participate in my operation according to my instructions."
"... Operation?"
"As compensation, what I'll give you is the Eldritch's life."
'Are you still saying such nonsense?' Lord Margrave 's cold gaze was saying exactly that.
I showed a deep smirk to Lord Margrave who was expressing doubt, and spoke to the end.
"Die if you're scared."