Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: The Insolent Envoy
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“Who’s here?”
Arthur’s eyes caught sight of an unfamiliar carriage as he returned from the village.
Andrew glanced at the flag on the carriage and frowned.
“It looks like the Yarve Count from Nibon Territory has sent an envoy delegation.”
“Why would the Yarve Count…?”
“He visited once for personal reasons when you lost consciousness, Young Master.”
As Arthur nodded and turned toward his room, someone hurried over.
It was Rusanna, Medlin’s maid.
“Young Master, hurry to Madam!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Madam is being humiliated by the envoy sent by the Yarve Count.”
“Is this about that incident from before?”
When Andrew asked, Rusanna silently nodded.
“What incident?”
“W-well, you see…”
Andrew hesitated, and Arthur’s gaze turned icy as he stared at him.
“Don’t make me ask twice.”
“…!”
Andrew paled.
Remembering Arthur’s old self, he quickly answered.
“The Yarve Count proposed marriage to Madam.”
“What, proposed?”
The sudden revelation startled him.
“What was Mother’s response?”
“She firmly refused. But he wouldn’t give up and kept pressuring her, so Sir Skevin had to step in and resolve it.”
Arthur nodded as if understanding the situation and asked Rusanna.
“Where are Skevin and Millerph?”
“Mister Millerph isn’t at the castle due to personal matters, and while Sir Skevin is with Madam, he’s surrounded by the knights who came with the envoy and can’t move.”
“Gasp!”
Andrew’s eyes widened in shock.
Last time, Skevin had effortlessly subdued the knight who came with the Yarve Count, so they must have sent someone stronger this time.
To overpower him, who had reached the peak of Sword Expert, it would have to be someone extraordinary.
If they’d even brought a Sword Master, there’d be no way to stop them.
“Young Master, what do we do?”
Andrew’s face flushed red as he fidgeted anxiously.
Arthur sighed and turned around.
“Tell Aild too.”
“What are you planning?”
“It’s not just anyone—it’s about Mother. I can’t pretend not to know.”
Arthur headed to the office.
Rusanna gestured for Andrew to hurry and followed Arthur.
At that moment.
In the office, an old man with a face covered in age spots was harassing Medlin.
It was Baron Sibar, sent on the Yarve Count’s orders.
He had shown up half-drunk and committed every rudeness imaginable.
From bringing his escort knights into the office to brazenly insulting the Julius Count Family as a household on the brink of ruin.
As his drunkenness peaked, he leered at Medlin with lustful eyes, approaching and stroking her hair.
“Honestly, if it weren’t for the Yarve Count, I’d propose to you myself.”
“Remove your hand this instant!”
“I’m saying this for your sake. If you join the Yarve Count, you can have everything.”
“I told you clearly back then. My husband is only Malcolm Julius.”
Medlin glared at him with contemptuous eyes.
Sibar smirked as if enjoying the situation.
“You know, our count is completely smitten with that attitude of yours? I am too, heh heh.”
“Do you think you can get away with this?”
“Oh dear, you still haven’t grasped the situation.”
Sibar pointed at Skevin with his hand.
Skevin was surrounded by the knights who came with him, only able to watch.
The moment his sword showed any sign of moving, the knights pressured him with their own blades.
“Watch closely. See what’s become of the so-called guardian deity of the Julius Count Family.”
“Ugh…”
Skevin glared with bulging eyes and ground his teeth. A powerful aura emanated from him.
“Gasp!”
Sibar flinched at his aura and stepped back.
A pale blue aura rose like a haze from Skevin’s sword.
In response, the five knights surrounding him emitted a fainter blue aura from their swords and pressed in.
Sibar’s escort knights were all Sword Expert advanced-level masters.
If Millerph or Wesley were here, the situation would be completely different, but now he had to face them alone.
On top of that, he had to worry about the countess’s safety.
Even if it weren’t those two, if there were just one person who could help, he could manage somehow—but there was no such person.
It was utterly hopeless.
Who could have foreseen that the Julius Count Family, once called the ‘Empire’s Spear,’ would come to this?
As the knight commander, he couldn’t face the countess.
It was then, as Skevin bowed his head.
“Tsk tsk.”
A tongue-clicking sound came from somewhere.
All eyes turned instantly to the office entrance.
Arthur stood there.
He took in the situation immediately upon entering, then looked at Medlin.
She looked visibly flustered as their eyes met.
“W-what are you doing here…?”
“Rusanna told me.”
“I’ll handle this, so go back to your room.”
Ignoring Medlin’s words, Arthur walked toward the table.
Half-eaten soup and bread sat on the table.
It seemed she had been having a simple meal in the office today as well.
“Good grief…”
Arthur shook his head and looked at Sibar.
Seeing Arthur’s reaction, Sibar gave a strange smile.
“I think I know who you are. You must be the famous Grada’s Prodigal.”
“Baron Sibar!”
Medlin shouted sharply.
Sibar slightly frowned and rubbed his ear with his finger.
“My, my ears are fine. I understand even if you speak softly, so be gentle.”
“If you insult my son one more time, I won’t let you off!”
Medlin’s eyes gleamed fiercely.
“Is there a knight in this castle who can handle us? Do you think I don’t know the count family’s eldest son took the entire knight order to the western mountains?”
“You…”
“That’s why you should stop throwing tantrums now that I know everything. What if wrinkles appear on that pretty face and you fall out of the count’s favor?”
“You senile old fool…”
“What did you say?”
Sibar’s smiling face hardened instantly.
“That’s why pretty girls shouldn’t talk back.”
As he spoke, he yanked Medlin’s hair hard.
“Argh!”
He pulled her head down to his chest.
“You should listen when I speak nicely. Do you only understand with force?”
“I’ll… never forgive you.”
“Forgiveness is something only the strong can utter. Not for the likes of you. Prodigal, what do you think of my words?”
“Sound advice.”
Even as he watched Medlin suffer, Arthur fiddled with the fork and knife on the table as if it were none of his business.
“Hear that? Even your son agrees with me. Well, what can you expect from a prodigal, heh heh.”
“Shut your mouth!”
Medlin shouted and slapped Sibar across the cheek.
Slap!
Sibar staggered, nearly falling.
“Get out of my castle right now!”
“You wench! Just because the count favors you doesn’t mean you can act blind!”
As Sibar raised his hand to strike her again.
Something flew swiftly and embedded in his hand.
Thud!
“Argh!”
Sibar’s eyes bulged as he stared at his trembling hand.
“A f-fork…!”
He recalled Arthur fiddling with the fork and knife moments ago.
“You bastard…!”
Sibar glared at Arthur.
Arthur glanced at Skevin and said one thing.
“Don’t just stand there like an idiot.”
He threw a knife at the knights.
“What the—!”
One of them swung his sword like lightning.
Swish—.
The knife snapped in half and fell to the floor.
“With such childish tricks…!”
His eyes widened.
A chilling killing intent from behind made him think of Skevin.
“Damn it!”
Before he could turn, Skevin’s sword severed his head.
The knights tried to counterattack, but Skevin was a step faster.
He swung his aura-clad sword in a wide arc, the blue glow intensifying.
“Gasp!”
The knights’ eyes bulged.
Blood spurted from their necks as their heads hit the floor.
Having decapitated four in one strike, Skevin glared murderously at Sibar.
Terrified, Sibar collapsed to his knees.
“If you touch me…”
“How dare you insult the count family and Madam…”
Skevin unleashed his full aura.
Boom—.
The ferocious pressure crushed Sibar.
“Sp-spare me…”
Sibar trembled all over.
Skevin approached with a piercing glare and raised his sword overhead.
“For the crime of insulting the countess and Young Master. I, Skevin Maximus, sword of the Julius Count Family, shall punish you.”
As Skevin swung down with full force.
Sibar cowered and shouted.
“You’re not even afraid of the Yarve Count!”
“…!”
The blade halted before his neck.
Sibar grinned slyly and continued.
“Heh heh, came to your senses? Kill me, and Grada Territory becomes a sea of blood. You’ll become the Yarve Count’s servant—or slave.”
“You…”
Medlin trembled with rage.
“So remove this sword.”
Sibar glared at Skevin.
Skevin, sword at Sibar’s neck, awaited only Medlin’s command.
Medlin wanted to decapitate him on the spot for what he’d done.
But killing him would be tantamount to declaring war on the Yarve Count.
The Yarve Count ruled one of the empire’s five richest territories.
He’d hired powerful knights with his wealth, boasting considerable military might.
If war broke out, Grada Territory turning into a bloodbath was inevitable.
Rage boiled, but she was powerless.
‘If I just endure…’
As Medlin clenched her fists, trembling, and opened her mouth to speak, Arthur approached.
“What are you agonizing over?”
He grabbed Sibar’s hair.
“Wh-what are you doing!”
Sibar yelled.
“You know exactly what I am—why act surprised now?”
Arthur’s sinister smile made Sibar’s eyes shake violently.
“N-no… don’t…”
“I’ll play the prodigal as you said.”
He mercilessly yanked Sibar’s head toward the sword.
Stab—.
The blade pierced through his head.
“…!”
Medlin’s eyes widened in shock, her face draining of color.
Even Skevin couldn’t react to the sudden action.
He looked at Arthur with a bewildered expression.
Arthur met Medlin’s eyes and asked.
“Will letting him live solve this?”
“Even so, him…”
“Send him back like this, and he’ll bring even stronger ones to oppress us. What then?”
“If Millerph were here, we could handle it.”
“And after? Ah, by then Wesley and the knights return and hold them off, sure. What about the next time?”
Medlin had no rebuttal to Arthur’s questions.
Skevin, watching their exchange, showed no outward sign but was deeply rattled.
The youngest young master before him was not the one he’d known.
He’d heard his memories hadn’t fully returned since the incident and that he’d changed a lot.
But it was only Arthur Julius in appearance—his words, actions, and especially his eyes were different.
Cold and sharp, like a completely different person.
Not only grasping the situation perfectly but creating the opening to deal with the knights was astonishing.
As he looked at him with puzzled eyes, Medlin asked.
“I’d like Sir Skevin’s opinion.”
“…I agree with Young Master. The Yarve Count won’t give up on Madam.”
“Then what do we do? If word of this reaches the Yarve Count…”
Medlin’s face darkened.
Skevin too foresaw grim days ahead.
“We prepare.”
“…!”
Medlin and Skevin looked at Arthur.
Arthur met Skevin’s eyes with a cold gaze.
“Act like a guardian deity. We no longer need a weak, dull blade.”
“…!”
His words stabbed Skevin’s heart like a dagger.
At the same time, Skevin dropped to one knee and bowed deeply.
“I’m sorry.”
As Arthur turned away, he added one more thing.
“Stand up. The peaceful days are over.”