211. Lycanslope Road (5)
“Can I meet the Margrave right now?”
Seongjin asked with confidence. According to his expectations, there must have been prior notice from the Margrave about this meeting.
Sure enough, Lord Ilma, who was frozen for a moment, soon nodded and answered.
“Yes, sir. The head of the family is preparing to welcome you. “I will take you to the barracks right away.”
If you think about it, even if they were members of the royal family, they were nothing more than a lump of burden that they couldn’t use with all their might.
Nevertheless, it was clear that the leader of the Wolf Knights came out to meet him and willingly gave him a tour of the base, probably under special instructions from the Margrave.
You must have heard to some extent about the conflict with old man Vincent. So, the idea is to buy some time to properly understand the situation.
And I hope that the young prince, who was distracted by the majesty of the ice wall, will feel somewhat relieved. Perhaps, he hopes that there will be a fluke that will make him forget Old Man Vincent’s rudeness.
[…] hey.]
As I was walking behind Lord Ilma, thinking about various things, the demon king spoke carefully to Seongjin.
[Are you still angry? Why do you keep smiling?]
Just as he said, Seongjin had been laughing all along.
‘Oh, it’s nothing. The Margrave seems to be more shrewd than you might think. ‘I’m happy about that.’
[Huh? Are you happy?]
okay. How could I not be happy?
At least he’s not a bumbling fool like Orden. He is a guy who is fully capable of protecting his share even if he rushes in with determination.
‘That means you can eat as much as you want without feeling guilty.’
[…] Ugh, I happened to get caught by this guy… … .]
The Demon King sighed.
No, but whose side is this guy on?
The group arrived at a place where tents were gathered together.
A truly spectacular sight unfolded, with a wall of ice filling up every gap between the tents, perhaps to protect them from the cold wind. It looked like small huts made of ice.
“It’s an ice tent. It’s cold just to look at it.”
As Sir Claudia, with a red nose, trembled and muttered, Sir Ilma looked back and smiled.
“When you go in, you will be surprised at how well it keeps you warm, Sir Claudia. “It’s several times warmer than just one tent.”
As they said, the tent was completely covered with a light layer of white snow to keep warm. Sir Claudia, who saw that, was frustrated again.
“There is no flue in the tent at all… … .”
In this place where supplies are scarce, even starting a fire is a luxury. This means that you have to endure the cold with all your aura.
Seongjin and his group were then guided to the largest tent in the center of the ice tents, which served as both a strategy conference room and the head of the house.
“Meeting the Third Prince of the Holy Empire.”
As if he had been waiting for them in advance, the Margrave greeted them in front of the tent.
Hendrick Sigismund.
A man known to not stand out between his father, a Dekaron Knight, and his son, who is said to be a genius swordsman.
“It is the greatest honor of Lord Sigismund that a descendant of the Holy Family personally inspects the ice wall. “It’s cold. Let’s eat inside.”
He was a mature man who looked heavy and shabby. He also had straight, handsome features that looked a lot like Orden.
Just a roughly shaved chin with traces of stubble and messy hair sticking out made him look extremely ordinary.
Of course, there were other things that caught Seongjin’s attention.
‘The clothes are neat, and the beard is left on purpose.’
Just like the impression I got from the study, I can’t shake the feeling that it was an intentional distraction.
Seongjin decided to not waste any more time exploring with him.
“I will be blunt, Margrave. “I have something to discuss with you.”
“… … .”
The Margrave seemed a little surprised by the prince’s quick speech, but he soon informed Lord Ilma and instructed him to guide the rest of the party to their lodgings.
When they were left alone, he asked Seongjin to sit down and smiled kindly.
“Please sit here, sir. Fortunately, this tent is large enough to accommodate a small furnace without any ventilation holes. “It is a luxury that is difficult to enjoy at an ice base.”
And when Seongjin took off his cloak and sat down, he accepted it with his own hand and showed a light acceptance.
“Anyway, you look very different than when I saw you at last year’s birthday party. “If I were a faceless person, I would think you were a completely different person.”
Seongjin’s eyebrows twitched.
So, do you think Old Vincent’s disrespect was just a mistake and you want to take the plunge?
“okay. I understand. “If you are slow to discern between interests and interests, you may not be able to recognize them and may make a mistake.”
“yes? that… … .”
“However, if he remains arrogant and unrepentant even though he has had enough time to realize his mistakes, he is clearly insane or has a negative attitude towards the empire.”
“Lowering… … .”
“How is it? Have you come to your senses now? “Are you willing to kneel down to apologize?”
“… … .”
Seongjin’s cool gaze and the Margrave’s dry gaze met for a moment.
The Margrave seemed to have decided that the other person was not someone who could be grilled and boiled, so he straightened his posture and sat across from Seongjin.
“My father has been putting a lot of effort into examining the magic scriptures recently. You were once called the greatest general of the empire, but now that you are older, your judgment sometimes becomes clouded. “For a child, this is a very sad thing.”
His voice was very somber. A voice that might be heard by a child mourning the decline of his aging father.
At the same time, he subtly emphasizes that his father contributed greatly to Delcross.
“How can I apologize for this rudeness? Can I ask for your forgiveness on behalf of my father? Instead, ask him to kneel and I will do so. “I ask you to consider the veteran’s hard work in serving the empire and be generous to me.”
Seongjin looked into the Margrave’s eyes, which were still dry despite his gloomy expression.
If you can get away with something just by saying something, what can you say?
At first glance, he seems to have thrown away all his pride as a lord, but in reality, the Margrave knows well that Seongjin will not make such an apology. Because it doesn’t make any sense.
‘He was probably being reported on everything about my movements over the past few days.’
I know that the prince is deliberately refusing to eat with the count. Moreover, he did not immediately scold old Vincent for his rudeness.
In that case, he must have come to the conclusion that Seongjin probably wants something from the Count family.
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“okay. “I fully understand your position.”
Seongjin nodded obediently.
“By the way, that old old man happens to be a Dekaron Knight.”
“… … .”
“I have never heard of Dekaron Knight, who perfected his mind and body by achieving balance with the Aurors, becoming senile.”
The Margrave smiled awkwardly, as if embarrassed, but his eyes became sharper than ever. Looking straight at him, Seongjin spoke clearly and forcefully.
“That means he is not senile but truly seditious, or he is not a Dekaron Knight.”
“That means… … .”
“If you are a subversive person, I cannot leave you as a Dekaron Knight. If he is not a Dekaron Knight, there are plenty of people who can replace him anyway, so it doesn’t matter. “If, as you say, his judgment is clouded, isn’t it time to take the sword out of his hand?”
The color drained from the Margrave’s face as he realized the meaning of those words. At this point, he can no longer maintain an inertial smile and pretend to be a nice person.
What the prince is saying now.
“Your Majesty, you are now abolishing Dekaron Knight’s Auror… … .”
The Margrave’s voice trembled in shock, but Seongjin’s expression remained cold.
“It’s not unprecedented. “You know that too, right?”
“… … .”
“What an unfortunate incident. Coincidentally, his crime was also lese majeste. “He abolished his Auror himself to atone for his disciple’s sins.”
The Margrave was also not unaware of the anecdote.
Bruno Green.
A man of great standing who came from a commoner to become a Dekaron Knight.
“Do you understand? The crime of disrespect towards the royal family is such a serious one. Because he was once called the greatest general of the empire and the last bridgehead of the Demonic Realm, I did not humiliate the old general in front of everyone. But if you knew that kind of consideration, isn’t it clear now what kind of attitude you should show me?”
“… … .”
On the contrary, Seongjin smiled lightly towards the Margrave, whose expression had completely disappeared.
“I want to tell you this, Margrave Sigismund.”
Seongjin tapped the handle of the chair as a habit.
“I have tried my best to accommodate you as much as possible. Because of the friendship I developed with your son in the imperial capital. Do you know? “I could have used my own safety as an excuse to request large-scale military support from the imperial capital.”
It did.
However, even to Seongjin, who had no common sense about this world, it was not a good idea to arbitrarily attract troops to another territory.
So, I thought about a method that would have less impact and be more efficient. That was the Lilium Detachment.
“The Lilium Detachment is one of the most apolitical groups in Delcross, and is one step away from the influence of the church. Moreover, I am confident that they are an elite unit that is the best against demonic beasts. “Thanks to me, didn’t the picture of receiving appropriate help and resolving the demonic situation on its own in the territory without outside help have been completed?”
“… … .”
The Margrave was silent for a moment, then sighed softly and rubbed his forehead.
Seongjin, who noticed a faint look of disappointment crossing his face, relaxed his stiff posture, leaned back against the backrest, and smiled.
“Okay then. “Let’s first discuss the items we collected from the top of Milo.”
[…] Ugh, I happened to get caught by this guy… … .]
The Demon King sighed.
No, but why has this guy been moving to the wrong side?
The conversation that followed went smoothly.
“These are items contaminated with demonic energy. Are you saying you will get the full price for all of them?”
“How could that possibly be the case? “Shouldn’t the price be higher?”
“… yes?”
“They have been purified by the miracle of the main god and have become sacred items that have even been blessed. “Are you just going to eat it raw now?”
“no… … .”
At first, I was just going to be satisfied with the full price, but what happened earlier changed my mind a little. I need to save a lot of profit and buy a gift for my sister.
“Milo merchant owner Giacomo Milo will be arrested on charges of being a devil contractor. The top of Milo is now over. So let him stop the exclusive contract with him and stop distributing the medicinal tea immediately.”
I guess there can be no difference of opinion here.
The Margrave had a lot to say, but he soon closed his mouth with a resigned expression.
“From now on, we will start trading with other merchants. My condition is that you do not have an exclusive contract with any one company and that you continuously interact with at least two companies. And one of the top things to do is to be introduced to Branch Manager Schmidt of the Merchants’ Union.”
Branch manager Schmidt? Why does he suddenly appear?
The Margrave frowned slightly.
Of course, Branch Manager Schmidt was already Seongjin’s hand and foot, but there was no way he would have known that fact. I could only guess that perhaps it was under the influence of Grand Duke Asein, the powerful figure in the Merchant Union.
“What benefit do you gain from that?”
“When you talk about profit, you sound sad. I am the prince of Delcross, Margrave. “Whether I sleep or wake up, I only think about the safety of my subjects.”
“… … .”
The Margrave’s eyes narrowed.
Because neither those who said it nor those who heard it knew that it was nothing more than empty nonsense.
[You are saying that you will obediently make the devil do something good? Be honest. What on earth are you planning?]
Well, I just thought I might make some profit along the way.
Plus, Schmidt has some debt.
When I instructed them to create a stable route to supply salmon from Ortona without going through Cyprus, they all looked like they were dying.
The initial investment that needs to be made is quite large.
[But why must it be salmon? There must be many more efficient products to start a business with, right?]
That’s because the item I’m most interested in is salmon.
I told you, right? They said they would open a salmon specialty store in Hwangdo.
‘… And what else are you ripping off?’
While thinking about this and carefully examining the inside of the tent, something suddenly caught Seongjin’s eye.
“… uh?”
* * *
“Lord Masaine. “Look at this!”
That night, Seongjin, who returned to his lodgings after finishing his meeting with the Margrave, shouted at Masain.
“I have received a great deal from the Margrave!”
Masain blinked and looked at Seongjin for a moment.
Just a moment ago, the temperature around me felt like it was going to drop, but what happened in the meantime made me feel so relaxed that I was jumping up and down?
Either way, Seongjin was very excited and unwrapped the long object he was carrying in front of him.
“… Henesys long sword?”
What appeared in the package was a long sword that looked bloody.
The last weapon created by a famous Ortona master craftsman full of anger and regret just before the country was torn apart.
At first glance, it was similar in size to Logan’s sword, but its appearance was completely different from Arjuna’s.
Unlike Arjuna’s curves, which formed flowing waves, the sharp protrusions that jutted out from the blade were as ugly as saw blades or thorns.
Also, what is the material like?
The black iron, which Masaine had never heard of, was assumed to be a special metal, and shed an eerie luster along the well-honed saw blade.
“how is it? Are you going to give it to Sister Amelia as a gift?”
… what?
Masain quietly broke into a cold sweat.
“I beg your pardon, sir. “This looks like a sword possessed by a devil.”
Doesn’t it have a hideous appearance, like something a devil from a story would carry around?
Giving a sword like this to Princess Amelia, who is like a rose?
However, after hearing Masain’s honest evaluation, Seongjin smiles happily at him!
“yes? Right? Looks like a devil’s sword, doesn’t it? So this is perfect! “This is totally your taste!”
fantasy,
