CH 154

“What? Those nobles heard your voice?” Eugene asked.

“Yeap!” Mirian answered.

“How?” Eugene was bewildered.

Mirian clasped her hands together as if she was praying, and answered with innocent, sparkling eyes. “Treasure… No! My burning love for you has moved the heavens. True love has allowed…”

Eugene interjected. “Stop talking nonsense and tell the truth.”

“Hmph!” Mirian’s expression immediately turned villainous, and she took a seat on Silion’s mane before speaking arrogantly. “Sir Lanslo said that I’m evolving along with you. So if I think really hard about what I want and say it, even ordinary humans can hear my voice.”

“Hmm.” Eugene frowned. He wasn’t sure whether this was a good thing or not. However, a brilliant idea soon came to mind.

“I have an idea,” Eugene said.

“What is it? What is it?” Mirian asked.

“From now on, you are my messenger,” Eugene responded.

“A messenger?” Mirian said.

“You will relay my instructions to others during battles,” Eugene explained. Mirian was small, but she was very fast. Moreover, she was invisible to ordinary humans, which meant she could roam the battlefield undisturbed and deliver messages. She would prove useful not only on the battlefield but also on evil lands as well.

“Kieeehh. That sounds kinda annoying. And how can I become so desperate every single time? You’re so insidious, like the demon king or the devil.” Mirian pouted while looking at Eugene.

Eugene contemplated smacking the spirit on the head, but stopped himself and spoke in a gentle voice, “You can do it. I guarantee it.”

“Hiing, but still...”

Fwoosh!

Eugene’s hand moved like lightning.

“Kieeeeek! Sir, I’m sorry! I’ll be obedient!” Mirian screamed while burying herself deeper into Silion’s mane.

Eugene held out his hand and asked, “What does this look like?”

“A-a silver coin!” The spirit’s attitude changed in an instant.

“That’s right, it’s silver. What thoughts come to your mind when you see this?” Eugene asked.

“I want it! I want to rub my body all over it!” Mirian shouted excitedly.

“Right? What about this?” Eugene stashed the silver coin before pulling out a gold coin.

“Kihehe!” The spirit’s gaze transformed when she saw the shiny gold coin. She was greed itself. Her eyes burned even brighter than a beowulf going three or four days without any food. The spirit even started to drool as if she was hypnotized by the brilliance of the golden circle.

Eugene spoke to the spirit in a quiet, gentle voice, “You want it, don’t you?”

“I-I want it. I want to rub my body, no, I want to become one with it. Kuweeeeehh!” Mirian said while breathing heavily.

“That’s right. That’s the spirit. If you become my messenger, I will give you one every month. What do you think?” Eugene asked.

“Yes, sir! Yes! Yes!” Mirian answered.

“Good. Then I will give you this as a down payment.” Eugene said before placing the coin in a small wooden box.

“I will give you one every month. And since it will be hard for you to carry it around, I will keep it safe for you. Think of it like a safe. I’ll give it all to you when you grow up; no, when you evolve even further. Of course, the golden castle as well.” Eugene continued.

“Yeah! Yeah! I love you, sir! Kieee! Kieeeehh!” The spirit grinned and rubbed herself against Eugene’s cheek. Eugene had a desire to grab her and throw her to the ground, but he endured it.

‘It’s a guardian’s privilege to keep a child’s allowance safe.’

And it was quite unlikely that the spirit would remember exactly how many gold coins she had since she wasn’t even smart enough to fully understand the world’s written language until now.

“You must remember. What are you going to think of when you deliver my instructions?” Eugene asked.

“Gold coins!” Mirian shouted.

“That’s right. Think about how a gold coin will be deposited into your safe every month. One day, it will grow to be hundreds, no, thousands. Think of your gold coins.”

“M-my gold coins. Mine. My precious…” The aura of desire, or rather, the spirit’s passion, began to soar. As expected, money could really make ghosts dance or in this instance, spirits.

***

“What should I do about this? What am I supposed to do?!” Baron Mondelio could not hide his anxiety as he continued to wipe off the cold sweat flowing down his wide forehead. When a messenger first arrived from the Batla Duchy telling him to attend the succession ceremony of a new duke, it felt as if the very sky was collapsing on him. He had been expecting the messenger to ask for help in combating the bandits that continued to plague the duchy. He would have accepted their request with pride before reporting back to the mastermind of all these.

“Why haven’t we heard back from Sir Roberi yet? D-did he betray me? Did he turn himself over to the new duke? Is that it?!” Baron Mondelio shouted.

“There’s no way Sir Roberi would do that, my lord. Please regain your composure.”

“Do you really think that’s possible?! The entire plan is about to collapse, so what could I possibly say to that man?!” Mondelio burst into a rage, and the nobles gathered in the office were silent as they exchanged glances.

After a moment, one of the nobles made a cautious suggestion. “My lord, wouldn’t it be best to be honest and ask for help?”

“What did you say?” Baron Mondelio raged.

“We have already missed the new duke’s succession ceremony. It might not be that difficult for now, but they will obviously criticize us later. It will be better for us to switch horses now than to make excuses later.” The noble continued.

“Switch… horses?” Baron Mondelio asked.

“That’s right. It’s best to switch horses as soon as possible so that you’ll become accustomed to the steed. You can take your time to find out the horse’s personality, what it likes, and how fast it can gallop. Besides, we have someone who’s directly involved in our castle right now, right?” the nobleman said.

“Hmm.” Baron Mondelio stroked his chin with a serious expression. Then, he raised his head. “All right! Let’s do that!”

He looked around the nobles with a brighter expression.

“I will follow Sir Boro’s advice. Hey, you there, bring the guest over,” Baron Mondelio said, giving his orders.

“Yes, my lord,” the butler answered before leaving the room. A few minutes later, he returned with a figure with him.

The new arrival was a young, elven knight wearing chainmail and a white surcoat, even though they were indoors.

“Lord Mondelio. Were you looking for me?” the elf asked. His beardless face was smooth, and he looked to be in his mid to late 20s.

“Sir Pranbow. Welcome.” Baron Mondelio’s attitude was polite. It was only natural since Pranbow was older than all the nobles gathered in the office. Moreover, he was a respected knight of high standing from where he originated.

“Hmm? Is there something wrong? Everyone’s expression seems rather sour,” Pranbow asked while looking around the stiff-faced nobles.

Baron Mondelio responded with a forced smile, “Things went slightly awry, but it’s not enough for you to be concerned about, sir. By the way, regarding the offer you proposed.”

“Ah, have you finally made up your mind?” Pranbow asked.

“Yes. Your suggestion, No, I will accept the suggestion of His Excellency Rosamerin.”

“Haha. You made the right choice. His Excellency will surely treat Lord Mondelio with respect and honor,” Pranbow said. He had already been expecting such an answer when Baron Mondelio called for him. In the first place, it made no sense for Baron Mondelio to refuse the offer after not attending the succession ceremony of the Batla Duchy.

“I will entrust you with it, Sir Pranbow. I look forward to it,” Baron Mondelio said with sincerity. He had already made his decision. Pranbow, the archduke’s cousin, was the only connection he had with Archduke Rosamerin, who sought the throne of Brantia.

“Haha! Of course, I will do my best. Then… I will contact my nation and ask them to send some troops. Would 500 be enough?” Pranbow asked.

“Oh! 500 elite soldiers from the Northern Elf Kingdom would be very reassuring indeed,” Baron Mondelio exclaimed as if he was touched, but he felt rather sour. The presence of other people’s troops in his territory signified that he was becoming their subordinate.

‘Even so, once the Northern Elf Kingdom unites Brantia, I can proudly stand as one of their vassals.’

He would be the first to subject himself to Archduke Rosamerin in Brantia. Archduke Rosamerin was the leader of the elves who ruled over the island of Eland, which was located north of Brantia, and he would certainly give appropriate treatment to his vassals.

Although Mondelio had never seen the archduke in person, he knew from rumors that the archduke was a very generous man.

“One hundred cavalry, one hundred archers, and the rest will be light infantry. Of course, we will be covering all the expenses for the troops as well. Would you rather have gold or silver bars than the Brantian currency? If you want, we could also pay you in mana stones.”

“Well, I know you will handle it well, Sir Pranbow. I will leave it to you,” Mondelio responded.

“Hahaha! You’re very straightforward.” Pranbow laughed boisterously. With this, he was the first among his colleagues dispatched to Brantia to have established a bridgehead into the country. Moreover, he had done so near the Batla Duchy, which was one of the two most important families in the vicinity.

Of course, he could have occupied it with force if he wanted to, but there was a high chance that the various contenders for the throne would join forces and retaliate if he had done so.

‘But now, I have the justification and I’ve also established a bridgehead. All I have to do now is to pressure the Batla family and make them cooperate…’

And that was an extremely simple problem to handle...

He would win their trust by fighting off the bandits, then give the Batla Duchy what they wanted the most.

‘I will have to request it when the archduke sends his messenger. It needs to be dramatic and climactic.’

Pranbow started to create his perfect plan.

Crash!

“W-what is it?!” Baron Mondelio shouted while turning his head as the door burst open with a loud racket. Pranbow turned his head and glared at the guard responsible for opening the door with a frown.

“I apologize! But there’s an urgent, pressing matter!” the guard yelled.

“What is it? What’s going on?” Baron Mondelio asked.

“An army! There’s an army, my lord!” the guard shouted.

“An army? What do you mean by that? Speak clearly!” Baron Mondelio demanded.

“A-an army! Hundreds of troops are advancing our way!” the guard hollered.

“What?!” Baron Mondelio’s face turned pale, and the startled nobles began to whisper among themselves.

Pranbow hurriedly approached the guard and asked, “Where is the army from? Did you check their flag or crest?”

“The mercenaries who discovered their presence are quite ignorant, they don’t know which family the army belongs to. However, they reported seeing the crest of a dark, crimson dragon,” the guard said.

“Dragon?” Pranbow frowned.

Baron Mondelio rushed over and begged. “S-sir, what should I do? The knights and soldiers of my territory number less than a hundred. Sir, you must help me!”

“Naturally. It seems they’re trying their luck with faith in their numbers. I will destroy the enemies along with the knights of the Northern Elf Kingdom,” Pranbow answered.

“Ohh!” Baron Mondelio’s expression brightened at once.

A total of 10 knights had accompanied Pranbow.

They were excellent riders and elven knights with incomparable skills with the bow. They would easily defeat a group of mercenaries with more than tenfold their numbers. Most importantly, Pranbow was a swordmaster and one of the strongest knights of the Northern Elf Kingdom. The number of orc warriors he had defeated in the past when the Island of Eland had been engulfed in war couldn’t be counted anymore. Not only that, but it was Pranbow who had ‘perfectly’ subjugated all three evil lands in Eland.

“This is rather good. Let me show you the skills of us knights belonging to the Northern Elf Kingdom. I will validate for you that joining hands with our kingdom was the best choice,” Pranbow said.

Paaaa…

An aura engulfed Pranbow’s figure. It was a refreshing energy of mana, unlike the Fears of vampires and orcs. It was an elven knight’s unique ability that protected them from evil energies and Fear while improving their physical abilities.

“I trust you! I trust you, Sir Pranbow!” Baron Mondelio shouted fervently. His expression became bright as he witnessed the mysterious energy surrounding the elven knight.

***

“Dark lord! Dark Lord!” the scouting beowulfs shouted while rushing over.

Eugene responded, “What is it? Did Baron Mondelio dispatch any troops?

Eugene didn’t bother hiding his anticipation. If Baron Mondelio’s troops met him in battle on flat land, he would basically be gifted with a free win. Face-to-face battles were always easier than laying siege.

“It’s not that. Elves. There are elven knights,” one of the beowulfs said.

“Elves?” Eugene frowned at the unexpected answer.

“Those bastards looked so damn strong. They were wearing the same armor.”

“They must have seen us since they have good vision. But they didn’t run away despite seeing us from afar…”

The beowulfs busily chatted.

Lanslo joined in the conversation. “They are no ordinary elves if they are armed with metal armor and aren’t surprised to see beowulf warriors.”

“Is that so?” Eugene asked.

“Yes. It’s highly likely that they are knights from Eland. Eland is the only elven land that possesses its own smelting technology,” Lanslo answered.

Eland—the Northern Elf Kingdom.

They were the only contender for Brantia’s throne that wasn’t based on Brantia’s mainland. And although humans and elves lived in harmony in Eland, most of the nobles there were said to be elves.

Pure-blooded elven knights were known to use mana as their source of strength, and those above a certain level could use an ordinary sword with the unrivaled sharpness of a famed blade.

‘Wait. What if I could have that power?’

Eugene’s eyes glistened wickedly.