/
“Really? Tell me more, what kind of a monster is it?” Gabriel and Elena responded while leaning forward, suddenly showing interest at the mention of a mysterious monster.
“Unfortunately, the ignorant peasants were incapable of giving an accurate depiction of the monster, so I do not know much more. However, it’s known that the monster’s cry is terrible enough to haunt your soul, and it’s rumored that the griffon of Rodan Forest was defeated by that monster, which means…” The knight trailed off.
“Which means?” The siblings asked.
“It must be a high-ranking monster. Something like an ogre or a drake,” Sir Molve answered.
‘Finally! Those wizards!’
‘They succeeded!’
The siblings quickly shared a gaze while clenching their fists.
“Sir Molve. The griffon of Rodan Forest was a humongous headache and a threat to the marquisate over the last few years, was it not?”
“Ah, that’s right.”
“Then that means the mysterious monster must be a truly terrifying force. What would happen if such a powerful monster attacked a nearby village?”
“Ah! You have a good point. Come to think of it, I also heard rumors regarding the appearance of an undead monster. Tsk, those lowly peasants are quite delusional.”
“What? An undead!?” Although Gabriel was already certain, he pretended to be greatly shocked as he responded.
“If it truly is an undead, this issue may escalate into a threat to the honor of the marquisate. But we are unable to send an army because of our sister’s army…” Gabriel continued.
“Brother, send a messenger to Sister Essandra. Although we are placed in an undesirable situation right now, she must be sincerely worried about the marquisate as a member of the Archivold family. I am certain that she will take action,” Elena said.
“You are right. Sir Molve.” Gabriel called out.”
“Please give me your orders,” Molve responded.
“Inform all the sirs of the castle about the matter with the undead monster. Send a messenger to Essandra immediately as well,” Gabriel ordered.
“I understand, my lord! I will carry out your orders!” Sir Molve answered. He was completely oblivious to the truth of the matter, and as such, he was touched by Gabriel’s sense of duty and honor towards the marquisate.
“Just as I thought! Only Lord Gabriel is suited to lead the marquisate! I cannot believe he is such a broad-minded, honorable man!’
The knight’s emotions were conveyed as he spread the news to the castle’s nobles, and the two siblings were delighted to see their plan proceeding smoothly.
“This is great. Essandra will have no choice but to withdraw her army, right?” Gabriel asked.
“Yes! And even if she doesn’t, she won’t be able to lay siege on the castle either. Not until the undead is taken care of. Hoho!” Elena answered.
The presence of a holy knight was required to defeat undead monsters. However, there weren’t any legitimate holy knights on the Carls Baggins Peninsula due to the fact that the bishop had fled a long time ago. In the end, Essandra would be forced to withdraw her army and focus all her efforts on dealing with the undead monster.
“Hahaha!”
“Hohoho!”
The two siblings were able to heartily laugh with ease after a truly long time. However, their joy did not last more than a day.
***
The next morning, Essandra stood in front of the Rose Castle with other nobles standing behind her back. A knight dressed in black plate armor stood in front of the castle’s drawbridge with the corpses of three griffons and a two-headed noble. He shouted…
“I am Jan of the Eugene family! I am a knight supporting Lord Essandra!”
“…!”
Gabriel and Elena stood with their mouths agape, and the nobles and knights of the castle began fervently whispering.
“Jan Eugene? Is he not the knight who occupied the land belonging to the late Lord Bemos?”
“Wyvern Slayer! He’s the knight who successfully subjugated the Philia Ruins! The evil land located in the Beogalan territory!”
“Why is that man…”
“As you can see, I already took care of the evil undead that appeared in the marquisate! Moreover, I have killed the griffons that had been threatening the people of the land for a long time!” Eugene shouted.
“Heup!”
The whispering stopped, and the people of the castle became wide-eyed with surprise. Elena quickly raised her voice in a flurry. “Take that lying man and…”
“This undead ogre was brought back to life as an undead by a wizard’s evil magic! And I have taken the wizard’s head with my blade!” Eugene continued.
“…!”
The complexion of the two siblings paled in an instant and their eyes started quivering as Eugene took out an object and shook it in the air.
“This is the journal belonging to the wizard I killed! Would you like to know the names that are mentioned in this journal? I can reveal it immediately if you would like!” Eugene shouted. The eyes of Gabriel and Elena started to quiver even more when they saw the ragged booklet held in Eugene’s hand.
“Unfortunately! And dishonorably! Those who shared a deep relationship with the evil wizard responsible for the creation of this anomaly were…” Eugene started to shout.
“I surrender! Open the gate! Open it! I surrender!” Gabriel had no choice but to immediately respond while the numerous nobles and knights of the marquisate were watching.
***
“Do you have anything to say for yourselves?” Essandra asked.
“…What excuse could I make? Even if I had ten lips, I would have nothing to say. All of us inherited the same blood. Please show us mercy, sister,” Gabriel said.
“Please forgive us, sister. Those wizards must have placed us under an evil spell. There is no way that either Gabriel or I would have done such a terrible thing if we were in our right minds,” Elena added.
“Hooh. At least both of you still have glib tongues.” Essandra clicked her tongue while sitting on the pedestal located in the castle’s main hall. Both Gabriel and Elena were on their knees in front of her, trembling with fear and shame. However, this was much better than having their plans revealed in front of all the nobles and knights of the marquisate.
“I can forgive the fact that you two caused the peninsula to fall into chaos by goading the vassals. After our father was detained, there was a need to sort out those who were loyal from those that weren’t. On the contrary, I was satisfied that the two of you caused such a commotion,” Essandra said.
“...!” The eyes of the two siblings shook violently.
They initially assumed that Essandra had been doing nothing while sitting in her own territory, but it appeared that it wasn’t the case.
“The same was true of Edrique. Since he is friendly, even though he is credulous, I thought he would be capable of comforting and taking care of the various vassals,” Essandra continued.
“Then does that mean you already knew everything…?”
“Obviously. I was just biding my time. I thought it would take at least a few more years for the chaos to subside since it was brewing since our father’s time. But receiving a title from the king? That’s crossing the line,” she said.
“I-I apologize…” Gabriel said while dropping his head.
Essandra smirked and said, “However, it was a wise decision to surrender right away. If you attempted to deny Sir Eugene’s words, I do not know what would have happened to the both of you. The knights of the castle might have risen up against you before anything else.”
“...”
In all likelihood, a rebellion would have occurred. It was an act of self-destruction for a lord, regardless of whether they were the direct descendant of a marquis, to have released an undead in their territory. It would have caused their honors to plummet to unrecoverable depths.
“In that sense, I praise your decision to surrender immediately and open the gates. I guess your desire for power had not blinded you completely, hmm?” Essandra asked.
“H-how could that be? Your dull-witted, but loyal younger brother was simply concerned about the rapid deterioration and division of the marquisate. I was planning to offer them to you, sister, after I have unified them to the best of my abilities…” Gabriel started to reason out.
“Enough. Gabriel, I will confiscate all of your property and strip you of your status indefinitely. Do you have any objections?” Essandra asked.
“…None. I am grateful for your mercy,” Gabriel answered.
“And Elena,” Essandra said.
“Yes, sister,” Elena answered.
Ever since they were young, Elena had found her older sister particularly difficult to deal with. Her shoulders trembled as she met her older sister’s gaze.
“Technically, you were responsible for bringing those wicked wizards to the castle and sending them to the dungeon. It’s a serious crime, and I would be more than justified in sentencing you to life in prison,” Essandra declared.
Elena simply stayed silent with her head bowed. There was nothing she could say in response.
“However, it has been less than a year since father was locked away and the death of Bemos. I cannot allow for more blood of the Archivold family to be shed,” Essandra said.
“Ah…!” Elena raised her head with hope.
Essandra gave a cold smile. “Still, someone must take responsibility for the situation. Is that not so, Sir Eugene?” Essandra said after turning her gaze to Eugene.
“You are correct,” Eugene answered while stepping forward.
Gabriel and Elena were once again shaken. This was a private gathering of the Archivold family’s direct descendants, but an outsider was present. The knight had been keeping his place next to Essandra as if it was a given. From the moment Gabriel and Elena saw the knight, they made certain assumptions – everything traced back to the beautiful, alluring knight. The ‘time’ that Essandra referred to happened faster than expected due to the presence of that knight.
“Okay, then who do you think should take responsibility for the matter, sir?” Essandra asked.
“I think…”
Eugene turned his gaze to the two siblings before continuing. “Lord Essandra, your siblings only made a small mistake that was misguided by their deep loyalty to the family and the marquisate. The one who should take responsibility for the situation should be the one who abandoned their morality and honor, the one who tried to drive a wedge between the direct descendants of the Archivold family because of their self-interest.” Eugene answered.
“…!”  A figure naturally came to the mind of the two siblings after hearing Eugene’s answer.
“S-sir, are you perhaps referring to my husband?” Elena asked hurriedly.
Eugene nodded.
“Who was the one responsible for instigating a murderer of nobles because of their desire for Lord Bemos’ mine? The one responsible for bringing evil wizards into the territory? Lord Elena? Lord Gabriel? Or perhaps both of them?” Eugene asked.
“Sir Eugene. Isn’t that too harsh? There is no way my siblings would do such a horrendous thing, right?” Essandra rebuked Eugene and defended her siblings. However, Gabriel and Elena recognized that they were driven into a perfect corner after seeing Essandra’s expression.
Eventually, Elena’s head dropped. “Y-you are right, sister.”
This was a world where one had to abandon even their husbands to survive. That was the world that those known as the great nobles lived in.
***
Several figures, including Knight Andre, Elena’s husband, were imprisoned in the castle’s dungeon. The rest of the nobles welcomed Essandra as the new marquis with open arms. As such, Essandra managed to occupy the Archivold family’s main castle without shedding a drop of blood where she held a grand banquet.
Alcohol and meat were made available to the mercenaries located outside the castle, and the mercenaries also toasted the birth of the Carls Baggins Peninsula’s strongest margrave with one, unified voice.
“Sir, are you still insistent? You have no desire to stand by my side?” Essandra asked.
“Yes,” Eugene responded.
“Haha!” Essandra burst into laughter after hearing Eugene’s simple, concise answer. Eugene was unlike all the nobles who were desperate to get on her good side. Perhaps that was why she felt even more favorable towards him.
“Did you know? You are the first one to ever treat me in such a fashion. That’s why I want you even more,” Essandra stated.
“Unfortunately, there is nothing to be done. And even if I do stay by your side, it doesn’t mean that only good things will happen,” Eugene responded.
“What do you mean?” Essandra asked.
“The nobles of the marquisate. They are currently standing still to prevent offending you, but how do you think they will react if I make even more achievements? That’s just how the human heart is, is it not?” Eugene said.
“Who would dare to…” Essandra glanced over the nobles with a gaze of anger.
However, she knew that Eugene was right. A monarch needed many competent subordinates, but if one was too competent, it would inevitably lead to conflict and antagonism.
“But you will join me for the rest of the expedition, right? I still need to take care of the territories and cities in the south of the peninsula, after all,” Becoming the new marquis wasn’t the end.
Essandra currently had more than 1,000 soldiers under her command, and there wouldn’t be many opportunities and justification in gathering such a large group of soldiers under her flag in the future. As such, Essandra was planning to take advantage of this opportunity to fully unite the peninsula and to make Archivold’s name known to the world.
“Did you not tell your siblings that you had been planning to take action even without my involvement? I think it would be fine if you resume your plan,” Eugene said.
“Wow. You remembered all that? Well, I guess I would have acted even without you, sir. But things will definitely be easier with you by my side, wouldn’t you agree?” Essandra asked.
“Perhaps. But as I have already told you, neither of us will benefit if I accomplish anything more. You must think about the others under your command,” Eugene answered.
“Hmm.” Essandra licked her lips while stroking her chin like a man. Eugene certainly had a point. Trouble could definitely arise after peace was restored on the peninsula.
“Then what about your men? It might be quite damaging if all of them went missing.” It was clear that Essandra couldn’t abandon her lingering feelings.
However, Eugene gave an immediate answer. “Including Sir Galfredik and I, only around thirty troops will be leaving.”
“What?” Essandra expressed her confusion.
“I mentioned before that I promised a seat for the free knights who had followed me here, right? Since they haven’t done much so far, to leave them be would be a loss for both you and me, Lord Essandra. Take them and make them work as you would like. Moffern’s mercenaries would be very disappointed to return immediately as well. Why don’t you take the chance to display your leadership and financial power, my lord?” Eugene suggested.
“…Ha, hahahahaha!” Essandra laughed boisterously while stroking Eugene’s arm.
“You’re a crafty fox, aren’t you? In the end, you are planning to leave me with your baggage, right?” She continued.
Eugene felt rather guilty, but he responded with a straight face, “How could that be? You are mistaken. I am only offering you an option that everyone, including yourself, me, and the knights, would benefit from.”
“Haha. You aren’t exactly wrong, so I can’t say anything about it. In the end, you managed to become a lord and commanded those troops without spending a single coin,” Essandra said.
“That wasn’t what I intended, but I can’t deny it,” Eugene answered nonchalantly.
It was Gardye, the merchant guild leader of Moffern, who recruited the mercenaries, but Eugene was responsible for their payroll. Coincidentally, their first payday was in two days. But what if he handed over the mercenaries to Essandra before their payday, since she needed the troops for at least another month anyway?
‘Would she ask me to pay their wages? She has to save face as the marquis, right?’
Eugene hid his innermost thoughts and spoke calmly, “The wage of the mercenaries is set at two silver coins per day. We decided to give them half of the loot and spoils, so please remember that.”
“Wow! So you’re planning to not spend a single coin at all? Isn’t this blatant robbery?” Essandra spoke in disbelief. Eugene was unwilling to take a loss until the end.
Regardless, Eugene was satisfied. His original purpose was to become recognized as a lord by the next marquis, which he achieved, and he also managed to command mercenaries and free knights without spending any money. Moreover, he gained quite a bit from subjugating the dungeon by himself.
And that wasn’t the end…
‘The red mana stone, and the things I took from the dead wizard as well…’
The only regret he had was that he had not been able to activate his transforming ability. As it turned out, he could only activate his transforming ability by consuming a red mana stone and the blood of the monster he wanted to transform into. As such, he wasn’t able to exercise his ability from the griffons, since they only possessed blue mana stones.
However, discovering the requirements to activate his ability was a great achievement in itself.
In the end, this expedition was also a great success.
“Huh. Look at your lips twitch. If you want to laugh, just do it. Sir, are you sure that no one has ever called you shameless before?” Essandra asked.
“As I have told you many times, no one has ever called me that,” Eugene answered with an indifferent expression. Essandra was about to speak when the guard captain of the castle hurriedly approached.
“My lord, please excuse me, but Sir Eugene has a guest.”
“A guest?” Eugene asked with a frown, and Essandra took on a curious expression as well.
“Yes. A female wizard…” The guard captain responded.
“Does she have a bit of a blank expression? Looks similar to a raccoon?” Eugene asked.
“Ah, that’s right. But, erm…the wizard is currently crying and whining in the courtyard.” The guard captain answered.
“…?”
It was most likely Romari, but why did she travel all the way here just to create another ruckus?