Eugene took Reyma to a nearby village and had him prepare a letter for Baron Fransil. After contemplation, Reyma wrote a letter containing his desperate feelings for the future rather than his own life. He then hired three mercenaries and commissioned them to deliver the letter to the Fransil family.

“It must be delivered as soon as possible. Remember, the sooner it arrives, the greater your compensation will be. If you can get there in three days, all of you will become owners of those horses, as well as the recipient of even greater wealth,” Reyma said.

“Please leave it to us,” the mercenaries responded before riding away with joy.

However, Eugene didn’t really care. He was feeling rather grumpy.

“Are you finished?” Eugene asked.

“Yes. Will we be joining your army right away?” Reyma said.

“That’s right…”

“Ah!” Reyma’s expression brightened up a little at Eugene’s answer. However, Eugene’s following words caused his gaze to shake violently. “However, we have to dispose of that before we do so.”

Eugene’s gaze remained unmoving from the trophies collected from the dead knights.

“Are you serious?” Reyma asked. He could not help but doubt his eyes and ears. Eugene was the head of an army about to go to war with an ancient, powerful family. Moreover, he was a duke! He could not believe that Eugene was thinking about selling off the loot he gained from the previous battle.

“Of course, I’m serious. Hurry up and take care of it,” Eugene said.

“M-me?” Reyma asked. Was the duke really ordering him, even though he had just written a desperate, determined letter stained with his own tears?

“Should I do it, then?” Eugene asked sarcastically.

“…” Reyma’s blank gaze slowly crept toward a specific person.

“Why is this bastard looking at me?” Galfredik muttered with a ridiculous look, then pointed at himself and Reyma before speaking in Brantian, “Me, duke’s knight. You, prisoner.”

“…”

Reyma could not deny the simple, yet irrefutable fact. His head dropped with disappointment.

“Kieeeeehk! I won’t let you off the hook if you try to steal even a single coin! I’m going to personally check every single coin! Hmm?! Do you understand?”

Reyma felt suffocated after hearing the voice of the duke’s invisible spirit, but he desperately calmed his anger and started to move.

“…I will be back.”

He was the desperate one, not them.

***

After disposing of the battle’s spoils, Eugene finally left the village and headed toward his destination, Brodin City. Naturally, all the chores, including taking care of Eugene, were left to Reyma.

Reyma was the eldest son of a prestigious family. Even when he served as a knight’s aide, he had three slaves to take care of him, and even when he left on his quest to knighthood, he was taken care of by slaves and servants. However, he was nothing more than a prisoner—an incompetent prisoner at that—in his journey with Eugene.

Galfredik was a master of scolding and pestering, and Reyma felt both his mind and body deteriorate each day. In addition, he was reduced to a mere bag of bones as the evil spirit constantly spewed nonsense at every chance in a grim voice.

However, there was one decisive thing that drove him absolutely insane.

‘Why are you so relaxed?! Come on, let’s hurry it up!’

Duke Batla acted as if he was on a vacation, which caused Reyma to burn up with frustration. However, Eugene didn’t care about whatever Reyma felt. He was moving slowly on purpose. 

“Hmm. I wonder if the main force has arrived in Brodin City by now.”

“Maybe. I’m sure Lanslo did well with controlling the march's pace.”

The conversation between Eugene and Galfredik caught Reyma’s attention. In particular, he became alert to the word ‘Brodin.’ Unfortunately, however, he couldn’t understand the language of the Caylor Kingdom.

“Anyhow, this is a brilliant ploy. I can’t believe you’re going to have the Fransil family deal with Brodia’s army outside Brodin City. Kuhehe,” Galfredik said.

“Tsk, tsk! How dare you talk to Sir Eugene that way? Ploy? Be more dignified, won’t you? Call it a tactic. Kehehehe!” Mirian commented.

“Oh! I didn’t expect that from an ignorant, evil spirit,” Galfredik riposted.

“Kieeeeek! I’m not ignorant! I’m not an evil spirit either! Kieek! How dare you, mere vassal!” Mirian shouted.

“Be quiet, please. Before I smash your piggy bank into pieces,” Eugene said.

“Yeap.”

Eugene stopped Mirian from complaining once again, then turned to Galfredik. “We don’t have to deal with each and every single one of them, right? In the first place, the Fransil family doesn’t get along very well with the Brodia family, right? Plus, the lives of their eldest son and youngest daughter are on the line. They’ll fight tooth and nail.”

“That’s right. And Bonmer’s messenger should have arrived at the Fransil family a while ago. They’ll get to save their eldest son and the daughter who could one day become the concubine of Brantia’s king. Kuhehe!” Galfredik responded.

“Yes, but if they reject our proposal, they will be abandoning two of their children, and an opportunity to form a relationship with me and Luke, who are very likely to unite Brantia. Haha!”

“Kuhehehehe!”

“Kiehehehe!”

The two vampires and the evil, greedy spirit chuckled in harmony. Eugene hadn’t asked for money nor wealth as the ransom for Reyma Fransil’s safe return.

-   I, Duke Batla, saved your eldest son from being taken captive by the Brodia family’s knights.

-   So, if you want your eldest son’s safe return, mobilize your army and invade the Brodia family’s territory. My army will be working in tandem with you.

The Fransil family had more than enough justification, and this was an opportunity for them to have their youngest daughter marry Luke, who could later take Brantia’s throne. Unless they were fools, the Fransil family would follow the suggestion.

In the past, the Fransil family was a vassal of the Brodia family. As such, their territories were extremely close. Considering that, the Fransil family’s troops would obviously arrive earlier than Eugene’s main army and begin their war against the Brodia family.

This was the very definition of blowing one’s nose without ever having to use their hand.

“Our army will arrive in Brodin City while Fransil fights for us. Kyah! If it works out, we might get to rob an empty house. In addition, neither Fransil nor Brodia will be able to avoid a massive loss,” Galfredik commented. As an excellent strategist, he quickly noticed the deeper meaning behind Eugene's plan.

“Hohoho!”

“Kuhehe!”

“Kikekekeke!”

Joyous, satisfied sounds of laughter could be heard once again. Naturally, Reyma couldn’t understand what any of them were saying. As such, his heart felt rather troubled by the insidious noises.

***

“How come Helmond’s high lord and the other sirs haven’t returned yet?!” Garif Cameron Brodia, also known as Cameron the Third, vented his anger.

The nobles gathered in the castle’s great hall raised their voices in response to the young, 19-year-old king.

“Your Majesty. You must wait a little longer.”

“That’s right! Although he is a member of the Dark Clan, Lord Federique Helmond is also a noble knight. I am certain he will return with good news.”

“Once you have the support of the Batla Duchy, your kingdom will make even greater progress in uniting Brantia, Your Majesty!”

“Hmm.” Cameron the Third frowned in frustration. When he first heard the rumor about a high-ranking member of the Tribe of the Darkness crossing over from the continent and conquering most of Brantia’s Southeast, starting from Mungard, he had laughed with disbelief. However, when further rumors spread stating that the foreigner killed a swordmaster the Bayman Orcs were interested in, then went on to become the Duke of Batla, the rumors became harder to ignore. If the rumors were true, it meant that most of Brantia’s South had fallen into the foreigner’s hands.

As such, Cameron the Third decided to send knights of the royal family to confirm the facts. At that time, vampire knights of the ‘Helmond Clan’ offered their help. Although the Brodia family had established a relationship with the Helmond Clan two generations ago, there hadn’t been any exchanges between the two groups in recent years. Despite that, Cameron the Third chose to accept the proposal. After all, he had nothing to lose by gaining powerful vampire knights as allies.

However, he had heard nothing from them even though a month had already passed since they departed.

‘Surely nothing happened to them, right? At the very least, I hope my knights are safe.’

Cameron the Third bit his lips in anxiety. The door to the great hall suddenly burst open.

“Y-your Majesty!” The captain of the guards came rushing in before kowtowing.

“What’s going on?” Cameron the Third could not hide his expectations. Perhaps there was news of the royal knights.

“A-an army! Fransil’s army has crossed over Red Hill!” the guard captain exclaimed.

“W-what did you say?!” Cameron the Third stood stiff from his throne at the unexpected news. However, the shock only lasted for a brief moment. Anger began to erupt and it engulfed the young king’s heart immediately afterward.

“Fransil! That despicable traitor finally dares!” Cameron the Third shouted.

The nobles raised their voices in response as if on cue.

“Your Majesty! We must put an end to this foolish traitor at once!”

“Please call the knights and show those treasonous creatures the majesty of the royal family!”

“Your Majesty!”

“Your Majesty!”

“Quiet! All of you, quiet! If you’re so desperate to make an example out of the traitor, why don’t you be the first to donate your wealth? Shall we dig the ground to find money that will allow us to go to war?!” Cameron the Third shouted.

“…”

The nobles immediately quietened down and coughed while avoiding Cameron the Third’s gaze.

“Keugh!” Cameron the Third felt his heart boil with anger. The young king had been filled with burning ambition when he first ascended the throne. However, he was frustrated beyond belief after only a year.

Lies…

He had been told nothing but lies as a prince. First of all, there was no indomitable knight in the royal family’s service who had challenged and won wars against anyone who defiled Brodia’s name. In addition, he was told a lie that half of Brantia belonged to the royal family of Brodia. In truth, only Brodin, their capital with a population of 40,000, and the nearby areas belonged to the royal family. Moreover, their largest, most fertile land had been taken over by the Fransil family during the crusade. As such, the ordinary residents of the land were barely scraping by without starving to death.

‘There’s not enough food. And even if we subjugate evil lands, where will we sell the mana stones? I would rather… that’s right. There’s no other choice now!’

Cameron the Third came to a decision.

He stood up from his throne and raised his baton before shouting.

“Subjects of Brodia, hear my words!”

“As you wish, Your Majesty!” the nobles exclaimed in response.

“Gather the knights and the soldiers! We will leave behind the minimum number of soldiers to defend the capital! The honorable knights and loyal soldiers of our land will march to defeat the traitor Fransil!” Cameron the Third declared.

“As you wish, Your Majesty!” the nobles shouted in response.

“Ohhh! The great spirits of the mountains and the fields of this holy land! Please watch over me and this land!” Cameron exclaimed a prayer.

“Watch over us!” the nobles echoed the king’s words and rose from their seats.

However…

‘Has the king gone mad?’

‘We will have less than 500 troops without the guards. What can we possibly do with that?’

‘Shouldn’t you contribute your servants to the cause, sirs?’

‘Are you crazy? What will I do when I have to run away, then? Why don’t you contribute your personal guards to the war instead?!’

Neither determination nor courage could be found on the nobles’ faces, who were wearing extravagant, fancy clothes.

***

The large gate opened, and troops carrying the flag of the Brodia family, a sword piercing a rose, marched out. The soldiers were unorganized, and even their equipment vastly differed from each individual. Even the knights leading the soldiers were armed with old, rusted chainmail with holes on them.

Uwawaaaaah!

The residents were half-forced to cheer for the king’s poor, weak army.

“Hmph! What a mess!”

“Goblin dung. They’re not worth our time.” The beowulf warriors jeered at the sight. They were lying flat on a faraway hill, watching the Brodia’s army procession.

“Let’s return and report back.”

“Damn it. I’m so tired. I haven’t eaten meat in days.”

“Wolfgan told me to bring a boar when I come back.”

“I couldn’t even see a single rat nearby. Where would we possibly find a boar?”

“Ah, rat meat is a delicacy too.”

“I like squirrels….”

“Squirrels smell a bit funky, don’t they? But I find that if you lightly boil them, they taste similar to raccoons. It’s not too bad.”

“You don’t even know the first thing about meat! Meat must always be grilled over fire.”

As usual, the beowulfs argued over various topics as they disappeared into the distance.

Two days later…

Dozens of flags bearing the crest of the black dragon fluttered in the wind, and an army composed of nearly one thousand troops surrounded the City of Brodin. The army displayed military discipline that could not be compared to Brodia’s army, and the hundred-or-so guards remaining in the city fell into panic and despair.

Tap. Tap.

The guards of the castle hid behind the walls as a knight arrayed in precious, expensive equipment sallied forth from amidst the large army. At first glance, his equipment seemed even more valuable than the items that Cameron the Third owned.

“I am a knight of His Excellency Duke Jan Eugene Batla! Those who dared…!” Lanslo paused, then took a deep breath before continuing. “Those unruly, despicable men who dared to threaten Sir Reyma, brother of Lady Lorraine, who is our prisoner and also the potential companion of His Excellency Eugene’s aide, Count Luke Crawlmarine, show yourselves! Come out of hiding!”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” Cameron the Third was unable to understand the quarter-elf’s roar. His words had been spoken way too fast and much too long.