7. Dame Celine’s Worries>
Everyone in Baron Kulan’s domain was spending their days in a frenzy of busyness.
After the incident in which that mountainside collapsed, the Rogadis Alliance began to crumble on its own.
After Viscount Tern, who had served as the rallying point for the lords of the Rogadis Alliance, was found dead, the lords of the Rogadis Alliance mistakenly believed it to be Pareon’s doing. Already being pushed back, they were filled with fear and surrendered. Pareon gave them a certain amount of wealth and drove them out, then filled their places with people he could trust. As a result, even though little time had passed since the war ended, the Rogadis region was rapidly regaining stability under Pareon’s command.
Except, that is, for Baron Pareon’s condition.
“…
Are you all right? Has the swelling gone down a bit?”
“…
I’m fine. I don’t really have anything to say for myself anyway. I’m just glad his anger was relieved, even if it had to be like this.”
Raka
-Dum looked at Pareon, whose entire body, including his face, was swollen up, and spoke to him with a pitiful expression.
Swelling normally disappeared after a week at most, but for some reason, the swelling from the beating he had received that day had not gone down easily even now, two weeks later.
But Pareon was sincere when he said he was glad the anger had been relieved, even if it had to be like this.
That day, he had suddenly returned to the lord’s castle when he remembered the people he had to look after, but what he had done was something he could not have complained about even if he had been beaten to death.
If anything, he was grateful that only he had been beaten.
While he was being beaten, he had worried about what would happen if Dame Rianna or Roina tried to jump in, but thankfully, Lord Raka
-Dum had done a good job holding back the people around them so that he could be beaten alone(?).
After the beating was over, Sian explained to him what had happened at the cliff.
According to Sian, the cliff had collapsed in the middle of the fight, and they had been too busy escaping to retrieve the items stolen by the thief. Still, he said there was no need to worry about those Arankal fellows either, since they had all been buried as well.
Although Pareon regretted the items inside, he decided to think of it as a good thing.
Now that he thought about it, the items inside had been far too much for him to protect.
Hadn’t a powerful being called a Gran
-Vander actually invaded in pursuit of those items?
His belief that he could hide them without being discovered had been an arrogant judgment.
At a guess, if Sian had not taken care of it, everything would have been taken from him, and even his life would have been in danger.
That mysterious Gran
-Vander would not have welcomed the existence of anyone else who knew about those items.
He still felt regret, but he decided to take comfort in the fact that they had not fallen into someone else’s hands, and that at least the items in Zone 1 had been moved to the territory in advance.
“He must be on his way to the capital by now, that fellow.”
“Yes. The world truly is vast. To think someone like that existed…”
Pareon wore a bitter expression as he thought of Sian, who should be heading up to the capital by now.
He had thought that once he released Arankal’s seal, everything would fall beneath his feet.
But the world did not wait for him to be ready.
There were far too many powerful people.
Everything he had believed in had been buried beneath the mountain by the hand of a single man.
Had he been dreaming after struggling in a small provincial domain and obtaining a treasure?
The world already had far too many people who were prepared, and even such people were struggling desperately to run forward.
“Brat, are you scared now?”
Seeing Pareon’s bitter expression, Raka
-Dum laughed at him.
At that, Pareon changed his expression and grinned.
“No. Of course, this incident did shock me, but…”
“But?”
“It was good stimulation. Besides, I have companions and lovers who will help me, and I have you as well, Lord Raka
-Dum. Thinking about it now, I believe I was far too hasty. I suppose I have only now returned to the starting line.”
Hearing those words, Raka
-Dum also smiled as he replied.
“Good, brat lord. That’s right, you just have to do well from now on. What you already have is by no means something light.”
“Yes. I’ll be busy from now on. There is so much to do.”
While Raka
-Dum and Pareon were smiling and discussing their future plans, Roina opened the door and entered.
“My lord, an envoy has arrived from the capital.”
“Hmm? For what matter?”
“The royal transfer battle has ended. He will now be Narasha Kun Tian I.”
“…!”☆ ☆ ☆When Sian arrived at the capital, it was in a festive mood.
The Kradan royal family had set, and the Narasha royal family had newly inherited the throne.
The people were filled with joy.
Their newly changed king had clearly proven his abilities in this royal transfer battle. Now, with those abilities, he would lead Tian.
Hearing on the way that the royal transfer battle had ended, Sian returned to the mansion worried that Count Kerbel might have been shocked, but Count Kerbel was not as greatly shaken as he had expected.
“It’s all right. I was not worried about the fall of the current royal family. I, too, am a person of Tian. A strong royal family is always welcome. I was merely worried that Marquis Narasha’s extremity would cause much blood to flow.”
Instead, Count Kerbel reassured Sian, who was worrying about him, as he spoke.
In truth, contrary to Count Kerbel’s worries, not much blood had flowed.
Marquis Narasha’s side had acted quite cautiously, and for some strange reason, the noble faction had followed Sir Rian and the 3rd Royal Guard Knights’ control very well, so no incidents that crossed the line occurred in any major way.
Though he had not used extreme methods, Marquis Narasha gradually overwhelmed the royalist faction through an enormous difference in power and brilliant stratagems, and before they could become even more miserable, the royalists decided to hand over the throne.
The transfer was also carried out smoothly.
Realizing that the tide of the times had passed them by, the royalist faction decided to yield this generation to Marquis Narasha and the noble faction, and lie low.
The rivalry between the royalist faction and the noble faction was over. After all, Marquis Narasha’s faction, now the new royalist faction, could not ignore the existing royalists. Now was the time for them to acknowledge one another and secure their own interests amid the rapidly changing flow.
And Sian… naturally, paid no attention whatsoever to the transfer of royal authority.
Rather, Sian’s interest turned toward another interesting incident that had occurred during the two months he had been away.
“Dame Celine, did something happen?”
After returning to the capital, Sian met Miss Celine for the first time in a long while, and seeing Celine’s haggard face, he asked the question.
Sian’s ability to perceive human emotions toward external matters—in other words, his “sense”—was extremely poor, but Celine’s expression was so full of worry that even he could tell.
“Haa… you’re back… I’ve been going absolutely insane these days.”
Celine looked at Sian, who had returned after a long absence, and sighed.
Then she began rambling on about what had happened to her while Sian was away.
After hearing the story, Sian spoke with an expression of disbelief.
“So… you’re saying there’s a man chasing after you as if his life depends on it?”
“Haa… I told you, yes.”‘…
Is she provoking me right now?’Sian was confused as to whether Dame Celine was rubbing salt in his wounds, but seeing her sincere expression, he decided to continue the conversation a little further.
Objectively speaking, Dame Celine lacked nothing to be called a beauty, and she had her family background as well as her own abilities, so it was not as if he could not understand how such a situation might arise.
“…
Then what is the problem? Hmm… is he too ugly?”
“No… he’s incredibly handsome. Almost on Sir Rian’s level.”
That meant he was truly staggeringly handsome. Appearance passed, for now.
“Hmm… then… is he terribly weak or something? Dame Celine, your favorite phrase has always been that you’d date a man stronger than yourself.”
“…
Do you think I would have come to you with this worry if that were the case?”
Sian nodded at those words.
Given Dame Celine’s personality, if someone weaker than her were bothering her by chasing her around, there was no way he would still be walking around with all four limbs intact. He must be stronger than Dame Celine, which was why he could still maintain that stalking until now.
After asking this and that, Sian concluded that Celine’s current request for counseling was just rubbing it in.
“Hmm… to sum it up, he’s handsome, tall, capable, strong, rich… that’s what you mean? Though he’s a fallen noble and a mercenary, you wouldn’t care about things like that.”
When Sian spoke as if he were displeased, Celine sighed.
“Hey, why aren’t you asking the most important thing? You haven’t asked about his personality. His personality.”
“…?”
Only then did Sian realize that he had not asked about the man’s personality.
“Ah… hmm… then, surely…”
“Yes, he really is an incredible bastard. Haa… I’ve lived all this time and never seen a guy like him.”
A vicious mad dog with a terrible personality was chasing after her as if determined to die for it—that was Dame Celine’s true concern.
Dame Celine began explaining in detail what had happened.
As soon as Sian left the capital, Marquis Narasha began pressuring the royalist faction across the entire country.
Because they had to strike quickly in a short period of time, Marquis Narasha’s camp used its overflowing wealth to hire mercenaries from all over the nation, and among them, the especially outstanding mercenaries were called to the capital side to pressure the royalist camp.
That fellow who was chasing after Dame Celine, Kuntarian, entered Roa
-Tian at that time.
Strangely, little was known about the actions of the man called Kuntarian, and it had been less than half a year since his name began to spread.
He first appeared in a localized battle between Viscount Nebel of the royalist faction and Viscount Kunon of the noble faction in the region north of Rogadis. There, he single-handedly crushed Viscount Nebel’s camp, which had clearly been superior in terms of forces, and led Viscount Kunon to victory all by himself.
After that, Kuntarian actively participated in the noble faction’s camp and led the noble faction camps in various regions across the country to one victory after another.
It was not because he had any particular connection to the noble faction. It was simply that the noble faction was superior in terms of finances and could offer Kuntarian more money.
Moreover, just before coming up to the capital, Kuntarian became famous in an instant by defeating Viscount Krasang, who ranked among the upper tier of masters in the Kingdom of Tian, in fewer than ten exchanges.
As he began to grow famous, investigations into his background were carried out, and before long, an astonishing fact was revealed.
He was only seventeen years old! On top of that, he could handle both Exar and Vander at the same time!
To think that while living as a mercenary with no support and no backing, he had attained enough strength at the mere age of seventeen to defeat Viscount Krasang!
Those who heard his age unanimously praised Kuntarian, saying he would become Tian’s fourth Gran
-Vander.
At this, Marquis Narasha moved quickly, paid an enormous sum to hire Kuntarian, and summoned him to the capital. Thus, Kuntarian came up to the capital and performed his role splendidly.
No, the problem was that he performed it too well.
He carried out Marquis Narasha’s request to provoke people and smash them far too well. He smashed them, and broke their bones.
On top of that, he was extraordinarily good at picking fights. Even Kal
-Tian the Returnee, who was said to be like a boulder, fell for his provocation and was beaten.
Because Marquis Narasha was keeping Sword Duke Kirain in check, no one could stop Kuntarian.
In a way, it was inevitable that Dame Celine would run into Kuntarian, who had been causing trouble intensively around Elua Street.
The moment he saw Celine, who had been dispatched upon hearing that an entire section of Elua Street was being smashed, Kuntarian began chasing after her, saying he liked her and telling her to become his woman.
But Celine simply could not bring herself to feel affection for this young brat named Kuntarian. What good was being handsome and capable? His personality was garbage.
Celine herself was aware that her own personality was not that good, so when looking at men, she often considered strength more than personality, but this guy was beyond that level.
Assault and theft were basic for him.
At the drop of a hat, he drank and caused trouble, harassed women, picked fights with nobles, looked down on commoners…
For a young brat, who knew where he had learned every bad thing like this? He was doing every filthy deed all by himself.
Cleverly, he did not cause accidents serious enough for the Gran
-Vanders to step in, but once he realized that there was no one else who could stop him, his actions began to cross the line more and more.
Moreover, for a seventeen-year-old brat, he was absurdly arrogant. At that age, with that level of strength, arrogance might have been understandable, but in Selin’s eyes, Kuntarian had crossed the line.
From the moment he learned that she was the granddaughter of Sword Duke Kirain, the bastard had been chasing her around while cleverly avoiding any line that would make the Sword Duke step in.
On top of that, the lunatic had even been secretly attacking the people around her, leaving her with no one to turn to for advice. She had been fretting over what to do when Sian returned and asked her what was going on.
After hearing the whole story, Sian looked genuinely impressed.
“He truly is remarkable. It seems he wasn’t beaten enough as a child.”
“Phew… You’ll understand once you see him.”
Seeing this Kuntarian fellow had made Selin reevaluate Sian.
Whenever Selin looked at Sian in the past, she could never shake off a sense of frustration.
It was not her place to say anything, so she had kept quiet, but she had always thought that if she possessed that degree of strength, she would use it for something more worthwhile.
But that had been a grave misjudgment. For someone as strong as Sian, it was better for him to be lazy.
Watching Kuntarian run rampant had made it abundantly clear just how terrible the consequences could be when an uncontrollable strongman turned into a complete scoundrel.
“Hmm… But Sir Selin, aren’t you the vice commander of the 3rd Royal Guard Knights? Your command duties over Garan-Tia should be over now, so could you not simply go into the palace? If he’s a mercenary, surely he can’t follow you that far.”
“…
He did follow me. He was promoted to a life peer this time… Besides, how long can I keep running away like that?”
Sian looked at Sir Selin with pity.
He wanted to help her, but there was no pretext for him to intervene and drive off someone who claimed to be following her around because he liked her.
On top of that, while his personality was foul, he seemed clever enough not to cross the line, which made it difficult to restrain him outright.
If Sian went and beat up someone with no connection to him simply because he disliked him, how would he be any different from that man?
“…
Stay strong. I would like to see what kind of fellow he is.”
“…
Don’t worry. It’s about time he showed up.”
The moment Sir Selin finished speaking, a booming voice rang out from the entrance.
“Hahaha! Selin, where are you? You won’t be able to avoid me today.”
“…
Haa……”
The instant she heard that voice calling her informally, Selin clutched her head, and Sian turned his gaze toward the source of the voice.
A handsome man whose face seemed to shine was approaching them with a smile, wearing a dazzling sword and armor.☆ ☆ ☆Kuntarian was extremely pleased with his life.
Experiencing life as a strongman for the first time was unbelievably sweet.
It was to the point that his past self, who had wandered as a mercenary and acted cautiously after obtaining power because he had not known the extent of his own strength, now seemed pathetic.
Even though he had only digested ten percent of the power he had gained, there was no one who could block his path.
The situation was the same even after he came to the capital. Though after seeing those monstrous old men called Grand-Banders, he had restrained himself somewhat.
Once he digested it all, there would be no need to mind even those old Grand-Banders anymore. When that time came, the world would be his.
‘Hehe. Would a year or so of training be enough? While I’m at it, should I try becoming king?’
As Kuntarian imagined trampling that old man Narasha, who had dared to give him orders, underfoot and controlling Tian as he pleased, he soon thought of the sharp-clawed cat who had been rejecting him lately.
‘If only she weren’t the granddaughter of that old man Kirain…….’
Ever since he had gained power, no woman had refused him.
With the appearance he had obtained after his body was reconstructed, most women crawled into his bed on their own.
There had even been nobles who, after seeing his martial might, tried to tie him down by offering him their daughters. Of course, since he was not a soul to be shackled, he simply took the daughters and left their castles.
As for women who still refused, he could simply take them by force. In most cases, the nobles who employed him covered up the matter, and if anyone still came at him, he broke their limbs.
But this woman named Selin was not easy.
She had a face and body that pleased him for the first time in a while, so he had intended to grant her the honor of becoming his lover, yet she was arrogantly rejecting him.
Until now, there had never been a woman who failed to fall for him, but after an entire month of failing to do as he pleased with just one woman, Kuntarian was gradually growing irritated.
It was all the more so because he could not take her by force. It was not yet time to provoke that old man Kirain.
But it would not be long. Until now, there had never been a woman who could resist his looks, strength, and money. Selin was merely holding out a little longer than the others.
Had there not been sayings like these since ancient times?
Thinking so, he came looking for Selin again today, only to see some worthless fellow talking intimately with his Selin.
‘There was still such a brave bastard left?’
How dare he paw at something Kuntarian had already marked.
He had thought there would be no more fellows like that after he had secretly attacked and beaten up every worthless bastard who talked to Selin.
This was why he could not let his guard down. The moment he showed the slightest opening, bastards who coveted what was his would appear.
Kuntarian decided to focus on Selin first and beat that fellow up slowly later.
“Haha! Selin, you’re beautiful today as well.”
“…
Would you please just get lost? You bastard.”
“Selin, isn’t it about time you stopped playing hard to get? Hehe.”
Sian looked Kuntarian up and down as the man blatantly ignored him and focused on talking to Selin.
‘So this man is Kuntarian… Hmm…….’
The power he possessed was quite considerable. Even at a glance, a remarkable level of energy and aura was swirling inside his body. Most Masters would not even be able to present their calling card before him.
However, perhaps because he had obtained it only recently, he appeared not to have digested it all yet. His body and his wavelengths did not match well.
Moreover, seeing how crude the flow was, and how he was not yet accustomed to using that power…
‘He’s a half-baked fool.’
Half-baked. The worst insult for a warrior.
It was an expression used to belittle a warrior who could not draw out everything he possessed.
Sian did not know through what means this man had obtained the power within him, but he was certainly a person with quite little talent.
The power swirling inside that man was so immense that, had Sian’s elder brother obtained it, he would have immediately reached the realm of a Grand-Bander.
To use such mighty power so poorly. Whoever had left it behind would surely click their tongue.
After giving him a once-over, Sian lost interest in Kuntarian.
He had some skill, but with a personality that foul and only that much martial might, he would likely be weeded out before long. Sir Selin only needed to endure until then.
Just as Sian, having lost interest, was about to head outside, Kuntarian shouted at him.
“Hey, you little brat over there! I’m going to have a drink with Selin here, so stand duty in her place.”
‘…
Huh?’
Seeing Kuntarian pick a fight with him as he was trying to quietly leave, Sian was at a momentary loss for words.
‘Right. I am a civilized man. Phew… Haa…….’
For an instant, his scabbard nearly flew, but because he was a refined, civilized man unlike such a barbarian, Sian took a breath and held himself back.
It was thanks to the education of his mother, Miss Selinne.
‘I am a civilized man. I can endure. I possess reason. I am…….’
If he beat someone up just because they picked a fight once, how could he possibly function in society? His mother had not raised him that way.
Had he not always been taught that choosing force simply because he had power, and because using power was the easiest method, was no different from being a barbarian?
Thinking that he could not become the same as the man before him, Sian recited that spell to himself, intending to ignore him and leave.
But Sian’s unconscious mind had long since made a judgment somewhat different from his reason.
Thwack! Papapapak!
“Guh!”
The scabbard that flew out in an instant struck Kuntarian squarely in the back of the head, and Kuntarian, who had his head turned toward Selin and therefore failed to properly see what was flying at him, was caught off guard and soundly beaten by the scabbard before collapsing unconscious on the spot.
It did not end there. While he was briefly suspended in midair, scabbards slammed into him from every direction, sending Kuntarian flying backward until he crashed into the wall.
“Huh?”
Sian let out a sound in bewilderment at the scabbard that had flown off without him realizing it.
Selin was somewhat taken aback by this unexpected turn of events, but soon gave Sian a very refreshed smile and raised her thumb at him.
“Wow! Sian, you’ve got quite the temper too! Hahahaha! I knew I felt a kinship with you from the moment I first saw you!”
“…
Uh… Hmm… I’m certain I was trying to endure.”
“Haha! Yes, yes. This much counts as enduring a lot. That bastard deserves to be beaten even more. Thanks, Sian. Hahahaha!”
“…….”
Selin watched the embedded Kuntarian with a satisfied gaze and smiled at the very pleasant premonition of what was to come.
Namely, the delightful premonition that starting today, this fellow called Kuntarian would be beaten by Sian often, and quite thoroughly.
Sian might think, or rather delude himself into thinking, that he was refined and patient, but in Selin’s eyes, he was absolutely not the type to leave a bastard like this alone when he strutted around in front of him.
Just thinking that she would be able to spend a day without that leech for the first time in a while already put Selin in a good mood.☆ ☆ ☆“So, are the preparations for the tournament going well?”
Marquis Narasha—no, Narasha Kun Tian I, who had now become king—spoke to Viscount Talin, his right hand.
“Yes, they are proceeding smoothly. It will be a grand festival suitable for commemorating Your Majesty’s ascension to the throne.”
“Hehe… Your Majesty, is it? The title still makes me itch.”
“Haha, you will grow used to it.”
Historically, after every royal succession war, a massive martial tournament was held to unite the people.
The royal tournament, hosted by the royal family and open to anyone regardless of age or gender, served as a venue for Tian’s warriors to test their skills, while also functioning as a festival to calm the public sentiment that had been thrown into turmoil.
“Hmm… The winner of this tournament… will be that fellow Kuntarian, won’t it?”
“Barring any unexpected variables… would that not be the case? In terms of skill alone, he is the best… and he is greedy as well, so he is not the sort to let an opportunity like this pass.”
“Haa… If only his personality were a little better…… Where did such a complete scoundrel come from…….”
Naturally, Grand-Banders did not participate in the martial tournament. Adults did not intrude upon children’s games.
However, even among warriors who were not Grand-Banders, differences in skill clearly existed.
The talent who would undoubtedly draw the most attention in this tournament was Kuntarian.
King Narasha himself would have been astonished if he had not seen Sian.
An incredible strength that no Master could withstand, and at the young age of seventeen.
It was simply strange to think that such a fellow had been hiding somewhere before suddenly appearing.
“He is too valuable a card to throw away… At least it is fortunate that he has not caused any major incidents.”
From King Narasha’s perspective, as someone who had to make the Kingdom of Tian powerful, Kuntarian was certainly too valuable a card to discard.
But precisely for that reason, he was even more worried. His personality was utterly rotten.
Among the public, there were already people calling Kuntarian
“Let us watch him a little longer. If it truly does not work out… then no matter how wasteful, it cannot be helped…….”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Ah, and… that child Sian has not caused any problems, has he?”
Because the room contained only the two of them, King Narasha brought up Sian. It was not yet a subject that would be good for others to hear.
“Yes. Sir Kariman performed better than expected. Even after returning to the capital, he appears to be content with his current life.”
“That is a relief… Phew…….”
Sian was the most important factor in this transfer of royal authority, so Narasha could not help but pay attention to him.
Fortunately, their predictions had proven correct. Whether the king changed or not, Sian did not care in the slightest.
‘It feels a little bitter… To think he pays no mind at all to the position I wanted so desperately…….’
Feeling a complicated emotion, King Narasha began receiving the next report. Most of it concerned Sian’s movements over the past two months.
Sian himself might not have known, but every trace of his movements was reported in real time to King Narasha through Sir Kariman and other channels. Surveillance was difficult, but reporting on his whereabouts was possible.
In the midst of it all, what caught their eye was the territorial war in the Logadis region, the rapid development of the Kullan Barony… and the collapse of the mountain slope behind the barony.
“You’re saying that territorial war is suspicious?”
“Yes. No matter how I think about it… the matter with Viscount Tern as well, it smells as though something intervened, so we are investigating. Baron Kullan also seems to be hiding something. And as for the mountain slope collapsing… it has collapsed completely, so the investigation is running into difficulties…….”
“…
Just leave that alone. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I think I know who did it…….”
Kurandas and Pareon had tried so hard to hide what they had done, but from the moment Sian was already heading that way, everything in that vicinity had been destined to come under investigation.
“Hmm… Surely… that fellow won’t enter the tournament too, will he?”
“He hates troublesome things, so… he probably won’t, wouldn’t you say?”
“Well… personally, I would rather he did, but he isn’t the type who likes standing out… and he likely wouldn’t see any value in entering…….”
If he was capable of collapsing a mountain slope, a martial arts tournament would look like child’s play to him.
“It is truly a shame. If such a talent were to help us, things would become far easier.”
“I thought so at first as well… but recently, while watching Kuntarian, I realized something. Viscount Tallin.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Please speak.”
“I found myself thinking that I am tremendously grateful that the boy is staying still. Even a young whelp like Kuntarian is already like that—if Sian had possessed that sort of personality… it would have been nothing short of a catastrophe.”
As he watched King Narasha mutter to himself, Viscount Tallin also nodded.
There was no need to be pleased just because an uncontrollable power was helping you.
After all, it was helping purely because it felt like it. On the contrary, one would have to tread carefully and fret over when that person’s mood might sour.
A sword was something to be wielded; if one was swung around by the sword, there was no meaning in it.
It was better, rather, for him to remain largely uninvolved in worldly affairs, like Sian.
Just because a tiger bit to death a thief who had broken into your home did not mean you could grow fond of the tiger.
“We have spent too long chatting. Let us go to the conference room. Everyone must be waiting.”
“Yes, Your Majesty…….”
Before long, King Narasha and Viscount Tallin made their way to the grand conference room where the staff officers and nobles had gathered.
To decide the direction Tian would take from here on.