Chapter 168 : Chapter 168
Chapter 168
‘This is strange. Wasn’t it the Elf Queen who instigated this?!’
Was Frohadin the old monster of the political world for nothing? He wasn’t an idiot, so why would he fight in a place where the Emperor and the Elf Queen were present?
At first, Frohadin had also approached it in a noble manner. But the Elf Queen had subtly encouraged the fight with Marquis Arnold with her wisdom and eloquence!
‘What is this? What profit and purpose did she have for such an action?’
Just as Frohadin was plunged into confusion.
“Arnold of Elidore also apologizes to the Elf Queen. I am simply sorry for causing discomfort with human greed when you joined us with goodwill at such a meaningful time.”
Arnold also began to think so hard his brain felt hot.
‘What on earth is this?! The Elf Queen wouldn't have made me and Duke Frohadin fight just to get an apology from His Majesty the Emperor.’
He thought about tens of thousands of things, down to the most trivial and insignificant, but no matter how much he thought, he couldn't find the answer.
‘Really!’
‘What is it!’
Does the Elf Queen want something from us? What is it? What? What could it be? Or was she really just in a bad mood? No, that’s not it. Let's think a little more. What is related to the Elf Queen here? Is there anything? Isn't there? This is only her third visit… no, wait.
‘Don't tell me.’
‘Could it be.’
There is. The one and only connection on the entire continent.
‘The cause of this situation is that insignificant hound over there?’
‘Martin?’
But that thought quickly disappeared from the minds of both men. No matter how much they thought about it, they couldn't find any connection between the board the Elf Queen had set up and Martin!
“Emperor.”
“Speak, Elf Queen.”
“Are these two truly the best merchant groups to distribute the grace of Fog Island to the continent?”
“That is so. The power of the Deminiyan ducal family, the wealth of the Elidore marquisate. Neither falls behind in anything.”
“But I, who act as a proxy for the World Tree, have become unable to trust these two.”
“…Ah.”
While Frohadin and Arnold were in confusion. The Emperor, who was watching from a third-party perspective, so to speak, was able to realize from the recent conversation. What the Elf Queen's purpose was.
“I see. Then we must restore that trust. We must find a person worthy of that. Where… my thoughts….”
The Emperor looked at the prince and princess sitting on his left and right.
“I must see if it is the same as the prince’s thoughts. Prince Kazaks. Speak.”
Kazaks answered immediately, as if there was no need for a second thought.
“It is the Black Knight, Sir Martin.”
Watching that scene silently, I flinched. I didn't expect to be mentioned there all of a sudden. It was the feeling of watching someone else's house burn down, only to find out that the house next door that the fire had spread to was mine.
‘But why….’
There was one strange point. Now, during the competition for the throne… why did the Emperor, who should maintain perfect neutrality, ask only Kazaks for his opinion, leaving Adela aside? Moreover, I was better known as the Princess' Black Knight, so shouldn't it be normal to ask Adela?
But when I looked at Princess Adela, she just kept her seat with an expressionless face, as if she didn't mind. When our eyes met, she finally smiled faintly. As if telling me she was fine.
“Oh, yes. That’s right. There was the Black Knight, Sir Martin. There would be no better means to confirm trust than the guarantee of the Guardian of the World Tree. Do you agree, Elf Queen?”
“Of course, Emperor. With his profound opinion, there is no need to seek my consent.”
Only then did Frohadin and Arnold also realize.
“Then, Black Knight of the Princess, and Guardian of the World Tree, Sir Martin. For the sake of the Elf Queen and the future of the continent, let us hear your profound opinion.”
This seemingly grand stage with the exclusive diplomatic rights of Fog Island at stake was, in reality, a ridiculous farce.
“To which family should the exclusive diplomatic rights of Fog Island be given, the Deminiyan ducal family or the Elidore marquisate?”
It was truly, truly a play to save the face of one person, Martin.
‘I won!’
Arnold cheered. It was a fight where the winner was decided from the start. It was obvious who would lose and who would win. They talked about dukes and marquises, but everyone was in the palm of the Elf Queen's hand.
‘Lies!’
Frohadin couldn't believe this reality. To the point where he felt a lead weight had fallen into his heart.
“Well, no.”
And as much as the weight of that lead, the weight of my hesitation also lessened.
“I think the Elidore marquisate would be good.”
The murmuring grew louder. With this, the political landscape of the continent would be greatly shaken.
“Hmm.”
The high-ranking nobles each began to discuss the future with serious expressions and tones. Among them were the four great dukes.
The close aides of the Deminiyan ducal family sent me resentful glares, but.
‘What do you want me to do. It’s a natural thing.’
It’s not a lie, this is right. It’s a natural thing. The goods of Fog Island are special. It would be extremely right for the Elidore marquisate, which holds the continental commercial power, to be in charge of supplying them to various parts of the continent….
“This is not right!”
Duke Frohadin strode forward towards the imperial throne. His desperate appearance was close to indignation. He also looked wronged. Like a beast whose pride had been wounded.
“Please reconsider, Your Majesty the Emperor!”
“Reconsider? What?”
The Emperor frowned.
“Duke Frohadin. You are not a man who cannot read the air. You do realize the weight of your actions now, don’t you?”
He was chiding him for making a fuss about being one-upped by me. Frohadin flinched, but soon came up with a plausible excuse.
“Your Majesty! The Deminiyan ducal family has finished all preparations to contribute to the development of magic studies by receiving the goods of Fog Island and to distribute them throughout the continent! The budget allocated to match the reputation of the Imperial Family and Fog Island exceeds ten million gold! I, a Platinum Knight magician, am supposed to personally lead the research of the special products! I declare that the optimal family to use the grace of Fog Island correctly for the continent is the Deminiyan ducal family!”
‘T-ten million gold?’
The murmuring grew louder among the prominent figures who were flabbergasted by the unimaginable amount. I was just as surprised.
‘Dizzying. Is this what it means to be a great noble?’
1 gold is about one million won in Korean currency. That is, ten million gold is about 10 trillion won.
‘…Well, they are a family that stands at the pinnacle of the noble society. They would have this much.’
Because the four great ducal families of the Imperium Empire were more powerful than the kings of most kingdoms.
Even so, ten million gold is not a dog's name, and if they fail to win the diplomatic rights after investing that much, the loss would be immense….
‘Well, this is going to hurt Frohadin quite a bit.’
For some reason, the tip of my tongue tingled as if I had eaten a heaping spoonful of sweet honey.
‘Now, how will the Emperor react?’
I watched intently, munching on a handful of popcorn that Lilac had brought me at some point.
“So it seems, Marquis Arnold.”
Unlike what I thought, that the Emperor would rebuke or stop Duke Frohadin, he lightly passed the baton to Arnold. Arnold closed his eyes for a moment as if thinking, then.
“Is that so. The Deminiyan ducal family has ten million gold. In that case.”
He soon revealed his ambition, his red eyes shining brilliantly.
“Ten times that.”
The sound of people gasping in breath came from all over. A chicken game unprecedented in history. A money fight.
“I will invest 100 million gold.”
In Korean won, that would be 100 trillion.
‘Isn’t he crazy…?’
No matter how rare the goods of Fog Island are, can they generate an investment profit of 100 trillion won from that? Is it worth it? Isn't it too, too much?
But the Emperor laughed heartily.
“Hahahaha! 100 million! 100 million gold! That’s equivalent to the imperial family’s annual budget!”
“And regarding magic studies research, I have already established a collaborative relationship with Sir Lukfels, the principal of Imperium Academy. Not only the great magician Sir Lukfels, but also the magic towers and academy cadets from all over the continent will be able to experience the goods of Fog Island early on. If Your Majesty and the Queen wish, I will also put the Deminiyan ducal family on that list.”
Frohadin was looking at Arnold with blank eyes. I could see his well-groomed mustache and lips moving.
Wild Instinct (Master) captures the shape of Duke Frohadin’s lips.
Know-It-All (Lv 4) will access its lip-reading knowledge and decipher it.
[Cra…zy….]
Ah! Sweet!
“Marquis Arnold has offered 100 million gold. What will Duke Frohadin do?”
“….”
Frohadin’s face turned red. His monocle trembled. The old monster of the political world, with his teeth clenched like that.
“…I will concede…!”
He had no choice but to declare defeat. Frohadin turned and strode to his seat, then began to drink straight liquor. Duke Wilhelm of Harmadun approached and began to console him.
And around Arnold, prominent figures began to swarm.
“Marquis Arnold! You are amazing. You have even won the diplomatic rights of Fog Island…!”
“I-it's me! Count Ricarode! Haha, you’ve been well, right? I saw you earlier!”
“Ahem, uh, shall we have a chat between fellow marquises?”
Trying to have at least one word of conversation. To get even a crumb. Because this is the nature of politics.
The goods of Fog Island were so great that even kings from other nations pushed past the nobles to approach Marquis Arnold.
It was the same for the next heir, Luri, but unlike Arnold, the small girl was surrounded by prominent figures and couldn't even be seen from afar.
If all eyes in the banquet hall were on Arnold, Frohadin was ignored by almost everyone except his close aides.
‘Hmm?’
A plant stem passed before my eyes. A small stem that had grown from the flowerbed in the corner of the banquet hall… stood before me holding a note. I turned my gaze and looked at the Elf Queen. Our eyes met. She nodded.
‘What is it?’
I opened the letter and read it.
[Please go to the terrace with Duke Frohadin, Guardian. It will not be difficult. With a single smile, he too will follow humbly.]
‘Oh…, elven politics has a rather vicious side to it.’
Just then, my eyes met Duke Frohadin’s as he lifted his head. I sneered at the eyes flickering with anger, as if in contempt. I saw Frohadin jump up from his seat.
‘You should have been nice to me.’
Of course, the result wouldn't have changed even if he had. But he wouldn't have been humiliated like this, would he?
“I’ve seen all there is to see.”
I turned and headed for the terrace. One of the unspoken rules of the banquet. Do not touch a noble who has gone out to the terrace.
But well, did Duke Frohadin have the mental capacity for that?
“You’ve been fighting battles like this every day, Master.”
“It’s not like this every day.”
I stood on the terrace alone with Lilac. The sky was decorated with a black curtain studded with shining gems, and the ground was filled with the lights of joy shot up by humans.
Even though it was evening, the festival was still in full swing. Perhaps the real beginning was now.
Fireworks exploded in the distance. Festival fireworks containing the dreams and wishes of the people. I turned my head and looked at Lilac. Lilac was also looking at me. We….
“This will be the last time you look at the night view so leisurely…!”
Startled, I turned around to see the defeated old monster, Duke Frohadin, standing there. A soundproof magic had already been cast over the entire terrace.
‘Aha.’
They say a dog can’t change its ways. Just as he did at the victory banquet, he had set up a barrier and come to find me at the Founding Festival banquet.
“Martin of Ulvhadin!”
The veins on his forehead were bulging with anger… it didn’t seem like I could just let it go.
“Ah, if it isn’t the loser.”
“What?”
Of course, I meant myself. How dare he interrupt my intimate time with Lilac?
“Did you come to show off some tricks, Duke?”
“…I admit it.”
But Frohadin’s anger was greater than I had thought.
“I underestimated you. I didn’t expect to be one-upped by the reputation you built with that paltry martial power of yours…!”
“It would have been a clear disadvantage even without me.”
“Therefore, I will destroy you.”
As if he couldn't hear my words, Frohadin continued to say what he wanted.
“Before that… I will first slowly destroy your surroundings. I will show you exactly why the four great ducal families are feared by people and have become the center of power. Starting with the Ulvhadin county and your coffee shop… to the maid you cherish. I will make you feel that hell is better for every single one of them, without exception…!”
And the fool crossed the line. I was about to retaliate, but what stopped me was none other than.
Know-It-All (Lv 4) has a hunch that if you just stay still, things will work out. It tells you to remember who is just beyond that door.
Wild Instinct (Master) says the ornamental plant on the terrace is very pretty, so let’s just look at that.