From Mercenary to King

Chapter 126: The Days Toward the Rostingia Marcher Lordship (10)

“Are you... Sir Shatien?”

Count Joberham's second wife Isabella was a considerably seductive woman.

Her alluring eyes and thick, long eyelashes possessed a beauty that would catch anyone's eye.

Furthermore, her curvaceous figure was enough to make the hearts of men flutter.

It was quite easy to see why Count Joberham, who appeared to be a romantic, took a second wife while still having his first.

“Ah, yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Isabella. May I call you that?”

“Hoho. That’s actually better. Formalities are just stifling for no reason.”

Isabella spoke comfortably with a smile, but cold sweat was trickling down Shatien's back.

The youngest son of Count Joberham.

He was Isabella's child.

If she knew that the enemy who killed her child was himself, wouldn't that smiling expression turn incredibly venomous?

Moreover, the atmosphere felt at a glance suggested that it wouldn't be easy if that woman held a grudge.

Shatien straightened his posture resolutely, hiding his agitation as much as possible.

“It’s an honor that you say so, Lady Isabella. By the way, what brings you all the way here?”

At that, Isabella laughed while covering her mouth with her hand, slowly scanned the room of the first wife, the lady of the house, and spoke lowly.

“I rushed over upon hearing the news that a mage who could cure Arcilla's madness had arrived. Thinking of my sister who’s suffered all this time, my heart aches so much. Ah! Forget that I called her sister. It’s because we’re so close. Hoho.”

Isabella said so with an innocent laugh.

They were words meant for the first wife, but Isabella's eyes said otherwise.

Isabella's eyes, which had turned slightly cold, continued to scan the surroundings as if looking for something.

“It seems she has quite a guilty conscience.”

“Uh... Mage Agpiel? She’s right in front of us, though?”

“That’s why I’m speaking quietly, young knight. Has your judgment become clouded now as well?”

“…….”

This mage. He was doing this while knowing full well what would happen if that woman actually heard him. It was better to die than to suffer like this.

Shatien could only let out a sigh.

-Rattle.

“Ah.”

At that moment, Isabella let out a soft exclamation. It seemed she’d found the object she was looking for. However, her fine eyebrows soon distorted slightly.

“Hmm.”

The opened drawer was empty.

That object had long since been taken by Shatien and Mage Agpiel.

“It seems you were looking for something?”

“No! It’s nothing.”

“Is that so? Hahaha.”

Mage Agpiel burst into a laugh with a good-natured expression. Then he soon stopped laughing and pulled out the pouch of contaminated rye he’d tucked away earlier from his robes.

“Then this must be just a trivial item, Lady Isabella?”

“?!”

“……?”

Isabella's eyes widened upon seeing it. Shatien also stared at Mage Agpiel in absurdity.

'What’s he trying to do?'

Shatien couldn't fathom this mage's actions at all.

To show the evidence like that in front of a prime suspect who came to remove it.

Was he trying to provoke anger to reveal a mistake?

Shatien thought it seemed more like he was just accumulating Isabella's resentment.

“What is it? That pouch.”

Isabella tried hard to speak calmly after regaining her composure, but it was already too late.

The signs of agitation were evident enough for anyone to recognize.

However, Mage Agpiel went a step further.

“It’s a pouch I found by chance. I saw that the rye was contaminated. It should’ve been managed well. Tsk tsk. It seems someone presented it with a desperate heart. It was a wrong choice. They should’ve managed it well. Don’t you agree, Sir Shatien?”

“H-Huh? Ah, well. Yes. That’s correct?”

“Are you... saying that I did it? Are you threatening me?”

“Threat you say?”

Mage Agpiel chuckled at Isabella's sharp retort and answered nonchalantly.

“I’m merely stating the facts. The fact that the grain in the presented pouch happened to be contaminated. This is just like... the fact that the madness of the lady of the house originated from a curse.”

“????”

“Why are you so surprised? The curse that began at the pagan temple. That’s exactly what I’m talking about. It’s a relief that it’s something I can cure, though. Hahaha. It must be a great relief for you as well, right Lady Isabella?”

“???????????”

* * *

A short while later.

Isabella left the room with a very satisfied expression. Only after watching the door close completely did Shatien turn his head and shout.

“Mage Agpiel!!”

“Oh, my ears. Why are you like that? Speak softly. I haven’t gone deaf yet, young knight.”

“That’s not what’s important. How are you going to handle the aftermath?”

Since Mage Agpiel confirmed it as a curse, Isabella's suspicion had vanished.

It was essentially the same as colluding with Isabella to fabricate the situation.

“Aha, I thought it was something else. Look here, young knight. Hahaha.”

However, Mage Agpiel remained leisurely throughout.

No, on the contrary, he was clicking his tongue.

“Is there a need to make enemies unnecessarily? If telling the truth as it is results in resentment from both sides, isn't it also good if everyone can be happy?”

“Hm....”

Well, that was a wise method.

Hadn't Shatien himself held the hands of both sides in the dispute between Ragnarsson and Baron Norten?

However, this was a slightly different case.

“What are you going to do if Count Joberham finds out later?”

That was right.

Would that Isabella stay still?

She’d surely move to keep gaining something.

One could tell just by looking at her eyes. Seeing that thirst for power burning with desire. Isabella was certain to cause trouble and later incur the wrath of Count Joberham, which would inevitably lead to a forced confession of all her past deeds. And if that happened… it was obvious that this matter covered up by Shatien and Mage Agpiel would also be discovered.

“Tsk tsk. This isn't an external problem, but a messy internal love affair. There… isn't a reason or motive to reveal it publicly. Rather, if he says something later, can't we just say we did it for the Count's honor?”

“Ah?”

Shatien let out an exclamation of admiration at the somewhat plausible words. Indeed, years of experience showed. What a way with words. Certainly, speaking like that could soothe Count Joberham's anger. Not completely, of course.

“Tsk tsk. I didn't know the young friend's head was so stiff. You seem to handle things quite well, but you must use more wit.”

“…….”

“Of course, there’s actually something more important than that.”

“?”

Something more important?

Here?

Was there some other deep reason? One he hadn't seen?

Shatien tilted his head.

However… The answer that returned made Shatien aghast.

“Looking at you, it seems you’ll be doing quite a lot of work in the future. Especially in a position as an advisor and problem solver. Bear this in mind. When working in such a position, you mustn't solve it completely right away.”

“?????”

“Noble bastards, especially high nobles, don't know gratitude for advice. Their attitude when asking is always different from their attitude after the problem’s solved.”

“Yes… And?”

“You still don't get it? Good grief. How can you be so dull.”

Mage Agpiel tapped the floor with his staff as if he were frustrated.

“Shouldn't you set the stage so you can receive a proper reward? By covering it up moderately and balancing it precariously so the problem can break out again at any time. Only then can advisors like us be properly valued. Do you understand? You too, don't lower your value by solving a problem too hastily and completely.”

“…….”

“I’m saying all this for your sake. Carve it into your bones. They’re people who’ll ruin things anyway even if you provide a correct solution because of their own desires.”

Shatien remained silent as he had nothing to say. This was... This was completely...

'Is he not a madman?'

It was a moment when he felt he knew why people disliked mages, calling them eccentric.

* * *

After that, Shatien had to listen to Mage Agpiel's nagging about tips an advisor should know for a long time before he could finally part ways.

He performed so passionately that it was at the level of having the content forced into his head while he stared blankly.

Well, since he was a mage called the Sage of the Forest, the level of the advice was quite good, though in Shatien's view, he wondered if there was a need to use such good advice as a means to squeeze out more money.

“Lady Isabella sent me. She ordered me to assist with the work entirely. Please give me any task.”

At any rate, Mage Agpiel's choice didn't seem bad.

This was because Isabella, who took control of internal affairs in place of the lady of the house, supported the work wholeheartedly.

Thanks to that, Mage Agpiel began to diligently help the estate residents suffering from plague and famine by raiding Count Joberham's warehouse.

He made honey water using that expensive honey and fed it to the sick, gathered all the contaminated rye in one place and burned it, and isolated all those who caught the disease in one place for constant treatment, and so on.

Certainly, it would've been difficult to catch the plague easily without support, and seeing this, Shatien thought that Mage Agpiel's choice was right in its own way.

“What on earth is this? And what is this cost?”

Of course, our Count Joberham was aghast as he looked at the ledgers that were being continuously drained.

“It’s all a cost to stabilize your estate. Haven’t three villages already been stabilized?”

“But this is a bit much!”

Well, he did spend a lot of money. But who was our Mage Agpiel? Shatien was already in a state of being fully adapted while working together.

“Haha... Look here, Count. Come, come here. The treatment for your lady hasn't finished yet. To end the curse, we must eventually advance to that place, but would soldiers actually go to a place teeming with plague?”

“Hm, that’s true.”

“And this is the medicine for your lady. Brew it well and feed it to her. It’s all for your sake. I’ll organize the situation as quickly as possible and send an expedition to lift the curse.”

The level of coaxing and soothing was quite expert.

At any rate, thanks to such efforts, the level of plague in the area decreased drastically.

Since it was originally a disease caused by eating contaminated rye and not a curse, there was an immediate effect just by consistently having proper meals.

“Whoa! Whoa!”

“Prepare!! We’ve rested long enough, it’s time to earn our keep!”

Thanks to that, we were finally able to finish preparations to send an expedition to that pagan temple, the hotbed of the curse.

150 mercenaries, 5 knights of Count Joberham, and Mage Agpiel and Shatien.

The heavy bottomed subjugation team finally began to move.