The Marquis’ Eldest Son’s Lascivious Story - Chapter 238

It was about three weeks after the turmoil in the Royal Capital that Magnis, the head of the Spierzeig family, and his daughter Romilie arrived back to their home base of Othelloria.

Spierzeig’s party arrived quite late compared to Quordenze’s. Otheloria is geographically farther from the Royal Capital than Newnelly, but the political factor was what made the journey back took longer.

It is impossible to pass through the enemy territory of the Quordenze family, the Sylopea family, and the Evenafis family. Therefore, Spierzeig’s party had no choice but to choose a detour route to the south using Lake Meo. There was only one option.

[Regarding the recent turmoil in the Royal Capital, how does Duke Spierzeig intend to move in the future…my master has a strong interest.]

The knight who visited Othelloria Castle that day as a messenger fully understood the situation.

Magnis felt slightly uncomfortable with the knight kneeling in front of him, but he ignored it and replied,

[It’s only natural that Duke Eudion would be concerned.]

On the south side of the Spierzeig territory, on the opposite bank of the Amelia River, there are several independent Noble families that do not belong to either the Levios Kingdom or the Zinkaen Empire. The Eudion family, whose territory faces Lake Meo, was one of them. However, regarding the independence of the Eudion family, the fact that the Spierzeig family is behind it is a big factor, and it could be said that it is a de-facto umbrella.

The Spierzeig family protects the Eudion family in order to drive a wedge into the struggle for supremacy over Lake Meo. This relation has been maintained over the years to ensure that the lake’s control is not seized by hostile forces.

As a result, the Eudion army had an extremely skewed composition of land and naval soldiers. While it relies heavily on its alliance with the Spierzeig family for land defense, it possesses a mighty military force on the lake that is disproportionate with the size of its territory.

Generally speaking, when it comes to the strong men of Lake Meo, if the Evenafis army is the first, then the Eudion army is the second.

[Because I was cautious on the way home, I couldn’t even talk calmly with the public. I’m sorry for having to rely on your people on the boat route on Lake Meo.]

They had no choice but to rely on the Eudion family to get to the Royal Capital. The people of the Eudion family understood this, and that’s why they dared to send messengers with a bullish attitude.

However, they had their own reasoning.

If the Spierzeig family struck a wedge into Lake Meo with the Eudion family, then the Quordenze family struck a wedge with the Evenafis family. The Eudion family continued to be strongly urged to strengthen their naval forces in exchange for guarantees of independence. On the other hand, the Evenafis family expanded their power freely under the cooperative relationship with the Quordenze family. The fact that the Eudion family has fallen behind in the current situation at Lake Meo has a lot to do with the fact that the Evenafis family has gained strength.

Therefore, it was necessary to firmly appeal to the Spierzeig family the success of the voyage, which had been a long time coming. This is because if they cannot secure more assistance than before, the difference in strength with the Evenafis army will widen further. It is a matter of life and death for them.

[Yessir. After the turmoil, it can’t be helped. Even our lord thinks so.]

[I have things to do in the future, so I’ll send someone someday.]

The knight then made a humble gesture and showed some reservations towards Magnis.

[Now that the Royal Capital social gathering has ended, the battle line with Quordenze should become tense again. Under such circumstances, my Eudion does not mean to cause trouble.]

Sending knights as messengers will also affect the formation of the army. The Spierzeig family can’t afford to send messengers to other territories. However, the words spoken by the knight in front of him were just a statement. Magnis had already guessed what the real request was.

A foolish man, Magnis ridiculed the head of the Eudion family through the knight in front of him. However, he is not such a careless Noble to the extent that he showed it in his attitude.

They have done enough work regarding the movement of Lake Meo, so it is necessary to make a reasonable evaluation. Furthermore, considering the possibility that the Royal Capital social gathering will be reopened in the future, it should not be done poorly. Magnis decided that there was no problem with the response he had concluded beforehand, and slowly opened his mouth.

[I’ll make it public. I want to thank you again for this matter. Let’s look at the timing and select a messenger. Because of the war situation, it may be necessary to send people from the rear, but please forgive me.]

[Haha! I will definitely tell my lord.]

The knight judged this to be a sufficient achievement and respectfully accepted Magnis’ words.

After completing some business-related exchanges, the knight left the audience room.

[…are you sure, Milord?]

The civil officer who was waiting called out to the head of the family who remained on the scene.

[I don’t mind. If we don’t give them a whiff of the food, they won’t bend.]

[I see, just the smell.]

[That should be sufficient.]

The Eudion family will never wag their tails at the Quordenze family. Because the Evenafis family won’t allow it. And there are no other powerful Nobles in the neighborhood to rely on. After all, they have no choice but to continue following the Spierzeig.

He knows it all too well, but Magnis couldn’t treat the Eudion family carelessly. Even if they are of a lower rank, there is something called facets among Nobles, and if you imitate them, you will get a painful reprisal.

Since the unification of Voistra, the successive heads of the Spierzeig family have been particularly rigorously educated from an early age on how to lead the Nobles under their umbrella.

[What about Romilie?]

[The Princess just finished writing the letter, and now she is enjoying a tea party with Etoilesa-sama.]

[Etoilesa? I didn’t call her to the castle today to play around.]

[Because that person adores the Princess…]

The daughter of the branch family, Etoilesa, believes that the Spierzeig family is the best Noble family. And she also has a very strong admiration for Romilie. Romilie, who draws the lineage of the Spierzeig main family and showcases appropriate education and behavior, is reflected in her eyes as the Supreme Princess.

[Adoration…huh? More like a delusion.]

The civil officer was unable to reply to Magnis’ harsh expression. In fact, it was clear to everyone that Etoilesa had a serious bloodline fetish.

[If she wants to admire and yearn for something, she should imitate Romilie for a little bit… it’s pointless to expect anything from her now.]

Even though Etoilesa is a collateral lineage, she is most proud of the fact that Spierzeig’s blood flows through her body. However, she was a girl who didn’t make the effort to match it. In other words, she was the type of person who would just look at idols and scream and be satisfied, and not the type to inspire herself to do her best.

Up until recently, Magnis thought that it’s fine. His son, the next head of the Spierzeig family, Verret Spierzeig, was quite fond of Etoilesa. For that reason, he planned to make her his son’s concubine. This will make her the part of the group that will give birth to the child of Highlord.

By the way, Etoilesa herself wanted that future more than anyone else.

[So, did she come to listen to the story about the Royal Capital?]

[It seems so.]

[That stupid girl…]

This time, the Spierzeig family was not invited to the Royal Capital’s social gathering, but was allowed to participate.

The social gathering participation was an arrangement he made last year. Magnis believed that the Levios side may have had the purpose of adding an obstacle to the Quordenze family by having the Spierzeig family participate in the gathering.

The fact that Reisleaf Castle fell after the arrangement was made, and the Quordenze family’s overwhelming superiority was established, was an unexpected situation for the Levios family. In that state, letting the Spierzejg family participate in social gatherings would be meaningless and only make the Quordentze family uncomfortable. However, since the arrangement had been made, the Levios family could not refuse the Spierzeig family’s participation.

He wasn’t told anything directly in the Royal Capital. Both the attitude of King Levios and the response of the Levios knights were sincere on the surface. However, Magnis felt completely unwelcome. The same goes for Romilie.

To put it bluntly, this time’s social gathering was humiliating for the Spierzeig family. Of course, there was no way they could expect a souvenir story, and it was too delicate to happily throw the topic to Romilie.

[…it won’t be a pleasant talk for her.]

The silly Nobles of the Kingdom tremble in fear at the dignity of the true Great Noble that is the Spierzeig family, while the young people are moved and shaken by Romilie’s Noble gestures. …..If he were to express what Etoilesa envisioned, that would be it.

In reality, the Royal Nobles, who were afraid of being stared at by the Quordenze family, only looked at Magnis from afar, and no male Noble dared to approach Romilie.

The only person who took Romilie’s hand was Wilk Quordenze, her arch-enemy and the person who slayed Verret. Magnis thinks that Etoilesa, who longed for Romilie and longed for Verret, would be angry about it. Although she has a blood fetish, her disdain for Quordenze is stronger than most.

[What should I do? If Master wants to call the Princess, I will arrange it, but…]

After thinking for a moment, Magnis asked,

[Father?]

[Returning to the castle just now.]

[Then, Etoilesa is the least of my worries.]

It’s fine to bring them in the order of the predecessor, Romilie, and Etoilesa. The civil officer accurately guesses the master’s intentions.

[Yessir. I will inform the old master.]

After confirming that the civil officer was moving, Magnis also left the audience room. Regardless of meeting other knights, there is no point in staying here if he wants to talk to his family.

After Magnis entered the office and started processing the letter, an old man appeared with several servants.

The old man’s name was Kindlor Spierzeig. He’s Magnis’ father and the former head of the Spierzeig family.

After a short exchange between the two of them confirming the relationship between the present generation and the predecessor, they sat together on the large sofa in the office.

[I have heard about the turmoil in the Royal Capital. First of all, thank goodness you and Romilie are safe.]

[I’m relieved that my father seems to be okay. Even though there is the agreement, it must be a constant struggle to continue to confront Galfis.]

After the fall of Reisleaf Castle, the predecessor continued to stand at the front line to stop the invasion of the Quordenze army. Even though there is a non-combat agreement during the social event, one can’t let their guard down against the likes of Galfis Quordenze.

[Don’t worry about it. It’s something that has to be done.]

The predecessor continued as if to shake off his son’s words of gratitude.

[With you returning here, Levios’s joint retaliation pact will finally disappear. I don’t know what Galfis will do from now on. I need to return to the front line immediately.]

Then, he squeezed out a voice filled with bitterness.

[It’s a pity, if Reisleaf hadn’t fallen into that boy’s hands… I would’ve pushed Galfis back with my own hand…]

When the predecessor was young, he once defended against Emperor Zinkaen’s army at Reisleaf Castle. Although he only participated in the war as one of the generals, the experience of defeating the Zinkaen army was a great success for him, and Voistra’s feelings for the Great Shield were much stronger than those of Magnis.

[…I’m leaving here tomorrow.]

[Isn’t it too early?]

[It can’t be helped… We don’t have enough soldiers.]

Seeing his father speak with a solemn tone, Magnis’ expression turned grim.

[Not enough?]

[Yes, it’s not enough. The aftermath of the New Year’s operation is huge. The outsider Lord-class soldiers have already started to flee.]

Operation Wheat and Scythe, which was carried out at the beginning of the year as a counter to the Quordenze family, ended in a complete failure. Most of the well-known soldiers were killed in action, the next head of the family, Verret, was killed, and at the end of the day, even the Reisleaf Castle, which was the key to their defense, fell.

After all, the mercenaries who came from outside the territory were only interested in money, and they didn’t have even a shred of loyalty. The fact that they started to escape meant that Spierzeig had lost their military credibility.

[If that’s the case, there’s nothing we can do about it.]

The reason why the predecessor returned to the front line was because the situation had deteriorated to the point where the pressure from knights and military officers could not suppress their escape. Despite the difference in power, there is a limit to what Lord-class officers can hold down. It cannot be compared without the weight of a Highlord.

[In addition, it seems that the morale of the conscripted citizens is too low.]

The soldiers who participated in Operation Wheat and Scythe and those who were taken prisoner in Nambonan City were particularly prone to this tendency, and the predecessors said that anti-war sentiment is spreading among them.

[Did they lose their mind during the Highlord duel?]

[I don’t think so.]

A clash between Nobles is too stimulating for serfs. Amidst the raging waves of murderous intent, soldiers who suffer from mental illness are by no means a minority. It’s even more so if you’re on the losing side.

Both Magnis and Kindlor knew that commoner soldiers could go insane after the war.

[There’s no point in returning the broken things. Shall we crush them?]

Even if you say it in a nutshell, there is something called degree. If even daily life is broken to the extent that it is suspicious, Magnis decides that they should be sent to death. This is because returning madman to their hometown will only cause trouble, and even caring for them with healing magic requires a certain amount of resources.

From the perspective of the typical Nobles like Magnis and Kindlor, the commoners who were sick of the heart no longer had value in their existence.

[According to the report, they’re still usable. Return those crazies back to their hometown and replace them with a new one]

[Then, it’s fine if that’s the case. At least they still have purpose.]

Magnis may take the lives of commoners lightly, but that doesn’t mean he thinks it’s fine to waste them haphazardly. He just thinks that things that are a hindrance just by existing should be properly disposed of. If it can be reused, it will of course be used.

In addition, the soldiers who lost the battle in Nambonan City and became prisoners of war were taken back after paying a large ransom. So emotionally, he also wanted to avoid wasting his time and money.

[Hmph. I don’t care about those slaves.]

The predecessor smirked and looked at his son with strong eyes.

[Rather than that. I want you to requisition the Lords in the territory as soon as possible. This is also a strong request from the front line.]

[…please elaborate.]

[Quordenze is currently using many soldiers to suppress the Reisleaf area.]

The area around Reisleaf was ruled by the Spierzeig family for many years. Even after the fall of the castle, the family still retains a very strong influence. In order for the Quordenze army to invade the Voistra Plain with a perfect system, it’s necessary to burn the roots.

[For that reason, the front line is in a state of stalemate. However, if all the mopping-up units join and flow in here, they will be overwhelmed by the number of Lord-class soldiers. That’s not counting Galfis.]

The important thing in a war is the number of Lords, and in that respect the Spierzeig army is outnumbered.

Gardacle Quordenze, a Noble with a powerful sex drive, who could be said to be the origin of this war, was someone whose anecdote is that he impregnated over 1,000 women during his lifetime.

If it’s just to scatter the enemy army, Galfis is enough, but to trample the enemy’s territory, the strength of the organization is essential. The fact that the Quordenze family is able to govern the former territory of the Eastern Nobles of the Empire is largely due to the presence of their Lords, who can be deployed in large numbers.

[Increase the number of Lord-class soldiers. As a person on the front lines, I would like this request to be accepted.]

The large number of Lord-class soldiers allows Nobles to act freely and swiftly. If the Spierzeig side is superior in the number of Lord-class soldiers, it will be easier to deal with the Quordenze side if they take action.

Magnis understands that it is emotionally inevitable for his father to ask for additional Lord-class soldiers. The pressure of facing Galfis, a 100-skilled fighter, is quite heavy.

[…Then, I will answer as the person in charge of Spierzeig. Conscription of the Lords in the territory is premature. I am sorry to say this, father, but I would like you to hold on with the current soldiers.]

After understanding this, Magnis concluded as a politician. It is the responsibility of the head of the family to answer that question.

[Is that so? …..No, I guess so. If I were the head of the family, I would have said the same thing to you.]

A Lord-class person who has a living base in the territory should not be pulled over easily, that is the teaching handed down in the Spierzeig family.

The Lords who live in farming villages become human-powered tractors and warriors who defeat large carnivores. If they are engaged in construction, they can shorten the construction period exponentially, and if they can use healing, they can prevent the plague in the city. Lord-class folks are the unsung heroes who support the realm’s economy through their magic powers.

On the other hand, commoners also rely on their precious power. If there is a Lord-class person in a small farming village, all the mechanisms will be completed based around that person. For that reason, if that Lord were to die, the village’s economic foundation could collapse from the ground up.

It would be a different story if it was a region that had been at war all year long, but Spierzeig’s territory had never been invaded, and no lords had been requisitioned. It’s a part that Magnis doesn’t want to touch easily.

[When the time comes to set up a decisive battle, let’s proceed with the wholesale conscription.]

Magnis was saving up for a great showdown to push the Quordenze forces back to Reisleaf. Since it’ll be a short-term decisive battle, he was also considering mobilizing all the Lord-class ​​in the territory. Detaining them for a long period of time would have a large impact on the private sector, but if they were to be released for a short period of time, it would be possible to minimize the damage.

[Until then, we’ll use centipedes. Luxus has clearly changed his policy after Operation Wheat and Scythe… He must have been horrified by the fact that Galfis’ life was threatened, and concentrated his forces on suppressing the land. If we hit the rear area more strongly here, there should be no more Lord-class on the front line than there is currently.]

In terms of geographical advantage, Spierzeig has the edge here, so there is no reason not to use it.

Continuing guerrilla activities to hinder progress and try to revive with diplomacy. That was Magnis’ basic policy.

[Is it still possible to buy time? …..can’t the Kingdom be used?]

[To be honest, it doesn’t help. Levios can’t ignore that little boy anymore…]

The son shook his head at his father’s question.

[…..was the turmoil in the Royal Capital that bad?]

And then, Magnis told his father of what happened in the Royal Capital.

Departure from Otheloria, arrival at the Royal Capital, intense threats from Orshian, start of social gatherings and encounters at night parties, ensuing attacks by demon beasts, attacks by priests, etc. It took a considerable amount of time to explain everything.

When the tea in the cup had completely cooled down and the maid started preparing a new one, the predecessor muttered softly.

[…..Guardian of the Land, to think he’d use it. Damn kid.]

The words he spoke with a strong sense of hatred oozed out. Wilk acted with the aim of overthrowing Spierzeig, the predecessor correctly understood that.

[The Jealous Blood of Perzeas.]

And then, at the end, he spitted it out.

For 300 years, they had faced the grudge that had been inherited from Perzeas Quordenze, the first head of the Quordenze family and the Priest of Quordenze. Just as the Quordenze hate the Spierzeig, the Spierzeig hates the Quordenze.

[That little boy seems to be on good terms with a fallen Holy Maiden. This time, he might be appointed as a guide. It’s Quordenze’s earnest wish.]

[Left hand is it then.]

It was Magnis’ own irony, but Kindlor didn’t give a damn and glared back at him.

[Does the sickle swing?]

That’s the cipher word for assassination.

Simple assassination will not work against a battle-hardened warrior like Galfis. However, if the target Highlord has little combat experience, there is plenty of room for success if the target is careless.

From Kindlor’s point of view, Wilk, who had taken Reisleaf, was his target. There should be a lot of gaps in a child who is eager to raise his military exploits.

However, Magnis immediately denied it.

[The surrounding vigilance is too strong.]

It’s not that he didn’t consider assassination. However, even from Magnis’ point of view, the security around Wilk was unusually tight.

[If we are going to assassinate someone, it’s Luxus. …..but their vigilance around him is also extremely strong. It’s not realistic to break through.]

Even if they’re lucky enough to assassinate Wilk, the suspicion will fall upon the Spierzeig family. And there’s a possibility that it’ll cause the Quordenze family’s offensive to get even fiercer.

Magnis perceives Cassia, Galfis, and Luxus as foolish family heads driven by hatred. Considering that, there was a part of him that hesitated to assassinate Wilk.

[Luxus, you say?]

[I think that kid will act more with reason than emotion. When Luxus, who is the cornerstone of the family’s diplomacy, collapses, I think he will go about maintaining the status quo rather than going to war out of anger.]

This was the intuition of Magnis, who has interacted with numerous Nobles. At the very least, he felt that Wilk was the type that he can communicate with better than Galfis or Luxus, as the two were already soaked in hatred.

[Is it a case of emergency that you invited Romilie?]

If something happens to Galfis, or to Luxus… the Quordenze territory, where all the branch families have been purged and only a few elderly people remain, has many uneasy factors lurking in spite of its size.

It is only natural for the next head of the family to think about securing a channel so that they can immediately ceasefire in the event of a problem. He recognizes the Spierzeig family as “one of the hostile Noble families” rather than “an enemy that should be destroyed even if everything is thrown away”. It was easy for Magnis and Kindlor to understand.

[That’s a clever thing to do… but that would make the deal even more suspicious. Why did that kid even talk about negotiating…]

What crosses the mind of the predecessor is the incident of handing over the body of Verret and the captives killed in Nambonan City.

The Quordenze family was agitated when Wilk started talking about hostage negotiations, but the Spierzeig family was even more confused. He didn’t understand why the kid didn’t take advantage of the victory even though he had defeated the next head of the family head-on.

[I was able to correct the control, but what did that kid get from that…]

After the failure of Operation Wheat and Scythe, the Noble families under Spierzeig’s umbrella suddenly felt alienated. In fact, some Nobles even tried to escape during the Reisleaf battle.

Depending on the situation, they might switch sides to the Quordenze side. And even if they don’t go that far, they may not be able to respond to requests to participate in the war in the future. At that time, the Spierzeig family was forced to walk a tightrope to maintain the Nobles under their control.

However, with the proposal to return the corpses and prisoners of war, the tide changed dramatically. Everyone was confused.

If the next head of the Quordenze family had been a dynamic and strong Nobleman like Galfis, it would have been easier for the Nobles under his control to defect. However, the next head of the family seemed more mysterious than dynamic, more madman than tough. It could be said that he was a person who one cannot approach easily.

In the end, all the affiliated Nobles bowed their heads to the Spierzeig family and returned to their original scabbard. Although the ruling system by the Spierzeig family was maintained, the affiliated Nobles lost their chance to leave and would be asked to participate in the war without rest. All the burdens fell on the people of the territory, and the territory continued to be exhausted.

[Just for gold coins?]

While saying that, Magnis recalled the huge amount of gold that he paid as a ransom. The number of prisoners of war was large, and the price was considerable. Because it was sold in tandem with Verret’s body, it was difficult to refuse, thus he was made to drink the price that he asked for.

[That’s it?]

[That’s it.]

In order to raise the ransom, a heavy tax was imposed even in Spierzeig territory. As a result, the lives of the commoners have become even more difficult, but Magnis did not think too deeply about this.

They don’t have any problems because they haven’t requisitioned their lords in the territory, but rather they think they’re the one who’s benevolent. Nobles only care about their Lords, and they only have the recognition that it is fine as long as Lord-class people are alive.

The seeds of dissatisfaction Wilk sowed were growing outside their common sense.

[I don’t know if he’s smart or stupid.]

[I don’t think he’s stupid, as far as I’m concerned, when the Royal Capital is concerned…]

In the end, they came to the conclusion that they didn’t really understand Wilk Quordenze.

[On the other hand, the next generation of Sylopea is much easier to understand.]

Magnis said while remembering the Plume he saw at the evening party.

Plume’s attitude truly represented the typical values ​​of being raised in the Sylopea family. She wasn’t directly hit by anything, but she still won’t forgive the Spierzeig family… that’s what it feels like.

Magnis had expected Wilk to be like that, so it was a bit unexpected that he would talk to Romilie from the other side.

[…Princess of Pennybach, huh? How was her relationship with the kid?]

[They seemed to be on good terms. I guess they intend to receive his seeds at some point. Sylopea is finally under the influence of Quordenze.]

Kindlor gave a sour look at Magnis’s words.

[He’s a guy who moves without hesitation.]

Magnis also thought so. Something unknown playing Noble… That was his first impression when he saw Wilk.

[It seems that the letter is also handwritten personally. It’s Romilie’s point of view, but perhaps he thinks about the content himself.]

[Are you saying that it was written by a 12- or 13-year-old child…?]

There were several letters from Wilk, but the two read them all. It’s not a brush stroke that a child Noble would write, to the point where the predecessor had doubts and thought that it was written by someone else.

[It seems that he was able to handle conversations.]

The predecessor let out a low groan at the additional information. He was well aware of how hard Romilie had worked to acquire the education that she has today. That’s why the irregularity of the existence of Wilk became even more apparent.

[How did you feel at the evening party?]

[It seemed that he was attracted to Romilie at least, but…]

Magnis was confident in his conclusion. Because he didn’t feel any hostility from Wilk when the kid was dancing with Romilie.

[But, what?]

[No.]

On the other hand, Magnis sensed that he was being perceived as an enemy by Wilk. And that’s what he didn’t understand.

Romilie is the Princess of the Spierzeig family. If the Spierzeig family is viewed as an enemy, Romilie will naturally be an enemy as well. Even if he was attracted to Romilie’s charm, there should have been some hostility there.

For Magnis, it was extremely incomprehensible to recognize a house and an individual as completely separate things.

[I don’t know, but if he indeed was attracted to Romilie, maybe we can use it to our benefit]

[Is there a possibility?]

And Magnis continued.

[My impression is that the Nobles of the Kingdom should be the same. If the rumor spreads, we may be able to move Emperor Ferolt.]

If they can use Romilie to approach Quordenze, it will become a diplomatic card.

Emperor Ferolt, who was sponsored by the Spierzeig family, refused to intervene in the war of Spierzeig-Quordenze for fear of splintering the Empire. However, this card will allow them to demonstrate the possibility of teaming up with Quordenze and rebelling against the Empire. Since Emperor Ferolt is shunned by the Western Nobles of the Empire, if such a thing were to happen, his fortunes would be doomed.

[Certainly, it can be used to move that indecisive coward.]

[That’s right, because he’s most afraid of us withdrawing.]

As a matter of fact, Magnis did not think that he would be able to cooperate with the Quordenze family. He thought that the most realistic way to do this would be to successfully intimidate the Emperor and drag the Imperial soldiers under his direct control into this war.

[It would be nice if we could get Galfis to retreat even temporarily…]

The existence of Galfis was a major factor in Emperor Ferolt’s refusal to intervene. Emperor Ferolt is very afraid of the hero who ran through the turbulent times alongside Emperor Zinkaen and pacified the western part of the continent. It’s not just the bravery of the individual, but the personal connections built upon that feats are still secretly connected. If you touch it poorly, you will wake up the sleeping lion.

[Don’t act recklessly.]

[I know that. However, there is some interesting information. Which is…about that…]

[Father.]

Seeing his son’s strong tone, the predecessor finally shut his mouth.

[Romilie will continue to maintain her relationship with the kid. It would be best if the Empire could intervene, but if you expect too much of it, you will miss the opportunity. While disturbing the rear, We will launch an all-out attack when the time is right. In the near future, Luxus should be heading to the Royal Capital again soon.]

[A revisit to the Royal Capital? Considering that the priest’s raid has just happened, if it’s me, I will probably bring the ancestor from the shadow houses with me.]

[There will be no joint retaliation agreement next time.]

The current and predecessors will share future goals and objectives, and fill in the gaps in perception. This could not be done by letter, so it had to be done now.

[…..as expected, even if we don’t actually conscript, we still need to proceed with preparations. It doesn’t seem like it takes time to attack.]

[Is it ready?]

[I’ll be in trouble if the army gets intimidated in an emergency.]

The predecessor said that among the knights in the field, there were voices of concern that some Lords would flee outside the territory. It’s rare for the Lords of the fief’s populace to escape by themselves because they’re tied up by their families and relatives, but it’s not like it’s zero.

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[If they were to escape, would it be to the south or the east? Crossing the northern mountains is impossible. Either way, we’re setting up nets at important points.]

[How about the Arknoa Contaminated Zone? Commoners can’t pass through, but it should be possible for Lords.]

[…Come to think of it, I received a report that there is a Lord-class who is passing through Arknoa. She seemed to be just a commoner girl.]

Magnis had heard that Spierzeig’s Lord-class soldiers on patrol tried to catch her, but she escaped to Weadberg Field and the soldiers were unable to catch up.

It was concluded that because of the amount of mana she possessed, it was hard to believe that she had come from a knightly family, and she used the path as a loophole out of fear of the toll tax collected at the checkpoint within the Spierzeig territory.

When Magnis explained what he remembered, the predecessor gave a puzzled expression.

[Why did you deploy your Lord-class soldiers to such a place? It doesn’t make sense.]

As the name suggests, the Arknoa Contaminated Zone is a land contaminated by the magic beast Arknoa. It is located across the Amelia River, straddling Spierzeig and Quordenze. The appearance of the demonic beast was about 100 years ago, but even now the corrupted land has not been purified.

In the past, it played a major role as a transportation route connecting the major city of Othelloria and the major city of Newnelly, but now no one sets foot there.

[Haa, why was it again…]

Magnis didn’t remember the details because the report wasn’t a big deal. At that time, his hands were full with preparations for Operation Wheat and Scythe, so he sometimes left the details to the knights. There were some verses that came to mind, but he didn’t really like speculating about events for which he didn’t know the answer with certainty.

[…let’s check it out.]

Magnis gave up trying to remember, and gave a short instruction to a civil officer waiting nearby.

[Yessir.]

The predecessor saw the exchange and changed the topic.

[…In any case, if Romilie attracts the boy’s attention, it will be easier for us to move. What about the Princesses of other families? There will be many people who will try to get close to him. You said it yourself that he was close to Pennybach.]

The more love rivals there are, the fewer chances Romilie would succeed. The predecessor thought that there would be no other Princesses better than Romilie, but even so, men’s tastes vary widely. It’s best not to get too close to the extra Princess.

[If we need to worry about a rival, shouldn’t it be the Levios family?]

[You mean Princess Alina?]

Wilk’s evaluation aside, Alina’s reputation as the Princess of the Levios family is excellent. As a predecessor, he expected that if there was a competition, she would be it.

However, Magnis shook his head.

[No, it’s Princess Ena.]

After subjugating the second demon beast, the Levios family clearly changed their policy. Magnis added a detailed background on that.

[At first, the Levios family was working to marry off Princess Alina. If that kid is going to marry her, it should be a natural choice. I can’t see the reason why they changed this to Princess Ena.]

Although there was an unmarried Alina who was close to Wilk’s age, it was a mystery why the Levios chose to send Ena, who had just returned home, to Wilk instead. Moreover, it was obviously a decision made after the surprise attack on the priest.

[Princess Orshian’s rampage, the invasion of magic beasts, the priest’s assault… All of these things have put the Levios family in a difficult position. But even with that case, there should be no problem with sending Princess Alina. However, to dare replacing that piece with Princess Ena…]

[It looks like there’s a lot of circumstances, huh?]

[Otherwise, it would be a foolish plan that would only create unnecessary confrontation.]

It wasn’t that they wanted to send Ena, but the circumstances made it impossible to send Alina. Magnis thinks so.

What Ena doesn’t have compared to Alina is her name recognition as a Noble. Alina’s mother was from a fairly lower-ranked Noble family, thus had some influence around the Levios territory. Also, Magnis has heard uncertain and dubious information that the current Lugain and the next Dunkel are actually on bad terms.

[…this time, King Levios was badly injured by the priest’s attack.]

[I see. If he sends Princess Alina out of the territory, it might be difficult to control his son.]

Strength is preferred on the Eruo continent. It is natural for the surroundings to have expectations for the young and energetic next head Dunkel rather than King Levios, who has a track record so far but has a very concerning future health.

[Yes. On the other hand, Levios continued to want a connection with Quordenze. Therefore, he reluctantly prepared Princess Ena as a substitute in haste…]

[It makes sense. If the story of discord is true.]

For Magnis, this is the most annoying part.

Just like the Quordenze family, the Spierzeig family puts a lot of effort into intelligence activities. He also carefully researched the Kingdom of Levios. Naturally, he had already investigated Lugain.

[Even if the rift is true, I don’t think he would run into such folly. …Or did he become unable to make normal decisions because of his injury?]

Magnis highly appreciates King Levios’ political skills. There was a part of him that regretted if the King was exposing his ugliness because of the impatience of being injured.

Leaving Alina means continuing to interfere with Dunkel. If Dunkel is too stupid, it can’t be helped, but as far as Magnis saw, he felt like the next head of the family had no particular problems.

He believes that causing family disturbances is a shameful and incompetent act for the head of the family in charge of the family.

[…The founding of Levios is certain…]

When the predecessor confirmed that Magnis had exhausted his theory, he fell in thought.

[…and Milendorva…if that’s the case then of course…hmm…]

The sight of his father pondering while fiddling with his beard was familiar to Magnis.

After a while, the predecessor released his hand from the beard.

[…..does father come up with any ideas?]

[There is only one.]

From the atmosphere, Magnis guessed that he would respond.

[However, there is too little information to be able to make a judgment. Everything is just speculation, and even if it’s true, it wouldn’t affect many people….. I don’t need to talk about it, you should be able to imagine this level right away. The current master is blinded by the prosperity of the Royal Capital, and it’s just that things are becoming difficult to see.]

The predecessor didn’t answer everything. It was like a habit for educating the next generation. Magnis smiles wryly at that method that continues even now that he has inherited the family estate. It was just as he had imagined.

[…The Blue Land, huh.]

After saying that, the predecessor got up from the sofa, moved to the window and looked outside. The majestic Voistra Plain spreads out there.

[Protecting the blood, protecting the earth, this is the duty of the family head to protect the truth.]

It was the family motto of the Spierzeig family, and it was a word that had been imprinted on Magnis since childhood.

The head of the family must put the family first and act rationally. The head of the family is the head of the family, and is strongly admonished not to be a person with emotions.

[…..indeed.]

And Magnis could only think of one thing about what his father had in mind.

Just like what the predecessor said earlier, it’s a speculation that won’t affect many people. There is no way to check it, and there is no need to check it. After all, he has only one thing to do.

Magnis got up from the sofa and stood next to his father.

[Protecting the blood, protecting the land, this is the duty of the family head to protect the truth…]

The invasion of the Quordenze family must be stopped. That is the responsibility imposed on him as the head of the family.

Beyond Magnis’s line of sight was the land that Spierzeig should protect.