episode_0143

======[ Argantir ]======

“How does she appear?”

After Hilde and Freide departed, Argantir held a brief meeting with his subordinates inside the carriage returning to the palace.

“She’s a dangerous woman. Your Highness saw it as well. The moment she felt threatened, without a hint of hesitation, she revealed her readiness to kill.”

“Her aura was so intense that the number of people she must have killed seemed to be at least three hundred. Closer to a mercenary than a knight or adventurer… She seems more like a hired sword. If necessary, she would not hesitate to kill anyone.”

The subordinates discussed their impressions of Hilde.

A killer who prioritizes the protection of themselves and their allies above all else, willing to eliminate any hindrance, regardless of status.

If Hilde had heard this, she might have protested against such unfounded criticism, but it was an unbiased evaluation made by the subordinates after observing her.

“Nevertheless, she seems to possess some sense of honor. Judging by her concern for the fate of her former comrades left in Bespian, she did not seem as heartless and ruthless as rumored.”

“Hmm… I saw that too. She may be fierce, but she is not evil. At least, she was more of a hero and a comrade than one could compare to our lord.”

Nodding in agreement, Argantir exhaled smoke from his pipe.

Even in his eyes, Brunhilde appeared different from the villains tainted with malice, who would recklessly act without regard for consequences.

While she would consider killing upon sensing hostility, she seemed like a woman who would genuinely appreciate and reciprocate kindness if shown.

Rather than using power or force to coerce, she should be handled by extending grace to erase any debt of gratitude from her heart.

“I found her armor intriguing. An enchanted plate armor containing perception-inhibiting magic, where did she get such a treasure from…”

“Oh, yes. That armor. Judging by how the craftsmanship has worn away, it seems more like an artifact that has been neglected for years rather than a newly made item.”

Argantir nodded.

It was indeed armor worthy of interest, both in design and functionality.

“Considering the absence of casualties near the border, it is likely an item acquired around that time. If she had it from the beginning, there would have been no need to engage pursuers.”

Not only did it deflect Beliher’s greatsword without a scratch, but the iron armor also contained magic to hinder proper recognition of the wearer.

While not on par with holy relics, it was a suit of armor fitting for the royal treasury, akin to the possessions of ancient noble families with deep historical roots.

For assassins, it was a coveted item.

The perception-inhibiting magic that misled opponents into seeing her as an ordinary person.

Argantir’s ability to resist this magic was thanks to his vigilance against Tyrving’s mind control abilities, always carrying mental defense charms with him.

Without those charms, he might have fallen victim to the perception-inhibiting magic and failed to recognize Brunhilde properly.

“The last sighting was when she disguised herself as a noblewoman to secure a boat crossing the Rhine River, right? It’s safe to assume she obtained it during that river journey.”

Somewhere along the riverbank. Near the forest. Or… beneath the river.

According to Argantir’s speculation, places like dungeons or ruins hidden in such locations were where Hilde might have concealed such treasures.

“Investigate the lore related to the Rhine River. Myths, legends, folklore, history. Even delve into obscure tales with scarce records.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I will instruct them to begin the investigation immediately upon our return.”

Therefore, Argantir instructed the subordinate who showed interest in Brunhilde’s armor to gather information related to it.

The information might have seemed somewhat dubious in its usefulness, but considering it wouldn’t hurt to be aware of it.

—-

Casual chatter about the first impression of Brünhilde led to a discussion about her future relationship with Freide. Eventually, the conversation shifted towards the information she had passed on.

Information that the Abyssal Priests of the Kumayokcheon Society were planning to instigate a clash between Hero Heid and the Laine Kingdom army to assassinate Heid.

Verifying the truth would take some time, but if it turned out to be true, how would they make use of it?

“A troublesome issue indeed…”

Argantir furrowed his brow, pondering over the matter at hand.

Deep down, he had wished for Heid’s demise. He had hoped for him to ‘gloriously’ fall in battle at the end of the conflict. He had even contemplated ways to carry out the assassination.

Did he consider Heid a traitor? Yet, it was Heid, not him, who had first shown hostility.

Heid, having lost his right to the throne due to traditional customs as a consequence of his heroic branding.

However, he still clung to ambitions and desires for the throne. Merely portraying himself as an exemplary and noble hero in front of others.

Argantir had long seen through his brother’s act. He knew distinctly what ambitions he harbored.

Drawing conclusions from the information gathered through the Shadow of the Black Eagle organization, which he had originally established to support his brother, Argantir had a clear picture.

‘He will smoothly build up power and reputation until the opportune moment comes to eliminate me under the guise of an accident.’

Once Argantir met his end without any offspring, Heid remained as the only direct heir to the royal family.

Unless he intended to pass the crown to a distant relative with a weak claim, there was no choice but to hand over the throne to Heid, even if it meant violating existing customs.

Argantir was well aware.

He understood that Heid’s fixation on maintaining his external reputation and fame while establishing a solid foundation in his field was the reason behind it all.

‘Any backlash for breaking tradition can be mitigated with reputation and power.’

If he could secure overwhelming fame, power, and support from all walks of life, the voices of praise would overshadow criticism, even upon ascending the throne.

When that time came, Argantir’s life would be nothing more than a candle in the wind.

Realizing this early on, Argantir had wished for Heid’s death.

If a hero’s branding would descend upon someone so villainous as to kill his own younger brother for the throne and ambition, then it would be better off without such a hero.

Argantir believed so.

Hence, if the Abyssal Priests were indeed aiming to kill Heid, it would have been fitting for Argantir to applaud their efforts.

Unfortunately, that was not to be.

‘Engaging in conflict with the Laine Kingdom would yield no benefits. It would only result in the wasteful depletion of both sides’ forces.’

Firstly, the Abyssal Priests’ planned assassination scheme was problematic in itself.

To incite a tired Heid by pitting him against the Laine Kingdom, eliminating him, and then taking advantage of the ensuing discord and chaos between the two nations was something intolerable as the future king of Herbor Kingdom.

Not only would it tarnish the royal family’s honor, but it would irreparably damage the relations between the two countries, leading to significant national losses.

‘Yet, preventing the Laine Kingdom army from intervening to let the Kumayokcheon Society and Heid stew in their own juices… I simply cannot trust them.’

Sending a secret messenger to the Laine Kingdom to prevent a clash between the kingdom’s army and Heid would not solve the underlying issue.

The problem lay in the untrustworthiness of the Kumayokcheon Society’s power.

Planning grandiose and significant schemes to assassinate a prince and hero of one nation while carelessly leaking those plans to outsiders showcased their incompetence.

Can those people really take on Heide without the help of the Line Kingdom army?

Argantir saw that possibility as unlikely.

The Guma Yeokcheonhoe, as he knew it, was an organization with grand names and criminal records but lacking substantial power.

Just recently, two high-ranking members of Yeokcheonhoe simultaneously confronted Heide, one ending up dead and the other barely escaping.

It didn’t seem likely that such individuals, when gathered together, could overcome Heide and his forces.

‘In the worst-case scenario… we might end up wiped out by Heide instead.’

That was truly the worst situation Argantir could envision.

Heide’s reputation for annihilating the deep priests of Yeokcheonhoe would skyrocket, and naturally, Argantir’s remaining lifespan would significantly decrease.

‘Indeed, sabotaging the plan itself to prevent any clash from occurring is the best course of action.’

After much deliberation, Argantir finally devised a way to thwart the deep priests’ plans.

“Do you intend to warn Heide? This time, it’s a trap, so should he avoid coming?”

“That would be foolish. Since we can’t explain all the details, you’ll have to subtly imply it. Would our arrogant lord bother listening to the nonsense of an incompetent sibling?”

“Indeed, that’s true. If we reveal the plan itself and it becomes clear that it has been leaked, they might give up and wait for the next opportunity.”

Argantir explained the detailed plan.

“Find a disposable pawn. A woman in her twenties. A knight-level warrior with blue eyes.”

His plan was simple yet effective.

First, prepare a female warrior with blue eyes, dye her hair lemon-colored, and order her to cause chaos disguised as Brunhilde within the Line Kingdom.

To the extent that the Line Kingdom army would personally intervene to suppress this ‘fake Brunhilde.’

“If we lure the Line Kingdom army, drawn out to deal with the fake Brunhilde, in a direction completely different from the border, even the Yeokcheonhoe will realize. The conflict they desired between the kingdom army and Heide will become impossible.”

Argantir continued to explain.

“Moreover, once the fake Brunhilde, who has been attracting attention, meets her demise, the real troublesome pursuers can be completely freed from the chase.”

If the downfall of the traitorous knight Brunhilde is widely publicized, those who were after her will regret missing their chance and retreat.

There’s no point in pursuing the dead.

This way, the real Brunhilde wouldn’t need to worry about pursuers anymore, gaining two benefits with one sacrifice.