episode_0148

The knights fell down to a suspicious degree.

The soldiers on the front lines had no time to think leisurely, so it was only natural that they did so, but some of the experienced knights felt puzzled by the sight.

Of course, at best I could only assume that the magician on my side had superior skills, but I did not go so far as to think that the girl Raven was accompanying was a saint.

And Lisia, the hidden protagonist, stopped using magic when the battle reached a lull.

Rudolph’s last remaining knight power was locked up in the station. The enemy has fallen, and the battle is over.

There was a risk that someone would find out if he performed more than this.

Lisia extinguished the light from her hand and turned her gaze to Raven. He was confronting his biological father, the Count of Ravenna, whom he had once told me about.

“That must be the Count of Ravenna, right?”

“Yes. The other person… Raven is amazing.”

“Should I help?”

“No, you probably heard the story too. Let’s wait for now.”

A small battle continued, but some people found the time to turn their heads elsewhere.

The knights and squires, who had rested a little while ago and still had the energy to fight, were each mumbling something and relaxed their stance to run away.

In fact, everyone knew very well what the most ‘reasonable’ option was in this situation.

Since the distance was reasonable, it was okay to pretend it wasn’t happening and shoot him with magic, or to hit and run any knight on horseback. If you hit something with ten times the weight of a human being, it’s equally a one-hit hit whether you’re a knight or a wizard.

Those who seek fairness and fairness in a life-threatening battle are foolish.

So, it was like that in normal battles.

“You shouldn’t disturb me.”

“Anyway, it’s revenge. Let’s just keep doing what we do!”

However, those who knew the aesthetics and etiquette of dueling could not bear to do such a thing.

Revenge was a kind of right, so violating it privately is the same as violating that right. And infringing on rights means that you have nothing to say even if you become a new target for revenge.

Before cutting down Rudolph, after seeing him bickering with the knights, he was so envious of the small major that no one dared stand in the way.

If they didn’t know the circumstances, there would have been at least one person who would invade, but most of the nobles and knights here knew what was at stake in this fight.

Much of the credit lay in the free advertising spread by Henry, who had become a public relations ambassador preaching the legitimacy of his rule.

“Did you say that Lord Raven is the son of the Earl of Ravenna?”

“That’s right. Well, isn’t this news that everyone knows?”

“As expected, I’m curious about what will happen.”

“Can’t we just check the results after it’s finished?”

“You don’t know what. Isn’t the taste that comes from watching the process another delicacy? Maybe it’s something you’ll never see again in your life!”

War is one of the few opportunities to move down the ladder of class mobility.

A fully trained soldier becomes a commander, and an experienced mercenary becomes a knight. And it was common for knights who showed outstanding skills to be awarded land.

Nevertheless, there were limits. No matter how outstanding their performance was, most successes stopped at the knight level.

If you want to go beyond the implicit high point of a knight, that is, a knight who has received land, other elements are needed.

For example, bloodline.

Or a phenomenal achievement that no one can deny.

Even if he wanted to become a baron, a position of absolute nobility, he demanded these things.

And Raven was one of the few people who met both requirements.

The dukedom was held by collateral descendants of the royal family for generations, and it went without saying that he was the emperor.

Therefore, the highest position a person could rise to without being born with imperial blood was count. There’s no way people wouldn’t be interested if the owner of the place changes.

“You’re the illegitimate son of a nobleman, I envy you. I guess there is no secret of my birth like that.”

“If you have lived next door to me all your life, don’t have any expectations that cannot be fulfilled.”

“It seems that there is such a thing as fate. The return of an illegitimate child who was abandoned as a child!”

Above all, narrative.

The narrative that an illegitimate child given up to die came back for revenge could only be found in the chronicles sung by poets.

Even if you’ve heard it countless times and are tired of it, it’s natural to be interested if it happens in real life.

Still, I couldn’t intervene openly, so I just pretended not to be interested as I eliminated the remnants of the enemy one by one, and turned my head somewhere else and glanced at them.

The direction of power, revenge, etc. In fact, even if we leave aside all such secondary things.

There was no human being who could endure the life-and-death battle between father and son for the title of earl.

Lisia was the same. In the meantime, I had no will or need to intervene by using magic, so I just watched.

However, what made him different from others was that he could clearly hear what kind of conversation was being made by using magic to make sounds.

“The person who was talking so much about getting married. Is she the corner you return to?”

Lisia’s face heated up with anger. Did the word spread that far?

However, if even the count, who has never seen his face, knows about it, it would mean that it has spread to some extent. That’s good because it means there’s less room for unnecessary saboteurs to come in, but that’s good… … .

“Strictly speaking, I wasn’t the one making a fuss… That’s the way it is.”

“How… … .”

I can’t stand hearing such a blatant answer.

A loose moan escaped from between my mouth.

“I see! Then, did you really mean it? ”

After the sound of knights colliding, one of them fell helplessly to the floor.

A soldier watching nearby let out an exclamation of pain on behalf of the count, saying, “Aww.”

The Count immediately got up, dusted himself off, and asked again, as if he was not sick.

I don’t know why there is so much interest in other people’s marriage situations, but anyway, Raven answered sincerely.

“A place to return to?”

“… … .”

Lisia held her breath.

“Yes. Unlike you.”

And then he laughed loudly, a mixture of relief and joy.

Soon after, the Count of Ravenna collapsed.

Even fighting this much at that age was an outstanding achievement. Still, in reality, to borrow the Count’s expression, God’s will was cold.

With blood dripping from his sword, Raven slowly returned to Heinrich’s camp.

The battle is over. Cheers erupted from the soldiers who realized this fact.

Thanks to that.

“I think so too.”

No one heard what Lisia muttered softly.

The dream of starting a family was just around the corner.

*****

I opened my eyes in the dark.

It was warm and cozy. My mind was still hazy and I felt like I was floating in the sea.

Although it was dark in front of me, I could catch a glimpse of a faint figure moving within it.

It had a small and frail body and gradually came closer to me.

Although it was my first time seeing this, I intuitively knew where this place was.

Here, after all.

“Image world… … .”

That small figure is me, who has not yet overcome my fear and is stuck in the past. We need to break through that trauma and get out of here.

And when the figure heard my muttering, it stopped and immediately opened its mouth to ask.

“Raven, are you awake?”

“… … ?”

-Sigh!

When I pulled back the curtain, light poured into the dark room.

Lisia, who opened the window, was coughing slightly, probably because she had eaten some dust that had fallen in the meantime.

I thought it was a power-up scenario. Disappointment.

I sat up in bed. Squeak, the old tree screamed.

Just not sleeping on a straw bale could be considered a luxury on the battlefield. They take care of me because I am a war hero.

“You must have been tired yesterday. As soon as he arrived, he went to sleep right away.”

“That’s right. I guess because we fought all day.”

I looked down at myself. I’m sure the last time I remember, I must have slept without changing my clothes.

“My clothes are… … ?”

“Well, ”

The girl turned her head and answered. There’s nothing we can do if Licia doesn’t know.

Someone would have changed my clothes anyway. Since none of my important belongings were missing, I decided not to think anything of it.

“Oh, now that I think about it, His Majesty was looking for me a little while ago.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Now I have something important to discuss. I asked you to tell me when you wake up, so you don’t have to rush.”

I washed my face a few times with the water bottle next to me, came to my senses, and put on the extra clothes I had prepared in advance.

Since you are going before the emperor, you must be formal. Especially because I knew why he was calling me.

“… Raven.”

“Yes.”

“I heard everything.”

Lisia, who was watching the scene from the side, opened her mouth.

I thought about what he was talking about and was soon able to guess.

“What I said to the Count?”

“Yes, honestly, I was happy.”

“If that’s the case, I’m glad, but I’m a little embarrassed.”

I didn’t feel like I was talking because I was drunk in the atmosphere. However, Lisia’s expression did not change much after hearing all of those words.

The girl smiled shyly and patted me on the back a few times.

“I did the treatment roughly. Since I did just enough to not arouse suspicion, please make sure to stop by another wizard later and get treatment?”

“Keep in mind.”

“Then this is the end of what I have to say! Please come back.”

“Okay, I’ll be back soon.”

I left the tent. Only the bed I lay on was different, but the assigned area was the same, so the route was familiar.

Following the habitually moving bridge, I stood in front of the largest and most ornate emperor’s tent. After checking my face, the soldier immediately let me in without saying anything.

*****

The purpose and flower of battle.

Non-gong peddling events occurred without fail.

Even though the battlefield had not been completely resolved, those who were impatient gathered first under the emperor’s tent.

Normally, it would have been worth exercising a little patience to avoid appearing impatient, but on that day, everyone gathered around as if they had made an appointment.

“I guess everyone gathered together on their own.”

“Your Majesty, congratulations on your victory!”

“Isn’t it that Europa has finally decided who the true emperor is!”

Everyone was praising the emperor, whose stock prices had risen to all-time highs, but the greed that they had no intention of hiding was shining in the eyes of the nobles and bishops.

“In that sense, Your Majesty.”

“Isn’t there something we need to discuss slowly?”

And sure enough, the filibuster began with Heinrich nodding once.

At the end of a battle, the distribution of valuables picked up, captured horses, and the ransom of knights was usually done calmly.

This is because the by-products of battle are not a meaningful amount to nobles, who may not be an exaggeration to say that they own a small country, as they might be for a soldier or a poor knight.

Therefore, in order to emphasize one’s generosity, financial resources, and magnanimity, it is common to give a few pieces of chain mail in exchange for reputation.

“This is my land! I will not accept any disagreement.”

“Where does the dog bark? It’s nonsense that’s not worth listening to.”

“Ah, now that I think about it, I understand that the compensation I receive from Duke Lefir is my share.”

It was different this time.

It seemed as if the end of the war was just around the corner, because the conclusion was clearly visible.

It’s been three years since the war continued. Just like Rudolph, Heinrich also printed blank checks as if they were run on a rotary press.

The collateral was, of course, the property of Rudolph’s nobles, but there was a problem that its value was not the same as in the past.

“That’s the border of Rudolph’s territory that he drew arbitrarily, why are you questioning it now?”

“Anyway, it is true that the boundary has changed. Has the legal process been followed and is there any problem?”

“Rudolph Because that guy is a traitor!”

“Hey, Your Majesty. Because of the war, prices have risen a lot. The proportion of compensation has been slightly adjusted-”

The argument became more intense, and Jongin started barking as if he had rabies.

The emperor was just watching the argument as if he was already half-liberated. Is this the vibe of an experienced person?

Rather than listening to each of those words, I also naturally chose to let them go and think about something else.

“Crrr, wow!”

“Woof!”

Much better.