Royal Road of the Extra Scribe

71

The two sides faced off for about a week.

The ceasefire negotiations were progressing smoothly. Negotiations would probably be concluded within five days.

I entrusted the practical matters to Duke Helian and lived as Al.

‘To think there was someone predetermined for me.’

The aftermath of the bombshell my mother dropped was significant. The atmosphere froze right there.

‘Who on earth could it be?’

My mother didn’t disclose it yet, saying it wasn’t the right time. She promised to tell me when the time was right.

‘It’s strange that she specifically referred to them as the first partner.’

It was odd, as if implying that second or third partners could also be accepted.

Even though noble polygamy was somewhat common, it was still strange.

Perhaps my mother didn’t want to send me off to another family and was trying to handle it delicately.

If Estelle were to engage with Erina, even as a second choice, there was a possibility of becoming a son-in-law.

‘If my mother doesn’t tell me, there’s no point in worrying about it now.’

Feeling a bit troubled, I called for Yumir.

“You called for me, my lord.”

“Yeah, I just want to get some fresh air. Since there’s nothing to do anyway, I thought of going out for a bit.”

“I’ll prepare right away.”

I was planning to go to the neighboring village to have something delicious and come back, but before I could make the preparations and leave.

“Heugh! Heugh! Alss!”

Gaspar gasped for breath as he burst into my quarters.

Even after the battle was over, he continued to play an active role behind the scenes, gathering intelligence, with a sense of urgency as if another battle was about to unfold immediately.

“What’s the matter? Why the rush?”

“I have no choice but to rush. Things have gone haywire.”

“Has the ceasefire collapsed?”

“Not exactly, but… it seems that will be the outcome.”

“Tell me more.”

“It’s not a complicated story. It’s just…”

His following answer was extremely shocking even to me.

“The King of Byulang has been assassinated.”

The regicide incident in Byulang. As a result, this war began to take a completely different direction from what I had known.

The Byulang Union Kingdom.

Initially formed by four imperial states coming together after the fall of the Pencilon Empire, they rapidly rose in power amidst the chaos on the continent.

The imperial powers had increased to 10, and recently, they had absorbed the Gwoid forces that emerged from Madon, making a total of 11 imperial powers.

Each of these imperial powers was strong enough to rival small nations, so it was no exaggeration to call Byulang a superpower.

Their reserve army might be slightly inferior to Svenner or Crossing, but due to their overwhelming agricultural production, they had the capacity to deploy up to 500,000 troops when necessary.

Even within the Byulang Union, there was a King, and despite being a union kingdom, the King wielded significant power.

King Wilfred Schwarzer of Byulang held a strong grip over the other imperial states due to his powerful rule.

However, there was an element of uncertainty. Even though the current King was strong, the question of who would succeed him remained unanswered.

The imperial states were already maneuvering their chosen princes for the next throne, engaging in covert struggles for succession.

While Wilfred had managed to stabilize the situation so far, the assassination had brought about a sudden change.

As I entered the command quarters, Duke Helian greeted me with a grave expression.

“You’re here. You’ve heard the news, I presume.”

“Yes, the King has been assassinated.”

“I don’t know the details, but it seems certain that King Schwarzer is dead. Those Svenner fools. Using such barbaric methods.”

“…Do you truly believe Svenner is behind this?”

“If not them, then who else? It’s most likely Svenner’s doing.”

However, something felt unnatural about that assumption.

“Weren’t the ceasefire negotiations nearing completion? Moreover, from Svenner’s perspective, ending the war now would be wise.”

It was late spring, nearing the end of the planting season.

Unlike other countries that only deployed their reserve armies, Svenner and Byulang, by conscripting soldiers, risked disruptions to their annual harvest if the war needlessly prolonged.

While Byulang, being an agricultural powerhouse, could endure, Svenner could not.

“Furthermore, even if the war continues, Svenner doesn’t stand to gain much.”

“Should there be internal unrest in Byulang? As you know, Byulang is vulnerable in such situations. With the confirmation of traitors within the Union forces and now the regicide of the King, the imperial states will likely move to secure the next throne. This could escalate into a full-blown revolt.”

“That seems likely. However, the intentions are too obvious. It’s unlikely that the imperial states would fall for such transparent motives.”

“If Svenner were to invade, would they manage to unite against a common enemy?”

“Yes. Unless the internal strife in Byulang escalates uncontrollably, Svenner won’t be able to touch Byulang for the time being. Moreover, with this incident, the sentiment towards Svenner within Byulang has plummeted. Even if Svenner were to conquer Byulang, pacifying the territories would become challenging due to uprisings from all corners.”

“That’s… true. When you think about it, it seems like a favorable situation only for the others. In that case…”

“Yes, one of the others is likely the culprit.”

“Let me tell you in advance, our Caliper is definitely not the one.”

“I know.”

I had a hunch about the other person.

‘That lunatic. Could he really be capable of such a thing?’

He had casually mentioned it as an interesting incident, but this was not at that level. It was a major incident that shook the entire continent.

◈

Naturally, the truce was suspended after the king’s assassination.

Rather, Buryang, with determination, carried out additional conscriptions, vowing to subdue Svenner.

Revealing who killed the king was not of great importance. Buryang’s politicians needed to stabilize the shaken nation, and the most effective way was to direct the arrows of anger towards Svenner.

At this point, each country acted according to its interests.

First, the Tunkai and Europa Kingdoms, fearing unnecessary repercussions, hastily withdrew from the Chimera Alliance, stating that they were not there to attack but to assist in the defense of the Buryang coalition forces.

When the situation escalated, Svenner also significantly withdrew his troops and retreated. Engaging in a large-scale war with Buryang’s main forces would likely result in a protracted conflict, damaging the nation’s stability.

Once Svenner withdrew, Buryang found a moment of calm.

Or rather, with the external threat gone, they delved into internal conflicts.

As their first move, Buryang’s First Prince, Oscar Schwarzer, would exploit this war as a victory and host a grand victory party.

As if he had become the king himself.

“Wade, something has arrived for you.”

Duke Helian handed Wade the invitation to the victory party.

“A victory party… Quite unexpected.”

“Since Svenner retreated first, it’s a fact. What do you plan to do?”

“…I will go and see.”

“Surprising. I thought you would refuse to go.”

Reluctant to attend due to the risk of exposure, Wade had no choice but to go in order to meet Jurass.

He had been informed that Jurass wanted to meet at the party venue to discuss matters.

‘Everything is interconnected.’

The conquest of Madon by Crossing and Caliper, the emergence of the Western tribes, the traitor who changed the course of the Chimera War, and even the assassination of the Buryang king.

Although none of these events had actually occurred in the game, I was convinced they were closely related to the main story of the game.

Three days later.

The Allied forces left only minimal troops on the front lines before dispersing.

Our Caliper army also disbanded, leaving only a few units to tidy up the battlefield.

Originally, it was appropriate to boost the soldiers’ morale with a banquet before disbanding, but due to the looted supply depot of Buryang, there was no room for such leisure.

Thus, while the ordinary soldiers and officers were returning to the Caliper Kingdom, I, along with Anton, headed to the city of Elfeed where the victory party was being held.

‘Jurass, that guy. Why did he choose the party venue as the meeting place? It could have been a casual encounter.’

From Noble mtl dot com

From my perspective, the party venue was an undesirable place to go.

Not only was there a risk of exposure, but I couldn’t eat any food due to the helmet I was wearing.

A party where I couldn’t eat anything. Was there really any point in attending?

Upon arriving at the party venue, I first sent Anton in as Jurass’s aide and entered the banquet hall without a partner.

Eo had asked me to accompany her, but considering her past incidents at parties, I decided to leave her behind. By now, she must be feeling down and receiving comfort from Yumir.

Given the circumstances, the party was not extravagant. The figures from the Byuran faction were dressed in matching attire that resembled military uniforms, creating a somber atmosphere.

“Wade is entering!”

Upon the gatekeeper’s command, as I entered the party venue, I was met with piercing gazes.

“Is the author Wade the mercenary….”

“To handle Klaus Forkner as if flipping over the palm of one’s hand. It makes one curious about their identity.”

“Is the author a figure from Caliper? Or perhaps from Crossing….”

Whispers could be heard here and there.

Besides military officers, there were also nobles from Byuran and high-ranking nobles from various countries who contributed to the alliance present at the event.

They were speculating about my identity with scrutinizing looks.

“It’s certain that Violafrim suddenly joined the exodus.”

“Is it the one who was called the Giraffe of Europe? Well, considering Wade’s abilities, calling them Violafrim is the most credible. But then why did they fight on the side of the alliance?”

“Maybe their homeland of Europe teaming up with the enemy Tunkai didn’t sit well with them. After all, in this war, it was the Tunkai army that Wade decimated. And bringing the prince of Romelo from Crossing adds to that.”

“Is that so! Did they protect the prince of Romelo from Crossing?”

“Exactly!”

They were freely weaving their imaginative threads.

The notion of Violafrim being Wade was not strange, given that it had been circulating for a while.

I ignored them and first greeted Prince Oscar, the first prince of Byuran, who was sitting on the throne.

He welcomed me with a tired face.

“Nice to meet you. Are you the mercenary Wade who appears on the battlefield like a deity? I’ve heard about your feats in this battle. Truly impressive.”

“It’s an exaggeration.”

“An exaggeration? You captured Klaus Forkner and the ringleaders of the Western tribes. I heard you even had a showdown with Jemuto? You’ve survived against the Ten Gall. You’re the hero who can rival the Ten Gall.”

“….”

Why is he so talkative for no reason?

The reason became clear soon enough.

“Given all that, it’s inevitable that people are curious about your identity. What do you say? Don’t you want to take off your helmet and reveal yourself?”

“I apologize, but I cannot remove my helmet.”

“Is that so. In that case, we’ll have to try a different approach.”

“….”

“Mercenary Wade. Remove your helmet right now. This is a royal decree.”

The hall began to buzz.

The intention was obvious.

They didn’t expect me to obediently take off my helmet over there. Pressuring me with a royal decree was for a different reason.

To make sure of who was behind me.

And with that, one man was lured out.

“Your Highness, this is quite a cruel joke.”

The Duke of Helian stepped in to save me.

Prince Oscar narrowed his eyes and continued.

“What’s cruel about it? This is the territory of the Byuran Union. My royal decrees are absolute. Moreover, isn’t it disrespectful to come to a party wearing a helmet that conceals your face? This is not a masquerade ball.”

I was reprimanded a hundred times over.

It seemed like Prince Oscar wanted to flaunt his influence, likely to advance his chances in the upcoming succession dispute.

For that reason, he used the expression ‘my royal decree.’

“If not that, then what? Are you planning to challenge Brulang’s sovereignty here and now? Even if you are from another country, you can’t just let it slide.”

As Prince Oscar pushed forward strongly, Helian couldn’t help but hesitate.

There was no point in needlessly creating friction with Brulang, and he did not possess such absolute power to make such decisions alone in the first place.

Eventually, it seemed like he had made up his mind to push forward strongly, but before he could, I signaled to that guy first.

“Aren’t you coming out quickly?”

In response to my signal, Jurass chuckled, nodded his head, and stepped forward.

“Let’s stop the jokes here. Prince Oscar.”

“Prime Minister Pamillion. It’s no joke. I am serious.”

“Then please stop seriously. You will get hurt.”

“Who do you think will get hurt? What do you mean by that?”

“Wade is someone I personally hold in esteem. I won’t stand by if harm comes to him.”

“Hmph, as I mentioned earlier, this is my royal decree. Your words now are no different from challenging Brulang’s sovereignty, are they not?”

“Is that so? Are you truly sincere? Do you sincerely wish for Jurass Pamillion to challenge Brulang’s sovereignty?”

“…!”

“You will regret it.”

Jurass, subtly raising his energy. Due to that energy, the nobles around him flinched and hesitated, and the officers of the Brulang army showed vigilance.

General Jin Haisak, the commander of Brulang, stood by Prince Oscar protectively.

Jurass continued speaking.

“My will is the will of Crossing. Thus, my challenge to Brulang’s sovereignty implies that Crossing challenges Brulang, doesn’t it?”

“Hah! One who is not even a king speaks so arrogantly.”

“Even the king will understand.”

“Is that so? I doubt King Parain would agree to such a big fuss for a mere mercenary.”

“Well, who knows? Would you like to test it?”

Unlike Duke Helian, Jurass was a figure with that level of standing. It wasn’t for nothing that he was the first in line for the Crossing throne until three years ago.

The air at the party was tense.

Prince Oscar suddenly exclaimed, “hahahahaha, I lost, I lost.”

Laughing, he said, “Sorry. I guess my joke went too far. Oh well. I can’t just nitpick about wearing a helmet when I am the main hero who leads in wars.”

Jurass also smiled back.

“Hmph, I guess my joke also went too far. Please don’t take my jest to heart.”

“Of course.”

Prince Oscar was pleased, having achieved his goal.

Now, it was certain that Crossing was behind the mercenary Wade.

He even knew that the bond was so strong that Jurass would strongly oppose it.

“Don’t bother about my foolish jokes and enjoy the party. Wade, and Prime Minister Pamillion.”

Anyway, what sin have I committed?