Report
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Kawaii]
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Chapter 52: Wouldn't You Like To Meet The Enemy Of Eisenach?
The news of Allenvert's overwhelming victory in his sword fight with the Royal Guard Keseg, spread like wildfire throughout the castle.
"Damn it."
Somerset was the most distressed by the news.
"I've really messed up this time."
A man who could effortlessly defeat thugs, even to the point of killing them, and who possessed the talent to easily overpower even a Royal Guard? Having carelessly picked a fight with such a man and given him a weakness to exploit, there was no more foolish act in the world.
"Damn bad luck."
Somerset grumbled as he overturned his potion chest.
He pulled out a higher-grade potion than he had originally intended to send, a superior-grade potion. Somerset muttered, looking as if his heart would break.
"I was saving this for later..."
It was a potion brewed by a renowned alchemist, a mixture of herbs, animal parts, and magical stones. Its value was such that even the noble son of the Grunewald Clan would find it difficult to casually dismiss.
"Take this to Allenvert."
"Yes, sir."
"And... be discreet. Don't attract any unnecessary attention."
"Yes, sir."
Having sent the potion with his servant, Somerset was about to sigh in relief when -
"Somerset!"
Bianca Grunewald came looking for her son.
"Oh, Mother?"
Somerset stood up in surprise. Bianca shouted at him.
"You idiot! Didn't I tell you to be careful not to act rashly?"
Somerset stammered as he faced his furious mother.
"No, Mother, I..."
"Are you going to deny it?"
"What am I supposed to deny?"
Somerset was genuinely bewildered.
"Isn't it true that you agreed to bribe him with the potion to keep him quiet?"
"Of course, Mother. You know that."
Bianca softened her tone slightly at Somerset's aggrieved expression.
"And I'm not talking about that."
"Then what are you talking about?"
Bianca furrowed her brow and said.
"All the prisoners in the prison have been poisoned."
"What?"
Somerset felt a sudden chill.
"Who did it and why?"
"How would I know?"
Bianca nervously picked at her nails.
"They say it wasn't the work of an ordinary assassin. They took advantage of the fact that Allenvert was distracted by his duel, so the perpetrator must be someone inside the castle."
"... Could it be one of my older brothers?"
"I don't know. But one thing is certain: you're the one who will be most suspected."
"Me?"
"Everyone knows you met with Allenvert. If the witnesses to the attack were poisoned at that time, people will think you tampered with the evidence to protect yourself."
"Oh!"
Only then did Somerset fully understand the situation.
It was an incredibly coincidental and suspicious series of events. He was cornered.
"Who would frame me like this?"
"Probably a rival who wants to eliminate you."
'Could it be Verdzig?'
He dared not utter the name out loud. To Somerset, his second brother was a terrifying figure.
... But something didn't feel right. Would Verdzig really go to such lengths?
'He never seemed that interested in me.'
Then who would do such a thing?
Somerset felt as if he were a prey alone in a dark forest.
***
“Wow, isn’t this super expensive?”
I sniffed the clear scent of the potion Somerset had sent me.
“It’s definitely a superior-grade potion,”
Olivier said with a surprised look.
“With something like this, even Somerset must have taken a bit of a hit.”
“Hmm, really?”
I asked Olivier.
“Is it perhaps even better than the honey sent by the Second Mother?”
“...Yes. Compared in terms of potion quality, that was about mid-to-upper mid-range.”
“So my second mother was rather stingy after all.”
I closed the wooden box and handed it to Peter.
“Keep this safe.”
“Huh? Aren’t you going to drink it right away?”
“There’s a right time for everything like this. It’s not good to just blindly accumulate mana.”
“As the young master says. To consume a superior-grade potion, the consumer must be of a similar caliber. If not, one could end up with twisted mana or internal injuries.”
Peter replied, licking his lips.
“I didn’t know that.”
“You’re such a fool.”
“.”
“Anyway, let’s eat.”
We were having dinner in the dining hall.
“Young master, is the food to your liking today?”
The cook asked, looking at me.
“It’s delicious. It’s getting better every day. It feels like I’m opening up a new world of flavors.”
“Oh, such praise…”
“I never lie when it comes to food.”
It’s my principle to always be as sincere as possible to the person who serves me food.
After all, we eat to live, don’t we? Whether you’re a starving orphan on the streets or an emperor, if you don’t eat, you starve.
“But, young master, you were truly amazing today.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Everyone is saying a genius has appeared…”
Olivier nodded.
“You’re undoubtedly a genius. It’s not something anyone can do.”
“So I’ve gained a bit of fame?”
“A bit? How can you say that?”
Olivier retorted.
“How many people in this castle aren’t paying attention to your actions now?”
“Probably not many.”
“Then that’s already a great reputation.”
“Now that you mention it, it is.”
I smiled and cut my meat.
“Did you know this would happen from the beginning, young master?”
“Well, to some extent.”
I replied.
“If my opponent hadn’t been Keseg, the match wouldn’t have escalated into such a grand duel. And if it weren’t for the rules of a sword duel and mana usage restrictions, I might have struggled a bit and lost some face.”
But Karzan’s genius lay precisely in the realm of stealing the techniques, movements, and martial arts of others, as in today’s fight.
"So this was bound to be a stage set up entirely for me from the start."
"Do you think you would have lost if it had been a real fight, young master?"
"Not really, but it would have been much harder."
To defeat without killing, that is.
I had never lost in a life-or-death situation, even against opponents of higher levels than me. Karzan's blade became even sharper in the realm of life and death.
And if I had lost, I would have died.
Anyway, today was a very profitable day in many ways.
I defeated Keseg and gained fame, stole his swordsmanship, and even got the potion I extorted from Somerset.
If I were to consume that potion...
Well, I might even be able to aim for the 4th-tier.
"Hehehe."
I felt like storming into the underworld right now and causing a ruckus asking who the boss was here. Who would dare stop me?
"Young master,"
Just as I was grinning widely, Julia approached me hesitantly.
"What is it, my dear Julia?"
"Lady Ulbhild would like to see you."
"My sister?"
I felt like cheering. Was every fish I cast my line for a big one?
"What's the reason?"
"She didn't say."
"I see. Where is she?"
"Oh! She's waiting outside."
"Tell her to come in right away."
"Yes, sir!"
But Julia didn't even need to run.
"Allen, are you here?"
Ulbhild entered the dining room herself, accompanied only by a butler and a maid.
"Your, Your Highness!"
Peter, who had hastily stood up, bowed his head so low it seemed like it would touch the floor.
"Your Highness."
Olivier also stood up, looking slightly startled.
"I'm sorry to barge in on your meal, Allen."
I stood up and stared intently into Ulbhild's blue eyes.
She must have seen my fight.
I remembered how Ulbhild had demanded that I show her my swordsmanship as soon as they met in the banquet hall.
Is she trying to teach me martial arts because she pities my talent?
That's what I hoped. With a hint of expectation, I asked. "Why are you here, Sister?"
"Actually, I saw your duel today."
"Oh, I see."
"Your talent is truly astonishing. I was right not to doubt you."
Ulbhild's eyes sparkled.
"To understand the essence of a sword technique you've never seen before in an instant and make it your own... I've never seen anyone capable of that."
"Since I wasn't allowed to be taught, I had no choice but to find a way to quench my thirst for knowledge."
Ulbhild reacted to the bait I had casually thrown out.
"It's absurd, really. To waste talent like that..."
With the exact reaction I expected, I smiled inwardly and asked. "Sister, have you eaten?"
Ulbhild shook her head.
"Not yet."
"Then join us. Our cook is excellent."
Thanks to my casual attitude, Ulbhild smiled softly.
"Very well."
"I'll prepare it right away!"
Before Peter could stop him, he ran to the kitchen, and Julia quickly cleared the seat opposite me and brought out the dishes.
"Please sit down, Your Highness."
"Yes."
As Ulbhild sat down in front of me, I caught a whiff of sweat.
"You must have been training."
"Does it smell? I'm sorry."
"A swordsman who doesn't smell of sweat is truly shameful. I don't mind at all."
Ulbhild's smile deepened at my words.
"Actually, I came to talk to you about something."
Good.
She must be here to teach me martial arts. What a lucky day this is.
"I'm listening."
I perked up my ears, waiting for her next words.
"There's a lot to talk about, but to cut to the chase..."
Ulbhild lowered her voice.
"Cut to the chase?"
I felt a bit puzzled. Isn't she going to talk about martial arts?
"Allen, let me ask you directly."
The words that came out of Ulbhild's mouth were completely different from what I expected.
"Wouldn't you like to meet the enemy of Eisenach?"
"...!"
My blood ran cold.
I touched my face unconsciously.
"The enemy of Eisenach?"
It felt like my mask was cracking and emotions were leaking out through the cracks. I couldn't easily maintain my composure after being attacked so unexpectedly.
"What do you mean?"
I looked at Ulbhild. Her expression looked quite different from before.
Is she probing?
Ulbhild's eyes were sharp as if she were carefully examining my reaction.
This is absurd.
In that moment, I realized.
...I've been deceived.
She wasn't just a martial arts enthusiast. I must have been prejudiced by the reputation I'd heard about her without knowing the real her.
So, perhaps the somewhat cheerful demeanor she showed me at the banquet wasn't her true personality.
What a stupid mistake I've made.
Why on earth would Ulbhild bring up that story?
But instead of being flustered by the sudden attack, I had to figure out her intentions.
"...This is going to take a while."
A glass of water slid down my throat, cooling my overheated anger. I took a deep breath.
Calm down, Allenvert.
Don't lose your composure. She too is a monster with the Grunewald blood running through her veins.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Kawaii]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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