Episode 142: Wait (5)
Raoul didn’t feel like living.
But I couldn’t help but believe it when the man sitting next to me said that.
Because the opponent is the strongest player in the kingdom.
Raoul asked, his brows furrowed.
“How good do you think your skills are?”
“I don’t know exactly.”
“You can’t gauge your opponent’s skills?”
When Raoul asked again, the man shook his head as if shivering.
“Something felt wrong.”
“It feels wrong?”
“Every movement and every breath is extraordinary. But if you just look at it, it doesn’t look that strong… … .”
“So just how strong is it?”
The man recalled his memories and blurted them out.
“It seems true that he was directly involved in the war.”
“Umm… … .”
Raoul muttered, tapping his chin.
“A guy with a reputation as a loser is that skilled? Am I mistaken?”
“No, it’s certain. It’s enough to be active in war. Even if you lack physical strength and mana, you can compensate for it with your excellent technique.”
At those words, Raoul let out a small sigh.
‘Should I have just nibbled on it now, even if it meant going to extremes? It’s not that famous yet, so I think it could have been taken care of.’
If he had killed him, the pro-Prince nobles would have certainly raised an uproar, but he was confident that he could portray it as a just duel.
If it had been said that not only he but also those around him had made the same judgment, Duke Delphine would have understood.
The two men enjoyed that much trust.
Raoul finally couldn’t stand it anymore and let out a grumble.
“Should I have just killed him today?”
The masked man remained silent for a moment and then spoke.
“I thought about it for a moment. Considering his age, what he has accomplished so far is truly outstanding.”
“But why didn’t you kill him? I would have taken care of the rest.”
“… … I didn’t see any openings that would kill me in one blow. No, no. I guess I should say there was an opening, but I wasn’t sure. Thinking about it now, it seems like they intentionally created an opening.”
“what?”
Raoul asked back in a bewildered tone. The man continued speaking indifferently.
“If I hadn’t killed him in one blow, Marquis Branford’s men would have rushed in. That would have only made matters worse without gaining anything. That’s why I’ve decided to give up. There’s no good to be gained by causing trouble now.”
“You weren’t sure you could kill him in one blow? You?”
“okay.”
Raoul didn’t believe it. No, he couldn’t believe it.
“That’s ridiculous. There’s no way someone of that age could have that kind of skill. Did I see things differently?”
“That could be true. I may have simply mistaken the aura and distribution he showed. But it’s stupid to swing a sword without confidence.”
Raoul narrowed his brows. His face still showed a look of discontent.
“Even if it wasn’t a single blow… Couldn’t you have killed him before the people came rushing in?”
The masked man searched his memories for a moment and then slowly opened his mouth.
“Ten times.”
“Ten times?”
“If what I felt was true, it would have taken at least ten swings to kill him. But with that level of skill, he would have run away to the banquet hall right after receiving the first attack without fighting me.”
“Then it would definitely be difficult… … .”
“Okay, then forget about it. You’ll get another chance later.”
Raoul clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“Is assassination possible?”
The man glared at Raoul, his eyes narrowed. He muttered in a low voice.
“You’re not asking me to do it myself, are you?”
“No way. Where in the world would there be such a waste of manpower? I’m just asking if there’s a chance of success.”
“… … Depending on the assassin’s skill, it might be possible to succeed. However, there’s no benefit to touching him. You know that well.”
“I don’t intend to ruin my work by killing that guy. I just said it out of regret.”
Giselle is receiving the attention of the capital’s nobles as she even treats the Marquis’ daughter.
In that situation, if an assassination attempt is made and traces are left behind, it can be difficult.
For now, they had to maintain the status quo as much as possible while winning over the capital’s nobles behind the scenes.
“Tsk, I should have killed him before he joined the Prince’s faction. I was too complacent. The northern conquest, which I thought would be the easiest, ended up being the most delayed.”
“Harold has also been hit once, so he will move cautiously. Isn’t he someone with that level of ability?”
“Of course it should be like that.”
Raoul spat out in a cold tone, one corner of his mouth turning up.
If Harold had taken control of the North before Giselle made a name for herself, this wouldn’t have been such a headache.
It is true that that point was somewhat regrettable.
Raoul clicked his tongue and continued.
“Just in case, we should warn Harold. Since Giselle Ferdium himself is strong, he should think of him as a commander of a territory and make plans accordingly.”
“The best sword in the North.”
“… … What are you talking about all of a sudden? The Northern First Sword.”
“I’m talking about the power of Giselle Ferdium. Tell them to put it on the level of the Northern First Sword, Commander of the Knights Leipold.”
At those words, Raoul opened his eyes wide and questioned.
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“Isn’t the evaluation too generous? It’s excessive to call him a Knight Commander at that age.”
“Let’s call it a sense of innocence. I know you won’t like hearing that.”
“hmm…….”
Raoul said with a sly smile, rubbing his chin.
“Well, it can’t hurt to prepare thoroughly. I’ll tell you.”
“It won’t mean much once we start moving in earnest anyway. You don’t fight a war alone.”
“You’re called a one-man army, so how can you say that war isn’t fought alone? Doesn’t that seem out of place?”
The masked man quietly responded to Raoul’s mocking words.
“Isn’t there another one like me in the royal family? As long as he and I keep each other in check, the outcome of the war will be in the hands of others.”
The man, who had been silent for a moment, muttered self-deprecatingly.
“I’m so bored.”
After saying those words, the masked man did not open his mouth any more.
* * *
After Raoul left, the banquet continued in a pleasant atmosphere for a while.
The nobles of the Prince’s faction couldn’t help but feel happy since Aesong, who had just joined the faction, rejected the Duke’s proposal.
They gathered in twos and threes and drank alcohol, praising Giselle’s spirit and making a fuss.
As the night deepened, the banquet naturally came to an end, with the prince and high-ranking nobles taking their places one by one.
“Whew, I’m tired.”
Jiselle shook her head, pulling at the tight collar around her neck to loosen it.
Every time something like this happens, I feel that dealing with people is harder than fighting.
Every time I force a smile, I get goosebumps on my back. It doesn’t suit my constitution.
Rosaline approached him as he was waiting for the right moment to escape.
“You worked hard today.”
“Yes, well… … I can’t say no. But it wasn’t bad.”
“Hehehe, it’s not often that one person gets the spotlight at a banquet like this.”
“That’s true. I didn’t know I was this popular.”
After rejecting Raoul’s offer, the nobles did not let Giselle go.
The connections I’ve made here will come in handy someday, but for now, all I want to do is go back quickly and rest.
Just as Giselle was about to end the conversation and turn back, Rosaline asked.
“What is your goal, Baron?”
“yes?”
“I wonder what the Baron is looking at.”
“Just… … Well, I’m no different from other people. My goal is to eat well and live well.”
Jiselle gave a vague explanation.
Who can he tell his true feelings to?
The goal is to wipe out the Delphine Dukes and turn everything into a wasteland, and he came back from the future to find and destroy all the guys behind it…
That countless people will die in the future.
‘If I tell anyone, they’ll say that Giselle Ferdium is crazy and there’ll be chaos.’
Perhaps he will go down in history as a warmonger and a murderer.
Is it really necessary to talk about such a bloody future?
I can’t tell anyone and I can’t rely on anyone.
The only person you can trust is yourself.
To him, those in power, including the pro-royal faction, were merely a means to achieve his own goals.
Just as Giselle was about to lose herself in thought, Rosalind asked back with a strange smile.
“It’s an ordinary goal. But considering that, everything you do seems extraordinary.”
“Well, it’s just that I have a hasty personality and prefer to get things done quickly. Even if I do something, isn’t it all about enriching the territory? It’s nothing special.”
“Hmm… … .”
Rosalind narrowed her eyes at him, as if she didn’t believe him at all.
Jiselle felt a little uncomfortable with her like that. Those eyes that seemed to gauge her true feelings and delve deep into her.
“I’m tired, so I’ll go now. See you next time.”
Rosalind spoke to him in a sly tone as he hurriedly tried to leave.
“Remember that I am your patron, Baron. If you ever need my help, please let me know.”
“Thank you, but I don’t think it will bother you much, Miss.”
Jiselle drew the line firmly.
I fully understand Rosalind’s feelings. I am grateful for that feeling.
But that’s it. To achieve your goal, you have no choice but to move more aggressively as time goes by.
Perhaps, it may become a force that threatens the royal family and be watched by everyone.
‘It should be at least worth fighting the Delphine Dukes.’
In the meantime, I don’t want the Marquis of Branford or Rosaline meddling or interfering.
The favor ends here. It’s better to take what each side needs and go their separate ways.
I didn’t want to get involved with him and see him die.
“Okay, I’ll be going now. I had fun today.”
Rosalind sighed as she watched Giselle leave.
He must have helped because he had his own goals in mind, but thanks to him, he gained a new life.
No matter how much I repaid, it wasn’t enough. I wanted to keep in touch with you for a long time, but you cut me off like that.
Rosalind turned around as if she had never been watching Giselle before and headed to her room.
I had a feeling I wouldn’t be able to sleep today.
* * *
As soon as she got on the returning carriage, Giselle sighed at the regret that filled her head.
‘I feel so suffocated.’
As the masked man had expected, Giselle hesitated on the spot whether or not to kill Raoul.
You can deal with the aftermath later. No, you should just kill him without thinking about the aftermath.
‘It was worth it, no matter what the loss.’
It was thanks to Raoul’s schemes that the Delphine Dukes were able to grow to what they are now.
Already, numerous vested interests had passed into the hands of the duke’s family, and the number of lords supporting the duke’s family was increasing throughout the kingdom.
Most of the conflicts that occurred throughout the kingdom were also orchestrated by Raoul behind the scenes.
‘If it weren’t for that guy… … .’
Jiselle gritted her teeth as she thought of the masked man.
He tried to kill Raoul several times during their conversation.
But every time, the masked man came in, holding his breath.
Surprisingly, the man read Giselle’s subtle movements and moved accordingly. He even had a faint murderous intent to kill her if she did anything foolish.
So, Giselle couldn’t bring herself to attack Raoul.
‘He is indeed as great as the rumors say. No, he is even better than the rumors say.’
Jiselle’s mana management skills and insight are not much different from when she was the Mercenary King.
There are only a handful of people in the entire kingdom who can interfere with his breathing.
A wizard of the 7th circle or higher, or one who has received the title of Sword Master.
‘There are only two Sword Masters in Rutania.’
One is the Commander of the Royal Knights, who always stands by the King’s side.
And another one… … .
The Duke of Delphine’s closest confidant and most loyal swordsman, the man who is truly the strongest in the kingdom.
‘The Royal Sword Master, Count Balzac.’
Jiselle covered her face with her hands and laughed silently.
It wasn’t a laugh because he was happy. It was a laugh to suppress his burning anger.
I couldn’t stand it, my blood boiling, because they just let those who needed to be killed go.
‘If only I could regain the realm of my previous life… … .’
If that was the case, I would have beheaded them all somehow.
That fact made me feel so sorry that my stomach kept turning.
‘It’s already in the past. Let’s forget about it. For now, we should just think about getting stronger and expanding our power faster.’
He hasn’t been lazy for even a moment since he returned to the past. For him, the current state is the best.
Only the best was not enough to stand against Count Balzac.
“Phew… … .”
Jiselle held onto her life and buried it deep in her chest.
I vowed that one day I would vent all the helplessness and anger I felt today, this humiliation.
‘Next time… … it won’t end quietly like this.’
The two will definitely meet again.
When he and the Duke risked everything to fight.
That’s when it would be revealed who was truly the strongest in the kingdom.
