The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations Chapter 894

Episode 894 I Have a Plan. (9)

Claude visited Arell at all hours of the day.
This was because he had to persuade him by any means necessary to secure the Queen’s support.
Claude was a man who had staked his life on the position of Chancellor. He lightly disregarded Arell’s wishes and continued to pressure him into marriage.
Of course, Arell politely refused every time.
“I owe Your Highness the great kindness of the Grand Duke. It is an honor beyond my station just to be here. How could I possibly dare to marry Your Majesty?”
In truth, he did have feelings for Elena, but underlying this refusal were a deep sense of burden and fear.
Arell had always lived his life strictly controlling his conduct.
He believed that showing even the slightest lapse or fault would tarnish the reputation of his mentor, Gisel.
He had lived such an upright life that everyone would name him as the most incorruptible person in the kingdom. He
even distributed all of his personal wealth to those in need. He
looked just like a monk who had voluntarily chosen penance.
Nevertheless, Arell never wavered. He believed that this was the only way to protect the reputation of Gisel, who had bestowed kindness upon him.
To tell someone like Arell to marry Elena, Gisel’s younger sister—
it was something he simply could not accept. It felt as if he were coveting something he should never have dared to covet.
“I obtained this title thanks to Your Highness the Grand Duke, but my roots are those of a commoner. Therefore, please retract such words.”
Claude felt like he was going to go crazy. He was just as stubborn as his mentor.
Moreover, after talking to him, it turned out he was burdened with some strange sense of indebtedness. He was a man who lived his life completely devoid of personal emotions.
Claude clicked his tongue and said,
“Commander, you are mistaken. His Majesty says he likes you, Commander; do I need any other reason? You have feelings for him, don’t you? Ah, if you didn’t, I wouldn’t be saying this.”
“Even so, this is a position I dare not hold. Even harboring such feelings is disloyal.”
“Disobeying is even more disloyal!”
“In any case, I dare not do so.”
“What? Is His Majesty the Holy Grail? Is he so cherished that you wouldn’t dare touch him? Am I supposed to just watch from afar? Huh?”
Arell blushed silently.
Seeing this, Claude thought,
‘This bastard wasn’t normal either. Why is there no normal human in this kingdom other than me?’
To think he intended to just watch over him from a distance, cherishing him like a real treasure. They say
there are many ways to love, but to intend to just watch someone when they say they like you is a mindset that only someone who is mentally broken could conceive.
It’s not that he doesn’t understand it at all.
Even without the inferiority complex of being of commoner origin, the other person is the younger brother of his revered mentor and the King of a nation.
Accepting him with just his heart would be far too heavy a burden.
Claude sighed.
“I’m just speaking casually as a friend, like we used to. There is no one in this kingdom with a status more special than yours.”
“…….”
“You are none other than His Highness the Grand Duke’s sole disciple. There are many kings on this continent, but you are His Highness’s only disciple. There has never been one before, and there never will be. So, there is no need to worry about status.”
“…….” “
And you know that excessive humility is annoying, right? If you, who have inherited all of His Highness the Grand Duke’s visions, talk about the gap in status like that, what does that make everyone else? Then what am I, a slave?”
“…….”
“It’s not that I don’t know your burden, but just accept it. People who love each other need to be together. Watching from afar isn’t the answer.”
It was advice that only Claude, who had had to let Anna go, could offer.
Arell still remained silent. However, Claude could sense that he was wavering.
Normally, a firm refusal would have already come out.
Claude spoke one last time, as if driving a nail into the coffin.
“You created this burden for yourself. Truly, neither Your Majesty nor any of us think that way. So just do it. This marriage.”
Even so, Arell could not bring himself to utter the words that he would accept.
Claude rose from his seat with an annoyed expression.
“This is frustrating. Fine, I won’t come looking for you anymore, nor will I try to persuade you. Never! So now, decide for yourself.”
With that, he coldly turned and left.
Left alone, Arell sighed as he looked out the window.
He certainly liked Elena, too, but he wasn’t sure if he should express those feelings.
“…Master, is it really alright for me to do this?”
If he could have received Gisel’s permission, he would have gladly accepted it.
But Gisel is no longer here.
The thought that his master might not have been pleased with this marriage made it impossible for him to muster the courage.
He had taken him on as a disciple and provided him with the utmost support, but authorizing his marriage to his younger brother was a whole different story.
Still, it was a relief that Claude said he wouldn’t be coming anymore.
In fact, he had visited every single day to the point where it was interfering with his work. Even now, his backlog of work was piled high like a mountain.
“…I must focus on my work and compose myself for the time being.”
As time passed, his mind would find its direction. It wouldn’t be too late to decide then.
Was it right to make such an important decision as marriage as if being pushed into it like this?
Of course, he wasn’t saying no outright like he used to. Hearing Claude’s words, he felt he might have been acting overly defensively.
“Alright, let’s think about it a little more.”
Once he gained confidence and felt that it was truly okay… he intended to propose to her confidently.
It was a matter to be decided after careful consideration, even if it took a few years.
But he didn’t know.
Elena was in a hurry right now, and Claude was in a much more urgent situation.
The next day, another guest arrived instead of Claude.
“…Your Excellency, what brings you here so suddenly?”
“Hmm, I’ve come to have a cup of tea with you.”
The person who had come to see Arell was none other than Gillian, who had become the Commander-in-Chief of the Kingdom Army.
Gillian was known for strictly enforcing military discipline. His mere movement was enough to make every commander in the Kingdom tense. Although he
was old enough to have retired long ago, he remained on active duty because he had become so powerful.
Arell greeted Gillian with an anxious expression.
The two remained silent for quite a while.
Gillian tried to bring up a different topic before getting to the point, but he had nothing specific to say.
It was only natural. Arell, a man of upright character, managed the army without a single flaw.
Arell’s work was so perfect that even Gillian didn’t worry about the Capital Defense Command.
There was nothing to talk about regarding the military. Given his personality, it was also difficult for him to engage in trivial small talk.
Eventually, Gillian gave an awkward smile and thrust the matter at the point.
“By the way, sir… when do you plan to get married? You’re getting on in years… shouldn’t you start looking for a match?”
“…….”
Arell suddenly remembered his very early childhood.
There were older brothers and sisters in the village who remained unmarried until late in life. They were the ones who refused the marriage proposals their families had arranged for them and held out.
Whenever that happened, the village elders would swarm around and shower them with nagging, asking
when they were going to get married.
To his young mind, it seemed funny and amusing, but experiencing it firsthand felt like driving him crazy.
Gillian spoke with a feigned serious expression.
“Your Majesty seems quite troubled these days.”
“…….”
“If you have no intention, tell me right now. I will inform Your Majesty personally. That way, Your Majesty can devote yourself solely to state affairs.”
“Ah, no. I…”
Arell was flustered.
It wasn’t that he had no intention. It was that he lacked confidence and wasn’t sure if he should do it.
“I, I’m not yet sure…”
Bang!
Gillian slammed his hand on the table and spoke with a stern expression.
“Hmph! How do you expect to govern an army with such an indecisive heart!”
“W-what does this have to do with the army…”
Gillian did not listen to Arell’s words.
“As long as you are certain that you like each other, that is all that matters. Why are you being so picky?”
“…….”
“Marriage is something where if one side hesitates, the other must push through. When I was young, I was a mercenary and didn’t intend to get married, but… *cough cough*!”
“…….”
“Anyway, just accept it. I will come by often to check on your feelings. If you continue to be unable to concentrate on your work in this state, I can no longer tolerate it.”
“…….”
Arell felt wronged.
Weren’t people on all sides preventing him from focusing on his work?
Gillian knew this in truth, so he didn’t add anything more and hurriedly left headquarters.
He had originally planned to even threaten Arell with a resignation, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
He had come to persuade Arell because Claude had asked for his help and he understood Elena’s feelings, but as expected, this kind of work didn’t suit his personality.
The next day, Arell didn’t even have time to attend to his work, let alone ponder the situation.
It was because Kaoru, the commander of the Kingdom Army’s 1st Corps, and Lucas, the commander of the 2nd Corps, had come to visit.
“Hey, Arell, you’re doing well, right? Let’s go have a drink today. We’ve come to introduce you to a girl. You’re a man now, aren’t you? Then you should act like one.”
“Our Arell has grown up so much. You’ve become a superhuman, and now the defense commander protecting the most important capital. Wow, I think you used to be a crybaby when you were little. Anyway, today you just have to follow your brothers.”
It is nothing new to see the two of them acting this way.
After all, they have been trying to corrupt Arell by any means necessary since ancient times.
It is just that the timing is so perfect that it is burdensome.
Arell asked with a soulless expression,
“Aren’t you two working…?”
The two shrugged and replied,
“There is nothing to do.”
“It runs itself just fine, though?”
In truth, the two of them are not particularly well-suited as commanders.
However, they are strong beyond common sense. They were capable of destroying an ordinary kingdom on their own, without any troops.
Their symbolic status as superhumans alone was enough to justify placing them in the position of Legion Commander.
Excellent commanders could handle unit management and troop command.
Of course, they command directly during special training sessions. This is because, if nothing else, they excelled at the training they learned from Gisel. Since
it wasn’t a special training day and they had the time, the two tormented Arell to their heart’s content just like in the old days before leaving.
Putting Claude’s request aside, tormenting Arell was simply too much fun for the two of them.
There was also an element of him tormenting him more intensely now, knowing that if he married the Queen, he wouldn’t dare tease him.
Starting the next day, key figures of the kingdom kept visiting Arell.
Arell couldn’t concentrate on his work and grew haggard day by day.
Only then did he realize what was going on.
‘The Chancellor is driving me to the limit.’
He should have been suspicious when that persistent man said he wouldn’t come anymore.
He had completely forgotten, even though he knew that man would never give up.
Having been properly beaten by Claude for the first time, Arell finally understood why Claude had such a notorious reputation.
Mentally exhausted, Arell had no energy left to worry or think.
‘Should I just beat up every single person who comes to see me?’
For a brief moment, he even had that wicked thought.
In truth, there were too many strong people to actually do it. Besides, he wasn’t the type to do it.
In the end, he gave up. Forget about certainty or whatever; it seemed better to just get married.
He picked up a pen with a blank expression.
It was to write a letter of surrender to Claude.
[… … “Therefore, accepting this marriage as the Chancellor wishes… … .”
He, who had been writing a letter with a weary face, suddenly stopped moving.
Arell stared at what he had written for a long time, then suddenly tore it up, stacked it, and tore it again, repeating this process.
The paper was instantly shredded and scattered across the floor.
“Phew….”
Arell took a deep breath.
He slowly picked up his pen again.
Even though Claude had driven him into this situation by mobilizing people.
If he had to make a momentous decision… …
not because someone pushed him, but solely with his own heart.
Whether it was work, a fight… … or love.
A man should always do that. That is what he had learned.
So Arell began to bring out the feelings he had struggled to suppress all this time.
[Your Majesty, please accept my heart that has long loved you. When I first met Your Majesty… … .]
Arell’s pen did not stop.
The feelings he had harbored were engraved on the paper carefully, yet honestly.
After finishing the letter, he gazed at it for a long time.
And he quietly folded it and tucked it into his bosom.
He had no intention of entrusting this matter to anyone else anymore.
The next day, Arell emptied his entire fortune to buy a ring.
It was the finest ring he could afford at that moment.
On the way to the royal palace,
although he was a superhuman who had weathered countless wars, his heart was beating faster than ever.
Yet, his footsteps no longer stopped.
Until now, he had always lived to protect his master’s name.
But just this once.
He was walking for the sake of his own heart.
Arell stood before the gates of the royal palace.
And after letting out a deep breath once more, he slowly walked toward the door.
To the one he loved.
To convey his feelings directly.

* * *

Arell boldly headed straight to meet Elena.
Elena was in the royal palace courtyard. Having received permission for an audience, he walked there with a commanding stride.
And finally, he was able to see Elena.
She was holding documents and discussing something with her ministers.
Sunlight fell upon her golden hair. At the sight, Arell’s heart pounded.
The problem was that not only the ministers but also many knights and attendants were present.
They all looked at Arell with curious expressions, wondering what was going on.
Only then did Arell realize the reality.
‘I must be crazy. Why at this time of all times…’
He had picked the wrong time.
He had assumed there wouldn’t be many people since it wasn’t the time for a state council meeting, but he hadn’t expected so many.
‘I should have checked beforehand.’
His mind went completely blank.
Seeing Arell standing stiff and lifeless like a statue, Elena asked in a puzzled voice,
“Commander of the Capital Defense, what brings you here at this hour?”
“……”
Arell did not answer. In truth, he was so nervous that he couldn’t hear a word Elena was saying.
“Excuse me? Commander?”
“…….”
“Hey.”
“…….”
“Arel!” It was only
after she called out loudly, just like before, that Arell flinched and snapped back to reality.
The tension still hadn’t subsided, but… it was too late to turn back now.
Arell knelt down on one knee. Intrigue
instantly flickered in the eyes of the people, and anticipation slowly rose on Elena’s face as well.
Arell gave up trying to collect his thoughts and spoke the words he had prepared.
“Your Majesty.”
His voice trembled severely. But he didn’t stop.
“I have something to tell you.”
Elena was already smiling broadly.
The words that would come out in a situation like this were obvious.
However, Arell was so nervous that his tongue got twisted.
“I… I… I mean… since the first time I met Your Majesty…”
None of the words he had prepared came to mind. His mind was just completely blank.
“I mean… I… probably since then… I think it was already over.”
He wanted to say that his heart had already completely fallen for her, to the point where no other woman caught his eye from that moment on.
However, due to extreme nervousness, only the conclusion blurted out of his mouth.
It was a statement that could be interpreted in a completely different way depending on the context.
At that moment, Elena’s expression hardened coldly.
“What is ending? Our relationship? We haven’t even properly started yet?”
As she spoke, she gestured to the knights.
It meant for them to bring the hammer.
Five knights moved immediately. That was because they needed that many to even lift that hammer.
In any case, Elena had delegated full authority to Claude.
I heard he had visited every day to try and persuade her, but it seemed the exhausted Arell had come to see it all off.
Even so, he should have come quietly to talk to her privately; to try to humiliate her openly in front of so many people.
‘Fine, let’s just use force like you do, brother. I’ve held back a lot. Praise my patience.’
Elena openly released her fingers first.
The intensity of today’s hammering was going to vary depending on the answer.
“It seems you’ve already forgotten how terrifying I am.” All
he had to do was remind her what a living siege weapon truly is.
Arell was startled by Elena’s sudden cold reaction.
“Your Majesty! That is not it!”
In her current state, it felt as though a mistake would slip out the moment she opened her mouth.
Arell hurriedly took a letter from his pocket and handed it to her.
Elena glared at Arell for a moment, then accepted the letter. She began to read it slowly.
The letter was filled with Arell’s sincerity in every word. It showed
just how long and how deeply he had harbored these feelings.
As she read on, Elena’s expression gradually changed. Tears welled up in her eyes. She
couldn’t understand why he had held back all this time when he liked her this much.
After finishing the letter, Elena was speechless for a moment. She
simply gazed at Arell with teary eyes.
The hostile atmosphere from just moments ago naturally subsided.
Arell carefully took a small box from his pocket again and opened it.
Inside was a single ring.
A ring far too modest for a superhuman of the kingdom to have bought.
However, everyone here could guess that the ring was one that the upright Arell had bought by spending his entire fortune.
That is why the ring was more valuable and precious than any jewel in the world.
“Your Majesty.”
Arell’s voice was still trembling.
However, this time, he spoke clearly, without missing a single word.
Hundreds of times. No, perhaps thousands of times.
The words he had had to swallow in his heart.
“Will you allow me to dedicate my entire life to Your Majesty?”
A brief silence followed.
It was a very short time, but to Arell, it felt endlessly long.
Elena smiled tearfully and said,
“Why are you only telling me now?”
She took a step closer to Arell.
“You fool.”
Unable to hold back any longer, Elena pulled Arell into her arms.
Sounds of gasping in surprise erupted from all around.
For the Queen of a nation to embrace someone in front of others was a breach of her dignity.
Elena buried her face in his shoulder and murmured,
“I’ve been waiting all this time.”
Arell also smiled, his eyes reddening.
He should have been this honest with his feelings sooner.
He felt grateful and sorry to her for waiting for him for so long.
Elena pulled away and held out her hand.
Arell slipped the ring onto her finger with trembling hands.
The moment the ring went onto her finger, Elena smiled brightly.
“You can’t escape now.”
She continued in a low voice.
“Because you’re mine.”
Arell nodded vigorously.
Then, he rose from his seat and hugged Elena tightly.
At that moment.
“Wowww!”
Cheers erupted from the royal courtyard.
The people gathered around began to applaud in unison.
Elena embraced Arell with a happy expression. Yet, she quickly gestured to one side.
It was a signal to put the hammer away immediately.
And behind a pillar a short distance away…
Claude, who had been watching the entire scene, smiled with satisfaction.
“I didn’t mean for you to confess this boldly… Anyway, the plan succeeded.”
Now, the position of Chancellor was practically his own.
No one would be able to ignore this achievement.
In a way, it was a happy day for everyone.