My Villains Chapter 407
63. Knights of the Silver Prince (14)
Silence accompanied momentum.
A cold, eerie air fills the main hall. Ososo chicken meat rises.
“I thought you were pretty smart for your age.” A low murmur. Because everyone was holding their breath, Count Akele’s voice resonated very clearly.
“Now I see, he was a kid who didn’t even know my subject.”
In the next moment, I was genuinely amazed. It was because of Count Ines’ reaction.
“Well, I just want a fair price.”
Considering her young age, the girl was on the small side, but she answered boldly even in front of the most powerful and ferocious blood knight in Ireland.
It’s still a fierce expression, but anyway.
“It is a stake in the richest port in the southeast of the empire. The cost of mobilizing a few of your meager henchmen is more than enough and will be overpaid.”
“If you ignore the risk and calculate it, it will.”
The knights of the Count Milgrester distorted their expressions at the point where they talked about insignificant henchmen, but the fresh blood did not even pay attention to them. The knights chewed their lips and swallowed their quarters, but no one dared to open their mouths or step forward.
Even in that atmosphere, Count Ines looked very calm. A single drop of sweat wet the ends of his straight eyebrows.
“However, if the plan of the 3rd Prince fails, you will lose nothing but the electorate and concubines of the empire. No lord who manages a small province would accept such an offer.”
I don’t know if that confidence stems from a noble class, a special bloodline, or the guest of a young aristocrat. However, one thing was certain: that attitude sharply raised the tension in the room.
“The three princes are giraffes with no one to compete with on the continent.”
Count Akele gave an unexpectedly generous evaluation in a cold voice.
“Since I made my name known to the world at the age of 17, I have never suffered a defeat or failed a cause. Do you think this will be the first failure of the three princes?”
From some time ago, he openly spoke casually, but I didn’t feel anything out of place. Anyway, he is a man whose arrogant attitude suits him better than anyone else.
“I hope that doesn’t happen, but as the leader of a family, being prepared for danger is not an option. Please forgive me, Your Excellency.”
“…a cheeky thing.”
It was still a voice full of cold air, but there was something resembling fun, albeit slightly, in the snort that followed.
“…Good. Then do this.”
It’s just that you go back and forth between half words and half respect. By the way, are you accepting the request? so pure?
“If the plan of the three princes fails and we cannot acquire the stake in Froth Haven, then I will allow the Count’s ships to join my fleet’s exploration voyage.”
“You mean to share the results?”
“If you knew the potential that the Witch of Hymn had, you would know that just getting the chance to share the harvest is an undeserved price.”
Whether he knew that Count Akele had given him enough concessions not befitting his reputation, or perhaps sensed in his tone a warning not to cross the line, Count Ines quietly kept his mouth shut.
“Then let’s do the math.” The redness in his voice had become a little clearer before he knew it.
When the pirate admiral, who is like the embodiment of greed, showed the letter he had received from the silver prince, the young lord with mysterious eyes washed away the fierce energy and became aghast.
“…do you think you will impose this toll on me too?”
“No toll. In exchange for several privileges, including security at sea.”
“If he invites you to
participate in the war and asks you to pay even the gold.”
…wow this man is so shameless. Although it was none other than Count Akele himself who had proclaimed something similar to the maritime ban by using the title of the Duke of Ireland’s maritime agent.
“No matter how you say it, ten golden coffins are too expensive.”
“It’s a bargain compared to the privilege of ignoring the orders given by His Highness Duke Kaisis.”
When the fresh-blooded man sold the name of his nephew-Akele’s headquarters was someone who was the same age as Kaisis and Heila’s aunt-Earl Ines, who felt unbreakable resoluteness, opened his mouth after hesitation.
“I don’t have that much gold right now.”
“Don’t worry. If you write a letter with a seal on it, I’ll collect the payment from Coluju.”
“…His Excellency?”
“I have to send my men. There are several blood knights under my command who specialize in this kind of work, so don’t worry.” Leaving the pale-faced girl behind, Count Aquelle turned to me and Sir Atalanta Langboldt.
“Now is it the turn of the 3 princes?”
He skimmed through the correspondence and added words.
“Here is Count Ines. Since you suddenly received the offer, it is only natural that you did not prepare the gold. But your lord is different. Now, where is the gold you prepared?”
‘What are you, are you empty-handed?’ It was a questioning gaze, so I replied with a smile.
“Will you take it here?”
“Is there a problem?”
“Well, I don’t care.”
I got up from my seat, groping my arms against his chin.
What I took out was a small wad of paper. As I unfolded the finely folded thin paper and laid it out on the empty floor, Akele Baek showed a puzzled expression in the midst of his expressionless expression.
“What are you doing?”
“Please wait a moment.”
When I picked up the candlestick hanging from the wall and lit the paper on the floor, Count Ines and Sir Slanweed gasped in surprise. This is because the yellow paper, which had no patterns or pictures, revealed strange patterns in the flames.
Ugh.
right at that moment. Mana began to flow out of the dimensional gap in the middle of the paper. The flow of mana, unknown where it came from, continued to widen the gap in the dimension.
“It is the magic of the sage.”
Sir Eordan, who had been standing silently behind the seat of honor, obliterating his presence, opened his mouth. Count Akele narrowed his brows.
“That old monster’s magic tool?”
Amidst the hostility, I sensed something akin to bewilderment, so I swallowed a laugh and agreed.
“yes. The prince calls it ‘Kellistel’s Emergency Money Bag’.”
Sage Kellistel.
He is the courtier of the royal capital and the most famous wizard in the kingdom. He is also an old man who is also called the ‘Advisor of the Five Kings’. He was also a legendary figure who had been active since the days of Eadum II, the ‘King of the Dog’s Eye’, a hundred years ago.
Tzuyu.
When the dimensional gap that had formed in the middle of the magic circle widened enough, I put my hands inside it.
“Ha-”
Count Ines, who had been covering his mouth with his eyes wide open as if my arms seemed to disappear in the air, swallowed again.
“Ummm wait… Where did this go – oh there it is.”
I pulled the object caught at the tip of my hand out of the dimensional gap. It was so heavy that I had to twist my back and use strength.
“Keep it!”
As soon as
the item was taken out, the slow-burning piece of paper ‘Kellistel’s Emergency Money Pocket’ turned to ashes and scattered.
‘Kellistel’s Emergency Money Bag’ was a magical tool that created a small sub-space. In addition to the limitation of being able to store only gold and silver, it also had the huge drawback of being disposable, but it was definitely a useful item.
I clicked my tongue in regret and put my hand on the large golden statue I took out.
“ruler. It is golden here.” “…what the hell is that hideous thing?”
“Didn’t you hear? Because it is gold.”
Count Akelle’s eyes were wide open, as if he had forgotten the magical tools of the Archmage Kellystel.
Even the blood knights and the blood knights, who rarely change their expressions, couldn’t hide their surprise, so the others naturally opened their mouths in amazement.
Of course, the golden statue I took out had a very strange shape.
It was a statue of a warrior armed with chain mail, helmet, dagger and shield. It was so elaborate that it seemed to come alive at any moment.
However, it was a bit grotesque because it portrayed the moment when the head was smashed and the bones and flesh just started to scatter.
“Awesome.”
Count Akele spat out a plain exclamation.
“This is the first time in my life that I have done something like this.”
Of course it will be the first time. You’ve never met Utequai with the ‘Hand of Mammon’. Well, even if you meet him, it won’t be easy to see such a golden statue. The number of human monsters and beasts that Utequai has beaten and killed by Mammon’s hand over the past few months must be well over a thousand, but the ‘touch of greed’ – a special option that turns enemy corpses into gold with a very low probability – has only been activated twice.
“Looking at the weight, it doesn’t seem to be completely pure gold, but if you melt it down, you’ll get about 120 coffins.”
As he continued to speak, he glanced at the bloodbaek’s eyes. Judging from the nailed eyes, it seems that he liked the figure of the slave soldier with his head exploding.
“But you can’t weigh a work of art. So-”
“Two hundred coffins.”
“One hundred five yes?”
“I’ll give you two hundred crowns.”
Count Akele continued without turning his head.
“I will grant privileges to all sailboats in Auduenne. Would that be enough?”
“Uh yes… Oh and pushing the Black Dragon Fleet into the port”
“I understand. The price is a one-half stake in Proshafen.”
After taking out the golden statue, I was dumbfounded by the transaction that ended in an instant.
…Um, but I’m a little worried.
Looking back on the memory of enjoying this world as a game, it was said that the golden award obtained through ‘Mammon’s Hand’ disappeared after a certain amount of time.
The certain amount of time was neither too short nor too long, so a strange event was held. Something like the ‘Gold Collecting Challenge’, where you fill your inventory with gold statues that disappear over time.
Seeing Count Akele deprived of all his nerves by the golden statue, I’m afraid of the aftermath after it evaporates, but… I don’t
know. Gimpo Enix at that time would take care of that.
After finishing all the deals, I talked with Count Akele for a while, and then I left the stronghold ‘Ballesolis’.
It was already deep in the morning, and Atalanta and Sir Langbolt were waiting under the night sky that had grown dark.
“what?”
“He didn’t tell me.”
“to the end?”
“uh. If it was someone else, I would have heard the story somehow.”
“Earring. Does anyone in this kingdom exist who can produce fresh blood?”
When Atalanta snorted, Sir Langboldt smiled and nodded.
“It will be difficult to find even if you search the entire continent, not just the kingdom. It’s like he’s lowering his head. It’s hard to imagine not only the duke, but also the emperor or sultan in front of you.”
I smiled bitterly and agreed, then asked him a question.
“Don’t you have any guesses, sir? Why is the Scale Fleet chasing the Witch of Hymns?”
The reason I talked to Akele for a while after leaving the main hall was to ask a question about the Witch of Hymns. However, the bloodbaek, who was distracted by the golden statue made by Utequai, said, ‘It’s none of your business. I just left the words ‘get out of here’ and went up to the tower. Thanks to that, I was able to alleviate some of the guilt.
“Well… Could it be because of the rumors about that monster?”
“What are the rumors?”
“It’s a story that circulates among sailors, but the Witch of Hymns spoke human words. I mean Milanole.”
He had a deep connection with the sea, befitting his nickname of ‘the roaring waves’. Lord Langboldt’s father is the great lord who rules the coastal region of the Southern Shore. It was only natural that he was aware of the rumors circulating among the sailors.
“…do monsters speak people?”
“It is. But don’t take it too seriously. There is also a saying that they are sirens, and they are not much different from ordinary people on the outside, so they may not be fish-men, or that a girl with a grudge has become an ‘Incor’… Anyway, there are all sorts of rumors.”
Encor is a creature similar to a water ghost. Well, it’s closer to an evil spirit than a ghost, but the handling is there.
Sir Langboldt shrugged as I put on a puzzled expression.
“Don’t look at me like that. I was just told that such a story was circulating.”
“Probably the rumor spread because of the song she sang.”
Atalanta yawned slightly and ran the knife through her hair. The voice continued while unconsciously recalling the texture of her mouth and throat.
“I don’t know if he’s copying people, but he sang in Milanese.” “song?”
“huh. But it only sings, no conversation at all.”
Atalanta was the one who fought the Witch of Hymn a few months ago right here in Oduenne.
“Have you tried talking?”
“of course. Singing in human language, just in case. But there was no response.”
As the three mounted their respective horses, Atalanta’s flashbacks continued.
“Apart from his tough skin, his movements were quite nimble. Somehow I caught it and beat it with a spear, but from a giant to a bass fish to a blue crab- anyway, all sorts of guys came at me with foam at the mouth. In the end, far from putting an end to it, I almost got seriously hurt.”
Grouper – it’s a nickname for a sea bass man – hey, he’s a representative fish-man warrior, so even so, it’s okay to drag a sea giant and Crabber – a nickname for a crab man. Well, since it has that much power, it must have swept the coast for a while.
“I don’t know if he’s trying to catch me after hearing rumors that we can talk, but it seems like a futile effort to me. The Hymn Witch was just a terrible monster.”
“I heard that you have great beauty.”
“What if you look pretty on the outside? They are driving the fishmen around and turning the village into a mess.”
Around the time that story came and went, we parted ways with Lord Langbolt.
“According to Count Ines’ circumstances, we will set sail at the latest the day after tomorrow.”
“I need to hurry up with my preparations… I will go to the pier tomorrow at around noon to share the supply situation.”
“Good. then.”
He was taking care of lodging and meals on the flagship of the Steel Fleet, so we turned towards the wharf, and Atalanta and I went through the gate and headed for the Nudin camp.
Count Ines suggested staying at the castle, but he politely declined. The luxurious tent of Atalanta is a hundred times better than the stone-walled guest room except for the palm-sized windows.
It was spring, so the weather was getting warmer, and I didn’t want to give up the cool and refreshing wind that had been filtered once through an oiled cloth. Thick, fluffy rugs and soft velvet cushions.
And crucially, there is a bundle in the base of the Nudane tribe.
“trunnion!”
The group that was squatting in front of Atalanta’s tent jumped to their feet as soon as they saw me. And before he even got off his horse, he jumped into my arms as if he were flying.
“What are you waiting for outside?”
“Yes-”
“Until this dawn?”
“yes!”
The bundle tightly hugging my waist with both legs tightly adhered to it as if it could not allow a space as large as the hole of a needle between me and itself. Then he rubbed his face under the uvula and took a deep breath.
I didn’t even need to support my butt. Instead of forcibly removing the bundle, I hung on to it the entire time I dismounted, washed my hands and feet, and entered the tent.
“…She’s fucking.”
No matter what the Atalanta that followed muttered, all they could do was make a moaning sound like a giggling cat.
“Mungchi, what about Iofiya?”
“I’m out.”
“It’s bedtime, so where are we going?”
“Look at the stars. He said he couldn’t sleep.”
Iofiya had been transforming into a flying squirrel right after entering the region of Abiden.
While traveling on horseback, all the tiny flying squirrel could do was hide in a pouch and take a nap. I slept soundly during the day, so it was only natural that I couldn’t sleep at night.
Well, if you say you went to see the stars, you won’t have to worry too much since you’ll be in the garrison.
As I was getting ready for bed, Atalanta, who was lying on the bed, came out from the carpet and asked, looking at the bunch playing pranks.
“Are you sleeping here?”
WO ” Heh.
She was about to say something for a moment, then sighed deeply and closed the oil lamp to turn off the light.
“Then you sleep there.”
“Nope?”
“what? Hey-”
Atalanta raised her voice annoyedly as I hung up the bundle and lay down on the bed.
“Hey what are you doing!”
“If you sleep on the floor, your back hurts.”
“It’s carpeted. It’s narrow, so go down.”
“Narrow. It would be enough for one or two more people to lie down.”
“Oh hey. Ugh”
Atalanta, who had been struggling as I pulled her back and hugged her, was frightened.
“What are you doing?”
“There is something I have wanted to do for a long time.”
“You crazy bastard…
As soon as I slowly tapped on his weak point, the speech quieted down. By the time the sound of breathing filled the void, I kissed Munchwi.
After spending such a long, hot night in March together, Mungchi and Atalante became close in their own way, although there was still a little bit of a face-to-face feeling.
