Chapter 407
My Villains Episode 407
63. The Silver Prince's Knights(14)
Silence was accompanied by momentum.
A cold, eerie air fills the main hall. Oh soso chicken meat is growing.
““I thought you were pretty smart for your age.” A low murmur. Because everyone was holding their breath, Count Akele's voice rang out very clearly..
“Now I see that I was a kid who didn't even know my subject..”
The next moment, I was truly amazed. It was because of Count Aines’ reaction..
“I, um, I just want a fair price..”
Even considering her young age, the girl, who was rather small in stature, answered confidently even in the face of the most powerful and ferocious blood knight in Eyland..
He still has a fierce expression, but anyway.
“It is a stake in the richest port in the southeastern part of the empire. The compensation for mobilizing a few of your insignificant henchmen would be more than enough..”
“That's true if you ignore the risk and calculate it..”
When talking about insignificant henchmen, the knights of the Count Milgrester family distorted their expressions, but the bright-blooded white man did not even look at them. The knights also chewed their lips and swallowed their anger, but no one dared open their mouths or come forward..
Even in such an atmosphere, Count Aeneas seemed quite calm. A single bead of sweat only wet the tip of my straight eyebrows..
“However, if His Highness the Third Prince's plan fails, he will end up dealing with the empire's electors without any gain. No lord running a small province would accept such a proposal..”
I don't know if that confidence comes from a noble status, a special lineage, or just the courage of a young nobleman. But one thing was certain: that attitude was rapidly raising the tension in the room..
“3The prince is a giraffe with no one on the continent to compete with..”
Count Akelle gave an unexpectedly generous evaluation in a cold voice..
“Since making a name for myself in the world at the age of seventeen, I have never experienced defeat or failed in my great cause. Do you think this will be the third prince's first failure??”
He had been speaking informally to me since some time ago, but I didn't feel any discomfort at all. Anyway, this guy suits an arrogant attitude better than anyone else..
“I hope not, but as the leader of a family, preparing for danger is not an option. Please understand, Sir..”
“……cheeky.”
His voice was still full of coldness, but his subsequent snort showed a slight hint of frustration..
“……Good. Then do it like this.”
You just go back and forth between speaking informally and semi-respectfully as you please. By the way, are you granting my request? So obediently?
“3If the prince's plan fails and he is unable to obtain his share of Froshaven, then I will allow the count's ships to join my fleet's exploration voyages..”
“Does this mean you will share the results??”
“If you knew the potential that the Witch of Hymn has, you would know that just having the opportunity to share the harvest is a price worth paying..”
Perhaps because he knew that Count Achelé had made enough concessions that did not live up to his reputation, or perhaps because he felt a warning not to cross the line in his tone, Count Aenes quietly kept his mouth shut..
““Then let’s do the calculation.” The anger in his voice suddenly became a little clearer..
When the pirate admiral, who was like the embodiment of greed, showed the letter he had received from the Silver Prince, the young high lord with mysterious eyes washed away the fierce energy and turned to a blank expression..
“……Are you really going to impose this toll on me too??”
“No toll tax. The price is for several privileges, including guaranteed safety at sea..”
“If you invite them to participate in the war and even ask you to pay them in gold,,”
“It is a completely different matter for a count to go to war to help the third prince and to go against what the master of Eyland declared..”
…… Wow, this guy is really shameless. It was none other than Count Achelé himself who used his title as the Duke of Eyland's maritime agent to issue a proclamation similar to the lifting of the ban..
“No matter how much you say, ten golden coffins are too much money..”
“This is a small price compared to the privilege of ignoring the orders given by His Majesty the Duke of Kaisis..”
When the fresh-blooded white man declared that he was selling his wife's nephew's name - Akelle's main owner was the aunt of Kaisis and Hayla - Count Aeneas, who felt an unbreakable determination, opened his mouth after hesitation..
“I don't have that much gold right now..”
“Don't worry. If you write me a letter with my seal on it, I will collect the money from Coluju..”
“……Your Excellency?”
“I have to send my men. “Don’t worry, I have several blood knights under my command who specialize in this kind of work.” Count Achele left the pale-faced girl behind and looked back at me, Atalanta, and Lord Langbold..
“Is it now the turn of the three princes?.”
He looked through the letter and added:.
“Here, Count Aines received a sudden offer, so it is natural that he was unable to prepare the gold. But your master is different. Now, where is the gold I prepared??”
Why are you so empty-handed? It seemed like he was asking, so I smiled and answered..
“Get it here?”
“Is there a problem??”
“Well, I don't care.”
I got up from my seat, feeling his chin..
What I took out was a small wad of paper. When I unfolded the thin paper that had been neatly folded and placed it on the empty floor, Akele Baekja looked expressionless but looked puzzled..
“What are you doing??”
“Please wait a moment..”
When he picked up the candlestick hanging on the wall and lit the paper on the floor, Count Aeneas, Lord Slanwith, and others gasped in surprise. This is because the yellow paper, which had no patterns or drawings, revealed strange patterns in the flames..
Wow.
Right at that moment. Mana began to flow from the middle of the paper, from a gap in the dimension. Mana, whose origin is unknown, continued to widen the gap in the dimension by increasing its flow..
“It's the magic of the wise man..”
Sir Eordan, who was standing silently behind the head of the table, oblivious to his presence, opened his mouth. Count Akele narrowed his brows..
“It's that old monster's magic tool.?”
I sensed something similar to embarrassment amidst the hostility, so I swallowed my laughter and agreed..
“yes. The prince calls it ‘Kelistel’s emergency fund bag’..”
Sage Kelistel.
He is an old man who is a courtier of the royal capital and the most famous archmage in the kingdom, and is also called the 'Counselor of the Five Kings.' He was also a legendary figure who had been active since the time of Eadum II, the ‘one-eyed king’, a hundred years ago..
Tzuyu.
When the dimensional gap that appeared in the middle of the magic circle widened sufficiently, I stuck both hands into it..
“hot-”
Count Aeneas, who was covering his mouth with his eyes wide open as if my arms seemed to disappear in the air, swallowed his breath again..
“Um, wait a minute… … . Where did this go? - Ah, here it is..”
The object caught at the tip of the finger was pulled outside the dimensional gap. It was such a heavy object that I had to exert strength by twisting my waist..
“Okay!”
Teudong-
As soon as the item was taken out, the slowly burning piece of paper, ‘Kelistel’s Emergency Fund Pouch’, turned into ashes and scattered..
‘Kellystel's 'emergency fund bag' was a magic 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 major disadvantage of being disposable, but it was definitely a useful item..
I clicked my tongue in disappointment and placed my hand on the object I had taken out, a large golden statue..
“ruler. Here’s the gold.” “… … What on earth is that hideous thing??”
“Didn't you hear? Because it's gold.”
It seemed as if Archmage Kelistel's magic tools had been forgotten, and Count Akele's eyes were wide open..
Even the Blood Knights and Blood Knights, who rarely change their expressions, were unable to hide their surprise, so of course the others were astonished and their mouths were wide open..
Not surprisingly, the golden statue I took out had a very strange shape..
It was a statue of a warrior armed with chain armor, a helmet, a javelin, and a shield. It was so elaborate that it seemed as if it would come to life at any moment..
However, it was a bit grotesque because it depicted so realistically the moment when the head was smashed and the bones and flesh just started to scatter..
“That's amazing.”
Count Akelle let out a simple exclamation..
“This is my first time seeing something like this in my life..”
Of course it would be the first time. Because you have never met Utequwai, who holds the ‘Hand of Mammon’. Well, even if you meet him, it won't be easy to see this golden statue. The number of humans, monsters, and beasts that Utequai has killed with the hands of Mammon over the past few months is well over a thousand, but 'Touch of Greed' - a special option that turns enemy corpses into gold with a very low probability - has only been activated twice. This is it.
“Judging from the weight, it doesn't seem to be completely pure gold, but if you melt it down, you'll get about 120 crowns..”
As he continued talking like that, he glanced at the white blooded man's eyes. Judging by the way his gaze was fixed, he seemed to have really liked the image of the slave soldier with his head exploding..
“But you can’t weigh a work of art. therefore-”
“Lee Baek Gwan.”
“100, yes?”
“I will give you two hundred crowns..”
Count Akele continued without even turning his head..
“I will grant privileges to all sailing ships in Auduenne. That will be enough?”
“Uh, yes… … . Oh, and pushing the Black Dragon Fleet into the port is,”
“i get it. The price is one percent of Proshafen’s shares..”
I was dumbfounded by the transaction that ended in an instant after the golden statue was taken out..
……Um, but I'm a little worried..
When I look back on my memories of enjoying this world as a game, the golden statue I got from ‘Hand of Mammon’ disappeared after a certain amount of time..
The certain amount of time was just right, neither too short nor too long, so strange events took place. Something like the 'Gold Collecting Challenge' where you fill your inventory with golden statues that disappear over time..
As I look at Count Akele, who has lost all his attention to the golden statue, I am afraid of the repercussions after it evaporates.…….
Hey, I don't know. Gimpo Inix at that time will take care of it..
After finalizing the transaction, I talked to Count Achele for a while and then left the stronghold 'Vallesolis'..
Atalanta and Lord Langbolt were waiting under the dark night sky as it was already deep in the morning..
“what?”
“They didn't tell me.”
“out?”
“uh. If it had been someone else, I would have heard about it somehow.,”
“Grumbling. There is a person in this kingdom who can crush the blood white.?”
When Atalanta snorted, Lord Langbolt smiled and nodded..
“Even if you search not only the kingdom but the entire continent, it will be difficult to find it. That person is bowing his head. It's hard to imagine even if the duke, let alone the emperor or sultan, were in front of me..”
I agreed with a wry smile and asked him a question..
“Sir, don’t you have any clue? Why is the Iron Scale Fleet chasing the Witch of Praise??”
The reason I spoke with Akelle for a while after leaving the main church was to ask her about the Witch of Hymn. However, Bloodbaek, who was preoccupied with the golden statue created by Utequai, said, 'It's none of your business. He went up to the tower, leaving only the words, ‘Get out of here.’ Thanks to you, I was able to relieve some of my guilt..
“well… … . Could it be because of the rumors related to that monster??”
“What are the rumors??”
“It's a story that goes around among sailors, and it's said that the Witch of Hymn spoke human language. I mean Milanese.”
He had a deep connection with the sea, befitting his nickname 'Shouting Wave'. The great lord who rules the coastal region of Southern Shore is Sir Langbold's father, and he himself lived as a squire at sea and now leads the Steel Fleet. It was natural to be familiar with the rumors going around among sailors..
“……Monsters speak human language?”
“They said so. But don't listen too seriously. There is also a saying that they are sirens, and that they are not much different from ordinary people on the outside, so they are probably not fishmen, or that a girl with a grudge became an 'Incor'... … . Anyway, there are all kinds of rumors..”
Incor is a being similar to a water ghost. Well, it's closer to an evil spirit than a ghost, but it's treated like that..
Sir Langboldt shrugged his shoulders when I gave him a confused look..
“Don't look at me like that. I was just telling you that such a story was going around..”
“It's probably a rumor that spread because of the song she sings..”
Atalanta yawned slightly and ran her fingers through her hair. The voice continued while I unconsciously remembered the feel of her mouth and throat..
““I don’t know if he was imitating someone, but he was singing in Milano.” “Sing a song?”
“huh. But it's just the singing, the conversation doesn't work at all.”
Atalanta is the one who battled the Witch of Praise a few months ago right here in Auduenne..
“I tried talking to you?”
“of course. I sing in human language just in case. But there was no reaction.”
As the three rode on their respective horses, Atalanta's reminiscence continued..
“Aside from the fact that his skin was tough, his movements were quite agile. I somehow managed to catch him and beat him with a spear, but all kinds of people, including giants, sea bass, and crab men, were foaming at the mouth and attacking him. In the end, instead of ending it, I almost got seriously hurt..”
Grouper (a nickname for the sea bass man) is a representative fishman warrior, so even so, it is okay to drag a sea giant and a crabber (a nickname for a crab man) around. Well, since it had that much power, it would have swept the coast for a while..
“I don't know if they are trying to seduce him after hearing rumors that they can communicate, but well, it seems like a completely futile effort to me. The Hymn Witch was just a horrible monster..”
“I heard you have great beauty..”
“What are you doing if you look pretty on the outside? They are driving around the fishmen and destroying the village..”
By the time that conversation was going on, we had parted ways with Lord Langbolt..
“According to Count Aeneas's circumstances, we will set sail the day after tomorrow, at the latest..”
“I need to hurry up with preparations... … . I will go to the dock tomorrow around noon to share the supply situation..”
“Good. then.”
Since he was staying on board the flagship of the Steel Fleet, he turned toward the dock, and Atalanta and I passed through the gate and headed toward the Nudein garrison..
Count Aeneas suggested that he stay in the stronghold, but he politely declined. Atalanta's luxurious tent is a hundred times better than a room with only stone walls except for a window the size of a palm..
It was spring, so the weather was getting warmer, and I didn't want to give up the cool, refreshing breeze filtered through the oiled cloth. Thick, fluffy carpets and soft velvet cushions.
And crucially, there's a bunch of Nudein garrisons there..
“trunnion!”
The bundle that was squatting in front of Atalanta's tent jumped up as soon as it saw me. And before I could get off the horse, he jumped in as if he was flying and landed in my arms..
“What, I kept waiting outside.?”
“yes-”
“Until this dawn?”
“yes!”
The bundle that hugged my waist tightly with both legs was tightly pressed against me as if it couldn't allow even a space the size of a needle's eye between me. Then he rubbed his face under the uvula and took a deep breath..
There was no need to support my butt. Instead of forcing the bundle off, I held on to it the entire time I got off the horse, washed my hands and feet, and entered the tent..
“……It's so damn.”
No matter what Atalanta mumbled, the bundle only made a groaning sound like a grumpy cat..
“It's a bunch, Iopiya?”
“I went out.”
“It's time to go to sleep, but where are you going??”
“Let's go see the stars. They say they can’t sleep..”
Immediately after entering the Abiden region, Iopiya was disguised as a flying squirrel..
While riding a horse, all the tiny flying squirrel could do was hide in its pouch and take a nap. Since I slept well during the day, it was natural that I couldn't sleep at night..
Well, if you go to see the stars, you won't have to worry too much since you'll be inside the garrison camp..
As she was about to finish getting ready for bed, Atalanta, who was lying on the bed, looked at the bundle playing with me on the carpet and asked..
“Are you sleeping here??”
WO ” ugh.
She was about to say something for a moment, then sighed deeply and closed the lamp to turn off the light..
“Then you sleep there.”
“I don't like it?”
“what? hey-”
As I laid down on the bed with the bundle hanging, Atalanta raised her voice in annoyance..
“Hey, what are you doing?!”
“Sleeping on the floor hurts your back.”
“There's a carpet. It’s narrow so go down.”
“It's narrow. There would be enough space for one or two more people to lie down..”
“Ah, hey. Ugh,”
Atalanta, who was struggling when she was hugged by her waist, was scared..
“what are you doing now.”
“There's something I've wanted to do for a long time..”
“This crazy, baby……
As I leisurely tapped on the weak point, the chatter soon quieted down. As the sound of my breath filled the void, I kissed the bundle..
After spending a long, hot night in March together. There was still a bit of a sense of shame left, but Munchi and Atalanta became close friends in their own way..
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