Lopez… actually did something useful. Surprisingly!
'Well, this is unexpected.'
Judging by how he kept glancing nervously between the vacant seat of the king and us, it didn't seem like he had acted out of goodwill. But still.
It looks like he was desperately walking a tightrope between the forced alliance with the Black Cloak and the king, and he finally made a choice.
'If you think about it, the Black Cloak have always given him immediate rewards.'
They took care of Count Bermont for him, made him a count, and kept him psychologically cornered with a bit of well-placed intimidation. A perfect mix of carrot and stick.
Not that I ever wanted one, but it seems I've gained a sycophantic subordinate.
[The
"They are…."
The fake Duke Marchez murmured the names of the nobles under his breath.
'These are names I saw in the registry.'
One by one, the surnames of the families that had attended Godric's succession ceremony were listed. Among them, these were the families that had cut off all outside connections and gone into seclusion after losing someone at the ceremony.
A quick scan with
In the end, loss was the only common thread binding them together.
"Ahem. I was assigned to guard the supply lines in the mid-mountain region during the Great Hunt War, and that's where I met them."
…There were supplies? We never received any.
No surprise there. This had Godric written all over it. The same petty tactics he'd used on the First Field Army were at play again.
Lopez continued explaining how he had come to know them.
"There was a minor… miscommunication from the higher-ups regarding orders, so their supplies were frequently 'omitted.' Ahem. So, I took it upon myself to resolve the issue. I couldn't just stand by and let these brave warriors of the kingdom starve to death in the mountains!"
Leonardo and I exchanged glances.
Judging by how we had been deliberately assigned to the high-risk Dragon Tail region, it was clear—Godric had arranged the subjugation forces based on political motives.
Since there was no reason for him to lose the nobles who had already submitted to him and bowed their heads, he placed them safely in the rear.
Meanwhile, those of us who were clearly a thorn in his side were sent to high-risk regions teeming with beasts.
To him, this was no different from a game of strategy. He simply decided which pieces to sacrifice and which to keep.
However, unlike the game pieces that remain still until commanded, people sometimes act unpredictably.
Perhaps Godric had grown too accustomed to
That things wouldn't always go exactly as he planned.
Lopez had actually come up with a good idea. He noticed during the supply "omissions" that certain groups were being deliberately excluded by the king. Recognizing this pattern, he reached out to them and introduced them to us.
"Lords, allow me to introduce you. This is Duke Marchez and Lord Ertinez. They've faced the same problems as you."
One of the nobles, who had been lounging idly while watching the banquet, stepped forward. He gave the duke a light bow, then greeted him with playful sarcasm.
"A pleasure to meet you. So, in short, we've all been abandoned? Oh dear, even you, Your Grace!"
His tone carried a faint trace of bitter amusement.
"Haha, well, eating monster flesh wasn't the worst experience."
He had stopped short of openly displaying hostility, but it was clear he held no goodwill toward Godric.
After exchanging greetings with Leonardo, the nobles turned their attention to me.
"And this one?"
Since I was wearing formal attire and had been invited to the banquet, I didn't look like a mere attendant.
"Hmm? You're Lord Ertinez'—"
Before Lopez, who was clearly unaware of the situation, could blurt out something like "Wait, why are you even here?", the fake duke firmly stepped on his foot. A silent warning to shut up and not interfere. Lopez immediately pressed his lips together and fell silent.
It was a good move. Ever since my identity had been indirectly revealed in the Dragon Tail region, the fake duke had realized I wasn't just an ordinary attendant.
Leonardo smoothly stepped in to introduce me.
"He is a retainer of House Ertinez."
For now, that would do.
I had somehow become a noble overnight, but this wasn't the right time to acknowledge the hastily fabricated title Godric had given me.
Besides, since I had unintentionally ended up as the primary contributor to the Great Hunt War, for the time being, any mention of my other status—the one tied to that damned wildcat emblem—needed to stay sealed away.
I smiled and extended my hand to the nobles.
"Our Lord also had quite a hard time with all this. It seems the people gathered here aren't exactly the most ardent supporters of the royal family."
Rather than sugarcoating my words, I threw the stone outright. The nobles' expressions briefly stiffened before relaxing.
"It certainly seems that way."
They glanced around at each other, as if trying to gauge everyone's thoughts, before cautiously shifting the conversation.
"At least we all made it out alive, and that's what matters. Those damn monsters were relentless—just fighting them was exhausting. And with rations scarce for the knights, not to mention the lack of feed for the horses, we suffered quite a bit."
It was the kind of complaint anyone would have after their first campaign—grumbling about the battles against the beasts and the hardships of the expedition.
However, there was one thing everyone at this banquet seemed to agree on: that fighting the beasts had been easier than expected. They claimed it was thanks to the Dragonbone Swords, saying the monsters genuinely seemed to fear them.
But these people were saying the exact opposite.
'They don't trust the king.'
They didn't believe in the strange, high-performance weapons that had been suddenly bestowed upon them as rewards. And now, by subtly bringing it up, they were trying to confirm whether we shared the same suspicion.
To put it crudely, it was like they were asking, "So it's not just me who feels weird about this, right?"
Just as I was contemplating how to spin this to my advantage, a familiar set of letters materialized before my eyes.
[Waiting time expired. A new scenario note has been assigned!]
Take 1. Vernis Mountain Range – Old Castle Ruins (Night/Outside)
A banquet is held to celebrate the successful completion of the first expedition. In the shadows, Leonardo's group meets with a gathering of nobles.
Noble 1: "So, are you saying that everyone gathered here was denied supplies? Ha, what an amusing coincidence."
A cautious exchange unfolds between the nobles and Leonardo's group.
Noble 2: "Now that I think about it, a few people have gone missing… but strangely, no one seems particularly concerned. One of my retainers vanished as well, and there's no way he would have simply disappeared on his own."
Upon hearing about the missing individuals, Leonardo agrees to maintain regular contact with them.
Take 2. Vernis Mountain Range – Mid-Slope, House Ertinez Outpost (Night/Inside)
Leonardo, unable to sleep due to the unsettling presence of the Dragonbone Swords, takes a walk outside at night. He senses movement.
Leonardo: (inner monologue) "…Barefoot?"
Leonardo begins to track the unidentified figure.
Main Character: Leonardo
Scenario Clear Conditions:
[Leonardo establishes contact with the anti-Godric faction and shares information.]
[Leonardo's reputation within the anti-Godric faction increases. (Minimum required: 500 points)]
So, in the end, the key points are the issue of these missing people and establishing a cooperative relationship with these nobles.
'Leonardo can't sleep, huh…'
I quickly skimmed through the scenario and grasped the important elements of this chapter, but for some reason, my gaze lingered on that part.
Maybe because I knew exactly what that kind of torment felt like.
First, it was me. Now, it's Leonardo. Is insomnia contagious or something?
Back then, I could fall asleep pretty easily if he just held me and patted my back. I wonder… once we finish this scenario, would he fall asleep just as easily if I did the same for him?
As the scenario window gradually blurred and disappeared from view, a series of quest notifications popped up in its place.
Main Objective: Persuade the anti-Godric nobles (0/1)
High Achievement: Reach Trust Level 3 with the nobles (+500 Reputation)
Mid Achievement: Reach Trust Level 2 with the nobles (+300 Reputation)
Low Achievement: Reach Trust Level 1 with the nobles (+100 Reputation)
Quest Participants: Leonardo, Isaac
Time Limit: 00 hours 29 minutes 59 seconds
With a pop, a compass-like marker appeared above the nobles' heads, each topped with a wavering arrow. The arrows trembled uncertainly, teetering between pointing downward or rising upward.
One of the nobles, speaking in a probing tone, carefully tested the waters.
"From what I gather, both the young lord and the duke seem to have had rather unpleasant experiences as well?"
I smiled lightly at the veiled inquiry.
"The beasts were incredibly tough and difficult to take down… Even at the very end, their throats were so thick that they refused to die easily."
"Oh dear. But surely you used the swords?"
I shrugged and entered my line for Leonardo through
"How could we recklessly use something so precious?"
The tone was flat and stiff, but at least the line came out properly. Still, it would've been nice if I could add a bit more nuance.
「Something so precious…」
I needed to make it sound ironic, maybe with a hint of sarcasm?
「Something so pre—」
…No, never mind. Better not dwell on it. Time to move on.
「…」
'S-Sorry.'