Chapter 19

I was just trying to warn you to be a bit more scared, but what do you mean by nodding your head there? Daniel wiped the sweat from under his chin with the back of his hand.

<I suddenly feel unwell and will not be able to fulfill my duties. I apologize.>

Thinking back to how tense he was before receiving the neatly written letter that night, he still felt as if bugs were crawling on his back. Ricardo, who had been watching Daniel from a distance, picked up a ball that had rolled across the dirt ground and approached.

“I think we can start the sword training in earnest now. Not bad. No, it’s good. Very good.”

“Huh.”

Daniel, who had taken a short deep breath to steady his breathing, turned around while wiping away the remaining sweat. Crack! As if another tree had fallen somewhere, a loud, rumbling noise followed. It’s a mess, a complete mess, every day. Ricardo couldn’t take his eyes off the direction of the noise. Daniel’s voice, when he spoke to him, was sharp.

“Are you really doing the mercenary training properly?”

“Of course. I’m making them cry out in pain, so you don’t have to worry. I’ll turn them into a legendary knight corps to rival Tuten.”

“You like Tuten. You’re always swinging axes around instead of practicing in the training ground.”

“That’s all part of the training, if you look at it closely.”

Since regaining consciousness, he could count on one hand the number of days he had seen the mercenaries training. Instead of swords and spears, they were digging with shovels or chopping with axes, and yet, Ricardo shamelessly claimed he would create a brave knight corps. Daniel, who let out a hollow laugh, took the ball from Ricardo’s hand. The stitches on the rag stuffed with tightly packed fur were coming apart, and feathers were poking out here and there, making it look ridiculous, like a chicken with its tail feathers missing.

‘Everything is a mess.’

Daniel threw the ball into the bushes without a second thought. The white feathers that had already poked out floated in the air, dancing in the wind. Daniel, who had swatted them away with the back of his hand, looked at Ricardo coldly and spoke.

“I’ll do it if you say you will, but if you ever embarrass me, I won’t let it go. If you’re not confident, forget about the knight corps and just keep being a mercenary.”

It was only because Ricardo had made his first request that Daniel hadn’t refused. Daniel had no interest in having a vassal knight corps from the beginning. The empire was full of knights who only knew how to look good but didn’t know how to wield a sword properly. Honestly, aside from the Tuten, the royal knight corps of the Ningen Empire in the west of Altas, it was questionable whether there were any knight corps worth the name on this continent. Being a mercenary himself, Daniel had always preferred battle-hardened mercenaries to knights who wasted time with formalities. That was why he had survived so far. When Ricardo said he wanted to become a vassal knight of the duchy, Daniel thought he was joking while drunk.

“Hmph. The arrogant Svergen nobles won’t pledge loyalty to a half-duke. Just use us as vassal knights. The mercenary corps created by your grandfather, not just any mercenary corps. Who could be more reliable to have your back on the battlefield?”

When he asked Dominic why his father was acting that way, he only got a mocking laugh in response.

“Don’t you know? It’s obvious. He wants to stay by the side of his first love’s son until the day he dies, a touching story of pure love.”

Is it even reasonable for a commander to not distinguish between public and private matters?

“It’s best to live comfortably, but now that’s all wrong. Damn it.”

He seemed to have mercilessly raked the back of Dominic’s head, who was grumbling non-stop. Daniel, with a frown, moved his stiff shoulders around. He couldn’t understand why that woman and Ricardo were so eager to get involved in troublesome matters.

“Once you become a knight, you’ll be summoned to the royal court and can’t refuse. Being a mercenary is better for making money. I don’t care, so let me know if you change your mind.”

“There’s no chance of that. I’m tired of the mercenary life of wandering aimlessly.”

Ricardo, while fixing Daniel’s disheveled clothes from hitting the ball, smiled.

“Don’t worry. There’s no way we’ll embarrass the great Duke Richard.”

It was the same gentle smile he had when teaching the young Daniel how to skin a bear. The wrinkles on his nose, which he playfully wrinkled, were the same as back then.

“When else will I hear the ‘Your Excellency’? And I’ll become the commander of the knight corps of the wealthiest territory in the empire. In the long run, this is better for making money, you know.”

When he was grumbling about being stuck in the mountains and digging for a living, it was all about the wealthy territory. There was no need to ask who had put the idea of the wealthy territory into Ricardo’s head. Daniel drew his sword from the scabbard leaning against the wall. Swish. The sword, which had come out of the scabbard, made a graceful circle in his hand. The tingling sensation in his wrist was thrilling. *** Suddenly, a strong wind blew. As the shade was roughly shaken and the hat threatened to be blown off, Frieda quickly pressed her hands to her head. The sunlight that penetrated the flapping shade was so bright that her eyes naturally squinted. Dominic, standing to her right, stretched out his arm and pointed to the dense forest.

“To connect the port directly, the fastest route is through that mountain. On your left, it’s the border with Weimar, and on your right, it’s Altas. The distance to the port is similar no matter which side you choose.”

The forest blocked the view, and all she could see was a sea of green trees. There’s a new world behind those dense trees, right? Frieda closed her eyes and imagined the vast sea beyond the forest, which she had never seen. Although it was almost over, her lower abdomen ached from the menstrual cramps that had started a few days ago. However, the fresh, cool scent of the trees carried by the wind quickly improved her mood.

“Beyond Altas is the new capital of the Ningen Empire, Zneva, right?”

“Yes. The Altas Mountains serve as the border between Ningen and Svergen. Since it’s such a vast mountain range, even if we cut through it, no one will complain, and there won’t be any interference. If you’re going to build a road, I recommend that side. It would be best not to, though.”

Dominic, with a tired face covered in fatigue, let out a long sigh as soon as he finished speaking. It’s exhausting. It’s exhausting to the point of death. Thinking about being harassed by the duchess for being one of the few people in the duchy who could read and write made his neck hurt. Not only that, but he had to camp out for three days to survey the area around the castle in place of the duchess, who couldn’t go out freely. When he looked in the stream on the way, his eyes were so dark that he looked more like a sick person than the duchess. Why me? Why do I, a mere mercenary, have to deal with such brainy work? Laura, who had taught him to read and write, hoping it would be helpful, had never been more annoying. Anyway, I’ll definitely escape before this reckless duchess causes more trouble. Dominic’s eyes, which revealed his firm resolve, narrowed. In contrast, Frieda, who had been out of the castle for the first time in a long time, looked very happy. Despite being wrapped from head to toe to protect her skin from the sun, she looked blissfully happy. Her gloved fingertips pointed in the opposite direction from where Dominic had indicated.

“No. We’ll build the road on that side.”

“Pardon? But that side borders Weimar, and it could lead to a territorial dispute.”

“Exactly.”

What does that mean? Why choose a place that could lead to a dispute?

“Think about it, Dominic. If a road is built from Utrecht to the port, who do you think will suffer the most?”

Sigh, do I have to know that too? I’m just a mercenary who swings a sword. Dominic, with a tired expression, glanced at Muriel, who was standing quietly. The maid with the gray eyes, who was uninterested in his struggles, was busy creating shade above the duchess’s head. Dominic, with his shoulders slumped, answered weakly.

“It would be Weimar. They’ve monopolized the trade in this region, but now they won’t be able to.”

The duchess clapped her hands, seemingly satisfied with his answer.

“Just as I expected from Dominic. Now, do you understand why I chose the Weimar side?”

“Yes, I think I do.”

If the road is built on the Altas side, it will benefit only Utrecht. Weimar, seeing a competitor, will try to obstruct it. However, if the road is built on their own land, it could be beneficial to them as well. Depending on the negotiations, they might even cooperate and contribute to the construction costs. For the duchess, who was skilled at persuasion, that wouldn’t be a difficult task.

‘Damn, why do I have to know all this and be in such a mess?’

I’m tired. I’m so tired. A future of aging under constant hard work loomed ahead.

“Sigh...”

As Dominic let out a deep sigh, he lifted his head at the sound of approaching hoofbeats. Clop, clop. A horse with a blue flag bearing the white Nordic cross, the symbol of the Svergen royal family, was galloping towards them. Frieda’s voice, as she pulled back the shade in front of her, was unusually cold.

“Finally, the royal court...”

“It seems you understand.”

Frieda’s muttered words were finished by Dominic. *** Daniel’s expression was as indifferent as ever as he read the royal seal on the letter. After finishing, he handed the letter to Frieda.

“The royal court is sending a rat.”

“A rat?”

“Who is it?”

Frieda’s question overlapped with Dominic’s. Daniel murmured the name of the man he had just read.

“Baron Stefan Boyle.”

Dominic squinted his eyes, trying to recall.

“Boyle... Boyle.”

“He was the tutor of Alfred Baizen, the Empress Dowager’s nephew.”

The quick answer from Muriel, standing in the corner, drew the attention of the three people.

“He’s a classmate of my third brother at Celino University. It’s probably him.”

Muriel’s words were followed by a nod from Daniel.

“Right. The wife of Baron Boyle is from the Chamberlain family.”

“Oh.”

Dominic, finally understanding, let out an exclamation.

“It’s the work of the old Chamberlain. I heard he was on his deathbed, but he’s still running around the Empress Dowager. Anyway, if he’s from Celino University, he must be a master of secret letters.”

Just as Dominic was about to ask if they would still start the road construction, he heard a clear female voice. Frieda, holding the emperor’s letter in both hands, read it aloud.

“To comfort the efforts of the Duchess of Rihard, who has been taking care of the duchy alone, I am sending a capable person as a steward. Please do not refuse the concern of your younger brother for his older brother and sister.”

Frieda, who had finished reading the letter, looked at Daniel with sparkling eyes. It felt familiar. Daniel easily recalled where he had seen the same look before. When he mentioned gold coins, her eyes had the same gleam. The reason why the rat sent by the royal court was as pleasing to his wife as gold coins was unclear.

“He’s from Celino University, Your Grace. He was even a tutor for the Baizen family.”

So what? What’s the point? Daniel, who showed no reaction, saw Frieda clutch the letter in both hands and take a step forward.

“He can read and write. It means a noble who can handle documents will be in Utrecht.”

Dominic, who understood the implications of Frieda’s words, rushed over and shouted.

“Please accept him, Your Grace! He’s not a rat but a distinguished person, a distinguished person.”