Chapter 123 – Nienna Nelben (1)

Chapter 123 – Nienna Nelben (1)

Nienna stared at Juan for a while, then made told the others while beckoning to them slightly.

“Everyone, give us some time to have a private conversation, would you?”

Hearing this, Suvole looked at Nienna with a flustered look.

“But General, that man is a wanted criminal. He might be dangerous, so please let me...”

A sudden burst of laughter could be heard from one side of the room even before Suvole could finish speaking. Hela was also giggling with her face covered with her hand, almost as if she couldn’t hold back her laughter, while at the same time, Horhell was also trying his best to put on a firm face. On the other hand, Sina just had a complicated look on her face.

Nienna looked at Suvole with a dumbfounded look on her face.

“For a moment, let’s assume that I can’t protect myself against him. Then, do you think you could protect me from him? I’m feeling a little ashamed if I really look that weak to you.”

“But...”

“Stop getting in my way before I pull out your tongue. Hela, please excuse us,” Nienna said.

“Of course, General. Horhell, tell me about what I missed during the time I was gone,” Hela said.

Hela and Horhell left the room, and Sina soon followed. Sina looked back many times, as if she was worried about Juan, but Juan didn’t even spare a glance at her.

Suvole moved toward the door as well; he had no choice. While leaving, he whispered something in Nienna’s ears.

“Don’t forget about our promise.”

“I won’t. But if you whisper in my ear one more time, I’ll pull out all your teeth.”

Suvole flinched upon hearing Nienna’s cold words and quickly ran out of the room.

Soon, Nienna and Juan were left alone in the room. Nienna brought out two cups and set them on the table.

“You don’t like alcohol, do you?” Juan asked.

“I don’t.”

“I knew it.”

Nienna poured some water inside the cups and placed them in front of herself and Juan. Then Nienna sat on the table to look closely at Juan.

“You seem to know me pretty well based on the way you talk,” Nienna said.

“You think?” Juan spoke calmly. “I’m the one who raised you. Of course I know all about you.”

Nienna neither seemed surprised nor did she laugh. She just looked at Juan with calm eyes as she raised her glass.

“You shouldn’t be saying things like that so easily. That reminds me of something. It’s one of the three most embarrassing things I’ve ever said. You should know what I am talking about if you really did raise me...”

“Your Majesty. You might be the one who raised me, but it was winter that gave birth to me.”

Nienna spat out the water in her mouth upon hearing Juan’s words, while her face turned red with embarrassment.

But Juan just continued speaking calmly.

“To be fair, you were only fifteen when you said that line. It would only be natural for you to say something like that at that age. But it is a little surprising that you think that what you said back then is one of the most embarrassing things you’ve ever said. I thought that it was a pretty decent expression. In fact, you’ve even said something better than that on one occasion. ‘There is a winter dragon’s soul entangled in my destiny...’”

“Stop... stop it. If you don’t stop, I’ll kill you to make you shut your mouth, no matter what your identity is!”

Juan shrugged and raised both his hands. Meanwhile, Nienna’s silver hair just made her red face even more prominent.

***

Suvole nervously hovered around the hall. His plan had been clear when the Order of the Capital ordered an investigation about Juan. He had thought that it was the perfect opportunity to wrap up the long-standing plan that had been orchestrated by Pavan.

Suvole recalled the time when he promised reinforcements for the Fourth Division in return for asking Duke Henna to pursue Juan. Duke Henna captured Juan by sending Horhell on a mission, and Suvole tricked the knight order which had crawled into the East to drop Horhell’s dragon. In return, Urkel succeeded in assassinating Duke Henna at the expense of several warriors of Arbalde. It was only natural for the civil war to intensify as both the dragon and Duke Henna were absent.

And at that point, Suvole dragged Nienna Nelben, who had long since been interested in the affairs of the northeast, into the civil war in the name of bringing in the reinforcements requested by Duke Henna. The Northern Army was smaller than the Capital’s Army, but they were the strongest army who had been honed on the battlefield. Just like that, the northeastern rebels as well as Duke Henna were both wiped out.

Everyone was in the palm of his hands—Suvole even felt a little pleasure that Nienna, who always acted so arrogantly, was nothing but a chess piece moving in the palm of his hand. This was despite the fact that he was only able to do all that he did due to Pavan’s orders and the support of the Order of the Capital.

Suvole intended to use Nienna’s authority to get his hands on Juan when Nienna took over the fortress of Beldeve at the end of this plan, since he believed that Juan would have no choice but to kneel down before Nienna and the Order of Fenrir no matter how powerful Juan was.

What was unexpected was that Duke Henna had somehow survived and that Nienna had taken an interest in Juan. It was unknown as to why Nienna was interested in Juan, since she had always been indifferent toward anything other than the Crack and war.

Suvole’s plan would only end up benefiting Hela if Suvole ended up missing out on getting his hands on Juan, since the northeastern rebels had been wiped out for no good reason. Suvole bit his lips.

“Stop roaming around like a dog that needs to poop. Come and have a drink with me, Suvole,” Hela said.

Suvole turned his head. Hela had brought two glasses and a bottle of alcohol and had a strange smile on her face.

“I’m glad you’re alive, Your Grace. I was very surprised when I heard the tragic news,” Suvole said in a careless greeting.

“Thank you for saying that, Suvole. But I bet you weren’t as surprised as I was the moment I found out that I wasn’t dead, even though I thought I had died.”

“I bet. Anyway, I want to thank you since I got to catch the black-haired criminal. As I also brought in reinforcements of ten thousand troops, our deal has...”

At that moment, Hela cut off Suvole’s words and opened her mouth before he could continue.

“Oh, yes. About Juan—I did have a hard time making him stay in Beldeve. Are you worried that General Nienna and Juan might have something going on between them inside the room? I didn’t know that you were into silver-haired women,” Hela said.

“Please be careful with your rude remarks, Your Grace,” Suvole frowned.

“Be careful with my rude remarks, you say? Your attitude is completely different from the last time when you begged me to pursue the black-haired criminal. I’m so scared. But you’re the one who has to be careful with your words from now on.”

Hela tapped Suvole’s chest as she held out a glass to him. Suvole unconsciously took the glass that was being handed to him.

“Because I heard that you’ve been talking quite a lot of shit to everyone,” Hela said with cold eyes.

The moment Suvole flinched, Hela filled his glass with alcohol.

“Have a drink, Suvole.”

“Your Grace. What are you talking about? I...”

“I said drink.”

Suvole gulped upon facing Hela’s fierce eyes. Suvole had never seen someone give such a piercing and threatening look with just one eye before. Behind Hela stood Horhell with his arms crossed as he, too, glared at Suvole.

Suvole emptied the glass filled with alcohol after hesitating for a while. Suvole coughed vigorously, since the alcohol was too strong.

“The Order of the Capital will hold you accountable if I die,” Suvole said.

“Are you afraid that I poisoned your drink? You must have done something that makes you feel guilty if you think that. Well, don’t worry. I don’t plan on doing that, at least not right now,” Hela drank from her glass in front of Suvole as if she was proving that the alcohol wasn’t poisoned. “Your problem is that you’re too arrogant. Did you really think that General Nienna is an idiot who knows nothing other than the Crack and war? I mean, I guess that’s true to some extent. But you looked down on her obsession with the Crack. You thought she wouldn’t interrogate a single warrior of Arbalde on the battlefield? Don’t you think that at least one of the warriors of Arbalde would have talked about you?”

“What do you mean...? I’m just...”

“Ah. Of course. You probably thought that the warriors of Arbalde who devoted themselves to the Crack would remain silent no matter what. But Nienna is a monster who tortures the beasts from the Crack to get what she wants. It’s a piece of cake for her to interrogate one or two of the warriors of Arbalde to find out everything she wants. She might not have the detailed information, but a little fragmentary information is enough for her to figure things out.”

“...Stop talking nonsense.”

“Nonsense? Did you think General Nienna hates you for no reason? Tell me. Why do you think General Nienna kept the fact that I’m alive a secret to you? Wasn’t the time the Northern Army arrived at Beldeve earlier than you expected?”

Suvole couldn’t answer Hela’s questions. Hela covered her mouth and burst into laughter.

“Now. I want you to answer another question. How do you think General Nienna would deal with a knight from the Order of the Capital who was in league with the Crack?”