CH 94

“Sir, sir. Did you notice the way the nobles here look at you?” Mirian whispered.

“If you say anything about stripping naked. I will shove you in the leather pocket and not let you out for a month,” Eugene gave a curt response.

“Kiek.” The spirit of desire promptly disappeared with a whine upon hearing Eugene’s response. She had been munching on cheese and lamb which she held with both hands.

Eugene observed the surroundings with a calm gaze. Everyone smiled brightly when they met his gaze, including Count Winslon’s immediate lineage to nobles who came from all over the world with the count’s invitation. Although he wasn’t too sure about stripping naked, sucking, and biting, he knew that everyone wanted him.

But Eugene had no intention of entrusting himself or being sworn in to any of them.

“Sir Eugene, Is the food not to your liking?” Count Winslon asked.

“I already had quite a bit earlier, Your Excellency. The cook’s skills are definitely commendable. It was incredible,” Eugene responded. It wasn’t actually true, and he had barely touched the food, but Eugene recalled how the gluttonous spirit had seemed even more obsessed than usual.

“I’m glad to hear that. Then shall we go and have a smoke?” Count Winslon continued.

“Of course,” Eugene responded.

Everyone’s gazes were drawn to the two men as they stood up. However, they knew better than to interrupt the two. When Count Winslon was taking someone to smoke separately, it meant that he did not want to be disturbed. As such, everyone had to swallow their regrets.

“Thank you,” Eugene said before receiving the mana powder-containing cigarette from the count and placing it in his mouth. A servant started to approach him to help him light the cigar.

“Let me.” But the count took it on himself to personally light Eugene’s cigar.

“Thank you for your consideration,” Eugene said.

“I should be the one thanking you. The competition concluded successfully thanks to you, and most importantly…” Count Winslon spoke before taking a long drag of the smoke. Then, he continued with a sparkle in his eyes, “I am incredibly grateful and joyous that the spear has finally met its true master after collecting dust for such a long time. If it’s Sir Eugene, I have no doubts that you will continue Sir Entailer’s honor through Wolfslaughter and uphold the pride of the northern dwarves as well.”

‘Hmm?’

Count Winslon was like a child who wanted to show off his expensive toys. Eugene quickly responded, “The fact that you have kept such precious objects in your arms for such a long time proves that Your Excellency and the county are upholders of true honor. Would you not agree?”

“Hahaha. You flatter me.” Although Count Winslon shook his head, Eugene could see that Count Winslon was very pleased. Through their few encounters, Eugene realized that Count Winslon was a person who sincerely revered an individual’s strength and skills. Perhaps it was because he did not walk the path of the knight.

“Truly, I mean it. Fortunately, both Wolfslaughter and Madarazika recognized me as their master, but if Your Excellency had not recognized their value in the first place, would I have ever gotten the chance?” Eugene continued. It didn’t cost him a single coin to praise the count, so he continued to speak words he knew the count would like. Naturally, Count Winslon’s smile only deepened as he continued.

“Haha. Hahaha…”

“I have something that I am personally curious about. May I ask you about it, Your Excellency?” asked Eugene.

“Anything!” Count Winslon responded.

“I have a feeling that Wolfslaughter and Madarazika are strangely alike. They both exude a similar feeling. With all due respect, how did you come by the two weapons?” Eugene said.

“Hohoho. I was wondering when you would ask, sir,” Count Winslon responded. As expected, Count Winslon was dying to flaunt the two treasures.

“In fact, the two weapons are a set,” Count Winslon continued.

“Hooh! I knew it! Tell me more.” Eugene pretended to be surprised. 

The count said with even more excitement. “When my father was succeeding the county, one of our family’s relatives—Duke of Batla of Brantia at the time—gifted him Wolfslaughter and Madarazika.”

“Ah! Isn’t the Duke of Batla one of the most honorable and distinguished noble in Brantia?” Eugene said. He didn’t actually know who Duke Batla was and he wasn’t particularly interested in that individual either, but he simply pretended to know. Obviously, a duke would be considered one of the most prestigious nobles in that region.

“That’s right. Anyways, I am unsure as to how the treasures of the northern dwarves ended up in the possession of the Batla Duchy. But Brantia is a country that is often embroiled in wars since ancient times with the orc pirates living in the northern land. I can only guess that the duke received the weapons as a gift from the dwarves or from coming to an agreement or allying with them,” Count Winslon explained.

“I see. This is quite a fascinating story,” Eugene responded.

“But would you like to know something even more interesting?” Count Winslon continued.

“What is it?” Eugene asked as if he were genuinely curious.

Count Winslon responded with a proud chuckle, “The two weapons that you acquired aren’t a complete set. You need the shield and the armor for it to be fully unified.”

“Hooh?” Eugene had asked the question without much interest, but Count Winslon’s answer incited a genuine sense of curiosity and surprise.

“Unfortunately, however, I do not know the whereabouts of the other two. I can only hope that the first twin crown in sixteen years might just be able to acquire the remaining pieces and complete the set,” Count Winslon said.

Eugene felt a little puzzled after hearing the count’s words. Why wasn’t the previous twin crown given Wolfslaughter and Madarazika as a reward instead? However, Eugene quickly came to realize the answer. “I’m assuming that the champion from 16 years ago could not pick up Madarazika. And that was already after you had gifted Wolfslaughter to Lord Fairchild,” Eugene voiced his hunch.

“You are very wise, sir. That is correct. However, not only did you manage to obtain Wolfslaughter from my son-in-law, but you also proudly took ownership of Madarazika. This is why I cannot help but have a certain expectation toward you,” Count Winslon commented.

“I see. My shoulders feel quite heavy to hear you say that, Your Excellency. But I will do my best to live up to your expectations.” Eugene’s acting exquisitely harmonized both humility and confidence. 

Count Winslon grinned in response before uttering in a quiet voice. “On that note, Sir Eugene. Let me ask you. Do you have any intentions of being sworn in by me?”

“…With all due respect, I apologize, Your Excellency,” Eugene said. Although it was something he would have accepted without hesitation in the past, his situation was different now. From his experiences thus far, Eugene came to the conclusion that choosing to serve a lord would do him more harm than good.

“Hahaha. What is there to be sorry about? I’ll admit that I have no talents in being a knight personally, but I pride myself on having a good eye for people. You are not one to be satisfied by being a territorial knight, Sir Eugene. I wouldn’t want to obscure a knight like yourself under my shadow,” Count Winslon remarked.

“Thank you for your understanding,” Eugene said.

“However, now that you have both Wolfslaughter and Madarazika in your possession, you have a destiny to follow. And that path is connected with Winslon,” Count Winslon continued.

What is he trying to say? 

Count Winslon was acting more cautious than usual. Eugene waited attentively for Count Winslon’s following words. “There was a reason why the Batla Duchy passed the two treasures onto us in the past. It’s because they challenged the throne of Brantia and failed. Even if the House of Batla collapsed, their great noble blood would not disappear as long as Wolfslaughter and Madarazika are safe,” Count Winslon explained.

Eugene didn’t know too much about the noble world, but he could intuitively understand it. And as if to deliver the finishing blow, Count Winslon said with a solemn expression while stroking his beard, “Indeed. I am proposing that you should become the Duke of Batla.”

“…!”

“I have no way of knowing the current state of the Batla family. There’s also the war issue, but we lost contact with them even before that. What is certain, however, is the fact that Brantia is currently in great turmoil,” Count Winslon explained.

“The… crusade,” Eugene muttered while recalling the conversation between Lanslo and Luke. 

Count Winslon nodded. “The war had divided the royal family of Brantia. A controversy regarding heresy began when the denomination of the continent destroyed the church’s power in Brantia. With the current circumstances, if you can prove yourself as the master of Madarazika and Wolfslaughter, there’s no law against you if you succeeded the Duke of Batla. Why?” Count Winslon said. He continued while pointing his fingers to his chest, exuding the powerful atmosphere of a great noble. “The Batla Duchy is related to me by blood, which means that I have a large stake when it comes to the issue of legitimacy.”

Eugene completely understood. But he still had some lingering questions. “Could I know why you are willing to provide me with such a great opportunity?” Eugene asked. 

There was no such thing as free lunch. Even if Count Winslon cared greatly for excellent knights, this issue was beyond the reach of simple favorability. He was certain that Count Winslon had some other purpose.

Count Winslon smirked as he stared into Eugene’s calm, collected gaze. “Saying that it’s because you are a true knight… that would be a lie. I will be honest with you, Sir Eugene. I want you to become the Duke of Batla so you can keep the royal family of this nation in check,” Count Winslon said.

“Sure,” Eugene responded.

“…Hmm?”

“I will do that if I become the Duke of Batla. I swear it on my honor,” Eugene continued.

“Well… don’t you want to know why I want to keep the royal family in check?” Count Winslon asked.

“You have been quite considerate to me until now, so why would the reason be important? Anyway, if I get a hold of the rest of the equipment in addition to Wolfslaughter and Madarazika, I could become the Duke of Batla. Is that right?” Eugene said.

“T-that’s right.” Count Winslon was quite bewildered by Eugene’s response. But Eugene was serious. He didn’t care very much about why Count Winslon wanted to keep the royal family in check. No, rather, he didn’t feel the need to ask because he already had a rough idea.

‘Just like with Essandra, the great nobles hate the royal family.’

He simply needed to listen to their demands and make a profit. Wasn’t this easy for him?

“I will head to Brantia soon,” Eugene said.

“Sir Eugene! Y-you truly are…” Count Winslon could not continue. He was truly shocked beyond words. For Eugene, he had agreed to a condition that would benefit him without asking for much since he disliked complicating things, but the count had misunderstood Eugene’s reaction as an act of loyalty and honor.

‘I cannot believe that there’s such an honorable knight in the world!’

Grab!

Count Winslon was overcome with emotions. He tightly grasped Eugene’s hand with trembling shoulders.

“I am heartbroken that there’s nothing else I can do for you, Sir Eugene! Tell me if there is anything else you need or want from me, I will oblige gladly!” Count Winslon shouted.

‘What is this stroke of luck?’

Eugene felt like jumping up and down with joy. He collected his thoughts at the speed of light before speaking with great calmness. “It would be going against my honor to ask Your Excellency for anything more. Rather, I should be the one who should give something to you.”

“Oh! Ohh…!”

“Please allow me to subdue the evil land of the county. I would like to kill a high-ranking monster to show the world the strength of the one who was titled the twin crown of the Winslon Family,” Eugene continued.

“S-sir Eugene!” Count Winslon was finally moved to tears. 

But not even in his wildest dreams did he imagine that the smiling, kind-hearted knight was in fact a vampire thinking of nothing else but red mana stones.

***

“What? Me?” Lanslo responded with astonishment.

“Why are you so surprised? And sir, you swore that you would do me a favor, regardless of what it was,” Eugene replied.

“Ah… that’s true, but…” Lanslo stuttered with a sour expression.

“The count gave his permission as well. He told you to do as you please. Anyways, are you saying you won’t do it?” Eugene asked.

“…I cannot break an oath of honor. I understand. I will follow Sir Eugene’s suggestion,” Lanslo said.

“It’s not a suggestion, it’s a demand. You must obey my instructions for three years from now.” Eugene responded.

Eugene didn’t only demand the right to subjugate a dungeon from Count Winslon. Instead, he asked to ‘borrow’ Lanslo for just three years. Eugene had a good feeling toward Lanslo, and it was the first time he felt such emotions since he met Galfredik. Count Winslon also felt that the two knights had been quite in-sync during the competition. As such, he promptly agreed to Eugene’s request. Of course, he also had the intention to place one of his own men by Eugene’s side to watch over Eugene as he followed the path to become a duke.

Eugene was no stranger to such intentions.

‘I’ll drag him in if I find him to be more useful than he is now.’

Eugene would have three long years to devise a specific method.

“Ha! I understand. Then what is your first order?” Lanslo asked.

“Firstly, take care of the new recruits in five days,” Eugene said.

“And what are you going to be doing in the meantime, Sir Eugene?” Lanslo asked.

“Evil land subjugation.”

“The prize from the competition and the ransom. Was that not enough silver coins for you?” Lanslo asked.

“There are things that are much more important than money,” Eugene answered. 

He was after the red mana stones, but he didn’t find it necessary to inform Lanslo of the fact, which was why he gave a general answer. Eugene’s calm attitude was sufficient to reaffirm Lanslo’s confidence in him.

‘I don’t know about anything else, but one thing is for sure. Jan Eugene—this knight is after money and fame!’

Lanslo smiled brightly, not knowing that his conviction couldn’t be further from the truth.