CH 73

Gathering Interest (2)

Royal Night.

As the Royal Knights Serving the King, it is the highest honor granted to a knight.

As it is not a position where anyone can receive an offer, Bendtner added in a voice full of pride.

"Actually, it is very unusual to directly propose a Royal Knight. Usually, you can enjoy the glory of joining the Royal Knights only if you pass both your personality and skills through an exam administered by the royal family. However, I intend to grant an exception to Roman Dmitry-sama. If you go to the capital right now and kneel before His Majesty and swear allegiance, you can join the Royal Knights without any tests."

If you were a child who didn't know the world.

He may have been moved by Bendtner's proposal and accepted it.

But.

Roman's reaction was different than expected.

"Is that the end?"

" Are you going to refuse?"

Embarrassed Bentner.

Roman said with a smile.

"Isn't it natural to say no? I never wanted honor as a knight. As the eldest son of the Dmitry family, I live in the northeast area without shortage, so why do I have to go up to the capital and make sacrifices as a Royal Knight? Your suggestion is wrong from the start. If I had known that the Dmitrys were the wealthiest people in the northeast, I shouldn't have made such an offer of simply granting honor.

unexpected answer.

Bendtner was speechless.

A glorious place everyone wants.

I thought that the Dmitry family would be thrilled and accepted, but Roman's reaction was coldly cynical.

like my heart

I was angry and wanted to turn back.

But knowing what was going on with the king who gave him the order, Bendtner shrugged his pride.

" If there's anything you want, please tell me. Your Majesty, Roman Dmitry, I wish you to appoint you as the Royal Knight of the Royal Family. Nobility? Prove your loyalty as a Royal Knight, and the Dmitrys will receive a new title. A mansion will be prepared for you in the capital, and you will enjoy many things as well as fame. Think carefully. The moment you say you want to become a Royal Knight, you can live a life that you could not experience in Dmitry."

took a step back

To recruit Roman.

Bendtner said the best offer.

nevertheless.

"Is that the best of the royal family?"

Roman was still cynical.

Bentner's expression hardened.

first refusal.

understood.

The proposal to simply become a Royal Knight might not be attractive to the eldest son of the Dmitry family.

However.

this is not

He promised wealth and honor as a condition of serving the king of Cairo by his side, but his eyes, as if he was the only one, touched Bendtner's heart.

Bentner said.

"You seem to have misunderstood something. Your Majesty the King wants you because he values the possibilities of the future, not the present. A Royal Knight, a new title, a mansion in the capital, etc. means that the rewards are overdone. But that's the answer. What a great person you are, so greedy without limits!"

Patience exploded.

He was like Roman.

Even if you become a 3 star at the age of 20, there is no guarantee that you will unconditionally grow into a 5 star or higher swordsman.

On the other hand, the Royal Knights are the best armed group in the Cairo Kingdom, but Roman overestimates himself.

chilled atmosphere.

Despite Bendtner's angry eyes, Roman's expression did not change.

"The illusion is you, not me."

" What is that!"

"Five days ago. A member of the Count Gregory's family came to see me. In return for his oath of allegiance to the Count of Gregory, he promised the capital's mansion as well as thousands of acres of land and treasures of gold and silver. And I hoped to become blood relatives through arranged marriage."

Gregory.

Bentner's expression twitched.

'Is the Chronos imperial group already moved?'

Gregory is not a royalist.

He was an open-minded follower of Kronos, and from Bendtner's point of view, it wouldn't be too bad to chew on it.

Roman's words didn't end there.

"Three days ago, the Denver family sent someone. They said they wanted to be my supporter. Instead of providing all the materials necessary to develop as a swordsman in the future, it was suggested that they become friendly rather than master-slave. You know that's all. Just yesterday evening, I met a person from the Benedictine family. They've got a far more extreme offer than you. Through arranged marriage, he forged a strong bond with the family, and promised to make Dmitry into his own family within the next month. Naturally, rewards such as the capital's mansion and gold and silver treasures were included in the basic compensation to the point that it hurts your mouth."

Denver House.

He was a member of the Valhalla Empire.

And not to mention the Benedict family.

It was the center of the aristocratic faction and, in fact, was the most direct threat to the royal family than the powers of both empires.

'The devil's magic has already arrived.'

It was embarrassing.

Bentner felt his eyes go black.

I thought I had checked the facts and moved as quickly as possible, but the rapists in Cairo had already moved.

Now I could understand.

Why did Roman turn down the offer?

What was the reason he didn't even blink an eye despite his suggestion?

If he had been in Roman's position, the royal proposal would not be very attractive.

said Roman.

"The reason I turn down the royal offer is not simply because it is not special. While the three factions made three proposals, the royal family, unaware of what was going on in Dmitry, naively made a proposal that fell behind the others. So I just asked. Seriously, is it correct to reject the previous three offers for the sake of the single honor of being a Royal Knight?"

at that word.

Bentner's heart sank.

finished.

There was no way to convince Roman to come now.

Now showing his incompetence, Bendtner accepted reality.

" We are one step late."

sighed.

With a face that had already given up, he looked at Roman and said.

"I admit that we are incompetent. But for the royal family, this was the best. The aristocrats of the Marquis Benedict, the Chronos Empire of Count Gregory, and the Valhalla Empire of the Earl of Denver. They are vicious tyrants trying to devour the Cairo Kingdom whole. They seized the power of the Cairo Kingdom, and blocked their eyes and ears so that the royal family could not properly intervene in state affairs. At least, the Royal Knights Commander is called Cairo's best sword, so we are suppressing rebellion, but it is impossible for us to move faster than the three forces no matter how hard we try.

The problem is over anyway.

spoke the truth

It seems that all of his confident attitude was a lie, and he looked like he was about to burst into tears at any moment.

"Cairo is a small country. In fact, even with the proposals I made to you, you cannot predict when you will be granted the title of nobility if you face opposition from the nobility. And yet, the reason they have come this far is that only physical force can protect His Majesty the King of Cairo. Finally, I beg you. Can't you give me your strength for His Majesty's sake? If, in the future, all the patriotic slaves are defeated and the throne is firmly established, then I will never forget today's choice."

distant future.

It was an uncertain promise.

Appealing to emotions was the only option Bendtner had.

'One kingdom, four powers.'

got used to

Celestial Church.

The huge group that ruled the magic religion was divided into numerous powers to occupy the position of the apex.

The twelfth son of Heaven.

From the moment Baek Jung-hyuk revealed his worth, he received suggestions from his older brothers.

Everyone made attractive offers and showed their intention to recruit Baek Joong-hyeok, and there was a situation where he had to make a choice.

then.

What choice did Baek Joong-hyuk make?

Would you have caught on to the strongest cord?

Or, did he show a hostile reaction by demonstrating his rebellious temperament?

It wasn't both.

any choice.

I know from my past experience that problems are bound to arise.

said Roman.

"The previous three proposals, and the royal proposal, are not very attractive to me. So I have no intention of accepting any offer. If the day comes when I choose a faction and swear allegiance, it is because I have experienced it myself and decided it is worth it. So, just go back today. If you want my loyalty, you just need to show it through actions, not slander that you can't keep. At that time, I will personally visit the royal family and swear allegiance."

neutrality.

Roman turned down all offers.

Because it is not yet a hostile relationship.

I didn't say no on purpose.

For all four factions, including the royal family, he left an unexpected possibility.

"Are you serious?"

Yes.

Bentner's expression brightened.

that the possibility of dialogue remains.

That alone was good news.

As Bendtner, who thought it was completely over, said with a voice excited by the possibility of a single word.

Okay. The Cairo royal family will make every effort not to give up the sovereignty of the country. So we'll wait. If the day comes when you will swear allegiance before His Majesty, then I will welcome your choice with open arms."

A bentner who never gives up until the very end.

even in those words.

Roman only smiled, but did not hold out his earnest hand.

Four suggestions.

four rejections.

Opponents' reactions were varied.

Like Bendtner, it was the yangban who showed hope and ended it, but there were also forces that pressured him with threats.

However.

Still, he maintained his attitude.

'I have no intention of swearing allegiance to any power in the end. If you're going to turn hostile anyway, leaving room is the only way to buy time. Until my purpose becomes clear, I need to build up my strength by buying time with ambiguous relationships.'

To leave room for all forces.

The downside is that when you choose one faction, you get the resentment of the other factions you've put in the effort for.

That's the problem.

This does not apply to Roman.

Even if he later finds out that Roman is ineligible for recruitment, by then all preparations for war will be complete.

In that respect, the situation in the Cairo Kingdom was favorable to Roman.

Even though Roman revealed a part of him, he couldn't immediately trample them down to keep each other in check.

A tight-knit single-rope ride.

Roman took the stage.

People will try to convince him, unaware that Roman is an uncompromising predator.

sure thing is

The ripple effect of the rankings was really great.

Even though he was still an unofficial ranker, Dmitry was thrilled by the people who wanted to sign Roman because he knew how he knew it.

For this reason, people hoped to become a ranker.

Because wealth and honor are guaranteed the moment you put your name on the ranker list, people relentlessly tried to get your name up at the very end.

The commotion was over.

Not yet.

I didn't think there was any big radical proposal.

Everyone made a suggestion based on common sense, and no gambler was betting on the current possibility alone.

a few days later.

Even until the people of Valhalla come again.