C105
"What...?"
"It's okay, Ethel. I'll save you from the clutches of that man."
Liena interrupted me halfway through the sentence with a confident attitude.
"No, Terence didn't..."
"Have you become close enough to call each other by your names? He really is a fox-like person. He also lured Elliot."
She didn't listen to me at all. Moreover, she seemed to believe that Elliot had betrayed her because Terence persuaded him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to do this either."
Liena seemed to be crying.
"But as long as that person controls you as he does now, I have no choice but to be hostile toward you."
"I'm not being controlled."
"Yes, that's right. Sooner or later, I will open your eyes."
It felt like a thick wall blocked Liena and me.
"I'm so sorry, Ethel. I can't give more power to that man."
Liena said that and walked toward her grandfather.
Feeling uneasy, I followed and listened to what Liena had to say.
"Grandfather, the story is over."
"What did that woman tell you?"
"Don't do that. My sister-in-law didn't say anything."
"Tsk, I understand. So, are we proceeding as planned?"
"Yes. Just as planned."
How was it planned?
Roland gestured, and one of his men ran toward the entrance of the village. Here was where Viscount Cainbert, who had brought his soldiers, was waiting.
Terence and I exchanged glances before heading toward the village entrance.
Roland's subordinate was seen whispering something to Viscount Cainbert.
The viscount heard everything his subordinate said, then unsheathed his sword, raised it high, and shouted.
"I, Lucio Cainbert, declare territorial war against the County of Wallace at this moment!"
Territorial war. The villagers were very agitated by these sudden words.
One of the residents, an elder, stepped forward and asked the viscount with a trembling voice.
"My lord, I am the chief of this village."
"Speak."
"Our village was annexed from the County of Wallace to the Viscounty of Cainbert several years ago, so why do you want to execute territorial war here...?"
"Oh, you don't have to worry. I have no interest in this run-down village either."
The viscount's sword pointed at the Andala mine located behind the village.
"This entire area has become my territory, but only one area remains that belongs to the County of Wallace."
"Are you referring to the abandoned mine?"
"Yes. Count Wallace has not fully paid his debt to me. So, I will take that abandoned mine as my land and repair the damage."
The residents who heard this whispered with expressions of confusion on their faces. At that moment, we heard the sound of a group of people near us talking.
"No, why that useless land...?"
"I didn't even know that mine still belonged to the Wallace family."
"But territorial war is quite strange. I can't even see the Count's soldiers."
"That's right. Shouldn't the imperial family be informed of a battle between noble families and notify the other party in advance that an attack is taking place?"
It might seem absurd, but it was an essential rule to maintain national order.
It wasn't an enemy country, but nobles within the same country were fighting, and if there were no rules like this, the Asteroth Empire would quickly fall into disarray.
Viscount Cainbert also seemed to realize this and spoke.
"I received permission from His Majesty the Emperor and notified the County of Wallace, but there was no response."
Of course. Count Wallace and his family were probably already moving to a rented house in the capital.
The rest of the County of Wallace was probably only the land near the Count's mansion, but they weren't fools, and there was no way they would return to the mansion where their debtors were waiting.
"This is a complete battle."
Since Count Wallace didn't have the strength to respond adequately, Viscount Cainbert could win the battle without shedding a drop of blood.
Somehow, even though there were so many soldiers brought by the viscount, there was no tension whatsoever, and it even seemed boring.
Terence whispered quietly.
"If I were in the imperial palace, I would have prevented such a ridiculous situation from happening."
"They deliberately targeted Terence while he was away."
There was a high probability that the emperor had approved the territorial war without thinking much.
From a national perspective, Cainbert and Wallace were nothing more than small fiefs where most people didn't even know where they lived.
If a large noble family like Cassius had decided to get involved in a territorial war, it would have been considered significant, but since the issue was Cainbert, it would have been just one more item on the agenda among the numerous pending matters in the political meeting.
"That's why you came with Cainbert, Liena."
Liena's intention was to use Viscount Cainbert to steal my mine.
Since I couldn't just obediently watch, I stood in front of the viscount.
"This territorial war is not possible."
The viscount arched his eyebrows.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Ethel, the owner of that mine."
"Oh, the daughter of Count Wallace?"
"Now, legally, we are not related. If you want, I can confirm it."
"Then?"
"That mine, like its owner, is no longer affiliated with the Wallace family. But why declare territorial war?"
Viscount Cainbert resorted to me as if I were laughing.
"Those kinds of things are not my concern. Legally? Does that break the natural bond between parents and children?"
It was simply imprudence.
"Since you've lived thanks to your family, you also have the obligation to pay Wallace's debt!"
"... So, if I pay the debt, will you leave?"
"Impossible. There are other reasons for this territorial war. Your father didn't fulfill the promise he made to me a long time ago."
"What kind of promise was it?"
"It was a long time ago. We promised a union. If the Count has a daughter, I will arrange for her to marry my son."
What?
"I also have an oath containing the agreement made at that time. If you disagree with the territorial war, marry my son, Ethel Wallace!"
I was so embarrassed that I couldn't even speak.
"There's nothing more to hear."
Terence, who was behind me, said coldly.
"Even so, that's a bit..."
While trying to stop him, the young man next to Viscount Cainbert asked the viscount.
"Father, is she?"
The grumpy-looking man looked at me and smiled maliciously.
"Well, it's not bad. Although she's very plain compared to me."
I almost asked Terence to lend me a sword to kill that bastard.
"Liena, this is..."
Liena said that since I had become a stranger to the Wallace family and had written a memorandum, I couldn't obtain the mines through peaceful means, so she chose the extreme method of territorial war.
Once a mine is occupied, it takes a long time until it is declared that the mine is incorrect in a trial and returned.
"Perhaps, with Cassius's financial power, I can bribe the judge and get a favorable outcome for the other party."
Even if the behind-the-scenes work failed and the mine was returned, it was possible to steal the magic stones from the mine while the trial was ongoing.
They say a fist nearby is scarier than a fist far away, and that's exactly what it was.
At that moment, Liena and Roland calmly walked out and headed to the carriage they had arrived in.
I asked Liena.
"Don't you think it's cowardly and foolish?"
"What? I'm not sure what that means. I told you before, sister-in-law."
Liena smiled.
"I just came to recover. I only happened to meet Viscount Cainbert on the way home."
Roland glared at me fiercely.
"That's right. If my bunny had told me to buy him, this wouldn't have happened."
"Excuse me?"
"I would have mediated skillfully between you and the viscount, but you don't even know my bunny's kind heart."
"Stop calling her a damn bunny!"
When I shouted, the old man opened his eyes wide.
"If your granddaughter does something wrong, you have to stop her. Why encourage her to behave like a baby?"
"How dare you...?"
"Don't pretend to be a good grandfather to Liena when you didn't even attend your grandson's wedding!"
I really had no feelings for Leandro, but I said this because Roland's behavior was very repugnant. I wanted him to come to his senses.
"......"
But Roland's reaction was a bit strange. He kept closing his eyes with a bewildered expression on his face.
"Grandpa?"
"......"
The old man remained silent despite his granddaughter's calls.
"Grandpa!"
"Uh, ah... Liena?"
"Why are you like this? Where does it hurt?"
"No. I was a little dizzy for a moment."
"Quickly get on the carriage and rest."
"Yes, that's right."
Roland gave me a meaningful look and headed towards the carriage, guided by his granddaughter's hand.
"Why did he react like that?"
While tilting my head inexplicably, I heard a voice in my head.
[Mistress.]
As the divine beast in my pocket couldn't appear in front of people, it spoke to me in the same way as before.
I silently listened to the voice in my head.
[I could feel the manifestation of divine power in you a moment ago.]
What? Didn't you say I almost have no divine power?
[Indeed, part of the power I gave you still resides in your body. It seems you unconsciously used it as your own divine power.]
The divine beast was surprised to understand my question and gave a fitting answer.
[I suppose you just used the blessing...]
Blessing? It was a word I couldn't ignore, but unfortunately, I didn't have time to think about it now.
"So, are you going to marry my son or accept the territorial war?"
This was because Viscount Cainbert urged me to respond.
"Neither of the two."
"Don't be stubborn! The world is not that easy!"
As Terence said, there was nothing more to hear. I have figured out his intentions.
"In case you don't know, I am the owner of the mine, but through the contract, I have entrusted part of the management, especially matters related to this force, to someone else."
"What?"
I gestured to the side.
"Now, let me introduce you. This is my business partner, His Royal Highness Prince Terence Belver Asteroth."
Terence took a step forward, happy that his turn had finally come.
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