Chapter 109
"What nonsense are you talking about?!"
Boom!
The Bifrost barracks on one side of the central front were turned upside down.
The subordinates lowered their heads without saying a word, even at the roar of Roger Bifrost, whose face was flushed red.
"What are those Peretas doing?!"
"That, it is said that the castle was captured before the Peretan army even set out."
"Ugh. Lentor, that idiot!"
He cursed at his fallen subordinate.
It was not his usual style to show such a collapsed state in front of other subordinates.
However, it was only 증거 (evidence) that his shock was that great.
"Fortunately, it is said that the Lords and the Prince have escaped safely. They are on their way here now……."
"Is that important now? My castle! My land has fallen into the hands of the McLarens?!"
Roger Bifrost continued to shout, oblivious to the changing expressions of his subordinates due to his constant swearing.
"I'm going back right now! I'm going to catch those bastards and tear them to pieces. How dare they touch my land!"
The anger that had been suppressed by the inevitable situation continued to burst out without filter.
"Prepare to return! The affairs of the 領地 (territory) are first! I must get my land back. I will speak to His Grace the Duke myself."
Now that things have come to this, even Duke Jordan Waltermaim will no longer have a reason to stop him.
No, he will help me, because I have something to say.
Roger Bifrost expected so.
But the reality was different from his expectations.
"Impossible."
The gray-haired giant's words were the same as before.
Roger Bifrost could not help but contort his face horribly.
"My land! My base was attacked by those lawless bastards! Why can't I do it!"
"The forces deployed on the central front are evenly matched. And you want to withdraw Bifrost's forces in this situation? Are you saying that your land is more important than the cause?"
"……That's not it. My territory must be intact in order for me and my army to join the cause without any problems! Moreover, those bastards are crazy bastards who have ignored Your Grace's warning. If we just leave them alone……."
"I will not leave them alone."
"……Yes?"
Hope arose for a moment, but the answer that followed did not satisfy Roger Bifrost's heart.
"I will personally tear them to pieces after the cause is over."
"Your Grace……!"
Jordan responded to Roger Bifrost's resentful gaze with a cold smile.
"But before that, I will first notify them and bring them into our faction."
"Yes? What is that……?"
"And I will drag them into this front line and use them as cannon fodder. That would work, right? Those crazy bastards who ignored my warning will have no say in the matter."
"Ah……."
Roger Bifrost also had no say in the matter.
However, the crazy bastards had another option.
[If you are going to threaten us like this, we have no choice but to align ourselves with the First Prince.]
The acting lord of McLaren smiled and replied.
The lord was nowhere to be seen, and this bastard was the one who came out and smiled broadly.
His leisurely expression showed no sign of how much guts he had.
Jordan Waltermaim's face, which had been humiliated in front of his subordinates, contorted noticeably.
"You are aware that you are now ignoring my warning and refusing my offer, right? Do you also know that this is an act of rejecting the will of His Highness Romain, who will inherit the throne of this country?"
His tone was still calm, but a volcanic aura erupted from around him, pressing down on the surroundings.
Roger Bifrost and his vassals, including him, backed away hesitantly, dripping with cold sweat, but that aura could not have been transmitted through the communication device.
[I am well aware that I am overstepping my bounds. However, Your Grace. The bad relationship between Bifrost and us started a long time ago. This is not something we did because we disrespect you or His Highness Romain.]
"Then prove it. Lead your army to the front lines and make a contribution. Then my anger and the prince's anger will spare you."
[Unfortunately, we cannot do that.]
Boom!
[Hmm? I hear a strange noise. Is the connection bad……?]
The surrounding area became even more silent at the explosion that erupted from under Jordan's feet, but the red head on the other side of the communication device was just playing dumb.
"……They're urging me on."
At the murderous aura that was becoming clearer, Roger Bifrost, who had been dripping with cold sweat, smiled faintly.
However, there was not the slightest flinch from the other side.
[I intend to remain neutral, following my teacher's will. My loyalty to the royal family remains unchanged, so I hope you will not doubt my heart because of the old grudge of my family.]
"You insolent bastard! That's what you say……!"
"Your Grace! The First Prince's men are moving!"
Whether it was good or bad timing.
The knight who opened the door of the barracks and delivered the news of the front line turned pale at the concentrated murderous aura.
[You seem busy. Get to work.]
Logan's leisurely voice coming from the communication device further heightened Jordan's murderous aura.
"……I must cut off those bastards' lives, even if it means taking casualties. I think that would be better for morale."
[Are you sure you can afford that kind of damage? I heard the front line is very tense. I don't believe you are the kind of person who can't control your anger.]
"Hmph……. That thunderous bastard. You will soon realize what you have done. It will be too late to regret it."
[Well, regret is…….]
Crack.
Jordan Waltermaim, who had cut off the communication with a hardened expression, clenched his teeth and shouted at his surroundings.
"What are you doing! Prepare for battle! We will crush the 1st Prince's faction first!"
"Yes!"
After all the nobles in the barracks hurriedly scattered.
The Duke gestured to his aide with a cold voice.
"Quietly call …… Bring a few more men and …… that arrogant bastard from before……."
The aide nodded solemnly with a hardened face at the command, which was filled with even more killing intent than when he had given the order to sortie a moment ago.
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"Phew. It's over."
"But Your Highness. Is this really okay? He is still a Duke and a superhuman……."
Dwayne asked Logan with a slightly worried expression, who was relieved.
However, Logan spoke with a nonchalant face as if it was nothing.
"They can't touch us now anyway. At most, they will just nag us behind our backs. We just need to be well prepared."
"Is that something you can say so calmly?!"
"What else are we going to do? Are we really going to go up to the central front line and be used as target practice like they say?"
Dwayne was so frustrated that he was about to cry.
"That's not what I mean. You could just say it nicely……."
"It's already irreversible anyway. We are not going to accept their terms. To a beast that will only bite us if we show weakness, it is better to be dignified."
"Sigh. Oh God, why are you giving me this trial……."
Logan chuckled as he watched Dwayne, who was now even praying to God.
"Why? Are you nervous?"
"Ask anyone! It's strange for the peaceful Prince to be like this!"
"Well, if you're nervous, don't come into the mansion for a while. Something might happen."
"Your Highness!!"
Dwayne cried out in fright and jumped up.
"Just kidding, kidding! What can't I say? By the way, haven't we heard from the 1st Prince's faction yet?"
"Yes?"
"Now that the 2nd Prince's side has made its move, that's it. It's time for the other side to react too? Should we contact them first?"
"Yes? Why?!"
"Why, because they must be furious with us right now……."
Jiiiiing.
As if waiting for those words, the communicator lit up again, displaying the emblem of two crossed swords.
It was the emblem of the Douglas ducal house, the real power behind the 1st Prince.
[It's the conquest of Bifrost! Hahaha! Thank you for bringing me such wonderful news in a long time. Yes, you are the young one who still represents the will of the family there. Well, it's fresh and good. But if you have struck Bifrost, you must be thinking of joining our faction?]
Duke Juan Douglas also appeared in person and called the communication.
At this sensitive time, it was a reality check to see how much of a ripple effect the Bifrost conquest carried out by McLaren had caused.
"It is an honor to receive your direct contact, Your Grace."
Logan was busy bowing again and again to greet this other powerful man.
However.
"I apologize, but we are not yet ready to support any of the princes, simply because of our family's old grudge. I am truly sorry."
The words came out more clearly and decisively than ever before.
'I'm going to have to suffer a little more. My back.'
Logan swallowed his useless thoughts and looked at the kingdom's only sorcerer with a smiling face.
[Jordan won't just sit back and do nothing, what do you plan to do? Knowing his vicious nature, I think he'll try to swallow your family whole…….]
The blue eyes on the other side of the communication device stared at Logan.
It was a strange feeling, as if only his eyes were not smiling even though his face was definitely smiling.
The calm eyes that showed no change in emotion made Logan's heart feel cold.
"I just received a call from him. He gave up and backed down."
[Just like that?]
"Don't you think he's too busy? From what I can see, Duke Douglas seems to have the advantage."
[Oh. You certainly have an eye for it. But you're not just talking nonsense, are you? You're not going to join the Second Prince's faction just to avoid the Bifrost subjugation, are you…….]
The Duke of Douglas' eyes, which had been staring at Logan as he trailed off, still showed no change.
"Of course not. Our family is too weak to maintain a firm neutrality. And we will support you, at least emotionally. Please be sure to step on the remaining Bifrost forces firmly."
[Heh, you're still saying what you want to say. Well, it doesn't seem like a lie, but……. Just in case, I'm warning you, if you deceive me, you won't be able to just get away with it like that stupid Jordan guy.]
This one and that one were all blackmail.
It must be because McLaren is weak.
Logan gritted his teeth inside and smiled on the outside.
"Of course."
The civil war had just begun.
This was the moment when the neutrality of the McLaren family was officially recognized in the midst of the chaos.
Although there were still some dangerous elements of chaos left.
McLaren's occupation of Bifrost.
This sudden event surprised all the nobles of the kingdom, but the most surprised person was probably Max Perreta (Ferretta).
He was the one who had chosen to become Bifrost's subordinate after the conflict between McLaren and Bifrost's territories.
And he was the one who had been told to send reinforcements to Bifrost, but had heard that the battle was over before he could even set out.
Max Perreta, who had no choice but to watch the situation, had taken it for granted that McLaren would suffer a terrible revenge after this無理な subjugation.
"Either the Count of Bifrost will come down personally and crush them, or they will be severely punished at the factional level."
It was a logical and reasonable inference for him.
However.
[There will be no subjugation. McLaren's neutrality is granted.]
He could not help but be confused by the single line of command that came down from above.
"W, what happened! They say they self-destructed!"
"……McLaren must have done something. There's no way Roger Bifrost can stand this! The elite of the Bifrost army must be safe…… Why……?"
Reinhardt, who had been scolded by him, hurriedly made excuses, but no matter how much he thought about it, he had no way of knowing what was going on.
"I, I tried to follow the Count's orders! I tried to help Bifrost, and I was going to send the Knights to the central front. I was just a little late. The Count should help us, right?! Reinhardt! If those guys target us in this situation, what will happen……!"
"……If we are neutral, they will not touch us, my lord. Please calm down."
He wasn't stupid enough to do this.
Reinhardt sighed invisibly as he watched his lord stomping his feet.
He understood that the situation had become strange due to McLaren's unexpected and sudden action.
Caught between Bifrost and McLaren, or rather, now in the middle of McLaren's territory.
If it weren't for the current special situation, it could be said that McLaren was on the verge of being devoured.
However, Perret is now clearly a faction of Bifrost, the 2nd Prince's faction.
'If we have publicly declared neutrality, they can't touch us first. It's okay.'
So it only made it seem pathetic that the lord was making such a fuss.
However, Rihalt was forced to realize the fact that he was the real fool, seeing the notice from McLaren that arrived the very next day.
[We want to forget the past friction and unpleasant incidents and build a new relationship between our two families……(omitted)…….]
To put it simply, the long-winded sentence meant.
We can't attack directly because of the current situation, but whoever becomes the king in the future, we are the lords of this region.
So…….
If you don't want to be trampled, kneel down from now on.
That was the meaning.
"……What are the chances of us defeating McLaren?"
"It will be difficult without external help."
Max Perret's face became even more distorted at Rihalt's definitive answer.
"What were the conditions?"
"First, a monthly food and material supply worth 100,000 gold……."
It was less than 1/10 of the Perret territory's budget, which was 1.2 million a year.
This alone seemed like a very generous condition, but the problem was with the other clauses.
"……There is also a condition to lower the 70% land tax to 30% and allow internal inspections every month. And there is also the right to requisition troops when it is absolutely necessary……."
It was a de facto threat to interfere with both finances and military power.
"What if we refuse?"
"……Historically speaking, such civil wars last six months at most. And when that time comes, McLaren will not hesitate."
Your family and you will definitely die, regardless of anything else.
……The meaning was too painful to say with words, so it was conveyed only with a look.
The lord, who had already lost his momentum, sighed and looked ten years older in an instant.
"……I will accept the terms. I will return to being a vassal family again."
Thus, Perret became a vassal of McLaren again after 200 years.
