The Count, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, looked somewhat haggard.

He was someone who didn’t lose his vitality even in battles where death was almost certain. It seemed likely that this was related to the Second Prince’s fall.

I quickly bowed to him.

Even though I had entered the room, I had been chatting with his daughter. Since I had committed an impoliteness, I had to apologize.

“I apologize.”

“No. It’s understandable if you’re happy to see each other. I’m actually glad that you cared for my daughter.”

The Count shook his head.

He looked a bit weary now. When I first saw him, he was full of dignity, but now he seemed like an ordinary neighborhood man.

He started by asking about what had happened during that time. I didn’t tell him about the events on the way. The story was bound to be long.

The Protagonist also had many questions, but he couldn’t interrupt the Count, so he kept his answers brief. Seizing a moment when the Count paused, he quickly asked,

“I heard that His Royal Highness, the Prince, is bedridden.”

The Count’s face hardened.

“Perhaps it was something that didn’t have to happen.”

“What happened?”

“There was a spy. And it was a Noble who had been with our Faction for a long time.”

I listened intently. I wanted to know why the Prince was bedridden when the spy hadn’t even stabbed him with a knife.

“Nobles often enjoy banquets. We did too. We were chatting and drinking as usual, when a Viscount offered a toast. His Royal Highness drank it without any suspicion.”

“Didn’t he check for poison?”

Nobles enjoyed killing people with poison.

I heard that they even had their servants taste their food beforehand.

Someone of royal blood would always have a taster with them. So, it was incomprehensible that he was poisoned.

“The very fact that the food was brought into the ball means someone had already tasted it. Moreover, if the Prince were to check for poison in food offered by a subordinate who follows him, what would that subordinate think? He might consider him a coward, worse than a mouse, or be disappointed in the Capital City.”

“I see.”

“Besides, a man should drink heartily. That must have been his thought. He never dreamed it would turn out like this, though.”

The Count lowered his head.

“What happened to that Viscount?”

“He was executed by quartering.”

“Quartering?”

“It’s a punishment where the neck and limbs are tied to ropes and pulled apart by the force of carriages, tearing him to death.”

I gasped.

Just thinking about receiving such a punishment made my whole body tremble.

Seeing the Count’s expression, which suggested even that wasn’t enough, I could tell how intense his anger was.

“Normally, I would have sent him to the guillotine, but that scoundrel did something unforgivable. I wanted to torture him, but I was so angry at the time that I killed him immediately. Looking back now, it’s regrettable.”

“Is there hope for His Royal Highness?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I heard my Knight tried to persuade you but failed.”

Mordon said to abandon the useless King and switch to the Princess. The Count refused the offer.

“I cannot abandon His Highness.”

“Why not?”

“It wouldn’t matter if I told you.”

His daughter and a Guard were nearby. However, the Count continued speaking as if he didn’t care. It was a story from his past.

“Was it more than twenty years ago? When my family was struggling, the Merchant Guild was hit by Bandits and had to pay a huge compensation. At that time, I was fighting a Territory War and was on the verge of bankruptcy.”

“How unlucky.”

The Merchant Guild always traveled with appropriate Guards. The Merchant Guild heading to The North at that very moment had even hired close to thirty Mercenaries.

It seemed incredibly unlucky for the Merchant Guild to fail, as Orcs hadn’t descended as an entire race like they had recently.

“For a while, I thought like you. But I later found out they were sent by those who bore a grudge against us. They already had considerable power, and they must have judged that they would become a threat if they grew even larger.”

“Don’t you, Count, have a lot of money?”

“Even a vast territory is unbearable if a war breaks out. No matter how much money you have, it disappears without a trace, like water poured on the ground. I met His Highness when I was racking my brain over this.”

He seemed to understand the gist of his story.

“He extended a hand to me then. Thanks to him, I overcame the crisis where my territory might have been ruined. I owe him a debt of gratitude.”

“Gratitude…”

For the Count, it must have felt like coming back from the dead. If he failed, his dependents would also suffer. More than anything, he felt he wouldn’t be able to face his ancestors.

“After that, I helped him. He helped me when I was in trouble, so I can’t abandon him now.”

He nodded.

If one ignored a debt of gratitude, they were a beast, not a human. There were many beast-like individuals in the world, but at least the Count was human.

“Is what you, Count, wish for to make him King?”

“That is not it.”

The Count shook his head. That was a relief. If he had tried to crown him King without understanding the current situation, it would have been awkward.

“We must fight now. He cannot become King unless he immediately rises and leads the Nobles.”

“So, are you saying we should just let him die?”

“We are looking for a way to save him.”

“A way to save him?”

The Count’s eyes opened. It was a look that demanded a detailed explanation of what he was saying.

“If the war ends quickly, we might find a way to save His Highness. Since the Dark Mage’s spy poisoned him, there must be a Capital City that can cure him.”

“The King’s daughter won’t grant that wish. Even if the war could end early, she wouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“Would you leave someone who could be a threat alive? They’ll die on their own if you just leave them alone. Even if they’re perfectly alive, Nobles will try to kill their rivals to solidify their position. More importantly, I don’t know her.”

The Count revealed his concerns.

“I know her.”

“What?”

The Count let out a gasp. It seemed he was that surprised. He couldn’t understand how the Princess, with whom he had no contact, and the Protagonist had become acquainted.

“How do you know her?”

“I told you I came from the outer Castle, didn’t I?”

“No way?”

The Count wasn’t a fool either. He noticed what the Protagonist was saying and his eyes widened.

“She’s the one I brought.”

“Is that true?”

He nodded. After repeating himself several times, the Count finally let out a sigh of relief, seeming quite reassured.

“Then that’s a great relief. I understand why the knight next to you told the Princess to switch to you. Since you saved her life, she’ll probably listen to anything you say.”

The Count’s tone was a little odd.

It was a voice that sounded like it was dooming the Protagonist. He tried to think if he had made a mistake somewhere, but nothing came to mind.

“You’ll be attending tomorrow’s banquet, right? I’ll make an acquaintance there.”

“Are you going to follow my words?”

“What you said seems to be the only way to save His Highness. To do that, I’ll also have to help the Princess and absorb the traitors as quickly as possible. His Highness will understand my choice.”

The Count sighed and said he would return.

He might have been going to tell the Prince about this.

For him, it might have felt like a betrayal, so it was easier to tell the truth to the Prince, who was sleeping as if dead.

As the Count left, Chloe, who had been sitting next to him, grabbed him.

Her eyes, always half-closed, were somehow glaring at him, unlike usual. He couldn’t understand why both father and daughter were acting this way.

“You’re pretending not to, but you’re always surrounded by women. You even rejected me, saying you already had a woman.”

“Th-that was a chance encounter.”

“It seems like she has other intentions if she’s introducing you at the banquet, doesn’t it? If that’s the case, take me with you too.”

“Nothing has happened yet.”

He flinched.

Every time she spoke, he became servile, as if he had committed a great wrong. He understood why the Count had spoken in that tone earlier.

He felt a little wronged.

Although the Protagonist liked women, he hadn’t approached them with that intention from the start.

In the first place, it was the other person who approached him. This matter was also done because the Princess asked him to. He never tried to do it first.

“If something happens, will you marry me?”

“Count must approve.”

“I’ve already received permission.”

He stood up. His face was hot.

Chloe just laughed, apparently not intending to tease him further. Seeing her face, he was confused whether she was teasing the Protagonist or being serious.

The face of the knight on guard was contorted.

He couldn’t bring himself to speak, clenching his fists and trembling. It seemed he was jealous of the Protagonist talking.

But he couldn’t even say that he had to go back.

Mordon was behind him. Their build and aura were immediately different. Chloe’s guard was inferior in every aspect.

After returning to his lodging, he closed his eyes.

Last time, the thirty-year-old Protagonist dreamed of dueling with his master.

He made significant progress watching that duel.

His interest in dark magic also increased. If he won the battle, it wouldn’t be bad to capture a dark mage and listen to their story.

He looked forward to what he would dream of when he fell asleep.

I had a dream.

Today, my master was not there.

He had fallen into a long sleep. He could no longer come out. Still, the thirty-year-old Protagonist’s expression seemed bright. He had now killed his master, become a new master, and had disciples.

Unlike the disciples he had seen last time, there were several new disciples. His expression was very bright, as if he was pleased with that fact. There was no one in the Capital City who would think he was a bad guy for killing his master.

“Today, I will tell you the path to becoming a High-ranking Mage.”

The disciples were kneeling.

They had their ears open and were ready to listen to the other person’s words.

The Protagonist, though not to that extent, leaned his head forward to hear better. The Protagonist could now learn what he had most wanted to know.

The Protagonist had been using Ice Spear since he was a low-ranking Mage who could only use Water Mass.

Back then, it was possible because of divine protection, but it changed after he became a mid-ranking Mage.

Now, he could properly learn High-ranking Magic and use it with his own power.

Still, there were many shortcomings.

The Protagonist’s level was still that of a mid-ranking Mage. Yet, he possessed such skill, so he was excited to see how strong he would become when he truly became a High-ranking Mage.

“High-ranking Mages are different from ordinary people. They must be proud to have reached a proper level, and their understanding of Magic must reach the realm of a master. Most importantly, a High-ranking Mage is someone who cannot become one without luck.”