Chapter 84

Count Tenchia?

I knew who he was.

He was the border count guarding the frontier with the Eastern Empire, and also an elite member(?) of the Miya Union.

His territory boasted the second-highest gate defense rating after mine.

“Welcome.”

I gave him a brief greeting. Count Tenchia looked startled at the sight of me.

“Count Edelweiss has arrived as well.”

Count Tenchia’s black eyes flew wide open as he hurried toward us.

—Snap!

Right in front of him, a folding chair belonging to Count Biya—which had appeared out of nowhere—was placed.

“?”

Count Tenchia seemed thrown off by the cheap camp chair, something no noble would ever imagine sitting on, but he soon took a seat with an awkward expression.

I nodded to him again and continued.

Normally, nobles exchanged all sorts of elaborate formalities upon meeting, but we didn’t have time for such empty rituals.

“For starters, we’ve brought a small contingent from Edelweiss out of consideration for the alliance.”

As I spoke, Count Biya whipped his head toward me, his eyes glittering with zeal.

“I should’ve given prior notice, but getting permission from Biya territory first and then mobilizing troops from Edelweiss would’ve taken too long.”

Biya was short on time, but so was I.

“Of course, I figured escorting them all the way into the manor would be rude, so they’re waiting outside for now—”

That was when I said it. Count Biya let out a booming laugh.

“Hahaha! Those splendid knights are already resting up in the manor!”

When the heck did you let them in?

—Thud!

At that moment, Count Biya stomped his foot once more.

“Treating those who wield the sword is the destiny of every swordsman!”

He was so worked up it looked like steam might shoot from his nostrils as he bellowed.

“This Ledid de Biya offers his deepest gratitude for the support of both counts!”

If this guy gets any more excited, he’s gonna keel over.

I motioned for him to calm down and turned to Count Tenchia.

This young noble with his dignified deep indigo hair seemed flustered by Count Biya’s boiling blood(?), too.

Then our eyes met, and he hesitated before asking,

“But… how did Count Edelweiss make it all the way here? I recall you informed Miya that you were on an external assignment and your response would be delayed.”

He posed the question delicately.

That must’ve been a message from our family butler.

But I had no choice if I wanted to reach Soyeri Hunter.

The quickest route to her magic tower ran straight through Biya territory.

Of course, I couldn’t spill the full 100% truth, so I gave a suitable answer.

“With imperial citizens suffering, how could I just sit back and relax?”

I’d moistened my mouth with Count Biya’s fruit juice instead of spit to say it.

Of course, it wasn’t a lie, either.

The gap was closing! We couldn’t let this stand!

The moment I clenched my fist with resolve…

“…!”

Count Tenchia’s eyes widened. He stared at me in a daze before murmuring,

“A-As expected. The rumors were true. You’re incredible.”

What rumors?

Count Biya, swept up in the wave of emotion, chimed in with his face slightly flushed.

“I heard about the group that wiped out every monster along the way. To think it was Count Edelweiss herself.”

He kept heaping on the praise. Count Biya jumped in beside him.

“And she did it with one swing of her sword!”

“Ooh…”

“I saw that strike right in the heart of the battlefield myself, you know? That blade truly encapsulated the essence of Count Edelweiss’s lifelong training. Especially that thrust! The path of that sword was so impeccably clean…”

Did you happen to catch my Butter Grilled Scallops Craving (E) skill?

In that moment? You just had to see that embarrassing skill?

While I clutched my head, the two counts were hyping me up past the clouds—toward airplane territory.

At this rate, I’d unlock a flight skill.

“Anyway, let’s focus on the discussion.”

I need to get to Soyeri Hunter, you know? This isn’t the time for awe.

But my words only seemed to stoke their fires.

“Ha…!”

“Hup…!”

They locked eyes, drew sharp breaths, slapped their knees, stomped their feet, and started pacing the command tent while clenching their fists.

This was…

‘This is it! It’s a winner!’

Exactly like Soyeri Hunter when she got hyped about playing the stock market with gate byproduct profits.

‘Kuh! I told you it’d work, right!?’

Her expression when stocks soared, in particular.

Leaping from her seat, slapping her knee, forehead, squeezing her eyes shut, balling her fists, and hopping around—spot on.

“As expected! I knew it!”

‘As expected! I knew it!’

Is it because I’m on my way to Soyeri? I keep seeing her…

I started to intervene but decided to just wait for them to simmer down.

Saying anything else would only fan the flames.

Fine. Think whatever you want.

Being the good guy is pretty easy, huh?

The discussion wrapped up without dragging on.

The plan we hammered out with the two now-calmed counts was straightforward.

For one, the Biya family’s knights weren’t completely lacking in fundamentals.

This crisis had clearly caught them off guard because the gates had erupted all at once.

Which meant we just needed enough troops to mop up the sudden surge.

Have the existing Biya knights rest while handling monsters spilling outside the gates, and center Edelweiss and Tenchia knights on clearing the new ones.

That way, we could cull the explosive growth of gates in Biya territory, deal with the rampaging monsters, and restore stability in short order.

“My deepest thanks!”

Count Biya bowed his head low.

Nobles didn’t bow easily. It was a sign of genuine gratitude.

“We’ll share weekly updates on our knights’ status and gate management across all of Miya. Truly, thank you!”

Even as he saw us off, Count Biya kept chanting his thanks nonstop.

“My lord! A gate has appeared in the western plains!”

His butler’s report finally snapped him out of it.

“What?!”

Count Biya stomped again—boom!

“Go take command. We’ve had plenty of send-off.”

At my words, Count Biya offered one final deep bow to me and Count Tenchia.

“Then, I’ll be off!”

And with that…

—Shing!

“Onward!”

He drew his sword and charged out. Wait, was he heading out personally?

“W-Wait, are you going to the front lines yourself?”

Count Tenchia asked in astonishment. The already-distant Count Biya roared back,

“My blood is boiling! I can’t hold back!”

If his blood’s always boiling like that, is he even human or some hot-blooded empire?

Amazed by his overflowing energy, I stuck out my tongue.

Anyway, business was done. Time to head to Soyeri Hunter.

“Then.”

“Until next time.”

Count Tenchia and I exchanged simple farewells and parted for our carriages.

I couldn’t help smiling at the incoming messages.

“Straight to the magic tower.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I beckoned, and the knights—already aware of my schedule—opened the carriage door.

Nothing’s gonna pop up on the way there, right?

I was rushing to board when…

“Count Edelweiss!”

A voice called out from the distance.

“?”

I turned to see Count Tenchia sprinting over, his deep indigo hair whipping in the wind.

Wait, didn’t we already say our goodbyes and head out?

He barreled toward us at an incredible speed, drawing every eye in the vicinity—Edelweiss and Tenchia knights, Biya knights, even the servants and knights from other Miya families handling supplies.

“!”

Realizing it too late, Count Tenchia’s face turned the polar opposite of his hair color.

In other words, beet red.

“Count Edelweiss!”

What the—? Before I could even process, Count Tenchia bellowed at the top of his lungs,

“I’ve fallen for your indomitable spirit!”

“Pardon?”

Here? Right now? Like this?

“O-Oh, Count Tenchia…”

“Is he proposing to Count Edelweiss?”

‘If you like someone, you propose?!’ Well, that was noble society for you.

“Miya might be in for some good news.”

As the crowd chugged down bowls of kimchi soup, I was utterly baffled.

Did I just get confessed to?

And you’re doing it right in front of someone with one foot already in the carriage?

“R-Right now.”

Seeing my shock, Count Tenchia belatedly added,

“You don’t have to answer right now!!!”

No mistake—he’d caught Count Biya’s boiling-blood bug.

He shouted until his throat gave out,

“I just wanted to let you know how I feel!!!”

—Tatata-tat!

Then he spun on his heel and bolted back to his carriage like he was fleeing for his life.

“?”

???

What am I supposed to do with that?

I rubbed my forehead.

“…Shall we depart, ma’am?”

A knight asked cautiously beside me. He knew I needed to reach the tower ASAP.

No time to chase him down, and it wasn’t like I had any reason to…

I glanced at the murmuring crowd and beckoned one of my knights.

“For now… tell him I’ll be in touch later.”

Whatever I decided—rejection or otherwise—rumors were inevitable. Might as well handle it cleanly.

I boarded the carriage with an awkward expression.

Then I pulled up the hunter chat.

The hunter chat was blowing up. If I let it go, they’d start digging into Biya Count next.

The chat went quiet for a beat… then erupted again.

How do you even know that amid all this?

The hunter chat was on the verge of exploding.

“Whew.”

People whose own lives are utterly romance-free lose their minds over everyone else’s love lives.