Chapter 354
Chapter 354: How About Living in My Body? (4)
“Join the Crown Prince Faction… and fight the Duke Faction?”
Count Mobray’s heavy words made Ghislaine nod submissively.
“That’s what I want.”
“……”
Count Mobray sighed deeply after glaring at Ghislaine for a while.
“Have you come from the Crown Prince Faction? Was it Marquis Branford who sent you?”
“It’s similar. The Marquis didn’t send me, though.”
“Essentially, you’re saying you want me to surrender my family and territory in exchange for saving my son. That’s impossible.”
The reason Count Mobray, despite being a noble from the south, did not align himself with the Duke Faction was simple: he did not want to contribute to a rebellion.
Thus, he maintained a neutral stance. He had a certain level of confidence in his own strength, enabling him to do so.
Whether it was the Crown Prince Faction or Duke Faction, trying to strike at him would simply deplete their strength without bringing any significant gain.
But if he chose one side, things would change. The opposing side would surely seek to eliminate him.
“I cannot fight the Duke Faction.”
No matter how powerful he considered himself, he could not compare to the Duke Faction. If he were to fight them, his territory would undoubtedly fall to ruin.
The reason he had saved his son from evil spirits would be rendered meaningless.
“I’m sorry, but I believe you can understand my circumstances. Would it be possible to compensate in another way?”
After all, the person who healed his son was a benefactor. He couldn’t simply let it go like this. If one received a kindness, they must repay it. That is the honor and pride of a noble.
Ghislaine nodded at Count Mobray’s words. She had anticipated this level of reaction.
“Then I will ask for something else.”
“What is it?”
“First, I would like you to continue maintaining your neutrality.”
“That’s a given. I have no intention of becoming a traitor either.”
“The other is… later, please allow me a path through here.”
“A path?”
Count Mobray tilted his head. Suddenly asking for a path, he couldn’t comprehend what it meant.
Ghislaine chuckled softly, stripped off her beard and wig. Count Mobray’s eyes widened at her suddenly changed appearance.
“Who are you? Why are you disguised to come here…?”
“I am Count Penris.”
“……!”
Count Mobray was astonished and momentarily at a loss for words.
Recently, rumors of Count Penris had been rampant in the kingdom.
The one who had defeated the great noble Count Desmond and taken the supremacy of the North.
Just the mere fact that he appeared here, having cut ties with the Duke Faction, was a tremendous incident enough to faint over.
“Are you really Count Penris?”
“Yes.”
After a while, Count Mobray calmed his shocked heart and nodded.
“Indeed, it was not just a rumor that Count Penris healed the illness of the Young Lady of Marquis Branford and created excellent cosmetics.”
If it were Count Penris, then he truly could drive out evil spirits.
There had been unbelievable rumors about him. To be honest, when he only heard about it, he hadn’t fully believed it, but having experienced it firsthand, he indeed seemed to possess a wealth of incredible knowledge.
Count Mobray straightened his posture and continued speaking.
“I suspect there’s a reason for you revealing your identity. What does asking for a path mean?”
“The Crown Prince Faction and the Duke Faction will eventually engage in civil war.”
“I know that. The atmosphere is becoming increasingly tense.”
“When the time comes for me to strike the Duke Faction, I intend to bypass here through your territory. I am asking for a path to be granted when that time comes.”
“……”
Count Mobray finally fully understood Ghislaine’s intentions.
This place, while being the southern edge, was a territory skewed toward the corner. If a civil war broke out, the battlefield would undoubtedly unfold in areas excluding his neutral territory.
Right now, Ghislaine was saying that she planned to use that point to bypass Count Mobray’s territory and strike straight at the Duke Faction.
It was a dangerous military plan. If merely speaking out of turn, it could lead to failure.
No, even if he remained silent, the success of such an operation was uncertain. For Count Penris from the North to reach here, many obstacles would need to be overcome.
The Crown Prince Faction, led by Count Penris, would need to grow sufficiently for the Duke Faction’s troops to extend their defensive lines, making this operation meaningful.
Count Mobray stared at Ghislaine with penetrating eyes for a long moment before speaking.
“Do you really think that’s possible? The opponent is the Duke Faction. Everyone predicts that the Duke Faction will win if a civil war breaks out. Count Penris won’t even make it here.”
“The long and short will reveal themselves in time.”
“Even if they manage to come this far, I could potentially expose the operation just by speaking it out loud.”
“That’s a problem to resolve when the time comes.”
Ghislaine’s nonchalant response made Count Mobray’s lips twitch.
“I could… capture you right now and contact the Duke Faction. We are closer to the Duke’s territory than Count Penris’ territory. If I deliver you, the Duke Faction would reward me handsomely.”
At that, Ghislaine smiled fiercely and said.
“If you want to try, I won’t stop you. Are you confident?”
With those words, Count Mobray leaned back in his chair and glared at Ghislaine.
He had indeed heard of Count Penris’ prowess. Especially during the war, rumors claimed he displayed force comparable to a master.
Rumors tend to exaggerate, but Count Penris was certainly not known as the strongest of the North for nothing.
‘His confidence is truly unmatched in the kingdom.’
Count Penris was also famous for being utterly fearless. Should he truly do something foolish, Count Penris would never back down from a fight.
They say a person referred to as the strongest knight in a region can single-handedly take on dozens of knights.
Moreover, Count Penris was rumored to rival a master, going beyond the level of the strongest knight of the North. If he rampaged here, most of the knights and soldiers in the Lord’s Castle would perish.
Count Mobray shook his head with a wry smile.
“As expected. How could I do something so foolish to my benefactor? I was only testing the waters.”
“I also thought you wouldn’t do such a thing, Count.”
Count Mobray was one of the most respected nobles in the kingdom. He belonged to the south and was sure that the Duke Faction would win in the civil war, yet he declared neutrality just because he did not want to be a traitor.
Such a man wouldn’t commit something despicable against a benefactor.
After pondering for a moment, Count Mobray nodded.
“Very well, I will keep your secret and grant you one path. However, I absolutely cannot assist you with anything else.”
“That will be enough.”
“But will it really be possible? It won’t be easy for you to come from the North to here.”
“If I cannot come, it cannot be helped. That would be less of a burden for you, wouldn’t it?”
Count Mobray chuckled at Ghislaine’s words. She was right. If he gave Count Penris a path and was caught, he could be implicated.
In that case, Count Mobray would think to play dumb as much as possible. If it were said that Count Penris sneaked in, he wouldn’t be able to blame himself outright.
But Count Mobray wasn’t overly worried. He thought it nearly impossible for Count Penris to reach here.
‘If a civil war breaks out, the vicinity of the capital will be the battleground for the two factions, how could they easily make it this far?’
Even Marquis Roderick, the great noble of the West, possesses enough troops to overturn the kingdom alone. Even if they were to break through that side, defensive lines would immediately be erected in this area.
Breaking through would be utterly impossible, no matter how one looked at it.
“I’ll keep an eye on the situation. If you come this far, I will gladly grant you a path.”
“Thank you. Then we should write up a contract, right?”
“A contract?”
Count Mobray slightly frowned. Did he think of this body as something to make such things with?
Unfazed by his reaction, Ghislaine pulled out a contract from her belongings and held it out.
“It is customary to clarify such matters. Now, please seal it.”
“Uh….”
It seemed she had anticipated this situation and prepared the contract. Count Mobray gave a wry smile and sealed the contract.
Thus, the contract between the two was established.
Count Mobray felt a bit of anticipation. Would this figure, called the Sacred One of the North, really manage to reach here during the civil war?
If that were to happen, the Duke Faction couldn’t easily claim victory.
“You must be tired. Stay a few days and rest. I plan to hold a grand feast.”
“No, I need to return to my territory quickly. Staying here for too long won’t yield any benefits, right?”
“Well, that is true…”
Count Mobray reluctantly nodded, setting aside his regret.
Ghislaine prepared to leave after staying for about three days.
As Ghislaine and Arel were gradually making their departure arrangements, they heard Count Mobray shouting from somewhere.
“You pathetic fool! Have you already forgotten this? What do you plan to do later?!”
“Please stop! I’m still not fully recovered!”
“Are you defying your father’s orders right now?!”
“I won’t just listen anymore!”
“Wha-what? Have you gotten bold after being possessed by evil spirits?!”
“Who cares?!”
With the loud commotion echoing from afar, Arel wore a dazed expression while Ghislaine shook her head with a bitter smile.
*
“The Tower of the Bloody Flame… is moving more actively?”
In the highest level of a massive tower, a middle-aged man sitting in the highest seat spoke up. Despite his fragile frame, his piercing gaze gave off a formidable impression.
“Yes. They seem to be expanding their influence at an incredible rate. It appears they’ve obtained a large supply of runestones.”
Glen cautiously replied. Although he had once faced humiliation while buying food for Ghislaine, he still maintained his position as an elder among the top figures in the Tower of the Bloody Flame.
The person he was reporting to was the tower’s master, Delmood, a mage who had reached the 7th circle.
Delmood looked at the other three elders present and asked.
“There’s no way runestones could suddenly increase so much. The runestones sold by the merchant groups in the North are already all within our possession. What could be happening?”
“It seems… Count Penris has provided them again.”
“Penris… Count Penris….”
Delmood muttered that name several times with a sharp gaze.
The presence of that individual was quite irksome. Because of him, Count Desmond had died, and the support they received had been cut off.
Although the Duke Faction was sending merchants to provide support, transporting goods all the way from the South here was no easy task.
They had spent a considerable amount of time working to eliminate the Tower of the Bloody Flame. Now, success was finally in sight.
Yet for some reason, their opponent had revived and was now actively expanding their influence.
Sales of magical tools, scrolls, potions, and others had been steadily increasing. Even among the nobles searching for the Tower of Scarlet, there were many returning to buy from the Tower of the Bloody Flame again.
It was clearly a traditional magical tower, thereby possessing numerous connections.
“Are you saying there are more mages being recruited?”
“Yes, they are attracting free mages by advertising their large stock of runestones.”
“They are closely linked to Count Penris?”
“That’s right. There is a branch of the tower in Count Penris’ territory, and they have sent an heir to serve as the branch leader there.”
“I see… The child of Penris is certainly helping the Tower of the Bloody Flame. But where on earth is that child obtaining so many runestones?”
“Rumors say they have also acquired them from the Forest of Monsters.”
The fact that runestones were obtained by pioneering the Forest of Monsters could only become gossip eventually. Large numbers of laborers had come and gone to clear paths and develop the area.
However, even after hearing that news, the questions lingered without clear answers.
The runestones emerging from Count Penris’ territory continued to increase. It was hard to believe they had obtained such a valuable resource in such quantities.
Delmood muttered with a grim expression.
“The Forest of Monsters… Who would have known there would be so many runestones there? It’s no wonder the Duke Faction had its sights set there.”
The Duke Faction had never clearly explained why they were targeting the Forest of Monsters. But judging by the current situation, it seemed they had their eye on the resources found within it.
How they had figured that out, however, remained a mystery.
Of course, the Duke Faction also had no idea that there were so many resources in the Forest of Monsters. This was merely Delmood’s speculation.
“Now that Count Desmond has been defeated, we can’t target the Tower of the Bloody Flame with our financial power.”
Count Penris, known as the wealthiest person in the North, was supporting the Tower of the Bloody Flame. On the other hand, the Tower of Scarlet had significantly reduced their financial backing.
Merchant groups were also slowly beginning to realign with the Tower of the Bloody Flame. It was becoming clear that fighting over money was futile.
“This situation poses a problem. We need to eliminate the Tower of the Bloody Flame to safely strike at the Crown Prince Faction during the civil war.”
Although they were currently being pressured, this tower had once been known as the most powerful in the North. The Tower of the Bloody Flame still boasted more disciples and stronger connections than the Tower of Scarlet.
Until now, they had maintained their advantage due to the tower master’s skill and financial power. But now that they were falling behind financially, the only quality remaining which put them ahead of the Tower of Scarlet was the tower master’s competence.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that all this chaos was due to the child of Penris.
“Dealing with Count Penris can wait until the civil war… But as it stands, it’s only a matter of time before we are outpaced by the Tower of the Bloody Flame again.”
The elders lowered their heads at Delmood’s statement. At present, there truly were no solutions.
They were feeling increasingly anxious as the Tower of the Bloody Flame thrived, just as Ghislaine had predicted.
“We have no other choice but to exert our strength.”
“What do you mean…?”
Delmood ground his teeth a few times before continuing to speak.
“Request an inter-tower exchange meeting. I will find an opportunity to kill them myself.”
A chilling murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
