Chapter 8 : I’m a funny guy

“So the rumors were true after all.”

“Damn…! I made a bet with my friend that it was just nonsense, but I guess I’ll have to avoid him for a while.”

“That sage is inside that barracks over there?”

“A demonic beast wielding farming tools and cultivating the land… The sun must be rising in the west tomorrow.”

“I’ve never seen a demonic beast so well-behaved in my entire life.”

Outside the northern gate of the fortress, where the military camp of the demonic beasts was stationed—A massive crowd had gathered, eager to witness the scene up close.

And inside the barracks within the camp—A tense and awkward three-way confrontation was taking place between the Lord of the castle, the so-called “Sage,” and the acting lord’s daughter.

Elena stared silently at the man wearing a red mask.

Last time, he had appeared at the count’s manor out of nowhere, causing havoc.

And now, he had pulled off something even more bizarre in the city.

She was utterly dumbfounded.

Of course, it wasn’t as if she hadn’t benefited from his actions.

She didn’t know how he had done it, but thanks to this red-masked man, her father’s holy power had been drastically diminished.

Holy power was a symbol of pride for nobles.

Particularly for those who served combat-oriented celestial beings, strength in holy power often determined hierarchy.

But her father’s pride had been utterly shattered.

The once-boastful count, who had relied solely on his power to speak loudly, had locked himself in his room and refused to come out.

Freed from the burden of her father’s oversight, Elena was able to take over as acting lord and finally put into practice the ideal governance she had envisioned for the people of the domain.

For a while, she focused on managing the territory for the benefit of its residents—until reports from various lords within the region revealed something strange.

Day by day, the population of the fortresses near the border was dwindling at an alarming rate.

If this continued, those fortresses would soon become abandoned ruins.

Except for one.

One fortress, located at the very edge of the border—where there should be no reason for a population increase—was seeing an exponential rise in inhabitants.

It was obvious that people were flocking there.

Something was happening in that territory.

Feeling the urgency of the situation, Elena rushed to visit the lord of the fortress without even sending an official notice in advance.

And what she found shocked her beyond belief.

Hundreds of demonic beasts were stationed outside the fortress.

But the most astonishing discovery was that the lord of the fortress was residing within the demonic beast camp’s barracks.

Alongside the very same red-masked man who had caused chaos at the count’s manor.

“…”

“…Who exactly are you?”

“Um… This person is… well…”

“Be quiet, Lord. I wasn’t asking you.”

Elena, usually mild-mannered and easygoing, now spoke in a sharp and cutting tone.

“Where are you from? The Imperial family, perhaps? Your hair color looked similar to the princess’s last time.”

“…No. I am not a noble. Just a wandering vagrant without a house or title.”

“And you expect me to believe that?”

“Then again, you don’t exactly look the part of a noble lady yourself.”

Elena was someone who found dressing up bothersome.

The number of days she wore makeup or adorned herself could be counted on one hand.

Even now, her attire was plain and unadorned, making her look no different from a commoner.

“Don’t change the subject. So you’re telling me that a mere commoner has managed to pull off something this dangerous?”

“Dangerous? Is that really how you see this situation?”

“I don’t know how you did it, but… taming demonic beasts? I’ll admit that’s an impressive feat.”

In fact, that achievement was beyond impressive—it was unprecedented.

No one in history had ever accomplished such a thing.

The very idea of humans and demonic beasts coexisting peacefully was something only this red-masked man had ever conceived.

And he had turned that bizarre idea into reality—with overwhelming power to back it up.

And a leader capable of winning over the hearts of the people and guiding them.

The red-masked man standing before Elena was everything she had always dreamed of in an ideal lord.

But ideals and reality were always at odds.

“Do you realize what will happen to our family if those above us find out about this?”

‘’…!’’

The sage stiffened at Elena’s words.

No matter how much he convinced the people, if the imperial family caught wind of this scene, this fortress could be razed to the ground in an instant.

No matter how often he emphasized that these demonic beasts did not harm humans, without understanding the process of coexistence and sharing in its sentiment, the empire would see them as nothing more than a threat to be exterminated.

If the empire dispatched its army here, everything he had worked for would be for nothing.

And since this had all happened within the Count’s territory, the Count himself could not escape responsibility.

After a moment of contemplation, the sage came up with yet another absurd response.

“I’ll take this fortress for myself.”

“What?!”

“Excuse me?!”

“Just tell them it was taken from you.”

“…Ah!”

He was telling her to shift all the responsibility onto him.

‘He’s saying that since he caused all of this, he’ll take full responsibility?’

Elena had been prepared to pressure him relentlessly if she didn’t like his answers, frustrated over how to report this to the imperial family.

But instead, he handed her a solution so straightforward and effective that it left her speechless.

Just how confident was he in his own abilities to say something like that so casually?

“…Do you think you can handle this?”

“Even if I can’t, I have to.”

“Lord, what do you intend to do?”

“Huh…? W-What do you mean…?”

“Will you join this rebellion?”

“R-R-R-R-Rebellion?! H-How is this a rebellion?!”

“Did you not hear what he just said? He’s taking this fortress. Everything in the empire belongs to the Emperor. Seizing one of his castles—if that’s not rebellion, what is?”

“Uh…?! Uhh…! Uhh?! Uh…!!”

The lord looked back and forth between Elena and the sage, groaning in distress.

What should he do?

What was the right decision?

Following the sage made him feel oddly at ease, as if everything would be fine.

But calling it rebellion suddenly made it feel like he was about to commit an enormous crime.

“Lord, you should step away from this one.”

“Huh?”

“Acting Lord, please make sure to keep him in his position. He is a man who would sacrifice himself for the sake of the people.”

Hearing that the sage had always seen him that way, the lord was deeply moved.

And in that moment, he made a bombshell declaration.

“…No. I… I will follow the sage.”

“Huh?”

“…What???”

Elena, who had naturally assumed he would take her side, was left speechless.

She knew the lord was a kind and virtuous man.

Though they hadn’t interacted often, they had known each other for twenty years.

Yet now, he was choosing to follow someone he had known for less than a year over her.

What was it about this man that had won over the lord’s heart?

A seed of curiosity had been planted within her, and it was beginning to grow.

“I trust the sage. No matter what hardships may come, I believe he will overcome them. So I will follow him!”

“Uh… No… No, you don’t have to… No, you really shouldn’t…”

“There is no need for humility, Sage! You must have confidence in yourself, or you wouldn’t have said it. I will follow you without doubt!”

He hadn’t known the lord for long, but from what he had seen, the man was more responsible and devoted to his people than any leader he had met.

“Well, that settles it, then. I’ll leave the rest to you two.”

Elena stood up and walked out of the tent.

“Wait! Hold on, Acting Lord! I still.”

“Please tell us your plans, Sage! I am ready for anything!”

As Elena walked further away, she glanced back over her shoulder.‘…Interesting.

He’s an interesting man…’And with a small smile, she turned back and continued forward.

***

Today was the day of the Northwestern Empire Nobles’ Social Gathering at Count Glacia’s mansion.

A gathering of noble families from the northwestern region of the empire.

They took turns hosting these social meetings several times a month.

It was a long-standing tradition, not only in the northwest but also in the southwest, southeast, northeast, and central regions of the empire.

Unlike the official imperial social gatherings, which invited all nobles aged 20 and above from across the empire, these regional meetings were more about strengthening bonds among the nobles of the same area.

And in such gatherings, there was always at least one outcast.

“It’s been a while, Count.”

“Hahaha! Well, look who it is! Such an esteemed guest gracing this humble place!”

Count Glacia’s face lit up in surprise at the unexpected arrival.

Marquis Lunamic, the leader of the Northwestern Noble Alliance, rarely attended social gatherings unless they were held at a marquis’ estate.

Yet today, he had not only come but had also brought his son along.

“Greet him properly.”

“Darkin Lunamic, greetings to the Count.”

“You’ve grown so much! Seeing you like this brings back memories. Hohoho!”

“But… where is your daughter?”

“Ah, she finds these gatherings a bit difficult…”

“She said the same last time. I see she hasn’t changed.”

That was right.

The outcast of the Northwestern Social Gathering was none other than Count Glacia’s daughter, Elena Glacia.

In a place where young noble ladies and gentlemen gathered to showcase their charms, Elena was labeled as plain and unremarkable.

“So, she didn’t come?”

“Who?”

“You know, that lady who likes commoners and doesn’t understand social etiquette.”

“Ah, her.”

Unlike her peers, who enjoyed dressing up and flaunting their status, Elena was obsessed with estate management.

She openly looked down on their superficiality, and as a result, the noble young men did not view her favorably either.

Annoyed by the topic, the noble ladies interjected into the conversation.

“Let’s stop talking about someone who isn’t here.”

“Oh! Lady, it’s been a while!”

“You’ve become even more beautiful since we last met.”

“And you gentlemen have grown more dignified.”

“Even if you’re just being polite, it’s still nice to hear.”

“Polite? Nonsense. Each of you will one day lead a noble house. Of course, you look dignified.”

After the usual round of formal compliments, one nobleman finally brought up the real topic of the gathering.

“Have you all heard the news? The princess is coming to the Northwestern border to lead a campaign against the demons.”

“Who here wouldn’t know? That’s probably why the young master of the Lunamic family arrived early.”

“Are any of you planning to join the subjugation force?”

“It’s a perfect opportunity to leave a good impression before the next official imperial gathering.”

“Of course.”

Darkin Lunamic listened intently.

His family had been the first to acquire this information and spread it among the Northwestern nobles.

But he wanted to ensure he wasn’t missing any other critical details.

Then, suddenly, the grand doors of the banquet hall creaked open.

All eyes turned toward the entrance.

There, standing gracefully, was a young lady with long, silver hair, dressed in a pristine white gown, holding a stack of documents.

“Wow… she’s beautiful…”

“Who is she?”

“She’s a noble lady, but…”

“Have we ever seen someone like her before?”

Murmurs spread throughout the hall.

In an instant, the topic of conversation shifted to figuring out who this mysterious young lady was, while the other noble ladies secretly burned with jealousy.

But the young lady paid no attention to their stares and began walking forward.

“Someone go talk to her.”

“What… What should I say?”

“Start by asking which family she’s from.”

“Gasp… I-I think she just made eye contact with me.”

The lady stopped in front of Darkin Lunamic.

‘She’s… breathtaking…’Darkin couldn’t help but admire her.

Aside from the imperial princess, he had never seen such an enchanting noble lady in his life.

The two of them standing together looked like a perfect match.

But then, the unexpected happened.

“Do you need something from me?”

The lady cut off Darkin’s words without a second thought, showing no interest in him.

“Father, this is the report for the imperial court. I have a prior engagement, so please handle the approval.”

She handed the documents to Count Glacia and turned away.

The banquet hall erupted into chaos.

“W-What did she just say…?”

“Count Glacia is her father…? If he’s her father, then…!”

“No way…!”

“Could it be…?!”

“E-Elena Glacia?!”