Chapter 119 (2/2)
“As you said, Director, only a fool would be oblivious.”
Rivelia didn’t tell him directly. She simply orchestrated an event that would allow Wolfgang to learn that Isaac had bet on Marquis’ victory after a chain of rumours.
This would have been enough for Wolfgang to realise that Isaac was backing the Marquis when Marquis’ forces advanced with endless supplies despite Wolfgang’s constant raids on their supply lines.
And Rivelia revealed this to Wolfgang just before the siege battle. It was an act of petty revenge on Isaac, who sought personal profit through the war, but watching Isaac grumble was such a refres.h.i.+ng feeling to Rivelia that she thought it was worth it. And since it had little impact on the war and only increased Isaac’s losses, Isaac didn’t have a good reason to scold her.
“I don’t know if I should be happier that you are getting more conniving, tsk.”
Isaac commented on Rivelia, who was looking far into the distance when he received news from Kainen. The Marquis had broken through into the castle’s keep, and Wolfgang and his few remaining soldiers were facing off against the Marquis in their last stand.
“I guess that’s it for my war business. Tks. This is your punishment for leaking the info. Don’t move from here.”
“What?”
“You can see what’s happening with the communicator, so just watch and don’t move.”
“But…”
“This is an order. Don’t move. And think about the homework I gave you. The answer will come soon.”
“… Yes sir.”
The last survivors of the battle locked themselves inside the banquet hall, which was the largest room in the keep. Its doors were reinforced by furniture inside the room, but this crude barricade was smashed open with ease. The Marquis’s soldiers poured into the room, surrounding Wolfgang, his knights, and the rest of his soldiers.
Wolfgang himself sat upon the chair at the end of the Banquet hall with his family. His grim expression changed to fury when Marquis Lichten entered with absolute arrogance.
“Huhuhu. It’s been a while, Wolfgang.”
When the two’s eyes met, Count Wolfgang kissed his wife and held his children dearly as he whispered.
“I’m sorry, Laila, Julia. Your father’s greed for vengeance has made it difficult for you.”
Julia burst into tears and tried to bury herself in her father, while Lailia tried her utmost to hold back her tears and glared at Marquis Lichten.
Marquis Lichten engraved the image of Laila into his mind, seeing how ferocious her eyes were, before speaking to Wolfgang.
“I’m really curious, so I’d like to ask. Why did you aim for me? If you wanted the t.i.tle of Marquis, you could have simply taken over your neighboring territories. Why did you aim for n.o.bles under my rule only?”
“Are you really asking that question?”
Wolfgang’s eyes were vengeful, yet the Marquis responded as if he was truly oblivious.
“You won’t say you didn’t know my father, will you?”
The Marquis rubbed his chin and reminisced.
“Wolfgang… Yes, Of course. I remember. Aindolf Wolfgang. A fool whose arrogance went beyond his measly t.i.tle of Baron. Ha, dear me… That petty reason is why you pointed your sword at me, a Marquis?”
“Petty reason? This land suffered for a long time because of you. And you say petty?”
“That was just my underlings moving at their own volition. All I did was state my disapproval of that man.”
“That one statement was why my father was caught in your n.o.bles’ schemes, expelling him from the Campus. That one statement was why this land was constantly hara.s.sed by other n.o.bles, locked into poverty. My father spent his entire life living in despair, watching his poverty ridden fiefdom crumble and his residents leave to make a living elsewhere.”
Wolfgang cast sleep magic on Julia, who had been throwing a tantrum in refusal to leave her father’s side. After putting her to sleep, Wolfgang handed Julia to his wife, while patting Laila’s head once before coming down from his chair.
Watching Wolfgang step down with a sword in his hand, Marquis Lichten shouted furiously.
“You should have been happy with that t.i.tle of Count. How dare a clueless pup seek to aim for me?”
“You’d gloat over this victory when you would have been obliterated if it weren’t for that Warlock organisation and Isaac’s schemes?”
“Ha! Such brave words you speak when you don’t even know the reason why you lost?”
“… What?”
Wolfgang asked back, realising something was behind the scenes. But Marquis Lichten showed no signs of answering and pointed at Wolfgang’s wife and children with his chin.
“If you don’t want them to see you die in front of them, have them leave. I hear your wife is a branch family of Dorothy, so I will protect her until her family sends an escort.”
“How dare you even suggest such nonsense, to trust your despicable nature!”
Pount, who had remained silent in conversation between Wolfgang and Lichten, shouted out furiously. His cries echoed throughout the banquet hall, causing the Marquis’ combat knights to flinch. The Marquis frowned at this sight.
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