Meanwhile, in the Duchy of Artezia.
A sharp voice echoed through Artezia Manor.
“Say that again. What?”
“W-well...” A personal attendant stammered, her head bowed low before Hera. Like a mouse before a cat, she kept stealing timid glances as she continued. “L-Lord Louis Berg is marrying the youngest daughter of House Praha. I heard it from my friend in the North.”
“Hah!” Hera spat a laugh, her face contorted in a frown.
Louis Berg, that useless idiot, marrying the monster of House Praha?
It was absurd that the Duchy of Praha, the Royalist faction, was the one who had shamed her so utterly.
No, fine, she could accept that far. After all, the only House that could even remotely contend with the Duchy of Artezia was the Duchy of Praha, home to the Northern Grand Duke.
But the problem was that his marriage partner was, of all people, the youngest daughter of House Praha, infamous even there as a monster.
Hera gnashed her teeth from the sting of wounded pride, forcing out a mocking laugh. “Birds of a feather, finding each other. A good-for-nothing scoundrel who can’t do anything, and a monstrously ugly woman. Truly a perfect match, wouldn’t you say?”
Hera asked the attendant, who was trembling before her. It wasn’t a question expecting an answer, yet the attendant’s next words were completely unexpected.
“W-well... they say the young lord of House Berg healed the youngest daughter of House Praha.”
“...What?”
“And now, the youngest daughter of House Praha is even being called a goddess descended upon this world.”
Hera stammered as if she couldn’t believe it. “N-no, what in the...?”
Louis Berg, that retard, had the qualities of a healer?
No, if he managed to cure a strange illness that most healers couldn’t, he’d be considered a master physician... but Louis Berg, of all people?
That’s impossible. If he had such an ability, there’d be no reason to hide it until now!
Hera shook her head, desperately denying the attendant’s words.
Louis Berg, that man, must be nothing more than a mere worm. Only then could her breaking the engagement be justified, and her honor remain unsullied.
If the man truly had talent as a healer, she would become the biggest fool in the world for not recognizing it and proceeding with the annulment.
“You are sure of this information?” Hera asked.
“Y-yes, yes milady! My friend works as a personal attendant in House Praha. There’s no reason for her to lie to me,” the attendant replied, head bowed and trembling.
Hera ground her teeth, grabbed a nearby vase, and hurled it against the wall.
CRASH!
The vase shattered, scattering shards of glass across the floor.
Hera yelled at the attendant, panting in fury.
“Then it’s just the word of a mere commoner! How can I possibly believe that?! Find out if it’s true, precisely! And is there still no reply from Dragunov County?!”
The head butler, who had been waiting nearby, spoke up with a bow. “A letter arrived this morning from Dragunov County. They wish to proceed with the engagement. It seems your previous visit to the county estate proved effective, Young Mistress.”
“You should have brought that to me immediately!”
“My apologies. The Duke commanded that any news regarding the County should not be delivered directly to you.”
“...Father said that?”
“Yes, milady.”
As the head butler replied with an impassive face, Hera pursed her lips tightly, gnawing at the dry skin.
By the looks of it, her father seemed to be withdrawing his expectations from her.
At this rate, she would truly be relegated to the role of a mere pawn, sold off to a county for the sake of the family.
She couldn’t let that happen. If she was to survive the great scheme that would unfold in the future, she had to achieve something.
“...Prepare a carriage for Dragunov immediately. And send a request to the Assassin’s Guild.”
“What shall the request be?”
“Tell them to kill Louis Berg, that damnable man. No matter what talent he possesses, no one will point fingers and wonder why I didn’t marry a corpse.”
The head butler listened to Hera’s command in silence, his eyes closed.
If Louis Berg died, would the Lofty Spear truly stand by?
That was unlikely. He would likely hunt down the Assassin’s Guild and the one who commissioned them, seeking annihilation.
...I can’t tell if she is simply shortsighted, or if she judges killing Louis Berg to be more beneficial than the inherent risks.
Of course, it was likely the former.
Thinking that this matter required the Duke’s permission, the head butler bowed to Hera. “As you command.”
If she discovered that he hadn’t followed her order immediately, Hera was sure to make a commotion, but the head butler had no choice.
The Duke’s command outweighed hers—and more important than that, the honor and great scheme of the family.
The head butler’s eyes glinted faintly as he withdrew from the room. His destination was the Duke’s office.
* * *
“The Berg Spear Arts?”
I had recommended to Lancelot that he study spear techniques.
The northern spear arts typically taught to knights weren’t bad, but they were no match for the Berg Spear Arts.
There was a world of difference between the spear techniques available to any Ducal House and the secret arts passed down by the continent’s most renowned spear-fighting family.
As expected. In Lancelot’s eyes, alongside his confusion, there was a flicker of desire. Just days ago, he’d insisted that swordsmanship reigned supreme—yet now, he was practically drooling over advanced spear techniques.
He has a hunger for skill, so that’s something to look favorably upon.
Raising my estimation of Lancelot, I asked, “So, are you interested in learning?”
“...Why would you teach me that? I don’t have money. A knight’s salary is only about five silver coins.”
“Who asked for money? You may as well use those coins for snacks. I get twenty times that much in pocket money.”
“I mean, then what do you want? You wouldn’t just teach spear arts for free!”
Lancelot sounded disbelieving.
Come to think of it, even I wouldn’t have believed it if someone had suddenly offered to teach me ultimate archery.
And back then, I didn’t believe it.
Who would trust some old man claiming to be the Divine Archer, telling you to learn from him?
How is his reaction so similar to mine?
I let out a quiet laugh at the memory.
Still smiling, I answered, “Loyalty.”
“...I’m sorry, what?” He blinked, clearly not getting it.
Honestly, he was the type who had to hear things three times before it sunk in.
“It means you must never betray her. Should you turn on Lea Praha after learning these spear arts, I’ll come and cut your head off myself.”
“...Cut? But you’re an archer.”
“I’m good with arrows.” I shrugged.
Lancelot responded with a sulky nod. “That’s not a price. Even if I don’t learn your spear arts, man—sir, I mean—I’d still swear unconditional loyalty to her.”
“That’s good to hear. But what I mean is, you must protect her even if it costs your life. If the Duke tries to kill her, you kill the Duke. If the Empire brands her a traitor, you gladly become a traitor and slay the Emperor. Can you do that?”
“…Damn. Are you even allowed to say something that dangerous to me?”
“It doesn’t matter. Refuse and I’ll simply silence you by death.”
“Bloody hell...” Lancelot groaned, tugging at his hair.
“So if I learn these spear techniques from you, sir, does that mean I’ll reach that level?”
“Not exactly. I haven’t even reached Expert stage myself—what could I teach you?”
“What the—then how?!”
“I’m not the one who’ll teach you. You’ll get there on your own. You have the talent.”
A talent I don’t possess.
I swallowed that bitter thought and met Lancelot’s eyes.
To take revenge on House Artezia, I needed a solid foundation. For me, that was House Praha and the Grand Duke.
But the Grand Duke’s current political power within the House was weak, and the Elder Council infested Praha like parasites.
For my revenge to succeed, those pests had to be eliminated first.
I need someone who will lead the family while the Grand Duke is away in the Demonic Realm. And that someone has to be Lea.
Thinking of Lea, my gaze grew cold and sharp.
I’d only have the excuse to steer House Praha myself if Lea Praha became the Grand Duke’s proxy. For that, I was even willing to teach our secret spear arts.
Well, I’ll just let Father scold me later.
And while I was getting an earful, I could just ask him to mentor Lancelot.
Setting aside that future plan, I asked softly, “So—what’s your answer?”
“…Didn’t you say refusal will end with death? Besides, I’ve got no reason to refuse since I won’t stand to lose anything.”
“Excellent choice.” I tapped his shoulder with a grin.
With that, we had our spear for striking the Council.
Next, I’d prepare the poison to kill the vermin within our ranks.
In a month, the Grand Duke departs. That’s when the Council will make their move.
They’d either try to kill me or use Lea to secure their power.
Lea wouldn’t fall for them, I had no concerns there. But assassins worried me.
In this world, assassins weren’t the lesser cousins of knights.
An Aura Expert could still fall to an assassin’s blade, and even an Aura Master might be caught off guard and cut down—though the assassin would have to be a Master themselves.
Either way, the point was clear: no matter how powerful a knight’s Aura, it didn’t make them immune to assassination.
Maybe it’s different for the southern tribes, who are said to bear the blood of a Titan… but I lack their physique.
I’d consider obtaining their strength on a later trip south. For now, I needed a way to keep my neck safe from assassins.
Using Sir Lancelot against assassins won’t work. He’s for a different purpose, and doesn’t have much use right now.
So what was the solution? Surprisingly simple.
“I’ll just hire an assassin.”
“Pardon?”
“Ah, just talking to myself.”
I shrugged at Lancelot and recalled my past life.
In my previous life, I knew of a thief master named Kai, the greatest assassin in the continent’s history—now working as a busboy in a northern tavern.
The tavern was called Al Fortia de Glori—“Glory to Al Fortia.”
“Get up. We have somewhere to be.”
“Where do you mean, sir?”
“On a day like this, it’s only right that we get properly drunk.”
“What about those spear arts?!”
“I’ll teach you next time. I’m feeling the need for some liquor.”
“Argh, then go alone!”
“Unfortunately, you’re my personal guard. Imagine that—leaving your master behind to go take a break. Lady Lea would be so sad to hear about this.”
“Argh, bloody hell!” Lancelot screamed, clutching his forehead.
He looked as if he was questioning every life choice that brought him here.
Leaving him behind with a smirk, I started down the path.
“Hurry up. It’s a popular tavern—if we don’t go early, we lose our spot.”
Incidentally, Al Fortia was House Artezia’s intelligence unit; Al Fortia de Glori was its northern branch.
And now, I was going to wreak havoc there.