Chapter 193

Chapter 193
## Chapter 193

“How is this possible?! You are telling me that brat is already this close?! What have you been doing all this time instead of providing updates?!”

Marquis Bernhardt rose from his seat, stunned by the sudden news.

Only a few days had passed since he was informed that the boy was stuck in the lands of Viscount Oleg Lerum, unable to make any headway. Yet, in a flash, he had apparently crossed all those intervening territories and was now standing at their very threshold.

The radical change in the situation was so preposterous it left him momentarily breathless.

He had given strict commands to the local rulers to use every resource at their disposal to obstruct Lucian, yet it appeared not a single one had carried out his orders with any competence.

“I never suspected they would betray the alliance we have cultivated over the decades like this! How little must they value the Roglan reputation to pull such a stunt?! Mark my words! I will not let this insolence pass!”

“M-Marquis, please, compose yourself. The other lords had their justifications…”

“Justifications?! Fine, let’s hear them! I want to know precisely what ‘justifications’ were so vital that they dared to disregard my direct instructions!”

The messenger gulped, cowering under the Marquis’s lethal presence. Looking at the state of things, it seemed his head might be lopped off if he uttered a single incorrect syllable.

Fortunately, the messenger possessed a legitimate explanation to shield his master’s choices.

“There are whispers that the Duke carried out a slaughter in Viscount Oleg’s lands.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Exactly as I said, sir. They say that when Viscount Oleg deliberately blocked his path, the Duke flew into a frenzy, executed the Viscount, and laid waste to the entire fiefdom.”

“That’s preposterous!”

The Marquis emitted a dry, skeptical laugh. It defied all logic.

The West was fundamentally hostile ground for Lucian. To carry out a massacre in a Western territory and then penetrate even further into the heart of the region? Even with a Five-Thousand-Strong Army, that was a brainless gamble that would only result in being encircled and wiped out.

“If that brat truly committed such an atrocity, why would he push further in instead of retreating at once?”

“It is merely a rumor, sir. We do not have the specific details ourselves.”

“So you’re telling me they simply let them pass based on a story? Because they were terrified a brat with five thousand men would go on a killing spree?”

As the Marquis’s features began to twist further in rage, the messenger quickly provided more context.

“The rumors were one factor, but the deciding element was that the Duke’s forces arrived soaked in gore!”

“Soaked in gore?”

“Yes! The volume of blood coating their armor and blades was horrifying! It was an amount that could never be witnessed unless a mass execution had taken place. How could anyone dismiss it as a mere fairy tale under those conditions?”

“Hah, so he actually…?”

Listening to the messenger’s frantic defense, Marquis Bernhardt whispered with a somber expression.

If that were the case, it was somewhat logical why the lords had permitted Lucian to pass. When the very existence of a family was on the line, the Marquis’s mandates would inevitably take a back seat. Any patriarch would have made the same executive decision if Lucian appeared at their gates in such a gruesome state.

However, as one mystery was solved, another surfaced.

‘Strange. If he performed a massacre, he should be sprinting back to the North without a second thought. What is he playing at? Surely he doesn’t believe he can topple me with a mere five thousand men?’

A force of five thousand infantry and three hundred knights was undeniably a potent power—capable of crushing most small territories in less than a day. The issue was that the House of Roglan did not belong to the category of ‘most territories.’

‘On the path connecting the North and West to the House of Roglan, there sits a fortress constructed between the cliffs. It can comfortably repel an army ten, twenty, or even thirty times its size. Even if they managed to seize it through extreme effort, they would then have to confront the elite forces of the main family.’

Naturally, the primary stronghold of the House of Roglan was a peerless fortification, and the caliber of its knights and infantry was world-class. Even if the Northern military was at its absolute prime, they could be easily turned away. A depleted army that had barely survived the canyon fortress would present no danger whatsoever.

Furthermore, failing to capture the fortress didn’t mean they could just go home in peace. A military force was always at its most exposed during a withdrawal. If the Marquis initiated a pursuit the moment they turned back toward the North after a failed assault, Lucian’s units would be decimated.

‘As the third son of the House of Valdek, there’s no way he is ignorant of this. What is his strategy? I was only concerned about those five thousand troops entering as invited guests… curse it.’

The Marquis’s brow twitched. A nightmare scenario that clarified Lucian’s conduct had just occurred to him.

He shouted at the messenger.

“Have you confirmed the validity of those whispers?”

“Pardon?”

“The usurper from the North! I’m asking if anyone has actually verified whether he truly slaughtered the people in Viscount Oleg’s territory!”

“W-we haven’t verified it ourselves. There wasn’t sufficient time, and it was already a finished event…”

“Has no one questioned the usurper himself?”

“His presence was so bloodcurdling that the environment didn’t exactly permit casual dialogue.”

“This is making my head throb.”

The Marquis gripped his aching temples at the messenger’s confession. He finally grasped the shape of the scheme.

‘It’s a performance. He intentionally fostered a climate of dread to stop the lords from impeding his journey. Once he reaches the Marquis’s holdings, he’ll play the role of a guest as if nothing ever occurred.’

The greatest bit of proof was that Lucian never claimed the massacre himself, merely allowing vague stories to propagate. If he had intended to strike the House of Roglan, he would have broadcasted his violence to completely intimidate the lords into total submission. Instead, Lucian only permitted unclear rumors to drift without verifying anything with his own voice.

‘Even if they realize they were bamboozled later, they won’t even have a reason to protest. He’ll just sneer and claim they jumped to their own conclusions. I’ve been outmaneuvered.’

Marquis Bernhardt ground his teeth, his skin turning red with fury. To be manipulated by that brat not just once, but twice. It surpassed anger; he felt a profound sense of humiliation.

Feeling the Marquis’s explosive temper, the messenger spoke while shaking.

“M-Marquis. The news was delayed, but it wasn’t on purpose…”

“There’s no use for pathetic apologies. Your master was the only one who alerted me to his progress while everyone else stayed quiet. I will keep this in mind, so you may depart in peace.”

“T-thank you!”

Having obtained the mercy he sought, the messenger bolted from the chamber as if he had just cheated the executioner.

Left alone in his study, Marquis Bernhardt sank into deep reflection. If left to his own devices, Lucian would march into the heart of the lands and cause chaos before the external reinforcements could be mobilized. If an army significantly bigger than the local garrison entered the fief, even the Marquis would have to tread carefully around Lucian.

He had to delay Lucian by any means to win time to concentrate his strength.

‘The issue is that he’s already too close. What could I possibly utilize to halt him at this late hour…?’

As he searched for an answer, the Marquis’s eyes suddenly went wide.

There was a method. It was a trifle petty, but there was one tactic to trip Lucian up right before the finish line.

The Marquis immediately called for one of his loyal knights and issued a command.

“Send a message to Sir Emil, the captain of the guard at Beor Castle. If the usurper from the North brings up my invitation and attempts to enter as a guest…”

The Marquis scanned the room briefly before leaning forward to murmur the rest into the knight’s ear. After receiving the briefing, the knight gave a rigid nod and silently departed.

As the office door shut with a click, a cruel smile appeared on Marquis Bernhardt’s lips.

‘I’ll grant that you’re quite bright. But this time, there is nothing you can do.’

It wasn’t a hurdle that could be cleared by intimidating someone. No matter how naturally skilled one was at swaying people, what could anyone do against a problem that only the passage of time could resolve?

—

“We are nearly there.”

Advancing through the West, Lucian grinned as he identified the fortress nestled between the cliffs.

Beor Castle. A natural defensive point located on the path to the House of Roglan’s primary estate. If they cleared this fortress and traveled for two more days, he would finally confront Marquis Bernhardt.

“You’ve all done excellent work. We are at the end, so hold on just a bit longer.”

“No, that part isn’t the problem, but… what in the world is that?”

Lucian offered words of support to his subordinates, but Hugo whispered with a dazed expression, letting the praise wash over him.

It was understandable; Beor Castle was so massive it made one forget all previous struggles.

“Is it even feasible to seize that? No matter how I evaluate it, a frontal assault doesn’t even look possible.”

In terms of pure visual appeal, ‘dilapidated’ might be a better word. Compared to the White Walls of Tivron or Asagrim, these ramparts were incredibly rough. However, contrary to its plain look, its defensive potential was terrifying.

With cliffs sealing off both sides, only a single face could be targeted, and even that section was incredibly tight. It appeared as though they wouldn’t even be able to set up a few ladders against it, let alone maneuver a siege tower.

“Furthermore, why is the fortress so misshapen? Can people even exist in such a confined area?”

“They can’t. It’s a castle constructed solely for warfare, trading living space for the public for defense. Still, in terms of sheer resilience, it’s likely better than Tivron or Asagrim.”

“In other words, it’s a castle with nothing but defense to its name.”

Felicia spoke up from the side. Perhaps because it was a fortress belonging to the House of Roglan, her tone was even deeper than usual.

“It’s impossible to be independent, so external deliveries are required, and the ground is too harsh to be used for commerce. It’s good at stopping invaders, but that is the extent of it.”

“True, its usefulness wouldn’t be high during seasons of peace. Though in chaotic times like these, that defensive strength alone is quite tempting… Oof!”

Marius, who had been tactlessly admiring the fortress, was forced to go quiet under Felicia’s icy stare.

Observing this, Lucian let out a soft laugh and reminded his followers of the most vital reality.

“It is certainly a flawless shield for stopping enemies, but no flawless shield can block a guest.”

With those words, Lucian guided his Five-Thousand-Strong Army toward the gates of Beor Castle.

As they reached the effective range, a sentry on the wall bellowed.

“Stop! Halt where you are and declare your house and your purpose! Otherwise, we will release our arrows!”

The sentry attempted to sound composed, but he couldn’t mask the faint shaking in his voice. He seemed to be a seasoned professional, but he was clearly intimidated by the sight of a military force the likes of which he had never encountered before.

Lucian stopped as instructed and projected his voice so that everyone could hear.

“Lucian Grimaldi Valdek has arrived by the summons of Marquis Bernhardt! I intend to visit the Marquis as a guest, so have the Guard Captain open the gates immediately!”