Chapter 135

Chapter 135
## Chapter 135

“Most of the monsters to the west have already been eliminated. The mercenaries have dispersed, and almost all key points have been reclaimed. It is a relief that Lady Denise does not appear to be seriously injured.”

“Oh, Orel…!”

“Be careful, Lady Denise. The members who went to scout the surroundings of the mansion have already returned with their report. It was this man who subdued the young master Robenalt, who was guarding the magic tower to the east. There is a high probability that he is somehow related to the chaos spreading through the Beltus territory.”

Captain Orel was a man of keen instinct.

Even in the midst of this chaos, he knew instinctively that Dereck was not an ally.

He flicked his sword once and then straightened up, fixing a cold gaze on Dereck.

Orel was an older man, but he could not be treated as a washed-up veteran. His right arm was notably muscular, and his belt, fastened to his thigh, was adorned with all sorts of adventurer’s gear.

Although he had been stationed as an escort in the noble house for a long time, it was evident he continued training to maintain his combat prowess.

As the leader of the largest mercenary group in the southwest of the continent, Orel’s maturity could not be overlooked, regardless of his age.

“I heard you were part of the Beldern Mercenary Group formed by Jayden. Is that true?”

He seemed to be an old acquaintance of Jayden, the mercenary captain whom Dereck trusted.

When Dereck nodded without lowering his guard, Orel smiled broadly and said:

“So Jayden, who went through so many hardships in the Dawn War, ended up retiring to serve people like you, eh?”

“To be honest, it’s more like living off odd jobs. The members should already be arriving at the Beltus territory; it would be nice to see Uncle Jayden again after all this time.”

“Regrettably, I am not senile enough to reminisce about the past in a situation like this.”

Captain Orel stroked his beard and examined Dereck’s condition.

He had fought through monsters, infiltrated the tower, subdued Robenalt, and neutralized the protective magic.

And yet, he did not look tired. Without a doubt, he was someone with extensive combat experience.

“I am sorry to say this, but I am not chivalrous enough to fight fairly one-on-one. So don’t get your hopes up.”

When Orel raised his arm to give the signal, a dozen members who had been guarding Denise dispersed and surrounded him.

They were elites personally chosen by Orel. Each had enough experience to be considered a veteran, so no matter how much of a genius Dereck was, compensating for the numerical difference seemed difficult.

“We need to subdue you quickly and fix the situation in the main house…”

“The main house comes first, Orel!”

But Denise jumped forward, spread her arms, and blocked Orel’s path.

Orel froze, trembling, and looked at Denise in bewilderment.

“Lady Denise?”

Orel had protected the Beltus territory since Denise could barely walk.

He knew her well enough to be shocked by her outburst.

Denise was breathing heavily, confused even with herself.

Furthermore, she saw in Orel—who had protected the Beltus mansion for many years—a figure more fatherly than Grand Duke Beltus himself.

Even though he was just a mercenary working for money, he always fulfilled his duty with excellence.

During the time he was contracted, he was an absolute ally: an exemplary mercenary.

Because of that, the mercenaries of the Ebelstein sector respected him as a role model.

“Look, look at the situation in the main house, Orel! You have to prioritize…! It is more important to check on my father’s condition than to capture that wandering baron over there…!”

*Bang! Bang! Boom!*

Just as Denise said that, a roar echoed from the main house.

It was the roar of the demon summoned by Grand Duke Beltus, and the sound of Rodelia’s unit fighting the Archlich in the main hall. The screams of fleeing servants were mixed in.

The very foundations of the Beltus mansion shook.

If the elimination of monsters in the surroundings was nearly complete, the first priority was to run toward the Grand Duke in the main house.

In fact, Orel had been heading there. He had encountered the two of them by pure chance.

“Look at the state of the main house. Father probably won’t be safe…!”

Denise’s argument was correct.

Even in the middle of this chaos, her ability to prioritize demonstrated her composure.

But Orel felt a strange discomfort at her desperate attitude.

*Are you trying to defend that man now?*

“Ugh…”

“…”

What Orel saw next left him speechless.

In the Beltus mansion, everyone knew Denise well: an elegant and dignified lady who always prioritized practicality over emotion.

Defending Baron Ravenclaw, who theoretically was part of the chaos in the mansion, was completely contrary to her character.

Seeing Denise tense and breathing heavily, Orel ran a hand over his face in concern.

“Lady Denise, this is not the time for personal feelings to ruin things.”

“N-no… that’s not it…”

“My long experience tells me so. In times like this, it is impossible for a man wandering the mansion to have no connection to the cause of the chaos.”

He had to be captured and forced to testify about the situation.

Orel’s words were so logical that they were difficult to refute.

That was why Denise had only one option.

An appeal to authority.

“You have to listen to me, Orel.”

Denise looked at him, trembling.

“…”

Orel looked into her steady eyes with a complex expression.

He had watched Denise grow up.

He knew she never got involved in unnecessary matters.

She always acted according to the will of Grand Duke Beltus, like a piece moving across a board.

It was the first time she had shown such determination in front of him.

He briefly remembered her childhood.

The girl chasing a ball in the garden, the girl who cried after accidentally entering the barracks area.

Now she was no longer that girl.

She had the face of an heiress.

“Reanalyze the situation, Orel. Even if they are empty words, do you truly believe Father will be safe in this scenario? I… I don’t think so.”

Grand Duke Beltus was the law and justice of that house.

He mistrusted everything, sacrificed his family, and discarded everything that was not necessary.

Orel knew this very well.

Even the Grand Duchess, whom he claimed to love, he would have sacrificed if it had suited him.

If it hadn’t been for his astronomical salary, Orel would never have worked for someone like that.

“If something happens to Father, who do you think will take the reins of this staggering Beltus?”

Of course, it would be the official heir, Robenalt.

However, that was nothing more than the succession structure determined by family rules; in reality, if one had to choose who would become the true power figure within Beltus, everyone would point to Denise.

And she had just openly defended Baron Ravenclaw.

The annual income of Orel’s mercenary group was covered by the contract fees granted by the Beltus family.

For Captain Orel, it was practically impossible to oppose someone who was destined to become the true authority and decision-maker in the Beltus family.

*“I didn’t expect her to react like this.”*

Orel let out a hollow laugh.

It was more a reaction of amusement than concern.

It was the first time he had seen the normally indifferent Denise defend someone so vehemently.

Orel glanced sideways at Dereck.

Without showing surprise, Dereck evaluated the situation, observing both Denise and Orel.

He seemed sure that he could control the situation even if all the members present attacked him at once.

But no matter how skilled he was, it would be impossible for him to avoid all blows without suffering any damage against all of Orel’s veteran mercenaries.

“Even so, I have to ask. Lady Denise, why do you defend him?”

“He came to help with the situation in the Beltus mansion, which is being manipulated through necromantic magic.”

“That could be the justification.”

Unfortunately, Orel was a person who had gone through countless trials and crises.

Trying to convince him with superficial reasoning would not work.

“I believe there are only two possible explanations for this.”

“…”

“The first possibility is that Lady Denise is somehow involved in all this chaos.”

At those words, Denise caught her breath.

In short, what Captain Orel was implying was that Denise had planned everything to overthrow Duke Beltus and become the true power in the shadows.

Both Denise and Robenalt had lived as Beltus’s puppets, ready to be sacrificed at any moment.

It wouldn’t be strange if, at some point, they had reached their limit and wanted to change everything.

“…No, it’s not that.”

“Yes. I don’t think so either. Lady Denise is not someone obsessed with power. So the second hypothesis is much more likely.”

“…What is the second hypothesis?”

“Lady Denise is simply a young woman of that age, so perhaps she has fallen head over heels for Baron Ravenclaw and is blinded by her emotions. The power of emotions can be terrifying.”

“This is no time for jokes, Orel.”

“I am not joking.”

“…”

A brief silence.

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

Despite knowing each other for decades, an awkward silence settled between Orel and Denise.

At that moment it was clear: Orel was completely serious.

However, there was something deeply frustrating for Denise.

In the midst of her embarrassment, cold sweat, and trembling fingers, she thought:

*If someone were to ask if Orel’s comment was entirely wrong, the answer would be: actually, no.*

Is this what it means to be a battle-hardened veteran?

His intuition was so sharp it seemed he could read her mind.

“O-Orel. If you have time to say things like that…”

“Lady Denise, I have seen you grow up while protecting the Beltus mansion, but one must make rational decisions when the time comes. It is normal to experience emotional turbulence in youth, but even that has its time and place…”

“No, it’s not that…! Agh!”

“…”

Denise, who had raised her voice for no reason, flushed as intensely as a carrot and, after taking a deep breath, said:

“Let’s stick with the first hypothesis.”

“…”

“The idea that I was moved by a desire for power and tried to overthrow my father sounds more serious and coherent. Many people have suffered under his tyranny. It is better to be seen as a revolutionary who overthrew her family for the common good than as a fool blinded by a ridiculous whim.”

“Lady Denise… I know you have always lived your own way, but this is too much. The fact that you give a reason to something doesn’t make it valid…”

“Orel. Listen carefully. I am ashamed too.”

In that moment, she had practically admitted everything.

However, Denise took a step forward with determination and spoke without caring about the consequences.

Her reddened face made her internal conflict even more evident.

“Fine. I admit it. There was a small, very small emotional current. But! It’s not like I’m lost in a field of flowers like you think.”

“I didn’t think that far ahead.”

“I am a rational person, Orel.”

“…”

Orel put a hand to his forehead and sighed.

It was an incredibly awkward situation.

It was the first time he had seen Denise so nervous, and he didn’t know how to react.

If Denise, the one destined to become the true authority of Beltus, lost her head because of Dereck, the situation would be delicate for Orel, whose survival depended on the favor of the Beltus family.

He looked back at Dereck, who now wore a bewildered expression.

In a situation where they should have been moving forward to subdue Dereck, they were instead stuck in a stalemate, exchanging meaningless dialogue.

Orel’s gaze turned significant.

Derek Lydorf Ravenclaw, Baron.

He had heard the rumors.

He ran the Ravenclaw Training Center in the Rodelen region and had earned the enmity of Grand Duke Beltus.

It was also said that he maintained a close relationship with Aiselin and Diella of the Duplain family, and that he had once greatly helped the Belmierd family.

He didn’t know all the details, but it was clear that Dereck had links with the three great families.

Not just acquaintances—even his future bosses and influential figures supported him.

Aiselin, Ellen, Denise.

*«In my experience, those who have the favor of the powerful never have an easy life».*

Orel already knew enough.

Having the favor of those who would become the most influential powers on the continent meant that, sooner or later, one would become the target of a recruitment war.

If the three great families tried to bring him under their control, it was obvious who would end up shattered: Dereck.

It wasn’t hard to imagine the future family heads staring each other down, with him caught in the middle.

Just thinking about it gave him a headache.

He even considered holding a minute of silence for that inevitable future.

But one thing was certain.

If they hurt each other, everyone would suffer, but having him on their side would never be a loss.

At that moment, the urgent matter was to resolve the situation in the main house of Beltus.

Thus, Orel raised his hand, and his men lowered their weapons.

“…?”

The most bewildered expression was Dereck’s.

Captain Orel sheathed his sword, took a step toward Dereck, and extended his wrinkled hand.

“After listening to Lady Denise, it is clear to me that I gain nothing by opposing you now.”

“…So sudden?”

“Is it not better this way? You said you came to help clean up this mess in Beltus. How lucky! We are short on people to deal with all these monsters.”

When Orel took the first step, Dereck was finally able to lower his guard a little.

The members, watching their captain’s every move closely, also put away their weapons, like a pack following its leader.

Dereck, who had prepared for a bloody pursuit, stood stunned while Orel laughed and extended his hand.

And of course, having once served as Commander of the Imperial Guard required more than just brute strength.

Orel was a veteran in both intuition and tact.

“In any case, given that Lady Denise spoke with such conviction, I will trust what I can.”

“…”

Denise, blushing and fiddling with her fingers, looked out of place, but Orel’s decision to completely lower his guard was sincere.

“Seriously…?”

Just as Dereck was about to shake his hand…

*Boom, boom! Boom!*

*Crash!*

*Screech!*

A swarm of bat-like monsters rose into the sky again.

The spirits moaned, trying to swallow the main house of Beltus.

In the midst of the deafening roars, the Archlich’s magic was also unleashed.

If this continued, the mansion would soon become a labyrinth of monsters and spirits.

“…”

The eyes of both men, who were about to shake hands, narrowed.

It was time to go and capture that demon.