Magic Is Learned For Nothing [EN]: Chapter 79

Going All-In 2

Count Persimmon stared at Baron Legion, unblinking.

He was beyond disbelief, devoid of emotion. He simply felt like he was observing a peculiar animal.

To think someone would speak to him like this, right to his face.

After hearing it, he felt a brief amusement, but his mood began to sour.

In truth, he had been preparing the next part of the conversation based on the boy’s answer.

*Want to live? I’ll give you a way. You know what I’m talking about. Hand it over to me. I’ll give you 500,000 gold. No more. That includes the price of your life.*

Legion was supposed to bow his head and express his gratitude.

But that route was shattered.

“I appreciate your compliment.”

Count Persimmon’s voice grew lower and lower. It felt as if a cold wave of -20 degrees Celsius was sweeping through the office.

Legion shrugged.

“It wasn’t meant as a compliment… it seems there was a miscommunication. But well, I suppose it’s not so bad… or something.”

Count Persimmon’s eyes twitched.

“You see, these days, some crazy bandit is targeting my territory. I can’t just say, *Yes, thank you, goodbye, peace be with you,* when I feel like I’m being robbed blind.”

*Look at this brazen fellow. He’s not just a fool, it seems. But seeing him come at me so openly, he must have something he believes in. That piques my curiosity.*

Just how great is this thing he believes in that allows him to act so cocky in front of me?

Baron Legion.

A greenhorn lord barely past his coming-of-age ceremony.

The same age as his youngest daughter, Beauty. Except for his youngest daughter, who monopolized his affection, he had never seen anyone speak so boldly in his presence.

His sons were the same.

As they came of age and their skills improved, they became more like mice before a cat in his presence. The more their skills improved, the more they felt the gap between them.

The other vassals were not even worth mentioning.

That’s why this greenhorn, Legion, was intriguing.

“I see. You’ve faced a few of my men and now you think you can take me on.”

“Huh? I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

“You don’t know? You don’t know? This is amusing.”

Count Persimmon tilted his head and asked with a smile still on his face.

“Then where did they go?”

Legion met his gaze with composure.

“Well, I wouldn’t know. Maybe they’re living well somewhere? Maybe they eloped and got married.”

“Hoo-! You’re quite the talker.”

“Really? I wouldn’t know.”

“No, you definitely are. But listen.”

Count Persimmon glared at Legion.

“You seem to have a bit of an attitude… and more than anything, I don’t like wordplay.”

“Is that so? I didn’t know that. Actually, I’ll only tell you this, Count… I don’t like wordplay either. More than anything, I hate lies.”

“Is that so? Then let me put it this way.”

Count Persimmon could feel the spirit of this little pup in front of him rising more and more.

There was no reason to keep dealing with such a naive whelp. If he indulged him, he would keep trying to climb higher, as if he were something special. He needed to draw a clear line, show him where his place was, and prevent him from climbing any further.

Count Persimmon knew that method well.

“I hear there’s a mithril mine in your territory?”

Count Persimmon cut to the chase.

He thought that even this audacious young baron would be a little surprised by this question, but surprisingly, Legion didn’t change his expression at all as he answered.

“Something like that. Not exactly, though.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means it’s not there, but it’s similar to being there.”

“More wordplay?”

“Count, I repeat, I hate wordplay.”

Persimmon hardened his heart. *You’re definitely going to die because of this!*

“I understand. I believe you. You hate wordplay, and you hate lies.”

“Yes, you see right through me.”

“So, let’s get straight to the point. Hand over the rights to it. I’ll give you 1 million gold.”

1 million gold. An enormous sum.

An enormous sum that would instantly raise Legion’s territory to a level similar to Count Persimmon’s. But the words that came out of Legion’s mouth bewildered Count Persimmon.

“Count, you’re the one who’s playing games, aren’t you?”

Twitch!

“Wordplay?”

“Yes, you’re trying to take too much for yourself. 1 million gold? I’ll give you that 1 million gold, Count. So, how about we just forget this ever happened?”

Count Persimmon clasped his hands together again.

He scanned Legion’s entire body with hawk-like eyes. *The young pup knows how to bet, it seems.*

But things will be different if your life is on the line.

“You must want to take my head and seize the mithril mine.”

“You catch on quick.”

Persimmon didn’t take his eyes off Legion.

“There’s no way out for you. The mine will definitely be in my hands. Think carefully about my offer. Wouldn’t that be better for you and the people of your territory?”

“A.I.G.O. S.C.A.R.Y.”

Legion said without avoiding the Count’s eyes.

“What should I do? I made sure to tell my people before I left the territory. If I don’t come back, blow up the mine. Take what you can and run away. You must destroy the mine. Otherwise, they’ll kill you first to find it. So, destroy it all! So no one can have it.”

“What?”

“Does that sound like a joke? Do I look like the kind of guy who would leave something like that behind that I can’t even have? 1 million gold? You should think carefully about my offer, Count. Which would be better for you and the people of your territory. Oh, and you can kill me if you want. I’ll tell you in advance… I’ve already written my will. *His Excellency killed me. He stabbed me to death with a knife.* It will be delivered to the central government. It might not be a big deal for His Excellency, but with the mithril mine and the territory burning, the baron dead, and the will delivered… it’ll be a bit annoying, right?”

“……”

Count Persimmon didn’t say anything.

*What is this guy?*

“You’re asking for death.”

“So… instead of just talking on and on… do it if you’re going to do it.”

“What?”

“Try it.”

Legion smiled and met Count Persimmon’s eyes.

Count Persimmon’s gaze was as cold as the ice of the extreme seas. Yet, his gaze couldn’t freeze Legion.

*Try it if you dare?*

How many people would dare utter such arrogant words in front of me, Count Persimmon?

*Fine, I’ll do it.*

That guy-

Will die before he knows the world.

* * *

Returning to the waiting room, Legion clenched his thighs. He looked like a puppy about to pee.

-What’s wrong?

Can’t you tell? I need to pee. Ugh, damn it. I peed myself.

-You can pee your pants. You’ve got guts. Do you even know what you just did?

I know.

-Really?

Really, I do. I just declared war on the Count.

-How could you do such a thing without going crazy?

I did it because I’m crazy. Damn it! Should I have said, *Please spare me, I’ll give you the mine*?

Anyway, we have a hidden card, right?

-Hidden card, my foot. We’re in real trouble. Do you even know how much power Count Persimmon has?

Of course, I know.

Legion recalled the contents of the report that Gibbs from the Assassin Guild had brought.

There was a reason why he was called the Overlord of the North.

First of all, he had three knight orders. As known, the Red Lion, Blue Lion, and White Lion. But what was different from what was known to the world was the number of knights.

Three knight orders.

The average number of knights in one order is around 50. So, you can assume there are about 150 knights.

Damn it, we only have three knights in our territory.

But that’s not all.

The number of hidden knights was said to be more than 100 more in Gibbs’ report.

So, there are at least 250 knights. It was a jaw-dropping number.

Of course, there aren’t just knights.

Count Persimmon’s elite soldiers number over 3,000. And there aren’t just simple infantry. There are chariot soldiers and cavalry. It is rumored that their weapons are by no means inferior to those of the regular army of the central government.

It doesn’t end there.

You also have to add the military power of the nobles belonging to the Count’s territory.

If you add up all the forces of the other lower nobles, it’s at least over 10,000.

Legion calculated his own forces.

There was nothing to calculate. All he had were twenty-five personal servants. If he had to add anyone, it would be his uncle’s knights, Payne and Shalom, and Sepia, the strongest guard in the territory. Even if he scraped together the militia, it would only be about 100 people?

In the first place, what kind of declaration of war is this?

It’s a territory that will be destroyed in less than half a day if the war starts. No, what half a day? Can it even last an hour?

But Legion didn’t just say those words to feel better.

He’s going to be attacked anyway if he stays still.

It’s better to bring Count Persimmon to the surface. To prevent him from engaging in reckless schemes. Then it will be difficult for Count Persimmon to play tricks from behind any longer.

Of course, people might tell him to rather kneel before Count Persimmon and beg for his life.

Then I’ll say one thing to them.

Get lost!

I won’t back down even one step.

Sword Master or 10,000 soldiers.

I won’t give my land to anyone.

* * *

“Haa……”

Why am I in this state, in this place? I’m getting more and more confused about my identity.

Dreyzer was watching the young nobles in front of him, arguing about who was better.

*Cute little chicks.*

Unfortunately, he hates chicks. Especially the ones that are chirping loudly in front of him like this.

Yellow chicks who can’t even tell the difference between poop and pee.

Suddenly, he recalled what Legion had said while drinking yesterday.

“Dreyzer.”

“Why are you calling me…… yo.”

Dreyzer looked at his master with suspicious eyes.

He’s not the type to call so softly. Whenever he calls him, he always uses his unique high-pitched voice, *Hey you! Get over here now!* – In fact, he never really called him that, but that’s how Dreyzer always felt he was being called.

As far as he remembered, his master had never called him so affectionately. That’s why he immediately felt a sense of foreboding.

He couldn’t possibly be drunk already.

“You’re quite famous.”

“Huh? Well, yeah. I used to be quite the big shot…… yo.”

“I was surprised to see them selling this at the village store.”

Legion took out a portrait and unfolded it. A very handsome and tall man was smiling, revealing his white teeth.

“Who is that…… yu?”

“It’s you, you.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, look here.”

Legion saw the phrase *Dreyzer’s Autograph* written under the portrait.

“My autograph?”

“That’s right. They were selling portraits of famous people in the kingdom. At first, I didn’t know who it was. I saw the name and was like, *Wow*. I bought this for 30 silver.”

“Hehehe, do you get it now? I’m that kind of guy, you know.”

“But…… does this look like you?”

Legion looked back and forth between the portrait and Dreyzer.

Dreyzer cleared his throat and drank the wine in his glass. *They really embellished it a lot.*

The portrait is clearly of a handsome man…….

*Why were you born looking like you’ve never been told you’re handsome?*

“I’ve heard that too.”

“What…… what are you…… saying?”

“Hey! Why are you talking like that? I was going to hit you, but I understood after hearing that. I heard you’re called Dreyzer-sama [Mr. Dreyzer, a respectful title] in your hometown?”

“Eh…… what are you…… saying?”

“Not Smallpox, but Dreyzer-sama?”

“……”

He heard other things too.

Thanks to his overwhelming presence, he apparently benefited quite a bit even when he was weak.

Bandits run away on their own.

*Waaa! Look at that guy’s face! He looks like a damn strong guy! Run away if you don’t want to die!*

Even bandits run away on their own.

*Ring the alarm! An 8-star knight has come to attack us! Everyone evacuate! Comrades! Let’s meet again alive!*

It happened when Dreyzer first came out into the world to learn martial arts.