My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 78

§ 78. The Hero of the West (2)

Sian watched as Count Elitz emerged from the tent, a frown etched on his face.

“Well, well, what do we have here? If it isn’t the hero of the West himself. I heard you were still unconscious… When did you wake up?” Count Elitz asked, spreading his hands wide.

The oppressive expression he’d worn while addressing Alex had vanished, replaced by a sly, ingratiating smile directed at Sian.

“Who are you?” Sian inquired.

“I am Count Elitz of the West,” the Count replied with a friendly demeanor.

Sian’s slightly surprised expression was evident. Not all nobles were created equal, and a Count was a high-ranking noble, essentially a regional lord.

Of course, Elitz knew Sian’s name, Elandur. But Count Elitz was not someone to dismiss lightly. Above all, Sian was merely a son of the Elandur family, not yet holding a title of his own.

“I didn’t recognize you, Count Elitz,” Sian said, offering a slight bow.

“It’s quite alright. Mistakes happen when you don’t know someone. I don’t take offense, so don’t worry about it,” Count Elitz said with a hearty laugh.

“But what brings Count Elitz here…?” Sian asked, probing the Count’s intentions.

“Why else? I heard there was a hero who saved the people of the West, so I was naturally curious to see who it was and rushed over,” Count Elitz explained. “And I also have something important to discuss with you.”

His eyes gleamed with purpose. The story he wanted to tell Sian revolved around the hero’s rising fame.

Currently, Sian’s name was on everyone’s lips throughout the West, while the names of Count Elitz and the other nobles were being whispered in a far less flattering context.

It was only natural. When the people were suffering, Count Elitz and the nobles had locked their doors and pretended not to notice.

Consequently, most of the nobles in the West held a negative view of Sian. Some even harbored intentions of harming him.

However, Count Elitz’s thoughts ran along different lines. Such petty actions were the domain of amateurs. Why would they do something so foolish?

Sian was now hailed as the hero of the West. That was a reputation worth exploiting.

For example, cultivating a friendship with Sian. Simply achieving that would be a considerable boon for Count Elitz.

Imagine the rumors that would spread if Sian and Count Elitz were seen as close. People would assume that Count Elitz had secretly aided Sian’s achievements, that he wasn’t just looking out for his own survival, and that his friendship with Sian proved the nobles were helping people behind the scenes.

Even if the reality fell short of this ideal scenario, the public’s perception of Count Elitz would be dramatically improved.

In short, Count Elitz merely needed to ride on Sian’s coattails and bask in his fame.

And from what he could tell, Sian seemed rather naive for a member of the Elandur family, making him ripe for manipulation.

The world of nobles was often like this. Noble’s duty? The responsibilities that nobles should bear? Those were just empty words spoken by ignorant fools.

Of course, Count Elitz would have to incur some losses. To get a free ride, he had to pay for the meal. So, he would offer Sian a suitable price.

Count Elitz gave Sian a subtle wink, a signal that those in the know would understand.

But damn it all.

“What is it? Why are you suddenly winking at me?” Sian asked, frowning and looking at Count Elitz as if he were some kind of insect.

Count Elitz was momentarily taken aback, but he quickly regained his composure. As expected, even if he was called the hero of the West, he was still just a young nobleman’s son. He clearly didn’t understand the ways of the nobility.

Elitz wanted to display the power of a lord, but Sian was an Elandur, and more than anything, Elitz needed Sian’s good graces.

Count Elitz cleared his throat. “Ahem. When did I wink? I just had some dust in my eye.”

“Oh, I was wondering. You suddenly winked at me, and I thought you might have strange feelings for me,” Sian retorted.

*That* bastard, really… Count Elitz cursed inwardly, suppressing his irritation. He couldn’t show any of it on the outside.

“Hahahaha. As expected of a hero, your jokes are refreshing. Anyway, if you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to you… Is there anything you need? If it’s something our hero of the West requires, I’m willing to provide it.”

“Oh?” Sian finally seemed to react as Count Elitz became more direct. He seemed to have finally grasped Count Elitz’s intentions. If he hadn’t understood by now, there was something seriously wrong with him.

“Then I’m a little short on money… How much can you give me?” Sian asked slyly.

*As expected*, Count Elitz thought, smiling inwardly. Sian was just like any other noble, one of his own kind. Of course, Elitz hadn’t expected him to ask so openly in front of so many people, and he certainly hadn’t expected him to ask for money of all things.

But whatever. It didn’t matter. It made things easier. Honestly, Sian was much better than those pretentious types who droned on about the duty of nobles and chastity.

“Just name your price. As you know, the West is a region built on commerce, so we have plenty of money,” Count Elitz boasted.

“Oh,” Sian said, widening his eyes.

Count Elitz grinned. He could give him more than whatever Sian asked for. From what he could see, even if Sian asked for a lot, it would be around 1 million gold [a significant sum of currency]…

“Then… How about 30 million gold?”

“……?”

Count Elitz was momentarily stunned. What had he just said? 30 million? Not 3 million?

“That’s ridiculous…” Count Elitz sputtered.

“Oh? Is it not possible?” Sian asked innocently.

“Of course it’s not!” Count Elitz exclaimed.

“Hey, you just said you’d give me anything. Then I have nothing more to say,” Sian said, turning his back coldly.

Count Elitz’s eyebrows twitched. It was true that he’d said he would give him anything, but there was a limit, a limit that was within the bounds of common sense. 3 million gold would be one thing, but 30 million gold was impossible even for Count Elitz. He would have to bleed dry all the pillars of the Western nobles, not to mention the Western lords gathered here.

Even if Sian was a young noble who didn’t know anything, this was beyond the pale.

“Are you playing with me right now?” Count Elitz demanded.

Sian turned back at Count Elitz’s words, and for some reason, the foolish rascal from before was nowhere to be found. The gaze he now directed at Count Elitz was one of overwhelming presence that captivated the audience.

Even Count Elitz, the self-proclaimed lord of the West, was unknowingly overwhelmed by Sian.

“Of course not. It was Count Elitz who told me to say anything, wasn’t it?” Sian muttered quietly.

At these words, Count Elitz finally realized the truth. From the beginning, Sian had known. A foolish rascal? A young nobleman’s son? No way. Sian had understood Count Elitz’s intentions from the start. The reason he was saying such things could only mean one thing: he had no intention of negotiating with him in the first place.

“Can you take responsibility for those words?” Count Elitz muttered coldly.

And as expected…

“Of course,” Sian replied.

As Count Elitz had guessed, Sian knew everything. Sian quietly looked at Count Elitz, the lords who dominated the West, and Count Elitz, their leader. Although they had shown a poor image in the face of the crisis in the West, they were still the ones who could make or break the region.

That’s why even Alex, the commander of the Royal Knights, couldn’t act recklessly. Sian was in the same position. He couldn’t dare to do anything with just the territory of Ruben, let alone by borrowing the power of the Elandur family. But currently, Sian couldn’t borrow the power of Elandur. He didn’t even think about borrowing it in the first place.

Therefore, a wise choice, a way to get along, would be to compromise appropriately and accept Count Elitz’s proposal. And he would probably make a lot of money.

Nevertheless, Sian had no intention of accepting Count Elitz’s proposal.

“I would also like to ask: Can Count Elitz take responsibility for this action?”

Count Elitz’s face contorted. A clear provocation.

At Sian’s words, not only the nobles of the West but even Alex wore bewildered expressions.

“Insolent,” Count Elitz muttered. The friendly voice from before was gone, replaced by a cold, low growl.

“Just because people praise you as the hero of the West, do you think you’re something special?”

“Was I being called the hero of the West? I just woke up from fainting, so I didn’t know,” Sian replied innocently.

Count Elitz glared at Sian, who did not avoid his gaze.

“I heard you were a notorious troublemaker. The rumors weren’t false.”

Sian simply shrugged his shoulders instead of answering.

“I’ll make you regret today’s events,” Count Elitz threatened, turning his back. Although his power was temporarily weakened, Count Elitz was still the leader of the lords who dominated the West. No matter how much Sian was hailed as the hero of the West, Count Elitz’s power could not be ignored in the West. Retaliation would come in some form, and Sian would have to endure a considerable amount of hardship.

*So, what should I do…*

Just then, an unfamiliar voice cut through the tension. “I wanted to say the same thing.”

And at the same time…

“Knights, line up!!” a huge shout erupted around them.

Sian looked over to see a line of knights forming a path. The brilliant imperial crest engraved on their armor was unmistakable.

“……!!!”

Count Elitz’s eyes widened as if they were about to burst. There was only one knight order that could use that crest: The Royal Knights.

Of course, there were also Royal Knights in the barracks of this Gern territory, the 7th Knight Order led by Alex. But the Royal Knights lining up now were not the 7th Knight Order. It was the Royal Knights 2nd Knight Order.

Numerous Royal Knights took control of the surroundings. Not only Count Elitz but also all the nobles of the Western lords widened their eyes in shock.

Amidst that shock…

Step. Step.

A man walked across the path.

“Loyalty!!” the Royal Knights shouted.

“Loyalty!!”

Each salute echoed through the air as the man finally revealed himself. He was a man with handsome blond hair and an aura of dignity, an existence that those gathered here could never fail to recognize: Conrad von Charlotte, the Crown Prince of the Charlotte Empire, and the second-in-command of the Empire.

*Huh? Why is His Highness suddenly here?* Sian wondered, tilting his head in confusion. It was something he had never heard of. How could he know when he had just woken up from fainting?

He glanced to the side, and Alex was also greatly embarrassed. It seemed that Alex didn’t know either. Nevertheless, the figure before them was clearly Crown Prince Conrad.

“Greetings to His Highness the Crown Prince,” Sian said, offering his respects to Conrad.

Following him, Alex stood upright at attention. Belatedly, Count Elitz and the nobles of the West paid their respects.

“We, greetings to His Highness the Crown Prince,” they chorused.

Conrad continued to move. “I heard a very interesting story while coming to the West…” he muttered.

Eventually, Conrad stood in front of Count Elitz, who was kneeling. “What do you think about this, Count Elitz?” he asked.

Count Elitz couldn’t answer. Cold sweat dripped down his cheek, and the sound of him swallowing saliva echoed like thunder.

“Wh, what are you talking about…” Count Elitz stammered, his voice trembling. No matter how much Count Elitz was a lord who controlled the West, Conrad was a Crown Prince, the second-in-command of the Empire, an existence he couldn’t dare to defy.

Conrad’s gaze bore down on him. “You don’t know what I’m talking about…” Conrad muttered quietly, turning his head slightly. “Sir Yale.”

“Your command, Your Highness,” a knight with a stern expression approached at Conrad’s call. It was Yale, the commander of the Royal Knights 2nd Knight Order, Conrad’s direct subordinate, and a skilled warrior reaching the intermediate level of Master [a high rank in martial arts].

The best swordsman in the Empire was undoubtedly Durac Elandur. However, opinions were divided on who held the second-best title, as there were many strong contenders. Yale was always included in the top ranks of those discussions.

Conrad ordered Yale in a cold voice, “Arrest all the nobles of the West gathered here, including Count Elitz.”

“Yo, Your Highness!!” Count Elitz exclaimed in shock at Conrad’s words, raising his head without thinking.

Conrad stood there, exuding an aura colder than ice. Eventually, Sir Yale bowed his head and gestured to one side. The Royal Knights moved towards the nobles of the West.

“Ho, how can this be…!” one noble cried.

“This can’t be! How can this…!” another echoed.

“I’m innocent, Your Highness!” a third pleaded.

The nobles of the West were helplessly suppressed. They couldn’t resist in the first place. The Royal Knights’ force was overwhelming, but more importantly, whose order were they resisting?

Count Elitz screamed in horror. “Yo, Your Highness! There’s been a misunderstanding! Please listen to my words!” he begged, prostrating himself on the floor. The pride of the Western lords was nowhere to be found, and the dignity he had displayed towards Sian until just now had vanished completely.

There was only a person struggling to survive, a sight that was quite pitiful to behold.

“Misunderstanding? Did you say misunderstanding now, Count Elitz?” Conrad’s words were icy.

Conrad continued, “Is it a misunderstanding that I covered my eyes and ears because I was afraid that my disgrace would be revealed?”

“Th, that’s…” Count Elitz stammered.

“Is it a misunderstanding that I abandoned my duty and locked the door when the people of the West were dying?” Conrad pressed.

Count Elitz couldn’t answer.

But Conrad’s words did not end. “Is it a misunderstanding that I sacrificed people for my own benefit? Or is it a misunderstanding that I was trying to plot again to cover my eyes once again, let alone showing any signs of remorse?”

Conrad looked at Count Elitz, his colder eyes than ever fixed on him. “Tell me, Count Elitz. What exactly is the misunderstanding?”

Count Elitz really couldn’t answer anything, anything at all.

Conrad spoke again. “I can forgive you for covering my eyes and ears. I can also forgive you for not having any signs of remorse. I can even forgive you for trying to cover my eyes and ears once again. But!” The dignity of the emperor erupted.

“The sin of ignoring the deaths of the people! The sin of neglecting when the people cried out to live! I can’t forgive that!” Conrad shouted again. “Sir Yale! Arrest Count Elitz right now!”

Yale moved immediately at Conrad’s command.

“Your Highness! Please forgive me just once, just once! I couldn’t help it either! Your Highness!!!” Count Elitz struggled, but it was useless. How could he do anything to Sir Yale, who was at the intermediate level of Master?

“Yo, Your Highness!! Your Highness!!!!” Count Elitz was eventually arrested and dragged away.

The nobles of the West, including Count Elitz, were all dragged away like that. A silence descended as if a storm had passed. Amidst that silence, Conrad slowly moved. The place he stopped was none other than where Sian was.

Conrad said to Sian, “Get up. Even I shouldn’t treat the hero of the West like this. Hahaha.”

He was like a different person. The Conrad who was angry until just now was nowhere to be found. Now he was treating him as if he were a close friend, his expression endlessly kind.

Conrad personally helped Sian up, his gaze filled with an emotion that was difficult to explain: gratitude, pride, surprise, and even a hint of embarrassment. And the biggest emotion among them was gratitude.

“I think I have a lot to talk about with you… Let’s go inside for now,” Conrad said, moving towards the tent. Like Count Elitz, Conrad wanted to talk to Sian, but the meaning was completely different.

But at the word ‘talk,’ Sian blurted out without realizing it, “How mu…!”

He barely managed to stop himself near his throat.

“Hmm? What did you just say?” Conrad asked, puzzled.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go,” Sian said hurriedly, acting as if nothing had happened. He couldn’t say it. He couldn’t admit that he had almost shouted ‘How much?’ without realizing it. Even if he was beaten to death, he couldn’t say it.