The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 104

14. Selection: The Attentive Bastard

The Hilton family’s escort knight was a warrior roughly in the upper ranks of Sword Users.

To make a comparison, he was about on par with Gavin, the leather collector I met before.

In any case, he wasn’t an Expert-level swordsman, so he couldn’t even react to the slap I threw and just got smacked.

“You son of a bitch!!”

Seemingly furious, the guy huffed and reached for his sword hilt.

“Drawing your sword… Do you fully understand the meaning of your actions right now before you commit them?”

“You bastard. I’ll slice you up in an instant.”

It seems he doesn’t understand words.

I wondered if I really needed to mix hands with a guy who would just get slapped and fly away.

That’s what companions are for, to solve these annoying problems.

I gave a slight wink, and Campbell, who had been eager to step up, leaped into action.

“Hey. Act like a knight should.”

Crack!!

The escort knight was tall, but Campbell was a head taller than him.

This monstrous guy placed his hand on the escort knight’s shoulder and crushed his collarbone with just his grip.

“Ugh, aaaaaack!!”

It’s been quite a while since I met Campbell, but that absurd strength of his is still unfamiliar, no matter how many times I see it.

Even though it’s pure strength without using mana, he has the same brute force as a decent mana knight, so it’s no wonder he’s nicknamed ‘Ogre’.

“How dare you!”

“Want to try me?”

The other escort knights, seeing their comrade fall, flared up and surrounded us, exuding murderous intent.

And then.

Charlie Hilton, who had been quietly watching from behind, stepped forward and rebuked his subordinates with an exaggerated pose.

“Everyone, calm down. What disrespect is this to the esteemed Lord Lloyd?”

A snake-like impression.

A cunning tongue.

He’s exactly the type I hate.

The guy offered his hand to me with a fake smile.

“Oh, I’m late with my greetings. I am Baron Charlie Hilton. I’ve heard so much about the Demon Slayer that my ears are ringing. It’s an honor to meet you.”

I’d rather he just clashed with me openly.

He just watched his escort knight cause trouble for me, and now he’s acting nonchalant.

In the last elf war, Baron Piento similarly scratched at me from behind and paid a hefty price.

However, Charlie Hilton is different.

Baron Piento was, at least, from a subordinate family within the Marquisate, and while he might not have respected me, he did respect the Lloyd family.

On the other hand, the Hilton family tried to dissolve the Lloyd family, so even while smiling like that, he’s probably just thinking about how to attack from behind.

I also extended my hand to Charlie.

Charlie naturally assumed I would shake it.

He reached out to grab my hand, but I subtly avoided his hand and pointed somewhere else.

The guy tilted his head at my sudden action.

“What do you mean? Is there something over there?”

“No. Get in line.”

The guy looked dumbfounded, as if he couldn’t understand.

“Didn’t you come here because you wanted bread? Get in line. How many times do I have to say it? Use your head if it’s not just for decoration.”

The guy’s face turned as red as a beet from the embarrassment.

I was secretly hoping he wouldn’t be able to hold back and draw his sword, but that didn’t happen.

Instead, he moved close to me and whispered in my ear.

“You’re loitering around even though you don’t want the position of Royal Consort. If you’re just a spectator, quietly watch and leave. Or you can struggle. That might be fun too.”

He gave me a very mild provocation, then widened the distance again and smiled brightly.

“Suddenly, I have urgent business, so I’ll have to eat bread another time. It was a short meeting, but it was enjoyable. See you again next time.”

He turned around and headed back to his carriage.

I couldn’t let him go like this.

I gave him a very simple little something.

[Bind]

The Bind skill, which had improved as I advanced to a mid-level druid, was powerful enough to tear apart even wild beasts, but I couldn’t do that in the middle of a big city.

I subtly manipulated it to wrap around Charlie’s ankle without anyone noticing.

“Ugh!”

The more arrogant a guy is, the less he looks at his feet.

Suddenly grabbed by the ankle, he tumbled and rolled ungracefully on the ground.

In the meantime, the tree root, having secretly accomplished its purpose, went back into the ground as if nothing had happened.

“Oh dear. You should have watched the ground better. Or are your legs weak? If you come to me later, I’ll teach you a few exercises.”

I gave him some friendly advice.

Even though I was leaning against one leg with my arms crossed.

Even I thought I looked a bit annoying.

Charlie, unintentionally showing a shameful appearance, huffed and got up on his own.

With a reddened face, he shouted at the top of his lungs, having abandoned his earlier leisurely attitude.

“Why the hell do the road maintenance guys do their jobs so shoddily!”

Charlie, blaming the innocent, stomped on the ground with his feet and then left in his carriage.

A storm had passed through the bakery.

Sion, who had brought the salt bread that the owner had packed in a bag, said.

“Young Master, may I kill that arrogant bastard?”

“There are a few too many eyes watching.”

“I suppose so.”

Sion nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, I called Andre, who had watched this whole scene with us.

For reference, Andre is from an anti-imperial faction.

Although the size of his family is small.

“Andre.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“Do you have contact with the anti-imperial Royal Consort hopefuls currently staying in the capital?”

“I know most of them because I’ve met them before.”

Perhaps because of his talkative personality, Andre had a wide social circle and was quite the social butterfly.

I thought it was a good thing and ordered.

“Summon all the anti-imperial Royal Consort hopefuls you can contact right now. Tell them I called for them. And have them call anyone they know, even if you don’t know them directly.”

“Understood.”

To prevent the misfortune of Charlie Hilton being chosen as the Royal Consort, I needed to find out what kind of candidates the anti-imperial faction had.

That way, I could give extraordinary support to someone who seemed capable and create at least a two-way competition.

First, I decided to look at the anti-imperial Royal Consort hopefuls and assess their character and abilities.

* * *

Late evening, 8 PM.

Andre’s mansion.

Only the ticking of the clockwork could be heard.

A considerable amount of food was laid out on the dining table, but it had been cold for a long time.

In a space that could accommodate at least thirty people, there were only five of us, including me and Andre.

Campbell had gone out to eat separately, and Sion was standing behind me in a fixed posture.

“Is this all there is?”

My voice echoed heavily.

Excluding Andre, only three anti-imperial Royal Consort hopefuls had responded to his invitation and attended.

“Well… replies did come.”

“Saying what?”

“Some said they were unwell, others had prior engagements, and some even said they were giving up on the position of Royal Consort and wouldn’t attend.”

The situation was quite bizarre.

With the selection ceremony just around the corner, the heir of the Lloyd family, who was called the leader of the anti-imperial faction, had issued a summons, and they weren’t coming.

This was an implicit message that they wouldn’t side with us.

I first examined those who had attended.

To put it bluntly, even their appearances were ambiguous.

No matter what, it was a place to choose a groom.

In any other situation, appearance and height would be essential.

Anyway, all the people of the kingdom would see the scene of the Royal Consort standing next to the princess, and a plausible picture had to be presented to gain support.

“Hmm…”

Frankly speaking, none of them were satisfactory.

I thought about Charlie Hilton, whom I had met at the bakery today.

Even though he looked sly, his physique itself was decent, and his face was passable.

Above all, Charlie Hilton had overwhelming support, so to become his rival, one had to at least surpass him in appearance, but if all three of them were placed next to Charlie, they would immediately become squids [a Korean slang term for someone unattractive].

‘It’s too early to be disappointed. Men are more about ability than appearance.’

I hoped there might be someone with ability.

Someone with a good personality, wealth, outstanding martial prowess, or even a legendary strategist like Zhuge Liang from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms [a famous historical figure known for his wisdom].

I asked them questions about various things, and…

“Isn’t the anti-imperial faction finished anyway? I came to keep my loyalty, but I honestly know it won’t work.”

Negative human, out.

“Hahaha! I’ve never heard anyone say I’m lacking in appearance anywhere. Look at my body. The princess will fall for me if I look like this.”

Excessive self-awareness, out.

“The meal is cold and doesn’t taste good. It would have tasted much better if we had eaten right away instead of waiting for the other attendees. By the way, everyone is a little disappointing. I’m worried that the level of this Royal Consort selection ceremony will drop.”

You’re just out.

“Haa… seriously.”

Andre was the most normal one.

Coming from a powerless small family, he was a bit talkative, but he was kind and straightforward.

As for the others, I couldn’t tell whether they were gathered as Royal Consort hopefuls who would govern the entire kingdom in the future or to be judged on whether they were normal.

“Let’s end the meal here. Thank you all for coming.”

The words ‘get out’ came up to my throat, but I barely swallowed them and issued an expulsion order.

In the empty dining room, I asked Andre.

“How many candidates do you think will come out for this Royal Consort selection ceremony?”

“From what I’ve heard, about thirty. The pro-imperial faction has about twenty-three, and the anti-imperial faction has seven, including the ones you saw today.”

23 to 7.

Far beyond the majority.

Moreover, three of the seven didn’t even attend today, so they’re out.

I just confirmed that the remaining three were strange guys.

The other side would be united in supporting Charlie Hilton, whether openly or secretly.

Is that why that annoying guy was so confident when I met him at the bakery?

“Sion.”

“Yes.”

“Should I just assassinate Charlie?”

“Shall we leave right away?”

“No. Forget it.”

Assassination is the last resort.

It’s not a very pleasant method either.

If I get caught, the kingdom will be split in half, regardless of the Royal Consort selection ceremony.

Above all, Andre told me that Charlie had reached the Expert level at about the same age as me.

I don’t understand why such a guy tripped over a tree root, though.

-He must have risen with elixirs [magical potions]. There were quite a few guys like that where I was. They ate different kinds of elixirs every month and rose with internal force.

“Still, reaching the Expert level means he has talent, right? Besides, I heard he’s about the same age as me. That’s quite a talent.”

-Hey! Compare things that are comparable! That guy received all kinds of support from the moment he started walking, and you haven’t even been holding a sword for two years. But you’re an upper-level Expert, and he’s just at the beginning.

Certainly, it felt much more real when the Heavenly Demon said it like that.

-To be frank, even I wasn’t faster than you. It’s all because my master was me…

“Yes! I understand!”

I cut him off at a good point.

Now it was time to find a method.

Before I could even think of something, there was noise from the front gate.

Thump!!

An uninvited guest had arrived.

“Homeowner, come out.”

Such rudeness to call out the homeowner without even being invited.

Wondering what kind of crazy guy it was, I went out instead of Andre.

I was in a bad mood, so I was planning to give him a super-special massage course like the bandit I had met before.

“What kind of…”

My words were cut off.

The middle-aged man in front of me was wearing splendid golden armor.

The sharp aura emanating from his entire body made my body stiffen involuntarily.

-He’s a master. Half a level above you.

The Heavenly Demon’s simple comment.

My hand unconsciously went to the Heavenly Demon Sword.

Although I was still researching the domain, I tried to somehow emit energy and create my own space.

I was about to engage in combat, even using druid skills if necessary, but the blizzard-like aura disappeared as if it had never been there.

“…So the rumors weren’t empty words. Lord Henon Lloyd.”

The opponent must have sensed my level as well.

“Who are you?”

“I am Hornet, responsible for the defense of the royal castle. I received the title of Count, but you can speak comfortably, right?”

Count Hornet, the commander of the royal castle defense.

I knew who this person was.

He was the King’s most trusted confidant and the driving force behind the royal family’s continued existence.

The Royal Knights, with him as their commander, were said to possess deep loyalty to the royal family and the martial prowess to match.

“Of course.”

“Like father, like son. Marquis Lloyd also thought you had tremendous talent as soon as he saw you, and it’s the same for you.”

“You flatter me. Did you perhaps come to see Duke Andre?”

“No, my business is with you.”

After taking a moment to catch his breath, he solemnly declared.

“Lord Henon Lloyd, His Majesty the King has summoned you to the palace. You are to have an audience immediately.”

A VIP’s call had dropped.

It was clear that there was no right to refuse.

* * *

The royal palace was a building built in the Gothic style.

The most impressive thing was the stained-glass windows, which had much more diverse colors and shapes than Lloyd’s Marquisate, making it a pleasure to look at.

Expensive luminous stones were installed everywhere, just like in Liang, so it was as bright as day even at night.

It wouldn’t happen, but if I were to be assigned an assassination mission here, it would be best to give up on that mission.

Especially with Commander Hornet glaring right next to me.

“I’ll keep your weapon.”

I handed over the Heavenly Demon Sword willingly.

The current time was 10 PM, quite late.

To have a private audience with the King at such a late hour.

Was this proof that the royal family was paying attention to the Lloyd family?

Anyway, I opened the door and went inside.

Even as I entered, Commander Hornet’s request lingered in my ears.

“What you see and hear here must never be spread outside.”

“I understand.”

Inside the bedroom.

A king-size bed was hidden behind curtains.

No one was there, only a frail old man who had raised himself up to greet me.

It was Alfonso, the King of Elden.

“Cough! Cough! Welcome. Cough!”

He hurriedly grabbed a handkerchief and put it to his mouth.

Red bloodstains were on the handkerchief.

I could tell without even asking.

The King really didn’t have much time left.

‘If only there was the Water of Life…?’

I briefly thought of the Water of Life that Sasha managed, but soon shook my head.

It was already too late to be treated with the Water of Life.

He could pass away tomorrow and it wouldn’t be strange.

“I greet His Majesty the King.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you. Lord Henon Lloyd.”

“It’s an undeserved title.”

“I know Gordon well. Cough! He was a meticulous younger brother. He wouldn’t do something like handing out titles carelessly. That means you’ve proven yourself that much.”

I didn’t know the relationship between Marquis Lloyd and His Majesty the King, so I knelt on one knee and listened to his words.

“You’ve come up from the bottom, so you probably already realized why you’re here and why I called you.”

“That’s right.”

“What do you think?”

It was a rather comprehensive question, but the answer came immediately.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think it’ll work. It seems the Royal Consort will be Prince Charlie, and the royal family will be incorporated into the Empire.”

It was somewhat cold, but judging from the King’s personality, it seemed faster to speak directly.

As expected, King Alfonso wasn’t the type to filter out words he didn’t want to hear.

He nodded silently, as if he had expected it.

“Cough! The history of the royal family is coming to an end in my generation, so I have no face to see the previous kings.”

“I am sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s all a result of my karma.”

There was nothing to say.

In fact, even if I were King Alfonso, I wondered if there was anything I could do.

Day by day, the Empire was becoming stronger, the influence of the royal family was weakening, and the nobles were scattered, only looking after their own family’s interests.

“Cough… you’re… smart.”

“I am not.”

“I’ve spent my whole life looking at people. You’re not at all intimidated even when standing in front of the King. You’re overflowing with confidence. It’s not confidence that’s excessively overflowing and turning into arrogance.”

In fact, I had never lived in a monarchy, so I had no romance or fantasy about kings.

The country I lived in on Earth had a presidential direct election system.

I guess this was subtly showing.

“So I have a favor to ask of you.”

“I will listen.”

“Cough! Cough!”

After spitting out a bunch of blood into the handkerchief, the King, calming his ragged breath, opened his mouth.

“When I pass away… help Rebecca find her own life, regardless of the fate of the kingdom. That is my last wish.”