A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

‘Lucian!’

Only then did Tristan understand where that incomprehensible pressure was coming from.

When Lucian proposed embracing him, it had already seemed strange, but was all of this just to stage this situation?

Realizing that he had fallen into a trap, he felt a chill run down the back of his neck, though at the same time a doubt crossed his mind.

‘What the hell did he do? Magic? No… it’s not magic.’

After the death of Grand Duke Sigmund, Tristan had thoroughly investigated everything related to magic.

He had done so to discover which school had used that method and to take revenge.

He had not obtained great results, since the empire had eliminated almost all books related to magic, but at least he had managed to understand its basic nature.

‘Magic is a technique that uses mana to manipulate natural phenomena. Except for extremely rare exceptions like divination, it always leaves prior signs. No matter how well it’s concealed, nature reacts.’

But this pressure had appeared all at once, without any prior indication.

No, even now, while he was experiencing it in real time, there was nothing visible.

That meant it was not a natural phenomenon, but another kind of power.

At that instant, a hypothesis crossed Tristan’s mind.

A power that is not a natural phenomenon, that cannot be seen unless it is intentionally given form, and that can directly harm humans.

There was only one such thing.

‘Pure mana release? That’s impossible! To crush a person with mana density alone… how much mana would he have to possess…?’

“Brother, how long are you planning to stay like that? Don’t make me look worse than I already do.”

Lucian’s tone, as if urging him on, made Tristan shudder.

Because of the pressure, he had forgotten something important.

At that moment, Lucian was asking him for a hug.

If Tristan stayed still without advancing, the situation would lend itself to all kinds of misunderstandings.

And it wouldn’t just look like distant brothers; it could be interpreted as a direct humiliation toward Lucian.

In the worst case, not only would he be expelled from Asagrim, but the little reputation he still possessed would be completely shattered.

‘Damn it! Why the hell pull this kind of prank…?’

If it had been a trap to kill him, at least he wouldn’t feel so indignant.

But this was plain and simple harassment.

Like hiding the shoes of someone you hate or burning the book they cherish most.

It didn’t seem to have any purpose other than putting him in an awkward position.

“I see. It seems you don’t like hugs. Let’s leave it at that, then. But at least tell me, why are you so upset?”

While Tristan didn’t know what to do, Lucian sighed and lowered his hand.

At that moment, the pressure crushing him eased a little.

Only a little.

He still couldn’t move, but at least he could now open his mouth and speak.

“This is—!”

Just as Tristan was about to hurriedly explain the situation, Lucian’s cold gaze made him shut his mouth immediately.

He didn’t know why, but he had a clear feeling that if he said something out of place, everything would end right there.

‘From the beginning, the one pressing me is Lucian. If he already knows everything, he didn’t loosen the pressure to hear some cheap excuse.’

Then why had he proposed the hug if he didn’t intend to let him approach?

If Tristan ignored the invitation, Lucian would also be put in a bad light.

It was far too much theater to be just a cruel joke.

‘What does he really want from me? From the moment I couldn’t hug him, we already lost the chance to show brotherhood. No matter how I think about it—damn it.’

After turning it over again and again in his head, Tristan finally understood Lucian’s intentions and frowned bitterly.

Of course.

From the moment he rejected the hug, the farce of “united brothers” was lost.

There was only one way left to change this awkward atmosphere.

To stop being “brothers.”

If he set aside the personal relationship and prioritized the formal one, the situation would turn into an exemplary story of respect for protocol and etiquette.

And for that to work, Tristan had to change his attitude.

‘Damn it. If it was going to end like this, I never should have brought up that we’re brothers.’

The regret came too late, but there was no turning back now.

If he tried to withdraw at this point, he would lose the last opportunity he had left.

Resolved, Tristan took a deep breath and said exactly what Lucian wanted to hear.

“…I have not rejected the embrace of Your Excellency. Even between brothers, there are limits that must be respected. Let us leave behind the nostalgia of the past.”

“Brother? What are you suddenly talking about?”

Lucian tilted his head, as if he truly didn’t understand anything.

An act that would have fooled even a veteran aristocrat, but Tristan knew instantly that it was a sham.

Because the remaining pressure disappeared completely the very moment he spoke those words.

Gritting his teeth, Tristan dropped to his knees on the spot and shouted.

“Tristan Valdeck greets the great king of the north and conqueror of the frozen lands, His Excellency the duke! I beg you to forgive the disrespect from a moment ago!”

***

“Good, sit down. Since we’re here, let’s take this opportunity to talk as brothers about what we haven’t been able to discuss until now.”

As soon as the audience ended, Lucian took Tristan to a reception room inside the palace.

The official reason was that he wanted to talk about family matters in a place where no one could overhear them.

Seeing Lucian’s satisfied smile, Tristan swallowed.

“So… did I pass the test?”

“Hahaha, when there’s no one watching, you can speak with more confidence.”

“No, this is fine.”

Tristan rejected Lucian’s consideration without hesitation.

Even if those words were sincere, accepting a display of favor at that moment could harm his evaluation.

Just as he expected, Lucian nodded with a pleased smile.

“Good answer. I’m glad to see that at least you understand a little now how to conduct yourself in this world.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t relax yet. The test isn’t over.”

“…”

“Tell me why you think I did that just now in the audience hall. Depending on your answer, I’ll decide whether you pass or fail.”

“…All right.”

Tristan spoke calmly, suppressing the tension.

“It was to make my position clear to me. It wasn’t a simple venting of frustration, but because you wanted the negotiation to proceed smoothly. That’s why it was necessary.”

“Hmm.”

It seemed like a fairly satisfactory answer, because a smile formed on Lucian’s lips.

Seeing Lucian gesture for him to continue, Tristan kept speaking.

“Your Excellency received me as a brother, and I accepted that treatment immediately. I thought that once accepted, you wouldn’t be able to change your attitude.”

“And you’re not wrong. Words spoken in front of everyone can’t be taken back.”

“Yes. My assumption was correct. The problem is that I shouldn’t have done that.”

Tristan had committed a grave discourtesy by entering Asagrim with five hundred soldiers.

The fact that Lucian had let it pass without saying anything meant that he wanted something from him.

Otherwise, no matter how confident he was that he could crush him, he would never have allowed foreign forces to enter his territory.

“But a problem arose before the negotiation truly began. I chose my immediate benefit over your prestige. You assumed that this attitude would also influence any future dealings.”

A merchant who doesn’t know his place sets prices no one will pay.

Lucian wanted to make Tristan clearly understand his position before negotiating, and that strange performance had been the means to do so.

“When it seemed that I had rejected the hug, I was left with only two options. Abandon the brotherly relationship and lower myself, or remain in an equal position while damaging your image.”

If he chose the first, he showed that he was willing to negotiate.

But if he chose the second, Lucian would have canceled all dealings and expelled him without mercy.

Understanding this, Tristan chose the first path.

“If I had chosen the second, you would have thought it wasn’t worth negotiating with me. Isn’t that right?”

“Excellent.”

Clap, clap, clap.

When the explanation ended, Lucian applauded several times, clearly satisfied.

Faced with that almost mocking gesture, Tristan looked at him with a tense expression.

“It seems my answer satisfied you.”

“No.”

“Huh?”

“That answer was the bare minimum expected. What I considered a pass was something else.”

“Something else…?”

“You didn’t mention at all the mana that was crushing you.”

“…!”

“When someone has a leash around their neck, they try to remove it by any means. Even after being freed, they look for ways to prevent it from happening again.”

It’s a completely natural instinct.

No one likes having a weak point seized.

The problem is that this logic also works in reverse.

“Those who hold the leash hate that kind of behavior. They want to keep pulling it and maintain their superiority.”

“…”

“I’ll ask you just one question. Which do you think I am?”

The answer was obvious the second.

To Tristan, that incomprehensible pressure was the leash Lucian had put on him, and trying to analyze it would be attempting to remove it.

But Tristan avoided touching the subject and left the leash where it was.

Even though he could be crushed again at any moment, he chose not to probe further.

And that was exactly what Lucian had liked.

“If, during your explanation, you had tried to find out where that mana came from, or whether it was really mana, you would have failed immediately.”

“…”

Tristan ran his tongue over his dry lips.

It wasn’t just an explanation of the evaluation criteria, but a clear warning.

If, after closing the deal, he tried to overturn the power balance, there would be no forgiveness.

If it had been said by someone else, he might have taken it as a joke.

But coming from Lucian, he couldn’t laugh at all.

“…What do you want from me?”

Tired of the conversation, Tristan got straight to the point.

The more they talked, the more he felt Lucian pressing down on him.

But contrary to his expectations, Lucian simply smiled calmly and shook his head.

“For now, stay at ease as a guest until Sir Eisen’s funeral is over. We’ll talk business afterward.”

“Is that also part of the test?”

“No. It’s just that…”

Lucian hesitated for a moment and, finding no better way to put it, spoke honestly.

“…I think it will be easier to negotiate after you see with your own eyes what is about to happen.”