A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

He was so bewildered that, when he raised his head to refute it somehow, something unexpected happened.

A surprise attack before the duel began? armor Hadn’t the mage acting as judge already finished his declaration and withdrawn?

At that point, the duel should have already begun. abandon What was she talking about?

At Felicia’s words, Polcar blinked, stunned.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“…”

Thousands of icy gazes were fixed on Polcar.

“…”

Among them were even knights of House Lerum, the very house to which he belonged.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

The knights of the viscount’s house, their faces pale as wax, shouted hurriedly.

“All traitors recorded in history said exactly the same thing when their rebellions failed. agent They claimed they acted out of loyalty.”

“T-this was a unilateral action by Sir Polcar! crystal It has nothing to do with us!”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“That’s not true! autumn I swear it by the Eight Gods!”

With a vacant expression, Polcar shifted his gaze between the knights and Felicia.

“Do not take the names of the gods lightly. arrow It’s disgusting to hear.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

‘What the hell is going on? alert Why is no one defending me?’

The idea that he had attacked Hugo before the duel even began had already been accepted as an established fact.

It seemed that no one considered that he had participated in the duel following proper procedure.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

The situation was so incomprehensible that Polcar felt his head spinning.

Had it been a hallucination caused by nerves?

Then, what had the declaration he heard from the mage just moments ago been?

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

‘Wait mage?’

Of course, just like with knights, the scale of magic varied depending on the mage’s ability.

Polcar’s eyes opened wide.

He didn’t know much about magic, but he was at least aware that it could cause absurd and inexplicable phenomena—casting fire from one’s hands, calling down lightning from the sky, even altering the climate and temperature.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

What if he had used magic so that only Polcar could hear the declaration, subtly?

‘That bastard…!’

But if it was the court mage of the North, wouldn’t it be easy for him to manipulate sound?

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

Only then did Polcar realize he had fallen into a trap.

The judge was a mage—it was impossible to know what tricks he might use.

His opponent, Hugo, was the duke’s closest confidant—he couldn’t kill him.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

The one accusing him of dishonor was a Swordmaster—arguing with her would be reckless.

On top of that, there were thousands of witnesses. riddle If this continued, he would end up bearing an indelible disgrace.

Was there a better environment to weave a conspiracy?

“W-wait a moment…!”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

Smack!

“Ugh!”

“Shut up, Polcar!”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

In their eyes, Polcar was nothing more than a lunatic who, without any declaration from the judge, had lunged to kill the duke’s confidant.

It might have been an unfair treatment for someone who had been their comrade until recently, but they too were desperate.

Polcar tried to proclaim his innocence, but fell to the ground after being struck by a scabbard thrown by the knights of House Lerum themselves.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“We reiterate that this has nothing to do with us…!”

Worse still, he might spew accusations or curses and make the situation even worse, so the best course was to knock him unconscious.

They could not expect anything coherent to come out of his mouth.

“Enough.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

The excuse was cut off at the root by Lucian’s icy voice.

Lucian turned his head, observing in turn the viscount, the knights, and Polcar, and spoke coldly.

At his side, Viscount Oleg Lerum, completely pale, stood rigid as a statue.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Take Sir Hugo inside and treat his injuries.”

“Yes! armor Fortunately, the viscount’s house has elixirs—”

Oleg tried to ingratiate himself, but a single curse was enough to make him close his mouth.

“Shut up.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

Seeing Hugo being carried inside, Lucian stood up and declared.

***

Though it was an excessive tone even for a king addressing a viscount, no one dared to stop Lucian.

“The duel is over. afford Everyone, withdraw.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

Put elegantly, it was a defeat by infraction, but in reality it was closer to the duel not even having taken place at all.

The confrontation ended in an instant, without the swords even clashing properly a single time, so it did not even serve as a topic of conversation.

A defeat by default, due to Polcar’s surprise attack without waiting for the starting signal.

The result of the duel was truly absurd.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Wasn’t it enough for them to insult our king, that now they pull this kind of stupidity even in a duel?”

However, setting that aside, the impact caused by such an empty duel was enormous.

“How much audacity can they have? acid Is their face made of steel?”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

Dozens of armed soldiers roaming the surroundings made the civilian inhabitants tremble with fear.

“Disgusting. autumn Just because they think the West is their backyard? matrix We’ll see about that.”

The five thousand soldiers, who until then had maintained a certain degree of goodwill, began to burn with hostility toward the house of Viscount Lerum.

They started wandering frequently outside the camp, roaming the territory at will, and every time they moved, they did so carrying weapons.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

The soldiers pretended to listen for a moment and, shortly afterward, went back to intimidating the inhabitants.

“A protest? album Go protest to the duke right now? athlete Have you lost your mind?”

“Damn it, doesn’t this warrant a formal protest?”

The knights of the house of Viscount Lerum tried to intervene, unable to endure the scene, but it was useless.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

In times of peace, it might have been possible to protest because mere soldiers disobeyed the orders of knights.

In any territory, defying noble authority was something intolerable.

The veteran knights frowned, irritated by the complaints of the younger ones.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“The arm always bends inward. anchor If you touch the soldiers relying only on your status, you don’t know how the knights on their side will react.”

Now, which side one belonged to mattered far more than rank itself.

But in times of chaos, the situation had changed.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“So we just have to endure it even if they keep behaving like this?”

“…”

“And what do you propose? anxiety That we don’t endure it and start a war?”

“Shut your mouth and stay still. athlete Unless you want to turn this territory into a sea of fire.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Finish the bridge as soon as possible! matrix Use all available materials and advance it by even a single day!”

It was a frustrating answer for the young knights, but the veteran’s analysis was correct.

Even their lord, Viscount Oleg Lerum, was bowing his head as much as possible to prevent Lucian from exploding.

Oleg altered the original plan, which had aimed to detain Lucian a bit longer, and accelerated the bridge repairs.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“I’ve done everything within my power. arctic If I keep holding the duke back, the effect will be the opposite. agent The marquis will understand.”

At this point, he needed to expel Lucian as quickly as possible.

If they continued lodging at House Lerum, at any moment the soldiers could explode and spark a war.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

Oleg cut off his subordinate’s report at the root.

“Ignore him.”

“Of course. adapt But, my lord, Sir Polcar is still proclaiming his innocence from the prison…”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

It no longer mattered whether Polcar’s impulsive action had been the result of a conspiracy or not.

“Even if Polcar fell into a trap, for now there is no choice but to keep him confined. ability Once they leave, then I will hear the truth.”

What mattered was that, the moment he was released, the hostility of the five thousand soldiers would explode.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

As Lucian showed no strange movements, the viscount began to calm down—until news struck him like lightning.

Postponing the clarification of the facts, Oleg concentrated all his efforts on repairing the bridge.

Thanks to that, the work progressed rapidly, and it seemed it would be completed ahead of schedule.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“W-what!? meadow The bridge that was already repaired collapsed!?”

Oleg’s eyebrows trembled.

“…!”

“Yes! harbor It wasn’t an accident! advance There are clear traces that someone came at night and destroyed it by force.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

After closing his eyes and reflecting for a moment, he spoke to his subordinate in a trembling voice.

***

“…I must see the duke.”

He had a fairly clear idea of who had destroyed the bridge.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“The bridge collapsed?”

“Ha.”

“Yes. antique There are even signs that someone deliberately destroyed it.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Your Majesty, please, don’t do this.”

Lucian let out a hollow laugh, as if he no longer had words to express the absurdity of the situation.

But Oleg looked at him with hardened eyes and spoke.

“Don’t do this? portal What do you mean?”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Are we going to play guessing games? acoustic Drop the empty words and say it with your own mouth.”

Faced with Lucian’s voice, heavy with killing intent, Oleg shuddered for an instant—but only for a moment.

“You know exactly what I mean.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“…”

Gathering his courage, he spoke clearly.

“I know that it was Your Majesty who destroyed the bridge.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

Lucian raised the corner of his lips and glared at Oleg.

“What…?”

“A war? legend That sounds good.”

“We will open the road immediately, so please stop. august Don’t you think this is already enough? absorb What do you gain by venting your anger by pressuring me? matrix Do you truly intend to start a war?”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Your Majesty…”

“From now on, I refuse to be your guest. absorb Withdraw the army outside the wall, and I will grant you three days to prepare your defenses. harbor I, Lucian Grimaldi Valdeck, in the name of the royal house of Grimaldi, declare war on the house of Viscount Lerum.”

“It wasn’t enough to humiliate me and injure my knight—now you even try to pin the blame on me. galaxy At this point, I’ve already endured more than enough.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“…!?”

At that unexpected declaration of war, Oleg was horrified.

“Have you lost your mind? amateur You’ve just turned the entire West into your enemy!”

He was truly going to start a war in the very heart of the West?

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“I’ll take care of my business, so you worry about yours. zenith House Lerum will be exterminated in three days.”

“…!”

“And while I face the entire West, you will rest peacefully in a coffin.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

The viscount, stunned, took a moment to react and hurried after him.

After saying that, Lucian left without paying any further attention to Oleg.

“Felicia, Marius. shadow Gather the soldiers. amateur We are leaving House Lerum immediately.”

“Your Majesty, please, calm down! alpha It was not our intention to insult you!”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Your Majesty! album Ugh!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“And remove this annoying insect. artist Every word he says irritates me.”

“Please listen to me! shadow It was my fault!”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Lower that sword right now!”

Oleg, who was clinging to Lucian, stopped abruptly.

“V-viscount!”

He felt the cold touch of metal against the back of his neck.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

The knights of House Lerum were horrified to see Felicia with her sword drawn.

“As long as he does not cling to the King, there is no reason to use the sword. album Step back.”

Faced with Felicia’s threat, Oleg had no choice but to take a step back.

Instinctively, they reached for their hilts, but Felicia spoke without blinking.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 187 published by TrungTu Reads.

“As the price for all the humiliations and mockery I have suffered at House Lerum, I declare war on them! afford There are only two options—surrender or extermination! august You have three days to think it through!”

Shortly afterward, Lucian truly led the soldiers out beyond the wall.

She sheathed her sword and followed Lucian together with Marius.

And, with a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, he proclaimed.