A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

Felicia was not causing any destruction in the marquis’s residence.

If one looked closely, her behavior was even too calm, to the point that the earlier uproar seemed like a thing of the past.

The problem was not her attitude, but the places she chose to stroll.

“F-Felicia… young lady. This is the inner courtyard of the mansion!”

“Is it a place I am not allowed to come to?”

“That’s not it, but if you don’t have any business to attend to…”

“Is it mandatory to have business? If I remember correctly, this was never a place where guests were stopped, whether they had a reason or not.”

Faced with Felicia’s retort, the servants could not say anything more and only began to break out in cold sweat.

Just as she said, the courtyard near the mansion was a place where guests could stroll freely.

If it were any other visitor, no one would have tried to stop them.

But Felicia wandering around there was a completely different matter.

‘Damn it, if Felicia keeps hanging around this area, the young masters won’t even be able to approach to see the marquis.’

The sons of the Marquis of Roglan had to visit the mansion frequently to take care of family affairs.

But how were they supposed to do that if the Swordmaster—and someone who harbored deep resentment toward the marquis’s sons at that—was prowling right in front of the entrance?

Not only that, just recently Felicia had left the third young master, Gaemon, turned into a bloody mess.

Family business or not, if they wanted to keep their lives, the best thing was to stay well away from the mansion.

‘Maybe as long as they don’t cause trouble, nothing will happen if they take this opportunity to stand firm…’

‘Are you crazy!? What if Felicia is the one who approaches first? Who guarantees she’ll just let them go?’

‘You’re right. It’s better not to provoke anything unnecessary. If this escalates, even the person we serve could be affected.’

‘Damn it… when did it come to this? That the young masters have to be careful in the courtyard of their own home?’

The situation was absurd, but there was nothing they could do.

How were they supposed to explain the situation to Felicia and ask for her understanding?

“You haven’t done anything wrong, but we’re uncomfortable, so please leave on your own.”

No matter how they softened the words, it sounded more like rudeness than a polite request.

The moment it left their mouths, there was a real risk of ending up like Gaemon.

As the servants hesitated, unsure of what to do, Felicia spoke again.

“If you can’t give me a clear reason, I intend to keep strolling.”

“…As you wish.”

In the end, the servants had no choice but to clear the way for her, their faces completely pale.

At the same time, upon learning of the situation, the young masters stopped even approaching the mansion.

The scene, in which it was unclear who was the host and who was the guest, continued for days, until it finally reached the marquis’s ears.

However, Bernhardt took it with complete calm.

“Leave her be.”

“Pardon?”

“I said leave her. In any case, they’ll be returning north soon. Worrying about every little detail will only tire us out.”

The marquis’s attitude, as if he had no intention of seeking a solution at all, left the knights bewildered.

Knowing his character, it would not have been strange for him to be furious over the humiliation.

But, against all expectations, he remained calm.

They suspected that perhaps he was preparing something in the shadows—but he did absolutely nothing.

Even though Lucian and his soldiers roamed the marquis’s residence as if it were their own, Bernhardt did not react.

And so, when less than a week remained before Lucian’s return to the north, the marquis made a proposal.

***

“Going hunting together?”

“Yes. The marquis wishes to strengthen the relationship before you return to the north.”

Upon hearing the messenger, Lucian rested his chin on his hand.

Beyond the empty excuse of camaraderie, the proposal was far too suspicious.

‘A hunt, of all things?’

For the nobility, hunting was an indispensable event.

Owning a hunting ground was a symbol of wealth and power, and mobilizing beaters to scour the entire forest was an open display of military strength.

Moreover, the horsemanship and archery displayed during the hunt served to showcase the lord’s skill and that of his knights.

Because of all this, hunting sometimes functioned as an indirect war.

To dominate the hunt was equivalent to demonstrating military superiority.

For the marquis, who knew the terrain like the back of his hand, it was the perfect event to recover some dignity.

‘And at the same time, there is no event more convenient for plotting conspiracies.’

Because along with its advantages, hunting was also extremely dangerous.

In the forest, groups became scattered, escorts were reduced, and the risk of assassination reached its peak.

There were too many places to ambush and flee, and carrying weapons did not arouse suspicion.

Even if someone saw the attacker, they could always claim they could not distinguish clearly among the trees.

It was, without a doubt, the perfect opportunity for an assassination attempt.

‘But even so, does he really believe something like a shooter could do anything to me?’

Lucian frowned slightly.

Even if someone approached with murderous intent concealed and drove a divine sword into his unprotected skin, he was not sure it could pierce him.

And they intended to finish him off during a hunt, where everyone was on maximum alert?

It did not seem like a plan befitting Bernhardt.

“Your Majesty, could you give me an answer?”

The messenger, nervous, interrupted his thoughts.

After a few seconds, Lucian nodded.

“Accept the marquis’s proposal. We will take care of the armament. Have him prepare the hunting grounds well.”

“I will convey your words without omitting a single one!”

The messenger ran off, visibly relieved.

When the sound of footsteps faded into the distance, Lucian called his vassals and spoke.

“What do you think of the marquis’s hunting proposal?”

“It’s a trap.”

“He’s definitely planning some trick behind the scenes.”

“In my opinion, it’s too obvious.”

Felicia, Hugo, and Marius replied in unison.

At the expected answers, Lucian let out a faint laugh.

“I think the same. The problem is that I can’t clearly see what kind of trap it is.”

“A shooter? Since ancient times, hunting grounds have been the classic stage for long-range assassinations.”

“Too old-fashioned. It’s easy to prevent, and if it fails, the consequences would be enormous. It’s not like the marquis.”

Lucian immediately dismissed Hugo’s idea.

He himself had considered that possibility and had had enough time to think of reasons to reject it.

With the sniper option discarded, Marius proposed another hypothesis.

“There’s also the possibility of luring a dangerous beast or a monster to attack, but that…”

Marius did not finish the sentence.

Even to him, it did not seem like a realistic idea.

As expected, Hugo reacted immediately.

“Do wyverns or something like that live in the hunting grounds of the Roglan house?”

“Ahem… don’t be so harsh. I was just raising a possibility.”

“Maybe he’s not that wrong.”

Felicia’s unexpected affirmative response made both of them widen their eyes in surprise.

Did she really believe a mere wild beast could do anything to Lucian?

“Does that make sense? They must have already heard that His Majesty smashed the gate of Belfor Castle.”

“I don’t believe an ordinary beast could injure His Majesty either. However, it is true that something dangerous inhabits the hunting grounds of the Roglan house. It wouldn’t be strange if the marquis harbored even a minimal hope.”

“Stop with the suspense and say it already. What the hell lives there?”

Hugo thumped his chest, impatient.

Felicia answered calmly.

“Wyverns.”

***

“He plans to lure the wyverns so they target that brat.”

“…!”

At the words of Marquis Bernhardt, those present opened their eyes wide.

They knew he was plotting something, but they never imagined he would think of using wyverns.

After a brief moment of silence, objections erupted.

“It can’t be done, my lord! It’s far too dangerous!”

“How do you intend to use monsters you can’t even control?”

“There’s a risk that not only the duke, but you yourself, could be caught up in it!”

It was true that wyverns inhabited the hunting grounds.

Not one, but three.

But those creatures had not been raised by the Roglan house; they had simply established their nests there on their own.

The Roglan house had not only failed to domesticate them, it did not even maintain a relationship of hostile coexistence with them.

To a wyvern, any human, whether from the marquis’s family or not, was simple prey.

In the worst case, the target would not be Lucian, but Bernhardt himself.

“If we lure them and repel them clumsily, they will certainly follow all the way to the castle! The territory could be devastated!”

“Moreover, forty years have passed since they were last sighted! It’s very likely there are even more now!”

“And on top of that, the duke’s escort is led by the Swordmaster! No matter how powerful a wyvern is, she would split it in two with a single slash!”

“Enough, enough, enough! Listen to me until the end!”

Bernhardt slammed the table again and again until the hall fell silent.

Even so, the vassals kept their eyes fixed on him, ready to insist if the slightest opportunity arose to make him reconsider.

After observing them for a moment, the marquis leaned back and spoke in a calmer voice.

“I have already considered all of those concerns. And, of course, I have also prepared countermeasures.”

“Countermeasures?”

“Before explaining them, let’s clarify something. I have no intention of killing the duke. Beyond Felicia’s protection, that brat possesses no small amount of strength. A single wyvern would not be enough.”

“Then what is this for…?”

At the doubt-filled looks, the marquis curved his lips into a sharp smile.

“My target is not the brat, but his vassals.”

“…!”

“He may be a duke, but he is still the leader of a new faction. And every new faction inevitably carries weaknesses born of its origins.”

When everything is built from scratch, it is natural for the ruler to share secrets and delicate matters with those closest to him.

In other words, young factions tend to have a much closer relationship between sovereign and vassals than old factions.

That a ruler reveals his weak points without reserve is proof of deep trust.

“But that also means he depends too much on those few trusted men. It’s logical. If you entrust the construction of your house to someone you don’t trust, the first thing they’ll do is open a hole to steal from the storehouse.”

Building everything from nothing implies great vulnerability to internal intrigues.

Therefore, the ruler has no choice but to delegate multiple responsibilities to a few absolutely reliable vassals.

And precisely because of that, the loss of one of those pillars constitutes a devastating blow to a young faction.

Not only is someone of utmost trust lost, but one of the supports holding up all that power.

With a twisted smile, the marquis murmured.

“If one of those valuable vassals is left on the brink of death by a wyvern’s poison, and the only means to save him is in my hands—how do you think that brat will react?”