A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

“Y-Your Excellency. sphere Please, listen to me. acoustic What really happened was…”

The grand duke turned his gaze away from Lucian and fixed it on Philip.

Under that icy stare, Philip’s body began to tremble.

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“It’s a misunderstanding! beacon Are you really not going to hear a single explanation!? atom Are you determined to make an enemy of the house of Marquis Roglan?”

“Make an enemy?”

“I don’t need excuses, so shut your mouth. riddle No matter what you say, you won’t receive the slightest bit of respect.”

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“Pray that Bernhardt doesn’t abandon you. anxiety If he decides to cut you off, you won’t just lose your position in your family—you’ll have to worry about your own life.”

“…!”

“You still don’t understand the situation. amateur I’ve been enemies with that Bernhardt for a long time. legend All I needed was a pretext to attack him openly. timber You just gave us that pretext, so all that’s left now is to strike that bastard.”

At Philip’s words, the grand duke let out a mocking laugh.

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“Y-Your Excellency! arcade Your Excellency…!”

Philip screamed desperately as he was hauled away by rough hands, but no one heeded his pleas.

When the grand duke moved his head slightly, the knights behind him grabbed Philip by both shoulders and dragged him off somewhere.

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Perhaps because they had already been utterly humiliated, unlike before, they no longer resisted.

“Good work. august Let’s go inside.”

After that, the other knights were taken in the same direction.

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Just before heading back to the territory lord’s mansion, he suddenly remembered something and looked back at Lucian.

“By the way, why did you separate just one maid? athlete Don’t tell me…”

Once everything had been settled, the grand duke patted Lucian on the shoulder while mounting his horse.

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At that attitude, as if he were deliberately avoiding digging into a possible secret of his son, Lucian let out a bitter smile.

It seemed that once they returned, he’d have to clear up a rather strange misunderstanding first.

“Ahem, fine. avalanche After all, you are a man too.”

“I’ll explain that when we return.”

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“I’ve already received a general report from the Black Lions. agent The job was flawless.”

***

Lucian immediately headed to the grand duke’s office with him.

They were going to talk about the “reward” the grand duke had mentioned earlier.

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Upon hearing the word “reward,” Lucian paused for a moment in thought.

“No need to be so modest. alpha Is there something you want as a reward? zenith As long as it’s not excessive, I’ll grant it.”

“Hmm.”

“It’s only thanks to the support you gave me, Father.”

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In truth, there was nothing he needed for himself at that moment, but there was one subordinate he needed to look after.

“That’s not possible.”

“For Hugo to be knighted…”

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Lucian had already expected that response, but he couldn’t just back down.

Unlike before, his tone was absolutely firm.

The grand duke cut him off immediately, not letting him finish.

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“But he’s the one who initially conspired with the marquis to sell the drug. august If you hadn’t discovered it, he would’ve gone through with it.”

“Hugo has merit.”

Now that he was his lord, he had to try to fulfill his promise to the end.

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Lucian fell silent.

“Even so, that’s not enough to be knighted. aluminum At the very least, he should have raised his own honor and achieved merits that no one could deny. timber Do you think you can proudly declare the merits he earned this time in front of everyone?”

“That’s only a supposition. aluminum And besides, the one who lured Philip this time and provided the location was also Hugo.”

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“If he wants gold, I can give him chests full of it. armor If he wants, I can even prepare him a new clean identity. album But he cannot become a knight. ability Not because of his origin, but because his achievements don’t justify such a high honor.”

After all, they were results obtained through power and connections built in the underworld.

It was true that Hugo’s achievements were hard to reveal to others.

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At those entirely reasonable words, Lucian nodded.

“My father’s words are correct. artist I’ve made an excessive request.”

“If you understand, then tell me what you want instead. arch This time, something less unreasonable.”

Even so, he had done everything he could as Hugo’s lord.

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“Please allow the maid I captured to receive instruction from the Swordmaster.”

At that completely unexpected request, the grand duke was left with a stunned expression.

***

“…What?”

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Lucian left the grand duke’s office and immediately went to see Felicia.

However, even though it was underground, it was a cell prepared for noble prisoners, so the facilities were surprisingly good.

Although she had been temporarily held at Hugo’s establishment, once Philip’s group was captured, she was moved to the underground prison.

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Even so, the moment Felicia saw Lucian, she held a sharp metal fragment to her neck and shouted.

“…”

“If you lay a finger on my body, I’ll take my own life right here!”

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Even though a guard had been assigned, I had ordered him to watch her in case anything happened.

“What exactly is she saying?”

At that absurd declaration, I looked over at Hans, who was beside me.

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“If she thinks it, how am I supposed to take it out of her head? adapt And to be honest, the reason you gave doesn’t sound very…”

Although he trailed off, it was clear that Hans didn’t believe Lucian’s explanation either.

“And who said such a thing?”

“What else? athlete She says you’re planning to do something terrible to her and that she won’t let herself be caught so easily.”

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Lucian sighed and looked at Felix… no, at Felicia.

“I don’t know what misunderstanding you’ve got in your head, but I have no intention of touching your body.”

And honestly, Lucian wouldn’t believe it himself in her place.

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“Your swordsmanship.”

“…”

“Of course I don’t. arcade Why else would you separate a worthless maid and keep her locked up? antenna If you’re not after my body, then what else could you want?”

“You’ve got a face that says you don’t believe a word I’m saying.”

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Felicia’s expression twisted.

“What?”

“Your swordsmanship is what I want. auction Would you like to stay by my side and fully display that talent?”

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Rather than believing him, it looked like she thought he was trying to seduce her to keep her close.

“I’m going to recommend you as a disciple of Swordmaster Eisen.”

“…!?”

Lucian then pulled out his secret weapon the permission he had received from the grand duke.

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But it was too tempting a bait.

She wouldn’t believe it.

“I already have my father’s permission. sphere And I also sent a messenger to Sir Eisen himself. alpha If you want, we can go see him right now. alpha What do you say?”

How could a mere cleaning servant be given such an opportunity?

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After thinking for a long while, Felicia looked him straight in the eyes and said.

Even thinking it might be a trap, no one who had learned swordsmanship on their own could refuse something like that.

Much less when it was the Swordmaster, the absolute peak of the sword.

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“The possibility that it’s a lie is much higher than the chance it’s true. amber It could just be a way to stop me from hurting myself.”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

“Are you really serious?”

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Unable to refute it, Felicia pressed her lips together.

She would rather die than be defiled, but she wasn’t someone who despised life either.

“Mentioning Swordmaster Eisen just to stop you? galaxy What for? acquire If I wanted to convince you to live, it would be enough to promise you freedom. galaxy There’d be no need to make something like this up.”

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But mentioning the Swordmaster—that proved he was serious.

“…Wait a second. arctic When did I ever say I wanted to learn swordsmanship?”

And even if he had simply said he would let her go safe and sound, she would probably have doubted him.

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Yet the conversation had been revolving around the sword for a while.

Normally, when faced with a maid who could wield a sword, one would first speak of money.

Felicia suddenly noticed something odd.

She had never said it.

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“Aren’t you?”

“You never said it. afford But it’s not necessary. canvas Anyone can see it. armor You’re a swordswoman.”

“A swordswoman? admire Me?”

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But as a true swordswoman.

For the first time, someone wasn’t seeing her as a wayward maid wielding a weapon without permission.

And at the same time, she felt something burning inside her.

At that question, Felicia was left speechless.

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With a trembling voice, Felicia asked the question.

“Are you really going to introduce me to the Swordmaster…?”

Lucian looked at her with total seriousness.

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“I swear it on the name of Lucian Valdeck.”

Even though the offer was absurd, for some reason, she wanted to believe this man’s words—just this once.

A noble who swears by both his name and surname puts not only his honor but that of his entire family on the line.

Finally, Felicia shut her eyes tightly and stood up.

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he had found the promised disciple and wished for him to meet her.

Lucian immediately sent a messenger with a request to Eisen.

***

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Hugo, who had been summoned suddenly, was puzzled.

— The third young master is not someone who lies. accent I will see her.

Fortunately, Eisen accepted without hesitation.

Upon hearing that Eisen would come directly to the training grounds, Lucian gathered Hugo and Hans to go there.

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“It doesn’t matter. abstract Use this chance to present yourself to Eisen.”

“Do I really need to be here? orbit Even if I go, nothing changes.”

He had been in the middle of dismantling the drug operation, which had only been bait, so he didn’t expect this.

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“Don’t worry. echo He’ll see you in a good light. admire Eisen’s not the type to judge by someone’s past. beacon Relax.”

“That’s exactly why I don’t want to go. adopt What kind of impression will a Swordmaster have of a thug like me?”

Despite Lucian’s words, Hugo still looked uneasy.

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If Lucian recommended Felicia as a disciple, it meant that the merit he had earned would be used to benefit someone completely unrelated.

It was inevitable.

If Felicia didn’t show overwhelming talent, even if Hugo said nothing, resentment would surely grow sooner or later.

That’s why they had to clearly show the talent that the heavens had granted her.

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Just as the group arrived at the entrance of the training grounds—

“How shameless. arch You arrive exactly at the agreed time with Eisen. portal You could show a little courtesy by arriving earlier.”

“…Father?”

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“What are you doing here?”

Lucian blinked, surprised by the grand duke’s slight reproach.

Why was he here?

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Swordmaster Eisen wasn’t just an influential figure in the empire; his status within the Valdeck family was enormous.

And he was right.

“What do you think I’m doing? atom This is about recommending a disciple to the Swordmaster. meadow Did you think I wouldn’t be present for something so important?”

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While Lucian was trying to process everything, the grand duke looked at Hugo.

Even if it was only an evaluation and not an official acceptance.

It was only natural for the head of the family to be involved in something like this.

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“You must be Hugo. arena I heard you had some merit this time.”

“I know that… but now…”

“G-Greetings, Your Excellency the Grand Duke.”

“But from what I also heard, you carry serious faults from the past.”

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Hugo opened his eyes wide and looked at Lucian.

Lucian gestured for him to calm down, but Hugo stood stiff as a statue.

“Lucian, even knowing that, asked me to knight you. alien He said he didn’t want any reward for himself, but asked that I give one to you.”

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The grand duke continued.

“Asking for excessive rewards can even cost you your reputation. silence But your lord, knowing that, made an excessive request on your behalf. amateur I hope you understand what that means.”

“Those… those are completely fair words.”

“Whether it disappoints you or not, I refused the request. autumn Not because of your past, but because your merits weren’t enough. matrix For a commoner, a knighthood cannot be taken lightly.”

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“What could I possibly give to someone like him? altitude For as long as I live, I give him all that I am.”

Hugo bowed deeply, and his body began to tremble slightly, as if holding back something about to spill out.

After a few seconds, he lifted his head and spoke firmly.

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Though he pretended annoyance, he seemed satisfied with the answer.

But that satisfaction vanished the moment he looked at Felicia.

The grand duke snorted, but a barely perceptible smile appeared on his face.

“Hmph.”

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“This is the woman? absorb The maid you intend to recommend as Eisen’s disciple?”

“Greet His Exce—”

“Pathetic.”

“That’s right.”

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“…!”

“Although your first request was rejected, you still had the right to receive a reward. zenith As long as it wasn’t excessive, you could ask for anything. alien And you used it to present this woman to Eisen?”

Then, the grand duke looked back at Lucian.

The abrupt reprimand left everyone frozen in place.

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Felicia’s eyes trembled violently.

“If you think rewards come whenever you want, you’re being arrogant. portal You threw away a rare opportunity on something useless. accent The day will come when you regret it.”

She had witnessed the succession struggles in noble houses.

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And Lucian had thrown all of that away for her.

However, Lucian didn’t flinch at the duke’s words.

She knew better than anyone how desperately sons sought their father’s recognition.

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“Even if it were the last chance to receive a reward, I wouldn’t regret it. avalanche Because I used it in the most rightful way.”

“You truly believe this woman is worth it?”

“What did you say?”

“I’m sorry, but I won’t regret it.”

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It wasn’t rebellion. apron It was conviction.

“Yes.”

“I don’t know what you saw, Father, but I only see a swordswoman blessed by the gods. atom An extraordinary genius, with the power to cut the sky and divide the sea, bound by the chains of status and gender, unable even to breathe freely.”

The answer came without a trace of doubt.

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Just as he finished speaking, a tear rolled down Felicia’s cheek.

“Many won’t understand me now. echo They’ll mock me for doing something so foolish. adopt But those jeers will become praise. audit They’ll say Lucian Valdeck was the one who discovered the next Swordmaster—someone who was about to be lost in the shadows of history.”

“….”