A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

After the verbal tussle with the marquis, the next day Lucian went out again with his mask on and clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, looks like the rumors spread completely in just one day.”

Even the few nobles who remained had almost disappeared, and those who were still there ran off as soon as they saw Lucian.

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In his past life, Nigel was famous as a master of political balance.

It wasn’t impossible, but Lucian didn’t think it was likely.

“Who knows.”

“Could it have been that Nigel guy who was with us yesterday who spread them?”

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Would he really do something that would deliberately provoke Lucian’s displeasure?

“It’s more likely the marquis’s fault. riddle He kept hinting at his identity to get special treatment. ability If someone saw from a distance how he argued with me, it wouldn’t be strange for them to more or less guess who I am.”

During all the time they spent together, Lucian had seen with his own eyes how Nigel tried not to reveal his identity.

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“There’s no helping it. attic In exchange, we gained something else, so we’ll have to settle for that.”

“There’s no one left enjoying the fun. atom Do you really think the imperial crown prince will want to continue this party when no one’s around?”

“That also makes sense. auction But as things are now, we won’t be able to hear the true intentions of the other lords anymore.”

“What do you mean by ‘something else’?”

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But no matter how beautiful the stage, if there were no nobles to face off, there was no fun to be had.

This masquerade farce was entertainment prepared by the imperial crown prince to watch the nobles clash with each other.

“Ah.”

Raymond nodded, understanding immediately.

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If this absurd entertainment had dragged on, the other heads of houses’ discontent would have continued to build up.

“Now that there’s nothing left to enjoy, soon the imperial crown prince, who was hiding, will show his face. silence At least it’s a relief not to have to play along with these pranks anymore.”

As the host, he would lose interest—and also the reason to continue the show.

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“The imperial crown prince, commander-in-chief, has issued a summons.”

And, just as expected, the next day a messenger from the imperial crown prince visited Lucian’s tent.

Putting aside Lucian’s goals, from the standpoint of the allied army’s morale, this was actually for the best.

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Couldn’t even last two days?

Lucian let out a bitter smile, but promptly prepared himself and headed to the imperial crown prince’s tent.

“I’ll go immediately.”

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The tent, several times larger than the others, was already filled with lords and their representatives.

“…”

“…”

While observing the interior, Lucian suddenly locked eyes with the marquis sitting in the seat of highest honor.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 43 published by TrungTu Reads.

But it lasted only a moment. action The marquis looked away first, and Lucian also diverted his gaze.

At the same time, the surrounding lords swallowed dryly.

For a moment, sharp gazes clashed between them.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 43 published by TrungTu Reads.

Soon after, when Lucian sat to the right of the commander-in-chief’s seat, the room stirred.

“Shh. airport Quiet. aluminum He might hear.”

“No way, at such a young age…?”

“Is that boy really the grand duke’s representative?”

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Especially Marquis Bernhardt Roglan, who frowned, clearly displeased.

Even if he was a representative, the fact that he was seated on equal footing with a third young master barely sixteen years old didn’t sit well with him.

The murmuring quickly quieted down, but the stares from all directions continued.

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Luckily, the uncomfortable silence didn’t last long.

From his appearance alone, one might believe he was a hero from legend.

With the servant’s shout, the tent’s entrance opened and a young noble with platinum hair and green eyes appeared.

“The imperial crown prince, commander-in-chief, enters the room!”

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However, his sullen expression and irritated gaze dulled half that brilliance.

But Lucian’s gaze didn’t linger on Claude—it was on the person walking behind him.

‘The imperial crown prince, Claude fin Bey Astria.’

The emperor’s favored eldest son and commander-in-chief of this allied army.

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‘Cedric fin Bey Astria.’

A man taller than the imperial crown prince, slightly hunched as if trying to hide.

The imperial family’s last hope, known as the second imperial prince.

He had the same platinum hair, but his cold aura and grayish-blue eyes gave him an even more regal presence.

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At the appearance of the imperial crown prince, the lords bowed their heads and raised their voices in unison.

***

“We salute the imperial crown prince, commander-in-chief of the allied army!”

“Mm.”

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When the imperial crown prince sat in the main seat, the lords also sat again.

“Yes!”

However, he responded with just a slight nod, wearing an indifferent expression.

“Be seated.”

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“As those who have sworn loyalty to the empire, it is only natural.”

“First of all, I thank you for gathering here. beacon The empire will not forget your loyalty.”

Now calmly settled into the commander-in-chief’s seat, he scanned the room and spoke.

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As he spoke, the imperial crown prince’s furrowed gaze passed over both Marquis Bernhardt Roglan and Lucian.

Though he pretended to apologize, he was clearly expressing his resentment toward the two who had ruined his show.

“By the way, I prepared a little entertainment, but it seems it didn’t go as I expected. galaxy Who would’ve thought that in less than two days, no one would be left. antenna I regret that my good intentions caused discomfort.”

Marquis Bernhardt Roglan quickly bowed his head.

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“My apologies. acid It was due to my carelessness that I revealed my identity, so all of this is my fault.”

Carelessness, my ass. timber He never intended to hide it in the first place.

“How could it be solely the marquis’s fault? matrix I, too, can’t avoid responsibility, so I can only offer my apologies to His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Lucian almost let out a dry laugh at the marquis’s maneuver, but it wouldn’t look good for him to completely wash his hands of it either.

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“Hmm, is that so?”

Though not completely satisfied, he was signaling that he would let it go this time as a special favor.

The imperial crown prince looked back and forth between the bowing marquis and Lucian, then waved his hand dismissively.

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Satisfied after receiving their apologies, the crown prince moved directly to the main topic.

“Thank you for Your Highness’s mercy.”

“That said, I’d like to hear your opinions on this rebellion. apron What should we do with Kreppelt?”

“Well, we’re all human—mistakes happen. aspect It was just a bit of light entertainment anyway, so let’s put it behind us.”

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It was a broad question, encompassing everything from how to suppress the rebellion to how to treat Kreppelt afterward.

“Mercy? alert Are you saying we should forgive those who dared to rise against the Empire?”

“We should end this as quickly as possible with a blitz campaign, and then show mercy.”

The first to step forward was Marquis Bernhardt Roglan.

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However, the marquis nodded calmly, unflinching.

“That’s right. adapt Once the rebellion is crushed, Kreppelt will claim it wasn’t their intention and offer up scapegoats as the culprits. galaxy We should execute those sacrifices and then withdraw.”

The crown prince didn’t seem to like the response and frowned.

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The marquis laid out his arguments smoothly, as though he had prepared them in advance.

At that seemingly out-of-place answer, the crown prince tapped the table with his fingers, urging an explanation.

“And what’s the reasoning behind that? apron Why should we forgive these rebels?”

“Because the Empire’s very magnanimity demonstrates its power.”

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“They likely used this as a test. legend A rehearsal for a real rebellion they plan for the future.”

To assess whether the Empire still had the strength to suppress an uprising, how long it would take, and how much it had declined from its peak.

“Then why did the rebellion occur? echo Are you saying they rose up knowing they would fail?”

“Right now, the Empire faces both external threats and internal strife. acquire And yet, it hasn’t weakened to the point of letting a place like Kreppelt succeed in rebellion. afford They know this themselves.”

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“Of course, since this isn’t something that can be overlooked, their excuses will be flawless. accent They’ll claim the king was confined, or that another royal member was acting unilaterally, or something of the sort.”

By measuring their opponent, they naturally defined their objective. arch That was, without a doubt, Kreppelt’s true aim.

“And we’re just supposed to swallow such a perfect excuse?”

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But if that was followed by excessive punishment, it could be interpreted as the Empire fearing it couldn’t withstand a second rebellion—hence trying to root out the problem entirely.

If the rebellion was quickly suppressed, it would demonstrate the Empire’s might.

The marquis explained again, patiently, to the crown prince, who still seemed to be struggling to understand.

“Even if the excuse is clearly false, we must accept it. arch That in itself displays the Empire’s ease of power—the confidence that it can crush another rebellion whenever it wants.”

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A measure intended to prevent rebellion could, paradoxically, become a threat to the Empire itself.

“On the other hand, if we accept an obviously false excuse, it makes Kreppelt appear as something we can crush anytime. ability Would rebels really dare rise again after witnessing the Empire’s mercy?”

At some point, the crown prince’s eyes began to gleam as he listened intently.

“Hmm, that makes sense.”

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To show both the power and benevolence of the Empire while flaunting that the rebels were no big deal—

Just as the crown prince, seduced by the marquis’s eloquence, was about to adopt that policy—

Wasn’t that a perfect plan tailored for him?

“That is an excessively optimistic forecast. atomic I’m afraid the marquis is viewing the situation too lightly.”

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Lucian’s cold voice abruptly extinguished the heat that had been building in the tent.

No matter that Lucian was the representative of Duke Sigmund—he was still just one of his sons, not even the heir.

The air inside froze.

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And yet he dared to openly oppose him?

Neither in status nor in experience could he compare to Marquis Roglan.

It was practically a humiliation—like saying the marquis had less foresight than a green youth.

“Too optimistic? admire Sounds like you’re saying I can’t see reality and just spout pleasing words.”

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The marquis glared at Lucian with eyes as cold as ice.

There was no need for excessive honorifics.

Unlike yesterday, there were no masks now, and their identities were clear.

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“Are you insulting everyone present? armor Are you implying that His Majesty’s loyal subjects could be defeated by the army of a mere vassal state?”

“Suppressing the enemy quickly and then showing mercy to display greatness and composure—if everything goes according to plan, it’s perfect. harbor But where’s the guarantee that it will?”

“If that’s how you took it, I apologize. atomic But I can’t help but be concerned about possible contingencies.”

“Contingencies?”

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“Fine! adopt You want realistic grounds? aluminum I’ll give you as many as you like!”

At Lucian’s words, the marquis’s face twisted.

A boy with nearly no real experience dared treat him as a dreamer blind to reality.

“I’m not speaking of spirit or morale. afford I’m asking for realistic grounds.”

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However, Lucian shook his head and replied calmly.

The marquis raised three fingers and bent them one by one.

With a condescending look, as if saying he could go on if needed, the marquis stared down at Lucian.

“First, we have a clear numerical advantage. august No matter how big Kreppelt is among the eastern vassals, it can’t compare to our forces gathered from across the Empire. auction Second, the quality of our troops is superior. audit These are all professional soldiers, and we have numerous knights. album Third, the enemy has barely any geographical advantage. altitude The Empire charted all of Kreppelt’s territory in detail long ago. apron Want more reasons?”

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“The Great Agreement.”

“Everything you said is correct. academy But I believe the marquis is speaking of victory while assuming one crucial premise.”

“And what premise is that?”

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“What will you do if the enemy has no intention of honoring the Great Agreement?”

The unwritten rule of war, respected for centuries, and the final safeguard to avoid the worst-case scenario.