"That, that..."
"Since when do you vomit on my words?"
Archduke Berard said coldly, and the servant swallowed hard.
"It is to be enforced immediately."
"...Understood."
The servant bemoaned the use of such a terrible trick on the poor young king, but if they refused, they would be hanged.
After some time passed, a fever broke out in the young king.
It was a terrible fever that would surely kill him if he did not receive proper medical attention.
Archduke Berard smiled ruefully.
'It's no use for healers to use heals. This is not a disease that can be cured by healing.'
But there was one thing he hadn't anticipated, and that was the desperation of Lord Nickles, the young king's advisor, and the suddenness of the incident.
The light of the Houstonian army.
He had come for Raymond.
To save the young king.
***
"....Who are you?"
"I'm Nickels, captain of the Royal Knights, Kingdom of Droton."
Raymond's eyes widened.
'The leader of the Royal Knights?'
The Royal Knights, the knights who protect the king.
'And I've never heard of Nickels before? No, I mean, were there any Royal Knights left in the Kingdom of Droton?'
One of the first actions taken by Archduke Berard after seizing power was to purge the Royal Knights, as they posed a threat.
From the looks of it, only a few remaining knights remained loyal to the young king.
"But what is happening?"
"Save our King!"
"...What?"
Raymond stared in disbelief, but his expression hardened at the knight's next words.
"That devil Berard has inflicted a terrible disease upon His Majesty. He is now suffering from a high fever, and that is why I have sought you out!"
"...!"
Raymond grasped the gravity of the situation. Berard had once again committed an abominable act.
"Please, in the name of the Kingdom of Droton, I implore you to save our King. I will forever be indebted to you for this favor!"
Raymond made a troubled face.
'What shall I do?'
He realized that this was a very important fork in the road.
'If I save the king, perhaps that will end the war.'
Although Archduke Berard had stripped the King of his power, he remained the rightful ruler of Droton.
If Raymond could rescue the king and have him in his possession, he could declare Berard a traitor to the kingdom.
The king's fall from both within and without would ensue, ultimately leading to the cessation of the war.
'...But it's too dangerous.'
The Winter Palace resided at the southernmost tip of the Droton Kingdom.
It lay even farther than the capital, necessitating a stealthy journey, evading the watchful eyes of the Drotonian army.
Anyone caught in the midst of it would meet a grim fate.
'Furthermore, there's a possibility that this could be a trap set to ensnare me. How can I trust this man's words?'
Raymond harbored a pessimistic outlook.
It was an arduous decision to make.
Take the risk and achieve the greatest good to bring an end to the war, or opt for the safer route.
'Ugh. I'm not particularly fond of risks.'
He pondered over it for a while.
Suddenly, an unexpected visitor arrived, soaring through the air.
"Trouble, Master! A wretch has come to see you!"
It was Lyndon.
"A wretch?"
"Prince Seitil!"
Raymond's eyes widened.
"Seitil?"
Sure enough, there he stood, leading a contingent of two hundred cavalrymen.
"Your Highness, Prince Seitil."
Seitil locked eyes with Raymond, remaining silent for a prolonged moment before uttering something audacious.
"We are currently launching a raid on the capital of the Kingdom of Droton."
"....!"
"Our intelligence suggests that the capital is vulnerable, with their forces concentrated on the central front. We shall exploit this opportunity and seize the capital. Make the necessary preparations."
***
'This is madness! How can we possibly capture the capital?'
The notion of delivering a decisive blow had its merits, but it would remain just that-a blow.
The likelihood of successfully capturing the enemy capital single-handedly was close to zero.
'I understand that the capital is not as heavily defended as before, but it still remains a capital. It is bound to have a substantial garrison. And how do we even plan to reach there?'
The road from Castle Bioton to the Droton capital is not devoid of obstacles.
Along the way, they would encounter a succession of fortified gateways, serving as staunch defenses for the capital.
'It is an utterly reckless plan, regardless of any potential gains it may offer.'
The odds of being swiftly neutralized and annihilated stood at 98% or higher.
Raymond naturally had no intention of going along with such a reckless plan.
"I apologize, Your Highness, but I cannot comply with your wishes."
"What?"
"As the commander of this vicinity, it is my responsibility to defend Castle Bioton."
For the record, Raymond had somehow assumed the position of commander and continued to hold it.
Seitil frowned.
"Shut up! You lowly bastard!"
"...!"
"That's an order!"
Raymond stiffened.
Everyone else around him stiffened as well.
'To our Raymond, what a scoundrel.'
Everyone here in the castle had the utmost respect for Raymond.
They were outraged that a human stallion would insult the man they revered.
Christine spoke up.
"Your Highness, I implore you to choose your words more carefully."
"Ha, you be still, Princess; I am speaking to the lowly bastard, who has made a name for himself, and has no eyes to see, wretch!"
Hearing those words, Elmud's mood changed; he was greatly enraged that Raymond, whom he served as his lord, had been insulted.
'How dare you...!'
As he bit his lip.
Raymond spoke up.
[Confirms that the opponent is a 'jerk'!]
[The opponent's 'jerk level' is very high!]
['Jerk Coping Mechanism' is manifested!]
"Can I take what you just said as an insult to your superiors in the military?"
"...what?"
"I am the commander of the Healer Corps, as well as the commander of this castle, so... What you just said, Your Highness, clearly constitutes insulting a superior officer under military law."
Seitil was speechless.
He was a prince, but that was a private position.
His position in the army was merely that of a senior knight, neither commander nor general.
Though he had led his knights in the recent offensive, he was no more than a "troop leader."
Raymond, on the other hand, is the leader of the Healer's Corps, a high ranking member of the Order of the Ten Thousand, and the so-called "commander" of the defense of the two castles.
He was in no position to be insulted like this.
'This!'
Seitil was red-faced and furious, but Raymond only snorted.
Honestly, he wasn't so scared of Seitil anymore.
'Remerton and Kairen are formidable opponents, so I must tread carefully around them. However, Seitil... I have matured significantly.'
Having reached a firm decision, Raymond spoke with the unwavering conviction of a resolute leader.
"I must reiterate that as the commanding officer responsible for the defense of Castle Bioton, I am unable to fulfill the Prince's request. While I understand your desire to pursue your own operations, if you wish to sway my decision, you will need the approval of Duke Leif."
Seitil's anger sent shivers down his spine.
He shot Raymond a murderous glare before abruptly turning away and muttering under his breath.
"...I won't let you off the hook."
Raymond furrowed his brow.
He had thought his words were spoken softly, but they had been overheard amidst the commotion.
'Well, whatever.'
Seitil swiftly departed, leaving Elmud to kneel before Raymond in apology.
"I apologize, Master!"
"Huh?"
"I failed to protect you from that insult, Master. If only I had been more exceptional...!"
'...How can anyone prevent everything? There are some things in life that are beyond our control.'
Raymond shook his head in disbelief.
This young man appeared more like a boy despite being twenty years old.
Excessive loyalty.
Sometimes, too much could be overwhelming, even frustrating.
It was akin to witnessing a diligent sweet potato striving too hard.
"Never mind. Don't concern yourself. Focus on the defense of the castle. You are a relief knight."
"Yes, Master!"
But the next day.
An urgent message arrived.
A distress call that Seitil had fallen down a rough slope while riding his horse in a hurry and was missing.
***
Venturing south from Bioton Castle, one would encounter the rugged mountains.
The terrain was unforgiving, marked by steep cliffs that posed a constant risk of falling.
During the descent down the mountainside, Seitil had slipped and disappeared into the forest below.
Meanwhile, in the forest where Seitil vanished, an astonishing scene unfolded.
"Your Royal Highness, are you unharmed?"
"Of course! Do you think a swordsmanship prodigy like me could be injured by a mere tumble?"
Seitil grinned from ear to ear!
"I assume the news of my accident has reached Castle Bioton by now?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Raymond himself will come to your rescue."
"We'll wait here, and once he arrives, I'll make sure his throat is slit."
It was an astounding revelation.
It seemed that this distress call was nothing more than a ruse to lure Raymond out!
Seitil thought fiercely.
'You must have been a good one so far. This time I will kill you.'
From the very beginning, Seitil harbored a deep-rooted hatred for Raymond.
The lowly bastard's audacity and arrogance were unforgivable in his eyes.
This time, he vowed to kill Raymond.
'It's a remote place, and if I kill him, I won't get caught.'
Purposefully, Seitil ventured into the depths of the remote forest, seeking a location far away from prying eyes.
His intention was to execute Raymond and ensure that the monstrous creatures in the area disposed of the body.
It would be a perfect murder.
'Hurry up, bastard.'
However, there were two critical flaws in Seitil's plan.
Firstly, he underestimated the fact that he had entered the territory of these monsters.
While he was aware of their presence, he remained oblivious to their sheer numbers.
It was a foreign territory to him, resulting in limited information.
Unfortunately for Seitil, he had unwittingly stepped into a monster colony.
A low, guttural growl pierced the air.
"Krrr."
Finally, the monsters appeared, and Seitil snorted.
'Lowly monsters. With my sword skills, they're just one hit away.'
With that thought in mind, he casually slaughtered the monsters.
Up until that point, Seitil had been lighthearted.
'I'll just have to warm up before Raymond gets here.'
And then a second mistake, this one more devastating: Raymond hadn't come to the rescue.
He was busy treating the critically ill.
***
"What?"
Raymond frowned.
'I'm supposed to be treating patients.'
The timing of this was uncanny.
The remaining Droton soldiers nearby suddenly ambushed their allies, resulting in several severe injuries.
Time was of the essence, and Raymond was torn between saving Seitil and attending to the critically ill soldiers.
'But I can't leave the prince all alone. Besides, that damn fool shouldn't have found himself in trouble right now. That stubborn bastard is trouble to the end...'
Raymond made a troubled face.
'I can't let all these people die.'
Then Elmud came up with an unexpected solution.
"I will rescue Prince Seitil."
"Huh?"
Elmud said with determination.
"As a relief knight, it is my duty to protect the lives of those in distress."
It was a good solution, not unlike a sweet potato!
So Raymond focused on the patients, and Elmud went to rescue Seitil.