A university student in the early days of the empire said this.
-The arrogance of the elves who live beyond the western forest knows no bounds. They believe they are superior to humans in every way, and consider humans inferior to them.
Hearing this far, all human beings are indignant. How good are all these things, so why do they behave like that?
I mean, how much worse are humans than elves? However, there is a backstory to this proverb.
– The miserable thing is that I can’t refute that statement. I have no doubt that one day humans will surpass elves, but at least that day is not today.
A species that has already passed its heyday and whose population continues to decline and decline. Even so, humans could not surpass elves.
They are physically strong and agile, and have inherited ancient magic that humans have lost, and now, lost magic tools are also handed down.
As a result, those who know even a little bit about elves extremely avoid battle.
– Those who are faster than humans are armed with magic tools and even blow magic. How can I beat them? Don’t fight unless you have at least ten times as many heads.
ten times. Even so, it was when the odds of winning were minimal, and the general opinion of the mercenaries was that in order to win stably, there must be 20 times.
But now, in front of my eyes, something was happening that overturned common sense.
Wow.
“Ah!”
The elven warrior, barely defending against the spear blade, fell backwards. Three elven warriors filled the void and rushed in.
A sharp movement as if three people became one. But the results were nothing special.
Kwaaang.
“Ouch!”
“Heuk!”
The spearhead moved again before the attack could reach it, and three elves flew at the same time.
After rolling several times on the ground, they tried to get back up, but they stumbled and grimaced at the throbbing pain.
“Arthur, the bones in your body will scream because you kept blocking it. It must be on the verge of breaking now?”
“… … !”
The elf gritted his teeth at Bruno’s smile. Even if he couldn’t understand what he was talking about, he didn’t seem to like his relaxed appearance.
Ray approached Bruno, who tapped his shoulder with a spear.
“Sir Bruno.”
“Oh, are you done already?”
“If you had done it properly, you would have finished it right away.”
A startled female elf looked around. The other warriors who had attacked Ray were all rolling on the floor before they knew it.
The female elf’s eyes widened as she saw the warriors wriggling and rolling on the ground in dust.
“Sse-deran!”
Accurate.
The runes on the leggings on her calves glowed and the female elf charged. An unprecedented speed.
Seeing the twin swords rushing like lightning, the knights shouted involuntarily.
“Wait, dangerous… … !”
I’m sorry.
“Kheuk!”
“… … !?”
But carelessly, Bruno struck the female elf down as if chasing a fly.
Pushing aside the female elf who had passed out, Bruno swung his spear.
“Then I’ll have to finish it soon.”
“Bah, right here… … !”
The elven warriors tried to shout something more, but Bruno didn’t listen. After a few more swings of the spear, the last warriors fell in a swoon.
After confirming that he had subdued all the elves alive, Luke lowered his head.
“dismissal.”
“Yes?”
“I overpowered them all.”
“… … .”
The count swallowed saliva as he watched Luke speak calmly. It’s an elf that needs at least ten times the number to subdue it.
If it was an elven warrior, even if ten human knights rushed at it, it would not be destroyed and there was no possibility of killing them.
‘But that elf attacked with ten times the number, and he was defeated alive.’
The Count swallowed dry saliva in awe. While fighting the elves, Luke, who had these people under his command, came to visit.
Maybe this is the guidance of the goddess. A revelation to bring those evil elves to their knees and usher in the era of humans.
‘Then, as a follower of the goddess, you should gladly follow… … .’
Dangerous desire flashed in the Count’s eyes.
* * *
The banquet ended in bad shape, but fortunately the damage was surprisingly small. It ended with about 30 knights who were sacrificed to block the path of the elves.
Of course, this level of damage was not light, but it was close to a miracle in that the count and the children of other families were unharmed despite the invasion of the elves.
“You put everyone at risk for my ignorance. I will apologize.”
“Oh no, sir!”
“Please raise your head!”
The next day, calling Luke and other family members, the count bowed his head. Seeing that, the children of the four families, including Leone, were stumped.
Yes, the landlord is responsible for being attacked, but who would dare to blame the count for you?
The count also lowered his head for a moment, then quietly raised his head as if he couldn’t win.
“How dare you try to assassinate me anyway. With this, you have crossed an irreversible river with them.”
“Um… … .”
At the Count’s words, the children of the four families groaned. The memory of being ridiculed by twenty elven warriors yesterday was vivid.
But this time, let’s fight the demon army? Not an ordinary local war, but an all-out war?
‘No matter how much I think about it, it doesn’t pay off.’
‘I came here to help in moderation, but now I’m in a position to worry about my life.’
Among the hesitant restraints, Walter opened his mouth.
“Your Excellency, why did this war start in the first place? It’s not uncommon to have riots with elves, but I’ve never seen them attempt an assassination.”
In a word, it was an accusation saying, ‘You do things you shouldn’t do, but what the hell did you touch?’
I’d just pass it on if it was easy, but since I was in a situation where I could risk my life, I couldn’t help but ask.
The Count frowned and gnashed his teeth.
“The beginning was simple. It’s because they were ‘human hunting’ against my knights who came out hunting.”
“yes? Speaking of human hunting… … .”
“Literally. I heard later that it was for fun. He said that hunting inferior species is no different from hunting animals. Does this make sense?”
As the Count slammed the desk in anger, the children of other families also bit their lips. Human hunting!
I knew you were ignoring humans, but it’s not that bad!
“Then those knights… … .”
“A few people were hurt, but luckily there were others nearby, including me. We captured them.”
“Didn’t you kill him?”
“I wanted to kill you. But their skills were too useful to kill in rage. I offered a deal He said that he would forgive me if I told him about the magic tool making technique.”
“ah!”
Only then did the aristocratic children who learned of the situation nodded. I wondered where so many magic tools came from, but did they come from elves?
“Then technology… … .”
“I haven’t learned everything yet. It would take me a year to learn properly. The things I gave you were made by them.”
The eyes of the people around them sparkled. If this is true, Count Herning’s family has its own magic tool production method.
It is a secret practiced even in the imperial family. Its value was incalculable. What if you could learn even that piece?
What if you could make even a very light magic tool yourself?
‘Just by making and selling it, gold coins will pile up like a mountain.’
‘The floating population coming to the west to find magic tools will increase.’
‘As a result, the entire West will be revived.’
The nobles quickly shook their heads. It’s a different story if you can make your own products instead of just getting them from somewhere.
This was a task worthy of taking on the fate of the family.
“Then what happened to the assassination attempt?”
“Your compatriots. Damn it, those dwarves don’t understand reparations!”
The Count slapped the desk as if in a fit of rage.
“I don’t know what my fellow countrymen did wrong, and how did you dare to catch and imprison an inferior species of a noble elf?” I refused and immediately attacked! That was the beginning of this war!”
“… … .”
Everyone is at a loss for words. According to the Count, no matter how you look at it, this was the fault of the elves.
In a word, isn’t it the attitude of doing something wrong first, but not giving any compensation and thinking, ‘Where are humans?’
It was only natural that the count would be angry at this.
‘If that’s the truth.’
Not noticing Luke’s sharp gaze, the count shouted loudly.
“If you don’t show them this time, they’ll climb endlessly! Don’t you guys think so too?”
“You are indeed right!”
“If you step down like this, you will be disgraced not by one family, but by humanity!”
The sons of nobles agreed unanimously to the count’s words. Of course, it wasn’t purely for the sake of justice.
If you back down like this, the recipe for making magic tools will be lost. How would you give up a technology that could change the empire’s power map?
“Thank you very much. I am proud to be your neighbor.”
“You are saying too much.”
“The Herning family’s work is no different from ours.”
The Count nodded his head in satisfaction at the positive agreement. After receiving a confirmation, the count glanced at Luke.
“Will the Lord help you too?”
“I came as an assistant to the Winslow family. If the Winslow family offers to help, I will gladly come along too.”
Rion’s shoulders shook at Luke’s words, and the children of the other three families flinched.
They were the ones who saw the powerlessness of the two knights who didn’t look like humans yesterday. Now, let alone rebelling against Luke, it was difficult for him to treat Rion carelessly.
‘Damn it, he was a creepy guy until recently.’
‘Didn’t you say that you were my sister? Should I keep bowing down?’
While everyone else’s heads were spinning tight, the count’s brows narrowed slightly. I didn’t like the answer.
Because if the Winslow family withdraws their decision, the answer seems to be that he will follow suit.
‘Is it natural?’
Luke had little to gain from this situation. Other families will continue to receive astronomical magic tools, or even part of the magic tool manufacturing technology.
But not Luke. All I got was fame. Even if I tried to take care of it separately, it was not enough.
‘There is no guarantee that the magic tools will reach the far east. Not to mention valuable knowledge like technology.’
Whether it is wealth or technology, there is no way to know where it will leak. Even if it is not leaked, it will prevent other families in the West from taking it.
If the number of people to distribute increases, it means that your share will also decrease.
“Sir Luke, I have something very important to say to you alone, so would you like to come over tonight?”
“I will.”
At the Count’s words, the children of other families flinched for a moment, but soon calmed down. Now I could understand the special treatment Luke was receiving.
On the contrary, it was to the point where I regretted swearing in the first place.
‘If we had a good relationship at first, we might have been on our side… … .’
From noble mtl dot com
The meeting ended with the children of other families regretting. The Count stared at Luke’s back as he left.
If there was no benefit to be gained from the war, it was something that could be done by making a profit at all. A benefit that can never be denied.
* * *
That night, as promised, Luke came to the drawing room to meet the Count. The Count greeted Luke and handed him some wine.
Light chatter and heartless thanks. It was in the middle of making a social comment that nobles usually do.
Perhaps thinking that the atmosphere had matured, the count brought up the main topic.
“Look, Sir Luke. I have no children. My wife died early, and I have never seen my children.”
“Isn’t it not too late to eat a cage?”
“Thank you for the words. But I don’t have a woman that’s right for me.”
The Count sighed deeply and looked out the window. Beneath it, the flags of the four families were fluttering.
“For the sake of balance in the West, those four families can’t do it. You have to look for it from a high-ranking but fallen family, or from a family other than the West. Both are impossible.”
There is no way that the daughter of a count or viscount who suddenly collapsed one day will fall. Women in other provinces do not want to set foot in a land full of monsters.
Even if he is young, he is already over 50 years old. There was no reason to come unless it was a woman full of ambition who would eat her family raw.
“Then the answer is both. It’s not uncommon in noble families.”
Luke nodded. It was certainly not uncommon for a noble family to adopt a son from a noble family whose successor had disappeared.
“If you were my son, I would have no wish… … .”
“It is too much to say. Please take it away.”
Luke rejected the Count’s words without hesitation. Bernstein’s name was still everywhere.
No matter how much they pretend to be a family in the west, they are Countess Herning, who is far behind in popularity.
There was no reason to abandon the Bernstein name.
‘Besides, it’s a land full of monsters, so there’s nothing to eat.’
The count smiled bitterly at Luke, who was hiding his true feelings.
“It seemed so. It seemed like you were looking farther away.”
“Your Excellency, that’s not it… … .”
“All right. Because I know that the name Herning is too narrow to embrace you.”
There, the Count stopped talking for a moment and looked at Luke with a coy look.
“But wouldn’t that be enough to hold someone other than you?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Did I say Sir Ray? Just like his nickname, he is a knight who is reminiscent of flames. That dignified and beautiful figure was truly the daughter of the West.”
“Is that so?”
“Since she was the youngest daughter, the family would have treated her very harshly, but she grew up so lofty. The more you look at it, the better it gets.”
Even as he chimed in, Luke blinked his eyes at the strangeness. Why is Ray suddenly appearing here?
After a brief pause, the count detonated a bomb in front of Luke.
“I’m thinking of making her my successor.”
“… … !”
Wow