Raising the Princess to Overcome Death Chapter 109

109. Childhood Friend – The Marquis of Guidan's House

"For what reason have you come?"

Upon arriving in Nevis, Rev immediately went to visit the Marquis of Guidan's estate.

The Marquisate located on 'Bedajin Boulevard' was relatively small for the mansion of a high-ranking noble in the Orun Kingdom, but it had a peaceful and picturesque charm, being built from a green rock called serpentinite.

"I wish to see the Marquis."

Rev, dismounted from his horse, handed over a letter envelope given to him by the chief of Bospo.

The envelope bore the chief's seal, so the guards let him in without delay. The horse Rev rode on was taken away by the guards, and Rev met the butler.

"We will keep your sword for a moment."

The butler took the sword from Rev before guiding him.

"Please come this way. The Marquis is currently meeting another guest. It shouldn't take long."

Rev looked puzzled at the butler's certainty. It was difficult for a subordinate to predict how long a noble's meeting with a guest might take...

However, the butler's certainty was accurate.

While sipping tea in the drawing room, he heard a disgruntled voice from somewhere.

"I don't know what to do with this stubborn man!"

It seemed to be the guest the Marquis was meeting. He was so angry that he continued to shout even as he came outside.

"Let me say one last thing. Even if you establish a connection with the Duke of Tertan, such half-hearted behavior will ensure the Guidan family does not last long!"

The voice and footsteps drew nearer.

"...I'll consider it. And the betrothal is not finalized yet. Do not make assumptions."

"What? Listen. Soon everyone will know that your daughter went to meet the Duke's heir. Whether the engagement is successful or not, you are already..."

The noble, passing by the drawing room, glanced at Rev, clearly an outsider waiting with the butler, and then stared.

A middle-aged noble with a small build but a sturdy appearance. Realizing his mistake, he was about to say something, but Rev spoke first.

"I am already aware that Lady Harie Guidan is meeting with Philas Tertan in Bospo. You need not worry; I have no intention of spreading it around."

The noble coughed awkwardly.

"Ahem. Look here. Someone who already knows has come to visit. I don't know who sent you, but if you intend to harm the Guidan family, you'll need to think of me as well. Make sure to convey that... Hmm? Ah, fine. Fine."

Harvey, the Marquis of Guidan, placed a hand on the noble's shoulder as if to stop him.

The boastful noble grumbled but left.

It was a surprising sight.

It was extremely rare for one noble to lay a hand on another. Perhaps, except when inviting a lady to dance.

Thanks to this, Rev immediately realized who he was.

'It's Marquis Evni Drazhin.' He was the northern border lord of the Orun Kingdom and a close friend of the Marquis of Guidan. Rev had heard of their close friendship while traveling through the Orun Kingdom.

'They seem even closer than I heard...'

Rev sat back down and waited, and the Marquis of Guidan returned after briefly seeing off his friend.

He was tall, something Rev noticed again just now. At first, he thought it was because Marquis Drazhin was very short, but that wasn't the case.

The Marquis was tall as well as lean. He resembled a scarecrow in stature.

Despite his thinness, he didn't appear sharp. His short eyebrows and long earlobes made him look easily approachable.

After reading the letter from the chief, the Marquis offered a sincere apology.

"I apologize for my friend's excessive words. By the way... you are a teacher? Of Chief Walter's?"

His pale green eyes, which appeared somewhat melancholic, were filled with doubt.

It was a natural reaction.

The chief was an elderly man, yet the 'teacher' who brought the letter was a very young man.

Nonetheless, Rev remained calm.

He intended to use all the divine power of Barbatos if necessary to charm the Marquis. He needed to meet the king through him.

Interestingly, the Marquis didn't possess a single consecrated item.

He wore several rings and a flashy brooch on his clothes, but none were consecrated.

This was in stark contrast to Marquis Evni Drazhin, who was adorned with consecrated items.

'He seems to be a non-believer... interesting.'

Non-believers were exceedingly rare in this world.

Given that the priest's healing powers were evident, the heavens opened, and the saints were chosen, there was no room for doubt about the existence of gods.

Thus, an active non-believer who even refused consecrated items was indeed fascinating.

Anyway, it was good news for Rev, so he lied.

"No, I came on behalf of the teacher."

"...I see. I was surprised because you are so young. Shall we sit and talk?"

The Marquis pretended to be polite and sat down opposite him.

"So, what brings you here? Ah, could you step out for a moment?"

Seeing the young man casually interlock his fingers, the Marquis dismissed the butler.

The gesture of intertwining the left index and middle fingers with the right thumb and index finger was an ancient signal indicating a confidential message in the Arcaea Empire's etiquette, arousing the Marquis's curiosity—a mistake on his part.

As soon as the butler left, the young man commanded.

"Swear your loyalty to me."

"What on earth...?"

The Marquis resisted. Despite his waning loyalty to the royal family, it was unimaginable for a high noble of the Orun Kingdom to swear loyalty to a young man he had just met.

However, his resistance faded as Rev's eyes turned a vivid red.

The Marquis knelt.

"I, Harvey Guidan, pledge my loyalty to you."

[ Achievement: Master-Servant Relationship - '1', as long as loyalty remains steadfast, those who swear allegiance to Leo will trust and follow him. ]

'Is it a success?'

The master-servant relationship achievement seemed well-matched with [Eyes of Enchantment].

Those enchanted harbored affection for Rev, but it didn't mean they would unconditionally believe and follow his words.

They would interpret things their way and quickly break free from the enchantment if they had doubts.

Although excessive use of divine power could solve the problem, it would be too wasteful.

Thus, Rev decided to leverage the achievement.

Rev hoped that if he could secure loyalty even once through enchantment, the ‘favor’ from enchantment would turn into ‘trust’ through the achievement.

Once trust began, doubts would lessen, and the effect of enchantment would last longer, creating a positive feedback loop...

The result was satisfactory.

The Marquis of Guidan knelt politely, without questioning why he was doing so.

Rev adjusted his posture comfortably and asked a question that was bound to be disadvantageous.

“You may sit comfortably. Now, what kind of person do you see me as?”

“...I don't understand the point of your question.”

“I’m asking how you perceive me.”

“I think you are a remarkable lord. Although we have just met, it is strange now that I think about it. I don’t even know your name...”

“My name is Rev.”

As the Marquis's short eyebrows furrowed, Rev re-enchanted him and told him his name. The Marquis relaxed unconsciously, easing the tension he had held.

‘In this state, it should be fine. But I feel a bit guilty...’

He didn't want to play with people’s hearts. This system kept manipulating human emotions, but he had no choice. He would achieve his goal and then withdraw.

And he would ensure the Marquis didn’t suffer any harm.

“The person who visited earlier was Marquis Evni Drazhin, correct? What brought him here that made him raise his voice so?”

“It’s a long story. As you know, I arranged for my daughter to meet the heir of the Tertan Dukedom.”

There was a brief discussion about Harie Guidan.

The other day, he received a message from his daughter saying that she had promised love with Philas Tertan.

However, according to Philas, the Duke of Tertan would reject their engagement, so she asked if she could seek permission from the duke's family.

“You must have granted it.”

“Yes. Otherwise, I would have to marry my daughter off to the princes. I wonder what will become of the kingdom...”

He vented a little, and Rev listened attentively.

Although he had a rough understanding of the political situation in the Orun Kingdom from his previous travels, what a commoner picked up on the streets couldn't match what a high-ranking noble knew.

Rev intermittently asked about things he didn’t know, grasping the context.

The Orun Kingdom was being engulfed by two princes in a power struggle.

This wasn't new to Rev, so he didn't find it particularly interesting, but the process was surprising.

According to the Marquis, the twin princes, Athon de Lognum and Elzeor de Lognum, were not just lecherous individuals.

Ironically, they demonstrated extraordinary political acumen that matched their wicked dispositions.

It began with the two friendly princes having a severe falling out and separating.

The young princes' scuffles led to bloody incidents, and thereafter, they hurled insults and spat at each other whenever they met, foreshadowing a future struggle for succession.

Then, the first prince, Athon de Lognum, went too far in harassing some noble ladies.

Naturally, the families of those nobles were furious, but there was no way to harm the prince, so they naturally sided with his brother to seek revenge.

The second prince, Elzeor de Lognum, didn't remain idle either. He also harassed several noble ladies, causing their families to side with Athon de Lognum.

Just when it seemed that factions were forming for a full-scale succession battle, the two princes shook hands and declared:

“We have reconciled, and our brotherhood will remain unchanging!”

They went further, stating that regardless of who ascended the throne, their relationship would remain unaffected...

The occasional shared indulgence with sex slaves was a political show to flaunt their deep relationship. At least, that was how the Marquis of Guidan perceived it.

This put the nobles in a difficult position. Having already pledged allegiance to one faction, it was hard to back out as the factions had grown too large.

Eventually, many nobles began to flatter the princes who dominated politics, and the princes continued to expand their factions.

Of course, they didn’t stop harassing noble ladies.

Now, seeing them go around together causing mischief, it was evident that it was their nature, not just a political maneuver.

Rev asked,

“Has the king said nothing about this?”

“No. He dotes on his late-born princes... He is pleased to have two potential heirs.”

‘It’s a mess,’ Rev thought, as the Marquis continued.

“Recently, the princes contacted us. They acknowledged that our relationship had grown distant and proposed forming an alliance through marriage. They both liked Harie and said I could choose either of them.”

He looked bitter.

“I couldn’t easily refuse. But Harie begged me, asking if she couldn’t marry a noble from another kingdom.”

“You gave her an ultimatum.”

A marriage between two border lords was not just a matter of friendship. It could pave the way for one family to switch allegiance to another kingdom, naturally arousing royal suspicion.

“Yes. I have no intention of defecting, but this way, they won’t touch our family for many years. We might be seen as traitors, but...”

He was thirsty.

Rev subtly picked up his teacup.

The cup he had been sipping from while waiting for the Marquis was completely dry.

Since Rev was not the host, it was awkward for him to speak first, and the ‘vassal’ Marquis of Guidan also hesitated to take the initiative.

He regretted not asking for more tea earlier, seeing how long this conversation was going to be.

Rev licked his dry lips and pinched them.

“That won’t solve the problem, will it? The princes are young.”

“...Yes. That’s why Marquis Drazhin visited. He warned that if we tried to survive alone like that, we would face even harsher consequences.”

“Did he have a solution?”

“He suggested that we form our own faction and endure. But how long can that last? Whichever prince becomes king, we’ll be the same.”

The Marquis, also parched, licked his lips. The two men continued their dry conversation.

“In that case, wasn’t your action the correct one? Withstand using foreign aid while forming a faction?”

“Marquis Drazhin had a different opinion. He said that would completely estrange us from the royal family. We would be labeled as traitors and attacked eventually, so he insisted on banding together without foreign help and waiting for a future wise king.”

“He seemed quite hot-tempered, but surprisingly patient.”

Marquis Guidan smiled dryly.

“Indeed. If I were to describe my friend, the saying ‘wind, forest, fire, and mountain’ suits him. Move swiftly when needed, but lay low when necessary—that’s his principle.”

“I see...”

Rev hesitated for a moment before speaking carefully.

“It would be best to prevent your daughter from going to the duke’s family.”

“...Why do you say that?”

Because it wouldn’t end well.

However, since Bart’s attack on Philas Tertan would happen in a few weeks, he offered a well-meaning lie.

“I have information that the Duke of Tertan will never approve of this marriage.”

“What information do you have? I was also puzzled when I received my daughter’s message. If they were going to reject, why send their heir in the first place? Moreover, the Tertan family wouldn’t lose anything by marrying her.”

As he said, the Tertan family had nothing to lose by allying with the Guidan family.

Duke Larpent Tertan was the maternal grandfather of Eric de Yeriel, the prince who would soon ascend the throne.

While there might be concerns about the duke's family becoming overly powerful, there would be no suspicion of defection.

Rev spoke firmly.

“It’s difficult to disclose the information. But trust me on this. Call your daughter back.”

“...I understand. I will do so.”

The Marquis sighed.

“Then my daughter... I don’t know what to do. As Marquis Drazhin said, I am now suspected of sending her away. If Duke Tertan hadn’t offered to send his grandchild in the first place, this wouldn’t have happened... Now I truly have no choice but to marry her off to one of the princes...”

He recalled the image of his beloved daughter forgetting all decorum and begging him with tears, making his heart heavy.

The Marquis let out a dry sigh in front of his ‘lord’ and, realizing his mistake, apologized.

“Ah, I’m sorry. This is a family matter I need to handle...”

“No need to apologize. Thank you for your honesty.”

Rev was silent for a moment, then cautiously suggested.

“Arrange an audience with the king for me. There might be a solution.”