Chapter 661 – 661. The Plum Blossom Swordsman Reincarnated Into A Baron’S Family
661. The Plum Blossom Swordsman Reincarnated into a Baron’s Family
Zerdin pointed his sword at me. His hand holding the sword was trembling. Zerdin believed in the devil way too much.
“You’re crossing the line.”
I slowly approached Zerdin. Zerdin had a sword, and I was empty-handed. However, I didn’t think for a second that I would lose to Zerdin. He was a guy who couldn’t even feel mana.
“D-don’t come closer!”
“If I were you, I would throw away the sword right now and prostrate myself at my feet.”
“M-My Lord Baron, you mustn’t kill him.”
Diona said from behind.
If Zerdin were killed, Diona would be the prime suspect. Even if she were to inherit the barony, she wouldn’t receive the support of the vassals.
“I won’t kill him. I can’t kill him so easily.”
As I raised my fist, Zerdin, terrified, swung his sword at me.
“You fool. You can’t even consider the length of your sword when you swing it.”
I lightly leaned my body to the side to avoid the sword. That’s when it happened. Flames suddenly erupted from the sword and rushed toward me. Startled, I jumped to the side to avoid the flames.
“A magic sword?”
“If you hold that sword, you can control fire!”
“A suitable heirloom for a noble family.”
It was a bit unexpected, but it wasn’t enough to kill or defeat me.
“Haa… Haa! Haa!”
Zerdin’s condition wasn’t good. There was no way a magic sword could be used without any conditions. Judging by Zerdin’s state, the magic sword seemed to be consuming his stamina.
“Die! Die! You have to die! If it weren’t for you…!”
Zerdin swung his sword wildly. Fireballs flew toward me, but they were so slow and predictable that I easily dodged them with a yawn.
“Kyaaaak! Fire! The fire is sticking to the wall!”
“Milady, I’ll bring water!”
Diona and Katia made a fuss. I sighed and swung my arm. A powerful gust of wind instantly suppressed the flames and made them disappear.
“Haa! Haa!”
Zerdin, who had swung his sword a few times, collapsed to the floor. His face was pale and he looked like he was about to throw up. I chuckled at his pathetic stamina.
“You dare betray me with such meager strength?”
“M-My Lord Baron, I never betrayed you!”
Thud!
I kicked Zerdin’s upper body. Zerdin rolled on the floor without even screaming. Diona quickly picked up the magic sword that had fallen from his hand, hugged it to her chest, and glared at Zerdin.
“A curse appeared while I was talking to Diona. If I hadn’t dealt with it properly, I would have been cursed like Count Heathfield.”
“N-No… Cough! That’s not it!”
Zerdin knelt on the floor. He grabbed my legs with both hands, just like when we first met.
“That’s not it, My Lord Baron! I was trying to curse Diona! I didn’t know you were with Diona!”
“An unintentional accident?”
“Yes! It was an accident!”
“How do you explain that you made a deal with the devil and tried to kill Diona as you pleased?”
“W-Well, that’s…”
Zerdin’s eyes darted around.
“O-Oh, I was planning to report it tomorrow since it’s late today! I wasn’t planning to kill Diona right away. You don’t die immediately just because you’re cursed!”
“Report making a deal with the devil tomorrow? Something that important? And you dared to move as you pleased without permission? Above all, Diona was promised to me… and you tried to curse her?”
“I was wrong! Just once! Please have mercy just once! Lord Baron Prukerus!”
“I told you earlier. You’ve already crossed the line. It’s troublesome if you die right away, so I’ll start by crushing your legs.”
I kicked Zerdin’s solar plexus, knocking him over, and placed my foot on his knee. I was planning to crush both of his knees. Zerdin’s face, knowing my personality, was covered in cold sweat.
“Diona! Don’t you want Diona! Take Diona right now! I’ll take care of the rest!”
“You crazy bastard. You’re openly selling your own family?”
Diona crossed her arms and scorned Zerdin. Her voluptuous chest, encased in a blue dress, was emphasized, and my gaze lingered for a moment. Zerdin seemed to take that as an opportunity.
“My Lord Baron! I didn’t betray you! Please take Diona and… Kuaaaaaaak!”
Crack.
His right knee, crushed under my foot, was shattered. A loud scream echoed. Diona ordered Katia to prevent the soldiers and knights from coming. The vassals would only find out about the situation tomorrow morning.
“I talked to Diona earlier. She’s more reasonable than you. In terms of physical communication, too.”
My foot moved towards Zerdin’s left knee.
“Y-You crazy bastard! Mundudu! Come out right now and kill that guy! Mundudu!”
I felt the power of the devil from his right shoulder. I forcefully reached out and tore off his top. The magic circle drawn on his right shoulder activated.
‘The magic circle that was under Diona’s left armpit… The devil abandoned Diona and switched to Zerdin.’
He must not have liked Diona being violated by me. Diona didn’t choose to summon the devil and fight me. There was a price to pay for summoning the devil directly.
I tensed up. Mundudu was a high-ranking devil. A high-ranking devil was a being that even sword energy couldn’t pierce. To fight him, you needed to be at least a top-tier level or higher. And I wasn’t yet at a top-tier level or higher.
“Mundudu!!!”
Zerdin desperately called out the devil’s name. The black light emanating from the magic circle grew stronger. But even after 10 seconds, and then 30 seconds, not even a rat appeared, let alone Mundudu.
“W-What, what is it! Mundudu! Mundudu! Why aren’t you appearing! Mundudu!!”
The magic circle activated and then stopped.
‘Yuria. Yuria caught the devil as I ordered.’
I grinned.
“Looks like you’ve been abandoned by the devil.”
“S-Save me… Please save… Aaaaaaaaak!”
I crushed Zerdin’s left knee as well.
***
Zerdin rolled down the stairs and became a cripple, languishing in pain. In reality, I broke both of his legs, and Yuria placed a curse and restrictions on Zerdin. Zerdin would suffer for a month before dying.
The reason for taking time to kill Zerdin was to convince the vassals. If he were killed too abruptly, the vassals would become suspicious.
After a month, Diona would become the Count of Heathfield. There was no other heir besides her.
“My Lord Baron. What is this…?”
Diona stroked the silver necklace around her neck. It looked like a decent accessory on the outside. Of course, Katia also had a necklace of a different design around her neck.
“It’s a leash. I have to prepare in case you betray me like Zerdin, don’t I?”
“M-My Lord Baron! I’m different from Zerdin! I have no intention of betraying you at all!”
“You might think that now. But what about later? You’ll try to betray me if you get the chance. Just like Zerdin did.”
Diona trembled and tried to forcefully remove the necklace. The necklace clinked, but it wouldn’t go over her head. She pulled with all her might, but it wouldn’t come off.
“Just so you know, if you pull too hard, your neck will be torn off before the necklace. You’d need an aura blade to cut the necklace. And you’d need an archmage-level mage to dispel the magic. Oh, and if you try to take it off too forcefully, it will explode. Your body and head will be in thousands of pieces.”
Diona and Katia lowered their hands with stiff faces.
“Of course, it will explode if I send a signal. Don’t believe me? Should I detonate it once?”
“I believe you! It’s your word, My Lord Baron, I have to believe you!”
Diona’s gaze turned to Yuria, who was standing respectfully beside me. She had seen Yuria, who had captured Mundudu in the early hours of the morning. I had told her about Yuria’s skills. It was a warning.
“Diona. Know that you are in that position and breathing only because I allow it.”
I grabbed Diona’s hair. Diona reflexively frowned. I could allow this much. Her beauty was outstanding, so even her frowning face was attractive in its own way.
“Ah, I know. My Lord Baron is my master.”
“Since you know, I won’t say much. In a few months, there will be a war between the Valt Kingdom and the Rapelli Kingdom.”
“The situation on the continent is turbulent these days, but there’s no guarantee that a war will break out between the two countries…”
“It will happen.”
I said firmly, looking at her.
“War will definitely happen. If war doesn’t happen, I’ll start it.”
“……”
Her lips, which would become the Count of Heathfield in a few months, were parched.
The Heathfield Gate was at the front line. To invade the Valt Kingdom, one had to pass through this Heathfield Gate, without a doubt. Only then could they wage an invasion war smoothly.
And Diona would be the person in charge of the Heathfield Gate.
“Diona. When war breaks out, follow my orders. If I order you to abandon the Heathfield Gate, abandon it.”
“T-That’s absurd…! It’s an act of betraying the kingdom. If I do that, the vassals won’t stand still…! The countship I finally obtained will become useless…!”
“I will guarantee your title. The Valt Kingdom will disappear anyway. Or do you have the confidence to stop me?”
Diona’s gaze turned to Yuria. An aura master and an archmage. It was clear that she wouldn’t last even three days against Yuria, let alone a week.
Above all, she had a bomb necklace around her neck. She was already my slave.
“…Are you really going to guarantee my title?”
“Do you doubt me? I’ll make you a noble even if I have to change your identity, so don’t worry. If you don’t like that, you can die with the Heathfield family.”
“I will trust and follow Lord Baron Prukerus.”
“I’ll visit from time to time, so don’t even think about having any vain thoughts.”
“Haa… What should I do until then?”
“First… tell me where the Hightier Mercenary Group is. I know they fled to the Valt Kingdom.”
“The Hightier Mercenary Group…? Why them?”
I didn’t explain in detail and just smiled. Diona trembled for a moment and then spoke.
“I don’t know where the Hightier Mercenary Group is either. Should I try to contact them?”
“Aren’t you the one supporting the Hightier Mercenary Group? If you call them, won’t they come here?”
“It’s true that I supported the Hightier Mercenary Group, but I wasn’t the only one. Several other nobles supported the mercenary group together. The entire mercenary group isn’t swayed by my words.”
“Do you have any idea where the guys who entered the Valt Kingdom might be?”
“I do.”
“Good. Tell me.”
“B-But I can’t be sure if they’re really there.”
“I won’t hold you responsible even if they’re not there, so tell me.”
“It’s the territory of Viscount Pite.”
“Viscount Pite? Who is that?”
Yuria took out a map and spread it on the table. Viscount Pite’s territory wasn’t far away.
“He’s a noble who came from a mercenary background. The Hightier Mercenary Group was created at his suggestion. Viscount Pite also provided the most support to the Hightier Mercenary Group.”
“A mercenary, not a knight. That’s unusual. What kind of achievements did he make?”
“Viscount Pite’s territory was originally a place where wyverns were rampant. Viscount Pite received a request from the royal family and led mercenaries to hunt the wyverns and stabilize the territory. The royal family praised his achievements and granted him the title of viscount and the territory of Viscount Pite.”
“He became a noble with just that? Other nobles must have protested.”
“Because the wyverns haven’t all disappeared. The royal family passed on a territory that was difficult to manage to Viscount Pite. Other nobles knew that, so they didn’t protest.”
“Viscount Pite’s territory… I see. Where else do you think they might be?”
Diona pointed to several places on the map with her finger.
But my gaze kept going back to Viscount Pite’s territory. I had a gut feeling that they were in Viscount Pite’s territory.
***
Kieeeeeeeeeeeek!
A strange sound came from the sky.
I looked up at the sky. A winged red lizard was flying in the sky. Compared to a dragon, its size was too small, and it didn’t have horns on its head. However, it was by no means a monster to be ignored.
A wyvern.
A predator that roams freely in the sky. They see most living things as food. Of course, humans were no exception.
Kieeeeeeeeeeeek!
The wyvern saw us. It circled and swooped towards us.
“You don’t know the fear of the sky.”
Lightning struck the wyvern from the clear blue sky.
