Episode 43: Dream in the game becomes reality

14. Non-Gong Peddler (1)

However, the problem with Count Elfrid's claim was that it was all just an assumption and could not be confirmed as true.

Edward Noah Brigham, Emperor of the Brigham Empire, massaged his temples with his thumbs.

"He's a third person with real talent… … . It looks like we can't ignore that speculation. But to convince the Prius guys that they have a chance, at least manipulation at the national level will be necessary."

"I think so too. And in countries where that is possible, we can narrow down the candidates to about four."

"The Allied Powers of Elysia, the Croisen Empire, the Kingdom of Lucias, and the Kingdom of Reinharts."

"That's right."

The inference that there was no way to know the existence of the foundation manager Chester had taken a slight turn, but it could not be said that the point of suspicion had completely escaped Adrian.

"The most likely one is the Allied Powers of Elysia? "Sneaky elves can get away with pulling pranks like this."

"I feel the same way. And among the remaining three countries, the Kingdom of Lucias and the Kingdom of Reinharts are slightly more likely than the Croisen Empire."

"Oh, come to think of it, Reinharts Kingdom is noisy these days, right?"

"Yes, a young man who achieved the 7th circle at the age of 20 appeared in the Kingdom of Reinharts, and the country was quite shaken up because of him. He even built up a fortune worth 60 trillion won through investments."

"It's a coincidence. "He's a suspiciously over-qualified person."

Adrian's existence was mentioned in the royal family of the Brigham Empire.

"However, he does not have the power to do something like this. Moreover, since the Duke of Riverdale of the Kingdom of Lucias recognized him as a private envoy and testified that there was nothing wrong with the investment case on the stock exchanges of each country, there is no evidence to suspect him of being an actor."

"That's amazing, it's all talent? "Is that possible?"

"A monster worse than Adrian Lawrence existed in our empire."

"That too. Well, in the Kingdom of Reinharts, it is difficult for the royal family to unify their opinions due to the succession battle that has reached its peak. "It is difficult to believe that such a maneuver is possible."

"First of all, I think we can suspect them in that order: the Allied Powers of Elysia, the Kingdom of Lucias, the Kingdom of Reinharts, and the Croisen Empire."

Emperor Brigham sighed deeply as he brushed his gray hair, which looked like silver due to the gray hair.

"But don't you think we're too absorbed in writing our novel right now?"

"sorry. In the current situation, all we can do is infer... … ."

Unlike when he treated his ministers just now, the emperor did not specifically reprimand her.

Because of her, he realized what instructions he had to give.

"Then, let's increase the level of surveillance for the countries mentioned earlier in order of importance. "Including the royal family and major nobles."

"I take orders."

Doubts may exist, but all judgments are made based on assumptions.

Therefore, the emperor did not attach much significance to this part, and in the case of Adrian, the circumstantial evidence was so clear that he expressed interest only as an interest.

If they had been able to infer that Archduke Lucas was helping Adrian with an artificial personality (Chester) created by replicating his memories, they would not have been able to avoid suspicion.

Of course, if you can predict that, it can no longer be considered an area of ​​speculation.

It's a prophecy.

"And decide on a response to the Republic of Prius."

The story was briefly sidetracked by the intelligence chief's hypothesis, but the main character of this incident was the Republic of Prius.

We cannot ignore the fact that there is a conspiracy underlying it, but in the end, if we dig behind the Prius Republic, we will reach the truth.

The emperor spoke strongly with life-like eyes.

"We are sending a strong warning to the Republic. Archduke Lucas's actions will clearly make us aware that their actions are theft of our empire's property."

"I take orders."

"If they still do not come to their senses, the warning will turn into a threat, and we will re-imprint the power of the Brigham Empire across the world."

The first meant a warning, the second meant war.

The Emperor of the Brigham Empire thought that the destruction of an empire was a cheap price to pay for the favor of Archduke Lucas.

The Brigham Empire's military action against another country was something that had not happened in nearly 30 years, so all the ministers swallowed their saliva.

But the emperor's story did not end there.

"And the head of the intelligence department."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Try contacting that young man from Reinharts Kingdom."

"What do you mean by contact?"

"Suggest conversion. Wouldn't it be better for him to be a count of a great empire than to remain a count of a mediocre country?"

"Yes, I will."

That was the end of Archduke Lucas' meeting on economic development measures.

Foreshadowing that a great disaster will occur in the future.

* * *

While the Crown Prince and the Second Prince were working hard to recruit Adrian and Arcia, in an unexpected place in the Kingdom of Reinharts, several people who were obsessed with thieves gathered together and worried about their situation.

"They say Adrian locked his half-brother and his mother, who were bullying him, in a fortress in the sky and blew them up."

"Was that fucking rumor true?"

"So Adrian, that crazy bastard posted a picture of himself drinking wine while watching his family's explosion as if it were fireworks online?"

"Well, that happens."

There are six people currently together.

Consisting of three men and three women, they were core members of a social group called the Young Nobles' Association and were classmates who spent time at the academy with Adrian.

However, since they were not on good terms with Adrian, they were worried that he might be causing harm, so they gathered together.

"It bothered me that he was strangely arrogant without any sense of humor, but who would have guessed that he was the Duke of Riverdale's disciple?"

"Are we going to be okay? Adrian himself is an archmage, but he also has a lover who is an Auror master by his side."

"We'll both be crowned earldoms this time, right?"

"I guess so."

"Then, the two count families and one viscount family will unite into one force around him, right?"

"At that level, he is almost at the level of a margrave or marquis. "Isn't it too much for a new noble?"

Wherever people gather, groups of people who like to show off their power form.

These people were exactly that type of people, and in their eyes, Adrian, the child they gave away from their own family, was perfect prey to bully.

In addition, it was annoying that he attracted the attention of many young ladies with his unnecessarily good looks.

However, as the person who had been the target of bullying became successful and gained power, I became afraid of what would happen later.

"I don't know what you're worried about."

But just one.

There was a woman calmly sipping tea with an expression that showed no worries.

"Isabella?"

Her name is Isabella Caskvel.

She was the eldest daughter of the Caskbell family, a great lord of the southeastern region and one of the six margraves of the Kingdom of Reinharts. She was the owner of a highly regarded tea party among noble daughters.

In fact, even if Adrian had the title of count, she had a background that did not have to worry about damage, and her father, the Margrave of Caskvel, was one of the key figures of the Second Prince faction, so she could not sympathize with her friends' reactions.

"What happened to Margrave Raven was because he foolishly managed his troops. Do you think he would have been a match if we had fought him head on?"

"That's right. But the results have already come out that way."

"Tsk, the livers are small anyway."

"Ugh!"

"Then let's think with common sense. "How can he harm us just because he suddenly gained the throne?"

"uh? that… … ."

"Times have changed. Now is not the time where you have to fall short of just one Archmage or Auror Master. On the battlefield, the Sky Fortress, which has better defense than the Archmage, attracts attention, and even the Auror Master can be defeated as many times as possible if pushed with a large number of Vanguards."

The nicknames of Archmage Adrian and Auror Master Arcia were too big, but if you think about it calmly, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with what she said.

"If you look at us right now, the situation is no different from an alliance between one margrave family, one count, and four viscounts. "Aren't you guys underestimating our power?"

"Surely, even if I were to gain the throne right away, it would be difficult to cause direct harm."

"Yes, that's right. Even if you get the white title, you will still be a great nobleman in name only for the time being. Wow, I was scared for no reason."

"Of all the high-ranking nobles, why are you so scared of Adrian? "Fools."

"That's because we don't have a big background like you. haha."

Until just now, everyone except Isabella was worried about the future, but now they were teasing each other by saying who was more scared.

"By the way, I heard that Arcia is so pretty for a commoner?"

"Why, should I at least risk it?"

"Why not? "I think I'm superior when it comes to being considerate of the opposite sex, right?"

"Arthur, if you give me an excuse for no reason and are challenged to a duel, it will be difficult for me to protect you."

"Oh, that's right."

To them, Adrian was defined as someone who could not be ignored, but who did not need to be feared.

In particular, Isabella's arrogance was sky-high, and since she was considered one of the main flowers of the social world, she did not pay much attention to Adrian, who had no political foundation.

"I have to go now."

"already? Are you going to lay it out now? "Lotus went to the Allied Powers of Elysia and brought back valuable medicine."

"It's okay, you beasts."

"I heard that Prince Koran came a little while later? "You said you like her?"

"It's my father's call. "I can't help it this time."

"Then we'll just enjoy ourselves. Just in case, if the work is over quickly, come back."

"I saw it."

But it didn't take long for Isabella to realize that her judgment was wrong.

"Isabella. "You were definitely a classmate of Prince Lawrence, right?"

The question the Margrave of Caskvel asked as soon as he saw her, who had returned to the castle in a hurry after being called by her father during a meeting, was unexpected.

A name that is often sought after these days.

But when that name came out of her father's mouth, she had to narrow her eyebrows and nod.

"Good. "Then, I hope you will use your position in the social world to deepen your relationship with him."

And Isabella's eyes widened at the unexpected instruction.

Of course she asked why.

"He will become a key power figure in this country in the future. "His Royal Highness Prince Luke recruited him and promised him a marquess."

"yes!?"

Count and Marquis.

The difference is only one step, but she, who is absorbed in social gatherings, knows best how big the gap is.

She also belongs to the Margrave family, which is not far behind the Marquis in terms of military power, but the Margrave is just a special status that lowers the upper limit on military power to the level of a marquis in exchange for shouldering the duty of border defense.

It could not be compared to the name value and political weight of the Duke and Marquis family, one of only seven in this country.

But Adrian becomes the 6th Marquis of the Kingdom of Reinharts?

A warning bell rang in her mind, which had been calm until now.

"The son of a viscountess's concubine suddenly became a marquess? "Is that possible?"

"His Royal Highness Prince Luke believes that Prince Lawrence is worthy of it."

"… … ."

"I became a Wizard of the 7th Circle at the age of 20, so wouldn't it be possible to become a Grand Wizard of the 8th Circle in the future? Moreover, Prince Lawrence also has a Grand Master, equivalent to the 8th Circle, by his side."

It was only then that Isabella realized that Adrian's greatest value lay not immediately but in the future.

"Moreover, didn't he earn a huge amount of money through investments on his own and also played an active part in the war? "I think it wouldn't be a bad thing if we could attract someone like this to our camp with just one title."

"But His Majesty the Crown Prince won't stay silent, right?"

"I will try my best, but if it doesn't work, I will need to make some concessions."

This was also an expression of the will of the second prince, who can be said to be the background of the Caskvel family, to definitely attract Adrian.

"Isn't he a precious being who will cause the parallel counterweight to tip to one side? Friendship with such a person will strengthen the foundation of our family. Of course, the best thing is for you to make an effort and marry him."

Adrian has an Auror Master, who is scheduled to become a count, as his lover.

The Margrave's argument was that if she could become Adrian's second wife, she should thereby raise the family's status.

Arranged marriages were common for children of noble families, but for Isabella, it was unacceptable.

"I guarantee you, he will continue to rise. "I think it is quite possible for him to become the third Duke of the Kingdom of Rheinharts."

"Well, father, that's… … ."

"I believe you will do well. "You have never disappointed me."

The Margrave of Caskvel had a very high opinion of Adrian.

Because of her father's fervor, she couldn't bear to tell him that she had bullied Adrian during her time at the academy.

In the end, I had to nod to the margrave's one-sided demands and claims.

The story with the Countess of the Frontier ended like that, and Isabella, with her feet on fire, hurriedly ran to her friends.

"Uh, come on?"

"Wow, it's Isabella!"

"Come on! "The medicine is amazing."

However, her friends who she got along well with were in no condition to discuss anything, only because they were drugged and lusted after the lips of the opposite sex.

For the first time, Isabella felt that her friends were insignificant.

She had to bite her nails and shake her head.

I could no longer find my leisurely self.

* * *

The first thing I did when I returned home from visiting Wangseong for audit was to log into Chronicle Online.

I should explain to my parents what happened in the royal castle, but something came to mind that I needed to take care of urgently.

"Is this okay?"

"Good, it suits you well."

The urgent task was to change the appearance of Arsia's character in the game.

This face has become very famous now.

If it became known that there was a character identical to Arcia in the game, I would get into trouble.

So, I gave Arcia a similar appearance to Rondel's Tritonian.

The appearance of the Triton Continental brings me back to nostalgia.

The reason is that they looked similar to Asians, with black hair and dark brown eyes.

Thanks to this, she looked strangely elegant even though her skin and hair colors had only changed.

'It's just a disguise, but it's not that bad.'

How much time did we spend changing our appearance?

I don't think even an hour has passed since I logged in, but Arcia's story forced me to log out of the game.

"Adrian. Sir Pessius Nocturne asks to see you."

Pessius Nocturne was a former knight of our family to whom I entrusted a large amount of money and ordered the establishment of an independent intelligence group.