Episode 25: Dreams in games become reality

8. It starts now (2)

King's Nitzen City is a small city with a population of 200,000 located in the western part of the Rheinharts Kingdom.

Until recently, the city had been quiet and quiet due to the war with the Croesian Empire, but it became active again as the two countries entered into negotiations to end the war.

"Geez, why are you so old?"

Pessius, the former vice-captain of the Knights of Lawrence, said as if teasing the dignified appearance of the current vice-captain, William.

"You already saw it on a video call."

"Seeing it in person, it feels completely different from a video call."

"Lord Pessius doesn't seem to age. "He still looks like he's in his early 30s."

"I'm a bit old."

And the two people exchanged greetings and updates, as if pouring out conversations they hadn't had in a while.

Are your parents healthy, how big are your children, have your sword skills improved a lot, etc.

Sometimes I laughed, sometimes I furrowed my eyebrows, and I had quite a good time.

But that's only when there is a topic.

As about 10 minutes passed and there was no more conversation to be had, the unnecessary smiles disappeared from the two people's faces, and they soon stared at each other with cool, expectant eyes.

"So why did you ask to see me?"

The place for conversation that William chose was an inn that only commoners would use.

Although it was the best room in the inn, the presence of the heart-shaped bed seemed to prove that it was not a space where two middle-aged knights could meet face to face.

William glanced around the room and cautiously opened his mouth.

"I have no intention of entrusting the future of the territory to Anna and Cedric. So, we are gathering like-minded colleagues."

"For some reason, I had a feeling that might be the case, but… … . Are there any solutions? "Even if Anna and Cedric's greed is greater than their abilities, Margrave Raven is behind them."

"Although the Raven Margrave's power is great, isn't the Margrave's position such that he can't move his army carelessly? "Once we take control of Viscount Lawrence, I think we can do everything we want."

"why?"

"There are many who do not want Viscount Lawrence to become Margrave Raven's second fief. "The Marquis of Douglas, the lord of our Rockport region, is a representative example."

The Margrave holds the title of count, but as a great lord who protects the border, his military power is no lower than that of the dukes and marquis, who can be considered powerful figures in the kingdom.

In the face of such powerful military power, a mere self-author is a light in the wind, but this is a problematic element when an armed conflict occurs.

William was arguing that if he was defeated by force, he could attack through politics.

"No matter how much the Marquis Douglas hates Margrave Raven, he won't move without giving in return."

"If you want something, you can give it to me."

Pessius felt uncomfortable seeing William speaking so easily.

"You don't think that if you can drive out Anna and Cedric, it doesn't matter what happens to everything else, right?"

There was concern that he might have lost his temper due to anger.

However, William gave a simple answer.

"There will be some kind of loss right now, but I think we will be able to make up for it in the long run."

"It is better to be an independent territory than to be a satellite territory of the Raven County. But even if you push out Cedric, if a proper successor does not take his place, your hope will be half-revolutionary."

William realized that they were having the same conversation, but their focus was off.

He waved his hand loudly, saying no.

"It's not simply that independent territories are better than satellite territories. "I believe that if Master Adrian takes control of the territory, it will develop even further than it is now."

Pessius blinked his eyes with an expression of bewilderment.

And the feeling of 'What kind of bullshit is this?' appeared on my face.

"Did I hear wrong?"

The way he picked his ears, thinking he had misheard, showed deep distrust in Adrian.

"Isn't Sir Pessius planning to support Master Adrian's branch anyway?"

"Is that the same as this! I thought you were standing up for your lord! "But if you had asked me for a secret conversation to push an immature kid, I wouldn't have even tried to meet you in the first place!"

William was momentarily angry at Adrian's actions of disparaging him, but soon calmed down his anger when he remembered that he had been in a similar position to him not long ago.

"Master Adrian is a genius."

"Well, I heard that he played a small role in the war. But don't you think that the object of trust is too small to believe and act on just that?"

William laughed at the story about the bowl without realizing it.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't laughing at you. "I just remembered that I was in a similar position to Sir Pessius not long ago."

"what?"

"It seems that Lord Pessius thinks that Master Adrian got lucky and made a difference."

Seeing Pessius nodding his head and not denying it, William wiped the expression from his face and said,

"Absolutely not. Rather, what is known to the public is only the tip of the iceberg."

"… … ."

"Unlike Lord Pessius, who heard about Master Adrian's special skills through others, I am someone who heard his instructions directly and put them into action. I dare say this. "You are one of the greatest geniuses in this country."

"her… … ."

And William told all the stories he had experienced on the battlefield.

'Predictive power that detects enemy movements faster than search equipment.'

'Insight to find the enemy's weaknesses and stab them accurately.'

'Calculation power that does not allow even a moment's gap like an iron wall.'

'The courage to take on all unexpected situations with ease.'

'A tolerance that knows how to care for commoner soldiers.'

'He is not obsessed with personal gain and even knows how to share his achievements with his colleagues and subordinates.'

An incredible story unfolded from William's mouth.

However, when a realistic explanation of the situation was added as if to prove that it was not a lie, even Pessius, who had shown no interest, had no choice but to express interest.

And by the time William's story came to an end, he had to look tired.

"You're not bluffing, are you?"

"You can't know unless you experience it yourself. Even the knights who lined up for Cedric trust and follow Adrian during the war."

"hmm… … ."

"Do you understand why I said that Adrian's achievements were just the tip of the iceberg?"

"If I had taken all the credit instead of sharing it, becoming a lord wouldn't have been a dream… … "Why bother?"

"You probably thought I was acting like I was eating wrong. Thanks to you, I was able to build many connections."

When Pessius found out that all of Adrian's shortcomings had been an act, he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.

The story is that Adrian, who was a child prodigy, took poison and became a criminal when he was 7 years old.

In other words, it means that they decided on a survival method at a young age and put it into practice until recently.

Even putting aside Adrian's intellect, which William boasted about, he could not help but acknowledge his patience and perseverance.

"You have become a complete follower of the Second Young Master."

"It has to be that way. "You won't know unless you see him in person?"

"It's pointless… … . So, why did the little master reveal his true face now?"

"It looks like he has prepared something of his own."

"preparation?"

"He didn't look very happy when I pledged my loyalty. Since it wasn't a bad offer, I felt like I would accept it for now. "This is just speculation, but I think he would have exposed his blade for revenge even without my support."

"her… … ."

Pessius seemed to be in deep thought, gathered his thoughts for a while, then clicked his tongue and continued speaking.

"Of course, I don't believe everything they say. But one thing is certain. "Master Adrian is a person who should never be buried."

Even if you lie, it will only be revealed quickly.

Therefore, Pessius thought that William's story, although exaggerated, was not nonsense.

Pessius asked with a small sigh.

"So what do you want from me?"

"We are trying to persuade the vassals who are maintaining neutrality and give strength to Master Adrian."

"It's a huge task… … ."

However, contrary to the vague answer, his face looked quite cheerful.

"fun."

"Well thought out."

"What are you talking about? "I haven't decided yet."

"yes?"

"Shouldn't you see Master Adrian before you make a decision?"

Although he had already made up his mind, Pessius wanted to meet Adrian in person.

At his request, which could be said to be natural, William checked the time on the personal terminal on his wrist with a smile on his face.

"But the master said he would visit soon."

"okay? "Now I see that I acted according to Master Adrian's intentions, not yours."

Pessius reacted with shock, but did not seem to be in a very bad mood.

"So when are you coming?"

"I heard you would be here soon… … . "I'll give you a call."

"okay."

William operated a bracelet-type terminal similar to a smartphone on Earth, and soon a call tone was heard attempting to connect with Adrian.

And after a while, when he heard the call being connected, William immediately took out his business.

"Yes, this is William. The story is over now so you can come... … ."

-Suddenly.

However, the call was not completely concluded.

This is because the signal was suddenly cut off along with the call ending tone.

"ha ha ha."

Thanks to this, William had to let out an innocent laugh as if he was embarrassed.

When he glanced at Pessius's notice, he didn't seem to be paying much attention, so William quickly called Adrian again.

-Tou. Too.

However, the call was hardly connected.

William expressed doubt, and Pessius also tilted his head as he did not understand what was going on.

But then.

-Dismissal.

Suddenly, a huge magical power began to swirl in the middle of the lodging they rented.

In that unexpected situation, the two people's expressions hardened and they stood up, pulling out their swords in a movement like a flash fight.

The phenomenon that occurred before our eyes was a sign of a spatial leap.

Moreover, with this amount of magic power, it was obvious that it was a 7th circle teleportation, so I couldn't help but be confused.

-Paaah!

In less than a second, the magical power reached its peak, and soon the two people took shape with pure white light.

"young master!"

The people who appeared like that were Adrian and Arcia, who were his shadows.

Pessius, who was ready to swing his sword at any time, had to frown in relief at Adrian's loud appearance.

No matter how important the first impression is, I thought it was too much of a waste to use the 7-circle scroll to make myself look good.

But what followed was Adrian's disapproval.

"Judging by your expression, you don't know that you're under siege."

"yes?"

"Well, I understand. "They're dirty guys with their entire bodies covered in artifacts."

Adrian, who shook his head while looking at William and Pessius who were expressing doubts, gave instructions to Arcia next to him.

"Deal with it."

Then, Arcia's new form became blurred, and explosions occurred all over the room.

-Papapapap!

No, to be precise, it would be difficult to say that it exploded.

"Gagging!"

"Aaaah!"

It looked like an explosion had occurred because the ceiling, walls, and door were cut into pieces and the fragments were scattered, and there was no roar other than the screams of the unfamiliar men.

And after a while.

"We killed five assassins."

Arcia, who appeared again like a mirage, swung the blood-stained sword, brushed off the foreign matter on the floor, and placed it in its sheath.

Adrian, who nodded at Arcia's report, spoke to the two middle-aged people, Pessius and William, who were still with their mouths open in shock.

"Were my expectations high? "I heard that you two are one of the strongest men in our territory, but I can't believe you didn't notice the assassin's approach."

His actions and tone of voice were gentle, but his comments were very direct.

Normally, they would have blushed and lowered their heads, but the two people couldn't quite understand the current situation and just gaped like carp.

Were the people who were listening to Adrian's words offended?

Arcia snapped her fingers at the two people.

Then his head turned, making a sound as if he had been hit by an air gun.

"Ugh!"

Pessius and William were of the highest rank among Auror Experts, so they only felt the shock of being hit by a heavy blow, but Arcia's attack did not lead to injuries.

Adrian said with a grin at Arcia's actions.

"Arsia, you need to respect the elderly. "It's not an attack on an elderly person."

"sorry. "I thought he passed out while standing because he wasn't moving."

It would be more appropriate to describe them as middle-aged rather than old, but Persia and William were unable to pay attention to this because their minds were in a state of flux.

"Do you, master?"

It was decided to take Adrian as his lord, but William, who knew nothing about him, asked for an explanation with shaking eyes.

What kind of situation is this, and what is the monster (Arsia) with a carefree expression next to the lord? … .

Adrian narrowed his eyes and said.

"I have been dreaming of revenge for 13 years since the day I was poisoned, so why should I be unprepared? "You should have an Auror Master as an escort."

It seems like a joke, but the answer is not a joke.

However, Pessius, who tried to gauge Adrian's level by meeting him in person, painfully realized that he had been presumptuous.