Parallel Lines Of Emotion (4)

“They wouldn’t know the location of the Emperor’s treasury. Even if they did, it wouldn’t be so easy to open. After all, it lies within the forgotten kingdom of the ancient dwarves.”

“You’ve regained your senses, Master.”

“Yes. Congratulations, Sir Guillaumevalt. With Lord Adler having lost both arms, you are now the rightful heir to Count Lantarique.”

Brand spoke, but there was no trace of a smile on his face.

Even deep resentment could be felt.

‘Of course. He had devoted his entire life to my father… but my father….’

Guillaumevalt, knowing the horrors that Brand had suffered at the hands of Count Lantarique, couldn’t accept his congratulations at face value. Still, he wanted to find a way to compensate him.

“Ha, don’t make me laugh! What kind of idiot would call him a Count?!”

Adler, lying on the ground, screamed.

“Lord Adler, it’s over for you. The vassals may have supported you as the designated heir of the Count, but in your current state—without arms—who would stand by you now? And look at the necromantic traces in the underground chamber. The evidence is undeniable. You could be burned at the stake any moment. I’ll say it again: you’re finished!”

Brand mocked Adler. But Adler, in his agony, was delirious.

“How dare you! Don’t make me laugh! I am the successful one! Guillaumevalt, you and those corpses slumbering in the tomb! You are all defective failures! But you ruined me! Ugh. My, my arms! I need to reattach them! Necromancy can still restore them! My arms!”

Adler crawled toward his severed arms on the ground. But Brand strode over and slammed his halberd down, pinning Adler’s arm to the floor.

“You, you bastard!?”

—Thud!

Brand lifted his halberd and struck down again, chopping Adler’s arm into pieces. As if he were butchering meat, the severed limb was sliced apart, leaving Adler in utter shock.

“S-Stop!”

“A-haha. Why should I stop? When I begged them to stop, those thieving bastards, those agents who served Count Lantarique, they never stopped!”

Brand laughed through his tears, gripping his halberd.

“They never stopped!”

It was a grotesque sight. Laughing and crying, Brand hacked at Adler’s arm until it was nothing but minced flesh. Though Adler could no longer feel pain from his severed limb, the gruesome scene chilled everyone to the bone.

“Master Brand.”

Guillaumevalt called out to Brand. But that was all he could do.

He couldn’t bring himself to stop him. The madness flickering in Brand’s eyes made it impossible to predict what he would do next.

Then, Brand’s head turned sharply toward Guillaumevalt. The movement was chilling, like that of a wild beast noticing its prey.

“Are you about to say this is excessive? Of course, you would think so. After all, Adler is not the Count. He probably had no idea what happened to my family. But what about my daughter? My son-in-law? My grandchildren? What crime did they commit to deserve such a horrific death?”

“I’m sorry, Master Brand! But….”

“Yes, I know. Collective punishment is nothing but the vengeance of the ignorant. But tell me, why is it that you noble-born inherit power, wealth, and even ambition, yet somehow, you do not inherit guilt? If you are entitled to inheritance, then guilt should be part of it! And as the father of my daughter and son-in-law, as the grandfather of my grandchildren, I must….”

“Damn it. No!”

Azadine tried to stop him, but it was too late. Enraged, Brand swung his halberd at Guillaumevalt.

Azadine flung a candlestick at the weapon, dampening its force, but it wasn’t enough to stop Brand’s brute strength.

Yet, something unexpected happened.

Guillaumevalt blocked Brand’s attack with his sword. He had anticipated that Brand, in his fury, might turn his blade on him.

“Ugh!”

The sheer force crushed into Guillaumevalt’s body, shoving him backward.

—Thud!

Though he had blocked the halberd, the impact sent Guillaumevalt rolling across the floor.

“Enough!”

Azadine stepped in to stop Brand. Instead, Brand collapsed, weeping, and threw his halberd aside.

“Ugh… Please. I can’t bear it anymore… Just kill me.”

“For now, keeping Adler alive will be more painful for him.”

“……”

“And Guillaumevalt… Are you alright?”

“My, my arm is broken.”

“You’re really weak, aren’t you?”

A knight being overpowered by a mere scribe and getting his arm broken? Azadine chuckled bitterly and asked Guillaumevalt,

“Do you want revenge on Brand? A mere scribe just assaulted the future lord. You can’t just let this slide.”

“N-No. Not at all… Haha.”

Guillaumevalt shook his head.

“He has every right to be angry. I had no idea the suffering he endured. I didn’t know my father and brother had done such things.”

“I see.”

Azadine smirked.

“Sir Brand, Lord Adler’s life is yours. But can’t you let Guillaumevalt go with just this?”

“I know that in my head, but I just can’t control myself.”

“But look at him. Just look at his face. He looks nothing like his father, does he?”

“……”

Guillaumevalt had always been insecure about his appearance, and Azadine’s words were cutting.

“Beating a forsaken child for his father’s sins is too much, don’t you think? Let Guillaumevalt inherit Lantarique. That would be the best revenge against Count Lantarique. He would hate it more than anything. Don’t you agree?”

Azadine persuaded Brand.

“That’s true… Sir Guillaumevalt does not resemble the Count at all.”

At Azadine’s words, Brand dropped to his knees.

“I apologize, Sir Guillaumevalt. I… I lost control….”

For Brand to be convinced so easily!

Guillaumevalt couldn’t shake his discomfort. But more than his resentment over the remark about his looks, he felt relieved that Brand had been pacified.

“It’s alright, Master Brand. Rather, if you can tolerate my existence, I should be the one grateful. A broken arm is hardly worth worrying about.”

Guillaumevalt accepted Brand’s apology and, in a show of magnanimity, even seemed to seek forgiveness himself.

“I am ashamed. I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

At Brand’s words, Azadine frowned.

“Oh, don’t lose your mind just yet. I like you, Knight of Brass, but since you’ve regained your senses, you should finish telling us about the Emperor’s treasury.”

“Hahaha.”

Brand gave a bitter smile and gestured toward Azadine.

“Let’s go to the Count’s study. We should search for the Count’s personal records.”

However, before they could head to the study, the vassals belatedly arrived. What they found was Lord Adler, restrained and missing both arms, while Guillaumevalt, though injured, stood firm.

“Wh-what is this!?”

“Sir Guillaumevalt?!”

The vassals were shocked. The meaning of the scene before them was unmistakable.

“By the laws established by the Eight Sacred Thrones of Yaegas, as the eldest son, I have come to uphold the laws of this land on behalf of my father, Count Lantarique. If anyone dares to deny my birthright, step forward now.”

Guillaumevalt addressed the vassals with confidence.

Though it was the warriors of the Messenger Clan, particularly those from Arael’s faction, who severed Adler’s arms, to the vassals, it appeared toe the vassals as though Guillaumevalt had done it himself.

The vassals glanced at one another. But it was only a brief hesitation. Soon, they all knelt before Guillaumevalt.

“Sir Guillaumevalt! You are the true lord of Lantarique!”

“Please lead Lantarique forward!”

“You—you traitorous bastards!”

Adler, realizing that even his vassals had turned against him, was enraged. But from the moment he lost his arms, the battle was already over.

With Adler captured, none of the vassals dared challenge Guillaumevalt’s birthright.

In truth, few had ever been truly loyal to Adler. The Count had merely designated him as heir, and they had supported him only because Guillaumevalt had not previously stood out.

But now that Guillaumevalt had demonstrated remarkable abilities, there was no reason to risk defying the kingdom’s laws by backing the youngest son, Adler.

“I am grateful. It is thanks to your loyal service that Lantarique has prospered. I have never forgotten your dedication.”

Guillaumevalt praised the vassals who had so easily switched their allegiance.

The vassals, ashamed, turned red, but Guillaumevalt bore no true resentment toward them. His father had already named Adler as his successor and had likely instructed the vassals to support him. Their loyalty to Adler had simply been an extension of their loyalty to the Count.

“I know that my father entrusted you with Adler, and I recognize your loyalty in standing by him. But Salasma is suffering from drought, refugees are swarming, and reckless wars have led to the deaths of civilians. Even our treasury is empty. If I become Count, I will restore relations with Salasma and aid our starving people! That is why I desperately need your help! Will you stand with me?”

“Th-thank you.”

The vassals were relieved. Guillaumevalt had no intention of purging them; instead, he planned to work them hard. There was a world of difference between merely sparing them and keeping them alive because they were needed.

Moreover, Guillaumevalt’s words were both bold and benevolent, naturally inspiring admiration.

“Now then… I will take charge of Lantarique alongside my vassals. Master Brand, please ensure that those who aided me receive what I have promised them.”

“Understood.”

With Guillaumevalt’s approval, Brand headed toward the study.

“Shati!”

Before entering the study, Azadine called out to Shati.

“Heal Sir Guillaumevalt’s arm with regeneration magic.”

“Do you really think of me as some kind of walking medicine box?”

“Do you not want to do it?”

At Azadine’s words, Mediam and Ismail quietly reached for their weapons.

They had already extracted all the information they could from Shati, the Naga agent. The only thing left was her green magic—especially her regeneration abilities. If she refused to cooperate any further, they would have no choice but to kill her.

“N-no!”

Shati, intimidated by Mediam and Ismail’s subtle threat, hesitated.

‘She’s awfully timid for a Naga agent.’

‘How fragile….’

At that moment, Azadine stepped between them and spoke.

“This may have looked like a threat, but putting that aside, I have high expectations for you. You’ve been incredibly useful and have exceeded my expectations. Honestly, I’ve been grateful every time.”

“……”

“Please.”

“Ugh, fine. Warm-blooded creatures… I swear.”

Shati reluctantly agreed to heal Guillaumevalt’s injuries.

“Much appreciated.”

Azadine grinned and followed Brand toward the study.