Chapter 290

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

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    "This shit again."

    Ian said.

    That was his honest feeling.

    In this medieval fantasy world, wars big and small never seemed to end.

    From the smallest skirmishes between local barons over territory, to larger conflicts with other races and feuds between counts, all the way to full-scale wars between nations fighting with all their might.

    Wars between nations left their names in history easily, being huge in scale with many participants. And such large-scale wars always brought wild rumors with them.

    Duke Fargar''s invasion war was just like that.

    "Let me hear about it too."

    "So Ian''s interested!"

    "No? You just seemed to be talking without me so I wanted to join in?"

    Elia made a dumbfounded expression, while Count Dranheim burst out laughing.

    "Judging by how you speak, you must really be an extraordinary wizard!"

    The count was politely saying ''You''ve got no manners~''.

    Ian let the count''s words go in one ear and out the other.

    Being able to speak freely in formal settings was certainly a wizard''s privilege. That''s what''s great about being a wizard.

    Soon Elia collected herself and calmly explained the situation.

    "First, I''ll tell you about Margrave Silverwind. Have you heard the name before?"

    "No."

    Ian was a wizard, not a historian. How many nobles were there in the empire? He couldn''t memorize hundreds of domains. Over time, they even split into ''nominal'' rulers and ''actual'' rulers. ?aΝo??bЕS

    "Margrave Silverwind was officially Duke Roxlan''s vassal."

    "Was?"

    "They were destroyed by the Rashin Kingdom''s invasion."

    Count Dranheim continued.

    "Margrave Silverwind''s fall was very... unnatural."

    "Right. The Rashin Kingdom isn''t strong enough to defeat an imperial margrave."

    "Because they weren''t just a count. An imperial count?"

    In other words, they lost a fight they shouldn''t have lost. What was the reason?

    "This is just speculation but..."

    Elia spoke carefully.

    "I think Duke Roxlan abandoned Margrave Silverwind."

    "..."

    During the Rashin Kingdom''s invasion, Margrave Silverwind requested support from Duke Roxlan multiple times. But the duke''s reinforcements never came.

    "Silverwind was loyal to the empire, and pledged more loyalty to the emperor than Duke Roxlan."

    "...Must have caused friction."

    "Yes. The emotional divide between the two nobles ran deep."

    Count Dranheim burst out laughing.

    "If we just say that, wouldn''t it be hard for Ian to understand?"

    "But anything more would be baseless rumors..."

    "Then I''ll tell you."

    The count excitedly spoke while downing wine.

    "Duke Roxlan, well... they say Margrave Silverwind stole the woman he wanted as his concubine!"

    "Count!"

    Elia looked at the count with disgust, but the count, heated from alcohol, completely missed the imperial princess''s look.

    Ian nodded.

    It was definitely unofficial history. Just speculation by history buffs and the kind of juicy romantic gossip minstrels loved. Not very credible, but entertaining to hear.

    "There was bad blood between Roxlan and Silverwind before, but losing his lover was apparently the decisive factor."

    "...Haa. That story exists too."

    What exactly happened between the two nobles wasn''t clearly known. But in the end, Roxlan cut ties with Silverwind, and Silverwind fell to the Rashin Kingdom''s attack.

    The funnier part was that Duke Roxlan only started moving when Silverwind was about half defeated. Then the Rashin Kingdom stopped their advance as if they''d been waiting for this.

    So half of Silverwind went to Rashin, and half to Duke Roxlan.

    Afterward, the previous emperor summoned Duke Roxlan. Duke Roxlan claimed he was ''protecting'' Silverwind''s territory. Since Silverwind was wiped out, their domain would pass to distant foreign relatives who couldn''t come rule directly, so Duke Roxlan would govern on their behalf.

    That''s how Silverwind was forgotten by the world... until recently.

    Then out of nowhere, neighboring Duke Fargar announced he''d found an heir of the supposedly extinct Silverwind.

    It seemed hard to believe, but there must have been something credible for him to make an official announcement.

    ''Is it real?''

    Even Ian had to tilt his head at this.

    If a Silverwind heir really was alive, they could claim legitimate rights to their territory. They could make Roxlan and Rashin, the two usurpers, cough up all the territory.

    "I hear Duke Roxlan was breathing fire when he heard the rumor."

    "Of course he would. Obviously."

    The one who most fiercely denounced Fargar was, naturally, Duke Roxlan. Whether Roxlan really did screw over Silverwind or not was unclear- but anyway, he denounced Duke Fargar as a fraud who put up a cheap impostor.

    Duke Fargar''s response was simple.

    Yeah~ fuck off~

    Duke Fargar had already stockpiled numerous mercenaries and weapons. Anyone could see he was going to start a war... He planned to put forward the (supposed) Silverwind heir and crack Duke Roxlan''s skull.

    With the crazy neighbor sharpening his knife, Duke Roxlan got pretty scared. So he exercised the strongest right an imperial noble could use.

    ''Emperooor~ Help me!''

    ''...''

    Straight-up tattling to the emperor.

    That crazy warmonger is using a fake heir to try to invade my land!

    Receiving Duke Roxlan''s request for help, the emperor reportedly left to mediate between the imperial dukes while cursing "fuck fuck".

    Poor imperial emperor.

    "But His Majesty won''t easily take Duke Roxlan''s side."

    "I think similarly. That guy''s got some questionable things in his past after all."

    Transformed into a huge snake.

    "Kyaaaah!"

    Elia screamed.

    The huge snake instantly coiled around the count''s body.

    "Mmph!"

    The count struggled in panic but.

    Only his belly fat jiggled, with no other effect.

    The snake didn''t even glance at the count.

    Its triangular head was fixed only on Ian.

    [I warn you! Don''t take another step closer! Mystery wielder!]

    The count''s face turned blue, and Elia panicked not knowing what to do.

    Guards rushed in, but they too could do nothing.

    "C-count?!"

    "Mmph! Mmph!"

    [Mystery wielder! Can you hear me! If you can hear, make the humans back away! Quickly!]

    "..."

    [Do you want to see this human die!]

    Ian observed the staff-snake with a slightly crooked gaze.

    On the surface, it seemed to control the situation, but...

    ''It looks weak.''

    Honestly, it seemed like fodder.

    The old Ian would have felt overwhelmed by most mysteries.

    But current Ian was different.

    His sense for mysteries had grown incomparably stronger, and he''d encountered all sorts of powerful mysteries.

    Ian had even felt a dragon''s pressure.

    A mere staff-snake?

    ''Should I use transmutation.''

    He had just learned transmutation from Demonite after all.

    Ian decided to ask the mystery for help.

    [...?]

    The staff-snake felt confused by Ian''s calm response.

    A staff turned into a snake!

    Shouldn''t he be surprised?!

    But this black-haired human...

    Far from being surprised, he was observing it with extremely calm eyes.

    [Wh-what?]

    At that moment when the staff-snake felt uneasy.

    Ian suddenly shouted!

    "[You, snake!]"

    [!]

    "[Return to a staff!]"

    The moment Ian shouted the mysterious language-

    The staff-snake felt its body twisting!

    Ian''s powerful transmutation was unleashed.

    [N-no!]

    The staff-snake desperately tried to transform back into a snake.

    But the mystery wouldn''t follow its will.

    [I-I''m not a staff! I''m a snake!]

    [Kahahahah! Is that what you think?]

    The mystery spoke mockingly.

    [But that wizard says otherwise?]

    [No... no!]

    Writhe, writhe.

    The staff-snake endlessly shifted between snake and staff forms.

    Elia and the soldiers were horrified at the grotesque sight.

    "What is that!"

    "Monster! It''s a monster!"

    Ian shouted once more in a firm voice.

    "[Snake! Return to a staff!]"

    [Aaaahhh!]

    Thud, clatter...

    The completely transformed staff rolled on the floor.

    Ian slowly picked up the staff.

    The soldiers looked at Ian like he was a monster.

    Like, the wizard yelled at a snake and...

    The snake turned into a staff!

    "Are you alright?"

    Ian held out his hand to the count.

    "Cough, Kuk! I thought I was going to die!"

    The count said between coughs.

    "Thank you so much, Ian!"

    Enjoy the chappy!

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