Chapter 147: |
“Ah.”
Otto was a little startled to see Elise so close, but he nodded and allowed her to sit next to him.
There was simply no other choice but to agree….
“Of course, have a seat.”
“Thanks.”
Elise plopped down next to Otto.
“Fiancé.”
“Yes, Elise.”
“You look lonely. Are you okay?”
A small nod.
Elise nodded instead of answering.
“Does it look that way?”
“It’s always been like that.”
“Like…?”
“Even when I first met you, you looked lonely. Even more so now.”
“Is it because I’m tired? I need to take care of my appearance, hahaha.”
Otto brushed off Elise’s words.
‘Am I lonely? I’m not sure….’
He hadn’t really thought about it because there were so many things to worry about and so many accidents and mishaps.
“They say that when things get difficult, you need to learn to lean on someone.”
“That’s a common saying.”
“Don’t try to carry it all yourself. The seat of a monarch is a lonely one. If you isolate yourself, there may come a day when it becomes unbearable.”
“I will take your advice to heart.”
…but Otto could not take the advice sincerely.
Only Otto knows the dark future that lies ahead in this world.
For that reason alone, Otto was forced to carry an enormous burden entirely alone…..
“Oh, and… what you said back then.”
Elise blurted out.
“What Otto said back then” is…
‘He knows what happens when I use too much power than I’m allowed.’
Otto’s words seemed to bother her somehow.
“…That.”
Otto found it difficult to answer.
The words that flowed like liquid oil were gone.
All the lies he used to tell to deceive and manipulate his opponents were gone…
“I just know.”
“Just…?”
“You’re too strong, Elise. Abnormally strong. If you have that kind of power… I thought there would be a certain backlash.”
“Ah.”
“I just had a feeling that you shouldn’t use your power recklessly.”
“That doesn’t sound very convincing… but you’re not wrong.”
A lull in conversation.
“It’s time to get some training.”
It was Elise who broke the silence.
“I know it sounds like a stretch, but I can still remember it so clearly. When I held the sword like I was possessed.”
It certainly sounded like a lie for a grown maiden to remember her early days of sword training, but if it was Elise who said it, it was a different story.
“Now that I think about it, it must have been instinct. I played with swords instead of toys, and slept with them as dolls. I grew up knowing nothing but swords. When I was seven, I understood that I wasn’t like everyone else.”
“…..”
“Everything was just too easy. Rousing an Aura on a sword. To expand my mana reserves. Even the physical reconstruction. The power that others had to earn through the arduous process which involved vomiting blood and grinding their bones, was as natural to me as breathing.”
“…..”
“It was years ago. There was a time when I unleashed all of my power, and I had the distinct sensation that I should not use it recklessly. It was as if the Laws of this world were warning me.”
Up to this point, Otto was satisfied.
However, what Elise said next was quite a shock to Otto.
“That’s when I realized that my talent was so far outside the laws of the world. My existence seemed like a mistake of nature.”
“No way.”
“But nature doesn’t make mistakes. If the laws of causality have produced a being like me… it must be… by design.”
*Shudder!*
Goosebumps spread through Otto’s body.
“Perhaps, I have a destiny that the universe has bestowed upon me, though I cannot know exactly what it is.”
At that moment.
“Haaah.”
A deep sigh escaped Otto’s lips.
‘She knows, all of it.’
He thought she didn’t.
And yet, she knew better.
Elise had already learned her fate, or rather, the destiny this world had bestowed upon her.
This was something that was completely hidden from the game, and it came as a huge shock to Otto.
Why?
Because Otto was all too familiar with Elise’s character’s destiny.
Elise is destined to meet her end against the advancing Northern Empire.
And the significance of that death and its impact on the whole of the continent…
“I know I can’t live a normal life when I was born with such a destiny given to me by Fate.”
Elise revealed.
“As you said, I also know that I shouldn’t use my power recklessly. But that doesn’t mean I can stand by and watch you, my fiancé, get bullied right in front of my eyes.”
“Elise….”
“I think I have a right to do that as a woman, before I was a person chosen by Fate. Don’t you think?”
Elise asked.
“You’re right.”
Otto turned to face Elise and smiled brightly.
“You have every right to be, Elise.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
Otto looked at the smiling Elise and thought that maybe he might have misjudged her.
The Elise he knew from the game, [Territory Wars].
And the actual Elise, who he met while in this world.
The gap between the two women was so wide that it was hard to see them as the same person.
‘Why did she chase me and threaten me when we first met?’
At the time, he was just scared and thought it was just the way she was.
But the more he got to know her, the more he realized that she’s a pretty nice person, and she doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would commit such an outrageous thing.
‘So why did she…….’
The curiosity ends there.
‘… She’s pretty.’
Otto thought as he stared at Elise as she swept a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
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At the suggestion of smuggling, the Argonne’s face hardened.
Smuggling was a risky venture, to say the least.
There was no insurance from the [Merchant Guild], so if something happened, there would be no protection.
Moreover, if they were discovered, they would be branded as criminals and forced to run for their lives.
One wrong move and the entire organization could be uprooted.
Nevertheless, the Argonne was not about to let this proposal slide.
‘Smuggling, It’s smuggling. I admit, it’s the only way to go for now.’
He considered.
“Your Majesty, I beg your consideration.”
Glen restated his case.
“You are aware that, at this point, smuggling is the only way to get us through this crisis.”
“Hmph.”
“Your Majesty, I’m afraid we must rely on smuggling by sea to get us through this crisis.”
“The sea….”
The Great Argonne remembered his prior life.
He was originally from a local noble family engaged in maritime trade.
As such, it was no exaggeration to say that he was well versed in trade by sea.
“The timing is good.”
“What do you mean?”
“There is currently a prohibition in the Caliphate, which has caused the price of all alcoholic beverages to skyrocket. In addition, the tariffs on salt and tobacco have recently increased by ten percent.”
“Are you suggesting that we smuggle in liquor, salt, and tobacco, and collect payment in magic stones?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. If we do so, we will be able to recover all the losses incurred this time. In case you give the order, I have already arranged ships and secured goods in advance. If you command, we can execute it immediately.”
“Ohhh!”
Argonne was overjoyed to hear Glen’s words.
To have the arrangements made so far in advance, it would be possible to set sail as early as this evening.
But there was still a problem.
“But to trade with the merchants of the Caliphate by sea, we must pass through the waters controlled by Pirate Lord Avery.”
Argonne pointed to the map.
“Pirate Lord Avery has absolute…. control over the waters surrounding the Gurling Archipelago.”
“I happen to know a pirate.”
“Hmm?”
“His name is Mordred, and while he’s retired now, he told me he was once in a secret partnership with Pirate Lord Avery.”
“What do you mean?”
“I learned that Mordred had previously made a deal with Avery, bragging about his friendship with him.”
“Hmm. So you’re suggesting that through Mordred’s connections, we can buy Avery off?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Avery won’t even touch your Majesty’s cargo if you bribe him with the right amount of money, so if we do well, we may be able to strike a deal on this occasion and continue our smuggling trade.”
“Truly, Young Glen. I have known you were a prodigy since childhood, and here you are scratching my itch.”¹
“I am honored. Your Majesty”
Argonne was sincere in his praise of the man.
Although Glen’s proposal was a risky one, it was one worth taking.
Maybe this would be the chance to branch out into new territory.
‘Yes, this has happened before. Every time there’s a crisis, I’ve taken risks and achieved greater success.’
From crisis to success.
The Great Argonne was a continent unifier who brought calm to a troubled world and ended it.
The process may have been wicked, but the end result was undeniably great.
“Very well.”
Argonne the Great has made his decision.
“Smuggling is inherently risky, but the rewards are equally immense. Under the circumstances, we shall proceed with this trade according to your plan.”
“I’m honored to serve.”
The high-ranking staff and members of the Oberhauser bloodline bowed their heads.
Once the Great Argonne’s decision was made, things proceeded swiftly.
Under Glen’s direction, twenty merchant ships loaded with salt, tobacco, and alcohol set sail.
Their primary destination The Gurling Archipelago, whose seas are controlled by the pirate lord Avery….
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Otto and Elise spent the following days talking about all sorts of things.
The more they talked, the more Otto started to feel….
‘I feel sorry for her.’
Just hearing the story of what a full life she had led took Otto’s breath away.
It was no exaggeration to say that those who are chosen by Destiny have no independent life.
‘If I hadn’t been chosen by fate, what kind of life would I have led? Would I have stayed away from the sword as a noble child of royal blood? No. As the granddaughter of the Grand Duke of the North, I would have picked up a sword anyway, but I wouldn’t have lived such a dull life….’
And thus.
‘Ugh.’
Elise’s hand caught Otto’s attention.
“It’s a mess again.”
Otto pulled the hand cream out of his pocket and applied it evenly to Elise’s hands.
Even if she was blessed with the best skin in the world, it would be weird if her hands were still fine from holding the sword every day.
“I told you to moisturize it often.”
“Oh, I’ve been too busy to take care of it.”
“Don’t make excuses, this is really… It makes me feel bad.”
“I… I’m fine.”
“It’s not okay, ughh, just stay still.”
Otto held onto Elise’s squirming hands, only releasing them after he had thoroughly applied the ointment.
For some reason, she didn’t mind the hard, unyielding feeling.
‘Don’t be shy with this. It’s cute.’
Otto couldn’t help but smile when he saw Elise’s face flush pink.
And it was a privilege.
How many men get to see the most beautiful woman on the continent get all shy?
“Why are you smiling? Did you put something on my face?”
“No, nothing. I just smiled. Am I not supposed to smile?”
“Well, not really, but….”
Now he’s even fond of her clumsy way of speaking.
Knowing what kind of life she’s lived and why she’s become this blunt person….
Meanwhile, Camille watches the backs of Otto and Elise in the distance and can’t help but smile at them.
He felt a sense of accomplishment and pride as he realized that something was going well for Otto and Elise.
He hadn’t expected Otto to be capable of a normal relationship.
Otto when he was a wretch… was just awful.
‘Hehehe! Hehehe! It’s alive! It’s alive! Hehehe!’
“Oh, my dear Lord.’
‘You cute little thing! Hehehe!’
On a typical day, he’ll be in and out of brothels and enjoying the nightlife.
It was only a couple of years ago that he was drinking expensive liquor in salons, gambling, mingling with sketchy nobles, and indulging himself.
There was even….
‘Uwaeeeeek! Did I drink too much yesterday, ugh!’
Otto had even thrown up on the day of Lord Oryx’s funeral due to his excessive drinking.
Not only was he a rare bastard, but he was a disgrace to his illustrious father’s memory.
That’s what Otto de Scuderia used to be.
At the same time, he was also a prodigal son who was exceptionally handsome and had tremendous charm with women.
However, when Otto met her, he was not only immovable, but also started a relationship that seemed to be quite innocent.
Therefore, Camille, who was more like a brother to Otto before he was a knight, could only smile.
‘Things are progressing nicel….’
But then.
“Hahaha.”
‘Huh!’
Camille was startled by the sound of laughter from his side.
Turning his head, he saw that Kairos was also spying on Otto and Elise in the distance with a gleeful expression on his face.
** ** **
TL/N:
1. Think of the relationship of a Cow and a Bird
Cow has lots of flies and bugs hovering in its body and the bird eats it. A commensalism symbiotic relationship.