The double life of a count’s bastard

Episode 15

“Merlin… Merlin…….”

Rousseau muttered the man’s name repeatedly, trying to recall information about him once more.

A walking potion.

It was a ridiculous phrase, but there was no more accurate or authentic way to describe Merlin.

A priest of the gods in the service of Nevatera, the Goddess of Sky and Earth, one of the three most deeply believed gods on the continent.

Whether they are called agents of the gods, servants of the gods, or minions of the gods, these priests embody “divine power” based on blind faith in the gods.

The power was only available to those who were chosen by the gods, so there was no shortage of holy symbolism.

Among them, Merlin, like the priests who serve the goddess Nevatera, specializes in healing, restoration, and purification.

“He has performed such miracles that he can even bring a dead man back to life.”

He raises dead humans.

It was more of a resurrection than a cure or recovery, but Merlin didn’t bring someone back from the dead.

He’d just barely brought back a human being who was literally on the verge of death, breathing but still alive.

But it was enough to make Merlin one of the continent’s greatest “healers,” a man of extraordinary abilities.

“Merlin’s truly terrifying ability is his large-scale AoE healing, and it’s necessary.”

Rousseau, who had experienced Merlin’s AoE healing in a dream, was so shocked that he wondered if a god had descended upon the human world.

It was something that no priest, let alone a pope, had ever been able to do before.

Rousseau could say that it was an ability that no human could ever display, so Merlin was someone he had to have.

Except.

“Asshole.”

Rousseau’s brow furrowed at the thought of Merlin.

Merlin was the kind of man who made even a fool shake his head.

“How could such a mortal have captured the love of a god…….”

Rousseau wondered if the gods were so blind that they couldn’t see people.

Still, the gods are not normal, as evidenced by the fact that they made a cripple have precognitive dreams to protect their family.

If Karon, the heir, or Aaron, the second son, had had a vision, at least they would have had an easier time of it than Russo.

No, if it were truly for the good of the Slater family, they would have had Earl Slater have a precognitive vision, and then everything would have been in order.

“Given a choice.”

You’ve chosen the worst possible option.

But so what?

The choice has already been made, and Rousseau can only do her best to prevent the tragedy of ten years from happening.

“If I could only have Merlin by my side, he could be a great help…….”

The problem was how to keep Merlin by his side, and even if he did, how to deal with his eccentric personality.

As if the thought of it wasn’t enough, Rousseau went out onto the terrace to get some fresh air.

As he opened the window and stepped out onto the terrace, a cool breeze gently caressed his body.

As she closed her eyes and enjoyed the breeze, she looked down at the knights, who were bustling about.

“Are you sure the Marquis of Keita is coming?”

One of the knights asked, and the knight who appeared to be his senior nodded heavily.

“After twenty years of failed expeditions, I’m sure His Imperial Majesty can’t stand idly by.”

“So you’re saying he’s going to hold you responsible for the expedition?”

“I don’t know about that. However, the Count’s relationship with the Marquis of Keita is not bad, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

Rousseau muttered softly to himself as he watched the knights move off at a brisk pace, talking with serious faces.

“Speaking of which, Marquis Keita was here.”

It wasn’t a particularly big event, so he had forgotten about it.

It was just the emperor himself sending his closest aide, the Marquis of Keita, to find out what had happened to the failed expedition after twenty years.

The visit was uneventful, far from being an accusation of blame for the expedition’s failure, as some had feared.

However, for Count Slater, a visit from the Emperor’s closest confidant, the Marquis of Keita, is a bit of a burden.

Although he had a relationship with the Marquis of Keita, the Earl of Slater felt so much guilt over the failure of the expedition that he warned his entire household to be extra careful.

Naturally, Rousseau was labeled as a person of interest and had to be under special surveillance by the knights.

“Ah!! Speaking of which…….”

I’d forgotten about that.

Who the Marquis of Keita was paying a visit with today.

“Kevin, that bastard.”

Rousseau’s eyes turned grim as she remembered someone.

* * *

“His Imperial Majesty is quite concerned about the failure of the expedition. What happened?”

Marquis Keita demanded an answer from Count Slater, who was sitting across from him.

The Marquis of Keita’s eyes were colder than ever, as he had come to receive the exact details of the expedition’s failure after twenty years.

“The responsibility for the failure of the expedition lies with…….”

Count Slater paused for a moment.

A myriad of thoughts and words floated through his mind, but he finally cleared his throat with a small gulp and answered firmly.

“It’s all because I’m not good enough.”

There was more than one reason, but the Earl of Slater was not one to make excuses.

After all, the expedition was the mission of the Slater estate, and he didn’t want to blame anyone or anything for its failure.

It was the way all of his ancestors had lived, and he felt it was only right that he should take full responsibility.

“Count Slater, you have fallen short…….”

The Marquis of Keita lifted the teacup in front of him and stared at Count Slater.

House Slater had been the guardians of the Inkeran Mountains for eight hundred years.

They had more honor than practically any other noble family in the Empire, and they were loved and respected by the people.

Even the Krasler imperial family was not held in greater esteem and trust than the Slaters, at least within the northern regions of the continent.

Still, the Slaters had been content with the title of Earl for generations, and they were loyalists who had devoted their lives to the defense of the Inkeran Mountains.

To hold the Earl of Slater accountable for a single mistake?

It was impossible.

Marquis Keita shifted his gaze from Slater to the teacup in front of him.

“Did you say Miteyan?”

“Yes, sir. It’s a tea leaf that can only be harvested in the Inkeran Mountains.”

“The best flavor, indeed.”

As the Emperor’s closest confidant, the Marquis of Keita was accustomed to tasting all manner of exquisite things in the Imperial capital, but he seemed to be very pleased with the Miteyan tea, something he would never have tasted unless he were Count Slater.

“Can I have another cup, please?”

“Of course.”

Count Slater poured himself a cup of tea from the teapot and poured it into Marquis Keita’s teacup.

“His Imperial Majesty knows that this expedition has had a difficult start.”

“It is a cowardly excuse to shirk responsibility for defeat because the sword of a knight who goes into battle is a little worn.”

At Count Slater’s reply, Marquis Keita frowned, clicked his tongue, and then got personal.

“To be honest, the arbitrary absence of Viscount Kansler and Viscount Collector from this expedition was a major problem. I believe it is the most direct cause of the failure of this expedition.”

“…….”Earl Slater did not want to comment on them by clamping his mouth shut.

“Tsk, people. Even if you’re right, I can’t see Viscount Canzler and Viscount Collector as anything more than a few worn swords. Haven’t they practically lost both their swords and shields?”

“To never lose their swords and shields again, the Slater family intends to forge them themselves.”

Count Slater’s resolve to no longer be swayed by the surrounding nobles was firm.

“I’m sure the Slater family will forge sharper swords and stronger shields.”

Marquis Keita nodded, gazing at Count Slater with infinite trust, his eyes momentarily deepening before he asked.

“But.”

After a pause, the Marquis of Keita continued in a low voice.

“The great lords of the capital and provinces are still wary and fearful of the Slater family’s growing power. Naturally, they will not allow the expedition to return to being a House Slater event.”

Marquis Keita’s warning was one that Earl Slater was aware of, and he nodded silently.

“By the way, what made this expedition different from the last?”

Marquis Keita asked, eager to learn more about the dynamics of humanity’s worst enemy, the Orcs, in the Inkeran Mountains and beyond.

And the man most eager to know the answer to that question was Emperor Krasler.

Count Slater slowly opened his mouth, his face heavy, and began to calmly explain what was different about this expedition, and the direct reason for its failure.

“The direct reason for the failure of this expedition is…….”

* * *

“was the number of orcs, more than twice as many as in previous years.”

The exact position of the Inkeran Mountains is best understood as a buffer zone between humans and orcs.

Despite being a buffer zone, there was no direct agreement with the orcs, so the Slaters had to set up defenses to keep them away.

The true purpose and reason for the annual expedition is to check the status of these defenses, to see if the orcs have invaded, and to monitor their movements.

Along the way, encounters with the orcs would lead to battles, and fights with monsters were inevitable, which is why the expedition was so large.

But this time, they had to deal with orcs on a scale they hadn’t faced in the past 20 years.

“Many of the orcs, pushed back by territorial disputes, have fled to the Inceran Mountains.”

Rousseau had known this in his dreams, but he could not tell his father and the expedition’s commander-in-chief, Count Slater.

For one thing, he would never believe him, and even if he did, he couldn’t postpone the expedition, which was just around the corner.

The expedition to the Inkeran Mountains was a task of the Slater family, but it was also a joint mission with the neighboring nobles for over a hundred years.

Therefore, if they failed to leave on the set date, they would inevitably come into conflict with the neighboring nobles, so they had no choice but to leave on time.

“We should have nipped those nobles in the bud when they tried to get a piece of the action.”

The Inceran Mountains are a treasure trove of resources that are not easily accessible to humans.

It was reckless to venture into the Inceran Mountains alone, and even a small group of nobles was uneasy about joining forces, so their choice was to ally themselves with the Slaters.

Otherwise, the imperial family and capital nobles, who had become increasingly impatient with the Slater family’s growing power in the defense of the Inkeran Mountains, welcomed the voluntary participation of nobles with their eyes on the Inkeran Mountains with open arms.

The problem was the Slaters.

More than capable of carrying out the expedition on their own, they were forced to join forces with the surrounding nobles, who were often intimidated by threats disguised as recommendations from the imperial and capital nobility.

As the saying goes, many hands make a mountain out of a molehill, and the work was not as fast as before.

It wasn’t all bad, though.

The size of the expedition was greatly increased, and it was possible to meet true companions, not just nobles who had joined the expedition for other purposes.

Viscount Kansler is a prime example of this.

He is currently at odds with the Marquis of Belay and Viscount Collector, but in time, he will become a reliable ally of House Slater.

Whereas.

Viscount Collector, once a tongue-in-cheek, is now backed by the Marquis of Belay, ready to stab the Slaters in the back at any moment.

“Viscount Collector, I’ll stomp this bastard until he can’t breathe.”

Rousseau’s voice sounded pleasant to the ear as he chewed the jerky in his hand.

“It’s been a year since we’ve seen each other, and you’re even prettier than before. You’re the best girl I’ve ever seen.”

Recognizing the voice’s owner, Rousseau’s mouth curved into a genuine smile.

“I can’t touch Viscount Collector right now, but…… you can’t.”

Rousseau strode over to where a handsome man of impeccable stature and strikingly handsome eyes stood.

Rousseau raised one eyebrow at the sight of Lily smiling shyly in front of him.

“Master Kevin…….”

“Call me brother. Call me Kevin.”

“What? Ah…… yes. Kevin oh, big brother.”

Russo snorted at the sound of Kevin’s name and stepped between them.

“Who is this, Kevin, the most handsome man in the empire?”

Lily couldn’t hide her disappointment at Rousseau’s arrival, wondering why he hadn’t noticed her.