Chapter 51: Von (2)
Von’s first reaction to Henry’s response was disbelief.
However, it did not take long for him to become enraged.
“Do you want to die?”
“Of course not.”
“This will be the last time I show mercy. If you talk nonsense one more time, I will rip your tongue out with my bare hands and hang it up in Enkelmann Square.”
A man such as Von could turn a spine-chilling threat like this into reality, and he was furious because he didn’t trust Henry.
Henry knew very well that if he didn’t address these suspicions right away, they would become powerful beliefs.
“What would I gain from lying to you? I am telling the truth.”
“My lord never had disciples his whole life, and I was with him at all times. How dare you lie to my face?”
“I am not lying.”
“Nonsense!”
Bang!
Von could no longer hold his anger in and broke the table in half with the teacup in his hand. It was clear that he had incredible strength.
But Henry continued to speak, unfazed by the threat.
“When I observe your anger… Sir Von, it must mean that you are still loyal to my master.”
“It's not something that someone like you would understand.”
“No, this is an important matter to me. It’s the reason why I came to meet you, Sir Von.”
“What do you mean?”
“I will tell you the details after I hear your answer. Sir Von, do you still have any loyalty left for my master?”
Henry made eye contact with Von. It was a bold move. There was a murderous look in Von’s eyes, and if Harz had been standing there instead of Henry, he would have fainted.
‘Is he really my lord’s disciple since he’s asking about my loyalty?’
It was clear that Henry had ulterior motives since he had forced out the person hiding behind Harz and was asking these questions.
Von’s mind was filled with complicated thoughts. For a moment, Von wondered if he was a spy sent by the imperial palace.
‘It can’t be, can it?’
It would be a different story if the nobles had sent an assassin to kill Henry’s remaining allies. In addition, the man sitting in front of Von did not show any signs of weakness, even when faced with Von’s murderous aura.
Since his location had already been discovered, Von believed that he didn’t have any other place to hide.
‘If I think about it, it does seem possible.’?
Von placed his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
“Do you realize what you are asking right now?”
“Of course.”
Even if the nobles really did discover his location, he wouldn’t deny his loyalty even to save his own life. It was Von’s last remnant of pride.
He made up his mind, his face growing stern.
“Never in my life have I once forgotten His Grace. He saved me and the citizens of Enkelmann from certain death. I am eternally grateful.”
Schwing~
Von raised his sword and said, “Your act is over. Now reveal your true identity.”
Von pointed the sword at Henry, his expression growing even grimmer.
“Ha.”
“Did you just…laugh?”
“Haha! I apologize, Sir Von, it was just too difficult to hold in my laughter. Is it possible that you think that I am a spy sent by the nobles?”
“Finally, you’re revealing your identity!”
“Please calm down. I really am the master’s disciple.”
“And why should I believe you?”
“I will prove it to you right this moment.”
Von’s face filled with curiosity.
Henry held out his right hand and said, “Look carefully.”
Henry made a fist, then slowly spread his fingers open like a blooming flower.
Glitter~
“This is…!”
His Magic Insignia was in Henry’s palm. The insignia had the image of a dragon, and it was the only one of its kind in the world.
“H-how is this possible…!”
Von stared at the dragon’s blue glow, unable to hide his shock.
“Master’s Magic Insignia is a dragon, and so is mine.”
Magic Insignias differed according to wizards’ skills and preferences, and a dragon Insignia had a significant meaning: ‘The creators of magic and the ultimate magical beings!’
Henry had told Von this in the past.
“And that’s not all.”
“What?”
“I also possess the master's treasure map, the map of the legacy that he left behind.”
“Did you just say ‘legacy?’”
“Take a look at this.”
Henry tooke out the map revealing the locations of the artifacts that he’d created himself at the Morris estate.
“Also, I have learned how to make the Miracle Blue, which only the master knew how to make, as well as all the special spells that only the master could handle.”
It was more than enough evidence, and Von was so dumbfounded, he couldn’t speak; his mouth slightly agape from disbelief
“Also, Sir Von…”
Henry looked at Von.
“On behalf of the deceased master, I pay my respects to you. I truly thank you for staying loyal to the master.”
Henry bowed.
Von coughed in embarrassment.
“Hmm, well, isn’t that to be expected? You know how I saw my lord.”
Since Von did not reject Henry’s show of respect, the conversation seemed like it was finally going somewhere.
Henry steered the conversation to Von’s intentions in coming to Enkelmann.
“Sir Von, I am thinking of revenge.”
“Revenge, you say…”
“I entered the world because of the master's unjust death and the things he could not accomplish.”
Revenge.
It wasn't that Von had never thought about revenge, but revenge was easier said than done. You could not act out of emotions and there was no guarantee of a second chance if you made a mistake. Furthermore, their opponents were the nobles ruling the empire and the idiotic emperor himself.
Von’s expression darkened again.
‘I'm sure you’re afraid. Even though you’ve thought of revenge, it would have been difficult on your own, and there is also the Enkelmann problem.’
Henry assumed that these were Von’s thoughts. Henry didn’t care if Von refused out of fear, he was here to persuade Von anyway.
“Sir Von, I understand your thoughts. Are you torn between avenging the master and protecting Enkelmann?”
Although he was silent, Von’s expression indicated that Henry had hit the nail on the head.
“Of course it’s not like I don’t understand your situation, but please keep this in mind: even if you’re letting the nobles be just to preserve the peace, Enkelmann will fall into their hands one day."
Von could not deny this since Enkelmann made good profit, making it the perfect target for the nobles.
In fact, from time to time, the nobles came down and looked around the city for an opportunity to take over.
“Realistically speaking, isn’t this the city’s future? And even now, don’t you find me convincing because you couldn’t come up with a solution for the fungus?”
He was right.
It didn’t matter how much profit the city made, Enkelmann was still vulnerable to unexpected situations like the Kin Mushroom case.
Von could not say anything; Henry was only speaking the truth. It was true that Von was worried about their vulnerability to unexpected events.
“I will help.”
“What…?”
“Enkelmann may seem powerful, but it is bad at dealing with unforeseen events. I will help you improve this as much as possible so that those bastard nobles won’t be able to exploit this weakness.”
It was like a dream come true, thus unreliable.
“With what ability?”
“The town of Vivaldi is already in the palm of my hand.”
“W-what?”
Von blinked in surprise.
The town of Vivaldi paid an unbelievable amount of taxes compared to Enkelmann.
“I can show you more proof if you come with me to Vivaldi.”
“N-no… Enough about that, how did you get control over Vivaldi?”
“Chess.”
“Chess?”
“It was unofficial. I played against Mayor Vant and won.”
“Y-you mean against that undefeated champion?”
“Yes, that's right.”
Von was surprised. Mayor Vant Larson had never once lost a game of chess.
“Because the match was unofficial, the only people who know about this are myself and Mayor Vant, and I used this to gain command over Mayor Vant.”
“But he is only a civil servant, is he not?”
“Yes, he is, that is why I have become the official sword-fight champion of Vivaldi. The Million Gold battle stadium is also under my control.”
Von enjoyed the entertainment in Vivaldi, so he knew about sword fighting and the Million Gold battle stadium.
It was difficult for him to believe that Henry had taken control of them. The shocking news came one after the other.
“What do you think? With this much power, it will be easy to support Enkelmann.”
“Indeed… If what you’ve said so far is true, it would be possible.”
It was an offer of support, but Von would have to earn it by helping Henry with his revenge.
‘Oh my…’
Even an offer so tempting would fall apart as soon as something went wrong.
Von’s hesitation made Henry feel sorry for him. ‘They say that people change because of their environment… He must have gone through a lot.’
Von was a bold and wise man, and Henry was sorry to see him frightened like this. However, he could not coddle him forever.
“Sir Von, as the master’s disciple, I have learned to handle magic, but I have also worked hard on my swordsmanship.”
“What? Are you saying that you have learned both magic and swordsmanship at the same time?”
“Correct.”
“How…how is this possible…”
Those who used magic did not wield swords, and those who used swords did not cast spells. It was simply common sense.
“Alright, how skilled are you?”
“I am at the 3rd Circle for magic, and my swordsmanship is in the Learner class.”
‘How weak!’
His magic skill was acceptable. It was impressive for someone Henry’s age to reach the 3rd Circler, but his swordsmanship had much left to be desired.
“From what I’ve heard, you served in the Caliburn fortress…but you are still in the Learner class?”
“Correct.”
“My faith in you has suddenly disappeared.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you want revenge, focusing on just one skill is just the bare minimum. You can’t even excel in one; all you’re doing is half-assing two skills, right?”
“What if I prove myself to you?”
“Prove, you say?”
“I request a duel with you, Sir Von. I believe you can make a judgment after a sword match.”
For the first time, Von laughed.
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