The In-Game Fortune Comes to Reality, Episode 20
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The In-Game Fortune Comes to Reality, Episode 20
6. Opening Battle (4)
Headquarters of the 3rd Division under the 2nd Corps of the Provincial Army.
Count Otis let out an exclamation upon hearing that Adrian had taken down five of the Croisen Empire's vanguards.
"Hah, this really leaves me with nothing but admiration. Not only did he foresee the ambush, he turned a crisis into an opportunity."
The bad rumors about Adrian were so famous that even the count knew of them, so this situation was simply astonishing.
After surviving the crisis of nearly dying from poison, I heard the prodigy of the Lawrence viscount family had turned into a brute.
But it turned out he had only been acting to survive.
"A hidden dragon."
After the battle began, when he noticed the enemy's suicide attack and reduced allied losses, I had thought it was merely a coincidence.
But now it could no longer be dismissed as coincidence.
Count Otis gave a dry laugh, feeling a chill run down his spine and his hairs stand on end.
And the same went for the staff of Count Otis's house, who had frowned at Adrian's sudden request for support.
"Michelle is eighteen this year, right?"
At Count Otis's abrupt question, the staff expressed confusion but nodded yes.
"If Lawrence Brigade Commander is an illegitimate child cast out by the viscount family, I'd like to bring him here."
The staff hurriedly dissuaded him, breaking out in cold sweat.
"We've heard that Brigade Commander Lawrence already has a woman. They say he cares for her enough to bring her all the way to the battlefield."
"I have two wives myself. Is that a problem? Michelle can just become a mistress."
"He is far too absorbed in the game."
"Better than being hooked on drugs, alcohol, and women."
It seemed Count Otis had already marked Adrian as a prospective son-in-law, so nothing they said got through to him.
In the end, these men, who served as the count's staff and vassals, honestly explained why Adrian was unsuitable.
"Perhaps you should watch a little longer before deciding."
"That's right. Considering Lady Michelle's fiery nature, if she learned of this, we would all...."
"Mm, that girl really is a handful."
At that, Count Otis scratched his cheek and smacked his lips.
As the staff had said, his daughter was not the type to become one of several wives; if anything, she would be the one to take in multiple husbands.
"Then enough about Michelle. Go submit the battle report to corps command. Include that Brigade Commander Lawrence made a major contribution as well."
"Yes, understood."
* * *
On the way back to the bedchamber with Arcia, still in a good mood after a rare great victory and twirling the game connector.
"Brigade Commander, do you have a moment?"
Suddenly, Sir William stopped me.
Arcia stepped forward protectively, but I said it was fine and placed a hand on her shoulder.
[Relationship: Favorable / Normal]
[State: Anticipation]
The reason was this.
His feelings toward me had changed from "curiosity, caution" to "favor, anticipation."
The reason was obvious.
It was probably because I had just saved him after he fell into a trap during the battle.
"If it's not important, keep it short."
But that didn't mean I had to go along with Sir William's pace.
At my words, Sir William gave a small nod.
"Why do you live in hiding?"
A rather direct question.
And one laced with many thoughts.
"What do you mean?"
I shrugged, looking like I didn't understand what he was saying, and he continued seriously.
"Young Master Adrian, you may not know this, but surprisingly many vassals are worried about the territory's future. They say that if Young Master Cedric becomes lord as things are now, a crisis will come."
It was an unexpected story.
I looked at him in disbelief, as if asking why he was bringing this up all of a sudden.
"I believe Young Master Cedric lacks the qualities of a lord. If you intend to compete with your older brother, I'd like to support you as much as I can."
Information from Mangyeong with no change in status.
In other words, it meant he was not lying.
'Sir William is one of Father's closest men. Did he perhaps receive prior instructions? Or is it simply because I'm his benefactor?'
I replied with honest feelings.
"That is very kind of you."
At that, a bright smile spread across William's lips.
But that smile didn't last long....
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that offer."
It was because of my hesitant reply.
[Relationship: Neutral / Normal]
[Status: Disappointed]
At my words, his relationship shifted from Favorable to Neutral, and his status changed from Expectation to Disappointment.
'Surprisingly naïve.'
To be clear, I didn't say that simply because I was scared and shrinking back.
It was because William's statement had been far too rash.
Even if information reaching Cedric is being restricted, it's not as if he's completely cut off, is it.
This story could spread from person to person like a rumor, and there might be surveillance systems I don't know about.
Because of that, I had no choice but to coldly refuse William's tempting offer.
If I were to accept his proposal here, it would be no different from declaring hostility toward Anna and Cedric.
That is a matter on a completely different level from making a name for myself in war and establishing my own prestige.
The reason is simple.
'Because my mother is still in the territory.'
Clicking my tongue at William's behavior, I nonetheless made a note of the fact that there are still people who so purely worry about the territory.
I lightly patted William on the shoulder and then moved on.
William was harboring his own firm feelings, but unfortunately, in my current situation I have no need for clumsy help.
'I'm more than enough on my own anyway.'
Getting rid of Anna and Cedric is entirely my job.
I had absolutely no intention of sharing that joy with anyone else.
"I'm already looking forward to it."
* * *
I'm not the type who likes to boast.
I always tend to calculate gains and losses and weigh the benefits, and I've learned the hard way that showing off turns into resentment rather than goodwill.
But now, bragging I never wanted is about to spread throughout the entire country.
"...For these and many other merits, We hereby bestow upon Adrian, second son of House Lawrence, the Second-Class Golden Lion Medal. Graddis Lloyd Reinharts, twenty-third King of the Kingdom of Reinharts."
"It is a great honor, one I shall cherish for life."
Kneeling before the king's personal letter, I sprang to my feet as soon as the reading of that missive, full of pointless flowery phrases, came to an end.
The royal chamberlain dispatched from the palace pinned the golden medal to my chest and offered his hand in congratulatory handshake, and I clasped it.
-Ziinng.
-Click! Click!
And this scene was faithfully recorded by the cameras from the broadcasting station and the newspaper company.
I know that each and every piece of Vanguard equipment is worth almost as much as a fighter jet, but I never imagined this incident would be rated this highly.
It seems the country picked me as a poster boy because the war has been dragging on.
'Cedric is going to throw another fit when he sees this.'
He's probably thinking I stole his achievements.
Cedric, whose brain is single-celled, is the kind of person who believes that as long as he goes to the battlefield, he will inevitably accomplish military exploits.
Half resigned, I waved my hand toward the cameras.
* * *
[On the Prodigy Adrian Lawrence of the Lawrence Viscount Family]
[Adrian Lawrence, Young Hero in the Midst of War]
Cedric slammed his desk in irritation as he saw Adrian not only listed among the real-time popular search terms on the internet, but also featured across numerous articles on the news page.
"Damn it!"
Anna, sitting quietly beside him, also wore an unpleasant expression.
Cedric turned his gaze to Anna.
"Where's Father?"
"With that lowborn woman."
By "lowborn," Anna meant Sylvia Lawrence, Adrian's mother.
Sylvia may come from a reasonably wealthy merchant family, but to them, commoners are nothing but insignificant beings.
"Father's been clinging to that woman more and more lately. Why are you just watching?"
"If I don't watch, should I poison her or something?"
"Mother!"
"Tsk, don't raise your voice. The reason your father keeps that bitch close is because of Adrian."
When they were young, Adrian—once hailed as a prodigy of the family—and Cedric had been compared constantly.
Because of that, Adrian became an indelible complex for Cedric and the object of his jealousy.
So when his mother brought up Adrian again, a murderous gleam flashed in Cedric's eyes.
"What do you mean by that?"
"It seems your father vowed to protect that woman while Adrian is at the front. To protect her from you and me, specifically."
But when she looked into the situation, it turned out there wasn't much to worry about.
"Is it true that once he returns from the war, Adrian plans to sever ties with the family and leave completely?"
"Yes, he must be desperate too. After he leaves the family, he'll have to find his own way to live. In that regard, isn't the war a good opportunity? If he makes great contributions, he could at least be granted a single-rank title."
What Anna meant was that Adrian was not Cedric's competitor anyway.
Cedric reined in his excitement and leaned back deep into his chair.
Everything was indeed just as his mother had said.
Behind them stood his maternal grandfather, the Margrave of the border, and most of the Lawrence viscountcy had already been swallowed up by Anna.
But even so, was Adrian's grating presence really just because of a simple complex?
Cedric found Adrian unbearably hard to ignore.
* * *
Office of the lord in the Lawrence viscountcy's lord's manor.
"That brat."
Rayford Lawrence, head of the Lawrence viscount family, let out a laugh as he watched a video showing his son's reassuring figure, together with Adrian's birth mother Sylvia.
Seeing Adrian's mouth smiling while his eyes clearly were not, one could plainly feel how much he found appearing on broadcasts bothersome.
The problem was that when this was combined with his handsome looks, it somehow made him look oddly intellectual.
Sylvia was so pleased to see Adrian on television that she kept watching the same video over and over, clapping and beaming with a bright smile.
"With the Golden Lion Medal, he'll be granted at least a single-rank barony after the war ends. That lightens my heart a little."
"You feel bad that you can't support your outstanding son, don't you?"
At the sight of the lord like that, Sylvia narrowed her eyes as if glaring at him.
The viscount fell silent for a moment, then soon nodded obediently, saying that was true.
"You know as well as I do. This is the best we can do."
The current viscount was a lord in name only.
He was merely a temporary steward of these lands until he handed the territory over to Cedric.
In his youth, drunk on ambition for power, he had made a choice that now came back to sink its teeth into his ankle.
"I understand the situation, but even so, I still can't forgive you."
"I know. But back then, I had no choice if I wanted to save Adrian. If I had dug any deeper, Anna would have made sure to get rid of him."
The viscount explained his position to Sylvia, sounding almost like he was making excuses.
Yet even if she understood it in her head, it was a story she could never accept in her heart.
At Sylvia's sulky expression, the viscount wore a bitter look and turned his gaze back to the video device.
"Still, it's a relief."
And as he once again took in the image of Adrian fulfilling his role, the viscount felt relief upon relief.
However—
If Adrian had been in this room, he would have questioned his father like this.
"Is it really a relief?" he would have said.