Radiant Dragon’s Otherworldly Reincarnation - Chapter 249 : Chapter 249
Chapter 249. Just Accept It (2)
Patrick, who was using the royal palace as a temporary office, showed an unprecedented fatigue on his face.
“Patrick, we’ve searched the entire capital using spirits, but there’s really no food left.”
“…I see.”
“Big-Brother. A rumor is spreading that our orc warriors are eating human children.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Patrick, the citizens of the northwest district revolted today. Our magic swordsmen stepped in and arrested them all, but….”
“Anyone killed or injured….”
“None. We wouldn’t do that to the populace….”
“I’m talking about the citizens, not you.”
“…A few who resisted fiercely were injured, but there were no fatalities.”
“……”
‘This is driving me crazy.’
Patrick clutched his head and fell into deep thought.
The world often misunderstands.
That the Double Dragon, Patrick Schneider, is extremely competent and can do anything.
It was true that he had left behind a tremendous legacy, one that was hard to believe was achieved by a young man who had just passed the age of 20.
From being the youngest winner of Arcana to his knight’s training journey, and the pioneering of the Great Forest….
They were truly achievements that would go down in history.
However.
The essence of Patrick was just that of a martial artist with a few more abilities.
He had no great political skills, nor did he have experience in seriously governing a country.
-There are over a million starving citizens in the capital, so save them.
He had no way to carry out such a mission.
‘What more can I possibly do?’
He had already requested help from his fief and contacted the Elbador Merchant Guild to ask for food supplies.
But Patrick also knew.
That it was virtually impossible to transport a large amount of food to the capital of another country in the midst of a war.
It was a classic case of being besieged from all sides.
Patrick felt he could understand Xiang Yu’s feelings.
‘Is this how I lose?’
The word ‘defeat’ flashed through Patrick’s mind.
But just then….
“Young Master. A guest has arrived.”
Sanson, who had suddenly opened the door, reported urgently.
“A guest?”
A guest in this situation?
He had no idea who it could be. And it was rare for the usually calm Sanson to be in such a flurry.
“Who is it and from where?”
“Yes. That is… that….”
“Speak calmly.”
“They say they are from the Yusef Kingdom. His name is Marquis Noah Gregory.”
“…Huh?”
It was the visit of a guest that Patrick had not expected at all.
***
Black hair and brown eyes.
A somewhat handsome face, but upon closer inspection, it was hard to find anything that could be called a distinguishing feature.
This man, whose face you likely wouldn’t remember after a passing glance, was named Marquis Noah Gregory.
He was also famous on the continent by another name.
“So. Are you the Hegemon King’s Serpent?”
The Hegemon King’s Serpent.
As Cierion’s fame spread across the continent, his close associates also gained renown.
The black knight Matias Karvan, who overwhelmed other 7-star knights with his martial prowess.
And the Hegemon King’s strategist, commonly known as the Hegemon King’s Serpent, Noah Gregory, who supported the Hegemon King’s advances with his intellect.
The world called these two the Hegemon King’s two wings.
He bowed his head politely before Patrick and said.
“It is an honor to meet the great hero, the Double Dragon.”
“You’re quite polite to a brat who doesn’t even have a title yet.”
Noah Gregory was not the legitimate heir of a noble family, but was born a bastard.
But he made a name for himself as the Hegemon King’s strategist, achieved great merit, and made his own way in the world, and now he was a marquis of the Yusef Kingdom, a powerful northern nation.
He smiled at Patrick and said.
“You are not someone to be judged by titles or positions.”
“……”
“Above all, my lord has recognized you as a person of equal standing to himself. Therefore, I cannot dare to be rude to you.”
“The Hegemon King said I was his equal?”
“Yes. That is correct.”
“That bastard is more arrogant than I thought.”
“……”
For the first time, a flicker of emotion appeared on Marquis Noah Gregory’s face.
Patrick did not miss it.
‘Not a serpent, but a dog. He’s on a tight leash.’
Noah Gregory, his composure restored, said.
“I have come today to request a trade.”
“A trade? What kind of trade?”
“First, what I will offer is what you most desperately need right now.”
“Why? Did you bring enough food to feed the entire capital’s citizenry?”
“Yes. I did.”
“……!”
For a moment, Patrick, who had been nonchalant, perked up. And he said to the composed Noah Gregory.
“You said it was a trade, so you must want something in return.”
“Of course.”
“Name it. I’ll grant almost anything.”
He wasn’t joking.
If he could just get enough food right now, Patrick was willing to give up all the treasure he had obtained while conquering the Latenop royal palace.
Did he know Patrick’s desperation?
“If you agree to the three conditions I propose, I will give you the food.”
“Three conditions….”
“That is correct.”
“Lately, things involving ‘three something or other’ have become the seventy-ninth thing I hate.”
“I have heard the rumors, but you truly seem to dislike many things.”
“Hoo…. Anyway, say it. Let’s hear it.”
At Patrick’s words, Noah spoke.
“First, in exchange for my providing the food, I would like to receive priority negotiation rights with the dwarven clan.”
“Priority negotiation rights with the dwarven clan?”
“Yes. The cause of this war was originally the depletion of the Iron Mountains’ mineral veins and the dwarves’ decision to migrate.”
“So?”
“In the northern part of our country, there is an undeveloped mountain range. The terrain is rugged and there are many monsters, making development difficult, but it has recently been somewhat cleared.”
“You intend to lure the dwarves there?”
“That is correct. Of course, it is only a matter of persuasion, so please do not worry. I am well aware of the dwarves’ stubbornness, so forcing them is impossible in the first place.”
“You say ‘just taking the yolk from the egg’ so easily.”
Patrick was curt.
Most of the Harbor Kingdom’s territory was mountainous.
And most of those mountains had been thoroughly dug up by the best miners, the dwarves.
In other words, if you took the dwarves out of here, the value of this land would plummet. But….
“Alright, fine. I accept.”
The one in a hurry right now was Patrick.
“Tell me the second.”
“The second condition is for you to accept me as your strategist.”
“…What?”
“Until this war ends, I will lend you my wisdom by your side. And if possible, I would like you to accept my strategies first.”
“…Are you crazy?”
Patrick realized for the first time.
That there might be someone in this world crazier than himself.
Marquis Noah Gregory.
The Hegemon King’s Serpent and a strategist who had achieved great merit in the northern wars.
Though still young, people called him one of the top five strategists on the entire continent.
Such an outstanding individual lending his wisdom?
Good. Yes. It’s a good thing. The only problem was….
“Why?”
No matter how much Patrick thought about it, there was no reason for this man to lend him his wisdom.
Because of the connection between the Hegemon King and himself?
No. What kind of good connection was that?
‘I was about to kill him and then stopped.’
For Patrick, Cierion was a person who was a contradiction in himself.
Considering the evil deeds he had committed across the entire continent in league with black mages and the ambition he harbored within, he deserved to be killed.
He had actually tried to kill him then. But….
[Emperor Sword Form.]
The bastard’s sword had spoken.
It said he was a martial artist who walked the proud king’s path.
A martial artist may lie with their mouth, but they cannot lie with their sword.
The conviction of the Hegemon King contained in that sword intent was real. And above all….
[What it means to serve a true king. You will never know.]
The Hegemon King’s subject had said.
That he was the king they needed….
He had cried out not just earnestly, but desperately.
So he couldn’t bring himself to kill him.
As a martial artist of the martial world, thinking of justice, he was a bastard who should have been killed a hundred times over.
But he couldn’t be sure if it was right to judge the king’s path by the standards of a martial artist.
So he had spared him, but even so, he was a person who made him ponder over and over again with a sense of unease.
For Patrick, Cierion Baisus Yusef was that kind of existence.
But why would such a man’s closest confidant, his strategist?
“If you ask for a reason, I can give you many. Starting with the fact that you must win this war for us to receive our just compensation, for the sake of the continent’s justice and the rights of the non-human dwarves? Well…. I can attach any reason I want.”
“……”
“But if I were to speak my true feelings, the greatest reason is that I want to watch you at least once.”
“Me?”
“Yes. The one whom my lord, the Hegemon King, is most wary of, most afraid of, and at the same time, most recognizes and admires….”
“Ahem!”
“……”
For a moment, the emotion of ‘what kind of bastard is this?’ surfaced on Noah’s face.
Sanson and the other knights desperately turned their heads to deny the reality before them, and Noah calmly continued.
“Anyway, I am interested in you as a person.”
“Sorry, I like women.”
“……”
This time, the expression ‘should I just go home?’ surfaced, but before that, Patrick stepped in.
“Alright, fine. I accept the second condition as well. I was in dire need of a brainy person anyway.”
“Thank you.”
“The last one, the third. Say it.”
“The third condition, I will state after this war is over.”
“That’s a problem.”
Never overusing a blank check was Patrick’s creed.
At that, Noah smiled and said.
“You may refuse the third condition. However, you must at least hear the proposal itself.”
“…Just hearing it is enough?”
“Yes. That is correct.”
“……”
Patrick pondered.
What was he scheming?
Just looking at the conditions, they were too favorable to this side. But….
‘That’s precisely why it’s suspicious.’
He couldn’t read the opponent’s intentions, which was troublesome.
Suddenly, he greatly missed his friend from his past life.
If that ugly bastard had been here, he wouldn’t have had to wrack his own brain like this.
To the pondering Patrick, Noah spoke.
“To help you decide, may I offer a piece of advice?”
“Fine. Go ahead.”
“Then, I will speak as a strategist.”
“Speak….”
“Just accept it. You stupid bastard.”
“…Pardon?”
What did you just say?
To the dumbfounded Patrick, Noah said without hesitation.
“A bastard who’s screwed without the food I brought, where do you get off testing the waters? Are you in a position to be picky about whether the bread is stale or not? Just eat what you’re given!”
“……”
“That is all.”
“……”
“Ah, I have a habit of my tone becoming a bit rough and strong when I give strategic advice.”
“……”
“It is to convey my opinion without embellishment, so I ask for your understanding.”
He could tell one thing.
This bastard wasn’t normal either.
Patrick smiled warmly and said.
“I accept your advice.”
“Thank you.”
“Then, I will give the first order to the strategist.”
“Please speak.”
“Let’s start with a beating.”
“…Pardon?”
Watching Patrick approach with a clenched fist, Marquis Noah Gregory realized.
That he wasn’t the only abnormal one in the world.
***
A small clearing in a forest, about two hours away from Latenop.
Noah Gregory, who had guided Patrick there, said.
“Here is the promised food.”
“It really existed.”
“Of course.”
There, a large pile of grain sacks was stacked, truly enough to solve the food shortage in the capital.
“In this great famine, there was another place besides our fief that had this much food stockpiled?”
“Let’s just say we had foresight.”
“And how did you bring all this here secretly?”
“There are ways. A method you probably have an inkling of as well.”
“Hmm….”
“What is it?”
“Are you sulking by any chance?”
At Patrick’s question, Noah retorted, flustered.
“I am not.”
If only one of his eyes wasn’t bruised bluish-purple, would his words have had a little more credibility?
One had an unrestrained mouth, and the other had an unrestrained fist.
So it was only natural that it would lead to such a result.
“Anyway, thank you. With this much food, there should be no more problems.”
Seeing the amount of food that could easily fill three large food warehouses, Patrick let out a sigh of relief. And….
“A hopeless idiot.”
Noah muttered under his breath and sighed for a different reason.
Patrick whipped his head around and said.
“What? What now?”
“May I offer some advice?”
“Go ahead. Who’s stopping you?”
“Will you not hit me if I do?”
“……”
So he was planning to hit him.
Noah ground his teeth and looked at Patrick, and Patrick averted his gaze before saying.
“Can’t we compromise on hitting gently?”
“……”
“Alright. I won’t hit you. Go ahead.”
Only then did Noah open his mouth.
