Episode 18: Guardian of Ortenos
I mimicked Barbat and urged my black horse forward slightly.
So, this is how Stella-Class individuals begin their introductions, huh?
By the way, it’s Naia who is trespassing on our territory, so Barbat’s claim is completely unfounded.
I rubbed the surface of a gold coin with my right hand and focused my strength in my abdomen.
“My name is Sharka de Ortenos. Did I mishear, or did that fool dare to use the von, the royal family’s surname? Barbat de Naia, perhaps you should introduce yourself correctly again?”
I threw provocative words at Barbat.
I wonder if Barbat can remain calm after being provoked by a child more than a decade younger than him.
“Fuhaha, the half-baked whelp of Ortenos is putting on airs! Aren’t you just a pathetic descendant of a runaway princess whose country was stolen by that Usurper!”
I observed Barbat as he began to speak spiritedly.
I had expected him to fly off the handle immediately, judging from his personality, but he’s surprisingly calm, dismissing it as childish prattle.
…No, he probably used the Intimidation Orb to significantly reduce our forces, so he must have taken a considerable mental hit.
He probably regained his composure after realizing his opponent is a twelve-year-old like me.
(If that’s the case, it’s worth exploiting, but I don’t like being underestimated.)
Barbat, emboldened, continued.
“That woman you once revered as your master, she shamelessly fled to the Empire, groveled before the Zakrian money-grubbers, and was impregnated with filthy offspring, wasn’t she! Those filthy whores and pig’s descendants, that’s the true nature of you Ortenos trash! Just hurry up and perish along with the Lanecki! And kneel before glorious Naia!”
Barbat’s provocation is cheap. Calm down, I told myself, barely managing to suppress my rising anger.
The subordinates behind me were biting their lips until they bled, shedding tears of blood.
Especially Getrude, who is in his old age, was a party involved in the previous Usurper incident, and the humiliation he suffered is immeasurable.
As the Guardian of Ortenos, what I can do for them is to make Barbat regret this insult while taking his life.
To increase the certainty of success, I’ll start by shaking Barbat’s spirit as much as possible.
“We do not grovel before anyone, nor do we yield to anyone. Sixty years ago, the flame left by Ilumina von Ortenos, the rightful heir to the Ortenos royal family whom you fools foolishly let escape, our great hero, still burns without fading, passed down to us without deviation. This flame will not be extinguished until it has hunted down all of you Naia lackeys and all the fools who antagonize Ortenos.”
“Tch! Nonsense!”
I managed to imbue my words with Magical Power, successfully unsettling Barbat.
Magical Power is indeed a mysterious thing, closely tied to human emotions.
Among the nobility, openly expressing emotions is frowned upon, but those who lead factions conversely use emotions skillfully.
Those who are unskilled only cause discomfort, but those who are skilled transform it into a power that attracts people.
“Are we frightening, Barbat de Naia, descendant of the Usurper? While you were warmly playing social games on your false throne, you know nothing of the hardships we endured, the muddy water we drank. We are noble great wolves, sharpening our fangs so that we can bite at your throats at any moment.”
“Tch! Barbat von Naia! Correct yourself, you stray dog!”
(That’s a good level of agitation. Should I throw in what Getrude was talking about?)
It’s probably not the orthodox approach.
Getrude was hesitant, probably concerned about my mental well-being, but that’s unnecessary.
I don’t care if it’s cowardly, if there’s a way to win for sure, I’ll choose that method.
“By the way, Barbat, how is your younger sister doing?”
“Tch!”
It’s said that Barbat has two boiling points.
One is about Barbat’s younger sister, the First Princess of the Kingdom of Naia.
Apparently, it’s related to Barbat’s abnormal fetish, so he avoids the topic.
“I’ve heard that she’s a beautiful and lovely younger sister with lustrous hair woven with golden threads. Is that true, Barbat?”
“…Shut up! Don’t talk about that damn woman!”
The sound of “damn woman” caught my attention a little.
For someone he’s been abusing, there seems to be too much hostility.
“Well, if she’s such a lovely younger sister, I can understand why you wouldn’t want to let her out as a fellow man. But I don’t think it’s right to actually assault her, Barbat.”
“…If you say another word, I’ll kill you!”
I wonder if he knows it’s a provocation, he hasn’t broken down yet.
He seems to be barely suppressing his emotions as a noble, but I have a feeling I can break him soon.
“You’re hopeless, Barbat. Why did you start attacking only young girls? You weren’t like that before, were you?”
“…Haaah?”
So, this is the main one after all.
The other boiling point of Barbat, that is—
“Ah, I see—you, you were dumped by your beloved fiancée a long time ago, weren’t you? Well, that must have been a shock. …Even so, your fetish is still messed up.”
—A trauma related to a noble (Barbat)’s female relations.
“Bu—! I’ll kiiiiill youuuuu!”
With a roar, Barbat completely entered berserk battle mode.
Confirming that the Magical Power “door” near Barbat’s tanden began to shine brilliantly, I quietly smiled.