I Became a Sick Nobleman

***

“Earlier, you were eating that meat pie quite seriously, weren’t you?”  

Ganien whispered to Ruel.  

“I was having some unpleasant thoughts.”  

“Still unsure about things?”  

“Yeah.”  

“Then that must be your battlefield over there.”  

Ganien pointed to a large door they were about to reach.

A grand welcoming ceremony awaited Ruel.  

He was used to stepping into the lion’s den.  

Ruel replied flatly, “Yeah.”  

“You still have time, so why not meet Fran before going in?”  

Cassion suggested, taking a last look at Ruel’s condition.

“After this is over. I don’t want to hear unnecessary nonsense.”

Most of the nobles knew he was ill, but he didn’t want to make a scene.

Further investigation confirmed that Kran had been eaten by the Red Ash more severely than Leponia.

He couldn’t let his guard down.  

He mustn’t give them any openings.  

“Cassion.”  

“Yes?”  

“Send my regards to His Highness Banios. And…”  

Ruel paused and glanced at Ganien.  

Huswen also needed to be informed of this.  

Ganien nodded in response, being mindful of the nobles gathering one by one.  

“Aris.”  

At Ruel’s call, Aris was the first to speak.  

“I’m still nervous this time. But there’s nothing I can’t do.”  

Satisfied with Aris’s resolute response, Ruel smiled.  

“Let’s go.”  

To his battlefield.  

“Announcing the entry of Sir Aris, the Magic Swordsman from the Kingdom of Leponia, and Lord Ruel Setiria, the noble of darkness!”  

As always, it was an awful sound that made Ruel’s senses sharpen.  

Ttak. Ttak. 

The sound of the cane rang cheerfully.  

The gazes upon him stung more than ever.

Some were openly showing malice, and Ruel smiled pleasantly in response.  

Eyes up.  

Back straight.  

Walk confidently.  

Who wouldn’t know that he was Ruel Setiria?  

“You seem to be enjoying yourself,” Aris whispered, walking just behind Ruel.  

—Indeed! Ruel was truly enjoying himself.  

Leo wagged his tail and smiled brightly.  

“It’s fun, isn’t it?”  

Ruel genuinely found it amusing.  

“Hilim Tonisk confirmed that his younger sibling is a devotee of darkness.”  

Ruel recalled what Cassion had mentioned before bed last night.  

Glen Syria had not lied.

What he said was true.  

To become the vessel of the Great Man, the condition was they had to be the ‘Devotee of Darkness.’

—What could possibly be so fun? Tell this body!  

Leo joyfully wiggled his feet.

Ruel inhaled Breath and glanced around.  

Almost half of the nobles were part of Red Ash.  

If he just reached out his hand, he could be killed right there.  

How regrettable it must be that they could not kill him despite that.  

Ever since entering the palace, he hadn’t seen even a strand of hair from the enemy, let alone any attacks.  

The death they had gathered to claim his body had vanished, so until they collected it again, it would be quite troublesome if he accidentally died.  

‘While they’re gathering death, I am practically invulnerable—how could I not enjoy that?’  

The situation had completely reversed compared to before.  

Feeling the long-lost tranquility made him smile involuntarily.  

Ruel walked to the closest position to the king and took a seat.  

“I’ll tell you later,” Ruel whispered softly while petting Leo.  

Even with nobles pointing fingers at him and whispering since the king had not yet arrived, it was amusing.  

He was allowed to do so.  

Wasn’t he in that position?  

Ruel waited for the king and the prince and princess to enter.  

—This is strange. Why is there no food?  

Leo looked around eagerly, but all he could see were chairs placed toward the throne, causing his tail to droop in disappointment.  

Each country had different protocols, so Ruel shrugged his shoulders.  

It was just a ceremonious gathering by name, and he hoped it would be quick with just some polite greetings.  

What good was it to have delicious food if it was just a distant fantasy for him?  

‘Damn, allergies.’  

“I’m sorry, but please step back.”  

In a brief moment, nobles swarmed towards Ruel.  

They vied to introduce themselves, trying to build connections with Ruel, but Aris stepped in assertively to block them.  

Still, those trying to break through suddenly hurried back to their original places.  

It was because of the loud announcement from the attendant.  

“His Majesty, the most esteemed and the greatest, His Highness Trown Kran, enters—blessed by Hela!”  

The king entered with a bored expression.  

He didn’t appear as rigid as Huswen or as wise with age as Brans.

He seemed like merely a dead shell.  

The king walked toward the throne without even casting a glance at Ruel.  

‘…?’  

In that brief moment when the king brushed past him, Ruel felt a familiar sensation.  

Like being caught in a spider’s web.

Though not as clear as the sensation with Treitol, it was undoubtedly that feeling.

‘What the…’  

Ruel tightly gripped his cane.

“The small pillar of the Kran Kingdom, the bloodline of the Great Man…”  

The prince and princess entered simultaneously.  

Ruel couldn’t quite hear the attendant’s words.  

A chill rose from the tips of his fingers, causing his hands to tremble uncontrollably.  

It wasn’t only Treitol and the king—he felt the same sensation from all of them.  

Suddenly, Ruel felt like he couldn’t breathe and hurriedly inhaled Breath.

—Are you alright?

“Are you okay?”  

Leo and Aris both turned their heads and asked at the same time, noticing Ruel’s slightly unsettled breathing.  

Ruel nodded.  

‘It feels like the place is crawling with spiders.’  

He felt disgust along with the unpleasant sensation.

“May everyone be blessed by Hela.”

The king, seated on the throne, opened his mouth with a boredom that matched his expression.  

“Today, we have a precious guest from afar.”  

Only then did the king look at Ruel and extend his hand.  

Even with Ruel’s pale complexion, the king continued speaking in a dry manner.  

“Ruel Setiria, come here.”  

Ruel grasped his cane tightly at the king’s gesture and rose from his seat.  

An attendant standing slightly away from the king briefly introduced Ruel.  

“From the Kingdom of Leponia, he is the head of Setiria and the Noble of Darkness, Lord Ruel Setiria.”  

Ruel knelt before the king and bowed.  

“I greet the Sun of the Kran Kingdom. My name is Ruel Setiria.”  

“I have long heard your rumors. Noble of Darkness. Indeed, you are a model for all nobles.”  

At that, the king’s previously dry voice gained a bit of energy.  

Though it sounded somewhat forced in its praise, Ruel responded without losing his composure.

“I am humbled by your words, Your Majesty.”  

“My nature is impatient, so I wish to hear the precious news you have brought first. Is that alright?”  

“Of course, Your Majesty.”  

As the king gestured, the attendant approached, and Ruel handed over Brans’ letter.  

The letter contained the contents granting permission for an alliance.  

While the attendant read the letter, Ruel stole a glance at the king.  

How many opportunities would there be to meet the king, let alone the prince?  

He needed to gather as much information as possible before leaving Kran under the pretense of Huswen’s birthday.  

— …Huh? Something feels strange.  

Leo tilted his head.  

He walked over to the king, sniffing and circling around him.  

—There’s no scent.

‘He doesn’t have a scent?’  

Since he was too close to the king, Ruel couldn’t ask Leo.  

Leo then walked over to the attendant to sniff around.  

—This human has a scent, but why doesn’t that one?  

Returning to Ruel, Leo stared intently at his expression.  

—Ah! I get it! Ruel is wondering what this body meant!  

Ruel nodded slightly.  

—All humans, no, all living beings have their own unique scent. Among them, the scent Ruel gives off is the nicest!  

Leo suddenly began to mention himself while explaining and grinned bashfully.  

‘So the king has no scent, then?’  

While Leo was rubbing his face against Ruel’s body for a while, he was startled when the attendant finished reading the end of the letter.  

—Yikes! This body got distracted petting Ruel, this body forgot for a moment.

Leo stomped his front paws together.

—So, that human has no scent! It doesn’t seem like a living human at all.  

‘Not alive?’  

Ruel barely managed to calm the corners of his mouth that seemed ready to rise.

“I have fought only against those lunatics, so I don’t know. Ah, we can’t do anything, but those guys command the dead.”

He recalled the words of Hikars.  

‘The lunatics can control corpses, right?’

But soon, a question arose.

‘If the king were to die, and it’s said that lunatics can control his corpse, could a corpse move so skillfully?’

It seemed he would need to hear the truth through Hikars.  

The attendant finished speaking and cautiously handed the letter to the king.  

For the first time, the king smiled.  

“Thank you. Not only are you a precious guest, but you have also brought a truly valuable gift.”  

“Your words are too kind.”  

“On this joyous day, how could we do without lively songs and food?”  

The king gestured to Ruel.  

“Now rise, Lord Setiria.”  

Watching Ruel get up, the king emphasized his words further.  

“Today is a commemorative day. A strong and sturdy bridge has been established between the Kingdom of Leponia and our Kran Kingdom. Let us take this opportunity to pledge to Hela that Kran will continue to strive for peace now and in the future.”   �

The prince, princess, and all the nobles bowed toward the king.  

“May everlasting glory be upon the king and Hela.”  

As they spoke simultaneously, Ruel discreetly bowed his head.

‘You must be pleased that your wishes are being fulfilled. Isn’t that right, Great Man?’

A smile formed at the corner of his mouth.

***

‘…Ha. Great Man or whatever, I’m going to die first.’  

Ruel leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.  

“Right now, Ruel-nim is resting, so please come back later.”  

How many times had Aris repeated the same words?  

The banquet was held in another hall.  

Leo’s eyes sparkled as he dashed toward the hall, where plenty of food was prepared.  

However, the moment Ruel stepped toward the hall, he was struck with a sense of suffocation by the sight of nobles charging at him like a pack of dogs.  

Unlike during the Cyronian event, there was no one to stop them, and a dizzying number of voices followed one after the other.  

Though Ruel managed to retreat to a resting area set up in a corner of the hall under the pretense of taking a break, they still clung to him like leeches.  

Suddenly, the murmurs of the nobles ceased.  

Ruel opened his eyes.  

Someone had arrived.  

‘The first? The second? Or maybe the fourth?’  

He hoped it would be the first as much as possible.  

He was the most ambiguous of them all.  

“Ruel-nim, His Highness Adea Kran has arrived.”  

At Aris’s words, Ruel smiled and grasped the cane that lay beside him.  

With the sound of footsteps, a rather large man walked over.  

This was Adea Kran.  

“I greet the Little Sun. I am Ruel Setiria.”

“Apologies for interrupting your rest.”  

“It’s fine. I apologize for not coming out to greet Your Highness.”  

“Please, sit.”  

Adea naturally offered a seat.  

Could he take the initiative in the conversation?  

“It seems Your Highness has something urgent to discuss with me.”  

Ruel comfortably sat down and opened his mouth.  

“If you had no purpose, you wouldn’t have come to see me, would you?”  

Adea lightly chuckled and sat down.  

Whether he was testing Ruel or was just inherently arrogant, Ruel responded with a sly grin.  

“That is incorrect, Your Highness.”  

“Incorrect?”  

“Yes. I am different from those outside.”  

“Isn’t that an incredibly arrogant statement?”

“It’s not arrogance; it’s the truth. I am someone with quite a bit of influence, enough that even Your Highness cannot disregard me. So saying I wouldn’t have come to see you if I had no purpose is rather ridiculous, don’t you think?”  

“Haha!”  

Adea laughed loudly.  

As expected, he was testing him.  

“I apologize. I take back my earlier statement. Will you accept my apology?”  

“I’ll consider it a pleasant first meeting.”  

Ruel responded with an innocent smile.  

Adea glanced outside and lowered his voice a notch.  

“Do you understand why I have come to find you?”

“Is it not for a deal?”  

The reason for Adea’s visit was clear.  

He must have heard his story through Medeas Tehel.  

To deal with the Red Ash, which had nearly taken over the country, he needed someone with prior experience— someone like him.  

Even if he was a Great Man, approaching him in this way was appropriate.

Adea was publicly known as a prince who ardently worked for the nation.  

‘Gotta stick to the concept, right?’  

Adea smiled contentedly.  

“Correct. Just as you expected, I have come to negotiate with you.”  

“I hope it’s a deal that will benefit me.”  

Fed up with the typical roundabout speech of nobles and royalty, Ruel decided to cut to the chase.  

Adea smiled and pulled the paper from his pocket.

He could see mana swirling around the paper.  

“We’re meeting for the first time today. Hela says trust must be given first.”  

When Ruel silently stared at him, Adea shook the paper.  

“Thus, I have prepared my magical contract.”  

‘He even brought a magical contract?’  

Adea lowered the contract and spoke seriously.  

“I have been waiting for you to come to the Kran Kingdom.”  

“Why were you waiting for me?”  

“Because you are the one most deeply involved in the current situation.”  

Adea flipped the paper around to show Ruel.

[I, Adea Kran, am neither the Great Man or part of the Red Ash. I swear to be true to Ruel Setiria until the end of the Red Ash.]

After reading the words written on the paper, Ruel remained silent.  

His questions were still unresolved.  

‘What about Medeas Tehel?’  

Without hesitation, Adea signed the contract in front of Ruel.  

As the color of the paper turned blue, Adea handed it over to Ruel.

“This is the utmost trust I can show you right now.”  

“Are you saying you are not part of the Red Ash?”  

“As you know, a magical contract is absolute, unlike a mana oath.”  

Ruel accepted the paper and stared intently at the text.  

It was clear to anyone that the contract had been properly executed.  

He inhaled Breath and slightly closed his eyes.  

A magical contract was indeed absolute.  

Adea had not even filled in a term for the first condition.  

This meant he had satisfied the requirements in the past and must uphold this treaty in the future.  

Could it truly be that Adea was not the Great Man?  

“What is it that you desire from me?” Ruel finally spoke.  

After all, the stage for conversation had been set.  

It would not be courteous to remain silent.  

“I have heard that you dealt with the Red Ash in Leponia and Cyronian.”  

“I merely laid the table; I don’t deserve such high praise.”  

“I am aware you were at the center of it all.”  

“Did you learn this from Medeas Tehel, a member of the Red Ash, or is it information you acquired on your own?”  

For a moment, Adea was at a loss for words.  

He blinked rapidly before finally responding.  

“How do you know Medeas Tehel?”  

“Before that, I have something I’d like to check.”  

Ruel extended his hand.  

“You want to… shake hands?”

“Yes. I am requesting a handshake.”

Just because the magical contract seemed flawless didn’t mean he could relax.

If the Great Man were Adea Kran, then his body was merely that of Adea Kran, but being the Great Man was not inherently tied to Adea Kran.  

There was always a possibility of deception, so he had to check and double-check carefully.

A handshake.

This was the best way to confirm the truth at this moment.  

‘Back then, after shaking hands with Treitol, I definitely felt it.’  

A sensation of being caught in a spider’s web.

Although it was still uncertain, he thought it might be a feeling associated with being the Great Man or someone connected to the Great Man.  

Could he feel that with Adea as well?  

Reluctantly, Adea took Ruel’s hand.