Plan B of the Marquis.
The mont Hyeonbyeol said I might be that, my head went blank for an instant.
Ah, though it really was just for a mont.
‘It’s not entirely illogical. If the Marquis lost, then the royal family won, and if the royal family won, there’s a good chance I played a significant role... He might’ve thought I could at least protect Ragna...’
If it’s the Marquis, he definitely calculated that far ahead.
Still, no matter what, I don’t think this is Plan B.
Maybe more like Plan C.
‘I’ll think more about that later...’
"Is there anything else I need to know?"
"Mm, just that you need to access the hidden room where Countess Peproc is?"
"I see."
As I nodded, Hyeonbyeol cautiously opened her mouth.
"But... about Countess Peproc..."
What is it? Why the hesitation?
Didn’t she just say there was nothing else?
When I looked at her with suspicion, Hyeonbyeol continued, her expression unreadable.
"...She’s quite pretty, isn’t she?"
"Well, yeah, she is..."
"Then why did you turn her down?"
What, am I supposed to marry every woman with a pretty face? If I’d married her back then, I would’ve gotten swept up in the Marquis’s plans.
‘But that’s not what Hyeonbyeol’s really asking about.’
After spending enough ti with her, I could tell just from her tone.
No matter how many political reasons I give, there’s no way she’d accept them. She’s clearly building up to asking about sothing else.
So, in that case...
"Marriage is a sacred bond. One must be cautious—extrely cautious."
I declared firmly, invoking Confucian virtue for the first ti in ages.
A clear signal that I didn’t want to talk about this any further.
Hyeonbyeol seed to pick up on that and didn’t press any more, but she pouted just a little and spoke with a teasing edge.
"Aha? So you really liked that doll, huh?"
Why is she bringing that up now?
"Hyeonbyeol, that was a lie I had to tell—"
"Was it really a lie? I heard nobles are going crazy for that doll you were holding. There’s even a whole trend now."
"...Seriously?"
"Yeah, really. Like, ‘Oho! So this is the doll that the giant, Bjorn Yandel, loves so much!’—that kind of reaction."
"Stop."
Please. Just stop.
I already regret it deeply.
‘Ha... What the hell was I thinking back then...?’
Looking back now, I have no idea what ca over . But I decided to stop thinking about it.
A re barbarian can’t undo what’s already done.
"Anyway, let’s get up. The others are probably waiting."
The past must be left behind.
***
When I returned to the room where the others had been waiting, Alia casually asked,
"So, did the two of you have a good talk?"
Her tone was the sa as usual, but after spending so much ti with her, I could sense a bit of disappointnt buried in it.
Just as I was about to answer—
"Yes. Thanks to you, we had a good talk."
"Yes. Thanks to you, we had a good talk."
Hyeonbyeol, who had followed behind , answered in my place.
"Thanks, Alia."
"...I wasn’t talking to you."
"Oh my, really? I’m sorry."
At Hyeonbyeol’s shaless apology, Alia didn’t respond. But I could feel the air getting colder sohow, so I quickly changed the subject.
"Alia, how is it outside?"
"It’s quiet. Seems like he’s doing a good job drawing attention away. They still haven’t noticed us. I checked the building while you were talking, but I didn’t find any—"
"Tsk tsk, see? What would you have done without ?"
"...What do you an?"
"There’s a hidden room in this villa. One that normal people could never find, no matter how hard they look."
She must be talking about the room where Ragna is sleeping...
I get that she wants to emphasize that we owe her, but I really wish she’d stop here.
Especially because Alia is smiling right now.
Only her lips, not her eyes.
"You’re... a strange type of person."
Well, from Alia’s perspective, this must all feel surreal.
So weakling shows up out of nowhere, wouldn’t survive a single stab, and yet keeps ssing with her mood.
‘Why does she enjoy pestering people so much when she can’t even fight...?’
I consoled myself with the fact that at least Hyeonbyeol wasn’t a combatant, and quickly cut the conversation short.
"Even if Noark isn’t paying attention to us now, there’s no guarantee they won’t later. So, Harin Suevi, take us to the room where Countess Peproc is."
"...Got it."
Despite how short the conversation had been, I felt like it drained a lot out of . Shaking my head, I followed behind Hyeonbyeol, who stopped in front of the building’s outer wall.
"There’s a hidden space here?"
Alia, who had silently followed us, frowned.
Well, I kind of felt the sa.
Secret rooms are usually behind closets or under carpets, right?
"...But behind this wall is the garden?"
Just like the Marquis’s son said, there wasn’t supposed to be any space behind this wall.
But I didn’t doubt it.
This is a fantasy world—where dreams, hopes, and magic exist.
Swish.
Hyeonbyeol didn’t answer. She simply reached out and brushed the wall with a delicate hand, and the bracelet on her wrist lit up, resonating with the surface.
Fwoooosh—!
A wave of blue light burst from the wall as it began to resonate. It was definitely different from the magic circles we’d seen before.
Well, not unfamiliar, just... different.
"...A portal?"
A portal shimred in front of the wall as if greeting us.
"The Marquis must’ve put a lot into this. The magic was completely undetectable, even up to the point it activated."
Alia spoke calmly, and Hyeonbyeol let out a faint chuckle, nearly turning the air cold again—but luckily, it didn’t escalate.
"Then let’s go in."
The space beyond the portal was ordinary.
Given that we ca through a portal, I was expecting sothing °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° more mysterious.
‘Just a normal room, huh?’
A modest room with a bed, table, and wardrobe.
I glanced around briefly, then focused my gaze on the bed.
Seeing Ragna sleeping peacefully, unaware of the world, stirred strange emotions in .
‘Never thought she’d really be a princess...’
It reminded again how mysterious fate can be.
After all, what were the chances that the librarian I t back in my Grade-9 barbarian explorer days would be of royal blood?
"Is there no way to wake her?"
When I asked Hyeonbyeol, who had entered behind , she gave a straightforward answer.
"There is. The Marquis has to wake her himself, or... he has to die."
"...So there’s no way for now."
"Exactly."
Sigh... so that’s how it is...
As I stood quietly, staring at Ragna, Alia spoke up.
"I see you’ve secured Countess Peproc. But what now? Planning to use her to find the Marquis?"
I quickly organized my thoughts and nodded.
"Yeah, sothing like that."
"‘Sothing like that’? What does that an?"
Uh... well...
Reading the diary made it clear.
Just how much our dear Marquis loved his daughter.
"Watch. Once she wakes up, he’ll co to us on his own."
Though, I should probably make a few preparations.
***
The plan was extrely simple.
Even more so when the executor is a barbarian.
Kwaaaang—!
Swinging my hamr in [Giant Form], I smashed the Marquis’s “mory box.”
The roof, the outer walls, the neatly manicured garden, the fences...
It took less than ten minutes to demolish the secret villa, which, at a glance, looked like it had been painstakingly designed by a well-known architect.
"Wow, that was fast..."
"Hehe, of course! Barbarians are experts in construction!"
"Construction...? Well, I guess demolition technically counts..."
While Hyeonbyeol watched in amazent and Ainard shrugged beside her, the demolition process ca to an end.
If the Marquis saw what had beco of his shattered “mory box,” he’d probably be devastated, but that’s none of my concern.
Having finished the demolition swiftly, I approached the “outer wall” buried beneath the wreckage—the one place we’d taken care not to hit during the destruction, because that was where the portal entrance was.
"Harin Suevi, open the portal."
"Yes."
Once the portal opened and we stepped back inside, all preparations were complete.
The Marquis, wounded by Auyen, would probably wake up tomorrow evening. Once he checked the situation around him, he’d try to check this place too.
And then...
‘He finds out this place has been destroyed?’
For the Marquis, who loves his daughter deeply, there’s no doubt he’ll want to see it with his own eyes.
Since he didn’t have her moved here while unconscious, it must an he kept this place secret even from his closest people.
To ensure secrecy, he’ll have to co in person...
‘And even if he doesn’t, it doesn’t matter.’
If he sends a subordinate instead, I’ll just beat the location out of them.
‘I only need to catch the Marquis.’
Of course, I know.
Catching him won’t end the war.
But so what?
Once I catch and kill him, my deal with the king is done, and I’ll have no reason to stay involved in this war.
‘The rest can sort itself out.’
Afterward, we spent our ti holed up quietly in the slightly cramped room.
Well, maybe not quietly.
"It’s been a while since we all spent ti together in one room. Don’t you think so, Baron?"
Why is she doing this again.
Does she really enjoy ssing with this much?
Drrrrrrrrrrrr—! Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr—!
Knowing that feeding her would only make her more aggressive, I pretended to sleep in silence. Hyeonbyeol just chuckled quietly and let it go.
But then, unexpectedly, Ainard chid in.
"Stop acting out, human female."
"Human female...?"
"I get that you’re in heat, but you can’t even bear a warrior, can you?"
"What... are you talking about...?"
"I don’t know what kind of bond you had with Bjorn. But even so, we don’t ignore you. We’re not trying to establish a hierarchy either. So quit acting out and stay quiet."
Hit full force by the barbarian’s brutally direct way of speaking, Hyeonbyeol seed montarily dazed.
Just as she was coming to her senses and about to respond—
"Enough."
Alia stepped in to diate the situation.
"Ainard, you too. Shut up and eat this."
"Huh? I didn’t really do anything— Oh! Is this jerky from Rethaspa?! You’re giving sothing this rare?!"
Wait, Rethaspa?
That’s the one she wouldn’t even give when I asked...
Churp.
The scent of premium jerky filled the room and made my mouth water, but I kept pretending to sleep and eventually dozed off.
Later, I woke up from hunger and spent so ti bothering the Marquis’s son.
And ti passed endlessly like that...
Half a day. A full day.
By now, the Marquis should’ve regained consciousness.
Two days. Three...
A good deal more ti passed, and just when I started to wonder if the plan had failed—
Fwoooosh—!
The portal opened, and a visitor arrived.
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