(EP.16) How A Sheep Lives #1

016 – How A Sheep Lives In A Lion's Den #1

Reinhardt.

Lord Reinhardt Von Lioness.

He was a man that never smiled.

Even when he beheaded his first enemy. Even when he returned as a triumphant hero and obtained the people's cheers.

Even when he married his wife Parsha.

He never smiled once when she gave birth to his daughter and son. He simply acted relaxed.

Like all Lioness Fathers, he thought that laughter made people weak.

So Reinhardt didn't laugh, to protect the image of himself and his family.

But now…

Reinhardt couldn't stop himself from having a hearty chortle.

“Khahahahaha!”

“…….”

“Master, what happened… ”

Thanks to this, the ‘unwelcome guest' frowned. Even the old butler peeked his head in with worry.

“Hahahahaha!”

Reinhardt couldn't stop laughing.

“Sir Gospel, what did you just say? The Academy? Was it ‘Entering the Academy’? Hahahaha!”

“Is it that funny?”

“It IS funny! God, I've never heard such a funny joke in my entire life. Look, Sir Gospel. I don't think that mad Queen can learn anything from anyone."

“Mad Queen? No matter how important Lord Reinhardt is, saying something like that ….”

Reinhardt wiped the tears from his eyes with his thick index finger while waving his other hand.

“Get rid of that unpoetic loyalty. That Aira is broken. Sir Gospel, you know this better than anyone else.”

“Lord Reinhardt, if your father had not been a meritorious man in the June War, it would not be strange if you get executed.”

"I know my father. He was a man who only bowed his head to a true ruler. I am the same. I won't bow my head to the mad Queen like everyone else!"

“…….”

The ‘guest' shut his mouth. However, the sound of gears turning and spinning inside his head seemed almost audible in Reinhardt's ears.

A guy who didn’t prove himself through actions and only wanted to take care of his own interests. This was the kind that Reinhardt hated the most.

He wanted to get rid of this punk right away but couldn't, because he was also curious.

“Tell me, Court Gardener, Sir Gospel. You're planning to send the Queen to the Academy? This is utter nonsense. That woman is a typhoon.”

“A typhoon?”

"Yes, a typhoon. No one wants to teach a typhoon. Just put your head down on the floor and pray for it to pass by. That’s how you deal with typhoons.”

“A typhoon….”

According to this analogy, Aira was a typhoon.

If the typhoon Aira entered the Academy, who among the people would object? There might be some, but most would simply roll with it.

Because, everyone was well aware that Aira leaving would only benefit the country.

Reinhardt said with a smile on his face.

“Alright, let's say the typhoon enters the Academy, yes? And that I become the Chancellor that oversees the Capital city, like what Sir Gospel suggested. Then, what's the guarantee that I won't revolt?"

The only time a fox could confidently enter the lion's den was when he had something up his sleeve to get out alive.

Reinhardt wondered what the man in front of him would say.

You could call it entertainment. And if he didn’t like the answer, he would just kick this brat out.

As Reinhardt was stroking his neatly shaved jaw, Theo Gospel looked around and started talking.

“It would be easy for the most valiant army of Angmar to occupy the Palace without the Queen.”

“Even now, with the Queen’s presence, it is still possible to capture the entire Palace within a week if you put your mind to it.”

“… Do you really think so?”

"Yes. The Queen is an excellent Magician. But in the end, she's alone and outnumbered, without an army.”

"However, isn't there a reason why you haven’t simply done that? Back when your family seized the throne from the Angmar Family, you knew what happened…"

Theo Gospel's calm voice seemed to paint a picture of raging flames and angry protests inside Reinhardt's head.

It was the time when four families, including the Lioness, killed the Demon Angmar and mutilated his body. The days of revolution that he heard from his Father and Grandfather.

At that time, a surprising number of people and nobles did not support the rebellion, despite suffering from tyranny under the Demon King.

It was probably because the Angmar Family was deeply rooted with the Kingdom.

Hence, in order to win the people's heart, the new ruler, King Tarantera, had to work extra hard.

Even so, the church still did not recognize the Tarantera Family as rulers of the Angmar Kingdom.

So what would happen if the throne was once again taken away by another family in a coup?

Therefore, taking over the Palace was actually not as easy as it sounded.

Just because you could get the throne didn’t mean you would win the kingdom. Reinhardt knew this well through experience.

“And yet it will only be a matter of time. After all, the people can’t choose the King. Eventually, everyone will get used to it. Wasn’t that how the Tarantera Family obtained the throne?”

“But, what if there is a more convenient and legal way for the Lioness Family to inherit the throne…?”

“How?”

Keuheum.

Was there such a way?

Reinhardt, who was almost tempted with the story, stopped himself.

Because he knew better than anyone else that there was no such convenient method. At least, none as far as he could get his hands on.

Meanwhile, Theo continued speaking without pause.

“Right now, Queen Aira has no one betrothed to her, and of course she has no children. What if, suddenly… It is very profane, but! IF something suddenly happens….”

“There will be chaos.”

“That’s it! For that reason, Aira-nim's first consideration would be one of her closest relatives, the Lioness's. And she is thinking of naming the family's youngest son, Richard, her successor.”

“…The Queen is planning this?”

"Yes, if Her Majesty were to step down, little Richard would naturally be crowned. By then, would there still be the need to revolt?"

A snake's tongue…

Reinhardt could feel the story just flowing too well.

It was a proposition without downsides.

Of course, this would only happen if Aira never had an heir.

And with that crazy Queen, it was inconceivable that she would marry a man and have someone's child.

Going back to the typhoon analogy.

A typhoon could not love anyone.

Anyway.

It was hard to believe that the Queen would allow this, but if one thought about it carefully, this would be the best-case scenario for Queen Aira.

If this happened, the Lioness Family would have to put the safety of Queen Aira first. How ironic.

If Aira was poisoned or killed by an assassin, the Lioness Family, who would be benefiting the most, would instead be condemned.

The one who was once a slave, Theo Gospel, had put forth such thoughts.

Clearly, looking at it this way, Theo was a competent man.

The problem was that the method was so innovative and radical that not making an enemy out of him became even more necessary…

Court Gardener Theo Gospel then added like putting the nail in the coffin.

“So, make sure to deploy the troops you will be training on the outskirts to the western part of Borgia. I heard that their number was something close to 20,000?”

…How did he know this?

Reinhardt wondered if the man in front of him really had the power of foresight or divination as rumored. However, he immediately got rid of this thought.

There was no such thing as the magic of foreknowledge or revelation in this world. If there was such a convenient miracle, the world wouldn't have needed a huge wall.

Then, who or what was this man?

Reinhardt decided to end the discussion by touching the corners of his mouth and washed away the lingering laughter.

“So, Sir Gospel. Did Queen Aira say that she would go to the Academy herself?”

“That’s… what will happen. Also, doesn’t the fact that I'm still alive mean it’s already halfway there?"

“Then all the things you've spouted so far could simply be bullshit.”

“No, they aren’t. You might not be able to get rid of a typhoon, but you can predict where it will go.”

“Is that even possible?”

“We live in such a world. It is, indeed, possible."

“How hilarious! Ah, I wasted my time with all that nonsense. Get some rest in the mansion, then you can leave on your own.”

“Very well then.” Looking at the back of the slender figure walking out the door, Reinhardt had no choice but to honestly admit.

‘What a waste!’

If only the man in front of him had a little bit more backbone.

If only he had a good status… No, he was already good on that front. Had he been talented in magic or swordsmanship, it wouldn't have been a waste to have him as a son-in-law.

Of course, no matter how old Elga got, his tomboy daughter still wouldn’t care about men or social circles. As a matter of fact, she hated the mention of marriage.

Reinhardt's eyes darkened as he thought of his daughter's betrothment…

* * *

"Huuu-"

When I left the room, my body was already drenched in sweat.

It was like when someone grabbed the nape of a cat and threw it into the sea. Was there something like that? I didn’t know, but there must have been one.

It was scary.

Fortunately, the negotiation worked out. Otherwise, I, Theo Gospel, would have become a decoration on the wall by now.

“You were practically killing me with your stares. Did you hate me that much?”

Still, I was confident.

As far as I knew, Reinhardt was very interested in the position.

In fact, right after the witch Queen Aira in the novel was executed by an angry crowd at the gallows.

It was Reinhardt who took the reins and tried to stabilize the situation in the Kingdom.

He also attempted to put his son, Richard, on the throne.

I just twisted the story and moved the events forward.

However, the fact that Aira was alive now became a vital turning point in the story.

‘How do you like me now, world!’

I jeered at something intangible.

I had won!

That was what I wanted to declare, but there were still issues that needed to be addressed.

“Hey, Theo, you’re a guest, yet you think that you can just wander around like that? Huh?"

Speaking of issues, she was one of them…

“What's this? Why are you widening your eyes like that? You want to be scolded?!”

Growling like an angry beast, Elga then lifted her pointy shoe and kicked my ass.

It hurted!

There would be many important turning points in the future.

If Elga tried to disturb me everytime like this, it would be troublesome in many ways.

“Yaa, answer! Answer me, Theo! Did I say something wrong? Huh?"

Pat, pat.

Being kicked in the ass, I felt the need to transform this tomboy into a gentle sheep.

“Your face right now is really pissing me off! This is my house. Here, I'm a princess, a Queen, got that?!"

"I suppose so… Well then, Miss Elga. Can we talk in a quiet place, just the two of us?"

"Eung? Just us two…?”

[T/N: I only cut chapters if it's equal or above 2k words. This chapter, for example, only have around 1.9k]