Surviving as the Fallen Northern Grand Duke

Chapter 32: What the Arrow Aims At (2)

I knew.

That this first question was quite blunt and hasty. But...

‘It can't be helped. Things have really become dangerous now.’

Feeling the constant turbulence in my mana heart, I could clearly realize that my limit was approaching.

Some might think like this.

Looking at Johan Kraubitz, with his monstrous durability and strength, they might say, “How is that guy terminally ill?”

However, having lived my whole life in this body, I could say it outright.

This bastard may look fine on the outside, but inside, he’s completely broken.

Yes, Johan Kraubitz is like a supercar. A high-performance machine with an incredibly sturdy body. But...

‘The engine is defective, and it's on the verge of being scrapped.’

Using even a little mana often left me in a near-death state for the rest of the day, and at times, I woke up to unbearable pain.

Especially after Erina Trotsky appeared and the novel's plot progressed, the symptoms of this "mana heart angina" worsened significantly.

Even before this meeting, I had just vomited a cup full of clotted blood...

I could now fully understand why Johan Kraubitz in the novel Enchanted by the Beastly Northern Grand Duke was so obsessed with survival.

This guy really is terminally ill.

Anyway, one of the nobles who received my question raised his hand and asked.

"What is the reason for Your Grace's interest in winning the Spring Festival? Is it for honor? Or is it because of the reward—an audience with the gods?"

"The latter."

"Hmm... In that case, there seems to be no other way but to win the Spring Hunt."

If I had said that I was fixated on victory for the sake of ‘honor,’ he probably would have suggested that I put up a decent fight and then yield the win to the imperial family.

That way, I could maintain my honor while strengthening my ties with the imperial family.

However, I must meet the gods of this world and ask about extending my terminally short lifespan.

It would be frustrating to die before even using the essence of the northern continent to return to Seoul.

I’ve been struggling to prevent the end of this world, so if I die first, wouldn't that just make me look like a total idiot?

Anyway, the nobles, realizing that my only goal was to gain an audience with the gods, fell into deep thought.

In reality, winning the Spring Festival was no easy task.

One of the nobles, who had been murmuring to himself, suddenly raised his hand. He was seated relatively close to me.

"I am Duke Duran, a noble from the capital. My son is enrolled in Axen Academy..."

"Oh, Kevin Duran! So you’re his parent?"

"Yes, that's right. From what I hear, my son is quite the honor student at Axen Academy. He wrote to me, saying that the professors favor him greatly..."

"..."

I decided to keep it a secret that I had smacked his son’s thick skull during the entrance ceremony.

Also, the fact that Kevin had picked a fight with Krisha in sparring class and ended up getting his head completely burned, turning him into a bald kid.

Parental complaints are always the worst kind to deal with.

Anyway, Duke Duran continued speaking.

"As you know, to win the Spring Hunt, one must capture the Golden Stag released by the Mage Tower. At a glance, it might sound as simple as catching an animal, but in reality, it’s far from easy."

"Is there more to it?"

"The simpler something sounds, the more complex it usually is. Your Grace personally participated in the preliminary duels to select the participants for the Spring Hunt, correct? How many finalists did you see advance?"

"There had to be at least a hundred."

"Yes, at minimum, a hundred. And those are all distinguished nobles from across the empire. That means, in the forest outside Prohatska City where the Spring Hunt is held, there will be at least a hundred mounted hunters."

I listened to him with an intrigued expression.

"And that's not all. The number of imperial soldiers deployed to supervise the hunt will far exceed that. Moreover, the number of spectators gathering to witness the winner will be unimaginably high. Because of this massive turnout..."

Duke Duran lowered his voice slightly before continuing.

"Simply being good at hunting is not enough to secure victory."

"Explain in more detail."

"Since the Spring Hunt offers immense rewards and is tied to noble prestige, some participants bribe the supervising imperial soldiers to gain advantages... Others even employ necromancers who use dark magic to track the magical beast."

"Hmm..."

"And that’s not all. Some of the spectators specifically attend the event to interfere in the hunt. These could be wizards recruited by nobles or people who secretly sabotage their competitors’ equipment. In short, to ensure victory, one needs a strategy."

Now that he mentioned it, he had a point.

When a large number of people are involved, unexpected variables are bound to arise.

In an event of this scale, thinking that only skill would determine the outcome was far too naïve.

I looked around and asked.

"So, does anyone have a strategy to suggest, as Duke Duran implied? I’m not considering illegal methods or dark magic."

At that, Duke Duran and a few other nobles exchanged glances before giving a small nod.

A smirk.

With confident smiles, they spoke up.

"Actually, before coming here, we prepared something just in case it might be of help to Your Grace."

"And what would that be?"

"Look around. Most of the nobles here are from the North, and they all have extensive martial experience. Many of us qualified for the finals. So..."

So?

"We propose forming an alliance for the Spring Hunt. We can establish a communication network among ourselves and divide the search areas to locate the Golden Stag more efficiently. Additionally, if any of us come under attack, the rest can intervene to prevent interference, increasing our chances of victory."

"Oh!"

I let out an involuntary exclamation as Duke Duran finished his sentence.

It was quite a surprising idea.

Not because it was some kind of genius masterstroke.

Simply put, he was suggesting that we form a team and participate in the hunt together.

So while Duke Duran's proposal wasn't exactly revolutionary...

‘Forming such a tightly-knit coalition itself is a difficult feat.’

I fully understood the value of this plan.

Think about it.

I had originally intended to participate in the Spring Hunt alone.

My strategy was to struggle against all odds and somehow capture the Golden Stag.

Having the help of one person wasn’t even part of my plan, let alone a group of allies.

So now, aren't these renowned noble bastards flocking to me in groups, clamoring to help me voluntarily?

‘Haa. Fame really does have its perks.’

I had grown up alone for more than ten years in the cold and harsh Northern Duchy of Axen.

And now that my reputation in the empire had changed drastically, talents were finally gathering around me.

And then,

"Tsk."

Erina let out a dissatisfied noise.

"This is just a tightly knit privileged class. This is exactly how things escalate and turn into political scheming."

Having worked in a corporate finance team and witnessed countless cases of office politics, Erina found this phenomenon rather distasteful.

I decided to let her complaints about my new approach slide.

Everyone has their own thoughts, after all.

And then,

"Lady Trotsky! His Highness, Crown Prince Arthur Pontiac, has sent a letter!"

Arthur had sent another love letter today.

Crumple.

Conscious of the gazes around her, Erina unfolded the overly sentimental scribbles and read them...

"Alright, let's go with that. What's so special about a Northern Alliance? It's just people helping each other out when they get along."

It seemed she had become a staunch supporter of the Northern Alliance.

"Waaaaaaaaaaah!"

The deafening cheers rang in my ears.

And on top of that,

Bam. Pa. Bam. Pa. Pa. Bam. Parabam!

The imperial army's band began playing a grand tune that echoed throughout the entire forest.

Yes, the place I stood in now was the ‘decisive battlefield.’

Five days had passed in the blink of an eye since the previous gathering, and now, the finals of the Spring Hunt were finally upon us.

During that time, the capital had been bustling with various events of the Spring Festival, and the citizens of the empire had been swept up in an overwhelming wave of joy.

And today, once again, the Spring Hunt—an event that had thrilled the citizens for hundreds of years—was being held.

"Ssshh."

I would have liked to enjoy that lively festival as well, but my fellow northern nobles and I had spent every moment honing our riding and hunting skills without a moment of rest.

With such a crucial opportunity to end my terminally ill life right before me, I wasn't foolish enough to waste time laughing and chatting.

So now, I stood beside my horse, making a final check of my saddle.

And then,

Hoo.

I suddenly felt someone's goddamn breath on my ear.

"Heh. Johan Kraubitz. You're really working hard. To beat me, I assume?"

Followed by an equally goddamn remark.

"I greet the little sun of the empire."

I turned to face Arthur Pontiac, the owner of that voice, and gave him a brief nod of courtesy.

Then that bastard Arthur Pontiac let out a grumbling complaint.

"Grand Duke of the North, Johan Kraubitz. So now you've decided to forgo kneeling and showing proper courtesy to the crown prince?"

The moment I heard that,

Swoosh.

I looked down at Arthur Pontiac and opened my mouth.

Judging by the height difference, he had probably stood on his tiptoes to whisper in my ear.

"Your Highness. Just a moment ago, His Majesty the Emperor clearly stated in his speech, ‘Forget your status here and compete fairly.’ Yet now, while standing on equal ground as a mere participant in the Spring Hunt, do you still expect me to bow to you every time I see you?"

"…W-Well, that’s not exactly what I meant…"

"(Then shut up, dumbass.) In any case, I wish Your Highness good fortune in the hunt."

Whoosh!

With that, I turned back to my horse.

And then,

"Johan, you'd better be prepared."

Arthur’s voice followed.

"This isn’t just a simple Spring Hunt. This is… a battle between you and me. A battle to win the lovely Erina Trotsky."

What an absolutely terrifying level of obsession.

I decided to let this blatant attempt at stealing one of Axen’s valuable administrative personnel slide one last time.

If it came down to it, I could always beat the shit out of him inside the hunting grounds.

But then, the crown prince made a rather unsettling declaration.

"…So, be ready. ‘Our team’ will be waging ‘war’ against you from the very start."

Huh?

‘This crazy bastard… No way?’

Hearing his words, I had a bad feeling, but I reassured myself—surely the crown prince of the empire wouldn't be that insane.

And then...

Puuuuuuuuuh!

The trumpet signaling the start of the Spring Hunt rang out, and as soon as I and the Northern Alliance nobles stepped into the forest…

"It’s war! Subdue Johan Kraubitz and his allies!"

Myself and the Northern Alliance nobles realized that this brain-dead bastard had changed the very rules of the Spring Hunt.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud!

A cavalry unit led by him—composed of central nobles—charged toward us.

At a rough estimate, there were at least several dozen of them.

It seemed Arthur Pontiac had squandered his entire allowance on bribing nobles into joining his side.

"Ugh. What do we do now?"

Duke Duran rode up beside me and asked.

"Haa."

I had no choice but to make a decision.

There was no way we could chase after the Golden Stag while avoiding a cavalry force of that size.

"…Take off your rank insignias."

"What?!?!"

I cleared my throat and shouted.

"First, we’re going to wipe out those idiots and then chase the Golden Stag! So..."

Deep breath.

"All troops, advance!"

"Waaaaaaaah!"

The Spring Hunt was supposed to be about chasing down the Golden Stag released by the Mage Tower, proving one's bravery, and symbolizing the unity of the empire.

But from the very beginning…

A fierce battle was erupting in the depths of the forest, kicking up clouds of dust.

"Glory... to the Lord's servant..."

Deep within the forest, where the Spring Hunt was in full swing.

On the western outskirts, near the hunting grounds' boundary, a large military force had gathered.

"Today, I shall fulfill Your will."

A man, wrapped in a rough hood, looked up at the sky and prayed to someone.

Swoosh.

His hood slipped down. And then…

Escal Demaris.

The Grand Duke of Southern Provin, the man who had forfeited his right to participate in the Spring Hunt, stood at the head of an army of countless soldiers.

And then,

Saaaaah…

All around him, the imperial soldiers who had originally been guarding the forest’s perimeter lay dead.

The corpses were crushed and torn apart as if they had been mauled by wild beasts.

The man responsible for this horrific massacre, Escal Demaris, spoke in a chilling voice.

"The time has finally come. Servants of the Lord, advance. Today, we shall…"

Yes, we shall.

"Slaughter the royal family… and seize the empire."