The Count's Gun-Shooting Scoundrel

“Who has come?”

As Arthur returned from the village, an unfamiliar carriage came into his view.

Andrew looked at the flag on the carriage and frowned.

“It seems Count Yarve of the Nivon territory has sent a delegation.”

“Why Count Yarve?”

“He visited once for a personal matter while you were unconscious, Young Master.”

Just as Arthur nodded and was about to walk to his room, someone rushed over to him.

It was Leusanna, Madeline's handmaiden.

“Young Master, please go to Her Ladyship quickly!”

“What's wrong?”

“Her Ladyship is being harassed by the envoy sent by Count Yarve.”

“Is it because of that incident from back then?”

When Andrew asked, Leusanna silently nodded.

“What incident?”

“W-well, that is…”

As Andrew hesitated, Arthur's gaze on him turned cold.

“Don't make me say it twice.”

“...!”

Andrew turned pale.

Remembering the old Arthur, he quickly answered.

“Count Yarve proposed to Her Ladyship.”

“What? A proposal?”

He was startled by the unexpected news.

“So, what was Mother's reaction?”

“She rejected him firmly. But he wouldn't give up and kept pressing, so Sir Skevin eventually stepped in to resolve the situation.”

Arthur nodded as if he understood the current situation and asked Leusanna.

“Where are Skevin and Millerf?”

“Sir Millerf is not in the castle due to personal matters, and while Sir Skevin is by Her Ladyship's side, he's surrounded by the knights who came with the envoy and can't make a move.”

“Gasp!”

Andrew's eyes widened as if they would tear.

Having seen Skevin overpower the knight who came with Count Yarve last time in an instant, he must have sent stronger knights this time.

To be able to suppress him, who has reached the highest level of Sword Expert, they must be incredibly skilled.

If they had brought a Sword Master, there would be no way to stop them.

“Young Master, what should we do?”

Andrew's face turned red as he fidgeted restlessly.

Arthur sighed and turned around.

“Tell Aild as well.”

“What are you going to do?”

“It's about Mother, of all people. I can't just pretend I don't know.”

Arthur walked toward the office.

Leusanna gestured for Andrew to move quickly and then followed Arthur.

***

At that moment.

In the office, an old man whose face was covered in liver spots was acting disgracefully toward Madeline.

It was Baron Sivar, who had come on Count Yarve's orders.

Appearing half-drunk, he committed all sorts of rudeness.

From bringing his escort knights into the office, to shamelessly insulting the House of Count Julius as a family on the verge of collapse.

Then, as he grew more intoxicated, he approached Madeline, scanning her with a lecherous gaze, and caressed her hair.

“Honestly, if it weren't for Count Yarve, I would have proposed myself.”

“Take your hand away this instant!”

“I'm saying this for your own good. If you join with Count Yarve, you can have everything.”

“I made it clear back then. My only husband is Lord Malcolm Julius.”

Madeline glared at him with contemptuous eyes.

Sivar curled his lips as if he found the situation amusing.

“Did you know? Our Count is completely smitten with that side of you. As am I, kekeke.”

“Do you think you'll be fine after this?”

“Ahem, it seems you still haven't grasped the situation.”

Sivar pointed at Skevin with his hand.

Skevin was surrounded by the knights who came with him, able only to watch.

At the slightest sign of his sword moving, the knights would press him with their own swords.

“Look closely. See what the man called the guardian god of the House of Count Julius is doing.”

“Ugh…”

Skevin glared, grinding his teeth. A powerful aura flowed out from him.

“Hah!”

Sivar flinched in surprise at his aura and stepped back.

A pale blue aura shimmered like a heat haze from Skevin's sword.

At that, the five knights surrounding him also emitted a fainter blue aura from their swords, pressing him.

Sivar's escort knights were all, without exception, high-level Sword Experts.

If Millerf or Wesley had been here, the situation would have been completely different, but now he had to face them alone.

Moreover, it was a situation where he also had to worry about the Countess's safety.

Even if it wasn't those two, if there was just one person who could help, he could have done something, but there was no one suitable.

It was simply devastating.

Who could have predicted that the House of Count Julius, once called the 'Spear of the Empire,' would end up like this?

As the Commander of the Knight Order, he couldn't face the Countess.

It was then, as Skevin lowered his head.

“Tsk, tsk.”

The sound of a tongue clicking came from somewhere.

In an instant, everyone's gaze turned toward the office entrance.

Arthur was standing there.

As soon as he entered, he first assessed the situation, then looked at Madeline.

When their eyes met, her bewilderment was palpable.

“Y-you, what are you doing here…?”

“I heard from Leusanna.”

“I'll handle this, so go back to your room.”

Ignoring Madeline's words, Arthur walked toward the table.

On the table were half-eaten soup and bread.

It seemed she was having another simple meal in her office today.

“Good grief…”

Arthur shook his head and looked at Sivar.

Sivar saw Arthur's reaction and gave a strange smile.

“I think I know who you are. Are you the infamous Scoundrel of Grada?”

“Baron Sivar!”

Madeline shouted.

Sivar frowned slightly and touched his ear with his finger.

“My, my, I'm not deaf. I can hear you just fine even if you speak softly, so please be gentle.”

“If you make one more insulting remark to my son, I will not let you be!”

Madeline's eyes shone with a murderous light.

“Are there any knights in this castle who can handle us? Did you think I wouldn't know that the Count's eldest son took the entire Knight Order to the West Mountain Range?”

“You…”

“I came here knowing everything, so stop throwing a tantrum. What will you do if that pretty face of yours gets a wrinkle and you fall out of the Count's favor?”

“This senile old man…”

“What did you say?”

Sivar's smiling face hardened.

“This is why you can't reason with pretty-faced bitches.”

As he spoke, he violently yanked Madeline's hair.

“Aack!”

He pulled her head down to his chest.

“You should listen when I'm being nice. Do I have to use force for you to understand?”

“You, I will never… forgive you.”

“Forgiveness, you see, is a word only the strong can utter. It's not a word for a bitch like you to say. Scoundrel, what do you think of my words?”

“You're right.”

Even seeing Madeline being assaulted, Arthur fiddled with the fork and knife on the table as if it had nothing to do with him.

“See? Even your bitch of a son thinks the same as me. Then again, what can you expect from a scoundrel, kekeke.”

“Shut that mouth!”

Madeline shouted, slapping Sivar across the cheek.

SMACK!

Sivar staggered, nearly falling over.

“Get out of my castle now!”

“This bitch! Just because the Count fancies you, you think you can do anything!”

It was then, as Sivar raised his hand to strike her again.

Something flew quickly and embedded itself in his hand.

THWACK!

“Aargh!”

Sivar's eyes widened as he stared at his trembling hand.

“A-a fork…!”

He recalled Arthur fiddling with the fork and knife just a moment ago.

“You bastard…!”

Sivar glared at Arthur.

Arthur glanced at Skevin and spat out a word.

“Don't just stand there like an idiot.”

He threw the knife toward the knights.

“What!”

One of them swung his sword like lightning.

Swish-.

The knife fell to the floor, sliced clean in two.

“With such a cheap trick…!”

His eyes widened.

He felt a chilling killing intent from behind him and simultaneously thought of Skevin.

“Damn it!”

Before he could quickly turn around, Skevin's sword lopped off his head.

The knights tried to counterattack, but Skevin was a step faster.

He swung his sword, enveloped in a blue aura, in a wide arc.

“Gasp!”

The knights' eyes widened.

Their heads fell to the floor, spouting blood from their necks.

Having lopped off four heads in a single blow, Skevin glared at Sivar with murderous eyes.

Terrified, Sivar collapsed to the floor with a thud.

“I-if you touch me…”

“How dare you insult the Count's family and Her Ladyship…”

Skevin unleashed his aura.

Fshhh-.

A murderous pressure crushed Sivar.

“S-spare me…”

Sivar trembled all over.

Skevin approached, glaring with piercing eyes. Then, he raised his sword above his head.

“For the crime of insulting the Countess and the Young Master. I, Skevin Maximus, the sword of the House of Count Julius, shall deliver judgment.”

It was then, as Skevin was about to bring his sword down with all his might.

Sivar flinched and shouted.

“Aren't you afraid of Count Yarve!”

“...!”

The blade stopped right before his neck.

At that, Sivar laughed vilely and continued.

“Kekeke, did you come to your senses? If you kill me, the Grada territory will turn into a sea of blood, and you, bitch, will become Count Yarve's servant, no, his bedwarmer.”

“You bastard…”

Madeline trembled all over with rage.

“So, put that sword away.”

Sivar glared at Skevin.

Skevin, aiming his sword at Sivar's neck, waited only for Madeline's order.

Thinking of what Sivar had done, Madeline wanted to strike his head off right then and there.

But killing him would be tantamount to declaring war on Count Yarve.

The House of Count Yarve ruled a territory so wealthy it was ranked among the top five in the Empire.

They had also hired powerful knights with their money, making their military might considerable.

If a war were to break out, it was as clear as day that the Grada territory would turn into a sea of blood.

Her anger soared, but there was nothing she could do.

‘Right, if I just endure it…’

Just as Madeline, trembling with clenched fists, was about to speak, Arthur approached.

“What are you so worried about?”

He grabbed Sivar's hair with his hand.

“W-what are you doing!”

Sivar shouted.

“You know full well what kind of person I am, so why the sudden act?”

As Arthur gave a foul smile, Sivar's eyes trembled uncontrollably.

“D-don't tell me… P-please don't…”

“Just as you said, I'll become a scoundrel.”

He mercilessly slammed his head toward the sword.

Shunk-.

The sword pierced through his head.

“...!”

Madeline's eyes widened and she turned pale.

Even Skevin couldn't react in time to his sudden action.

He stared at Arthur with a bewildered expression.

Arthur met Madeline's gaze and asked.

“Would sparing this man have solved anything?”

“Even so, to kill him…”

“If we sent him back as he was, they would just bring stronger men to oppress us. What would you have done then?”

“If Millerf were with us, we could handle them.”

“And after that? Ah, let's say by then, Wesley and the Knight Order would have returned to fend them off. Then what about the time after that?”

At Arthur's question, Madeline could no longer argue.

Skevin, who had been watching their conversation, didn't show it on his face, but he was extremely bewildered.

The youngest master before his eyes was not the boy he had known until now.

He had heard rumors that his memory hadn't fully returned since that incident and that he had changed a lot.

But only his appearance was that of Arthur Julius; his words, actions, and above all, his gaze were different.

He was a completely different person, cold and sharp.

It was astonishing how he not only accurately grasped the current situation but also created the opportunity to deal with the knights.

As he was staring at him with eyes full of questions, Madeline asked.

“I would like to hear your opinion, Sir Skevin.”

“...I agree with the Young Master. Count Yarve would never have given up on you, My Lady.”

“Then what do we do? If news of this reaches Count Yarve's ears…”

Madeline's face darkened.

Skevin, too, felt bleak anticipating what was to come.

“We'll have to prepare.”

“...!”

Madeline and Skevin looked at Arthur.

Arthur met Skevin's gaze with cold eyes.

“Act like the guardian god you're supposed to be. From now on, a weak and dull sword is useless.”

“...!”

His words stabbed into Skevin's heart like a dagger.

At the same time, Skevin knelt on one knee and respectfully bowed his head.

“My apologies.”

Arthur turned around and added one more thing.

“Sharpen your blade. The peaceful days are over.”