Chapter 142 : Chapter 142

Chapter 142. That Came On a Bit Strong (3)

Come to think of it….

‘It’s a plausible suggestion.’

Yes. It was entirely possible.

Many wished to take Patrick, whose value had skyrocketed through Arcana, as their son-in-law.

And among them, the king was no exception.

No, in a way, he might be in more of a hurry than other nobles.

Because…

‘Offers will come from other countries for someone like me now.’

In fact, many offers had come.

After Arcana had already ended, numerous foreign noble families had made him extravagant offers to recruit him.

Did not even the emperor of the Empire offer him to become his son-in-law?

If Patrick were to accept that offer, the Kingdom of Atronia would lose the power of a 7-star swordsman.

Therefore, the king was in a position where he had to secure Patrick more desperately than anyone else.

‘Even so, with Senior Isabella?’

Patrick’s gaze fell upon Isabella.

Her expression was as composed as usual.

No, it was even cold, as if she were wearing a mask of expressionlessness to hide her emotions.

‘Tsk, seeing her like this, a princess is a princess.’

Before Patrick now stood not the colleague Isabella he thought he had become quite familiar with, but her as the princess of the kingdom.

For her, a princess, marriage was not a choice but a duty.

Patrick coolly assessed the situation.

‘From my perspective, it’s not a bad offer.’

The nobles of the Kingdom of Atronia were currently extending carrots, making extravagant offers to draw Patrick to their side.

But if these carrots continued to be ineffective, there would be those who could not contain their temper and would raise a whip.

Patrick was not afraid of those who would come at him directly at all.

Rather, he felt sorry for his opponents.

But if they were to lay a hand on his family far away…

‘That would be a bit troublesome.’

Considering his father’s gullibility in protecting the fiefdom, it was extremely unsettling.

In that sense, being the king’s son-in-law was not a bad position.

It would be a good excuse to make the other riffraff give up.

“It has always been said that goblins do not cling to the prey caught by an ogre.”

The king’s words accurately pierced through Patrick’s psychology.

‘The king is the king. That’s it.’

Patrick gave a bitter smile at the king who spoke as if he had looked into his own heart.

“I understand the meaning of your words well. However…”

“What is it?”

“There is something that bothers me.”

“What is that? Do you perhaps not like my daughter?”

“Yes. Not particularly…”

“Right. In that case… Huh? What did you say?”

This time, the king was flustered.

Patrick spoke nonchalantly to the king, who had an expression as if he had bitten his own tongue while chewing meat.

“Think about it. She’s always got a sullen face, doesn't laugh, and isn’t fun because she doesn't talk much. At least her face is pretty, but is marriage something you decide on the spot just by looking at a face?”

“…Uh…. Hmm…”

“A woman, you see. She needs to have a gentle and kind side. Don’t you think so? You’d know since you’re married, right? Am I wrong?”

“……”

As the king stood with his mouth agape, speechless, Patrick spoke to Marquis Nicola, who was watching from a distance.

“You agree with me, don’t you, Marquis?”

“Why are you dragging me into this?”

“Aren’t you a married man?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Then we should have some common ground. Honestly, am I right or am I right?”

Why should there be a common ground on marriage between a brat who just had his coming-of-age ceremony and a married man in his mid-40s?

The king was dumbfounded.

He had never imagined that someone would openly complain about the princess right in front of him.

Isabella, who was listening from the side, clenched her fists tightly under the folds of her dress.

‘That bastard…’

The king was flustered, but he soon put on a serious face and spoke.

“If you don’t like Isabella, what about my other daughters?”

“Are the other princesses as pretty as Senior Isabella?”

“…No, that’s not it.”

He did not know about other things, but even if you searched the entire royal family, you would not find a beauty like Isabella.

In fact, it was because of that beauty that the king had confidently presented Isabella.

“Tsk tsk, then that won’t do.”

“Didn’t you say personality is more important than looks?”

“That’s just a figure of speech. Why are you acting like this when you should know better?”

“……?”

“Of course, she has to be pretty and have a good personality. Isn’t that right?”

“……?”

“Now that I see it, Your Majesty the King, you are more shameless than I thought.”

Who dares to speak of conscience?

Now, everyone in the great hall had their mouths agape.

Not just the king, but even the royal knights standing guard beside him.

They all simultaneously had the same thought that anyone who had experienced Patrick would have.

‘What kind of person is that?’

‘What kind of person is that?’

It’s too soon for this to be happening…

* * *

Patrick, who had been chattering on and on about the conditions of marriage, said as if tossing it out.

“…So, for now, let’s just keep it as an engagement.”

At Patrick’s words, the king spoke with a displeased expression.

“You’re testing the waters. Is that it?”

“Well, marriage isn’t a small matter, so it can’t be decided easily, can it?”

“You’ve got a lot of nerve. How dare you test the waters with the royal family?”

“I believe I am well within my rights to do so, though?”

“……”

“Am I wrong?”

The king’s face hardened.

He probably knew.

The fact that Patrick had been offered a marriage with the empire’s princess.

The empire’s princess and the Kingdom of Atronia’s princess.

If one were to weigh them coolly on a scale, it was obvious which way it would tip.

In such a situation, the engagement Patrick proposed was a kind of compromise.

I will not abandon the Kingdom of Atronia right away.

So do not push me any further here.

He had implicitly conveyed such an intention.

‘What an arrogant fellow.’

Just a year ago, the king did not even know who Patrick was.

Now, that same Patrick was proposing a deal to him at eye level.

A brat who had just had his coming-of-age ceremony.

However, thinking about it coolly…

‘He has every right to be arrogant.’

The king’s right-hand man, Marquis Nicola, was also a low-ranking noble with no background.

But the moment he reached the 7-star realm, his status changed completely, and now he was a key figure supporting the royal authority.

Moreover, Patrick had reached the 7-star realm at a much younger age than Marquis Nicola.

Considering his future potential, the king could not rashly assume a position of superiority.

“It’s not bad. You are both still students, and there is no need to rush.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

“Understanding, my foot…”

The king had a bitter taste in his mouth.

In fact, he wanted to have them marry right away.

No, even more, he wanted to throw Patrick and Isabella into an empty room in the royal palace right now and order them to spend the night together.

Is a marriage alliance not completed by the birth of a child between them?

Even if they were to marry, he could not be at ease until a child was born.

And yet, he had to be satisfied with a mere engagement instead of a marriage…

‘He’s quite something. He’s not just a naive brat who only focuses on swordsmanship and knows nothing of the world.’

The king revised his assessment of Patrick’s value upwards.

The king, who had simultaneously raised the risk assessment along with that value, spoke.

“The fact of the engagement will be announced immediately. That would be better, wouldn’t it?”

“Let’s do that.”

“Then let’s go to the banquet hall first. Good news should be delivered quickly.”

Although it fell short of a marriage, an engagement was a sufficient achievement.

The king intended to further solidify his royal authority by publicly announcing this.

But then…

“Ah, please wait a moment before that.”

Patrick spoke to the king who was just about to rise from his throne.

“What is it?”

“Ahem, may I attend to my business now?”

“Your business?”

“Yes. I believe it is time for Your Majesty the King to keep your promise.”

At that, the king’s expression changed subtly.

It was the look of someone seeing a debt collector who had come to collect a debt borrowed and defaulted on 10 years ago.

“Son-in-law.”

“Speak.”

“I have said I will give you my precious daughter, is this not enough?”

“Even between family members, transactions must be thorough.”

“……”

“And we are not yet an official family, are we?”

“Ugh.”

“As the king of a nation, I trust you will keep your promise.”

This won’t do.

This debt collector is too persistent.

You better believe it won’t be fun if you don’t keep it.

Seeing Patrick with that meaning written all over his face, the king let out a sigh.

‘They say words are the source of disaster…’

It couldn’t be helped.

It was now time to keep his promise.

The king braced himself and spoke.

“Tell me. What do you want?”

At this time, the king was truly prepared to grant almost any condition Patrick stated.

Since he was taking him in as a son-in-law anyway, there was a need to support the Baron Schneider family, so he was willing to grant a promotion in title, a fertile fiefdom in the south, or even a high-ranking official position in the central government, as long as it was within a reasonable range.

Yes. This was a typical mistake that someone who did not know Patrick Schneider could make.

“Ahem, first, there is something to correct.”

“What is it?”

“It is not what I want.”

“……?”

“To be precise, it would be correct to say what ‘things’ I want.”

“Huh?”

“If my memory serves me right, I recall that there were no petty restrictions like a limit on the number of wishes Your Majesty the King mentioned.”

“Wai… wait a minute, Sir. Sir Schneider.”

In front of the flustered king, Patrick took something out from his bosom and began to read it without hesitation.

“First, to fully recognize the ownership of the territory in the Great Forest that our fiefdom is developing.”

“Hmm…”

“Second, to grant the authority to independently lead foreign trade for the purpose of financing the pioneering of the Great Forest.”

“Sir… Sir.”

“Third, to allow external manpower to supplement the necessary workforce for pioneering the Great Forest…”

“Wait, wait…”

The king interrupted Patrick and said.

“How many demands are there in total?”

“Well, not that many.”

“So how many?”

“I have prepared exactly seventy-five items.”

“……”

“Then, continuing with the fourth…”

Patrick’s mouth was relentless.

And as Patrick read out the conditions, the king’s complexion turned pale.

“Wai… wait.”

The flustered king stopped Patrick’s words.

“There’s still a lot left, though?”

The king, rubbing the back of his neck, spoke to Patrick, who was shamelessly asking if there was a problem.

“For now, bring that over here.”

“Ah, would it be easier for you to see it directly? If so, well…”

Patrick went straight to the king and handed him the paper he had prepared.

After reading it all, the king looked at Patrick with a dumbfounded expression.

And what he said was…

“Did you think I would grant all of this?”

“Yes.”

“…This?”

“Yes. You promised, didn’t you?”

What kind of bastard is this?

The king looked at Patrick with a bewildered expression and said.

“Sir. Son-in-law.”

“It’s not official yet, but…. Well, it’s fine. Please speak, Father-in-law King.”

It was a title he had never heard in his life, but the king did not bother to pick on it.

“I did make a promise. I did.”

“You did it in front of everyone.”

“Yes. But in this world, there is such a thing as ‘moderation’ for everything.”

Don’t overdo it, you son-in-law bastard.

“I’ve lived without such things, so I know, but it’s quite alright to live without them.”

I don’t want… to.

“……”

“……”

The two men’s gazes clashed fiercely.

The king let out a sigh.

Judging that he would not yield to roundabout words, he spoke directly.

“Impossible!”

“Huh? Why?”

“Do you really need to ask why?”

“It comes out just fine?”

The king brandished the treaty written on the paper and said.

“The diplomatic authority to independently conclude diplomatic treaties with foreign powers for the pioneering of the Great Forest?”

“What’s the problem with that?”

“Diplomatic authority? If I allow that, is it a fiefdom? Or a country?”

“It is necessary for the development of the Great Forest.”

“Anyway, no!”

“Didn’t you say you would grant any wish if I won Arcana?”

“Regardless, it is impossible. I will never grant it.”

It was the king’s firm refusal.

At that firm refusal, truly overflowing with the dignity of a king, Patrick frowned and spoke.

“Your Majesty. Are you thinking of breaking your promise?”

“Promise or not, this is a no.”

“If Your Majesty breaks your promise, I too have my thoughts.”

“…What do you plan to do?”

Seeing Patrick’s serious gaze, the king’s complexion changed strangely.

‘Don’t tell me?’

Before him now was a 7-star swordsman who could represent the military power of a nation.

Although he was unarmed, such things were not important before the 7-star realm.

Marquis Nicola stealthily lifted the hem of his cloak to make it easier to draw his sword.

And the other royal knights also tensed and gripped their weapons tightly.

And Patrick said…

“If you break your promise, I will lie down on this spot and hold on, throwing a tantrum about how sad and wronged I am.”

“……What?”

“I am serious.”

“……”

“……”

A long, long silence.

And the king spoke.

“Sir. Son-in-law. Do you know what you just said…”

It was then.

Patrick disappeared so quickly that the king could not see his form.

Patrick’s form sank as if sinking into the ground.

And the king saw it.

“Aigooooo! I’m sooooo saaad! Of all people, His Majesty the King isn’t keeping his promiseeeeee!”

A 7-star swordsman throwing a tantrum while lying down on the carpet of the great hall where the state affairs of the Kingdom of Atronia were conducted.

“Sooooo saaaaaaaaaad!”

Patrick Schneider.

He was a man of his word, a true man who kept the words he spoke.

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