Debuff Master

The culprit behind this was none other than Count Oslo.

He was sent as a diplomat to the Salut Kingdom when Siegfried infiltrated the camp and killed Duke Taranis and the other officials.

“Your Majesty, King George the Third! Duke Taranis will soon subjugate the traitors and ascend as the Kyiv Kingdom’s regent, and my lord has sent me to foster friendly relations with the Salut Kingdom.”

Duke Taranis sent Count Oslo to improve relations between the two kingdoms as soon as he heard the news of Duke Undertaker’s assassination. After all, it was best for him to be in good relations with the kingdoms around him if he was going to become the kingdom’s regent.

However, Duke Taranis had another reason for sending Count Oslo, and this reason was quite simple. He was confident the kingdom was already in his hands now that Duke Undertaker was gone, and he was basically declaring himself to the neighboring kingdoms that he was the ruler of the Kyiv Kingdom.

Unfortunately, he ended up putting the cart before the horse, as he fell for Siegfried’s ploy and died, but it was still a good political move nevertheless that would have bore fruit if he were still alive.

“Yes, Your Majesty. His Highness did not wish to destabilize the kingdom, which was why he conceded the throne to the previous king,” Count Oslo replied with a bow. Then, he added, “However, those venomous vipers poisoned the ears of King Allen as soon as he ascended the throne, and His Highness ended up being framed as a traitor.”

“His Highness, Duke Taranis, wishes to declare Your Majesty, the Benevolent King George the Third, as a friend of the Kyiv Kingdom. Furthermore, His Highness hopes that both kingdoms will work together to achieve great things and uphold the peace on the continent.”

“His Highness places great importance not only in military might to safeguard the peace but also in economic prosperity, Your Majesty.”

“Yes, Your Majesty is absolutely correct. Hence, His Highness, Duke Taranis, wishes for the friendship of both kingdoms to start from trade agreements that will…” Count Oslo proceeded to explain the trade proposal.

This trade proposal was one-sidedly disadvantageous for the Kyiv Kingdom, but Duke Taranis had no qualms about signing this trade agreement—no, he was the one who dispatched an emissary to propose this trade agreement.

Why? It was basically a bribe for George the Third.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Also, Duke Taranis is a direct descendant of royal blood, which means he’s just carrying out his duties as royalty in protecting his kingdom from those traitors!”

“A wise insight, Your Majesty!”

George the Third was a cunning shrewd fellow, so he instantly understood what Duke Taranis wanted and gave him the answer he desired.

Thus, the trade agreement, which was basically a form of corruption on the highest level, was agreed upon.

Duke Taranis did not care whether the kingdom’s economy faltered, and the people would end up paying the price as long as he sat on the throne. In other words, he was prepared to sell the kingdom if it meant he was guaranteed power.

“Then, I shall inform His Highness that Your Majesty is very optimistic about our trade agreement,” Count Oslo said with a bow.

The chamberlain approached him and whispered, “Your Majesty…”

“Hmm?” George the Third grimaced and said, “Hey, Count Oslo.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“I just received this interesting report…”

“…?”

“They say Duke Taranis’ head is hanging on the walls of Odessa.”

“WHAT?!”

“Not only him but all of your comrades have been assassinated.”

“…!”

“I… shall take my leave for now, Your Majesty,” Count Oslo said.

He needed to find out what was going on first before continuing with George the Third.

***

A few hours later, Count Oslo did not even have time to seek sorrow in his losses as he immediately sought an audience with George the Third.

“I have a proposal I wish to make, Your Majesty.”

“A proposal? What do you have in mind, Count Oslo?”

“Please invade the Kyiv Kingdom.”

“…!”

“I will gather all of the remaining rebels while Your Majesty’s armies march to conquer the capital city, Odessa.”

“W-What are you talking about all of a sudden?” George the Third stuttered. He was completely taken by surprise by the count’s proposal.

“My fate has been sealed the moment Duke Taranis was assassinated, and the same goes for the countless other officers who took part in this rebellion.”

“Hmm…”

“All of us will be willing to swear our loyalty to Your Majesty rather than get executed by King Allen.”

“You are praising me too much, Your Majesty.”

He was indeed taken by surprise by the sudden request, but there was no way he would miss this golden opportunity. The Kyiv Kingdom was in tatters due to the civil war, and conquering their capital city, Odessa, would be like taking candy from a baby if the combined strength of the rebels and the Salut Kingdom’s forces laid siege to it.

This was a once-in-a-century opportunity for George the Third to conquer the Kyiv Kingdom without suffering many casualties.

“A wise choice, Your Majesty.”

“Now go and round up your soldiers! My army will march soon!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

That was how George the Third ended up invading the Kyiv Kingdom, courtesy of Count Oslo’s treachery.

***

“That bastard, George the Third… He dares throw chili powder[1] all over my food?” Siegfried grumbled.

The civil war was as good as over, and the only thing left was for the rebels to surrender. However, he did not expect this "bandit" to appear out of nowhere and swoop in to take all of the "loot" for himself.

“What should we do, uncle…? The Salut Kingdom is far stronger than us, and I do not think our forces can stop them…”

“…”

“What should we do…?”

Siegfried did not respond to the question. He remained silent for a while before he let out a sigh.

“U-Uncle…?”

“Uncle…?”

“Don’t worry about anything, okay?”

“Huh…?”

“This uncle will take care of it, so just relax,” Siegfried said with a smirk.

Then, he turned around and walked away.

***

Siegfried headed straight to the communications room and called George the Third.

The call connected, and George the Third’s face appeared on the communication crystal.

— Hmm? You are?ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ No(ᴠ)ᴇlFire.nᴇt

“Hey, I’m going to give you three fucking hours,” Siegfried curtly said out of the blue.

— What did you say…?

George the Third looked taken aback by Siegfried’s language.

— Hey Adventurer, have you gone mad? What did you say just now? You dare curse at me, a king?!

“Yes, I dare, shithead.”

— …!

“I cussed at you. Whatcha gonna do about it, shithead?”

— W-What…?!

“I thought you were going to stay quiet for a while, but look at you crawling out the moment there’s something to slurp up. Hey, want me to teach you a secret? I get fucking irritated by those who sprinkle chili powder on my food, so you better stop whatever you’re trying to do.”

— What’s this crazy bastard saying all of a sudden?

George the Third thought of this as another golden opportunity provided by the Kyiv Kingdom, as he had already been planning to teach Siegfried a lesson for daring to play king on the continent, even though he was just a mere Adventurer.

George the Third was aware that Emperor Stuttgart doted on this Adventurer, but the emperor was currently in no position to help others.

Thus, this was the perfect opportunity for him to raze the Proatine Kingdom to the ground.

“What are you standing around for?! Go and conquer the Kyiv Kingdom!” George the Third shouted at his officials.

***

Two days later…

“Father… I think that guy—no, King Siegfried has gone mad…”

“Yes, I think so too…”

Duke Undertaker agreed with Taycan’s statement.

The Rebel Forces completely surrounded Odessa under Count Oslo’s command, and the Salut Kingdom’s armies had already crossed their borders.

Despair fell upon the Kyiv Kingdom once again as the difficult victory they achieved instantly became useless at the intervention of a third party.

Meanwhile, Siegfried was currently busy doing something else despite their dire circumstances, and what he was busy with was…

“Hey! Are you resorting to tricks now?”

“I saw you switching cards! Keep it up if you wanna lose one hand!”[2]

Siegfried was busy playing Hardstone with Hamchi, and beside them were cups of coffee and various snacks for them to enjoy while playing.

“Has he given up…?” Taycan muttered.

Duke Undertaker shook his head and said, “No, I don’t think so. I heard he called George the Third and said stuff most nobles would never hear in their lifetime…”

“I’m sure he has a plan, so let’s wait and see. King Siegfried is very crafty and cunning—unlike you.”

“Ah, yes, he is…” Taycan muttered in response.

***

Meanwhile, George the Third was on his palanquin, elated at the thought of conquering two kingdoms for free.

Actually, he had no plans to keep the Proatine Kingdom and preferred to raze it to the ground to make a statement while quelling his anger at the same time.

“Hmm… Is my kingdom finally going to be one of the major powerhouses on the continent? If that happens… Then I can finally slap that smug bastard, Stuttgart’s face and—“

It was then.

“Your Majeesstyyy!”

A messenger rushed and knelt in front of him.

“We have an emergency! An emergency!”

“What emergency? What’s so urgent you’re willing to disturb my peace?”

“That is…”

“Speak at once.”

“Ghouls have started appearing all over the kingdom!”

“Gruel? Wait, did you just say ghouls?”

“Yes, Your Majesty! The Curse of Decay has spread, and ghouls have started appearing everywhere in our kingdom!”

“…!”

“The curse is spreading too fast, and we will soon be unable to contain it!“

And it was at this moment that he realized—he fucked up.

1. I think I explained this before, but this is for those of you who don’t remember or missed it. Throwing/sprinkling chili powder on food, rice, or at the dining table means throwing a wrench in someone’s almost complete plans. Imagine you have a perfectly cooked Carbonara, and someone suddenly pours a spoonful of chili powder all over it. Get it now? ☜