****
Local Army 2nd Corps, 3rd Division Headquarters.
Count Otis let out a gasp of admiration upon hearing that Adrian had taken down five Croisen Empire vanguard units.
“Hah, I’m genuinely impressed. Predicting the ambush was impressive enough, but turning a crisis into an opportunity like that?”
The bad rumors about Adrian were famous enough that even the count knew of them, making this situation all the more astonishing.
He had heard that after barely surviving a poisoning attempt, the prodigy of the Lawrence viscount family had turned into a wastrel.
But it turned out he had only been acting the part to stay alive.
“A hidden dragon.”
When, after the war’s outbreak, he had spotted the enemy’s suicide attack and minimized friendly losses, the count had dismissed it as mere coincidence.
But now, he couldn’t chalk it up to luck anymore.
Count Otis felt chills run down his spine, his hair standing on end, and let out a hollow chuckle.
The same went for the count’s staff officers, who had frowned at Adrian’s sudden request for reinforcements.
“Is Michelle turning eighteen this year?”
At Count Otis’s out-of-left-field question, the staff nodded uncertainly but confirmed it.
“If she’s the daughter Viscount Lawrence’s brigade commander put forward from his family, I’d love to bring her in.”
The staff broke out in cold sweats and tried to dissuade him.
“We’ve heard Brigade Commander Lawrence already has a woman. They’re said to be so devoted he even brings her to the battlefield.”
“I’ve got two wives myself. Is that a problem? She can just be his mistress.”
“He’s way too obsessed with that game.”
“Better than being hooked on drugs, booze, or women.”
Count Otis had already marked Adrian as a potential son-in-law, so no amount of talk got through to him.
In the end, the staff—who were also retainers of the Otis count family—laid out the honest reasons why Adrian wouldn’t do.
“Please watch him a bit longer before deciding.”
“Exactly. Considering Miss Michelle’s fiery temperament, if she found out, we’d all...”
“Hmm, she is a bit of a spitfire.”
Count Otis scratched his cheek and smacked his lips.
As his staff said, his daughter was the type to take multiple husbands before becoming just one of many wives.
“Fine, drop the Michelle talk. Send a report of our achievements to corps HQ. Include Brigade Commander Lawrence’s major contributions as is.”
“Yes, sir.”
***
In a good mood from the rare major victory, I spun the game connector idly as I headed back to my quarters with Arcia.
“Brigade Commander, do you have a moment?”
Sir William suddenly grabbed me.
Arcia stepped forward protectively, but I placed a hand on her shoulder and said it was fine.
[Relationship: Favor / Normal]
[Status: Anticipation]
And that was why.
His feelings toward me had shifted from ‘curiosity, wariness’ to ‘favor, anticipation.’
The reason was obvious.
I had just saved him from falling into that trap in the previous battle.
“If it’s not important, keep it short.”
But that didn’t mean I had to play along with Sir William’s pace.
He nodded slightly at my words.
“Why do you live in hiding?”
A pretty direct question.
And one laced with a jumble of thoughts.
“What do you mean?”
I shrugged with a look of confusion, and he continued earnestly.
“Young Master Adrian may not realize it, but surprisingly many retainers worry about the territory’s future. They say if young master Cedric becomes lord like this, crisis will come.”
It was unexpected.
I stared at him in bewilderment, as if asking why he was bringing this up now.
“I believe young master Cedric lacks the qualities to be lord. If you intend to compete with your brother, I want to back you with everything I have.”
No change in his status from the all-seeing eye.
Meaning he wasn’t lying.
‘Sir William is one of Father’s closest aides. Did he get prior instructions? Or is it just because I saved his life?’
I answered with genuine feeling.
“That’s very kind of you.”
A bright smile spread across Sir William’s face.
But it didn’t last long...
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that offer.”
Because of my lukewarm response.
[Relationship: Neutral / Normal]
[Status: Disappointment]
Following my words, his relationship shifted from favor to neutral, and his status from anticipation to disappointment.
‘Surprisingly naive.’
To be clear, it wasn’t that he spoke out of fear or cowardice.
It was that Sir William’s statement had been too reckless.
Even if we were limiting information to Cedric, it wasn’t total blackout.
Word could spread like gossip from person to person, and there could be surveillance networks I didn’t know about.
So, despite the tempting offer from Sir William, I had to coldly refuse.
Accepting it here would be no different from declaring enmity toward Anna and Cedric.
That was on a whole different level from building my own prestige through feats in this war.
The reason being.
‘Mother’s still back in the territory.’
I clicked my tongue at Sir William’s actions but made a mental note that such pure-hearted people who worried for the territory still remained.
I patted his shoulder and walked on.
Sir William harbored what he thought was resolute determination, but unfortunately, clumsy help like that was the last thing I needed right now.
‘Since I can handle it all on my own anyway.’
Dealing with Anna and Cedric was entirely my responsibility.
I had no intention of sharing that joy with anyone else.
“I can’t wait.”
***
I’m not one to brag.
I always calculate gains and losses, weighing the profits, and I’d learned the hard way from experience that showing off breeds resentment more than goodwill.
But now, unwanted bragging was about to spread across the nation.
“...having established numerous merits, We bestow upon Adrian, second son of the Lawrence family, the 2nd Class Golden Lion Medal. King Gladdis Lloyd Reinhartz of the Reinhartz Kingdom, 23rd Sovereign.”
“A tremendous honor. I shall cherish it for life.”
Kneeling before the king’s personal letter, I sprang up the moment the pompous reading ended.
The palace minister dispatched from the royal court pinned the golden medal to my chest and offered a congratulatory handshake, which I returned.
-Zing.
-Click! Click!
And this scene was captured fully by broadcast and newspaper cameras.
I knew each vanguard unit’s gear was worth a fighter jet, but I hadn’t expected this to be rated so highly.
With the war dragging on, they probably picked me as a poster boy.
‘Cedric’s gonna throw a fit when he sees this.’
He’d probably think I stole his glory.
With a single-celled brain, Cedric believed he’d rack up feats the moment he hit the battlefield.
In half-resigned fashion, I waved at the cameras.
***
[On Adrian Lawrence, Prodigy of the Lawrence Viscount Family]
[Young Hero Adrian Lawrence in the War]
Seeing Adrian topping real-time search trends online, with multiple articles dominating news pages, Cedric slammed his desk in irritation.
“Damn it!”
Anna, sitting quietly beside him, wore an equally sour expression.
Cedric turned to her.
“Where’s Father?”
“With that wench.”
The wench Anna meant was Sylvia Lawrence, Adrian’s mother.
Sylvia came from a reasonably wealthy merchant family, but to them, commoners were beneath notice.
“Father’s been hanging around that woman more lately. Why are you just watching?”
“If I don’t, will she poison me?”
“Mother!”
“Tch, don’t raise your voice. Your father clings to that slut because of Adrian.”
As children, Adrian—the family’s once-hailed prodigy—and Cedric had been constantly compared.
Thus, to Cedric, Adrian was an indelible complex, an object of jealousy.
But hearing Adrian mentioned from his mother’s lips again, murder flashed in Cedric’s eyes.
“What do you mean?”
“While Adrian’s at the front, your father vowed to protect that woman. From you and me, specifically.”
But upon closer look, it wasn’t worth much worry.
“Is it true that after returning from the war, that bastard Adrian plans to cut ties with the family and fully leave?”
“Yes, he’s desperate too. After leaving, he’ll need to carve his own path. War’s a good chance for that, isn’t it? Rack up big merits, and he might snag a baronetcy at least.”
Anna’s point was that Adrian was no competitor to Cedric anyway.
Cedric calmed his excitement and leaned back deeply in his chair.
She was right on all counts.
They had his maternal grandfather, a border count, in their corner, and Anna had already infiltrated most of the Lawrence viscount family.
But even so, was Adrian’s presence just a simple complex?
Cedric couldn’t get him out of his head.
***
Lawrence Viscount Territory, Lord’s Manor Office.
“That boy.”
Viscount family head Rayford Lawrence watched footage of his son’s solid performance with Adrian’s birth mother, Sylvia, and chuckled.
His mouth smiled, but his eyes didn’t—clearly annoyed at the broadcast appearance.
Yet paired with his handsome looks, it somehow came off as intellectual.
Sylvia, delighted at her son on TV, clapped and beamed innocently, rewatching the same clip over and over.
“With the Golden Lion Medal, he’ll get at least a baronetcy after the war ends. At least that eases my mind.”
“Feeling guilty for not backing your talented son?”
Sylvia narrowed her eyes at the lord like she was glaring.
He fell silent briefly, then nodded meekly.
“You know it. This is the best we can do.”
The current viscount was a lord in name only.
Just a temporary steward until handing the territory to Cedric.
His youthful thirst for power had come back to bite him.
“I understand the situation, but I can’t forgive you.”
“I know. But back then, to save Adrian, I had no choice. If I’d dug deeper, Anna would’ve definitely eliminated him.”
The viscount explained his position to Sylvia like an excuse.
But she knew it in her head—yet her heart couldn’t accept it.
Seeing Sylvia’s pout, the viscount made a bitter face and turned back to the screen.
“Still, it’s a relief.”
Watching Adrian fulfill his role once more, the viscount felt relief upon relief.
But.
If Adrian were here, he’d have countered his father:
‘Is it really?’