In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Episode 200

The next morning.
The Lombardi villa was bustling from the early hours, as it was the day the hunting competition began.
The employees had been up and moving busily since before dawn.
And among them were those who had come from the palace, following the Empress.
The many bags they had brought for their stay during the hunting competition were now being carefully repacked by the servants.

“That despicable man.”
The Empress, sitting on the guest room sofa with a haggard face from lack of sleep, muttered through her teeth.
“How dare he… How dare he insult me like that?”
The face of that old Lombardi man, who had brought the Brown family riff-raff yesterday and smiled triumphantly, vividly came to mind, and she simply couldn’t calm her rage.
The Empress dug her carefully manicured fingertips into the leather covering the armchair.
“Those tenacious, persistent insects that won’t die.”
She was referring to the Brown family.
Since that day, forty years ago, Angenas had used much manpower, time, and resources to ‘cleanse’ the Brown family.
They tracked down those without a right hand, killing them if they were living stable lives and leaving them alive if they were living miserable ones.
But to think they had secretly gathered and conspired like this.

“I should have killed them all right there yesterday.”
The Empress’s blue eyes gleamed cruelly.
The land Angenas now occupied was, at least, habitable in the barren western region.
She couldn’t let it be taken back by weaklings like the Browns, who couldn’t even protect their own land.
If it were just the Brown family, there would be no hesitation.
It would be simple to sweep them away again without a trace.
But.
“That bothersome old man.”
Rulac Lombardi was not someone to be trifled with.
No matter how much she guarded and watched, the Lombardi Patriarch was one to suddenly stab her in the back, just like this time.
“It seems the Empress clearly doesn’t know what happened in the past, and exactly how the Brown family came to be in such a state!”
He wasn’t talking about the assault incident.
No one in the empire was unaware of what happened that night.
Rulac was clearly talking about how the Brown family lost their territory.

“Dewey.”
At Lavini’s call, the Angenas Patriarch, who was checking luggage in the next room, approached.
“Do you know anything about the Brown family matter, Dewey?”
“If it’s about the territory, you know as well as I do, elder sister. Father was particularly quiet about that issue during his lifetime.”
“Yes, he was. I just asked in case he might have given some hint to his son.”
Empress Lavini said, unable to hide her disappointment.
“Truly a useless father. Even after his death, it’s the same.”
Empress Lavini uttered harsh words with an unconcerned expression.
“I must return at once and meet the elders of Angenas. This won’t do.”
Rulac’s smiling face felt ominous.
A persistent, unsettling feeling kept bothering Lavini, making her feel impatient.
Those who had directly experienced the events of that time must know something.
***
“Mother.”
Just then, Astana entered the room.
“Where are you going?”
“Ah, Prince. Mother has an urgent matter and will return to the Imperial Palace. You enjoy the hunting competition and return.”
Astana, seeing Empress Lavini’s smiling face, hesitated instead.
“About yesterday… Aren’t you angry?”
He had expected to be severely scolded as soon as she saw his face.
Her gentle smile, no different from usual, was even more frightening.
“Indeed. There was quite a commotion yesterday, wasn’t there?”
Empress Lavini asked Astana.
Thinking the time had come, Astana quickly tried to make excuses.
“I can explain everything…”
“Yesterday.”
Empress Lavini cut off Astana’s words sharply.
“Let’s just say, yesterday, both of us were played by Lombardi, Prince.”
“…Huh?”
What did that mean?
“Played by Lombardi?”
Astana was bewildered.
“I was the one who insulted Gallahan Lombardi’s daughter first…”
“Ah, my son.”
Empress Lavini affectionately stroked her son’s cheek.
The cause of yesterday’s duel was clearly a conflict with Florentia Lombardi.
But then, it just so happened that the person who dueled in her stead was from the Brown family, and everyone there witnessed the excellence of Brown Swordsmanship.
Such perfect coincidences don’t exist.
Lavini was convinced that the situation itself was a perfectly staged performance.
She had thought Florentia cunning when she suddenly invited Perez to the Empress’s banquet hall last time, but…
To think she would pull off such a charming trick.
Empress Lavini gave Astana, who still stared at her with wide eyes, a benevolent smile.
“My dear Prince, you don’t need to know anything. Leave everything to your mother. I will get you to the throne, no matter what it takes.”
Her voice was sweet as honey, like a rose with thorns.

“Th-then, Mother.”
Astana hesitated and said, “What if I also return to the Imperial Palace…? What if I get seriously hurt participating in such a barbaric competition? So…”
“No.”
Empress Lavini cut him off firmly.
“At a time like this, if His Highness shows weakness, our mother and son might become the subject of ridicule.”
“But…”
Astana’s face fell.
Aside from yesterday’s events, looking out the window this morning, the Madman’s Forest, thick with fog, felt incredibly eerie.
His chest, which used to pound with excitement before other hunting competitions, now thudded with fear.
“His Majesty is also attending the competition.
If His Highness gives up and returns to the capital, everyone will misunderstand and think he ran away in fear. Wouldn’t they?”
He was indeed scared.
However, Astana, with a pale face, stammered a few times before reluctantly giving a heavy nod.
“Prince. Move with the other noble scions. Then nothing untoward will happen.”
Empress Lavini said as she rose to get into her carriage.
But Astana continued to glance at the dark Madman’s Forest.
He had a bad feeling.
***
Finally, the time for the hunting competition to begin arrived.
I was ascending the platform placed in front of the gathered participants.
It was to explain the rules of the hunting competition.
And the moment I stood on the platform.
“Hmph!”
I had to clamp my mouth shut to keep from bursting into laughter.
“Ahem. I will briefly explain the rules of the competition.”
It was quite a sight to see most of the gathered participants with long faces.
Of course, there were some who had sparkling eyes and were burning with competitive spirit, but…

“The rules are simple. For the next three days, the person who processes the most monsters will receive the honor of victory and the prize money. As proof, you only need to cut off and collect a part of the monster’s carcass.”
At the mention of cutting off, I could already see some people grimacing, feeling unwell.
Should I tease them a bit more?
“However, you must remember that monsters are also beings that hunt humans. So, do not go too deep into the forest, and if you find yourself in a dangerous situation, use the signal flare provided.”
At my words, those who had turned even paler quickly checked their signal flares.
“Signal flares become useless if wet, so be careful, and if you use a signal flare, you will be disqualified from the competition at that moment.”

Just then, Astana, wearing yellow protective gear, suddenly asked, “Even though it’s an individual competition, getting help from others in a dangerous situation is allowed, right?”
He’s using his head.
I already knew that dozens of the people participating in this competition were Astana’s close associates.
So, he intended to get my confirmation now and then operate in groups inside.
“That’s correct. However, as you said, it is an individual competition, so excessive cooperation should be avoided. Of course, I’m sure His Highness would never do such a thing. Would he?”
At my question, Astana nodded reluctantly.
But even then, he exchanged glances with his cronies standing beside him and smiled, seeming much more at ease.

“Are there any more questions?”
I asked the participants.
No one raised their hand.
“Then, let the hunting competition begin.”
At my words, Lombardi’s servants waved a large flag.
The hunting competition had officially begun.
A few people were seen rushing into the forest as if they had been waiting.
They seemed overly excited by this opportunity, bored with reality.
“Those kinds of people have the shortest lifespans.”
It was as I muttered, watching their receding figures.
Perez was seen approaching Astana with the Academy trio.
The distance was too far to hear their words, but it wasn’t likely that pleasantries were being exchanged between the two.
And as expected.
As Perez said a few words, Astana’s face visibly paled.
And he quickly headed into the forest with his retainers.
As if fleeing.
***
“What did you say to him?”
I approached Perez and asked.
“Tia.”
Perez smiled, his eyes crinkling slightly at me.
“Did you perhaps give him a death threat?”
“No, it wasn’t like that. Just…”
Perez shook his head and replied, “I told him it would be best if he didn’t run into me in the forest.”
Wow, that’s cruel.
If that’s not a death threat, what is?
Perez tilted his head at my face, which was covering my mouth with one hand and staring at him.
“You said those words to me yesterday, Tia, so he should have been prepared for at least that much.”
“Th-that’s right. Thanks, Perez.”
You really do think the most terrible things for me.
“Then, I’ll be back.”
Perez said so and approached me.
And as if accustomed to it, he kissed my forehead.
“Alright, have a good trip.”
I also patted the red protective gear Perez was wearing and said.
And then I made eye contact with the Academy trio.
“W-we’re off!”
“Oh, my back. Why is it like this today…”
“Good luck!”
They seem to be avoiding my eyes.
Why is that?

“Lady Florentia.”
Clerivan appeared quietly, calling out to me as I saw Perez off.
“What in the world is going to happen in there?”
Yes, it’s certainly worth wondering.
“I don’t really know either.”
“Pardon?”
“Perez and I have only collaborated up to this point: to hold the hunting competition in the Madman’s Forest, to make a good impression on Sir Brown, and to have Astana and the Emperor participate.”
“You truly don’t know.”
Clerivan said, bewildered.
“That’s what I said.”
“If Lady Florentia had asked, His Highness would have answered anything, I think.”
“That’s right. He probably would have.”
“But why didn’t you ask?”
“Because…”
I answered, looking at the dark forest, once again thick with fog.
“Both Perez and I are people who must achieve what we desire, no matter what it takes.”

It was strange.
Quite a few people had entered the forest.
But the foggy forest was utterly silent.
As if the Madman’s Forest had swallowed even the sounds of people.

“The demonic energy is incredible. No wonder monsters gather here.”
Tedro said.
“Those noble young masters must be sweating bullets.”
Stelley chuckled.
“Aren’t you a noble young master too, then?”
Regnite, son of the Luman, the ruler of the East, asked, frowning.
“Don’t compare me to those effeminate guys. I’m the heir of the Sector family, who learned hunting while frequenting the southern jungle like my backyard since childhood.”
Stelley puffed out his chest.
Just then, Perez, who was putting his foot on a thick tree trunk and tying his shoelaces tightly, called him.
“Stelley.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Can you track?”
At Perez’s words, Stelley grinned and replied, “That’s as easy as eating cold soup.”
Stelley, the heir of the Sector family who frequented the southern jungle like his backyard, specialized in ‘tracking’ the traces of prey.