The Royalist Count

The cave was pitch-dark, and only the torches provided enough faint light to keep people from going blind inside.

Reiner looked at the battered Count Rademacher before him. The man appeared to be in his twenties, with disheveled light-brown hair, and he gazed at Reiner with longing and hope.

He walked over to the man, pulled the piece of burlap from his mouth—something that had clearly been used to wipe who knew what—and then began loosening the ropes around the Count's body.

"Thank you, my dear fellow nobleman. If not for you, I might still be suffering humiliation at the hands of those damned, lowly bandits!"

Count Rademacher rose from the ground, straightened his somewhat tattered noble attire, and spoke to Reiner.

"You're too kind. As a noble, I couldn't stand by and watch another nobleman be humiliated! It was only right!" Reiner had quickly adapted to his changed identity. With the help of his predecessor's memories, he had transformed himself into a bona fide nobleman.

"May I ask your name, Your Excellency? I must forever remember the name of my benefactor!"

"Reiner! Reiner Morland. I am the lord of this territory, the lord of Morland Castle. Earlier, a man claiming to be your knight came to my castle and told me what had happened. That is why you were able to meet me here!"

"That must have been that damned Karl! He was the one who betrayed me! And he actually went and did something like this!" The moment Count Rademacher heard this, he began cursing furiously, clearly enraged by the matter.

Seeing his reaction, Reiner's heart stirred. Could the mission to uncover the mastermind already be complete?

Suppressing his delight, he asked with concern, "What happened exactly? Sir Karl disappeared after I defeated the enemy. What did he do?"

"It was him! If he hadn't colluded with the bandits, how could I have been ambushed and captured by that rabble? We were completely unprepared. Three of my knights were killed by the enemy while unarmed, and he actually led his retainers in attacking us!"

After hearing this, Reiner shook his head regretfully. "That is truly unfortunate. But as a knight who swore an oath to you, why would he suddenly betray you at a time like this?"

"They must have been behind it!" Count Rademacher said angrily.

"Who?" Reiner pressed. He was now very close to obtaining the cavalry war soul.

Count Rademacher hesitated, then said, "Those ambitious lords. Ever since His Majesty the Emperor unfortunately fell from his horse during the eastern campaign to wipe out the nomadic tribes three years ago, his health has been extremely poor. Over the past two years, he has been bedridden. Several great lords who submitted during His Majesty's prime have developed ambitions once more. They seek to overturn the Morland Imperial Family's rule, claim territory and crown themselves kings, seize the throne and establish their own dynasties, or simply profit from the chaos!"

Reiner was slightly surprised by Count Rademacher's words. He had known from the beginning that the Moreland Family was a distant collateral branch of the current imperial family, but he had not known that the imperial family was now in such a precarious position.

That was understandable, though. For minor nobles of their standing, it was difficult to learn about the political situation of the entire country, let alone when they were located in the remote Northern Frontier of the empire.

Count Rademacher continued, "And I, Polas Rademacher, am a loyal supporter of the Morland Imperial Family. Under the leadership of the imperial family, we are resolutely resisting those lords who wish to divide the empire and replace the imperial family!"

"They naturally see us as thorns in their sides. Many loyal imperial subjects have already been persecuted by them. I am neither the first nor will I be the last. By the way, I heard your surname is Morland. Could you have some connection to the imperial family?"

Only now did Count Rademacher notice the issue with Reiner's surname and turn to ask him.

"Ah, yes!" Reiner laughed. "My great-grandfather was a prince of the imperial family. However, because he was not valued, he was enfeoffed here as a Baron."

"Oh! I see! So you are also a member of the imperial family!" Count Rademacher suddenly understood. After pondering for a moment, he continued, "Then, do you really have no thoughts about the imperial family's current predicament?"

Reiner thought about it and understood what the other man meant. He merely wanted Reiner to take part in the conflict, but Reiner did not feel particularly concerned about it.

After all, although he had crossed into this world and possessed the Cheat System, he had a clear understanding of his own position. He was only a minor Baron. Under these circumstances, if he were drawn into the conflict relying solely on his own strength, others would leave nothing of him but scraps!

"Ahaha, what thoughts could I have? My territory is so poor, and I still have to guard against an invasion by the Krad People this winter. Sigh... This is the sorrow of a minor lord. A great noble like you could never understand!" Reiner tried to change the subject and politely decline.

Unexpectedly, Count Rademacher did not mind. Instead, he said meaningfully, "Who knows? But if you can unify the entire Northern Frontier, you may gain even greater benefits from this conflict!"

After saying this, Count Rademacher did not wait for Reiner's reply before continuing, "In any case, thank you for rescuing me. I will give you the reward you deserve!"

He took a ring from a pocket inside his clothes and handed it to Reiner. "If you change your mind, or encounter trouble that you cannot resolve, you can send me a letter. Seal it with this ring and red wax, and I will understand what you mean!"

Reiner hesitated, but still accepted the ring. Although he did not want to become entangled in the current turmoil, befriending a Count in such a high position would do more good than harm.

Thus, in the cave, Reiner found several other captured knights and attendants. What he could never understand was why an inland Count had led such a weak force, by his standards, all the way to this godforsaken Northern Frontier. But since the man did not say, Reiner did not feel comfortable asking too many questions.

When the last person was released, an electronic voice suddenly appeared in Reiner's mind: "Congratulations, Baron. You have completed the mission: Investigate the Mastermind. Reward obtained: Junior Cavalry War Soul—Swift as the Wind! The combat power of the cavalry under your command has increased by five percent!"

Listening to the system's notification, Reiner cast aside all his worries. After all, he possessed the incomparably powerful Cheat System. What was there left to worry about?

After ordering the soldiers to loot all the valuables in the cave, Reiner gave the order to return.

"Count, why not stay at my castle for a few days? I am very sorry that this happened in my territory. I will hold a grand banquet for you!" Reiner said.

"Forget it!" Count Rademacher refused. "The empire's situation is extremely serious right now. I must return to my territory as soon as possible and make preparations. Please forgive me for being unable to attend your banquet!"