Whispers of a Scheming Demon - Chapter 103

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Whispers of a Scheming Demon ◈

Chapter 103: Wolfgang

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“Ha ha! What an amusing fellow! Welcome to the North, Watcher of Narak!”

Wolfgang burst into hearty laughter.

His booming laughter rang through the annex.

Johan felt as if his eardrums would burst.

Everyone in the annex except Johan and Count Staviana clutched their ears and groaned in pain.

An overwhelming pressure weighed down the room.

Every syllable of Wolfgang’s laughter carried weight.

Johan swallowed.

‘...For an old man, he’s far too vigorous. This is excessive.’

At this rate, everyone might die.

Even Johan was finding it difficult to endure any longer.

Just as he was about to stop Wolfgang, Count Staviana spoke first.

“Father-in-law, unless you intend to kill everyone here, that will be enough.”

Wolfgang slowly looked around.

The guest room was in complete disarray.

The table had split apart, and glass bottles lay shattered.

The frames on the walls had fallen and broken into pieces.

The castle servants lay facedown on the floor, groaning.

Wolfgang stopped laughing.

The pressure crushing the room vanished in an instant.

Everyone regained their composure.

Wolfgang looked slightly embarrassed.

He cleared his throat.

“Ahem. I got a little carried away. It’s been a long time since I met such an entertaining fellow.”

Count Staviana spoke without expression.

“So he passes. If you are satisfied, return to the North now.”

Johan was slightly puzzled.

‘Is he talking about me?’

Wolfgang looked at Johan.

“His spirit is certainly alive. Cromwell Staviana, he resembles you greatly when you were young. But ability is another matter. No matter how I look at it, this boy is too young. He is not yet ready to watch Narak.”

Count Staviana shook his head.

“Think of the previous Watchers of Narak. Sir Johan’s abilities are outstanding by comparison.”

The Count was openly taking Johan’s side.

There was only one reason.

His dead wife.

As long as Johan held Yeriel’s corpse, the Count had no choice but to act as Johan’s political patron.

Wolfgang’s expression darkened fiercely.

The wrinkles on his already lined face deepened further.

“Cromwell, are you bringing up those pathetic fools before me?”

Every previous Watcher of Narak had been an idiot.

Wolfgang, who had lived for one hundred and fifty years, had seen them all.

Gryan’s father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather. Not a single one had been normal.

The Myatro bloodline, once praised as a line of heroes, no longer remained in this age.

Count Staviana spoke.

“Sir Johan is different from them. You felt it just now as well, Father-in-law.”

Wolfgang stared intently at Johan.

“That is the problem. A promising one has appeared in House Myatro for the first time in nearly two hundred years, yet he seems destined to rot as your puppet, Cromwell.”

Johan and Count Staviana’s expressions soured at the same time.

Johan clicked his tongue.

‘The old man has it completely wrong.’

The Count said, “My puppet? Father-in-law, what absurdity are you talking about?”

Wolfgang spoke with certainty.

“Cromwell, let me tell you your plan. You intend to bring the Watcher of Narak into the Noble Faction and seize control of the entire South. Am I wrong?”

Count Staviana had used every scheme at his disposal to raise Johan’s standing.

Young Johan was now the head of a house and a member of the Council.

It was hardly normal.

Without some political aim on the Count’s part, such a thing could not have happened.

The Count sighed and pressed a hand to his face.

“Father-in-law, you could not be more mistaken.”

Wolfgang snorted.

“Then explain why you are suddenly defending House Myatro.”

“As I said at the Council...”

Before he could finish, Wolfgang roared.

“Cut the bullshit about doing it for the greater good!”

The official reason for raising Johan’s position was the future and safety of the Kingdom.

The Kingdom was currently under an unprecedented threat.

The emergence of the ancient demon Kaiaje, the manifestation of the Thirteenth Apostle of the End, the demon army’s invasion of the Royal Capital, and more. The End described by the Ominous Book was beginning.

Fear of demons had resurfaced for the first time in centuries.

The time had come when a Watcher of Narak was needed.

That was the Count’s justification for elevating Johan’s standing.

The Count spoke calmly.

“As the Chancellor of the Kingdom, all my actions follow justice. This is no different. The current Kingdom needs a Watcher of Narak, and I have acted accordingly.”

Wolfgang suddenly slammed the table.

The table shattered completely, fragments scattering everywhere.

“You expect me to believe that?! Cromwell Staviana! You have grown even more shameless with age! I know you well! The greater good and justice mean nothing to you! Then and now, you have moved only according to your desires! Am I wrong?!”

Wolfgang’s fury boiled like raging fire, but the Count remained calm.

“Father-in-law, what exactly are you trying to say?”

Wolfgang looked down at the Count, his voice threatening.

“I want to hear your true intentions. Why did you bring that brat into the central government?”

Looking him directly in the eye, the Count replied, “Whatever the reason, let me make one thing clear. I have no intention of making the Watcher of Narak into a puppet.”

Their gazes tangled in midair.

After a moment, Wolfgang narrowed his eyes.

“...Cromwell, don’t tell me that brat has something on you.”

Johan was slightly surprised.

‘He catches on quickly enough.’

The Count was not supporting Johan because of justice or the greater good.

Nor did he intend to make Johan into a puppet.

Only one reason remained.

Johan had something on the Count.

The Count was being forced to grant Johan’s demands.

Wolfgang had realized the truth.

There was no change in the Count’s expression.

He spoke evenly.

“Think whatever you please, Father-in-law.”

Wolfgang’s twisted expression slowly eased.

His anger gradually faded.

Amusement took its place.

Wolfgang burst into hearty laughter.

“After living so long, I see all sorts of entertaining things! You have a weakness? And to such a brat? Ha ha! Cromwell, the epithet Blue Demon is wasted on you!”

Count Staviana said, “I do not care what you think.”

Wolfgang gave the Count a mocking look, then approached Johan.

The huge man slapped Johan’s back with a hand as large as a pot lid. Smack!

“I thought you had unusual spirit for a brat, but you really are something else. You have tamed that old fox, Cromwell. What did you use to put shackles on him? I would like to know as well.”

Johan could not tell him the truth.

He kept a calm expression as he spoke.

“This is between the Count and me, so I cannot disclose it to Your Excellency the Grand Marshal. I ask for your understanding.”

Wolfgang stroked his beard.

“Let me take a guess. Hmm... Yes, something comes to mind. Could it be that Cromwell here has joined hands with heretics in an attempt to bring his dead wife back to life?”

Johan was so startled that he thought his heart had stopped.

“...Your Excellency, what do you mean by that?”

He had nearly revealed his feelings.

Even Johan, who had always practiced keeping a poker face, found it difficult to control his expression this time.

Wolfgang smiled slyly.

“Is that not it? Well, never mind if it isn’t. Ha ha!”

Johan truly could not get a read on Wolfgang.

‘Could he be saying all this because he knows everything?’

Wolfgang had supposedly held no interest whatsoever in matters outside the North.

That was how it had been in the original story.

Seeing him in person, he seemed somewhat different.

Wolfgang appeared to know something.

Johan’s instincts were fairly accurate.

The Count said, “Father-in-law, your jokes have gone too far. Even my patience has limits, so stop this and return to the North.”

A faint killing intent rested over the Count’s cold expression.

Whenever Yeriel was mentioned, the Count could not control his emotions well.

Wolfgang gave a short laugh.

“I was about to leave anyway. Before that, though, I have a proposal for our Watcher of Narak.”

Johan tensed slightly.

He had no idea what Wolfgang might demand.

In Johan’s mind, Wolfgang had become a rather difficult person to deal with.

“Please speak, Your Excellency the Grand Marshal.”

“Will you come to the North with me? I will make a man of you. Later, I will even give you one of my daughters.”

He was offering to take Johan as his son-in-law.

Johan answered at once.

“I am sorry. I have duties of my own.”

Wolfgang gave a regretful hum.

“I will not force you. But if you change your mind, come to the North whenever you wish. I like you very much.”

It seemed Johan had gained Wolfgang’s favor, at least.

Thinking of the future, this meeting had been a great gain.

A strange unease remained, but Johan decided to set it aside for now.

“I will visit you someday.”

Wolfgang nodded and turned away.

“See that you keep your word. This uninvited guest will be leaving now. I need no escort, so no one come out.”

The Count bowed his head.

“Please at least send word before your next visit.”

As Wolfgang left the guest room, he said, “Send word? More importantly, Cromwell, stop mourning my daughter. It is about time you let her go.”

Yeriel, the Count’s dead wife, was also Wolfgang’s child.

“...That is not for Father-in-law to concern himself with.”

Wolfgang waved a hand as he walked away.

“I say it for your sake. Take it to heart, Krong.”

Krong was Count Cromwell Staviana’s childhood nickname.

The Count’s expression soured the moment he heard it.

He muttered in a low voice, “That old man irritates me to the very end.”

Wolfgang laughed heartily and disappeared from sight.

* * *

Johan and Cromwell changed locations as soon as Wolfgang left.

The two headed to the Count’s reception room.

As soon as they sat down, the Count let out a deep sigh.

“Today feels rather long.”

He looked quite exhausted.

It was probably because of Wolfgang.

Johan said, “Count, why exactly is Wolfgang here?”

The fixture of the North had come all the way to the South.

Johan still did not know the precise reason.

The Count spoke.

“He questioned me closely about you. If you had not come to Beldana, Father-in-law would likely have visited the Myatro territory. In short, he came south to meet you.”

That had been close.

The moment Wolfgang set foot in the Baron’s territory, Johan would have been in considerable trouble.

Wolfgang would inevitably have realized that the lord’s castle was half destroyed, and Johan had no way to explain why.

He murmured quietly.

“...It was fortunate that I came to Beldana.”

He was truly glad to have met Wolfgang in the Count’s territory.

The Count watched Johan silently, then said, “Still, you came to see me later than I expected.”

“I had some matters to handle.”

His meeting with the Count had been delayed slightly while he dealt with several variables.

Though somewhat late, Johan wanted to get back on track with the original plan as soon as possible.

The Count took something from a drawer.

“In the meantime, I prepared a few things you might want.”