Hard Work Will Never Betray Me (WN) - Chapter 153

Pov : Graf von Blanche

I am Count Blanche. I am the head of a noble count family with a particularly fine lineage within the long-established empire.

I am not one of those fat, overweight nobles. I am an elite mage, a former member of the court mage division. I am a man of culture and military prowess, blessed with a good bloodline, and intelligent, and I am a chosen one. It was only natural that the cold-laboring court nobles, whose only skill was to fix themselves up and deceive each other, would hate me.

“I have asked you to take part in a state-led strengthening program. to strengthen the power of the Countess Blanche’s family. To increase the influence of our Countess Blanche, you must participate in this to demonstrate your power and to check the other families.

‘Father, with all due respect, I am not endorsing the Academy of Magic. With all due respect, I have already received the recommendation of the Academy of Magic. If You want me to show my power, it is not too late to do so after I enter the academy. Why do you need to go to such trouble?”

The older son of the annoying Lord Fahrenheit will be participating in this program . It is also a good opportunity to check out the “Northern General” family, which is on a …… roll. Go and make Karlheinz’s eldest son shrivel up and, if possible, crush his future opponents.”

“The Fahrenheit family ……. Our Countesses are bound to each other?”

Even my son’s future is at stake. It will only be for a year or so, and even if he is a little dissatisfied, he will at least do his part.

　　　　　✳︎︎

I was driven by the impulse to tighten my grip on myself from a year ago, when I was thinking with optimism about such things ……, I slammed my hardened fist against the wall and raged furiously.

‘Damn!　What the hell is ‘freedom’!　That bastard son of a bitch, he’s bringing mud on my countess’s face!”

　Glasses were thrown against the wall, breaking and scattering wine all over the place. The fists that had punched the wall so many times had torn the skin, and red drops of blood were dripping onto the luxurious carpet.

‘……!!!”

　No,!I am the chosen one!　I am supposed to be a perfect person, blessed not only with a good family background but also with my own talent. I am not a person who should be disgraced in a place like this!　I should have eventually made my way into the heart of the empire and made this world under my contril !

“Oh, , I’m disowning him!　An incompetent who abandons what he is supposed to do has no place in our family!”‘

My son, Christophe, replied in this way, but a look of dissatisfaction was clearly visible on his face. If only he had a better brain like me and a better eye for seeing the situation from a bird’s eye view, the future of the Countess Blanche family would be in good hands. My son is blessed with a talent in magic, but his head still has a lot of room to improve.

” You still have much to learn.”

“…… Yes.”

“Yes.”

　Originally, I was supposed to be the head of the court mage division. However, at the meeting of the council of generals, which decides the personnel of the senior officers of the empire’s army, Lord Fahrenheit expressed his concern about my nomination as the head of the division, and the matter was put on hold.

Lord Fahrenheit must be crazy to try to kick out a man like me, who has a brilliant mind, is blessed with magical talent, and is even comparable to the heroes of the past.

It is said that the first generation of the “Northern General” family was so heroic that they were even praised alongside the heroes of the founding myths, but such a shadow of their former glory has long since faded away.

“His family has many allies. There is nothing better than to reduce their power.
“……I can understand if that’s the case. I’ll join it .”

　The authority of the head of a noble family is very powerful. Even if he is a legitimate son, he can be stripped of his position and thrown out of the house at a moment’s notice.

“Sir, , please calm down, .”

Shut up!　You dare to speak to me, the head of the count’s family?　Since when did you become such a big man?　Are you planning to take this opportunity to take over the count’s house?　Oh, I see. …… You’re fired. I will execute you to make an example of you!　You will die with shame and remorse for having thought such a foolish thing!”

“　I would never do such a thing, sir!”

　Schultz, the family’s chief advisor, is rambling on and on. I had been using him for a long time because he had served my family for many years, but I am sorry. He, too, has betrayed me.

“Seize him.”

“But…’

“You too dare to defy me?”

I’ beg your pardon!”

　A few private soldiers heard my voice and rushed to my side, dismayed, but they silently straightened their posture when I glared at them.

　”Please reconsider once again!　……Yes, the Master is delirious!　Stop the Master!　Otherwise, the counts will truly become ……”

“Don’t act like a loyal retainer now!　Take him to jail quickly!”

“Yes.”

“Let go of me, you know what I want! Let go of me!”

　With my former vassals being taken away while screaming ugly voices, I take out a piece of paper and a pen from the desk top drawer of my office and take a breath.

“The bill for this fiasco is going to be a big one.

　For the time being, I must inform His Majesty that I have disowned my son. It seems that he is still alive, but the man who made such a blunder is no longer my son. It is none of my business what happens to such a person.

　Fortunately, there is still an heir. For a nobleman, leaving an heir is more important than anything else.

　　　　　✳︎

“…… Your Majesty, why!　I have never known such an insolent person in my life!　It is true that he may have once been a member of my count’s family, but I cannot even bring myself to defend a man who has sinned against your majesty!

　When I was captured and tied up in prison, I was held back by the military police in front of my former son as I pleaded my case to His Majesty. His Majesty looks at me as if I am his equal, but there is no reason for him to look at me that way!

No matter how much His Majesty may have misjudged me, he would not allow himself to make a judgment based on an incorrect understanding of the situation. I will raise my voice to rectify His Majesty’s mistake, which is awe-inspiringly misunderstood. I believe that no matter what kind of adversity we face, as long as we are right, we will be understood.

But His Majesty, looking down at me, sighs deeply, turns on his heel and mutters, without showing any sign of consideration for me.

“…Oh dear, I have one more job to do.”

‘If the change of government were to take place, it is inevitable that there would be a rebellion from those close to the faction. I understand your concern.”

‘Will you stand in for me then?”

“I am a small person, not even close to His Majesty. I have no such dreams of taking your place.”

“You’ re still a smooth talker. …… But it’s Eberhard’s job again, isn’t it? It was a good thing I brought him in.”

“I am in awe of your wisdom, Your Majesty.”

　No. He’s not even listening. I’m not sure what to do. How can that be? Was His Majesty also a fool who did not understand the right thing to do? ……

　　　　　✳︎

A few days passed, and I, who had lost my family and my home, was being carted along an unimproved rural road with the corpse of one of them and a few rations. My hands and feet were shackled and the windows were barred.

I was treated like a criminal, and I gazed blankly out the window.

My desperate attempts to explain myself were in vain, and the conclusion reached by His Majesty’s government and the council was heartless. The long and proud history of the Countess Blanche’s family was destroyed. Christophe was executed, and I was stripped of all my possessions and identity and exiled to a remote place.

　The rest of my family, though not punished, were reduced to commoners. They had not worked hard up to that point. They must have been hard-pressed to find work, and must have been lost on the streets.

　I wonder if they had been swaying like that for a while. When they were about to pass through a quiet wheat field and reach the mountain, the carriage stopped moving and suddenly there was a noise outside.

“what’s going on? What’s the matter?’

　{Bandits!　I shouldn’t have taken on a nobleman’s servant, even though he’s fallen on hard times!　I’m a sinner anyway. I’m going to get out of here!”{

“Hey, wait!　You’re not going to escape from me!{

“If you do, I’ll be arrested for treason!　I don’t want to go against the authorities!　No hard feelings!”

With these words, he left me and walked away. Without a key, and with my hands and feet shackled, it was nearly impossible for me to open the lock from the inside. It is also difficult for me to fight back with magic because I am covered with a spell that disrupts my magic power.

　……My life has come to an end, hasn’t it?

　I put one hand on the coffin that rests next to me, which is still free, though it is held in place by shackles, and I mutter to myself

“. I wonder where …… I went wrong.’

　I thought that if I was right, I would always win in the end, but it seems I was wrong. It seems that in order to survive in a world of scheming and intrigue, one must have the strength to be both right and wrong. I guess I learned that a little too late.

“I have been reading the article, Christophe. If everything had been smooth sailing, would I have been able to honestly love you?”

　Everything is too slow now.

　I wonder if he was angry that when he attacked to rob the place, it was just a prisoner transport wagon. The bandits destroyed the wagon, shouting abuse. Fire arrows are fired, and little by little the wooden carriage is set on fire.

　My clothes are scorched, and the smoke and soot make it hard to open my eyes. Breathing became difficult.

　It was a very boring life. If I have another life, I would like to be blessed with a happy life, one where everything is smooth sailing.

I think about this in my fading vision, in my foggy consciousness. I can hardly see anything anymore.

And so, looking back on my life, despairing of regret and a sense of impermanence, I lost consciousness

T/n . It was finale chapter  of 3rd arc ! Thanks for reading that far ! It was pretty long arc  roughly 60 chapters  long ! I  will take a break in posting  chapter for that series for a few days . And then we will start 4th arc ! P.s If you have time pleace rate that series on novel uprdate and  if you can write rewire