The Youngest Prince Copies Skills with Skeleton Soldiers

Chapter 10 - The Stratagem of Provoking the General

Somewhere in the East, the Fourth Son’s faction.

On a sheer cliff, a dark-colored castle stood pointedly.

As Bone Golems were used as laborers instead of people, the castle built by the white-bone giants seemed to reach the clouds.

The place to go, leaving that black giant castle, was a relatively shabby mansion.

It was the mansion of the Youngest Son, who was still cowering like a coward, unable to leave the Pantheon.

The messenger Kerard lowered his body and received the order.

It was by no means an order received by facing the master of this castle and his own master, the Fourth Son.

He would not dare.

In this castle, those who could face the Fourth Son were extremely few.

It was natural, as the weight of a Millesdusk blood member in the East was heavier than this castle.

But that depended on the blood member.

For the Youngest Son he was about to see, weighing his importance was no different from weighing a sunflower seed.

He couldn't understand why his master was interested in such a dust-like person, but an order was an order.

“Kerard. The Fifth Son produced a late result in the test of achievement, and then, as if he had been waiting, he massacred the minions who had been bribed.”

At the words of the Fourth Son's head butler, Kerard faltered.

“Well, isn't that a coincidence? Not only our minions, but others were said to have died as well.”

“Yes. And those others were bribed by someone else.”

“Then are you saying, Head Butler, that the Fifth Son was aware of all the spies and chose to kill them when he saw an opportunity?”

Kerard laughed heartily, as if it was too much of a leap.

But that didn't last long either.

Anyone would lower the corners of their mouth when faced with a chillingly emotionless expression, unlike his own.

“Ahem. Speak.”

“……”

The head butler thought for a moment.

Was it right to send this guy out?

He had a good family background and was a talented individual who had joined the Fourth Son’s faction at a young age, but.

Literally, because he had been so successful at a young age, he had not yet tasted bitterness.

He had pride in his rapid promotion, and also the arrogance of seeing himself in the Fourth Son, who had proven his ability and talent at a young age.

But.

‘Sending out key personnel to deal with a fledgling like the Fifth Son is a loss in itself.’

A stroll was giving a disposable lizard tail to see the reaction.

The bait named Kerard would wag its tail on its own like bait, so he couldn't help but bite.

The head butler said.

“You have one job. Face the Fifth Son and gather information through conversation. Subtly hint that the Fourth Son might extend a hand and probe his inner thoughts.”

“Mmm! Certainly, the Fifth Son in his current state must be desperately looking for a hand to save him. Since there are no factions that would stick with the Fifth Son right now.”

“That is also one of the things you must find out. Do not forget the gift from the Fourth Son.”

That too was one of the baits.

It would be able to greatly provoke the Fifth Son, who was only about five years different in age from his master.

Kerard said confidently.

“Leave it to me. As always, there will be no failure this time.”

He left the room.

Not long after, a procession left the castle.

It was a carriage pulled by fine horses and knights escorting the carriage.

When you stand in such an escort, your shoulders naturally puff up.

Those shoulders did not know how to come down and remained up until they reached the Pantheon.

A few days later, upon arriving at the Fifth Son's mansion.

The first thing he saw was the fence.

The lush flower beds were gone, and there were only a lot of overgrown vines due to the absence of a gardener.

And what about the gatekeeper, who could be called the face of the mansion's main gate?

A surcoat with frayed ends. A wrinkled face, and his beard and hair were whitish.

His face, as he opened the gate, was filled with anger, as if something was so displeasing.

Kerard couldn't help but laugh.

“A dirty garden. A dirty gatekeeper. A dirty mansion. There’s nothing worth looking at with open eyes.”

The carriage rattled forward.

The ground, which should have been paved with finished stone, was all broken as if there had been a battle.

It was not a comfortable road, even as an empty compliment.

A knight, whose armament was incomparable to that gatekeeper from before, politely opened the carriage door.

As he got off with a frown.

“Welcome. I am the Fifth Son's Head Maid. Are you the messenger from the Fourth Son?”

“I am.”

“As you are a valued guest, we will serve you with all sincerity inside. However, as you can see, we are short on staff, so it may be difficult to meet your level of satisfaction.”

“It doesn't matter. Let’s go in.”

Kerard glanced at the Head Maid.

To think that the only thing worth looking at in this mansion was the Head Maid’s face.

The Fifth Son had no luck with people either.

Kerard clicked his tongue and entered the mansion.

As he sat still in the reception room, the Head Maid brought tea and refreshments.

“Please make yourself comfortable. The Young Master is currently out, so it seems it will take a little more time for him to arrive.”

“I also came without any prior notice, so I won't argue. However, the quality of the tea does not seem very good.”

With this, another piece of information was gathered.

The Fifth Son's mansion did not have a single good tea leaf to serve to a guest.

The Head Maid bowed her head.

“I am sorry.”

Kerard put down the teacup.

His mouth, which had been hidden by the cup, was slightly raised.

“Then you will have to be my conversation partner while the Fifth Son comes.”

The Head Maid bowed her head once more.

“I am sorry. As I mentioned, due to the lack of staff, it seems I will have to go and fetch the Young Master myself. Well then.”

She left the reception room.

Kerard clicked his tongue and emptied the teacup irritably.

“A punk who doesn't know how to think of his master. How can he be used anywhere when he's so stiff?”

How much time had passed?

A carriage entered through the main gate.

It was a rather unremarkable carriage.

Exactly the kind that Millesdusk provided to blood members who had not proven themselves beyond the basics.

Originally, he wouldn't even have had that, but now that he could go outside the mansion, he must have passed the test of achievement.

“Ahem.”

Kerard cleared his throat, which had become dry while waiting, and adjusted his clothes.

He straightened his slumped shoulders and reminded himself of who he was.

I am a messenger who has come under the order of the great Millesdusk Fourth Son.

Even if it was in front of a blood member, there was no reason to bow my head.

The one in a hurry was him, and he would not dare show a single sign of displeasure towards me.

Clank─

The door opened.

The Head Maid entered.

But there was no one following her.

“Why are you the only one entering? Where is the Fifth Son?”

“I must first apologize.”

A long shadow was cast in front of the speaking Head Maid.

It was because of the sunlight coming in from outside.

“The Fifth Son extremely dislikes being active during the day when the sun is up. Therefore, you must postpone the meeting until sunset when the sun goes down.”

“Wh-what did you say?”

“And I would like to ask for your understanding on one more matter.”

Misfortune does not come alone.

“The Young Master’s original room was destroyed, so the Young Master is currently using a guest room.”

There were no empty rooms.

This meant.

“Please wait here for 6 hours until sunset.”

“Wh-what? This is ridiculous…!! Where is the Fifth Son! I must see his face at once!”

“That is not possible. The only room currently permitted to the guest is the reception room. To go beyond that is a violation of family law.”

“To hell with family law! Does the Fifth Son treat a messenger who has come to deliver his older brother's words with such disdain!”

The Head Maid calmly replied.

“Disdain? We have politely shown you to the reception room and served you tea and refreshments. All procedures have been followed.”

“…Procedures? You wench have no eyes!”

Slap─!

The Head Maid’s head snapped to the side.

Her head had turned due to a completely external force.

A reddened left cheek under her golden hair.

Along with it, Kerard's face was also flushed red, and steam rose from the top of his head.

“Bring the Fifth Son before my eyes. Otherwise, I will immediately return to the Fourth Son and report this insult in detail.”

“If you are going to return, please listen to the message the Young Master left.”

Her lips, which were split and bleeding, spoke.

“It does not matter to him at present if you return, but something may happen to you.”

“……”

The Fourth Son was a strict meritocrat.

He gives an extra rice cake to the one who does well and cuts off the one who does poorly without mercy.

The same applied even if one did well ten times and failed once.

Because the Fourth Son’s faction was overflowing with those who had done well eleven times.

That was why the one who had done well ten times had to struggle not to make a single mistake.

Just like now.

“…Bring me something to eat. And some drinks to go with it.”

It did not take long for his body, which had been boiling like a volcano, to cool down.

“Of course.”

The Head Maid went out and brought what was requested.

And Kerard had to drink a glass of liquor alone in the reception room, in the middle of the day.

***

Knock, knock─

“Young Master. It is the Head Maid.”

“Come in.”

The Fifth Son, who was said to be sleeping, was hard at work training his stamina in the guest room.

During the day, in the hall, he used up his mana as soon as it recovered to build the magic circles, and when his inside was empty, he lifted and lowered anything to fill his outside.

Chairs, desks, and so on.

As long as the weight was appropriate, he repeated it steadily.

“The messenger has been dealt with as you instructed.”

Thud─

I put down the walnut desk decorated with brass.

The Stratagem of Provoking the General.

That messenger must be out of his mind with anger by now.

It's not too late to open the gift later.

What's important is to get ahead somehow, even in a difficult situation.

“Good work.”

I was only wearing a light shirt, and my sweat-soaked body was exposed, but the Head Maid was in an even worse state.

“I thought I smelled something delicious. So it was coming from you.”

“Shall I serve it for dinner?”

“Enough with the jokes.”

The Head Maid's cheek was bruised purple from burst capillaries.

It looked like it was an effort for her to even speak properly.

“Come here.”

The Head Maid, her hands politely clasped in front of her, approached with silent steps.

Her footsteps were smaller than her own heartbeat.

To her, who came close enough for the downy hair on her face to be visible, I slowly moved my hand.

“…Young Master.”

“Stay still.”

My pale hand, with its prominent veins, touched her cheek where the capillaries had burst.

“……”

The Head Maid’s one eyebrow bent faintly.

“It seems it does hurt.”

“It would hurt less if you removed your hand.”

“It will be even better if I remove my hand a little later.”

To a member of the vampire bloodline, and a noble at that, blood is mana, and mana is blood.

As I used up my mana to the bottom engraving magic circles all day, I naturally became familiar with the blood in my body.

Blood transfusion was another matter, but mana and blood within the body were gradually losing their distinction.

‘So if I channel my mana into the wound.’

Swoooosh─

Most problems related to blood vessels or blood could be solved.

Because the cases where blood causes problems in the body are mostly due to bleeding.

The small amount of mana that had just recovered danced in the wound of the capillary.

The small amount of blood that had been flowing in the wrong direction found its proper place by the hand of the vampire noble.

“How is it?”

I took my hand off her cheek.

The Head Maid blinked her eyes and carefully touched her own cheek.

Unlike before, when it looked painful just to touch, she looked quite comfortable.

“Isn't it amazing?”

“I am indebted to you once again, Young Master. Thank you.”

“If you’re thankful, dodge next time.”

“…Pardon?”

Before her reply.

I wiped my sweat with the warm towel the Head Maid had prepared.

Because it would tarnish the dignity of a direct blood member of Millesdusk to show an untidy appearance.

For that reason, the Head Maid always had a clean and pleasantly warm towel prepared.

And yet she had returned with her cheek bruised purple.

It was a funny thing.

“Even if your affiliation is the intelligence department, to others, you are seen as the Fifth Son’s Head Maid. Am I wrong?”

“You are not.”

“Then dodge. You have to look clean for me to look clean, and I have to look clean for you to look clean.”

“…I will keep that in mind.”

A short bow of the head.

The twitching disappeared, and her cheek regained its color.

The pain from her split lip seemed to have lessened a lot too.

It was an excellent treatment.

“I won’t charge you for the cheek. Instead, you will owe me a debt.”

“……”

Her eyes clearly showed her inner thoughts of me being petty.

The Youngest Son lightly ignored it and continued.

“Don’t look at me like that. It means you are that valuable a talent.”

Being able to request something from a 1st-class intelligence agent had a great meaning.

It wasn't that I healed her cheek for that reason, but everything was a bonus.

She, who was feeling some gratitude, also accepted after a short while.

“If it is something I can do, I will grant it.”

“That’s enough for me. Actually, it was my first time moving someone else's blood, so the bruise almost spread to her neck. It was dangerous.”

“Pardon…?”

“In the end, it was a success, wasn't it? You may leave now.”

The quack's order to leave before the patient's protest.

Thump─

With the sound of the door closing, my blood-red eyes moved to the Scripture of the Dark Wheel.

For the remaining 6 hours, I could not rest from building magic circles and studying.