Chapter 46: A Dangerous Mission (1)

I had intended to embarrass Donald, but he countered with just one sentence, even sowing discord among our allies. The viscount’s eldest son forced a smile, though he really wanted to hide somewhere. Only Sodo, who was already a clown-like figure, had enough thick skin to glare at Donald without daring to retort. After all, a life-or-death duel wasn’t something to take lightly—no matter how foolish Sodo was, he knew his life was more important than anything.

When the awkward atmosphere eased slightly, Bolton offered Donald a proper noble greeting.
“We were rude earlier. I hope Mage Merlinna won’t hold it against us. I didn’t expect you, Donald, to attend this event as well. May I call you Donald? You may call me Bolton. We’re both part of the younger generation of the North County—perfect opportunities for us to exchange ideas!”

Though Donald had no fondness for this viscount’s son, he couldn’t refuse his persistent attempts to manipulate him. Out of courtesy as a noble, he could only nod slightly.

Bolton continued in a familiar, concerned tone, “As far as I know, Donald, you don’t have your own soldiers. Fighting alone, you probably won’t achieve much. Since we’re all nobles from North County, why not join my forces under Viscount Macbeth? As the commander of this army, I’ll ensure you receive a fair share of the rewards after the battle!”

To Donald, this seemingly caring offer was nonsense. It appeared to be a way to pool efforts to gain glory, but it was obvious who would be in charge and who would get the credit. With his own plans and strength, why would Donald mix with the enemy?

“I also don’t have the honor of serving as a vassal to the viscount!”

These words clearly revealed the Macbeth family’s ambitions. Most of the nobles present understood what was meant, and recalling rumors of Macbeth’s attempt to unify North County, most nobles from that region decided to stay away from the Macbeths to avoid being absorbed by them in the future.

The nobles from other regions also changed their views of Macbeth—whether positively or negatively was only known to them.

“This viscount’s eldest son is quite adaptable—unable to defeat me, so he tries to win me over! But you underestimate me, Donald!”

Faced with Boron’s seemingly sincere invitation, Donald sneered inwardly. His relationship with the Macbeth family, if not outright hostile, was hardly better. The other party’s pretended goodwill was merely a tactic to eliminate him as a threat. The previous two attempts on his life were likely orchestrated by that governor of the Northlands, though he lacked concrete evidence.

Besides, his goal was to claim the greatest share of the spoils, and he had the strength to achieve it. How could he possibly collude with his enemies and give up a bigger prize for something trivial?

Seeing that Donald wasn’t falling for the trap, Boron realized this was no ordinary trouble—it might even affect his share of the spoils. So, after one plan failed, he came up with another. The eldest son of the viscount thought quickly and continued, “Donald, your reputation as a genius mage is well-known throughout the Northlands. But rumors are just rumors; no one has seen your skills in person. With the barbarian orcs invading now, I wonder if Donald would show us what he’s capable of, boosting everyone’s confidence in defeating them!”

As he spoke, Boron subtly gave a signal to his loyal subordinate, Thordo, ordering him to proceed according to the original plan.

Thordo, who appeared reckless, immediately shouted at Donald, “I heard General Ferdinand will send a squad of scouts into the mountains tomorrow to investigate the orc forces. If you’re not a coward, take on this task in front of the general and prove to everyone whether you’re really the greatest genius mage in the Northlands!”

Sending a mage, whose role was to deal damage on the battlefield, to scout the enemy was undoubtedly foolish. Facing fierce orcs in the wilderness, with their physical condition, only powerful mages of intermediate level or above could possibly fight against multiple orcs. In such a situation, the so-called scouting mission was nothing but a death sentence.

Donald had seen this kind of simple provocation many times in his past life and could have ignored Thordo’s words. But even knowing their intentions, Donald’s anger flared. If no one else were around, he would have already broken that worthless guy’s limbs to silence him. With his skills as a demon hunter, dealing with a reckless noble was effortless—he didn’t even need to exert much effort.

The simplest way to deal with such malicious people was often the most effective: confront them head-on and deliver a devastating blow.

With his formidable strength as his greatest asset, Donald was not afraid of any dangerous mission. His purpose in coming here was to eliminate orcs and earn military honors, and these nobles’ plans perfectly suited his desires.
“Whether you’re a genius or not—someone who isn’t even a junior knight doesn’t deserve to judge that. To be honest, after hearing all your nonsense, this is the only sensible thing you’ve said. This mission sounds good; I’ll take it!”
Though humiliated by his words, Sodo was overjoyed to see Donald agree and, unusually, didn’t argue. He shouted to the group of noble youths, “Great! Then let’s go to the general right now and volunteer for the mission! Those who back out are orc bastards, unworthy of being nobles!”
Donald, of course, wouldn’t back out. Without fear, he stepped into the center of the banquet hall under everyone’s gaze, toward where the senior officers and commanders were seated.
“General, this is Donald, the heir of the famous Merlinna family of the North County, a genius mage. He just said he wants to take on the reconnaissance mission tomorrow. Please grant his request, General!”
As if fearing Donald might change his mind, Sodo started shouting before he even stopped in his tracks.
The earlier conflicts among these noble youths had already caught the attention of most people in the banquet hall. The senior generals of the Holy Sword Legion, along with their mage advisors and a few higher-ranking nobles from the capital, though mindful of propriety and not watching like the younger ones, kept an eye on the situation through their conversations.
It wasn’t until these noble youths approached and Sodo called out that Donald, standing alone, stood out sharply compared to the other nobles led by Bordon, drawing everyone’s attention. Even the prince, the highest-ranking figure among them, watched him with keen interest.