His arrogant attitude was incredibly irritating.
However, Regulus was already mentally prepared for such a situation. It was bound to happen one day; if such a thing never happened, it would be an unimaginable occurrence in this setting.
Because even if the nobles appearing in fiction usually knew how to behave when facing overwhelming power, there was one unchangeable, fundamental fact about this world: The Kingdom of Lugnica was a country deeply entrenched in a monarchical aristocratic system.
Within this country, there were enormous, insurmountable differences in status and position between the royal family, the nobility, the merchants, and the commoners.
This greasy man named Leip Barielle in front of him was exactly the kind of person who placed absolute, paramount importance on status and pedigree. As a high-ranking noble and a supposed frontline commander, when he looked at Regulus, he probably saw nothing more than a useful, lowly commoner.
For a noble to order a commoner to do something, being 'polite' was considered giving them massive face. Leip's current, arrogant attitude was actually the most normal situation under the Kingdom's rigid laws.
But the problem was... Regulus had absolutely no intention of playing along with him.
"Let's go, we're heading back to town," Regulus said lazily, completely ignoring the noble. With that, he turned his back on Leip and walked towards the dragon carriage they had arrived in.
He wasn't serving anyone.
Among the accompanying girls, although Carol hesitated for a split second due to her ingrained duties as a Knight of the Royal Guard, she ultimately chose to turn her back on the commander and follow Regulus.
In her opinion, as a woman, she should stand by her husband's side. Besides, the strict order she had received from the very beginning was to act as Julia's bodyguard. Since Julia chose to accompany Regulus without hesitation, Carol had no reason to stay here and listen to this pompous fool, did she?
"Hey! Where do you think you are going?!" Leip questioned, his voice pitching up with extreme displeasure. "Did I say you could leave?!"
He was a high noble! He was the commander of the front line! Coming out to meet this mercenary personally was already giving him enough face, yet this commoner was so ungrateful as to simply ignore him and walk away?!
However, his furious questioning was still completely ignored.
Watching Regulus and the beautiful women board the dragon carriage, Leip felt a surge of extreme, blinding anger. But beneath that anger, a faint sense of worry surged within him.
This white-haired man in front of him was the strategic key to ending the war.
But to make him, Leip Barielle, lose face and bow in apology to a filthy commoner? He would absolutely never do it, even if it meant death.
"You," Leip snapped, pointing a trembling finger at the burly squad captain nearby. "Go stop him."
"Huh! Me?" Bordeaux blinked, startled.
"Yes, you! Go quickly!"
"This... Lord Leip, even if you say so..." Bordeaux's scarred face was filled with extreme frustration and difficulty. He simply didn't have that much influence over a monster who could slap Wilhelm Trias into a coma, did he?
"I told you to go, so go!"
"Alright... I'll try."
Unable to disobey a direct superior, Bordeaux could only brace himself and quickly jog after the departing group.
Once he caught up to the carriage step...
"Your Excellency," Bordeaux called out softly.
"Captain Bordeaux," Regulus paused on the carriage steps, glancing back. "It's getting late. My wives in the town are still waiting for me. If you wish to reminisce, come find me in the town later."
"..."
Regulus's dismissive words plunged Bordeaux into silence. His attitude was already very firm; even if Bordeaux spoke on behalf of Leip, it would certainly yield no results. Furthermore, Bordeaux didn't want to leave a bad impression on Regulus.
In that case...
"It is indeed getting late," Bordeaux nodded, lowering his voice. "It's good to return early, especially since you have so many wives to accompany. Oh, there's a minor detail I wanted to tell you. The actual operational commander of the Southern Front is Lord Kurumel. Lord Leip's noble title is simply slightly higher than Lord Kurumel's, so he throws his weight around..."
Bordeaux didn't say much more. Because that was enough.
Leip himself didn't actually matter to the war effort, as long as Regulus didn't truly develop a grudge against the entire Royal Army. Otherwise, if Regulus went on strike, who knew how many more young men would die in this endless war.
"So that's how it is," Regulus smiled, understanding the political dynamic perfectly.
"Yes, that's how it is. Let's leave it at that. Your Excellency should be departing soon."
"Yes. Goodbye, Captain."
With that, Regulus boarded the luxurious dragon carriage without any hesitation and ordered the driver to depart.
After watching the carriage kick up dust for a while, Bordeaux turned his head with a heavy sigh and looked at Leip in the distance.
The noble's face had completely darkened into a shade of violent purple. Just by looking at him, one could tell he was in a state of extreme, volatile rage. No matter who approached him right now, they would surely gain nothing good.
Bordeaux adjusted his expression. Returning to Leip, his face was filled with practiced helplessness.
"I'm sorry, Lord Leip. He refused to listen."
"..."
Leip, whose lungs were about to explode with rage, and who was also getting a headache thinking about how to explain this strategic failure to the Capital, frowned and glared at the retreating carriage. In the end, he didn't vent his anger on Bordeaux. No matter what, apart from failing to physically stop a demigod just now, Bordeaux had always performed very well in front of him, and his flattery was usually very pleasing.
But this bubbling anger definitely had to be released on someone.
Leip looked around and his beady eyes landed on the members of Bordeaux's squad standing nearby.
What first caught his attention was a young, brown-haired man in the formation who had his head turned to the side. There was a distinct, sharp smirk playing on the young swordsman's lips—a look that unmistakably meant he was mocking the noble's utter humiliation.
"Soldier over there!" Leip barked, marching over. "Look straight ahead, and straighten your back!"
"Huh? Is he talking about me?"
Wilhelm, who suddenly heard the shrill reprimand, turned his head and saw Leip aggressively approaching him.
The exact moment the noble reached him—
Smack!
A suddenly thrown, poorly-formed punch from Leip struck Wilhelm right across the cheek.
This made Wilhelm slightly stunned.
But after a brief fraction of a second of shock, Wilhelm's instincts took over. He was just a young man in the prime of his fiery, uncontrollable temper. He didn't care about noble titles or military hierarchy.
Without a moment's hesitation, Wilhelm raised his heavy boot and kicked out with brutal force.
As an aristocrat with some minor magical training, Leip's fighting skills were decent compared to a civilian, but he was less than nothing compared to the Sword Demon.
Thud!
Leip was directly kicked flying through the air, landing hard in the mud several yards away.
Of course, it was highly likely the noble simply hadn't expected a lowly infantryman to actually dare to fight back against a high lord.
Facing Leip, who was now clutching his stomach and groaning in agony on the muddy ground, everyone present—including Wilhelm himself—froze in stunned silence.
That kick had just caused a massive, potentially lethal political problem. Wilhelm naturally knew that assaulting a high noble was punishable by execution. But when a warrior is hit, they instinctively fight back, right?
At the same time, Bordeaux, who was the first to react to the disaster, felt a massive migraine pierce his skull.
'It's Wilhelm again!' Bordeaux screamed internally. 'He's causing me trouble again!'
But this time, the trouble was on a completely different, catastrophic level than his usual insubordination. With his position as a mere squad captain, Bordeaux truly had no ability to help resolve this or save the boy from a court-martial.
However, he couldn't just let Wilhelm fall into Leip's vindictive hands. Given Leip's petty temper and cruel personality, if Wilhelm was arrested by his personal guards, it would definitely not be just a small hardship. He would be tortured and executed.
So, Bordeaux had to act fast.
"Wilhelm! Look what you've done, you fool!" Bordeaux rebuked loudly, drawing his sword to make a show of arresting him.
When Wilhelm looked at him, preparing to draw his own blade in defense, he realized his captain's expression was urgently different. Bordeaux was silently conveying a desperate message to him.
Wilhelm stared at the captain's face and deciphered Bordeaux's rapid lip movements.
'Go find Regulus quickly.'
Wilhelm silently repeated the sentence in his mind. This made the young Sword Demon instantly understand his captain's meaning.
The only person in this entire camp—or perhaps this entire Kingdom—who had the power, the arrogance, and the total disregard for nobility required to protect him from execution right now... was Regulus.
Casting one final, disdainful glance at the front-line commander who still couldn't get up from the mud, Wilhelm turned on his heel. Without any hesitation, he used his superhuman agility to sprint in the direction of the town.
Once that noble recovered his breath and ordered the guards to fire, it would be too late to run.
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