SLGAW 22🌌

Chapter : 22

“Are you really sure about this? Opportunities like this don’t come often…”

Still not giving up.

Ignoring Emilia’s complaining voice beside me, I took a sip of hot chocolate.

It really is nice to have money. Being able to casually drink hot chocolate inside my own house like this.

In this world, this stuff is surprisingly expensive.

“Is it really that hard to recite a poem in the capital like last time?”

“That’s not the issue.”

The work becoming famous and being widely read is fine.

But exposing myself too much as “K.H” is not.

Or more precisely, anything that risks revealing “Edward Tellington” should be avoided as much as possible.

My existing life could collapse.

That’s also why I received the baronial title as “K.H.”

Maintain my current environment if possible.

For myself. No—my family.

And if I can achieve what I want without changing that, even better.

“You already have enough publicity, don’t you? I heard your books are already spreading into the capital.”

“That’s true… but Sir Klaus will be quite disappointed… hmm…”

Emilia let out a regretful sigh.

That reaction was probably because her focus was still on “noble-centered cultural reform.”

Her direction and mine are different. I’ve known that for a while.

So in that case…

“I still need to finish Three Kingdoms and slowly work on new works. It’s not good for my long-term goals if my main work gets disrupted. Besides, I already sent Sir Klaus a proper gift.”

True dignity is shown not by appearance, but by actions.

I calmly soothed Emilia while recalling Klaus from before.

He was a splendid knight. I hoped he liked my gift.

“By the way, are you really not going to the capital, young lady?”

“It’s fine. Since things turned out like this, Sir Klaus should take the spotlight anyway. My father has already returned to the capital, so it’s proper for me to stay here as well…”

Now that I think about it, I heard many nobles—including the Lüntar Marquis—have gone to the capital.

It was a banquet to reward Sir Klaus’s achievements under the marquisate.

“……”

…Why was I even being introduced in such a place?

Cold sweat ran down my back.

“What are you staring at?”

“Nothing…”

Just keep reading your book.

As expected, this woman is dangerous.

Still…

‘Well, she reads it properly, so I guess I’m glad.’

Volume 4 of Three Kingdoms.

It was quite long, so I struggled a bit at the end, but it turned out well.

‘Volume 5 will need some preparation… maybe I should write another book before that.’

Now that I’ve passed one hurdle, I can take things a bit easier.

I was calmly planning my next writing schedule.

At that time, I had no idea.

What kind of incident Volume 4 of Three Kingdoms would cause.

Or what kind of hell I would go through because of it.

The capital of Aldvania, Perdium.

A bustling city that recently felt like it was celebrating every day, as the war with Offenheim had begun turning in their favor.

And if you asked who the hottest figure in this city was lately, the answer was obvious.

Klaus Rotenbar.

The hero who turned the tide on the northern front and played a decisive role in securing victory in the war.

That hero was now officially entering the capital to receive his honor.

The public was ecstatic.

The royal family arranged street parades, month-long festivals, and countless banquets.

Naturally so. The protagonist had arrived.

They had to praise him for an entire month.

That was how noble celebrations worked.

It should have been that way, but…

“What? Marquis Lüntar… cried?”

“That emotionless court secretary…?”

A single rumor overshadowed the hero and enchanted the capital’s nobles.

The Marquis Lüntar had cried.

This rumor spread quickly—and intensely—through the nobility.

In truth, it was somewhat predictable.

Marquis Lüntar was both a great lord and a court secretary.

Strictly speaking, he spent far more time in the capital.

“Villac Lüntar, who corrects tax records with surgical precision.”

“Villac Lüntar, who reprimands noble misconduct like a whip while recording every detail.”

“Villac Lüntar, who reports everything to the king the moment something goes wrong.”

The capital nobles had suffered under him far more than anyone else.

And yet that “demon”—a man of unknown background, supported by nobles, and even a novelist—made him cry?

“Ridiculous! Unless that so-called K.H guy punched the Marquis in the face…”

“Maybe it’s magic? I heard that guy might be a mage?”

“Nah, impossible. If you heard his poetry, you wouldn’t say that. And that writer K.H is…”

The tales of K.H were endless.

Nobles couldn’t stop talking, and bizarre rumors quickly spread across the capital.

A mysterious genius writer lives in the Lüntar Marquisate.

His novels are said to change the city’s atmosphere.

His novels even change people’s tastes.

His poetry can make stones on the street cry.

And…

“Is this K.H’s novel?”

A limited supply of books reached the capital.

And the capital immediately caught fire in a completely different way.

“Let me borrow it.”

“What are you talking about? You’re from the east.”

“I’ll read it quickly and send it with a servant.”

“You want to send a servant across the country just to deliver a book? Do you expect me to believe that?”

“Then buy a copy in your own region! You northerners are so stingy.”

“That’s exactly the problem with eastern bumpkins. No manners!”

“Northerners are the real issue! So uncivilized!”

A fierce battle over novels.

This struggle soon became a common sight near the royal palace.

And in the process, our hero Klaus Rotenbar naturally became somewhat sidelined.

Of course…

“Ku…kuku…”

…he didn’t mind at all.

Klaus barely held back a laugh as he entered his room.

The reason for this strange laughter.

The reason he left the ongoing banquet and returned to his room.

Was it because he didn’t suit grand parties by nature? Yes.

Was it because he had finally been freed from the formal award ceremony? Also yes.

But those were secondary.

His heart was pounding as if it might burst.

“To Sir Klaus Rotenbar, with respect.”

Volume 4 of Three Kingdoms, personally signed by K.H.

Not just a signed copy.

It even included a short letter.

“We heard of your great achievements in the recent war. I respect your valor and noble knightly spirit. Wishing you good health.”

Klaus Rotenbar was not usually a man who smiled easily.

He was a model knight who always maintained discipline and never forgot his duty.

But when receiving such a gift…

How could he possibly focus on anything else?

After confirming the door was closed, Klaus opened the book with a pounding heart.

Determined to cherish it as much as possible.

Volume 4 began with Liu Bei and Cao Cao killing Lü Bu and reclaiming Xuzhou.

Though Liu Bei was under Cao Cao, he began to oppose him more and more.

BOOOOM!

They stood no chance.

The three sworn brothers were scattered by a single strike from Cao Cao’s forces.

Liu Bei fled to Yuan Shao, but the problem was Guan Yu.

He remained isolated until the end and eventually surrendered to Cao Cao in order to protect Liu Bei’s wife.

At first glance, it seemed like a tragic ending.

Klaus thought so too.

In fact, Cao Cao tried to recruit Guan Yu with riches, women, and even the legendary Red Hare horse.

But…

“My body may be under Cao Cao, but my heart is always with my brothers.”

After learning Liu Bei’s location, Guan Yu left without hesitation.

He abandoned everything Cao Cao gave him.

Cutting through Cao Cao’s soldiers like grass.

Yes. A true man.

The kind that struck Klaus deeply.

“One who abandons everything for his lord… that is the true knight.”

He even took the horse.

After all, it was a fine steed.

“…Even that is knightly.”

Eventually, Guan Yu reunites with Liu Bei and Zhang Fei.

But Yuan Shao is defeated by Cao Cao, and Liu Bei becomes a wandering fugitive again, seeking refuge under Liu Biao.

And there, he finally meets his lifelong destiny…

“Even if I obtain only one of Wolong or Fengchu, I can rule the realm.”

Zhuge Liang, Wolong—the talent capable of seizing the world.

Through this encounter, for the first time in the book, that phrase appears.

“The strategy of dividing the realm into three…”

This was why the story was called Three Kingdoms.

Cao Cao, who controlled half the world.

Sun Quan, rising in the east.

And Liu Bei, who had nothing yet but held grand ambitions.

The future clash of these three powers was finally presented.

Though still far away.

Liu Bei reaches Jing Province, but its ruler Liu Biao soon dies.

Cao Cao immediately invades.

Liu Bei flees again, and the people of Jing Province follow him.

“Rather than waiting for Cao Cao who massacres civilians, I would rather follow you even if my feet are torn apart.”

People abandoning their homeland to follow Liu Bei.

And…

“I will not abandon a single person. The people are the foundation of the nation.”

Even while fleeing for his life, Liu Bei insists on taking everyone.

At this point, Klaus felt it.

“This volume… is extremely exhilarating!”

Both Liu Bei and his people were so bold, so passionate.

As he turned the pages like someone enchanted, Klaus soon realized he was right.

“The lady of my lord’s family…!”

Zhao Yun breaks through 100,000 enemy troops alone to rescue Liu Bei’s wife and child.

And finally…

“No one shall pass this bridge!”

Zhang Fei standing alone at Changban Bridge, forcing back an entire army.

Yes. The key theme of Volume 4 was “manliness.”

That word dominated the entire book.

And Klaus interpreted it like this:

“Could it be… modeled after my own deeds?”

It wasn’t entirely impossible.

He too had once beheaded enemy generals like Guan Yu.

He too had rescued isolated allies like Zhao Yun.

And like Zhang Fei… ah…

“This… this is it!”

Was fandom always this dangerous?

He might end up dying just because of a book.

Knock knock.

Fortunately, it didn’t go that far.

The sudden knock brought Klaus back to reality.

“Who is it?”

He stood up.

The banquet was still ongoing. Anyone knocking would be…

“A lady would be troublesome…”

He opened the door cautiously.

“Klaus!”

“……”

Fortunately, it was a man.

And…

“Come quickly! A fight has broken out!”