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Reincarnate as the Villainess's Husband-Chapter 124: Wrong target
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Neonidas spent the following days engrossed in the accumulated duties of his duchy. Every morning, before the sun even rose, he secluded himself in his study, reviewing the financial accounts of his lands, holding meetings with merchants and advisors throughout the day.
To minimize the economic devastation caused by the last war, he reassessed tax regulations, provided incentives to farmers to boost production, and arranged employment opportunities for the soldiers of his disbanded army.
In just six months, the Oreoned economy had developed so much that it began generating more profit than even Neonidas had anticipated. Tax revenue alone was sufficient to cover the duchy's expenses. When Neonidas went on the Hindonpon expedition, the duchy was making very little profit, but now it was making considerable annual profits and promising even greater potential.
At present, the mana stone mine was operating flawlessly and was rapidly becoming one of the most active mines in the empire. Other sectors were also experiencing remarkable growth. Under Neonidas's guidance, industrial and agricultural production capacities had increased, and port trade had flourished. In particular, Oreoned's strategic location allowed trade agreements with neighboring regions to bring great wealth to the duchy.
As revenue from the mana stone mine surged, the new mining techniques developed by Neonidas further enhanced efficiency. The region had evolved from merely exporting raw materials to refining mana stones, selling them at higher prices to mage guilds and artisans. This shift in economic strategy exponentially increased the duchy's income.
However, Neonidas's greatest commercial success may have been the wine recipes he brought from his old world. These wines quickly gained imperial-wide fame for their exquisite taste and long shelf life. From noble banquets to common folk celebrations, Oreoned wines became highly sought after. This growing demand led to a rapid expansion of vineyards and the construction of new wine cellars throughout the region.
Significant progress was also made in other industries. By supporting guilds, Neonidas ensured that craftsmen produced higher-quality goods. Innovations in various fields, from blacksmithing to textiles, were encouraged. In particular, investments in armor and weapon production positioned Oreoned as a sought-after trade hub in both local and foreign markets.
As Neonidas closely monitored these developments, he was also mindful of political dynamics. He understood that economic power directly influenced military and political dominance. He planned various moves to strengthen his duchy not only in trade but also in diplomacy.
Yet, amid all these successes, a part of Neonidas's mind remained fixated on his greater ambitions. He would not be content with merely making Oreoned a powerful duchy. He knew he was laying the foundation for a much grander plan and was carefully calculating his steps accordingly.
Meanwhile, with the gold he had seized from the Hindonpon Kingdom's treasury, he had paid off all his debts, allowing the duchy to now operate purely on profit. Additionally, the port region he had taken from Marquis Alexsaz enabled the gradual establishment of a formidable navy.
Neonidas harbored a dream of founding his own colony. When he eventually invented firearms and devastating cannons, he could potentially use these new technologies to colonize other continents. But before anything else, he knew he had to seize control of the empire. To achieve this, he first needed to eliminate the powerful factions within the imperial court and then overthrow the emperor himself.
Unfortunately, this time, he couldn't resolve everything with a single, silent, and destructive blow as he had in the past. He was well aware that his actions would likely lead to some form of civil war. But no one had ever claimed that the path to power would be easy.
Neonidas could feel the weight of the power he held. The economic and military advancements of Oreoned had undoubtedly given him a great advantage, but how he wielded this advantage would determine whether his grand vision succeeded. He was not just a duke; he was a strategist. And a strategist never became blinded by short-term victories—he meticulously arranged his chess pieces for the long game.
Despite it being well past midnight, Neonidas remained seated in his study. His desk was cluttered with ledgers, sealed parchments, and a half-finished glass of wine. His eyes followed the trade routes marked on the map before him, but his mind was occupied with far greater schemes.
Outside, the streets of Oreoned were quiet and peaceful. A pale moon hung in the sky, and the footsteps of the palace guards echoed through the courtyard. Yet, within this silence, Neonidas sensed that something was amiss.
A faint breeze... No, not a breeze. A shadow.
A year ago, such a detail might have gone unnoticed. But after countless battles against that monster in another realm—after facing death on the battlefield time and time again—Neonidas had developed an instinct for detecting an assassin's presence.
However, by the time he realized it, it was already too late.
A cold blade pierced his back the very moment the pen in his hand slipped from his fingers.
He didn't even feel the pain. The strike was so sharp, so swift, that for a fleeting moment, he could only imagine the path the dagger was carving through his body. But death was never something that would come so easily to a man like Neonidas.
His eyes widened, flickering between shock and fury. His instincts took over.
His hands gripped the desk, and before he could even contemplate whether to pull the knife out of his back, the lamp before him suddenly went dark.
A shadow shifted within the room.
Who was this? Neonidas had many enemies, but who would be mad enough to attack the future empress's husband and the conqueror of Hindonpon? It no longer mattered. He could feel it—the short-stature figure, whether a man or a woman, was skilled enough to harm him. Perhaps even kill him.
A moment ago, the assassin had aimed for his neck, but because Neonidas had stood up at the last second, the dagger had struck his back instead.
Narrowing his eyes, he scanned the shadows spreading throughout the room. The cold sharpness of the blade still echoed in his spine, but
instinct took over. Being this close to death was nothing new to him. Yet, it was never a feeling one could grow accustomed to.
His breathing settled into a sharp rhythm. His body reacted instinctively. In that instant, his hands began to glow—no, not just glow. They changed form. His fingers vanished, replaced by elongated, razor-sharp blades.
Neonidas focused his magic, channeling light energy into his sword-hands, and instantly, the room was engulfed in a bright radiance. As the light spread, the darkness had nowhere left to hide. That was when he saw the assassin.
A small figure cloaked in black. No emblem, no guild markings. Neonidas had many enemies, but this was no ordinary assassin. His sharp gaze followed the swift movements of the shadow, mind already calculating the possibilities.
The assassin attacked immediately. Not just with a dagger—Neonidas noticed something in their left hand, a thin, needle-like weapon. A poisoned needle? Or some enchanted material capable of disrupting mana flow?
There was no time to find out.
Tssss!
Neonidas compressed the light element and detonated it. Like a flashbang, an intense burst of light filled the room. The assassin flinched, turning their head to shield their eyes. That brief hesitation was all Neonidas needed.
He lunged, his sword-hands slashing in a crisscross motion toward the intruder. The assassin leaped back with astonishing speed, but Neonidas extended his glowing blades, elongating them with light magic. The luminous swords sliced through part of the assassin's cloak.
Yet, with near-superhuman agility, the attacker flipped backward, barely evading the strike. But the spreading light left them completely exposed.
Now, Neonidas could see them clearly. Small, agile… A woman? Her short, dark hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, her sharp facial features partially concealed by a mask. But her eyes—those cold, ruthless eyes—held no fear.
"You dodged better than I expected," Neonidas remarked, his voice calm yet laced with icy confidence.
The woman remained silent, but her gaze flickered toward his sword-hands. She had noticed the light was slowly dimming. She was waiting for his magic to run out.
A slight smirk crossed Neonidas's lips. "You're playing the wrong game," he whispered.
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Suddenly, light flared—not just from his hands, but from his entire body. He manipulated the reflections in the room, creating multiple afterimages of himself.
The assassin hesitated for a split second.
And that was all the time Neonidas needed.
One of the false images lunged—merely a feint. The real Neonidas, moving low and impossibly fast, closed the distance and drove his glowing blade into the assassin's shoulder.
The woman recoiled, leaping back without so much as a gasp, but it was too late. Blood dripped from Neonidas's blade.
She glanced at her wound. No fear. No panic.
She had accepted death long ago.
As Neonidas stepped forward, his movements slow and deliberate, her eyes conveyed a single message:
I chose the wrong target.
The spark of understanding that appeared in the assassin's eyes made Neonidas smile. To him, this was the inevitable fate of the weak—if you tried to kill the wrong person, you paid for it with your blood. Still, he had to be careful. This woman didn't move like a simple hired killer. Being at peace with death was a dangerous trait for an assassin. If you had nothing to lose, you could give your enemy everything.
As blood trickled down from her shoulder, dripping onto the ground, the assassin took a deep breath. Her pale skin looked even whiter under the moonlight. The sharp inhale from beneath her mask revealed her attempt to suppress the pain. Neonidas took another step forward, and in that moment, the woman's eyes regained focus. She had no intention of retreating
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