Chapter 261: ???????????? ???????????? (1)
‘??????.’
Johan thought of himself as a fairly pragmatic person. He wasn’t even that obsessed with revenge against the emperor who had massacred his family.
However, his hometown where he spent his childhood in this world felt different. If possible, he wanted to keep it as his fiefdom.
“Why are you making that face, my dear?”
Iselia asked, looking puzzled. Iselia was simply enjoying the moment of being on the move, having left the camp. Her expression was calm, but her ear tips were twitching slightly.
“The fiefdom we’re going to now was originally owned by my family.”
“!”
Iselia gasped in surprise.
“Is that so? Then we must definitely take it back!”As an elf aristocrat, Iselia valued family and honor. It was more painful than having her heart torn out to have a fiefdom that her family had owned taken away by someone else.
How much must it have pained Johan to see his rightful fiefdom in the hands of someone else?
When she thought about it, Iselia felt like her heart was breaking. She took Johan’s hand and looked at him with pity.
“. . .What’s that look?”
“I didn’t think you would be so upset.”
“No. I wasn’t really upset.”
Johan was taken aback when Iselia had a strange thought. Usually, it was Johan who would look at Iselia with pity, not the other way around.
“Do you think I’m the type of person to be upset about losing a piece ofnd?”
“Now that you mention it, it doesn’t seem like it.”
Iselia quickly understood. When she thought about it, Johan had quite a cheeky side to him.
Nobles who had never spoken to him properly would think of Johan as a strong and unshakable knight among knights, but his actual personality was quite different.
In fact, that personality was closer to Iselia’s, and Johan was a person who could easily change his attitude depending on the situation.
“But even if we get it back, it wouldn’t be bad, right?”
Iselia nodded vigorously at Johan’s words. As a knight, she couldn’t help but understand his feelings.
“But. . . isn’t it too many people toe for just one castle?”
Johan turned around in surprise. It was understandable that there were so many troops under his directmand, including the nobles, even Suetlg and Caenerna had joined the expedition.
Not all castles were the same. A castle with steep terrain, a moat, and stone walls would be impregnable, but a castle with t terrain, no moat, and wooden walls could be easily taken by a mercenary band of just a few dozen.
The castle they were heading to, Tidellen, was just such a castle.
“I guess no one wanted to take care of things in your absence.”
The southern nobles were so eager to please that some of them even approached mercenary captains to speak to them. By that point, the mercenaries were too baffled to respond.
━????, ???????????? ????, ?????? ??’?? ???????? ?? ??????????????.
━??????, ?????? ??????’???? ???????????? ?????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????? ??????????, ??????????’?? ???????
━???????? ?????????? ?????????????????? ?????????????? ?????????? ???? ???? ???????? ???????????????????? ?????????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?? ??????????? ?????? ?????? ???????????? ???? ?????? ?????????????? ???????? ???? ?????? ???????????????
“Well, it’s not a bad thing to have a lot of people. We don’t need to wait long with one castle. . .”
Iselia nodded her head and said, ‘???????? ?????? ???????????????? ??????????????, ?????? ???????????? ???????? ???? ???????????? ????????????????, ???????????’
“There’s also a high possibility that the enemy casten wille out first.”
“That’s true too.”
In the elf kingdom where Iselia was from, they did not drag out sieges in areas without castles. They would either flee ore out and surrender.
If the enemy casten has his head screwed on straight, he will make the right decision.”
????????????
Tidelen’s casten was much more calm than Johan or the other lords thought.
The administrator who worked under him was even more restless.
“Sir Casten. I heard that the emperor’s army has retreated to the north.”
“Yes, I heard that too.”
The casten nodded.
Originally, he was not a feudal lord of this area. He used to be a minor nobleman who lived in that northern city.
Even if one is born into arge family, if they do not inherit a fiefdom, they are nothing. Even more so if it is a small family. So it is natural for a low-ranking noble to be moved to have ascended to such a casten position.
’???????? ???????? ???????????? ???????????? ?????? ????????, ???? ???? ???? ???????? ?????????????????????’
The administrator was not a noble, but he had lived in this area for a long time, so he knew well who this casten was and how he became a feudal lord.
He was able to sit in the seat because he was from a family in this area and caught the eye of one of the emperor’s vassals.
The casten seemed to believe that it was only natural for him to sit in this seat and that it was a right given to him by God. ‘?? ??????’?? ???????? ???? ???? ?????? ???????? ???????????????????? ???? ??????????????, ???? ???? ???? ???????????? ?????????????? ???? ?????????????? ?????????? ???????????? ???? ??????????????. . .’
But that did not change reality.
Even though the administrator did not know much about the politics of the Empire, he felt that the great feudal lords of the west would not leave this casten alone now that the emperor’s army was gone.
‘?? ?????????? ?????? ???????????? ???? ?????????????????? ?????????? ??????. . .’
But the casten, without any intention of bribing or negotiating, wasfortably enjoying his drink, holed up in his own castle.
’???????? ???? ???????????? ???????? ?????????????????? ???? ???????? ?????’
“Lord Casten! Lord Casten!!”
“What’s all this noise?”
A soldier ran up from below. To call him a soldier was a stretch; he was more like a ve brought by the casten, who had been handed a spear. Considering the people inside the castle, this was enough of a deterrent.
“The army, the army of Count Yeats is approaching this way!”
“So it hase!”
The administrator dropped the ss he was holding. The loud noise went unnoticed. The administrator frantically thought about when to flee.
The casten did not move. His calm demeanor surprised both the administrator and the soldier.
“Lord Casten. The army of Count Yeats is approaching. Did you hear that correctly?”
Who was Count Yeats again?
Even the casten, who had little interest in knights, knew his name; he was a famous knight of the Empire.
Once, Sir Karamaf, the most famous knight in the empire, disappeared. His fame was so great that other ambitious knights had not yet made a name for themselves.
His stories were so numerous that some people were suspicious that they were not true. It was hard to believe that such an achievement could be made at such a young age.
“I heard.”
“Do you have any ns?”
“It’s stupid.”
“. . .?”
“Of course it’s a rumor. Why would a counte here?”
“. . . . . .”
The administrator and the soldiers were speechless at the bold words.
However, the casten was serious.
“Think about it. The count is currently chasing the emperor’s army and making a name for himself. Is there any reason why he woulde down here?”
“That. . . That makes sense.”
The administrator, who at first thought it was nonsense, felt persuaded as he listened. No, he might have wanted to believe it.
The administrator did not realize that he was doing the same thing as the casten he had just cursed.
“Still, the rumors are too detailed. . .”
“Those rumors are probably from the bandits that have been guing this area. If the count ising, the vigers will run away.”
The casten nodded in agreement.
“And think about it. Count Yeats is a knight of honor and faith. Why would hee to me, who was granted this fiefdom by the Empire’s justws?”
‘???? ????’?? ??????. . .’
The administrator was brought back to reality by the casten’s nonsense.
Of course, the procedure was properly followed, but all the nobles in the Empire with eyes knew the truth. The casten had be lord of thisnd with the emperor’s power.
The western feudal lords would not let that stand. They would find some way to expel him, no matter what the charge.
‘???????????? ?? ?????? ?????????’
The administrator’s thoughts were cut short. The first of Johan’s soldiers arrived at the castle and sounded their horns.
????????????
“The fiefdom is not bad.”
Johan had not yet reached his original town, but the towns he had seen so far were not in bad shape. When they saw Johan, the serfs fled with frightened expressions on their faces.
“Joseph, have you ever returned since you escaped?”
“Of course not.”
Joseph shook his head with a wry smile. He had originally been living a wandering life, and he had only stayed in the vige for a short time. Why would he return to that vige with any regrets? He could be beheaded if he was caught.
Before Johan could even approach, the vige chief came out of the nearby vige. He hade out early to prepare for any eventuality.
“C-Count, it is an honor to meet you.”
The vige chief spoke in a trembling voice, prostrating himself on the ground. He could not even look Johan in the eye.
The vige chief knew that the war had not yet reached here, but he had heard the rumors. Several viges had been burned and looted. The eyes of the soldiers lined up behind the count were chilling.
“Yes, you have worked hard.”
Johan signaled, and the guard next to him took out a purse and threw it to the vige chief. The vige chief’s eyes sparkled at the jingling sound.
“If we identally hurt any of the animals you raise while passing by, we should pay for them in advance.”
“Oh. . . no. . . thank you! Thank you so much!”
Johan gestured for him to go in as if it was settled. The vige chief bowed several times and then went in.
The mercenaries did not seem surprised or anything, and they carefully observed the surroundings. Johan could afford to be rxed, but not his subordinates. They had to be prepared for any ambushes or attacks.
“He’s really here?”
However, there was no need for that. When they arrived at the castle, the casten was standing in front of the wide-open castle gate. Soldiers who had run ahead were standing next to him, as if guarding him.
“Your Excellency Count. It is an honor to meet you.”
“I am also pleased to meet you, Casten.”
The casten felt relieved at Johan’s reaction, which was more favorable than he had expected. ’?????????? ???????? ???????? ???? ????????. . .’
But that was it. Johan didn’t say another word and rode his horse into the castle. It was a clear act of ignoring him.
‘????’?? ????????, ????????.’
The administrator regretted that he had almost been fooled by the casten’s words. The casten’s pale face made it clear that he had not expected this at all.
????????????
Even without grabbing the casten by the cor or tying him up and throwing him away, Johan’s will spread clearly.
Newly arrived administrators and vige chiefs who came to the castle went straight to Johan. They immediately realized who was the master.
“Who is in charge of this town now?”
“T-That. . . a knight is ruling it.”
“I hope you’re not just picking a mercenary and making him a knight and calling him a knight.”
The casten broke out in a cold sweat at Johan’s words. He had guessed it correctly. The emperor had given a town to a mercenary who had made a contribution.
“Y-Yes, that’s right.”
“Send someone to have hime here with his subordinates within three days.”
“It may be a littlete due to the bad road, but. . .”
“Oh? If you want to bete, you can bete. I’ll understand if you’rete. Don’t you think so?”
“. . .No. I’ll go myself.”
Johan was demonstrating how to intimidate someone without using any threats to life, insults, or humiliation.
The casten, who had been in a dream, realized as soon as he met Johan that he had to worry about his life first.
To avoid being caught on any charges and hanged, one should appear as pitiful and wretched as possible.
“He said he is currently preparing for a hunt and may be a littlete. . .”
When a stupid-looking mercenary came and said that, the casten’s anger exploded.
“If you don’t bring him here right now, I’ll twist his neck myself! Tell him that!”
He couldn’t believe that the mercenary captain, who had no sense of the situation, was talking nonsense when he was feeling anxious with his life on the line.
When the casten, who usually didn’t say much, caused amotion, the mercenary hurriedly returned.
“The casten wants to meet the captain in person!”
“What? I told you, didn’t I? Does he think he’s really my lord?”
The mercenary captain stepped out with a frustrated expression. On the surface, that may be true, but in reality, they were both in the same position of having receivednd from the emperor. He couldn’t tolerate it if he tried to y the lord with that.
“Is that him?”
“Yes!”
“He looks like a dirty-natured guy, so just arrest him.”
“. . .?!”