rcenaries who followed Johan had several similarities, regardless of their race or origin.
They had combat experience gained from traveling to many places while following their lord, they had good equipnt, and they had a strong loyalty that could do anything to carry out their lord’s orders.
These people were like gentle sheep in front of their lord, but they moved like ferocious wolves in the absence of their lord.
Just like now.
“What. . .”
“Take your hand off your waist. If you touch it, I’ll cut off your wrist and put it around your neck.”
The rcenary captain, who was about to lose his temper at the absurd insult, flinched. The appearance of the soldiers who followed the castellan was not insignificant.
If it were a worthless rogue, he would have lost his temper and been angry here, but the rcenary captain was a wiser man. He thought that the opponent was coming out strong for a reason and took a step back.
“Where. . . are you from?”
“What do you care? Decide whether you’re going to follow quietly or be dragged like a dog and beaten.”
The soldiers spoke without regard for the castellan. From their attitude, the rcenary captain realized that the soldiers’ backgrounds were stronger than he had thought.
‘𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘦. . . 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳.’
It was rare for soone to be able to easily accept being humiliated like this in their own fiefdom. The rcenary captain gritted his teeth but held back.
“l. . . I understand. I will follow you. But still, shouldn’t you tell where I am going? As the legitimate right of a Empire noble. . .”
“You sound like a noble.”
The soldiers scoffed, but the castellan spoke up instead, still on the sa side. Although they often ignored each other because they were not on good terms, they were on the sa side after all.
“Your Excellency Count has brought his army to this area.”
“Wh. . . what? Why? Who?”
“I don’t know the reason either! Anyway, I said the reason, so get ready soon.”
The rcenary captain had a better sense of danger than the castellan.
What could the feudal lord who brought the army do?
‘𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺!’
The war might have ended, but the south was in a chaotic ti. It was a period when those with power could lead an army and seize a fiefdom, and if you were powerless, it was hard to complain.
The rcenary captain knew better than anyone that a just cause could be created if you had the power.
“Please. . . Just wait a mont, Sir Knights.”
“I’m not a knight, you fool. Do you have eyes but cannot see?”
Johan’s soldiers were experienced. They did not care about being flatteringly called knights by the rcenary captain. Usually, being called a knight would make soone’s face light up.
“If I need to speak to Your Excellency the Count, shouldn’t I bring soone who knows well about my fiefdom? Please let take him with .”
The soldiers looked at each other and murmured. It wasn’t entirely wrong.
“Fine. We’ll give you so ti. But keep in mind, if you try any foolishness, you’ll have sothing sticking in your back.”
’𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘪𝘵.’
As the conversation went on, one might expect gaps to appear, but the rcenary captain clicked his tongue at the sight of them pointing their weapons without a single lapse.
They were completely different from his own subordinates who were drunk in the town from early in the day.
Even if they woke up, there was a good chance that the rcenary captain would die before they could save him. Of course, he was skeptical that his subordinates would co to save him. It was more likely that they would run away without looking back.
“Hurry up and get priest Valberga!”
“B-But the priest is at the monastery.”
“Go right now and get him. If you’re late. . .”
“Is there a problem?”
“No!”
The rcenary captain, who was strangling the servant, quickly changed his attitude when he heard the question flying from behind.
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“A feudal lord has co?”
“Yes, priest! It seems that another noble has co with an army. He wants to hear about how the fiefdom is doing!”
Valberga’s face clouded over. This was not good news.
The town had originally been the fiefdom of the Aitz family, but after the family fell into ruin and several frequent disputes, the position of lord was given to a newly arrived rcenary captain.
Of course, even lords who had ruled their fiefs since birth did not rule them so well, so it was unlikely that a rcenary captain would rule well.
The rcenary captain was even worse at ruling the town than Sir Gessen.
He was so bad that he was even said to be better off when he was drunk. He was ignorant of managent, but he had many desires, so the ones who died were the lower-ranking people.
At first, the rcenaries who wanted to do sothing realized that managent was not their responsibility and entrusted everything to Valberga. Of course, that was not easy. If he had not been a patient priest, he would have run away long ago.
“Why are you so worried, Priest? Isn’t this a good thing?”
“It’s more likely to be a bad thing.”
The servants thought that the distant feudal lord would co and fix the rcenary captain’s mistakes, but the priest was not so naive.
The distant feudal lord was more likely to want money.
If so, the rcenary captain would have to squeeze money out of the people, and the damage would remain the sa. . .
“In any case, we need to prepare. Wait here.”
Valberga the priest called a few monks from the monastery and had them hold papers with the number of fiefdoms written on them. It would take great skill and evidence to persuade the feudal lord.
“Priest, do I have to go too?”
“Don’t worry. No one will recognize Fern. I need your help.”
Fern Aitz was once a nobleman of the Aitz family, but he is now a monk at the monastery.
The emperor was not a busy man who would go out of his way to kill every single descendant who did not have a right to inherit, but it was not good to be seen.
Since Fern had entered the monastery with the help of Priest Valberga, he could not refuse the priest’s request.
“I understand. I’ll do my best to help.”
“Thank you! The townspeople will be grateful too.”
“Why would I need the gratitude of such people?”
Fern grumbled. Over ti, he had co to understand who were friends and who were foes. Everyone from the village chief to the slaves had fawned over him when tis were good, but it had all been an illusion.
“Fern-nim, please don’t hate the townspeople too much.”
“Alright, I understand. Please stop now.”
Fern picked up his luggage and followed the priest, along with the other monks.
‘𝘏𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦.’
Although he didn’t show it, Fern had a considerable respect for Priest Valberga. It was hard not to respect soone who had risked their life to hide him and his brother.
While others had left the fiefdom to try their luck elsewhere, Fern had entered a nearby monastery. He was scared, but he also wanted to help the priest.
“Are you here? Move quickly! I won’t forgive you if I get whipped because of you!”
The rcenary captain was furious when he saw the priest running towards him from afar.
‘𝘏𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵.’
Fern, as well as the other monks, were also frowning. The rcenary captain’s lack of respect for the priest was simply too much. At the very least, he could have lent him his horse if he was in a hurry.
The soldiers waiting there yawned.
“Are you all gathered?”
“Yes!”
“Co here.”
“?”
The rcenary captain approached with a look of innocence that did not match his size. The soldier imdiately raised his spear and struck him in the face.
“Gah!”
“How dare you yell at the priest? If you want to be cursed, then take it on yourself!”
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
“Get off your horse! Let the priests ride behind you.”
The soldiers made the rcenary captain walk. Even though it was a small town, he was the captain, and the treatnt was too humiliating.
However, no one stopped him. The townspeople were actually looking at him with satisfaction. The rcenary captain’s subordinates, who ca out late, hid in fear.
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“Oh, is priest Valberga still here? I thought he might have moved on since he’s been here for a while.”
“That’s good news.”
While waiting, Johan had captured a townsperson and was asking him about the situation.
If he had looked calmly, he would have realized that Johan’s face was familiar, but the townsperson was too scared to look up.
Joseph was also grateful to the priest, even if not as much as Johan, so he was also pleased to hear the na.
“I see that the situation in the town is not good.”
“Well, it’s rare for a town ruled by rcenaries to be doing well.”
Among the eastern rangers, there were those who had distinguished themselves and risen to prominence, and had been given small towns. And usually, the end of these people was not very good.
“He held a trial without having the right to do so and hanged a person. . . it would have been difficult to resist because it was a small town. He also violated the custom and requisitioned more days for corvée labor. He believed in evil heresy and perford suspicious rituals.”
“. . .Yes? Was he a cultist?”
Joseph asked in surprise. He had heard the other things, but this was the first ti he had heard the story.
Johan answered with an indifferent expression.
“I added one more just to make it look more realistic.”
“. . .Oh, I see. Yes.”
In the distance, the rcenary captain’s entourage could be seen approaching. The castellan and the rcenary captain hurried over and knelt down.
“Your Excellency Count! It is an honor to et you. Your reputation has reached even the corners of this Empire, and I thought that if I could et you even once as a warrior, I would die without any regrets.”
“Is that so? That’s good. What are the monks behind you doing?”
“I brought these knowledgeable people with in case Your Excellency has any questions! They will answer anything!”
The rcenary captain trusted priest Valberga. Even though the priest was usually annoying with all sorts of botherso talk, he was not the type of person to act clueless in this situation.
However, the count shook his head without any expression.
“No need.”
“Oh. . . is that so? Then. . .”
Johan gestured. Then, the soldiers who had been waiting stepped forward and grabbed the rcenary captain’s arms and forced him to kneel forward.
“The cri of holding a trial without jurisdiction and executing a feudal lord’s people. The cri of violating customs, collecting taxes, and extending the number of days of labor. The cri of believing in an evil religion and performing sinister rituals. In return for these cris, I will punish you.”
“. . .Yes? Your Excellency! Your Excellency! What is that! I am a legitimate aristocrat of the Empire. . .!”
Johan did not have the hobby of listening to the words of the rogue who had turned his hotown into a ss in the anti. The soldiers imdiately knelt the rcenary captain down and cut his neck. It was a movent so quick that none of the servants could react.
“!!!”
“The rest of you, go and catch all the cultists who colluded with this man.”
“Yes, sir!”
After finishing his work, Johan looked around and said to the priest, who he found, with great joy.
“No. priest. It’s been a long ti. Have you been well?”
“. . .??!!”
Priest Valberga was surprised as if she had seen a ghost.
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
The castellan’s face was ashen after seeing the rcenary captain’s head fly off next to him. Johan didn’t pay any attention to the castellan’s reaction and spoke to the priest.
“I’m surprised to see you here still.”
“It’s only natural that I’m here since these are my brothers. . . I guess I should call you Count.”
“You can call by my na as you used to.”
“I. . . I suppose I could. . .”
“Why not? We’re friends, after all.”
The castellan’s face began to return to normal when he saw that the two were clearly close friends. Even if their social statuses were different, their friendship would not change as if they had been friends since childhood.
“Valberga is a wonderful priest. I often call him to hear his good words and pray.”
Johan stared at the castellan intently instead of answering. The castellan was shocked, as if his heart had stopped.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your conversation.”
“Anyway, priest. I have a question for you. Do you know how those who ran away at that ti are doing?
Johan’s question brought a smile to Valberga’s face.
“That’s good timing, Count. Fern-nim is right behind .”
“Fern? You an. . .he’s a slave now?”
“What are you talking about? He’s a monk.”
“A monk?”
Johan couldn’t believe his ears. Fern was never the type to be a monk.
“He’s right there. . . uh?”
Priest Valberga was confused for the first ti. One of the monks had disappeared. It was of course Fern.
“What happened?”
“He ran away after seeing the execution earlier.”
“No. . .”
Valberga looked shocked.
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