After about two hours, the desert fox beastn returned, looking gloomy and sulky until they noticed the two moving stones.
The tall elf beside them had been nodding off, indicating that they had been at it for quite a while.
“Did you place the stone?”
“Yes, I played two rounds.”
“Oh my. Grümappp-nim, you didn’t cheat, did you?”
The beastn were excited for a chance to gossip about the orc. Grümappp was the type of orc who enjoyed playing stones just as much as he enjoyed causing others trouble.
So of the confident younger beastn had played stones with Grümappp and paid the price. They had wagered treasure against Grümappp, thinking he was going easy on them, only to be soundly defeated.
“Would I do such a thing? What an insult.”
“Better to be safe than sorry. If you need an opponent, why not play us?”
Grümappp gazed fixedly at the jabbering beastn, who made no effort to hide their discontent. Grümappp grinned, seemingly having an idea.
“Well. . . If you wish to play, then perhaps Your Highness would allow it.”
“Let’s leave it for today. I don’t feel like picking up stones again.”
“Then next ti, perhaps.”
The beastn were pleased. Playing stones with the duke was a great opportunity.
Not only was it a chance to build rapport and camaraderie, but there was also a possibility of receiving rewards for demonstrating exceptional skills.
Considering the duke’s status, he would likely be quite generous, making it a much more lucrative proposition than a casual wager.
“By the way, how many points difference was it?”
The beastn asked Grümappp slyly. If they could find out the duke’s skill level in advance, they could prepare to win by a narrow margin.
Grümappp grinned again and said,
“You’ll see when you play him.”
“Really? How much did we lose to Sir Grümappp. . .”
“What do you an, lose? If you’re only referring to a reduction in profits, then wouldn’t the sailors be shocked?”
Grümappp held up two fingers. It ant there was a two-point difference. If he had managed to hold out against this old orc with just a two-point lead, then the duke must be quite skilled.
“Looks like we can’t take it lightly. Should we call the second son of the Piruk family? I heard he’s the best at it.”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
Grümappp chuckled as he watched the beastn chatter among themselves.
Grümappp was not lying. There was indeed a two-point difference.
. . .But Grümappp had placed the two points in his favor first.
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
“Bring the books here. Is this all? Why?”
“. . .It’s because we don’t have much money. . .?”
The beastn felt a twinge of guilt for not being able to present more items, realizing that the duke was less satisfied than they had thought.
He wasn’t satisfied even after seeing such magnificent jewels?
“Bluea-nim, what do you think of this sword?”
“The blade is curved, and there are too many unnecessary decorations. I don’t want to use it. Besides, I have my own sword.”
Iselia rejected the sword without hesitation. Not only was it not her taste, but the swords that Johan had given her were still in good condition.
When neither the duke nor his consort expressed much interest, the beastn felt their spirits sink. They tried desperately to search for sothing else to present.
“By the way, I’ve heard that this place has excellent craftsn. Is that true?”
“Yes!”
At Johan’s words, the beastn perked up. It seed the duke was finally interested in sothing.
“Your Highness, we humbly ask for your forgiveness for our presumptuous words. However, from the Black Mountains in the north to the hot and fertile lands in the south, we have never seen craftsn with greater skill than us.”
Craftsn who could process and engrave gold, silver, gems, and other materials were highly sought after.
Originally, craftsn ford guilds and joined them, but these craftsn were often treated so well that they were more likely to be called by nobles or religious orders.
This eastern land had many craftsn whose skills were just as developed as those in the empire or the republic. However, the beastn who had crossed the desert were more confident in their own abilities.
“If you have sothing you want made, just leave it to us. We will make it for you.”
The beastn wanted the jewels that the duke had obtained to be large, beautiful, and rare. That way, their skills would shine even brighter.
“No, that’s not it. . .”
However, what ca out of Johan’s mouth was sothing completely different from their expectations. Johan carefully opened a wooden box and took out an old, rusty crown that was inside. It was the crown he had received from the elental.
“Can you make this look new again?”
The crown he had received from the elental was obviously old, but it was difficult to tell more than that. It seed that the rust would have to be removed in order to properly examine it.
However, several skilled craftsn had expressed their reluctance to touch the crown. As a result, the work had been postponed until now.
The beastn hesitated, realizing that it was quite a difficult task.
“We. . . We apologize, Your Highness. We will have to examine it first. . .”
Normally, it would have been humiliating to say that they would have to check if it was possible, but it was better than not being able to do the job that the duke had assigned them.
Grümappp interjected, nodding as if he understood.
“You probably want to ask the old witch. She’s the most skilled among them. . .”
“Sir Grümappp, please watch your words!”
A beastman spoke quietly, pleadingly. Grümappp waved his hand dismissively.
“His Highness the Duke is not the kind of man who would swing a sword with such a thing. It’s fine.”
The beastn cursed Grümappp in their hearts. Grümappp’s assurances guaranteed nothing. If they displeased the duke with the appearance of a witch, Grümappp would not be the one to shield them from the duke’s wrath.
In fact, the beastn were not particularly close to the witch who traveled with them. Aside from her abilities, the witch, who dealt with things more sinister and wicked than magic, was an eerie presence.
“Oh, I’d like to et her.”
“. . .??!?!”
That was why the beastn could not help but be astounded when the duke said he wanted to et her.
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
“The banner of the demon appeared at Tahkreng Castle! I saw it with my own eyes!”
“Oh, gods!!”
“The demon has co to the castle gates! The demon has co to the castle gates!”
“Sir Girelga disappeared with his n! It could be the work of the demon!”
“Shut up, all of you! Anyone who spreads more of these rumors will not be forgiven! I will kill anyone who causes a disturbance, and I will kill anyone who tries to escape!”
Yeheyman drew his sword, his fury exploding. A murderous atmosphere filled the tent.
Despite the remarkable feat of reclaiming the Holy Land from the pagans after a hundred years, the atmosphere around the Holy Land was in turmoil.
Was it because there were many pagans?
Because a new army had taken over the Holy Land?
Because they were clearing out the remnants of the enemy who had fled to the surrounding areas?
None of the above. Surprisingly, Yeheyman had done quite well in all of these aspects.
The self-proclaid ‘guardian of the Holy Land’, an upstart feudal lord who was arrogant beyond belief, had killed everyone from the oldest to the youngest in the family of the house, but he had not executed anyone else in the Holy Land unnecessarily.
He had been steadily taking over the enemy soldiers who had fled under the cover of darkness, as well as the surrounding fiefdoms. The shock of the fall of the Holy Land must have been too great, as even those within the strong walls of the fortress surrendered.
However, all of that smoothness was shattered when news arrived.
The duke had co to Tahkreng Castle!
The duke, who had arrived much sooner than expected, spread an unimaginable shock throughout the Holy Land. Yeheyman realized for the first ti that there were so many cowards among his warriors.
Even though they had conquered the Holy Land and had an overwhelming number of troops!
It took a long ti to calm down all the wild rumors, the frenzy, the nightti escapes, and the tearful prayers. Yeheyman felt a cold sweat.
He was confident in wielding his sword on horseback, moving between hills and plains, but he felt like he would not last a year ruling this vast and cunning city.
“This is sothing we should be thanking the gods for. A chance to avenge our grudges! Why aren’t the lords happy about this?? Why are the knights afraid and trying to hang back??”
Yeheyman harshly reprimanded the tribal chiefs and knights gathered in the tent.
As soon as they heard that the duke was nearby, they openly tried to avoid sending their n to his side.
“Speak! Is this an opportunity or not?”
“. . . . . .”
One of the tribal chiefs muttered coldly to himself.
‘𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭. 𝘋𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥? 𝘐𝘧 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.’
“Do not fear the enemy. They may have borrowed the power of the demon, but they are still beings made of flesh and blood!”
Yeheyman had to do everything in his power to boost morale.
He summoned the tribal chiefs to the tent to encourage them, called for priests to offer prayers, held ceremonies at the mausoleum of the Holy Land, and organized various competitions, including jousting. . .
Only after doing all of those things did they finally show so fighting spirit, but Yeheyman could not trust them completely.
“I never thought these people would be such cowards! If the duke’s banner flies everywhere, they’ll run away without looking back. How can we fight with these people!?”
“Should we. . . should we assassinate the duke instead?”
Yeheyman was shocked by the words that ca out of the sultan’s eunuch, who was becoming increasingly desperate.
“That’s ridiculous. . . You want to do sothing so dishonorable?”
“We did not want to ntion such a dishonorable thing. However, we have a duty to carry out the sultan’s orders. We must not let the Holy Land be taken away from us.”
“No. I will never allow it.”
Yeheyman said so, but the eunuchs exchanged aningful glances.
‘𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.’
‘𝘞𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵.’
From the experienced eunuchs to the inexperienced ones, the chaos caused by the news of the duke was truly unlike anything they had ever seen before.
It was understandable that the rcenaries would run away, but even the tribal chiefs and knights were fleeing under the cover of darkness?
That sight sent a chill down the eunuchs’ spines. They were determined to bring down this duke. Otherwise, a truly dangerous situation could arise.
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
“Argamish. . . What was it after that?”
“There’s no need for you to morize the witch’s entire na. We just call her Argamish.”
The beastn seed very uncomfortable as they guided them. It was only natural, since they were guiding soone they didn’t et very often.
And that person was the duke, no less!
If they made even a single mistake, they would be held responsible.
‘𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯. . .?’
What made it even more uncomfortable was that the number of people who seed to be the duke’s retainers had increased. The wizards under Johan were talking excitedly among themselves.
“She might be able to control lightning spirits. . . Don’t you know? Those who can control lightning spirits are usually treated like that.”
“It’s also a pity to let go of the possibility that she made a pact with a demon.”
“Maybe she can summon demons?”
For the wizards, a witch who could communicate with them was a very valuable subject.
Normally, they rarely had the opportunity to talk to each other.
Who would give up such a valuable opportunity just to indulge in luxury on a silk bed? There was no one like that.
The witch’s tent was located in a secluded part of the district. When the beastn who had gone inside did not co out for a while, they ca out looking very flustered, awkward, and uncomfortable.
“. . .S-She said she stepped out for a mont. . .”
“. . . . . .”
“. . . . . .”
“Oh, Iselia.”
Johan grabbed Iselia’s arm. Iselia was about to draw her sword.
They didn’t co here secretly, and they had sent soone ahead to inform the witch before they arrived. And yet, she was out for a mont. This was a blatant insult.
While the beastn’ faces turned pale, the wizards chatted as if they were interested.
“She seems to be very rude and eccentric. . . Isn’t that like a witch?”
“I don’t think all witches are like that. Isn’t it natural for soone who has learned wicked magic and been persecuted by those around them to be rude and eccentric?”
“That makes sense.”
Johan shrugged as he listened to the wizards’ lively conversation.
“Then I guess we’ll wait here.”
At the duke’s words, that he would simply wait here, the beastn began to regret why they had introduced him to the witch in the first place instead of just strangling her.,
After about two hours, the desert fox beastn returned, looking gloomy and sulky until they noticed the two moving stones.
The tall elf beside them had been nodding off, indicating that they had been at it for quite a while.
“Did you place the stone?”
“Yes, I played two rounds.”
“Oh my. Grümappp-nim, you didn’t cheat, did you?”
The beastn were excited for a chance to gossip about the orc. Grümappp was the type of orc who enjoyed playing stones just as much as he enjoyed causing others trouble.
So of the confident younger beastn had played stones with Grümappp and paid the price. They had wagered treasure against Grümappp, thinking he was going easy on them, only to be soundly defeated.
“Would I do such a thing? What an insult.”
“Better to be safe than sorry. If you need an opponent, why not play us?”
Grümappp gazed fixedly at the jabbering beastn, who made no effort to hide their discontent. Grümappp grinned, seemingly having an idea.
“Well. . . If you wish to play, then perhaps Your Highness would allow it.”
“Let’s leave it for today. I don’t feel like picking up stones again.”
“Then next ti, perhaps.”
The beastn were pleased. Playing stones with the duke was a great opportunity.
Not only was it a chance to build rapport and camaraderie, but there was also a possibility of receiving rewards for demonstrating exceptional skills.
Considering the duke’s status, he would likely be quite generous, making it a much more lucrative proposition than a casual wager.
“By the way, how many points difference was it?”
The beastn asked Grümappp slyly. If they could find out the duke’s skill level in advance, they could prepare to win by a narrow margin.
Grümappp grinned again and said,
“You’ll see when you play him.”
“Really? How much did we lose to Sir Grümappp. . .”
“What do you an, lose? If you’re only referring to a reduction in profits, then wouldn’t the sailors be shocked?”
Grümappp held up two fingers. It ant there was a two-point difference. If he had managed to hold out against this old orc with just a two-point lead, then the duke must be quite skilled.
“Looks like we can’t take it lightly. Should we call the second son of the Piruk family? I heard he’s the best at it.”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
Grümappp chuckled as he watched the beastn chatter among themselves.
Grümappp was not lying. There was indeed a two-point difference.
. . .But Grümappp had placed the two points in his favor first.
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
“Bring the books here. Is this all? Why?”
“. . .It’s because we don’t have much money. . .?”
The beastn felt a twinge of guilt for not being able to present more items, realizing that the duke was less satisfied than they had thought.
He wasn’t satisfied even after seeing such magnificent jewels?
“Bluea-nim, what do you think of this sword?”
“The blade is curved, and there are too many unnecessary decorations. I don’t want to use it. Besides, I have my own sword.”
Iselia rejected the sword without hesitation. Not only was it not her taste, but the swords that Johan had given her were still in good condition.
When neither the duke nor his consort expressed much interest, the beastn felt their spirits sink. They tried desperately to search for sothing else to present.
“By the way, I’ve heard that this place has excellent craftsn. Is that true?”
“Yes!”
At Johan’s words, the beastn perked up. It seed the duke was finally interested in sothing.
“Your Highness, we humbly ask for your forgiveness for our presumptuous words. However, from the Black Mountains in the north to the hot and fertile lands in the south, we have never seen craftsn with greater skill than us.”
Craftsn who could process and engrave gold, silver, gems, and other materials were highly sought after.
Originally, craftsn ford guilds and joined them, but these craftsn were often treated so well that they were more likely to be called by nobles or religious orders.
This eastern land had many craftsn whose skills were just as developed as those in the empire or the republic. However, the beastn who had crossed the desert were more confident in their own abilities.
“If you have sothing you want made, just leave it to us. We will make it for you.”
The beastn wanted the jewels that the duke had obtained to be large, beautiful, and rare. That way, their skills would shine even brighter.
“No, that’s not it. . .”
However, what ca out of Johan’s mouth was sothing completely different from their expectations. Johan carefully opened a wooden box and took out an old, rusty crown that was inside. It was the crown he had received from the elental.
“Can you make this look new again?”
The crown he had received from the elental was obviously old, but it was difficult to tell more than that. It seed that the rust would have to be removed in order to properly examine it.
However, several skilled craftsn had expressed their reluctance to touch the crown. As a result, the work had been postponed until now.
The beastn hesitated, realizing that it was quite a difficult task.
“We. . . We apologize, Your Highness. We will have to examine it first. . .”
Normally, it would have been humiliating to say that they would have to check if it was possible, but it was better than not being able to do the job that the duke had assigned them.
Grümappp interjected, nodding as if he understood.
“You probably want to ask the old witch. She’s the most skilled among them. . .”
“Sir Grümappp, please watch your words!”
A beastman spoke quietly, pleadingly. Grümappp waved his hand dismissively.
“His Highness the Duke is not the kind of man who would swing a sword with such a thing. It’s fine.”
The beastn cursed Grümappp in their hearts. Grümappp’s assurances guaranteed nothing. If they displeased the duke with the appearance of a witch, Grümappp would not be the one to shield them from the duke’s wrath.
In fact, the beastn were not particularly close to the witch who traveled with them. Aside from her abilities, the witch, who dealt with things more sinister and wicked than magic, was an eerie presence.
“Oh, I’d like to et her.”
“. . .??!?!”
That was why the beastn could not help but be astounded when the duke said he wanted to et her.
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
“The banner of the demon appeared at Tahkreng Castle! I saw it with my own eyes!”
“Oh, gods!!”
“The demon has co to the castle gates! The demon has co to the castle gates!”
“Sir Girelga disappeared with his n! It could be the work of the demon!”
“Shut up, all of you! Anyone who spreads more of these rumors will not be forgiven! I will kill anyone who causes a disturbance, and I will kill anyone who tries to escape!”
Yeheyman drew his sword, his fury exploding. A murderous atmosphere filled the tent.
Despite the remarkable feat of reclaiming the Holy Land from the pagans after a hundred years, the atmosphere around the Holy Land was in turmoil.
Was it because there were many pagans?
Because a new army had taken over the Holy Land?
Because they were clearing out the remnants of the enemy who had fled to the surrounding areas?
None of the above. Surprisingly, Yeheyman had done quite well in all of these aspects.
The self-proclaid ‘guardian of the Holy Land’, an upstart feudal lord who was arrogant beyond belief, had killed everyone from the oldest to the youngest in the family of the house, but he had not executed anyone else in the Holy Land unnecessarily.
He had been steadily taking over the enemy soldiers who had fled under the cover of darkness, as well as the surrounding fiefdoms. The shock of the fall of the Holy Land must have been too great, as even those within the strong walls of the fortress surrendered.
However, all of that smoothness was shattered when news arrived.
The duke had co to Tahkreng Castle!
The duke, who had arrived much sooner than expected, spread an unimaginable shock throughout the Holy Land. Yeheyman realized for the first ti that there were so many cowards among his warriors.
Even though they had conquered the Holy Land and had an overwhelming number of troops!
It took a long ti to calm down all the wild rumors, the frenzy, the nightti escapes, and the tearful prayers. Yeheyman felt a cold sweat.
He was confident in wielding his sword on horseback, moving between hills and plains, but he felt like he would not last a year ruling this vast and cunning city.
“This is sothing we should be thanking the gods for. A chance to avenge our grudges! Why aren’t the lords happy about this?? Why are the knights afraid and trying to hang back??”
Yeheyman harshly reprimanded the tribal chiefs and knights gathered in the tent.
As soon as they heard that the duke was nearby, they openly tried to avoid sending their n to his side.
“Speak! Is this an opportunity or not?”
“. . . . . .”
One of the tribal chiefs muttered coldly to himself.
‘𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭. 𝘋𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥? 𝘐𝘧 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.’
“Do not fear the enemy. They may have borrowed the power of the demon, but they are still beings made of flesh and blood!”
Yeheyman had to do everything in his power to boost morale.
He summoned the tribal chiefs to the tent to encourage them, called for priests to offer prayers, held ceremonies at the mausoleum of the Holy Land, and organized various competitions, including jousting. . .
Only after doing all of those things did they finally show so fighting spirit, but Yeheyman could not trust them completely.
“I never thought these people would be such cowards! If the duke’s banner flies everywhere, they’ll run away without looking back. How can we fight with these people!?”
“Should we. . . should we assassinate the duke instead?”
Yeheyman was shocked by the words that ca out of the sultan’s eunuch, who was becoming increasingly desperate.
“That’s ridiculous. . . You want to do sothing so dishonorable?”
“We did not want to ntion such a dishonorable thing. However, we have a duty to carry out the sultan’s orders. We must not let the Holy Land be taken away from us.”
“No. I will never allow it.”
Yeheyman said so, but the eunuchs exchanged aningful glances.
‘𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.’
‘𝘞𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵.’
From the experienced eunuchs to the inexperienced ones, the chaos caused by the news of the duke was truly unlike anything they had ever seen before.
It was understandable that the rcenaries would run away, but even the tribal chiefs and knights were fleeing under the cover of darkness?
That sight sent a chill down the eunuchs’ spines. They were determined to bring down this duke. Otherwise, a truly dangerous situation could arise.
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
“Argamish. . . What was it after that?”
“There’s no need for you to morize the witch’s entire na. We just call her Argamish.”
The beastn seed very uncomfortable as they guided them. It was only natural, since they were guiding soone they didn’t et very often.
And that person was the duke, no less!
If they made even a single mistake, they would be held responsible.
‘𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯. . .?’
What made it even more uncomfortable was that the number of people who seed to be the duke’s retainers had increased. The wizards under Johan were talking excitedly among themselves.
“She might be able to control lightning spirits. . . Don’t you know? Those who can control lightning spirits are usually treated like that.”
“It’s also a pity to let go of the possibility that she made a pact with a demon.”
“Maybe she can summon demons?”
For the wizards, a witch who could communicate with them was a very valuable subject.
Normally, they rarely had the opportunity to talk to each other.
Who would give up such a valuable opportunity just to indulge in luxury on a silk bed? There was no one like that.
The witch’s tent was located in a secluded part of the district. When the beastn who had gone inside did not co out for a while, they ca out looking very flustered, awkward, and uncomfortable.
“. . .S-She said she stepped out for a mont. . .”
“. . . . . .”
“. . . . . .”
“Oh, Iselia.”
Johan grabbed Iselia’s arm. Iselia was about to draw her sword.
They didn’t co here secretly, and they had sent soone ahead to inform the witch before they arrived. And yet, she was out for a mont. This was a blatant insult.
While the beastn’ faces turned pale, the wizards chatted as if they were interested.
“She seems to be very rude and eccentric. . . Isn’t that like a witch?”
“I don’t think all witches are like that. Isn’t it natural for soone who has learned wicked magic and been persecuted by those around them to be rude and eccentric?”
“That makes sense.”
Johan shrugged as he listened to the wizards’ lively conversation.
“Then I guess we’ll wait here.”
At the duke’s words, that he would simply wait here, the beastn began to regret why they had introduced him to the witch in the first place instead of just strangling her.
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