Chapter 45. You Must Have a Lot of Worries (1)
“Hmm, so that’s the man….”
Patrick looked intently at Count Parmas, observing him.
He had been to the Fiefdom of Count Parmas several tis for business, but this was the first ti he was seeing the Count himself in person.
With salt-and-pepper hair and so wrinkles, his distinct features suggested that the handso middle-aged man must have made quite a few won cry in his youth.
His gait was dignified, and his gaze was sowhat cool, giving a stronger impression of sternness rather than benevolence.
‘He looks like a stick-in-the-mud, doesn’t he? Huh? But Father? What are you doing over there?’
Beside the appearing Count, Baron Schneider was visible, his anxiety palpable.
And Count Parmas stepped forward and said.
“The ones responsible for this commotion, step forward.”
At those words, Patrick let out a small sigh.
‘Haaa. Soone else starts the fight, and I have to clean up the ss.’
This was a first.
He had experienced the reverse countless tis, though.
In any case, what could he do?
“My na is Patrick Schneider.”
“Schneider…. Baron Schneider, is this your son?”
“Yes. I’m sorry, but yes.”
“What is there to be sorry about….”
Baron Schneider glared at the grumbling Patrick, silencing him. Then he looked at the Count and said.
“I apologize. It seems my son and soldiers have made a mistake. If there is anything I can take responsibility for, I will.”
“Whether or not to take responsibility will be decided after I grasp the situation. Now then, young Patrick.”
“What?”
“Hmm….”
Count Parmas felt a sense of interest seeing Patrick answer his call so casually, no, sowhat rudely, or to put it more bluntly, nonchalantly.
‘Is this young brat brave? Or is he just thoughtless and ill-mannered?’
Most people would be visibly nervous upon seeing him, the Margrave of the East, and would strive to show the utmost courtesy to avoid being faulted.
But for a young man, not even a lord but rely a lord’s son, to show such an indifferent attitude.
Looking at his impertinent expression, he felt more curiosity than anger.
“Well then, can you explain why this fight broke out?”
“It’s simple. First….”
Patrick told the truth as it was.
We had already taken our spot and were resting when they ca and picked a fight, telling us to move. A quarrel ensued, and they insulted the Baron first, which resulted in Sanson throwing a punch. And the result of the ensuing brawl is this situation right here.
After hearing the full explanation, Count Parmas thought.
‘With this many people gathered, I expected so degree of conflict.’
As the Margrave of the East, he had to resolve this issue as fairly as possible.
“I understand. But I cannot make a judgnt based on only one side’s account. I must hear from both sides. Viscount Landes.”
“Yes. Did you call for , my Lord Count?”
Viscount Landes, who had joined the scene at so point, answered the Count’s call.
“What is your side’s opinion?”
“I did not see it myself, but it is impossible that my knight would have committed such an outrageous act. He is a knight who knows honor.”
“Well, I’ll be damned…”
“And, even if there was a problem, isn’t this too excessive? They unilaterally assaulted our soldiers who were not even resisting.”
“Hooooh…. So you’re gonna run your mouth, is that it?”
Viscount Landes was quite skillfully trying to steer the situation in his favor.
First, he created a bit of room to back out by saying he hadn't seen it himself, then, without any evidence, he claid, ‘My knight wouldn’t do that.’
A superior ca and defended a subordinate who caused trouble, saying, ‘My boy is a good boy. He wouldn’t have done that,’ was the twenty-second thing Patrick hated.
On top of that, even before the Count could determine the facts, he said, ‘Even if that were true, isn’t this too excessive?’
Complaining that ‘Even if we were wrong, this was too much’ was the seventeenth thing Patrick hated.
And finally, looking at the scene where his soldiers were unilaterally beaten, he even claid they hadn’t fought back, implying, ‘We could have won if we actually fought, but we let them.’
This was sothing Patrick hated as much as ninth on his list.
Patrick hated a lot of things, but the single-digit numbers carried a different weight.
In that short mont, he had touched upon three of Patrick’s taboos, and one of them was a single-digit number.
This was dangerous.
‘What do I do? What do I do?’
‘Sh… should I stop him?’
‘Should I just stab him in the back with a knife right now?’
The soldiers, who had experienced Patrick enough, couldn't hide their anxiety.
Though to others, it looked as if they were afraid of the Count’s punishnt.
Just as Patrick’s hands were slowly moving towards his scabbard….
“Viscount Landes.”
“Yes. Please speak, my Lord Count.”
“Do you take
for a fool?”
Count Parmas' single, cold sentence stopped Patrick’s hand.
At Count Parmas' words, Viscount Landes was greatly flustered and said.
“My Lord Count. How could you say such a devastating thing….”
“I told you to explain your position. Did I not?”
“Yes. So I was explaining my position….”
“Is your position that baseless conjecture? Your knight wouldn’t do that? How would I know that?”
“My… my Lord Count, I believe in my knight. So, based on that belief….”
“And whether to punish them severely or not is for , the master of this land, to decide. It is not sothing for you to judge arbitrarily.”
“That… that was not my intention. I….”
Looking at the flustered, excuse-making Viscount Landes with cold eyes, Count Parmas said.
“You….”
“……”
“You must have thought I was soone you could control and play with using your tongue.”
“My Lord Count, that is not it. I….”
“You seem to have taken
quite lightly. Perhaps I have been too kind all this ti?”
“I apologize, my Lord Count.”
Leaving the prostrating Viscount Landes, Count Parmas said.
“Is there anyone who witnessed this incident from the beginning? If so, co forward and testify honestly.”
As Count Parmas said this, several of the knights who had been standing a step back ca forward and spoke.
“I saw it from the beginning.”
“It is true that the knight nad Gavin from Viscount Landes was the first to pick a fight.”
“I also clearly heard with my own ears the remarks insulting Baron Schneider.”
“And the claim that Viscount Landes' soldiers did not resist is also a misunderstanding. They certainly fought back. They even drew their weapons against an unard opponent.”
As the testimony continued, Viscount Landes' complexion turned pale.
If this were his own fiefdom, it would be fine.
If there were only one or two witnesses, he could recover.
But this situation, where multiple witnesses ca forward to testify to Count Parmas, was irreversible.
“My Lord Count. Please just kill .”
In the end, Viscount Landes prostrated himself flat on the ground.
Once things had co to this, the only thing to do was to beg and beg again.
Count Parmas looked down at him and then said.
“Putting aside the cri of causing a disturbance in my land, it seems there is soone the Viscount must apologize to first.”
And Count Parmas stepped slightly aside and said to Baron Schneider.
“As the one whose honor was insulted, what would you have
do, Baron Schneider?”
“Yes. Uh, hmmm….”
Baron Schneider, montarily flustered by the sudden nomination, cleared his throat and gathered his thoughts for a mont.
In fact, for the Baron, who had been worried about how to handle the trouble his son had caused, Count Parmas' impartiality had turned the situation into an opportunity.
If he wanted to, he could extort a handso sum from Viscount Landes here.
The only problem was….
“I believe that problems that occur in the Fiefdom of Count Parmas should be judged according to the Count’s discretion.”
‘Oh, Father…’
Patrick slapped his forehead and shook his head.
Right. I knew he’d do that.
I knew he would, but confirming it in person didn't an I wasn't pissed off.
‘Father, father, my pushover father.’
If it had been Patrick, Viscount Landes would not be alive. He would have officially requested a duel and finished him off.
But Baron Schneider let that opportunity slip, and now only Count Parmas' choice remained.
“I shall pass judgnt. Viscount Landes, listen.”
“Yes, my Lord Count.”
“Your knight was rude to Baron Schneider and insulted his honor, and you wickedly tried to cover up that fact with cunning words. Do you admit this?”
“…Th… that is…”
“You an you cannot admit it?”
“No. I admit, I admit it.”
“Good. Then I shall pass sentence. Viscount Landes shall pay Baron Schneider 2,000 gold in compensation.”
“My Lord Count. If you suddenly order
to pay such a large sum….”
“A 10-year installnt plan is fine. But you must pay it within that ti. This is an order.”
“I… I will obey the command.”
Viscount Landes had no choice but to promise, like a cat on a hot tin roof. After delivering the verdict, Count Parmas turned his gaze towards Patrick.
“Patrick Schneider.”
“Yeees. My Lord Count, did you call?”
“……”
Huh, what’s this?
Sothing’s a bit different?
Originally, Count Parmas' plan was….
[You are a vigorous friend. But next ti, learn to choose your opponent and situation.]
[I will keep that in mind.]
He had been thinking of a conversation along those lines.
He intended to conclude the situation by showing a mature side, advising a young man full of confidence and vigor but still lacking in wisdom.
But the attitude of Patrick he was facing was completely different.
Where had the nonchalant and rude punk from a mont ago gone, and now….
“Oh my, my Lord Count. You have sothing on you here. Let
brush it off for you.”
What is this? This sycophant-like fellow?
Could this obsequious guy really be the sa person as the young man from a mont ago, who, though rude, had a confidence that he had liked?
Had he been switched with soone else sowhere?
“Ahem, do you have any complaints about this verdict?”
“No, how could I dare to have complaints about the Count’s command? Which bastard does?”
“……”
“Just tell . This Patrick Schneider, for a cheap price, will swiftly chop off that bastard’s head….”
“That is enough.”
It seed he had greatly misjudged the man.
He thought he had seen a confident young man for the first ti in a while, but it seed he was just a petty person who only cared about money.
If this was the case, his excessively polite and good-natured father was at least better.
Count Parmas said to Baron Schneider, who was standing behind with a devastated expression.
“You must have a lot of worries.”
“……”
Baron Schneider could not deny it.
* * *
“Ah… so I an, I did it on purpose. On purpose.”
“……”
“What is our goal? To stay quiet without attracting attention or achieving any rit, and then go back, right?”
“……”
“But if we beat up an enemy three tis our size with our bare hands, what would the Count think? Wouldn’t he think, ‘Ah, these guys are useful. I should place them at the front’?”
“……”
“So I, unavoidably, showed the appearance of a pathetic guy who only cares about money to divert the Count’s attention. I definitely did not… 2,000 gold… hehehe….”
“……”
“Ahem, anyway, it’s not like I showed that side because of the 2,000 gold… kukukukuku….”
“Haaaaah….”
Baron Schneider sighed.
Right. To be honest, he couldn’t believe that was his intention, but thanks to it, things had turned out as his son had said.
If they wanted to quietly hold their position and return without being greedy for rit, they certainly had to avoid standing out.
“Alright. In any case, what can we do now that things have turned out this way? Let’s just be satisfied that the matter was handled well thanks to the Count’s wise judgnt.”
“Ah, speaking of which, I realized he’s a more amazing person than I thought. The way he listened to both sides to judge the situation, and the atmosphere when he was wrecking that Landes or Rades bastard was aweso.”
“Where on earth did you learn the word ‘aweso’?”
“The point is not that, but that the Count is a truly great person.”
“Oh, my goodness….”
There was no getting through to him.
His one and only son was completely unreasonable.
While Baron Schneider lanted this tragedy, praises for Count Parmas poured out of Patrick’s mouth.
“Kuh, the mont the words ‘2,000 gold’ ca out of the Count’s mouth, his charisma just exploded. It was sick, dope, and totally epic…”
“Shut your mouth. Just shut it!”
Baron Schneider grabbed Patrick’s mouth with both hands and pulled it wide open.
“Ih ih ohh ih ah ahay yo?” (Is this how you’re going to act, Father?)
“Then just live like this forever.”
“Ih ay.” (I hate it.)
“What do you an you hate it!”
Baron Schneider prayed earnestly.
That at the banquet that evening, his son would, for the love of God, not cause any trouble.
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