Chapter 238
My Villains Episode 238
49. visitors(1)
Ten days have passed since the fog disappeared and the autumn sky revealed itself..
We were still staying at Raven's Cliff..
Of course, I wasn't staying in the count's castle. The fortress on the ground collapsed due to Ellen's fireball baptism, and the underground was so cold and wet that it was not a place for people to stay..
In the end, the group chose two relatively intact buildings in nearby Seongha Village as their lodgings..
One was the guild hall used by the herbal medicine guild, where ten people, including me, stayed. The other was the ‘Singing Black Bunting’ tavern across from the guildhall, where the rest of the party stayed..
Meanwhile, there was not a single survivor in Seongha Village. They were probably all eaten by Tenvierma, the vampire lord and high lord of this region, or they were all killed before they were killed..
There were three reasons why we stayed in this empty castle town..
First, supplies were scarce..
The last time we bought food was about three weeks ago, at a gate in the King's Territory. While wandering through the fog, I ate every single piece of beef jerky and even a loaf of biscuits, so I had no extra food..
So, they hunted whatever deer, wild boars, rabbits, etc. they could find in the forest at the foot of the southern mountain and searched nearby villages to stock up on food..
It wasn't just food that was lacking..
It's already November 17th. Winter was coming soon, so I had to wear a fur hat, fur gloves, and a thick cloak to use as a sleeping bag and blanket..
Second, it was because of the people who flocked to the castle village..
The fog that flowed from the Dream Territory once covered most of the Gistol region. But not all the lives swallowed there met death..
So some of those who had disappeared into the fog returned, and the territory residents who had been hiding here and there also appeared..
but. The Gistol region is quite large in area. Even though there were about 3,000 people sacrificed for Tenvierma's throne, it was only natural that there were still people left..
We saved some of the meat we obtained from hunting. It was a method of smoking using salt and firewood, and the number of people who showed up attracted by the smell reached 30..
Also, after the fog disappeared, the number of people who were chased away by the greenskins who roamed the territory as they pleased were roughly over 30..
Lastly, the survivors we encountered while searching the surrounding villages also joined us. The number was about sixty..
In this way, well over a hundred people were added to Seongha Village. Even this number continued to grow..
The residents of the territory, who were weak from starvation, were practically refugees. They gathered in droves and begged for food, no, their lives. It was impossible to ignore this situation and set out on the road..
In the end, I decided to help the gathered residents until the situation was somewhat resolved..
The final reason we stayed in Castle Village was because of Heyla’s advice..
Six days ago, Hayla came to my room in the evening and said something unexpected..
“You can't leave.”
“……What are you talking about all of a sudden? Why can't I leave??”
“Because they killed the high lord, Count Mattianver..”
“What about the High Lord, that bastard was a vampire??”
“It's a fact that isn't known to the world. If we disappear like this, nonsense may spread..”
“ canard?”
Heila gave examples in her usual calm tone..
“When something terrible happened in the Gistol region, I saw a bloody swordsman, a red bear, and a fire witch nearby. After the bloody swordsman and his men stopped by Raven's Cliff, the fortress collapsed. The bloody swordsman killed Count Mattianver. like this.”
“……no way.”
“The odds are pretty high. Zacharis, the real ruler of the capital, hates Ulkar, and you are Ulkar's knight..”
Zacharis.
His full name is Zacharis Lionelson of Zeore. The eldest son of Lionel III, the current king of Milan..
He was the king's successor and a high-ranking civil servant, and was also a powerful man who controlled the kingdom on behalf of his aging father..
“......O ugh”
—"s’.
There are probably hundreds of reasons why Zacharis hates his brother, who is twenty years younger than him. If I had to choose just one, it would be ‘reputation’..
3Prince Ulkar has been on the battlefield since the age of seventeen, earning all kinds of cool nicknames such as 'Protector of the Kingdom', 'Silver Lion', and 'Great Warrior of the Weak'..
On the other hand, Zacharis is called the 'lying lion', the 'lion with his tail pulled out', and the 'golden pig'. These are shameful names earned thanks to laziness, cowardice, and a large belly..
“……They might frame me for killing a good lord. To Fuck Prince Ulkar.”
“that's right.”
“So what? Should we attack the player and deliver the news to the royal capital??”
“That alone isn't enough. call me max.”
“......Max?”
Max is a merchant from the West..
While the series of events unfolded, he hid in the tavern of Oressa with his men, and after the fog cleared, he joined us..
I wondered why I was suddenly looking for him like that, but Heyla seemed to have something in mind, so I obediently called Max..
After exchanging a brief greeting with Max, who had a puzzled expression on his face, Hayla went straight to the main topic..
“I said my destination was the royal road.?”
“Yes, lady.”
“Spread the word along the way. We must tell you that Count Marty Anver was a vampire and that he was killed by a bloody prosecutor..”
Despite the unexpected order, Max quickly bowed his head. His attitude was very polite, perhaps because he owed us his life..
“I will do as you say..”
“and.”
Hayla took out three letters from her pocket. She handed Max the first letter without a seal..
“Every time you pass a church, copy this and give it to the priest. If you get the chance, visit the monks of the Norik Conference..”
“yes, i understand.”
The remaining two letters had seals without a pattern, and they were easily distinguished from each other due to their different shapes..
“This is the royal palace. If possible, convey this to an official in the palace affairs department, but if not possible, it is okay to send a personal message. Court nobles and guards are not allowed..”
Max responded to the calm command with a thoughtful nod..
“Finally, the cathedral. Find Bishop ‘Ian-Baptiste’. If you tell them that you brought a letter from across the Narrow Sea, they will meet you..”
As Max carefully packed the three letters into his arms, Hayla added,.
“If you complete everything well, the bishop will give you a gold coin. very much.”
“Thank you, lady. Another thing to do: “There is a platform heading west, so guide me through it. Don't overdo it, just let them know that there's a rich guy out there..”
“Yes, I understand..”
As Max left the guild hall to hasten preparations for the flight, I scratched my eyebrows and opened my mouth..
“Ian-Baptiste? who is that?”
“One of the delegates of the Church of El Ganor..”
“That guy has a string?”
Hayla picked up the coal with iron tongs and put it into the furnace. As the flames gained strength, she placed a silver kettle on the brazier..
“huh. Before I went to the royal capital to be ordained, I was my grandfather's mistress..”
“grandfather?”
I looked through the complex family tree of Zahakar and Baluin and confirmed that Hayla's grandfather was Poynix's great-uncle... … . You really look like a dog.
“wait for a sec.”
w......2”
“Only men can be ordained as priests.?”
« O ” ugh.
“By the way, she was my grandfather's mistress.?”
“ O ” ugh-
Hayla asks ‘Why? 'What's the problem?' He blinked with an innocent face. As I looked into those pitch black eyes, I decided to forget what I had just heard..
“Uh, then, Max. He seems like a nice guy on the outside. Can I trust you so easily??”
“I don't believe it.”
“……I don't believe it?”
“huh.”
The answer was so quick and decisive that I was speechless..
“Even if Max doesn't work, there are people who can do it for him..”
“who？”
Hayla, sitting across from me, laid out a tea set on the table..
“Yount is talkative and likes to drink. When I get out of Gistol, I'll run to the bar and tell people about it..”
“……Who is Yount??”
“Alyosa's Guard.”
“Who is Alyosa again??”
“merchant.”
“Max's men?”
“no. I'm lower in rank than Max, but I'm not a subordinate..”
The kettle boiled quickly, probably because it was filled with warm water in the first place. Hayla put tea leaves and cinnamon in a cotton cloth bag and brewed tea..
“Zerbo is a young merchant and a faithful member of the Church of Gwangmyeong. A few days ago, he saw an ominous sign near the ruins of the castle, so he wants to go to church..”
“I'll tell the priests here..”
“huh. You will be able to meet many priests because you have entrusted them with money to donate on their behalf..”
A small cup was filled with tea, and a spoonful of honey from Troche was added..
Hayla put the teacup down in front of me and began preparing her share of tea..
“Bzo is a porter. I left a letter for you to go to the cathedral..”
“letter? Will it be okay??”
“huh. It was written in Spakht, and even if you interpret it, it will be difficult to understand the meaning..”
She silently drank tea with three spoons of honey in it. The eyelids, with their dense eyelashes, blink slowly, as if they are very satisfied..
“That's it?”
“The palace has been abandoned. As long as the letter is delivered to the cathedral, there won't be a big problem..”
I looked at her and burst out laughing..
“How many people did you harm??”
“All three.”
“That's three. Max's commercial troupe only consists of ten people. you weren't busy?”
“no. I wasn't very busy.”
The person who managed the hundred or so residents gathered in Castle Village was none other than Heila. I was going to do it myself, but since I was a bit in a hurry to subdue monsters, I asked her to take care of Young Ji-min..
Distribute food, arrange temporary shelters, identify repair needs of buildings, assign them to work according to their abilities, select the fittest men among the dogs, assign mercenaries to them and train them, etc. Meanwhile, Max's subordinates are also included. He's a really great guy.
Even if she was good at observing and dealing with people, it would definitely be a bothersome and tiring job. However, he rarely shows his emotions. The supporting mercenaries, including the one-eyed Simos and the heavy soldier Dervish, are almost speechless..
“......flaw ”
TZf •
Of course, if you look closely at Heyla, you can see signs of fatigue..
Let your shoulders droop slightly, close your eyes and open them a little later, or slightly twist your waist.…….
But those subtle signals disappeared without a trace by the time the teacup was empty. I left my room fully recovered..
I pride myself on not being very observant, but I noticed that Hayla was using her time with me, well, for ‘recharging’ so to speak..
I didn't feel bad. Instead of feeling bad, I thought she was cuter as she quietly sipped her tea..
“Heyla.”
“huh?”
“If you're having a hard time, tell me anytime.”
« O ” ugh.
Heyla nodded and focused on the car again, so I quietly burst out laughing..
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