Chapter 312
My Villains Episode 312
56. with change(5)
‘Piol' was a wealthy city located in the southern part of Antram Province..
Although it did not seem very large, it is said to be the most prosperous among the settlements along the Meusel River..
It was said that all kinds of trade goods coming into the southwestern ports spread along this sea route to the west, including Antrum, and to the central regions, including the royal capital, so this growth was natural..
This area was the territory of other dependent lords, but this area, Fiol, was the direct territory of the Marquis of Eavon. Perhaps that's why city officials were waiting for our group at the dock early..
The city's leaders, including the mayor, secretaries, magistrates, and port chiefs, bowed as if they were ready to lick the Marquis's shoes..
Although it seemed burdensome at first glance, the Marquis of Eavon enjoyed being treated by his subjects in an extremely relaxed manner, as if it was an everyday occurrence. Unlike the riverside villages of the past, Piol was surrounded by high castle walls manned by elite soldiers, and the citizens inside were wearing high-quality clothes made of cotton..
The street was covered with flagstones, and even though it was winter, there was no trace of snow at all. It appears that workers or soldiers were mobilized to clean up ahead of the marquis' visit..
The guards and mercenaries decided to stay at an inn that the mayor had previously vacated. And some people, including me, followed the marquis to the mansion..
In the center of the city, behind the government building, there was a three-story, multi-story mansion surrounded by an iron fence..
I assumed it was a wealthy man's mansion or the mayor's residence, but it turned out to be a mansion owned by the Marquis of Eavon..
It was practically a villa, and although the Marquis only visited once or twice a year, there were several employees, including a butler, in residence..
The dinner prepared at the marquis' villa was so luxurious that it could not be compared to the one served in the previous riverside village..
A stew made with a rooster and various vegetables boiled in top-quality wine from Dandelion, a whole roasted lamb thigh, steamed sea bass filled with roe, flour dough mixed with eggs and onions, rolled into a ball and soaked in oil. The table was filled with all kinds of dishes, including fried dumplings, fresh red cabbage and asparagus with honey and mustard sauce, etc..
There were seven types of alcohol available, including wine, local apple liquor, mead, northern distilled liquor, and mixed liquor with herbs..
Invited to the dinner were me, Heila, U Teqwai, Mungchi, cathedral knight Kavar, and six other soldiers..
Princess Theodora and the monk Okan were also invited, but politely declined..
Okan did not seem to enjoy associating with nobles, and Theodora seemed reluctant to interact with the marquis for a slightly different reason..
Although she is said to have cut off ties with the world, she is the niece of the Duke of Avilambus, the Elector of Mitergeland..
My uncle was gathering an army to target the West, and it would have been a bit uncomfortable to sit down and enjoy dinner with the Marquis of Eabon, who had declared that he would fight him..
“Phew-”
While eating, I suddenly took a deep breath. For some reason, one side of my chest felt tight..
The journey so far has been safe and comfortable, like a well-planned tourist course. But my instinct was to yearn for those dangerous journeys in Lidburn, Marva, or Gistol..
It's something I don't understand..
“- kyung. Lord Phoenics?” As I was staring at the red juice flowing from the veal steak on the plate, I raised my head in shock. The Marquis of Eavon, sitting across the table, was looking this way..
“ah. Yes sir.”
“Are you okay? Is there something uncomfortable?‘?”
“no… … . All of the dishes were so good that I was impressed to the core..”
I answered calmly and put a small piece of veal into my mouth. Even though there is clearly blood left, there is no smell of enjoyment. I'm a little dissatisfied.
“Yeah, that's a relief... … . Umm, how much did I say??”
“‘'Amir United State'.”
It was Hayla, sitting to my right, who responded in an indifferent tone to the Marquis's self-talk..
Although she is a foodie, she sometimes appears short-tempered, and today was like that..
It looks like she's already finished her meal, as she is crunching on the dates she brought from a distant foreign country, the Amir Allied Powers she just mentioned..
“Oh, right. Amir United.” The Marquis quenched his thirst with wine and continued speaking..
“It's already been 10 years since the desert pagans crossed the monster-infested sea and began pioneering the southern continent. It is said that thanks to the management of the colony, the sultan and the nobles who followed him gained enormous wealth in a short period of time..”
The Amir Alliance is a country that took root in the land of the martyrs, southwest of the Mitergerand Empire. Because it was far from the Kingdom of Milan and had different religions, there was almost no exchange..
For reference, the main ethnic group of the Amir Alliance is the Nudein. The Nudein tribe that the vision hunter Atalanta belongs to..
However, the Amir Alliance is not Atalanta's hometown. The 'Nuvoa' sect to which the clan she leads, 'Al-Qadari', belongs is said to be descendants of a country that was destroyed long ago, and are virtually enemies with the tribes that make up the Amir Alliance..
Well, it looks like there is a deeper and more complicated situation, but this is all that was on Poynix's mind..
“The Electors of southern Mitergeland, who have taken note of this growth, have recently begun to control colonial shipping routes. It is said that the Allies of the Amirs started a war in protest against the enormous toll, but the victory of the war was won by the electors..”
“okay.”
The Marquis's gaze was mainly directed at me, so I gave him a polite nod..
““I didn’t know much about it because it was so far away, but the Marquis seems to be very interested in it.” “Of course. To become a good nobleman, you must be sensitive to the flow of wealth and power. And we can’t just say it’s a distant story. The kingdom is also a matter of getting your feet wet to some extent..”
“If you got your feet wet?”
“Who controls the southern half of the continent? Isn’t it a kingdom?.”
The Marquis winked his eyes playfully and added,.
“No, strictly speaking, two peacock branches from Eyland..”
Two dukes of Eyland? also?
Zahakar and Baluin, there's nowhere these bastards won't go..
“The previous Duke of Eyland- *sigh* His Royal Highness made a decision to expand his family's sphere of influence to the colonial route. In the process, it is quite famous that the 'Poisonous Fleet' directly under His Highness the Duke attacked the Amir Alliance's treasure fleet..”
The Marquis's words bring to mind a scene buried in Poynix's memory. The endless procession of wagons leading to Tauz Den, the main city of Eyland..
……Oh my, I even did piracy.?
This is a very proud family. Prestigious Gaya, very.
“There is a rumor that the fact that the electors in the southern part of the empire turned their attention to the southern continent may have been influenced by that incident. I coveted the treasure enough to put aside the old conflict..”
“So there was a naval battle.?”
“That's right. Before the Amir Alliance could take revenge on distant Eyland, they were attacked by the Seon princes. And as I said before, the victory in the Battle of Seojeon was the responsibility of the electors..”
The Marquis wiped his mouth with a silk handkerchief and smiled..
“While the three electors in the southern part of the empire toasted, the remaining electors were anxious. They must have been worried that if the Southern Electors succeeded in robbing the Amir Alliance, they would use their wealth to upset the balance of power within the empire..”
“……I don't think it's impossible..”
“then. This may be due to the influence of Duke Avilambus and his father, King Alzenver, who are seeking to expand the western part of the kingdom. Seeing the southern electors burning their ambitions for expansion, they also became impatient..”
Was there such a situation? The Mittergerand Empire is also pretty messed up..
“Hmm, stupid..”
Utequwai, who was sitting on one side of the table and eating his fifth lamb thigh, laughed..
“Are you stupid? What do you mean?.”
The Marquis of Eavon leaned back and smiled with interest..
He treated Utequai surprisingly well, and it was because he appreciated the fact that he was my colleague and the Great Warrior of the Plains..
The Rikuwa tribe is the tribe that represents the grasslands, and is the third-highest-ranking tribe in the tribe after the Daejeon-myeon chieftain and the great sorcerer, so they deserve to be treated well..
“Wealth gained by stealing is easily lost..”
Anyway, Utequai was munching on gristle and speaking in his usual rough tone..
“It can be taken back, or it can be given away. My mother takes it and prays. When you lose your wealth like that, it is common for your life to be at stake..”
“It costs your life... … . Yeah, that's right..”
The Marquis let out a frivolous laugh and then raised his drink..
“It is not such a bad thing for us that the Electors of the Empire do not have such wisdom. Let's pray for this luck.”
Even after emptying his glass amidst the enthusiastic response of his subjects, the Marquis continued chatting. This time, it was a story about color makeup, which is popular in the royal capital regardless of gender..
Of course, it wasn't an interesting topic at all, so I turned halfway to the left and spread a bunch of sea bass meat on my plate..
“lol.”
“What are you laughing at? Hurry up and eat it.”
“yes-”
Mungchi, who had not been able to eat properly for a while due to seasickness, filled his stomach by playing with the dishes non-stop..
He especially liked seafood, including fish, eggs, and fried foods. When eating salad, I had the habit of first eating olives and boiled beans with a generous amount of dip before eating the vegetables..
The sight of him eating without covering himself was so cute that I almost pinched his puffy cheeks without even realizing it. Ugh, even dogs don't touch me when I'm eating, so I'll just have to hold on..
“Well, sir, the Marquis..”
When the boy, whose stomach was full, was leaning against the backrest, the elderly mayor, who had been quietly listening to the Marquis' story, cautiously opened his mouth..
“I dare to ask, do you have any plans to stay in Piol for a few more days??”
“ o Ugh2”
The Marquis of Eavon clenched his chin and asked.
“Why is Kyung curious about that??”
“Well, I've been looking forward to your visit for a long time, so I can't wait to see you leave tomorrow.-”
“Haha, stop talking nonsense. There must be something wrong.?”
“that is.”
After hesitating for a moment, the mayor wet his dry lips and lowered his voice..
“Actually, there was a minor problem on the road to Lianwell..”
“minor problem?”
“Not long ago, there was an outbreak of wolves and an outbreak of measles in Oak Deli. Have you heard any news??”
Oak Deli is located east of Antram and is famous for its high-quality cheese. Because it was close to the royal capital, it was also where the current king's brother Jaejong was a permanent resident..
“however? Did that pack of wolves come over to my land??”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
The old mayor scrunched up his pale face as the Marquis's mouth slightly hardened..
“The wolf from Oak Deli came all the way here and went on a rampage. How far is it? … . The barons who are supposed to guard the border, and my generals-” The Marquis, who seemed to be gradually raising his voice, cleared his throat, swallowed his anger, and answered calmly..
“So, the current situation and the resulting measures are?”
“The wolves are hiding in the forest at the entrance to Dandeli Hill, and the garrison commander is chasing them with five hundred soldiers..”
“It's just around the corner. But five hundred people? Did you hire mercenaries??”
“Yes, sir..”
“Did it take that many people to drive out wolves??”
The mayor, perhaps sensing that the marquis was suppressing his anger, answered with difficulty, his complexion turning pale..
“Yes, that's right, there are hundreds of them, and the leader is a dire wolf the size of a house, so we need that much.,”
“It's a dire wolf?”
The dire wolf of this world is a huge wolf weighing over 300 kilograms, and is treated as a monster more than a beast of prey. So people were more afraid of wolf packs made up of direwolves than of a decent number of greenskins..
“This isn't the North or the Great Mountains, so what kind of nonsense is that about dire wolves??”
“There were more than one person who saw this guy, and the same story was going around in Oak Deli..”
“her.”
The Marquis burst into laughter and tapped the armrest..
“In the north, ogres and orcs are causing trouble, and in the south, fishmen and anupas are running amok. This area is full of vampires, undead... … . It's truly a world of monsters. What will become of my country?.”
“I apologize, sir..”
“No, it's not something you should apologize for. Who is to blame that time is just suspicious?.”
The Marquis clicked his tongue slightly and continued..
“Don't be hasty and take things slowly. If necessary, we will dispatch a mounted patrol, so don't overdo it..”
“I will do as you command..”
“And we will leave tomorrow morning as planned..”
“yes? Yes, sir..”
The Marquis shook his head resolutely and interrupted the mayor..
“There are two hundred guards, over thirty knights, and even wizards. Don't worry, they won't be defeated even if dozens of earwolves attack you..”
As the story came to an end, I opened my mouth without realizing it..
“If you don't mind, can I go out and check the situation??”
“……Hmm? What does that mean??”
In response to the Marquis's puzzled gaze, I scratched my cheek and answered honestly..
“Well, perhaps because the trip was peaceful, I felt itchy. If you allow me, I will take a quick look around the forest where the wolves are said to have taken refuge..”
“But soon the sun will set-”
The Marquis, who was about to say something, soon burst into laughter..
“No, who am I worried about now? There is no way a knight who defeated a creeping dragon, a demon of the Flame World, and the King of Death would be defeated by a wolf or something like that. Do as the Lord wants.”
“Thank you, sir..”
“Thanks. Just be back before dawn. “Shouldn’t we continue our trip tomorrow?” I answered that I understood, but Utequoi, who was drinking mead, wiped the corners of his mouth and smiled..
“Huh, it's a night wolf hunt. Good, very enjoyable.”
“You go too?”
“be right. Handling wolves is a basic skill of a warrior. It's been a while since I had to brush up on my knowledge..”
As Utequoi said that, he glanced back at Heila..
“Heyla, I need to borrow your horse..”
“I don't like it.”
“……Is that so?.”
I caught a glimpse of Utequai scratching his chin with a puzzled expression at the firm refusal, and Heila turned to me..
“you lend me.”
“uh? I?”
WO ” ugh.
“What are you talking about? I only have one horse.”
“You ride the Oltonise. Spotted Hatanka lends me.”
“Can a spotted owl ride a utekwai? I'm not breaking my back?”
“It doesn't break. Horses are surprisingly weak, but they are stronger than you think..”
“……Surprisingly weak, but stronger than you think? What are you talking about??”
It was something I couldn't understand, but Hayla's attitude was so firm that I decided to follow her wishes without saying anything..
After the dinner was over and the night was falling, Utequai and I left the city with sixteen men and horses..
Perhaps because it was the end of the year, the torch was lit, but it was difficult to see clearly in front of the island. The same goes for boosting your eyesight with acupuncture..
Hiding a deep smile and ominous excitement in the pitch-black darkness of a winter night, I took the reins of my black war horse..
Comments