Chapter 412
My Villains Episode 412
63. The Silver Prince's Knights(19)
“in the end.”
Middle- aged Jang Han looked very impressed. He was dressed in plate armor that glistened in the sunlight. He was wearing armor decorated with colorful yellow and black fabric, both hands were full of rings, and he wore a small crown on his head. Even at a glance, I could guess that his status was not ordinary..
“……in the end!”
Are you thinking of the heroes who would have looked down on the city from this tall castle tower? The middle-aged Duke of Avilambus gripped the window frame tightly..
Among the group of soldiers occupying the castle tower and the buildings outside it, one officer spotted the duke and raised his fist..
“May the Lord bless you! Long live the Duke!” “Long live His Majesty the Duke!” The imperial army, with its high morale, shouted in one voice. Duke Avilambus raised his hand in response, and the soldiers erupted in cheers and shouts again..
“Congratulations, Your Majesty.”
A man whose armor was decorated as grandly as a peacock approached..
“To defeat Ulkar's army and take over this impregnable fortress city. The entire Middle Earth will be shaken by your feat..”
“Hmm, what a feat. Isn't it thanks to the rise of the Silver Prince, and also thanks to the alliance protecting God's righteousness? There's nothing to paint on my face.”
As the duke showed his humility, Prince Savellard, a man in his early 30s, heir to the throne of his father, Burcard, and the next head of the Alzenburg family, grinned and praised him..
“You are the one who made Ulkar rise, and you are the one who instilled strong faith in the royal family. The entrustment of Prince Silver's lifeguard would also have lost meaning if His Majesty had not appointed him. It is entirely thanks to His Majesty that we have ascended to High Castle today..”
“Is that so? Well, if the prince thinks so, I have no reason to deny it. That's right. It's all my balls.!”
As the duke chuckled, the nobles gathered on the top floor of the castle tower also burst into laughter along with him..
While enjoying the joy of victory for a while, the Elector of 1988 stretched out his hand among his subordinates. At that touch, Captain Buakan and the imperial knights retreated to the left and right, and an armed young man stepped forward, supporting a small old man. It was the blind knight Ariad and his squire Acer..
“The recipients of this siege are definitely my proud Imperial Knights. “He fought bravely like a lion and entered the castle at once, so there can be no disagreement.” The duke put his arm around the old knight's shoulder and praised him in a very serious voice..
“But that ball would also have faded if the Lord had not guided the path. Or perhaps the sacrifice was so great that victory was meaningless..”
“That's too much praise, Your Majesty..”
“What is excessive praise? The so-called nobles of the kingdom come from barbaric northern peoples and do not know that they are gods. That's also why they ignored Sir Ariad's strategy and hard work and pointed only at his lowly birth. But I, Duke Bon, the heir to the ancient empire and a nobleman of Gelan, are different. Because I know that honor deserves to be respected and faith deserves to be rewarded..”
While he continued speaking, a retainer stepped forward, placing a large pendant on a black velvet cushion. The Duke hung the pendant around Ariad's neck..
“Accordingly, I will appoint you as an imperial knight and at the same time make you the lord of ‘Kantz’..”
Kantz is a fortress located a stone's throw from the Hundred Years Castle, and the lordship of the castle was an honorable position given only to those who had served the Duke of Strom for generations..
Since he appointed a knight who had surrendered to such a position, and an old man who was a former serf, naturally many vassals protested. But the duke suppressed all voices with his authority. Avilambus's argument was that if Ariad had not taught him the weaknesses of the castle walls, there would have been no brilliant victory or capture of High Castle, so he should be greatly rewarded..
On the other hand, the duke was aiming for some kind of propaganda effect..
When the news spread that Prince Silver's viper had switched sides and succeeded, he was pushed out of High Castle and scattered throughout the plateau.
The number of deserters among the kingdom's troops will increase... … . This was Duke Vilambus's calculation..
“••••••majesty.”
Ariad, who had been bowing her head politely, hesitated before opening her mouth..
“You have given me immeasurable grace, so this old man doesn't know where to turn. However, my oath to Prince Ulkar has not yet been taken, so how can I receive the title from Your Majesty?.”
“I don't know why you care about that. Prince Eun did not treat Gyeong like a knight, so why does Gyeong still refer to him as lord??”
“It wasn't Prince Ulkar who didn't treat me like a knight, it was his knights.”
“What's the difference? If I were the lord of Gyeonggi, I would never have forgiven the profiteers who called the Duke of Bonn's knights a pariah. They must have caught them all and beaten them to make an example. But how was Prince Eun? I didn't listen to whatever was being said behind my back. Isn’t that right?” Because his eyes were covered with an eyepatch - of course, even if it weren't for the eyepatch, all that could be seen was the burnt eye socket - the old driver's expression was not revealed. The wrinkles around his mouth twitched as if he was lost in thought. Then he got down on one knee..
“Although I am old, sick, and useless, I will serve you and your family with all my heart..”
“Okay, that's enough..”
Avilambus' eyes were filled with vivid vitality. It was due to the satisfaction of having created another anecdote that would be recorded in the family history book..
“However, as you said earlier, please ensure Ulkar’s safety. It was a one-time relationship, but I owe him my life and became a knight, so I want to repay the favor one last time..”
The other nobles of the empire gave Ariad a cold look, telling him to show sympathy to his enemy, but the duke seemed unconcerned. No, on the contrary, it was a feeling of trust in the viper's appearance as he said what he wanted without paying attention..
“The Duke is a man who always keeps his words. If I capture Prince Silver, I will transport him to the north without even touching him..”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
It has already been more than two weeks since Prince Ulkar disappeared. Rumors were spreading around the military camp that he had died after being hit by a bullet, that he had become a cripple that could not be recovered by the prayers of most priests, or that he had barely escaped death and escaped..
Considering that the kingdom's army fled in vain without even engaging in a proper siege, it was probably not a rumor. In this situation, there was no need for the duke to kill or torture Prince Silver even if he was captured. All you have to do is keep him in the castle for a hundred years, and then when he turns into a crooked old man, kick him out to the north..
The duke wanted to take his nephew, Theodora, who had been staying somewhere in High Castle not long ago and treating wounded soldiers, and throw him into Baeknyeonseong's basement. Ten years had passed since the death of Guelambus - Duke Avilambus' older brother and Theodora's father - but the thought of his niece calling herself a princess made the Duke feel dizzy..
Fortunately, he committed himself to the Calandari Church and became a Holy Knight, so he won't be fooling around for the position. However, the fact that the blood relatives of the older brother he personally poisoned were still alive was a very nerve-wracking thing in itself..
‘I guess I'll have to get the assassins back together. By the time the war is over, if that bitch is dealt with, I will be able to sleep with both feet up..’
The Duke of Avilambus concluded the installation ceremony with that thought in his mind. It was about time for a friendly conversation to continue between him and Prince Savellard. A moment later, I heard loud footsteps coming from the stairs, and then an officer came in with a stern expression on his face..
“A messenger came from the west.”
“From the west? What's going on??”
In response to Captain Buakan's question, the officer said he was a nobleman and looked sideways at the imperial knights..
“that is……
“Tell me. Giant knight, did that pig-like bastard steal supplies again??”
“no. Thanks to the elite cavalry burning down the entire forest, the 'giant' Ankir guerrilla force is unable to move from 'Asag'..”
“Of course so. There are three times as many troops, but if they can't do that much, wouldn't it be like proving that they are all idiots? … . Since cavalry is needed to conquer the plateau, it is better to have about half of them return.,”
“Before that, Your Highness, I will report it to you first..”
Murderous gazes gathered at the rude remark that dared to cut off the duke's words. The officer with a stern expression quickly added another word to shake off those looks..
“Froshaven has fallen.”
“……What? Proshafen out of nowhere, what kind of nonsense is that??”
“The red knight Phoenics crossed the Bay of Blades with more than 1,000 troops. Prince Ignatz was assassinated, and Froshafen fell within half a day. And the castles of 'Untrier' and 'Girna', which guard the Deyval Road, as well as five villages were built in just four days.-”
“What kind of nonsense is that, that a red knight can only surpass the blade of a sword? The red knight was guarding this very place, High Castle, until four days ago.!”
Before the officer could answer, he started shouting like a little fire..
“Black Dragon Fleet! What on earth is the Black Dragon Fleet doing?!”
“It is said that while anchored in Froshafen, it was attacked by the steel fleet of Southern Shore and Earl Shore. It appears that more than half of the front line was sunk and the rest were captured..”
“What kind of asshole is that?-”
The duke, whose face turned red, tried to shout again, but then grabbed his forehead and asked a question in a calm tone..
“If the prince is dead, Levites?”
“Viscount Levites is held prisoner..”
“this person-”
Duke Avilambus exploded when he heard that the great lord who was supposed to guard the rear was dead, the family's main fleet was destroyed, and even the admiral was captured..
“A baby, like a idiot-!”
As the duke threw and kicked all the furniture in the room, the nobles and imperial knights retreated as if they were clinging to the wall. Only after he had vented his anger for a while did the officer's report follow..
“Although the Red Knights' army has reached the Obdorf region, it is said that they are firmly defending around 'Eisbowald'..”
“Eisbowald, Eisbowald? Isn’t the lord there ‘Picoord’? That guy is just as much of an asshole as my brother-in-law.……
At that time, an old man stepped forward among Prince Savellard's vassals. He spoke in a rough, small, hoarse voice..
“Don't worry. majesty.”
“……Hopeken Holy Bacon?”
The old man's identity was none other than Hofken Seongbaek, a sword master whose head was almost cut off by a red knight..
There wasn't a single scar left on his neck, but the aftereffects were deep, so Seongbaek continued, wheezing as he caught his breath..
“Icebo, Baltic, is not as strong as the border fortresses. However, it is a city of swordsmen..”
The duke nodded as if his eyes were bright..
“Yeah, now that I think about it, it's a place full of weirdos who don't mind their titles..”
“Yes, that's right.”
Unlike his heavy breathing, Seongbaek’s eyes were calm..
“No matter how much he is a red knight. Even the three of us can't beat a master..”
Duke Avilambus finally breathed a sigh of relief at that assertion..
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