Chapter 423
My Villains Episode 423
64. fog(10)
Eisbowald was a city directly ruled by Duke Avilambus. In other words, it could be said that it was a territory under the duke's direct control, or rather, a city under direct control..
Of course, the duke did not personally come to Eisbowald to rule the city. From generation to generation, dukes appointed officials, or mayors, to represent them and dispatched them to Eisbowald. In short, a commoner bureaucrat, not a noble lord, was the ruler of this city..
Is it because of these characteristics? Eisbowald had a strong feeling of being a free city..
It had a different atmosphere from port cities such as South Harbor, Auduenne, and Froshaven, and it was also different from the kingdom's large cities such as Lemerick, Modos, and Lianwell..
The first thing I noticed was the numerous craft guilds. Starting with the alchemy guild and the metal guild, there are more than twenty craft guilds that exist in Eisbovalt..
It was a group whose purpose was to protect its members, including alchemists, artisans, and miners, and to pass on their skills, but of course that was not the only thing they did..
Based on his enormous wealth and influence, he was deeply involved in governance, and is said to even have connections to Baeknyeonseong, the capital of the duchy, and Mi Teltang, the imperial capital. Their power was so great that at one point, even the mayor noticed the union leaders..
‘The existence of a ‘communist society’ was also one of the characteristics of Eisbowald..
The council is a council-like body made up of the city's influential people, including nobles, wealthy people, and wizards, centered around priests. Because they are directly connected to the 'Red Bishops', the heads of the Callandari Church, they are a group that not only the mayor but even the Duke of Avilambus cannot treat with care..
Normally, the council meeting is like a nursing home where old people sip tea and chat, but when the old people start clenching their teeth and tackling each other, even the mayor is said to have his hands and feet tied..
In particular, there is a strange customary law that requires consultation with the council at least three times when trying to enact city laws, so if the council is closed, no law can be made..
Whether it is the Mitergeland Empire or the Kingdom of Milan, the jurisdiction is fundamentally vested in the lord. It is said that when a conflict arises between the lords and a lawsuit arises, the lord makes the decision as he pleases..
If they disagreed, they had to go to a judge traveling around the territory or a high judge in the capital and complain about the injustice. Of course, this kind of appeal did not have much meaning. It was extremely rare for a judge who was only a low-ranking noble to overturn the ruling of a local lord with real power..
Well, if there was a king or a powerful lord behind the judges, something like that might happen, but it didn't apply to ordinary citizens..
In contrast, there is a permanent court here. This is another feature of Eisbowald..
Eisbowald is a city with a lot of lawsuits due to its large population and the atmosphere of a free city. It was impossible for the duke or his representative, the mayor, to resolve these conflicts one by one..
Against this background, the Duke established a permanent court and dispatched judges. Thanks to this, in Eisbowald, if the guards caught a criminal, they had to send it to the court rather than deal with it themselves..
Therefore, I, who live at the headquarters of the guard, had to go to the courthouse on the other side of the city to visit the dungeon..
“It’s such a fun neighborhood… … . Isn't that right??”
In response to my question, Bicorn just snorted, 'Keuhong.' I lightly tapped the reins and got lost in thought..
Mayor, Council of Councilors, Permanent Court. In addition, there is even a craft guild. It seems like we are seeing government agencies and corporations divided for the sake of separation of powers..
Of course, in the eyes of the duke, who enjoyed royal power, it would have been seen as a fight over a small amount of power..
But in my situation, I think there might be some use for it.…….
“……Okay, that's it..”
Just because I conquered Eisbovald doesn't mean I become the lord of this place. As an occupying force, my role is to solidify security and stabilize the rear. There is no need to worry about governance..
I licked my lips and looked around..
This was the northwest area of the city where nobles, wealthy people, and judges mainly lived..
As expected from an upper-class residential area, the flagstones on the floor were neat and lined up on the left and right.
34The floors of the buildings were neat..
There were even streetlights on the road..
Of course, these were not gas or electric lanterns; they were just oil lanterns hung on poles or external walls. As it was getting dark, several lantern sellers were walking around lighting up street lights..
“……So, this person’s ladder is very difficult to use..”
“What is it, suddenly?”
The man who was chatting turned his head to follow his colleague's gaze and suddenly took a deep breath..
“••••••It's a red knight
“Huh.”
The lantern sellers had pale faces as if they had seen a ghost..
It wasn't strange. It's natural to feel scared when you encounter a two-horned beast on a deserted street..
“Thank you for your hard work.”
As I slowly drove the bicorn and spoke to them, the two men's expressions turned sour and they shrugged their shoulders..
“Ah, ah - no, I'll be better..”
“When did you start working again??”
“Well, you guys have been out for a while, and this guy has been working since yesterday..”
The magic lantern seller, surprised by his colleague's words, made up an excuse..
“No, no, sir. I hurt my back, or rather my leg, the other day, so I couldn't leave the house for a while. Well, what are you talking about? The news that the proclamation was posted came late.……
He came up with excuses. I smiled bitterly..
Four days ago, I issued an order to those who were engaged in miscellaneous work in the city to resume their jobs. That was the reason why many odd-job workers, including the magic lantern sellers in front of me, were wandering around the city..
Of course, not everyone returned to work..
I don't know where and how the rumor spread, but the citizens of Eisbovalt seemed to regard me and the army I led as nothing more than the devil and his minions. It is natural that few people returned to work, and the majority were confined to their homes and did not come out..
Well, I understand that the citizens were surprised by this siege..
The city was captured overnight, over 2,000 defenders were destroyed, and all the famous swordsmen and battle wizards were killed or captured. It would be strange not to be surprised..
Moreover, there were strange rumors going around about the Nudein people, or even rumors that were more than half true, so it was not surprising that Eisbowald had turned into a ghost town..
However, no matter what, I think it's a bit too much to start shaking or getting into a fight just by making eye contact. It's not like I'm eating it..
I wanted to voice my dissatisfaction, but the lantern sellers had already become wet in their pants. This is because the bicorn sniffed and drooled..
“……Okay, thank you for your hard work..”
If I say any more here, it would be like ending my life for no reason. I greeted him with a smile and pulled the reins. From behind, I heard the sound of two magic lantern sellers collapsing..
……Those guys, should they go to work tomorrow??
“Ugh.”
I sighed deeply and drove the bicorn down the dirty street..
The numerous buildings lined up along the road all had their windows locked..
The Permanent Court was a stone building surrounded by high walls. It was neither too big nor too small, and the pointed roof was impressive..
Although Eisbowald is a fairly large city, its population is less than 6,000 at most. Thanks to this, there were only four judges staying in this city. There are about 20 people in total, including guards and guards attached to the judges and building workers. There is no reason for the building of the Permanent Court to be bigger..
“Meet the Commander!”
The men holding spears who were guarding the court looked at me or Bicorn and gave Milanese military salutes. Although they had some degree of discipline, they seemed clumsy for some reason, so it seemed like they were not soldiers who only crossed the edge of a blade..
“……vigilante corps?”
“yes it is!”
“It was under Deogen from the beginning.?”
“yes it is!”
He was a gangster..
With a gangster guarding the court, it felt like something was definitely wrong, but there was nothing I could do. What can I do without anyone?.
Of course, the Permanent Court was not entirely a den of thugs..
When I enter the building after tying the bicorn to the stable, I see several soldiers with white sword patterns engraved on blue cloaks. They are the family soldiers of the Earl Shore family..
I was guided by one of the soldiers and headed to the dungeon..
Most of the prisons I have seen so far were located in the basement of a castle or castle gate or in a corner of a defense tower. It was my first time seeing a prison in the basement of such a small stone building, so it was quite an unfamiliar experience..
Guarding the dungeon were a battle wizard and forty elite soldiers. It was a wasteful force to use as guards, but there was no choice. The people imprisoned here are the most dangerous prisoners in Eisbovalt, including imperial knights, swordsmen, and wizards..
Only when we reached the lowest floor, the 4th basement level, did the soldier in charge of guidance stop..
“Do you open the door??”
When I nodded, the soldier called the guard guarding the stairs. Then, each person took a key out of their pocket and headed to a single room in a corner..
There were two large locks on the cell. The guard and the soldier opened the locks one by one and then stepped back..
When I opened the door and entered the cell, I saw a large old man tied in the stocks. It was unnatural that there were stocks in the cell, and there were also thick chain restraints on both his ankles and waist..
I didn't think it was excessive. If you want to imprison someone who is a sword master, you have to go through this much trouble..
“……Hey. Old man, your back must be hurting a lot. Are you okay?” The old man, Grimmons Koval, quietly looked up at me. Now I see that he also has a gag in his mouth..
“What, why did you do this??”
When the gag was removed, the old swordsman spat on the floor..
“I was worried that he might bite his tongue..”
“Ah, I see… … . You'll bite your tongue‘?”
“Would a person held in the embrace of light do such a foolish thing?.”
“Right? Is religion good when things like this happen?.”
I smiled and sat down on the chair the guard brought out..
“Have you considered the offer??”
“okay. It was a very arrogant suggestion on a childish topic..”
What I suggested to Grimmons was sparring. Sparring without limit.
Instead, it was an offer to release Grimmons himself, Kovalho's disciples, and his grandson if he defeated me even once during the sparring..
“You might think so. But as an elderly person, there is nothing to lose, right??”
“If fighting a crazy kid with a sword isn't a loss, there's nothing in the world that isn't a gain..”
“Right? You are very positive..”
“……I don't understand what you're saying..”
I somehow became cheerful and started giggling, then cleared my throat loudly..
“Please help me. Since you have experienced it yourself, you know that I am having a hard time because my swordsmanship is so bad. I also have a conscience, so I won’t ask you to teach me swordsmanship. Just spar with your opponent a few times..”
Grimmons twitched his eyebrows..
“How old are you??”
“Sir… … No, twenty one.”
“Even though you achieved that level of achievement at that age, you still complain about how bad it is. I don't know if I'm arrogant or humble..”
“That's a compliment, that's it?”
I jokingly told the story, but all I got in return was the old swordsman's murderous gaze..
Well, since he lost more than ten disciples during this siege, it was only natural for him to treat me like an enemy..
“……However, I understand that your swordsmanship is fundamentally wrong..”
“Right? I guess I didn't learn it in one place, but rather wandered around here and there.-”
“The tricks I learned by listening are no big deal. The problem is Eyland’s swordsmanship..”
“……What??”
“Isn’t the foundation of your swordsmanship from Eyland? That old-fashioned sword technique..”
While I was struggling to control my expression, I noticed a look of confidence in Grimmons' eyes and scratched my eyebrows..
“It's strange, I am Eyland's swordsman
Do you use ?” “… … What kind of stupid thing is that??”
“I'm asking because I really don't know..”
“Isn’t that the case just by looking at Geomse and Bobeop?.”
He said it as if it was obvious, but it was really my first time hearing it..
Was it possible to tell where he learned swordsmanship just by looking at the way he aimed his sword or moved his feet? No matter how I looked at it, it seemed like it was there..
“……That's strange. I thought I was only learning basic sword techniques..”
“Would such an ancient relic have no history? It's just worn out and dull..”
I suddenly had a question, so I asked the old swordsman a question..
“But how do you know about Eyland’s swordsmanship??”
“Have you ever fought a blood knight??”
Grimmons said nothing. I slowly blinked my eyes fixed on me, and it felt like I was in a flashback..
“……okay. Come to think of it, you look like him..”
“Who is it??”
“Oleg
Admiral Oleg. AKA ‘Burning’ Oleg.
He is the ancestor of the Zaharkar family, the father of Duke Skiele and Count Akele, and the grandfather of Phoenix..
“……What is Oleg? They say you look like me?”
When I asked a question pretending not to know, the old swordsman was silent for a while before opening his mouth..
“I will accept the offer..”
“……yes? “Suddenly?” " step,”
Gray-white eyes shined brightly.
“It's a duel, not a sparring match.”
“ With a duel?”
“okay. It gives the winner of a fight the right to take the opponent's life..”
The deadly force emanating from the sword master filled the narrow cell..
I unconsciously placed my hand on the black ice. The old man was clearly tied in the stocks and had chains hanging around him, and it looked like he was going to come running at me at any moment and cut off his head..
“……I don't need freedom, I'll be satisfied as long as I can kill him.?”
“no. The freedom of Beoch and his disciples is a basic condition..”
“aha… … . You have a bit of a sharp edge..”
“Are you not confident? If you spar with me and practice swordsmanship to your heart's content, and then eliminate me and all of my friends, wouldn't there be no regrets??”
“Seriously, how do you kill an elderly person? Those who say they cut the empire a bit will come and make a fuss, saying they will take revenge..”
“Just by being taken prisoner by you and acting as a swordsman, my honor will be in ruins. What kind of idiot would take up a knife for a wretched old man??”
“Hmm.”
I slightly averted my gaze.
I feel like my true intentions have been revealed. In fact, the purpose of having Grimmons as a sparring partner was also to tarnish his reputation..
But hey, it all worked out the way I wanted it to..
“All right. Let’s do as the old man said..”
“good night.”
I stood up and smiled..
“Since you need to take care of your health, I will move your residence. I will keep arrests to a minimum, so if you do something unnecessary,
“I know.”
Grimmons, whose neck was tied in the stocks, looked up at me and smiled for the first time..
“Stop talking nonsense and keep your neck clean..”
“Ugh, be scared..”
He pretended to shake his shoulders and left the cell..
An endless duel with the Sword Master. I will definitely be able to improve my sword skills this time..
I left the dungeon with light steps. Grimmons was certainly a formidable swordsman, but I wasn't too worried..
That's right, I reached level 40 a few days ago. If you lose to a human, you will be at a level where you should feel embarrassed..
For a moment, I was excited in anticipation of the showdown with Grimmons. I inevitably had to postpone my sword training..
This is because a letter from the east has arrived..
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