Chapter 506
My Villains Episode 506
interlude. 2 years(2)
“Okay, okay. If it stays like this, if it stays like this……
The middle-aged man scratched his wrinkled forehead. His red, bloodshot eyes were fixed on the map covering the large round table..
All kinds of place names, such as Topal, Bülsruhe, Altenburg, Obdorp, and Angst, are combined with a dizzying array of symbols. This is a military map of the Mitter Gerand Empire, especially focusing on the eastern part..
“The Silver Prince, the exact moment when that cursed squire met death. It's as if fate has been decided. Strom's land will eventually return to Strom's arms. Into the arms of the real Strom.”
The murmurs continued incoherently. Every time I tilted my head this way or that, my hair would shake sporadically..
Because only half of the golden candlesticks were lit, the conference room, which usually boasted a majestic appearance, was dark. Dark shadows flicker on the faces of the retainers who have taken a step back from the round table..
“Treasurer. Is the treasurer there?.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
An official stepped forward. The middle-aged man, preoccupied with the map, did not notice his stiff expression..
“What does the wonder look like? What do you think their finances are like??”
The treasurer repeated what he had said a few days earlier. Even if I had already reported it, it was obvious that I wouldn't hear good things about it..
“You may be suffering from a deficit every day. As both Angst and Obdorf are provinces highly dependent on trade, the damage is bound to be severe as all territorial borders with the Asian side have been closed..”
“Yeah, I guess so..”
The shabby-looking middle-aged man laughed lowly and took a sip of the drink placed on the map. Then, the bony fingers trace the map..
“The Bülsruhe, which borders the northwest, was blocked so tightly that more than half of the existing trade routes would have been closed..”
His proud appearance shriveled up in only half a year after the end of the War. The same was true for his territory. The territory, which was the second largest in the empire after the emperor, was dwarfed by the loss of 30% of its land..
“If the blood does not flow, it will rot. Yes, it will rot away..”
The treasurer pursed his lips with a gloomy expression..
But he couldn't bear to tell the truth. I was extremely afraid of the middle-aged man in front of me, the Duke of Avilambus..
Angst and Obdorf's prediction that the territory that had recently come to be called the 'Vermic-Strom Empire' would be suffering losses was true..
Since several major land trade routes passing through the Duchy of Strom were lost, income would have been cut in half at least, and the costs of pacifying and repairing the territory would have been enormous..
However, it was unknown whether the deficit of the Imperial Empire would continue in the future. No, the duke's treasurer was sure not..
20% of the Deival Road, a historic trade route, crosses Angst and Obdorf. In Angst is Froshafen, one of the empire's leading port cities, and in Obdorp is Eisbowald, the center of East-West trade..
Moreover, the Treasurer had heard that there were several newly opened trade routes through Blade's Edge Bay and the Plateau, and these were quickly establishing themselves. Perhaps the deficit of the post-imperial territory was gradually decreasing, and this was expected to accelerate further in the future..
Even if such a prediction were wrong, such a deficit would not be a problem at all for the Empire. Because there is a huge amount of gold and silver received from the two electors. Compared to that, the deficit that the Empire has seen so far would be laughable.…….
On the other hand, Baeknyeonseong’s coffers showed no signs of filling up..
With the raising of a large army, the financial status of the Duchy of Strom began to falter due to its maintenance costs alone. Then, unable to withstand the emperor's threats, or even mediation, he coughed up as many as 6,000 gold coins as compensation and ransom. In addition, there were 4,000 gold coins remaining to be paid over the next five years, and imports also decreased due to the massive closure of trade routes..
In short, the duchy's finances were on the verge of collapse..
While repeating these thoughts to himself, the provincial treasurer remained silent until the end. He prided himself on being wise. I wasn't stupid enough to tell the truth even after seeing the misdeeds that had befallen my unwise subjects over the past couple of months..
“Lord Geyer.”
“Lord Geyer? Lord Geyer!”
My anger gradually grew as I heard the name. One of the retainers who was looking at each other reluctantly opened his mouth..
“Lord Geire is in His Majesty's stables..”
“stall? why he-”
The duke remembered it late..
The old knight was not as wise as his age. That was why the person in charge of Baek Nian-seong's diplomacy was in charge of cleaning up the excrement of war horses..
“His successor is?”
“Here it is, Your Majesty..”
A young man came forward. He was an ambitious bureaucrat who was immediately promoted to chief secretary after showing off his wisdom beyond his years here a few days ago..
“Oh, it's the same.”
The duke did not remember the title given to him, but fortunately he recognized his face..
“The Red Knight has already been excommunicated by the Patriarch.……
“It's a month, Your Highness..”
“A month has passed. The aftermath will be significant..”
“you're right. No, it may not be enough to say that it is significant..”
The chief secretary continued speaking without hesitation..
“Immediately after the Patriarch declared the excommunication of the Red Knights, the majority of high-ranking priests belonging to the Church of Elganor actively supported it..”
“Cancer, of course it should be..”
The duke smiled in satisfaction..
“What is it about the Red Knight that he makes no excuses??”
“The reason he was excommunicated was because of numerous atrocities. There is no way out, so what excuse can you make??”
It is said that the excommunication, which the Patriarch personally supervised, was a whopping 1 meter long and was filled with numerous charges..
Murder of believers, desecration of corpses, arson, vampirism, sorcery, apostasy, adultery, murder of believers again, collusion with necromancers, apostasy again, massacre of prisoners, summoning of demons, murder of cathedral knights, theft of church treasures, believers again. Murder, adultery again, blood-sucking again, insulting a saint, killing a believer, killing a believer, sucking blood, committing adultery, killing a believer, apostasy, killing a believer, killing a believer... … . There was a rumor going around that the Red Knight was completely frightened when his sins were revealed and hid at the top of a high tower with several witches..
“Well, that's right. It is true that there is no room for excuses..”
“It seems that Milan's new king is not alone in his anger. I never dreamed that there would be such an evil person among the subordinates of the younger brother I love so much.
The chief secretary quickly answered while looking at the duke's thoughts..
“Of course, this is just something Zacharis made up. Prince Silver also committed evil deeds that were just as bad as those of the Red Knights, no, even worse, so he was a well-suited master.
And it was a paper..”
Avilambus slightly narrowed his eyes at that mocking assertion..
“I can't really agree with that. No matter how evil the Silver Prince was, he was nothing compared to the Red Knight..”
“Oh, uh… … What you said is correct. Because I was overworked, I made a mistake.,”
“Well, there is no error in the overall context, so it doesn't really matter. continue.”
It was a mercy that had rarely been shown in recent months. The chief secretary swallowed dry saliva and gathered himself. I couldn't let the long-awaited opportunity to succeed be in vain..
“In addition, not only the Church of Elganor but also the entire world of the Church of Gwangmyeong is shocked and shaken by the ferocity of the Red Knights..”
“What about Qalandari? It is said that the Hongui Bishops are not making any particular movements.?”
“Ah, that's it.”
The chief secretary wet his lips without realizing it..
As if he was nervous, he almost gave a stupid answer, 'Calandari accepted the Red Knight's conversion, and the Red-robed Bishop of the Blooming Flower personally baptized him.'.
“There is no response from the Orthodox Church yet, but it is expected that they are reviewing the excommunication declared by Elganor..”
“Is that so?.”
The duke, whose eyes had been sparkling just a moment ago, scratched his forehead with an expressionless face. In his hand, he held a fully filled wine glass..
“Also, the Red Knights are probably facing an internal crisis by now.” “Internal crisis.” “Yes, Your Highness. Most of the Silver Prince's followers are members of the El Ganor Church. Since my colleague was excommunicated by the head of the cult, it would be strange if there was no conflict..”
“He is like that too. The turmoil of the elite soldiers left behind by Prince Silver will also be considerable..”
Seeing the duke put down his glass, the chief secretary quickly added:.
“Maybe the division has already begun.”
“The basis for that judgment was?”
“‘‘True Iron’ Langbolt and ‘Giant’ Ankyr. I heard that the two leaders of the Silver Prince Army have returned to their family territory..”
“what?”
The Duke quickly turned his head..
“Quill, is this true??”
The subdeacon who received the question glanced at the chief secretary. The ambitious young man read the murderous intent in those eyes and trembled..
“……It's true, Your Majesty..”
“her. Why didn't you report this important matter to me??”
“that is,”
The subdeacon closed his eyes tightly..
The man who controlled the affairs of the Strom family was not as wise as the chief secretary. He didn't even reach the level of accountant. Still, it was a little better than the old knight covered in battle horse feces..
“I apologize, Your Majesty. I was trying to figure out the exact facts. I wanted to report this after confirming whether their return was a complete breakup or a temporary departure..”
“What bullshit is that! The core of information is speed, speed! If you act so slowly, how can you be called the highest eye of Hundred Years City?!”
The face of the Avilam bus distorted as the tone became more and more intense. The sub-butler knelt down without a moment of hesitation as the evil spirit welled up in his lord's eyes..
“Since Your Majesty was taking care of his affairs without paying attention, I made a big mistake because I was afraid of wasting my energy on mere rumors. Please forgive me.”
“What a fool - do I look like a weakling who would kneel from exhaustion?!”
Only after the subdeacon repeatedly bowed his head did the duke ease his anger. He clicked his tongue with murderous eyes and then listened again to the chief secretary's words..
“……Therefore, according to my careful prediction, if the trend continues like this, there is a possibility that a holy war will be declared..”
“indeed.”
After completing the report on the diplomatic agenda, Avilambus nodded with a satisfied expression..
The chief secretary was filled with a good feeling that he might be promoted again soon. Other vassals despise him
Without even knowing that you are looking at me with envious eyes.
“Still, you can't rely on something you're not sure about. The great cause is not achieved that way..”
The next person who caught my attention was a middle-aged military officer. The duke's only friend and confidant of confidants..
“Buacan. How is the plan going??”
Captain Buakhan looked at his lord with empty eyes..
“……What are your plans, Your Majesty??”
“What a stupid question. Shouldn't we attack the enemy as soon as the harvest is over??”
“ah.”
The duke slowly grew angry at the captain's foolish reaction. However, for the sake of Seshin, who has served the Strom family for as many as five generations, he showed special patience..
“How many times have I told you that we must not allow the remnants of the Silver Prince time to reconquer the territory and gather strength? We must fight constantly. We must turn Obdorf and Angst into a land of endless war and trample on the seeds of growth.!”
Avilambus' eyes burned hotly..
Buakan also used to look into those eyes and strengthen his resolve. Not now. It was a sin to his ancestors, but in his eyes it was just a whim of a crazy nobleman..
Buakhan swallowed back tears as he looked at his lord and friend, completely broken after months of swimming in despair..
“Are you really scared? Wake up, Buakan.”
The duke widened his eyes as if surprised by the captain's reaction..
“It goes without saying that we are going to start an all-out war right away. Because we also need time to recover. Since the goal is to crush the enemy's growth potential, mobilizing only 1,500 cavalry, no, half that much is enough..”
“……Obdorf and Angst have long been Strom's fiefs, and the people who live there were His Majesty's subjects..”
“That's right. There are many commanders who are knowledgeable about geography, so it will be easier to fight. Local conscription will also be easier..”
Dry fingers traced the map. The duke planning the attack route looked more cautious than ever..
“Hitting the castle is stupid. To maintain mobility, you shouldn't carry too much food. When conscripting soldiers, we should also proceed with supply..”
“Don't just stand there so foolishly, try to recite the size of the enemy's troops..”
“……It's detailed on the map, Your Majesty..”
“On the map? Oh, I see..”
The Avilam bus, which was staring at the map, soon tilted its head with a puzzled look on its face..
“Something is strange. Buakhan, is this number correct??”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“The captain asked if he personally checked it..”
“I wrote this myself this morning.”
“Well, I guess so. Because you always manage my military guidance..”
The captain's expression hardened for a moment..
“……Did you know?”
“So you thought I didn’t know? Look at this stiff, graceless handwriting. If this isn't the captain, who else does it belong to??”
The duke waved his hand..
“Okay, let me explain. Where on earth did these ridiculous numbers come from??”
“……Since their victory in April last year, the enemy has been working tirelessly to restore their army..”
Buakhan stood next to Avilambus and looked at the map one after another..
Ariad, the 'Assalmusa', resides in Untrier, and Hylter, the 'painter,' resides in Girna. The two barons each have only four to five hundred troops, but most of them are properly trained and quite well armed..”
“The elite troops locked in the base fortress... … . It may be tricky, but at least I won't have to worry about it this year. Unless you abandon the castle and run out..”
The captain pointed to the next point without answering..
“I guess this is the part your majesty is wondering about..”
“Yes, Proshafen. Does this make sense? How could these idiots have gathered 2,500 troops here??”
The duke pointed out that the military force had more than doubled from six months ago. The captain answered calmly..
“As you know, after Atalan Te, the 'Devil in His Eyes', became the prince of this area, various Nudein clans flocked to this area..”
“Nudein? Those bastards are gathering in my port.?”
Avilambus' thin face instantly turned red..
“Damned pagans. I guess I'll have to throw them all into the flames. Since Nudein is famous for being a ragtag group, he should be able to break it down without difficulty..”
“……The average Nudein is a pack of dogs that cannot be expected to unite, but the army led by the demon of Jaan is a little different..”
“different? I haven't heard a rumor that that Nudein prostitute has the talent of a mercenary..”
“The problem is not mercenary techniques, but the cult of Goulran. As you may have seen in the last war, the Demon of Jaan is considered a divine being among some clans of the Nudein - or even entire peoples..”
“Ha, I remember hearing that. Is that the thing you were talking about??”
“Yes. Thanks to this, the Nudein warriors under her command have no fear of death. Although their average organization and armament are mediocre, they are not a force that can be simply ignored..”
“O ugh”
The duke nodded thoughtfully, this time looking at Obdorf. The captain followed the master's gaze and placed his hand on it..
“After the Empire, Ruyan is nominally the leader of the enemy, but is known to have very few troops under his command. There are also rumors that the young dragon became a puppet of the Red Knight..”
“Then what is this 1,500??”
“‘The troops are commanded by 'Arrogant' Lyam and 'Prince's Commander' Harold. It is known that conscripts were collected from all over the area for half a year, centered around a small group of Silver Princes. As you know, the eastern region of Obdorf has a rich population, so the size of the roads is probably growing rapidly even now..”
Avilambus' face suddenly hardened. This is because the speed of imperial power growth is much faster than expected..
“Lastly, there is Aisvowalt, where the Red Knight lurks.. ”
“The core elite of the Silver Prince Army, the mercenary corps of the 'Shield Maiden', and other miscellaneous personnel combined amount to less than two thousand.
It is planned.”
“So is this number an error??”
“no. The Red Knights absorbed many of Altenburg's captured pagan slave legions and magic troops. Adding to this the 500 troops deployed by the Milgrester family, the total is estimated to be around 4,000..”
“Wait, Milgrester? Milgrester of the Kingdom of Milan?”
Buakan nodded indifferently..
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Nonsense - the Red Knight was excommunicated by the Patriarch! However, the troops sent by the High Lord of Milan Nol are stationed in that damn city.?”
The captain was silent for a moment. He looked at the duke quietly and then answered..
“I'm sorry, Your Majesty. Things like the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Milan are not my field..”
“Huh, what on earth is this? Huh.”
Suddenly the Duke started scratching his forehead frantically. Then, I bit my lip and looked back at the captain..
“So, how many troops can I operate now??”
“Troops that can be used immediately and troops that can be recruited before this winter. Please report the details. hurry.”
Buakan slowly opened his mouth..
“doesn't exist.”
“••••••What?”
“doesn't exist.”
“Holy shit, Buakan! What kind of bullshit are you talking about now?!”
Buacán remained expressionless even as his voice rang loudly throughout the conference room..
“Your Majesty is no longer able to use the troops of the Duchy of Strom..”
“What, what? flaw. Hehehe. This is crazy.”
The duke, who was laughing, suddenly stumbled greatly..
“uh.”
He rolled around on the floor with a puzzled expression. The strength drained from my limbs. His bloodshot eyes turned to the table. Although the fallen Duke couldn't see it, there was a drinking glass on top of him..
“••••••poison?" “I’m sorry, Your Majesty.” The door to the conference room exploded open, and a group of people rushed in. Embarrassed shouts and surprised screams intersected..
While the hall was noisy, Buacán knelt down on one knee in front of Avilambus with a sad look on his face..
“I swear, it won't harm your life..”
“you. How dare you.”
My vision is clear, but my whole body feels weak. The duke growled and glared at the captain. The captain silently groped the duke’s body. He took off the accessories imbued with powerful magic, retrieved the parchment scroll in his arms, and retreated far away..
“sorry, father.”
Avilambus's eyes widened as if they were torn apart as he collapsed..
Before we knew it, the commotion in the conference room had subsided. The sight of dozens of people clattering stopped for an instant..
The sound of footsteps in the silence. Soon two young men came into his field of vision..
“you, you.”
“Actually, I wasn't going to do this. Originally, the plan was to send him straight to the dungeon..”
“But I wanted my father to know that this was what we did. It's not the wrong guys who will take over my father's place, but the rightful successors. I want to let you know that.”
Royard, Roulud.
They were the two sons of Avilambus..
“Crazy guys. Do this to me.”
“It's a choice for your family..”
The Duke held his two sons responsible for passively managing the reinforcements in the last war and imprisoned them in a dungeon. The fact that they appeared in front of the Avilam bus looking ok meant that there was another helper or helpers..
“Who are you, what kind of guy is this?.”
“Don't worry, they're not from Milanol Kingdom..”
When the eldest son, Royad, made a gesture, the imperial knights came and lifted the duke, who was lying limp on the floor..
“Stupid, bastards. You, you can't achieve anything.”
“I know. You won't be able to achieve anything right now..”
As the big brother shrugged his shoulders with a calm expression, the short younger brother smiled..
“But we are young.”
“Yes, young. I have a lot of time.”
The duke was dragged to the door by strong hands. There was a flash of a subdeacon receiving a dagger from someone and stabbing the chief secretary under the chin..
“Sigh, dirt,”
The sound of an ambitious young man losing his breath.
Avilambus struggled. No, I was going to do that. But the limb did not move. All I could do was scream and scream..
“traitor! You dirty traitorous bastards! His Majesty the Emperor will take your lives, all of you.!”
The imperial knights stood tall..
A strong hand turned the Duke, who was briefly deluded into thinking whether my shout had been heard..
“Ah, yes. That too.”
The second son, Rowlud, spoke with a sharp look in his eyes..
“The emperor knew everything..”
“……what?”
“There was nothing I didn’t know..”
He walked closer to his father and whispered softly..
“Holding hands with a necromancer, stabbing someone in the back... … . Well, everything.”
Avilambus' eyelids fluttered..
“At that time, the day I was stabbed in the back. You left a glass of wine, right? If you get the chance, show the emperor a favor. If necessary, you can kidnap me..”
“You thought that bastard was dead, right? No, I said no..”
The laughter gradually faded from Roulud's voice..
“That bastard is in Mitteltang. It seems that he informed the emperor of everything, and as a result of his efforts, he was taken under the command of Guardian Lord. Holy White Belt.”
“……Hey, hey.”
“Do you understand now? Because of my father, the family was almost completely ruined. Lose the war, get picked on by the emperor. Like a sick god.”
The second son hugged his father tightly..
“So go and get some rest. Leave the cleanup to me..”
Roulud took a step back and stood still, watching his father leave..
“……In the end, it ended like this. I never dreamed it would be successful.”
Royard came and stood next to Roulud with a somewhat depressed look on his face..
“What did I say? I said yes?”
“I had a lot of luck too. I never thought so many vassals would cooperate.”
Royad, with a simple look, looked back at the retainers and knights who filled the conference room. Roulud burst out laughing as he saw everyone who made eye contact with his brother bow their heads..
“I can't just watch my father go crazy. For our family's sake, of course-”
Rowlud took a deep breath and lowered his head. Before I knew it, a long, red-stained blade was sticking out from the middle of the ship. He staggered and leaned against the wall of the conference room..
“ “Uh,” “I’m sorry, little brother.” Royad tapped the imperial knight's shoulder. He looked at the person who stabbed his younger brother in the back with trusting eyes and was handed a long sword by another knight..
“I wasn't confident I could beat you.”
“what?”
“You understand, right? Because you are smart.”
“and. Wow.”
Rowlud slumped down, leaving a long mark on the wall..
“What a fucking bastard. Uh, how, me..”
“Because I have experience. I think it's easier for brothers.”
“......Heh, heh.”
Rowlud burst into laughter. And he said his last words while looking at his brother who was standing tall..
“Long live the Strom family, fuck you..”
Royad plunged the knife deep into his brother's chest..
“okay. Long live the Strom family.”
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