Chapter 531
My Villains Episode 531
68. To the capital(4)
'Untrier', also known as the first gateway of the Deval Road, looked so similar to 'Girna' that I stopped by first that I could believe it was identical..
This is because the fortress was originally built at the same time and with the same purpose, and the new owners had similar tendencies and origins, so the expansion and remodeling were done in a similar style..
Whether Sir Ariad or Sir Hulter, they are knights with abundant practical experience and thorough preparation. Perhaps that is why the two castles seemed to focus on practical aspects rather than appearance..
First, a temporary wall made of red bricks and rocks was added to the inside of the castle to increase the thickness and mass of the wall itself. At that level, it wouldn't collapse even after a few days of fireballs..
The exterior of the castle was surrounded by a two-layer wooden fence and a deep moat. Because the wet mud scooped up from the moat was repeatedly applied over several months, the fence looked like an earthen wall at first glance. Of course, it would not be compared to a full-fledged castle wall, but it would be much stronger than common wooden fences. As a few summers pass and the tough weeds grow over there, it will become even stronger..
Below the ramp extending from there was a bustling castle village. Like Jirna, the castle village here was as large as a small town, but there was still only one road leading to the castle. It is a long and cumbersome bridge that must pass through fences, moats, drawbridges, bars, and trench lines..
During the Kalman War, it was easy to take over by utilizing the power of Atalanta, but now it doesn't look so easy..
It was clear that even if the 'Sphere of Void' was exploded, which not only destroyed the gate but also destroyed the gate tower, it would not be able to erase the fence, moat, and trench line inside the gate all at once. I think that the remains of the collapsed gatehouse could actually become an obstacle, filling up the space between the fence and the trench..
Probably not a coincidence. A clever Sir Ariad would have designed the trench lines and fences based on a detailed plan from the beginning..
However, this extremely sturdy fortress had a few crucial shortcomings, just like Jirna where we stopped for lunch..
“……I really need to stay at the castle?”
“What else are you dissatisfied with??”
“What are you dissatisfied with??”
Ellen, who was covering her nose with the sleeve of her robe, burst out laughing as if she was dumbfounded..
“Even if I talk about it all day, it wouldn't be enough. First of all, from this smell.”
“smell?”
“Yeah, the smell. I can't breathe.”
Untrier's traffic roads were not wide enough for Ellen's luxurious quadruple carriage. This was the reason he was occupying the front seat of the bicorn saddle..
“Yes, I can understand not being able to ride a carriage. It's a luxury I won't be able to enjoy if I go to the kingdom anyway, so I made preparations in advance..”
Ellen continued to complain, making noises like her nose was blind..
“But this rotten juice is too much. If it's this bad on the outside, it must be so bad inside that you can't even imagine. Adder, how on earth does that old man manage his castle??”
What filled the moat surrounding Untrier was a small stream of water flowing from a nearby valley. Because it was still winter, only dried traces remained, but since the water source was located deep in the mountains, the usual water quality was not bad..
But even the water in the moat could not be clean. Basically, it looked cloudy because it was mixed with mud, and there was all kinds of dirt floating around that I couldn't even guess what it was. When the cold wind touched the surface of the water, it created ripples of congestion, and each time it did, the stench that disgusted Ellen spread out..
“This is what everything is like these days, right? What can I say about Sir Arya de? I'm glad I came when it was cold. It would have been really terrible if I had come in the summer..”
“It's terrible enough now.”
“If you don't want to, wait at the inn. Why do you have to follow me and whine??”
“Who is whining??”
“Who could it be? “Are you the only one whining here?” Like most castles built solely for military purposes, Untrier was far from the words 'comfort' or 'cozy'..
As it was designed to minimize the area to be defended, the living space was small, and there were no windows except for the long, vertically pierced front eye, and since there was no chimney, there was no place for a furnace or fireplace, so when the weather got cold, people were left frozen. had to fall on.
Perhaps the simple inn in the castle village would have been a hundred times better accommodations than the high and majestic castle where Lord Ariad stayed. It was obvious that the stronghold would be small, so the main party and subordinates, except for a few bodyguards, stayed at an inn, and I felt a little envious of them..
Yes, I too would like to sleep in a warm inn instead of a cold and dull castle. But if I really did that, I would feel something similar to guilt..
Even so, I felt uneasy because I felt like I was living comfortably in a comfortable mansion in the middle of a wealthy city while my former comrades were stuck in the rough mountain valleys. Of course, it was Prince Ulkar, not me, who gave them the fortress on the border..
After having a silly argument with Ellen, we finally reached the castle gate..
“Are you here, Your Excellency?!”
The old knight - no, the old lord Arya de Varin was coming out to meet him, accompanied by Acer, who had been assisting him for a long time, and several vassals..
I got off the Bicorn with Ellen and held his hand..
“What is your Excellency? Why are you acting like this??”
“Hehe, haven't you gotten used to it yet?‘?”
“It's not a matter of adaptation - heck, just make him Sir Phoenix anyway. Just like before.”
“That's right. If you really want.”
Lord Ariad smiled and nodded and exchanged greetings with the rest of the party..
“Long time no see, princess. How have you been?.”
“Since you have been blessed with undeserved grace, how could you not be blessed? What about you? I feel like I'm getting younger again.”
Unlike Theodora, who exchanged well-wishes in moderation, Ellen looked at Sir Ariad closely and stuck her tongue out in admiration..
“The rumors were true. I really put a crystal ball in my eye.”
It was just as he said..
Sir Ariad, who had plucked out both of his eyes to deceive Duke Avilambus during the Battle of the Blades, had a pair of sparkling crystal balls embedded in their place. When I turned my gaze, my checker-like irises flickered and glided along the cloudy yellow surface of the crystal ball..
Since the appearance was not unusually grotesque, the mangchi had his hand on the hilt of the sword with an expression of open disapproval. Iopiya, who belatedly made eye contact, took a deep breath and took a step back, while Ellen was observing the artificial eye with interest..
“Take it easy, Ellen. That's rude behavior. Lannon, EOP, you too.”
When Theodora scolded lowly, Sir Ariad waved his hand saying it was okay..
“You don’t have to do that, princess. Even these days, I am shocked when I look in the mirror, but it must be so when people see me for the first time. To be honest, isn’t it true that he has a strange appearance?.”
“It's bizarre. Looks just like a golem.”
“Ellen!”
Whether Theodora stopped her or not, Ellen was examining the crystal prosthetic eye with focused eyes..
“Still, the magic circuit looks useful... … . No, honestly - this is my first time seeing such sophisticated modern magic tools. Madaz Rao, that's crazy work.?”
“Yes, Miss Ellen, heir of La-Palais. It's been a while since I last saw you, but you're still the same..”
“Indeed, a genius from a famous family... … . However, even he could not have guaranteed the safety of the transplant process. What on earth were you thinking when you did this??”
When Sir Ariad smiled, his wrinkled eyelids sank down and covered the inside of the crystal. However, because it did not cover the abnormal eye glow, the smile looked quite creepy..
“Now that the lowly old man has lost his eyesight, he has become fearless and useless. Since I was entrusted with an important task, I felt like I needed to find something useful, so I asked Grandmaster Madaz for help..”
“That's worth knowing. I need to talk to him. There's something I want to ask you.”
“Unfortunately, he is not here.”
“what? why？”
“I left for Baden after receiving a letter from my family a couple of months ago..”
Ellen just clicked her tongue in disappointment, but I opened my mouth in bewilderment..
“You put a crystal ball in someone's eye and then walked away? Doesn’t that prosthetic eye need some sort of maintenance? Like a prince's arm.”
“One of the wizards under my command learned the trick. He said it would be okay to be away for a few months.……
Perhaps because I looked unconvinced, Sir Ariad clapped his hands to divert attention..
“ruler. We're not going to stay here like this. Let's take you inside. Although it is a shabby castle and there is nothing else to see, we will treat you with sincerity..”
Contrary to its exterior appearance, which is a fortress itself, Untrier's interior was quite cozy and the details showed that some care had been taken..
The stone wall surrounding the narrow passage let light slide across its smooth surface, and warmth seemed to rise from the floor..
It turns out that it wasn't an illusion. According to the explanation of Acer, Lord Ariad's longtime squire and his first knight, Untrier is a fortress built on a hot spring, so it is relatively warm even in the middle of winter. There is also a well in the basement where you can draw hot spring water directly..
The downside was that the indoor air was a bit stuffy, but it got much better thanks to Ellen summoning dance spirits to provide ventilation. The synagogue and banquet hall that took up the entire first floor of the castle was a banquet hall, but it was smaller than my office. The table in the center was shaped like a donut with an opening in the middle, and it felt fun to sit in a huddle with a coal brazier in the middle..
Mungchi and Iopiya especially liked it, so they played with their feet with the brazier in the middle, and ended up burning the bottom of their pants and eating them. Perhaps because he thought that was an unbecoming customer attitude, Theodora yelled at him in an unusually stern manner..
They looked towards me asking for help, so I coolly turned my head away. Moongchi and Iopiya were very depressed after being scolded without any solution, but it didn't seem like that attitude would last until tomorrow..
The castle's employees - I mean employees, but mostly soldiers who came to help - filled the table with carefully prepared dishes..
Garlic soup boiled with a lot of shredded duck meat was truly a menu for winter travelers. The black, flat oat bread was rough but savory and whetted my appetite, and the pie with eel was a delicacy with an impressive chewy texture. What was especially great was the charcoal-grilled venison served with roasted whole potatoes..
It was a fatty, hearty, and hot meal. It felt a little rough, so it looked more like a table for a warrior than a noble, so I liked it more. Sir Ariad, who became a lord at the age of sixty, seems to still be living as a warrior..
At the end of the meal, Mungchi and Iopiya were intrigued by the story of the hot springs, so they asked for Lord Ariad's understanding and went on an adventure to the basement. Princess Theodora decided to visit the cathedral in the Holy Village at the invitation of the priest who was present, and Ellen, who had been nibbling at dried fruit throughout the meal, said she was tired and went up to the prepared room..
The vassals of the Barin family and the bodyguards I accompanied - Fritz, Steedman, Cole, Goleman, etc. - also left their positions. Only then did the banquet hall regain its silence..
“Would you like another drink??”
“Oh, of course. The beer tastes good.”
Sir Ariad smiled and poured beer into a tin cup and gestured at Acer sitting next to him..
“This is a liquor made by the craftsman himself. The author, who is not an alcoholic, has quite good skills..”
“••••••craftsman?”
I belatedly remembered the news I heard in the past and snapped my fingers..
“That's right, you said you were married.?”
Acer, with his curved nose, sharp eyes, and tall stature, smiled and answered..
“Why are you pretending not to know? I hope you send me a word as a courtesy..”
“You sent a horse? who?”
“Your Excellency. This is a Western Highlands War Horse. don't you remember?”
“ah. Oh, that's right.”
I don’t remember anything at all… … . Well, I guess Heila sent it..
“Because I live so hectic, I tend to forget. Who did you say your opponent was? The kid is still there?”
Acer scratched his cheek in embarrassment, but gave answers consistently. His wife was the daughter of the owner of a manor in Untrier, so to speak, a native minor nobleman..
“4I'm scheduled to give birth around March. The energy is not normal, it's like a boy..”
“Oh my - I wish, I wish. The Baron is growing old alone, and I am getting married alone..”
The young knight who had been bragging with a red face stiffened at the joke I was making. At the same time, he secretly felt guilty for looking at Sir Ariad's eyes..
The old lord burst out laughing..
“You are as mischievous as ever, Lord Phoenix. Are you making fun of it because it's a big deal for an old man to grow old alone?.”
“Isn’t Kyung not just a Nogu, but a ‘precious’ Nogu? Since you have become a lord, you should take a good woman and put her in a cage..”
“That's a terrible thing to do, Lord Phoenics. A woman who takes an old man as her partner will not have any extra money..”
Because the answer was very firm, I slightly tilted my head..
“Do you really have no idea? Still, shouldn’t it be the family name?.”
“It is just a castle that was picked up and served as soon as possible. It's embarrassing to even call it a family name. Of course, since it is a castle that the prince has granted, I can't help but cherish it, but I have no intention of continuing it by being dishonorable..”
“ Q......”
"司”......•
“And, if you're going to go out on the road at any time, it's easier to go alone..”
I put down my glass and made eye contact with Sir Ariad. The corrected prosthetic eye flashed brightly..
“I heard you are heading to Froshafen… … . Maybe it's time.”
“It's already been almost two years.”
“First, I plan to save Princess Yuril.
I guess it's like this?”
As soon as he quietly nodded, the old lord continued speaking passionately..
“I am ready. The same goes for Sir Hülterre. You can go to war right now.”
“Not yet. The message will come in due time..”
“From whom??”
“Hey, I guess. maybe.”
“I guess so... … . “I hope we won’t have to wait too long.” I furrowed my eyebrows at the stains on his words..
“……Did something happen??”
Sir Ariad wet his dry lips and nodded slightly..
“Sir Gisella visited a couple of months ago..”
“Gisella Wonder?”
Gisella Winged. Also known as ‘Saemaekisa’’.
A woman who is a descendant of a prestigious knightly family and became the sixth knight of the Silver Prince..
“You met her? Where??”
“Here. He came to see me.”
“What did you say??”
“They said they found a clue..”
“proviso?”
Immediately after Prince Ulkar's disappearance, Sir Gisela acted like a besotted person and remained in the village where the last traces of the Silver Prince remained..
Then, at some point, he disappeared, leaving only a short letter to his fellow knights saying he was leaving to find his master..
“I couldn't understand the exact story because it was a bit rambling... … . It looks like they received support from Marva's family and achieved some results..”
“If it's an achievement?”
“I didn't hear any details. However, he said that he had found the way and said something like ‘Jijeo’..”
“underground.”
I touched my forehead, feeling like my head was hurting..
I don't know what Sir Gisella's achievements are, but I think there may be some overlap with the plan I made..
That's right, it's dark in the game
The first time we encountered the world was in Chapter 8, Underground..
I don't know how Sir Gisella plans to enter the underground, but I'm worried that the process might affect my plans. I'm grateful if it helps, but if things get messy, it can actually become a hindrance..
Untrier's night deepened with unexpected worries..
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