Chapter 532
My Villains Episode 532
68. To the capital(5)
The place where we spent the third night of our journey was a small village by the roadside..
There was a shabby guard tower built at the entrance to monitor the road, but it turned out that the old military facility was the root of a nameless village. It is said that merchants, mercenaries, and travelers who used the road set up camp under the guard tower, and inns and taverns were built to target them, and the village took shape..
Perhaps that was why a young man in charge of the guard tower was imitating a landowner. I was told that I inherited the position from my father, but I did not know when the position of sergeant became a hereditary position..
Traditionally, it was a village in the southern part of Angst - an area that has recently come to be called the 'Nudein Autonomous Territory', but it did not seem to be under the administrative power of Proshaven. At least the tax collector visits regularly, so it seems like there is a land register somewhere in the government office in Froshafen..
This was the reason why the fake sergeant confidently introduced himself in front of me. The tax collector in Froshafen may have just collected taxes as per his duties, but he seemed to think that his authority was officially recognized..
I sighed for some reason, but it wouldn't be an unusual situation in this world. If that fake petty officer's family continues for a couple more generations, a historic lordly family will be born..
After a brief conflict, I decided to skip it..
This is not my territory, and isn't it ridiculous to come to someone else's land and act like this and that?.
Of course, considering his title as lifelong marshal of the Empire, he was not entitled to interfere..
Marshal is a military commander who is often subordinated to the highest-ranking lords, including the emperor and elector, and is given the authority to exercise limited commander-in-chief on behalf of the monarch. This limited command authority included the authority to conscript, requisition, train, establish military discipline, and command and command, as well as the authority to supervise front-line units and personnel authority subject to follow-up reports..
In short, even if you immediately kick out the fake sergeant in front of you, there will be no problem with the procedure if you send a letter to Atalanta, who is lounging around in her fiancee's mansion, and ask for her understanding..
It wasn't that difficult, but the problem was that I didn't have the motivation to even clean things up. If Eunsu, the illegal hereditary successor, is kicked out, the village will become no different from a lawless zone, so we can't just leave and ignore that, right? If you can't take responsibility for your back, it's better not to even start in the first place..
Thanks to the guidance of the fake sergeant, the group was able to get the best room in the inn. Well, if you have about 60 well-armed cavalry, you can be treated well without anyone's help..
By the time we unpacked our bags in our rooms and came down to eat, the inn, which had been quite crowded, was empty. I thought the fake sergeant was making a fuss and chasing the other customers away, but looking at his behavior, it seems that wasn't the case. I don't know the details, but I had a pleasant night anyway, so it wasn't a bad thing..
Contrary to my innermost expectations, the road to Proshaven was safe and peaceful..
I wasn't expecting a tribe of ogres mixed with shamans or a party of followers of an evil god, but I expected to encounter a small group of greenskins, a shabby warlock, or at least a highwayman... … . It's difficult to get experience points because the road is safe, so it's difficult to be sad..
Still, it was definitely something to be happy about that the Nudein patrol dispatched from Froshafen was controlling the area. After hearing the news and rumors, I thought the city had completely turned into a devil's den, but it's fortunate that basic public order seems to be properly maintained..
This feeling of relief or regret was shattered less than 30 minutes after arriving in Froshafen..
The port city of Froshafen is divided into three main districts..
The first is the port area where the port and related facilities are located, the second is the urban area centered on the Yeongju Castle on the hill, and the last is the plaza area where various unions and guilds have offices, workshops, and a thriving market..
Entering the city around late afternoon, I decided to send most of my group to a lodging near Yeongju Castle and tour each district. Since this is the first city I visited in almost two years, I thought I would take a look around and see what the atmosphere of the city was like..
The first thing I headed to was the plaza area, and as I was entering the plaza after passing through the market crowded with passers-by, I saw a strange sight..
“What is that?” What I pointed to with a puzzled expression was a structure with thick horizontal trees in the middle of the square..
There were six corpses hanging upside down in the structure, all of them naked, with both hands, genitals, and heads cut off. The eyes, nose, mouth and wounds were all infested with maggots, making them look horrendous, and half of them were black and rotting, giving off a terrible stench..
“yes? Ah, that is.”
The person in charge of guiding me was an adjutant of Lord Froshafen's squad. Among the Nudein people, he was of the status of 'Sirid Kiss', equivalent to the officer class, and was said to be one of the warriors who followed Atalanta and participated in the Blademan War..
Not only did he immediately recognize my face to see if it was a lie, but he also behaved extremely politely as if I were dealing with a clan leader..
After hesitating for a moment, the adjutant bowed his head as if he was sorry..
“……It's not that big of a deal for Hunapi to care..”
why did you decide that?”
“yes? what is that.”
“Why did you decide that?.”
The Nude adjutant looked dumbfounded, as if he didn't understand what I was saying. Then Fritz got impatient and hit him in the back of the head..
Wow.
“Ugh
“You insolent pagan bastard. Why do you decide whether it is something your lord cares about or not?.”
Fritz growled fiercely, holding the horse's head and grabbing the collar of the fallen adjutant..
“Stop talking nonsense and answer me. Why are those corpses hanging like that??”
“Well, I don't know either..”
“I don't know? A bastard called a security guard doesn't know why there's a body hanging in the middle of the city.?”
Just before Fritz laughed and hit his nose with his gauntleted fist, the startled adjutant threw up his hand..
“It's definitely the work of Gelan gangsters, but we really don't know the exact circumstances.!”
“Gelan thug?”
The Nudein adjutant nodded repeatedly while being held by the collar, and then laid out what he knew in a rapid-fire manner..
“Yes, that is, 'Aran Hares' - that is, ever since Napidat Atalanta left the country, the behavior of the Gelan people has become extreme. The most dangerous of them all is the gang that has settled in this plaza area. They beat up passers-by and extort merchants, but they are also ruthless, including committing murder in broad daylight and attacking armories..”
“So what about the bodies hanging over there? Judging by their skin color, they appear to be Nudeans, but are they guards??”
“Probably the port guys..”
“ harbor‘?”
“As the behavior of the natives became so severe, the Nude people who had newly moved to the city banded together and formed something similar to a vigilante group. They must have been harmed by Nigelan thugs when they entered the square..”
Fritz burst out laughing as if he was dumbfounded and asked, ‘What should we do?’ I looked back with an expression like,.
I pressed my temples in response to this amazing situation and then slowly opened my mouth..
“The security guards are just watching this situation.?”
“In fact, there were several attempts to take them out..”
“however?”
“The situation is not as easy as you might think. Since they have Gellan caravans and nobles as their backs, if they make a mistake, the rebellion could spread throughout the city.……
“I'm going to be amazed. Why don't you call the guards and take that thing away first. Does it make sense to leave the square like that?‘?”
Froshaven is the wealthiest port city in the eastern part of the Mittergerand Empire..
It boasts enormous diplomatic capabilities due to the influx of all kinds of precious goods from the inland regions of the empire, as well as from the Amir Sultanate, colonies on the southern continent, and the Kingdom of Milanol..
The wealth earned by the city was so enormous that one record stated that Froshafen earned over 10,000 gold coins a year..
As it was such a wealthy city, the market that stretched around the square was crowded with all kinds of outsiders, not just citizens. It was not a wise move to hang six hideous corpses in this place, which was not even a secluded corner but was a signboard of the city..
“But Hunapi, it is……
Although the words were based on common sense, the deputy guard's attitude was that it was still difficult..
“Why again? What's the problem??”
“We apologize for this, but as the city's leaders gathered together and discussed in October of last year, for the peace and stability of the city, the security force is required.
decided not to get involved in back alley matters.……
I quietly closed my eyes and quickly opened my mouth..
“……What, is government affairs inviolable? This is Moorim?”
“yes? Moorim, what are you talking about??”
“This is ridiculous. Why are there security guards when we can't even catch the city's criminals? “What kind of solution did some idiots come up with?” I was a little annoyed by the stupid expression on the guard's adjutant's face, so I quickly waved my hand and looked back at my subordinates..
“Fritz, Cole, Steedman.”
The subordinates who were called drove their horses forward. Fritz roughly threw the adjutant under the horse and shook his hand..
“Please tell me.”
“first… … Cole goes to the Port Guard and Steedman goes to the Gate Guard Headquarters..”
I shook off the annoyance that was still lingering in my heart and continued, “Go and convey the order of the Imperial Marshal for life. Immediately close the port and castle gates, assemble all troops and prepare for deployment..”
“Yes, my lord..”
“Fritz, you take that idiot to the guard post. Get rid of those corpses, and bring in all the prominent people who are called ‘city leaders’ or something..”
“I will do as you command. Where can I take you??”
“Yeongju Castle.”
He pulled Bicorn's reins, turned the horse's head toward the lord's castle, and gave orders to his three subordinates..
“You'll have to hurry. I will finish my work by tomorrow and leave the day after tomorrow at the latest..”
While the subordinates were paying military tribute without saying a word, the Nudein adjutant, who belatedly realized what was going on, started struggling..
“Wait - Hunapi! Please take care of yourself! Shutting down the city? Even though Hunafi is the sun of Nafi Dat and the enemy of the Empire, he has no authority to do so.!”
“okay?”
I smiled slightly.
“Then what should I do? Should I act as a bandit and not as an enemy? Like it was 2 years ago?”
The adjutant's shoulders trembled as if he understood the meaning of my words..
What he saw in his eyes was not his kind-hearted neighbor, the lord. There once was a conqueror who turned this city into a sea of fire..
“Hurry up and go. If there's another guy who says stupid things like that, just bring his head to him..”
He left behind his subordinates, who each gave their own answers, and ran towards Yeongju Castle..
The road leading from the square to the castle was crowded with countless people, but thanks to the guards and cavalry shouting to announce the arrival of enemies or enemy knights, no one was stopped..
Since this has already been started, I need to finish it quickly and clearly. In order to do that, we first had to take care of the people guarding the castle..
Comments