Chapter 555
My Villains Episode 555
68. To the capital(28)
The wheat field about to be planted had a bluish color even though it looked desolate at first glance. The colors of spring seemed to seep out from deep beneath the ground..
The people crossing those wheat fields were extremely dull, with dark brown colors, dirty light browns, dusty blues, and sooty reds. A group of people dressed in old, dirty clothes trampled through the wheat field, each with a solemn look on their faces..
“……Oh light. Lord, who brings down the sun, rain, and wind. Lord, you shine on the wheat among the weeds, the fruit under the dead tree, and the medicinal plants covered with weeds..”
The person who took the lead with slow steps was a priest wearing black clothes and a black cape. Every time he muttered a prayer, the ring cross he held in his hand flashed faintly..
It was a ceremony to consecrate the land. A ritual to bless farmland and boost intelligence.
At first glance, it seemed like a trivial event, but this power was the reason why Gwangmyeong Bridge was able to take root throughout the continent..
“……Please take pity on the humble and lowly servants and touch Bakto with your precious hands. He shines mercy and love, allowing us to grow and harvest, which is to give life.…….”
The ritual of congratulating the earth was usually held immediately after the snow melted..
This is because many people think that it is effective. In short, it was a popular belief with no exact basis that the earth, which had just awakened from its sleep, had to be breathed with light before it was released in order to retain sufficient power..
So this year it was later than usual. The old people in the village whispered that the so-called 'weakness' would be less severe because the soil was hit by the warm breeze with the scent of grass before the breath of light..
Of course, for the farmers living on the land, this was like a bolt from the blue..
The reason the ceremony was pushed back so close to planting was because the priest delayed for nearly two weeks under the pretext of illness, but no one dared show his dissatisfaction..
Bowen, the priest of the Barony of Anig, was not a clergyman soft enough to turn a blind eye to such an irreverent attitude. Rather, he was strict and strict. He considered it blasphemous - or even sinful - for believers not to show proper respect to him, a noble shepherd..
Thanks to this, although he was difficult to deal with, he did not demand wealth or virgins in return for his power like the corrupt priests in the rumor. He was a decent priest in his own way. Although he has a lover and a concubine, he can be said to be very chaste compared to the priests nearby..
In the end, it was the responsibility of the village chief, not the priest, to endure the complaints of the serfs. They were complaining about his incompetence and laziness, comparing him to the village chief next door who had been going in and out of the castle and showing his face in the cathedral since the dawn of the new year..
The village chief jumped up and said it was a ridiculous conspiracy, but the neighboring village held a ceremony before January was even over, so it didn't seem like an unfair accusation..
After the consecration, which included wheat trampling, was completed, the priest gathered the serfs at the entrance to the wheat field and held a service to conclude the ceremony. It was a simple worship service dedicated to the God of Gwangmyeong Bridge and the ‘Flower Maiden’, the patron saint of farmers..
As the congratulatory ceremony was coming to an end, some of those gathered in front of the bride began to glance towards the west. People who were watching the burial ceremony on a hill some distance away began to approach..
A group of about fifteen mercenaries was gradually approaching along the road made of clay and gravel. It was a bit impressive that quite a few of them appeared to be women and that they were pulling two carts, but they were not a very unusual group..
If you go back on that road, you will reach Multingham, the capital of Marva, and it is common to see merchants and mercenary units much larger than me on this road..
You can see a group of mercenaries like that four or five times a week. It's not surprising that there are so many women, because sometimes there are mercenary groups made up entirely of women..
Of course, just because it was a common occurrence didn't mean we could relax our caution..
To serfs, mercenaries, wanderers, and adventurers were always objects of caution. After all, aren't they ready to turn into thieves, robbers, and outlaws at any time? Like the nomads who plunder the settlers, there is nothing strange about them making a lot of money and suddenly disappearing..
Unlike some of the serfs who showed signs of fear, Father Bowen looked unimpressed. I couldn't tell if his calmness was due to the calmness of a priest or the sense of security provided by the castle's sergeants and soldiers who followed him as escorts..
Eventually, the group stopped at the entrance to the wheat field, and a man who appeared to be the leader stepped forward and approached the bride..
“Thank you for the guidance of light. To meet a priest on the street. It is a great blessing and honor.”
Is this an attempt to appease the pouring vigilance? The tall mercenary bowed politely with his hands clasped together..
“May the light shine upon you. Nice to meet you.”
Bowen revealed himself to be a priest of the Barony of Anig and looked the man in front of him up and down..
The hair that was confusing whether it was brown or gold, lightly tanned skin, bushy beard, and clear blue-gray eyes were very impressive..
However, what Father Bowen noticed was not his handsome face, but his clothes..
He wore a coat with dense rivets over chain armor, a long windproof cape, thick leather gloves, and stylish boots. He was very tall and had a very good-looking outfit..
In other words, this is the behavior of a mercenary with some money..
No, looking at his polite greeting, gentle expression, and only a dagger on his belt, I didn't think he was a nobleman with mercenaries to protect him..
The bride's attitude suddenly softened..
“It looks like he is a mercenary and is on his way to Longville. Isn't that so??”
“Yes, that's right. rev.”
“What's going on in Longville??”
“Just staying for a day. I plan to cross Mount Graduil..”
“I see. But what's going on? There's something you need?”
The mercenary pointed to the baskets placed at the edge of the wheat field with a smile..
“I was wondering if I could get some food..”
“food?”
“yes. I bought enough to buy when I left Multingham, but everyone in my group ate it up in just one day because they all loved eating so much. It's been two days since I've been chewing only beef jerky and black bread, and it's killing me..”
The bride clicked her tongue and looked troubled..
“I feel like I want to be kind to you, but it's not me, it's the people here who prepared it. This is a form that everyone prepared with difficulty.,”
“Of course I will pay the price. Enough.”
As he said, the mercenary offered a generous price, and Father Bowen, who glanced towards the village chief, could see the serfs' faces brightening..
As it was already evening, the mercenaries immediately took a seat on the side of the road and made a fire..
Father Bowen invited mercenaries to the village without asking for any understanding from the serfs. They politely declined, because they had an urgent schedule and had to just eat and then move on..
The serfs, who were easy to deal with and welcomed large guests, were happy to help prepare the meal..
Freshly roasted chicken and smoked duck, apples and figs pickled in water mixed with ginger and honey, white puffed bread, and even rabbit stew boiled with grapes..
Perhaps because it was originally prepared to serve a priest, it was a much better meal than the mercenaries expected..
“It's not a good idea to move after the sun goes down..”
“It's okay because there are a lot of people. They are all friends who do their part..”
It looked that way in the bride's eyes too..
The mercenaries who were busy preparing a meal were all well-armed, so they didn't look like idiots..
It was rare to see an easy-going person, such as a tall young man, a woman with sharp eyes, a man with a large scar on his cheek, and a foreigner with a blue tattoo around his eye. Some of the people wearing hoods looked like those precious mercenary magicians..
Still, the leader next to me was polite and friendly. Looking at his easy-going appearance and the way he enjoyed drinking thick beer, it seemed like he was not a disguised nobleman, but even putting that aside, he was an attractive young man..
The advice the priest gave was based on this goodwill..
“Still, it would be better to be careful. It's really dangerous at night these days..”
“what's going on?”
“Didn't you hear the news? Since last winter, Anupads have been very active nearby..”
When the priest spoke of a half-man, half-dog monster, the mercenary narrowed his eyes slightly..
“Anupadha, again.?”
“hmm? Again?”
“……Uh, that's it. I think I heard there was an uproar a few years ago..”
“ah. It was like that. It's already been 2 or 3 years ago. At that time, really…….”
The bride sighed and waved her hand..
“There was no such disaster back then. A herd of over a thousand Anupads settled on Mount Graduil, blocking the pass. One time, they really swarmed around the castle wall like a swarm of ants... … . Anyone who hasn't experienced it directly can't even imagine it. It was scary.”
“Ah, yes.”
“The Mullen family is a quiet place, Trosher's riders have no intention of stepping forward, and in the meantime, even the lord has gone missing... … . For a moment I thought the Lord had abandoned Longville. profanely.”
“……I see..”
The mercenary nodded with an awkward expression, but the priest just crossed himself and didn't seem to notice at all..
“Everyone is quiet these days, but if the Red Knights hadn't appeared then, the territory might have been completely ruined..”
“aha.”
Despite the mercenary's ambiguous response, Father Bowen continued talking..
“From fierce greenskins, werewolves in the forest, and even trolls the size of a house. They were all single knives. It’s not for nothing that they’re called ‘beheaders’… … . Isn’t that right??”
Father Bowen, who was telling the story as if he had seen it himself, soon asked the village chief, who had quietly placed his butt next to the mercenary, for consent..
“Oh, I can't even speak..”
The village chief agreed as if he had been waiting..
“It was so amazing. Count Tristan's army was also very upset by the red knights. You know the Red Knight too.?”
“Yeah, whatever. roughly.”
“Did you hear? I heard he will soon become emperor of the Mitergeland Empire..”
“Are you going to become emperor? the red knight?”
“Ah, that's right. The news is really slow.”
“……wow.”
Ignoring the mercenary who was laughing at the absurd sound, the village chief pointed at the priest..
“Do you know what? When that Red Knight stayed in Longville, he treated Father Bowen here as a teacher.?”
“ah… … Did you do that??”
The priest, who received the mercenary's gaze, cleared his throat and showed humility..
“You too. I was influenced by the Lord's mercy, not me..”
“Still, our priest is exceptionally faithful and powerful. That's why even that vampire-like bastard didn't dare to confront him..”
As the village chief started talking excitedly, the priest quietly added,.
“He was very gentle back then. He followed my teachings closely. hmm.”
“I heard that I begged the priest and got my sword blessed. The head of the ‘King of Death’ was blown off by that very sword..”
As the mercenary's expression became mysterious, the village chief cleared his throat and clicked his tongue as if he was feeling sorry..
“If the Red Knight had stayed by the priest's side, he would not have deteriorated like that. cancer.”
“……It's corruption?”
“exactly. No matter how much you coveted the title, how could you do something like that?.”
The mercenary showed curiosity for the first time, but neither the village chief nor the priest waved their hands as if they didn't want to talk about it..
“Anyway, the Red Knight thing isn't important right now..”
The mercenary, who was thinking to himself, ‘What the fuck, what kind of rumor is spreading in this neighborhood?’ listened closely to the priest’s continued story..
“3It's ridiculous compared to a year ago, but the Anupads running rampant these days are no easy feat. I don't dare go over the hill, but they say they come down to the village sometimes..”
“Is it serious??”
“well. If it's serious it's serious, if not it's not.”
“what does that mean?”
“The streets at night are dangerous, but once the castle's army comes out, it will be subdued in no time. The problem is that the Baroness can't pay any attention to that.…….”
“Baroness, if.”
“Baroness Dionea. Ruler of Longville.”
The mercenary was silent for a moment and then asked the question again..
“Let's see if there's something wrong with the Baroness.?”
“I'm sure he has one or two troubles, but if I had to pick just one, it would definitely be his son..”
“Are you the Baron's successor? Uh, what did you say your name was?…….”
“Master’s name? It's 'Nixian'. nixian anig.”
“Oh, I did. But I heard he's still too young to be a nuisance..”
“That's right. Let's see.”
The bride slightly tilted her head..
“Two birthdays in three months? No, four months..”
“But if a child less than two years old gets into an accident, it's a problem.-”
The mercenary suddenly narrowed his eyes before speaking..
“I'm turning two in four months.?”
“master? exactly.”
“So, you were born in June.?”
“That's right. I baptized her myself right after delivery..”
“…….”
The mercenary quietly blinked his eyes..
For a moment, I opened my mouth as if I realized something..
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