My Villains Episode 5()1 Interlude
. Little fox
“Enough for today, sir.”
As the middle-aged knight put away his wooden sword and spoke, Count Os, who had been sparring with him, breathed out and nodded.
“Yes, I am- thank you Sir Xavier.”
“It was nothing.”
A servant who was standing in the corner of the courtyard accepted the wooden sword of Osu and his master knight. Meanwhile, the servant standing by the serf approached the count and held out a soft towel. It was a high quality blend of flax and cotton.
“Soon it will be time for the owner, Nari, to cough.”
“O”
“Would you like some water to wash your face?”
“There is no need for that.”
Oss approached the well on one side with a towel hanging around his neck. Then, he scooped up water with a hand bucket to wash the sweat off his face. His rough breathing subsided and his body, which had been heated up from over two hours of hard work, cooled down a little.
A servant of the count’s age looked at his master with a slightly pleased look.
Even at the age of 16, when he stood on the border between a young man and a boy, the count still looked good and young. Whether it was because of his flawless skin and soft eyes or because of his usual behavior, even as he had served Osu since he was seven years old, he did not know.
This young owner had been loved by his subordinates for a gentleness and kindness that did not match his age or status. However, the views of the vassals represented by the ‘Golden Age Knights’ were a bit different, and there were not a few people who were worried about the future, seeing the weak appearance of the master’s grandson.
It was that way not too long ago. That is, until Count Orth triumphed shoulder to shoulder with the heroes.
While the young lords were disturbing the main unit’s attention on the plateau, the red knight crossed the blade and stabbed him in the lower stomach, and the silver prince crossed Asag and bit off the nape of the neck.
Lu Yan, who showed off his excellent mercenary skills while riding a horse in the vanguard, was nicknamed ‘Red Dragon’, and Garwin, who planned the guerrilla warfare, was nicknamed ‘Wilderness Baek (荒野伯)’. Osu, who defended the supply route in the midst of the enemy’s tight siege, came to be called the ‘Little Fox’.
It may not be a very cool nickname compared to the two comrades, but it was certain that he had firmly established himself as the heir to Marquis Eabon, ‘the old fox of Ariaga’.
“It seems that the practical experience has been more helpful than expected.”
“yes?”
“Swordsmanship, sir.”
Xavier, who is the exclusive bodyguard of Count Os and also the middle leader of the Knights of the Golden Knights, said with a proud expression.
“The improvement in the last few months seems to be greater than the achievements in the past five years. I assure you, you will have no rivals among your peers. Neither the grandson of ‘Prince of Frost’ nor the youngest son of Calliora would compare to His Excellency.”
Unlike the count, whose whole body was covered with sweat, his escort knight was undisturbed as if he had taken a light walk. At Xavier’s generous evaluation, Os smiled bitterly.
“Have you never met them before?”
“You don’t have to experience it to know. If you do this, His Excellency can also have confidence. Compared to the officially appointed knights, it’s a level that doesn’t compare well.”
“is that so.”
The Count wiped the water from his face and asked a question with a calm face.
“Then, how are they compared to the knights of His Highness the 3rd Prince? My skills
.”
“…Uh-huh. Aren’t they simply at the level of ‘Ordained Knights’, sir?”
Xavier smiled awkwardly, then swept his mustache as if he understood Os’ meaning.
“I will have to work harder. In order to raise Your Excellency into a knight comparable to them.”
“Is that possible?”
“It may or may not be. Everything is up to you. Did you learn enough during this war?”
“yes. That’s right…
The young count stared blankly into space as if reminiscing about something. It also moved to the escort knights and servants for a while.
On the way to Marquis Eabon’s bedroom, Os suddenly looked out of the hallway.
The place where Os and his grandfather Eavon stayed was High Castle, the giant of the western border, and ‘Axod’, one of the three castles among them.
The horse was the inner palace, but it was practically no different from the lord’s house, and it was also the residence of the Margrave, the owner of the plateau, and his family members. That’s why it’s nicknamed ‘The Count’.
The current owner of this castle was Garwin, ‘Hwangyabaek’, who became the new head of the Axodbrook family, succeeding Gyeongbaek Landry. A great-grandson from the province of Antrum was beholden to the earldom as a comrade-in-arms or neighbor.
Walking through the flat tower-like fortress, Osu captures the scenery of a fortress city with a dynamic history at a glance. Three weeks have passed since the war ended with the negotiations between Prince Silver and Ruilix II. It was already a month and a half ago that the last battle in High Castle took place. And yet the city still looked half like a battlefield.
A wooden watchtower temporarily took the place of the tower that collapsed from the destruction spell, and the warehouse full of arrows and oil was used as a relief center for distributing food and supplies, so it was full of beggars.
The eastern part of the city was practically in ruins, with the remains of destroyed buildings everywhere, and refugees who had lost their homes sat on the streets carrying only large packages. In the shop where the plaster was cracked and the skeleton was exposed, a group of merchants or thieves were rummaging through clutter.
Earl Osu’s eyes sank heavily. It is not his territory nor his people, but it is because the unknown guilt weighs down his heart.
His gloomy gaze soon reached High Castle and its surroundings, a fortress in the center of the city.
“…It’s pitiful.” The tall inner wall and the numerous military tents surrounding it were scattering banners of various colors in a dizzying manner.
Flags embroidered with all kinds of crests fluttered in the spring wind in May. It was the golden-maned lion with front paws that occupied the highest position among them, the top of the spire of the inner castle High Castle.
‘No matter how much the royal family and the crown prince are, they act as an occupying force when they visit a vassal’s territory.’
It was terribly rude, Count Oss evaluated.
Probably all the residents of High Castle would think similarly when they saw that flag.
Prince Eun, who defended the city against the invading enemy, did not do anything, but the crown prince, who appeared late at the end of the war, was doing it casually.
The reason Os and others could only watch that scene was because of the majestic authority of the royal family of Zeore and the great army that protected that authority.
Right now, there were more than 5,000 troops stationed in My Castle and its surroundings. All of them were troops under direct control of the king and troops led by the king’s riders. Even so, only about 5,000 were located nearby due to lack of space, but more than 10,000 were scattered and stationed throughout the city.
In addition, about 10,000 soldiers from the central and central northern aristocrats, called the ‘Geunwang faction’, were waiting outside the city.
‘With a sense of intimidation as if it were located in enemy territory.’
If that large army had arrived a month or two earlier, they would have been greatly welcomed as honored guests. But now, they were no more and no less than uninvited guests who sabotaged the city’s reconstruction by sucking up the already depleted provisions.
The young count struggled to suppress the contempt and disgust that welled up deep within him.
“…what are you thinking so hard about?”
“Ah- it’s nothing.”
At Xavier’s question, Os smiled awkwardly.
“I was looking at the flags of the riders. Maybe it’s because I neglected heraldry, but I won’t be able to recognize half of them.”
“You don’t have to work hard, just familiarize yourself with the main ones like the ‘Free Fire’ family. Aren’t all the rest of the bridesmaids anyway?”
Pointing at the flag of the ‘thunderbolt sword’ Geisel of Free Fire with his hand, Xavier let out a mocking laugh.
“Looking at it roughly, I don’t think there is a flag more dignified than Ariaga’s golden age. It’s like the wrong writers wielding their prestige.”
At the words of the escort knight, the young count felt that the anger that had risen in him cooled down.
“…Yes. That’s right.”
Os recalled Ariaga’s troops stationed near the east gate of High Castle. The old man, excited by his grandson’s performance, gathered over 4,000 horses from the vast and rich land of Antrum.
They would be holding up banners embroidered with gold thread, checking and collecting tolls on people passing through the city. Under the direction of the young count’s grandfather.
Oss sighed as he watched the flags waving near the castle. It’s not that Ariaga’s army didn’t fit in there, it just didn’t fit
.
The young count, praised as the kingdom’s hero who will lead the next generation, turned his head away, feeling a familiar sense of helplessness.
