My Villains Episode 358
60. End of Winter (9)
Maybe it’s because the 100 soldiers, including me, are ready to attack at any moment. The people who were running wild with excitement died as if cold water had been poured on them.
In such a situation, when Ulkar left the manor house with a few knights, the crowd backed away as if they had been pushed by an invisible hand.
Thanks to riding a bicorn that was half the size of a normal electric horse, he could clearly see Ulkar through the crowd. He took one look at the crowd with a complicated expression, then turned his gaze back to me.
The prince’s sunken eyes seemed to tell him to stay back. I quietly pulled the reins.
multiple multiples. In the midst of the silence, the sound of the bicorn’s hooves drew attention again. Those who found me breathed a sigh of relief as I retreated behind the soldiers.
“Why did you come here?”
Ulkar said quietly. No one readily responded to the voice that was neither too loud nor too small.
“For what pretext do you guys refuse to fight?”
As if not expecting an answer in the first place, the prince continued to speak as if sighing.
“A group of courageous people from all over the kingdom are guarding this place on the western frontier. Not willing to support them, but
trying to make a group and take care of their own interests.”
A person with power also has a strong persuasive power in his words. Some residents looked away or lowered their heads as if they were ashamed of it belatedly.
“Your Highness, did we really only take care of ourselves!”
But not everyone was like that. The middle-aged man, who had been agitating the crowd by raising his voice until just now, resolutely stepped forward.
“More than half of the people of the highlands live on grain grown here in Kebor. The grains we sowed, raised, and reaped!”
Prince Ulkar, even so, he could argue like that even after being stared at by the knights who came to the city after that. He was a pretty brave man.
“The reason why the Axodbrook family doesn’t send draft officers to this village is because they know the importance of the grain we grow. But can we not be surprised when the prince, who is not even the rightful lord, suddenly said that he would take the land?”
Lord Ankir, who had been widening his eyes behind the prince, snarled.
“Are you done?”
“……yes?”
“good. It must have been quite long for a serf’s will.”
“kyung.”
Ulkar dissuaded the gigantic knight from striding forward. When Sir Ankir, who had his face completely distorted, stepped back, the middle-aged man, who had been stiffening his body against the death of a knight, drew a belated breath.
“You are right.”
Ulkar nodded, expressionless.
“Kebor faithfully obeyed the given shield, and the soldiers of High Castle are also filling their stomachs with wheat and barley grown here. Also, I am not your great lord, so I cannot take the land carelessly.”
A calm but firm voice continued.
“But what about the current situation? The two Elector Counts of Mittergeland sent thousands of mounted mercenaries to disturb the rear. It’s been a few days since they managed to get this done, but now they are rushing to High Castle with a large army of 15,000, which is the main unit. The plateau faces an unprecedented crisis.” “…Even so, what more are we supposed to do? Keibor did his duty.”
“This is not a matter of duty, it is a matter of survival. It is not to obey me to do your duty, but to help me to survive.”
Ulkar’s voice grew slightly. Thanks to this, it was as if he was speaking in front of a crowd.
“It is not that we intend to take the land forever. It’s not that I’m trying to make farming impossible. I will rent farmland for a fair price. You just have to harvest the rye, clear the field, and plant new seeds.”
Ulkar looked back at the crowd and finally gave a shout.
“I am not asking you to hold a spear, nor is it asking you to build a wall! It’s just to live like it’s always been! Is that difficult!”
While the crowd, including the middle-aged man, was overwhelmed by the roar, a young man emerged from the crowd.
“No!”
Blue eyes that seemed to roar with fire were directed at him. The young man swallowed a dry spit, as if he was weighed down by the force, but soon opened his mouth, holding the rosary around his neck.
“Isn’t Your Highness planning to use the cult’s seed to perform magic after arbitrarily occupying the farmland!”
“…Heretic seed? Is that my niece’s name?”
“Then who would you be! Your Highness’s nephew! The bishops of Hongui who arbitrarily divide the holy church into two halves and are insensitive! Aren’t they the seed of heresy anointed by them?”
…wow.
Even I was fed up with the spirit of a young man who crossed the line without stepping on the brakes. Residents, including the middle-aged agitator, also had their faces stained blue by the remarks.
Ulkar’s open eyes were full of rage. Even though it was clear that the lid had been opened, he showed perseverance to the end.
“…The Cult of Calandari is a heathen sect, but not a heresy. As the Patriarch in the Royal Capital has professed.”
“Kebor is the land of Orthodoxy! The corrupt cleric has succumbed to the might of the heretical emperor and won’t be seduced by what he says!”
“That disregards both facts and authority. Even if you hold on to something like that, all you will get is the dead land.”
“A man of true faith never yields to intimidation!”
Even Prince Ulkar couldn’t convince a madman.
“…Sir Ankir, get rid of it.”
Finally realizing that this conversation was meaningless, the prince closed his eyes and beckoned, and Sir Ankir ran away as if he had waited.
“You cheeky bastard!”
“Billion”
Even as he was dragged by the gigantic knight by the collar and almost lifted up, the young man’s fanatical eyes were directed at the prince.
“What is this?!”
No matter how much he struggled, the knight’s grip was firm and Ulkar didn’t even look at him. The young man, who had already crossed the line once, had to cross another line.
“This is like the oppressor, the traitor to the faith, the master of heresy!”
Wow! The zealot’s spittle landed at Ulkar’s feet.
“……crazy.”
The world seemed to stop for a few seconds.
Not only the crowd, but even the knights and friendly soldiers stood firm for a while.
“Whoa.”
At the center, Ulkar pressed his temple and opened his mouth.
“Hang him.” Of course, no one disputed that order.
“This madman.”
Lord Ankir took off his gloves and shut the young man’s mouth. Seeing him like that, Ulkar added a few words.
“Put his body where everyone can see it.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Lord Ankir accompanied the servants and took the young man to the manor house.
“Is this what you guys mean!” The Prince shouted, looking back at the crowd.
“That’s what you mean by spitting on the royals who drew their swords to protect this land!”
At the sound of Ulkar’s rough and savage voice, the inhabitants of Keybor trembled and fell to the ground. The middle-aged man, who was eloquent, also kept his head down and did not dare to meet the prince’s eyes.
At that time, a human figure was hanging from the chandelier at the main gate of the Yeongju Hall. With his face and half of his upper body covered with a dirty cloth, the hanged man struggled for a while before dropping his body limp.
“Sir Phoenix!”
To be honest, Ulkar’s momentum was so ferocious that I was scared for a moment. It was fortunate that the words that came out of my mouth as I ran away kicking the bicorn were not official statements.
“Yes, Your Highness!”
“Disband them! And don’t let anyone leave the house until I run out of words!”
At that order, I immediately led my soldiers through the crowd.
“Run away!”
“Save me, save me!”
I won’t kill you, man. Just get one hit.
Didn’t pull out the knife. It was just about kicking at random or driving a bicorn and driving it into the chest. Even with that alone, residents screamed and fell over.
No matter how reprehensible they were, it wasn’t very pleasant to use violence against the powerless. Fortunately, it was enough to just shout because the frightened residents dispersed in an instant.
…No, seeing how desperately they ran to their respective homes, I think I could have kicked them out with words from the beginning.
Leaving behind the crowd that scattered and screamed, he approached Ulkar.
The prince sat down on an oak barrel that someone had been using as a footrest, looking tired.
” majesty.”
“……Ah sir.”
Ulkar looked up at me, brushing his silver hair.
“Where is Theodora?”
“I sent it to the dorm. I felt like I was going to get caught up in something useless.”
“You are wise. could you call me back? I feel like I have to start the ritual of earthworks right away.”
As I got off the bicorn, I looked back at the men who had caught up with me. The quick-witted Confair sent the poacher Cavas and the spearman McKaig to their lodgings.
After taking a look at the running men, I looked at the man who was hanged by the Youngju.
A corpse without motion. On the surface, it seemed that way.
However, my keen hearing caught the slightest breath, and the sixth sense derived from hematology and magical powers penetrated the pulsating heart.
I instinctively noticed that the corpse was not the fanatical young man from before. I also noticed that the long cloth covered not only half of the upper body, but also the rope tied around the chest.
“…You switched. Was it a self-made play?”
“no. I was just prepared for the unexpected.”
“okay.”
“It’s a method Lord Ariad told me about, but I didn’t know it would be so useful.”
‘Viper’ Ariad Barin.
He is a good old knight with a dwarf physique and an ugly beard.
I looked down at Ulkar and opened my mouth.
“…I wonder if I had to go this far.”
“That sound again.”
“You may lose the nickname of champion of all weaklings. It seems that your reputation or reputation will be cut, and your prestige has been damaged. As a bonus, you’ll be further away from the Church of El Ganore.”
“I guess so.”
Ulkar glanced around the chaos before adding.
“Still, there is nothing lost.”
“Isn’t it? How many coins did you pick up?”
He smiled and shook his head.
“At least it won’t cost you a famine. And no one will starve and no one will be burned at the stake.”
“…well, that’s right.”
Ulkar smiled and shrugged.
“Then it was cheap. Isn’t it?”
To my rudeness, instead of answering, I just sighed deeply.
The prince laughed even louder.
