Chapter 204 : Chapter 204
Chapter 204 : The Time of Crow (5)
“Wh-what are you doing!”
“Why is Conwell here?”
“No, that’s……”
I heard whispering from around us. Gazes were being focused on me.
I loosened the strength in my grip and smoothed out the fence’s crumpled clothes.
I clenched my teeth.
“……Tell me in detail what you know. I have plenty of intentions to reward you depending on how useful it is.”
Whether his mind was changed by the word reward, the flustered fence gradually regained his expression.
The nobles who responded to the Windermere family were mostly from the west and central regions, and each had a different justification.
Most of them participated due to their ties and loyalty to the previous generation, but there were not a few families moving under political calculation.
“Conwell is a representative example. I’m saying, what would be the reason for the family that holds hegemony over the east to come all the way here. The gossips say that using this War of the Roses as a stepping stone, Conwell’s ulterior motive is to officially set foot in the center. Well, isn’t that not a wrong statement?”
I cannot understand.
Adeline made such a hasty judgment?
She is a woman who is cautious to the point of being cunning.
She is not a person who would be swayed by looking only at the immediate profit in front of her eyes.
Her political sense for weighing gains and losses is more excellent than anyone else’s.
During the Conwell Civil War, she personally experienced how much blood a single small choice could bring and how it creates rumors that have no feet.
‘Yet she bothers to intervene in this war?’
Both the justification that can be gained and the practical benefit that can be taken are poor.
I know it, and isn't this fence right now talking as if he knows it as well.
‘If this happens, it eventually results in proving for themselves that the Elzerus Alliance, with Conwell as the main axis, is an anti-Imperial Capital force.’
The fence tapped my arm.
Only then did I close my open mouth.
I had lost my mind for a moment.
“What is it? You look like you’ve completely lost your soul. Are you perhaps an acquaintance of the Duke of Conwell? According to rumors heard, she is an enormous beauty.”
People who were eavesdropping on the fence’s story from the side snickered.
The fence realized there were more listeners besides me and showed a slightly excited sign.
“Aren't there actually a lot of words being said about the families that participated in the War of the Roses? Whether there is justification somewhere or not, all of that is meaningless.”
“What do you mean?”
“The fact that the relationship between the two families is bad is something everyone in the world knows……. The problem is, is it not that for this war, Windermere was determined and first recruited nobles to destroy the Springeus family? And in opposition to that, Springeus inevitably called in mercenaries.”
I nodded.
So did the surrounding people who were openly approaching and listening together during this time.
Among them, the fence lowered his body low.
“But the truth is that it’s the opposite. The Mercenary King joined Springeus first, and after that, the startled Windermere hurriedly gathered the nobles. Then wouldn't the story change again? Justification is no different from flipping the palm of this hand.”
As people began to stir—
The fence lowered his voice as much as possible as if telling them to focus.
“What’s even funnier is that opinions are divided even within the Windermere family. That gathering the nobles in the first place was not their own intention.”
People tilted their heads.
Many were people muttering, saying does that make sense.
I was doing the same internally.
“Isn't something strange? But the important thing is, anyway, since it’s come to this point, it has become impossible to know what came first and what is the truth. That is to say—”
Saliva passed down my throat without me realizing it.
“No one knows who crossed the line first.”
·
·
·
I opened my eyes to the cold air brushing against my skin.
The bluish dawn air was widespread.
Above the ash embers that didn't go out all night, pale smoke was rising thinly.
“Did you sleep well last night?”
It was the fence attaching words lightheartedly.
He was also sharing morning greetings with other people.
Last night, the topic of the story gradually strayed onto a side path, so I closed my eyes first, but it seemed they had talked among themselves for a long time after that and became close.
“Now, now, everyone hurry up!”
The administrative soldier who handed out the passes yesterday went around noisily hitting a tin plate.
The quiet dawn air was broken in an instant.
“It seems the escort has arrived earlier than scheduled.”
The fence laid out the explanation first even though I didn't ask.
It meant the single silver coin I gave yesterday was doing its worth properly.
“Since the passage is blocked and we have to go by the mountain path, prepare yourselves. No responsibility will be taken for stragglers.”
There were a total of three Springeus territory soldiers who came as the escort.
Upon the short delivery of the superior among them, the vacant lot immediately stirred.
“What mountain path, mountain path to freeze to death! Then they should have told us in advance!”
A few resisted strongly, but the Springeus soldiers didn't even pretend to listen.
The luggage was the problem.
If we go by the mountain path, it’s hard to use carts.
It was not a situation where they could just abandon the bundles and boxes piled up like mountains and go.
“If you unavoidably have to leave your luggage behind, say so. We are taking care of them at a low price.”
It was the Bart territory soldiers who appeared from the back before I knew it.
The merchants all ground their teeth.
Looking around, I was the only one who was calm.
In fact, I had already seen their business skills yesterday and was somewhat anticipating it.
“These dog-like things, they plotted this right from the start.”
The fence fumed while looking back and forth between the Springeus territory soldiers and the Bart territory soldiers.
While he knew the circumstances of the people above clearly, he was clumsy at looking after his own affairs.
“I will help you. Let’s go.”
“Eh? What do you mean help—”
I slung the fence’s large bundle of goods onto my back.
The fence’s eyes widened.
“A-ah, no, why are you doing that……. Put it down. Because the mountain path here is rough and dangerous.”
“Consider it a reward for yesterday’s matter.”
“That is already more than enough with one silver coin, what—”
“I haven't been able to apologize for grabbing you by the collar yet.”
“…….”
I followed the Springeus territory soldiers without a word.
***
The fence prattled incessantly by my side the whole way.
The important thing was that, even if I listened, it was only stories about the Northern Demonic Lands that were of no use to me.
“So I’m saying, I was dropped all alone like that. That place was in the middle of the Morundayle Mountains. I went there to get the legendary winter fur, but on the contrary, I ended up freezing to death. Just thinking about that time makes a bit of urine come out even now.”
“…….”
“Come to think of it, this fur on your shoulder……. Where on earth did you get it? It’s been over twenty years since I’ve handled cloth. I’m saying I’ve touched every fabric there is in the Kingdom. But this is my first time seeing something like this. The texture is not ordinary.”
The fence carefully groomed my left shoulder.
It was the Lenoir fur that Jewel gave me as a gift a while ago.
Well, he does have an eye for things.
‘…….’
Jewel will be in the Empire.
There probably won’t be an occasion to meet again.
No, it must be that way.
“Anyway, so do you know how I survived?”
I don't even know what stories were told up to where.
Because I wasn't very interested, I shook my head.
“Mercenaries from Partizan, that is to say, the Mercenary King’s subordinates saved my life.”
I turned my head and looked at the fence.
Since entering the mountain following the Springeus territory soldiers, this was the first time I looked at his face.
“Mercenary King.”
The fence nodded proudly.
“I’m telling you, the Mercenary King. You know too, man? That the Mercenary King is from Partizan.”
“…….”
“Coincidentally, that place was close to where Partizan used to be. I was lucky.”
When I matched the circumstances with the words he added afterward, Partizan was a territory at the northernmost end of the Kingdom, but it seemed it was gone now.
‘Did it perish because it was adjacent to the demonic realm?’
If his origin and alias are mentioned together by the mouths of the people on land to that extent, it means the symbolism is significant.
Furthermore, if it was the hometown of a person of skill who was counted among the candidates for the Kingdom's Finest Sword along with Luke and Deiron, the Imperial army should have heard that name at least once.
However, even if I searched through the memories of my past life thoroughly, there was no territory by the name of Partizan.
‘……Is it the trickery of the Eight Demons again.’
It was then.
Thwack—!
As soon as the sound of flesh being torn rang out, one of the Springeus soldiers walking in front fell sideways just like that. An arrow was stuck in his neck.
“I-it’s an ambush!”
The superior shouted.
That was his last will. He also was hit by an arrow flying from the front and fell as if buried into a pile of dry leaves piled up high on the ground.
“Uh, uh-uh, what should we d—”
Crunch!
The head of the last remaining soldier was cut off in one go.
His head, with its terrified expression frozen as it was, rolled down the hill.
“Uaaark!”
“R-run away!”
The confusion arose one beat late.
Screams erupted from all sides.
Merchants who got their feet tangled while rushing about tumbled here and there along with their luggage.
“Huhahahat! Sweep them all away!”
“See! Didn't I say they would come this way!”
Through the gap of the people who were scattering in panic, the culprits of the ambush revealed themselves one by one.
They were appearing while pushing through the fallen leaves.
“Uaaaark! Th-there’s one on this side too!”
Shouting was heard from behind.
Before long, they were surrounding us from all sides.
It meant they had targeted us with determination from the start.
‘They don’t look like simple bandits.’
The atmosphere was like that even if I just looked roughly.
Their appearance was decent.
“Wh-why are you standing there blankly like that! Come here! Hu-hurry!”
The fence, who hid himself in a gap between rocks, gestured to me busily.
He did have some loyalty in his own way.
“Let’s pack up quickly and get out! If by any chance those Great Raven fellows come, it’ll be a big trouble.”
“Heheng! Why would they come here?”
“I’m saying it just in case.”
The fellows didn't bother to chase even the people who submissively handed over their luggage or abandoned it and fled.
In that gap, the distance between those fellows and me closed.
I was the only one standing still in place, and it was natural that I stood out that much.
“What are you, you? Are you a friend who’s a bit uncomfortable somewhere?”
“Hey, put that down and run away quickly. Before you truly die.”
I answered while looking at the surroundings.
“No, I’m the one who should say that. You guys, gather what you stole back in front of me neatly. If you want to live.”
The number of fellows was approximately twenty or so.
All of them stopped what they were doing and looked at me at once.
I don't think my voice was that loud.
“To think you make me get blood on my hands in the end—”
Stab.
I drove Zahara into the shoulder of the fellow who was approaching pompously.
The reaction came late.
“Hmm? Uh, fuck?”
Only then did the fellow sink down and vomit screams as if his vocal cords would tear.
I intentionally aimed for a place with a lot of bleeding.
The fellow didn't know what to do while looking at the blood gushing out from his own body.
Flap flap flap flap!
For the flapping of a bird's wings, the sound was somehow a bit sharp.
A shadow was cast over my head as if it had suddenly become night.
At that moment, the faces of the group that ambushed us turned pale at once.
“Uh, uh-uh?”
“No way……”
The fellows looked up while trembling.
I also looked up along with them without thinking.
My eyes narrowed automatically.
‘A flock of crows?’
Crows were sitting densely on every tree that rose in the area.
It was to the point of being gruesome to look at.
“Th-the Great Raven Mercenary Band……”
“I-it’s the Mercenary King.”
From above the hillside in front, a black crowd was slowly coming down.
It was as if a flock of crows was settling down.
‘……That man is the Mercenary King.’
He was in the center of the lead of the crowd.
He was truly peerless.
His presence was extraordinary.
At his overwhelming momentum, even my breath was slightly—my eyelids were to the point of trembling.
I put strength into my eyes.
Soon, as the thick fog in the mountains cleared, the faces of the black crowd began to be seen clearly as if they were right in front of my nose.
‘……?’
I furrowed my brow without realizing it.
There was a person who stood out before the Mercenary King.
It was a man who was stuck right next to the person presumed to be the Mercenary King.
He was walking very leisurely with a pompous face as if he owned the entire world.
‘Why are you……’
Are you there, Kendrick.
***
“I heard the Mercenary King has finally moved.”
A man with his back to Isaac Windermere spoke. He was covered in a long robe, and as if the robe had swallowed his entire body, the only things revealed were his mouth and the tips of both hands.
“Yes, it’s about that time.”
“You’re leisurely, Isaac?”
“What do you mean?”
The man turned around. The revealed mouth line was slightly curved.
“……No, it’s nothing. Maybe I underestimated you too much.”
Isaac tilted his head slightly. Soon, he also wore a faint smile.
“What do you take me for?”
“Yes, I’m sorry. I’ll upgrade the evaluation of you inside me by two levels.”
The two people burst into small laughter.
It was in the middle of a forest near the Windermere territory.
“Now it will be important who bleeds first on the sword of the Mercenary King.”
When the man muttered, Isaac nodded as if he agreed.
“The nobles gathered now, they’re all unable to come to their senses. I’m telling you, they still think it’s a joke.”
“Hahahaha, that’s how nobles are. Aren't they humans full of only vanity.”
“Raven. I am a noble too.”
“……Ah, right. Sorry.”
Isaac waved his hand lightly.
“Whatever. The whereabouts of Bihen Benkou? Is it still unknown?”
At that moment, the mouth line of the one called Raven curved on only one side.
“I was actually about to tell you. I heard that a few days ago, they saw several suspicious people entering the Pretoria mansion.”
“Pretoria? Is that true?”
Raven nodded.
“Thanks. I should go there.”
“No problem.”
It was an atmosphere where they were about to part as if they had finished all their business with each other.
Isaac, who was turning away, faltered.
“Ah.”
“Hmm?”
“……I heard it was a follower of Sir Deganelo who moved Masa’s body.”
“Yes. I know that much too.”
“But you see—”
Isaac, who was standing at an angle, soon turned his body completely around.
“I heard that the follower's name was Crow.”
“…….”
“It’s just a coincidence that his alias is similar to yours, right?”
“Isaac, you seem to have become very sensitive.”
Raven tilted the back of his head slightly.
In the shadows cast over his eyes, his golden pupils shone thinly.
“Please don’t compare me to such low-quality stuff.”