Ch. 53 - A Noble and Lofty Deed
"Grab my damn hand!"
Just as Melade stumbled and fell, the thundering of hoofbeats didn't stop.
Explosivewolf leapt his horse over the tripwire and tried to extend his arm toward Melade, hoping Melade could use the leverage to swing himself up onto the horse.
But Melade was a pampered noble young master with a bloated frame. Even though he managed to grasp the hand, he couldn't straighten his waist and could only be dragged along the ground for a short distance:
"Let go, let go!"
Seeing Melade crying out in pain, Explosivewolf was afraid of tearing the fat man's arm off. With no other choice, he reined in his horse and stopped.
"Young master!"
Huss, who had been trying to maintain order, couldn't care about anything else. He rushed over and helped the tearful Melade to his feet.
This shout also confirmed his identity to the townspeople.
Old David, who had planned to leave early but was blocked at the exit, gripped his pitchfork and tapped it on the ground. His tone remained humble:
"My lord, since you already know this town is about to face a threat, why are you keeping all of us trapped here!?"
"I..."
Just as Melade was about to stammer out an excuse, Huss blocked his path and spoke first:
"Who do you think you're questioning!?"
"I didn't—"
Even though resentment filled his heart, the hierarchy consciousness formed over many years had already solidified, leaving Old David without confidence when he spoke.
"My apologies, my lord. I just want to know the reason you're preventing us from leaving..."
Huss snorted coldly and quietly urged Melade to quickly mount the horse.
But just as Melade was about to use Explosivewolf's arm strength to swing onto the horse, the horse's legs suddenly buckled and it fell to the ground with a "thud"—
Perhaps he should have urged the young master to exercise more and eat less.
A farm horse's back truly couldn't bear the weight of both a grown warrior wearing full plate armor and carrying a greatsword, and a noble who weighed no less than the warrior.
Huss had no choice but to approach the fallen farm horse. He first looked at the tripwire firmly tied to the fences on both sides:
"Who authorized you to do this?"
The rotating guard was at a loss for words:
"Wasn't—wasn't it your order?"
"When did I ever give such an order!?"
"Just a while ago, you sent a mercenary. He said he was afraid someone might charge out on horseback and disrupt order, so he had us set up the trap in advance..."
Huss didn't remember giving this order.
Someone was deliberately causing trouble.
Who? Which mercenary?
"What did he look like?"
"Wearing full plate armor, filthy. Covered his head completely—definitely not someone from our town."
Huss turned back to look at Explosivewolf: "One of your men?"
Explosivewolf snorted coldly:
"If I'd given that fucking order, would I have nearly tripped myself?"
Huss suppressed his suspicions. After confirming the horse's front leg was broken, he quickly shouted:
"Have someone bring another horse!"
Then he memorized the face of this peasant before him and unconsciously adjusted his glasses:
"You ask me why I won't let you leave? Of course it's to protect you!
The young master specifically instructed that if we let you enter deep into the forest and get lost in the mist, who would be responsible for your safety?"
His breathing was even, allowing his momentum to easily overwhelm Old David as he spoke with righteous conviction.
"On the contrary, it's you all—why didn't you obey the young master's prohibition and left your homes without permission?
You may not cherish your own lives, but you should at least cherish the young master's care for you!"
His words seemed to have some logic—
If Old David hadn't witnessed Melade fleeing with his own eyes.
So even though his tone still seemed careful and cautious, he couldn't help but retort:
"Then why is the lord leaving the town? Isn't it to flee back to Longgold City?"
"Silence! Who gave you the gall to slander the young master? Guards, restrain him and throw him in jail to clear his head!"
"Father..."
George on the ox cart wanted to say something for his father, but his mother quickly covered his mouth:
"No, George. Don't say anything..."
She was just a woman.
She couldn't let her son suffer the same fate as her husband.
Everyone knew that keeping silent was the recipe for survival in front of nobles.
The more you retorted, the more you resisted.
The more severe the punishment would be.
And just as the guards restrained Old David's hands, he cried out:
"How could this be slander!? The facts are right in front of us. Are you going to throw all of us in jail?"
Huss furrowed his brow tightly.
He certainly knew he couldn't do that.
Silencing people was a common tactic of the nobility.
But just like a spring—if stretched to its limit, it would lose its elasticity.
Right now the entrance was already surrounded by townspeople. He couldn't impose punishment on half the town's population—
Starberry Town was an isolated village.
The fact that no one dared cross Dawnmist Forest allowed the nobles to exploit their labor as much as possible without worrying about them fleeing the town.
But correspondingly, precisely because of its isolation, it was very difficult to bring in new households to generate revenue for the town.
If he casually killed or punished half the town's residents and pushed them to the brink, the entire territory would exist in name only.
With no one to plant starberries, how would Lord Merle's business in Longgold City continue?
Obviously, he needed to change his strategy.
So Huss put on as much grace as possible and spoke in a gentler tone:
"First, I need to ask you all—exactly who fabricated these rumors, making you think the young master riding away on horseback was planning to flee?"
“Father Lynn said, ‘The orcs can distinguish directions in the mist and are heading toward the town's location.” This is clearly the truth!"
Father Lynn?
Huss narrowed his eyes slightly.
According to Catherine's account, Father Lynn, who was responsible for treating the wounded, was also at the scene and should have heard the news Black Snake brought.
So while Catherine was notifying him, Lynn had also spread the news throughout the entire town?
That troublesome old man.
"It's true that orcs are haunting the forest—otherwise we wouldn't have returned to town to build defensive fortifications—
But there's no evidence suggesting they can navigate through the mist.
Nor does it mean we plan to abandon this town!
Starberry Town is the territory of Lord [Merle Barrye]. As his most loyal servant, everything I do is to protect this land, including all of you!"
Huss spoke loudly,
"When we realized the territory might face danger, it was Young Master Melade who immediately expended that expensive message stone to send for help to distant Longgold City!
But just a while ago, the young master received word that reinforcements from Longgold City couldn't cross Dawnmist Forest. That's when he resolutely decided to cross the forest himself to meet the reinforcements, wanting to bring you all more hope.
Think carefully—if we truly planned to abandon Starberry Town and abandon you all, why would I lead the guards to strengthen the defenses and stay behind?
But this courageous and lofty deed, in the eyes of you ignorant people, has become a symbol of 'cowardice' and 'desertion'!
You foolish people are unworthy of everything the young master has sacrificed for you!"
Huss's statement was well-reasoned and his tone even more pained.
Old David, who had been somewhat indignant and resentful just moments ago, was instantly left speechless.
Of course he wouldn't believe these nobles were actually kindhearted enough to treat them, these territorial subjects, as human beings—
If they truly had such intentions, their taxes wouldn't be so exorbitant and their crops wouldn't be sold so cheaply.
But the loss of territory would absolutely bring no benefit to the nobles at all.
He gritted his teeth and confronted him:
"If that's the case, then why did that damn scoundrel rob us?
Wasn't it precisely because he saw that you lords planned to flee and wanted to profit from the chaos?"
"Which scoundrel?"
Huss had to admit there were far too many scoundrels under his command.
"That dwarf!"
Old David wasn't the only one who had been robbed.
The other people present also immediately poured out their grievances:
"That scoundrel broke into my home, demanding money at every turn, threatening to beat us if we didn't pay—he even said the noble lords had already planned to flee and had no time to deal with these matters!"
"What, you were robbed too?"
"That damn scoundrel not only emptied my family's savings but also stole the starberry wine I brewed myself!"
Only then did Huss remember that among the three mercenaries the lord had hired, there was still one dwarf whose whereabouts were unknown.
So the current situation had escalated to this point because there was still this short-legged bastard stirring up trouble behind the scenes?