Chapter 142 : Chapter 142
Chapter 142. The Lord of Raviedel
Radel instinctively took it out from his bosom.
And quickly opened the lid and splashed it on the Chieftain.
SPLASH!
The Chieftain, who was swinging his sword, was hit squarely by what Radel had splashed.
SIZZLE!
“ARGH! What is this!”
With the sound of something burning, the Chieftain retreated.
The Chieftain trembled in pain, then saw the bottle in Radel's hand and shouted to the Lizardmen.
“He is using poison! Retreat, retreat!”
The Lizardmen, who were already suffering from Armandy Stein's magic and Gusto Zebro's swordsmanship, heard the Chieftain's words and turned their backs in a hurry.
Seeing the prospective prisoners fleeing, Armandy Stein quickly swung his staff.
“Lightning, strike down!”
Armandy Stein’s magic was completed behind the backs of the fleeing Lizardmen.
With the sound of thunder, a strong bolt of lightning struck the ground.
RUMBLE!
The Lizardmen ran away desperately even after being scorched by the lightning.
Especially the Chieftain was running panting at the very front.
“Call that a warrior?”
Seeing that sight, Armandy Stein snorted.
They were like things that didn't even know the greatness of magic.
While Armandy Stein was gloating inwardly, Radel was expressing regret beside him.
“You should have caught about five of them. It’s a shame to go back empty-handed after coming all this way.”
“……Did you come out on some prisoner hunt?”
Armandy Stein shook his head from side to side.
No matter how good the labor force was, if they kept capturing Lizardmen blindly, they wouldn't escape the fate of beggars.
Meanwhile, there were people who were surprised to see the Lizardmen fleeing.
“D-Did they just drive away the Lizardmen?”
The eyes of the merchants who had been holding their breath in the carriages widened.
When the Lizardmen first appeared, they thought their goods would surely be stolen, but those ferocious Lizardmen were defeated in an instant.
“There was a reason Baron Spear praised him until his mouth went dry.”
“To think the 8th Prince’s skill was this level.”
The merchants belonging to the Spear Guild swept their chests in relief and admiration.
It was a fight that anyone would have thought Radel's party would lose.
The Lizardmen were numerous, and there was even a ferocious Lizardman who looked like a Chieftain.
However, the merchants were deeply impressed by the appearance of the 8th Prince, who took the lead in dealing with the Lizardmen to protect the carriages rather than trembling in fear.
“I was surprised by the Prince who resolutely drew his sword.”
“Me too. Honestly, I didn't expect to win.”
“To think he would volunteer for a one-on-one duel with the Chieftain…….”
Radel's actions seemed brave to the merchants.
Crossing swords with the Lizardman Chieftain was something he had to do because the other side rushed first, but…….
Regardless of that, Radel was looking at the retreating figures of the Lizardmen with regret.
“Can't we catch one or two even now?”
“If the Prince desires, I will run and catch them right away.”
Gusto Zebro answered seriously from the side.
“……I told you there is no bread to feed them.”
Armandy Stein sighed at the two people who were on the verge of executing a prisoner abduction and asked.
“By the way, what did you mean by using poison earlier?”
He definitely seemed to have heard them say poison when the Lizardmen retreated.
Seeing even the Lizardman Chieftain running away desperately, he wondered if Radel had really done something.
“Ah, it wasn't poison.”
Radel took out the bottle he had splashed on the Chieftain earlier and showed it.
Gusto Zebro recognized what it was at once.
“It is holy water.”
“Right. It’s just holy water.”
At Radel's words, Gusto Zebro's expression hardened as he realized what had happened.
“It is a suspicious matter. To feel pain from being splashed with holy water.”
“Since we were in the middle of a fight, he might have mistaken it for poison.”
Since he was hit with cold liquid during battle, there was a possibility that the Lizardman judged it to be poison.
However, considering the dark energy Radel felt and the burning sound heard when the holy water was splashed…….
It was as Gusto Zebro said.
It was suspicious beyond measure.
He wasn't undead nor a demon worshiper, yet felt pain from holy water?
But there was a possibility that Lizardmen were of a constitution that reacted to holy water.
“Let's go and check, well.”
As soon as he arrived at Raviedel, Radel went to find the prisoners.
The Lizardmen were fighting fiercely against nature to earn the bread they would eat in the evening.
“Ugh, these damn weeds! These damn stones!”
“Brother, look at this! If you give strength to your buttocks and thighs while squatting and pull the weeds, it becomes exercise!”
“Exercise, my foot! Pull the weeds properly in the time you have to think about that.”
The Lizardman became angry at his colleague who took the weeds lightly.
“Is work a joke? Are weeds a joke? This is work, not exercise! For the bread we will eat……!”
It was when the Lizardman was getting angry at his colleague.
Suddenly, a splash of water flew in and drenched the Lizardman's face refreshingly.
SPLASH!
“Pfft, which bastard is it!”
The Lizardman, who roughly wiped the water with his hand, looked at the human who splashed water on him.
It was Radel holding a holy water bottle in his hand.
The opponent was the human lord, but even though he was captured as a prisoner, he couldn't help but get angry.
Wasn't this harassment too childish!
“What are you doing, it's cold!”
“How do you feel right now?”
At Radel's words, the Lizardman wondered if that human lord was crazy.
“Of course I feel dirty!”
“Does your face feel stinging or like it's burning?”
“What kind of nonsense is that?!”
Seeing the reaction of the Lizardman jumping up and down, Radel was certain.
That holy water had no effect on ordinary Lizardmen.
Then, that Chieftain was definitely suspicious.
* * *
When the carriages sent by the Spear Guild arrived safely in front of the Lord’s Castle, the servants of the Lord's Castle who were waiting hurriedly unloaded the luggage.
“These are groceries and daily necessities. There are living things too, so please sort them well.”
CHIRP, CHIRP!
A box full of chicks was lowered from the wagon.
It was something Radel had ordered in advance from the Spear Guild before leaving for the territory.
Radel checked the list with the merchants and skillfully examined if anything was missing or if there were any defects in the arrived goods.
Since he was running a general store in Marcellent, it was natural for him to be skilled.
“80 sacks of flour, 50 boxes of potatoes……. Wait, please check the damaged part here. I will deduct this from the advance payment.”
Chariot Sapphire, the acting lord, was surprised.
Because looking at the items Radel purchased, he seemed to know exactly what was needed for the territory.
It wasn't just Chariot Sapphire who was surprised.
A servant working at the Lord's Castle approached and whispered to Chariot Sapphire.
It was a servant who went back and forth to other cities as a liaison.
“The Prince seems to be more worldly-wise than I thought. He is also used to working. I have never seen a Lord like this.”
“……Right. The more I know, the more surprising he is.”
Among the things Radel showed after coming to the territory, there was not a single thing that was predictable.
Defeating Lizardmen, bringing them as prisoners to cultivate the fields, bringing things essential to the territory…….
‘Does this make sense?’
He was grateful just that he didn't forget the barren territory and visited, but only surprising things kept happening.
Before long, the food and daily necessities prepared by Radel, and various items helpful to the barren territory, were placed in the hands of the territory residents.
Rumors that the 8th Prince, the Lord of Raviedel, had come had long since spread throughout the territory.
When it was said that the Lord was personally distributing prepared gifts, all the people of the territory gathered.
“Thank you, Prince!”
The territory residents held Radel's gifts in both hands with tears in their eyes.
Hope blossomed in their hearts, which had been desolate while trapped inside the territory.
“Wow! It’s the Lord! Our Lord has come!”
When Radel saw children, he called them separately and distributed candies and snacks.
The children ran around excitedly.
Had the territory ever been this bright recently?
Chariot Sapphire felt the lively atmosphere and expressed his gratitude to Radel.
“The territory residents have found hope. It is all thanks to the Prince.”
“It is more amazing that you have held out this much until now.”
When Radel came and saw, he wondered how they had lived all this time.
It was simply more fascinating that more people than he thought were living in such a remote territory.
Radel threw a joke to lighten the mood.
“I doubt how you paid taxes every year in this situation. You didn't send it while crying, did you?”
“N-No. I swear there is no such thing. If the road wasn't blocked this time, I would have sent it properly.”
When Chariot Sapphire answered sweating profusely, Radel smirked.
“I know. That you are that kind of person.”
At that moment, a deep emotion washed over Chariot Sapphire.
Because it felt as if he was being told that what he had protected so far was right.
‘I wasn't wrong.’
The duty and responsibility he had protected as the acting lord, and the loyalty to the Lord.
How desperately had he waited for the Lord who had never come to Raviedel.
It felt like all that waiting was being rewarded.
DING.
[The target's Affinity surpasses 30.]
At the same time, a notification sound was heard by Radel.
‘It seems to have worked out well.’
Radel checked that Chariot Sapphire’s affinity had gone up and smiled slightly.
* * *
“Groan!”
The dwelling of the Chau tribe, a cave located in the Tsar Mountain Range.
A suppressed moan rang out from within.
“Argh! That is enough! Get lost now!”
“Chieftain, it is not a small wound. We must treat it more…….”
“I said get lost!”
The Lizardman who was treating the Chieftain's wound retreated back at the fierce spirit.
The Chieftain, whose skin was burnt, was very sensitive, perhaps due to the pain.
“Everyone get out of here! I want to be alone!”
Having sent out the other Lizardmen, the Chieftain left alone clutched his wound.
No matter what herb was applied, it didn't work.
“What on earth is this poison?”
As the Chieftain was muttering, a suspicious figure wearing a black robe appeared inside the cave.
“That is why you should have done as I said.”
“I did as you said and this happened!”
“It is because your faith is lacking, Chieftain.”
The suspicious figure hid in the shadows of the cave and conversed with the Chieftain familiarly.
“As I told you before, you must obtain greater power. Otherwise, your tribe will be taken away.”
“……The tribe will be taken away?”
The Chieftain reacted sharply to his meaningful words.
Seeing the Chieftain's reaction, the suspicious figure waved his hand, and an illusion floated in the air.
In the illusion, the figures of the Lizardman warriors who had disappeared so far were seen eating in Radel's territory.
- I am sick of bread!
- Sick of soup too!
- Give us meat! Meat!
The Lizardmen clamoring that they were sick of bread and soup, and Radel's party deflecting their complaints, were mixed together, chatting noisily.
- We will pull more weeds, so give us meat instead of bread!
- Right! We need meat!
Perhaps they had already become quite close, the sight of them exchanging words seemed familiar.
“How is it? Doesn't their relationship look good?”
“How dare they, with humans……!”
It was a sight where the relationship looked good to anyone.
Confirming the changed expressions of the proud Lizardman warriors, the Chieftain trembled with rage.
To think they are mingling, laughing, and chatting with lowly humans!
Grinding his teeth, the Chieftain asked the suspicious figure.
“What should I do?”