Chapter 54 : Chapter 54
Chapter 54
The power of a Moner family, said to rival the kingdom, stemmed from the front lines surrounded by monsters, Front Hold.
The history of Moner was the time they had defended Front Hold, and it was the pride of Moner.
Even now, with the duke gone, the proud youths of Moner headed to Front Hold, and no one could deny that the soldiers of Front Hold, who had experienced countless battles, were the best in the kingdom.
In the fortress that was literally the best barracks, the worst battlefield, and the very history of Moner, a voice full of dissatisfaction echoed.
"Hah!
That good-for-nothing brat is the lord?!"
Vergil, filled with anger, crumpled the letter he was holding.
The letter, written in a flowing script, contained an announcement that the young lord, Ian de Moner, had been appointed as the temporary lord by the king, and a notification that he would be conducting an on-site investigation.
"Do you think I'd give a damn about what you bastards say!"
An on-site investigation.
It felt like a notification that they would make a spectacle of the soldiers who risked their lives in battle every day.
"It would have been better if he had just ignored us."
It would have been better to ignore them, as he had always done.
Central Hold and Lier could never understand the pride and honor of Front Hold.
The arrogant attitude of the young lord, who had boasted of his own private war, was unforgettable.
The mere scoundrel clearly knew nothing of war or battle.
"We cannot let him turn our battlefield into his playground."
Vergil, who had made a firm decision, went to his father, the count, clutching the letter.
* * *
Sven, who glanced at the letter, said calmly.
"Pay it no mind."
"But father!"
Ignoring Vergil, who was shouting as if he were being wronged, Sven continued.
"Son, do you think Front Hold can be obtained just by wanting it?"
"...No, sir."
"Yes, if we had followed the master written on the documents, we would have followed the Regent years ago."
Sven's voice, as he sat and checked his greatsword, contained not a single shred of doubt.
"Do you think I am the master of this land just because I command the soldiers?
Nonsense.
You and I are no different from our soldiers who have lost their families and have taken up spears and swords on this land.
We are merely protecting it."
The families remaining in Front Hold and the territory of Moner behind them.
The soldiers of Front Hold fought to protect.
Even if the young lord appointed as the lord were to command them, the soldiers would throw off their ranks and remain in Front Hold.
Because that was the way of Front Hold.
Vergil, who realized that the mere scoundrel young lord could not move a single soldier no matter what kind of tantrum he threw, hung his head sheepishly.
"By the way, an on-site investigation on a battlefield for survival, how ridiculous.
Who did they say is coming?"
"The letter only had Count Mogul's seal on it."
"That fool?"
At Vergil's words, Count Sven's eyes widened.
The thought that Mogul, who had not moved even after being cursed thousands of times, had moved his heavy buttocks, piqued his interest.
"Hah, to think that he's a great man, just as you'd expect from the duke's child."
"He was a worthless man."
"Hmm?"
Only then did Sven, who realized that Vergil had attended the meeting in his place, ask with amusement.
"A worthless man?
Mogul, who had not moved even when I knelt and begged, was moved by him, so that can't be true.
What happened?"
Vergil, with a displeased expression, reluctantly opened his mouth.
The longer his explanation went on, the more Sven could not hide his regret.
'Hah… a one-man war where not a single soldier is injured.
I should have gone and seen him myself.'
Contrary to Vergil's intention, the longer the story went on, the more Sven's interest in Ian grew.
* * *
- Shwaaaaaaaaah
"Damn, what a shitty weather."
Hoodwock, the leader of the 12th squad in charge of the rear guard of Front Hold, yawned and looked ahead.
The rain, pouring down as if there were a hole in the sky, made it difficult to see even 100 steps ahead.
"Hey, hey, you're lucky, you brat.
If it weren't for me, you'd be on front guard duty too."
"Yes, yes."
When his squad member answered his playful words half-heartedly, he raised his voice and said.
"What's with this brat?
Hey, in this weather at the front, you're a perfect target for a stray stone, you know that?
You don't know how well the goblins of the Demonic Beast forest throw stones, do you?
The leader of the 11th squad got hit by one of those and was out for a month."
"Whatever."
Even at Hoodwock's words, the squad member was indifferent.
"This little bastard, he doesn't believe his squad leader?"
"That's the problem with you, squad leader.
You lie every time you open your mouth, so how can I believe you?"
"Uh, huh?
What's with this little brat?"
The flustered Hoodwock beat his chest in frustration, but the squad member still didn't believe him.
Hoodwock had told him, a newly enlisted soldier, unbelievable stories like goblins using dual swordsmanship, or hitting a person with a stone thrown over a 15-meter-high rock, so he couldn't possibly believe him.
"Next, you'll be telling me about goblins using sword energy."
"Huh?!
How did you know!
It's a secret that Lord Gondar was defeated by a goblin using sword energy!"
Even at Hoodwock's realistic attitude, the squad member was not fooled.
Because the one who gets fooled is the fool.
"Hah, honestly.
Kids these days are so spoiled, they don't even know how scary goblins are."
"Squad leader, seriously, just stop.
You might as well say it was an Orc, not a goblin……."
Before the squad member could even get annoyed, Hoodwock, who had been looking down at the base of the castle, raised his hand and stopped him.
"Hey, check the front.
There's a carriage over there."
"There he goes again.
It hasn't even been that long since the merchant guild came and went… what?
It's real?"
Only then did the squad member, who had confirmed the carriage rushing towards the castle as if charging, hurriedly ring the bell and look at his squad leader.
"Uh… are there goblins that ride carriages too?"
"You crazy bastard, how can a goblin ride a carriage?"
Hoodwock, who had grabbed a crossbow just in case, shouted at the approaching carriage.
"Halt!
I'll shoot if you come any closer!"
It wasn't that there were no outsiders who came to Front Hold, but it was extremely rare for them to come in a carriage.
A regular steed could not run in the Demonic Beast forest.
A carriage with a warhorse was so expensive that it was hard to even see one unless it was a supply from Central Hold.
"The crest?"
"I can't see it clearly."
"It's probably from the central command.
Check it carefully, don't let your guard down."
Hoodwock had a bad feeling, a strange ache in his lower abdomen.
'It hasn't been that long since the central command sent supplies, so why are they back again?
They said the supplies this time were large, so are they here to take them back?'
The carriage, which had approached right in front of them and stopped, had the splendid symbol of the Moner family painted on it.
"It's the central crest!"
Hoodwock, who had glared at the archer who had just confirmed the crest, approached the carriage with utmost tension and shouted.
"Are you from the central command?
We will check your identification!"
When the carriage door opened, a man with jet-black hair and a woman with fiery red hair greeted him with a smile.
* * *
"It took a long time.
Right, Reina?"
At Ian's words, Reina smiled and answered.
"Still, thanks to the Count's consideration, we arrived much earlier than expected."
As the two who had finally arrived at Front Hold got out of the carriage, a magnificent castle greeted them.
"Welcome to Front Hold!
I am Hoodwock, the leader of the 12th squad!
May I ask the reason for your visit?"
The man with short-cropped hair, as if born to be a soldier, and stubborn-looking eyes asked in a loud voice.
The fact that he did not let go of the crossbow he was holding in one hand even as he asked showed that he was a harshly trained elite soldier.
"Hmm… the purpose of the visit.
I guess it's an on-site investigation?"
"Yes?
An on-site investigation, you say?"
Ian, who had smiled slightly at the flustered soldier, showed his family plaque and said.
"Tell your superior that an on-site investigation team has arrived from the central command, Squad Leader Hoodwock."
"Yes!"
* * *
'To be guided to the lord, who on earth are these people?'
My interest was naturally piqued as there was almost never a case where someone would seek out the lord like this, even though supplies from the central command were a monthly occurrence.
I kept glancing at the man and woman following behind me.
The noble-looking man was wearing a leather armor that was frayed in places.
The leather armor was not unusual.
The soldiers here at Front Hold also wore armor made from monster leather.
However, it was common for knights or nobles to wear armor for the sake of appearance or a uniform when not in battle.
I thought he might not be a noble, but seeing the woman in a maid's uniform following right beside him, he seemed to be a noble.
'What a strange couple…….'
That thought was fleeting.
As soon as I entered the Lord's Castle, a waiting knight approached and said.
"Are you the ones from the central command?
The Count is waiting.
I will guide you."
At the knight's stern voice, Hoodwock saluted and said.
"Then I will be on my way."
He was excited at the thought of meeting the count directly, but he thought it would be ridiculous for a common soldier to meet the count.
Just as he turned to leave, the man who had been following quietly opened his mouth.
"Can I go with this soldier?"
"Yes?"
"He seems like an interesting friend, and I have something to ask the count, so I would like this friend to come with us."
The man, who had already made up his mind, trudged towards the Lord's Castle, glanced back, and asked.
"What are you doing, not following?"
The flustered Hoodwock followed Ian to the count.
* * *
The count had prepared a simple meal instead of a grand welcoming ceremony.
He thought it was most appropriate to show the investigation team the reality of the domain, as it was an on-site investigation.
"By the way, only two people in the investigation team."
At the count's words, Vergil interjected.
"This is clearly an insult to our Front Hold!
How can those who sit at their desks know the horrors of monsters and the front lines!
It is clear that they are shameless individuals sent by the young lord to find fault with some ridiculous reason!"
Sven, who had been looking at his son, who had a boiling temper like himself, for a moment, sighed.
"Vergil, didn't I always tell you to think before you speak.
The fact that the investigation team is small is not a bad thing.
If they were going to find fault with the domain's management, they would have sent a large investigation team."
Vergil, who had flinched at those words, thought for a moment and asked again.
"But what can they find out with just two people?"
"Well, I'm curious about that too."
"The young lord I met was a man with no plans or thoughts.
He was a scoundrel who boasted of waging a war by himself."
Vergil, who had frowned as if the mere thought of Ian was unpleasant, said.
"If it's that young lord, he might send a two-person investigation team to reduce our food supplies."
The soldiers of the front lines, who had been suffering from food shortages for the past several years, knew the importance of a meal better than anyone else.
"Father, we must not show any weakness.
We don't know what kind of snake-like bastards will come."
The count, who had chuckled at his son's worried tone, said calmly.
"I'm much more worried about you than myself.
I wonder who you take after, being so hot-tempered."
The count was sure that it had nothing to do with him, who was calm and thoughtful.