Chapter 107: Messenger
The next two days passed in a flash.
Roderic fell into a steady rhythm that kept him busy from morning to late at night.
Every morning, he met with the blacksmiths and several important officials.
Whether it was checking on preparations or informing new people of the war, it seemed like something that would never end no matter how much he did it.
Slowly but surely, the results were starting to show.
Food was being rationed and stockpiled in case of a drawn-out war.
At the same time, ordinary weapons were being sharpened and counted.
Once all of that was settled, Roderic headed for the training grounds.
There, most of his time was spent alongside his four retainers.
And their progress was nothing short of ridiculous.
Frederic, John and Peter were already beginning to grasp the foundations of their new techniques.
Even movements they’d struggled with the day before were becoming increasingly natural.
Paul was progressing as well.
Though unlike the others, Roderic couldn’t offer him much guidance.
Without being able to read the [Killing Star] manuals himself, all he could do was hope Paul would figure it out himself.
And so far, that was going quite alright.
At least it’d reached the point where Captain Harris no longer needed to worry about him.
Or... he simply didn’t show it anymore.
After hearing about the upcoming war, his talkativeness had suddenly decreased by a lot.
Once training finished, Roderic spent whatever time remained on planning.
And before he knew it, another day was coming to an end.
Roderic sat behind the desk in his room, a large stack of papers spread out in front of him.
Every single one of them contained countless scribbles and crosses around roughly drawn landscapes.
All while the sun was slowly disappearing beneath the horizon outside.
’Alright,’ he thought, leaning over the papers. ’Riders have been sent to the villages. They should start preparing to leave tomorrow.’
His fingers slowly moved towards a small note on the side.
’There are several wagons with a hundred bear traps each ready to go at any time as well.’
Roderic nodded once, satisfaction flashing through his eyes.
Everything was proceeding according to plan so far.
’Then as soon as a messenger arrives from Baron Deres, we’ll start heading over and start setting up traps.’
After that, they’d help the villagers retreat to the main city.
It would take some effort, but all of them were very important.
’I’ll also need to form a squad for guerrilla warfare soon,’ he thought. ’Or... I might just need to do it myself.’
With traps scattered around, it probably wouldn’t be wise to take others.
At least, not yet.
Roderic let out a deep sigh and leaned back.
For a moment, he just let the last rays of sunlight fall on his face, enjoying the warmth they brought.
’Soon...’
BOOM!
The door suddenly burst wide open.
Roderic jumped out of his chair, nearly suffering a heart attack.
’’Young lord!’’
Edmund frantically rushed inside.
His face was covered in sweat, and his chest rose and fell heavily as he desperately tried to catch his breath.
Roderic immediately frowned.
’’What happened?’’ he asked seriously.
’’A... messenger...’’ Edmund forced out between breaths. ’’A messenger has arrived!’’
He swallowed once.
’’From Baron Deres!’’
Roderic’s eyes narrowed.
It seemed like it was finally starting.
He pushed himself out of his chair right away.
’’Let’s go,’’ he said. ’’As acting lord, I’ll personally receive the messenger.’’
Edmund let out a few slow breaths and nodded.
’’Yes, young lord!’’ he said, having caught his breath.
...
By the time he reached the training grounds, dozens of soldiers had already gathered around.
A lone rider stood in the center.
The man wore the colors of House Deres, his back perfectly straight as he sat atop a large brown horse.
Captain Harris stood nearby with several knights, his expression as dark as could be.
Roderic immediately frowned.
’What’s that guy doing?’ he thought.
Normally, a noble messenger would’ve been brought inside and received properly.
Yet the man showed absolutely no intention of moving.
Just then, the man’s gaze snapped towards him.
’’Are you part of the Whitemane family?’’ he questioned loudly.
Roderic’s eyes only narrowed further.
’’That’s me,’’ he replied. ’’Roderic Whitemane, third son of Baron Arthur Whitemane.’’
The messenger barely spared him another glance.
He reached into his coat and pulled out a rolled parchment.
As he unfurled it, a slight smirk flickered across his face for a split second.
Then, without even bothering to dismount, he began reading.
’’By order of Baron Aldric Deres, Lord of the Deres Barony.’’
His voice rang loudly across the training grounds.
Loud enough for every soldier nearby to hear.
’’Lady Margaret Deres, sister of Baron Aldric Deres and lawful wife of Baron Arthur Whitemane, is currently being held against her will within Whitemane territory.’’
Murmurs spread through the soldiers and knights.
None were particularly surprised, as rumors had spread far and wide.
Yet... the man’s words were making a clear impact, as Roderic hadn’t actually addressed the knights and soldiers to confirm anything yet.
The messenger continued without giving them a chance to settle.
’’Baron Aldric Deres demands his sister’s immediate release, alongside every member of her household currently detained with her.’’
His voice remained calm, but carried across the entire training ground.
’’Baron Aldric Deres demands serious compensation for each imprisoned individual and any potential injuries they may have suffered.’’
Several soldiers began exchanging uneasy glances.
Seeing that, the messenger waited for a moment, allowing his words to settle in.
’’Should House Whitemane refuse these demands, Baron Aldric will consider it a deliberate act of hostility against House Deres.’’
Everything had gone completely silent.
Not a single soldier or knight dared utter a word as bad feelings settled in their stomachs.
Roderic’s expression darkened upon seeing it.
’’My lord has no desire to see the friendship between our houses end in bloodshed,’’ the messenger continued. ’’However, his patience is not without limits.’’
The man slowly lowered the parchment.
’’You have three days.’’
His gaze swept across the silent knights in satisfaction.
’’Three days to release Lady Margaret and her household, provide suitable compensation and formally apologize for the actions taken against House Deres.’’
He rolled up his parchment with a smile.
’’Otherwise, Lord Aldric Deres will be forced to retrieve his sister himself,’’ he continued. ’’And it shall be war.’’
That did it.
The soldiers and knights immediately erupted into whispers.
Roderic could practically feel the atmosphere changing around him.
’This bastard...’ he thought.
Having finally understood why the messenger refused to enter the estate, he couldn’t help but clench his fists.
The man had wanted the soldiers to hear every single threat.
It was all just a trick to lower their morale through intimidation.
Roderic immediately stepped forward.
But before he could get far, Edmund suddenly grabbed his arm.
’’Young lord,’’ he whispered. ’’Don’t.’’
Roderic glanced towards him with a frown.
’’Attacking an official messenger outside of war is a serious crime,’’ Edmund continued quietly. ’’The royal family would have grounds to intervene.’’
Roderic froze for a moment.
That’s when everything truly clicked.
’It was a double-layered trap,’ he thought. ’With literally nothing for them to lose.’
If nothing was done, the morale of his soldiers would drop.
But if he lost his temper and attacked the messenger...
’The second prince gets his excuse to intervene.’
Roderic’s eyes narrowed.
There was no way Baron Deres came up with such a strategy himself.
But he couldn’t linger on that right now.
The whispers of uncertainty were only growing louder around him.
’I need to say something and turn this around,’ Roderic thought. ’It’s definitely not impossible.’
After all, the messenger had conveniently left out everything House Deres had done.
If he exposed those things right here, there was more than enough to turn the soldiers’ anger in the opposite direction.
Roderic took a deep breath and stepped forward again.
Before he could open his mouth, a cold, strict but familiar voice rang out behind him.
’’Enough.’’
The voice echoed across the training grounds.
Whispers died down instantly as everyone turned to look at the figure.
Even Roderic spun around with wide eyes.
’What the...’
A familiar figure was confidently walking towards them.
For a moment, Roderic could barely recognize him.
’Is that... Arthur?’
The exhausted, hollow man he’d seen only a few days ago was nowhere to be found.
Now, Arthur’s hair had been combed back neatly, while his sloppy beard had been trimmed cleanly.
A sword hung from his waist as he walked forward with his back straight and his head held high.
Roderic’s mouth opened slightly.
’Well, I’ll be damned,’ he thought. ’Look who’s decided to be responsible for once!’