Chapter 154: Death wish (3)
"I blame myself for opening my gates to the three of you in hopes you would provide me with a good update on the border, but once again, I am forced to listen to your stupidity."
"You were not placed at the border to make claims over the women and look to take advantage of women. The king tasked you to take over the land and bring their leader to the palace," Rafael said, ready to toss the three men out of his manor.
Claude put down his cup because of the tension in the room. "It was not that serious, Rafael. It is not the first time anyone has spoken of being with one of the women from the border. It is a playful conversation to keep the men motivated."
"There is nothing playful about filling anyone’s head with the idea that they will force themselves on women if they win the war. That is not what the king tasked you to do and it is not how he expected you to motivate others. You call them barbarians and look down on them yet you wish to bed their women. At some point, you should feel disgusted with yourself," said Rafael.
"You," Ethan said, put off by how Rafael was making them sound. "So what if we wanted to bed their women? We would not be the first to do it. Men have taken women of fallen kingdoms for years. Have them as their slaves. You have conquered many lands for the king, do not try to convince us that you have never done it."
Rafael sat up in his seat, spreading out his fingers on his right hand to crack his knuckles. "I have been raised by a man with morals so I take after him. I do not need to force myself on women as you do. Get out of my manor. Unfortunately, you are guilty by association," Rafael said to Marcellus who was quiet.
"I am married," Marcellus said, showing the ring on his finger. He had a woman waiting for him at home unlike many of his companions who could only go to the red light district to see a woman when they returned.
"We are in need of your help at the border. We have sent letters to the palace of needing more men. We’ve asked to call upon nobles with armies to join us. We all want this fight to be over soon. Some of us have families we have not seen in months. We will be here in town until tomorrow morning when we will head back to the border. You know where to find us if you change your mind."
Marcellus drowned the wine in his glass which was much better compared to the cheap bottles sent to the border to keep them in good spirits. He put down the empty glass on the table and looked at Ethan and Claude to do the same so they could leave.
This was meant to be a short visit since they had to speak with the town guards to get the list of young men who signed up to join the men at the border. The small pay they would receive from the palace for joining had convinced them to leave, but many of them would not return.
"I am not finished yet. It has reached my ears that you got rid of Connor over a maid. The man was high ranking and his father asks that you have him returned to this town," said Ethan.
Connor was a long-time friend of his as they entered the palace at the same time hoping to become knights, but only one of them achieved that dream. If it was Connor who rose to be the commander, Ethan knew he would not be wasting his time at the border and would have been made a knight.