Chapter 97:Confronting Injustice (3)

Keldric and his party had two pieces of good news that were welcome.

One was that the lodging facilities, including the inn, were relatively intact, and the other was that the village chief was also safe.

Conversely, there was also one piece of bad news.

Even setting aside those who died resisting to the end, there were only about three or four captured soldiers from the Principality of Reiss, and not a single person could communicate with them.

The Latium language was useless. There was no way to interrogate them even after capturing them, which was truly frustrating.

So, Keldric wanted to talk to the village chief first.

He needed to find out why the soldiers from the Principality of Reiss had attacked the village and the current situation in the Barony of Yaben.

“They are mercenaries. From what I’ve heard, this is the third village they’ve hit.”

“Mercenaries?”

What he found out wasn’t that surprising.

Hiring mercenaries to pillage enemy territories. It wasn’t a very honorable act, but it was quite common in these turbulent times.

Come to think of it, the bandit group Keldric had previously subdued was also a remnant of mercenaries who had been defeated in the Robernst territory war.

Soldiers from the Principality of Reiss were often employed as mercenaries in the Empire.

They were quite expensive, but their above-average combat power and the quality of their equipment justified the cost.

Unlike the Empire, where there was a large disparity in equipment and skill between knights and mercenaries, and mercenaries and peasant soldiers, the soldiers of the Principality of Reiss were somewhat standardized to a higher level.

It was no wonder that nobles favored them, especially those in the eastern and northern parts of the Empire.

However, there had to be a reason why they were causing so much trouble lately, including the pillaging of Arno’s and Helga’s villages.

“The Principality of Reiss is said to be in a bad state recently.”

“Why is that?”

“Well, it must be because of the Holy Land Reclamation Expedition.”

For a long time, the knights and nobles of the continent had raised armies and headed to the Holy Land several times, so the Latium Sea, where the route was located, naturally became the focus of trade routes.

As a result, the North Sea trade route, the main trade route of the Principality of Reiss, was neglected, and Alyssa explained that the Principality of Reiss, which did not have a perfect tax collection system, was losing power day by day.

Moreover, even the Karkars, who had once plunged the Empire into terror, were being pushed back by the heretics in the south.

They wanted to make a living, and the choice they made was ‘plunder economy’.

Keldric made a disgusted expression.

Strictly speaking, plunder wasn’t legal in their country either, but it was as good as encouraged.

“I understand their situation roughly. But what’s important now isn’t that.”

“Lord Keldric is right. So, Village Chief, why didn’t Lord Yaben send soldiers?”

Sir Henri nonchalantly asked, wiping the blood splattered on his helmet. The village chief flinched and answered.

“That is… perhaps it’s because of the defeat last time…”

“Defeat?”

The village chief’s next words were shocking.

Baron Gottfried’s army had clashed with Baron Yaben’s army, and Baron Yaben had retreated to Belam after losing a large number of elite soldiers.

“Oh, God…”

Sir Henri, who had heard the situation roughly, muttered with a shocked expression. Keldric urged the village chief.

“Do you know anything more in detail? How many soldiers did Lord Yaben lose?”

“I, I don’t know the details, sir.”

Of course, he couldn’t know the detailed losses and causes of the defeat. The village chief was just a middle-aged man who threw his weight around in the village.

As a result, Keldric was left with only a sense of unease.

The fact that they had suffered a defeat even before Keldric had properly joined them was truly a tragic piece of news.

Keldric knew that the outcome of a war could be decided by trivial things.

It wasn’t good enough that just a few villages were being pillaged, but if they had lost from the first battle, the morale of Baron Yaben’s army would be at rock bottom.

There was a limit to how badly you could start, but this was like tearing the buttonhole apart.

“…Thank you. You may leave now.”

“Ah, yes. I understand. Please rest comfortably, even though it’s humble.”

After the village chief headed to another resident’s house, the only ones left in the village chief’s house were Keldric, Sir Henri, and Alyssa.

A slightly heavy atmosphere hung in the air. The first to speak was Alyssa.

“It seems too early to jump to conclusions.”

“…Well, yeah.”

“Lord Yaben may have suffered fewer losses than we think. Perhaps the defeat is just a rumor.”

Alyssa, like a mage, was the most level-headed and realistic.

In this era, when territory wars broke out, all sorts of methods were used to break the enemy’s morale.

Spreading exaggerated or false rumors was the easiest and most certain of them.

It wouldn’t take long for those who knew the truth to correct it, but in any case, if various rumors spread, public sentiment would become uneasy.

“I hope that’s the case.”

“Damn it… Lord Keldric, we need to get to Belam as soon as possible. We’ll be a great help.”

Keldric nodded silently. Sir Henri was right.

It was forty elite soldiers, no less. Even without cavalry, they were incomparable to the forcibly conscripted serfs.

Moreover, there were Keldric and Sir Henri, who were forces of a different level.

If they joined with this force, Baron Yaben would be able to make up for his losses. Perhaps he could even attempt a counterattack. However, the problem was…

“I’m worried that there might be another attack here.”

Even if pillaging villages was dishonorable, it seemed like Baron Gottfried, who had gained the upper hand for a moment, would do anything.

Now that he had done it once, why couldn’t he do it twice? At least Saltzflus was relatively lucky.

But that luck would be useless if Keldric left. Could those who had been pillaged once withstand a second pillaging?

“Lord, that can’t be helped.”

Sir Henri didn’t seem to think much about it.

In fact, that attitude was normal. No matter how important a village was, nobles and knights prioritized capturing enemy knights or lords and ending the war.

Protecting the village was good, but the priorities were different.

“We can’t leave soldiers behind and leave. We’ll have to hope that there won’t be any more attacks on this village.”

“…Lord is right.”

“Let’s just take the measures we can for now and leave. We’ll have to walk busily again tomorrow.”

Sir Henri grimaced with a disgusted expression. Alyssa, who was massaging her calves under the table, was the same.

“Then, it would be good to take a rest for now.”

“I’ll order the soldiers to stand guard. Ten men each in four groups, taking turns.”

Sir Henri had an unexpectedly serious side. Keldric’s expression became slightly awkward.

It would be nice if he was always like this, but he couldn’t understand why he was so obsessed with women.

“Then, um… Lord Keldric.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“I’m going to go sleep at the inn. I’m worried about the ladies I used to be friends with… ahem!”

Keldric changed his mind. Sir Henri was still Sir Henri.

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Keldric lay on the straw-filled bed, looking out the small window.

The dim sky was filled with twinkling stars scattered like grains of sand. Among them, one particularly noticeable star was framed in the window like a picture.

The North Star sparkled there. A star that never moved from its place.

If it wasn’t for the blizzards, the northern night sky would be so clear. Keldric recalled the times he had left the lord’s manor at night.

The quiet night was so silent that even the sound of crickets couldn’t be heard. Occasionally, the sound of a dog barking could be heard in the distance. Keldric’s mind became slightly complicated.

It was purely by chance that Saltzflus had escaped its fate of becoming ashes.

It was just that Keldric and Sir Henri were passing through this place, and Alyssa had noticed signs of trouble on the road even before that.

In general, people couldn’t always rely on luck to live.

Not everyone can be happy. But everyone can be unhappy.

The people of Saltzflus were just lucky. Conversely, the other villages that were pillaged were purely unlucky.

It was necessary to consider various military, geographical, and political conditions to be convinced by luck alone, but in

the end, it was still true that villages other than Saltzflus would have been pillaged.

And perhaps even Carlton Village might be among them.

To have everything taken away, to lose one’s life, and even to have one’s purity and will stolen because of bad luck.

Keldric couldn’t bear such a world. In the first place, he didn’t want to bear it.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

Keldric rubbed his face roughly while lying down. The rough, calloused palms scratched his skin.

He couldn’t sleep, and as a result, when he closed his eyes, he could see the bodies of the villagers who had been simply dealt with.

They were just unlucky. They died before Keldric and Sir Henri arrived. If so, there was nothing he could do.

That was what Keldric couldn’t understand at all.

Someone killed someone, but was it explained by saying there was nothing he could do? Just bad luck?

He didn’t know. Keldric covered his face with his large palms and muttered.

Sparks flew from the place in the center, whether it was a stove or a bonfire.

Keldric glanced up and looked at Alyssa, who was lying on another bed across from him.

Alyssa was lying with her back to him. The flickering vermilion light vaguely revealed her curved back.

Her regularly rising and falling shoulders indicated that she was fast asleep.

Alyssa had built trust with Keldric through countless battles since they met.

There had been a slight accident in Bogenberg, but that had ultimately strengthened their bond.

But now that he thought about it again… did Alyssa have any reason to follow Keldric?

Overcoming hardships together and complementing each other’s shortcomings. That was how relationships between people were built.

Alyssa had said she was looking for a certain mage. Keldric didn’t know the other details.

He wouldn’t have cared normally, but now he was suddenly curious.

Who was the mage Alyssa was looking for, and what story did Alyssa have that led her to wander around?

“Do you have any worries?”

Suddenly, Alyssa’s voice broke the silence. Keldric flinched without realizing it.

Alyssa, who was already half-sitting on the bed, was looking at Keldric. Keldric averted his gaze when he saw her vermilion eyes flickering.

“It’s nothing.”

“…Is that so.”

Alyssa shrugged and lay back down on the bed. This time, she didn’t turn her back, but lay on her side, looking at Keldric.

“Lord Keldric.”

“I’m listening.”

“Are you worried about your hometown?”

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t.”

“If that hometown was burned to ashes…”

“…. “

“If everything disappeared, and you smelled the burning of your family and everything in your family, what would you

do?”

He didn’t have any special affection for the Bellaf Family.

But if he wanted it to be completely reduced to ashes and unrecognizable, that was definitely not the case.

Keldric couldn’t answer. He hesitated for a long time, then carefully opened his mouth.

“Then, I’d have to take revenge.”

“Revenge… is it?”

“If someone took what was mine, they would have to pay the price.”

“Even if it becomes an ugly revenge?”

“Because it’s right to stand up against injustice.”

This time, Alyssa closed her mouth for a moment. Keldric waited patiently.

“I’m sorry. For suddenly bringing up such a rude story…”

“It’s nothing. If it’s coming from you, it must be something meaningful.”

“….”

“Let’s end the conversation here. We’ll have to walk diligently tomorrow.”

“……Yes. Good night.”

Alyssa didn’t turn around and went straight to sleep.

Keldric quietly watched her fair eyelids gently close, and when Alyssa’s breathing had calmed down, he rummaged through the pile of luggage next to the bed.

A disc emitting a subtle light revealed itself.

The disc he had inadvertently brought all the way from Bogenberg to this place. Keldric’s face was barely visible because of the flickering light.

After staring intently at the disc for a while, Keldric subtly hid it under his pillow and lay down.

His head was complicated. He had many things he was curious about, and many things he was worried about.

The only one who could answer all these questions fluently would probably be a transcendent being of a different dimension.

But that night, Keldric did not dream.

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Leaving Salzfluss and heading towards Belam, the journey needed to be hastened.

Keldric quickened his pace. Before, he would walk while the sun was up and rest three times, but now he continued his forced march, resting only twice or even once.

It was not a pleasant choice, but it couldn’t be helped. Time was of the essence.

As a result of diligently continuing the journey, it only took a day and a half to reach Belam, which would have taken at least two days.

“We’ve arrived.”

Sir Henri, who had stopped his horse, craned his neck. Keldric also pulled on the reins.

In the distance, the familiar walls of Belam came into view.