Chapter 193
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 193
“How did this happen?! You’re telling me that brat is already this close?! What have you been doing all this time instead of reporting?!”
Marquis Bernhardt stood up from his chair, appalled by the unexpected report.
It had been only a few days since he received word that the boy was pinned down in Viscount Oleg Lerum’s territory, unable to make any progress. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he had supposedly traversed all those territories and was now right on their doorstep.
The sudden shift in reports was so absurd it left him speechless.
He had strictly ordered the lords to do everything in their power to hold Lucian back, yet it seemed not a single one had followed his instructions properly.
“I never imagined they would betray the trust we’ve built over the years like this! How lowly must they think of the Roglan name to pull such a stunt?! Just you wait! I will not let this slide!”
“M-Marquis, please, calm yourself. The other lords had their reasons…”
“Reasons?! Fine, let’s hear them! I want to know exactly what ‘reasons’ were so important that they dared to ignore my commands!”
The messenger swallowed hard, withered by the Marquis’s murderous aura. Looking at the situation, it seemed his head might be separated from his shoulders if he said even one wrong word.
Fortunately, the messenger had a valid reason to defend his master’s actions.
“There are rumors that the Duke committed a massacre in Viscount Oleg’s territory.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“Exactly what I said, sir. They say that when Viscount Oleg intentionally hindered his march, the Duke flew into a rage, killed the Viscount, and laid waste to the entire territory.”
“That’s impossible!”
The Marquis let out a hollow, incredulous laugh. It made no sense whatsoever.
The West was essentially enemy territory for Lucian. To commit a massacre in a Western fief and then march even deeper into the region? Even with a Five-Thousand-Strong Army, that was a moronic move that would only lead to being surrounded and slaughtered.
“If that brat really committed a massacre, why would he march further in instead of retreating immediately?”
“It is only a rumor, sir. We don’t know the exact details ourselves.”
“So you’re saying they just let them through based on a rumor? Because they were afraid a brat with five thousand men would go on a rampage?”
As the Marquis’s expression began to contort further, the messenger hurriedly added more.
“The rumors were one thing, but the decisive factor was that the Duke’s army arrived drenched in blood!”
“Drenched in blood?”
“Yes! The amount of blood on their armor and weapons was staggering! It was an amount that could never be seen unless a massacre had occurred. How could anyone treat it as a mere rumor under those circumstances?”
“Hah, so he really…?”
Hearing the messenger’s desperate plea, Marquis Bernhardt muttered with a grave face.
If that were true, it was somewhat understandable why the lords had let Lucian pass. When an entire family’s survival was at stake, the Marquis’s orders would naturally take a backseat. Any head of a household would have made the same choice if Lucian showed up at their gates in such a state.
However, as one question was answered, another reared its head.
‘Strange. If he committed a massacre, he should be fleeing back to the North without looking back. What is he doing? Surely he doesn’t think he can take me down with only five thousand men?’
An army of five thousand soldiers and three hundred knights was certainly a formidable force—strong enough to steamroll most territories in less than a day. The problem was that the House of Roglan did not fall into the category of ‘most territories.’
‘On the road leading from the North and West to the House of Roglan, there is a castle built between the canyons. It can easily hold off a force ten, twenty, or even thirty times its size. Even if they managed to capture it through sheer struggle, they would then have to face the main family’s forces.’
Naturally, the main castle of the House of Roglan was an impregnable fortress, and the quality of its knights and soldiers was top-tier. Even if the Northern army was at its peak, they could be easily repelled. An exhausted army that had barely managed to take the canyon castle would pose no threat at all.
Furthermore, failing to take the castle didn’t mean they could just quietly go home. An army was always at its most vulnerable during a retreat. If the Marquis launched a counterattack the moment they turned back toward the North after a failed siege, Lucian’s forces would be annihilated.
‘As the third son of the House of Valdek, there’s no way he doesn’t know this. What is he planning? I was only wary of the five thousand troops entering as guests… damn it.’
The Marquis’s eyebrows quivered. A worst-case scenario that explained Lucian’s behavior had just crossed his mind.
He barked at the messenger.
“Have you verified the truth of those rumors?”
“Pardon?”
“The pretender from the North! I’m asking if anyone has actually confirmed whether he truly committed a massacre in Viscount Oleg’s territory!”
“W-we haven’t confirmed it personally. There wasn’t enough time, and it was already a past event…”
“Has no one asked the pretender himself?”
“His aura was so terrifying that the atmosphere didn’t exactly allow for conversation.”
“This is driving me mad.”
The Marquis clutched his throbbing forehead at the messenger’s reply. He finally had a rough idea of what was happening.
‘It’s a charade. He deliberately created an atmosphere of terror to prevent the lords from blocking his path. Once he arrives at the Marquis’s estate, he’ll act like a guest as if nothing ever happened.’
The biggest piece of evidence was that Lucian never spoke of the massacre himself, only letting vague rumors spread. If he had intended to attack the House of Roglan, he would have publicized his massacre to completely cow the lords into submission. Instead, Lucian only allowed ambiguous rumors to circulate without confirming anything with his own lips.
‘Even if they realize they were tricked later, they won’t even have grounds to complain. He’ll just scoff and say they jumped to their own conclusions. I’ve been played.’
Marquis Bernhardt gritted his teeth, his face flushed with rage. To be toyed with by that brat not once, but twice. It went beyond anger; he felt a deep sense of shame.
Sensing the Marquis’s volatile mood, the messenger spoke while trembling.
“M-Marquis. The report was delayed, but it wasn’t intentional…”
“There’s no need for pathetic excuses. Your master was the only one who informed me of his movements while everyone else remained silent. I will remember this, so you may leave in peace.”
“T-thank you!”
Having received the answer he wanted, the messenger fled the room as if he had just escaped death.
Left alone in his office, Marquis Bernhardt fell into deep thought. If left unchecked, Lucian would enter the territory and run wild before the external troops could be gathered. If an army significantly larger than the garrison invaded the fief, even the Marquis would have to walk on eggshells around Lucian.
He had to stall Lucian somehow to buy time to gather his forces.
‘The problem is that he’s already too close. What can I possibly use to stop him at this point…?’
As he racked his brain, the Marquis’s eyes suddenly snapped open.
There was a way. It was a bit petty, but there was one way to trip Lucian up right before his eyes.
The Marquis quickly summoned one of his trusted knights and gave an order.
“Send word to Sir Emil, the guard captain of Beor Castle. If the pretender from the North mentions my invitation and tries to enter as a guest…”
The Marquis glanced around briefly before leaning in to whisper the rest into the knight’s ear. After hearing the instructions, the knight gave a stiff nod and quietly withdrew.
As the office door clicked shut, a smirk played on Marquis Bernhardt’s lips.
‘I’ll admit you’re quite clever. But this time, there’s nothing you can do.’
It wasn’t a problem that could be solved by pressuring someone. No matter how naturally gifted one was at manipulating people, what could anyone do against a problem that only time could solve?
“We’re almost there.”
Marching through the West, Lucian smiled as he spotted the castle built between the canyons.
Beor Castle. A natural fortress situated on the road to the House of Roglan’s main estate. If they passed this castle and rode for two more days, he would finally face Marquis Bernhardt.
“You’ve all worked hard. We’re almost there, so bear with it a little longer.”
“No, that part isn’t hard, but… what on earth is that?”
Lucian encouraged his retainers, but Hugo muttered with a stunned face, letting the encouragement go in one ear and out the other.
It was understandable; Beor Castle was so imposing it made one forget all previous hardships.
“Is it even possible to capture that? No matter how I look at it, a siege doesn’t even seem feasible.”
In terms of pure aesthetics, ‘shabby’ might be a more fitting description. Compared to the White Walls of Tivron or Asagrim, these walls were incredibly crude. However, unlike its plain appearance, its defensive capabilities were monstrous.
With canyons blocking both sides, only one face could be attacked, and even that face was incredibly narrow. It looked as though they wouldn’t even be able to lean a few ladders against it, let alone roll up a siege tower.
“Besides, why is the castle so deformed? Can people even live in such a cramped space?”
“They can’t. It’s a castle built purely for defense, sacrificing residential space for the commoners. Still, in terms of pure defensive power, it’s likely superior to Tivron or Asagrim.”
“In other words, it’s a castle with nothing but defense going for it.”
Felicia chimed in from the side. Perhaps because it was a castle belonging to the House of Roglan, her voice was even lower than usual.
“It’s impossible to be self-sufficient, so external supplies are mandatory, and the terrain is too rugged to be used as a trade route. It’s effective at blocking invasions, but that’s all.”
“True, its utility wouldn’t be great during times of peace. Though in turbulent times like these, that defensive power alone is quite attractive… Oof!”
Marius, who had been tactlessly praising the castle, was forced to shut his mouth under Felicia’s sharp gaze.
Watching this, Lucian chuckled and reminded his retainers of the most important fact.
“It is certainly an invincible fortress for blocking enemies, but no invincible fortress can block a guest.”
With those words, Lucian led his Five-Thousand-Strong Army toward the gates of Beor Castle.
As they came within striking distance, a guard on the wall shouted.
“Halt! Stay where you are and state your affiliation and business! Otherwise, we will open fire!”
The guard tried his best to sound calm, but he couldn’t hide the slight tremor in his voice. He seemed to be a trained elite, but he was clearly overwhelmed by the sight of an army the likes of which he had never seen before.
Lucian halted as ordered and shouted loudly so that everyone could hear.
“Lucian Grimaldi Valdek has arrived at the invitation of Marquis Bernhardt! I wish to meet the Marquis as a guest, so let the Guard Captain open the gates at once!”