Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: The One Who Sold What Cannot Be Sold (4)
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I'd died countless times.
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Pierced through the body by arrows. Side run through by a spear. Neck severed by a sword.
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I died again and again like that. But even after dying so many times, it still wasn't enough.
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Death was pushing at my back once more. The intent behind this letter was crystal clear.
"It's definitely a trap, my lord."
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"You absolutely must not go."
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"......"
The sharper soldiers had seen through it as a trap right away.
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But... if someone asked if I could just refuse the invitation and run, well.
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I let out a deep sigh and summed up the situation in a single word.
"We're trapped."
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"Pardon?"
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"If I don't accept the invitation... they'll send an army here."
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"But how would they even know this location..."
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"They sent a messenger here, didn't they? That means they've already pinpointed us."
Running was impossible. Even preparing to flee would take time.
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And even if we somehow escaped, the cavalry would catch us immediately.
Of course, in that case, the enemy could be stalled with deaths. But.
My actual soldiers or the territory folk might die for real then. We'd been lucky before.
The imperial army's assaults had focused solely on me, so miraculously, no one else had died.
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But if someone died and Defeat Regression stopped, I could never bring them back.
"No choice. Fell some trees and build a palisade. We'll prepare to meet the enemy here."
Of course, I could abandon everyone and flee to survive. But would that even work?
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I'd already ditched the territory folk once and triggered Defeat Regression without returning.
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It wouldn't be any different this time. So in the end, only one option remained.
"You're right. We can't just let you go like this, my lord!"
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"We'll fight to the end!!"
Maybe it was thanks to our past victories. The soldiers' morale was sky-high.
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At least ambushing from the forest beat throwing myself into the castle alone.
With barely a day left—time so short even rationing it wasn't enough—an unexpected guest arrived. A somewhat familiar face, at that.
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A knight in gleaming white armor appeared amid the thunder of hooves.
"Good to see you again, Lord Blackguard."
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"You're the imperial knight Randkool, right?"
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"Indeed. Honored to be remembered."
This was Randkool, captain of the imperial patrol we'd encountered while fleeing to the earl's domain.
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I'd thought enemies were charging at first, just from the hoofbeats. Who comes alone like this?
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I tilted my head. Surely not a suicide seeker.
"What brings you all the way out here?"
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"Before we get to that, I have something to return to you first."
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"This is...?"
Randkool carefully handed over a box. I opened it immediately.
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Inside was a human head. But Randkool meant no malice.
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It was the same head I'd seen yesterday at the castle gate.
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Earl Sandwy. The kingdom's loyal knight who'd resisted to the bitter end.
"Earl Sandwy's head? Why would an imperial knight like you...?"
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"Though we ended up enemies due to our positions, Earl Sandwy was no knight who deserved such mockery."
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"Hold on—does that mean the empire didn't do this?"
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"...I can't go into details, but there were people who despised the border earl. Quite a few, in fact."
It felt like a hammer blow to the head. I'd believed the empire was an irreconcilable foe.
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But what was this now?
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Kingdom nobles betraying their own, while an enemy knight retrieves the corpse.
"And the reason I came alone... Lord Blackguard, it's to persuade you."
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"Persuade me?"
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"I've heard of your feats and loyalty. But no matter how exceptional the talent, limits exist."
Randkool's gaze shifted behind me. No need to look—I knew what he meant.
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Twenty soldiers at most, refugees who'd never held a weapon. A shoddy palisade.
Equipment, resources, manpower, food—nothing in abundance.
He was urging me indirectly: cease this futile resistance and surrender.
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His words were so warm, so sweet. Part of me wanted to surrender right then.
"Just as I can't choose different parents, how could I abandon the homeland heaven granted me?"
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That was the problem—I couldn't.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Fucking imperial bastards!!"
Viscount Dermus couldn't contain his rage and kicked a nearby rock. Fucking bastards.
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Of course, thanks to them, they'd eliminated the thorn in his side known as the earl.
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But their actions weren't much different from the earl's. Just like yesterday.
[Send the letter via messenger.]
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[Is that necessary? Just send the army and crush them...]
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[We should at least give them a chance to surrender.]
The same. The exact same eyes. Like the damned earl, looking down as if teaching him a lesson.
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But surrendered nobles had no choices, so he'd had no option but to comply.
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That's why he'd secretly swapped the letter. For one that screamed "trap" to anyone reading it.
Thanks to that, as expected, they hadn't surrendered by the next day. Now he could wipe them out.
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That's what he'd thought. Until the imperial knight who'd gone alone to the enemy camp yesterday made his proposal.
"How about testing the mettle of nobles who've surrendered to the empire this time?"
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"Hm, not a bad idea. Viscount Dermus, you were assigned about 200 disarmed soldiers under your command, right?"
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"Y-yes, but wouldn't it be better to just charge in all at once?"
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"Are you saying you'd fail to beat even 20 with 200 and refuse?"
The empire had already accurately grasped Lord Blackguard's forces through intelligence.
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Question the intel here, and he'd just get angry at the doubt.
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In the end, Viscount Dermus had no choice but to lead his troops out, swallowing his resentment.
"A-are we really doing this alone?"
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"What do you expect? Shall we hire mercenaries?"
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"But the rumors are everywhere. That he massacred 200 single-handedly..."
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"Ha! To think an idiot who actually believes that nonsense is under my command!"
Viscount Dermus was dumbfounded. His blood already boiling, and now this dimwitted subordinate pouring oil on the fire.
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Inevitably, a familiar bellow escaped his lips.
"I know Blackguard Viscount well enough. He's just a country bumpkin. And that bumpkin massacred 200 alone?"
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"Still, didn't he evade the imperial army and make it here?"
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"Pure luck. Or they spread bullshit rumors to cover their own incompetence."
Thinking about it, that made sense. Failing to catch 250 refugees?
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No excuse for that. So to make amends, they'd exaggerated the enemy's strength in reports. And those became rumors.
Blowing the numbers way out of proportion. And Viscount Dermus knew it best.
After all, he'd been the one spreading such rumors more than anyone, from past to present.
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At least arriving without boredom, thanks to his subordinate, was some small comfort.
'Tch, look at that pathetic setup. No better than a pigsty.'
The moment they arrived, Viscount Dermus spotted the ramshackle palisade.
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Even the entrance wasn't properly blocked—the interior was fully visible from outside.
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Until a familiar face stepped forward, blocking the view like a gate.
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Black hair, black eyes. Exactly as Viscount remembered Cain Blackguard.
"Long time no see, Blackguard."
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"Do I know you?"
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"Don't tell me you've forgotten me? Well, not surprising. You've never been the sharpest tool in the shed."
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"I know Viscount Dermus, but not the dog who gladly sold out his lord."
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"How dare you...!!!"
In that moment of boiling fury, a brilliant idea struck like lightning from the sky.
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Yes, Blackguard. Somehow you'd gotten lucky and made it here without ditching the folk.
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But could you keep that stiff neck after hearing this next proposal?
"Fine, Blackguard. I hear you didn't abandon a single territory folk to get here."
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"What are you getting at?"
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"Hand over all the territory folk to me. Do that, and I'll spare your life."
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"......"
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"Of course, every single one handed over will die. Horribly! That much, I promise gladly."
Expose the truth behind the overhyped rumors right in front of everyone. Strip away the filthy pretense.
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Loud enough for all to hear. Shouting on purpose. Come on, prove it.
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That you're no noble soul like the rumors say. That you're just like me in the end!
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As all eyes focused on him from the unexpected offer, he finally spoke.
"The territory folk are behind me."
Of course! Viscount Dermus grinned in ecstasy, thinking it had worked.
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"Yes! That's it. Exactly! A noble's life is worth more than those lowly scum..."
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"In front of them are the soldiers."
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"...?"
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"And at the very front is me."
But the viscount's repulsive smile didn't last long against Cain's calm reply.
"What are you saying...?"
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"Still don't get it?"
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Kill me if you can.