Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: Subjugation
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A soldier lay on the ground, gagging.
“Huh?”
“……?”
The remaining soldiers froze in place.
It was all too sudden.
The atmosphere had been fine right up until they left the territory, so what was happening?
And for a mere adventurer to strike a lord's soldier.
‘…Is he insane?!’
The soldiers were vaguely aware that Lee Shin had accumulated a fair amount of merit, but even so, this was madness.
The territory's soldiers were, in principle, all possessions of the lord.
They wore uniforms bearing the family crest and were sworn to obey only the lord's commands.
Yet he had assaulted one of those very soldiers?
From the lord's perspective, it wouldn't be strange at all to interpret this as a challenge to his authority.
In other words, if the soldiers returned and reported this, Lee Shin was finished.
Not only would he be punished, but in the worst-case scenario, he might never be able to set foot in the territory again through normal means.
Everything he had built up would be gone in an instant.
“…What is the meaning of this!!?”
The first soldier to regain his senses shouted.
Lee Shin replied nonchalantly.
“What is?”
“What do you mean, what is… You just hit him!”
“Well, they have to be beaten up a bit to look like real prisoners.”
“What nonsense are you…. No, that’s enough.”
[The soldiers' affinity has become negative.]
[The soldiers refuse to obey commands.]
“Enough?”
“Yes, we don’t need an explanation. We will report this to the lord as is.”
The soldier frowned at Lee Shin’s words, helped his fallen comrade to his feet, and turned away.
It looked like they were about to head back to the territory immediately!
But their path was blocked by the knights Lee Shin had brought with him.
“…What is this?”
“……”
“You insolent… Get out of our way now, or we’ll cut you down!”
When the thugs blocked their path, the soldiers shouted derisively.
No matter how strong a few thugs were, they were no match for properly trained soldiers.
Of course, they weren't thugs but knights, but the soldiers had no way of knowing that.
“……”
Hearing the soldiers' threats, the knights glanced toward Lee Shin.
Lee Shin nodded his head.
“Rough them up a bit.”
“To what extent, sir?”
“Just enough so they can still talk.”
“…Understood.”
In other words, beat them to within an inch of their lives.
The soldiers tilted their heads at this exchange between Lee Shin and the knights.
What kind of conversation was this?
“……?”
“What are you talking about….”
They would soon find out what it meant firsthand.
Upon receiving Lee Shin’s command, the knights began to brutally beat down the soldiers.
*Thwack! Thwack-thwack-thwack!!*
“Keuk!?!”
“Gaaah!”
“…Keuk!? Are you all insane?! If you don’t stop right now….”
*Crack!!*
“…Guaaaah!”
“You crazy…?! Just attack!”
Realizing they couldn't reason with their opponents, the soldiers drew their swords without hesitation.
Since their warnings were being ignored, they intended to simply cut them down and move on!
“……?”
“Hm?”
…But it wasn't long before they realized something was very wrong with the situation.
Their opponents were too strong.
Strangely so, for a bunch of thugs.
“…W-What the!”
Their attacks weren't landing at all!
Even when they swung with the intent to kill, their swords just cut through empty air.
Meanwhile, they couldn't seem to dodge the enemy's attacks.
It was only then that the soldiers realized their opponents were no ordinary thugs.
They didn't know their exact identities, but it was clear they were not on a level they could handle.
The moment they realized this, the soldiers changed their tune.
“W-Wait!”
“……?”
If they kept getting beaten like this, they felt like they would actually die.
The soldiers waved their hands frantically and shouted.
“Talk! Let’s talk!”
“……Talk?”
“Yes! Talk!”
At the soldiers’ cry, the knights looked back at Lee Shin.
Their expressions clearly asked, ‘What should we do?’
Normally, Lee Shin would have stopped things here….
‘When you do something, you have to do it right.’
But not this time.
With particularly prideful NPCs like these soldiers, it was best to break their spirit early to avoid future trouble.
If he stopped now, it wouldn't be surprising if they tried to defy him again later. Lee Shin had drawn his sword, and he intended to see it through to the end.
“What are you doing? Continue.”
“……!”
“Don’t stop until I say so.”
***
Ten minutes later.
*Thwack! Thwack-thwack!*
The brutal sounds of a beating.
And following it, the wails of the soldiers, now sounding quite cornered.
“*Sob, sob…!*”
“Stop, please stop!”
“We’re really going to die…!”
Lee Shin turned his head.
At first, the soldiers seemed to try and endure it out of pride, but there was no way ordinary soldiers could manage that.
‘Not a chance.’
In the end, pride and everything else were powerless before overwhelming violence.
The soldiers soon burst into tears and snot, begging Lee Shin.
Pleading with him to stop.
But.
“What was that? I can’t hear you.”
“We’ll do anything!”
“What was that? I can’t hear you.”
“What…! We’ll do as you say!”
“What was that? I can’t hear you.”
Even though Lee Shin had heard them perfectly well, he feigned ignorance, casually cleaning out his ear.
The meaning behind this was clear.
*Hurry up and bow your heads lower, and show me the backs of your necks!*
“We’ll do… huh?”
“……!”
It was a humiliating demand that required them to cast aside all pride, but for the soldiers facing a threat to their lives, pride no longer mattered.
“W-We will.”
The soldiers hastily corrected themselves.
They had to live, first and foremost!
“What was that? I can’t hear…”
“We will do it!!”
“……Please!! Grant us the opportunity to become Sir Arthur’s prisoners!!!”
[You have completely subjugated the soldiers.]
[Your notoriety increases.]
[Caution! If this fact becomes known to Count Killaim, he will become extremely furious.]
[All your merit will be confiscated, and in the worst-case scenario, you may be executed.]
Finally, a declaration of defeat!
Lee Shin grinned.
“Good. I can hear you much better now.”
Lee Shin unfolded his arms and called off the knights.
The soldiers cautiously raised their heads.
“A-Are you sparing us?”
“We’ll see how you behave.”
“……”
“No answer?”
“……Hic!”
“W-We’ll do whatever you command!!”
[Your threats have terrified the soldiers!]
[The soldiers will now unconditionally obey your commands.]
At Lee Shin’s casually thrown words, the soldiers trembled and prostrated themselves on the ground.
An incredible overreaction!
It was a clear indication of just how much fear Lee Shin had instilled in them.
‘Good.’
This worked out well for him.
By planting such thorough fear in them, they would never be able to defy him, no matter how the situation changed.
Lee Shin cleared his throat and spoke.
“What you have to do is simple.”
“What is it?”
“We’ll be meeting a count soon. When we do, all you have to do is agree with whatever I say.”
“……? Yes?”
“You’re meeting the count…?”
*Is he going to his death?*
The soldiers stared at Lee Shin as if he were a madman.
At their gazes, Lee Shin added briefly.
“Not your count.”
“……?”
“The person we’re meeting is Count Rodin.”
“……Ah!”
***
[You have arrived at the Amphiri Territory.]
They arrived at the territory shortly after.
Lee Shin went to see the count immediately.
The count was so surprised to see Lee Shin return after only a few days that his jaw dropped.
“I have returned.”
“What, you’re finished already?!”
“Haha, did I not promise I would be back soon?”
[<Territory Quest – Count Rodin's Revenge> has been completed!]
[You have acquired experience.]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
“I thought it would take at least a few more days… Truly remarkable!”
“Well, I’m used to this sort of thing….”
“…What did you just say?”
“Haha, it was nothing. It was more thanks to your faith in me than my own abilities.”
“And humble, too…!”
[The count is impressed by your humility.]
[The count's affinity has greatly increased.]
[The count will now trust most of what you say.]
“So, how was it? That fellow’s territory?”
“It was quite chaotic. I stirred things up quite a bit, so it should be even worse now.”
“Is that so? Hahaha! He dared to covet another’s territory; it serves him right!”
[The count's mood improves.]
[The count's affinity increases.]
“Hahahaha!!”
“……”
“Haha! Kuhahaha!”
The count roared with laughter!
He laughed so hard that his uvula was visible.
Just how much joy did another’s misfortune bring him to laugh like this?
‘…They must have really been on bad terms.’
Or perhaps the recent exchange had soured their relationship even further.
Whatever the case, the situation was unfolding just as Lee Shin intended.
He let the count laugh for a bit before interjecting at an appropriate moment.
“By the way…”
“Haha… Yes?”
“Actually, apart from the chaotic atmosphere among the residents, I discovered several suspicious movements from the enemy.”
“Suspicious movements? What might those be?”
“I will show you directly. ……Bring them in!”
“Yes, sir.”
At Lee Shin’s command, Gillaim brought in the soldiers who had been waiting outside.
They were a mess, having been beaten to a pulp.
At the sight, the count frowned and asked.
“……They’re in a sorry state. Who are these men?”
“They are soldiers from the enemy territory that I captured.”
“I see. ……Wait, what did you say!?”
The count shot up from his seat in surprise.
“Y-You captured soldiers!?”
“Yes.”
“How did that happen!?”
“It’s a long story……”
Licking his lips, Lee Shin began his explanation, rubbing his palms together.
Lee Shin's explanation (which was, of course, entirely fabricated) went like this:
-While carrying out his mission in the enemy territory, he spotted several merchants with suspicious appearances.
-They were unusually well-armed, which raised his suspicions, so he investigated further and found they were soldiers disguised as merchants.
-After beating them and interrogating them, they confessed they had been ordered by Count Killaim to infiltrate the Amphiri Territory.
“In other words, Count Killaim had more than one trick up his sleeve.”
“Is that so…!?”
“……”
“Isn’t that right?”
“Y-Yes, it is!!! Absolutely right!”
“Count Killaim, that scoundrel, ordered us to do it!”
The beating had its effect!
The trembling soldiers answered Lee Shin’s question with a resounding shout.
Thanks to them, Count Rodin was completely taken in.
*So he really wants to take this all the way…!*
“That bastard, how dare he!”
[You have deceived the count!]
[If the lie is discovered…]
“What will you do?”
“What else? I must repay him in kind!”
“If that’s the case, I have a good idea.”
“You do? As expected, you’re the only one I can count on. So reliable. What is your plan?”
The plan was simple.
“We send our own soldiers in disguise. But we send far more than he did, and much more covertly.”
“And?”
“We have to make an example of them, don’t we? We wait for the right moment, attack one or two of their military facilities, and then pull out.”
“Hmm……”
The count pondered for a moment before answering.
“It sounds plausible……. But we haven’t prepared for such a plan. I’m concerned whether the soldiers can carry out a sudden mission like this properly.”
“That won’t be a problem.”
“It won’t?”
“You have me, don’t you? If you entrust them to me, I will lead the soldiers.”
“……!”
The count’s eyes widened at Lee Shin’s request.
“You? But you don’t know much about their military facilities, do you?”
“That’s not true. I took the opportunity to scout them out while I was there.”
“Indeed…!”
[The count is impressed.]
“I didn’t expect things to turn out this way either…… Haha, I was lucky.”
“When luck repeats itself, it becomes skill. Very well. I will trust you once more!]
*Tiring.*
[A quest has been generated.]
**Territory Quest – Count Rodin's Revenge (2)**
Count Rodin…
…….
…Complete the count's revenge!
By using the soldiers to strike the enemy's military facilities, you will greatly satisfy the count.
If you succeed in the mission, the count will trust you even more.
- **Quest Reward:** Count Rodin's Trust.
- **Time Limit:** 14 days.