Chapter 238: It Would Have Been Different for You (1)
Chapter 238: It Would Have Been Different for You (1)
Prince Dawson and his party were ruthlessly kicked out of the estate’s manor.
However, they did not leave the territory entirely.
He had rented out an entire inn within the estate and was currently fuming.
“How dare they treat me like this! I am the next King of the Harbor Kingdom, yet a mere backwater lord dares to...!”
Dawson felt a profound sense of insult, the likes of which he had never experienced in his life.
If this had happened back in his own country, he would have mobilized the army immediately to wipe the Schneider estate off the map.
But this was a distant foreign land, and the only forces he had with him were a few low-level personal knights and about a hundred porters who doubled as soldiers.
He had originally intended to bring more.
However, due to the war with the Dwarves, it had been difficult to divert a large number of troops, so he had only brought this many.
He regretted that decision immensely now.
“If I had brought even ten thousand troops, I could have scrubbed this territory clean.”
Had he brought ten thousand troops while acting as an envoy to another country, it would have been considered a declaration of war.
Dawson, lacking the intellect to consider such things, gnawed on his fingernails as he pondered his next move.
What should he do?
Should he just go back like this?
He couldn't. Having lived his entire life getting exactly what he wanted, Prince Dawson did not know the meaning of the word 'forfeit.'
It was then that one of Dawson’s aides spoke up.
“Your Highness, since things have come to this, why not show Count Schneider a lesson?”
“I intend to. Do you have a good plan?”
“Heh, who do you think I am? Am I not Your Highness’s right hand? As soon as we arrived, I conducted a thorough investigation into the state of this territory. As a result...”
“Just get to the explanation.”
“Yes. Actually...”
As he listened to the aide’s explanation, a smile spread across Prince Dawson’s face.
“Ho... Is that so? Is that how it is?”
“Yes. There is no mistake.”
“Hehehe... Good. This is perfect.”
The corners of Dawson’s mouth curled into a despicable sneer that reached his ears.
* * *
This may seem sudden, but...
The Schneider estate did have a temple.
It wasn't a formal temple operated by priests sent directly from the Holy Kingdom, but rather a small shrine built with funds gathered by the residents, where they gathered voluntarily to offer prayers.
In fact, as Patrick’s fame grew, the Holy Kingdom had attempted to dispatch an official priest to the Schneider estate.
However, Count Schneider had declined.
No matter how good-natured a man he was, he knew exactly what it meant to accept a priest sent directly from the Holy Kingdom.
A populace united by religion often prioritized the words of a priest over those of their lord, which could lead to severe internal chaos if things went wrong.
Thus, he had politely refused.
However, the fragile human heart naturally seeks solace in religion.
He did not stop the people from building a small temple and praying there.
In fact, he had even provided the funds necessary for its construction.
That was how the Temple of Yupinel came to be.
And there was a beautiful woman who visited it every single day.
“O Yupinel, please look after my son.”
The one offering desperate prayers to the god was Ava, the mistress of the estate.
How could one possibly describe the desperation of a parent with a sick child?
A parent’s heart is such that they would do anything if only they could.
She visited the temple every day at dawn to pray for her son to wake up soon.
Without missing a single day.
The residents, knowing Ava’s heart and fearing they might disturb her, avoided the temple during those hours.
And today, having finished her prayers, Ava offered a single flower to the temple and stepped outside.
“Are you finished, milady?”
“I’m sorry for making you wait.”
“It is no trouble at all.”
The estate’s knights bowed politely as Ava emerged.
Since the Schneider estate enjoyed excellent public security, the need for an escort wasn't great.
Still, as she was the wife of the lord, a minimum escort was necessary, so only two knights accompanied her.
Until now, traveling like this had never been an issue.
Until now, that is.
“Don’t move!”
“Stay quiet if you don’t want to get hurt!”
Black masks and black clothes.
Dozens of mysterious men suddenly appeared, brandishing glittering knives.
For a moment, the knights were stunned.
Robbers?
While petty crimes had increased as the population grew, they had never seen anyone attempt a robbery so brazenly. However...
“Milady, come this way.”
“Do not step out from behind us.”
The knights faithfully performed their duties.
Ava was also somewhat startled, but she calmly followed the knights' instructions.
“Ho... I heard she was the lord’s wife, but I didn't expect her to be such a beauty.”
One of the masked men said, stroking his chin in admiration.
The way his gaze swept over Ava’s body as if searching every inch was deeply unpleasant.
“How dare you...”
“I’ll gouge your eyes out.”
Naturally, the knights were enraged. However, they did not act rashly or charge forward.
The enemy numbered in the dozens, while they were only two.
As long as the safety of Ava, their charge, was the top priority, they could not afford to make a preemptive strike.
Then...
“Attack! Capture the woman without harming her!”
“Yes!”
The masked men charged first.
The escort knights exchanged glances and immediately drew their swords to fight back.
A brilliant Aura shimmered upon their blades.
“Get back!”
“I’ll kill you all!”
As they swung their swords with lethal intent, those at the front of the masked mob were cut in half and killed instantly.
Then, they shouted in booming voices.
“If any of you want to die, step up in order!”
The robbers, overwhelmed by that thunderous shout, hesitated for a moment. But...
“What are you doing? Attack!”
At the sound of the voice urging them from behind, they gritted their teeth and charged again. And the swords of several masked men among them were also shrouded in Aura.
“These guys?”
“You’re no ordinary robbers. Reveal yourselves!”
Despite the escort knights' shouts, the masked robbers charged fiercely as if they had nothing to say.
And so, an untimely battle broke out in the early dawn.
The masked man—or rather, Prince Dawson’s aide—furrowed his brow.
“Tsk, I suppose a knight is still a knight.”
He had thought things would go easily when he realized there were only two escort knights.
But once the battle began, the resistance was formidable.
Even though his side had a vast numerical advantage, it was useless.
Though there were only two of them, the escort knights' skills were significant.
To handle Aura so proficiently... they seem to be at least in the 4-Star Realm.
Normally, they were powerful enough to join a Royal Knight Order without issue.
It was almost incomprehensible why they were stuck in a backwater place like this.
The two knights held their ground, cutting down enemies swarming from all sides and parrying incoming arrows.
They fought with Ava’s protection as their priority, yet they steadily thinned the enemy ranks.
Good. We can do this.
These guys are less than we thought.
At this rate, they would be able to repel the enemy safely. But then...
“Everyone, fall back!”
A masked man who had been watching from the rear shouted loudly. He then pulled something strange from his cloak.
It was a tool that looked like a blunt weapon, slightly curved with a small handle.
The opponent pulled it out and pointed it at the knights as if aiming a crossbow.
Until that moment, the escort knights failed to grasp the situation.
What is that?
A magical tool? No, I don't feel any mana...
Bang!
It happened then.
A hollow sound echoed through the air.
Belatedly, the acrid smell of burning powder spread.
And...
“Gah...!”
“Brandy!”
“Sir Pelson!”
One of the knights collapsed, bleeding.
His comrade and Ava hurriedly checked on the fallen knight. He wasn't dead, but he was coughing up blood, as if something inside him had been ruptured.
“Hehehe. You’ve never seen anything like this before, have you, you hicks?”
The man in the black mask sneered triumphantly. At that sight, the remaining escort knight wanted nothing more than to rush forward and take the man’s head, but...
“Mi... Milady...”
“Damn it, I know.”
He bit his lip hard at his fallen comrade’s plea.
The most important thing right now was the safety of Ava, his charge.
The knight gritted his teeth and held his position.
Meanwhile, the opponent...
“Block him. Don’t let him get near me while I’m reloading.”
He said this while doing something.
He poured black powder into the tool he had just used, dropped in a small ball, and then shoved a small rod into the hole at the front to ram it down.
Reloading? Does a black ball come out of that hole?
It had happened so fast earlier that he hadn't realized.
But he, too, was a 4-Star Knight.
He had seen it with his own eyes.
Something very small had flown at high speed and embedded itself in his comrade’s body.
Should I consider it a very small, fast arrow?
He could dodge it if he tried. However...
“Sir Cotton, I am fine, so please dodge and call for reinforcements. Hurry!”
Grit.
He absolutely could not dodge.
Behind him was the person he was sworn to protect. He gritted his teeth and stood directly in front of Ava, crossing his sword in a defensive stance.
“Hahaha! Die!”
The moment the enemy used that mysterious weapon again...
“Urgh...!”
Thud.
The escort knight tried to block it with his sword instead of dodging.
But the enemy’s attack was much faster than expected, and it ended up piercing his abdomen.
Damn it...
It was only a pea-sized ball that had hit him, but the strength drained from his entire body.
He had never experienced an attack like this before.
His knees buckled, and just as his body was about to pitch forward...
“Sir Cotton!”
Ava’s piercing scream snapped his consciousness back.
Thwack!
He plunged his sword into the ground, forcing his collapsing body to stop. Then, he glared at them with a fierce gaze.
“That... that stubborn bastard.”
“Damn it, just shoot him again.”
“Aim for the head. The head. He’s not wearing a helmet, so it’ll go straight through.”
The enemies shouted, not daring to approach.
It was then.
“Stop!”
Ava shouted in a powerful voice.
She then stepped past the knight protecting her and approached the masked assailants.
“I will go with you quietly, so please, do not lay another hand on them.”
“Milady! Cough...”
“Y-you mustn't!”
The knights tried to stop her even as they were dying.
But Ava was firm.
“There is no point in resisting further.”
Ava’s words were true.
The two knights were already incapacitated.
It was impossible to protect Ava against them in this state. However...
“N-no... Milady.”
“Gah... Run... please. Hurry...”
Even so, the knights tried to stop them, even if it meant sacrificing their lives for Ava.
Coughing up blood, they tried to force their bodies up to fight.
Why? Because it was the right thing to do as a knight?
That might be part of it.
But more importantly, it was because they truly revered and respected Ava.
Not every knight is so devoted to their lord and his family.
But these men were sincere.
Conversely, the desperate sight of those knights only strengthened Ava’s resolve.
“I will follow you. But if you harm my knights any further, I will bite off my tongue right here.”
At her display of iron will, the masked men momentarily recoiled.
Her aura was too intense to be dismissed as a mere bluff.
In the end, they left the knights alone and spoke to Ava.
“Follow us quietly.”
Ava nodded.
The assailants exchanged glances and quickly disappeared, taking Ava with them.
“To... to the Lord... we must report...”
“Guaaaah... Damn it... someone... please...”
The fallen knights were left there for a long time. It was only an hour later that they were discovered by a resident who had come to pray.