111
My Villains Chapter 111
28. Longville (3)
As the old lord sent a sharp glance, Utequais's expression hardened.
This guy looks scared for the first ti-
"Burp!"
-This crazy guy.
Utequais's refreshing belch instantly wrinkled the lord's face.
"Y-you disrespectful bastard-"
"The disrespectful one is the lord."
"What did you say?!"
"We three have received kindness from Prince Ulkar."
Utequais leaned back in his chair and pointed at me.
"Phoenix is the Prince's knight. Yet you mocked the Prince and laughed at his misfortune in front of Phoenix. That's disrespectful."
After saying this and patting his belly satisfactorily, the lord began to tremble with rage.
"You, barbarian... So I should praise the Prince? That young man who made me disabled!"
"If you don't know, shut your mouth. That's the wisest thing to do."
Oh, I was about to stop him, but it felt too good.
Bang!
The enraged lord jumped up from his seat.
"Sir Killian, these guys right now-"
Looking alternately at me and Utequais and trembling with rage, the lord suddenly seemed to have another thought and shook his head.
"-No, wait."
Muttering this, he then wore a disgusting, sinister smile.
"You came to Longville to cross Graduel Mountain, right?"
"...Yes."
"Then you'll have to help clear the path? A knight of the Silver Prince can't just hang back."
His half-clouded eyes turned to me. Clear malice could be felt in his blurry eyes.
I met that malice and asked back, "Do you need help?"
"Help? Hehe, help?"
The lord, chuckling low, nodded his head.
"A knight of Prince Ulkar indeed. How arrogant."
"Yes. I'll give you a good opportunity. Prove your abilities until the hunting festival ends."
Hunting festival? What's a hunting festival?
"I'll judge whether you're qualified to be this arrogant based on the game you hunt, or if you're just a braggart."
The lord emptied his wine glass in one gulp. Then, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he continued.
"Well, you can run away. But the entire kingdom will mock Prince Ulkar. Saying he stationed a knight too scared of dogs to wag his tail."
"Actually, running away might be wiser. If you struggle and fail to achieve results, you'll pay the price for being disrespectful to the lord."
"Heh. Ridiculous-"
I quickly covered Utequais's mouth before he could speak.
I recalled the time I briefly became a knight. Then I gave the lord a bright smile.
"Prince Ulkar has given me one command."
"...Ulkar?"
"Yes. 'Protect the weak and do good'. The only order the prince gave me."
"So I'll gladly help. Baron Malory."
The lord's face turned bright red. The old man, who looked like he was about to shout something, gritted his teeth and said,
"Looks like the meal is over. Get out."
"How unfortunate. I should have warned you in advance."
Sir Killian scratched his pale chin.
"I'm becoming quite forgetful these days. Please understand."
"No, you don't need to apologize."
I pointed at the following Utequais and sighed.
"He's the problem. He's a bit weak in this region's etiquette."
"I'm not weak in etiquette."
Utequais, holding reins in one hand and Lump in the other, protested.
"I am Hatanka of Likuwa. A noble person."
"..Oh, right. Sure."
"Phoenix, don't you trust me!"
"Oh, I trust you, so just be quiet."
Utequais clicked his tongue and closed his mouth, and Ellen shook her head.
"That barbarian, I'll have to separate him when meeting a nobleman. If the Baron wasn't a devout person, who knows what might have happened."
Ellen was talking about the doctrine of the Luminous Church.
The 'custom of hospitality' (where the host protects the guest and the guest respects the host) that exists everywhere in the world is deeply ingrained as a doctrine in the Luminous Church.
From the Baron's perspective, since his wife had invited me as a guest, he couldn't easily harm me. He was being rude because the Baron spoke first.
Lord Killian smiled slightly, seeming to know this well.
"Still, I want to thank Lord Phoenix. You endured well."
"Ah, well."
"Your tongue was a bit spicy, but since the lord was insulted, that's understandable. I understand completely."
A lord.
I don't consider Prince Ulkar my lord, but in terms of social status, a master-servant relationship has been established, which is quite troublesome.
Becoming a knight has made it convenient to prove Ellen's status, but today's conflict with the lord is ultimately because of Prince Ulkar...
"Oh, Lord Killian. I have a question."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Since I haven't been serving Prince Ulkar for long, why does the Baron dislike the prince so much?"
"Ah, that."
Lord Killian made a bitter smile and asked,
"Have you heard of the 'Thousand-Day War'?"
"Yes. I've heard about it."
I recalled the story I heard from Ellen during our journey.
The Zeore royal family, which established the Milanol Kingdom, had been ruling a vast land for over 150 years.
Most of the seven kings, including the current King Lionel III, were rulers who could be described as brave or, less kindly, brutal.
The first king of Milanol rose to the throne by repeatedly defeating and subjugating numerous local powers, so it was natural that his descendants were also like thugs.
However, the current king was somewhat less violent compared to his ancestors.
While previous kings had nicknames like 'Conquest King', 'Poison King', 'Knight King', and 'Stern King', the current king's nickname is 'Pious King'.
Now that the king had even become elderly, how vulnerable he must have appeared.
Thus, the seven great nobles united and raised a rebellion. They were dissatisfied with the king's vast direct territory and started a rebellion.
"At that time, the Baron was the commander of the rebel army."
"The Baron? How could he with that old body?"
"What are you talking about. He was in his prime then. He was in his thirties."
Wait, what? Thirties?
The Thousand-Day War was just 4-5 years ago?
"Wait, how old is the Baron now?"
"He's forty-three this year."
"...Forty-three? But how could his face..."
He definitely looked like a well-over-sixty elderly man, but he's forty-three?
Lord Killian continued with a bitter smile.
Baron Malory, or Baron Malory at the time, was a renowned military commander. He effectively led the entire alliance of great nobles.
Shortly after the war began, the rebel army defeated the royalist forces through several battles and pressured the royal capital and direct territories.
Around the time they began the siege of the royal capital, Prince Ulkar appeared.
Although he had achieved military merits in various battles, the prince was just a twenty-year-old youth at the time. Like other nobles, Baron Malory looked down on the prince.
After that, the rebel army never won again. They fought twenty times in half a year and were defeated every time.
Three of the seven great nobles were captured, two were killed. The remaining two surrendered.
Baron Malory was captured along with his lord, Count Tristan. The great noble Count Tristan was released through negotiations, but Baron Malory was a prisoner for three years.
Finally freed, Baron Malory faced his lord's cold treatment. Moreover, he lost the baron's position that his family had held for three generations and most of his territories.
"The shock from back then made him age like that."
I'm not sure whether I should say it's sad or just typical.
And regardless of my impression, I clearly know why Baron Malory hates Prince Ulkar.
Guided by Sir Killian, the place we arrived at was a large tavern called the 'Golden Knife'.
It was a building that stood out even from a distance. Not only was it massive, but while most surrounding buildings had thatched roofs, this one had red tiles on its roof.
Moreover, it even had a stable attached to one side. In front of the stable sat a young man who looked to be in his late teens, who quickly brushed off his bottom and ran over when he saw us.
"Please take the reins. You're staying, right?"
"Do you have rooms?"
"I think there are probably three or four left. We have tons of rooms."
The young man with prominent canine teeth smiled while stroking spotty's head.
"Wow, this guy is really handsome. What feed should I prepare?"
"What do you have?"
"Hay and straw are one coin every two days, and oats are two coins a day."
"Don't you have beans?"
"Oh, if you give me three coins, I'll mix them into the oats."
Suddenly, I remembered the crazy prices during the siege of South Harbor. Back then, a bowl of oat porridge cost three coins.
But here, they're selling enough oats for a horse for just two coins. I know this is typical now, but I still can't quite adjust. It's just so cheap.
I handed the young man a silver coin.
"Here, oats and beans for four days."
"Yes, understood."
And giving him one more coin.
"Take good care of him whenever you can. Brush him, change the bedding often. If you do the job well, I'll give you one more coin."
"Yes, understood!"
I'd heard in the villages that people doing odd jobs like this young man are paid incredibly low wages.
They work all day and receive only a coin or two.
So it was natural that the young man was ecstatic, essentially receiving two weeks' worth of wages as a tip. His face flushed, he quickly tied spotty in the stable and picked up the saddle.
"Come this way, my lord! I'll get you a good spot."
"No, forget about meals, just get me a room."
"Yes!"
The tavern we entered had a restaurant and bar on the first floor, with guest rooms on the second and third floors.
It was a very typical structure, with its main characteristic being that it was the largest inn I'd seen so far.
While carefully surveying the first floor, the noisy tavern suddenly went quiet.
"...What?"
"Is that man a knight?"
"Wow, he's huge. Is he even human?"
"He looks like a barbarian from the west."
Curious glances and low murmurs.
I've gotten quite used to these by now.
"Hmm."
I scanned the slightly over forty guests. By their appearance and attire, most seemed to be mercenaries. It was difficult to examine their faces as they were averting their eyes or lowering their heads.
Looks like there's no sign of Mr. Perso. That's a bit disappointing.
We were guided to the guest rooms right away. Ellen and I took a four-person room, while Utequais rented the entire two-person room opposite. We paid eight silver coins in advance for four days.
While Ellen was bathing, I approached a table of seemingly docile mercenaries.
"Hey, friends. Mind if I sit?"
"...What?"
"We don't know a guy like you."
Looking over their eyes, half filled with curiosity and half with wariness, I smiled.
"Oh, really? Then how about this?"
I grabbed a passing waitress and gave her two silver coins.
"Bring each of them a drink according to the number of people. Make it honey wine, not beer. Serve any leftover meat."
When I turned my head, the mercenaries' wariness had half-disappeared, and they were now glinting their eyes.
Sure, money talks.