novelraw Chapter 112 : Chapter 112
Chapter 112 : Chapter 112
Chapter 112: Assault on the Capital (1)
“The secret that I killed the viscount.”
My sudden confession left the knights momentarily speechless.
A beat later, they realized the gravity of my words and leapt to their feet.
“Young Count! How dare you!”
“What are you saying?!”
Some were ready to cut me down, their hands already on their swords.
But I crossed my arms, shrugging with an air of nonchalance.
“Let’s be honest with each other. Was your loyalty to the viscount truly pure? Or was it because of the rewards you’d get from the orb?”
At my provocative question, one knight raised his voice.
“Of course it was pure loyalty to our lord!”
But his words didn’t match his true feelings.
What they really wanted was the vast wealth they’d gain by securing the orb.
Even the scraps of that fortune would let them live in luxury for the rest of their lives.
Moreover, most of the knights gathered here barely had enough wealth to maintain their status.
Naturally, their greed for money was overwhelming in this situation.
“Really? Do you truly believe that?”
Before coming here, I recalled what Viscount Argon had told me while we sent off the viscount’s body.
Viscount Card himself wasn’t exactly wealthy. Maintaining his private army was costly, and even those expenses were covered by payments for aiding the duke.
Unlike the south, most northern domains lacked the resources to be self-sufficient.
As a result, Viscount Card Laper himself wasn’t particularly affluent, and the knights under him were in an even worse position.
So it’s only natural they’d set their sights on our count family’s wealth. With the rest of the family gone, they must’ve thought I’d be easy prey.
Even as one of the knights drew his sword, I remained unshaken and continued speaking calmly.
“How much were you promised if you got the orb?”
“Shut up! Insult the viscount’s honor any further, and…”
“I’ll pay you that amount.”
The knight froze.
Seizing the opportunity, I added, “Let’s be honest. You’re not really driven by pure loyalty, are you?”
No one answered readily.
It was because of their fragile pride and honor.
“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not asking for your loyalty. I’m offering to hire you with fair compensation to fight for the kingdom.”
“…”
Buying knights with money was an act that tarnished honor, but I gave them an excuse to rationalize their actions.
Fight for the kingdom.
Even for these self-serving men, they couldn’t bear the stigma of turning their backs on the kingdom.
Now, the knights had a convenient justification for their actions.
“Will you truly keep that promise, Young Count?”
“Of course. Unless you’re unwilling to fight for the kingdom? Or perhaps you think I won’t keep my word?”
“…”
“Don’t worry. I’m a noble, too. I swear on my family’s and my parents’ honor to keep that promise.”
From that moment, the knights began justifying their choice.
If you think about it, we don’t have to be enemies with the Young Count. There’s no direct grudge…
The Lafard Count Family has immense wealth beyond the orb. If he keeps his promise, we’ll be set for life.
Right, he’s not even asking us to be his allies.
This rationalization, combined with their precarious situation, was enough to sway them.
Though they said nothing, their hearts had already shifted, and they looked to Gennard.
Representing them, Gennard spoke heavily.
“We’ll follow for now, as we share a common enemy. But we’ll be following Viscount Argon, not you.”
“Do as you please. That’s more convenient for me.”
Only then did I uncross my arms and extend my hand.
“I didn’t expect you to follow me from the start anyway. Still, let’s work together for the kingdom.”
Gennard hesitated before shaking my hand.
With the agreement sealed, I left them behind.
Soon after, Gaiard quietly emerged from the darkness, questioning my actions.
“That was unexpected. I thought you’d cut them all down.”
“Normally, I might have. But the kingdom comes first right now.”
“Are you really going to let those guys go after the war? Humans can betray at any moment.”
Having experienced betrayal many times, Gaiard emphasized this point.
But I, too, had my share of betrayals and had my own plans.
“If they survive the war, that is. But I don’t think that’s likely.”
Blinded by the promise of reward, Gennard and the viscount’s knights failed to grasp the reality of their situation.
“The path we’re on is practically a death sentence. With this small force, we have to hold off the Kandahr Tribe’s army.”
“Exactly. Surviving a fight against Bakan’s army isn’t easy.”
“But if they do survive, I’ll pay them. They’ll have fought for the kingdom, after all. Not that it’s my money anyway.”
Having temporarily neutralized the potential threat of the viscount’s remnants, I finally took a moment to rest.
But that rest was short-lived, interrupted by the arrival of a scout.
The scout’s appearance instantly turned the atmosphere tense.
“Disaster! The capital… the capital…”
Seeing the scout gasping for breath, Viscount Argon calmed him.
“Catch your breath and speak clearly.”
“The capital seems to have fallen! The walls have collapsed, and flames are rising everywhere!”
“What?!”
The scout’s report painted a far graver situation than imagined.
“Is that true? Are you sure you didn’t see wrong?”
“I saw it with my own eyes!”
“Damn it! Young Count, we can’t delay any longer.”
“I agree. We need to move quickly.”
The fall of the capital.
It was happening much faster than I had anticipated.
They really breached those walls and advanced? Even the strongest siege weapons shouldn’t be able to take it down…
Blaming myself for underestimating the barbarians’ strength and cunning, I hurriedly organized the camp.
Meanwhile, Argon mounted his horse and shouted for all to hear.
“Everyone, rise! We move now! Our target is Kaien!”
With a loud cry, Viscount Argon took the lead, galloping forward, and I followed close behind.
***
Kaien, the capital.
The homes of the common folk were engulfed in flames, belching black smoke.
The streets were lined endlessly with the bodies of soldiers who had fallen valiantly trying to repel the barbarian invasion.
At the center of it all stood the captain of the capital’s guard.
Despite having lost one arm, he fought desperately to hold back the enemy.
“Not one more of you bastards will pass…!”
But the captain’s resolute determination was nothing but futile struggling before Drenbalk.
Drenbalk seized the captain’s head with one hand.
“Urgh!”
The captain thrashed to break free from the massive grip, but he couldn’t move an inch.
“A puny insect like you dares to stand in my way? The city’s already been breached from all sides.”
As Drenbalk tightened his grip, the captain’s helmet crumpled like paper.
“Arghhh!!!”
The captain, struggling desperately, soon went limp.
Red blood slowly trickled from the crushed helmet.
“Whether it’s this one or that one, they’re all just pathetic worms.”
Drenbalk tossed the corpse aside like garbage and yawned, bored.
At that moment, a warrior from the Thunderbear Tribe rushed to his side.
“Chieftain!”
“Well, what’s the news? Did that fool Morcal really breach the castle?”
“No, sir. The Black Snake Tribe has failed to take the castle.”
Hearing this, Drenbalk let out a hearty laugh.
“Hahaha! Just as I thought! That Morcal, boasting about his fancy weapons, amounted to nothing in the end.”
The siege weapons led by Morcal’s Black Snake Tribe were highly effective at toppling the capital’s outer walls.
But dragging such massive equipment through the complex, narrow streets of the city was impossible.
In the end, they had to assault the castle directly without their siege weapons, but the castle, surrounded by a moat and standing resolute, was far from an easy target.
“He wasted time dawdling, and now he’s paid the price. If he’d listened to me from the start, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
Morcal had spent a full three days crafting his weapons.
Despite all that effort, his strategy proved utterly ineffective when it came to the critical task of capturing the castle.
“Tomorrow marks the agreed-upon four days. The time has come, so prepare for us to take the field ourselves.”
Drenbalk had deliberately marched slowly, biding his time.
He had predicted from the beginning that the Black Snake Tribe alone couldn’t conquer the castle.
“Yes, Chieftain!”
Drenbalk issued another command.
“And bring that one before me.”
“Understood!”
Moments later, the warrior returned, dragging a prisoner bound tightly in chains.
The prisoner was none other than Everhart, the head instructor of Lansed Academy.
His body was battered from brutal torture, and even the gag in his mouth was stained with red blood.
“That one’s got a fire in his eyes I like.”
“…”
Everhart’s gaze burned with unyielding hatred.
Drenbalk roughly grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at the castle.
“Look closely. Tomorrow, it’s our turn to crush that castle.”
“…”
“That means it’s time to send those precious academy cadets you cherish so much to the front lines.”
Realizing the meaning of his words, Everhart thrashed violently, but a nearby warrior struck his back with a club.
“Mmph! Mmph!”
Even so, Everhart didn’t flinch.
If his chains were unbound, he looked ready to tear out Drenbalk’s throat with his teeth.
“Don’t be too upset. I’ll kill you first, so you won’t have to watch your students die.”
“Mmph!!!”
Blood dripped again from the gag as Everhart’s rage consumed him.
The unbearable reality of his powerlessness filled him with a soul-crushing sense of despair.
God or devil, it didn’t matter—if someone could free him, he would give his life to protect his students.