“Your Excellency ! We have come! Allow us to stand before you! We fear you may get hurt!”

The vassals who belatedly arrived shouted as they saw the blood-drenched Johan. Johan paid them no mind and said,

“We’re going into the inner castle! Catch them so they cannot escape!”

The entrance to the inner castle had long, winding staircases designed to make it difficult for enemies to enter easily. The marquis’ castle was also built according to this design.

Johan dismounted then rushed into the inner castle entrance with the knights. The pirates who belatedly heard the news and came out wielding weapons screamed. 

“Close the door! The door. . .”

As the pulley lowered the heavy door downwards, Johan grabbed it with one hand and lifted it upwards.  

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐝!

Seeing the heavy door that could not be lifted by a man’s strength go up, a few pirates pissed themselves.

“De. . . Demon! A demon has entered the castle!”

“Charge!”

Following Johan’s shout, the knights and mercenaries behind him attacked. The pirates scattered inside the castle were slaughtered as they were.

“Hiiiik!”

Johan’s figure walking out ominously from the darkness was like a demon spewing fire as it approached from the darkness of hell.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

The Nusard family’s brothers offered drinks to the other bosses and sub-captains who followed them. They were heavily drunk.

“Nevermind the coward from the Mulc family running away! Anyway he couldn’t do anything. Let’s enjoy this victory today!”

“What’s that sound coming from outside?”

Hearing the sound from outside, the pirates opened the door in confusion. Then a head came flying in. It was the head of the guard they had posted outside.  

“F**king. . .?!”

The sub-captain turned pale and drew his sword. He was a master swordsman, unmatched with the sword. However, before the sub-captain could swing his sword, Johan swung his shield.

The moment they collided, the sub-captain tumbled over without being able to use any of his swordsmanship or skills. Johan kicked the fallen sub-captain’s chin. The sub-captain trembled violently then fell still.

“Are you nobles of the Nusard family?”

“Wha. . . What is this! Weren’t we negotiating?!”  

Johan looked at the protesting pirate. The pirate suddenly felt uneasy. 

𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡!

The pirate’s neck cleanly separated from his body. Johan said calmly,

“How dare petty thieves who make a living by plundering speak so arrogantly to Count Yeats?”

If examined closely, it was a complicated issue. They were pirates, but negotiations had unofficially begun. . . 

But with such ambiguous problems, everything is settled if you win. What’s the problem when there’s no one left to argue?

Rather than give a long, complicated response, Johan decided to silence them.  

It’s only natural for others to quiet down when one dies.

The knights standing behind wore satisfied expressions and nodded. Their lord’s authority was not something mere pirate scums could be arrogant towards. 

“W-What about. . . the soldiers outside?”

The Nusard family’s brothers asked with a glimmer of hope. They hoped the sub-captains leading the pirates outside would send aid somehow.  

“They either surrendered or ran away long ago.”

“. . . . . .”

The pirates paled. How could this make sense? 

There were hundreds inside the castle and over a thousand outside. . .

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

𝐚ᴡ𝕖𝙗ṡ̇ᴛ𝐨𝘳𝐢ė̇𝔰.𝕔𝕠𝘮

The battle ended a full day later. There were so many remnants of the enemies. 

The pirates who belatedly grasped the situation and tried to do something were trampled as they were, and those who tried to escape were caught by the chasing troops.

It’s hard to believe, but the nearly thousand pirates collapsed pitifully like dust.

As the victory was easy, the loyalty and respect of the vassals pierced the sky.

“Congratulations on your great victory, Your Excellency!” 

“If it wasn’t for Your Excellency, who else could have repelled these reckless pirates and rescued the brothers of faith?!”

When the pirates were strong, the vassals were so afraid that they didn’t even dare to go out of the castle. To see them scattered like sand in an instant. . .

In the eyes of the vassals, this was all due to Johan’s power. It would have been an impossible feat without the blessing of God.

Even those vassals who were not so loyal to Johan had to admit it. Otherwise, how could those many pirate groups collapse so easily?

Johan lightly raised his fist. Then the vassals shut their mouths. 

‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩. . .’

Johan also felt the gaze and expectations of the vassals. It was a look as if they saw Johan as the god of war. Loyalty was good, but excessive expectations were no good for Johan either.

To be honest, it was mostly luck to take over the Marquis’ castle. If those damn pirates had defended it properly, we couldn’t have broken through.

Johan originally planned to just surround the castle if he couldn’t take it, and then chase the Marquis or the Ahir first.

Since they took the castle, they’re kind of letting their guard down. . .

But since things turned out this way, he had to meet the expectations the vassals wanted. Saying ‘𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯’ was not the right answer.

“I already knew this would happen.”

“Oh. . .!” 

“As expected. . .”

“A few days ago, I had a dream where a sacred symbol fell on the castle walls. That dream told me we would be victorious.”

Hearing Johan’s words, the vassals made the sign of the cross in unison. Whenever there was an unbelievable victory, it was always faith that made it believable.  

It wasn’t because of Johan’s ability, but because there was God’s blessing!

That was a much more appealing story to the vassals. A capable lord is one thing, but a lord blessed by God is even better to follow.

“Your Excellency. Marquis Crucho is a coward and corrupt man who colluded with pirates and surrendered the castle. Such a man has no qualifications to rule this fiefdom.”

“You’re right, Your Excellency!”

Those who were vassals of Marquis Crucho took the lead. 

They were trying to drive the wedge so Marquis Crucho could not come back. The bishop who was present at the venue also chimed in. He must have already heard the words of the church.

“What you say is true, Your Excellency. If Your Excellency does not rule over this fiefdom, countless brothers in this fiefdom will suffer again at the hands of pirates.”

“Please include this fiefdom in Your Excellency’s countdom and rule over it!”

“All the vassals present here want that as well!”

Voices gathered and the excitement rose. It was a kind of madness.

If any single vassal opposed, they might be torn apart on the spot by the maddened loyalty!