Surprisingly, Johan treated the high-ranking pagan pirates among those captured quite well. Even pirates, if they were leaders of a sizable group, typically held a rank equivalent to a knight.

Originally, it was customary among nobles not to kill each other but to take prisoners, but this did not apply to pagan pirates. No one would have complained if they had been killed.

But Johan held back.

‘𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘮.’

The thought of the ransom he would receive filled him with anticipation.

“Count, I am grateful for your honor.”

“There are few values I hold in as high regard as honor.”

At Johan’s words, several leaders expressed their respect. They had to behave wisely towards the count who was responsible for their lives, especially because they were pagans.

“Have you sent an envoy? They should be returning soon, right?”

“That they should.”

Johan looked at the brothers of the Nusard family with a pleased expression.

The brothers of the Nusard family felt intimidated by his gaze. The immense strength Johan had shown when he burst through the door was still vivid in their memory.

They had thought, ‘𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦?’, but later found out he was a count.

It was both absurd and frightening. . .

However, contrary to their worries, Johan was in a very friendly state.

“Still, the nobles and attendants of the Mulc family have not been caught yet. Do you really not know where they went?”

It was surprising that the marquis, who was familiar with the local geography, had been caught, but Ahir, a foreigner from afar, had not.

Upon Johan’s question, one of the leaders jumped up and said.

“Why would we hide where Ahir-gong went if we knew? Especially when you, count, are showing us such mercy!”

“You’re more suspicious when you get so agitated.”

“No! If only I could split my chest open to show you my sincerity!”

The pirate knight pounded his chest, shouting in frustration.

‘𝘏𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦. . .’

The Mulc family seemed to be quite famous in the east. The thought of the ransom was too tempting.

‘𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴?’

In this world, it was honestly hard to find someone who decided to hide. There were too many undeveloped forests and mountains.

Of course, hiding in such places was also tough for the hider, having to face monsters and wild beasts barehanded. . .

But desperate people would still enter. Just as Johan had escaped through the forest, so could the nobles of the Mulc family.

“Your Excellency. The envoys from the republic have returned.”

“Ah, good.”

The faces of the hostages brightened at the servant’s words. They would soon be released and able to return home.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

“. . .What in the world is this?”

Johan looked at the people of the republic with disbelief. Their heads were completely shaved, and they had tattoos on their foreheads. They trembled and burst into tears.

“Your Excellency! Please appease our resentment!”

Upon Johan’s order, the envoy of the republic didn’t hesitate and headed towards the hundred kingdoms.

The order was furious, saying ‘𝘋𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘮,’  but few forces in the peninsula listened to that. The city-states were making huge profits from trade with the East, and even the Empire’s nobles coveted the wealth of the East.

Naturally, the republic also had connections with the Jekyllid Hundred Kingdoms. Sending an envoy was not difficult.

. . .But upon facing the face of the count of Jekyllid, all such thoughts vanished.

━𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟𝐟, 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐞𝐤𝐲𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲??

━𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲, 𝐄𝐦𝐢𝐫 𝐉𝐞𝐤𝐲𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐝, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭. 𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐦. . .

━𝐀 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐬! 𝐀𝐥𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐟𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐝’𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡.

━𝐄𝐮𝐠𝐡!

To the newly appeared Johan, the count of Jekyllid saw nothing but a lucky, upstart mercenary captain. It was outrageous for someone not from a deeply rooted noble family from the south to audaciously demand a ransom.

The republic envoy was stunned. It seemed that the Count of Jekyllid was miscalculating the situation.

Did he not know that the man he had just insulted as a wandering mercenary was the leader of the south?

Even a mercenary captain with no background, if he had an army of ten thousand, would have the power of a king of a country. And if he was a nobleman of Johan’s legitimacy, he was not someone the count of Jekyllid should insult.

With the support of the church and vassals, what kind of courage was this?

━𝐆𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐞𝐤𝐲𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲’𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬. 𝐖𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐲 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐦! 𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐞𝐤𝐲𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐝 𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲’𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫, 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲.

“. . .he said that.”

“. . . . . .”

Johan snickered. Sometimes, in the face of utterly ridiculous situations, people are more prone to laugh than to get angry. Just like now.

“This son of a b*tch. . . I’ll kill him!”

“If I don’t rip out his heart and offer it, I’m no warrior!”

Fierce cries erupted among Johan’s warriors. Their eyes were ferocious with rage. If the count had been in front of them, they would have torn him to pieces.

“Calm down. There’s no need to react to every insult of these pagans.”

“. . . . . .”

‘𝘏𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥?’

If he wasn’t crazed with a desire for battle, there was no reason for such provocation. Johan was truly a wonder.

Why do nobles act on their whims without considering the consequences?

“If they want war, we’ll give them war. Don’t worry! We will surely avenge this grudge.”

A cheer erupted among Johan’s subordinates.

The vassals’ forces had returned to their fiefdoms, but there were still mercenaries who pledged their loyalty to Johan. They were very angry at the insult Johan had received.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

ᴀ𝐰𝔢𝙗𝘴𝘵𝐨𝘳𝐢ᴇ𝘴.𝚌𝔬𝕞

‘. . .𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺.’

Although he shouted firmly in front of others, Johan was not someone who lived as he pleased, like the Count of Jekyllid.

It was winter, and the matter with Viscount Ginolen was still unresolved. He had no intention of leaving it be and going on an expedition.

Ultimately, stability was key. Johan did not intend to govern his fiefdom precariously like other nobles. He didn’t want to suffer from rebellion by just leaving it to the administrator and village chiefs and extorting taxes.

During the winter, Johan hunted the remaining pirate remnants, rogue bands, and monsters, and made charitable donations to the serfs. It was possible because there were surplus mercenaries and a large amount of spoils.

“Your Excellency. A vampire has been spotted in the Viazo forest.”

“!”

During his rounds, an enticing report came in. Vampires were usually nobles from the Eastern Empire. It was definitely the escaped person from the Mulc family.

“Guide me. We must capture him!”

‘𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘴.’

The servant thought so. It was evident from the chatter of the surrounding priests and the fact that Johan was personally intervening. Surely, he wasn’t doing this out of greed for the ransom.