𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 (7)

“Don’t joke around here, count.”

“?” 

Johan was puzzled. What was Jyanina talking about?

“The count is just provoking.”

“. . .You really have a strong faith.”  

While it was unbelievable to immediately believe the story about the sacred dream, it was also unbelievable to openly not believe in miracles like this.  

In this age, faith was something people were naturally born with. Even the most brutal murderer had fear of God deep down in their hearts, so there’s no need to elaborate further.

While Suetlg and Caenerna didn’t completely deny the existence of God. . . This wizard. . .

“Isn’t it an issue of intelligence rather than faith? If someone collapses and stands up after drawing a cross over spilt water, that’s not a miracle but the collapsed person pretending. . .” 

“Get. . .away. . .from me.”

In a dry, hoarse voice, the viscount spoke to Jyanina. Jyanina was so startled that she collapsed. The viscount had somehow stood up.

‘𝘏-𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳?’

Jyanina trembled in fear. It was as if a chain that held her tongue in check around Johan had come loose, and her tongue moved freely. 

If the viscount felt offended by what she just said. . .

Fortunately, the viscount had no interest in Jyanina. 

“Are you Count Yeats?”

“That’s right.”

“You are much younger than I expected. . .”

“And you are much weaker and older than I expected.”

The viscount chuckled. 

“Time defeats everyone. . . Please accept my apology once again for the sneak attack.”

“Enough. I’ve already received compensation.” 

“Arrow wounds won’t fully disappear even if covered in gold.”

“I will forget the grudge, trusting the viscount’s honor.”

Jyanina was genuinely surprised by Johan’s words. If she had been hit by the arrow, she would have harbored grudges against the archer, the archer’s family, the archer’s lord, and even the lord’s family. . .

Is this how Count Yeats built up his reputation? 

In his composure in forgiving after taking an arrow and sparing the enemy’s life, there was an intense aura that a person swayed by gains and losses could not show.

Johan was the first nobleman she had seen demonstrate such demeanor. His attitude now was completely different from his usual sacrilegious behavior, leaving Jyanina confused.

“. . .May I ask what miracle allowed me to freely move my limbs that felt like boulders? I couldn’t move them at all earlier. . .”

“I used the sacred water received from the Order.” 

Johan claimed it was from the Order instead of Suetlg. It would make the listener feel better.

“The Order wouldn’t like this though. . .”

The relationship between the current Emperor and the Order was not very good. The Emperor wanted the power and authority held by the Order, and wished to install a more docile Pope.

When he was younger, he even sent troops to the Order’s land. . .

Using the Order’s treasure on the viscount, a loyal subject of the Emperor, would displease the Order.

“But it couldn’t be helped.”

The viscount reverently gestured with trembling hands. The young count before him deserved this treatment.

A knight who comes to aid his enemy out of compassion is the most knightly knight.  

“The count’s honor. . . will last longer than the most beautiful royal palace, longer than the most magnificent ballad of a great knight. . .”

“Let’s save those words for later. We have a lot to discuss.”

“?”

Johan cut right to the main topic. Hearing that the Emperor’s envoys were after his family, the viscount’s wrinkled face stiffened.

“If you can’t believe it, I will bring the viscount’s child. He is clever despite his young age and can testify what happened.”

“No. . . I can believe you.”

“. . .!”

Johan was taken aback by how readily the viscount believed him. He didn’t expect such unquestioning faith after decades of loyalty. 

The viscount seemed to have noticed his reaction and said wistfully.  

“It is because I have been loyal for so long that I know certain things.”

“If you know that well, then you should know what needs to be done.”

“Count. . . Look. . . I am old and don’t have much time left. I don’t want to abandon my honor at this point.”

Johan clicked his tongue internally at the viscount’s words.  

The main reason Johan came here was to prevent the dissolution of the alliances the viscount had painstakingly built over the years that would happen with the disappearance of the viscount and his family.

Whoever took over was unlikely to respect the agreements.

Still, it was true that he had shown generosity here in the process that warranted some loyalty.  

‘𝘊𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥?’

He couldn’t forcibly make the viscount betray when he was unwilling. He could only hope the oaths pledged would be properly kept.

“. . .But that’s just my own story. I don’t intend to stubbornly cling to principles at the cost of dragging in rest of my family. I will call Aola. Please instruct her.”  

“!”

Johan was delighted that the viscount was finally extending an olive branch.  

“Even if the other party is violent and greedy, using force will only invite more suspicion. Will it be okay?”

“I’m prepared. . . .I’ll leave it to you, count.”

The viscount carefully paid his respects. His words were not just about the present situation. They were about things afterwards.

Once he made a move against the Emperor’s envoys, there would be no turning back, for better or worse. With nowhere else to turn, his only recourse then would be the southern overlord, Johan.

While the viscount himself may avoid trouble, his children going forward certainly wouldn’t.  

“I’ll do my best.” 

Johan’s words were met with a nod from the viscount. A new era was dawning before him. While he may not see it, his children would get to experience that era.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

The viscount’s proxy who was called, Aola-gong, was not surprised by the sudden words and accepted them easily.

In the first place, the most loyal person in the viscount’s family was the viscount himself. Below him, there was more antipathy towards the Emperor than loyalty.

They were wary of Johan because he threatened the rights of the family, but unlike the viscount, they were prepared to swear allegiance to Johan if he recognized the rights of the family.  

Johan’s actions in stopping the withdrawal and rushing through the night road to help the viscount were actions that deserved respect.

If he was a nobleman who coveted this fiefdom, he could not have done such a thing. Johan had proven his own good faith.

Thanks to that, Aola’s voice changed to be more friendly. It was a voice mixed with gratitude, respect and reverence.

“. . . . . .Thank you, Your Excellency. I will not forget this favor. I will disarm the baron as soon as he enters and take care of him.”

“No. Wait until you hear what he has to say and deal with it then.”

“Why do we have to do that? He’s not even worth it.”

“No matter what, he is still the Emperor’s envoy. Even if we wave swords at him, we should at least hear what he has to say.”

“It will only undermine the authority of the family in front of the people.”

“. . .M-May we go take a look?”

In the midst of the fierce confrontation between the ruthless parent and child, Jyanina carefully opened her mouth. To be honest, she didn’t feel good right now. 

Too many outsiders had heard too much.

From the viscount and the viscount’s family swearing allegiance to Johan, to wanting to kill the baron.

The only reason she could stay here was that the viscount was a loyal subject to the Emperor. But if the viscount changes sides, she would just be. . .

An annoying outsider who knows too much sensitive information.

“Did you happen to help the viscount get better?”

“Not really. The medicine didn’t help much.”

“Then I will kill you.”

At Aola’s cold words, she drew her sword. After all, the wizard was as good as a direct retainer of the Emperor. There was no point in keeping her alive to just make useless noises.

The viscount didn’t really try to stop her either. He had received favors from Johan, not from Jyanina. Anyway, swords would be swung and a wizard’s blood drop wouldn’t make a difference.

“Your Excellency! Save me!”  

“Will you repay the favor in the name of magic and mysteries if I save you?”

“How on earth am I supposed. . .”

Jyanina cursed Caenerna. She was a wizard who was not to her liking in any way.

“If you save me, I promise as a human I will repay the favor!”

Johan snorted with amusement. Jyanina was heartened by that laugh. It seemed there was hope to live. Of course it was a misunderstanding.  

“You still don’t seem desperate enough. Try to block the sword well yourself.”

“Your Excellency. Please step aside. I’m worried blood will splash on your clothes.”

At Aola’s words, Johan obediently complied. Jyanina hurriedly said.

“. . .I swear on the name of magic and mysteries!”

“Your Excellency. There is no point in keeping such an unbelievable person alive. If she runs away. . .”

“I don’t really believe her. She can’t run away anyway.” 

“?”

Jyanina was puzzled by Johan’s words. What made him say that? 

I could run away and repay the favor later if I wanted to.

Seeing Jyanina’s reaction, Johan clicked his tongue in irritation.  

“You seem to lack political insight, unlike Caenerna-gong.”

‘𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘣*𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺. . .’

Being compared to the person she hates the most made her feel several times more angry.

“I’ll give this to you for free, not as a favor. After all this chaos ends and you go back alone, what do you think the Emperor will think?”

“Well. . .”

Jyanina was confident. She was confident that she could perfectly justify the situation to the Emperor and regain his trust. 

It was the confidence that only a wizard could show. The confidence of having nobles in the palm of her hand was difficult for anyone other than a wizard to demonstrate.

“Do you really think you can do that? The Emperor lost a fiefdom and the vassals attached to it. Won’t he be furious? He has such a fiery temper, what if he redirects his anger somewhere else? Are you really that trusted by the Emperor?”

“. . . . . .”

Upon hearing Johan’s words, Jyanina frowned. Johan’s words spread through her mind like poison. And the most poisonous point was that there was no flaw in what he said. It was as vivid as if she had seen the Emperor’s court herself.  

The Emperor was fiery and fickle. It would be no surprise if he dismissed his retainers at any time. 

Aola looked at Jyanina from the side as if she really wanted to kill her. She had the look of someone who would send an assassin when Johan wasn’t looking. Jyanina hurriedly whispered to Johan.

“Your Excellency. Please get a promise from her that she won’t kill me.” 

“Oh, there’s no way she would do that.” 

“Your Excellency, please. . .!”

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸  

Baron Gartner smirked gleefully. It wasn’t because of the luxurious and extravagant treatment that had been prepared, nor was it because he and his men had easily been granted permission to enter fully armed.  

“They made an agreement with the count? Is that really true?”

“Yes. We captured some of the men working at the castle and confirmed it.” 

Gartner rubbed his palms together with an expectant look. He was planning to fabricate evidence even though there was none, but wasn’t this too easy from the start?

After arresting him and escorting him to the Empire, taking the opportunity to kill him then, he and his men would take over this fiefdom.  

“Baron Gartner. Making the agreement was unavoidable. The viscount did his best.”  

“Still, isn’t it betrayal? No matter how you try to justify it, it’s useless. Are you trying to defend the betrayal too?”

The vassal was angered by the baron’s reckless insults. 

He was one of the few remaining Emperor faction vassals in the fiefdom. He had come to help when he heard that this baron had come as an imperial envoy on the Emperor’s orders. 

To show such disrespect even though, how rude could he be.

“Watch your mouth, baron! Our honor is no less than yours. The viscount did his best to make the agreement. He did not give in even though the republic pressed hard and the count threatened him.”

Even to the hardcore Emperor faction vassal, this agreement was really the best they could make under the extremely unfavorable circumstances. The fact that they produced such a result itself deserved praise.  

And yet an ignorant foreigner was arrogantly making judgements. It was unavoidably annoying.

“Shut your mouth. If enemies come you should fight them off, not cower in fear and make useless noises! If I were in his place I would have beheaded all those cowards and taught them what fighting means by kicking their dead bodies!”  

“. . . . . .”

The unworthy insults made the vassal’s face turn purple with rage.

“We brought new wine here.” 

“Take it away!”  

The eyes of the servants who left with the wine shone dangerously. It was to remember the mercenaries who had laughed and chatted arrogantly while insulting Johan’s honor.

They would definitely not let them die easy!