𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 (𝟏)
The Baron Gerkindey is considered the weakest on the continent, even in the Kingdom of Martyn, which is insignificant.
Fortunately, the territory they own is located in the south of the East Continent and has developed fertile farmlands and a small mine, which I guess is lucky. However, pathetically, those too had long been occupied by the invading lower demon races.
However, recently, the surrounding nobles have started paying attention to the Baron Gerkindey territory.
It has been exactly ten years since the absence of the Lord of the territory.
According to the Continental Nobility Law, the owner of the territory will be decided in exactly two months. Of course there is a steward, but two months is enough time for a king of a nation to change.
In front of the inner castle of Baron Gerkindey.
Knight Fiden, the captain of the barony’s garrison, grinned and gritted his teeth at the piled goblin corpses.
“These damn bastards.”
The soldiers behind him silently watched his expression.
The ones who made the vulgar curses come out of their superior’s mouth were the followers of Viscount Mayancy who had just passed through the inner castle.
“I’ll kill these shitheads.”
Fiden couldn’t hold back his anger and more curses spewed from his mouth.
They’re up to more dirty tricks.
They must have dragged these corpses around the outer castle of the fortress before coming here.
It was their childish competition yet it gave the baron’s people a sense of humiliation.
What made him even angrier was that he couldn’t stop it even though he knew everything.
He didn’t have a justification.
There was no one to give him orders either.
This wasn’t why he became a knight of the territory.
As the unique rotten smell of the demon corpses began to spread, the residents of the territory began to gather one by one.
“Hurry up and clean it up.”
“But then, a week ago, we silently cleared these away as well. . .”
“I’ll take care of it, so just clear it away.”
“Yes, sir.”
Only then did the soldiers move at Fiden’s quiet words. However, their movement soon had to be halted because of another group riding towards the inner castle gate.
“Kuk, only seven of them?”
The man at the forefront, his eyes slanted sideways like a weasel’s, burst out laughing at the sight of the goblin corpses the soldiers were clearing away. Then he gestured to his subordinates behind him.
Thud━ Thud━
Soon, nine goblin corpses were piled up next to him. The gathered people of the territory immediately pinched their noses. The stench that was already in the air became even stronger.
“Haha, why is Sir Fiden in a bad mood? We’re personally taking care of the fiends outside the outer wall in place of you guys who are just playing around.”
“It’s not that we’re playing around. We’re simply short-handed to even man the walls. Anyway. . . thank you.”
“Oh really? Thank you? Don’t you think you should be more respectful to me, who will soon be the lord of Gerkinde?”
“Nothing’s been decided yet.”
“What?”
Krimson glared with his bloodshot eyes.
What the bastard said wasn’t wrong. There were still two months left.
However, it was only two months. And he was the closest relative to the Lord of Gerkinde. He was closer than the third son of the Viscount Mayan family that had come before.
“Kukuk, let’s see if you can still say that in two months. No, you’ll have to pack your bags by then. You’re still young, so I’m sure you’ll be accepted somewhere else.”
Krimson patted Fiden’s shoulder, who wasn’t avoiding his gaze. It seemed light, but there was a faint aura of mana wrapped around his hand. It was a strength that would have made an ordinary person suffer for years.
Furthermore, he was already using his considerable authority as the prospective next lord to call in the tavern girls into the inner castle.
There were rumors that if he became the baron, no maidens in the territory would be left untouched.
If the Viscount Mayan family had extended their hands to devour the Gerkinde territory, Krimson was here for the debauchery.
‘𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘪𝘵.’
Fiden clenched his teeth, dispelling Krimson’s aura that had entered his shoulder through his own aura.
He had been gritting his teeth much more frequently these days.
He didn’t become a knight of the territory to see such filthy sights.
“Now, clean this up properly. That’s probably all you guys are capable of. Kekekeke!”
Krimson’s group soon entered the inner castle. These days, these bastards didn’t even bother to get permission to enter the inner castle.
“. . .”
Fiden lifted his head.
The autumn sky that came into view was annoyingly bright.
And when it starts snowing under that autumn sky, the lord of this territory will be decided.
‘𝘏𝘢𝘢, 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰?’
Suddenly, the will left behind by the previous family head came to mind.
He never saw it since he had left before he could retrieve it.
He only knew that he was the adopted son of the previous family head.
He was thought to be an irresponsible person, but he seemed better than those pieces of trash.
Fiden shook away the useless thoughts and ordered the soldiers to clear away the goblins.
“Captain!”
“Hm?”
At that moment, a soldier was seen running from the end of the long road leading to the inner castle gate. He was the youngest member of the 2nd Platoon, currently tasked with guarding the outer wall. Soon, the breathless Buram arrived, took a deep breath, and shouted.
“A man claiming to be the baron has appeared at the outer wall!”
“What? Baron?”
The only baron in this vicinity is Gerkinde.
Then surely. . .
“So, he claims to be the baron of this Gerkinde territory.”
“Ha, it’s been a while.”
His hunch was right.
Why is everything going wrong today?
It was adding fuel to the fire of his already bad mood.
“What? Baron?”
“The baron of this place?”
At that moment, the voices of those rotten ones were heard from inside the inner castle gate.
It was Krimson, the leader of the mercenary group that had entered earlier, and Joseph, the third son of the Viscount Mayan family.
It seemed like they came out again to compare the goblin corpses. The bastards who usually treated each other like they wanted to kill each other were getting along well this time.
“Who dares to be such a dastard?”
“He’s impersonating a noble, he deserves to die.”
“Yeah, he should be killed!”
Fiden’s forehead wrinkled deeply at their words.
Yeah, add some oil and a fuse to the fire.
It’s a fire that won’t burn anyway.
🔸🔸🔸𝐀𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬(𝐊𝐑)🔸🔸🔸
Soon, Krimson and Joseph, who insisted on following along, headed to the outer castle gate with Fiden, who had received the report from his subordinate. Both of them brought their subordinates with them.
‘𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦.’
Fiden didn’t know who was impersonating the baron, but he thought that he wouldn’t be able to see the sun rise tomorrow. After the previous baron of Gerkinde died, there were quite a few people who impersonated his adopted son.
Not many people had seen with their own eyes the lucky man who had inherited the entire Gerkinde territory with a single will. At most, it was only Governor Hitterson, the head maid Marwen, and a few of the older maids under her.
Moreover, it had been 13 years since he left this place, so there were bound to be those who would get greedy.
The group soon arrived at the outer castle gate.
The outer wall was usually desolate. It was desolate to the point of eeriness, considering it was where the main family of a noble house resided. This was because there were still many fiends on the plains that they couldn’t properly deal with, so there weren’t many people coming and going.
Perhaps because of that, the soldiers surrounded a single person in a haphazard formation.
“Captain!”
Wood, the leader of the 2nd Platoon, was delighted to see Fiden walking from within the outer wall. Wood’s swordsmanship wasn’t that great, but he was the oldest among the soldiers, and he became the leader due to his leadership and charisma that came from his experience. That was why he got along well with Fiden, the captain of the guards, on a regular basis.
“I heard about the situation on my way here.”
“Yes, sir.”
Fiden raised his hand to accept Wood’s salute and walked forward.
A man was standing in the center of the soldiers. The man was quite large. He easily looked over 6 feet tall, and his body, which was slightly revealed, was quite muscular. However, his reddish hair, which hadn’t been trimmed for a long time, hung messily, and his face couldn’t be seen properly because of his thick beard, making it difficult to tell his age.
Furthermore, his appearance was so shabby that it made one frown when they got close. If it weren’t for his size and the greatsword he was carrying, one would believe him to be a beggar.
‘𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦.’
Fiden slowed his pace and looked at the man in more detail. Even though the man was just standing there quietly, something was bothering him deep inside.
A strange sense of incongruity.
Was it because of the greatsword strapped to his back?
No. There were quite a few mercenaries who carried swords of that level. And most of them were just posers.
Or was it his size? That wasn’t it either.
‘𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘺? 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦. . . 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵, 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦?’
Pow!
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