Chapter 53

Chapter 53 - An Uncaged Bird (1)

The envoys were frightened out of their wits by the garrison commander flying over along with unintelligible last words.

"W-What is that?!"

"Evade!"

Crassssh!

Scattering a heavy thud and a cloud of dust, the garrison commander met his end.

A clear expulsion order that even an idiot could understand. The envoys had no choice but to leave with drooping shoulders.

They trembled anticipating what kind of punishment they would receive when they returned. It was a negotiation with no hope of success no matter who looked at it, but the head of Duran was not a person who would consider such things.

"Now it's all over."

With a refreshed face, Roxanne stretched. Her iron boots that had been standing on tiptoe came down, making a clear sound.

"I wondered why you kept him alive instead of killing him immediately."

"He died without any particular pain, so shouldn't he be thankful to me?"

"That is true."

If it were another lord, they would have ordered a much slower and more painful execution than this.

After completing the post-war processing, Roxanne left behind a sufficient garrison and enough food for them to eat for a year, and returned to the main castle.

The atmosphere in Goldhill was fine. Because the knights and soldiers loyal to the family were unharmed, and they had taken Codon Castle, an eyesore.

"Salt sacks over here!"

"Until when is the delivery of arrows and bolts?"

"The fortification artisans say they will arrive in a week!"

As supplies and personnel to be sent to Codon Castle poured in, visitors came more energetically than before the war.

It was a castle they barely captured thanks to Roxanne's supply blockade and the ridiculous variable named Eugene.

Once it is equipped even more sturdily and food is accumulated, there will be absolutely no way for the House of Duran to capture it.

* * *

Eugene, the number one contributor to the castle's fall, received the authority to take the most valuable spoils within the castle. The House of Morad purchased them exactly as they were for a good price.

"I heard there are deserters among the mercenaries following you, Sir."

Valda asked Eugene, who was smiling broadly at a pouch of gold coins.

"The wages thus far, spoils, and even special rewards for the siege battle. There are several mercenaries who touched big money. There are quite a few who intend to return to Bonyard and settle down without renewing their contracts."

"There is the logic that there is value even loyalty cannot hold."

The greatest wish of mercenaries is to close their eyes lying on a bed with their bodies intact in their later years. When an opportunity comes, those who choose peace overflow.

It wasn't that they were quitting being mercenaries immediately either. Now that they had gathered a lump sum, it was sufficient to do guard duty or odd jobs in a well-established city and earn just a little bit.

"They are wise people. Ordinary people unchosen by destiny are better off living with sweat or dirt on their hands."

"Because a competent warrior is not a warrior who fights well. It is a person who notices when their luck is running out."

"Is that something you heard from Sir Godfrey? For that, it is an extremely fitting proverb for mercenaries."

The mercenaries the House of Morad attached for the Richwood subjugation had also left. The mercenaries currently remaining by Eugene's side were only 15.

Older mercenaries for retirement, younger mercenaries dreaming of families; more left than expected.

The mercenaries who decided to leave seemed afraid that Eugene might feel displeased.

- We are sorry to end up saying such words, Sir Knight.

- Not at all. Thank you for your work thus far, and I hope your lives ahead are peaceful. If there is ever an occasion to drop by Bonyard, I hope to see you again.

Eugene sincerely blessed the mercenaries and shared farewells.

'I do not hold on to those who wish to leave the battlefield.'

That was something he had resolved from the moment he stood up as a knight. Although it seemed it would not be easy for himself to escape the destiny of wandering battlefields.

* * *

The House of Morad, famous as the pure faction even in Roman, leans towards having strong faith.

Roxanne, who had excellently completed her mission and returned, visited the temple. After purifying herself with a bath, she changed into a white Doric chiton and knelt before the goddess statue.

"Oh Goddess. May your wisdom be together with my sword in future battlefields as well..."

Behind her, several female priestesses-in-training of similar age were kneeling.

'Hmm. It's much better than Main Religion worship.'

That was the impression of Eugene, who was worshipping among them.

During his boyhood, it was terrible to pray for a long time stuck among dozens of male monks giving off a musty smell. But sitting matching shoulders with young ladies harboring the scent of soap and doing a short worship is a pleasant experience.

- I plan to worship before seeing Father. I should offer a prayer of gratitude for the victory.

- If it is okay, I will also joined you.

- Really?

Roxanne happily accepted the unexpected proposal.

When her prayer ended, Eugene also opened his mouth.

"Merciful Goddess."

"...!"

Everyone looked surprised when Eugene, who they thought would simply attend, offered a prayer.

"The power to crush enemy camps, and the power to rebuild destroyed homes. Please care for me so I may harbor both virtues in balance..."

At the verse Eugene recited, that surprise grew even larger. To think he would even know doctrines, even if foundational. Most knights only sought gods on the battlefield and found studying faith extremely bothersome.

"It was an excellent prayer, Sir Knight."

"The Goddess will also be more pleased than usual with the rich offering."

The female priestesses looked at Eugene full of goodwill.

"Since you lived in a monastery, it's expectedly different. By any chance, I thought you might be doing it forcibly because of me."

"No. Because Sir Roxanne's figure was so reverent, I felt my mind becoming cleansed as well just looking at it."

"Such unbefitting flattery."

Roxanne snorted and patted Eugene's shoulder. But she showed no sign of disliking it at all.

Having finished worship, the two headed to the strategy meeting room. As they were still in the middle of a war, the retreated vassals were discussing future countermeasures.

"Roxanne."

"Yes, My Lord Count."

"Regarding the report of the castle capture process you sent. Are you certain there is not an inch of exaggeration?"

"... Yes."

Roxanne could not answer immediately. Because it seemed laughter would burst out at her father's bizarre expression she was seeing for the first time in her life.

"I would like to see the battering ram you used for the capture..."

"Regrettably, we dismantled it and used it to make castle doors. Because the existing castle doors were destroyed to the point where they absolutely could not be used."

"... I see. You worked hard."

While Roxanne tightly curled even her toes to manage her expression, the Count returned to the original topic.

"The defeat at Goldford is lamentable, but occupying Codon Castle holds great meaning. Because our true enemy is not the Emperor, but the House of Duran. From now on, those fellows will feel as if a thorn is stuck in their throats day by day."

The Count handed Roxanne a piece bearing the family's flag.

"Place it in Codon with your own hands. Because that place is your territory now."

"!"

The surprised Roxanne carefully placed the piece on the map.

Even if the population or yield was low, she was bestowed a strategic stronghold that would receive massive support from the main house. Even if Timothy returned to the family, he would not be able to treat Roxanne carelessly.

"As it is the place our army will pass through the most from now on, I wish for you to manage it well."

"I will do my best until the day Duran kneels."

The Count looked at another contributor of merits.

"Viscount Baldwin. I thank you for saving the army with minimum damages and retreating even in a crisis situation."

"It was something I ought to do as Your Lordship's vassal."

The representative of the vassals, who forced a single-point breakthrough and escaped with quick judgment, offered a military salute. If not for his adaptability to circumstances, the damages would have been much greater.

"Praise is undeserved for me who fled in defeat. Please punish my fault of failing to save Lord Timothy."

"The one who should be punished is the commander who was caught from the start, not you, Sir. Since you produced the best result in a sudden succession of command, do not discuss that matter anymore."

The Count mentioned his son only exactly once.

- Prepare countermeasures for Timothy's repatriation.

While the Count briefly left his seat, the nobles chattered about the return of the family's successor. The funny point was that no one showed an urgent or worried appearance.

"Wouldn't that be too much of an amount?"

"You must show this much sincerity for the Duran bastards to also respond to the deal. Is he not the eldest son of the great House of Morad, and nobody else?"

"It is because it is a waste to put it out like that."

"Those fellows might demand Codon Castle instead of money."

"Please speak words that make sense. My Lord Count will also refuse."

The conversation the vassals exchanged was close to the feeling of haggling over luxury goods. Not a single grain of respect or worry for the successor could be seen.

No, rather than that...

"Does it not feel like those people are subtly wishing things go wrong with Timothy in the enemies' hands?"

"There would be many who rather wish Roxanne becomes the formal successor using this opportunity."

At Eugene's whisper, Valda smiled.

"I also feel similarly."

"You speak frightening words with a smiling face."

"If Sir Roxanne becomes the successor, it would be incomparably good for your success, Sir. Because the person who supported one when it was disappointing and difficult is the one they want to take care of the most by logic."

Eugene was thankful that a magician he respected cared for him, but he also felt somewhat sad.

A good-natured girl who walked through wheat fields risking catching a fever. Where on earth did the compassion that saved hungry farmers go?

"Let us end today's meeting here. Sir Eugene remains, and everyone please leave."

Vassals walking out at Count Morad's words. They looked at the young knight sitting alone with envious eyes.

Because it was extremely difficult to gain this much attention from that cold-hearted lord. Even though his status was far below theirs, they could not help but be jealous as fellow knights.

"I heard he struck down Geist and his subordinate knights alone?"

"They say he drove a battering ram, smashed the castle gates, and completely ground up the infantry squad blocking behind it."

"The bluffing is severe. Goodness, they should speak words that make sense."

"They say it's not just one or two people who witnessed it!"

They had already forgotten the matter of the captured Timothy and were chatting about the siege battle.

* * *

Count Morad is a straightforward person. He hated wasting time with useless rhetoric.

"I want to discuss the reward to bestow upon you, Sir. Are you prepared to hear about the territory you will receive?"

"Of course."

"You have two options."

It was an unexpected proposal. Because usually the conferment of a territory is given according to the noble's own interests, and cases giving options like this were rare.

The Count's fingers pointed to three places on the map on the table. They are villages surrounded by friendly territories, so they are safe from the threat of war.

The marked population also added up to about 700 people. There are no specialized cash crops, but the land is good, so it is abundant with wheat, barley, beans, and various livestock.

"It is an excellent territory. It is beyond what I expected."

"It's as you say. These places don't need many guards, and even if you just leave them be, they are places that spin silver coins on their own."

To say it inversely, the three villages are completed in themselves and have no possibility for growth. Yields coming from honestly raising cows and planting barley, beans, and wheat are all.

It would fall far short of the income Eugene earned by wandering and selling his martial prowess.

"The other one is this place."

Count Morad's finger moved upwards. Escaping the high-quality drawn area, it rose straight up to the low-quality outer region.

What the Count's finger stopped on was a village in northern Roman. Its name is Northfork. It was a name attached because three branches of land stretched out into a large river like a fork.

"It's a territory in a completely remote place. Did you inherit it from an outside noble?"

"That is so. It is a place acquired not even a year ago. It's Benjamin's work."

"No wonder Your Lordship the Count treasures your younger brother so much."

Nobles are few but they marry among themselves, so blood inevitably connects even with nobles in distant places.

Naturally, when a lord without a successor dies, all sorts of factions jump in and wage a battle for the right of succession.

Powerful families all have experiences of swallowing outside territories in that manner. Thanks to that, it is common for a noble family's territories to exist scattered around.

"It has a port, and it looks like a village with considerable potential."

"For a mere village, it is a place that has three large inns."

Three large inns in one village. It was a part straightforwardly explaining Northfork's characteristic. Since there are many villages that don't even have a specialized inn.

Naturally, the population, livestock, and yield are less than the previous villages. However, it was a trade hub that could stretch out to all parts of Roman, not to mention the inland sea, through the large river.