21 – Episode 21
# 21
The ruler of River Ville was a noble named Baron Kaltz. As befitting the lord of a large village, Baron Kaltz had constructed his home within a castle surrounded by stone walls. Unlike other minor nobles who received their fiefs from the high lord, the House of Kaltz had been local landlords since the founding of River Ville.
The first Baron Kaltz was the village chief of River Ville. He wielded his sword, driving away thieves and expanding his territory by hunting monsters. To fend off foreign invasion, he dug stones to build a castle, gradually increasing its size, and this has led to the current River Ville castle.
This makes Baron Kaltz a noble that is difficult for even substantial lords. The territory is small, but the loyalty of the inhabitants is impressive, and it’s awkward to use force since it has a castle, albeit small. It may be a comfort that there aren’t enough soldiers to attack other territories.
If River Ville grows more prosperous someday, it might start a war to expand its territory. “So. You want to do business in River Ville?” Baron Kaltz said dryly, glancing at the man prostrate before him.
He was the representative of a small merchant group called Rabbit Foot, a man named Rick or something. “Yes! My lord! Actually, our group has been doing business in River Ville for the past three years…”
“Ah, yes. I remember.” He didn’t actually remember. There were too many merchants coming and going, wanting to do business. It was a hard time for commerce, but the challengers were endless, knowing that once they succeed, they would make a big fortune.
So, the empire continues to see merchant groups come and go. “Don’t cause any trouble. Just do your business wisely.”
“Thank you for your permission! My lord!” Aptly skilled as a merchant, Rick successfully concluded his audience with the noble. He had to give a significant amount of wealth to see the noble’s face, but as long as everything went well, it was fine. There were times when he simply got kicked out even after making a big payoff.
When that happened, he was so frustrated he wanted to take a dive into the river. But what can he do if he’s frustrated? Moving from place to place as a merchant. He just had to grumble and head to the next village.
“hehehe. But my lord, I have something to tell you…”
“Something I need to know?”
“Actually, the one I respect most is you, Baron Kartz! Every time I drop by River Ville, I hear songs praising the benevolent Baron…”
“Ha. Stop flattering me and just say what you need to say.”
As Riek babbled excitedly, Baron Kartz laughed with pleasure.
Meanwhile, the Baron’s finance manager grimaced.
Because the lowly merchant had put the Baron in a good mood, he had no choice but to give him a generous tip for the sake of the Baron’s reputation.
Otherwise, ‘How could you treat me like this, Baron, after all I’ve done for you!’ the merchant could wail around town.
Then, bad rumors about the Baron would spread. That he is stingy and petty, and there’s no reward for loyalty.
Naturally, merchants and travelers would hesitate to engage with the Baron more than necessary.
They become unable to hear about the world.
In this age where the only sources of news are merchants and travelers, being unable to hear rumors would be quite frustrating.
What’s more, cunning Riek had showered the Baron with praise before even starting his story to put him in a good mood.
Even if Riek’s story had nothing significant, it was all to make sure he was not turned away in displeasure.
“Actually, I met a magician on my journey.”
“A magician?”
Baron Kartz listened closely to the merchant’s story.
‘Is he trying to sell a rare item?’
Magicians are rare, useful, and capricious beings. It wouldn’t be odd if the merchant got a fascinating object from one.
“Yes! He saved our merchants’ lives with his amazing abilities!”
Riek enticingly unfolded his story with a persuasive voice, a skill perfected from traveling.
If one is a merchant, shouldn’t they be good at selling drugs? They are conmen who travel the same path, but snake oil salesmen are also merchants.
Baron Kartz was fascinated by Riek’s story. Regardless of its truth, the magician’s story was too interesting.
Most entertainment was dull in this era without novels or cartoons. At best, the adventures of knights were the most fun, but how much more entertaining would be the mysterious adventures of a magician!
What? Kidnappers attacked at night? And the Drake swooped in to rescue them? But the magician conversed with the Drake and won a single bout? And scolded the Drake in the midst of all that?
Wow! This is so exciting!
What’s Noveltopia? This is Noveltopia.
“That’s truly amazing.”
Baron Kaltz was genuinely impressed.
A magician who commands Drakes! What an incredible being he must be!
“The surprising fact is… he is currently staying in River Ville.”
“What!”
Baron Kaltz stood up in shock.
A fun adventure story just shifted into a horror thriller.
It was fine that a magician who controlled drakes was adventuring. But damn, that person’s in my territory?
The mere thought sent shivers down his spine.
Just thinking, if for some reason this ticked off magician unleashed a Drake in this territory… what would happen to River Ville?
Baron Kaltz would become the Baron Kaltz (that he once was).
Lose the territory. Or die fighting the Drake to protect it.
“He absolutely, absolutely told me not to disclose his whereabouts… but I admire you, my Lord, which is why I’m secretly telling you this.”
It was a lie. Ian had only expressed his intention of staying in the village to Rick.
But laying this groundwork would make Rick’s tattling look more valuable. Rick, a natural merchant, knew how to dress up a product. Even trash looked like treasure when scarcity was added.
“…I respect your courage.”
Baron Kaltz was sincerely grateful to Rick.
Ignoring the magician’s warning and still pushing for his. What a brave loyalty!
Had it not been for Rick’s advice, a noble title of the empire might have fallen today.
“Steward!”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“Give him a generous amount of gold and let him stay in the castle until he leaves River Ville.”
“Th, thank you! My Lord!”
Baron Kaltz immediately issued an order.
“Select reliable people to patrol the village. Absolutely no room for errors.”
“Yes!”
“Steward. Send Mr. Hanson to the inn.”
The elderly chief steward asked gravely,
“Shall we bring the wizard?”
“No. As long as he has chosen to stay in the village, we cannot forcibly bring him to the fort.”
The Viscount did not grasp why the wizard chose to lodge at the village inn. But, wizards are such entities – capricious and unpredictable.
“However, do summon the Knights of Santiago.”
What laid within the fort was not the noble Knights of Santiago as it was originally known.
Presently in River Ville, a peculiar group called the “Knights of Santiago” were dwelling.
These individuals, who are both monks and martial artists, pick up their weapons to serve the divine – a band of eccentrics.
These well-off people, armed to the teeth, refused to partake in any war, but instead hunted down ‘demons’ and ‘monsters’.
Just by the fact they refused the Viscount’s generosity to provide them with better sleeping quarters, claiming that they could not accept as monks, it was evident how mad they were.
The Knights of Santiago were a pack of lunatics, but at least they were harmless maniacs.
They were self-proclaimed “Protectors of humanity”, showing their fangs only to demons and monsters.
The real problem was…
When the Knights of Santiago collided with the wizard, who claimed authority over a dragon.
Would the “Protectors of humanity”, Santiago’s knights, let the wizard, who tamed a dragon, roam freely?
It wouldn’t have been surprising if they came charging, threatening to rip out his tongue.
The clash between the Knights of Santiago and the wizard right here in River Ville… It was enough to drive the Viscount to tears.
‘You damned bastards! If you want to fight, get out of our house and do it! You sons of b*tches!’
The Viscount was miserable because he couldn’t arrest either of these maniacs who resorted to violence.
“Hurry. We have to bring them here before a problem arises.”
“Yes, milord.”
Unlike the wizard, who was the embodiment of madness himself, the knights managed to engage in conversation despite being draped with a cloak of insanity.
Therefore, the Viscount planned to keep the knights in the fort until the wizard left River Ville.
Sensing the imminent crisis, the chief steward rushed to call Sir Hanson.
“Sir Hanson!”
“What’s the matter?”
Hanson, one of the four knights of River Ville, was met by the Commander. Born as the illegitimate child of a noble, he was an exemplary knight who knew honor and devoted himself to knighthood, unlike the common miscreants.
“Emergency!”
The Commander gave a brief summary of River Ville’s crisis.
Having understood the seriousness of the situation, Hanson, with a stern face, geared up and headed toward the stable. There he met a completely unwelcome human.
“Lord Bernard.”
It was Bernard, the son of Baron Kalz.
“Going to the village? I’ll go with you.”
“… I’m executing an important command from the Lord.”
“I know! So, let’s go together!”
There was no doubt that he had overheard the entire conversation exchanged in the hall. Lord Bernard, still a greenhorn, was a meddling youngster who wanted to interfere in the work of the castle.
If he were capable, it might make sense. But he’s a pathetic boy who plays the part of a lord yet is predisposed to causing trouble.
“If the Lord knew…”
“Ha! Would it be the first or second time I get scolded by my father? And! You said it was important, huh? What would you do if something happened that you couldn’t entirely handle independently? Would you run back to the castle?”
“…”
Bernard, now with thicker hair, occasionally made sense like that.
Which made him all the more annoying. It seemed his craftiness had only grown.
“I’ll take responsibility! So, let me go with you!”
“Oh, Lord Bernard…”
“Hanson! Is this the extent of your loyalty?”
‘Damn juvenile brat…!’
Hanson was furious but held back his anger. He had pledged to protect the people of this land, in contrast to the peaceful ambiance of River Ville.
The boss’s son might be loathsome, but he liked the company. Why would he dream of changing jobs!
He had to curse his fate for getting a job in a company with a family like that!
“Absolutely, absolutely do not intervene. This is for the Lord Bernard’s sake.”
“Do you take me for a joke? I swear to the sky, I won’t disappoint you, Hanson!”
Bernard accompanying him wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for Hanson. It was the law of nature that one felt more secure when accompanied by a person of higher rank while traveling.
Assuming Bernard would not pull any strange tricks, Sir Hanson headed down to the village, praying for Bernard’s peace. He was heading straight for the ‘Mistwater Inn’, the only inn in River Ville. It was an inn where the knights of the Order stayed.
“What is this smoke…”
Bernard murmured ominously. A chill ran down Sir Hanson’s spine. From the backyard of the Mistwater Inn, white smoke was billowing. What could cause this massive amount of smoke out in the open?
‘Is it a battle!’
There could be nothing but a fire caused by a fight.
Clang!
Without hesitation, Sir Hanson drew his sword and spurred his horse. The villagers quickly made way, startled by his urgency.
Heeey!
Almost leaping from his horse, Sir Hanson rushed into the backyard of the inn. He was appalled by the terrible sight before his eyes.
‘That, what the…!’
A pot, massive enough for a person to fit in. Under it, firewood crackled and spat out the white smoke. However, the most horrifying part was that there actually was a person inside the pot!
A naked young man, at that!
‘The magician and knights of the Order!’
The men surrounding the pot were knights of the Order of St. Santiago. And of course, the man in the pot was a magician.
The Knight of Santiago stared at Lord Hanson with cold eyes, saying nothing.
Lord Hanson felt chills all over his body, and a sense of vertigo.
The clergy knights…right now…
They were boiling the magician alive in water!
Having witnessed such a shocking sight, Lord Hanson momentarily lost his ability to speak.
Because of this, he couldn’t yell at the knights, “What on earth are you doing now?!”
However, the young monarch, Bernard, who followed behind him was different.
From Noble mtl dot com
After witnessing clearly with his own eyes the barbaric and brutal spectacle the clergy knights were causing, he showed off his aristocratic aura and raised a bellow.
“What the hell are you doing now!”,
At that moment, more than any other, Lord Hanson was grateful that he had brought Bernard with him.
However, even after Bernard’s thunderous bellow, the clergy knights merely looked at each other and snickered.
The first to speak was the magician.
The magician, who was about to be boiled in the pot, said,
“… Are you disturbed that I’m bathing?”
“???”
Obviously these novels are not normal and neither are their MCs…