51 – Territory ruled by furry creatures (7)
“Let’s talk first while eating. I’m starting to get hungry.”
“Oh, I see. It’s already past lunch time! You must be hungry. Let’s go quickly.”
We crossed the portal and returned to the territory carrying three fully filled sacks.
* * * * *
I sat down at the table and sighed.
There was a large pot in the middle of the table, filled with stew that came up to the chin…
And Liana was scooping her stew into a bowl with her ladle, humming her tune.
“Liana. Is it just stew?”
“Yes! That’s what I’m best at cooking.”
“Umm…”
Liana’s stew is really… What should I say… Not delicious.
I can’t say it out loud, but it really doesn’t taste good…
But Wolfert, who did not know the situation, was smiling and waiting for his turn.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been eating proper food. Lately, I’ve been eating so much dry food that I thought my stomach was really upset.”
Liana placed the bowl, which was almost overflowing, in front of the great lord and me, and after scooping up her own, she placed the ladle and sat down.
Then Wolpert looked at Liana and asked.
“Chief Chamberlain. Are you not giving it to me?”
“What do you mean?”
Wolfert, who had been looking at Liana blankly, suddenly came to his senses and stood up.
“Ah! Yes, that’s right. I’m sorry.”
The reason Liana doesn’t give Ulpert’s is because she holds a higher rank as Chamberlain than as Guard Captain.
Wolfert first served Keita’s dish, then served his own dish and sat down.
When the bowl was placed in front of everyone, Keita first served the stew to the great lord sitting next to him.
The great lord, who was trembling and took a sip of stew, suddenly screamed.
“Guard Captain! Block the Lord’s Castle immediately!”
“Yes…?! What is that all of a sudden…?”
Wolfert was startled and half stood up from his seat.
“It’s an assassination attempt! Someone poisoned the food!”
“Yes!?”
“Seal the castle immediately and search the inside thoroughly! It’s clear that other fiefdoms are hiding!”
Keita, who was embarrassed, hurriedly tried the stew and reassured the great lord.
“Great lord. It’s not poisonous. It’s just tasteless, so don’t worry.”
“What? Is that something like that?”
Funny enough, the great lord, who had been furious until just now, immediately calmed down, accepting Keita’s explanation.
“Strange…? Why are you like that?”
Liana ate her stew tilting her head and frowning as if she didn’t know anything else.
“There’s nothing wrong…”
“Anyway… Let’s eat. We have to eat to work.”
As the great lord began to eat, we also raised our spoons.
After tasting the stew, he immediately ordered Liana.
“Liana. Next time, try something other than stew.”
“There’s nothing I can do with the ingredients I have now other than stew…”
“Then, later, go to Gilan Barony and buy groceries. I’m really sick of stew. I think I’ve eaten it every single time since Berabce.”
Liana was in tears, and Wolfert’s expression when he tasted Liana’s stew for the first time was even more spectacular.
He suddenly said that he had a stomachache, apologized, and left the restaurant first.
* * * * *
After eating, I made a plan with my vassals on how to act in the baronial territory.
Keita was ordered to recreate the portal.
I wouldn’t know if I were alone, but the mountain where the portal exit is located is too rugged for me to carry a bag of catnip with several people.
With my help, Keita opened a new portal.
Wolfert, Keita, and I crossed the portal, leaving only Liana to take care of the great lord.
Thankfully, the portal led to the vicinity of the downtown area of the Gilan Barony.
“Good job, Keita. Keep it like this.”
“Thank you, my lord…”
From Noble mtl dot com
Keita blushed at my compliment.
We went straight into the streets of the city center and headed to the central square.
Every city center has a central square, and the square connects to all streets.
If you want to make something big, it’s right to do it in a square.
When we arrived at the square, we unpacked the catnip bag to one side.
When I spread the catnip that had spilled from the bag, a strong, unique smell came out.
“Ugh… That’s really strange…”
Keita grumbled, covering his nose with the hem of her robe sleeve.
“I’m doing it. And if the prisoners come, catch them all. Okay?”
“I understand, my lord.”
I left Wolfert and Keita behind and headed to the castle alone.
* * * * *
When I said I would meet the little lord, the soldier at the lord castle obediently let me inside.
Is it because he is a monster hunter who came to see a problem with a cat that causes trouble every night?
When I entered the little lord’s room, he was surprised when he saw me and asked.
“A merchant who deals in catnip… Isn’t he…? A monster hunter…?”
“Please sit down now. I have something to tell you.”
I locked the door to prevent the outside world from coming in and even used a weak anti-eavesdropping spell.
It is a very simple magic that blocks the vibration of the air and prevents sound from escaping.
As she sat down on the chair, the little lord sat across from her with a nervous expression.
She pretended not to notice his hand moving towards the knife she had placed on her desk.
“I am neither a merchant nor a monster hunter. I am Erga Goda, lord of Goda County.”
“What… What? Count Gouda?”
The little lord grabbed the hilt of his sword and shook his body as if he would jump off his chair at any moment.
“Calm down. This is not the Gouda County of the old days when people used to plunder the surrounding area.”
“Count Goda’s sons are all dead… Who are you? Are you a hidden child?”
“I am an adopted son. I came in as an adopted son and inherited the territory.”
I took out two related documents in front of the disbelieving little lord.
“You can either believe it or not. Anyway, I am here as Count Gouda. I am going to talk with you about the issue of saving stray cats.”
“A stray cat…? You mean Tekaruk…?”
At those words, the little lord let go of his hand holding the hilt of his sword and sat down again.
Then he closed his mouth and stared at me, as if asking me to speak.
When I decided that it was time to have a conversation, I retrieved the documents and opened my mouth.
“Now that our vassals are waiting, let’s get to the point. I will eradicate all of those Tekaruks. Of course, Naibai, the female cat sitting in the lord’s castle.”
“You… Kill them all? How…? No, why? Why do you suddenly come and kill the Tekaruks?”
“To make you a lord and make a deal.”
The little lord did not understand and kept his mouth shut.
“As you know, the County of Goda is a territory that survives on plunder because the land is barren. But that came to an end ten years ago and is now almost ruined. So, I plan to move the territory to another place.”
“Do you mean to fight for territory…?”
“Yes, but not here. We plan to advance further east. But there is a problem. I am a new lord, and the lords in the east are powerful men who have been in power for a long time. They are not aware of my arrogant actions. Would you like to just leave it alone?”
The little lord slowly opened his mouth.
“So, are you trying to ask me to clean up the troubles in our territory and look after my territory on the condition that I be crowned lord? Baehu territory?”
“That’s correct. That makes sense. And one more thing. Please allow our vassals and remaining fiefdom residents to stay here in the baronial territory while we create a new fiefdom to the east.”
“Hmm…”
The little lord narrowed his brows and remained silent as if he was thinking about many things.
“If you think about it, it doesn’t seem like we’re losing anything, Count Goda. But if you think about it a little more, there’s something strange.”
“What is it?”
“You say it’s not a big problem for me, but the situation is different for you, right? After we deal with the Tekaruks, of course I don’t know how we’ll deal with them, but anyway, aren’t you assuming that we won’t keep our promise?”
I answered with a smile.
“If you see for yourself how the Tekaruks are dealt with, you will probably be determined to keep your promise to me.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. And one more thing.”
An unknown light flashed in the little lord’s eyes.
“I said I would make you a lord, but Tekaruk and the lord position have nothing to do with it. And now the lord is my father. That can’t happen.”
I knew a lot about hinterland transactions, but there was no way I wouldn’t know something as simple as that.
Now I am in a situation where I have proposed to the minor lord that I will kill my father and allow him to become a lord.
The little lord does not trust me after meeting him for the second time, and he will never say anything like he agrees with me.
But last night, along with Naivai, didn’t Baron Gilan already show signs of wanting to die?
In the end, this is it.
My father died, so I had no choice but to become a lord, but I never dreamed that something like this would happen.
That doesn’t matter. Anyway, all we have to do is make that guy a lord and make him watch over us.
“Yes, of course. However, it is an unchangeable fact that if something unfortunate happens to my father, the Little Lord will have to take responsibility for this territory.”
“Of course… But how on earth do you get rid of the Tekaruks?”
“I’m about to go back to do that now.”