105 – Killing Pappenheim (2)
After hearing that, all the mercenary leaders started laughing.
“Well, they exaggerate the achievements of their nobles a bit in order to give us fewer rewards. “Are you really trying to diminish our achievements?”
“Well, I don’t know if it’s a war fought on the ships of barons, counts, or nobles. “Is this war being watched by His Majesty the Emperor?”
“I don’t know who Pappenheim is, but doesn’t he know that if that damned bastard openly disparages our achievements, he will be beheaded for ‘deceiving the Emperor’?”
It is different from the reaction I intended, but this is a normal reaction.
After all, what kind of crazy noble in the world would be so blinded by the feat in front of him that he would commit such a fool-proof act as to attack a public servant who was bound to be caught?
This makes no sense based on common sense.
However, the problem is that common sense does not apply to Pappenheim.
“Surely, if you were an ordinary noble, who would be crazy and try to belittle the achievements of our mercenary corps, knowing full well that their own heads would fall off? Well, unless you disparage our achievements or your life is in danger if your own grave negligence or crime is revealed.”
Everyone nodded at those words.
“But that’s true. The last time I saw Margrave Estelle at the Castle of Marseilles, I heard this story. During the surprise attack on Pastek Hill, where I played a major role last time, what our Whitebeard mercenaries captured was ‘the Baron who was trying to desert.’ But this is all a blatant lie.”
The Count and I shared this story because the Margrave himself came to the Castle of Marseilles and as soon as he saw me, he said he had watched my performance closely and praised me.
This is a fact that the mercenary leaders here can confidently answer even if they raise questions.
When I brought up something that actually happened and mentioned the Margrave, the reaction that had been ridiculing until just now changed a little.
Everyone listened to my story while frowning and tilting their heads.
“What kind of lie is this specifically?”
“Our Whitebeard mercenaries took on the role of preventing the enemy from escaping during the surprise operation on Pastek Hill, and fought in the places where the fiercest fighting took place. In addition, the baron we dealt with was not a remnant of a defeated soldier attempting to ‘desert’, but was commanding the elites entrusted to him by the count, who commanded 5,000 troops of the Montmartre army at the time, in order to clear a way out.”
No matter how incompetent a general or nobleman is in this world, he would not entrust his elite duties to a coward who tries to desert when he is in crisis.
Why? If you entrust your elite troops to a deserter, even the elites who are supposed to help you survive in a very dangerous situation end up following the deserter.
‘Is there a crazy person in this world who does something like this?’
Everyone touched their foreheads and sighed at what I said.
“If that’s true, isn’t that Baron Pappenheim a normal piece of trash?”
“But even so, no matter how much of a human trash he is, I thought he would trick the ‘Emperor’ into eating him even though he knew it would kill him. “I think it’s true, seeing as they even dragged Margrave Estelle into it.”
“Then you don’t really mean that Baron Pappenheim could be trying to undermine our achievements?”
Seeing the atmosphere slowly tilting towards me, I smiled and looked at them.
And just then, one of the mercenary captains drank as if he was angry and put down his glass and said,
“To be honest, I’ve heard of that damned Baron Pappenheim. “That bastard, I heard he’s the kind of guy who thinks he’s competent when he’s incompetent.”
Everyone’s eyes, including mine, were focused on him.
“I heard this from the leader of the Black Sparrow mercenaries who was on the same side when I fought in the County of Falkenheim. Pappenheim, he issued strange operational orders that resulted in the annihilation of three of our mercenary units and caused the other mercenary units to suffer enormous sacrifices. It is said that in the meantime, the compensation of the surviving mercenaries was cut by 30%.”
When I heard that story, I couldn’t believe my ears.
If he misled his command and caused great damage to other mercenary units, even if he was a man without conscience, if his head turned even a little…
It would be right to acknowledge his mistake and give him a generous amount of money as an apology…
He gave a strange operation order, killing all the mercenaries under his command, and instead of giving him an apology, he cut his compensation…
Oh, somehow, I knew he was crazy from the moment he brought up this ridiculous proposal to me, but I never thought he was that bad.
Another mercenary added.
“f*ck, Baron Pappenheim, that guy wasn’t a human. About 10 years ago, I was under Baron Pappenheim and Baron Tolles during a territorial war. “Even though we did our best and won, we didn’t receive a bonus because we didn’t fight bravely in the war?”
They are not given proper compensation even though they risk their lives in the fight.
To mercenaries, this kind of guy is considered a nobleman who is more trashy and vicious than a pedophile or a heretic bastard.
Because even if you risk your life and work to bring victory, if those guys steal it all, it becomes worthless.
I wonder if the mercenary leaders thought so too, as they got angry and angry as if it was their own business.
“Huh, you f*cking son of a b*tch.”
“A bastard like that is, like you said, a person who could easily steal the achievements of his accomplishments in Pastek.”
“Pappenheim, you are the ultimate piece of human trash, damn it. “I lost, I lost.”
When I was satisfied with everyone’s sympathy, one of the mercenary leaders in the corner asked a question.
“I know that Baron Pappenheim is a scum who will disparage our achievements, but what does he gain?”
“Don’t nobles receive fiefdoms and titles based on their achievements? Perhaps that Pappenheim will reduce the exploits of our mercenaries as much as possible and give them to the nobles. He will try to stretch his feet as far as he can go. “The more the nobles’ activities are recognized, the more land the emperor has to give away from the newly occupied territory.”
The mercenary leader who asked the question also nodded his head.
“Well, nobles are people who risk their lives for their territory. Besides, Pappenheim, that idiot is quite likely to do that.”
After I had turned everyone’s public opinion towards me, someone asked.
“So, let’s protest or something? Well, we have the right to protest for improved treatment or public performance, but if we do it wrong, it could be a firestorm for us. “You’re not planning on asking us to join you in your protest, are you?”
Of course, I have no intention of doing so.
“No. Incidents like this are just happening, and Baron Pappenheim is a piece of trash who tried to reduce the ‘mercenary rewards’ by manipulating reports detailing their actions. Also, the culprit behind reducing the rewards that should have been given to everyone is Pappenheim. “If you are dissatisfied with the way you are doing your business, let’s protest together with us.”
Having said that, I called Captain Dalton, who had been drinking and was just pleasantly intoxicated.
“Captain, please come in.”
“What are you doing, coming and going?”
“What do you mean, Martin Mayor?”
“Yes, I drank as much as I could. “Let’s go in, okay?”
We immediately escaped from the tent where the mercenary leaders were gathered.
After walking leisurely and getting a little further away, Dalton asked with a puzzled expression.
“Hey, but it wasn’t enough to protest to Baron Pappenheim… Why didn’t you tell me to protest together?”
“Well, if you bow down to complain to those people, you will be indebted to them. “Shouldn’t we pay a huge price of gratitude to the mercenaries who participated in the protest?”
In politics, company management, and social life, if you ask someone for something, you must pay for it.
And in our case, even if our mercenary unit only protested with harsh words, that Pappenheim guy would have his head cut off for ‘insulting the emperor’ by falsifying the report to the emperor.
You will receive sufficient compensation for the correct work done, so why bother handing out money to those guys?
Even if I could buy Karin her favorite food or a good bow with that money, it wouldn’t be enough.
“That’s right.”
“But think about it. “If those nobles voluntarily participate in the protests, there’s no need to pay them, right?”
“That’s also true.”
Then I smiled evilly and giggled.
“Isn’t it always a pity that the money is received through abusive language? Even if we receive 200 gold coins for an achievement worth 200 gold coins, we still feel regretful, thinking that we could have received 210 gold coins. In such a situation, what would everyone think if it became known that the official document sent by Pappenheim was forged?”
When Dalton heard that, he hit his knee.
“The mercenaries’ achievements are actually determined by the nobles who served in this war, so there will be people who believe that Pappenheim was the one who pulled it off.”
“In reality, he didn’t do much, but he will complain that he was harmed by Baron Pappenheim, who ‘will have his head cut off anyway.’ Since we cannot deny that the person who posted the false report, which is equivalent to the crime of blaspheming the emperor, lied even in his public affairs, other mercenary units will also take advantage of this opportunity to step in and get even more of their share. The rewards we will receive will also be bigger. “You’ll have to give us more rewards to appease us.”
Dalton laughed like crazy at those words.
“You crazy bastard, you put all that Pappenheim to such good use.”
“If it means dying, we should use it well.”
And two months later, when our allies achieved their strategic goal and the war ended with the victory of the Rhine-Palatinate Empire.
A non-public transaction document with the emperor’s seal was delivered to us.
The next day, several mercenaries protested, saying that Pappenheim, who had betrayed our Whitebeard mercenaries, had played a trick.
Otherwise, there is no way their reward would be this much.