“The shop is open, come in.”
“Then don’t hesitate.”
Luke strode over and sat down at one of the tables. The middle-aged men looked like they wanted to say something more, but after a moment of silence, they stepped back.
Bjorn crossed his arms with his thick, muscular arms.
“Whether to stay or eat?”
“Are you a noble too?”
Ray asked Hao Che, who seemed natural. To dare to say, there was a precedent from Henrik earlier.
Bjorn nodded coolly.
“This is Bjorn Veldine.”
“Beldine?”
“What’s wrong?”
“I think the person who fought you earlier also mentioned the Beldain family.”
At Bruno’s question, Bjorn muttered with a bitter face.
“I have some circumstances. My relationship with my parents’ family is twisted.”
“hmm.”
Ray didn’t ask for more. It was rude to ask about complicated circumstances unless you told them first. Bruno put the glass of water down his chin.
“Anyway, which one are meals or lodging?”
“I’ll tell you the price first.”
“A lodging is three silver coins, and a meal is one silver coin.”
“what?”
Bruno and Ray looked at Bjorn with stunned expressions. Although the price is expensive in the north, this was a price beyond imagination.
Bjorn also tried to avoid their gaze, as if he was aware of it.
“Hey, what are you going to do? meal? lodgment?”
“both.”
“Lord!”
“Pay in advance.”
Ignoring the two of them, Luke bounced the silver coin. Bjorn, who snatched the silver coin from the air, stared blankly at Luke.
He hadn’t even thought about paying for it. Luke put an extra hit on Bjorn.
“How much does it cost if you add warm bath water?”
“… Five silver coins?”
“This nobleman is real!”
Bang, Bruno kicked off the desk and stood up. But even after Bjorn said it, he seemed bewildered.
It looked like he had a lot of money, so it was obvious that he had just tried it without thinking about it. Luke flipped the coin again.
“It’s half a gold coin.”
“Uh, uh uh.”
Bjorn couldn’t come to his senses at the red-hot gold coin. The two vassals were also half speechless at Luke’s use.
The middle-aged men were all paying attention to this side with an angry face. What the hell is that guy doing?
“Can I ask you something before dinner?”
“What, what?”
“What happened to this estate?”
Bjorn’s shoulders trembled at the implied question. A shame that I don’t want to talk about.
However, it was stinging to shut up the person who paid this much money.
“What are you curious about?”
“All.”
Why is this author, who is not even an honorary knight but a noble by birth, acting as an innkeeper here?
Why did they fight while mentioning the Beldine family just now? And why did Henrik, a nobleman, say something strange?
“Have you met Henrik?”
“Somehow I came to have a relationship”
“That friend said something useless.”
Bjorn sighed and pulled a chair and sat down.
“What do you want to know first?”
“I wish I could have told you from the beginning. If possible, from why you are here as an innkeeper.”
I already know. It was because Bjorn had explained all the circumstances before returning. I still wanted to hear it.
What kind of emotions Bjorn is feeling at this time. Bjorn explained the situation with a bitter face.
* * *
Viscount Beldine was a family with quite a long history. It had existed since the time of the tribal system before being incorporated into the old empire.
As such, he was highly respected by the people around him. However, when Bjorn celebrated his coming-of-age ceremony, things started to go wrong.
“I had no luck. Because misfortune seemed to come all at once.”
Bjorn’s father was groaning about a disease acquired in old age, and his uncle wanted the position of head of the household instead of Bjorn.
And most of all, a very insidious guy appeared from the neighboring barbaric tribe. He subtly proposed an alliance to his uncle, who accepted.
“Join hands with barbarians? Is that possible?”
“There’s nothing I can’t catch. Even if you say barbarians, they’re not monsters, they’re humans.”
“No, but barbarians basically don’t think, do they?”
Most of the impressions of the northern barbarians were similar. Barbarians who invade the civilized world, plunder, and bounce back.
But did you join hands and scheming? Understanding Bruno’s thoughts, Bjorn clicked his tongue to make a tsk sound.
“You seem to be mistaken, but after all, most northerners are of the same blood as barbarians. There is not much difference.”
“uh? Is it like that?”
“The difference must be that, unlike us, His Majesty the first emperor did not join us when building the empire.”
Barbarians can also use as many strategies as they want. It’s just that the habit of excessively worshiping military force is blocking it.
But this time, the new chief of the tribe was a very cunning man. It’s hard to believe that he’s a savage.
“What he promised his uncle was simple. I said that I would not touch the forces loyal to my uncle as long as I told him the details of the internal situation.”
It sounded like a dream to his uncle, who was already aiming for the head of the household. It was said that it would make it perfect for rebellion.
“My uncle made a deal with him. And he invaded our territory.”
“Your father and you must have been crushed.”
“I don’t even have to tell you. Insider information is leaking out.”
Bjorn gritted his teeth as if he remembered that moment.
“By the time I realized that it was strange, it was already too late. My father is gone, and I have lost most of my loyal soldiers.”
It was a one-off affair. The uncle urged Bjorn to hand over the head of the household. It was practically a threat.
Bjorn, who learned the circumstances belatedly, was furious, but there was no other way. A civil war would surely break out if they refused.
What could be more horrific than seeing people from the same hometown point their spears at each other and bleed?
In the end, Bjorn handed over the position of head of household to his uncle.
“My uncle sent me here. In Falun, which was in ruins a long time ago. The name is to keep an eye on the savages, but that can’t be the case.”
In reality, it was tantamount to exile. The same goes for the soldiers who followed Bjorn. Falun, which had been in ruins, was revived as a place of exile.
It didn’t end there. The uncle had an affair with the Baron Greve, who was closest to Falun, and even made him a faithful watchman.
“Falun cannot import food unless it goes through the Greve Baron family. Those who have been instigated by their uncle have no choice but to be vigilant.”
“The guard and the far-sighted guy must be from there.”
“Right. The baron, no, the ones sent by my uncle.”
Bjorn, furrowing his brow, gulped down the cold water he had just poured. I felt anger at the action of putting the cup down.
“The thing that makes me even more angry is that my uncle is still colluding with the savages. If our grievances seemed to pile up too much, they would send them to attack.”
It was impossible to wipe out the barbarians in advance with a preemptive attack. If so, the question ‘Is it a rebellion?’
Thanks to this, Bjorn had to stay still even with the danger of barbarians right in front of him.
-Unfortunately, there are no barbarians in Falun for you to defeat.
Henrik’s words echoed in his ears again. There are savages, but if you attack first, Bjorn will have problems.
Even if Luke took care of it for free, it would have to be torn apart.
“Did you stay still?”
“Then what do you want me to do?”
Bjorn glared at Luke and shouted as if vomiting.
“If we had fought then, it would have been a civil war, if we fought now, everyone would die! Either way was the worst option. It would be better if there was less blood flowing like this.”
Reluctantly, Bjorn decided to adapt. I put down my weapon to relieve my uncle’s guard, and since I had nothing to do, I pretended to be an innkeeper.
There were very few visitors, but it was enough to relieve boredom. However, in the meantime, the war of nerves continued due to the abuse of power by the Baron Greve family.
“But I haven’t shed any more blood. Where is that?”
From noble mtl dot com
Bjorn’s words ended with a word that seemed to be admonishing himself. Bruno and Ray stayed still.
It was a rather poignant story. Luke paused and held out two more gold coins.
Bjorn blinked at the unexpected gold coin.
“What is this?”
“Talk value.”
Bjorn’s eyes twitched. In a way, it was money given out of sympathy. The pride that remained in my chest wriggled.
But soon the reality of the edge of the cliff flickered in front of my eyes. With this money, I could have bought a little more food.
Bjorn, who struggled with his pride, put the coin in.
“Thank you.”
“What are you thankful for?”
Luke smiled and opened his mouth.
“It’s no big deal to give a beggar some red wire.”
At those words, the entire inn froze.
* * *
Neither Bruno, nor Ray, nor Bjorn were the first to wake up in the frozen inn.
Middle-aged men who were silently listening to the story from afar. Bjorn’s men in the past shouted loudly.
“That damn bastard!”
“Kill it!”
“Where did you find the young boy!”
Even though he knew that he was a nobleman, his double desire poured out. If the need arises, they will immediately rush in and cut them to pieces.
“stop.”
“young master!”
It was Bjorn who stopped them.
“Don’t do anything stupid and stand back.”
“But this guy!”
“Even if you kill me, I will kill you.”
The subordinate flinched at Bjorn’s bloody gaze and stepped back. Bjorn looked at Luke with murderous eyes.
“Did you just call me a beggar?”
“okay.”
Luke didn’t deny it and readily agreed. An old friend’s face came to mind, and the words spilled out of Luke’s mouth.
“You are a beggar.”
-I was a beggar, chief.
Part of the table was torn apart with a crackling sound. Despite not having an ancient lineage like Bruno or Ray, it was an amazing grip.
“Explain it. Why do you think I am a beggar?”
It was a way of saying that he wanted to hear the reason for the insult before killing him. Luke looked at Bjorn without a smile.
“Then what should I say? To see a guy who gives in despite having the strength to resist, who serviles for a meal, and who appreciates that no one beats him.”
“I just avoided the bloody road!”
His friend’s face was superimposed next to the furious Bruno. Every time Bjorn opened his mouth, an old friend also opened his mouth.
“Then what should I have done? Should we have chosen the path of killing each other and killing each other on the spot by starting a civil war!?”
– Even though I chose to live as a beggar, I was secretly proud of myself. They said that I sacrificed myself to avoid the path of bloodshed for everyone. I was a beggar and even stupid.
Luke shook his head. Your friend was right. The guy was a real idiot. By the time you realize you’re an idiot, it must be too late.
So, in this life, I thought Luke would enlighten me earlier. Luke looked at Bjorn and nodded.
“If my words are twisted, attack me. I don’t know if you, who avoided a fight, have the guts to do so.”
Bjorn’s eyes twitched at the apparent provocation.