After the battle, Falun was in a festive mood. People enthusiastically cheered Bjorn and the soldiers who brought the news of victory.
The villagers held a small victory banquet on the spot. Even if the village lacks supplies, there was nothing that could not be done at least once if scratched.
“For our son-in-law!”
-for!
Drinking glasses collided with each other with loud toasts. The soldiers hugged each other and sang songs to celebrate victory.
Luke and two knights were also brought to the victory banquet. One of the soldiers generously set down a tray of food and drink at Luke.
“Here, sir, try a taste! It was made by my wife!”
“I haven’t done anything.”
“What are you talking about! Thanks to Nari, we fought safely! I thought that my family might be attacked if it wasn’t for Mr. Ugh!”
The soldier made a fuss and stroked both arms. Luke laughed at that sight and raised his glass.
“Then thank you.”
“If you need something, tell me anytime!”
After the soldier disappeared, Luke raised his glass. Because it was a cold region, the alcohol was very strong.
In the middle of the banquet, Ray received a drink that was recommended to him as if he was in trouble, and Bruno was receiving admiration for drinking on the second day.
A shadow fell beside Luke as he looked at the two vassals.
“Are you drinking alone?”
“It’s drinking alone in a good atmosphere.”
“It seems to be the same.”
“You are ignorant and do not know the difference.”
“Well, let’s call it something like that.”
With a crash, Bjorn sat down next to him. He had five bottles of alcohol in his hand.
Bjorn picked up a glass next to him and tilted the bottle.
Squeak.
“Take my drink.”
Bjorn, who had poured himself full, held out his drinking glass. Luke gulped down his glass and drank it in one go.
It felt like the strong drink was burning from the tip of my tongue to the bottom of my throat.
“Big!”
“You know how to drink!”
“You take it this time.”
“Gladly!”
From noble mtl dot com
Luke also filled his glass, and Bjorn emptied it in one go. It was when I gave and received twice like that.
Bjorn muttered as he wiped the droplets of alcohol down his chin.
“Thank you.”
“what?”
“The thing that enlightened me by beating a stupid beggar.”
“I was awakened by words. He was a guy you wouldn’t know even if you beat him to death when he was hit.”
“It’s poignant.”
Bjorn smiled shyly and drank his glass again. Luke said while pouring a drink into an empty glass.
“How many casualties were there?”
“Three died and five survived. The rest is fine.”
It was an astonishing number. Even after dealing with that many savages, it ended with three dead and five seriously injured.
Still, the fact that there were casualties did not change. It was the death Bjorn wanted so much to prevent.
But Bjorn’s face was calm.
“It is strange.”
“what?”
“It was just yesterday that I was nervous because I didn’t know if anyone would die, but now I don’t feel sad at all when I see my dead subordinates.”
Luke stayed still without answering. After a long silence, Bjorn opened his mouth.
“Why do you think so?”
“How can I know your heart?”
“Anything is fine. Just say something.”
“Okay.”
Luke’s eyes turned to the laughing soldiers. Even though the battle was won, this is not the end of everything.
Baron Greve, Viscount Veldine will most likely catch another pod. Still, there was not a shade of shade on their faces.
“It’s probably because you’ve come to know a little about their feelings.”
“… is it.”
After that, the conversation didn’t continue. In the modest banquet, only each other’s drinking glasses were exchanged.
Until one of them collapses from being drunk.
* * *
The next day, Luke got out of bed with shadows on his eyes.
“Damn it, the bell is ringing in my head.”
Alcohol has been very strong since ancient times, but the northern liquor was quite strong. I think it’s also because my body is younger than before.
As soon as I went downstairs, one of the middle-aged men ran up to me and greeted me.
“Nari, are you awake?”
“Yes, do you have honey water?”
“I will bring it right away.”
The man rushed into the kitchen. Honey is quite expensive, and it would be more precious here, but there is no hesitation.
After a while, lukewarm honey water came out of the kitchen. When I drank a glass of honey water, Bruno and Ray also came down.
“My lord, did you sleep well?”
“I slept well.”
Luke glanced at the two of them. Even after drinking so much yesterday, Bruno and Ray’s complexion was clean.
“Are you okay?”
“This much is enough for a southern man.”
“I am fine too. Thanks to the method Sir Bruno gave me.”
“How?”
“They said that the laxatives were good. I really liked it because I had a drink.”
Crazy, after drinking that much, you drank again? Even so, seeing that he was well-behaved, he was not at the level of a real human being.
After Luke shook his head and emptied the honey water, he quickly took the empty bowl from the side and put it away.
“Is there anything else you need?”
“What about Bjorn?”
“If you’re a young boy, he’s in the graveyard.”
As expected. Luke rose from his seat to meet Bjorn. But there was no need to go to the graveyard.
It was because he met Bjorn who was returning before he even got to the middle. Seeing Luke’s complexion, Bjorn grinned.
“Your alcohol is weak.”
“Write.”
Seeing Bjorn lively, Luke clicked his tongue. Judging by the color of his face, it seemed that Luke was the first to collapse yesterday.
As I glanced at Bjorn for a moment, I noticed dirt all over his clothes.
“Are you here to bury the dead?”
“It didn’t take long. It’s what I do every time.”
“Didn’t you have a funeral?”
“I can’t. Thinking about the future.”
Luke nodded. After coming to my senses, it seemed that I could see quite far away.
As we were talking for a while, Henrik approached from the side.
“young master.”
“What is going on?”
“A man from Baron Greve came.”
Bjorn’s eyes narrowed slightly. It was an expected but unpleasant visit. As soon as Henrik’s delivery was over, a nobleman in antique clothes appeared.
He was a young aristocrat who must have just turned 20.
“who is this?”
“Larius Grebe, son of the current baron.”
“Sir Bjorn!”
Larius approached and gave a quick shout. The wrinkled face looked more like an artificially created expression than genuine anger.
“How the hell did this happen!? Killing our family’s soldiers and assaulting my mother-in-law!”
“I didn’t do it.”
“Don’t lie! I’ve heard it all, but where are the flippers!”
Aha, so it’s not what I did, but Bjorn’s. It’s not a bad ploy.
If the parties did not exist here.
“That’s what I did.”
“what?”
“I did it.”
“Who are you!”
“This is Luke Bernstein.”
Hearing the name Bernstein, Larius kept his mouth shut. He seemed to have more of a sense of reality than the guy who had been beaten up before.
The eyes swam in the sky for a moment, and soon a bright smile formed.
“hahahaha, the Bernstein family’s scion is truly merciful.”
“what?”
“How dare you intervene and try to solve something you didn’t even do. You don’t have to defend me.”
“It’s not a defense, it’s the truth.”
You all know where to get flippers. As Luke glared at him coolly, Larius’ eyes went up slightly.
“ha ha ha! It can’t be! If you killed the soldiers at the border, how can we ignore the sutra!”
If you keep insisting that you’re the real culprit, we can get it right. You know this is our home ground, right?
“So don’t bother defending yourself. There is no need for that.”
If you know, stop stepping out, and don’t get involved in this. Luke raised his lips at the words full of implications.
“It’s not a defense, it’s the truth. I ordered my knights to be exact. Was it your foreigner? I’m the one who brushed all of Marius’ teeth off.”
So what. It was Luke’s response to the threat. Larius’ face hardened at once.
This means that the criminal has openly admitted to the crime. If there is no punishment here, it is like putting sh*t on the face of the baron family.
‘Damn it, what’s wrong with this bastard all of a sudden?’
What kind of relationship did he have with Bjorn to interfere with? Bjorn intervened while Larius was confused.
“Since Sir Luke was my guest, after all, he is also my responsibility.”
“… It is!”
When the escape hole opened, Larius quickly clung to it. No matter how far away it was, it was burdensome to openly ask to fight Bernstein.
“Kuhmm, anyway, Baron Greve wants to hold you accountable for your responsibility!”
“Tell me. What do you want?”
“I will forgive you for twenty gold coins!”
Larius showed his teeth and laughed. Of course, he couldn’t afford to pay twenty gold coins for Falun.
I’ll try to cut it somehow while begging. Of course, even if you cut it, you will have to pay some amount in the end.
‘And that’s how I’m dying little by little.’
That was what the Viscount had requested from the Greve family. To slowly let go of one’s strength, completely destroying one’s strength to resist.
It was clear that this cause would be a fatal blow to Bjorn. The compensation given by the homemaker would be savory.
It was Bjorn’s one word that shattered that imagination.
“I don’t like it.”
“… … ?”
what? Did I hear you wrong now?
“What did you just say?”
“I said no. This is your maternal uncle’s responsibility, so I have nothing to give you.”
“… … !”
Larius opened his eyes. Is this guy crazy? You’re going to fight head-on with the baron, no, the viscount, with this snot-only village?
“Are you serious?”
“exactly.”
“Can you take responsibility for those words now?”
Bjorn closed his eyes for a moment. It was a war that I had always avoided because I was afraid, but now I knew it.
Everyone wanted war. It’s not because I want to see blood. When I opened my eyes, I saw eyes in all directions.
‘I’d rather fight and die than die withering like this.’
‘Tell me, young master. I will fight.’
‘It’s okay to die if I can give them a shot.’
A look in my eyes that I hadn’t noticed until a few days ago. But now it felt like every single one of my inner thoughts could be caught.
Bjorn looked straight at Larius and said.
“Prepare for war.”
“… … !”
“I’m requesting you for the Yeongjijeon.”
* * *
Larius said nothing and went back pale. I bet you didn’t know that I was actually going to fight.
“Is it okay if I tell you in advance?”
“If you keep your mouth shut, the other side will attack.”
If he’s going to fight anyway, he’s saying that he’ll take care of the justification that he’s not a coward. Bjorn looked at Luke and said.
“Can you help me?”
“Before, they asked me to watch over the house.”
“Subjugation of barbarians and territory war are completely different.”
It is not determined by combat power or morale alone by simply clashing. If you wear even a very small castle, the damage increases exponentially.
If you think about it, strategists will beg you to say ‘don’t do a siege if you can’t do it’.
“I want to borrow your strength.”
“With your bare mouth?”
“What do you want?”
“Well, I don’t know if I’m treated like a big brother.”
Luke grinned. Also called brother’s oath or sworn brother, it is one of the sacred oaths that have been handed down since ancient times in the North.
They treat each other like brothers and swear never to betray. In fact, it is an oath directly under the military vassal contract.
“Can you?”
“Will that be enough?”
“what?”
Facing Luke who asked back, Bjorn knelt down and bowed his head.
“I, Bjorn Veldain, swear by the goddess who watches over this land, my blood, and everything.”
While everyone was watching, Bjorn’s voice rang out.
“I want to serve you as my lord. Please accept it.”