“Uncle.”
Bjorn looked into the prison with mixed eyes. The once-hated flesh and blood was glaring at Bjorn in disheveled attire.
“How did you come to this?”
“Shut up. Are you here to tease me?”
Lugres replied as if a beast was growling.
“It must be funny. It’s because the villain who drove you out of your sight was defeated and turned into a prisoner. Isn’t it funny?”
There were no epic battles or duels between rivals. It just wandered on someone’s palm and was caught like a wild beast. All that remains is to wait for execution.
“Am I resentful? What took your place? So, did you want to get rid of it even with the help of someone who is not a northerner?”
“Uncle.”
“You guys don’t know. how much I struggled for my family. The seat of the family head belonged to me from the beginning!”
Eyes glistening with madness and despair glared at Bjorn. Bjorn sighed deeply and opened his mouth.
“Please calm down, uncle.”
“what?”
“Ugly and disgusting. It’s hard to see them as blood relatives.”
Lugres’ face turned red. It was an unexpected bruise. Before an angry shout could be heard, Bjorn stopped talking.
“I wouldn’t say much if I just wanted to be the head of household. It’s not uncommon in today’s world. But you have gone too far.”
“What have I done!”
“You joined hands with our enemies, you made friends with your fellow countrymen, and you used all your might to harass me. Have you ever thought of a great cause?”
“That you… … !”
“The endless self-justification is a bonus.”
Lugres’ mouth fell shut. Anger leaked from his trembling body, but Bjorn had no intention of discussing it any further.
“Your uncle will be executed after moving to the Beldain estate.”
“… … .”
“End with that. Have a good trip.”
With a cold word, Bjorn turned his back. It is not that there is no resentment left. However, as long as the other person does not know the mistake, the conversation will eventually be parallel.
For such a person, silently facing the reality was the best revenge. Lugres followed Bjorn’s back with his eyes as he left blankly.
“hehehehe, yes, is that so?”
With a sob-like moan, Lugres gritted his teeth.
“But do you want to be different? The time will soon come when you too will have to choose.”
It wasn’t long. The last deadline given by Ragnar’s messenger has long passed. It wasn’t that they rejected it, but that the war was a serious matter and the paths diverged.
However, the other party would not know that.
‘You will have to handle everything.’
In the end, all the burdens that you have to shoulder are left behind. That was the only last revenge Lugres could do now.
* * *
Execution was swift. I didn’t even go through formal procedures like what did this criminal do or what he had to say before he died.
“He’s a man with a lot of malice. Even if I give him time to open his mouth, only curses will come out.”
“I can’t deny it.”
Bjorn nodded with a wry smile. Even in his opinion, his uncle was the kind of person who would only pour out bad words the moment he gave him a chance to open his mouth.
With his mouth gagged, Lugres came out to the execution site. I opened my eyes to see if there was something I had thought of at the end, but Hyung-gu’s blade cut through my throat.
Took, took.
“Huh!”
Philippe freaked out at Lugres’ neck as it rolled away. Maybe it’s because I didn’t know that he would actually kill me.
“Ears, nobles! How could I use the same nobles!”
“noisy.”
Luke glared at him, but Philip fell silent. Everyone in the Greve family trembled and knelt down.
“Is there anything you want to say?”
“I, I, of the imperial family… … !”
“I don’t know about that.”
Is it because the peace is too long? It seemed that he never thought that he would die, even in his dreams. Trembling, Philip finally begged for his life.
“Save me!”
“okay.”
“If only you let me live… … ! uh?”
“Because it saves me.”
Philip blinked his eyes at this simple nod. And belatedly, he cleared his throat as he picked up his trembling body.
“Chemm! okay I will pay my ransom.”
Look at the attitude change. I haven’t figured out the situation yet.
“Your ransom has been paid.”
“what? when?”
“Whenever. It was when I took possession of the estate.”
“… … !”
Recognizing the meaning, Philippe’s face turned white. Luke crossed his arms as he watched the overbearing Philip.
what the hell Then did you think I would return it gently? He’s funny, this. Philip grabbed Luke’s crotch with his bloody hand.
“Hey, look.”
“I am watching.”
“Anyway, it’s not Youngji. I’ll give you anything else… … .”
“I can give you the land.”
All they needed now was the fact that they had taken over the northern land. That way, when Luke later confronts the barbarian king, he will have a say.
Other than that, everything else was fine. Philip’s face turned red as if it were going to explode.
“Look!”
“Your neck looks heavy. Can you take it off now?”
“… … .”
The road shrank. As my head cooled down, I saw reality properly. Luke was not particularly aristocratic, so he wasn’t saving his life. I don’t need to see more blood, so I’m saving you.
‘If I stretch out like this, there will be a need that I didn’t have.’
And the moment the need arises, one more neck will roll on the ground. Luke said, looking at Philip, who had become calm.
“I’ll give you the Falun.”
“… … .”
What to do with that snotty town? Most of the residents to collect taxes are gone. Luke’s voice grew cold as he showed signs of discomfort.
“If you don’t like it, would you just go naked? Try living a wandering life as a fallen aristocrat.”
“Thank you. I will never forget this grace of mine.”
Philip fell flat on his stomach. Where are you going to lead this old body? It would be fortunate if he did not collapse and die of pneumonia on the way.
‘Let’s think positively. He saved his life and had a place to lie down.’
With effort to clear his stomach, Philip stepped back. What followed was a discussion about non-committal behavior and punishment.
It didn’t take long. Most of the non-gong peddling was finished immediately when the achievement was made, and most of the targets to be punished were dead.
“good. Then with this… … .”
Ding Ding Ding.
Ding Ding Ding.
Just before leaving after everything is done. The bell announcing the invasion of the enemy rang loudly.
“Hey, barbarians! Barbarians are coming!”
“what? Why are they?”
Bjorn looked at his uncle’s corpse with a bewildered face. They were the ones who wouldn’t move unless it was requested by Lugres.
However, it appeared in the territory of the client, not anywhere else. Among the bewildered people around him, Luke hardened his face. I guessed who came.
‘It’s faster than I thought.’
Luke stood up among the confused people. For a moment, the surroundings became silent.
“One thing.”
Luke said calmly. A commander’s composure gives those under his command a sense of security.
Naturally, the confusion subsided and everyone paid attention to Luke’s mouth.
“Prepare for battle.”
“yes!”
Bjorn and Henrik, Bruno and Ray all answered in unison. While everyone was scattering to do their part, Luke headed for the castle wall.
As I climbed to the top of the castle wall, I heard the sound of swallowing the wind from around me.
“oh my god.”
One of the soldiers muttered blankly. The number of barbarians approaching far away was not about one hundred or two hundred.
A huge number that seemed like this castle would fall if they were determined and attacked. The soldiers watched the barbarians approaching, swallowing dry saliva.
“Go, the arrow will shoot soon.”
“Shall we shoot?”
The soldiers looked at Bjorn, and Bjorn looked back at Luke.
“What would you like?”
“Leave it alone.”
“yes?”
“I’m not going to attack you.”
If we were going to attack, we would have brought a lot more troops than that. Because he has enough strength.
After hesitating for a moment, Bjorn gave the order to the soldiers to retreat. The bows of the soldiers lowered all at once.
As Luke said, the barbarians did not attack. It was only slowly approaching the gate as if it were advancing.
“Whoa, someone is coming out.”
When they came close to the wall, the one who took the lead came closer on horseback. His muscularity, which could be seen even through his gray hair and thick hide, was impressive.
The man drew in his breath against the wall and shouted.
– Lugres!
“Ugh!”
Some of the soldiers grabbed their ears. The voice was so loud. Bjorn and Henrik also frowned because they were deaf.
But Luke, Bruno, and Ray’s faces hardened.
‘Is it an ancient lineage?’
You can tell just by listening. It’s not human quality. The structure of the body itself was beyond human limits.
– I heard that the war is over! If so, isn’t it time to give you an answer! I’ve prepared a table for alcohol, so let’s have a drink with me and talk! ha ha ha!
Laughter whipped through the walls like a whip. The soldiers groaned and covered their ears with both hands. The opponent was really preparing a table for drinking.
A table was set where it had been brought from, and bottles of wine and meat snacks were placed one after another on it. Bjorn muttered blankly.
“Uncle, what else did you do before you died?”
“It’s not like he did anything.”
Luke replied to Bjorn’s self-talk.
“Perhaps he did something first, and your uncle couldn’t handle it.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to throw your uncle’s head?”
“I don’t even have a chin.”
What he wants is to become a king. To be recognized by all the lords of the north and reign as the official king. Who owns the land is a matter of secondary importance.
From noble mtl dot com
Even if the lord changed, it would only be that the person to ask the question changed.
“Let’s go.”
“It is dangerous.”
It was Ray who caught on this time. With a worried voice, Ray dissuaded Luke.
“Authors are like us.”
“know.”
“If a battle breaks out, we may not be able to protect you.”
“I know that too.”
Luke spoke first before Ray could say anything more.
“The enemy’s captain can’t be fearless, and the leader of this side can’t be safely inside the castle walls.”
In a determined tone, Ray was about to say something, but quietly lowered his head. However, Bjorn from the side protested in a small voice.
“Well, now I am the lord of this land.”
“And your lord is me. Are you dissatisfied?”
“doesn’t exist.”
Bjorn’s timid defiance was quickly suppressed. Luke slowly turned his back and headed down the gate.
“let’s go. I set a table for you to drink, but it would be rude if you ignore it.”
* * *
It was Luke and Bjorn, Bruno and Ray who left the gates. Bjorn as the lord of this land, and Luke as the lord of Bjorn.
Bruno and Ray acted as Luke’s escorts as usual. The savage who saw you laughed and stood up.
“You are late. I thought I was dying from waiting.”
The barbarian army was still far away. Even in a situation where they would face each other 1v4, there was no faltering in their composure.
Is it confidence in the power you have, or is it natural courage?
“Looks like Lugres didn’t come out. Are you agents?”
“no.”
“Huh, if you came out on your own, what would that friend say later?”
“Well, that sounds like it would be difficult.”
Luke deliberately looked at Bjorn with an ambiguous sound. Bjorn took something out of his pocket.
“As you can see, it’s like this.”
As Lugres’ head came up on the table, the man erased the smile from his face.