Episode 83 I’ll negotiate. (2)
Even as he rode away, Thamos felt like he was going crazy.
‘Why did you fail? With all those troops! You idiots, just gather together from the beginning and push them away!’
I still have no idea what I got myself into.
No matter how poor he may be, he is still the lord of a fief.
I’ve heard it here and there, but I’ve never seen or heard of magic like that.
‘Was there a wizard who could use magic like that? No, is that even magic?’
Everything was unclear, as if it was foggy.
It wasn’t just magic that was strange.
‘What the heck are those guys in black armor? Were there such troops in Ferdium?’
They were active in quickly pushing back soldiers and destroying siege towers.
I laughed at Ferdium and thought it was nothing special, but I ended up getting a big nosebleed.
‘f*ck! f*ck! I’m screwed! I’m screwed!’
He poured all his finances into this war.
But not only did they lose the war, they also lost most of their troops.
It was already a rather insignificant territory, and with no people or money, it was questionable whether it could run properly.
‘We need to save as much compensation as possible.’
This isn’t a war caused by a territorial dispute, and since you’ve managed to escape, you should be able to save your life.
Count Ferdium was a man known for his respect for customs and honor.
In addition, Ferdium is extremely weak and is struggling to even manage one territory.
If you eat Digald, you will end up with diarrhea.
I’m sure they’re thinking of moving on to appropriate compensation as well.
‘Damn, I don’t have any money to begin with, what should I do?’
There were times when he would offer up a few nearby baronies and a portion of the taxes for a few years, but that was not enough.
In the end, there is no choice but to squeeze the residents even more.
‘You stupid Desmonds. Sending such a punk as that to be your commander.’
Thamos cursed inwardly and spurred his horse on.
I have to quickly return to the territory. I was anxious because it was still within Ferdium’s territory.
In fact, even now, when I think of those terrifying flames and those men in black armor, I feel like my legs are about to give out.
“Let’s go quickly! Quickly! Run!”
Thamos rode his horse without stopping, panting.
As soon as they arrived at the castle, the horse stuck out its tongue and collapsed.
Everyone was surprised to see the lord appearing in a beggarly form, but Thamos paid no attention and continued to shout loudly.
“Prepare to negotiate surrender! Quickly!”
Everyone started to move without being able to properly ask about the situation due to the lord’s back.
I saw him leading that great army, so how on earth did someone like Ferdium stop him?
Even as they prepared to surrender, people’s eyes were filled with wonder and curiosity.
Soon after, Giselle arrived at Digald Estate.
“Oh, it’s getting ready pretty quickly?”
A hastily raised white flag was seen from the border of the territory.
There was no one to stop Giselle and her group as they ran quickly.
A group of people were waiting in front of Yeongju Castle, holding white flags.
“Take me to the Count.”
Digald’s vassals politely guided Giselle into the lord’s castle.
Thamos sat arrogantly in his high seat in the Great Hall.
It was a last-ditch effort to preserve the pride of the nobility.
Even though they lost the war, they still had a tendency to look down on Ferdium.
As the armed men with fierce expressions, led by Giselle, entered, Thamos made an uncomfortable expression.
‘You’re coming so fast. Are you chasing me?’
Looking at the uniforms, it was that scary black unit.
Giselle couldn’t hide her sneer at the sight of Thamos sitting so arrogantly.
In this situation, it was just ridiculous to try to save one’s pride.
“Are you preparing for surrender negotiations?”
“Yes. Who are you?”
“I am Giselle Ferdium. I have come here with full authority from my father.”
Although her tone was quite polite for Jiselle, her eyes and facial expression clearly showed that she was looking down on the other person.
But Thamos didn’t even notice that.
“You… … ?”
If it’s Giselle, she’s a notorious northern scoundrel, on par with her dead son Gilmore.
I don’t know about other territories, but the rumor was quite loud in the neighboring Digald.
That guy came here as a representative of the lord? And he’s the captain of that black unit!
Thamos looked at Giselle dumbly, as if he couldn’t believe it.
At that moment, Jiselle spat out coldly.
“Pull him out.”
The mercenaries immediately walked over to him, grabbed his arms, and dragged him down.
“What, what are you doing! Where do these lowly people dare to put their hands! Can’t you let this go!”
Thamos writhed in surprise, but the mercenaries easily subdued him and threw him into the middle of the battle.
Digald’s vassals were all shocked by the mercenaries’ outrageous attitude, but they couldn’t say anything.
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The atmosphere was too tense to protest.
Thud thud.
Jiselle climbed up to the seat where the lord was sitting and sat down with her legs crossed.
Thamos, who was forced to kneel on the floor, looked up at him with a bewildered expression.
Where in the world can you find such a shameless guy?
Although he lost the war, he is a high-ranking nobleman who rose to the title of count of the kingdom.
A lowly man with no title could not dare treat me like that.
“What are you doing! Mind your manners! Does Count Ferdium know that you are doing this?”
Jiselle answered with a smile still on her lips.
“Shut up. Do you think that the facade of nobility will protect you? If so many lives have been lost in the war, you too should risk your life. And my father knows very well that I am a shameless man.”
“What, what? Are you really going to kill me?”
“okay.”
“You! I am a noble! A count at that! How dare you kill me, His Majesty the King’s loyal subject! I say, follow the law and custom!”
“If you want to kill others, you have to risk your own life as well. If you lose in war, there is only death.”
Tamos was taken aback by Giselle’s cold gaze.
It is customary not to kill nobles who leave the battlefield or surrender.
The nobles package it with the excuse that ‘you cannot harm a subject who serves the same king.’
That is why Thamos returned to Digald in such a hurry.
Once I return to my territory, I won’t be able to kill the lord carelessly.
“You’re going to kill me without even negotiating?”
Thamos began to feel uneasy.
Although it is not common, there are often great lords who are cruel or powerful and who do not care about laws or customs.
I never thought that Ferdium, and not even the lord but the successor, would appear.
“That’s ridiculous! I’ll meet Count Ferdium and talk to him in person! I won’t negotiate with the likes of you!”
“I have no intention of negotiating with you either. The Digald County will be annexed to Ferdium, and the title will be revoked.”
“This, this crazy bastard is acting as he pleases without royal approval… … .”
Thamos swallowed what he was about to say.
I realized that Jiselle really meant to do that.
Thamos quickly changed his mind and spoke as if he was pleading.
“Then I will hand over the territory. As is customary, allow me to leave with ten cartloads of property!”
Thamos planned to save his life first and then rush to the capital to lead public opinion.
But Giselle refused that too.
“I don’t have any money to give you.”
“Then I’ll just leave!”
“I refuse. You will die here.”
“You bastard! How dare you… … .”
“Bear.”
As Giselle nodded, Gillian swung his axe in one motion.
Scratch!
Digald’s vassals held their breath as they watched the rolling neck in the middle of the battle.
Even though he is a grand duke, he is just a mere agent and kills a high-ranking noble who is a subject of the king!
This was the kind of crazy thing only a tyrant could do.
Giselle continued speaking calmly, not caring what they thought.
“Search out all of Digald’s successors and behead them. Bring me a list of officials, vassals, and vassals of the baronies who supported the war.”
At the sudden order, Giselle’s mercenaries and the guards including Skoban moved busily.
All of Digald’s vassals in Daejeon were captured and made to kneel one by one.
The officials and vassals of the territory who had not been able to escape were soon brought to Daejeon.
“Please save us! We are innocent!”
“I just did what I was told!”
The people who were dragged in cried out, but Giselle did not even pay attention to them.
All he did was to take the list of personal details that had been created by some administrators and slowly look through it.
I want to kill them all, but if I do, Digald territory will fall into chaos.
The Digald territory was already poor, and even the remaining supplies were confiscated.
Without a minimum of management staff, it would become a den of thieves.
Jiselle quickly began the sorting process, sorting out those to kill and those to leave behind.
Digald’s administrator, who was tied up and dragged next to Giselle, began to explain the people standing before him in a trembling voice.
“I am Baron Ahseng. I will support and personally participate in this war with one hundred soldiers and two knights… … .”
“Kill him.”
“Eww! No! How dare you touch me!”
As soon as the order was given, the mercenaries dragged him out without delay.
There were those who struggled not to die, but it was no use.
“My name is Martin. I was a civilian who assisted in military supply work… … .”
“Lock him up.”
As they were dragged out one by one, all those who had been captured trembled in fear.
Those who were locked up in prison should have felt relieved that at least their lives were saved.
Whether they were fools or the devil, they were now like gods of death with the power over their lives.
Another man was brought in.
The young, handsome man looked quite dirty and tired. He seemed to have followed Thamos into battle.
“I’m Lowell. I was a commoner and a secretary, but I was assigned to the operational staff in this war… … .”
“staff?”
Jiselle chuckled.
The war was all done by Desmond, so what would Digald’s staff have done? They probably just watched from Thamos’ side and then ran away.
Besides, since he was originally a secretary, there was no way he could properly do the job of a staff member.
Originally, the staff was a role held by military officers or military commanders who had specialized in military science.
Anyway, since he had participated in the war, it was time to judge him accordingly.
Lowell shouted urgently.
“Please save me! I can be of help to you, Confucius!”
“hmm?”
Jiselle looked down at him with interested eyes at his desperate voice.
“How can I help?”
When Jiselle showed interest, Lowell quickly responded so as not to miss the opportunity.
“I was in charge of administrative work under the secretary! Since no one else was doing their job, I took care of almost everything! I know all the strengths and weaknesses of the territory. If you leave it to me, I can quickly stabilize it! Isn’t that what your lord is worried about right now, that’s why you’re keeping some of them alive?”
“Hoo.”
Jiselle lifted one corner of her mouth. She seems to be quite quick-witted as she says something that is tempting.
But Giselle shook her head without saying a word. The situation wasn’t so dire that she had to spare the guy’s life.
“Digald is known for being poor and a mess. What good would it do to be in charge of the administration of such a place?”
“That, that’s it! It’s because the lord and his retainers constantly exploit and commit corruption! It’s because I managed it with the utmost care that it was able to survive to this extent!”
“Hmm… … .”
When Jiselle showed a lukewarm response, Lowell spoke with a look on his face like he was on the verge of tears.
“I created all the laws and systems of the territory! I even studied military science separately and was put in charge of managing the troops instead of the military officer! That’s why the Count brought me as a staff member! Since the troops were not from our territory, there was nothing I could do… … .”
In short, he managed this territory alone, and so he was dragged to the battlefield as a staff officer.
If that were true, it would be amazing, but I couldn’t take it at face value. I might be lying to survive.
Jiselle asked with narrowed eyes.
“Is there anything else you’re good at? I like capable people.”
Lowell was embarrassed.
Even if a commoner does this much, it’s amazing, so what more can you ask for here?
He was confident that even nobles with considerable academic knowledge would not be able to do as well as he did.
But if I delayed my answer or said no, it seemed like he was going to kill me right away.
Lowell said it without thinking, just as it came out of his mouth.
“Lu, I heard you got a rune stone! If you want to sell it, you’ll have to do some trading, right?”
“Really? Have you ever done business?”
In fact, Lowell had never done business before.
Because Thamos didn’t give him any authority over anything else but money management.
Still, Lowell spat out whatever he could in order to survive.
“I, I’m really fast at math! This will definitely help!”
Jiselle went straight into the test. It was a problem of terrifying difficulty that required the use of an abacus.
“Then what is 750 times 1920?”
“230!”
Jiselle said with a look of bewilderment at the answer that was given without a single moment of hesitation.
“It’s not even close?”
“But it was fast.”
“… … .”
The battle was silent. Lowell bowed his head.
It’s over now.
How could a commoner like me survive at the hands of someone who would kill even nobles?
But as with everything in life, there are occasional exceptions.
“… … Haha, this guy is funny.”
