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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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I immediately left the mansion. After patrolling the outskirts of the village in full armor for some time, I heard the sound of approaching hooves. Soon, a lone rider came into view.
It was a well-built knight clad in reinforced chainmail and a grey wolf fur cloak. He rode a large horse; if I were any shorter, I would have had to look up at him.
“Who goes there?”
His voice was raspy, as if he were drunk. Up close, I saw his face was covered in a thick beard. His eyes gleamed with a predatory intensity that was quite intimidating.
“Shouldn’t the outsider introduce himself first?”
I kept my hand on the hilt of my sword as I met his gaze. He scanned me from head to toe and chuckled.
“I am Jude Horn. I serve Baron Rasino.”
“Allen Tolbatz. What business does a knight of the Baron have here?”
“You speak rather informally for a child.”
Jude Horn growled menacingly.
“Considering I’m not even sure you’re a true knight of the Baron, why should I address you with any respect?”
Jude Horn finally drew a crest depicting a hyena from his breast pocket. The Baron’s seal was stamped in the bottom right corner.
“Satisfied now?”
“My apologies. So, what brings you here? Has something happened to my father?”
I returned the crest and looked around. I didn’t sense anyone else following him. So, he had come alone.
Was it because the fewer people knew about seizing a vassal’s land, the better? Or was he confident he could handle it alone?
Only one thing was certain.
It had been a while since Sophia had contacted the Baron.
He wouldn’t have come alone if he knew about Roland’s disappearance. Not even if he was the Baron’s formidable left-hand man.
“I’ll speak in the presence of Lady Sophia and Sir Roland.”
“I am the acting lord.”
“Hmph, the unrecognized heir who hasn’t earned Lord Maxim’s approval? The notorious scoundrel, I hear? This isn’t something you can decide. Step aside.”
Jude Horn’s condescending attitude only strengthened my conviction. Still, I needed to know exactly what he knew to deal with the Baron effectively. I feigned a troubled expression and spoke.
“The two of them have eloped.”
“Pfft, what? Eloped?”
“They disappeared as soon as news of the war ending reached them. They were probably worried about Father discovering their affair. Everyone in the manor knew about their relationship.”
“Uh… um…”
Jude Horn’s eyes darted nervously. He had probably planned to smoothly take over the manor with their cooperation, but things had gone awry from the start.
I pressed on before he could recover.
“Therefore, I am the sole decision-maker.”
“I can’t believe it. While I’m aware of Sir Roland’s reputation with women, he’s not one to abandon his duties.”
“Duties?”
“Something you wouldn’t understand.”
He still treated me with disdain. He seemed convinced I was a scoundrel.
Indeed, the only unusual event in this small manor worthy of Sophia mentioning in her letter would have been my debauchery. This seemed to have solidified his prejudice.
It was likely the same for the Baron who sent him. My conviction grew stronger. This was the perfect scenario.
“I’ve informed you that I am the sole authority here.”
“Haha, I can’t believe such a preposterous claim about elopement! I’ll confirm it with my own eyes!”
Jude Horn spurred his horse forward, acting as if he owned the manor.
‘He might be skilled, but he’s a fool.’
If I were Jude Horn, I would have turned back the moment I heard about Sophia and Roland’s disappearance. Who knew what other unexpected events awaited?
Yet, Jude Horn chose to boldly advance. His prejudice against me as a scoundrel must have influenced his decision, but even so, his foolishness was undeniable.
“You’re the one who claims to have witnessed Sir Roland’s last moments!”
Jude Horn, acting as if he were the lord, forced the village head to kneel. The village head repeatedly bowed his head, but his eyes kept glancing at me, standing behind Jude Horn.
I subtly nodded at the village head, unseen by Jude Horn. The village head finally spoke.
“Y-Yes, that’s right. I saw it with my own two eyes. There’s no other knight in this area who would ride a horse wearing a navy blue surcoat and a flowing cloak besides Sir Roland.”
“How dare you utter such blatant lies about someone’s safety!”
Jude Horn drew his sword and pressed it against the village head’s throat. The village head’s terrified face was reflected in the polished blade.
“H-How could I lie before a knight! I wasn’t the only one who saw him, so please ask the others!”
The village head had no choice but to lie. Thanks to me, he had acquired the previous village head’s assets at a bargain price and had also gained the position of village head. His daughter had become my mistress and held power within the mansion.
Wasn’t that quite a reward for telling a lie? On the other hand, if he told the truth, he would have to worry about his own life.
This knight, who readily resorted to violence, wouldn’t hesitate to kill him for lying. Perhaps if Jude Horn had offered him a greater reward than what I had given him, he might have told the truth.
“You insolent…!”
Jude Horn truly intended to kill the village head.
“Sir Jude, this is the Tolbatz manor. I have the authority to punish members of this manor.”
That couldn’t happen. If I stood by idly while an outsider killed the village head, no one would follow me. Even Mari’s loyalty would waver.
Moreover, I had intentionally stalled for time.
The sword poised to strike the village head froze. Jude Horn turned to face me, his expression filled with contempt. His lowered sword was ready to be drawn at any moment.
“So, you intend to obstruct me, the Baron’s envoy?”
“Even if you were the Baron himself, you wouldn’t have the authority.”
The right to hold court within the manor belonged solely to the lord. Not even his liege lord, bound by a feudal contract, could infringe upon that right.
Jude Horn’s face contorted in anger. The muscles in his hand twitched, as if he were about to strike.
“It seems you don’t know when to pick your battles.”
“You are here representing the Baron. Are you unaware that your unreasonable actions will also tarnish the Baron’s reputation?”
“What? How dare a clueless scoundrel like you lecture me!”
Jude Horn would have attacked me then and there if it weren’t for the villagers who had begun to gather.
They were armed with pitchforks, clubs, and even loaded crossbows. The final touch was the mounted figure parting the crowd.
Fiore, fully armored and wearing a helmet with a visor, rode up behind me and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.
Surrounded, Jude Horn was trapped. Realizing this, he took a step back, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
“What is the meaning of this! How dare you ignorant peasants threaten me, the Baron’s envoy!”
Jude Horn, who had been acting so high and mighty, now hid behind the Baron’s name the moment things turned sour. This man was the Baron’s left-hand man? It spoke volumes about the Baron’s character.
I raised my hand, and the villagers surrounding us froze in unison. Jude Horn gulped as he saw their coordinated movements.
Shing.
I drew my sword.
“Foolish, utterly foolish. Did you really think you could get away with disrespecting me and acting so arrogantly on my land?”
“I am the Baron’s envoy! Pointing your sword at me is the same as pointing it at the Baron! It’s treason!”
Jude Horn tried to intimidate the villagers by invoking the Baron’s authority. They remained unfazed.
Justice was distant, but their fists were close. To them, I, who had made my presence known through various acts of mischief, was far more fearsome than the Baron they had never met.
I chuckled.
“You’re choosing your words poorly. It was the Baron who betrayed us first.”
“What…?”
Jude Horn’s eyes trembled.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t know why a knight known as the Baron’s left-hand man would come here as a mere messenger?”
“It was a trap! You lured me here!”
“Lured you? You were the one who insisted on coming here to investigate.”
Jude Horn’s face crumpled as he recalled his earlier actions.
“You…!”
“If your plans had gone awry from the start, you should have been more cautious. Instead, you walked right into a trap. Don’t you think your judgment is lacking?”
“You!”
Jude Horn finally lost his patience. He pointed his sword at me and charged. It wasn’t an impulsive decision; he had been frantically searching for a weakness in the encirclement.
He had judged that capturing me was easier than breaking through the surrounding. He believed that capturing me, the linchpin of this group, would turn the tables. After all, I was just a good-for-nothing scoundrel, wasn’t I?
That was why his gaze lingered on the crossbowmen and Fiore, standing behind me.
That was his mistake.
Thwack!
As if waiting for him, an arrow was fired, forcing him to deflect it. Using the momentum, he continued his charge towards me.
“Die!”
I saw his eyes gleaming menacingly beyond his downward swing. He was confident that his sword would strike me down.
I chuckled. Time had already slowed down for me, and I had been observing his every move, no matter how small, since before he even swung his sword.
I raised my sword and blocked his attack with the base of my blade, deflecting the force.
Clang!
Sparks flew, and as his sword faltered, I stepped forward with my left foot, twisting my body diagonally and pushing his sword outwards. Then, twisting my blade, I aimed the tip at his throat.
It was a fluid, seamless transition, as if the blocking motion had been merely a setup for the thrust.
“…!”
Jude Horn stared at me in disbelief. He quickly recovered, pulling on my sword and applying more force.
He was stronger. My sword wavered, and its trajectory was forced off course. The tip scraped against the metal plate reinforcing his chainmail, creating sparks and a grating sound.
“Allen!”
Jude Horn didn’t have time to calm down. Seeing him attack me, Fiore charged.
Despite being on horseback, Fiore’s sword was aimed precisely at his throat. It was a strike that required both exceptional horsemanship and swordsmanship.
“Damn it!”
Jude Horn hurriedly raised his sword to block the blow. However, the force of the mounted charge was far greater than he anticipated. His sword was pushed back, striking his own body.
If he hadn’t been wearing chainmail, the blow would have caused serious injury. His ordeal had only just begun.
While he was occupied with Fiore, I circled behind him and targeted the back of his calf, unprotected by his armor.
Despite the thick padding beneath, my sharpened blade easily pierced through. I couldn’t cut deeply as I dodged his desperate counterattack, but it was enough to bring him to his knees.
“Ugh, you…!”
He glared at me with murderous intent. If looks could kill, this would be the one. But his glare didn’t last long.
Thwack!
Another crossbow bolt was fired. Aimed at his injured leg, it struck before he could react.
“Gah.”
The bolt pierced through his chainmail and thigh, exiting through the other side. Only after he lost the use of one leg did fear finally creep into his ferocious face.
“Y-You think you can get away with this?! The Baron will send an army to crush you when he hears about this!!”
He yelled, pointing his sword at Fiore, me, and the villagers. The villagers flinched at his desperate cry. I gestured to the crossbowman.
Thwack!
“Argh—!”
This time, the bolt struck his other thigh. Completely on his knees, he trembled, swinging his sword wildly.
“Damn it! Stay back! I’ll kill you all! I swear I will!”
I waited until he was exhausted and his movements slowed, then disarmed him. Following my instructions, the villagers rushed forward and bound him tightly with ropes.
“W-What are you going to do to me?!”
He looked up at me, trembling, finally grasping the situation. But it was far too late.
“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you just yet. I have so, so many questions for you.”
To deal with the Baron, I needed to know exactly what he knew. From now on, even a small mistake could cost me my life.
“Just yet…? Do you think the Baron will stand idly by if you kill me?!”
“He will if I offer him something more valuable in return. The greedy Baron won’t be able to refuse. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“What…?”
“Let’s start with… waterboarding, shall we?”
My memories from my past life contained torture techniques far beyond the imagination of the people in this world. While it was only indirect experience, I intended to test their effectiveness firsthand.
Jude Horn’s face paled as he was dragged towards the basement I had discovered in Bertio’s former house.
“N-No—!”
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Let him drown bud! And make it fast to fiore time😮💨
Thanks Teot!