Chapter 76

Chapter 76

A cold tension hovered across the table. The warriors eyed each other cautiously, making no rash movements.

Clunk.

The knights approached their masters with their shields and swords in their hands in preparation as if a battle was only moments away from breaking out.

'This is tough,' Urich thought to himself, shaking his head with a smile as sweat dripped from his chin. There were more than twenty soldiers behind the dukes, not just any soldiers, but knights. That was only the number of knights he could see right now, and there could have been many more hidden away.

'If Lungell and Harmatti join forces to attack, it would be overwhelming just to protect Pahell. Keeping my life would be difficult.'

Urich's arm muscles tensed, ready for action.

'How many can I take with me?'

Urich wanted to do everything in his power to help Pahell fulfill his dream.

'It's not about some grand reason. He is simply my friend.'

He had witnessed Pahell's struggles from the front row. Urich didn't understand him; Urich never had to push forward as he lamented his weaknesses like Pahell. Urich was always strong, so he was able to break through any obstacles that stood in the way of him getting what he wanted.

'Pahell is weak. He can't do anything without someone else protecting him.'

But Pahell kept moving forward despite falling and crying. That too was a form of strength.

"Pahell, I'll make you king. Even if it means killing everyone here."

Urich whispered as he puffed his chest, readying himself for battle. He was fully intending to drench the banquet hall in blood with his axe and sword. He envisioned the scene: intestines hanging on the table in place of the food, severed heads rolling around the banquet hall, himself drenched in blood, fierce eyes glaring. A beast lurked behind Urich.

Clap!

Someone broke Urich's concentration with a clap.

"Stop it. What is this?" Duke Lungell clapped his hands, signaling the knights to back off. He had a cunning smile on his face.

"Duke Lungell. Make your intentions clear," Duke Harmatti demanded with a clear frown on his face.

"Duke Harmatti. I swore not to harm the prince and his party within my territory. There will be no fighting tonight."

"You've chosen the wrong side, Duke Lungell. This night could have ended the civil war."

Duke Harmatti also signaled his knights to back off. The thick tension melted away.

Duke Harmatti claiming the throne without any waste of his power? That is simply terrifying, no way!' Duke Lungell thought, sipping his wine. He believed it was better to wear out both parties, regardless of who ultimately became king.

'Even if Duke Harmatti wins, it will take at least a decade to recover from the aftermath of the war. That’s more than enough time for me to grow stronger.'

Wars cost a fortune. It was not uncommon for nobles to go bankrupt after wars. Duke Harmatti was no exception, as he was already spending lavishly.

'Even if Pahell wins, he won't be able to exercise power immediately. He’s going to have to build everything from scratch, and if I offer to help as a chancellor, he couldn’t possibly turn me down.'

Duke Lungell made up his mind.

"Prince Varca, Duke Harmatti," he looked at the two men. Cheêck out latest novels at novelhall.com

"Duke Lungell's duchy declares neutrality in this civil war. And, we will also protect all nobles who wish to do the same," Duke Lungell said as he spread his arms.

"Duke Lungell!" Duke Harmatti stood up abruptly, slamming the table. Duke Lungell coolly looked at him.

"Do you want me to pick a side instead?" Duke Lungell raised his glass toward Pahell.

'Is he saying he'll join the prince if I threaten him?'

Duke Harmatti thought angrily, suppressing his boiling emotions that were on the verge of exploding.

"Haha, do as you wish, Duke Lungell. If neutrality is truly what you want, then I can't force you to take sides."

The mercenaries' expressions lightened at Urich's words.

"Let's take a break here. The horses are tired too."

Pahell announced, showing his unparalleled ability to read a horse's condition. The mountain ranges were risky for even the horses. If they were pushed beyond their capacity, they could have very well gotten injured. The mercenaries caught their breaths as they dismounted their horses.

"I was really nervous back there. If we had fought back there... it would've been dreadful."

"Even leader Urich couldn't have taken on all of them."

The mercenaries reminisced about the tense situation at the castle. Although it wasn’t obvious because they were overpowered by Urich's presence, they were trembling. None of them were ready to risk their lives in such a disadvantageous fight. After all, they’re unanimous goal was to survive and collect the reward.

'Maybe I should've brought the northerners.'

Urich pondered as he saw the lowered morale. The mercenaries' spirits plummeted in unfavorable situations. They preferred victorious battles.

"Hey, Gidwick, where are you going? Just shit somewhere nearby."

Bachman called out to a mercenary who was heading into the forest.

"My stomach's churning. It's going to stink, are you sure? I’m two seconds away from exploding."

The mercenary grimaced, clutching his stomach. The others jeered at him.

"Fine, fine. Go take care of it quickly."

Bachman waved his hand, already covering his nose. The mercenary strode into the bushes.

The mercenaries either napped or ate, while the horses grazed. Only the sounds of insects and birds filled the air.

"It's quiet."

Urich commented as he urinated under a tree. Wiping his hand on his trousers, he looked around. Something felt off, as if he missed something. Thinking hard, Urich quickly pulled up his trousers.

"Did the guy who went to take a dump come back?" He asked the mercenaries.

"Gidwick? No, he's not back yet. He ate a ton of greasy food back at the castle yesterday, so it’s no surprise he has bad diarrhea," Bachman replied.

"Go look for him right now," Urich ordered in a serious tone with his voice growling low.

"Why? He's just taking a dump."

Despite his questioning attitude, Bachman stood up and grabbed his weapon. The mercenaries, who respected Urich as their leader, followed his command. It had become a habit to act first since questions could be answered afterward.

"There's no smell. Unless he went really far, there's no way the smell wouldn't reach my nose. Especially if it's diarrhea. That stuff reeks."

Urich commented. The mercenaries flinched and searched the bushes.

"There's no sign of him. He's not responding to our calls either."

The searchers reported. They slowly realized the situation.

'Gidwick has betrayed us.'

The mercenaries erupted in curses.

Snap.

Urich broke a sapling, and the splinters dug into his hand.

"Smoke!"

Smoke rose in the distance. It was in the direction that Gidwick had run off to. Smoke signals were the most basic form of communication.

"Get back to the horses! The chase party is coming!"

If Gidwick betrayed them, all predictions became useless. Duke Harmatti must have quickly organized a pursuit team. The distance was much closer than expected. Urich's ears twitched, distinctly picking out the sound of horse hooves in the midst of all the commotion.

'There’s at least thirty.'

There were many hoof sounds. Urich frowned. The number of enemies was a problem, but the bigger issue was the mercenaries' low morale. The anxiety spread like a highly contagious disease. Those who had fought with Urich since their gladiator days showed their readiness to fight, but that wasn't nearly enough for the situation.