693. Kingmaker II

693. Kingmaker II

“Aren’t you glad you had me here?” Adam asked, doing his best to ignore the fact their army was currently cutting down fleeing soldiers.

The Baron’s eyes were wide with shock, having never seen such a force of nature before. ‘He is surely a Night Lord!’ Yet, though Adam was smiling, the Baron could see the look in his eyes. It was a deeper pain than he would have expected, considering how eager Adam was to rain down balls of raging fire against his foes.

Some of the soldiers assisted with putting out the flickering flames, which was threatened to set the fields and woods alight. Robert stared at the death before him, frozen in fear. ‘The sir is a Night Lord?’

“Let’s head to the town, I guess...” Adam said, staring ahead of him.

“You do not wish to claim the loot?” the Baron asked.

“Leave some of the army behind and let them handle the loot.”

“It would be too dangerous to leave even half the army behind,” Matteas stated. “The darkness may engulf them.”

“Then leave behind your most trusted knight and three quarters of your army,” Adam said. “Even if they try to rebel, they can’t do anything, not when I’m by your side.”

Matteas was going to refuse exactly because of that, but he wouldn’t have admitted to it. Of course, there was also the fact the army would protect him against Adam. ‘No...’ Matteas thought back to the three giant balls of fire which had rained from the sky. ‘Even with my army, I would be unable to defeat him.’

“Arm one of your knights with that blade, though I might consider to take it as our share of the loot,” Adam stated. “Ah, actually, I’ll let your knight use it for now, but once I return the barony to you, I’d like that sword.”

‘Does he truly not wish for the power of a baron?’ Matteas slowly bowed his head, before they made their way forward.

Victory!

XP Gained: +200

XP: 16 400 -> 16 600

“You finished the battle too easily,” Jurot stated, his entire body itching to fight.

“Against some random baroness whose family we already defeated?” Adam asked, raising his brow. “We’re here to make a decent story for ourselves.”

Jurot nodded. “I would like to fight in a duel.”

“A duel...” Adam smiled. “Now that’s a great idea.”

Jurot nodded again.

“You’re a Night Lord!” Robert accused, staring up at Adam in awe and shock.

“I’m no Night Lord,” Adam stated.

“You are!”

“I’m not.”

“You are!”

“Robert, have I lied to you so far?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

Adam was about to speak up, but paused. He rode up gently to beside the baron, leaning in to whisper into his ear. “We won’t loot the town or the village.”

Matteas stared at Adam. “If we deny the army their loot, we will find their spears pointed at us.”

“We’ll pay them well enough that they won’t, but more importantly, we can spread some of the old noble family’s items around. I said half the loot was yours, half is mine. The noble family probably has most of the loot. Let’s split that in half, and you can use some of your half to reward the soldiers.”

“What of your half?”

“If things get really bad, I’ll help you out with it, but I’ll be using that to make sure the town doesn’t rebel.”

“Very well.” The Baron turned towards Charles, but Adam leaned in once more.

“Can I do the talking?”

“I would rather you not.”

“I don’t like talking to nobles, but with the commonfolk? I have a deep love for them.”

“...” Matteas remained silent for a long moment, unsure of how to proceed. Adam was...

Adam rode forward on Zee, staring up at the guard. “Do you remember me, Charles?”

“How can I forget?”

“I was the one to kill your lord, so I’m sure you can’t forget that, but it wasn’t just your lord I killed. I killed a lot of people when I killed your baron. I only wanted to kill your baron, but I was poisoned at that time. Your baron really shouldn’t have poisoned me or my companions. We saved him from the Night Terror, and that was how he repaid us?” Adam frowned, before realising he had started off too negatively.

“Still, I didn’t mean to kill the others. The guards, sure. The mercenaries, definitely. The knights, a great pleasure. The cook? No. Barry? No.” Adam shook his head. “I won’t apologise for the guards, the mercenaries, the knights, even the noble. I will apologise for killing the cook, Barry, the others. I’m sorry, truly.”

“You’re a Night Lord,” Charles accused, swallowing his fear. “A great evil, no, the greatest evil.”

“I’m no Night Lord, Charles. You’ve seen my companions. I mean, you’ve been a victim under my brother’s great might. Our powers aren’t unexplainable, and our weapons are perhaps the greatest in all the land, but not unimaginable. I don’t really know what a Night Lord is exactly, but I know I’m not one of them, not when I’ve come across beings that would make even the Night Terror look like a baby sucking at its mother’s teet.” Adam stared into Charles’ eyes, though flashes of fire crossed his eyes, the same as Charles’.

“Charles,” Adam continued, though he paused for a moment. “You’ve got a choice to make. I’m going to be your baron. Then, as time will pass, I will become a count, then so on, and so on, until I become a duke. Then, one day, I’ll pass that title on.”

Baron Moonglow raised his brows in surprise he was admitting to it right away. If Adam didn’t, then the Baron would have a just reason to go after him.

“Baron Moonglow here, he’s going to knight you. You’ll become his knight. Then I’ll become a baron, and you will be a knight in my employ. Once I leave, you will take your position as a lord here. Your family will be raised into nobility. You’ll protect this town, your town, and your family will do so as generations pass. You will serve your king faithfully, and will honour him for the chance you’ve been given, for the chance that you took. There is another choice, but I wouldn’t recommend that choice, because that choice is a choice where you keep your gates closed, and you will be remembered forever as the man who put so many of his people to death.”

Charles stared at Adam, his words sweet, so sweet that he was certain to be a Night Lord. “I can’t believe a word you say.”

“Then come. Come here and see for yourself.” Adam threw a look towards the Baron while motioning a hand to the guard. “I hope you will knight him, my lord.”

“If you submit yourself to me now, I shall do so,” the Baron said, holding out his hand, his knight placing the blade into his lord’s hand.

Charles did not make to move or speak for a long moment, though he could feel the expectant gazes of his companions all around him. He retreated from the wall, disappearing behind it, before the door was slowly opened, only slightly, just enough to let him through.

‘Sun Father, help me,’ Charles thought, approaching the small army ahead of him, ready to die.

Good luck.