Chapter 298: ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????? (2)

Chapter 298: Desert Philosophers (2)

Rather than struggle to take prisoners, it was more in the centaurs’ nature to just slaughter them.

When the encirclement was broken and the storm-like assault began, the warriors who’d been pillaging panicked.

“Ambush!”

“No, they’re pilgrims from the west! Hey! Stop attacking!”

The sand and dust made visibility difficult, but certain colors of clothing here and there made it clear that they were indeed pilgrims from the west.

The warriors who’d been pillaging tried their best to make it known that they were monotheists.

“We are brothers in faith!”

“I have never had a rogue like you as a brother!”

With those words, one of the centaurs loosed an arrow. The arrow found the perfect gap in the armor, piercing the warrior’s neck.

“There are centaurs, too!!”

“Why are these barbarians here?!”

While the warriors were bewildered, Johan led his subordinates in an attack on the center. Since only the best warriors served under Johan, their destructive power was awe-inspiring.

The band of rogues, though heavily armed themselves, melted away like snow in the sun.

Valeon, who was fighting alongside them, swinging his weapon, looked at the duke in bewilderment.

‘Is this really okay?’

He wasn’t shocked by the battle that was currently unfolding. As people living on this land, he knew very well that shared faith doesn’t make fellow believers brothers.

If you counted just the numbers, the number of times they’d fought among themselves was probably greater than the number of times they’d fought pagans.

Among the monotheists, there were quite a few cases where they disguised themselves as a band of rogues, went out to other places, committed robbery and pillaging, and there were also quite a few cases where they did the opposite and plundered those very monotheists.

So in that sense, this battle in itself wasn’t strange. . .

But isn’t the duke a different person from the feudal lords here?

His religiosity is on a whole different level, and more importantly, he has to persuade the feudal lords here to fight alongside him.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

For Valeon, who had heard these things from the old king, he couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Is it really okay to wield a sword like this?’

No matter how much they’d committed robbery, when being attacked, it’s only human to bear a grudge.

“I don’t know where you people are from, but I am a knight of the Tragalon Hundred Kingdoms. . . Whack!”

“Is it over?”

“Yes!”

Valeon eventually couldn’t hold back and asked the question.

“Your Highness, is this really okay?”

“What?”

Before Johan could answer, one of the centaurs turned his head ferociously. He looked even more ferocious since he hadn’t wiped the blood off yet.

“Ah. . . No. Didn’t that guy just say he’s a knight of the Hundred Kingdoms? What if we have trouble persuading them later? And besides, they’re supposed to be brothers in faith. . .”

“Hmm. My heart aches, too.”

Johan said that with a grim expression and without even wetting his lips. There was no sign of excitement or joy after the battle in his demeanor.

The centaurs and the guards were taken aback by the duke’s attitude.

‘What is he doing?’

‘I don’t really understand, but let’s just stay still for now.’

The duke’s closest guards knew that he would never do anything like this, but they kept their mouths shut for the time being because of the atmosphere.

“But as a knight, I can’t just stand by and let injustice happen. I would have to step in, even if it meant I would suffer losses later.”

“Ah. . .”

Valeon was honestly impressed by the answer he hadn’t expected. As someone who’d been trained and raised as a knight, it was impossible not to be impressed by such an answer.

“. . .That was noble of you.”

“Is that so?”

Johan nodded and moved his horse to the side. Then he spoke to the centaurs.

“Don’t miss out on the spoils. Looks like there’s quite a lot of it, considering there are knight dastards here.”

“Your Highness, I’m sure that we, of all people under Your Highness’ command, excel at pillaging and plundering, though I cannot say the same for other things.”

“I like your confidence.”

The other guards, not the centaurs, who were escorting Johan, burst out laughing at the conversation. Then they glanced at Valeon.

“Surely he wasn’t impressed by those words, was he?”

“No way. . . Unless he’s an idiot.”

????????????????????????

The merchants were very grateful for the unexpected help. They were even more surprised by the fact that their benefactors were pilgrims from the west.

“We would like to offer you a reward.”

“Hmph!”

As the nobles who had been promised an expedition walked away, those who remained let out a sigh of relief.

“Did you see those violent men?”

“But they do have a point. If only we could wipe them out this time. . .?”

“Hmm.”

The nobles looked at the backs of those who had gone ahead, their expressions a mix of worry and anticipation.

Each of them had their own opinions, but they all agreed on one thing.

That the expedition was bound to succeed.

????????????????????????

“He’s more popular than I thought. . .?”

Lumahr opened his eyes wide and looked ahead. Where tents should have been, there were tribal tents instead. They had heard rumors that Johan was coming.

Johan visited not only the Zurebek family, but also the families who had sent people after hearing the rumors, and raised a toast with each of them.

Surprised by the visit of such an active and unexpected guest, some tribes even came to visit him.

Having experienced this many times, Johan finished the banquet with the now-familiar formality.

“More guests?”

As he was leaving the tent, he saw people rushing in from a distance, stirring up dust. He thought they were late tribal guests, but they weren’t. Their outfits were completely different.

Valeon frowned and said,

“Looks like guys from the Hundred Kingdoms.”

“There’s more than one Hundred Kingdoms around here.”

“The Tragalon Hundred Kingdoms. Those rogue guys that Your Highness took care of. . .”

“Ah. Those guys.”

The messengers who approached, stirring up dust, got off their horses and paid their respects. However, their actions revealed a hostility that they couldn’t hide. Johan and his men could sense it too.

“We have come to greet you! Are you Duke Yeats”

“Yes.”

“My master said that there seems to have been a misunderstanding with Your Highness, Your Highness.”

The messenger’s words were long and complicated, but the count’s message was simple.

Let bygones be bygones about what happened to us, and pay us compensation!

‘Jeez. They’re quicker than I thought.’

Despite the fact that he had killed them all because he didn’t want any trouble, they had somehow heard the rumors and figured out the situation. Johan pondered for a moment.

The other party was clearly aware that they were not in the right. After all, the rogues might have attacked Johan’s party.

If they had been confident, they would have demanded more.

Even so, since many of their men had died, they had to receive compensation to save face, so he would grant them that.

From the standpoint of having many enemies to fight in the future, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to settle things with silver coins.

“Bullsh*t! You guys started the rogue business, so what are you talking about!?”

Valeon, who had been listening, couldn’t take it anymore and spoke up. He didn’t particularly like the duke, but this was a separate matter.

The messengers were taken aback by his words and their faces hardened.

“What did you just say? How dare you?”

“I am Valeon, son of King Ineressa! The blood that flows in my veins proves my worthiness. How dare you shameless ones try to start a rogue business!”

If they started arguing about who was right and who was wrong, things would get complicated, so Johan had intended to move on with a reasonable compensation, but the moment he spoke so confidently, it turned into a battle of who was right.

“Are you prepared to take responsibility for those words?”

“I’m prepared to do it a hundred times more than you guys!”

“. . .What’s wrong with that guy?”

Johan asked Lumahr next to him in a bewildered voice. If it wasn’t for the strong, local alcohol that the tribes had given them, there was no reason for him to act like that.

From Johan’s point of view, the matter between Johan and the Hundred Kingdoms had turned into a matter between Valeon and the Hundred Kingdoms without him lifting a finger, so it was as good as done. . .

But what on earth was Valeon thinking?

“You have just insulted my master’s honor, Your Excellency!”

“You’re the one who should know better and talk! That’s the only way you can talk about honor!”

“Ha. I’ll see you soon!”

The messenger seemed outraged by the unexpected situation and shouted at Valeon. Then he paid his respects to Johan and turned his horse around to leave.

Johan belatedly realized the situation and asked Lumahr.

“. . .Wait a minute. Am I going to be a witness in a trial?”

“Yes. That’s what happened, Your Highness.”