Chapter 351: ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ (3)
No offense to the Elf King, but Johan didnโt believe in self-kingโs judgment very much.
To be exact, it wasnโt that he lacked judgment. He made the right judgments, but he twisted them to fit his desires.
If Johan sensed that they were outnumbered and would lose if they fought, he would retreat. Was it reasonable to say, โ๐๐ฆ๐ตโ๐ด ๐ง๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ต ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ด ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ต๐ด?โ
โ๐ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ถ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต๐ฉ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ. . .โ
Johanโs strategy was effective. The Elf King pouted and shut his mouth. He looked like he was berating himself for not being able to kill all the enemies by himself and escape.
โYour Highness, I think we should find a place to rest for a while. The elf knights look exhausted.โ
โIndeed.โ
Johan nodded at his subordinateโs words. Although he hadnโt been mistreated while he was being held captive, his body became stiff because he was being watched and his actions were restricted.
Although high-ranking nobles received different treatment, even individual knights did not receive luxurious special treatment. The elf knights looked exhausted from their hasty escape.
โWeโve shaken off the pursuit and put some distance between us overnight, so it shouldnโt matter if we take a break.โโYour Highness! Your Highness! We found a town up ahead.โ
The centaurs who had scattered and ran ahead returned with bright faces.
Even though it was the same rest, there was a big difference between camping in the forest and getting dew on your body and borrowing a town to get a good nightโs sleep. The elf knightsโ faces also brightened when they heard that. They didnโt show it, but they seemed quite tired.
โItโs okay because weโre far from the enemy. . . Be careful what you do. Thereโs no point in making unnecessary trouble.โ
โDonโt worry, Duke. If thereโs a problem, Iโll kill them all!โ
โ. . .Yeah. Donโt do that.โ
The elf knights looked at Johan in bewilderment at his words. They thought they had said the right thing.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
โWe should go out and scout again tomorrow. . .โ
โNo. Letโs rest for a few days. If we keep showing our faces around here, theyโll start to suspect something. Weโd better wait a while.โ
โBut. . .โ
The rogues huddled together and grumbled.
While the battle-hardened warriors were poring over the map, the townspeople brought them baskets of freshly baked bread, eggs, sugar, and well-smoked ham. It was an extravagant meal that was hard to believe came from a small town.
Mohado, one of the leaders of the rogues of the Black Mountains, scratched his head.
โ๐๐จ๐ฉ. ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด๐ฏโ๐ต ๐จ๐ฐ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ๐บ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ.โ
The Sultanโs march was a huge shock to the rogues hiding in the Black Mountains. At first, they thought he was coming to punish them.
Fortunately, they found out that wasnโt the case, but that didnโt change anything. No matter how big their band of rogues was, they couldnโt rob the Sultanโs massive army. The rogues had to hold their breath and wait for the storm to pass.
But as time went on, the atmosphere became strange. The Sultanโs army, which they thought would be advancing fiercely, got tied up and even started to fight among themselves.
It was the roguesโ rule to ruthlessly tear apart a weakened opponent. The rogues of the Black Mountains confirmed the rumors and immediately started to move.
Of course, they werenโt crazy enough to go and pillage the Sultanโs camp. Their target was much more realistic.
The enormous supplies headed for the Sultanโs camp.
If they could just rob them once, they would have enough to live comfortably for several years.
Of course, the other side wasnโt stupid enough to leave themselves wide open. The rogues were good at surprise attacks, but they couldnโt possibly win a head-on fight against the elite soldiers.
They could only wait with watering mouths.
โBut, chieftain. If we stay too long, the townspeople might betray us.โ
โAre there any malcontents?โ
โNot yet, but isnโt this a little too far from the mountain range?โ
The rogues of the Black Mountains, like experienced rogues, knew how to use the townspeople well. Lurking in the woods and starving was something that only amateurs would do.
In fact, after quickly occupying the isolated town and bribing them with silver coins, the townspeople welcomed the invaders without any complaints.
However, this method wasnโt invincible. Time would keep passing, and the day would come when the silver coins the rogues gave them would stop being effective. There was no way to prevent traitors from appearing among the townspeople at that time.
โI understand. Letโs try to endure it a little longer. . .โ
โChieftain! Soldiers are coming to the town!โ
โWhat?!โ
Mohado was so surprised that he dropped the sword he was holding. The reason he chose this nameless town was precisely because it was located in a remote and secluded area.
In fact, the feudal lordโs administrator didnโt even visit the town, and the village chief had to go to him in person to pay taxes.
And now, soldiers were coming this way. It was a very ominous sign.
โ๐๐ช๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต?โ
Mohado gulped. To be honest, he wanted to run away right now, but as a seasoned rogue, Mohado maintained his expression. If he panicked now, the townspeople would become even more agitated.
โW-W-What should we do? Sir, you promised us that you wouldnโt cause any trouble?โ
The village chief, already terrified, begged with a face as pale as a sheet. No one wanted to end up on the gallows after hiding a band of rogues just to earn a few silver coins.
Mohado was annoyed that he had to worry about saving their lives in this situation, but the cooperation of the townspeople was absolutely necessary. Mohado nodded.
โDonโt worry. I, Mohado, swear by the name of the two gods that I will keep my promise. If we get caught, you can say that we threatened you.โ
โT-Thank you.โ
โBut until then, you must also keep your promise!โ
โYes? What. . .โ
โYou fool. The soldiers are coming from outside, but do you think theyโll know everything? At most, theyโll just be a little suspicious. Stay calm!โ
โAh. . .โ
Seeing that the village chief still hadnโt come to his senses, Mohado threatened him in a stern voice.
โThink carefully. Even if I keep my oath, do you think the feudal lord will let it go? Who knows how many people will be hanged? The best thing for all of us is to not get caught.โ
โY-Yes, sir!โ
โIf you understand, move quickly! And donโt show any suspicious signs, got it?!โ
โOh, Iโve never had to welcome such distinguished guests before. . .โ
The village chief hurriedly ran off to gather the townโs elders. The rogues were actually getting anxious because he seemed so unsure of himself.
โWhat do we do? Will they be able to pull it off?โ
โ. . .Donโt tell the townspeople, and lie in wait quietly.โ
โ!โ
โIf weโre discovered, we have to kill them. That way, weโll at least buy some time to escape.โ
It was something that would terrify the townspeople if they found out, but the rogues were prepared to dye the town red with blood if necessary.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
โ. . .Indeed. It is very suspicious.โ
Arriving at the townโs entrance, Johan made a troubled expression. A vague sense of discomfort was snowballing within him.
Initially, the centaurs failed to understand Johanโs words, but now, they too were frowning, finding the scene equally strange.
โWhat is strange?โ
In contrast, the elven knights were very composed. Johan kindly explained,
โThey shouldnโt know who we are, yet isnโt it a little strange that theyโre welcoming us so kindly?โ
As per the custom, two of Johanโs subordinates first visited the town to deliver a message asking for cooperation, as they intended to rest in the town.
Of course, the heavily armed soldiers would be visible in the town, so it was essentially a form of intimidation, but Johan knew well that even intimidation could sometimes have an unexpectedly positive effect if delivered in a friendly manner.
Naturally, due to the situation, Johan concealed his identity, using the name of a suitable noble family. . .
. . .and yet, the village chief greeted them with an excessively enthusiastic welcome.
โ๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐. ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐ค ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฌ!
โIsnโt it natural to treat honorable knights? Although they are pagans, even the customs of pagans include treating guests. . .โ
Born in a land of plenty and raised as nobles, the elven knights were used to being treated well wherever they went.
It was a custom, a law.
In contrast, Johan and the centaurs were more realistic.
It was customary to treat guests well, but that too varied depending on the situation and place.
Heavily armed warriors visiting an unfamiliar and poor place should not be a cause for such joy.
โ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ.โ
Of course, Johan might be mistaken. It was possible that the village chief was extraordinarily frightened and was thus being overly kind. . .
โ๐๐ต๐ช๐ญ๐ญ, ๐ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ฐ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ด ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ.โ
โAchladda. Station soldiers at the town entrance and make sure no one escapes.โ
โYes. I was planning to do that anyway.โ
Johanโs subordinates were already filled with suspicion.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
The open space where feasts were held in the town became the place to entertain Johan. On a table made by splitting an oak tree in half, food was haphazardly placed.
There were smoked ham and sausages, freshly baked bread and ale, a whole roasted pig and grilled rabbits, a stew of fish caught from the river, small candies hardened with sugar, and more. Although not particularly well-made, it was still a feast for the tired knights who had been traveling.
โTry it first.โ
โ. . .Ah. Yes!โ
The village chief, trembling, ate one by one. The elven knights looked at the village chief with half-doubtful expressions.
Although they couldnโt completely ignore the words of the young duke, who was known to be quite extraordinary, they found it hard to believe that these innocent townspeople were scheming something.
โIโve eaten everything!โ
โGood. Letโs all eat. You must be tired, so eat a lot.โ
Johan merely nodded and asked the village chief,
โDo you brew your own ale?โ
โYes? No.โ
โThen you bought it?โ
โYes. . .โ
โWhere did you buy it?โ
โW-We have a friend in the town of Suderi who makes amazing alcohol. . .โ
โI see.โ
The village chief felt relieved when Johan seemed to accept the explanation.
โBut I donโt see anyone in the town who enjoys drinking ale, so why did you buy it?โ
โ. . .F-For feasts. . .โ
โYou serve ale at feasts? Thatโs the first Iโve heard of such a custom.โ
The village chiefโs face went from pale to white. He couldnโt understand how a noble knew everything about how they lived.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
โHey. This is bad.โ
The rogues who had been observing clicked their tongues. Even though they couldnโt hear the voices, they could tell that the village chief had made a mistake. The atmosphere was getting tenser.
As expected, even the elven knights, who had been eating and drinking, seemed to sense something was wrong and were placing their hands on their weapons.
โWhen did Mohado-nim say he would arrive? He should come quickly.โ
โHe said he would come after confirming the enemyโs identity, but he hasnโt come yet. He told us not to act rashly. . .โ
โI know that! But look. Do you think that guy wonโt figure it out now?? Soon, heโll figure out even our location!โ
The rogue wielding a flail spoke forcefully to his comrade. The flail-wielding rogue was a warrior considered Mohadoโs right-hand man. This was due to his bravery, strength, and the numerous achievements he had made.
With such a person speaking forcefully, the other comrades could no longer dissuade him. Moreover, even to them, the current situation seemed rather urgent.
โSend the signal. Paralyze them and then make them surrender!โ
โU-Understood.โ
๐๐๐ง๐ !
The flail-wielding rogue jumped out of his seat and dashed into the open space. Then, he shouted.
โDonโt move! Anyone who moves will have their heads crushed! We have surrounded this place, so it would be wise to surrender peacefully! If I so much as lift a finger, arrows will rain down. . .โ
The rogue, who had been shouting loudly, sensed something strange.
Normally, when he made such a sudden entrance, the opponents would panic, be frightened, or at the very least, get angry. . .
But his opponents were looking at him with very peculiar expressions.
Puzzled about what those expressions meant, the rogue suddenly recalled a possibility.
It was ridicule.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
Mohado ran in a panic. He realized it only after sneaking around and spying on the foreigners multiple times.
โ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ช๐จ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ช๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ!โ
The duke who led the expedition from the west, boasting monstrous strength.
The duke who had stormed the fortress of the Black Mountains and made a pact with them. He was certain of it. He couldnโt believe they were here, so he confirmed it several times, but it was true.
โStop! Thereโs no need to fight! That manโs true identity is the monstrous duke!โ
โ. . . . . .โ
โ. . . . . .โ
Mohado, who had been shouting while running through the alleyways, froze.
The subordinates who were supposed to be waiting were all lying face down on the ground, and the elven knights and centaurs were looking at Mohado with expressionless faces.
,No offense to the Elf King, but Johan didnโt believe in self-kingโs judgment very much.
To be exact, it wasnโt that he lacked judgment. He made the right judgments, but he twisted them to fit his desires.
If Johan sensed that they were outnumbered and would lose if they fought, he would retreat. Was it reasonable to say, โ๐๐ฆ๐ตโ๐ด ๐ง๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ต ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ด ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ต๐ด?โ
โ๐ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ถ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต๐ฉ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ. . .โ
Johanโs strategy was effective. The Elf King pouted and shut his mouth. He looked like he was berating himself for not being able to kill all the enemies by himself and escape.
โYour Highness, I think we should find a place to rest for a while. The elf knights look exhausted.โ
โIndeed.โ
Johan nodded at his subordinateโs words. Although he hadnโt been mistreated while he was being held captive, his body became stiff because he was being watched and his actions were restricted.
Although high-ranking nobles received different treatment, even individual knights did not receive luxurious special treatment. The elf knights looked exhausted from their hasty escape.
โWeโve shaken off the pursuit and put some distance between us overnight, so it shouldnโt matter if we take a break.โ
โYour Highness! Your Highness! We found a town up ahead.โ
The centaurs who had scattered and ran ahead returned with bright faces.
Even though it was the same rest, there was a big difference between camping in the forest and getting dew on your body and borrowing a town to get a good nightโs sleep. The elf knightsโ faces also brightened when they heard that. They didnโt show it, but they seemed quite tired.
โItโs okay because weโre far from the enemy. . . Be careful what you do. Thereโs no point in making unnecessary trouble.โ
โDonโt worry, Duke. If thereโs a problem, Iโll kill them all!โ
โ. . .Yeah. Donโt do that.โ
The elf knights looked at Johan in bewilderment at his words. They thought they had said the right thing.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
โWe should go out and scout again tomorrow. . .โ
โNo. Letโs rest for a few days. If we keep showing our faces around here, theyโll start to suspect something. Weโd better wait a while.โ
โBut. . .โ
The rogues huddled together and grumbled.
While the battle-hardened warriors were poring over the map, the townspeople brought them baskets of freshly baked bread, eggs, sugar, and well-smoked ham. It was an extravagant meal that was hard to believe came from a small town.
Mohado, one of the leaders of the rogues of the Black Mountains, scratched his head.
โ๐๐จ๐ฉ. ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด๐ฏโ๐ต ๐จ๐ฐ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ๐บ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ.โ
The Sultanโs march was a huge shock to the rogues hiding in the Black Mountains. At first, they thought he was coming to punish them.
Fortunately, they found out that wasnโt the case, but that didnโt change anything. No matter how big their band of rogues was, they couldnโt rob the Sultanโs massive army. The rogues had to hold their breath and wait for the storm to pass.
But as time went on, the atmosphere became strange. The Sultanโs army, which they thought would be advancing fiercely, got tied up and even started to fight among themselves.
It was the roguesโ rule to ruthlessly tear apart a weakened opponent. The rogues of the Black Mountains confirmed the rumors and immediately started to move.
Of course, they werenโt crazy enough to go and pillage the Sultanโs camp. Their target was much more realistic.
The enormous supplies headed for the Sultanโs camp.
If they could just rob them once, they would have enough to live comfortably for several years.
Of course, the other side wasnโt stupid enough to leave themselves wide open. The rogues were good at surprise attacks, but they couldnโt possibly win a head-on fight against the elite soldiers.
They could only wait with watering mouths.
โBut, chieftain. If we stay too long, the townspeople might betray us.โ
โAre there any malcontents?โ
โNot yet, but isnโt this a little too far from the mountain range?โ
The rogues of the Black Mountains, like experienced rogues, knew how to use the townspeople well. Lurking in the woods and starving was something that only amateurs would do.
In fact, after quickly occupying the isolated town and bribing them with silver coins, the townspeople welcomed the invaders without any complaints.
However, this method wasnโt invincible. Time would keep passing, and the day would come when the silver coins the rogues gave them would stop being effective. There was no way to prevent traitors from appearing among the townspeople at that time.
โI understand. Letโs try to endure it a little longer. . .โ
โChieftain! Soldiers are coming to the town!โ
โWhat?!โ
Mohado was so surprised that he dropped the sword he was holding. The reason he chose this nameless town was precisely because it was located in a remote and secluded area.
In fact, the feudal lordโs administrator didnโt even visit the town, and the village chief had to go to him in person to pay taxes.
And now, soldiers were coming this way. It was a very ominous sign.
โ๐๐ช๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต?โ
Mohado gulped. To be honest, he wanted to run away right now, but as a seasoned rogue, Mohado maintained his expression. If he panicked now, the townspeople would become even more agitated.
โW-W-What should we do? Sir, you promised us that you wouldnโt cause any trouble?โ
The village chief, already terrified, begged with a face as pale as a sheet. No one wanted to end up on the gallows after hiding a band of rogues just to earn a few silver coins.
Mohado was annoyed that he had to worry about saving their lives in this situation, but the cooperation of the townspeople was absolutely necessary. Mohado nodded.
โDonโt worry. I, Mohado, swear by the name of the two gods that I will keep my promise. If we get caught, you can say that we threatened you.โ
โT-Thank you.โ
โBut until then, you must also keep your promise!โ
โYes? What. . .โ
โYou fool. The soldiers are coming from outside, but do you think theyโll know everything? At most, theyโll just be a little suspicious. Stay calm!โ
โAh. . .โ
Seeing that the village chief still hadnโt come to his senses, Mohado threatened him in a stern voice.
โThink carefully. Even if I keep my oath, do you think the feudal lord will let it go? Who knows how many people will be hanged? The best thing for all of us is to not get caught.โ
โY-Yes, sir!โ
โIf you understand, move quickly! And donโt show any suspicious signs, got it?!โ
โOh, Iโve never had to welcome such distinguished guests before. . .โ
The village chief hurriedly ran off to gather the townโs elders. The rogues were actually getting anxious because he seemed so unsure of himself.
โWhat do we do? Will they be able to pull it off?โ
โ. . .Donโt tell the townspeople, and lie in wait quietly.โ
โ!โ
โIf weโre discovered, we have to kill them. That way, weโll at least buy some time to escape.โ
It was something that would terrify the townspeople if they found out, but the rogues were prepared to dye the town red with blood if necessary.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
โ. . .Indeed. It is very suspicious.โ
Arriving at the townโs entrance, Johan made a troubled expression. A vague sense of discomfort was snowballing within him.
Initially, the centaurs failed to understand Johanโs words, but now, they too were frowning, finding the scene equally strange.
โWhat is strange?โ
In contrast, the elven knights were very composed. Johan kindly explained,
โThey shouldnโt know who we are, yet isnโt it a little strange that theyโre welcoming us so kindly?โ
As per the custom, two of Johanโs subordinates first visited the town to deliver a message asking for cooperation, as they intended to rest in the town.
Of course, the heavily armed soldiers would be visible in the town, so it was essentially a form of intimidation, but Johan knew well that even intimidation could sometimes have an unexpectedly positive effect if delivered in a friendly manner.
Naturally, due to the situation, Johan concealed his identity, using the name of a suitable noble family. . .
. . .and yet, the village chief greeted them with an excessively enthusiastic welcome.
โ๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐. ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐ค ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฌ!
โIsnโt it natural to treat honorable knights? Although they are pagans, even the customs of pagans include treating guests. . .โ
Born in a land of plenty and raised as nobles, the elven knights were used to being treated well wherever they went.
It was a custom, a law.
In contrast, Johan and the centaurs were more realistic.
It was customary to treat guests well, but that too varied depending on the situation and place.
Heavily armed warriors visiting an unfamiliar and poor place should not be a cause for such joy.
โ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ.โ
Of course, Johan might be mistaken. It was possible that the village chief was extraordinarily frightened and was thus being overly kind. . .
โ๐๐ต๐ช๐ญ๐ญ, ๐ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ฐ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ด ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ.โ
โAchladda. Station soldiers at the town entrance and make sure no one escapes.โ
โYes. I was planning to do that anyway.โ
Johanโs subordinates were already filled with suspicion.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
The open space where feasts were held in the town became the place to entertain Johan. On a table made by splitting an oak tree in half, food was haphazardly placed.
There were smoked ham and sausages, freshly baked bread and ale, a whole roasted pig and grilled rabbits, a stew of fish caught from the river, small candies hardened with sugar, and more. Although not particularly well-made, it was still a feast for the tired knights who had been traveling.
โTry it first.โ
โ. . .Ah. Yes!โ
The village chief, trembling, ate one by one. The elven knights looked at the village chief with half-doubtful expressions.
Although they couldnโt completely ignore the words of the young duke, who was known to be quite extraordinary, they found it hard to believe that these innocent townspeople were scheming something.
โIโve eaten everything!โ
โGood. Letโs all eat. You must be tired, so eat a lot.โ
Johan merely nodded and asked the village chief,
โDo you brew your own ale?โ
โYes? No.โ
โThen you bought it?โ
โYes. . .โ
โWhere did you buy it?โ
โW-We have a friend in the town of Suderi who makes amazing alcohol. . .โ
โI see.โ
The village chief felt relieved when Johan seemed to accept the explanation.
โBut I donโt see anyone in the town who enjoys drinking ale, so why did you buy it?โ
โ. . .F-For feasts. . .โ
โYou serve ale at feasts? Thatโs the first Iโve heard of such a custom.โ
The village chiefโs face went from pale to white. He couldnโt understand how a noble knew everything about how they lived.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
โHey. This is bad.โ
The rogues who had been observing clicked their tongues. Even though they couldnโt hear the voices, they could tell that the village chief had made a mistake. The atmosphere was getting tenser.
As expected, even the elven knights, who had been eating and drinking, seemed to sense something was wrong and were placing their hands on their weapons.
โWhen did Mohado-nim say he would arrive? He should come quickly.โ
โHe said he would come after confirming the enemyโs identity, but he hasnโt come yet. He told us not to act rashly. . .โ
โI know that! But look. Do you think that guy wonโt figure it out now?? Soon, heโll figure out even our location!โ
The rogue wielding a flail spoke forcefully to his comrade. The flail-wielding rogue was a warrior considered Mohadoโs right-hand man. This was due to his bravery, strength, and the numerous achievements he had made.
With such a person speaking forcefully, the other comrades could no longer dissuade him. Moreover, even to them, the current situation seemed rather urgent.
โSend the signal. Paralyze them and then make them surrender!โ
โU-Understood.โ
๐๐๐ง๐ !
The flail-wielding rogue jumped out of his seat and dashed into the open space. Then, he shouted.
โDonโt move! Anyone who moves will have their heads crushed! We have surrounded this place, so it would be wise to surrender peacefully! If I so much as lift a finger, arrows will rain down. . .โ
The rogue, who had been shouting loudly, sensed something strange.
Normally, when he made such a sudden entrance, the opponents would panic, be frightened, or at the very least, get angry. . .
But his opponents were looking at him with very peculiar expressions.
Puzzled about what those expressions meant, the rogue suddenly recalled a possibility.
It was ridicule.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
Mohado ran in a panic. He realized it only after sneaking around and spying on the foreigners multiple times.
โ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ช๐จ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ช๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ!โ
The duke who led the expedition from the west, boasting monstrous strength.
The duke who had stormed the fortress of the Black Mountains and made a pact with them. He was certain of it. He couldnโt believe they were here, so he confirmed it several times, but it was true.
โStop! Thereโs no need to fight! That manโs true identity is the monstrous duke!โ
โ. . . . . .โ
โ. . . . . .โ
Mohado, who had been shouting while running through the alleyways, froze.
The subordinates who were supposed to be waiting were all lying face down on the ground, and the elven knights and centaurs were looking at Mohado with expressionless faces.
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