The Third Son of a Medieval Knight Family Chapter 103 - Knight of Ascension (38)

“This is…”

Viktor carefully examined the contents written on the parchment once more.

However, no matter how many times he read it, the written content didn’t change.

He slowly took a deep breath.

Though Viktor had an unflappable personality that rarely surprised him over ordinary matters, this time he couldn’t help but be quite surprised.

“Father, have you perhaps read this letter?”

“Of course not. Isn’t it a letter from the archdiocese to you, Sir? I couldn’t commit such rudeness as reading it beforehand.”

“…”

“However, since there have been prior discussions with the diocese, I’m not entirely without guesses…”

At Anton’s words as he smiled slightly, Viktor scratched his chin.

“…Support from the Church…”

It was truly an unexpected story.

Surprisingly, according to this letter written in the bishop’s own hand from the Ruth Archdiocese, the Church would spare no effort in providing various support for Viktor, who was performing the sacred duty of subjugating barbarians, and since all support would be entirely borne by the Church, there would be no need to pay any compensation separately – this was the main point.

‘This is… strange.’

Viktor, who had calmed his mind somewhat, quietly gleamed his eyes.

It was an absurdly favorable story.

The power possessed by the Orthodox Church was immense.

From what he had superficially picked up, though they said it was lesser than before due to the extremely chaotic political landscape of the old empire where the general archdiocese was located, the power and authority they possessed was still something no one could easily covet.

After all, this was God’s world now.

No matter how high in status a noble or lord might be, there were almost no people who could carelessly deny God’s name.

If one were branded as an unbeliever and excommunicated, even those with tremendous power would likely face harsh consequences.

For the Church, which possessed such power, to offer support meant, in other words, being able to receive protection from the Church.

And such protection wasn’t something just anyone could receive.

Usually, it was something unthinkable unless one made massive donations or belonged to a politically influential family.

‘To offer support for free… the Church unilaterally showing favor to a knight with no prior acquaintance, without even a proper title? No matter how much this expedition has become a big topic within the principality, this is too much. Moreover…’

It wasn’t about supporting the ‘expeditionary force’ itself, but specifically naming ‘Viktor’ alone also seemed to hide some intention.

‘I might be overly sensitive, but…’

As Viktor remained silently contemplative without saying anything particular, Anton carefully opened his mouth while reading the mood.

“Sir Viktor, is there perhaps something you dislike? Or… do you find receiving support from the Church awkward…”

‘Oops.’

It was an inappropriate attitude to show in front of Anton, who was a priest.

Viktor quickly shook his head.

“Not at all, I was just momentarily surprised by such unexpected favor.”

“Haha, you, Sir, are more than qualified. You’re a knight sent by God himself, are you not!”

At Anton’s words as he smiled with a pure face, Viktor nodded while hiding his complex inner thoughts.

Not all bishops of the archdiocese would be as pure as Anton.

If all priests of the Orthodox Church were merely naive and pure, it would have been difficult to maintain their current influence.

Even so, it was difficult to say outright in front of Anton that it was somehow awkward and hard to accept.

‘Well, there’s nothing bad about receiving support. If the Church lends its strength, morale will rise and the cards I can use will increase… the problems are about two things.’

Viktor’s returning footsteps were becoming increasingly slower.

Unlike when he was just an ordinary knight, as he achieved merit and made a name for himself, he was gradually becoming someone who couldn’t overlook things like politics, schemes, and conspiracies.

It was the inevitable fate of nobility.

---

Viktor scratched his chin with an incredulous expression.

Beside him, Krupin was bursting with anger with a frustrated expression.

“This bastard, doesn’t he have even a speck of integrity!”

“…Hmph, it’s better to speak obediently than be tortured. It’s not like there’s anything I can’t talk about.”

Vashi maintained a confident attitude despite being captured.

“…Ugh!”

Krupin had to suppress his anger as he couldn’t very well suggest just beating him up first in front of Viktor.

He had been quite pleased at the thought of beating to a pulp the leader of those damned black warriors who had persistently tormented him on the battlefield, but unfortunately Krupin’s wish couldn’t be fulfilled as Vashi spilled information freely even before undergoing intense interrogation.

“…For the Grand Chief’s eldest son, is it really okay to sell information so easily?”

Even Viktor himself shook his head as if incredulous, looking at Vashi who was bringing up various stories with such a comfortable expression, but Vashi remained confident throughout.

“If it’s going to be the same whether I talk now or after getting beaten up, it’s better to protect my body! More than that, if you’re the leader of this group, treat me a bit better! There’s no law on the steppes for treating a warrior who provides valuable information like this!”

At his appearance, which showed not a trace of a warrior’s pride, Kulak quietly sighed.

Viktor turned his head slightly and quietly spoke to Kulak.

“You seem to be acquainted – is he originally this kind of personality?”

“…I didn’t know he’d come out like this. I knew he was cruel and strange… but seeing how he values his own safety yet has a stiff head, I suppose he’s just as I knew him.”

Viktor nodded while looking at Krupin’s face, which seemed ready to tear Vashi apart at any moment.

Honestly, he didn’t particularly care whether his attitude was arrogant or not.

As long as he could obtain proper information without much effort, he could generously overlook such things.

“Right, if it’s proper information, that is.”

“…Lord Viktor?”

Receiving Kulak’s puzzled gaze, Viktor continued to speak.

“Vashi, if everything you say is true, I’ll be happy to treat you with respect.”

“…Now you’re making sense. I’ll tell you everything I know, so first untie these damn ropes! I’m suffocating and it’s irritating!”

As Vashi grumbled arrogantly, Viktor slightly smiled.

“But, Vashi. How can I believe that everything you say is true?”

“…What? No, I told you I said everything I know!”

“That’s exactly it – there’s also the possibility that you’re pretending to speak obediently while mixing in false information.”

At Viktor’s inexplicable words, Vashi shouted in frustration.

“Knight! What nonsense are you spouting! Are you saying I’m lying right now!”

“It can’t be ruled out. The Grand Chief’s eldest son being so obedient – wouldn’t it be stranger not to be suspicious?”

At Viktor’s now calmed words, the atmosphere began to turn cold.

“Wh-what… No! I told the truth! Believe me!”

Though Vashi spoke desperately while distorting his fierce face as he sensed something strange, Viktor continued speaking with the same composed tone.

“If you’ve cunningly mixed in false information and we suffer great damage, there would be no funnier story than that. I want to be certain about this part.”

“…Grr, what do you want me to do then!”

“Sir Krupin?”

At Viktor’s call, Krupin answered vigorously with a cold smile as if he had grasped something.

“Yes, Sir Viktor!”

“Since there’s a possibility this fellow might be lying, interrogate him properly. If there are no differences from what he first said even after that, release him and promise respectful treatment, but if it’s revealed that he lied…”

“…Wait! This isn’t right!”

Vashi shouted with an urgent face, but Viktor wasn’t looking at him at all.

“Don’t forgive him and interrogate him until he spits out the truth. Just don’t kill him.”

“…Don’t worry! I’ll stake my honor on definitely exposing this bastard’s lies!”

With a face full of ecstasy, Krupin kept loosening his wrists.

He already seemed to think it was a foregone conclusion that Vashi had lied.

“Ugh! Let go! I don’t want torture! I told the truth! Please! Please!”

“Shut up, you filthy vermin! How dare you rampage so well against the army I lead!”

“W-wait! Aaaahhh!”

“Now, spit out the truth! Hurry up and squeeze out the answer I want!”

“Graaahhh!”

Screams echoed in all directions, but whether he was gagged or not, the surroundings soon became quiet.

Kulak looked at Viktor with a cautious expression.

“Lord Viktor, this is…”

“Well, you never know. Sir Krupin also seemed to need to vent his anger.”

‘…And after beating Tumen to that state, I can’t just leave his body intact.’

Recalling Vashi’s face as he babbled that it was natural for his younger brother who threw a spear at him to be beaten to a pulp, Viktor’s expression turned cold.

He swallowed his inner thoughts and moved his steps again.

There was still much work left to do.

---

Yugrichi was mounted on a massive horse.

Its majestic appearance, incomparable to the horses other barbarians rode, was indeed befitting the Grand Chief’s authority as the leader of these steppes.

He was lost in thought while gently stroking the mane of his beloved horse that he had mounted after a long time.

‘Does that fellow know no defeat?’

Strangely, he didn’t feel bad.

No, to be honest, he himself didn’t quite know what emotion he was experiencing.

‘Should I have stepped forward myself?’

Soon Yugrichi shook his head.

He was a descendant of the great White Deer.

He didn’t want to damage his own dignity with the kind of behavior those shabby wolf pups might do.

Therefore, his judgment had been correct.

No, it should have been correct.

‘But…’

Yugrichi looked at the warriors huddled together behind him, looking miserable.

‘Everyone who’s been involved with that knight so far has been defeated.’

The wolf who had been trapped by past phantoms and had dared to bare his teeth arrogantly at him.

The young talent of the tribe whom he had cherished and tried to nurture.

And even his eldest son, who despite having flaws and not being entirely satisfactory, had been the best among his sons.

The one he had dismissed and erased from memory as just an ordinary knight had somehow grown enormous and continued to block his path.

‘I see.’

Yugrichi turned his head again to look forward.

Though there was still distance and it wasn’t clearly visible, surely ahead there would be the stronghold of the fools who called themselves the expeditionary force.

And that damned knight who was covered in the blood of his eldest son and war chief.

‘Now I understand.’

Yugrichi’s eyes began to gleam fiercely.

As strength unconsciously entered the hand that had been stroking the mane, his beloved horse snorted roughly.

As if sensing its excited master’s emotions.

‘Not the Duke. Not that Count brat.’

Yugrichi slowly turned his horse’s head.

The countless tents that should have been spread densely behind him had long since been cleared away.

And there, countless warriors were bowing their heads while looking at Yugrichi.

Though relatively few in number compared to the expeditionary force, the Grand Chief’s army, composed entirely of the steppes’ finest elites, was by no means to be underestimated.

Looking at the army of mounted warriors that seemed to stretch to the horizon’s end, Yugrichi smiled savagely.

‘It was you. You, whom I thought was just a lowly knight, were the wretched principality’s hope.’

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Grand Chief.”

Drum sounds echoed, and horns made sharp sounds from various places.

A magnificent sight as if the entire earth was shaking like waves.

The spectacle of thousands of men and horses all galloping at once was truly something rarely seen anywhere.

And at the center of it all was the Grand Chief.

White cloth fluttering above banners.

Below the long, thin, multi-stranded white cloths announcing the White Deer tribe’s mourning, the fiercely faced honor guard first lit the way, and he slowly followed behind.

Yugrichi drew the massive axe he had been carrying at his back.

“I’m coming, Viktor.”

Finally, the invincible army led by the Grand Chief himself began racing across the ground.

Their target was Roshtov Castle.