The Third Son of a Medieval Knight Family Chapter 117 - Aftermath (4)

The Count looked with a contemplative expression at the two knights kneeling before him and pleading. Beside them stood the knight from House Kobarov who evoked the most complex emotions in him, watching this way.

In contrast to his calm face, the will contained in his bluish gleaming eyes was intense.

‘…Yes, I was too greedy.’

Finally, the Count steeled his resolve.

He couldn’t have everything. He knew this, but the situation before his eyes was too regrettable, and his heart ached, so he had acted unbecomingly of a noble by throwing a tantrum.

But now he had to acknowledge what should be acknowledged and take what could be taken.

‘Tonight the wine will taste bitter…’

Just like when he had faced negotiation tables in the capital, the Count’s attitude changed.

He could see that the knights were unable to easily follow his continuously changing attitude and were flustered, but it didn’t matter. Count Yakobski looked at Viktor.

From the beginning, he had never had even the slightest intention of casting him out. To be precise, it would be more accurate to say that unless he rebelled against him or got involved with dangerous elements and participated in conspiracies, he had no intention of discarding the finest card that had fallen into his hands.

‘That’s exactly why it was even harder to let him go easily.’

He had taken a testing attitude and probed his reactions, but Viktor showed no openings whatsoever.

The knight named Viktor was still completely loyal to the Count.

‘…If push came to shove, I was thinking of shaking him with things about miracles or his brother…’

The Count soon abandoned such thoughts.

His past experience as a high noble was strongly warning him. If the Count didn’t value him highly, that knight would leave without regret. He was an opponent who possessed such strong confidence that it wouldn’t matter to him at all, and the power to match it.

Then the story became simple now.

He should abandon his greed and form a trusting relationship with him while maintaining their connection. Once he gave what should be given, he would now truly become his lord in fact, not just in name.

‘Though it will be different from before.’

However, unlike before, he would no longer be able to use Viktor as he pleased.

More than ever, he would anxiously worry about whether he might harbor other intentions.

He would have to put in much effort to somehow keep his heart in a favorable state.

The emergence of a new influential figure in a region meant not only gaining a reliable ally, but also the birth of a threatening power holder on a different level from a mere knight.

The Count’s mouth slowly began to open.

---

“…You’ll have to accept at least these conditions. When you’re taking away even the two knights I cherish, I can’t suffer only losses.”

Viktor pondered the Count’s words thoughtfully.

The two knights kneeling beside him were looking at each other with expressions wondering if this was right, but their intentions weren’t really important.

‘…Not bad.’

In fact, there weren’t really conditions to speak of. The Count acknowledged Viktor’s exclusive rights over the eastern territories he would newly acquire.

However, the areas where he could exercise rights were limited to places he directly conquered and subjugated. All interference with territories where others had been promised rights or made claims was forbidden.

In other words, he couldn’t claim territorial rights over fiefs granted by the expedition’s supreme commander to nobles or knights who had achieved merit.

However, he could exercise the right to autonomously form vassal contracts with both parties after his title was recognized. He would actively cooperate in surveying and mapping newly subjugated regions.

He had the duty to control disturbances occurring in this region and guarantee merchants’ free trade. The Count’s merchant company would be granted monopoly trading rights over some of the special products produced in this region.

Even after the Count became the next Grand Prince, he would pledge unchanging loyalty.

‘…There are parts that are difficult to put in writing, and some conditions that are meaningless, but…he’s clearly being considerate.’

And with that, Viktor could somewhat grasp the Count’s intentions.

From the beginning, he hadn’t thought Viktor was presumptuous or tried to crush him out of fear of his power. It was merely a confirmation process of how to settle their relationship so far and in what form to grant the promised rights.

In fact, thinking about it, it was quite simple.

The Count couldn’t have all the newly acquired lands anyway. If he tried to, all the nobles who participated in the expedition would rise up.

Therefore, except for some directly controlled territories, he would inevitably have to distribute fiefs, and naturally it was advantageous for the Count to give them to trustworthy associates rather than random nobodies.

And granting Viktor vast territory and the most powerful title was partly appropriate compensation for the achievements made so far, but more than anything, it was closer to creating a powerful loyal retainer who would support the Count who would become Grand Prince in the future.

“Most of my retainers paid shield taxes and didn’t participate in the expedition anyway. Even if you have the greatest rights, there won’t be any shameless ones who would complain, so don’t worry.”

And the Count added as if he had anticipated it, dispelling Viktor’s concerns.

“…Your Excellency, is it really alright to accept such generous conditions? Honestly, I thought it wouldn’t be strange if Your Excellency told me to mine gold and offer it annually.”

At Viktor’s words, the Count showed a slightly incredulous expression.

“How could I tell you to offer gold when I don’t even know where the territory you’ll acquire is? And you seem to be mistaken about something…”

The Count continued with the smile of a noble doing business, not the smile he had shown his knight until now.

“All these assumptions are only talk for when you can get territory befitting your title, understand? If a margrave is holding only scraps inferior to a mere baron, that would truly be shameful.”

“…”

“This is also a kind of test. Whether you can subjugate the remaining remnants and control land befitting your title, and whether you can safely suppress rebellion and defend that land… What’s required of a mere knight and what’s required of a regional count are naturally different.”

Of course, you’ve achieved more than enough merit as a knight, but… The Count muttered and downed his drink. Viktor quietly bowed his head to him.

“…Thank you.”

“Thank you for what. You’ve simply received what you rightfully should. Though losing those two is quite painful. Well, I won’t say this settles the debt I owe you…”

“…Your Excellency.”

The Count waved his hand toward Mikhail, who was looking at him with a complex expression.

“Ah, Sir Mikhail. Honestly, seeing you still pains my heart. I wish you wouldn’t go. But if I can buy Sir Viktor’s loyalty by sending you away, I’ll have to endure it.”

Mikhail had nothing more to say to the Count who spoke thus. He too could only bow his head.

“Come, come. Now go enjoy the banquet. We’ll gather again later to discuss more details. We’ll have to stay here for a while anyway for post-war cleanup.”

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

The nobles drunk with excitement were becoming increasingly excessive. The knights mixed among them, hiding their relief while feeling disgusted at their disgraceful behavior that drowned out even the musicians’ performance. They had charged in prepared to stake their lives, but everything had been decided too anticlimactically compared to their expectations.

Viktor, who had been watching the two disappear, opened his mouth.

“Then Your Excellency, I should get up as well. I was terribly rude during the banquet.”

“Haha, it was a conversation we had to have eventually. My chest feels somewhat relieved.”

“I feel the same. And regarding the matter of the two knights, thank you once again.”

“…Well, I had a feeling they would do such a thing somehow.”

The Count, who had worn a bitter expression, soon gestured and sent Viktor away.

He began sipping wine alone in a space that seemed isolated from the still noisy surroundings. Many thoughts had occurred to him on the way here, but now they were somewhat organized. Having given what should be given, it was now time to collect from elsewhere.

“Ah, come to think of it, that fellow is no longer needed.”

There was a man he had prepared for possible situations, but now he was useless and might only cause unnecessary sparks. The Count recalled the scarred man who would be eagerly awaiting his summons and let out a sneer. From beginning to end, he was a stupid and greedy man who could hardly be thought of as the same bloodline.

“Well, shall I drink for now?”

---

“Both of you were too reckless.”

“…We have no face to show, Sir.”

“…Sir Krupin was always like that, so that’s understandable, but Sir Mikhail, why didn’t you stop him?”

Viktor lightly scolded the two knights while drinking with them in a corner. When they suddenly intervened in the middle, even he couldn’t help but be flustered. Moreover, when they suddenly said they wanted to step down and serve him, he was so surprised he nearly choked.

“It seemed like there wouldn’t be another chance if not now… I’m sorry.”

“Sigh… But Sir, why is your manner of speech…?”

“Haha, you’re someone we’ll be serving from now on, so we can’t treat you like before.”

Viktor looked at Mikhail, who was laughing heartily, with an incredulous expression and sighed helplessly.

In the end, Mikhail was also a knight. No matter how calm and composed he had become with age, he still harbored flames in his heart.

‘I noticed when he openly shouted in the great hall… It’s like he’s had a rejuvenation.’

He wondered if it was because of Krupin’s influence, but knowing that Mikhail had been in charge of training young knights from before, he soon discarded that hypothesis. Viktor never realized that he himself was the culprit.

“Anyway, the matter itself worked out well, so it’s fortunate, but be careful next time.”

“Yes, don’t worry, Sir!”

“By the way, should I call you Your Excellency from now on?”

“Ah… I’ll probably have to maintain the knight title for a while.”

“Sir Viktor, please speak comfortably now. Am I not your knight now?”

“Haha… This is still more comfortable. And regarding the title, they said I’ll have to wait until it’s submitted since it requires His Highness the Grand Prince’s approval.”

Count Yakobski hadn’t yet ascended to the Grand Prince’s position.

Therefore, he couldn’t create a high noble title like count at will.

‘Well, His Highness said he would respect his will as much as possible, so I don’t need to worry…’

Therefore, it would take time for Viktor to receive a proper title.

Still, it wasn’t just an ordinary count title, but the position of margrave who would manage the vast eastern frontier and defend against foreign forces, so such waiting was bearable enough.

“Until then, I’ll have to focus on cleaning up remnants and establishing a governing foundation.”

Mikhail and Krupin nodded at those words.

“Finally, I can fight under Sir Viktor again. Through fighting with others in the capital, I realized painfully. The vanguard was truly an incredible unit… I thought I’d die of frustration.”

At Krupin’s words, who had managed to distinguish himself even on that difficult central battlefield, Mikhail also agreed with a bitter smile.

“Personally, I hope we can gather all the mercenaries trained at that time. Isn’t it too wasteful to abandon soldiers with that level of military experience who are also skilled in horsemanship?”

“I should try persuading them. Though I’m still their employer, the contract ended with the war… I don’t know if they’ll sign new contracts.”

The mercenaries had been able to obtain massive contract fees and spoils of war through long service.

Not only had the Count been exceptionally generous, but it was a natural result since they had only achieved victories while following the vanguard.

And mercenaries who made big money on battlefields usually focused on spending it for a while. Viktor was actually skeptical about whether they would sign new contracts. After all, the direction he would head was naturally the territory of barbarians with no place to spend money.

‘Well, that’s also something to think about later…’

Viktor raised his cup.

“Rather than that, let’s purely celebrate getting over one big hurdle first.”

“Hahaha, good!”

“Please call me Sir Krupin of His Excellency Viktor, not Sir Krupin of the Count!”

The three began enjoying the banquet after finally setting down one burden. And from far away, there was a man observing him with hawk-like eyes while quickly writing something down.

“…Done. Here, deliver this well.”

“Yes sir!”

After handing well-rolled parchment to a young attendant, the man, Vino, muttered to himself.

“Sir, don’t worry about anything. I won’t let the achievements you’ve made in this holy war be buried in mud like this. This Vino, and the Church, are behind you.”

He glared alternately at where the Count sat and where the nobles were causing chaos. In Vino’s mind, they were already branded as greedy ones trying to usurp the brilliant achievements of the knight sent by God.

“I will never let you be played by nobles’ hands. God never gives trials one cannot endure. Let’s overcome this together…!”

Vino gritted his teeth while pushing dark memories of the past aside. And his personal rampage, combined with the Orthodox Church’s judgment not wanting to miss a rare quality item that had appeared after so long, heralded another storm.