The Third Son of a Medieval Knight Family Chapter 4 - Prologue (3)

Until now, Viktor had never particularly thought that the people of this world were stupid or foolish.

From what he had observed, they were all people who could think normally, just with different perspectives when it came to faith and customs.

But this time was different.

How could they make such an idiotic judgment?

No matter how much he pondered, he couldn’t find an answer.

Viktor would likely never understand.

After all, the roots of Igor and Nikita’s thinking were vastly different from his own.

“The fighting power of those barbarians might be somewhat famous, but no matter how much they swagger about, they’re nothing but savages. Besides, after fighting them directly, they were even more pathetic than I expected!”

“They all just collapse in the face of a charge led by a knight! Didn’t we prove that when just ten or so men defeated over a hundred of them?”

Strong self-confidence based on experience, overconfidence in knight forces, contempt and anger toward barbarians.

These things were impossible to understand no matter how hard he tried.

Those warriors, who were northerners to their bones, were fundamentally different from Viktor.

‘How should I escape without causing trouble?’

While Viktor was contemplating how to escape without drawing attention behind his stoic face, Igor and Nikita continued to prattle on.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the harassment of the Wolf Tribe girl was also reaching its peak.

All that noise increasingly irritated Viktor.

When his eyebrow twitched, Igor slapped Viktor’s shoulder.

“Listen, there’s nothing to worry about. Once a group’s leader is killed, the rest scatter. We’ve already sent a messenger, so those tribal chiefs will come soon, and once we kill them, it’ll all be over.”

Viktor could barely squeeze out words.

“But… the enemies won’t come unarmed. Won’t they bring their warriors?”

“Well, if they have any brains, they would. But what can they do? Bringing all their forces into a meeting place goes against custom, so even if they bring them along, it won’t do much good.”

‘Will they really respect such customs?’

This was practically a kidnapping after a unilateral surprise attack.

If it were Viktor, he would have immediately mobilized an army.

“Still…”

“If the chief doesn’t value his daughter’s life, he might refuse to negotiate.”

Igor’s eyes glinted coldly.

“And even if they dishonorably break custom and attack, we’re prepared for that too. Just in case, I’ve sent a letter to Radovitz.”

“Radovitz…?”

“It’s the only fortress in this region. Knights are always stationed there, so we can expect reinforcements.”

“We don’t particularly want their support, since it would stain our achievement… but I bet you’re thinking like a coward again, aren’t you, you bastard?”

Nikita sneered from the side, but Viktor ignored him.

Viktor felt somewhat relieved.

If things went wrong, they might face an attack from five tribes, and the village soldiers alone seemed woefully inadequate.

The villagers weren’t even professional soldiers to begin with.

They were just hunters during peacetime who were pressed into service as soldiers when force was needed.

Only a fool would maintain a standing army in such a small village.

Lord Kobarov’s few slaves, the family’s servants, and the hunters made up the entirety of the village’s fighting force.

Still, since the village always lacked resources, they employed quite a few people as hunters, making them militarily superior to other villages.

Igor continued leisurely.

“We can’t know how things will turn out… so going back to what I first told you, you might need to lend your strength this time. They have numbers on their side, after all.”

“…!”

Viktor finally understood why Igor had brought this up.

Normally, Igor wouldn’t have explained things to him in such detail.

He probably thought that with a large-scale conflict expected, it wouldn’t do to leave Viktor idle.

“Whether we clash head-on with them or things become easier after killing the chiefs, we’ll have to fight a major battle at least once. We’ll likely discuss this again, but Father won’t oppose you taking the field.”

Nikita muttered with a disgruntled expression, but neither Viktor nor Igor paid much attention.

‘So they want me on the battlefield… well, for a situation of this scale, it wouldn’t be strange for all able-bodied men in the village to be mobilized. Unlike before, it’s certainly a situation where I could be asked to contribute.’

Viktor calculated various things in his mind.

He didn’t particularly feel attachment to the village.

He wasn’t especially close with the family members, servants, or serfs.

He had no loyalty to die for the village.

But opportunities to achieve military merit on the battlefield were rare.

Continuing as he had been, he might grow old and die in the village, a fear that had been gnawing at him lately. Perhaps this war could be an opportunity.

While Viktor was lost in thought, Igor was harboring his own schemes.

‘I’m sorry, but this is the perfect opportunity. I can’t let you slide any longer…’

Viktor was growing day by day.

Despite his massive build and character flaws, opinions that he should be trained as a family warrior had been gradually increasing.

If Viktor received warrior training and participated in family events, things would become rather unpleasant.

Igor planned to send Viktor on the most dangerous scouting mission once war with the barbarians began.

‘No matter how strong he is, he hasn’t received proper training. If I put him close to those barbarians…’

Whether they killed the chiefs and swept away the enemies, or engaged in a massive confrontation, Viktor’s chances of surviving combat would be slim.

Moreover, just to be safe, he planned to form the scouting party that would move with Viktor entirely of his own trusted men.

While overall military strategy would be decided by his father, Igor had enough discretion for arrangements like this.

Igor secretly glared at Viktor, hiding his murderous intent.

This plan would be known only to a few of his trusted men.

If such a conspiracy were revealed, it would be utterly shameful for a warrior.

Even Nikita, who was right beside him and who intensely disliked Viktor, would immediately rise in protest if told about eliminating him in such a way.

But how could a person live by honorable means alone?

One destined to rule a family sometimes needed to employ shrewd and cunning strategies.

‘Sorry, brother. I’ve always been wary of you. With minimal mercy, I’ll let you meet your end on the battlefield.’

Suddenly, he felt Viktor looking at him.

Igor smiled brightly.

A whirlpool of conspiracy was swirling.

****

‘Hmm, this feels off…’

Viktor tilted his head.

Looking at Igor smiling at him, an inexplicable unease rose within him.

Had Igor always been this kind?

Seeing him guaranteeing to personally lead Viktor to the battlefield made him feel strange.

In this harsh neighborhood, people rarely showed kindness to others without reason.

Especially if that person was beneath them and had no particular reason to be favored.

Why would someone care for others when they barely had enough food for themselves?

Having grown up feeling this atmosphere to the bone, Viktor found Igor’s current behavior clearly suspicious.

While going to battle was certainly dangerous, it was also a great opportunity.

If Viktor somehow achieved merit, he might emerge as another powerful competitor in the succession race—yet Igor was encouraging him…?

‘I need to be careful.’

Viktor didn’t for a moment consider that Igor might be showing kindness based on warrior customs.

Again, people of this era weren’t simply stupid.

If they were truly foolish, they couldn’t have survived for so long in this wretched neighborhood where everything was scarce.

“I understand, brother. This younger brother will be waiting for the day to take the field.”

“Good, good. Looking at you now, you’re showing some manly spirit. That’s how a warrior should be, haha!”

“Tch… but brother, shall we join them over there?”

Nikita pointed to where they were tormenting the Wolf girl.

Young men, shirtless, were circling around the Wolf girl in the center, shouting grotesquely.

“Hahaha! You bitch! I’ll eat you alive!”

“Strip her! How can a beast like her be wearing clothes?”

“This bitch looks somewhat human, so she must be better than a goat, right? Don’t you think?”

“Aaaaggh! Agh! Agh!”

Though the Wolf girl screamed while trembling violently, the people only seemed to enjoy it more.

Nikita spoke with a cruel smile.

“Brother, since we just need to lure the chiefs anyway, it wouldn’t matter if she’s missing an arm, would it?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. They might ask to see her. She needs to look intact on the outside.”

“Hmm…”

“But… as long as it doesn’t leave marks, anything goes.”

Igor smiled wickedly too.

The two brothers began walking toward the girl, contemplating how to torment the prisoner in creative ways.

‘Or is it…? Are they just fucking stupid and cruel bastards?’

Viktor seriously began to consider whether he should escape from this place right now.

****

Bohdan, chief of the Uley Wolf Tribe, was deep in grave thought.

Noisy voices could be heard around him.

“These sons of bitches! I swear by my ancestor wolf that I’ll put a nose ring through these damn bastards!”

“Chief! We must move immediately! Right now!”

“I knew from the start that those bastards would cause trouble! Those principality dogs have always been like that. They act nice on the outside while stabbing you in the back!”

“Everyone, silence.”

When Bohdan growled, the surroundings instantly fell quiet.

“Who do you think you’re making noise in front of?”

When faced with Bohdan’s murderous glare, not only the executives but even the elders lowered their heads.

Bohdan, the strongest warrior of the tribe and recipient of the ancestor wolf’s oracle, possessed overwhelming authority.

Though he appeared calm on the surface, everyone present knew that a storm was raging within him.

“What are the other tribes doing?”

At Bohdan’s question, a warrior cautiously approached and spoke.

“The Red Fox Tribe and the Frost Snake Tribe have already gathered their warriors. Other tribes have sent messengers saying they will follow our decision.”

Bohdan nodded at these words.

His tribe was the representative of Uley.

Even if the Red Fox and Frost Snake independently raised their forces, ultimately, it would be the Wolves of the Steppe who would command them.

“Those two tribes suffered the greatest losses, so it’s understandable. Go and tell them not to move hastily until we act.”

“Yes!”

Bohdan rested his chin on his hand.

Did those bastards know his daughter was there when they kidnapped her?

If so, they must have known about the gathering from the start and prepared the ambush.

Those dogs had always feared the tribes uniting, so this was probably to prevent that.

Bohdan couldn’t imagine that a mere principality knight wandering around plundering had accidentally discovered the tribal gathering.

Nor could he conceive that the knight had charged in like a madman, smashed the warriors, recognized his daughter’s face, and spontaneously kidnapped her.

So Bohdan had no choice but to be wary.

The principality had always been in fierce conflict with the steppe tribes, and Bohdan’s own father had returned to the ancestor wolf’s embrace less than ten years ago in battle with them.

Although temporary peace had come under the eastern Grand Chief’s name, no one believed the peace would last forever.

It seemed certain, no, it was clear, that those dogs had treacherously broken their promise and were using tricks to seize tribal lands once again.

Bohdan finally made his decision.

“Listen, all of you.”

All tribal members bowed their heads and looked at Bohdan.

“Those bastards always speak of peace with their mouths, but their hands have always held swords. They’re truly disgraceful scum, unworthy of being called warriors.”

“That’s right!”

“May their descendants be cursed for eternity!”

“Just like their devious blind god, they’ve once again used cowardly surprise attacks, making Uley’s five tribal warriors shed blood, and now my daughter has been kidnapped. Shall we stand by and do nothing?”

“No!”

“We must have revenge!”

“Yes, by the name of our ancestor wolf, I, Bohdan, will exact tenfold blood for blood, according to our law!”

“Woah, Bohdan! Our chief!”

“Sharpen your swords and tighten your horses’ reins! This time, we will tear apart those weak principality dogs and offer their flesh as sacrifice!”

“Urayaa–!!”

“Urayaa–!!”

All the wolf beastkin gathered there howled their unique battle cry and strengthened their resolve.

Satisfied with the sight, Bohdan beckoned to an old warrior who had maintained a cautious expression.

“Most wise warrior Kulak, deliver my letter to the Grand Chief immediately. Tell him that they have kidnapped my daughter and are setting a trap expecting our arrival. Say that we request the support of the Great Steppe.”

“As expected, that’s what you were thinking. I, Kulak, will obey the chief’s command.”

As Kulak disappeared with a relieved expression, Bohdan snorted.

Those pathetically weak principality dogs were surely preparing some trap, but this time it wouldn’t work.

He would exact a bloody price without fail!

Bohdan’s bright yellow eyes began to blaze fiercely.