The Third Son of a Medieval Knight Family Chapter 45 - Tribal Conflict (10)

“Indeed, if it’s in this state, there’s no way an army could pass through…”

Count Yakobski let out a groan as he looked ahead.

The road that had once been a major highway was completely torn up, perhaps from the aftermath of the torrential rain that had poured down.

And the puddles of water pooled on top were quite serious.

The large, wide puddles extending to both sides of the highway were almost like small lakes.

Mikhail carefully knelt down and put his hand into the puddle.

“According to the scouts, the bottom is uneven, and in the deep places, some spots are carved out up to neck level. Certainly, it would be difficult as it is.”

The murky muddy water brought a strange fear and reluctance to those who looked at it.

Not only could they not see what was beneath their feet, but it made people feel as if something was lurking inside.

“Even if people could somehow get across, it would be difficult to move horses or cargo. There’s no place to detour either.”

The Count glanced at the Leshy and spoke.

“Leshy. Is it really possible? It’s more serious than I thought.”

At Viktor’s words, the Leshy nodded confidently with a smile.

[Of course, human! Though I’m quite far from the forest, there’s no problem!]

“Reliable. I’m counting on you, Leshy.”

[Mm!]

The Leshy knelt on the ground and began to gather its strength.

Unlike before, people swallowed nervously as they watched the Leshy concentrate, taking quite some time to focus.

‘Even so, can that spirit really overturn all of this?’

‘This doesn’t look easy…’

While the mercenaries and even the knights watched the kneeling Leshy and the puddle with half expectation and half doubt, the Leshy suddenly opened its closed eyes wide and raised both hands.

[Uaaaah!]

Then it plunged its fingers straight into the ground and put all its strength into its body.

The Leshy’s body began to glow blue, and the tree branches sprouting from its body began to grow larger and shake.

Green veins appeared in its emerald eyes, and the Leshy’s elderly face became completely distorted.

And a great vibration began to echo gradually.

Rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble!

The puddle was gradually shaking.

“Your Excellency, it’s dangerous, so please step back for a moment.”

Mikhail stepped forward as if to shield the Count and spoke, but Count Yakobski shook his head.

“No! If I threw away this opportunity to see such a precious sight right before my eyes, that would be unmanly. Sir Mikhail, it’s fine, so don’t worry and move aside. I can’t see well.”

“Hmm… I apologize.”

The Count’s eyes captured the sight of the Leshy exerting its strength while emitting light from its entire body.

And Viktor, who was quietly watching the Leshy beside it.

A strong longing flashed and disappeared in the Count’s eyes.

---

CRASH!

A tremendous noise was engulfing the surroundings as if a landslide had occurred.

[Uaaaaaah!!]

As the Leshy cried out with all its might and exerted even more strength, enormous tree roots began to appear one after another from the surrounding earth around the puddle.

Not only that, but tree roots also twisted together from inside the puddle and burst out of the water.

The tree roots that appeared while scattering the murky water as if throwing it into the sky soon intertwined and grew together, weaving a sturdy path.

The wooden road formed slightly higher than the surroundings literally pushed the pooled water aside and settled firmly downward.

“Oh…”

Viktor unconsciously let out an exclamation.

In an instant, the puddle that had been like a wide lake disappeared, and a fairly solid-looking narrow path was created.

The sight of the enormous roots, incomparably larger than what he had seen when making the road before, weaving the path as if they were alive was tremendously magnificent and beautiful.

It felt as if nature’s wonder had unfolded before his eyes!

Viktor wasn’t the only one surprised.

At this overwhelmingly different scale than before, Anton was making the sign of the cross, and among the mercenaries, quite a few had fallen backward in surprise.

The Count also forgot about maintaining his dignity and was appreciating the newly created road with his mouth agape.

The Leshy swayed as if completely exhausted and spoke.

[Human! It’s all finished now! This is as far as my power goes! Any more would be too much!]

“…You worked hard, Leshy. You did better than I thought.”

Viktor quietly nodded.

He thought it was good that he had spared the Leshy’s life.

If this spirit hadn’t been there, the party’s hardships would have been beyond description.

Being able to quickly cross to the east before it rained again was entirely thanks to the Leshy.

“You seem to have used a lot of strength. Sit down and rest for a moment.”

[Human! I’ll do that! I’m a bit dizzy!]

As the Leshy, who had somehow become mysteriously obedient to Viktor’s words, sat down heavily, the Count and Mikhail came running over as if flying.

The Count spoke with an excited face.

“Lord Leshy. That was truly excellent skill. The reputation of the spirit that roams the forest was certainly no exaggeration!”

[Human! Of course! You can praise me a bit more!]

As the Leshy raised its nose proudly and showed off, one of the knights beside the Count seemed to flare up and shouted.

“Don’t get too cocky, spirit! I understand that what you did was great, but it would be good to show courtesy in front of His Excellency!”

That’s when it happened.

“Stand back, you dare to intrude where you don’t belong.”

Mikhail began scolding the knight who had stepped forward on his own with a cold expression.

“Keep to your place. Since when was it okay to speak freely without permission?”

“…I apologize.”

The young knight bit his lips and retreated as if humiliated.

For a moment, his jealous gaze turned toward Viktor and the Leshy, but no one paid attention to him.

The Count frowned unpleasantly and spoke again.

“Sir Mikhail, it’s good that the young knights have vigorous spirit, but it seems they need a bit more education.”

“Your Excellency, this is my oversight. I will be more careful in the future.”

“Haha, how could that be your fault… but I wish everyone would follow Sir Viktor’s example.”

The Count’s gaze turned again to Viktor and the Leshy.

It was a gaze dripping with honey.

“Lord Leshy, please forgive my subordinate’s rudeness.”

[Human! It doesn’t matter! I don’t really care! Young people are like that everywhere!]

“Haha, that’s right. Of course, there are some exceptions… but how about it? I’m curious about your next whereabouts.”

When the Count asked indirectly while watching Viktor’s reaction, Viktor also spoke.

“Leshy, what will you do now? Are you planning to return to the forest right away?”

[Human! That’s right! I’m very tired, so I plan to rest well in the forest! Maybe because I’ve been away for too long, my body feels chilly!]

“No, Lord Leshy! You don’t need to be in such a hurry, do you? How about continuing to travel together with Sir Viktor here? Traveling outside the forest at least once wouldn’t be bad!”

The Count hurriedly spoke to the Leshy.

Having seen the spirit’s tremendous power, he felt it was a waste to send the Leshy away like this.

‘If I could take this spirit with me, it would be tremendously helpful…’

The Count quickly turned his head and began sending earnest looks toward Viktor.

A look that seemed to beg him to please say something!

‘Hmm…’

Viktor, who couldn’t ignore that gaze, reluctantly brought up the matter out of courtesy.

“Leshy. Do you have any thoughts about leaving the forest and coming with me?”

[Human! That’s difficult! The farther I get from the forest where I was born, the more I gradually lose my strength! The forest and I are one body!]

“Then it can’t be helped. I understand, Leshy.”

When Viktor cleanly accepted this, the Count let out a regretful sigh.

Mikhail spoke as if to console him.

“Your Excellency, it’s regrettable but can’t be helped. If it can’t use its power the farther it gets from the forest where it was born, there’s no reason to take it along.”

“Mmm… but… it’s regrettable.”

The Leshy’s power certainly had tremendous appeal.

The ability to pull enormous tree roots from the ground and manipulate them at will was certainly not common.

Honestly, the Count was even puzzled about how Viktor had managed to defeat a spirit with such ridiculous power.

Of course, he knew well that Viktor was the “Knight Sent by God” who had displayed unbelievable martial prowess against the barbarians, but every time he directly witnessed the Leshy’s power with his own eyes, he wondered if it was really an opponent that a human could face.

As if sensing the Count’s hesitation, Viktor quietly shook his head.

“Your Excellency, I made a promise with the Leshy. That paving the road would serve as compensation for sparing its life. The Leshy faithfully kept its promise, so it’s proper to let it go now.”

“…It can’t be helped. You’re right. Lord Leshy, I was a bit greedy because I was enchanted by your power.”

[Human! That’s understandable! I’d like to help more too, but I’m sorry!]

As if some strength had returned, the Leshy sprang up.

[Human! Thank you for forgiving my mistake and sparing my life! I won’t forget this kindness!]

“Leshy. I look forward to meeting you with smiles next time.”

[Next time…! Human, no, Viktor! I’ll remember your name! If you need anything again, come find me!]

The Leshy smiled and held out something.

[Viktor! This is a tree branch I removed from my body! If you have this, you won’t have trouble even if you meet others of my kind!]

“Oh… I never thought of that, thank you.”

When Viktor accepted the unexpected gift, the Leshy jumped up and began returning to the forest.

[Then see you next time!]

It was a clean and quick farewell.

---

The Count still looked in the direction where the Leshy had disappeared with slightly regretful eyes, then soon turned his head.

“Hmm… it’s still regrettable, but we should start moving soon.”

“The sky is becoming cloudy again. We need to get out to the east before it rains.”

“Mm, Sir Mikhail. I’m counting on you.”

When Mikhail also saluted and disappeared, only Viktor and the Count remained.

Viktor also carefully put away the tree branch and spoke.

“Your Excellency, then I’ll also go prepare.”

“Ah, wait a moment.”

“…?”

“I was so busy that I couldn’t properly convey my words. Thanks to you, we were able to overcome great hardship. I’m proud to be traveling with you.”

The Count quietly bowed his head.

If Viktor hadn’t been there, they would have had to suffer great losses to subdue the Leshy, and would have had to suffer even more losses marching through the ruined road.

The Count knew well that all of this could be resolved safely entirely because the knight before him had subdued the Leshy and cleverly used it.

Viktor waved his hand dismissively.

“Your Excellency, please raise your head. I just did what I could.”

“No, no. Excessive modesty is worse than none at all. You need to take more pride in yourself.”

The Count looked at Viktor with serious eyes.

“There are several legendary knights’ chronicles passed down from ancient times, but personally, I think you are a knight who is certainly not inferior to them.”

“…”

“Not only subduing that powerful spirit, but being able to command it was truly a great achievement. Perhaps you could be compared to Olag the Pioneer, the pride of our Ruth.”

“Olag the Pioneer…?”

“Mm, haven’t you heard of him? He was the one who made the greatest contribution to establishing the principality as it is now, so to speak, a founding father. Even now, countless young talents are striving to become knights like that very Olag.”

“Ah… I didn’t know well since I’m from the countryside. He must have been a great knight.”

“Indeed he was. But in my view, you are a knight who can become even greater than him. Not just Olag. Belius, the Knight of Ascension from the Old Empire who was famous for never being defeated. The invincible knight from the Western Empire who is said to have killed a dragon… I dare say that you will surely be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with many other legendary knights!”

The Count, who revered martial prowess above all and cherished knights, looked at Viktor with confident eyes.

Viktor, somewhat flustered by that burning gaze, turned his head.

‘Why is he like this today…’

It was good to be praised, but these were words that were difficult to handle easily.

Was he comparing him to someone who killed a dragon?

‘Do dragons even really exist in the first place?’

“Your Excellency, please take back your words. They are too generous for me.”

“Sir… that aspect of yours is also an advantage. I understand, I won’t say more. But please remember this one thing. I am someone who is more enchanted by the knight called you than anyone else!”

It seemed the Count had decided to definitely capture Viktor at this opportunity, with his regret at losing the Leshy.

At that earnest confession, Viktor rarely failed to manage his expression and frowned.

‘It’s too excessive, so it’s rather off-putting…’

Unfortunately for the Count, Viktor’s evaluation of the Count was dropping another level.

He was certainly a decent person, but too burdensome!