The Third Son of a Medieval Knight Family Chapter 5 - Prologue (4)

Viktor carefully examined the blade of the axe he was holding.

He needed to thoroughly check whether there were any chips or if it had been improperly maintained.

Once on the battlefield, this axe would be the only thing he could rely on.

Fortunately, the servants seemed to have maintained it well.

Viktor put down the axe with a satisfied smile.

Besides the axe, Viktor wore a stiff, well-sewn, puffy gambeson, a slightly worn but sturdy-looking chain mail over it, and topped it all with a surcoat bearing the insignia of the Kobarov family.

The servant Pim, who was assisting him, offered flattery.

“You look truly magnificent. As expected of someone with the blessed blood of the Kobarov family. It’s like I’m looking at a knight descended from heaven.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? Enough of that. Just help me organize these things.”

Without argument, Pim gathered the equipment that didn’t fit Viktor and began bustling about again.

‘To think there are people who enjoy hearing such words…’

Blatant flattery was merely uncomfortable to him, but the truth was that Pim wasn’t being particularly excessive.

When dealing with nobles in this era, one had to prepare such obvious and flowery language as a basic requirement.

Such words themselves were a form of decoration, a guarantee of one’s honor.

Of course, to Viktor, it just looked like petty nobles from the countryside putting on airs for those beneath them.

Viktor had never seen a prince, let alone high-ranking nobles.

He had heard that in the principality’s palace, following southern traditions, elegant court balls were held, and dignified nobles gathered for banquets daily. Compared to that, the nobles of his family were embarrassingly crude.

Moreover, Lord Kobarov didn’t seem particularly well-regarded in noble society, as hardly any nobles ever visited the village.

He was the very epitome of an outcast knight from the countryside.

Viktor vaguely thought that perhaps the reason lay in the family’s origins, but honestly, what did it matter?

Such stories had nothing to do with him.

Viktor was an outcast even within this outcast knight family of the countryside.

He had no intention of acting superior just because he was a noble, nor did he plan to be buried in this village.

All he needed to do was handle the tasks assigned to him.

Pushing away these useless thoughts, Viktor began to recall the events from a week ago.

****

“Those bastard mongrels!!”

Four days after the uncomfortable banquet ended, Lord Kobarov gathered people once again.

It was because the messenger sent to the barbarians had returned.

Viktor, too, upon Igor’s invitation, was able to attend this meeting, albeit in the lowest seat.

However, Viktor was beginning to regret not declining the invitation to this strategy meeting, which he had previously not been called to.

It was because of Lord Kobarov, who was furiously raging before his eyes.

“My lord, my lord! Please calm down first!”

“Calm down? How can I calm down after seeing what happened to our messenger!”

The servant whom Lord Kobarov cherished, who had been sent as a messenger, had returned in a miserable state with a nose ring pierced through his nose.

The servant, whose nose was completely disfigured like that of a leper, shed tears of blood as he spoke.

“Those garbage barbarians reduced my nose to this state! Please, avenge me!”

“How dare they commit such an act! We must kill all those barbarians!”

“What kind of treatment is that?”

When Viktor cautiously asked Igor, who was nearby, Igor replied with a cold smile.

“You don’t know about the customs of those barbarians. That’s their own kind of punishment. Usually, they pierce a harpoon through the nose and then strip off the skin. I guess they spared his life since he was a messenger.”

“…Good lord.”

It was an extremely cruel form of punishment.

Although there were harsh and cruel punishments within the territory as well, this was a different level of brutality.

Not only Lord Kobarov, who cherished the servant, but most of the family members were furious.

Treating a messenger this way was absolutely inappropriate.

Of course, one could argue it was hypocritical to talk about propriety after ambushing them first, but they certainly didn’t seem to think that way.

“To the scum who betrayed the Great Steppe by clinging to the cursed blind god… if you don’t pay the price for your ambush and release the chief’s daughter immediately, I swear by the ancestor wolf that we will burn your insignificant village to the ground… these insane bastards!”

“My lord! Give the order! We’ll gather soldiers right now and cut off their heads!”

“Enough!”

When Igor, who had been coldly smiling, suddenly shouted, the people who had been venting their anger fell silent momentarily.

“Father. If the chiefs didn’t respond to negotiations, they’re probably already marching toward us with their forces. We need to prepare to stop them.”

“…Lord Igor! Are we just supposed to sit back and endure such an insult?!”

“Does Lord Igor have no courage?!”

“Silence! You fools don’t know the first thing about strategy. If what sits on your shoulders isn’t just a helmet stand, then listen carefully. The decapitation operation has failed! With things as they are, we can’t expect them to scatter anymore. They’ll surely gather their forces before coming. There’s no reason to meet them out in the open!”

“But our honor…”

“Damn it all! Do you think I’m not angry too? A smart warrior knows how to choose the battlefield wisely! Only a fool would fail to use the perfectly good palisades and moats at our disposal!”

Viktor looked at Igor with surprised eyes.

Igor definitely knew how to think better than others in the family.

Though he still showed contempt for the barbarians, at least he clearly understood that directly confronting cavalry forces wasn’t a good idea.

Lord Kobarov, who had been just as excited as the others, now wore a slightly embarrassed expression.

‘So Igor is truly the military mind of our family… Even Lord Kobarov doesn’t ignore his words as much as I thought.’

Given how extremely angry Lord Kobarov was, it wouldn’t have been strange for him to rebuke Igor despite him being his son, but he merely cleared his throat, pretending he hadn’t been excited.

That was evidence that Lord Kobarov respected Igor’s words more than expected.

Viktor decided to remember this fact.

That even Lord Kobarov, whom he thought only lived as he pleased, knew how to listen to his beloved son.

“Indeed. You’re right. Trampled honor can be avenged on the battlefield. Then it’s best to choose a place where we can wipe out as many of them as possible.”

“I knew Father would think the same way! If you’ll give the order, I’ll prepare for war starting now!”

As Igor skillfully praised Lord Kobarov while urging defensive preparations, everything proceeded smoothly afterward.

For Lord Kobarov himself, as long as he had a battlefield where he could demonstrate his prowess as a knight, it wasn’t bad to leave all the annoying strategic details to his eldest son.

After all, it was knights who changed the tide of battle, and such cleanup work was at best a wash, and at worst, just troublesome.

Lord Kobarov was confident in winning this war overwhelmingly, but he also had enough political sense to prepare an escape route.

His calculation was that if things succeeded, he, as the ruler, would naturally take most of the honors, and if they lost the war, his son who prepared the strategy would take the blame.

Whether Igor knew this thinking of Lord Kobarov or not, he was energetically directing people, focused on defensive preparations.

Like father, like son—Igor too had his own schemes hidden away.

‘We have a high chance of winning this war anyway. I should take this opportunity to eliminate those who annoy me and settle the succession issue once and for all. Since knights from Radovitz will also participate in the battle, there’s no need to worry about Father taking all the credit… or rather, if necessary, I could…’

****

While the two family powerhouses dreamed different dreams, preparing for war and plotting schemes, Viktor also received his own position.

“Scout captain, you say?”

When Viktor asked in a bewildered voice, Igor nodded.

“Yes. I’ll assign experienced hunters under your command, and I’d like you to patrol to see how far the enemy forces have advanced.”

“But brother, I haven’t even been properly trained as a warrior, let alone a hunter… This is too much responsibility for me.”

“If I don’t trust my own brother, who can I trust? Father has also approved this.”

The role of a scout was one of the most important.

Scout teams were essential for understanding how far the enemy had advanced, where they had set up camp, and what actions they were taking.

Of course, it was dangerous as there was a high chance of encountering enemy scouts and possibly being captured by their main force, making it quite a heavy responsibility for someone who had been confined to the village until now.

Viktor tried to read Igor’s thoughts.

Currently, most of the war preparations were being handled by Igor with Lord Kobarov’s tacit approval.

Although the final decisions would naturally be made by Lord Kobarov, matters like this would proceed according to Igor’s intentions.

“Since you’ll be going to the battlefield, you’ll need weapons. Go see the quartermaster. I’ve instructed him to prepare some armor for you.”

“Thank you, brother.”

Though inwardly his suspicion of Igor’s inexplicable kindness only deepened, outwardly he wore an expression of gratitude.

Weapons and armor!

This was something he absolutely couldn’t pass up.

Being provided with armor and weapons meant being treated as a warrior, or even more.

Weapons aside, armor wasn’t something just anyone could wear.

Low-ranking soldiers would be extremely grateful just to get a thin gambeson.

One had to be at least a commander leading troops, or a knight, to wear a well-maintained chain mail or a helmet that could fully cover the head.

That level might be too much, but since he was also Lord Kobarov’s son, and Igor had made arrangements, he might receive decent armor.

Even if he just received chain mail, he could at least pretend to be a knight wherever he went.

Mercenaries or soldiers could only hope for leather armor at best.

‘This is an opportunity.’

For Viktor, who had been considering escaping from the village if necessary, armor and weapons were irresistible bait.

He had been thinking about stealing them amidst the chaos, but this was literally a stroke of luck.

Viktor bowed deeply, prostrating himself.

As Igor looked at Viktor, a cold gleam flitted across his eyes.

‘Enjoy it all you want, boy. It will become your burial outfit anyway.’

‘If I escape with armor and weapons, at least I won’t be disrespected wherever I go.’

****

Viktor had thought he would break even just by receiving a chain mail, but Igor was more generous than expected.

A thick gambeson, a slightly worn but sturdy chain mail, and even a surcoat.

Not many in the family were this well-equipped.

Viktor was receiving proper treatment as a direct family member for the first time.

Just wearing it gave him a warm feeling!

The surcoat in particular incorporated northern style with wool sewn on top, making it both stylish and excellent for cold protection.

The weapon he received wasn’t bad either.

Viktor had never held a sword or spear before.

So he chose a battle axe that seemed to best fit his hand.

It had a completely different weight and sharpness compared to the axes used for chopping firewood.

Though it was a one-handed axe, it was quite large with a long, sharp edge, more than sufficient to smash the skulls of any enemy.

He had thought the territory was too poor to have even one proper weapon, but the family’s armory was truly a treasure trove.

“Well, Lord Kobarov is more interested in patrolling and collecting weapons than in the village’s harvest or livestock numbers.”

Those were Pim’s words.

‘Damn it… was the food so terrible because they were spending money collecting these things instead?’

Having had to eat modestly all his life despite being a noble, Viktor couldn’t help but feel complicated emotions.