The Third Son of a Medieval Knight Family Chapter 50 - Tribal Conflict (15)

Viktor stood before the Count.

Count Yakobski patted his shoulder and smiled.

“Sir, be careful out there. Well, this particular matter doesn’t concern me too much, but…”

“Thank you, Your Excellency.”

Viktor bowed his head calmly.

Mikhail, who was standing beside the Count, addressed him again with an apologetic expression.

“Sir, I regret that I cannot accompany you. Unfortunately, I must stay and assist His Excellency…”

“Haha, Sir Mikhail. Don’t be like that. This is just my guess, but…”

The Count trailed off, then spoke again with meaningful undertones.

“Everyone will be busy soon enough.”

“Your Excellency, that statement…”

Viktor looked into the Count’s eyes.

He nodded and continued.

“The eastern lords were disappointing, but the castle lord was someone who shared my views. He was predicting the future accurately.”

“I’m listening.”

“Do you remember the case of Roshtov Castle that I mentioned before?”

“…You mean the castle we decided to refuse aid to?”

When Viktor asked with a calm expression, the Count nodded.

“I also explained why that castle was attacked. Sir Viktor, I trust you understand what I mean.”

“…!”

“Your Excellency, surely not…?”

Mikhail muttered from beside him with a horrified expression.

“Sir Mikhail. This affair is merely a preliminary battle. There’s no way those barbarians couldn’t read our movements. The eastern lords think it’s enough to just restore supplies to the surrounding areas, but they’re gravely mistaken. The castle lord and I are already moving to make the next play.”

“The moment we exit the castle gates to restore supplies, we’ll be observed by the barbarians… and then they’ll make the same move as in Roshtov’s case…”

‘So they anticipated the barbarians’ movements. The Count and the castle lord used their heads quite well.’

While Viktor was impressed, Count Yakobski continued with a confident expression.

“Once they start rushing toward us, the lords will be terrified. They’ll immediately argue to close the castle gates and focus on defense. However, the castle’s food supplies are already insufficient. That’s when the castle lord and I plan to persuade them. Better to clash with them once more than starve to death.”

“…Your Excellency, but fighting them without the castle’s protection is extremely dangerous. Last time as well…”

“Ah, Sir Mikhail. I know that well. But if we just sit here doing nothing, it will become difficult to find any living principality citizens in the east.”

“…”

“Sir Viktor. I have only one request for you. Focus on your current mission, but the moment a messenger arrives, rush straight back to the castle. If you fail to return in time and encounter them, that would truly be the worst possible situation.”

“Understood, Your Excellency.”

“Good. Then, I’ll see you later.”

Leaving the two men behind, Viktor departed.

‘I just need to complete the task assigned to me. For now…’

His footsteps were heading toward the castle’s postern gate.

---

After the nobles’ meeting ended, they decided to open the castle gates that had been kept locked until now and restore their influence around the castle.

Specifically, they would organize small units to venture outside, have them support nearby villages, and strike and annihilate the roaming barbarians.

Not only the eastern allied forces but also several mercenary companies that the Count had brought were drafted, and quite a few knights would also be sent out.

Viktor was no exception, and since he had only Lukovich as his attendant, it was decided he would go out with other knights.

When Viktor arrived at the promised postern gate, several people had already arrived there.

A knight approached him with formal gestures.

“Good to meet you. Are you the Count’s knight who will be accompanying us this time?”

Viktor faced him.

Tall height and a well-trained body.

Though he was thoroughly equipped with armor, the muscular physique that clearly showed even over it seemed to indicate this knight was no pushover.

The man’s impatient-looking thick eyebrows twitched up and down, urging Viktor’s response.

“Yes, pleased to meet you. And you are…?”

“Ah, we’ll talk about details on the way. It seems some have already departed. Come, hurry!”

As soon as Viktor finished speaking, the man turned his horse’s head and shouted at the soldiers guarding the postern to open the gate.

‘He has an impatient nature.’

Knights were fundamentally hot-blooded beings, but this knight seemed to have an even more fiery temperament than other knights.

He sighed inwardly without showing his expression.

He didn’t get along well with impatient people.

‘Well, can’t be helped.’

Those who would be carrying out missions together from now on were waving their hands from over there.

Viktor shook his head and began riding his horse.

---

“Let’s start with introductions. Though it may be presumptuous, I’m Yelchin of House Dnib, who has been assigned command of this mission. Please take care of me for a while.”

The knights assigned to this mission together weren’t many, but that wasn’t a big problem.

Even just combining the squires and servants led by the knights, their numbers exceeded those of most mercenary companies.

Among them, Yelchin, who had the most attendants, had been promised command of this unit by his superiors.

“As you know, I serve Viscount Odor, the castle lord of Radovitz. What about you all?”

And there was also the reason that Yelchin knew the local geography best.

When Yelchin naturally asked as if overwhelming the group, the knights showed slightly displeased expressions but obediently began stating their affiliations.

Except for Yelchin and Viktor, they were all knights of the eastern lords.

When the turn naturally came last to Viktor.

“Pleased to meet you all. I’m Viktor of House Kobarov, serving with Count Yakobski’s army. Please take care of me.”

“Hmm…?”

Yelchin’s eyebrows curved upon hearing his words.

“Hey, what family did you just say…”

“Wait, then you’re…?!”

And just as Yelchin was about to ask Viktor a question with a “surely not” expression, a knight interrupted him, extremely excited.

“Why, do you know each other?”

“No. But I have a friend among the Count’s knights. According to him, there’s a terrifying knight serving in the army. And he definitely said that knight’s name was Viktor!”

“A terrifying knight?”

The other knights around began looking at Viktor with gazes mixed with half curiosity, half doubt.

Certainly Viktor’s build and presence were formidable enough not to be underestimated, but for such a great knight, he had far too few attendants.

Though not absolute, generally the number of attendants a knight traveled with symbolized that knight’s prestige and power.

And from that perspective, Viktor was clearly nothing more than a typical poor knight or a knight who had just started his career.

His armor and weapons looked good, but he had only one attendant, and though his face had an intimidating quality, he looked young to anyone.

Viktor, who had been receiving their gazes with a calm expression, opened his mouth.

“What did he say? I’m curious.”

Viktor’s voice was low but strangely clear.

Feeling some inexplicable pressure, the knight who had first spoken hesitantly began.

“That, he single-handedly annihilated a barbarian army with one charge, and also beat to death a Leshy called the nightmare of the forest by himself…”

“…”

“Pfft, puhahaha!”

At those words, the knights suddenly burst into laughter.

Even the knight who had spoken blushed and shouted.

“Agh! Rumors are naturally exaggerated! But if stories are circulating to that extent, he must certainly be a great knight!”

“Haha, you’re right, but… this is too absurd! That friend probably played a prank on you.”

“Well, maybe he caught a barbarian scouting party instead of a barbarian army. That would be impressive too, but… haha!”

The initially awkward atmosphere seemed to gradually ease.

Viktor, who had been watching for an opening, spoke as if driving in the final nail.

“It’s best not to believe rumors too much. More importantly, this fellow seems to have an innocent side? I like that.”

“Agh, stepping forward for nothing… how embarrassing.”

“Hahaha!”

The knights began mingling and sharing various stories as if they had never been awkward.

And Viktor was smoothly joining in among them.

There was nothing particularly bad about knights building camaraderie.

Especially if they were going to roll together on the battlefield from now on.

Behind them, the squires and attendants were also mingling little by little, following their masters.

Lukovich, being a former merchant, more actively ran around among people, sharing conversations.

It was a much smoother start than expected.

However, among these people, only Yelchin was still frowning as if something bothered him.

‘Kobarov… Kobarov… surely not…’

Yelchin still hadn’t forgotten that damned family name.

Though he had spat and moved on after hearing they were the first to be swept away, thinking it served them right, it had been branded like a mark in one corner of his mind.

The catalyst and culprit who had provided this war!

It was the family of Knight Sergei Kobarov.

‘It might simply be the same name, but…’

Yelchin’s expression took on meaningful undertones as he watched Viktor, who was mingling with the knights with a calm smile.

---

“By the way, Sir Yelchin. Where is our target? No one except you has heard about it.”

After the commotion had somewhat settled, a knight suddenly asked Yelchin a question.

Yelchin smiled belligerently and pointed somewhere with his finger.

“Since we’ve ventured out, shouldn’t we achieve the highest military merit? You all think so too, right?”

“Ah, naturally a knight should!”

“That’s what I hoped for!”

When the knights responded roughly, Yelchin’s smile deepened.

“Not only compared to other knights, but we’ll achieve military merit incomparable to those lowly mercenary bastards! For that, I’ve taken on the most dangerous mission among them!”

“Indeed… Sir Yelchin is truly an excellent knight.”

“Sir Yelchin, for our sake…!”

‘Quite energetic.’

There wasn’t a single knight among them who wasn’t pleased to hear Yelchin’s words.

Except for Viktor.

He couldn’t quite understand why someone would bring the most dangerous mission and then act triumphant about it.

Though it didn’t show in his expression, for Viktor, since this was just a preliminary battle and he might have to return at any time, he didn’t particularly want to waste energy.

However, contrary to his thoughts, the atmosphere was heating up more and more.

“The target is a fairly large village at the crossroads going north, Remolnyaf! Those garbage barbarians have been holed up there for quite some time. From now on, we’re going to kill those bastards!”

“Wooo!”

“Remolnyaf… this might result in more military merit than expected… hehe!”

Viktor casually asked the knight beside him who was chuckling.

“What kind of place is Remolnyaf that everyone’s acting like this?”

“Ah, since you followed the Count, you probably don’t know much about this area. Remolnyaf is the place they first occupied when advancing toward Radovitz. Now it’s being used like a forward base.”

“…Hmm, that means.”

“Ah, it’s where the most barbarian vermin in this area are gathered. How exciting!”

“…”

‘This should be fine, right?’

Viktor looked around.

They were talking only about the glory of victory as if they weren’t worried at all.

He soon shook his head.

‘Well, seeing their reactions, it doesn’t seem like it’ll be a big problem… I’m really just worrying unnecessarily.’

Even if something went terribly wrong, he was confident he could take care of himself.

Viktor decided to be a bit more at ease.