The Third Son of a Medieval Knight Family Chapter 73 - Knight of Ascension (8)

“Tr-truly amazing…”

Baron Amur tried to force a smile, but his expression management wasn’t coming easily.

‘I recognized him back then, but was he more of a monster than I thought…’

He had known from when Viktor blocked the witch’s terrible sorcery that he was no ordinary knight, but seeing him fight directly made him suspect that perhaps the rumors had been downplayed rather than exaggerated.

‘There is a reason for his arrogant behavior… Tch, I’ll have to wait for the next opportunity.’

Who would have thought he’d knock down all those Count’s knights with his bare hands.

No matter how young they were, since they had received knighthood under a Count famous for liking strong knights, it was obvious they would have received harsh training.

Seeing him beat such men like handling children, he could clearly understand that it wasn’t for nothing that the Count showed favor to Viktor.

The Baron decided to wait for another chance.

Since Viktor had won the trial by combat, it was impossible to argue further about this matter.

Fortunately, the fools had stepped forward as shields, so he could just slip away.

The strange rumors were the work of knights blinded by jealousy, and they had received their due punishment.

If he organized the story to about this extent, he could get through without major problems, with no evidence that they had conspired.

As the Baron was putting on his manufactured smile and gleaming his eyes.

“What are you smiling about?”

“…What did you just say?”

When the Count spoke in a cold tone, the attention of nearby people began to focus.

Baron Amur looked around in confusion, but before he knew it, several knights had surrounded him, and he immediately broke into a cold sweat.

‘Damn it… when did they…’

---

The castle lord standing beside the Count spoke with a cold face.

“Baron, let’s go and hear the detailed story.”

“What is this now? Are you trying to forcibly arrest me?”

The Baron shook his head in disbelief.

“I don’t know by what right you two are acting so rudely. What wrong have I done?”

“Hah, you speak well.”

Even at Count Yakobski’s cold retort, the Baron didn’t back down.

There was no reason for him to act weak here.

“Don’t tell me you’re doing this because I defended the Count’s knights? Good heavens… I have no intention whatsoever of objecting to the results of the trial by combat. I don’t understand why the Count is so angry.”

At the Baron’s words, the Count snorted.

“Just quietly following along would be better for both of us. We’re nobles of the same principality, so I don’t want to embarrass you in front of lowly people.”

“…Count, I too have knights who follow me and soldiers. If you’re trying to threaten me, you’re gravely mistaken.”

As soon as his words ended, the aura of the knights who had been subtly surrounding the Baron became even fiercer.

The heat that had risen from the trial by combat instantly subsided.

Before they knew it, the dense killing intent and aura of the knights covered the area around the square.

As if they had come with determination, the Count’s and castle lord’s knights were surrounding the knights from the east who were present.

Though they gritted their teeth, they couldn’t move rashly and only fingered their waists.

The people gathered in the square quietly watched the situation with tension, anxiety, and strange excitement.

Since most of the gathered people were mercenaries, they were even more sensitive to this atmosphere.

A thick scent of blood seemed to spread far through their nostrils.

The Count spoke again with a cold face.

“So, you won’t come quietly?”

“…No matter how much of a great noble the Count may be, you have no right to arbitrarily arrest a fellow noble. This is tyranny!”

“Tyranny? How shameless of you to still spout such words! This won’t do. Bring him.”

The Baron became strangely uneasy at those words.

‘What…? There shouldn’t have been any evidence left. What is he thinking… surely not?!’

As his thoughts ended, people began murmuring when they saw knights carefully supporting and bringing someone.

“Who is that?”

“That person… I think I’ve seen him somewhere…”

The Baron felt the blood drain from his face as he saw him.

‘Sir Krupin!’

The young knight who had refuted his words point by point and caused trouble in the meeting hall.

He was slowly walking in while being supported.

‘That crazy bastard! Did he sell out even his friends?!’

He must have told the Count about the conversation they had at the meeting.

For the Baron, who didn’t know what Krupin had suffered at the hands of his old friends and didn’t care, he could only grind his teeth.

‘These idiots… they should have just left alone that guy who already looked full of complaints…!’

The Count spoke with a pitying expression.

“Sir Krupin, can you testify about what you saw?”

“…Yes, Your Excellency.”

Krupin slowly looked around with his head wrapped in bandages.

He could clearly see his old friends lying on the ground covered in filth.

A look of regret briefly passed through Krupin’s eyes, but soon, as if he had made up his mind, he began to speak in a cracked voice.

“…Therefore, not only did that person spread rumors attacking Sir Viktor by selling Sir Yelchin’s name, but he also had my friends criticize Sir Viktor and plotted internal division.”

“…This guy with his loose mouth! How dare you slander someone!”

Baron Amur’s face turned bright red.

Unable to listen any more, he wildly pointed and shouted.

“A mere knight dares to babble as he pleases! Is there evidence? Though I would never plot such a conspiracy, even if I had, how dare you slander a noble without proper evidence! Count, you must punish that knight! He’s not in his right mind!”

The Count only coldly replied while watching him rage.

“Sir Krupin is the evidence. Whether his words are true or not will quickly be revealed if we ask those foolish knights lying over there. Baron, are you still making a scene? Do you intend to shame the name of nobility further! Are you still a noble of Ruth after all this!”

As the Count’s voice grew louder in rebuke, the Baron’s face finally turned ashen after changing from white to red.

The murmurs of the people watching seemed to pierce straight into his ears.

“So what, that lord tried to slander someone but got caught instead?”

“Clumsy, so clumsy… if he was going to get caught this quickly, why did he bother?”

“Hehe… he kept talking about noble this, noble that, but he was nothing special?”

“Hey, crazy… shh! Shh! No, that wasn’t me! This bastard was talking on his own! Please!”

The voices of fools who were dragged away after trying to insult nobles while riding the mood weren’t even funny.

As voices subtly mocking or ridiculing him reached his ears unfiltered, the Baron was seized by wretched feelings beyond anger.

‘These, these… lowly bastards, how dare they, such humiliation from creatures worse than insects…!!’

Just as the enraged Baron was about to shout to call his knights.

“Think carefully, Baron. Don’t make an irreversible mistake.”

At the castle lord’s words, the Baron suddenly came to his senses.

He glanced around.

The eastern lords who had surely been in the same boat were slyly turning their heads away or feigning ignorance.

Even their knights, who had been facing off with the Count’s and castle lord’s knights, had somehow taken their hands off their waists and were just watching this situation as observers.

The only ones actively confronting them were the Baron’s handful of knights.

‘These shameless bastards…! Are they abandoning me? Do they think they’ll be safe after this! What kind of alliance is this! Idiotic fools!’

Come to think of it, their behavior had been suspicious from when they first stepped into the square.

Saying it was a stage he had set up so only he should stand out, they put the Baron forward while just watching from a distance.

He had mocked them as cowards, but thinking about it now, their thinking was clear.

If things went wrong, they would cut him off as if they had no relationship and pin the responsibility on him!

Those who seemed to follow the Baron were actually looking at him the same way the Baron looked at the Count’s young knights.

There was no way the two nobles, who had some experience rolling around in the center, couldn’t read the truly foolish yet cold calculations of the eastern lords’ noble style.

The Count calmly delivered his ultimatum.

“It seems there’s no one who will be on your side right now. Come quietly.”

“…Count, I am innocent!”

The Baron struggled while feeling a sense of despair.

If he was dragged away quietly like this, everything would be over.

“Spreading rumors in the army during wartime is a serious crime. Moreover, slandering the victorious general who saved the castle from crisis is certainly not a light sin.”

“That’s slander by that knight! I am innocent!”

“We’ll find out gradually. For now, come along.”

With his escape routes increasingly blocked, the Baron struggled.

The Count only coldly pressed him from beginning to end.

“…Do you think you can arrest a baron of the principality without a proper trial!”

“You don’t need to worry about that. I’ve already filed charges against you in my name, and the trial is prepared.”

The Baron muttered with a hollow face.

“Count… no, Your Excellency Count… I didn’t want to say this much… don’t you need the east’s power? When we should join forces even if it’s not enough, if we divide like this, won’t we just be doing those bastards a favor…?”

When the Count’s words were blocked for the first time after consistently giving immediate replies, the Baron began to prostrate and threaten as if pleading.

“If you arrest me, the Count will face even more difficulties in future expeditions. In other words, we’re destined to be together in the end… you understand what I mean…?”

“…Indeed.”

“Pardon? I can’t hear well.”

“Now I see you’re someone who doesn’t know his place.”

“…!”

“Look around, Baron. Us? Now it’s pitiable.”

Before they knew it, the eastern lords were nowhere to be seen.

The Baron had been definitively abandoned.

“And let me make one thing clear.”

“…”

“Our Count’s army decided long ago to move separately from the eastern alliance. Your troops and knights honestly aren’t much help. Rather, they might be a burden.”

“…”

“Reinforcements from the center will arrive soon. Since the east’s abilities are somewhat… questionable for carrying out the important task of war against the barbarians, you may withdraw from the front lines.”

“…Count, Count! Wait, wait, listen to me!”

“There will be no opportunities for you to achieve military merit in the future. I’ll make sure of it. Just quietly fold your arms and watch as you’ve been doing. What are you waiting for, take him away.”

“Please! Please! This isn’t right! Count, do you intend to ignore the sacrifices we’ve made so far! Hey, let go! Let go I said!”

“There will be a trial soon, so confine him to his room and watch him so he can’t go anywhere.”

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

The Baron was dragged away screaming miserably.

It was an utterly shameful exit.

The eastern lords watching from a distance finally let out sighs of relief, but none of them knew that their ordeal was just beginning.

The exit of Baron Amur, who despite his greed had at least a good head on his shoulders, was the clearest sign of the eastern alliance’s downfall, but they were just grateful that disaster hadn’t immediately befallen them.

---

Viscount Odor smiled bitterly and uncrossed his arms.

“…I wouldn’t have thought the Count was thinking that way.”

“Sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance. But… honestly, weren’t you expecting it to some degree?”

“A little. But will it really be alright? Though it’s true they’re incompetent and greedy, their troops would certainly be helpful.”

“Well… it’s a problem to solve gradually. Still, it’s better to lack soldiers than to worry about rebellion, considering how they weren’t listening lately, this is much better.”

“Haha, that’s right. How disobedient they were…”

The two nobles exchanged casual conversation as they walked.

The commotion in the square had been an unpleasant experience, but as a result, they had perfectly seized control without major losses, so it wasn’t bad.

The castle lord quietly observed the Count’s back as he walked ahead and fell into thought.

Since the Count had declared he would take an independent course, he would certainly leave the castle as soon as reinforcements arrived.

The Count’s theory was that they needed to smash the barbarians before they could regroup and attack again.

When the Count left, he too would have to make a choice.

‘Sir Viktor…’

The face of the knight who had shown amazing prowess again today began to rise in the castle lord’s mind.

---

After the trial by combat in the square, Viktor was slowly walking without knowing in his dreams that grim nicknames like ‘Knight Slaughterer’ had been added to his epithets.

‘Something’s different.’

Viktor was somewhat puzzled by the strangely changed attitudes around him, but he didn’t pay much attention to it.

If there was one slightly disappointing point, it was that the knights, mercenaries, or commoners with whom he thought he had built some friendship were beginning to look at him distantly.

This was a phenomenon that occurred because few could avoid feeling awe after seeing the utterly one-sided duel that had taken place in the square, but his thoughts hadn’t reached that far.

And Viktor hadn’t thought that rumors about him would have spread to such a remote and deep place.

“The Knight Slaughterer has arrived.”

“…?”

“Ar-are you crazy? I, I have absolutely nothing to do with this rude person, Sir Knight!”

“…What are you doing?”

“Eek, please forgive me!”

“I said it’s fine… though that knight is scary, he’s surprisingly kind in some ways.”

In the deepest part of the underground prison.

Viktor faced the unknown witch and Tumen, who were imprisoned in separate rooms facing the bars.