Chapter 67

Two hundred years have passed since Her Majesty Elaline’s Emperor toppled the corrupted Prance’s Cafin Dynasty, and bestowed the title of “Count Nante” upon our family’s progenitor, Lord Bremen von Nante, who played a significant role in that event.

During that time, our family has displayed countless dignities and valor befitting the Counts of Nante, leading valiant vassals and engaging in honorable battles.

And I, the great successor who carries their blood, Schwabin von Nante, rewrote the history of the Nante family while handling a mad dog named SIEL von Croilet, who does not heed the commands of his master and acts on his own accord.

Yes, I have seized the territory of my long-time rival, Count Helzman of the Prance.

At that time, the knights around me, along with countless loyal… I thought they were loyal vassals, were busy praising me.

“Wow, Your Excellency is truly magnificent! You even gave SIEL, who dared to negotiate peace without your permission, a chance, and conquered the castle without shedding a drop of blood!”

“Indeed! Though you made a slight mistake in the first battle, the result is everything, isn’t it? The pride of the Croilet family may have risen, but it can’t be helped. We just need to partition the territory and completely crush their momentum!”

“It seems that the Count Nante family has gained a ruler beyond Lord Bremen’s greatness!! Come on, Your Excellency. Let’s have a drink! This is fine wine I looted from another serf village!”

So at that moment, I thought I could do anything.

In reality, all the barons and vassals listened keenly to every word I said, and there were even those who would choose real death over mere pretense of dying for me.

And in bed, my “flower-like possessions,” whom I should naturally love as a hero, always hoped for my affection and showered me with all kinds of flattery.

However, now there were no women who only craved my love, and the knights and vassals who swore to die for me had already fled.

Those bastards, how could they run away as soon as they were stuck in the clumsy cart of SIEL made of wooden planks…

As I pondered such thoughts, I began a tactical retreat, not a flight, to return to Nante while commanding the infantry.

If those left behind are to die for me, then it would at least be a worthy death…

You understand, right? If I manage to protect Nante, I will take good care of your families.

If, after death, they hear their daughter became my concubine due to her beauty, they will surely be pleased even in heaven.

This should sufficiently repay their loyalty.

Just as I grew somewhat distant from the knights, the sound of our knights charging at the enemy filled the air.

“Charge! Charge!!”

“Count Nante is watching us!!!”

“Better death than surrender to the enemy!!”

Along with those words, my loyal knights, unaware that I had already disengaged from the front lines, charged at the solid spear soldiers of SIEL.

Thank you for dying for me, you precious souls, yet you are surely less than I…

But even with that expected sacrifice, I must vow to repay.

That is also the ideal of a knight as described in chivalric literature, and I am a generous leader, after all.

Next, I continued to direct my horse toward where the infantry units were.

I’m not certain, but among the infantry, there are also younger sons of knight families, and since they are also half-nobles…

If they follow me and achieve feats in war, and I return safely, I will grant them the right to live as knights and nobles, they would fight harder than the soldiers of Croilet.

Compared to SIEL, the mere baron, I am the head of a count family with a history spanning several hundred years.

For half-blood knights, simply being able to die for me is an honor; of course, serfs are nothing more than human-shaped cattle.

Like cattle and horses, they would naturally die for their masters, and when they return, they would be thrilled with a bit of barley, just as one might give extra fodder to a cow or pig.

**

Fittingly described as livestock with two legs, the serfs were armed with agricultural tools like iron rakes, hoes, long forks, and flails, and their clothing was nothing but torn and ragged garments that a Zackri would wear.

Especially the one right in front of me had torn his chest and crotch, making it half-transparent… Ugh, disgusting.

To expect military discipline from a military made up of serfs is foolish, still these fellows don’t even know how to stand properly.

Truly, they are just lowly serfs who merely look human, however, Divine Deus also said, “Do not disdain the oxen and horses that work for you.”

It would be right for me to show them a bit more tolerance and dignity.

So I asked the serf in front of me while mounted on my horse.

“So, Zackri, who among you is the highest?”

The serf, recognizing his lowly station and groveling under my imposing presence clad in splendid armor, replied.

“Sir, the highest among us is Captain Hundred Georg. But may I ask for what reason you seek him…?”

How dare he retort in the face of a noble! Normally, I would have beheaded such an offense, but…

To show my noble restraint for daring to retort, I kicked Zackri’s shins with my gauntlet.

I felt the sensation of his shin bone shattering beneath my foot, and he began to roll on the ground while clutching his leg.

“Ahh, ahh… Aahhh…”

As I demonstrated my noble arrogance, another serf knelt beside the one I kicked, putting his forehead to the muddy ground in a serf-like posture and said.

“Sir, that Zackri has committed a grave sin. If you go inside, Captain Lincoln will be here. He will know all about this matter.”

Indeed, sometimes even in defeat, it is essential to maintain the dignity of a noble… even if the previous one lost to the infantry of Croilet due to the incompetence of my knights.

If I showcase my excellent capabilities, I can make soldiers and knights willingly follow me as I have now.

Thinking that made me feel good, so I looked at the Zackris and said with a smile.

“My name is Schwabin von Nante, your proper lord. It is only natural for me to summon you here, but as a special favor! If you return to Nante Castle, I will grant you barley!! Be grateful for my mercy.”

Then I signaled to one of the Zackris beside me to kneel next to my horse, and I stepped on him as I mounted.

As a count, it’s only natural for a serf to be stepped on when I ride.

No, for even like this, having touched the noble count, it must be tremendous luck for that fellow.

**

After riding for about 20 minutes, I came upon a grand and lavish tent, fitting for half-nobles.

Inside, half-blood nobles were diligently discussing the operation.

“Damn it, Captain Georg! We’re done for! We’re going to be captured for disobedience!”

“What do you mean? Captain Arwyn! If we’re captured, we’re all dead!”

“Let’s just report that we had to distribute the supplies to the serfs in need. Then we’d be punished for a minor issue of not reporting the procurement, and we might survive. Surviving is the greatest filial piety, isn’t it?”

“Filial piety my ass! Already!!”

The fools continued their conversation for a while before they noticed me.

As soon as they spotted me, all the soldiers in the tent, led by Captain Georg, knelt on one knee in reverence.

Even as half-bloods, those at least bearing noble blood could maintain some decorum in my presence…

“Who is the responsible Georg here?”

At my words, the knight, appearing to be in his forties and standing in the best spot in the tent, cautiously replied.

“That would be me, the current situation is…?”

“Why would I need to explain that! Am I a child?! Why are you asking me to explain everything?!”

“I apologize, but we have been delayed in our advance… I thought you must have had a tough time, so I wanted to help even now.”

Compared to those uneducated Zackris, even a half-blood noble like Georg has a different caliber, doesn’t he? Georg, was it? I must be good to him.

However, that was then; for now, I must return to my territory before the enemy, even if the knights are left to die.

“It’s already late. Your soldiers are delayed because they looted just because their pay was only four months overdue. Truly pathetic… Truly like worthless serfs, don’t you think?”

“Yes, Your Excellency…”

I sensed a slight shadow on Georg’s face while he spoke, but surely that was just the surprise of failing to execute the operation even in my presence.

So, choosing to overlook that, I continued.

“I charged at the wall made of carts with 1,600 knights, but we could not overcome it. Therefore, I have come here to preserve your strength for survival. Nobles will receive appropriate wages and lands if they heed my orders to join the castle defense, and as for serfs… I will generously feed them barley. What say you?”

Georg seemed to be deeply concerned about the 1,600 knights as he kept murmuring, “1,600 knights, 1,600 knights.”

Hearing that, it felt almost like a magical incantation.

After more than 30 minutes of back and forth, Georg smiled at me and said.

“Your Excellency, winning and losing in war is part of life. So please don’t worry, just take a good rest for now. We will depart tomorrow, and I have prepared some food fit for your consumption in my quarters.”

…That Georg fellow is quite useful. He even prepared food for me out of consideration.

Normally, I would have placed a hand on his shoulder and rewarded him, but now there isn’t enough time nor the luxury to do so…

“I was just hungry, so this is good. Thank you, Georg.”

After saying that, as I was about to head to Georg’s tent for some rest, suddenly, an immense shock struck the back of my head.

What, what was that?

And as I collapsed forward with a thud, Georg summoned those leading the other infantry.

“Kill that bastard. If all the knights are dead, it’s all over. Do you want to die following a lord with no honor?”

Upon hearing that, I wanted to shout, “You bastard! How dare you betray your lord!” but my mouth wouldn’t move.

“Listen well. The Count SIEL has many grievances against our lord. And now that this fellow has come into our midst, he must surely be killed and taken away. You do understand why, right?”

“If the infantry find out that we spared ‘that fool,’ spears will be aimed at us.”

Upon hearing this, Georg laughed and said.

“Let’s get to work. Strip him of his armor, then take your time breaking his arms and legs. Killing him in as cruel a manner as possible will both satiate the anger of those he looked down on, and it’s a way to earn extra rewards from Count SIEL as well.”

Georg, you bastard! With half noble blood, how dare you betray your lord…

Yet again, my body remained immobile due to the “shock of the blow to the back of my head,” and in no time, the other soldiers had entirely stripped me of my armor from my limbs and torso.

Next, those malevolent soldiers swung their iron maces toward my toes and fingers.

With a crunch, my fingers and toes shattered.

I couldn’t move my body, nor could I voice anything, yet… I still felt pain…

Moments later, I was able to produce a sound from my mouth.

And what erupted from my lips was…

“Aaaah!!! Aaaaah!!!”

It was a meaningless scream, but none of those blokes cared about my condition, casually striking my ankles, wrists, calves, forearms, elbows, knees, shoulder blades, and thighs in order with the mace.

Each time they struck, an unimaginable pain coursed through my body, something I had never experienced in my life.

The pain refused to subside; at first, I wanted to live, but now I wished simply for death.

It hurt too much… beyond words to express…

“AAAARGH!!”

Now those malicious beings swung the mace toward my torso.

With a sensation of my spine snapping, I felt no sensation in my broken legs, and after receiving more blows, I only felt pain in my waist…

Nor did I feel any pain in my hands or arms.

And they continued to laugh…

“Our Count Excellency, who normally looks down on our lot as mere half-breeds, has lodged us in this only to allow us to personally send you off. Now, please die soon. We’re going for your neck!”

Then I felt the unbearable pain of my neck being severed, and afterwards… I could think no more.

The last emotion I felt, the pain was like a high-altitude fall of a barely dried mud ball exploding…

**

The war was perfect.

Although 300 soldiers out of 5000 among our ranks were seriously injured or killed while stopping the charge of knights, with losses like this to drive away 2,000 knights, it was indeed something groundless to celebrate.

Of course, while that might seem groundless numerically, thinking from the perspective of the ‘families awaiting these soldiers’…

It left me unsettled.

Moreover, ha, such sacrifices would have to be paid again in the “Siege of Nante Castle”…

How many more soldiers would perish due to a war that could have been avoided had I been a little more perfect…

Lost in thought as I gazed at the horizon, I heard the voice of a messenger calling out from behind me.

The messenger announced.

“Sir Balt has requested the presence of the council, saying that Schnitzel has arrived, and asks that you see it for yourself!!”

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