Download App
3.34% Lord of Caldera / Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Are This Villagers Out Of Their Minds?

Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Are This Villagers Out Of Their Minds?

"Who are you!?"

Gaiden was startled and drew his sword at the sudden shadow that appeared. He thought it was an attack by some ruffian. However, as soon as their eyes met, both sides stared blankly at each other.

"Is that you, Gaiden?"

" Roderick?"

Both of them were vassal knights from the Count of Corleone's family. They had joined the family around the same time, so they knew each other's faces well. They had even left the family together when searching for the heir.

The first to regain composure was Roderick, who assessed the surrounding situation.

"Gaiden! What on earth are you doing? Why would you harm the young master?"

"Th-that is…"

Gaiden, surprised by the unexpected situation, quickly processed his thoughts. He wondered why the heir knew his identity; could it be because Roderick had arrived first?

'Damn it, this situation keeps getting more complicated.'

With his eyes tightly closed, Gaiden decided to stick to his lie. If he wanted to brush off the misunderstanding, he had no choice but to act like he was mistaken. If Roderick was right and the young master was indeed present, he could simply apologize for the offense caused by his misunderstanding.

"Ahem, it seems that you are mistaken, Roderick."

"Mistaken? What do you mean?"

"Where is the proof that boy is the young master? To me, he looks just like a brat pretending to be a noble…"

"Gaiden Borel! How dare you insult the young master!"

Before Gaiden could finish his sentence, Roderick's fury erupted. His shout was so intense that all the mercenaries recoiled in shock. Gaiden stared at Roderick with a bewildered expression.

'What is wrong with this guy?'

Originally, the plan was for Roderick to refute Gaiden's words and present evidence. After that, Gaiden would lightly apologize, acknowledging his mistake, and that would be the end of it. But now, Roderick seemed to be furious as if his lord had been insulted.

"C-calm down, Sir. I had no such intention."

"No intention? Does that mean the insult came out naturally? Explain yourself properly!"

Even as Gaiden took a submissive stance, Roderick's anger did not subside. Rather, he seemed ready to draw his sword at any moment.

"Please calm down, Sir Roderick."

It was Sylas who saved Gaiden from his distress.

"Looking at the situation, it seems this gentleman is mistaken. He must have thought that I was impersonating my father's son."

"Indeed! It's truly an embarrassing mistake!"

Gratefully seizing the lifeline thrown his way, Gaiden nodded vigorously. He then dismounted and bowed his head, as if he wouldn't let this opportunity slip away.

"I apologize for the rudeness caused by my misunderstanding, young master. I am Gaiden, a knight of the Corleone family."

His dramatic change of attitude was embarrassing for anyone watching from the side. However, with the risk of getting into a brawl with Roderick, there was no time to worry about that. If another problem arose here, it would exceed the level where he could brush it off.

"See? Sir Gaiden is saying so as well. Please calm your anger."

"If the young master says so…"

With Sylas's words, Roderick stepped back. Gaiden's mind was in a swirl.

'How can he act like that? It's as if he's treating his own subordinate like a puppet on a string!'

Roderick, Gaiden knew he was a staunch believer in chivalry. In other words, he was someone with a particularly strong sense of pride and authority typical of knights. But what was the attitude Roderick was showing now? Was he not treating Sylas like more than just a noble, but rather as a lord he served?

"Come in, and let's talk. It's too cold to discuss this outside."

At Sylas's words, Roderick entered without any objections. Gaiden, still in a daze, followed behind. He felt he needed to understand what was happening first.

***

"Are the villagers attacking?"

Gaiden's eyes widened in surprise. Rather than anger, the first thought that crossed his mind was, Are they out of their minds?

How dare they touch a noble? The moment it becomes known, the entire village would be reduced to ashes.

"Because of that, they took my weapons and armor, and I even lost my prized horse. I'm so ashamed I can't even show my face."

Roderick trembled as he held his cup of tea. If they weren't at Sylas's house, he might have smashed the cup in his hands right then.

"But thankfully, you hid me, and after we spoke, everything matched up perfectly. It was truly a fateful encounter."

"Oh, is that so?"

Now Gaiden began to understand Roderick's extreme politeness a bit more. If he thought of him as his lord's son and his savior, it made sense. Plus, the coincidence of their meeting made it even more believable.

"However, why were you trying to act without properly identifying me? Just looking at those violet eyes should have made it obvious!"

"Uh, well, they don't stand out that much…"

"Roderick."

As Roderick seemed ready to explode again, Sylas intervened.

"Enough. You didn't do it on purpose, did you?"

"But if it had been a moment later, something terrible could have happened!"

"If Gaiden had known, how could he have possibly committed such an outrageous act? It all stemmed from a misunderstanding."

On the surface, his words seemed comforting. However, a chill ran down Gaiden's spine.

'How dare? Outrageous? Is he saying this for my benefit?'

His face was calm, but the choice of words was unusual. Even though he hadn't taken a sip of his tea, he swallowed hard.

Once Roderick had calmed down, he looked at Gaiden as if he had just remembered something and asked,

"By the way, why did you bring the mercenaries? A ranger would have been more useful for searching."

"I thought since they're well-informed and numerous, they could be of help…"

While he said that, the real reason was to put pressure on the heir. If there were a bunch of intimidating-looking men around, wouldn't that scare him?


Chapter 13: Chapter 13 Punish Brick Village

This was a reason that he could never reveal now.

"Anyway, since you've brought the mercenaries, let's make use of them for a moment."

"Use the mercenaries?"

"Shouldn't we punish the village? Were you just planning to let it go?"

"That's not true. I was thinking of that too."

While he said that, he inwardly cursed. In the end, it all came down to money when hiring mercenaries.

If something happened, it would cost extra; why should he pay for someone else's revenge?

'I'll have to get a cut after it's all over'

After all, they were just lowly mercenaries. Even if they were rogue knights, As a vassal knights of the Corleone family they wouldn't have the guts to argue with him.

***

After finishing his story, Gaiden stepped out of the hut. Roderick and Sylas were still inside preparing to leave.

Gaiden shouted towards the mercenaries who had been waiting outside.

"Additional work has come up. We need to take care of that village over there."

"Sir Knight, that will cost more money," one of the mercenaries replied.

"I know! Why are you making such a fuss when I'll take care of it myself if you just keep quiet?"

Gaiden shouted back, clearly annoyed by the mercenary's mention of money.

"Shut up and just get ready! I'll pay you, so don't worry about unnecessary things!"

Without waiting for a response, Gaiden turned away. The mercenary captain, Eric, gritted his teeth at this display.

"Captain, what do you think?" one of his men asked.

"It's obvious. I haven't seen a proper payer among those loudmouthed fools. Ha, spitting!"

With that, Eric spat, expressing his frustration. Having spent over a decade in this line of work, he had met all kinds of employers. Those who tried to save money and those who were generous had completely different attitudes.

"What are you going to do? Do you think we'll work for free without extra pay?"

"Is there another option? We've already received an advance, our status is secure, and besides, it's the Corleone family!"

The Corleone family was quite powerful in the East, the region where Eric's mercenary band primarily operated. Once marked, it was likely to cause issues in future endeavors.

"Even so, that brat isn't the lord," Eric's subordinate countered.

"Stop talking nonsense. Who do you think they will mention our names to later on?"

"Damn it!"

The subordinate, at a loss for words, kicked the ground in frustration. Eric felt the same urge to quit on the spot.

Although they were receiving fair pay for what should be an easy job, they found themselves in a situation where they had to bargain.

"Are you mercenaries?"

The sudden voice caught the mercenaries off guard. Sylas had approached and was speaking to them.

Unsure how to respond, they hesitated until Roderick shouted,

"Didn't the young master ask you a question!"

"Yes, yes! That's right!"

Eric and the mercenaries quickly bowed their heads. Although they didn't fully grasp the situation, their years of experience told them not to underestimate the young boy before them.

"Are you currently employed by Gaiden?"

"Yes, we are."

"Indeed. Does he pay you properly?"

The mercenaries fell silent, their mouths dry. Hadn't they just been cursing about this very issue? If they didn't want to seem unfavorable, they had to at least give a polite answer, but they didn't want to lie either.

"Does he not pay you what you deserve?"

"Uh, well…"

"Sir Gaiden seems to have a miserly disposition," Sylas remarked.

'What the hell? Why is he saying that?'

The mercenaries felt a chill run down their spines at Sylas's words. There was nothing more troublesome than the upper echelons gossiping about each other.

If they responded poorly, it could lead to dire consequences. But remaining silent would also likely earn their disdain.

While the mercenaries were in turmoil, Sylas quietly whispered,

"It can't be helped. I'll make sure to give you a little something for your troubles."

"Excuse me? You're saying that, young master?"

Eric responded, bewildered. They would gladly accept if it was offered, but why was he saying such a thing?

"Indeed. If you've worked hard, you should be compensated. I can't give it to you right now, so please wait."

"Yes, sir."

The mercenaries exchanged puzzled glances, unable to grasp the reason behind this unexpected offer.

Sylas's motivation for wanting to help the mercenaries was simple:

"It's not my money anyway."

If he took it himself, he would appear greedy, but offering it to someone else seemed like a noble gesture.

That money pouch was right in front of him. A sharp smile appeared on Sylas's face as he looked towards Brick Village.

He was eager to see how this situation would unfold and how Gaiden and Roderick would react.

***

Sylas and his group descended from the hill and headed towards Brick Village. Upon seeing the knights approach, the villagers panicked and rushed outside.

"Oh dear, sir! Welcome!"

The village chief was the first to appear, bowing so low that his forehead nearly touched the ground. His body shrank from nervousness, but he had a sense of confidence that he could get through this situation.

'I've prepared the hospitality and even arranged for a pretty maiden. As long as they don't find any fault, we'll be fine.'

The chief relied on his experience of surviving this long. He rubbed his hands together, trying to show as much humility as possible to please the knights.

"It's an honor to host you, sir. Would you like to have a meal first? Or perhaps a bath? Just say the word."

"That's unnecessary. Do you think I'd want to eat or rest after knowing what you've done?"

"W-What do you mean by that?"

"Perhaps you should ask the people here for the details."

Gaiden stepped back with a chilling smile, revealing Roderick, who had been obscured by their conversation until now.

Upon seeing Roderick's face, all color drained from the chief's face.


Load failed, please RETRY

Gifts

Gift -- Gift received

    Weekly Power Status

    Batch unlock chapters

    Table of Contents

    Display Options

    Background

    Font

    Size

    Chapter comments

    Write a review Reading Status: C12
    Fail to post. Please try again
    • Writing Quality
    • Stability of Updates
    • Story Development
    • Character Design
    • World Background

    The total score 0.0

    Review posted successfully! Read more reviews
    Vote with Power Stone
    Rank 200+ Power Ranking
    Stone 82 Power Stone
    Report inappropriate content
    error Tip

    Report abuse

    Paragraph comments

    Login

    tip Paragraph comment

    Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.

    Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.

    GOT IT