"I see you remember my face."
"Ah, no, um, that is...!"
With Roderick growling in front of him, the village chief opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish. His mind went completely blank, and he couldn't think of anything. The other villagers were similarly frozen in fear. Some lost their strength and collapsed to the ground, while others trembled all over.
"If it were up to me, I wouldn't want to kill you nicely, but there's no time. I'll end it with a noose around your neck, so be grateful."
"Ugh, uh! Just a moment! Please spare me!"
"What are you doing? Hang him!"
"Yes!"
The village chief's pleas fell on deaf ears. At Roderick's command, the mercenaries grabbed the chief's shoulders and pushed him down. Then they took out a rope to hang him. As the rope was about to wrap around his neck, the village chief panicked.
"Sir knight! I don't mind dying, but please at least let me send a message to the lord before you kill me!"
"What? The lord?"
Roderick frowned. If there was a lord, it meant someone was collecting taxes, right? That made things a bit more complicated. No matter how much the man deserved to die, he was a potential source of tax revenue for the lord.
Even in a small village, if there were too many deaths, there was a high possibility the lord would protest.
"Y-yes! This land belongs to the baron, Baron Rudger!"
Feeling he had found a way to save himself, the village chief quickly added. Roderick fell into thought at the chief's words. Baron Rudger was a noble Roderick had seen before. A rather greedy and authoritative noble.
If he proceeded with the execution now, it was highly likely there would be a conflict with the Corleone family.
'This is troublesome. Should I send a letter to get permission for the execution?'
The permission itself would be granted immediately. After all, they were going to kill a noble. The problem lay elsewhere.
He can't just keep watching these guys until then.
To get permission, Roderick would have to make a round trip from Baron Rudger's castle, which was far away, to Brick Village. Naturally, that would waste a considerable amount of time. During that time, he wouldn't have the money to keep hiring mercenaries. If he loosened his watch, there was a high chance the villagers would escape.
Moreover, what if even those who had committed great sins were still paying taxes to the Baron? There was a good chance they would only deal with a few innkeepers.
'There must be a way out, even if the sky falls!'
Seeing Roderick deep in thought, the village chief internally cheered. He had taken a gamble, and it seemed to be working. He couldn't help but think that he was indeed lucky.
"It's a lie."
"...!"
All eyes suddenly focused on Sylas, who spoke calmly amidst the many gazes.
"There's no lord in this village. Therefore, we don't need permission for the execution."
"Y-you outsider hunter! How dare you lie to the knight, ugh!?"
The village chief, who was pointing his finger, fell backward with a thud. Roderick, filled with rage, ran over and kicked him in the chin.
"You scoundrel! How dare you point your finger at my lord!"
"Wha? What do you mean...?"
"This man is of the Corleone bloodline! Show him the proper respect!"
The villagers, including the chief, blinked in confusion. After a moment, they began to comprehend the situation and gasped in shock.
A natural-born son. Although rare, there are instances when a noble acknowledges a child conceived by a woman of noble status, accepting the child into the family.
Who would have thought such luck would come to Sylas!
"S-so, if Sylas defends us, can we all be saved?"
"Exactly! We've lived together for over 15 years..."
The villagers, who had been talking amongst themselves, gradually became more solemn. Memories of how they had treated Sylas began to surface. They had haggled over the price of meat and hides, prevented him from living in the village, and used him without compensation whenever they needed something.
In the end, they had even tried to pin fake debts on him and threatened him. It would be a miracle if he didn't want to kill them instead of defending them.
As the villagers turned pale, Sylas continued to speak.
"This village is a pioneer settlement that was established 30 years ago. It's so remote that no one ever declared it as their land."
"Then what was that guy saying earlier...?"
"He was simply referring to the most powerful lord nearby in a hurry. If you go to get permission for the execution, that lord will naturally claim it as his land."
Even though it was a small village, it was still a land that could pay taxes. It had simply been left alone because it was too far away to manage. But if the village willingly offered to serve the lord and pay taxes, saying, 'We don't need anything from you,' it was obvious the lord would gladly accept it as his own land.
"Is that true?"
"No, no! That's not it!"
Once everything was uncovered, the village chief trembled all over. There were no excuses left to offer.
Roderick looked down at the chief with cold eyes.
"Hang him from a tree. After a day, tear the corpse apart and throw it into the forest."
"Ah, no! Knight! No, my lord! Please spare me, my lord!"
The village chief clung to Sylas, but Sylas only smiled coldly in response.
"I told you there would be a price to pay."
"My lord! Please forgive me! Aaaah!"
The mercenaries skillfully wrapped a rope around the village chief's neck. Trapped in the powerful grip, the chief screamed and struggled, but it was futile.
Soon the rope was secured to the tree, and like a pulley, the chief was hoisted into the air. After struggling and gasping for a while, his body soon became still.
All that remained was the old corpse dangling from the tree.
Once the village chief was hanged, the entire village froze in place. There was a world of difference between vaguely thinking one could die and witnessing an execution firsthand.
"There are quite a few notable faces besides the chief."
"...!"
At Roderick's remark, the villagers trembled. Although they outnumbered the mercenaries and the single knight, most of them were merely farmers.
With just a handful of mercenaries and one knight, a mountain of corpses could be created right here.
"Oh great knight! Please have mercy!"
"It was all the chief's doing!"
"We couldn't resist the pressure!"
The villagers quickly knelt and pleaded their innocence. Roderick, Gaiden, and even the mercenaries looked on in disbelief at the villagers.
Perhaps a noble might not know, but how much power could just one chief wield? Such things could not happen without the whole village's agreement.
The disgusting self-defense made Roderick's blood boil.
"I'll deal with these scoundrels right now—!"
"Calm down, Roderick."
Once again, it was Sylas who stopped Roderick. The villagers looked at Sylas with hope on their faces.
In their eyes, Sylas was their last hope.
"Sylas! No, my lord! Please save us!"
"Please, for old times' sake!"
At the mention of "old times," Sylas clicked his tongue. Had they already forgotten that they had just raided his hut?
In their panic, they seemed to be saying whatever came to mind.
Though Roderick had always followed Sylas's words until now, this time he would not back down.
"My lord, please don't stop me. This is my revenge."
"That's true. But there's no need for you to strain yourself when you're still recovering."
"What do you mean?"
"Let the mercenaries handle it."
Sylas's gaze turned to the mercenaries. The mercenaries, still confused and not fully understanding, exchanged puzzled looks among themselves.
"Do you remember what I said earlier?"
"Yes, we do remember."
"You've heard the circumstances, right? Rain down divine punishment on this wicked village. Take what you need."
"...!"
As soon as Sylas finished speaking, joy spread across the mercenaries' faces, while despair engulfed the villagers.
Sylas's declaration was a license for plunder.
***
There are two types of plundering. One is the kind done under the watchful eye of a noble commander, while the other is completely unchecked looting.
Though it may seem like the same act of plundering, the two concepts are entirely different.
From a noble's perspective, a conquered territory becomes part of their domain. Naturally, turning it into a wasteland makes it difficult to collect taxes later.
However, if they reward the mercenaries and soldiers less, dissatisfaction will build up, so they permit a moderate level of plunder.
During this time, there are even instances where the villagers voluntarily offer their wealth. It's a kind of collusion.
For the village, it ensures safety at the cost of a slight loss, and it suppresses the soldiers' discontent with adequate gifts.
But if they have no intention of occupying the territory, or if the mercenaries are on the verge of rebellion, the situation changes. They completely withdraw and turn a blind eye to the looting.
Naturally, the mercenaries turn the entire village into ruins, uprooting everything. Whatever they plunder becomes their own property.
What was happening in Brick Village right now was precisely the latter kind of plunder.
"Wow, this necklace is nice! It must be worth quite a bit."
"T-That's for my daughter's dowry…"
"What? Are you saying you'll give your daughter to me?"
"I'm so sorry! Please, take whatever you want!"
The mercenaries began to rummage through every corner of the village, taking whatever wealth they could find. The villagers hid their possessions with all their might, but it was futile.
Had the mercenaries not done this before? The hiding places were obvious.
Even the livestock, which could not be taken, were no exception.
"Are you offering this for me to eat? Who do you think I am, a pig?"
"Oh dear, this is the best we can do given our village's circumstances!"
"Am I seeing things? I see a delicious goose over there."
"That goose is meant to be sold in spring… No, wait! I'll prepare it right away!"
Small, valuable items were all swept away, and the large livestock all went into the mercenaries' bellies.
If they had just swept through once, it might have been bearable, but the mercenaries didn't leave at all.
''Since Lord Roderick would recover soon, let's stay a bit longer''.
It was due to Sylas's suggestion. Though the healing was an excuse, everyone knew he intended to punish the village.
Naturally, Roderick agreed without hesitation, and the mercenaries were even more excited.
"Ugh, I thought I was going to be ripped off because of the client, but what a lucky turn of events!"
"This small village is surprisingly lucrative. At this rate, we'll definitely break even."
"Long live the young master! And cheers to the foolishness of this village that tried to ambush a knight!"
The mercenaries chatted merrily while stuffing themselves with rich food. Thanks to that, they would enjoy luxury for the next few days.
One of the mercenaries, while happily eating and drinking, glanced at the thoughtful mercenary leader, Eric.
"By the way, what are you thinking about, boss?"
"No matter how I think about it, something feels off."
"Off? What do you mean?"
"This village seems pretty well-off for being so out of the way, doesn't it? Especially the amount of oil and leather they have; how did they acquire all that?"
At Eric's words, several mercenaries nodded in agreement.
"Now that you mention it, I found it odd too. They cook meat really well. If they didn't eat it often, they wouldn't know how to cook like that."
"Exactly. If half the villagers are hunters or if someone isn't just giving away free meat, that's impossible."
"Who knows? Maybe there were a few talented hunters who all died at once? Just to make it easier for us to loot."
With that silly joke, the mercenaries burst into laughter. Then, as if losing interest, they began talking about something else.
Regardless of the reason, it was a good thing to have plenty to take.
'Come to think of it, that young lord seemed like a hunter too… or maybe not?'
Comentario de párrafo
¡La función de comentarios de párrafo ya está en la Web! Mueva el mouse sobre cualquier párrafo y haga clic en el icono para agregar su comentario.
Además, siempre puedes desactivarlo en Ajustes.
ENTIENDO