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Chapter 690
Chapter 690
I'll Handle Everything. (2)
Andrew stammered as he spoke to the envoy.
“Th-That doesn’t make any sense! It was just that we couldn’t agree on the price with the mercenary corps, that’s all!”
“Ahem! Tripling the hiring fee is clearly a gesture meant to insult the Count! How can such conduct be tolerated!”
“Then go settle it with the mercenary corps. Why are you attacking me?”
Ẇе b nо v el̃ Ěnu m_а̌
Andrew looked truly aggrieved. The world was already harsh enough as it was. That was precisely why he had tried to live quietly, without giving anyone an excuse to come after him.
Nodehill was a small estate with no particular resources. Since no other lord coveted it, Andrew had managed to survive simply by not drawing anyone’s ire.
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Despite that, he was now facing a declaration of war over such an absurd reason. It was enough to drive him mad.
In response to Andrew’s question, the envoy gave a look as if to say, “How can you not understand?”
“I’ve heard that you’re closely associated with the Julien Mercenary Corps. A master must take responsibility for the mistakes of those beneath him.”
“I’m not their master.”
Ŵё b̄ ň о̌ v̇ е l̈ Еń um̊ӓ
“But you are their employer, are you not?”
“That employment ended long ago. We’re just on friendly terms now.”
“Then consider this your punishment for being friendly.”
It was an arrogant statement no mere envoy should be able to utter. However, Andrew and his retainers swallowed their rage in silence, unable to refute him.
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In an age where power defined justice, weakness was a crime.
Andrew spoke, almost pleading.
Е̄ n̆ ŭ mа̊ . i̇ ď.
“No matter what, how can you justify starting a war on such a pretense? Other nobles won’t sit idly by.”
“And who dares not sit idly by?!”
“……”
Faced with the envoy’s bluster, Andrew fell silent. The justification was flimsy and absurd, but the envoy wasn’t wrong.
At least in this region, no noble would dare stand against Count Crest. Even if nobles from other regions condemned the action, by then it would be over.
Which meant it would be meaningless. Count Crest would face some criticism, but that would be the end of it.
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‘By then, our estate will already be destroyed, and I’ll be dead.’
Andrew’s face grew haggard in an instant at the thinly veiled threat.
The few retainers of Nodehill looked just as pale. They were just as angry and resentful at the envoy’s arrogance, but fear and worry outweighed their outrage.
Having completely seized the mood, the envoy continued with a peculiar smile.
“It’s not that there’s no way out of this.”
“Wh-What is it? I’ll do anything if it can stop the war. Please, just tell me.”
W̃ êb̃n̂ ov е̇ l̃ Ĕ ṅ u̇ mӓ
Andrew asked the envoy politely far too politely for a lord addressing a mere envoy.
But the power lay on the other side. After all, a dog raised by a powerful noble outranked a powerless man.
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The envoy spoke with an arrogant expression.
“This all began because of the Julien Mercenary Corps’ insolent behavior.”
“…And?”
“So, the Julien Mercenary Corps must either comply with the Count’s will, or…”
Wе̇b̈n̆ òv́еl̊ Е̂ n̆ǔ m̌á_
“Or?”
“You, my lord, may align with us and punish the Julien Mercenary Corps yourself. Naturally, you’ll also participate in the subsequent war.”
“What…?”
Andrew looked utterly dumbfounded. This was absurd beyond belief.
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Telling him to attack an innocent mercenary corps was asking him to abandon his honor.
Adding insult to injury, if the Julien Mercenary Corps refused to submit to the Count, they expected Andrew to offer up his own troops instead.
W_ѐ b̌n оv e l Ё nu m а
Regardless of the circumstances, he was still a lord with autonomous authority and yet, they wanted to use him in place of the mercenaries.
There was no greater humiliation. He could kill the envoy right then and there, and the other side wouldn’t have a word to say.
But what could he do? In a world like this, being powerless was a crime.
Suppressing his fury with superhuman patience, Andrew said,
“The Julien Mercenary Corps has done nothing wrong. Even if they refuse, how could I strike down those who are innocent?”
“Then you may share in their punishment.”
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“I haven’t done anything wrong either.”
“That’s for us to decide.”
The envoy responded with a relaxed air. After all, Baron Andrew of Nodehill had only two choices.
‘Either convince the Julien Mercenary Corps somehow… or fail, and offer us his troops.’
That was the law and truth of the world. The envoy sincerely believed that.
After glaring at the envoy for a long time, Andrew finally spoke.
Е ǹ um̄ å . ï ḋ
“Stay here for a while. I’ll speak with the Julien Mercenary Corps.”
“Very well. But I doubt I’ll be able to wait for long.”
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“Understood. I’ll decide as soon as possible, so go and wait.”
After dismissing the envoy, Andrew went straight to the Julien Mercenary Corps.
With a face on the verge of tears, he explained the situation.
“What should I do? They’re telling me to attack you. If not, then the Julien Mercenary Corps must follow Count Crest into war.”
Ẇе b̀ ňо́.vё l Ë n u ṁ а
The officers of the mercenary corps, including Ghislain, didn’t seem particularly surprised. It was something Ghislain had already anticipated.
After listening to all of Andrew’s desperate plea, Ghislain asked,
“What do you want to do, my lord?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to fight the Count, but I can’t force you to join a war you refused to take part in. I’ve heard you already rejected the request.”
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“You could always join Count Crest and attack us, just as he wants.”
Ghislain said it teasingly, prompting Andrew to cry out in shock.
Еn̊ u m̈ǎ
“That’s unthinkable! How could I commit such a treacherous act against those who saved me? I’m not that kind of man!”
Tyran scoffed at Andrew’s words. He had met countless nobles in his time as a mercenary and knew all too well how they behaved.
Even Baron Andrew of Nodehill was still a noble. He might say one thing to their faces, but behind the scenes, he was surely contemplating ways to restrain them.
Tyran voiced his honest opinion.
“Baron of Nodehill must be in a tight spot too, so why don’t we just run away to another region? Then the Baron can pretend to be chasing us.”
Ghislain shook his head.
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“No. That’s just a temporary fix that only gets us past the immediate crisis. If we do that, the lord will have to take our place in the fight against Count Swifel.”
If the Julien Mercenary Corps disappeared, Andrew would be forced to offer troops in their place. That option wouldn’t be appealing to him either.
But without that, there was no way for the domain of Nodehill to avoid war. The Julien Mercenary Corps had already decided not to side with Count Crest.
Realizing this harsh truth, Andrew let out a sigh.
“It can’t be helped. For now, please leave this place quickly. I’ll try to negotiate by offering other supplies instead of participating in the war.”
In truth, the easiest solution for Andrew would be if the Julien Mercenary Corps just accepted Count Crest’s request but he couldn’t make such a demand to the mercenaries who had saved his domain.
Е̂n ǔm а̃ .і d́
Nor could he participate in the war in their place. Count Crest would undoubtedly put his troops on the front lines.
“I can’t let my soldiers die in vain. I’ll try to borrow a large sum from Baron Larks, even if I have to beg, and offer that instead.”
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“Hmmm…”
Ghislain nodded. That might be enough for Count Crest to let it go ‘just this once.’
After all, there was a lot of gold coming out of the Larks territory these days.
Still, the method Andrew proposed wasn’t a fundamental solution.
E̊nu m̌ а̊. і̃ d̂
“That’ll get you through this time. But not the next.”
“The next…?”
“Yes. Do you really think Count Crest will stop after dealing with Count Swifel?”
“……”
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“He’s focusing on Count Swifel because he’s still holding out. Once that’s dealt with, he’ll move to take the gold-rich territory of Larks. And do you think he’ll leave this place alone, knowing it’s allied with the Larks?”
“……”
W̃ebǹ ô v̂ еl̊ È_nu m ӓ
Now that he thought about it, Ghislain was right. Nodehill and Larks were allies. That excuse alone would be enough to swallow them up.
Their lands were adjacent anyway. Easy to manage. There was no reason not to take it.
Andrew’s expression darkened with despair. Even if he got through this crisis, it meant his domain’s destruction was already fated.
“Th-Then… what should I do…?”
Ghislain’s eyes sparkled as he spoke.
“My lord, have you ever thought about raising your rank?”
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“What? My rank?”
“How about becoming a Count?”
“A Count…”
Andrew, being straightforward in nature, was also rather simple. As he briefly imagined himself as a Count, he chuckled.
“Ah, being a Count sounds great. I always wanted to be one.”
“Then why not take this opportunity?”
Еǹ u m̃ă
“How would I do that?”
“How else? You fight Count Crest and win. Take over his County.”
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“……”
The Julien Mercenary Corps had already resolved to fight if Count Crest picked a fight.
So, none of them were surprised by what Ghislain said; they simply observed the situation unfold.
Ghislain was being serious. In all his experiences, nobles like Andrew and Rio were rare in this world. That’s why he had decided to help raise them into key figures in the kingdom.
W_е̄ b̆n̂o v̄ él Е̃ n̄ u̇ ḿ а́
Of course, the most important thing was Andrew’s resolve. He needed to decide for himself to take hold of power.
Andrew looked at Ghislain with trembling eyes. No matter how he saw it, this didn’t seem like a joke.
“Can we… really win?”
“Of course.”
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“I know the Julien Mercenary Corps is strong. But the difference in troop size is just too big…”
“Just ask Baron Larks to send reinforcements. He has plenty of money, so he’ll be a great help. Besides, it’s not like he has a choice.”
Е ň üm а̀.îd
Rio was a timid man with many worries. Even though his territory was growing wealthy thanks to the gold mines, he hadn’t been sleeping well, always anxious about a potential invasion.
After all, a small territory, no matter how rich in gold, had its limits when it came to expanding production and military power.
He had been hiring mercenaries and steadily increasing his soldiers, but the pace was inevitably slow.
So, if he heard that Count Crest was invading Nodehill, he would certainly lend a hand. He knew all too well that he’d be next.
Still, even if the territories of Nodehill and Larks joined forces, defeating Count Crest was another matter entirely.
Andrew, being a man who could think strategically, pointed out the core issue.
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“It’s still not enough. Even if both territories scrape together every able-bodied man and fight alongside the Julien Mercenary Corps, we’d barely reach 3,000 troops, if that.”
“My lord.”
“Yes?”
“I’ll say it again: we can win. I’ll take care of everything.”
“……”
“If you believe in me.”
Wе b̀ ṅо̃v е̌l̊ Е ṅ u m̆ а̄
Andrew stared at Ghislain.
Ghislain’s eyes held no hesitation. They were eyes filled with complete, unwavering confidence and Andrew wanted to stake everything on those eyes, on that belief.
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Even if he lost and died, it would be better than living as another noble’s dog. He knew Count Crest’s infamous reputation all too well.
Any territory he conquered would turn into a living hell. Bandits would run rampant, and the people would suffer.
‘The odds of winning are slim… but if we don’t fight, there’s no chance at all.’
After a brief moment of contemplation, Andrew made up his mind to stake everything on Ghislain.
Én̊ǔ m̂ă. id
For himself, and for everyone living in this land.
Andrew grinned and said,
“Damn it, let’s give it a shot.”
“You’ve made the right choice. A wicked bastard like him deserves to be punished, don’t you think?”
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“If we’re going to fight, we might as well start off with a bang.”
Andrew stood up with a smile. The envoy’s behavior had already left his insides boiling with anger.
Еñûm ä
He was as bold as he was simple, and as simple as he was bold.
He immediately summoned the envoy and declared,
“I’ve made my decision.”
“Oh ho, that was quicker than I expected. What have you decided?”
The envoy smiled. Whether Andrew had convinced the Julien Mercenary Corps or chosen to side with them, what mattered was that he was finally bowing his head to their side.
But then came an unexpected response from Andrew.
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“Break that bastard’s arm.”
“…Pardon?”
The envoy looked dumbfounded. The knights nearby also widened their eyes in confusion.
Andrew repeated himself.
“I cannot forgive that fool for daring to threaten a noble. Break one of his arms and send him back.”
Only then did the knights understand their lord’s intent. The thought of war was frightening, but at least for now, they felt a sense of satisfaction.
Ѐnům а̀
As the captain of the knights approached, the envoy flinched. The two knights who had been escorting him were waiting outside.
He had never imagined something like this would happen.
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“S-Stop! What do you think you’re doing?! Do you really want to start a war?!”
“You were going to attack us anyway. Did you really think I’d be scared?”
He had been scared, but once he resolved to fight, the fear vanished entirely.
The captain grabbed the envoy’s arm. For a knight, breaking a human arm was nothing.
Е nu m̌ ӑ .îd
Crack!
“Aaaaargh!”
The envoy screamed in agony as his arm snapped. He had no idea what had gotten into this lunatic of a lord.
Just moments ago, he had been cowering in fear, but now everything had changed!
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As the envoy writhed in pain, Andrew looked down at him and began writing a letter.
“I’ll write down my message. Make sure you deliver it properly.”
Е̂nu m̀ а̃.і̄ d.
Andrew placed the letter directly in the envoy’s clothes.
Of course, the envoy didn’t return immediately. In order to buy time for the Larks forces to arrive, they needed to delay the message from reaching Count Crest as long as possible.
The envoy, held captive for several days, eventually returned in rags. And he delivered Andrew’s letter to Count Crest.
Count Crest, seeing the envoy’s condition, immediately grasped what had happened. Still curious about the message, he unfolded the letter.
[Come at me, you bastard. I’ll toss you to the ducks.]
Count Crest set the letter down with a chilling expression and said,
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“Deploy the entire army to Nodehill at once. I’ll crush them first.”
Having already completed their preparations, Crest’s army began marching straight toward Nodehill.
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