Chapter 59 : Chapter 59

Chapter 59. Take Them All Out (1)

"What kind of knight does such a petty thing in a duel?"

"You're right. If you're not skilled enough, you should know how to admit it."

"Tsk tsk, with a man like that as the Knight Commander, the level of the Viscount Balson family's knightly order must be obvious."

Viscount Balson's whole body trembled with anger.

These barbaric and ignorant eastern country bumpkins were daring to insult him, a man from the central government.

These pathetic country bumpkins who he didn't even know existed when he was in the central government.

Just as he was about to lose his mind to a dizzying rage, a single person approached him.

That person was….

"Our soldier went a little too far. I apologize, Viscount Balson."

"Baron Schneider."

"Regardless of the outcome of the duel, Sir Miranda was an excellent knight. Please take good care of him so that he can return to his duties."

"You… you you you…"

Viscount Balson trembled with rage.

This was pretense. Hypocrisy.

It was a mockery, saying, 'Serves you right for having a man who couldn't even beat one of my soldiers as your Knight Commander.'

The other eastern country bumpkins might be thoughtless, but that man called Baron Schneider was surely a highly evil politician with ten vipers in his belly.

That was why he was feigning concern for his knight and pretending to be benevolent in front of everyone, wasn't it?

"So you're saying it serves me right?"

"…Pardon?"

"Cut the useless pretense. Do I look like a fool to you?"

"…Pardon?"

At Baron Schneider's genuinely bewildered expression, Viscount Balson's reason snapped.

"Insolent, for a mere Baron. Do you think you can get away with toying with me with your cunning tricks?"

"…I apologize, Viscount, but I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Shut up! You cunning bastard. I still have connections in the central government. If I set my mind to it, I can have you buried in the noble society… Kweeeek!"

At that moment, Viscount Balson saw it.

Something flashed and flew towards him. What he felt after that was the sensation of a fist hitting his face. And….

"What did you say? You goblin-sized X bastard…"

"……."

"You wanna die? Huh?"

And so, Viscount Balson lost consciousness while hearing the threat of some thug.

* * *

Returning after finishing his business, what Patrick saw was a familiar yet blood-pressure-raising scene.

Some unlucky person was shouting at Baron Schneider, berating him.

"Insolent, for a mere Baron. Do you think you can get away with toying with me with your cunning tricks?"

'That… ba! stard!'

He had dared to insult his father.

And his father was just taking it one-sidedly with a bewildered expression.

This situation brought back a very dirty and unpleasant memory from Patrick's past.

[Ahem, the Murim Alliance has really gone to the dogs. To think they'd invite the master of some third-rate sect I've never even heard of to a meeting.]

[Hahaha. I am just grateful to be allowed a seat in my humble state.]

[It is fortunate that you know your place. I would be very grateful if you would just leave, though?]

[Hahahahaha.]

It was something an elder from Qingcheng or Kunlun had spouted at a strategy meeting where the key figures of the Murim Alliance had gathered.

In truth, he didn't remember exactly where it was.

It was a place treated as a nobody even within the Nine Sects, and their images were strangely similar. But when his Master had bowed his head and laughed hollowly at the bastard's provocation….

[You X-sized bastard, you wanna die!?]

The Radiant Dragon Great Master Jin Cheon had, in an instant, transformed into a single mad dragon, grabbed the bastard called an elder by the scruff of his neck, and planted his fist in his face.

Neither the location of the Murim Alliance's meeting room nor the position of an elder of the Nine Sects mattered to Patrick.

If one considered the time and place, where would the mad dragon be?

And that personality of Patrick's….

"Who are you? Who are you to bring up dirty old memories and piss a person off? Huh? Who are you?"

It exploded once again, crossing worlds.

"Excuse me, Young Master…"

Sanson cautiously approached the angry Patrick and said.

"Did you beat him up without even knowing who he was?"

"Yeah."

Why? Is that a problem?

Seeing Patrick's expression, which clearly showed that sentiment, Sanson sighed.

What in the world was he supposed to do with this person?

In the midst of this, Patrick was grabbing the collapsed Viscount Balson by the scruff of his neck and about to beat him up some more.

"Hey, stop him."

"Young Master, please calm down."

"First, just listen to what we have to say."

"Uwaaah! Hold him tight."

Seeing Patrick being dragged forward even with dozens of soldiers clinging to him, the surrounding nobles wore fed-up expressions.

There was a raw madness that they had never felt before in their lives.

"Patrick Schneider!"

"Wha—!?…t."

Patrick, who was about to retort sharply, shut his mouth. Because….

"You rascal! You finally did it. You finally caused trouble."

It was because of the furious Baron Schneider.

"No, Father, it's not that… You saw it, didn't you? This… uh… hey, what's his name?"

"It is Viscount Balson."

"This Balson or Balssagae, he was the one who was rude first…"

"Shut up!"

A moment later.

After the situation had calmed down, Baron Schneider politely apologized to the surrounding nobles.

"I apologize. My son has caused a disturbance in front of all you esteemed nobles."

While apologizing, the Baron was pressing down on Patrick's head next to him, forcing him to bow and apologize together.

"No, what did I do wrong…"

Of course, Patrick was grumbling under his breath, but he did not push away his father's hand that was pressing down on the back of his head.

To that Baron Schneider, Count Parmas said.

"That is enough, Baron."

"My Lord Count."

"In the first place, it was Viscount Balson who did not accept the defeat of the duel and insulted you first. If you think of it as the price for that, it's light… hmm, well, it should be fine."

He had been beaten and knocked out by not even a fellow noble, but the young son of a noble house, and then dragged around in front of all the eastern nobles.

This was a story that would be talked about for a long time among the eastern nobles.

Viscount Balson, whose minimal dignity, let alone honor, had been thrown into the gutter, would be reduced to an object of ridicule among the eastern nobles from now on.

'But what's important is not some Viscount Balson.'

Count Parmas said to Baron Schneider.

"No one will doubt the soldiers of the Baron's family anymore. And of course, no one will doubt the merits your family has achieved."

"You praise me too highly."

"Hahaha. Too modest."

At that moment, Patrick, who was next to him, said.

"I don't know what's going on since I just got here, but what happened?"

"Can't you just keep your mouth shut?"

"I dooooon't waaaant to."

"……."

Wow, he's my son, but he's so annoying.

It was Patrick, with an expression that made even the virtuous Baron Schneider's fists itch.

At that moment, Count Parmas said with a bitter smile.

"I will explain what happened. First…"

And Count Parmas explained to Patrick what had happened at the place where merits were being rewarded.

"So, you're saying they doubted the merits our soldiers achieved and argued that it was unfair for us to receive a reward?"

"That's what happened."

"So you had them spar with knights to prove the soldiers' skills."

"That's right. And they won."

Patrick, having grasped the situation, said indifferently.

"Why did you handle things so complicatedly?"

"Huh?"

"Why did you solve a problem that could be solved simply in such a roundabout way? That's what I'm saying."

"Simply? How so?"

"Haaaah… Sanson."

"Yes, Young Master."

"Take them all out."

At Patrick's words, Sanson stood blankly for a moment, then, realizing what he meant, drew his longswords in both hands. And then….

Wooooong…

A clear aura began to shimmer on his sword. And that was the beginning.

Clang! Chwaang! Chwang!

From all over, the soldiers of the Schneider fiefdom drew their twin swords in both hands. And then….

"Ooh…"

"Heoook…"

"Is… is this for real?"

The eastern nobles were horrified.

Aura was gathered on the twin swords of all 100 soldiers.

In the midst of that grand spectacle, Patrick said.

"This should be enough for their skills, and as for merits…"

And Patrick brought something and presented it to the Count.

Wrapped in a cloth, it was a human head.

"This should be enough."

"Young Patrick. This, could it be…"

"It is the head of the black mage."

"…You did this?"

"He was running away alone, so I found him and killed him. This should be enough for the family's merit, don't you think?"

"……."

"Is it perhaps not enough?"

There was no way it wasn't.

In that moment, the Baron Schneider family became the family that had achieved the greatest merit in this punitive war.

* * *

"Uheheheheheheh…"

Patrick laughed.

He couldn't contain the deep elation welling up from within and kept a smile on his face.

"Uhehehe. As expected of the Count. He's so decisive."

The Baron Schneider family received a greater reward than anyone in this punitive war.

A 10-year tax exemption.

A reward of 200 gold.

A mithril ingot and 50 fine horses.

And he had promised to officially report the Baron's merits to the central government and recommend an elevation in his title.

Taking the head of a black mage was that great of a merit.

On top of this, he had even promised to give a separate reward for Patrick saving the Count's daughter.

In truth, Patrick should have been punished for caving in Viscount Balson's face, but….

[Viscount Balson insulted Baron Schneider first. Patrick Schneider's attack was in defense of his insulted father, so it will not be questioned.]

It was glossed over with a single word from Count Parmas.

Objections? There were none.

In the first place, no noble in the east would blame the Schneider family for this incident.

Although Viscount Balson's lack of popularity in the east played a part, it was more because the strength of the Schneider family had been revealed.

The moment all 100 soldiers emitted aura.

The Baron Schneider family was no longer a simple barony.

They had become a powerful force that could easily swallow up two or three surrounding fiefdoms on their own if they set their mind to it.

Even if Patrick's actions were aggressive and displeasing, now that they knew the strength of the Schneider family, they could not carelessly pick a fight.

On the contrary, most of the eastern nobles began to approach Baron Schneider with a friendly attitude, and in the end, they all agreed to Count Parmas giving an exceptional reward to Baron Schneider. So….

"Uheheheheheh. Ihihihihihi. Umhahahahahah."

It was only natural that Patrick's smile wouldn't leave his face.

Although it seemed he had slightly lost his mind.

"Kuhuhu, I was just thinking I needed some money to start a new business, and this worked out great. Great."

Seeing the gleeful Patrick, Sanson said.

"Young Master. This is not the time to be so happy."

"What are you talking about? Money has fallen from the sky."

"Are you asking because you don't know?"

"I'm asking because I don't know. If I knew, why would I ask? Am I an idiot?"

Sanson's face crumpled mercilessly.

And he said to Patrick, grinding his teeth.

"Recently, other nobles have been approaching our soldiers."

"Huh? Ahhh… right. I see."

"It seems they are offering quite good conditions. It seems they're offering a knighthood, a high salary, and even armor and a horse."

"Hoh, then you must have gotten an even better offer, Sanson? How much did they offer?"

"Young Master!"

At Patrick's words, Sanson shouted.

Indeed, several nobles had proposed that Sanson come to their fiefdom as a knight.

With much better conditions than the other soldiers.

Among them, some had promised the position of Knight Commander, and there was also a proposal to make him a member of a noble family by marrying him to his daughter.

But Sanson had refused them all.

[I am a vassal of Baron Schneider. Even if you give me the national budget, my loyalty will not change.]

The other nobles were disappointed with Sanson, who had refused so confidently.

But they did not give up.

They were also making generous offers to the other soldiers, trying to recruit them to their own fiefdoms.

For Sanson, it was a situation where sparks could fly from his eyes.

Tip: Tap/click the left or right side of the screen to go to previous/next chapter.