My viins episode 496
interlude. Judges and riders
entered May.
Like most provinces epassing the Empire and Kingdom, Obdorf also reached the peak of spring.
The Zelntree, drenched in a brief shower, boasted unprecedented green, and the broad ins to the south were filled with lcs dyed in deep purple and azaleas emitting orange.
Beside the road paved with old gstones, there was a little hedge that barely reached the knee, holding a small bean field. Standing alone in the middle of the bean field, the Scarecrow seemed to stare down at the soft, hairy young pods filling up little by little.
“Isn’t it so peaceful?”
The middle-aged man, who had been appreciating the scenery with a nk face, turned his head away from the rxed question. I thought it was the voice of a horseman pulling his reins, but the middle old man’s eyes met a pretty young man wearing te armor.
“Baron Daeon.”
“I thought it would be full of ashes and blood, screams and wails because it was said to be and swept by warfare, but… I guess it wasn’t as terrible a war as rumor has it.”
A noble-looking young man leaned over on one side of his horse, picked a wild flower, and smelled its scent. Brilliant blonde hair, a handsome face, a handsome white horse, and shining armor harmonized, making him look like a knight straight out of a fairy tale.
It was a look that would make many girls blush, but it didn’t seem to give any impression to a man in his sixties. The middle-aged man, slightly tired, opened his mouth with an expressionless face.
“It must be because the period of war was not so long. The coteral damage would have been rtively small, as three or four decisive battles decided the oue.”
“So is he.”
Baron Daeon, the sixth horseman of King Mnol and the head of the ‘New Siother’ family, said with a slightly confused tone.
“I never expected that the war would end so easily and so quickly. I’m a knight I can’t help it, so I’m sorry I missed the opportunity to show off my dance… but on the other hand, I feel proud that the newly incorporated Wang Ryeong is so beautiful.”
The middle-aged man, the high judge of the royal capital and one of Crown Prince Zacharis’ aides, shook his head with a firm face.
“It is still too early to be optimistic. No one knows how the situation will end, so we must not rx.”
“her. I don’t know what Prince Kingsley or the other riders are afraid of.”
“It’s not scary, it’s difficult, Baron.”
The king’s young rider did not seem to understand the prudent attitude of his opponent.
“What is difficult? The two former princes of the empire have dared to invade, and they have counterattacked and taken awayrgends. What further exnation do you need?”
“Isn’t it a victory won by our kingdom?”
“If so, whose victory is it? The g was raised by the 3 princes, the heirs of the royal family, and the various vassals of the kingdom gathered there. Of course, it is a victory for His Majesty the King and our kingdom.”
As the young man tapped his breastte in frustration, the old judge quietly narrowed his forehead.
‘Are you deliberately pretending to be stupid? Do you want to believe that simple logic as if it were an immutable truth?’
“…The Baron heard the news, too. The three princes, no, their subordinates have attained imperial titles. The ‘Red Dragon’ was awarded titles by King Ruilix II himself, with the rest under the emperor’s observation. What do you mean by that?”
“Of course you weren’t cheating, were you? Your Highness, the 3rd Prince, is a natural tactician. Since we do not have enough strength to face the enemy’srge army, we bowed our heads in lies to buy time to join His Highness the Crown Prince’s army.”
“…If that’s the case, why have the fortresses on the border held on with their gates locked up until now? It won’t give way to reinforcements.”
“Aren’t we heading to Eisbovald now to solve that very problem?”
Baron Daeon
sighed deeply, unable to hide his sad expression.
“I can clearly guess what the situation will be like in Eisbowald. How confused everyone must be when they lose their master in an unexpected misfortune.”
“What if confusion?”
The knights under hismand, such as the ‘Knight of Awful Cheol’, ‘The Giant Knight’, ‘The Vipers’ and the ‘Red Knight’, are all extraordinary. Since His Highness, the three princes who embraced all of them, passed away in agony, it is only natural that they be divided from the inside…
The young man looked at the southern horizon with sad eyes.
“Thinking about it again, it is really unfortunate. He wasn’t the kind of person who would die in vain.”
Kingsley wrinkled the tip of his nose quietly. There was no way for him to tell whether Baron Daeon was mourning for the silver prince he had never met before, or if he was intoxicated by his own sorrow.
“…As we agreed a few days ago, we decided to refrain frommenting on the evil that befell the third prince.”
“I remember. It’s just what we’re talking about.”
“Be careful from now on. It is not eptable to be kicked out looking as unsightly as the former Norrik monks.”
At the warning of the middle-aged man, the young man bent his head and shrugged his shoulders. Kingsley sighed instead of asking what exactly the gesture meant.
“Advice to the baron, no, please do not be optimistic about the situation. In addition, when you arrive at Eisboward, refrain from talking.”
The young, handsome baron gave another rough nod. Seeing his cold eyes, the old judge swallowed back his words.
‘Now we are crawling into the den of wolves on our own feet. It’s not just wolves, it’s a den of wolves who lost their leader and became very ferocious.’
When a shadow fell over Kingsley’s wrinkled face, his babble spoke excitedly.
“Look at my master.”
“hmm?”
“Looks like Eisbowald over there.”
It was as the young attendant said.
It was in the early afternoon of May 1 when Kingsley and a party of twenty or so people arrived at their destination, carrying the letter from the Crown Prince.
And until evening two dayster, Kingsley did not deliver the letter. No, I haven’t met a single one of those who belong to the leadership of Prince Eun’s army, let alone handed over a letter.
After wrestling with the gate guard for a long time, he managed to enter the city, but he was not treated appropriately.
The news was delivered through an officer with arge scar on the side of his mouth who said he was temporarily serving as the chief of the guard, but the guide did not swell. Thanks to the officer’s favor, he was staying at an empty mansion as a lodging, but he was only surrounded by guards and could not meet the silver prince’s knights.
“The situation in the city looks much more dire than expected.”
If High Judge Kingsley was nominally the head of the group, the actual leader was a middle-aged knight who had just spoken out.
‘ck Armor’ Patina. As the king’s fourth horseman and one of the best swordsmen in the kingdom, she was a bit perplexed by the current situation.
“The part I was worried about was what their answer was, but now that I see it, I don’t even know if I can get an answer in time.”
Immediately after entering the city, and for two days almost confined to the inn, Baron Pattina tried her best to find out what was going on inside the city itself and the troops stationed there.
But all she felt was an extremely subdued and rigid atmosphere.
“Did you find out anything?”
At Baron Patina’s gaze, the young merchant bowed his head.
“Unfortunately, there is no news.”
His superficial status is a merchant who makes money by somehow connecting with the royal family, but his real identity is Sejak, who has over a hundred subordinates. He exined that he served as a guide for nobles when passing through the gates, but in fact his real mission was to obtain necessary information in the current situation.
“But looking at it, it seems that the problem is caused by no one trying to take the vacant seat of the 3rd Prince.”
“It’s the exact opposite of what I expected. Are you procrastinating rather than fighting for the seat of power?”
“It is not procrastinating. In one word… ‘Who dares to rece him?’”
The middle-aged woman nodded slowly.
“I get it roughly. Then, would His Highness the Crown Prince have a chance?”
The young merchant hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head.
” doesn’t exist.”
“You are firm.”
“I’m sorry, Nari. However, I have only made a judgment based on the information obtained.”
“The grounds?”
“The hostility is too strong, needless to say at length. Words are openly circting in the military camp that the reason why the 3rd prince has been wandering around the battlefield and the borders for the past 10 years is all because of His Majesty the King and His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Are the top leaders thinking the same?”
“I will. Most of them, including Langbolt Earl Shore, Anki Le Whitestone, Ariad Barin, Lay am Summersong, etc., served His Highness for a long time and went through penance.”
“The ones who received the title?”
“I think that will be the breakthrough. Lu Yan, who was sealed after the Empire, has a high reputation, but is still a young boy and unmarried. You will find a suitable way to appease them. Since Atnta, who was sealed by the prince of Angst, is also a seed of Nudane, there will be positive results if you present the appropriate amount of money.”
The young merchant took a small breath and continued.
“The variable is the red knight.”
“Phoenix von Defelken.”
“yes. He is called the Seventh Knight of the Silver Prince, but his service period is rtively short. Nevertheless, he yed an active role based on terrifying force and became a figure close to the second inmand of the silver prince’s army. You can get a glimpse of its status through upying the yolknd of Obdorf and obtaining a permanent position.”
“Even if a red knight like that came forward, they couldn’t sort out the situation.”
“That… no.”
“no?”
As Baron Pattina narrowed her brows, the young merchant replied in an uncertain voice.
“It is said that the silver prince died-no, but disappeared anyway. The red knight is known to be in hiding.”
“Chip?”
“yes. Especially after returning to Eisbovald, except for a few people closest to me, I can’t even see their faces.”
The young merchant offered his opinion cautiously.
“It’s my guess, but maybe the answer to the letter can only be received when the red knight reappears.”