A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

Covered in blood?

Hadn’t Viscount Oleg said in his letter that this was already practically an occupation of the castle?

Then what had happened for them to arrive soaked in blood even with victory already decided?

“Could it be…?”

A horrifying image crossed Viscount Karyan’s mind.

It was true that war is, by nature, the act that spills the most human blood.

But the battlefield is not the only place where blood flows.

Nor was it rare that, once a land was won, weapons would be turned against the defeated local inhabitants.

Perhaps it was not a war, but blood shed in a unilateral massacre.

“Damn it, barely a week has passed since I received Viscount Oleg’s letter, and in that time all of this happened…?”

Consumed by an almost sickening anxiety and nervousness, Karyan grabbed his head with both hands.

What if the enemy had lost their reason and, regardless of receptions or formalities, began a slaughter?

Should he close the castle gates and resist, feigning madness?

No, the enemy had five thousand soldiers.

Even if he resisted, it was obvious he would not hold out long before being conquered.

Perhaps the best option was to follow Viscount Oleg’s advice and receive them while pretending ignorance.

But what if, even so, the enemy went mad and decided to kill everyone?

“Viscount! The duke’s army is approaching!”

“…!”

Before Karyan could make a firm decision, Lucian’s troops appeared before his eyes.

From that distance their faces could not be seen clearly, but the red blood clinging to armor and weapons was unmistakable.

At the sight of the five thousand troops covered in blood, the vassals paled and shouted to the viscount.

“M-my lord! What should we do!?”

“Do we close the castle gates? Or do we receive them as we are?”

For five thousand soldiers to end up so bloodstained, killing just a few hundred enemies would not be enough.

Even if it was only a conjecture, it was evident that not only soldiers had died, but also innocent inhabitants.

If they had laid hands on civilians, it meant the entire army was in a state of extreme exaltation.

“It’s an army that has already tasted blood! We must close the gates immediately and resist!”

“Are you insane!? Do you intend to provoke them even more when they’re already exalted!?”

“If we only look at the enemy’s mood, we could die without even resisting!”

“And if we rush to decide, something that could have been resolved peacefully could end with everyone dead!”

“Enough, enough, enough!”

Viscount Karyan shouted loudly, silencing the argument.

The voices died down, but the underlying problem remained.

In a little over ten minutes, the five thousand troops would be right in front of them.

After that, even if he wanted to flee, there would be no escape.

He had to decide now.

Provoke the enemy and take refuge in the castle by closing the gates?

Or bow as far as possible and try to avoid bloodshed?

“…We will receive the duke.”

“My lord!”

At Karyan’s dry voice, some vassals let out cries of horror.

However, the viscount rebuked them with a firm expression.

“Look at that army! Even if we lock ourselves in and resist, do you think we’d last even a day!?”

“…”

Faced with his cold reasoning, the vassals fell silent.

Even gathering all their resources and troops, it was impossible to withstand an army of five thousand men for even a full day.

Even if they scaled the walls without ladders, the numbers were too great to stop them.

And it was not a disorganized horde.

They were elite troops that included the Swordmaster of the era and a court mage.

In the worst case, the castle could fall before nightfall.

“Closing the gates just to prolong our agony by a few hours makes no sense at all! Stop babbling without thinking, ruled by fear!”

The vassals lowered their heads, unable to retort.

In truth, not even Karyan himself was completely certain of his decision.

Who could guarantee that those few hours would not save his territory?

But a ruler had to appear composed before his vassals.

Forcing a calm he did not feel, Karyan gave the order.

“Stop panicking and prepare to receive the guests. Do not forget that a single mistake can dye this land in blood!”

“Yes!”

Seeing their lord’s composure, the vassals reacted and began to move quickly.

Shortly afterward, Lucian’s troops reached the vicinity of the castle.

When Lucian approached the gate, Viscount Karyan bowed deeply and shouted.

“Karyan Baltz greets His Majesty, the King of the North!”

“…”

Lucian did not respond and continued advancing.

Karyan, his lips dry from tension, remained motionless.

When Lucian was close enough to cut his neck with a single stroke, he finally spoke.

“Your Majesty. An interesting title.”

“…?”

“King or duke? It’s not very clear. Viscount Oleg also played with words like that and ended up irritating me. Has the entire west come to an agreement?”

At the icy tone, Karyan shuddered.

It was true they had come to an agreement, but he had never imagined the duke would pay attention to such subtle nuances.

Lucian knew that politically they could not recognize his status as king, and yet he reacted with unexpected harshness.

“It’s strange. According to the rumors, he wasn’t a fool ruled by his emotions. Is there some reason to act so firmly even at the cost of political advantages? Or perhaps, after ascending the throne, pride has gone to his head…?”

“Viscount Karyan.”

At Lucian’s voice, Karyan snapped back to himself and realized his mistake.

Cold sweat ran down his back.

He had been distracted by unrelated thoughts while the man holding a sword was standing right in front of him!

“Can’t you hear me? You haven’t answered.”

“F-forgive me! The majesty of the king is so imposing that it left me speechless…!”

“For a while now you’ve done nothing but play with words. I’m starting to think you’re provoking me on purpose because you want to die. Did the marquis ask you to die for him?”

“No, great king! I was a fool and failed to choose my words! I beg you to forgive me!”

Seeing Lucian bring his hand to the hilt of his sword, Karyan’s face turned completely white.

Seized by terror, he fell to his knees and even went so far as to call him “great king” in a desperate attempt at flattery.

Lucian silently observed that servile attitude and then removed his hand from the sword.

“I will rest here for two days. Bring the food.”

“Yes!”

A sigh of relief escaped Karyan’s lips.

This was probably his last chance.

Even if only for a single day, he had to attend to him with absolute sincerity and win his favor by any means.

If Lucian returned safely to the north, he would inevitably pass through here again.

With a sense of crisis tightening his chest, Viscount Karyan clenched his fist tightly.

***

Unexpectedly, Lucian’s army behaved with the utmost courtesy.

They enjoyed without restraint the food that Viscount Karyan offered them, but that was all.

Not only did they refrain from leaving the camp, they did not even touch alcohol; their attitude was so austere it could almost be described as ascetic.

‘Is this really the army that completely ravaged a territory?’

Karyan and the vassals under his command bowed their heads, bewildered by a scene so different from what they had imagined.

A soldier who had committed a massacre usually went mad until returning to his homeland.

Even considering that they were elite troops, their discipline was excessive.

“We rested well during these two days. The treatment was appropriate. I expect the same when I return.”

What was strange was not only the soldiers’ behavior.

Two days later, Lucian departed smiling, as if the initial coldness had been a lie from the very beginning.

The change was so radical in such a short time that Viscount Karyan could not help but wear a stunned expression.

As soon as Lucian’s army left his territory, Karyan immediately sent a messenger to the lands of Viscount Oleg.

“Find out exactly what happened in Viscount Oleg’s territory! If he is still alive, meet him in person and bring back a detailed report!”

The scout departed at once, but was soon forced to return.

The bridge that had recently been repaired had collapsed again.

Even so, the messenger brought important information.

“You’re saying that the newly repaired bridge broke again, and that Viscount Oleg’s men are once more working to repair it?”

“Yes. Judging by their progress, it seems the duke’s army crossed it and destroyed it again immediately afterward.”

“Then the duke ordered the rear troops to tear it down as soon as they crossed?”

The question of why filled Karyan’s mind.

Whatever Lucian had done in Oleg’s territory, that same bridge was what he himself needed in order to return.

It made no sense to destroy it after crossing.

‘But the fact that they’re repairing it immediately means Viscount Oleg is still alive. A house that had lost its head could not react so quickly.’

Karyan let out a quiet sigh of relief and decided to wait until the bridge was fully completed.

As soon as he received confirmation, he sent another messenger.

Days later, while awaiting the report, Karyan blinked in surprise at completely unexpected news.

“You’re saying Viscount Oleg came in person?”

***

“It’s been a while.”

Viscount Oleg greeted Karyan with a haggard face.

He did not look ill, but anyone could see the immense mental exhaustion he had suffered.

After leading him to a guest room, Karyan could not contain his curiosity and went straight to the point.

“What the hell happened in your territory? The duke’s army arrived covered in blood. Was there a massacre?”

“A massacre? Well, depending on how you look at it, it could be called that.”

The ambiguous answer made Karyan frown.

“Don’t beat around the bush. If it was a massacre, say it clearly. How can it be and not be at the same time?”

“The duke did not touch a single person. Instead, he exterminated all the livestock in my territory.”

“What did you say?”

“All that blood was the blood of the livestock we raised on my lands. Cows, pigs—they killed them all.”

Karyan’s eyes widened.

So that blood was not human, but animal?

At first he let out an incredulous laugh, but the sense of absurdity soon turned into anger.

“What kind of joke is this? I was used as a toy by the duke—and by you?”

“A joke? Didn’t you hear what I said? All the livestock in my territory was annihilated! Does that sound like a joke to you?”

At Karyan’s anger, Viscount Oleg exploded with even greater fury.

The intensity of his rage made Karyan instinctively step back.

He knew he had spoken too lightly, but once the dam had burst, Oleg showed no intention of stopping.

“Do you have any idea what state my territory is in? It was completely plundered! From food reserves to livestock, everything disappeared. I don’t even have enough to pay the knights’ wages, much less a few coins for the workers! Half the servants have already left, and you talk about jokes!”

Terrified by Oleg’s fury, Karyan continued to retreat.

Only after venting at length about the ruin of his territory did Oleg collapse exhausted into a chair and speak in a weary voice.

“And above all, you have no right to reproach me.”

“…No right? What do you mean by that?”

“Wasn’t it you who dragged other lords along with me when you decided to follow my advice? You did it knowing perfectly well what would happen.”

“…!”

Faced with a speechless Karyan, Viscount Oleg smiled meaningfully.

“I wonder what the marquis will say when I inform him of what you did.”