CHAPTER 83: I will go and negotiate (2)

Even as he fled on horseback, Tamos felt as if he were going mad.

'Why did it fail? With all those troops at my command! Idiots, I told them to just charge together from the start and crush them!'

He still didn't know exactly what had hit them.

As much as he lacked skill, he was still a lord of his own estate.

He had picked up knowledge here and there, but he had never seen or heard of a spell like that.

'Was there really a mage who could cast such magic? Or was that even magic?'

Everything felt clouded, as though he were looking through fog.

And it wasn't just the strange magic.

'Who the hell were those men in black armor? Did Perdium really have forces like that?'

They had effortlessly broken through his soldiers, destroying siege towers and wreaking havoc.

He'd thought Perdium was insignificant, and he'd looked down on them—now, he'd paid the price.

'Damn it! Damn it! I'm ruined! Completely ruined!'

He had poured all his finances into this war.

Losing the war wasn't bad enough; he'd lost most of his troops as well.

His estate, already modest, was now left with neither people nor money—he wondered if it could even function anymore.

'I have to reduce the reparations as much as possible.'

Since this wasn't a territorial dispute and he'd managed to escape, at least his life would be spared.

The Count Perdium was known to respect tradition and honor.

Moreover, Perdium territory was quite weak and struggled just to maintain its own territory. If they tried to absorb Digald, they'd probably choke on it.

They'd likely settle for appropriate reparations.

'Damn it, I barely have any money as it is; what am I supposed to do?'

Offering a few neighboring baronies and some of the tax income for a few years was one option, but even that wasn't enough.

Ultimately, he'd have to squeeze more out of his estate's people.

'Idiotic Desmond fools. Sending such an imbecile as commander.'

Cursing internally, Tamos spurred his horse.

He had to return to his estate quickly. He still wasn't out of Perdium's territory, and it made him uneasy.

Just the thought of that terrifying blaze and those men in black armor made his legs tremble.

"Hurry! Faster! Move!"

Panting, Tamos continued to drive his horse onward without rest.

By the time he arrived at the castle, his horse collapsed, tongue hanging out.

The sight of the lord arriving in such a sorry state shocked everyone, but Tamos ignored them and bellowed.

"Prepare to negotiate the surrender! Immediately!"

People began to move, unable to question the lord due to his urgency.

After all, they had seen him leave with a great army—how on earth had Perdium managed to stop them?

As they prepared for surrender, eyes were filled with curiosity and confusion.

Not long after, Ghislain arrived in Digald's territory.

"Oh, you're quite prompt."

From the boundary of the territory, white flags were hastily displayed.

No one stopped Ghislain and his party as they rode swiftly forward.

A group holding white flags awaited them at the castle entrance as well.

"Take me to the Count."

The vassals of Digald escorted Ghislain respectfully into the castle.

Tamos sat arrogantly on a high seat in the audience hall.

It was a final, desperate attempt to cling to his noble pride.

Though he had lost the war, he still looked down on Perdium.

When Ghislain, flanked by fierce-looking armed men, entered, Tamos' expression grew uncomfortable.

'Coming so quickly—did they chase after me immediately?'

Judging by their attire, they were the feared black-armored unit.

Ghislain couldn't help but smirk at the sight of Tamos sitting so pompously.

How ridiculous, clinging to his pride even now.

"Have you prepared for surrender negotiations?"

"Yes. And who might you be?"

"Ghislain Perdium. I have come with full authority from my father."

Though Ghislain's tone was polite, his gaze and expression were full of contempt for Tamos.

But Tamos didn't seem to notice.

"You…?"

Ghislain was infamous in the north as a troublemaker, rivaling his deceased son, Gilmore.

The reputation had certainly reached Digald, even if others hadn't heard of him.

And now, that scoundrel had come as Perdium's envoy? And even led the dreaded black unit!

Tamos looked at Ghislain in disbelief.

Then, Ghislain spoke coldly.

"Take him down."

The mercenaries approached and grabbed Tamos by the arms, dragging him down.

"What, what are you doing?! How dare you lay your filthy hands on me! Let go of me!"

Tamos struggled in shock, but the mercenaries subdued him easily and tossed him to the center of the audience hall.

The vassals of Digald were stunned by the mercenaries' insolence, but none dared protest.

The atmosphere was far too menacing for complaints.

Step by step, Ghislain climbed onto the seat where the lord had been sitting and crossed his legs.

Forced to kneel on the floor, Tamos looked up in disbelief.

Was there truly anyone so utterly insolent in this world?

Even though he had lost the war, he was still a high-ranking noble, a count of the kingdom.

How dare this insignificant brat treat him so disrespectfully?

"What is the meaning of this?! Show some respect! Does Count Perdium even know you're acting this way?!"

With a mocking smile still on his face, Ghislain replied.

"Quiet. Did you think your noble title would protect you? You threw countless lives into this war, so you should have wagered your own. And as for my impudence, yes, my father is well aware."

"W-what? Are you saying you intend to kill me?"

"Yes."

"You… I'm a noble! A count! You think you can kill a loyal servant of the king? Follow the laws and customs!"

"If you wanted to kill others, you should have risked your own life too. Defeat in war only brings death."

Ghislain's chilling gaze made Tamos falter.

It was customary to spare nobles who escaped or surrendered after a battle.

Nobles wrapped it in the rhetoric of "we serve the same king and cannot harm each other."

That was why Tamos had rushed back to Digald—once he was on his estate, they couldn't kill him so easily.

"You intend to kill me without even negotiating?"

Tamos was beginning to panic.

It wasn't unheard of, but rare nobles with cruel dispositions sometimes ignored the laws and customs entirely.

That it would come to this, from Perdium of all people, and not even the lord himself, but his heir, was unthinkable.

"This is absurd! I demand to speak directly with Count Perdium! I refuse to negotiate with you!"

"I have no intention of negotiating with you, either. Digald county will be absorbed by Perdium, and your title will be revoked."

"This… this madman! You can't just do that without royal approval…"

Tamos bit back his words.

He realized Ghislain was dead serious.

Changing his approach quickly, Tamos pleaded.

"Fine, I'll surrender the estate. Just let me leave with ten wagons' worth of wealth, as per tradition!"

He intended to flee to the capital and rally public opinion against Perdium.

But Ghislain rejected even that.

"There's not a coin for you."

"Then… just let me leave!"

"Denied. You die here."

"You bastard! How dare you…!"

"Finish him."

At Ghislain's signal, Gillian swung his axe without hesitation.

Splat!

The head rolled across the center of the hall as Digald's vassals held their breath.

For a mere envoy to kill a high-ranking noble, a loyal subject of the king, was the act of a tyrant.

Ignoring their shocked expressions, Ghislain continued coldly.

"Round up all of Digald's heirs and behead them. Bring me the names of the officials and vassals, along with the barons who supported the war."

At the abrupt command, Ghislain's mercenaries and guards, including Skovan, moved swiftly.

The vassals of Digald in the hall were bound and forced to kneel one by one.

Within moments, any officials and vassals of the estate who hadn't managed to flee were dragged into the hall.

"Please spare us! We did nothing wrong!"

"We only followed orders!"

The captured men wailed, but Ghislain ignored them, simply scanning through their personal records.

Though he wanted to kill them all, doing so would leave Digald's estate in chaos.

Already impoverished, with most resources confiscated, Digald would become a den of thieves without some administrators left alive.

Ghislain quickly began selecting those to execute and those to keep.

A trembling administrator near Ghislain began to list the identities of those before him.

"This is Baron Ahseng. He supported the war with a hundred soldiers and two knights…"

"Execute him."

"No! Don't! How dare you…!"

As soon as the order was given, the mercenaries dragged him outside.

Some struggled in desperation, but it was futile.

"This is Martin. A commoner, who assisted with military supplies…"

"Imprison him."

One by one, they were led away, all of them trembling with fear.

Those going to prison felt lucky just to be alive.

To them, Ghislain was no mere noble—he was the one who held their fate.

Another man was dragged forward.

Young and delicate-looking, he seemed weary and disheveled, perhaps having fought alongside Tamos.

"This is Lowell, a commoner who served as a secretary and acted as a strategist…"

"Strategist?"

Ghislain chuckled.

Digald's strategist had done little but observe while Desmond handled the real battles, likely fleeing alongside Tamos.

Originally a secretary, he wouldn't have had the expertise to serve as a strategist.

However, as he prepared to sentence him, Lowell cried out.

"Please spare me! I can be of use to you, Young Lord!"

"Oh?"

At his desperate plea, Ghislain looked down at him with interest.

"How could you possibly be of use?"

Sensing an opportunity, Lowell replied quickly.

"I oversaw administrative work under the secretary! No one else did anything, so I handled nearly everything myself! I know every strength and weakness of this estate. If you allow it, I can stabilize the territory swiftly! Isn't that why you're sparing some people?"

"Hmmm."

Ghislain raised an eyebrow. This man seemed sharp and was saying things that piqued his interest.

But Ghislain shook his head; there was no real need to spare this man.

"Digald is known to be poor and disorganized. What good is managing a place like that?"

"T-that's because the lord and vassals constantly pillaged and engaged in corruption! It's only because I managed things frugally that it lasted this long!"

"Hmmm…"

Seeing Ghislain's lukewarm response, Lowell's face looked ready to cry.

"I established all the laws and systems of the territory myself! I even studied military strategy to assist with force management! That's why the Count took me along as a strategist! Though I couldn't do much with someone else's troops…"

In other words, he had managed the estate single-handedly and had been dragged into war as a strategist.

If true, it was impressive, but he could be lying to save his life.

Narrowing his eyes, Ghislain asked.

"Anything else you're good at? I favor capable individuals."

Lowell was taken aback.

For a commoner, what he'd already claimed was remarkable. What more could this person possibly want?

But the look on Ghislain's face suggested that hesitation or denial would mean death.

Without thinking, Lowell blurted out.

"I, uh, I heard you acquired a Rune Stone! You'd need to do some trading to sell that, wouldn't you?"

"Oh? Have you done business before?"

In truth, Lowell had never done any business.

Though Tamos hadn't allowed him control over finances, Lowell lied to survive.

"I, I'm very fast at calculations! I'll definitely be helpful!"

Ghislain promptly decided to test him, posing a challenging problem.

"Then, what's 750 times 1920?"

"230!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Lowell answered.

Ghislain looked at him incredulously.

"That's not even close, is it?"

"But I was fast."

"…"

The hall fell into silence. Lowell hung his head low.

It was over.

If he was killing nobles without question, how could a commoner like him hope to survive?

But in all things, there are sometimes exceptions.

"…Haha, now that's a funny one."

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