47 Castle Rachard (3)

Soon there were only four noble with swords and three guys with bows. Mark smiled as he can see the furious expression of the people in front of him, most of them are now cursing their family members who bolted on the side as they were left to face a man who cut a thick iron bar with one swing.

"You spineless bastard son of mine!!" The Baron was so furious that he drew his bow and pointed it at his son but before he could shoot a knife was thrown by Mark and it cut the bow as it passed through it including the Baron's hand.

"Arghh!!!!" The Baron screamed as he felt the sudden pain coming from his bleeding hand.

"Now now, is it not dishonorable to use range weapons." Mark smiled as his left hand was stretched out.

"B-but you u-used one did you not?" one of the old nobles holding a sword said.

"Well we do use long ranged weapons for hunting animals and since you traitors are worse than animals so it counts." Mark said as he smiled evilly twisting the argument to his favor.

"Yo-you monster!!" said one of the guys with the bow as he did not want to get hurt seeing there were other knives hanging besides Mark. He dropped the bow as he wanted to surrender too but before he could his head flew as the Baron drew his sword to kill the guy.

"You want to surrender? We are all going to die anyways so why not kill this bastard along with us to our graves." The Baron use his uninjured as he ran to Mark which made the others who were scared also realize that they have no choice as since Mark said they have evidence so they will die any ways.

"Wench die!!" An old man ran towards the side as he waved his sword towards the noblewoman who happened to be his wife. But before he could reach there his legs was hit with two knives and the tumbled down the hall. There was ten meters between them so Mark had time to draw knives and stop the old guy.

Soon he engaged battle with the other men but Mark did not bother to play with them as he incapacitated then in a short time. Soon only the Baron was left standing as he panted with a pale face, so were the others who were spectating as they saw Mark defeat five armed men within a short time.

Soon as the battle was over two men of Mark went in and tied the people here, Mark gestured for the ones in the side to also follow him outside which the women obediently followed and left Mark there in the Great Hall with the former Baron and his son who defected.

"So what now, new Baron? Do you think you could survive helping that belligerent Duke in capturing us? Sooner or later you will be leashed by that man, scheming as he might be but there is no escaping that his realm is declining. We just planned to take him down so we could get as much before we left. Soon you'll be ruling over a dying land hehehe…" The Baron was pale as he stood there knowing he had no chance at all as he had felt the heavy strikes of Mark's sword.

Even Orcs pale in comparison in term of strength so he felt he might be facing a Grail knight yet since Mark is a noble then he might have been a paladin but he had never heard of such a young paladin. There was one who was quite famous nearby though so this must be the guy, he had heard the first daughter of the Duke went there recently.

"So you must be that Fist guy in the nearby town huh, your skills in the sword is quite marvelous as the rumors of your skills in fighting bare fist." The Baron chuckled as he looked to the side with a glare towards his son whom he raised. He sighed in disappointment as he knew how selfish the boy was and knew he would not get mercy anyways.

"You're quite sharp yourself, I haven't even introduced myself properly earlier. Baron Johnson, soon to be Lord of Castle Rachard." Mark was quite disappointed as he knew it was the future lord of this castle that was found to have been a necromancer which might be this young man besides them as he reeked a little bit of stench of the undead. That was why he had gestured only for the ladies to come out.

"And if you think the Duke would dare to use me then I have to inform you that we have taken over your castle with only 15 of my subordinates. Would the Duke think of trying to put me on a leash? Maybe but I dare say he would not use any heavy handed methods as I have now established by self as someone no one should underestimate." Mark smiled as me walked calmly around the room like he was appreciating the artworks in the walls on a leisurely stroll.

The Baron and his son looked aghast as they heard that they were all taken down by only a group numbered less than their own forces. It was a 1:10 ratio which makes the thought that maybe this new Baron has a few more men of such caliber in his group.

Soon Melissa along with the three vampires walked in with the trio following behind Melissa with shocked faces. They saw how Mark played the knights for fools and his acts of catching an arrow with his bare hands. Sure they could do it too with their reflexes as vampires but only if they are aware of the arrow pointed at them.

Not like Mark who caught an arrow which was only a few feet away after opening a door. They would have dodge it with getting a few scratched but not catch it, they did not even see Mark's hands at all when it happened.

"My Lord, everyone in the castle has been apprehended my lord. The injured are also tended too and now waits for your judgment." Melissa said as she bowed in a graceful manner along with the other three.

"You're the wife of Baronet M-" the Baron was about to speak but he was suddenly stopped as his son suddenly picked up a sword and stabbed him in his chest. Even Mark was stunned at the development that he was not able to react at the situation instantly.

"Y-yo*Gruhgh* Bas-sstarrrd…." The Baron was wide eyed as he stared at the sword on his chest and glared at this son who stabbed him out of nowhere. The young man was pale in his face but his eyes were decisive that it made Mark's eyes narrow noticing the emotion within the young man's eyes.

"M-my l-l-lord, I have executed my traitorous father and has no involvement in this matter of scheming against the Duchy! Please spare my life!" The young guy instantly kneeled as he presented the bloodied sword towards Mark. Mark was nonplussed as he looked at Melissa and the Vampires.

"Is there another Family member of the Baron that is still alive and within our hold?" Mark looked indifferent as he asked this which made the others confused as well as the young man who felt something was wrong.

"Yes my lord, the new wife of the Baron is within our prisoners." Melissa was confused first as well but she still answered Mark's query.

"Is there no one else in his family alive other than the ones in this castle?" Mark asked as he walked towards the young man.

"No my lord, the first wife of the Baron died during the birth of his son. So only the new wife and the Baron's son are the last living members." It was the Baronet who answered as she was more knowledgeable in the nobles here locally.

"I see." Mark said as he made a quick swing with his sword and turned around. "Now only the wife is the last living member of the Baron's family."

Melissa was shocked as well as the others as they saw how Mark killed someone who had surrendered already. They can see the neck of the young man slide down slowly as blood started to flow down in a line.

Mark did not bother with the guy anymore as his mind was more into something else. He had seen death a lot before as the business of his past family deals with such occurrences quite often. But he was not sure why he felt a deep seated rage within him when he saw how that young man killed the Baron so he could find a chance to live.

Sure he was going to kill the guy eventually but that result was not what Mark wanted, he wanted to present the Baron alive to the Duke but he was angrier at the action of Patricide that bothered him.

"My lord, the young lord was a thrall of one of my sisters. I don't see any need for killing him." Melissa asked as she felt that it was a waste to kill a useful thrall. She wanted to ask for a reason as she could see her sister was quite feeling a little displeased and she does not want them to offend Mark.

"I know, I can smell the stench of death on him. I will be taking you Vampires in but I will deal with no necromancers or other undead and any practice that warrants the desecration of the dead." Mark said as he also really did not like the idea of necromancy even if it looked cool in anime.

"I understand my lord." Melissa nodded as she walked a step slower to talk to her sisters to appease them in case they might do something drastic.

"And Melissa…" Mark said as he stopped when they were outside in the bailey. "… I do not like people who'd kill their father just so their life would be spared. A minion like that has no place in my halls."

Mark turned and saw the nobles and knight tied together within the open area but some were not tied with them as their injuries would not warrant such. Like one noblewoman who was lying on her belly as a female subordinate of Mark was patching up some wounds on her.

"Ouch!!"

"Stay still!"

"But my butt hurts!~"

"I know so don't move and let me stich properly!"

"Uwaahhh it hurt so much!!"

"Quiet!"

"Ow! Be gentle, my butt is sensitive!~"

"If you move some more then I'll poke more holes in your butt!"

"~Your so mean!~"

Mark looked at the scene incredulously as he could recognize the voice to be one of his best markswomen. She's a seventeen year old daughter of a hunter in his town, who was found to have a gift with the bow and the other to be the said new wife of the Baron who also looked young to marry.

'So he married a minor, welp good thing he died or else I would've sent him to Isekai FBI.' Mark thought as he could see why the Baron picked the girl. But he shook his head off with distracting thoughts as he went to sit again on the well but this time the Bailey was well lit as the braziers in the area were aflame.

"Good evening dear guest, introductions might be a little late but I am the new Baron of this Land by the order of the Duke of Mousillon. Baron Johnson, pleasure to meet you all in this fine evening."