29. The Preparation Montage [2]: When Weapons Deceive.

Before reaching the camp, Mordret slowed down his horse, Gunther. While he was occupied riding his steed, one of his hands cradled Maria, who rested against his chest. Her rhythmic breathing gently brushed against his neck, but Mordret kept silent about it.

Throughout their journey, Gunther preferred rougher paths, subjecting Maria to a series of unexpected jump scares, causing her to cling even tighter to Mordret.

However, as they approached the camp, Maria suddenly turned and spoke in a bashful tone, "My lord, I'd like to have a word with you before we enter." Given the lack of space on Gunther's back, her sudden movement led to Mordret's hand accidentally brushing her fleshy thighs.

Nevertheless, she rested her head on Mordret's chest, her heart racing at an alarming rate. Maria's gaze remained fixated on Mordret's handsome face, characterized by a sharp jawline and fluttery silver-white hair, resembling the perfect prince charming that every woman desired. However, Mordret appeared indifferent to her admiration. Noticing this, Maria continued, "Ahem! My lord, about the villagers in the camp... they are mostly muscleheads." The sigh in her voice was evident as she mentioned the villagers. "I'd like you to demonstrate your strength and valor before guiding them. Once they see your leadership, they'll have no doubts, and we'll face the beast raid with confidence."

"Hmm," Mordret nodded, grasping the intent behind her words. If the soldiers believed in their leader, they would unquestionably follow him.

Although he tried to distract himself from it, his attention was caught by Maria's beautiful neckline. At such close proximity, her lilac fragrance teased Mordret's nostrils – a womanly scent he had only once experienced, and that was with Eliza.

The watchtower appeared in the distance, but before Mordret could issue a warning, Kiiii-Hiiiiinggg~ Gunther stopped and raised his front legs for an unknown reason, catching both Mordret and Maria off guard. With no time to react, Maria yelped, "Hiiek!" But it was too late.

In a desperate attempt to stop their fall, Maria found something to hold onto – Mordret's head. Clinging to him even tighter, she screamed.

'Gah! I can't breathe!' Mordret was trapped, his face wedged between the softest things in the world – Maria's breasts. Before they knew it, both tumbled from Gunther's back.

Thap- "Kyaa!" Maria shut her eyes tightly, fearing the impact of the hard ground. But it never came.

As she cautiously opened her eyes, Maria was surprised to find herself unharmed. Not a scratch on her body. "Haa..." She sighed in relief. But something felt amiss. 'If I fell, then my lord must be–' Realization washed over her, and Maria looked down.

Caught between her ample assets was the man she sought. "Haa... Can I breathe now, Chieftess Maria?" Mordret patted her back gently, signaling that he was fine.

"Hiieek! I-I sincerely apologize, my lord!" Maria hastily got up, her body trembling as she met Mordret's sharp gaze.

"Cough! You almost knocked me over there, Chieftess." Mordret brushed the dust off his clothes and proceeded to grab Gunther's bridle, paying no mind to the blush on the Chieftess' face.

Her breath was still erratic, her embarrassment evident. Covering her face with her palms, Maria hurriedly walked ahead of Mordret, offering repeated apologies.

'Those are some serious weapons of mass destruction right there,' Mordret mused, glancing at Maria, whose face was redder than a tomato, before patting Gunther. As he was about to scold the culprit for causing such mischief, Mordret's eyes widened.

"Gunther... did you just wink at me?" The world was indeed a mystery.

...

[In the camp.]

"I am Sam, my lord!"... "Carl, my lord!"... "Calax!"

Soldiers in the camp introduced themselves to Mordret, who stood at the forefront of the assembly.

After their initial shock subsided, everyone welcomed Mordret with bright expressions. His unexpected arrival had sparked both motivation and fear, confirming their doubts about the impending beast raid. After all, the Lord who had never revealed himself had finally appeared.

"I assume you all know why I'm here." Mordret addressed the gathered soldiers.

"I, Baron Mordret Valorborn, have come to oversee the preparations for the upcoming beast raid. As you all have likely guessed, we are indeed in grave danger." Mordret's solemn expression sent shivers down everyone's spines.

"However, fear not." Mordret's eyes gleamed with determination as he reassured the assembly. "We have a strategy to repel the impending beast raid." Mordret surprised everyone with his sudden announcement.

'What strategy?' Even Maria was baffled by Mordret's revelation.

"But to achieve the desired results, I need each and every one of you to give more than your best." Mordret stepped forward, delivering his message with calm authority.

"To reassure you all, I will be on the frontlines during the entire beast raid, and I will select some of you to assist me," Mordret declared. Initially, the soldiers looked at him with disbelief, but as he confirmed his commitment to the frontlines, gasps filled the air.

'Is he out of his mind?'... 'Does he have what it takes on the frontline?'... 'Is this part of his strategy, or does he intend to flee?'... 'What is he thinking?' These unspoken questions circulated among the soldiers as they exchanged glances.

"You can choose to trust me or not, but one thing is certain—I am a man of my word." With that, Mordret stood confidently. "So, come at me. I want to see who is capable of assisting me." Mordret unsheathed his sword, ready for a potential challenge.

Anticipating someone to step forward, Mordret waited, but no one did. 'Eh? Isn't this where someone among the soldiers attacks? Did I do it wrong?' Mordret wondered inwardly.

Unbeknownst to him, every soldier had the same thought. 'Are we crazy to attack the man who defeated the Vile tentacle monster singlehandedly?' Indeed, these soldiers were originally villagers who had joined the camp, lacking any formal army training. Mordret's actions were easily misconstrued as an open challenge due to this, creating a moment of confusion and uncertainty among them.

No one dared to doubt Mordret's strength or valor. After witnessing how he vanquished the tentacle monster, there was no room for doubt.

Even Maria froze as she witnessed Mordret's action. However, when she glanced at the soldiers, her eyes widened. 'Are they... crying?' Maria noticed the sweat on the soldiers' faces and tears in the corner of their eyes.

"Why? Does no one here wish to spar?" Mordret elegantly swung his sword, trying to elicit a response. However, the soldiers trembled even more. 'Is the Lord disappointed in us? Or does he want to pummel us into submission? Are we not worthy of his trust?' uncertainty in their eyes grew.

Mordret squinted his eyes, wondering if he had angered them. 'Are they furious with me? Damn... I don't want to provoke them, even though I claim I can fight. But I still have to try.'

Mordret needed one final push, something to make them... "Haaa..." He took a deep breath and was about to call out someone when,

Suddenly, "MY LORD!!!" Ka~dum!

'Hieek!' Mordret inwardly yelped, maintaining his stoic exterior. What surprised him was that all the soldiers in front of him knelt.

'The hell?! Why are they kneeling?' Mordret was given no chance to speak as the most ordinary-looking man among the soldiers spoke loudly.

"We apologize, my Lord!" He said, eyes fixed on the ground. "WE APOLOGIZE!" Others echoed him.

"We never doubted our Lord's strength!" "NEVER!"

"We do not believe the rumors either!" "EITHER!"

"We believe in our Lord!" "WE BELIEVE!"

"Any order our Lord gives, we follow!" "WE FOLLOW!" Mordret was left speechless.

Desperately looking at Maria for help, Mordret found something astonishing. Her tear-filled eyes baffled him even more. Soon enough, she knelt as well.

'Am I the only one who's insane here?'

"My Lord can choose any of us, and we'll give our life for it!" one of the soldiers proclaimed passionately.

"OUR LIVES!" echoed the others in a resolute chorus, their commitment unwavering.

"All hail the Lord!"

"HAIL THE LORD!"

"HAIL THE LORD!"

"HAIL THE LORD!"

…

'Well, that went unexpectedly smoothly,' Mordret thought as he departed from the camp.

During his visit, he was introduced to Sam, the same ordinary-looking NPC. Sam was the camp's scout, and Mordret had already familiarized himself with Sam's attributes, abilities, and flaws.

Sam had no remarkable attributes or cheat-like abilities. His talent lay in stealthy agility, his footsteps making no sound. His flaw was his tendency to make salty remarks, often offending the villagers, which had led to his assignment at the camp. Besides that, Sam excelled in archery and tailoring, and he could communicate with birds and animals.

"My lord, my house is this way," Maria said, blushing slightly. While she could have walked home, she preferred a horse ride with him.

"Gunther, you better behave." Mordret stopped his steed, and Gunther obediently let Maria down. Like a gentleman, Mordret assisted Maria in dismounting, effortlessly lifting her as if she were a delicate flower.

"Is there anything else my Lord would like me to do?" Maria inquired while fidgeting like a girl.

"Yes," Mordret replied without hesitation. Maria's ears turned red as she patiently waited for his response. "I've taken samples of every weapon from the camp to test," he said, pointing at the spear and sword on the steed's saddle. "So, I need information about the blacksmith and how many we ordered." Although disappointed, Maria nodded.

"Yes, my Lord. I'll provide all the information by midnight," Maria responded flatly.

"Hmm." Mordret nodded in satisfaction and mounted Gunther.

"Take care, my Lord," Maria bid him farewell with a smile. However, before he left, Mordret added, "The next time Gunther misbehaves, keep your eyes open, Chieftess. I barely survived suffocation today. It would've been the most embarrassing yet fascinating death." Maria blushed from ear to ear at his parting words.

Her Lord wasn't any less mischievous than Gunther.

…

As the songs of the crickets echoed and the stars in the night sky shone brightly, the surroundings were punctuated by the sound of ragged breathing.

Swoosh! Whip!

"W-wait! Ahn~ My Lord, please rest! It's well past midnight!" Eliza exclaimed.

"No, I can still go," Mordret replied.

"I-I know, but! Hng! Your body needs adequate sleep!" Eliza implored.

"You don't understand Ellie, it's now or never. Ha!" Mordret didn't listen.

"Hng! P-please slow down a little!" Although she tried, Eliza couldn't stop Modret.

"Wait, Ellie, I'm almost done!" Mordret said, and— 

Shinggg!

Like a restless puppy, Eliza diligently followed Mordret as he completed his midnight training. Gasping for air, she eventually caught up to him. If it weren't for her injuries, Eliza would never have felt this drained in terms of stamina.

'As the sole servant of my lord, it is my duty to halt him whenever he overexerts himself!' Was her motto.

"Haa…" Mordret finally ceased swinging his spear.

"Are you finally finished, my lord?" Eliza asked with concern. Even though his injuries had completely healed, she still remembered the recent incident when he strained his back and so, she didn't want another such occurrence.

While Eliza was lost in her thoughts, Mordret suddenly inquired, "Ellie, you're proficient with daggers, right?" Without hesitation, she replied, "Yes, my lord, I am," nodding confidently.

"Then, try these." Mordret handed her a pair of daggers. While wiping the glistening sweat from his body he sat on the cold floor. His well-defined muscles relaxed as he set the spear aside and kept his gaze fixed on Eliza. Enjoying the beautiful night alongside the enchantingly beautiful woman was a privilege very few ever had.

"My lord, these are?" Eliza was puzzled.

"Analyze them and tell me your thoughts. They are weapons from the camp." Mordret picked up the spear in the meantime, again examining it closely. There was something he couldn't quite pinpoint, and he expected Eliza to uncover what eluded him.

After some time, Eliza unexpectedly threw the daggers into her shadow.

Ting!

Mordret witnessed the daggers vanish as if teleported and landed perfectly on the wall where Jon had previously insulted Mordret not too long ago.

'This time, it definitely cut the throat,' Eliza thought, smiling inwardly. However, what happened next left them both speechless.

Cr-crak.

"My lord, it—" Eliza panicked as she witnessed the dagger breaking. Before she could explain herself, the dagger shattered and fell to the ground. But she realized not long before.

'As expected,' Mordret thought, ignoring Eliza's confused state as he picked up the remains of the dagger thrown.

"My lord, I—" Eliza raised her eyebrows in surprise. However, Mordret interrupted her as he pointed at the hilt of the other dagger in her hand.

"Broken, cracked, and faulty, yet unable to discover. These weapons aren't what they were promised to be." Mordret sighed as a vein throbbed on hi's forehead. Recalling the records of the blacksmith and what had been delivered, Mordret's disappointment was an understatement.

As he cast one last glance at the spear in his hands, Mordret's thoughts shifted to the black journal he had carried with him.

...

While alone in the tent, after everyone had left, Mordret opened the journal he had carried all along. To his unsurprise, there were indeed additional lines written on the next page of the black journal.

I never knew, the weapons lie too. They died because his arrows lied to him.

"Well, well, well. Now, what does this journal have for me?" Mordret smiled as he perused the lines, contemplating their meaning while being proud of his thoughtfulness.

***

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