Chapter 90
Slurp.
Munch munch.
The uninvited guests who arrived late at night chewed their food and drank their alcohol so voraciously it made one frown.
“So… Munch munch… Baltimo… Slurp… the Marquis….”
“It’s alright if you speak after finishing your food.”
“Hmm… This is quite… delicious indeed.”
Sergei’s eyes filled with contempt at the sight of him speaking while splattering food.
“The Marquis said he desires the Lord’s cooperation.
That’s what I mean.”
“If you mean cooperation, what kind of cooperation are you referring to?”
“Cooperation is cooperation, what other kind is there?
Isn’t it just a story about bowing your head to our Marquis, becoming his vassal, and aiding His Excellency the Marquis?”
“His Excellency the Marquis’ domain should be the Hanovisch Domain.
How far is it between there and our domain that you tell us to become vassals?”
“What meaning does that have when the entire West Continent will soon become the domain of His Excellency Marquis Baltimo anyway?”
“What are you talking about again?”
“What do you mean, what am I talking about?
It’s the story that the Marquis will become the Emperor.”
Joaquin grinned, revealing his teeth with his ugly face.
The problem was that every single thing that stupid, ugly bastard said put Sergei in a difficult position.
“We have maintained neutrality and independence for a long time, and our only object of loyalty is His Majesty the Emperor.
Whoever the next Emperor may be, we will give him our full loyalty.
However, before that, I do not wish to be forced into a choice.”
“Will that go as the Lord wishes?”
“…I too am well aware that Marquis Baltimo’s influence is strong.
However, if you attack domains at will and seize them without justification, you will face the censure of the world’s people.
Can someone who wishes to become Emperor afford to lose public sentiment and justification?”
Sergei stared at Joaquin, who habitually made threats, with unwavering eyes.
Just then, Joaquin started laughing like a madman.
“Justification?
Why wouldn’t there be justification?
Everyone within this domain here are devil worshippers.
There’s more than enough justification.”
This time, the eyes of a mad butcher turned towards Sergei.
And he realized the man before him had calculated everything before coming here.
“Two days remain.
Devil worshippers are public enemies anyway.
Us killing the fanatics of a pagan cult to purify the continent is a great act of kindness.
Isn’t it?”
Joaquin laughed again.
Having nothing more he could say to his face, Sergei remained silent.
“I shall go look around the domain.
Depending on what choice you make, this place could become my fief.
In that sense.
If possible, just keep resisting like that.”
Watching him and his subordinates kick the door open and leave while bursting into loud laughter, Sergei barely suppressed the sigh that threatened to escape.
“What am I supposed to do.”
He admitted that the situation had fallen into a state of checkmate.
Since it was such a remote place, he had never thought Marquis Baltimo would extend his reach this far; he had lived too complacently in these turbulent times.
An era where no unrivaled strongman existed was an era where it was easy to be devoured unless one possessed their own strength.
And Marquis Baltimo was not the type of person to miss such prey.
***
Joaquin, having come from Marquis Baltimo's castle, walked through the domain with his subordinates.
“How about that place over there?”
“Its shabby appearance doesn’t inspire much expectation.”
“Well, if there’s nothing you like, we can just go somewhere else, can’t we?
They’re devil worshippers anyway.
Would it be a problem if we killed a few?”
“Yes, they’re devil worshippers, so it won’t be a problem if one or two die.”
A rotten laugh was revealed to the world.
Three knights and Joaquin entered the house they had picked out.
An hour later.
Joaquin and his subordinates were giggling and laughing, using and breaking things as if it were their own home, eating food, and taking out alcohol to drink.
And the stench of blood from the family vibrated within the house.
“By the way, Commander, is this really alright?
Still, we didn’t intend to go as far as killing them, did we?”
“Didn’t you say they were devil worshippers anyway.”
“Well, I suppose so?”
Having already lost their reason to the influence of alcohol and the taste of blood, they were merely laughing and enjoying the situation.
From the beginning, they hadn’t wanted Lord Sergei to obediently fall under Baltimo’s feet.
They just wanted to see blood.
Besides, if this place was subjugated, Schwerin was highly likely to fall into Joaquin’s hands.
Therefore, if Lord Sergei, angered by this matter, came out wanting to fight, that wouldn’t be a bad thing either.
“Very good.”
“Hahahahahaha.”
***
After night passes, morning was bound to come.
The people of Schwerin froze on the spot like statues at the shocking sight they encountered in the square.
“…”
“Tina, Melissa, Marie.”
“Hexler….”
Hexler, who had lost an arm and was barely breathing, and Melissa and Marie, who had already stopped breathing.
They were all sprawled out in the square.
And beside them stood Joaquin and his subordinates, holding liquor bottles and giggling.
They wore blood-red armor and were scanning the people of Schwerin like conquerors.
“Th… This…! What is this act!
Who are you to do such a terrible thing!”
“You don’t need to know who I am; five devil worshippers died, so the world has become a bit cleaner.”
The man who had shouted bravely flinched and took several steps back as he saw Joaquin twisting his face like a ferocious demon.
This was because an ordinary domain resident could not handle the killing intent pouring out from him.
Dududududu.
Just as the helpless domain residents were stomping their feet, and Joaquin was laughing merrily while watching them, the sound of horse hooves was heard.
“…Sir Joaquin, what on earth is this act…?”
“Ah, the Lord has arrived, look at this.
There were so many devil worshippers in this domain, I tell you.
Look here, isn’t this symbol representing that witch Gullveig, I ask you.”
Joaquin shouted hoarsely, his voice still drunk.
“…That is merely a symbol traditionally passed down in our domain, not a symbol of devil worshippers.
You have brutally murdered innocent people!
This is a dreadful act that even a devil wouldn’t commit!”
“So?”
“…!”
“So what about it?”
Joaquin laughed.
The moment Sergei saw his laugh, he felt murderous intent towards a person for the first time in his life.
However, he lacked the strength.
The knights he had with him numbered five at most.
Those men were a staggering 30 knights.
Moreover, they were knights the Marquis prided himself on.
He could draw his sword here, but that was a suicidal act, truly a dog’s death.
‘But… then… didn’t they suffer a dog’s death…?’
Rationally, he couldn't get angry at Joaquin.
He shouldn't draw his sword either.
But, who on earth could resolve the injustice of those fallen over there.
They had already come to kill them all anyway.
Bowing his head here wouldn't let him live.
He already knew.
Sergei’s gaze changed.
His belly was plump and his sword had been dull for a long time, but his mind was clearer than ever.
“Wretches worse than dogs.
Get your filthy feet off my domain residents right now.”
“What did you say?”
For the first time since setting foot here, the smile disappeared from Joaquin’s perpetually laughing face.
“You filthy bastards might be able to cut off all our heads.
But you cannot break our spirit.
You will die more miserably in pain greater than the suffering you have sown.”
“Oh, finally gone mad.
Good.
I’ll kill you without hesitation.”
“Yes, it’s a life destined to die anyway.
So how unjust would it be to die without even saying what I must to beastly bastards like you.
Anyway, you beasts will eventually groan in pain befitting you and die at the end of it.
Gullveig will take us as sacrifices and cast you into the eternal hellfire of Gehenna, so I do not fear death.”
His gaze turned strangely.
Even Joaquin momentarily flinched at his spirit for a brief moment.
“Th… This… mad devil worshipper bastard…!”
Joaquin, enraged by the fact that he had momentarily shrunk back in tension, raised his mace and instantly darted forward.
‘Oh Gullveig, take my life and please bestow upon them suffering worse than hell.’
Sergei closed his eyes as he saw the mace flying towards him.
It was an attack he couldn’t block with his sword even if he died and came back to life.
“My Lord!”
The knights rushed over quickly, but they too were insufficient.
At that moment.
[Karl Meyer Style. Swift Technique: Flash]
Kwaaaaang!
A golden aura flashed like a single bolt of lightning.
A large hole was pierced near the solar plexus of the unsuspecting Joaquin, and blood spurted from his mouth and abdomen.
From that single sword strike, Joaquin, who had been wielding a huge mace, died instantly on the spot.
If he had known of Karl’s existence, he wouldn’t have died so futilely like this, but he hadn’t dreamed that a master who had reached the level of a seasoned expert named Karl would be here.
The result was this current, futile death.
“…”
The single explosive sound stopped everyone’s movements.
As if lightning had truly struck, both the Red Knights and the people of Schwerin were frozen on the spot.
“…Sir Karl.”
“If it’s Karl…?”
The moment they heard Karl’s name, the pupils of several Red Knights who recognized his identity dilated greatly.
“Immortal Knight!”
Sometime or other, another nickname had been added, and now the word 'immortal' was attached.
Perhaps it was because they were Marquis Baltimo’s subordinates.
They seemed to be the ones who had seen Karl fall below the cliff that day.
“How… is that man here?”
Even though Joaquin was a monster mad with bloodlust, his skill in killing people was outstanding, so his futile death was sufficient to instill fear in the Red Knights.
Furthermore, because it was a death from a single blow, the shock was even greater.
Towards them, frozen unable to move due to fear, Karl slowly took steps.
The remaining Red Knights retreated.
No matter how much they backed away, Karl drew closer and closer to the knights.
“…Run away.
That’s a monster, not human!”
“A devil… That’s the devil!”
They, who were exceedingly cruel when killing, started to scatter and flee when it was their turn to die.
And Karl pursued them, swinging his sword.
Karl controlled it so that they would be crippled instead of dying.
“Live on without dying like that, repenting for the sins you have committed.”
The people of Schwerin approached them, who had become irreparably crippled.
“I don’t know how I can possibly thank you, Sir Karl….”
“No need for thanks.
I just cleaned them up because I couldn’t stand the sight of them.”
“Their army will swarm here.
Even you, Sir, should flee.”
“That would be a bit difficult.”
[Quest: Uncomfortable Truth Complete.]
[A Random Potion Box is given as the quest completion reward.]
In any case, helping them was the right path.
The quest sided with them.
“If you stay here, you’ll get swept up in it.”
Karl nodded his head.
“There’s no time, I need to prepare for battle.”
[Quest: Apostle of the Forgotten God]
Seeing the newly emerged mission, Karl began to move.
There were many things to prepare before Marquis Baltimo’s army arrived.