Count Bogenberg rarely summoned Cedric. As a result, Cedric’s schedule became quite uncertain.
The only things Cedric did in the guest room inside the inner courtyard were either to work on his physical training in the mornings or train with Arno.
“Arno.”
“Yes, Sir Cedric.”
Cedric carefully examined Arno’s body in front of him.
Thanks to Arno not neglecting his training since he joined, his body, which had been a bit thin at first, had gained some muscle and firmness.
There was a youthful determination in his bright blue eyes, a reflection of how much easier it had become to follow Cedric’s training.
If something that was once difficult starts to feel easy, one tends to become complacent.
And that’s what happened with Arno. Cedric didn’t bother to point it out specifically.
“Your body has improved since the first time we met, but it’s still not enough. You shouldn’t get too comfortable here.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“You need to train more and aim for a better body. Soon, we’ll be participating in a full-scale territorial war…”
Once the advice on training and various drills ended, there was nothing much else to do.
At that point, Cedric would either talk with Alyssa about things they were both interested in, or he would go outside and take a quick stroll around the city.
There was an indescribable satisfaction in observing the city’s life.
The people of the territory, who never went hungry, smiled constantly. Occasionally, some of the residents would approach Cedric, who was recognized as the recent tournament champion, offering him apples and other small gifts…
However, that peace was maintained by force, and the clash of powers would inevitably lead to war.
“Did you hear? Over in Lassau…”
“A friend who just returned from Bellam told me that things are getting serious over there.”
The most informed people about rumors were the traveling merchants.
They went around various places, and since Count Bogenberg often ordered food or other supplies, they had to use the trading guilds.
With large orders for military supplies coming from Count Bogenberg, Baron Yaben, and Count Saltzhoff, the merchants quickly pieced together the reason behind it.
A territorial war was about to break out. And the opponent was none other than Count Lassau, who was also gathering food and weapons.
The conflict between Count Lassau and Count Bogenberg wasn’t widely known among common folk, but those with connections to the local elites were aware of it. Guild leaders from various trading companies were in the know.
Cedric swiftly pushed through the murmuring crowd, guiding Abelian forward.
People who saw Cedric riding his jet-black warhorse immediately fell silent, exchanging nervous glances.
There was nothing good about rumors spreading about the territorial war. It would be troublesome if false rumors spread or if some opportunists showed up.
However, it was necessary for some word to get out. The residents of the territory needed to prepare for the war.
‘The military forces… Most likely, conscription will be unavoidable. And the territory’s production capacity will plummet in an instant.’
The Bogenberg territory wasn’t Cedric’s directly, but even temporarily serving under his lord, it wouldn’t benefit Cedric if the lord’s finances started to crumble.
Cedric continued to observe the contented residents of the territory.
The thought that this peaceful life would soon collapse… It was not a pleasant one.
As Cedric walked along the streets, he eventually found himself in a somewhat quieter area.
He stopped and looked around, sniffing the air as a faint unpleasant smell reached his nose.
“Hmm?”
Among the scents, there was one that was both familiar and not exactly welcome.
Cedric’s instincts pricked, warning him that something was off. There was something… foul, incredibly foul.
Following the familiar scent carefully, Cedric cautiously led Abelian.
It led him to a narrow alley. Cedric sniffed the air again.
The sharp smell of blood, the earthy scent that could come after rain, and a faint hint of sour, rotting odor…
‘Larvae?’ Cedric thought.
In other words, the same stench that had come from Lord Ortvin’s blood.
Cedric’s eyes immediately turned serious.
The old man slapped his dirty robe a few times to shake off the dust, with dry hay and dirt sticking to it. But he didn’t mind.
There was no need to straighten his clothes. After glancing around in the dim alley, a trembling hand emerged from his robe.
Thud! Thud!
The alley had a solid door that seemed out of place. The old man’s knock echoed deeply.
After waiting a short while, the door opened slightly, and a large man poked his head out.
“Old man?”
“Open the door, you damn fool.”
The man quickly withdrew his head, and shortly after, the reinforced door creaked open.
Without hesitation, the old man stepped inside, and the large man locked the door behind him.
The door was secured with two or three locks, making it nearly impossible to break into. And locking it this securely… There had to be a reason for it.
Whether or not it mattered, the old man paid no mind and poured out the items he had hidden in his robe.
Various items spilled onto the table lit by an oil candle. There were small bottles containing unknown liquids, plant roots, and even a snake’s shed skin.
“Did you play golf again today?”
The large man sitting opposite the old man asked. In the candlelight, the man’s bronze forehead bore the mark of flames, branded into his skin.
The old man glanced at it and responded curtly.
“Are you trying to mock me? The item I was looking for wasn’t there.”
“Seems like nothing’s going your way.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Damn it, it’s a miserable place. Suddenly, the gatekeepers got extra diligent…”
The old man grumbled as he worked quickly.
He wasn’t just sitting at the table; he was sorting through the items he had spilled out and putting them into a nearby cauldron, one small handful at a time.
“The things I brought last time were helpful. But, they lack lethality.”
“……”
“Jemash. Do you have anything besides the larvae?”
Jemash, the large man with the flame-marked forehead, muttered while rolling a silver coin between his fingers.
“No, sir. The knights are tracking down connections with the Lady.”
“We’ll have to disappear.”
“We will, yes.”
For once, the old man and Jemash agreed. Jemash, who had been inspecting a scythe in his hand, casually asked.
“By the way, old man. Weren’t you supposed to cross the sea soon? The House of Wisdom is always open, but it’s not a place you can enter whenever you want.”
“Do you think I want this? I’ve been dying to learn from that place… Damn it, everything’s gone wrong.”
“Those knights are persistent. I never expected the larvae to let him survive.”
“Didn’t you bring something useful? That damn magic, causing all this ruckus!”
Jemash fell silent. He had no words to argue.
As the old man had pointed out, the fact that the larvae hadn’t taken the knight’s life was an unexpected turn of events.
If he had to pinpoint the cause, it was most likely that giant knight from the tournament.
“The impact on his chest was too much. He was about to make a nest around his heart when…”
“It would’ve been better if he had died from the spear thrust… Damn. Let’s just kill him quietly.”
“Are you telling me to assassinate a knight? Might as well just tell me to kill myself.”
“A big guy like that, what’s there to be afraid of?”
The old man muttered while opening a small vial. The liquid inside sparkled, the color of silver coins. It was mercury, which he had painstakingly acquired.
“I’ve killed three knights. Those guys, just a little scratch and they get all excited, charging like a foal with a burning tail.”
“That’s because you were fully prepared, old man.”
“You fool. Of course, I had to fight in a prepared spot. How else would I kill a knight? Even if they’re ignorant, you can’t underestimate their strength.”
“The knights of the Risenbrun family are in the inner stronghold. It won’t be easy to assassinate them.”
“Would calling the Al-Kappa Brotherhood help?”
“The Al-Kappa Brotherhood has gone silent.”
Jemash quietly observed the old man as he prepared his concoction.
The old man, absorbed in his task, seemed to work carelessly, but his actions were precise.
The cauldron emitted a foul smell from the various ingredients added. Jemash involuntarily furrowed his brows.
“That smell is always dreadful.”
Without responding, the old man stirred the cauldron with a ladle. The bubbling sound of the unknown concoction filled the air.
Soon, both of them were planning to leave this place. There was no benefit in staying too long at Bogenberg.
Since the knight from the Risenbrun family hadn’t died, it was only a matter of time before Cedric found out.
Count Bogenberg was not a fool. From Jemash’s perspective, having sent many imperial nobles to their graves, he knew that the Count was not someone easily taken advantage of.
Where did things go wrong? With his eyes closed, Jemash thought deeply about the tangled course of events.
It was unusual that the larvae hadn’t suffocated the knight, but what was even more astonishing was that giant knight who had won the tournament.
His physical strength alone was intimidating, but to think that the larvae, deep inside, could be drawn out by external shock alone…
And he was wearing armor. The impact must have been extraordinary.
“I should have planted them a little earlier.”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
The old man grumbled again as he allowed the potion to cool down.
“Anyway, we better leave here as soon as possible.”
“Right. This place is frustrating, and there’s nothing we can do. We should head further south—”
The old man’s sentence was cut off. Jemash also took a small, deep breath.
Clank. Clank.
An unusual sound was getting closer. The noise of metal meeting metal, followed by the heavy sound of footsteps.
It was coming from outside the securely locked door. Jemash could tell who the visitor was just by the sound of their footsteps.
‘Well-trained steps. And armed soldiers… no, maybe…’
“…A knight?”
The old man’s murmuring was as quiet as the passing wind.
However, whether the visitor had heard or sensed something, the footsteps outside suddenly stopped.
Right in front of the door.
Creeeak.
Jemash carefully adjusted his scythe, and with his left hand, he grabbed a small pouch of powder from his waist and squeezed it tightly.
Bang! Bang!
“Who’s there?”
The old man called out. But there was no response from outside.
A tense silence filled the air. The old man glanced at the scattered ingredients, suspicious vials, and the large jar containing the unused larvae.
Whoever it was, if they saw this scene, it would surely spell trouble.
Jemash’s eyes met the old man’s. The old man slowly retrieved a vial and nodded his head.
‘Are we going to kill them?’
‘We have to. If we want to live.’
Bang! Bang!
The door rattled again. The old man steadied his trembling voice and called out in a softer, more fragile tone.
“Who’s there?”
[Open the door.]
“…”
“What? Who are you—”
Bang!
A loud sound reverberated. The old man flinched involuntarily.
The ominous feeling of impending doom began to creep into his mind.
Crash! Bang!
Now, it seemed they weren’t just knocking; they were trying to break down the door with brute force.
But the door had been reinforced with steel plates. Unless some monstrous knight had arrived, there was no way such a door would be ripped off its hinges…
Bang—!!
“…!”
It couldn’t be happening, but it was.
Coughing in the rising dust, the old man stared, disbelieving, at the door that had been blown off its hinges.
The door, now dented and mangled by fist and footmarks and an unknown metal object, had been completely torn apart.
No, at this point, it was practically shredded.
“Son of a…”
Jemash, surprisingly, cursed.
The old man’s wide eyes slowly rolled toward the now-gaping entrance.
A massive body stood in the doorway, large enough to block it entirely.
The knight was clad in chainmail, covered with heavy plate armor, and the gauntlets were made of metal seemingly designed to crush a human skull.
‘That knight from the tournament…!’
Not just any knight from the Risenbrun family, but the knight whose overwhelming strength had made short work of all the others at the tournament. He was standing there.
How did he find his way here?
Whoosh…
A deep breath escaped from the helmet, which sounded like a tin can.
The old man saw the glint of dark blue eyes within the helmet.
Those eyes were now fixed on the shattered jar, where the larvae were crawling on the floor.
“And if you surrender now, I’ll spare you. But if not, I’ll crush you.”
And now, there would be two more creatures crawling on the floor in moments.