Keldric searched the outskirts of the village for the cavalryman who had fled after throwing Joseph into the lord’s manor.
However, he could not find him.
The cavalryman hadn’t fled leaving a trail of blood, and it was entirely impossible to track him down.
The horse would have disturbed the ground with its gallop, but another layer of footprints had already covered it.
In the end, Keldric was left with an unsettling feeling as dawn broke.
He had no choice but to turn back toward the lord’s manor, greeted by the morning sun.
His body was cold and clammy from the sweat of running around all night.
Nevertheless, there was no time for a leisurely bath; he had much news to convey to Hilmor.
Keldric hurried his steps and entered the front yard of the manor.
“I’ll hold the arms; you grab the legs.”
“Oh, it’s heavy. Didn’t you say to take off all the armor?”
“Of course. It’s not like he rides well anyway.”
The chaos from the previous night still lingered in the lord’s manor.
The blood-soaked kitchen was an issue, but the bigger problem was the corpses of the mercenaries and cavalrymen that Keldric had slaughtered.
The servants had gathered firewood on the dry ground, piling the bodies on top of it.
Five mercenaries and five cavalrymen; it seemed they intended to burn all ten bodies at once.
As Keldric crossed the front yard, he paused for a moment.
Malcolm, who had been gathering firewood ahead, rushed toward Keldric, panting.
“Malcolm.”
“Lord Keldric! Are you safe?”
“Well, I…”
Hearing Malcolm’s words, Keldric examined his body.
He bore no wounds; the worst injury was a slight tear in the surcoat at his shoulder.
There was quite a bit of blood splattered on his armor, but it was not all his; it belonged to others.
That was rather chilling.
Malcolm’s complexion had gone pale.
“I’m… I’m glad to see you safe.”
“Yeah, thanks. Where’s my brother?”
“Sir Hilmor is in the back yard with Lady Bellaf.”
He added, “Ah, Lord Keldric, he said to bring you to the back yard when you returned.”
“I can go alone.”
Malcolm, who was stacking wood under a pile of bodies, looked eager to escape that task.
However, Keldric deliberately avoided his gaze.
While Keldric was indeed the one who caused the bodies to be there, someone had to clean them up in his stead.
With a mournful expression, Malcolm walked away to fetch more firewood.
Keldric resumed his pace.
Upon stepping into the manor, a few servants glanced at Keldric and quickly lowered their eyes.
It wasn’t bad to impose a certain degree of intimidation, but it was troubling that they couldn’t even meet his gaze directly.
Keldric grabbed one of the passing servants, who turned pale at being caught.
“Hey. Do you have anything to clean up the blood?”
“B-blood? If it’s alright with you, perhaps this…?”
Receiving a cloth-like rag offered by the servant, Keldric first wiped the blood off the sword hanging from his shoulder.
The blood that had frozen overnight on the blade was now stiff.
Even as Keldric scrubbed it with the rag, it only melted slightly from his body heat and stuck stubbornly to the cloth.
“Damn it.”
Disappointed with the results, Keldric’s expression soured.
Ultimately, he wiped away what blood he could and slung the sword back over his shoulder.
It was only a matter of days before he would leave this place, so he figured there was no need to care about the gazes of others.
Continuing to walk with a gruesome appearance, Keldric soon reached the back yard of the lord’s manor.
There weren’t many people gathered.
Lady Bellaf wore a troubled expression, along with Hilmor, while Father Martin stood with his head bowed.
For some reason, Mariam was crying, and Yakov lay down.
“Yakov?”
Keldric felt a jolt of realization.
He quickly moved forward, his eyes shaking intensely.
“Brother.”
“Oh, Keldric. You’ve come.”
“What happened… Why is Yakov lying down?”
“Well…”
Hilmor trailed off.
Keldric stared blankly at him before turning his gaze to the lying Yakov.
Mariam stood beside him, crying softly, while Yakov’s youngest son and daughter comforted her.
Keldric approached them as if in a trance.
The children of Yakov, who noticed Keldric late, parted like the Red Sea.
Yakov lay still with his eyes closed on a slightly rough hemp cloth.
It was as if he were dead.
Keldric’s gaze lingered on Yakov’s face before slowly moving downward.
His gaze stopped at Yakov’s belly, which was slightly stained red.
Though the bleeding had long ceased, the dark crimson hemp appeared to have absorbed a significant amount of blood.
“The stab wound wasn’t good.”
Hilmor approached Keldric and spoke.
Keldric silently held Yakov’s hand.
It felt cold and devoid of warmth; the flesh was not soft but tough.
Keldric felt strange.
He hadn’t felt much while watching Lord Volpen’s death.
However, standing before the lifeless Yakov felt different.
Although he felt empty, this time his thoughts had completely vanished.
His mind felt blank.
Keldric looked at Yakov’s face once more.
Yakov wore a calm expression.
“Yakov was looking for you, Keldric. In his last moments…”
Hilmor said with a sorrowful look.
Though Lord Volpen had acted as a father to Keldric, it was not the same for him.
The one who had taken on the role of Keldric’s father was Yakov.
Keldric, who had not released Yakov’s hand, turned it over to see the creased palm stained lightly with blood.
Keldric rubbed Yakov’s blood-stained palm with his fingers.
The blood wouldn’t wash away.
It seeped into the wrinkles, making the blood spread more thickly instead.
The blood’s resistance to being wiped away was similar to Keldric’s sword.
Slowly, Keldric released Yakov’s hand.
He stood there for quite some time.
Yakov was buried in a sunny spot in the church’s back yard.
Because the manor was still in disarray, the funeral was conducted in a simple manner.
A funeral mass led by Father Martin began early in the morning.
For the villagers, it must have been bewildering.
Keldric watched Mariam sobbing over the cold Yakov.
He didn’t feel good at all.
His murderous intent towards Fritz, Joseph, and the five surviving mercenaries bubbled up like boiling water but sank coldly in an instant.
However, his anger did not subside completely.
Instead, it sharpened threateningly.
To witness the deaths of Fritz, Joseph, and the mercenaries, he would have to wait for Baron Volpen to arrive.
Baron Volpen would only move after the blizzard subsided.
However, Keldric intended to leave the territory as soon as the blizzard ceased.
If he wanted to see Fritz and Joseph die, he would have to wait much longer even after the blizzard stopped.
Keldric could not postpone the date he planned to leave the territory.
The will that Yakov left suppressed Keldric’s rage.
According to what he heard, Yakov wanted Keldric to leave the territory as scheduled.
Yakov had known.
That his death might ignite Keldric’s thirst for vengeance.
There was no time to build a coffin, so Yakov’s body was hurriedly wrapped in hemp and covered with dirt.
Keldric gazed at that sight with deeply sunken eyes.
Keldric would leave the territory as planned.
It was Keldric himself who decided that, not anyone else.
After finishing the short funeral and returning to the manor, Keldric was immediately called by Hilmor.
Hilmor and Lady Bellaf were seated at the table in the hall.
When Keldric slightly bowed to greet them, Hilmor cautiously opened his mouth.
“As I mentioned before, Baron Volpen is expected to visit soon.”
Even as he spoke, Hilmor kept glancing at Keldric for his reaction.
As soon as the funeral was over, it felt incredibly uncomfortable to talk about official matters.
Keldric, who should have been the most troubled, remained silent.
His expression seemed no different from usual.
However, there was a certain atmosphere.
The aura emanating from Keldric was not trivial.
It felt as if he could beat someone to death if they annoyed him.
And Keldric truly had the power to do just that.
Thanks to this, Hilmor had to think carefully before speaking.
It was somewhat strange that the lord himself was cautious about the feelings of his younger half-brother, but that was how it was.
“My father passed the lordship to me. Baron Volpen seems to be planning to visit the hunting grounds in the forest, perhaps to see my face as the heir of the family.”
It was proper to consider the latter as the main point.
Even if the Bellaf family was a vassal of Baron Volpen, there was no need for the baron to come all the way here just to meet Hilmor; it would be more likely for Hilmor to visit the baron’s castle instead.
However, if there was a pretext of visiting the hunting grounds, things changed.
Hunting grounds were the exclusive domain of nobles, a luxury that showcased a family’s prestige and power.
The famously wealthy Baron Volpen owned several hunting grounds.
It had been a long time since he had visited Carlton Village.
For him to suddenly appear in a place he hadn’t shown his face in for years was an act with its own reasons.
“According to the letter, it seems that Baron Volpen will not be coming alone. There’s one more guest.”
“Who is it?”
Keldric, who had been silent until now, asked.
Hilmor met Keldric’s gaze.
“Sir Werner of the Henzer family. He is better known by the nickname ‘The Raven.’”
Hilmor subtly observed Keldric’s reaction, but Keldric’s response was rather indifferent, as if he was already feeling overwhelmed.
‘Who is that?’
The Henzer family and all that—Keldric had never heard of them.
Having lived all his life in the backwater of Carlton Village, the only nobles Keldric knew were Baron Volpen and a few influential families.
Even then, there were only a few, and the notable noble families he was aware of were all of such high repute that he could not even think of them as ‘not knowing is treason’ or ‘not knowing is not being human’ level.
Hilmor looked at Keldric with a somewhat stunned expression.
It was understandable not to know.
The Henzer family, to which Sir Werner belonged, was very old and distinguished.
They had served as court knights to the Bogenberg family for generations.
“The Bogenberg family?”
“Right. You must know of them, don’t you? Baron Bogenberg.”
This time, a name Keldric recognized was mentioned.
Count Johann von Bogenberg, the lord of Bogenberg, who ruled over the lands extending from the central empire to the north.
Keldric had heard of the Bogenberg County.
It was a wealthy territory, with the Ronown River flowing through it to the North Sea and a vast grain-producing region to the south.
Even if Keldric was blind to the noble society, he knew that Count Bogenberg was quite a remarkable figure.
But now a guest was coming who was a court knight of such a remarkable person?
“What is the reason for coming all the way here?”
“I don’t know well. However, Baron Volpen and Count Bogenberg have been particularly close for a long time. It probably has something to do with that.”
“Hmm.”
“Anyway, when Baron Volpen arrives, we will be able to decide how to handle Fritz and Joseph. The mercenaries, who are like pests, will be the same.”
After finishing his words, Hilmor turned his gaze to Lady Bellaf.
Her expression was not very good.
This was understandable, as she was currently facing an overwhelming number of issues.
Lady Bellaf was going through the hardest time of her life.
She had lost her beloved husband just a few days ago, and then last night, a group of lowly mercenaries had suddenly stormed the lord’s manor.
Yakov, the family’s faithful servant, had died as a result, and in the midst of it all, her second son had become a half-wit overnight and was locked in the basement.
Of course, Keldric was the one who had caused Fritz to end up like that.
Yet Lady Bellaf could not blame Keldric.
After all, it was Fritz who had led to this situation.
“It’s… a bit tough.”
Lady Bellaf spoke with difficulty, having endured all kinds of hardships in such a short period.
The gazes of Hilmor and Keldric upon her were filled with pity.
“The corpses in the front yard have all been burned. We couldn’t leave them until Baron Volpen arrives…”
There were a total of ten corpses.
In a place like Carlton Village, where only about a hundred people lived, having this many deaths was an unusual occurrence.
“Father Martin had a tough time. He’ll probably be praying for days, so both of you should keep that in mind.”
Various miscellaneous issues spilled out from Lady Bellaf’s mouth.
There were so many, it was hard to believe they had occurred in just one night.
“We should take this opportunity to fix the charcoal barn.”
“Give a few silver coins to the servants who cleaned up the bodies. They seem to be having quite a hard time.”
“No, wait a minute.”
In the midst of such serious discussions, Keldric waved his hand to interject.
“So, what happened to Joseph?”
Joseph?
Since handing Joseph over to Hilmor, Keldric had not seen even a shadow of him.
Moreover, Joseph was essentially the enemy who had killed Yakov.
If Fritz had directly harmed Yakov, Joseph had indirectly urged him from behind.
“Joseph and the mercenaries have been locked in the basement with Fritz. They will need to be kept alive until Baron Volpen arrives.”
Upon hearing Hilmor’s answer, Keldric let out a sigh of relief.
Joseph, Fritz, and the mercenaries had to be kept alive—at least until Baron Volpen came.
Not killing them right away wouldn’t be an issue, as they were in such a state that Keldric could easily beat them into a near-death state anyway.
Living was more painful for them.
In particular, it was Hilmor who said that Fritz’s condition was serious.
He said that aside from his two legs, nothing was fine.
“So, the reason Joseph got involved in this matter is…”
“For money. That damned merchant. His background is lowly, so his behavior reeks of filth.”
Keldric unconsciously nodded his head. In the end, the problem was that guy’s money.
“Anyway, speaking of Joseph, it seems that things are getting quite complicated.”
Hilmor frowned.
There was a sense of tension in his worried voice.
“Count Gofrit… this doesn’t seem like something we can handle. It’s something Baron Volpen should discuss.”
This was because of what Keldric had relayed to him.
Last night, Keldric, who had slaughtered the cavalrymen, had learned information that could not be overlooked in the process.
That Count Gofrit’s baron, Ansen Shultais, had instigated the ambush!
If that was true, it was dishonorable conduct that deserved condemnation.
However, the Bellaf family was not in a position to openly point fingers.
Since the Bellaf family was a vassal of Baron Volpen, it would be better for Baron Volpen to step in.
“Keldric, what will you do?”
Hilmor suddenly asked. Keldric looked at him.
“What do you mean?”
“Even if Baron Volpen says he’ll come as soon as possible, it will still take at least two weeks. Haven’t you been wanting to leave the territory?”
Keldric’s answer to that was already decided.
“I will go as planned.”
“…I see.”
Hilmor smacked his lips, seeming a bit disappointed.
In fact, he secretly wished that Keldric would stay a little longer.
After witnessing Keldric’s strength firsthand, with Count Gofrit scheming against them, having Keldric remain with the family would provide great reassurance.
However, it was precisely because he had seen Keldric’s strength that he could not stop Keldric from leaving.
As for the measures, I will ask Baron Volpen for troops.
Don’t worry too much.”
“Understood.”
The modest family meeting concluded there.
Once Hilmor and Lady Bellaf left, Keldric was left alone, quietly lost in thought.
There were about ten days remaining.
From now on, he had to seriously prepare to leave the territory.