Count Leicester nodded, tacitly approving Northrin’s request.
Not only the Count’s gaze but also the eyes of others converged on the young noble knight.
Northrin took a graceful step forward, his smile gentle yet carrying a subtle superiority that deeply conveyed the gap in their statuses.
“Mr. Weiss, I understand your concerns. Feeling fearful in the face of danger is only natural.
And just as the Count said earlier, the Western Border Army of the kingdom has always been a force of justice. Whether soldiers, officers, nobles, or commoners, all fully respect the wishes of those involved.”
He first appeared considerate as he stepped down from the assembly seats and came beside Weiss, standing at the same level, then shifted his tone.
“But what I want to tell Mr. Weiss, and everyone here, is that this Tide of Calamity is not just a disaster limited to the remote borderlands. It is a looming catastrophe threatening us all.
Escaping now may be possible, but what about later? If the threat is not eradicated, hidden dangers will grow, and eventually, a wave of disaster will sweep across the world, sparing no one.
Mr. Weiss, you wouldn’t want to see a tragedy like the one two years ago—the one that nearly wiped out humanity—repeated again, would you?”
Though the question seemed directed at Weiss,
it was clearly meant for everyone present.
The Tide of Calamity that suddenly erupted two years ago was the greatest disaster in nearly a century. It nearly submerged the northern human territories, turning fertile lands once coveted by many nations into scorched earth, lifeless to this day.
Not even wild grass or moss grows there. The magic itself cannot permeate the blasted land, which has utterly become the “Silent Land.”
The wounds from that ordeal were still fresh before their eyes; many among the soldiers present had survived it firsthand.
As they resonated with these words and sighed with empathy, their gazes returned to Weiss, growing even heavier.
Lortisa, of course, could not forget that disaster.
But precisely because she had lost everything in the Tide, she was even more unwilling to let the people she cared most about face danger.
The first to die on the battlefield are always those who cannot let go of even a shred of kindness in their hearts, especially someone like Weiss.
Before Weiss could speak, she had already wanted to stand up and silence that irritating persuader beside him.
“So, Your Excellency means you want me to consider things from the public’s perspective, to decide whether or not to cooperate, right?”
Weiss’s gaze followed the noble knight youth as he circled from his left side to his right.
“Helping to eradicate the source of the disaster, clearing the Tide of Calamity, and restoring peace and tranquility to the border—that is what everyone hopes for. Our entire army, along with the border civilians, will be grateful to you.”
“So, can I take it that… your army is asking for my help?”
Weiss raised a hand to his chin.
The sudden counterquestion caused quiet clicking noises to ripple through the tent.
Soldiers and officers have always taken pride in fighting; anyone in their place would eagerly want to contribute with all their might.
Yet coming from this mercenary’s mouth, it sounded like “getting a bargain and still pretending to be modest.”
The Western Border Army asks you for help, and you have quite the nerve.
Even Northrin was momentarily stunned.
From the perspective of grand justice, persuading through public morality and binding personal will is the expected tactic.
He had never imagined the order from above would turn into a situation where the status was equal—or even that his side appeared to lower itself, acting as supplicants.
However, Northrin quickly recovered his composed smile:
“Mr. Weiss may think of it that way—as helping me, as well as all the soldiers present here. This time, the Western Border Army’s frontline of fifty thousand knights and soldiers is also helping all the civilians threatened by the disaster on the border.”
The Knight Commander of the venerable Holy Patrol Knights humbly extended his hand to a mercenary,
exuding the demeanor of “pleading for the people.” A wave of admiration spread throughout the assembly.
Indeed, if even Lord Northrin thinks this way and is asking for help, then for us to stubbornly cling to status distinctions would be selfish, wouldn’t it?
The medals hung proudly and the pride of being kingdom soldiers—when faced with a crisis of this magnitude, these must be set aside without hesitation. This was repeatedly drilled into by the border lord commander.
Weiss shifted his eyes slightly and glanced once more around the assembly.
“Forgive my bluntness… but do all of you really want me to help?”
This time, no need for Northrin to speak.
A loud voice answered instead:
“Of course!”
The first to stand was a dark-skinned, robust warrior, his scarred face stern but filled with sincerity and resolve.
“I, like Knight Commander Northrin, earnestly ask for your cooperation!”
“I—I too!”
“And me!”
One after another, soldiers stood up amid the growing atmosphere,
saluting Weiss with eager eyes brimming with earnest hope.
Northrin quietly averted his gaze to look at the mercenary’s somewhat surprised expression.
The persuasion worked. Now everyone had voiced their will. It was no longer just me forcing you. The situation is set this high—how can you still refuse?
“—That is all, Count. I have said what needed to be said. I hope Mr. Weiss will think it over carefully before giving his official answer.”
Northrin gave a shoulder salute and returned to his original place.
The speaking authority shifted back to Count Leicester’s table,
and locking eyes with the sharp gaze again, an invisible pressure settled once more over the tent.
On both sides of the assembly, the kingdom soldiers’ characteristic straightforwardness and sincerity collectively petitioned.
The atmosphere was now utterly unyielding,
as if uttering a single “no” here would mark one as a selfish villain who endangered the safety of the many, worthy of scorn.
Anxiously watching Weiss, Lortisa finally couldn’t hold back and raised her hand:
“Count, I too have something to say.”
Meeting the gazes of those present, Count Leicester turned his head toward the young female soldier commander and nodded in consent.
But Lortisa did not speak to Weiss; instead, she directed her question to the Count:
“May I ask, Count, what would happen if Weiss refuses?”
That was a question no one had considered.
To those present, after such earnest pleas and given the gravity of the matter affecting the peace of one side, anyone with even a shred of conscience should agree.
“Soldier Commander Lortisa, although Mr. Weiss was rescued and brought back by you, he is not a soldier in our army, so naturally, we will respect his personal will.”
Count Leicester spoke quietly.
“Conversely, since he is not one of our soldiers, the army has no obligation to offer him protection. If he refuses to cooperate, we will have no choice but to immediately expel him from the camp.”
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