Chapter 111: Game of Power
At the same time, in the northern part of Marquis Demitri’s Territory, a banquet was being held in a brightly lit fortress.
"Everyone, let us raise a toast to the mighty Knight George."A man dressed in a luxurious noble robe lifted his wine cup.
On his head sat a silver circlet inlaid with gemstones. Six of his ten fingers wore rings, and around his neck hung a necklace glittering with the radiance of wealth.
His entire being radiated splendor.
His face was full of joy, and after raising the cup, he downed it heartily in one gulp.
"To the mighty Knight George."The local gentry attending the banquet were also dressed properly. They echoed the lord’s words and raised their cups to drink.
Yet, as they drank, their eyes frequently glanced at George, who was seated beside the lord.
This "knight" dressed in nothing but plain cloth.
Of course, they didn’t believe that someone dressed so poorly could truly be a knight, but who cared?
At the very least, George’s strength was no lie.
He alone had killed over a hundred werewolves that attacked the town, driving off those about to break through the town’s main gate.
With such overwhelming strength, even if he wore nothing at all, these people would still hail him as a knight.
Or rather, it would be better if he weren’t a knight—then perhaps the lord could recruit him into knighthood.
In this time of werewolf rampage, having a knight present would offer a much greater sense of security.
Thus, they all signaled the lord with their eyes.
Yet the lord they pinned their hopes on simply kept drinking cup after cup of fine wine.
"...."They cursed silently in their hearts, no wonder he was the heir that had been abandoned last.
Truly the most incompetent one.
So, they gave up on placing their hopes on the lord. They simply walked about with their wine cups, laughing with others while quietly discussing what to do next.
"Knight George, why don’t you drink? Do you not like it?"After downing another cup, the lord put down his goblet and spoke warmly to George.
"..."George opened his mouth, then shook his head."I’m just worried about the commoners in the town."
"Though I did already drive the werewolves off, a few still managed to slip into the town."
"I’m worried they might use the chaos to attack civilians."
Of course, he also didn’t trust any local gentry or nobles right now, so he didn’t want to drink the wine they had prepared.
"Hahaha, Knight George, you truly are a compassionate knight."The lord laughed and said.
"But no need to worry. Though my father took away the knights and elite warriors of the territory, the remaining town guards are enough to clear out these werewolves."
"They’re just some werewolves, and even among them, the lowest of the low."
After speaking, the lord raised his cup, now refilled by a servant, and took a sip.
"It better be that way."George still felt uneasy. He doubted everything nobles said now.
"But I’m not a knight. I’m merely a Temple Warrior of the Church of the Sanctuary."George corrected the lord’s title for him.
"Oh, I believe you, of course, but"the lord lowered his voice as he spoke,"but right now, everyone needs a knight to lift their spirits."
After saying this, the lord pondered for a moment and waved the servant away.
"My father took both of my elder brothers, four knights of the territory, and three hundred fully armed elite warriors—he practically emptied the whole territory."
"Before he left, he left the territory in my hands for temporary management."
"I’m just my father’s youngest son, and also the one who disappointed him the most."
"He thinks I love extravagance, that I’m like one of those J women, always dressing up to attract attention."
"I don’t like learning noble etiquette, don’t like practicing martial arts, don’t like acquiring knowledge, so he’s never paid me any mind. If not for the outbreak of the wolf catastrophe, I wouldn’t have been embraced by these local gentry to become the lord, inheriting this baron title while still unsure whether my father is alive."
"I know—they’re hoping that after I became lord, I would use the lord’s power to shelter them."
"What a pity, I’m just a son unloved by his father. Even if Father hadn’t taken the treasure away, I wouldn’t know how to use that thing."
After speaking, the lord took another sip of wine. A flicker of frustration passed across his face, but when the cup was lowered, he wore the same warm expression as before.
"I will do my best to clear out those werewolves,"George said.
However, he also knew that the number of werewolves he alone could kill was limited.
Tonight, when the werewolves gathered to besiege the city, he had only been able to slay a little over a hundred.
If it were out in the wild, these werewolves would have fled.
"No, no, no, I understand what they are thinking."The lord shook his head.
"They believe you too when you say you're not a knight. So, they hope I can recruit you, confer knighthood upon you, and keep you here as one of my knights."
"But I know that you are a man of mercy, and a knight—put nicely—is the highest honor for a warrior."
"In truth, it is merely an extension of the lord’s sword."
The lord said as he slightly leaned closer to George.
The heavy stench of alcohol made George instinctively shift his body away.
"Powerful, immensely powerful, despairingly powerful, and then—loyalty to the lord, and finally, the cruelty to point one’s blade at an infant."The lord said.
"This is what a knight must possess."
"I can tell—you cannot do these things. The one you are loyal to is yourself."
"Or perhaps, it is your faith."
The lord set down his wine cup. His face wore a warm smile, yet his words were chilling.
George felt that the smile on the other man’s face resembled a mask.
"The ones from the Rat Path are fascinating. It's as if they have channels for information everywhere."The lord continued.
"Even though they repeatedly claimed they had no way to contact other territories, once I told them I had become the lord and gave them enough gold coins, they still told me about the Church of the Sanctuary."
"That’s the place you stayed before coming here. It is also the source of your faith."
"And I, when preparing for this banquet earlier, had already read through the Holy Scriptures of the Church of the Sanctuary."
"I understand that the things recorded in it conflict with the rules by which I, the lord, and those local gentry survive and stand firm."
"If the opportunity arises, the lord and they would not hesitate to let you die."
There was no change on George’s face. When he had been dispatched here by the bishop, he had vaguely sensed that something would occur to leave him at a loss.
"Seems like you understand as well."The lord laughed, and this time, it was a genuine laugh.
"But I am different from them. Though I am a lord, I only became one by force."
"Rather than sitting here, I’d rather pursue what my father could never comprehend—that beauty."
"I yearn for what is depicted in the Holy Scriptures of the Church. I want to pursue my true self."
"But while my father was still around, he would never allow me to do so. He believed it was a disgrace to the family."
"And now that my father is gone, even after I’ve become the lord, they will not allow me to do so."
"What they need is a lord who can protect them, a lord who can grant them power, a lord strong enough to kill them at will."
"Yes, they are just a pack of wretches. They yearn to cling to a powerful noble, yet can’t help themselves—like rats—challenging the power of that noble."
"But I am not the kind of lord they hope for. Right now, due to external pressure, they need me to exist."
"If you hadn’t arrived in time tonight, they might have stormed into my fortress, searching for that treasure."
"But I believe that once the wolf catastrophe passes, if I have not built up enough strength to make them tremble, they will ensure I die quietly one day."
"Then they will howl in tears and mourn my death, before they begin probing the neighboring lords, starting internal strife."
"In the end, either another powerful lord will rule over them, or the strongest among them will become the new lord."