164 Enemy Underfoot
Walk, walk, step over the corpse, walk, walk, see the enemy. Hear, hear, the spear…
The footsteps roared loudly, and the soldiers sang a simple song over and over again. It’s a marching song that I’ve become accustomed to over the years.
At night, the lyrics changed slightly and the song slowed down.
In many cases, lyrics change by going to one’s hometown or by seeing one’s home, children, and wife.
Even during the day, sometimes it changes.
At this point, I tend to be a bit overbearing. It’s like ‘kill’ instead of ‘walk’.
Singing a song makes marching a little less strenuous.
As the soldiers realized this fact, they began to call themselves when they marched without anyone telling them to.
When one unit calls, the soldiers next to them sing along, and eventually the whole unit sings in unison.
The calling soldiers were happy, but for some reason, the lord’s army looked creepy. When the main unit started singing the marching song, on the contrary, the Yeongju army became quiet. It is the same now.
Rudy, who was quietly riding his horse while listening to the songs of the soldiers, suddenly turned his head to an aide following him.
“Hey, why is this place like this? We’ve been going through a civil war for many years, but there’s no report of a battle around King Chania. But it seems like there’s too little arable land.”
There are not only wheat fields in this world. Of course, they also grow various grains and vegetables, including barley.
However, there were too many sparsely empty fields here. There is too much play ground to see that it is for resting the land.
The aide answered Rudy’s question with a bitter expression.
“It’s because it’s hard to find seeds because of repeated civil wars. As the arable land has decreased, the number of seeds has also decreased. In addition, the price of seeds has risen overall. Especially these days, seeds are so expensive that you might think they were made of gold. It’s been that way for many years. There are many places where farming is not possible.”
However, in the places occupied so far, there was no feeling that the seeds were lacking.
Before the occupation, there were many places where the surrounding fields were devastated, but after the imperial troops entered, they were properly cultivated. There was no indication of a shortage of seeds anywhere.
The aide smirked as if he understood Rudy’s thoughts.
“In the occupied cities, the seeds of the empire were brought and distributed. The supply unit had a lot of trouble transporting the seeds.”
“Is it so?”
A smile appeared on Rudy’s face.
Before, he had to say it one by one, but now the aides seem to notice his thoughts before Rudy and act. Somehow I was happy.
The singing voices of the soldiers ahead grew a little louder.
“It’s about time we’re slowly arriving at the capital. Some of the soldiers who are knowledgeable in geography seem to have noticed.”
The aide narrowed his eyes and looked forward.
***
Vivo Court Count left the palace hurriedly. Unlike usual, I ran to a place slightly away from the entrance.
Waiting at the entrance, the attendant calling the carriage looked at him in surprise.
Originally, he waited for a while until the attendant called his carriage and prepared it, but today he can’t afford to do that.
The coachman, who discovered the sad news, hurriedly drove the wagon and came closer.
It was a waste of time for the attendant to open the carriage door. Bibo opened the door with her own hand and got into the carriage.
“Let’s go to the mansion. Hurry up.”
I put my butt on the chair in the carriage and hit the wall on the driver’s side with my cane.
“What are you doing! Hurry up and leave!”
When Bibo shouted, the coachman hurriedly drove the carriage. The carriage immediately left the palace.
On a corner of the noble street close to the royal palace is his mansion. I’ve already packed some simple stuff.
Gold coins and some jewels, a pass that I don’t know if it’s still valid, and clothes that don’t seem to stand out.
The Court Count Bibeau leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes.
‘How did this happen?’
It wasn’t just sitting and waiting for the enemy. After the Empire invaded, I tried to do something of my own for several years.
Even though he is often hazy and his memories keep disappearing, he thinks he has put in a lot of effort.
But things weren’t good.
Most of the nobles who flocked to the palace were those who did not have any special military strength.
There were many nobles who only had titles like treasures, or belonged to noble families, but had no real power.
On the other hand, the lords who really wanted to catch them, who had soldiers and income in their own way, gradually returned to their territories.
He seems to have decided that there would be no benefit to him by sticking with the second prince.
The Marquess of Pitts remained near the capital until the end, but eventually returned when his estate was in danger.
Before, I thought of the Margrave of Fitz as an ignorant stickler for old things.
Now I want to strangle the self I used to think so.
‘Why was I so stupid? Really, why did you do that?’
The Margrave of Fitz was the only one who tried to suppress his greed and join forces until the end to fight against the enemy.
Barely knowing his true feelings, Bibo also shed tears and agreed, but this time the second prince was the problem. The 2nd prince himself wanted to become the commander-in-chief.
But is that a reasonable thing to say? Everyone gathered after seeing the Margrave of Fitz, but no one would agree that it would be okay if the 2nd Prince were to command.
In the end, I dragged on and lost track of the count.
I even thought about hiring a mercenary. But this time there was no money.
Prices are rising, but the situation worsens every time the second prince, who has not learned how to properly manage the country, tries something.
Paying gold coins for a sack of wheat, does that make sense?
Small riots broke out here and there in the city, and suppressing them was enough. There is no time to look outside. As I was in a hurry to put out the urgent fire first, the enemy was right in front of me.
The Court Count of Vivo trembled.
As soon as he heard the news, he ran out of the palace without even telling the second prince. There is no hope here. You must run away immediately.
It’s a story that only a few know, but the imperial army has magic weapons. I heard that it is a new type of weapon that I have never seen before. Is there a hole in the wall?
‘If such a monster comes, this castle will collapse in an instant.’
From nob le mt l dot com
Deborah hadn’t been seen since ten days.
I don’t know how he knew it, but he probably got the information from someone. That woman had relationships with several men besides herself, so that could be enough.
Suddenly the carriage stopped. It seems that he has arrived at the mansion. I was lost in thought, so I had no idea.
As I got off the carriage in a hurry, the butler bowed his head and greeted me.
“Master, you’re early today.”
“…”
Bibo walked quickly into the mansion and winked at the butler.
“Prepare what I said last time.”
“If it’s ready, then.”
The butler quietly looked around and lowered his voice.
“Are you talking about escorts and commoners’ wagons?”
Bibo nodded, and the butler quickly lowered his head.
“Okay. It will take about an hour. Please wait.”
“It’s too long. You have to prepare it in thirty, no, twenty minutes, otherwise it will be late.”
When Bibo spoke in a low voice, the butler raised his head in surprise. The butler immediately lowered his gaze and spoke in a whisper.
“Okay, but then you’ll be a little less prepared.”
“It can’t be helped. Hurry as much as possible.”
“yes.”
The butler was busy leaving, and Count Bibo went to the study.
The inside of the library is decorated with books and paintings.
Bibo removed one of the many paintings from the wall.
There was a small space where the painting used to be. A secret safe that holds jewels and gold coins. The gold coins and jewels were divided into several velvet pouches.
Bibo hurriedly took it out and put it in a bag placed in the corner of the study.
There are two boxes of spices in the bag that are worth more than gold coins of the same weight. It is contained in a barrel smaller than the palm of your hand, but if you can go to the right place, you can sell it at a high price.
When he had put his valuables in his bag and was almost ready, the butler came in.
“Master, I am ready.”
The butler was already dressed like a commoner.
The butler immediately undresses Bibo and puts on clothes similar to his own. The clothes fit the body perfectly.
“Go to the back.”
Head as directed by the butler. He tried to carry the bag, but he refused. You should carry this bag with you no matter what.
Human beings are the first to think of themselves when they fall into an urgent situation. From now on, neither the butler nor the escort can be trusted.
When I arrived at the back of the mansion, there was a carriage with no pattern. Several packages are on top of the wagon. Probably things like clothes, daily necessities, and food.
Two men stood idly next to the carriage. They were strong people. Seeing the sad news, he bowed his head. There was no coachman.
Bibo hurriedly entered the carriage. The butler entered the carriage with them, and the two escorts sat in the driver’s seat.
“Let’s go to the eastern door.”
Imperial forces are approaching from the south. The north side was closed, so the only door to go out now was the east side. Even so, by the time the Imperial Army is visible, it may not be possible to enter or exit.
‘I should be able to use a pass at the border.’
You may have to pay some bribes.
‘I wonder if it’ll be okay until we arrive.’
I heard that food prices have become extremely expensive not only in the capital but also in other cities these days. I’m not sure if I’ll have enough money.
The carriage went out the back door through which servants and merchants came and went.
As the carriage passed through the aristocratic streets, the cheers of the crowd could be heard from somewhere. It seems that someone is gathering people and giving a speech.
I couldn’t hear it well because it was mixed with the cheers of the people, but I heard words such as “the guy who will kill me,” “the mastermind,” and “the count of the treasured court.” People are gathering their voices and calling for death.
It got creepy. What would happen if it was revealed that he was Bibo in this city right now?
“I’d better go back a little bit.”
It was the moment when Bibo spoke to the butler.
someone shouted.
“That carriage belongs to Count Bibo! The one who made us starve is running away alone.”
“…!”
How did you know? There is no sign of family crest or status on the wagon. But how did he find out? I wish I could see your face
“Close the window!”
At the same time as Bibo said, the butler closed the slightly open curtains. The butler also looked a little flustered.
“I know Count Bibo’s face. That must be him! The imperial army is invading outside, but he’s the only one running away.”
The man’s indignant voice was drowned out by the shouts of the crowd.
It occurred to me that the man’s voice resembled that of a beautiful minstrel I had seen at court.
But it won’t be. There was no way a bard could be in a position like this.
An angry mob runs this way.
Bibo was embarrassed and stuck his head out.
“Hurry up!”
The escort in the driver’s seat exclaimed in bewilderment.
“But there are also people up front.”
“Just step on it and walk past it!”
It was the moment when the sad news was shouted. someone threw a stone
“Ouch!”
stoned in the forehead
I hurriedly pushed my head into the carriage.
However, what was initially one stone soon became three or four, and then dozens again.
The escort, who was sitting in the coachman’s seat, was dragged to the ground by the people.
“You’ll go out and drive the wagon.”
Bibo told the butler, but instead of leaving, he opened the carriage door and shouted outside.
“Bibo is here! This is Count Bibo!”
The butler shouted and suddenly pulled the treasure and pushed it out.
Bibo momentarily lost her balance and fell forward. The butler was seen running out of the wagon, holding his bag to his chest.
“this guy!”
I hurriedly got up, but someone grabbed my arm. And the legs too.
My body flattened like a frog. Someone pressed his head to the floor. My cheek hurts from being rubbed on the rough ground.
The voices of angry people came from right in front and behind.
“Hit and kill!”
“My child starved to death a week ago. You killed him!”
“While you guys danced and had fun in the palace, my wife drank only water. Her belly went round and she died! Do you nobles know that!”
Shouting and swearing poured in from all sides. scary. My head, pressed against the ground, was out of alignment with my body, and I felt as if my neck would break.
‘Me, I was a commoner too. I only caught the king’s attention because I possessed magical powers, and I was also your companion. My mother and my brothers were also hungry commoners.’
Bibo shouted that, but the words didn’t come out properly. Her teeth are broken and her pronunciation is messed up.
“shut up!”
Someone hit him on the head with a large stone. It’s like lightning flashing in your head. In an instant, his eyes became pitch black.
A voice, apparently from memory, came from afar.
“While we were naked and starving, the nobles were playing, eating, and laughing happily in that splendid palace! My sister worked as a maid in the palace and was beaten by a noble. My sister went blind and died of starvation. , It’s because of the nobles.”
In the midst of the slowly sinking consciousness, only the man’s voice could be heard clearly.
This voice, yes, no doubt. It is the voice of that beautiful bard. That guy is lying.
I opened my mouth to speak to someone, but no sound came out.
