232
Fullfoot of ambition
‘Baron Fullfoot… I thought he was a wise man-.’
Count Behar’s second son, Gartani, clicked his tongue slightly.
When Gartani received a letter from Pulphus about the rebellion, he was rather impressed.
It was a bold move that could only be made by a madman, turning the nobles of the East and even the Empire into enemies. When I thought about it carefully, it was truly a great move.
There was a rebel force stationed at Cassidyck, not so many as to be unmanageable, nor so few as to be overpowered by angry nobles. Just the right amount.
In conclusion, Fullputs, despite being a baron, gathered all the nobles of the east to his castle.
I knew that Fullfoot had ambitions to continue his aggressive moves recently, but I didn’t know he had that much determination.
He wanted to see Gartani for a moment. However, the situation changed with the appearance of the sect’s troops. If it had been delayed any longer, it could have really gone as Pulpouts intended.
He quickly recruited other nobles, but he suffered some losses because he was rushed.
‘I guess I can supplement it with Cassidy.’
Cassidy was bigger than I had heard. When I visited a few years ago, it was just a castle in the outskirts, and I couldn’t even remember what it looked like. I could almost believe it was a city.
Whatever plans Fullfoot had, it was clear that he was now cornered. The greatest weapon Fullfoot had was probably his personal letter.
“···But can we capture the king of demons who defeated the master of the sword?”
The nobles looked at Gartani with eyes filled with fear. Gartani raised one corner of his mouth. They are called nobles, but their podiums are so small.
Gartani raised the corners of his mouth as he recalled the information he had recently obtained.
‘The Demon King is mortally wounded and on the verge of death. He intends to flee the Empire as far as possible, passing through Cassadic and into the Kirton Mountains.’
This was information passed on by a source who had been helping Gartani for quite some time.
‘···The King of Demons said that escorting was considered rude.’
Everything fell into place perfectly. Things had been going so smoothly since my father died.
Gartani clicked his tongue as he looked around at the anxious nobles.
“According to the information, the Demon King is in critical condition. Of course, his opponent was the master of the sword, so he couldn’t be healthy. Coming here was also a flight from the Imperial Army. Besides, we have gathered our forces. Do you think you would be scared even with this?”
Gartani glared at the men with force in his eyes. The nobles’ fleshy eyes rolled around. Their pupils moved busily as if they were counting.
“If you don’t like it, you can go.”
Gartani spoke briefly and turned around without hesitation.
There was no need to explain at length which was wiser between being dragged around by a baron in the frontier and serving the imperial family.
As Gartani had expected, the nobles quickly followed. Their faces were as pale as if they had found gold. Now, they would listen to him more.
‘I have no intention of being content with being a loser in the eastern end like my father.’
Gartani nodded with satisfaction.
If you can achieve the feat of capturing the traitor who killed the sword’s master, you will be able to rise higher than the count.
“Then go.”
Behind Gartani, a long line of nobles and knights followed.
‘Oh my… That’s…’
Pulpouts clicked his tongue as he watched the nobles boldly leaving the castle.
I knew Aaron was fine from the information I got from Selena.
Although the number of soldiers and knights brought by the nobles was quite large, their opponent was Aaron, who had captured the master of the sword.
In addition, they were planning to help him from this side, and there were even troops from Brighton. Although they were somewhat lacking at the moment, if Aaron, who had seized the sword, was added, the victory was certain.
Moreover, the end of those who opposed Aaron was not always good.
‘Why did you make such a terrible choice······.’
Fullfoot expressed his condolences in a small voice.
Phew······. Phew···.
“···Nova, what’s the problem?”
Pulpouts narrowed his eyes at Nova, who was making strange breathing sounds.
“Ah, this is the elven breathing technique that Selena taught me. It is said to help with longevity. Here is a list of available noble troops.”
Nova, who had returned to his usual cold face, handed over the paper.
‘···When did you become so close?’
Fullfoot raised his eyebrows at Nova, who called Selena friendly. Nova had a strangely prickly side, so she had few close friends.
Even though they were rivals, and their relationship was no different from that of enemies, I couldn’t understand why he called her so friendly.
“It’s good for your health? Let me tell you.”
Pullputs said as he took the paper, for he was thinking of his wife who was not in good health.
“Yes, first, take a deep breath, and put strength here-.”
Pulpouts put the paper aside and studied intently.
I felt like my head was clearing up and my headache was going away.
‘It will be resolved when Aaron returns-.’
Fullfoot followed Nova and took a deep breath.
***
“···What are they doing?”
Berman narrowed his eyes and pointed at the guys in the distance.
“Looking at them gathered together, I wonder if they are going to do something?”
Brick, now more than thin, answered in a trembling voice. Berman swallowed.
“Ring the bell first! Hey! Over there!”
The grasshopper shouted at the back. Then the guy behind him started banging on the bell. Ding ding ding!
Everyone readied their weapons and let out a small breath at the sound that woke them up.
It had been quite some time since the nobles’ troops had surrounded the Cathedic. So the somewhat relaxed tension was quickly lifted by the crisp sound of the bell.
“But why all of a sudden this crap… no, this is chaos?”
Kel shook his head and corrected himself after cursing harshly. As Rosa’s stomach grew, Kel decided to cut down on cursing and use only nice words.
Kel, who had been saying only vulgar things his entire life, couldn’t change overnight, so he kept failing, but he was still less angry than before.
“You probably didn’t communicate with the insiders. Our lord’s eyes are so poisonous. Every time I meet him, my hands go numb.”
He said this while putting a bow on the crossbow. It must have been quite embarrassing, but everyone was not embarrassed and faithfully carried out their assigned roles.
The reason for that calmness is-.
“We’re having dinner in hell tonight! Everyone, run!! Hahahaha!”
It was the result of the training that Vermunt and Sophia had been conducting periodically since last time.
Berman lowered his head slightly as Sophia laughed and shouted harshly. Berman’s first love, which had made him shy and split wood in one go, was no longer there.
“Hey, you guys who are working on the outer wall-.”
At that moment, a sharp voice was heard from the side. When I turned my gaze, I saw Jace, a guard from the inner castle, standing fully armed. Behind him were two soldiers with tense faces.
“Support? Hold this side.”
Berman pointed to a large crossbow fixed on the wall. Jace gestured to the two soldiers behind him.
“Is Aaron not here yet?”
Jace asked with a slightly trembling voice as he cocked his bow. No one showed it, but they were waiting for Aaron.
The pressure from the nobles surrounding the wall and more than twenty knights in silver armor was considerable, making me even more nervous than when I was fighting the warlocks.
The corpses could not cross the walls, but the knights could cut him down with their auras. Among the soldiers, the knights were like supermen.
“Don’t worry. Even if you’re a knight, you can’t break through this wall. It was built by dwarves.”
He said, scratching his cheek with his bare finger. It was a habit he had developed after his finger was cut off.
Everyone nodded to the grass’s words. If nothing else, the walls built by the dwarves were famous for being natural fortresses.
To begin with, the walls of Cassidy were so strong and huge that even Berman, who was not familiar with them, could not compare them to other castles.
Even the altitude was so high that people would often complain that they would get out of breath every time they climbed up here. But when I actually encountered this situation, I couldn’t believe how reassuring it was to be so high up.
“As expected, it’s Kanna. I really hope I have a daughter like Kanna-.”
Kel muttered, placing his left hand on his forehead. Berman clicked his tongue and indicated that it was his other hand. Kel quickly switched hands.
“Brick, have you heard from me? Aren’t you going to be born later than the captain?”
When Kel slyly joked, Brick swung his fist and swung a harsh curse. It was his own joke to ease the tension.
Everyone laughed as if they had promised, but it soon ended.
“···When will the leader come?”
Brick grumbled as he cocked his crossbow. No one spoke, but everyone else was thinking the same thing.
No, not just the 4th platoon, but the entire outer guard was waiting for Aaron. Even Jace, who always fought with Aaron, was looking for Aaron.
When the monstrous warlock attacked Cassidy and when they advanced to Bolt Castle due to Youngae’s kidnapping, Aaron was the one at the forefront, so everyone looked for Aaron when they sensed danger.
“What about Aaron…! I’m the leader! You punks! Stop looking for Aaron! Wake up! Just keep an eye on the knights who stick to you! Knights are people too! If you pour hot oil on them, they’ll lose!”
The captain shouted harshly. His voice was so loud that it could be heard over the bell.
“The captain is useful in times like this.”
Berman nodded to the murmur of the grass and checked the sword. Always check the sword, Aaron had always emphasized.
“Hey, where’s Aaron?”
At that moment, the captain asked with a warm face. His face wasn’t that tense.
“Huh? Didn’t I just tell you not to look for it?”
“Don’t joke around. Any news yet?”
“He said he would arrive soon.”
Berman answered, recalling what he had heard from Razbeth. He had heard that they would arrive soon, but with the area around the gate in such a state, he had no idea if they would be able to enter.
“Hmm… That’s a relief. Oh, since they don’t plan on sieging anyway, you don’t have to be nervous.”
“Huh? Are you saying that we gathered like that?”
The captain clicked his tongue slightly at Brick’s question.
“Even if you have many knights, you can’t get through here without siege equipment. It was built by dwarves. And the nobles who value knights more than swords wouldn’t take such a gamble. It’s clear that they have other intentions.”
The captain, who had been speaking quickly, shouted again from behind, ‘Run! You useless things!’
Everyone’s eyes widened at the captain’s unexpected plausibility. It was awkward why the captain really looked like a captain.
“And son, come for dinner later. Masha is waiting.”
“Who is your son! I don’t recognize him!”
“It’s okay, son.”
Berman clicked his tongue slightly at the captain who was quickly grumbling with Brick. After all, he was just a captain.
“···It moves.”
At that moment, Grass muttered. Among the outer guards, Grass had the best eyesight, so they all readied their weapons.
“Anyway, you must come eat dinner tonight! It’s an order, and a request as a father! Now! Everyone, put your weapons up!”
The captain took off his helmet and put it on Brick, then patted Brick on the back and shouted.
“Sophia wants to eat in hell, where will she go?”
Everyone chuckled at Kel’s joke, took out their crossbows, and aimed downwards.
Although they were far out of the crossbow’s range, the knights had to be prepared because their movements were so fast.
I was so nervous that my hands were starting to feel numb.
but-.
“···They’re getting further away?”
Like the murmur of grass, they did not come closer but rather moved further away.
They were heading in the opposite direction. The knights were in front, and a long line of soldiers spread out around them.
Everyone was bewildered by their sudden actions. Some were deeply relieved. In fact, Kel even put his left hand on his forehead and expressed his gratitude to God. Berman then told him that it was his other hand.
At that moment, Grass muttered a curse and jumped up, grabbing his crossbow. Since Grass was normally a calm person, the sense of crisis was immediately conveyed.
“I think those bastards are after the leader.”
Everyone’s eyes widened at the rough words of the grass mixed with profanity. Then the grass added as if it was frustrated.
“Berman, you said it. The captain is coming back. And the direction they’re heading is the path the captain is coming back from.”
He said this while quickly gathering up the bow that had been released next to the grass. Only then did Berman understand and mutter a curse under his breath.
I remembered what Razbeth had said about the leader returning today. Everyone quickly grabbed their weapons and headed for the stairs.
The captain stood in front of him. Unlike usual, the captain’s face was very stiff and he looked like a different person.
“Italian? What are you doing now?”
“It looks like they’re after the leader.”
Berman answered as calmly as possible, avoiding the excited crowd.
“What… why are they after Aaron?”
Everyone was quiet for a moment at the captain’s question. Thinking about it, there was no reason to target Aaron.
No, to begin with, they were the lowest level, so they didn’t really know how the situation was going. It was just a gut feeling.
“···Isn’t there someone among the nobles who was attacked by Jo Jang?”
Brick shouted in his characteristically absent-minded voice. It sounded like nonsense, like Brick usually does, but it was strangely convincing.
The captain, who had been silent for a moment, shouted at them to stop talking nonsense and go back.
“It is clear that the leader is dangerous.”
The grass rarely raised its voice and fixed its crossbow. It was a snake-eyed grass that was usually cool, but would turn its eyes to those close to it.
“No, what good will it do if you guys go?”
Everyone shut their mouths at the captain’s irritated question. They had nothing to say.
Since the opponent was a knight, it was clear that it would only be a hindrance. However, no matter what, it did not suit my personality to just watch like this.
at that time-.
“You don’t have to worry.”
A soft voice, as if tickling my ears, was heard. I turned my head to see the elf I had heard of. She was Aaron’s wife.
The surroundings became quiet for a moment at that unrealistic appearance.
“Right? Scarf?”
At the woman’s question, the handsome man next to her nodded with a sheepish expression.
He was a man who was a rebel general. I knew him because he often hung around with the leader.
At that moment, the nobles’ troops began to move. They advanced with loud shouts and increasing their momentum.
The number was quite large, so it felt overwhelming even when viewed from above. Berman wiped the sweat off his hands.
At that moment, a man named Skatar stood precariously on the wall. His head, fluttering in the wind, looked like the claws of a wild beast.
The man let out a small sigh and jumped down without hesitation. The man’s cloak fluttered like wings. The man landed softly like a bird. No sound was heard.
The man who landed moved as if he was walking, and it was hard to believe how fast he was moving.
“It’s so damn heavy… no, it’s really heavy.”
Kel, who only showed his teeth when he saw a handsome man, muttered quietly. Berman smiled bitterly. Pool was fiddling with his crossbow again.
At that moment, a loud salute erupted from the side. Lord Pulpouts was coming up. Next to him were the knights Adela and Adolf.
Pulpuch, who had nodded in greeting, stood on the wall. He was a little far from Berman. But Berman couldn’t run away, so he swallowed hard.
At that moment, the nobles’ troops moved slowly. Everyone swallowed their saliva.
“···Will it be okay?”
“Of course. No, even if we meet, it’s the leader.”
Kel answered Brick’s muttering roughly. It was a simple sentence, but it brought deep relief.
‘Yes, because I’m the leader.’
Come to think of it, what help would that monstrous leader need? Berman regained his composure and helped Poole fix the crossbow.
“Hey! Something’s over there!”
Someone shouted. Something was climbing the ridge in the distance.
Because the sun was shining to the right, I couldn’t see the figure properly and only saw its shadow.
That was a small point.
“There’s no way other guys would come to Cassidy now. That’s the leader.”
Berman squinted his eyes at the murmur of the grass. The sunlight stung his eyes and tears came out, but he tried to strain his eyes and look.
At that time, the nobles also discovered him and quickly advanced.
The knights ran ahead, forming a long line of pale blue light. The soldiers followed them.
Berman clenched his fists at the sight of that murderous sight. Berman tried to hold onto the grass heading towards the stairs. The grass glared at Berman with eyes that were torn like a snake. As the captain said, going there would only be a hindrance.
“···They stopped?”
Then Brick spoke in a bewildered voice.
The knights who had been running without hesitation suddenly stopped moving. The soldiers who followed them were so flustered that they even fell over. It was unclear why they had stopped after gaining so much momentum.
at that time-.
Thud, the ground shook slightly.
The thud continued.
“What is that······.”
Someone’s small question was lost in the echo.
It was the sound of advancing footsteps.
The small dots at the end of the ridge began to gradually increase in number to the left and right. The dots that had been increasing one by one suddenly increased explosively.
It soon became so long that the end was nowhere in sight.
Figures in different costumes were advancing, holding flags of all kinds. It was a completely incongruous atmosphere, though.
floating.
Open the way for the king.
They were singing the same song at the top of their lungs.
The nobles who had been arrogantly cheering began to hesitate and slowly retreat.
“Why··· Why so many···. Why···?”
At that moment, Pulpouts muttered in a daze.
Gulp. Berman readied his weapon in an incomprehensible situation. Wasn’t the captain returning? What on earth were those many troops…?
Regardless of such thoughts, the massive army continued to advance.
They got close enough that their figures were distinguishable beyond the ridge.
I squinted my eyes and looked closely, but the atmosphere was extremely strange.
please···.
‘···Fanatic?’
It had a similar vibe to the fanatics that had appeared in the old Cassidy.
No, it was worse than that. Even though there was a distance, the heat was palpable.
The army, which had reached a distance where their faces could be seen, slowly stopped.
Boom! The King’s Road-.
Boom! Open it-.
The army split apart with a loud thud, and a dazzling carriage slowly emerged from between them.
Knock knock! The king has arrived.
The song reached its climax with a huge roar created by stomping feet.
At that moment, the carriage door opened.
Then, the loud song suddenly became quiet. Those who had been raising their voices until just now all bowed their heads toward the carriage.
The piety in the example made Berman wonder if it was an emperor rather than a king who had come.
Soon a man got out of the carriage. He had his head down, but his huge body looked strangely familiar.
‘···promotion?’
The body type was clearly that of a sculptor. There could not be another body type that was so large and thick, yet so sleek. In addition, the dark black hair was the same.
However, the atmosphere it gave off was completely different from the atmosphere Berman knew.
The man seemed unfazed by the countless examples he received.
No, rather, the momentum that overwhelmed them spread out.
At that moment, the man slowly raised his head.
The man’s face that was revealed within was-.
“······He’s handsome?”
Berman bit his lip at Brick’s bewildered muttering.
“Aaron. Did you get your scar fixed? You look more manly with the scar.”
Sophia, who had come next to him, clicked her tongue and spoke. Berman looked at the man again at Sophia’s confident tone.
And I had no choice but to admit it.
That guy is Aaron.
“No way. That can’t be. Chief Aaron is handsome. There’s no way something like that could happen.”
“You have to use nice words, Kel.”
“No, that’s fucking Shibure!”
Berman knocked hard on Kel.
“Hiccup! Hiccup!”
Pulpouts suddenly started hiccuping.
***
“Ah-, the castle ruled by the king of demons. What magnificent walls! My goodness!”
I turned my gaze to the walls at their muttering.
The Cassadic walls that Kanna built were all based on Deokgu. Deokgu shouting, Deokgu stabbing with a sword, Deokgu holding a shield.
It was just a kind of play with clay full of the child’s imagination, but because his skills were so outstanding, it didn’t seem like that at all.
With the statues of Deokgu on display, it looked just like a temple for the king of demons.
‘hmm······.’
Even though it was just an illusion yesterday, my loyalty went up to the max after the performance that seemed to bring down the sun.
It was just a trick of the eye, but to the uncivilized ones it seemed like a miracle.
In that state, facing the huge temple-like walls seemed to have an even greater effect.
They knelt down and prayed with all their heart. I felt blind faith that went beyond loyalty.
The excessive heat that rose unexpectedly gave me a headache for no reason.
‘Pulputs will take care of it.’
I brought the troops, so the rest was up to the Pulpouts to handle.
‘But what are these guys?’
I looked around at the guys in front of Cassidy.
It was a mixed crowd of knights and soldiers, with some nobles at the center. A fair number of them were blocking the gates of Cassadic.
They were armed, but they didn’t seem to have the will to fight. Some of them were even putting down their weapons. There was even a knight among them. No one could blame them.
That would be the case, even if a bunch of idiots had gathered, their forces were incomparably greater than theirs.
Even if he was a knight, he couldn’t do anything in the face of such an overwhelming difference.
Phew-.
Open the way to the king!!
The men trembled greatly at the sound of the song that resounded again.
I clicked my tongue slightly and looked at the men blocking my way. There were quite a few knights, but the emblems painted on their armor were varied.
‘All the surrounding eastern nobles have gathered.’
Judging by the sword he was holding, it seemed like his visit to Cassidy was not with good intentions. The ambitious Pulpouts was clearly up to something again.
Phew-! Boom!
The children took a step forward at the sound of the long horn. There were so many people that the sound of footsteps felt like an earthquake.
Then the men in front dropped their swords and lay flat on their stomach.
Among them, only one man, the one at the very front, raised his head. It was the man with the emblem of Count Behart’s family on his clothes.
I waved my hand to stop Dylan from blowing the horn again and stepped forward. The men around me parted to make way for me.
Just by approaching it, the creature began to tremble as if it had weak nerves. Water even flowed down from underneath it.
At that moment, the guy quickly waved his hand. Then, the four knights next to him quickly ran out. The movements were quite good, but-.
“How dare you.”
“Tsk.”
Ben and the five elders jumped out on either side of me.
Ben easily swung his sword and subdued the two, and the fifth eldest son cut the two apart with a snap of his fingers.
“There’s no need to call it that.”
“Tsk.”
Ben and the five eldest sons didn’t seem to get along very well. I clicked my tongue at the two who seemed to be competing with each other and approached the guy.
“I… I am Gartani of the House of Count Behart! If you touch me, the nobles of the East….”
I looked back as the guy was talking, but everyone had already fallen head over heels in love.
He chewed his lip hard. Blood flowed from his burst lip, soaking the floor.
I looked around for a moment. Everyone’s eyes were focused on me. I felt a variety of emotions, from eager anticipation to fear.
I felt like I had to say something cool.
“Yeah, guinea pig.”
I lightly patted his head. He looked up at me, trembling.
I chose a great line while watching him.
“From now on.”
At that moment, my eyes met with the Pulpouts on the gate. Pulpouts kept nodding its head at me. It seemed like it wanted something. As expected, it was the Pulpouts of ambition.
I created a halo.
Now that I was used to it, the black fire came up easily. Again, a small elasticity burst out.
I put my finger on it and-.
“I, Pulphuts, will stand above the Empire.”
He said it calmly.
After a very brief silence-.
Cheers erupted.
Ugh······.
‘I’m dying of joy.’
I clicked my tongue as I watched the fainting Fullfoot.
