Chapter 288: ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฌ (6)
โNo. . . No, thatโs not true.โ
โWerenโt you a duke? I heard you were a duke?โ
โM-Me acting so presumptuously? Thatโs a misunderstanding.โ
The gazes from the other paladins and priests were even hotter than Johanโs. It was the first time they had heard that Halzedel had called himself the duke during the rebellion.
โIs that so? I guess I misheard.โ
It was fortunate for Halzedel. Johan was not very interested in Halzedel.
If it had been another Grand Duke, they would have been offended just by sitting in the same place as someone who had acted so presumptuously, but Johan did not care much about what other people called themselves.
He wouldnโt have cared even if Halzedel had claimed the title of emperor.
โIโm sure youโve had a hard time, too.โ
โNo! How can you call it hardship when itโs a devotion for God?โHalzedel gave a model answer. The paladins next to him nodded in satisfaction, but strangely, the dukeโs eyes seemed to have cooled slightly.
โ๐-๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ต? ๐๐ช๐ฅ ๐ ๐ด๐ข๐บ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ธ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ?โ
Halzedel was a little flustered. The dukeโs expression had already returned to normal, so he couldnโt tell, but he felt like he had made a mistake.
That would have been an answer that a devout duke would have definitely liked. . .?
โ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐จ๐ถ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ข๐ญ๐ด๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ข ๐ค๐ณ๐ข๐ป๐บ ๐ฃ*๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ.โ
Johan did not hate devout people, but having devout people around him always gave Johan a headache.
He wondered if it was because he saw the paladins and pilgrims together, but it was as he had expected.
Of course, he was a guy who had participated in the rebellion caused by the saint, so it would have been stranger if he wasnโt a fanatic.
โThe hospitality is poor, but please take a break. Letโs talk again after we finish cleaning up the fortress.โ
โY-Yes!โ
Halzedel heaved a sigh of relief. He had saved his life for the time being, but it was still too early to let his guard down. He never knew when an accusation against Halzedel might come in.
If someone who knew him well told the duke, โ๐๐ต ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ณ๐ถ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ค๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ฌ๐ฆ,โ he could lose his head with just a word. Fortunately, the people here were paladins and pilgrims. . .
โYouโre really lucky.โ
โI know. Here. Take this.โ
Bolts received what Halzedel fumbled to take out and handed it to him, looking puzzled.
โWhat is this. . .?โ
โItโs a prayer book. Letโs kneel down and pray together.โ
Already, some of the pilgrims were settling down in a corner of the fortress and preparing to pray. Halzedel and Bolts sat down and began to pray together.
He didnโt know how effective this would be, but it was better than doing nothing.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
Sub-Captain Bars searched the fortress thoroughly. Starting from the basement of the warehouse to the secret space where the leader of the rogues lived.
โThereโs a silver necklace here!โ
โAre you going to offer that now? Keep looking!โ
Of course, something like a silver necklace was a huge income for the slave soldiers, but Bars was not looking for such spoils of war right now.
He was looking for something to offer to His Highness the Duke.
โ๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐ช๐ต. ๐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ช๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ช๐ตโ๐ด ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ช๐จ ๐ณ๐ฐ๐จ๐ถ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ! ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆโ๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ญ๐ช๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด.โ
โIt seems like theyโre also searching over there?โ
Barsโ eyes flashed with sparks as he saw Alanka searching another building. They could tell what each other was thinking.
โKeep looking!โ
โBut Bars. It doesnโt come out just because youโre looking for it.โ
โHow about these books?โ
โWill those books be worth anything! You idiots!โ
At Barsโ scolding, his subordinates looked away as if embarrassed. Still, some of them packed the books, thinking that they should take them at least. They had been ordered to scrape up as much as possible and offer it.
โBars. Thereโs someone here?โ
Bars went inside the room after hearing his subordinateโs words. There were several members of the vampire race like Bars. They all had frightened expressions, but they were trying their best not to tremble.
โTheyโre not tied up, so they must be servants, not hostages.โ
โCould they be hostages?โ
One of the subordinates said with regret. If they were hostages, they could get a high ransom. Bars clicked his tongue at those words and said.
โWhere are the hostages wearing such shabby clothes? Expensive hostages are treated well even if they are captured.โ
โIs that so?โ
โDrag them out.โ
After that, Bars continued to search diligently with his subordinates. However, nothing special came out.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
โYouโve had a hard time.โ
โNo, Master! I apologize for not finding anything proper.โ
โThe purpose was to occupy the fortress, not to loot it. It doesnโt have to be that much.โ
Johan had to work hard to calm the slave soldiers. There was a bit of a fanatical aspect to it as he tried to get Johanโs attention every time he did something.
โAre those the new hostages?โ
โThey seem to be the servants of the fortress.โ
โIs that so? Thatโs strange. Bring them over for a moment.โ
At Johanโs words, Bars brought the newly found servants with a puzzled look. Johan looked them up and down and said.
โTheir fingertips are too soft and clean to be servants. Arenโt they hostages?โ
โ. . . . . .โ
Barsโ face turned red with shame and guilt. Johan said hurriedly.
โWho found those guys?โ
โMe and my men. . .โ
โThatโs right. Isnโt that your achievement? Itโs okay to be proud. Here.โ
Johan handed Bars one of the decent swords he got from the fortress. Bars was moved and said, trembling.
โI will cherish it for the rest of my life!โ
โ. . .Keep in mind that a sword can easily be ruined if itโs not handled properly.โ
Johan calmed Bars and his men and sent them away. As Suetlg said, the slave soldiers did not have much dissatisfaction. Rather, it was the opposite, and it was embarrassing.
โWhat is your status?โ
โ. . . . . .โ
โI already confirmed earlier that youโre not deaf. I wish you would answer.โ
Even at Johanโs words, the captured people remained silent. He asked in Eastern, so itโs not like they couldnโt understand what he was saying.
โIf you hand them over to me, Iโll make them talk right away.โ
โThey seem to be of a noble status, so thatโs a bit. . .โ
Judging from their appearance, they seemed to be servants and slaves of nobles. It was clear that some of them had not done any hard work, as their fingertips were soft and clean.
There is a reason why people of noble status do not wear fancy clothes and hide themselves.
โI wonder if they might have tried to hide themselves in reverse because they were of high status.โ
โThat sounds plausible.โ
Suetlg nodded as if he thought Johanโs words made sense. There is always a reason when customs differ from usual.
Since there was a possibility that they were expensive, Johan wanted to talk without shedding blood if possible, but the other party did not cooperate. The captains from the republic insisted firmly.
โThere is a way to make them talk without shedding blood. . .โ
โThatโs just a play on words.โ
โHow about calling Vaytar and having him talk to them?โ
โWho is Vaytar? Is he a slave soldier?โ
โ. . .Heโs the son of Yeheyman and a nobleman from the East.โ
The republican captains, who hated the Easterners, sympathized with Vaytar for the first time this time. No matter what, he must have been upset that the duke didnโt even remember his name.
โAh. . . right. Thatโs a plausible suggestion. Call Vaytar.โ
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
Vaytar was sure that his skills were needed when he was summoned.
Giving a captive a blade and letting him go on a dangerous mission could be considered an abuse, but it was possible given the relationship of mutual respect they shared.
โBut master, isnโt the battle over?โ
โThe duke probably intends to continue to the other fortresses atop the mountain.โ
The slave overseer sensed something was amiss, and his premonition was on point.
โAh, you came.โ
โWhat. . . did you call me for?โ
โI have a hostage here who wonโt open their mouths, so I called you here thinking you might be able to make them open up since youโre from an eastern noble family.โ
โ. . .โ
Vaytarโs face turned gloomy. The slave overseer wanted to say, โ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฅ ๐ ๐ต๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ,โ but stopped. His master was in a serious funk.
โYou call me to open the mouth of a mere merchant! Even a mercenary could do. . .โ
The slave overseer grew anxious as Vaytar muttered and grumbled. The duke knew eastern languages, so acting like that was dangerous.
Fortunately, the duke simply watched without saying anything. It was a difference in degree.
โ. . .โ
โWhy arenโt you doing anything?โ
Johan was puzzled when Vaytar froze after looking at the hostage. The republican captain standing next to him cracked a joke.
โIs it his mother?โ
โThatโs right!โ
โ. . .W-What?! Really?!โ
The republican captain was shocked by Vaytarโs response. Vaytar spoke as if he was annoyed.
โNo, you imbeciles! Sheโs one of the sultanโs harem. The Valide Sultan! Do you not know what the Valide Sultan is?โ
One of the captains fumbled to recall.
โThe Valide Sultan, thatโs. . . itโs a title for a concubine who has borne a child to the sultan, Your Highness.โ
โOh, thatโs a pretty high position, isnโt it?โ
โIt varies, actually.โ
The captain trailed off subtly. Among the western countries, the republic was one of the few that was well-informed about the affairs of the Eastern Empire. Naturally, the captain was somewhat knowledgeable about the Eastern Empire as well.
The harem where the sultanโs concubines lived was a treasure trove of information, and republican merchants often bribed their way in to deliver goods.
Having a child by the sultan would seem like an extremely high position, but it depended on the situation and circumstance.
How many children did the sultan have? What was the concubineโs own family background? Did the sultan favor the concubine? And so on.
โI hear the sultan has over a hundred children.โ
โA hundred? That seems a bit excessive.โ
โItโs probably an exaggeration, but he does have that many children. And if youโre a favorite, itโs hard to leave the sultanโs harem. The fact that sheโs here in these mountains suggests she may have been exiled because the sultan grew tired of her.โ
โI see.โ
Johan nodded at the captainโs explanation. If she really had power, she wouldnโt need to hide herself in ragged clothes and would be leading troops instead.
Thatโs why she was in this state.
Johan spoke to Vaytar.
โAsk her why she wonโt talk to me.โ
Vaytar relayed the words, and the response was something Johan could understand.
โ. . .T-That if I were to converse with one who has made a deal with a demon, my soul may be taken. . .โ
โIโve heard it, no need to repeat it.โ
Johan wasnโt surprised at this point, but the others present glared at the sultanโs concubine in anger.
โThatโs the nonsense of an ignorant pagan. Donโt mind it. Vaytar, try to convince her so she doesnโt get scared. I need to ask her about her family.โ
โNo. . .โ
Vaytar was bewildered. He was a warrior who roamed the seas, not someone who could gently coax reason.
As if on cue, the baby the concubine was carrying began to cry. Vaytar looked at his slave overseer, unsure of what to do.
โH-Hey.โ
โM-Master, Iโve served you loyally all my life, but you know Iโm not cut out for looking after babies.โ
The two easterners were in a bind, and the captains behind them were awkwardly taken aback by the untimely crying.
Johan clicked his tongue and pushed them aside.
โMove, Iโll do it myself. Youโre both useless.โ
โ. . .โ
Vaytar felt wronged, but he had nothing to say.
Johan took out a silver and gold coin and simply opened and closed his hand. The coins instantly disappeared.
It was a simple magic trick.
He had seen assassins conceal much larger weaponry than this, so it wasnโt much of a feat.
However, it was apparently impressive enough for the baby. It stopped crying and clapped its hands.
โA-Ah. . . the magic of a demon?โ
โ. . .If a demon were to work magic, it would be something far more horrifying than this. Milady.โ