“They didn’t fare much better than the other four armies, think about it, they always rush to the front like fanatics. On the other hand, if the Army of Judges didn’t attack, the soldiers of the other four kingdoms certainly wouldn’t have moved,” Rene said in disdain. “Knights shouldn’t be like this, always speaking about honor, but when they have to confront demonic beasts, shrinking back like little girls.”
“You mean knights like the one in front of me now?” Perot smiled, perhaps I’m just thinking too much into this. Even if the Church wants to start a war against the North, it will have nothing to do with us here in Longsong Stronghold. Should the new king get headaches from thinking about this.
“Unfortunately, until now, no one has accepted my allegiance, or, perhaps they just don’t have the qualification to take me in,” Rene paused, looked towards the door, “The people of the Wolf Family have come, I’m just going to greet them, and then I’ll come back.”
“Go, but don’t come back.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Rene retorted as he looked back. “Have you noticed the handkerchief in the invitation?”
“Were you the one that put it in?” Petrov asked.
“Oh, if it was me, I’d only have given you some two day’s old socks,” Rene shook his finger, “That, was my younger sister’s personal decision. Although the age gap is rather big, but as long as you have the intention; I can only say that you shouldn’t wait my friend. After all, you’re already twenty-two years old by now.”
Petrov gave him a dirty look, but Rene just whistled innocently, then turned around and laughingly went away.
After taking a glass of wine from an attendant, Petrov strolled by himself to the corner, while quietly looking through the lively hall. He noticed that Aurelia was still busy talking lively with her friends. But at the very same time as himself, she also took a secret look at himself, so that for a short moment, their eyes met. But immediately afterwards Petrov saw that Aurelia quickly changed her line of sight and on her cheeks emerged a touch of red of embarrassment.
Petrov in return just smiled kindly. In his view, the other was just a little girl.
All of a sudden, the sounds of a fierce discussion came from the other side of the hall, attracting the eyes of all the people present.
“What! He dared to say that?”
“Yes. Cornelius, that coward, unexpectedly didn’t even dare to let out a fart, he just came back with his tail between his legs,” said the man with the loudest voice, “Shaming the whole of Longsong Stronghold!”
Petrov knew the man, if he remembered correctly he was called Simon Elliott, a member of the Wolf Branch Family, who was also married to a very pretty woman. Petrov had seen the woman once, she really was charming.
“It seems as if you have a way to solve the problem.” Someone teased.
“I may not be able to do it alone, but if you can get the Duke to notice of this ridiculous affair, I don’t believe Roland Wimbledon would still dare to act so rampant any longer!”
Hearing the familiar name, Petrov was startled and started to follow the conversation, fully interested.
Chapter 103 The Honeysuckle and the Elk Families (Part 2)
“What happened?” Petrov went through the crowed and asked.
“Sir Hull, they were talking about the Lord of Border Town,” answered someone that had seen the Honeysuckle crest on his chest. ”He has confiscated all the belongings of our people from Longsong Stronghold!”
“You can call me Petrov. Tell me about the situation,” Petrov ordered.
“Let me explain it to you, Mr. Petrov,” Simon said while pressing through the crowd, revealing a pleasing smile. “This is how it is. We serve the Duke with our lives, so I lived in the Border Town where I was responsible for managing the mines. Every Winter we will take the town’s residents back with us to the Longsong Stronghold, where we are able to protect them from the demon beasts attack. But this year, after the end of the Months of the Demons, when one of my colleagues, Cornelius Fletcher came back to Border Town, the lord told him that his house has been demolished by the town’s people and that he wouldn’t receive any compensation for it!”
” ‘If you don’t admit that the house didn’t belong to you I will put you in prison for desertion, where you will wait for the day of your hanging,’ ” he said, exactly copying the 4th Prince’s words, “Sir you have to understand, what he called defection, is the procedure we have used for over a hundred years.”
Petrov couldn’t stop himself from imaging the young man’s appearance in his mind. Although to the outside world the Prince was extremely unbearable, but compared with his personal experience of their two meetings, Roland Wimbledon was no pushover. Also, his method of handling the crime of defection hit the nail on the head, however, the other side didn’t try to think the matter through and was only looking for a reason — but the Prince never thought to convince the group of people with reason.
He has already broken away from Longsong Stronghold long ago, Petrov thought. Or, when he thought about it further, how can it be that the Prince never knew that the nobility would seek refuge in Longsong Stronghold? Obviously, that isn’t possible. He clearly knew, yet he still forced a criminal charge upon them, forcing the other side to make a choice. But in the end, he still let the other party come back to Longsong Stronghold to report such a barbaric act, in the end, what is it that the Prince wants to achive?
“But he is still the Lord of Border Town,” said the man who Simon previous laughed at, “As the Lord, he has the power to dictate the rules within his own land.”
“Border Town still belongs under the jurisdiction of the Western territory!” Simon retorted unhappy with a cold voice, “Do you question the authority of Duke Ryan? As the Duke, it’s his job to supervise the mine, and he appointed the nobles to do it in his name. But now Roland had taken all the houses of the nobility for himself, which is openly pitting himself against the six Families, Duke Ryan will never stand by and only look as he does as he pleases.”
“You’re speaking about the man who hanged Dimitry Hill?” Petrov didn’t know when Rene came over, “My father has been furious.”
“Young Lord,” Simon said greeting him with a salute, “It is exactly that man, and now he is behaving even more wildly. I’m afraid that only Duke Ryan can stop the Prince, and I hope that you will convey this issue to the Duke.“
“Don’t worry, even with or without this matter, Duke Ryan is already prepared to play his cards.” Rene seemed not the least bit concerned about the future, “It is for exactly this matter that I’ve come back, it is just that at this moment my eldest brother is still in the King’s City setting his name under a trade contract, so at the moment only I can lead the Elk Family.”
“Really? That’s great,” Simon said happily.
Petrov frowned, he himself knew that since the moment he came to deliver the trade offer and the Prince chose to stay for the Winter in Border Town, that such a day would come sooner or later. But he had never expected that his own friend would be fighting in this battle. Despite all the onlooking eyes, he pulled Rene directly to his side, trying to discourage him: “You shouldn’t go to battle, that is a Prince you’re fighting.”
“I know he is a prince, the Prince of the Mountain,” Rene patted on Petrov’s shoulders, “Rest assured, Duke Ryan will not hurt the Prince, maybe just as in the past he will surrender when he meets resistance. Even if he wants to resist, as long as we launch an attack on our horses, those farmers and miners will scatter. The 4th Prince has never brandished a sword or spear, I think he won’t even manage to cut a hair.”
No, I was worried that you would be hurt by him... But he was unable to say it, he knew that the others would never believe him, because even for himself it was still difficult to believe. The Prince can only rely on farmers and miners, while the Duke can rely on knights. I do not know why, but my heart becomes uneasy when I think about it.