Chapter 229
Chapter 229: It’s Time for Me to Take Everything. (3)
Kaaang!
Jurgen deflected Bernap’s sword coming straight at him and blocked Caleb’s sword lunging in from the side.
But they weren’t the only ones charging in.
Buuuung!
Ulkhan’s steel mace aimed at his legs. Jurgen immediately tried to draw his sword.
Kakak!
But his blade got caught in Caleb’s sword breaker, preventing him from withdrawing it in time. Naturally, his body reacted slowly as well.
Kwaaang!
“Grrh!”
Jurgen staggered from being hit on the shins. He pulled up his mana to defend himself, but it felt like his bones were breaking.
Having exhausted himself fighting Bernap, he surely couldn’t defend properly.
Still, the title of the Greatest Sword of the North was not just for show. He wouldn’t fall easily at this level.
“How dare you!”
Kwadizk!
Jurgen shattered the jagged edge of the sword breaker wrapped in mana and twisted his own sword free. Even Caleb, usually expressionless, took a step back, slightly impressed by the display of strength.
But there was still one more opponent Jurgen had to contend with.
Fwoosh!
“Gah!”
As Jurgen struggled to regain his posture while being attacked from both sides, Conrad’s rapier pierced his neck at lightning speed.
“Th-these bastards… grrgh!”
But Jurgen, possessing immense mana, wouldn’t die easily just from being pierced by a rapier.
He swung his sword up again to try and kill one of them, but Caleb had already drawn his dagger and repeatedly stabbed Jurgen’s neck.
Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!
“Gah, kuuh!”
The faces of the onlookers in the banquet hall turned pale as they watched Caleb stab Jurgen’s neck without any change in expression.
“Hey, clear the way! I’m swinging my mace!”
Ulkhan shouted, raising his steel mace high, causing Caleb to back up.
With gritted teeth, Ulkhan brought his mace down squarely onto Jurgen’s head.
Kwaaaang!
With a tremendous sound, Jurgen’s head was shattered in an instant.
Thud!
Jurgen’s corpse, which had stumbled slightly, collapsed onto the floor.
A complete silence enveloped the banquet hall. No one dared to speak.
Jurgen, the Greatest Sword of the North, was the pride of Raybold and a symbol of might.
He was known to be able to handle a hundred knights simultaneously. Only such an individual could be called the greatest sword of a region.
Indeed, Jurgen had a record of single-handedly slaying dozens of knights in various conflict zones.
And yet, he had been hopelessly killed by a trifling ambush from some beggars brought along by Amelia.
All that, by just three of them, without even exchanging many blows. It all happened so quickly that the other knights had no chance to intervene.
And Bernap, who had retreated slightly from the three’s intrusion, wore a glum expression.
‘I’ve exhausted myself for nothing…’
This was supposed to be an opportunity to impress Amelia, but once again he missed it. All that effort for naught.
Seeing Bernap pouting slightly, Amelia shook her head.
She knew exactly what he wanted. How remarkable it was that his innermost thoughts were so blatantly visible—if that’s a strength, it’s also a weakness.
“Well done, Bernap. Good job.”
At Amelia’s praise, Bernap’s face lit up instantly.
‘I was the first to get praised, so that means I’ve won.’
Caleb, Ulkhan, and Conrad had no thoughts in their heads as Bernap was the only one getting worked up over the victory.
For Bernap, victory was always determined by who could impress Amelia more, not who killed Jurgen first.
As long as he received the first praise, that was enough. That meant he was the best.
Amelia glanced at Jurgen’s corpse and murmured.
“Phew, we’ve finally killed the most bothersome man. I wonder why he didn’t believe we could handle matters ourselves.”
She had a thorough understanding of Jurgen’s skills and little habits, meticulously devising the optimal strategy. It was only because Harold didn’t trust her that she couldn’t step in.
Harold, not fully aware of the capabilities of her followers, couldn’t be blamed. The likes of Bernap had been separately gathered by Amelia.
The only useful follower he knew was Ulkhan, who once was a particularly infamous bandit.
“Now, shall we clean up?”
Amelia leisurely surveyed the terrified people huddled together.
Count Raybold, shocked by Jurgen’s death, had collapsed while the Guard Knights preparing for battle had also lowered their swords.
It’s over. Now that Jurgen, their last hope, was dead, no one in this place could leave alive without Amelia’s permission.
She nodded to Bernap.
“Sort them out. Make sure the guests are sent off safely and courteously.”
Amelia’s soldiers, under Bernap’s command, began gathering those they would spare to a corner of the banquet hall.
The powerless daughters of the Count, some officials, and the noble guests invited from other territories surrendered.
Count Raybold was dragged out, tightly bound.
“Let me go! You insolent wretches! I am the master here! It’s me! The one you should be loyal to is not that girl, but me! I will never forgive this! My army and vassals are watching with their eyes wide open. I will definitely kill you all!”
Even as he yelled, the knights and soldiers held Count Raybold firmly with impassive expressions.
Now, those remaining in the banquet hall were the retainers who once wielded power, commanders of the attending army, and the Count’s sons and relatives who fell within his line of succession.
As she raised her hand slightly, the soldiers quietly surrounded them. The remaining people turned pale and cried out.
“P-please spare us! Amelia!”
“You can’t do this! We are family!”
“Lady! Please spare me! I pledge my loyalty! I will follow you unconditionally!”
Despite their desperate pleas, Amelia didn’t even blink.
The moment her hand dropped…
Papapapack!
The soldiers simultaneously fired an overwhelming number of crossbows. The sharp projectiles pierced the bodies of those caught off-guard without restraint.
“Uaaagh!”
With screams filled with pain, everyone collapsed. It didn’t take long for them to stop breathing.
The floor of the banquet hall became stained red with their spilled blood. Meanwhile, those lucky enough to be spared trembled, shrinking away.
“U-uhm…”
Count Raybold watched the scene, dumbfounded.
“Ugh, ugh…”
He could hardly speak, groaning helplessly. His legs felt weak, as if he would collapse, but he couldn’t even do that.
The soldiers held him securely, not allowing him to sit.
Amelia approached Count Raybold and looked into his eyes.
“You, you… you…”
Count Raybold struggled to form coherent thoughts, in shock.
In an instant, he had lost his throne to a daughter he had never cared for. Even his loyal retainers had been killed. The Greatest Sword of the North, who always protected him, was dead.
He couldn’t believe if this was even real. How, how could such a thing happen!
It must be a dream, a nightmare for sure.
“You… you…”
He thought he could let it go, thinking his well-behaved and respected daughter had no intention of marrying.
After breaking off his engagement with Ghislaine Perdium, it became hard to find a new match due to his age, yet he believed her talent at pacifying the territory residents would still benefit the family.
But to discover all of that was an act! That she had been preparing to take his place!
Had he known, he should have married her off to a lower family long ago.
“You… you dare…”
He wanted to curse and heap insults, but the words wouldn’t come out. Something was stuck in his throat, preventing any words from escaping.
“Ugh…”
They say power is not shared, even with children.
Losing his throne to a daughter he had looked down upon was more painful and shocking than the deaths of his sons or loyal retainers.
Filled with rage, red-eyed, and even frothing at the mouth, he looked at Amelia, who merely remained silent.
It was as if she were contemplating something, staring at Count Raybold for a long while, before finally uttering a single short command.
“Take him away.”
“Ugh! You! You!”
As he was dragged away in a pitiful state, Count Raybold turned his head to glare at Amelia.
She caught his gaze and seemed to remember something as she spoke.
“Oh, wait a moment.”
The soldiers halted in their tracks. Count Raybold continued to glare at her as if he wished to kill her.
Amelia reminisced about the happy memories she once had with her father.
— Daddy! Daddy!
— Oh, my most beloved daughter has come!
When Amelia was still small, the Count would lift her up and embrace her tightly, rubbing his cheek against hers.
They had looked into each other’s eyes like this before.
Looking into her father’s eyes, she recalled the words he had said while smiling back then.
With the same smile as before, Amelia spoke the words again.
“Happy birthday, Daddy.”
Today was Count Raybold’s birthday.
*
“Uaaagh!”
“Please spare me!”
The massacre of the night didn’t just happen in the banquet hall. The military commanders who hadn’t attended the feast were ambushed and killed or captured for execution.
The vassals and officials fared no better. Anyone with the potential to oppose Amelia or who had looked down on her was systematically exterminated.
The vacancies were filled by those loyal to her.
As the new sun rose and morning broke, the lord of Raybold had seamlessly switched to Amelia.
And upon hearing the news, the territory residents began to swarm into the streets and cheer.
“ Waaah! The lord has changed!”
“Lady Amelia is our new Count!”
“I pledge my loyalty!”
The people truly rejoiced.
Amelia was someone highly respected by the territory residents. She always thought of them, helping those in need for a long time.
Recently, she had generously distributed food to those suffering from famine. Food she had stockpiled at a low price thanks to Ghislaine.
Naturally, Count Raybold and the vassals scolded her.
— How dare you use such precious food for those lowly folks! Bring it all back and store it in the territory’s granary immediately!
— This is my property, and I will use it as I see fit. The territory residents must be cared for; that is how a territory remains.
— How dare you speak so brazenly before me! Confiscate all of Amelia’s food supplies at once!
Count Raybold forcibly seized all the food Amelia had gathered. Little did he know, that was merely a fraction of what she had amassed.
This incident spread throughout the territory in a flash, as if someone had deliberately circulated rumors.
Food distributions ceased soon after, but the residents cursed Count Raybold, not holding any resentment toward Amelia. Instead, they praised her for going against her father’s wishes to look after them.
Amelia rode through the territory in a splendid and expansive carriage typically used for parades, generously distributing food once again.
The people cheered even more passionately. They genuinely welcomed the change in lordship.
Watching her smile kindly, Bernap couldn’t help but marvel.
‘What an enigma. Sometimes she seems like a demon, other times like an angel… Ah, what am I thinking! Of course, she’s an angel!’
Bernap slapped his own cheek several times, chiding himself for his disloyal thoughts.
Among the crowd surrounding the carriage, a young girl waved a flower necklace excitedly.
Upon seeing this, Amelia stopped the carriage and approached her.
“Did you bring that for me?”
“Yes!”
The girl nodded vigorously, her face beaming with excitement.
“Thank you so much. I’ll cherish it.”
Amelia placed the flower necklace around her neck and gave the girl a warm hug. The necklace was rather shabby and unremarkable, but Amelia treated it as if it were a precious gem.
“Waaah! That’s definitely Lady Amelia!”
Nyaang!
The cheers from the crowd grew even louder. Amidst the raucous atmosphere, Amelia smiled brightly, but her eyes remained cold and sunken.
‘Where could that beggar be? Where is he hiding?’
There was a small issue during the aftermath of the ‘banquet.’
After inspecting the bodies of those who had died at the feast, Amelia realized that the corpse of Duke Davin was missing.
Surely Davin’s carriage was present in the lord’s castle. Therefore, she simply assumed he would also be in the banquet hall, yet not only was Davin missing, but his personal guard and servants were nowhere to be found either.
While feeling uneasy, Amelia concealed her worries and completed her parade. For the time being, she intended to traverse various locations to soothe the public sentiment.
Although she had built up her reputation for a long time, it was essential to firmly establish that the lordship had changed.
After finishing the event and returning to the lord’s castle, Amelia ripped the flowers from her neck and shouted.
“Davin! Have you found Davin?!”
“I’m sorry. We still haven’t located him…”
Bernap answered, flustered.
Initially, he thought he might have just gone to the restroom or the garden for a secret rendezvous. He believed he couldn’t escape since the area surrounding the lord’s castle was surrounded.
However, no matter how much they searched, there was no trace of him.
Amelia scowled angrily and commanded.
“Find that bastard and bring him before my eyes immediately.”
Nyaang!
“Understood.”
Having been scolded again, Bernap sulked and began searching the entire territory.
Caleb’s smuggling group, Ulkhan’s bandits, and Conrad’s merchant group all dedicated themselves to finding Davin.
As a grand noble of the north, Count Raybold had many personal connections and public alliances. He would need to redefine relationships with them and renegotiate with the vassals who held territories.
In such a situation, if news spread that Davin was alive, it could become extremely troublesome. After all, the kingdom wasn’t keen on women inheriting titles.
But whether he had sunk into the ground or flown into the sky, they simply could not find him.
Amelia’s followers traced Davin’s whereabouts, gathering information. It wasn’t until several days later that they finally discovered a lead.
Upon learning of Davin’s whereabouts, Bernap’s expression hardened as he murmured.
“Is that where he is? Why? I distinctly heard that he declined the banquet… Wait, could it be?”
Davin had left the territory already, over a month prior, setting up a decoy in his place.
At the very moment Bernap confirmed Davin’s whereabouts, Ghislaine smiled at the trembling individual before her.
“I’ve just saved you.”
