Circumstances of a Fallen Lord

Chapter 86

Part 8: The villains are always after us.

 The day after departing, Morrison chased Luisen and Carlton and forcibly joined their party.

 According to Morrison, the church will send another inquisitor to the South to launch a full-fledged investigation; as soon as they find any new information, they promised to send that information to Luisen through Morrison. He promised that the church would protect the young lord, as long as he continued to be targeted by the demon worshippers. That was good news for the young lord. To be frank, he felt somewhat depressed about his next moves after they entered the royal castle.

The newly formed group, now accompanied by the inquisitor, headed for the capital. They passed the route most often used by those who crossed the riverjust as the young lord had done. That path was the shortest way to the capital.

    At first, Luisen was worried that his identity would be discovered, so they were originally going to make a huge detour through a deserted forest road. Instead of the relatively close east gate, he had thought about making a twisted path towards the south gate or even the far west gate. However, their plans changed as soon as Morrison joined their party. Now, they had learned of the enemys identity and that the enemy would be following Luisen; those men knew that the young lord was heading towards the capital. A detour wouldnt help them avoid a confrontation.

Like that, a few days passed. They moved during the day; during the night, they emulated the homeless by searching for a suitable place to sleep. At first, Luisen was worried that Morrison and Carlton couldnt escort him to the capital without fighting each other. He didnt know Morrisons real personality, and heretic inquisitors were known to be fanatics. The man was like a ticking time bomb.

Fortunately, excluding the pagan infidels, Morrison was a kind and caring man toward others. He was a consistently kind personjust like when Luisen first met him. So, the man didnt cause any trouble. When Carlton concluded that theyd need Morrisons help, the mercenary was no longer cranky. The two did not become close, but they worked together without much difficulty.

The three men guided their horses down the road.

 I thought Id be able to immediately catch sight of one of those men if I followed the Duke, but theres no hint of their presence, Morrison said, regretfully. He secretly expectedanticipateda demon worshipers appearance, but no one popped up.

Honestly, does he think that those guys just pop up wherever I go? Luisen thought about scolding Morrison, but the young lord kept his mouth shut in annoyance. He simply watched the scenery pass by silently, leaning into Carltons arms; drowsiness soon fell over him. He was nervous about riding a horse, but, as he got used to it, he was exhausted from merely sitting still. So, he began to fall asleep.

 You should just go to sleep.

Mhmm. There was nothing more dangerous than falling asleep on a horse, but Carlton was there. Luisen couldnt resist the temptation of sleep and leaned his head onto the mercenarys shoulder.

"

"

Carlton embraced Luisen tightly with his left arm so that the young lord would not shake around. In contrast to the chilly early winter air, the mercenarys body temperature was warm, and the young lord quickly fell asleep. The mercenarys subtle scent also comforted his mind.

Carlton drove his horse more carefully, so that Luisen wouldnt wake upit was a pity that the young lords sleeping face was hidden by the hood. Luisens sleeping face always had a solemn yet elegant auralike a snowy winters night. Very aesthetically pleasing.

 It seems he must have been incredibly tired, Morrison said as he saw that the young lord was now asleep.

Its inevitable. After leaving the ship, we were homeless. Carlton felt sorry for Luisen. A man who should have never known hardship in his life was now falling asleep on a trotting horse, tired from wandering. Even though the young lord must have been exhausted, he didnt show any signs of complaining. The mercenarys heart felt simultaneously warm and stiff.

He could stand to be a little bit more childish with me, at least.

 It was regretful, but Luisens poise held outthats the mans charm, though. Lets find an inn and rest early tonight.

 Thats what I was thinking. There was a small village marked on the map. Lets go there.

When all that needed to be said was finished, silence fell between the two. Usually, the conversation was maintained through the young lord as a mediator. Without Luisen, there was nothing more to say between the two of themother than about the schedule and their future plans, that is.

Carlton placed Morrison out of his mind and focused more on the young lord in his arms. The warm weight against his body; the pleasant scent that wafted off mans skin. The comforting feeling, body temperature, and his breaths. Every small thing was pleasing. It wasnt long ago that the noble would scurry away from him like a squirrel; now, when he thought about how the young lord trusted him to the point where Luisen was willing to be vulnerable while falling asleep This felt so refreshingly unfamiliar yet joyful.

As he luxuriated in his happiness, Carlton could feel a gaze from the side. Morrison was staring at him. Sometimes, the inquisitor looked at people without blinking, and Carlton found it a little creepy.

What are you looking at? Carlton said pointedly.

 Sir Carlton is quite pure despite his outward appearances.

What?

Nonothing. I hope that youll stay so beautifully in love for a long, long while.

Long, long while? Is he making fun of me? Carltons expression twisted with annoyance. However, there was a little noise out front. Carlton and Morrison placed their hands on their sword hilts, ready to fight at any time.

 A fairly wide stream flowed across the field; the current was strong and deep, so there was a bridge built to help travelers cross the stream. The bridge was sturdy and made out of stone, so even wagons could pass. There was a group of peoplethey appeared to be travellersgathered near the foot of the bridge. Three men in plate armor sat in the way.

Whats going on?

 Lets go and find out.

 As they approached closer, they could quickly see why the people had gathered.

 I am a knight who serves Viscount Boton. This bridge was built by the grace of the Viscount, so you cannot pass unless you pay the toll! The men standing on the bridge shouted.

So, the knights that were absent when monsters popped out or robbers attacked were stationed here, huh? Carlton snorted.

 Hey what is this Is that a highwayman? 1 The uproar woke Luisen up; the young noble yawned, completely relaxed. Because they ran into bandits at least once a day on the way here, he was no longer surprised at their appearance.

Public security north of the river was completely different from the South. Any form of stable security was completely destroyed during the main stage of the civil war. If one walks through the forest path, there will inevitably be monsters; if one walks on the road, highwaymen will appear. It was common for mercenaries to switch careers and become bandits after a war. Those who have lost their livelihoods often turned to thievery as well.

Because of this, the road had been blocked by bandits or monsters more than once. The average traveler would often choose to turn back or was left helpless, but Luisens party did not avoid them. Nor did they suffer defeat.

A villain who dreams of the worlds destruction is chasing from behind; they couldnt waste their time on some petty highwaymen. A blocked road can be opened through force. If a monster proved to be a roadblock, then the monster must die; if a robber blocks the road, then they can just kill the robber. Carlton and Morrison always jumped into the fray brilliantly.

Youre just going to pass them, right? We dont really have any place to go back to. Luisen looked around; he could see no other bridges.

 Of course. What great timingIve been feeling a bit annoyed. Carlton dismounted his horse and strode forth to the bridge, alone. Luisen got off the horse, thinking hed give his buttocks some rest while Carlton fought.

Just at that moment, a nearby merchant urgently spoke, Excuse me. Hes a part of your party right? Hurry and stop him! The men who took over the bridge are incredibly vicious.

Its alright. Theyre only some robbers.

No! Theyre not ordinary robbers! If you confront them now, youll needlessly court trouble later on. Besides, they wont let you pass peacefully even if you pay the toll!

You cant pass through even if you pay the toll?

Yes! As soon as you walk past them, theyll throw you into the stream and ask you to cross through them again. Then, at that point, theyll ask you to pay the toll again. Theyre so villainous, but We cant do anything about those knights!

So thats why you all were hovering about this bridge. Luisen was convinced, yet he didnt feel too much tension. Then, something the merchant said attracted his interest, But, are those people really knights? After all, just wearing plate armor doesnt make one a knight.

Theyre truly knights. A man named Viscount Boton employs them.

True knightshuh. Not everyone could become a knight. One had to come from a wealthy household, and they had to be highbornat least more than a mere commoner. As a child, they must be the squire of another knight, and they must go through a long training period.

Why are knights taking money from passersby? Luisen asked.

Its a knights job to defeat robbers but, instead, these knights are doing the robbing?

Why, dont you know that Viscount Boton abandoned his estate and ran away a few months ago? He was terrified, muttering about the aristocrat butcher or something like that.

Ah.

So there was another fool like himor at least like him before he had regressed.

Since the lord ran away, leaving behind the denizens of his estate as a shield, the knights have abandoned all morality and declared theyd find their own way, the merchant continued.

Luisen felt complicated as he looked at the knights. So this was what happened when a lord abandoned their territory; long-established tradition and all systems collapsed. The sword meant to protect peasants were then directed at innocents. By the way, you seem to know the situation well.

 Our feet have been tied here for three days now Rather than just lounging about, I looked into background matters instead.

Wouldnt it be better to search for another bridge or to turn around?

Theres no other bridge except for this one Theyve all been broken.

I see. Then, I think youll be able to cross today. Please wait a little longer. Luisen drank some water and took out a bag of peeled walnuts. He may as well eat while watching.

Honestly, Ive said that those men are real knights! How could one mercenary deal with three knights?! Theyre not going to cut him some slack, so hurry up and stop him!

 Its alright. That friend will take care of everything.

 Give me a walnut as well, Morrison said, stretching his hand out. Luisen gave Morrison some walnuts and, while he was at it, shared a few with the merchant as well.

"

"

TL: Luisens too used to enemies now, lolol, hes gotten snarky.

1. a robber that mostly steals from travelers.