On the city wall, Baron Kamora watched the approaching troops draw steadily closer. At their head, a rider carried a snapping bear banner that billowed in the wind.
"Is this your family army?" Baron Kamora asked.
"What did they go do?" Baron Kamora pressed.
Lorist smiled. "Teach a newcomer to Northland a bit of manners. He dared to conscript my messengers for forced labor, so I sent my men to hang him in front of his castle."
"Who?"
"A baron named Falade."
Baron Kamora furrowed his brow in thought. "I know that man. He's good with horses. He used to be the
Lorist looked at Baron Kamora with surprise. "Why did Duke Lugins let something like that slide? Doesn't he have authority over the Northland lords?"
"They were all new lords granted lands in Northland by the Second Prince. The Duke couldn't be too harsh for fear of offending the Prince." Baron Kamora shook his head. "The Duke said the old Northland lords never respected him anyway, so he might as well let the newcomers teach them a lesson. Whoever won or lost, they'd all have to pay their taxes and tribute. Anyone who refused would be destroyed. That way, the Second Prince couldn't complain."
"So the Duke is that afraid of the Second Prince..." Lorist chuckled. "No wonder every Northlander knows the Duke wanted to establish the Lugins Duchy in Northland but never made a move. So that was the reason. With that kind of nerve, he should just keep dreaming."
Baron Kamora fell silent, regretting his loose tongue. After only a few sentences, Lorist had already guessed the outcome.
"Lord Kamora, let's be frank with each other. As nobles, we must maintain our dignity. In truth, you should understand that the price Duke Lugins offered is an insult to any noble. I find it hard to fathom what that price is supposed to mean. Could you please tell me?" Lorist steered the conversation back to the ransom Duke Lugins had offered for Sir Henned.
"Sigh..." Baron Kamora let out a long breath. "Actually... the Duke didn't offer a ransom. What he offered was a transfer fee for handing over a criminal..."
The custom was this: if a criminal committed a crime in Count A's territory and fled to Viscount B's territory where he was captured, Count A could send men to bring the criminal back. In return, Count A would pay Viscount B a sum of money as a thank-you fee for the transfer. It was an unwritten tradition among territorial lords—a gesture of mutual support.
"Wait—what did you say? A transfer fee for handing over a criminal? What's that supposed to mean? Is Duke Lugins saying Sir Henned is a criminal?" Lorist's voice rose.
Baron Kamora nodded bitterly.
Lorist's eyes widened. "That's absurd! Is Duke Lugins trying to use this custom to save money? I've long heard the Duke values gold more than his own life and is utterly petty, but to think he'd resort to this to get his
"It's true. The Duke considers Sir Henned and those Silver Knights all to be criminals. He sent me here to bring them back for punishment..." Baron Kamora kept his eyes fixed on the ground, as though wishing a crack would open up so he could crawl into it.
"I don't believe it..." Lorist shook his head. "Unless your Duke has gone mad. Losing a battle makes you a criminal? There's no such logic in this world..."
*Ah, might as well tell him the truth,* Baron Kamora thought. *Sooner or later, word of the Duke's actions will spread across all of Northland. I was forced to come here and humiliate myself. I only hope this young new head of the
"It wasn't losing the battle. It was losing the Duke's money. That's why the Duke wants them punished," Baron Kamora said.
"Huh? They lost the Duke's money? What do you mean?" The more Lorist listened, the less he understood.
Baron Kamora gave a bitter laugh. "They conquered Northfield, didn't they? They looted goods worth two to three hundred thousand gold Forde. Then they failed, and that loot ended up in your hands. The Duke was furious. He considers that three hundred thousand gold Forde to be his money, and their failure to keep it was an unforgivable offense. That's why—he sent me to bring them back for punishment..."
*Damn, and he's using that kind of accounting?* Lorist was truly learning something new. "How would Duke Lugins know the value of the seized goods?"
"...hanged them as deserters. He also had Sir Chivani's estate seized and his family driven out onto the streets to beg..."
"That..." Lorist was dumbfounded. Duke Lugins had to be insane—there was no doubt about it.
Baron Kamora knew what Lorist was going to say. "The Duke also ordered Sir Chivani's body thrown into the mass grave to feed the stray dogs... but Sir Pateson has already secretly arranged to have the body collected and properly buried. We'll look after his family in secret. Once enough time passes and the Duke forgets about it, we'll arrange for them to leave Northland..."
"Your Duke is a severe paranoiac. Given how much he values money, he'll surely take his anger out on Sir Chivani's family eventually. He hasn't thought of it yet, but when he does, he might sell them to slave traders. You'd better arrange for their departure from Northland sooner rather than later," Lorist said.
That was indeed very likely to happen. In his madness, the Duke wouldn't care about others' opinions. If he did something like that, the Northland Corps would erupt in chaos. With Sir Pateson still around, things could be forcibly suppressed for now, but undercurrents of unrest were already rippling through the ranks. As the corps commander, Sir Chivani had always been fair and just, beloved by the soldiers. The Duke's treatment of the hardworking and loyal Sir Chivani had already angered many knights and soldiers. If his family were then sold as slaves, the consequences would be catastrophic—like pouring oil on a fire. A mutiny was entirely possible.
*My Duke, is there nothing in your eyes but gold? Without the Northland Corps, no amount of money will protect you!* Baron Kamora nodded at Lorist with genuine gratitude, resolving to handle the matter immediately upon his return—move Sir Chivani's family out as soon as possible, so his own conscience could rest easier.
"I feel Sir Chivani deserved far better. He was an outstanding commander. Though he was my enemy, I must acknowledge he was a brilliant Gold Knight. He did his best and gave everything he had. The Duke's decision to send him against my family was itself an irreparable mistake—it pitted him against an enemy he could not defeat. He didn't have to die. But in order to beg me to spare those soldiers who had massacred the people of Northfield, and to give the Duke an accounting, he deliberately chose to die at my hand in our duel. He was worthy of a knight's honor. In that regard, I truly admired him. He was a real knight," Lorist said.
"I believe Sir Chivani's only mistake was serving a Duke who is a madman. No sane person can reason with a madman—especially a paranoiac. Duke Lugins's actions have become a disgrace among the nobility. He is digging his own grave. I'm certain that even now, all he can think about is that three hundred thousand gold Forde, dreaming of snatching it back from my hands..." Lorist laughed and pointed at the troops still streaming into the city. "This is my family's armed forces. If the Duke wants his money, he'll have to ask them first..."
Looking at the troops below the wall, Baron Kamora was overcome with a tangle of emotions. He said nothing for a long while.
The four-thousand-strong expeditionary force had been completely annihilated. Baron Kamora had assumed the Norton family must have suffered grievous losses as well, but upon arriving at Stone Fortress, he discovered that the Norton family's strength seemed to have grown since last time. Armed guards lined the walls, hundreds of soldiers trained in the distance—all well-equipped in iron armor. More surprisingly, the Norton family still had the spare strength to send a force to punish a new lord who had detained their messenger. Baron Kamora could only smile bitterly—he had to admit the Norton family now had the power to go toe to toe with the Duke.
"My lord, we've carried out your orders. That Baron Falade has been hanged in front of his castle gate," Jossk reported after saluting.
"Any casualties?"
Jossk shook his head, and he and Wassima shared a grin, both clearly pleased.
"My lord, we had no casualties." Sedekamp stepped forward to report. "A few family soldiers weren't accustomed to long marches and took some tumbles from horseback. But Lord Jossk said a few more falls would teach them to stay in the saddle. Other than that, everything went smoothly."
"Tell me the details," Lorist said.
"My lord, we arrived at an opportune moment. When we got there, Baron Falade was facing off against a nearby viscount named Sikhem with several hundred men. Lord Jossk and Lord Wassima charged directly, and Falade's forces collapsed on the spot. Falade tried to mount his horse and flee, but Lord Jossk shot his mount with a single arrow and captured him. He was still defiant, claiming he was a favored courtier of the Second Prince and telling me to just wait and see. We ignored him, occupied his castle, and Ruehl and Mord personally hanged him on a wooden frame. Lord Wassima also erected a signboard beside the body, explaining the reason for his execution." Sedekamp gave a full account.
Lorist nodded with satisfaction. No casualties, mission accomplished—that was the best outcome.
"My lord, that Baron Falade was a pauper. We searched the entire castle and only found a little over three hundred imperial old-heads. But his horse ranch was decent—over four hundred horses, plus two flocks of sheep and several dozen cattle. There was one strange thing, though: Falade had built his castle in someone else's territory. His own lands were nothing but wilderness. That Viscount Sikhem later came to tell us that Falade had seized the estate of a Baron Shiledo. Everything there should have belonged to Baron Shiledo. Since Falade had kidnapped villagers from Sikhem's lands to build his castle, I returned Sikhem's people to him. The remaining thousand or so men, women, and children were Baron Shiledo's subjects, but we couldn't find Baron Shiledo—I heard his entire family had been killed by Falade. So I thought about it and brought them all back: the people, the horses, the cattle, and the sheep. The heavy junk in the castle I left for Viscount Sikhem to deal with." Sedekamp reported their spoils as well.
"Good, well done. Did you recover the remains of our family's messengers?" Lorist asked.
"We did. We cremated their remains and brought them back in clay jars," Sedekamp replied.
"Good. Tomorrow morning, we'll bury them in the Martyrs' Tomb. Ruehl and Mord have been running back and forth—go get some rest."
"Thank you, my lord," Ruehl and Mord said.
"Oh, and Sedekamp, have Pat go invite Sir Henned and the dozen or so captured Silver Knights to come here. Lord Kamora, let's settle this today. Let's retire to a room first—please," Lorist said.
Pat brought Henned and the dozen-odd Silver Knights who had surrendered and become prisoners to the city wall, filling Lorist's reception room to capacity.
When Sir Henned saw Baron Kamora, he was overjoyed and called out, "Lord Kamora! Has the Duke sent you to ransom us?"
Baron Kamora managed a strained smile in response.
Lorist clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention. "I'm sorry to bring you all bad news. The ransom price Duke Lugins offered is, in my opinion, unacceptable. I have therefore refused Lord Kamora's request."
The room erupted. Some Silver Knights said, "See? I knew the Duke was stingy. He must have offered a pathetically low price..."
Others said, "Lord Norton, just tell us the amount. Can we make up the difference ourselves?"
Still others guessed, "I'm sure the Norton family demanded an enormous sum..."
Sir Henned leaned close to Baron Kamora and whispered, asking how much the Duke had offered. But Baron Kamora remained tight-lipped.
"Please, everyone, quiet down..." Lorist called.
The room fell silent. All eyes turned to Lorist.
"I want to explain why I refused the Duke's ransom. The price he offered is an insult to your honor as knights, and an insult to our Norton family as well..."
"May I ask what the Duke's price was?" Sir Henned interrupted.
Lorist looked at him and pointed with his finger. "You—one hundred imperial old-head gold coins. And them—ten coins each."
"What did you say?" Sir Henned leapt to his feet. The rest of the Silver Knights were stunned. No one could accept such a price.
"Allow me to clarify—this isn't a ransom. It's a transfer fee for handing over criminals," Lorist said.
Sir Henned's eyes turned red. He spun to face Baron Kamora. "Is that true?"
Baron Kamora nodded with difficulty...
"Why? What crime have we committed? Are we criminals just because we were captured?" Sir Henned was gasping, his voice hoarse.
"Being captured doesn't make you a criminal. But the Duke believes you lost the seized goods from Northfield—goods worth three hundred thousand gold Forde. That makes your offense unforgivable, because the Duke considers that three hundred thousand gold Forde to be his money... Lord Kamora, shall you explain or shall I?" Lorist looked at Baron Kamora with an almost-smile.
Baron Kamora gave Lorist a complicated look and answered with resignation. "I'll explain."
He understood perfectly well that if he let Lorist do the talking, there was no telling what spin he'd put on things. Better to lay out the facts plainly so everyone knew the Duke was currently in a rage. *This trip should never have happened,* he thought, *but the Duke forced my hand.*
"...So Sir Pateson believes that you're safer staying with the Norton family than going back. Once the Duke calms down and cools off, we'll find a way to ransom you." It was the best consolation Baron Kamora could offer.
"There's no need for a ransom. I've decided to release you and restore your freedom—as a protest against Duke Lugins's insulting ransom offer. He may care only for money and not for noble dignity, but our Norton family believes that a knight's honor and dignity are inviolable. I will not hear another insulting price. So I declare: you are all free. Please go collect your equipment and mounts afterward. If you have squires, let us know. It's getting late, so I ask you all to stay one more night. You can depart tomorrow morning."
Lorist held out a bulging coin purse. "Lord Kamora, here are one hundred gold Forde. I'd like you to pass them on to Sir Chivani's family. This is my tribute to a true knight. Please do me this favor."
Baron Kamora looked at Lorist and finally let out a long sigh, reaching out to take the purse. "You've won, Lord Norton... I'll deliver this to his family."
...