"Quite bold of you to lay accusations randomly there, priest. It seems you are used to this kind of actions seeing it flow so naturally in your mouth. Tell me, how many innocent people have been persecuted just because you opened your stinking mouth? You even dared do that here in the lands of the Lady, really brave I must say." Mark said in a cold indifferent voice.
He did that as the knights camped nearby have noticed the situation, they might have been preparing to leave but they still must pay respects towards the local noble. Which is why the Paladin was seem going near the pits, thus Mark deliberately riled the priest as he didn't want to deal with his bullshit. So why not throw the problem to another group that was also religious.
The Paladin was close enough to hear the rant of the priest as well as the words Mark said after he drew his sword. His face was solemn as he also felt the way the priest ranted was practiced. He knew there were people from the empire who preach their teachings everywhere. But this seemed to bother him which was also noticed by the young Knights besides him.
What bothered him also is the appearance of Mark which was significantly different from yesterday's blood-soaked figure. Even the Young Knights besides him were surprised at the real appearance of Mark as he was mud clad yesterday so his features were not that noticeable. They were sure the noble ladies would flock once they heard of this, the bard from yesterday was also there drawing in a leather parchment furiously. He saw more things to brag in his songs once he travels the realm.
"Lord Mark, I am here to bid farewell. For there are more duties I have to fulfill to the Kingdom in supervising these young knights." The Paladin did not acknowledge the priest and his companions and went straight to Mark. Mark nodded towards the Paladin because even if the young knights were immature, he still needs to give respect towards a Paladin. They were known as the noblest of Knights there is and have proven themselves in the battlefield.
"I dare not hold Lord Paladin any longer, safe travels for your company and may the Lady Bless their journey with courage and wisdom." Mark said deliberately to show he won't care for a Sigmar Cultist and their boners for killing chaos beings.
"Your prayers give me hope Lord Mark, you're bravery yesterday has proven the Lady favors you. I shall not hold you any longer from you trophies of conquest." The Paladin hinted that the Beastmen on the pits were captives of Mark which made the Sigmarite silent.
The Paladin also noted that maybe there were similar accidents in the Kingdom so he felt the need to report this to his peers. Thus he turned around and left along with the young knights with him. One of them looked unsurely towards Mark direction which was the impatient knight yesterday as it seems he learned his lesson. But he was still quite childish as his new target of ire was the priest of Sigmar, it seems my words got to him of how these people might falsely accuse innocent people.
Mark smiled inside as he noticed the changes of the young knights as well as the priest's expression, he could defeat a group of fanatic idiots but that would serve no purpose other than earning the ire of the Cult of Sigmar. Thus he showed he was a worshipper of the Lady of the Lake and these beastmen were his prisoners of war from the words of the Paladin. He also gave them a target in their backs in the form of a young impetuous knight.
He took his sword back and stared at the priest coldly. Because even if he didn't want the trouble from the cult, it still alerted him how practiced this idiot was in putting crimes in a split second. Such things reminded him that even though that this was a religion of cleansing chaos, it was still unavoidable some gets corrupted in their journey.
Thankfully the knights of Brettonnia were not so easily to corrupt as their minds were all about chivalry and honor. Though some were too strict and hardheaded to be with but they in the end were a community driven by courage and bravery even if the enemy seemed impossible to defeat.
Mark then forgot about the priest as he went to the pits to see the captured Beastmen, who shivered in fear when they saw him. There was about 5 Gors, 20 Ungors, 13 Beast women who were captured in the edges of the town and the lone Minotaur which was still chain bound. He then called for the people of the town to slowly remove the barriers which they followed closely.
These were all seen by the priest who was still red in anger but he remained still as he knew he would have no way of getting to kill these beastmen and show them as his spoils to gain more contribution in the Church. That was why he was so excited to see the pits when he wandered with his flagellants earlier and thought that maybe they were caught in the hunters trap here but the hunters were too scared to kill them.
But he never thought he would be stopped by the people here as he always got what he wanted to do in the empire as soon as people saw his robes. He argued about how Sigmar had said to him to lay judgment upon these vile creatures of chaos yet these peasant denied him of that as they said these were slaves of someone called Lord Mark.
He never thought that he would meet a person which did justice to the title of 'Noble'. He was also caught off guard by the words of the Noble when he broke into a tirade of threats earlier. He knew he did questionable things in the name of Sigmar and hearing the accusations made him speechless as he panicked inside.
He knew from the looks of the Paladin that there might be problems for him in the future but he didn't know how to save himself once his actions were found by the people of Bretonnia. He then saw the Beastmen slowly get up from the pits and he saw that there was something large that also was pulled up from the pits. He didn't see it earlier as he only saw the heads of some of them and he immediately went to get some credit.
Then the priest eyes shone as he felt that was it, he should find ways to kill these creatures himself. Because even if they found his previous actions it would mean nothing if he could get to claim he cleansed these lands himself. Various thought ran through him mind as he waved to his men to follow him towards the other side of the hills.
Mark saw this and felt that the cultist gave up in their idiotic ideas. So he focused his attention towards the beastmen. He looked at the beastwomen who were ugly but didn't have that ferocious temperament of their male counter parts. He did read some small parts in the Wiki before that they tend to be shy and gentle creatures. He also saw the fear in their eyes which most likely from the Title effect.
"Listen here, I do not know if you could understand me but I know you understand that I now have the bigger fist here. Even that guy was bested by me and it would do you well to follow my orders or you will see my cruelty." Mark said it as a matter of fact as he wanted to show a fierce character towards the townspeople.
The Beastmen somehow understood as they looked at each other, they then nodded like they understood. The Minotaur perhaps was somehow glaring at him even if there were traces of fear in its eyes. It was no longer blood red which meant Khorne has rescinded his blessing from the beast. It now has a dark brown coat of fur with some wounds here and there from the cuts made by Mark's knives.
Such resilience made Mark feel if this guy could follow his orders then he'll have some extra muscle to command. Torgu was still a child and Mark intended to educate him first and foremost thus the need of someone to cover his roles. But seeing the remaining defiance of the beast made Mark think of a way to break it so it would be scared of him for life.
He let the townspeople take the other slaves to help in rebuilding as he ordered. But before that he needed to show more dominance, thus he started to take his coat off as well as his shoes and he was left with only the linen shirt as well as pants. The golem also appeared and took his clothes to fold an put in a clean boulder. Mark dismounted Gideon and went to an open area.
"To make sure all of you understand your places and won't dare to rebel I will give you beastmen a chance. Old Man Hans, release all the Gors from their bindings." Mark learned the name of the one armed old man.
"Are you sure milord?" Hans asked
"Yes" soon the old man has un-cuffed the Gors who looked confused.
"Here's your chance, you will fight against me barehanded and if you could land three blows even if it was just a scratch then you will be free. But if you dare to escape then you'll have him at your tails." Mark pointed to the Butler Knight who now rode Gideon.
The townsfolk gathered around too to see the spectacle when they heard the Noble was going to fight the Beastmen barehanded. The Five Gors looked at each other, then towards the Golem on the Horse. They then crouched down as they prepared to fight Mark seeing that he too was barehanded like them.