Translator: Cinder Translations
...
Upon hearing the car driver's plea, the three soldiers with long swords showed no signs of emotion. They merely exchanged glances, and the oldest among them stepped forward toward the kneeling car driver and standing Liszt.
This man was tall and robust, dressed in chain mail, with a thick beard. His deep-set eyes sparkled with intensity, indicating he was a formidable warrior.
As he approached the car driver and Liszt, he spoke slowly, "Gentlemen, please don't be nervous. We are just passing through this place."
However, Liszt instinctively felt that the man was tense, as if he was readying himself to attack, akin to a leopard preparing to spring upon its prey.
Just as the situation seemed to be heading in a bad direction, Liszt made a quick decision, raising his voice to risk being discovered by the church troops outside the woods, saying:
"I am the envoy of Earl Paul Grayman, the lord of Aldor!"
Lord! Earl!
These two terms instantly intimidated the bearded man who seemed about to make a move, in Liszt's perception.
He appeared to hesitate, and one of his companions, seeing his uncertainty, growled, "Raja, no one knows we passed through here."
The companion glanced at Liszt, "Except for these few people."
"Shut up, you fool!"
The bearded man named Raja shot a glare at his companion. They had never experienced the pain of noble retribution; what if this man was a trusted confidant?
Liszt's heart raced. From their dialogue, he could almost conclude that Raja intended to eliminate him and the car driver.
He struggled to calm his racing heart, maintaining a composed expression—he even admired his own strong will.
"I was sent by Earl Grayman to discuss a business deal for his family in Yebu, but I encountered chaotic soldiers on the way."
He "casually" pulled a scroll of parchment from his pocket, stating, "This is my credential! If you don't believe me, you can check the contents on it."
Then, he handed the parchment to the bearded warrior.
Indeed, it was a form of identification, a document created by Paul mimicking a passport from his previous life. It requested local rulers to extend courtesy to merchants from the Northwest Bay, bearing Grayman's family crest.
Of course, this world did not yet have the international system of his past life; the primary function of this document was merely to prove that the holder was from the Northwest Bay, leaving the local ruler's willingness to show Grayman favor entirely up to their mood.
Liszt was gambling—he was betting on whether the bearded warrior and his companions could read and whether he could intimidate them with a noble crest.
In truth, he had little hope; the bearded warrior's companion seemed unconcerned about eliminating a noble envoy—if no one was watching. If it weren't for the slim hope supporting him, Liszt would have already collapsed.
"The decorations around this crest are indeed the style of Aldor nobles! He is truly an envoy."
The bearded warrior, well-versed in such matters, recognized the noble crest, but Liszt was correct—he couldn't read and did not discern the contents of the parchment.
How naive! Liszt thought to himself.
"I have heard of Paul Grayman's name."
The bearded warrior said.
"Oh? You've heard of my lord?"
"Yes, two years ago, I was an adventurer making a living in Niceport, and I heard from my peers that a warrior under Earl Grayman rescued Duke Eaton's sister-in-law from a wolf disaster."
"Ah? Is that so?"
This was the first time Liszt had heard about this incident.
"May I ask your name?"
"Friedrich Liszt, just call me Liszt."
"Very well, Lord Liszt. We… we truly were just passing through here… as you can see, we…"
The bearded warrior's previously tense demeanor relaxed, but he began to stutter as he spoke.
"Alright, I know who you are now. Please rest assured, I won't speak carelessly. I swear to my lord and to the Father above."
Liszt raised his right hand solemnly and said.
From their attire, it was clear that these three were likely fleeing soldiers from Yebu.
The bearded warrior's face turned slightly red, "I apologize for the inconvenience, but… we just didn't want to become captives in a hopeless battle and then be enslaved."
His expression turned to one of rage, "The lord of Yebu, that coward, when he learned that the church army had appeared outside the city, fled using the pathetic excuse of hunting, abandoning his citizens and the loyal soldiers still serving him."
"When I heard this news, I felt that my earlier oath had been trampled upon, so I took my two brothers and left."
As he finished speaking, the warrior named Raja spat on the ground with disdain.
"Uh… I understand your feelings at that time. Of course, in my opinion, your actions are entirely justified, after all, that lord broke the pact first."
What else could Liszt say? He was merely trying to stroke the warrior's ego.
Just as he was about to ask when he, the car driver, and his wife could leave, the warrior named Raja suddenly asked, "Sir, where are your guards?"
Guards? What guards do I have?
Liszt's face immediately took on a look of sorrow, revealing no trace of surprise or panic.
"They sacrificed themselves to protect me. Alas… not everyone is as reasonable as you, Mr. Raja. I will definitely tell Earl Grayman upon my return and request vengeance."
His sorrowful expression quickly shifted to one of determination.
"Well then…"
Raja proposed something that surprised Liszt greatly:
"If you are in need of guards, you can hire us three to provide you with security."
"Ah?"
…
In the autumn of the year 1995 in the Holy Calendar, the War of Horns Bay finally broke out. The Horns Bay Church labeled the coastal nations as heretics, accusing them of blasphemy against the divine and assassinating high-ranking church officials. They organized a crusade led by the inland nation of Collins to attack the coastal countries, vowing to restore faith in that region.
In retaliation, the coastal nations declared that they only recognized the emerging new sect as the true representatives of the Lord of Light. They formed the New Faith Army, led by the Horns Bay Alliance, to counter the crusading forces of the Horns Bay Church.
Having foreseen the inevitability of war, the Horns Bay Alliance, well-prepared, organized a powerful army of 15,000 troops equipped with advanced gear within a month after the assassination incident. They stationed at the borders to prevent an invasion by the church army and planned to join forces with the coastal allied nations to continue their offensive into the church's territory, advancing directly towards Collins.
However, no one expected that the crusaders would initiate the war unannounced, brazenly invading several neutral small nations located in the northern part of Horns Bay. They used these countries' territories to extend their reach into the northern coastal nations, which had previously been unconnected—territory of the New Faith Army.
These northern coastal nations had done almost no defense against the crusaders due to their distance and were also missing part of their armies, which had departed to join the Horns Bay Alliance. Faced with the "invitation" attack from the crusaders, they quickly found themselves in a dangerous situation.
The War of Horns Bay began with a perplexing twist.
(End of the Chapter)
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