Putting Up a Front

Dark clouds blanketed the sky. Sunlight pierced through them, gilding the outline of the manor. The autumn wind was cool, yet it brought no freshness—only oppression.

The clouds seemed to be brewing something, much like the stifling Tervain Village. Though the vast manor housed more than fifty men and women, it was almost entirely lifeless.

"A torrential rain is coming!"

Old Adam shut the arrow slits of the fortified manor, cutting off Ergons's view outside.

"Your faked death may indeed fool the main family. Sir Davis's parents died early, so this identity is usable, but the young and old in the village are truly grieving!"

Ergons left the desk and stirred up the banked fire in the hearth before saying lazily, "I wanted them to show genuine emotion. Otherwise, do you think everyone is a master actor? Could they fool the eyes of someone who was watching closely?"

Adam did not understand what a master actor was, but he habitually skipped unfamiliar words. "Sir Davis, but those two attendants are dead. We still need to handle our connection with the main family carefully."

"Don't worry. They're too busy dealing with their own mess to come looking for trouble with us."

He was right about that. Though he had not assassinated Baron Tervain that night, burning the provisions, stealing all the military equipment, and releasing the prisoners had dealt a devastating blow to a military stronghold like Tevalinburg.

What the Baron had to worry about was no longer merely Tervain Village.

After suffering such a disaster, not only had the normal operation of the barony been severely affected, but a major plan involving important figures above and the County of Tervain had also been disrupted.

Conveniently located as a military fortress, Tevalinburg had originally been meant to provide supplies and equipment to people from the County of Tervain. Now, everything was gone.

Fortunately, this had been a gradual, long-term undertaking. Infiltration could not be accomplished overnight, so the lost supplies and materials could still be slowly replenished.

What had been stolen in greater quantity were the Baron's private collections.

And what he had lost was not merely piles upon piles of standard-issue weapons, but also the fine pieces displayed on more than a dozen weapon racks.

There were knight swords clearly intended for people of different builds, Star-shaped Maces suited for striking from horseback, military hoes, various lances for fighting ground forces...

There was the German Sword, the Shepherd's Scimitar, the One-handed Sword, the Two-handed Sword, the Hand-and-a-half Sword, the warrior's longsword, the Knight's Longsword, the Sword of War... At the time, all kinds of armor had filled more than a dozen racks.

These could practically be called the wealth accumulated by generations of Barons Tervain!

And now, they were all piled in Ergons's study.

The stolen treasures that had kept the current Baron Tervain awake night after night were being sorted out by Ergons with his foot as if they were cabbages picked up for free.

"Fortunately, our duchy has open terrain and is best known for its heavy cavalry. As a result, every adult man knows how to ride. Though none of you seven are knights, even if you can't charge like one, you can still ride to travel."

As if distributing heaps of goods, he gave each of the seven men a full suit of armor and knightly weapons that only noble knights could equip.

Once they had all put them on, Ergons sold the equipment of five militiamen and upgraded all six militiamen into Tewarin Light Infantry.

Not only did he spend no gold coins, he even earned a sum from recycling the equipment.

During the day and a half since returning, he had used all his Level 1 Permits to add experience. Though it was still not enough to level up, he was close.

He also used his remaining two Level 2 Permits to add experience to those six militiamen.

There were only two days left until the next month. By then, the Level 2 Permits would refresh as well, so it was important to exchange them for some immediate combat power now.

These six Tewarin Light Infantry, equivalent to Swadia's level-four troops, the Swadian Infantry, should originally have been equipped with 42-defense chainmail and 32-defense flat-topped helmets. Most would wield Hand-and-a-half Swords with shields. Their Attributes were fairly strong, but their equipment was trash for their level.

Perhaps it was to balance the powerful surge in immediate combat strength that began with Swadia's level-five troops in the Swadian Formation, but Swadian infantry really were pathetic.

But things were different now. The worst among the six wore 46-defense dented coat of arms armor, 46-defense mail hauberks, identical 47-defense Protective Helmets, and 30-plus-defense mail boots. In terms of equipment, they had already come fully close to the standard of Swadian Sergeants.

Adamson in particular, that near-seven-foot-tall big oaf, wore 52-defense red sleeveless plate armor, a 52-defense Horned Helmet, 34-defense plate boots, and 11-defense ornate Plate Gauntlets. He carried a heavy spiked mace, a heavy lance, and a Two-handed Greatsword of War.

With that appearance, people would believe he was a mid-ranking noble with military merit.

Though Old Servant Adam was merely a crossbowman, he was not weak. Like the five young men, he wore Long Coat of Arms Armor, a Protective Helmet, Iron Greaves, and Chainmail Gauntlets, making him look like an old knight.

"Do you know why I dressed you all up like this?"

Looking at the seven men before him, Ergons felt that, in terms of appearance, the system troops strengthened by the Cheat System were indeed imposing!

"In three and a half days, the advance force from the County of Tervain will cross the Gobi Mudflats and arrive behind Tevalinburg, here with us. When that happens, your task will be to blend in among them.

After all, the people from the County of Tervain and Tevalinburg do not all know one another. Sir Davis said they had only ever been in contact and had never met.

From now on, before the people from the County of Tervain, you seven will be men of Tevalinburg working together with me, Sir Davis Tevalin.

Before the people of Tevalinburg, you will be people from the County of Tervain coming to make contact with me. In any case, Baron Tervain is too busy looking after himself right now. On this patch of Tervain Village, the eight of us knights have the final say."

"What if he sorts things out, young master?"

Adamson had not grown so large for nothing. Only he could ask such a stupid question.

Ergons rolled his eyes at him and said irritably, "Then I'll make him too busy looking after himself again."

"Oh, right. Remember to replace the heraldic emblems on this coat of arms armor. And rebrand the marks on the rumps of those twelve horses too. At the very least, don't let anyone recognize at a glance that they were taken from Tevalinburg."

After arranging for them to stay in the side rooms of the fortified manor for the time being and not appear around the farmstead where acquaintances might see them, Ergons returned to his desk and examined his Cheat System, considering his next plan.

Whether it was his own disguise or the appearance of his men, he had done a thorough job of putting up a front.

After all, no one would imagine that such a small village had the means to produce seven full sets of armor, weapons, and warhorses to dress up seven Fake Knights.

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