Field was dumbfounded. What the hell was wrong with this guy?
"Fuck!" Field was thoroughly pissed off.
Kao, his steward, shrank back. This was what he had wanted to say when he had hesitated earlier: Baron Bull and his son were both rotten people.
"Wait! You're the Baron of Nightfall Territory? Wonderful! At last, someone can serve as a buffer for my fortress. I hope you survive a few extra days! But don't come bothering me when the rotting corpses chase you. I won't open the gates for you."
After his adviser reminded him, the man on the wall remembered Field. Unfortunately, all he could think of was using Field as a strategic buffer for Ka Mountain Fortress.
The steward couldn't take it anymore. He leaned closer and whispered, "Baron Bull's only son, Richard Bull, is known as the Coward. We'd better stop talking to him."
"You're absolutely right. There's no point arguing with an idiot." Veins bulged on Field's forehead as he slowly backed away. "So this is how everyone wants to play it? Fine. I won't hold back either."
"Open the gate to Nightfall Territory yourselves! It's perfectly safe there." With that, Richard retreated into the castle. "Now get out of my sight! Filthy outsiders."
Beside him, the adviser wiped away his cold sweat and said to Richard, "Young master, deceiving them like this-isn't that..."
"Shut up!"
After retreating some distance, Field asked everyone to wait a moment.
"Now I know why there are rotting corpses here." The corner of Field's mouth twitched as he straightened the sword at his waist. "Fortunately, the Orcs are also blocked by the Gray Fog and bound by the Peace Treaty. Otherwise, the defensive line the empire prides itself on most would be a joke."
"Well, esteemed lord... we won't trouble you any further." The villagers gathered around, awkwardly nudging one another. They didn't want to get on his bad side; Baron Field looked furious. In the end, they still didn't dare simply run away, instead pushing someone forward to say goodbye. "We'll be leaving now. Thank you for your help."
Field was still seething. Although he had been born in modern society, that didn't mean he would let people walk all over him. His eyes lowered, and he looked like a vicious wolf ready to devour someone as he snapped in a low, cold voice, "Did I give you permission to leave? Your lord abandoned you. You have no master now, so I've taken you in."
Just what I needed-free labor.
"What? No, please, my lord, let us go! We're Freemen!" The villagers were utterly unwilling. From what Richard had just said, Field was heading to Nightfall Territory, a Cursed Land filled with death. Going there meant certain doom.
"I can let you go. Five gold coins to buy your freedom. I saved you, and that's what I'm owed." Field drew his sword without hesitation. "Either come with me to Nightfall Territory or pay up. Otherwise, I'll chop you into mince and feed you to the dogs. Do you hear me?"
"Phew... looks like he really is a noble after all."
Ashina, standing nearby, actually sighed in relief. Field's gentleness and kindness over the past few days had felt deeply unfamiliar to her, leaving her with the constant illusion that she was living in a dream. Now that she saw him displaying a noble's vicious, shameless ways, she immediately felt more at ease.
Much like Ashina, these villagers seemed to find this treatment oddly satisfying. Once threatened, they became obedient, dropping to their knees and clamoring to go to Nightfall Territory. They would die whether they went or stayed, so they might as well try their luck.
"You only behave when you're bullied."
Field sheathed his sword and covered his face helplessly. Fists are always more persuasive than words.
"My lord, don't give up!" Seeing that Field was unhappy, Ashina cautiously approached to comfort him.
Field glanced at her and froze. Only after he had stared long enough for Ashina to look frightened did he snap out of it and hastily smile. "I'm fine. I just spaced out."
They continued forward. When Field approached the fortress gate, the mass of skull icons on the Mini-Map startled him.
"This is what Richard called a safe gate?"
That damned idiot took my money and did nothing, and now he wants to ambush me with rotting corpses. If I charge through the fortress gate without checking, the corpses hiding inside could easily catch me off guard.
Field was annoyed, but an idea soon struck him. He kept rubbing his chin with his fingers. "Since Baron Bull's idiot son is holed up in the inner castle and has abandoned the outlying positions, doesn't that mean I can make a killing? Nobody will see me anyway."
Field acted as soon as the thought occurred to him. He was no saint.
To hell with propriety, honor, and shame. There's no reason to be nice to these bastards! I should rob them blind-take their money, grain, and women.
Field flicked his cloak. "Kao, do you remember the people who dared pick up weapons and fight back against the rotting corpses? Gather all of them. If there are fewer than thirty, make up the numbers with strong, able-bodied men."
Though timid, Kao was reasonably efficient. Soon, thirty slaves of different races had been assembled.
"Before that, there's someone who ought to be eating horse shit, and he's getting in the way." Field glanced at Connor in the distance, whose expression was grim.
"Valiant Knight Connor, although this isn't my fief, as a noble of martial virtue, I intend to help the farmers here by killing the rotting corpses. Would you like to join me?" Field came up with a bullshit excuse.
Is he insane? Connor was dumbfounded. He had lost one of his men fighting the rotting corpses.
He was still fretting over the compensation payment. Now this idiot baron actually wanted to help someone else quell the corruption tide. He could hardly believe his ears.
"No. I've already escorted you to the border of Nightfall Territory. You're only one gate away now. I must return to the Count and report." Connor refused firmly. As he spoke, he couldn't suppress his amusement and burst out laughing. "Sorry, but I think you'd be better off taking pigs to attack the rotting corpses than this rabble. At least the pigs could stuff them full."
Field looked deeply disappointed. "All right. I thought you might join me in sharing the glory."
"Don't forget Imperial Law and your Family Doctrine. Take up your post on time."
Leaving that warning behind, Connor galloped away with his cavalry. Field didn't even have time to remind him that he hadn't eaten his horse shit yet.
"Are we really going to provoke the rotting corpses?" Kao asked shakily.
Field hadn't expected his steward to fight anyway. He waved a hand. "Just stay here and watch the slaves. Don't let them run. If anyone tries to escape, use the Slave Contract to burn him to ashes."
He said it loudly enough to leave the slaves trembling in terror.
Kao, however, felt as though he had been granted a pardon.
After forcing the slaves to equip themselves with sickles, pitchforks, and logging axes, Field left with Ashina.
After walking for ten minutes, Field slipped into an unoccupied patch of woods. Using the Mini-Map that came with his lord abilities, he carefully confirmed that nobody was nearby, then took a beautiful crystal ball from the pack on the right side of his warhorse.
Ashina's panel had changed. He had spaced out earlier because he had been making sure his eyes weren't deceiving him.
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