Chapter 78

A young nobleman with a tired face led a group of five cavalrymen who were visibly in a bad mood as they advanced on the rough road. Behind them were robust men who, despite their ugly burn scars, exuded vigor. In the center of these men was a carriage, in which rode the too-young viscount leading the group.

This was the party of Sora Kleinseilt.

Just a few days ago, Sora, who had been involved in a duel, was granted the title of viscount, and Chaff, who had been dragged into the situation, set out from the capital with their respective subordinates, finally stepping into the viscount's territory.

Sora, who had taken a part of the eastern area of the Kleinseilt territory along the southern coast of the kingdom from his father, the count, was in high spirits.

The count, too, probably disliked having his son, who was being held hostage, directly border his territory. He had made Sora's viscount territory a buffer zone.

"This is the Kleinseilt territory... I had heard, but the vegetation here is truly meager."

Gorge, the man with burn scars, looked around and voiced his impression. The visible trees were mostly black pines and cedars, with a few large oaks scattered among them.

Gorge observed the forest, which was composed of only three types of trees, with a puzzled look.

"The salt damage is so severe that it's hard to do anything about it. The sea breeze will make your hair all frizzy."

"Shave it off."

"It'll just make me look more like a monster."

"Maybe it'll give you some charm?"

Listening to the banter of Gorge and the other members of the Flame Corps, Chaff's subordinates clicked their tongues. They were a group of men with ominous appearances, different from the Flame Corps.

Clad in practical iron armor, they carried rugged spears nearly two meters long. Their stern faces, reminiscent of boulders, had sharp, hawk-like eyes that vigilantly surveyed their surroundings. They were the guards assigned to Chaff by the Count of Trainen, and their skills were well-known.

Seeing these guards, the nobles would have thought that the Count of Trainen did not trust Sora. But that was not the case.

Chaff let out a small sigh that no one could hear, a melancholic sound that dissolved into the winter air. He was remembering the night before they left the capital.

When Chaff was told the names of the guards by his father, the Count of Trainen, he could not hide his confusion. If his memory served him right, all five of the names mentioned were those of men with poor conduct.

While the Count of Trainen's domain army was known for its bravery, many of its members had volatile tempers. The problem with these particular men was that they were even more unruly. Their skills made them difficult to discipline, and they were troublesome soldiers.

Although they were strict and did not harm the citizens, they were not the kind of men one would want to bring to other territories.

"The reason for the defeat in the recent duel lies with you, Chaff."

The Count of Trainen stated this bluntly. Chaff nodded, acknowledging that despite having superior troops and numbers, the defeat was due to his own failure as a commander.

Seeing this, the Count of Trainen continued solemnly.

"There were issues with the command. However, we should not have lost even with that command."

"What do you mean by that?"

Chaff asked, puzzled by the Count's words. In response, the Count of Trainen threw him the list of guards and turned away.

"Figure it out yourself."

Chaff's doubts only grew, but they were dispelled when he heard the words of the royal guards who had come to see him off from the capital. If he had not lost heart, they would not have been stranded in the Flame Plains with Sora.

The outcome of the duel was determined by the trust between the commander and his subordinates. The willingness to risk one's life for this commander and these subordinates.

By assigning the poorly behaved guards to Chaff, the Count of Trainen was probably telling him to become a commander that these men would respect. In other words, the Count of Trainen believed that Chaff's safety was secure enough for this attempt, which suggested his trust in Sora and the Flame Corps.

In other words, his father had judged that Lord Sora was more capable than he was.

Since leaving the capital, Chaff had reached this conclusion countless times, and he shook his head weakly as if to dispel it. Chaff glanced at the carriage behind him.

Inside, the newly appointed viscount, Sora, was teaching something to a bear beastman and two beautiful young girls. From the occasional words he could overhear, it seemed they were reviewing the geography of the viscount's territory. Chaff had also memorized the names of a few towns in advance.

He dismissed the idea that Sora intended to have the two of them pretend to be officials.

As they continued, the surrounding forest began to change. The tree species shifted from black pines to cedars, and it was clear that human hands had been at work.

This was one of the few villages in the inland area of the Kleinseilt territory that engaged in forestry. Sora had chosen to travel by land rather than by riverboat to inspect this village.

Although the village had a population of less than two hundred, it was an important hub for rebuilding the viscount's territory, as Sora had told Chaff.

Still, the state of the village was much worse than he had heard. Chaff surveyed the village, his brow furrowed, and felt a wave of nausea from the thick aura of death mixed with the swirling winter wind.

An old man, his eyes unfocused, scratched various parts of his body wrapped in rags while muttering to himself. A skinny stray dog, its bones protruding, drooled as it crossed the road, and a homeless child, seemingly unmoved, killed the dog with a stone and dragged it into an alley.

A passing woman, perhaps for self-defense, carried a thick-bladed machete.

To Chaff, the people of this village looked like nothing more than ferocious beasts. It seemed to him that they lacked the order, sense of justice, and morality that made humans human.

"Welcome to my Kleinseilt Viscount Territory."

Chaff turned at the sudden voice. A small carriage had appeared next to him, and a diminutive boy had emerged from the driver's seat, casting a stern gaze over the village.

Chaff was speechless at the determined expression on the boy's face, as if he was determined not to miss or forget anything.

"Chaff, take a good look at this scene."

Sora commanded in a haughty tone, a sly smile on his face. The two girls behind him wore the same smile.

Sora declared with confidence.

"Three years. I will erase this scene from the viscount's territory in three years!"