Chapter 229: It’s Time for Me to Claim Everything. (3)
Kaang!
Jurgen deflected Bernap’s sword coming straight at him and blocked Caleb’s attack from the side.
But those rushing in were not just them.
Boo-woong!
Ulkan’s steel mace aimed straight for his legs. Jurgen saw it coming and immediately tried to pull out his sword.
Ka-gak!
But Caleb’s sword breaker snagged his blade, preventing him from drawing it in time. Naturally, his body’s reaction slowed down as well.
Kwaaang!
“Ugh!”
Jurgen stumbled when his shins were struck. He drew as much mana as he could for defense, but it felt like his bones were breaking.
Having exhausted himself too much fighting Bernap, his defense was definitely lacking.
Still, the title of the North’s Best Sword was not just for show. He wouldn’t fall down so easily.
“How dare you!”
Kwahzick!
Jurgen crushed the serrated edge of the sword breaker wrapped in mana and twisted his way free from the entanglement. Even Caleb, who usually had a stoic face, took a step back with a hint of admiration for that power.
But there was still one more opponent left for Jurgen to face.
Pooook!
“Cough!”
Taking advantage of Jurgen’s momentary unpreparedness from being attacked on both sides, Conrad’s rapier pierced his neck in a flash.
“This, these bastards… ugh!”
But with his immense mana, Jurgen was not so easily killed by a little stab from a rapier.
He raised his sword again, aiming to take down at least one of them, but before he knew it, Caleb had slipped behind him and repeatedly stabbed at Jurgen’s neck with his dagger.
Pook! Pook! Pook! Pook!
“Ugh, cough!”
The sight of Caleb stabbing his neck over and over without any change in expression made the faces of the people in the banquet hall turn pale.
“Hey, hey, clear the way! I’m bringing down the mace!”
Ulkan shouted while lifting his steel mace high, causing Caleb to back off.
Gritting his teeth, Ulkan brought his mace down on Jurgen’s head.
Kwaaaang!
With a tremendous sound, Jurgen’s head was smashed to pieces in an instant.
Thud!
Jurgen’s body, momentarily staggering, collapsed flat onto the ground.
Silence filled the banquet hall. No one could utter a word.
The North’s Best Sword, Jurgen, was a pride of Raybold and a symbol of power.
He was said to have been able to handle 100 knights at once. One had to be that strong to be called the best sword of a region.
Jurgen, in reality, had a history of single-handedly taking down dozens of knights in various disputed areas.
And yet, there he lay, crushed to death in a pitiful manner by the joint attack of some beggar brought in by Amelia.
And it took just three of them, without even exchanging many blows. It all happened so quickly that the other knights had no chance to intervene.
Bernap, who had been pushed back by the three’s sudden intrusion, wore a sullen expression.
‘I had exhausted all my strength…’
It was a missed opportunity to impress Amelia again. He had just wasted his energy for nothing.
Seeing Bernap sulking with his lower lip protruding, she shook her head slightly.
She knew well what he wanted. How could his true feelings be so transparent? If that was a strength, it was a strength; if it was a weakness, it was a weakness.
It was a strength if it was a strength, and a weakness if it was a weakness.
“Well done, Bernap. You’ve worked hard.”
At Amelia’s praise, Bernap’s face brightened instantly.
‘Since I was the first to be praised, that means I’ve won.’
Caleb, Ulkan, and Conrad were completely oblivious, but Bernap was heating up, taking the challenge upon himself.
Bernap’s competition was always decided by who could impress Amelia first, not by who killed Jurgen first or anything like that.
As long as he was the first to be praised, that was enough. It meant he was the best.
Amelia muttered while looking at Jurgen’s corpse.
“Phew, finally killed the most annoying human. Why didn’t he believe we could handle it ourselves?”
She had already analyzed Jurgen’s skills and little habits, formulating the optimal strategy. It was merely Harold’s lack of faith in her that kept her from taking action.
Harold couldn’t help it because he didn’t truly understand the capabilities of her followers. Everyone, including Bernap, had been personally gathered by her.
The only useful follower he knew was Ulkan, who used to be a fairly famous bandit.
“Well, shall we clean up now?”
Amelia leisurely scanned the people who were huddled together in fear.
Count Raybold had collapsed in shock after Jurgen’s death. The Guard Knights, who had been preparing for battle, also lowered their swords.
It was over. With Jurgen, the last remaining hope, dead, no one would leave this place alive without Amelia’s permission.
She gestured to Bernap.
“Sort them out. Make sure the guests leave safely and politely.”
Amelia’s soldiers, under Bernap’s command, dragged all the people they would spare to one corner of the banquet hall.
Among them were the powerless daughters of the count, some officials, and nobles invited from other territories who surrendered.
Count Raybold was pulled away, tightly bound.
“Let me go! You ruffians! I am the master of this place! I am! The ones you owe allegiance to are not her but me! I will never forgive you! My army and vassals are watching you with their eyes wide open. I will definitely kill you all!”
No matter how much he shouted, the Knights and soldiers held Count Raybold firmly with expressionless faces.
Now, those left in the banquet hall were the retainers who held power, the commanders of the army who attended the feast, and the count’s sons and relatives within the line of succession.
When she raised her hand slightly, the soldiers quietly surrounded them. The remaining people turned pale and screamed.
“Please, let us live! Amelia!”
“This can’t be happening! We’re family!”
“Young Lady! Please save us! I will be loyal! I will follow you unconditionally!”
Despite their desperate cries, Amelia didn’t blink an eye.
At the moment her hand fell.
Boom!
The soldiers simultaneously fired an astonishing number of crossbows. The sharp projectiles pierced through the bodies of those caught off guard without hesitation.
“Uuuaaaah!”
With screams filled with pain, everyone collapsed. It didn’t take long for their breaths to cease.
The floor of the banquet hall was stained red with the blood they spilled. The few who were sorted and spared trembled in fear, shrinking away.
“Uu, uuuu…”
Count Raybold watched the entire scene with a dazed expression.
“Uu, uuuuuu…”
He couldn’t even speak properly, only letting out groans. His legs were weak, and he felt like he might collapse, but he couldn’t even fall at will.
The soldiers wouldn’t even allow him to sit comfortably.
Amelia approached Count Raybold and looked into his eyes.
“You, you… you…”
Count Raybold was so shocked he couldn’t form a coherent sentence.
He had lost his throne to a daughter he had barely paid attention to. Even his loyal retainers were dead. The Northern Sword, who had always protected him, was also dead.
The Northern First Sword, who had always protected me, was dead.
I couldn’t believe this was reality. How could this happen? How could such a thing occur!
It had to be a dream; it was definitely a nightmare.
“You… you…”
His quiet demeanor and high reputation made it seem like he had no intention of marrying, so I had just left it alone.
After the engagement with Ghislaine Perdium was broken, it became difficult for me to find a new partner due to my age, but I thought that my ability to console the territory residents would still be beneficial for the family.
But to think all of that was a facade! That he had been preparing to take my place!
If I had known this would happen, I should have married off to a lower-ranking family sooner.
“You… you dare…”
I wanted to curse and scream, but words wouldn’t come out. Something was stuck in my throat, preventing me from saying anything.
“Ughh… ugh…”
They say power doesn’t even share with children.
Losing the throne to a neglected daughter was more painful and shocking to him than the death of his sons or the loyal retainers and knights.
Filled with rage and his eyes turning bloodshot, he was frothing at the mouth, while Amelia said nothing.
As if lost in thought, she stared at Count Raybold for a long time before finally uttering a short phrase.
“Take him away.”
“Ughh! You! You!”
Even as he was dragged away in a pitiful state, Count Raybold turned his head to glare at Amelia.
She met his gaze and seemed to remember something.
“Oh, hold on a second.”
The soldiers stopped in their tracks. Count Raybold was still looking at her as if he wanted to kill her.
Amelia recalled happy memories with her father from long ago.
— Daddy, daddy!
— Oh, my dearest daughter has come!
When Amelia was still young, Count Raybold would pick her up and hug her tightly, rubbing her cheeks against his.
Even back then, they had looked into each other’s eyes like this.
Seeing her father’s eyes brought back the memory of the words he said with a broad smile back then.
With a smile just like in those days, Amelia repeated what she had said.
“Happy birthday, daddy.”
Today was Count Raybold’s birthday.
*
“Ughhh!”
“Please, spare me!”
The night’s massacre didn’t just occur in the banquet hall. The commanders of the army who hadn’t attended the feast were ambushed and either killed or captured for execution.
The same went for the retainers and stewards. Those who could oppose Amelia or had looked down on her were all systematically eliminated.
The vacant positions were filled with her loyal supporters.
As the new sun rose and morning broke, the lord of Raybold was completely transformed into Amelia.
Hearing this news, the territory residents began to rush out into the streets, cheering.
“Wow! The lord has changed!”
“Lady Amelia is the new count!”
“I pledge my loyalty!”
The people were genuinely happy.
Amelia was held in high esteem by the territory residents. She had always thought of them and supported those in need for a long time.
Not long ago, she had generously distributed food to those suffering from famine. It was food she had stockpiled cheaply thanks to Ghislaine.
Naturally, Count Raybold and his retainers scolded her.
— How dare you use such precious supplies on those lowly people! Bring them back and put them into the territory’s storeroom immediately!
— I will use my own resources as I see fit. There can be no territory without its residents. Please treat them kindly.
— How dare this girl talk back like that! Confiscate all of Amelia’s supplies at once!
Count Raybold forcibly seized the food Amelia had gathered. Unbeknownst to him, it was only a fraction of what she had.
The news spread rapidly throughout the territory, almost as if someone had deliberately spread the rumor.
Afterwards, the food distribution stopped, but the territory residents cursed Count Raybold while not holding any resentment against Amelia. Rather, they praised her even more for looking after them against her father’s wishes.
Count Raybold was the one being cursed, but Amelia did not hold any resentment. Instead, she praised herself for taking care of them, even going against her father’s wishes.
Amelia traveled around her territory in a lavish and open wagon used for ceremonies, distributing food to the people once more.
The people cheered and were ecstatic. They were genuinely pleased with the change in leadership.
Seeing her with an exceptionally kind smile, Bernap clicked his tongue.
“Really, she’s unpredictable. Sometimes she’s like a devil, and other times she’s like an angel… Ah, what am I thinking! Of course, she’s an angel!”
Bernap slapped his own face several times for his unfaithful thoughts.
Among the crowd gathered around the wagon, a young girl was shaking a flower necklace wildly.
Upon seeing that, Amelia stopped the wagon and approached to ask.
“Did you bring that for me?”
“Yes!”
The girl nodded vigorously with an excited expression.
“Thank you so much. I’ll treasure it.”
Amelia placed the flower necklace around her neck and hugged the girl tightly. Though it was a shabby and unremarkable flower necklace, Amelia acted as if she had received a sparkling jewel.
“Waaaah! It’s definitely Amelia-nim!”
Meow!
The cheers from the crowd grew louder. Amidst the ruckus, Amelia smiled brightly, but her gaze remained cold.
“Where on earth could he be? Where is he hiding?”
A slight problem arose from the aftermath of the ‘feast.’
She had checked the bodies of those who died in the banquet hall, but the corpse of the fourth prince, Davin, was nowhere to be seen.
Surely, there was Davin’s wagon at the Lord’s Castle. Therefore, she thought he would definitely be inside the banquet hall, but there was not a single sight of Davin, his guard knight, or the servants.
While secretly feeling anxious, Amelia finished the parade without showing it. For the time being, she planned to roam around and ease the people’s hearts.
Though she had built a reputation over the years, it was crucial to firmly imprint that the territory had a new lord.
After finishing the event and returning to the Lord’s Castle, Amelia ripped the flowers from her neck and shouted.
“Davin! Have you found Davin?”
“I’m sorry. We still haven’t located him…”
Bernap replied, flustered.
Initially, she simply thought he had gone to enjoy a secret meeting in the restroom or garden. After all, they had surrounded the Lord’s Castle, so she believed he couldn’t escape.
But no matter how hard they searched, there were no traces to be found.
With a face full of rage, Amelia said,
“Find that bastard and bring him to me right now.”
Meow!
“Understood.”
Once again scolded, Bernap began searching the entire territory with a downcast expression.
Caleb’s smuggling group, Ulkan’s bandits, and Conrad’s merchant group all worked diligently to find Davin.
As a great lord of the North, Count Raybold had many personal connections and official alliances. He had to re-establish relationships with each of them and renegotiate with the vassals who held territories.
In such circumstances, if it were to be discovered that Davin was alive, it could lead to a massive headache. After all, the kingdom did not look favorably upon women inheriting titles.
However, whether he sank into the earth or flew into the sky, she just couldn’t find him.
Amelia’s followers began to track Davin’s whereabouts and gather information. After several days, they finally managed to find a trace.
When Bernap learned of Davin’s whereabouts, he stiffened his expression and muttered.
“He’s there? Why? I clearly heard he rejected that banquet… Oh, no way?”
Davin had left the territory over a month ago. Moreover, he had set up a decoy.
At the very moment Bernap confirmed Davin’s location, Ghislaine smiled at the person trembling before him.
“I just saved your life.”
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