Chapter 13.2: ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ (๐๐)
Chapter 13.2: ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ (๐๐)
โSet fire to it.โ
ใ ค
โFire, if you set fire, what about the others?โ
ใ ค
โDidnโt you see the mercenary earlier? Those below are probably already dead. If anyone is hiding, thereโs nothing we can do. Call the remaining people and get ready.โ
ใ ค
Upon hearing Johanโs words, Fern and John shuddered. They had only been scared of the mercenaries, not realizing what they had been doing below.
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โHold out inside until I leave, then follow me. Thereโs no other way.โ
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โCan you do that?โ
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โBetter to share the arrows than take them alone.โ
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โ. . . . . .โ
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Fern and John finally grasped the reality. Johanโs intention to send out other family members wasnโt purely out of kindness. It was mixed with the intention to scatter the mercenariesโ pursuit.
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Still, Johan was helping them at the moment. They nodded firmly, their faces set.
ใ ค
โAlright. We will definitely escape and run outside.โ
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โI donโt recommend it.โ
ใ ค
โWhat?โ
ใ ค
โGoing out at night, unarmed, into the fiefdom. If you run on the road, youโll be caught and killed; if you go off-road, youโll be killed by beasts.โ
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This world was more wilderness than civilization. Beyond the towns, most areas were uncharted. Even traveling on roads was dangerous due to beast attacks, let alone off-road.
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Understanding Johanโs words, they turned pale.
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โThen. . .โ
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โIf you manage to escape, hide in the church.โ
ใ ค
โWhat?โ
ใ ค
โHide in the church. No one in the fiefdom will help you except Priest Valberga.โ
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A good person like Valberga would risk their life to save them. Other feudal lords definitely wouldnโt.
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โHiding in a church doesnโt guarantee safety. You might die on the way or get caught. But itโs much better than blindly going outside. With the fire and others running in all directions, they might not notice.โ
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Fern realized how valuable Johanโs advice was and felt suddenly ashamed. When they had argued with Johan, how petty must they have seemed to him.
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โ. . .Thank you.โ
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Johan showed no reaction. He hadnโt done it for thanks. He had done enough for those he disliked, and now it was up to them.
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โIโm going down now.โ
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โWait. Johan.โ
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โWhat now?โ
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Johan looked at them, slightly annoyed.
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โ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐โ๐ฌ ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค. ๐๐จ๐ฎโ๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ, ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ? ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐. ๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ง๐.โ
ใ ค
โ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ, ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐. . .
ใ ค
โ๐๐ ๐๐๐งโ๐ญ ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ. ๐๐โ๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ข๐ญ. ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ.โ
ใ ค
Apparently, the two had somehow secretly obtained a horse. Mills and other facilities in the fiefdom were owned by the feudal lord, and the miller had to be wary of the lordโs sons. It was a good hiding place.
ใ ค
โThank you. Iโll make good use of it.โ
ใ ค
โ. . .We should be the ones thanking you.โ
ใ ค
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
ใ ค
In the feudal lordโs manor, such a commotion erupted and a fire broke out that it was impossible not to be heard in the village located just below the hill. The serfs were sticking their heads out with anxious faces, murmuring among themselves.
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On the main road, the sound of horse hooves and flickering torches approached, and the feudal lordโs manor was ablaze. Normally, they would have rushed to extinguish the fire, but they hesitated. It seemed like something had happened.
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โHelp! The mercenaries. . .!โ
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People of the Aitz family, who barely escaped, grabbed the serfs begging for help or looked for the village chief. However, the serfs, screaming, went inside and shut their doors. The village chief, one step ahead, hid himself.
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The village chief, usually so obsequious, had quickly grasped what was happening. Karamaf, who rode down on a horse, swung his sword at everyone he saw, cutting them down.
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โEek!โ
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โItโs, itโs a knight!โ
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The already terrified villagers couldnโt even raise their heads as Karamaf appeared.
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โListen, serfs! The Aitz family dared to conspire with pagans to assassinate the Emperor. If anyone dares to hide them, their entire family will be executed!โ
ใ ค
โThere. . . thereโs one hiding here, sir!โ
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โN-No!โ
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Karamaf broke into the house, swinging his sword. The serf closed his eyes tightly. Karamaf then came back out and threw a silver coin to the serf, whose eyes widened.
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โThose who help in finding the Aitz family will be duly rewarded. Come out and chase all the Aitz family members!โ
ใ ค
Fear and greed awakened the villagers. Even the village chief, who had been hiding in a corner, came out and started holding a torch. Those trying to hide in the fiefdom or escape were also caught and brought in.
ใ ค
โ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐จ๐ถ๐บ ๐๐ฐ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ.โ
ใ ค
Karamaf coldly observed the situation, confident that all the fleeing Aitz family members could be caught. The serfs were thoroughly searching the fiefdom, and more mercenaries were coming from beyond.
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But Johan was different. He was armed and physically capable, able to flee into the forests or mountains under the cover of night. That would have been troublesome.
ใ ค
โReport if anyone sees this Johan! Youโll be rewarded with silver.โ
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โ. . . . . .โ
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โ. . . . . .โ
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The serfs hesitated. Unlike the other Aitz family members, Johan had treated them well. Karamaf noticed this and immediately beheaded a serf to dispel any hesitation. Fear was necessary to eliminate hesitation.
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Blood and fear splattered again.
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โYou. Do you want to die too?โ
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โHe went that way!โ
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The serf pointed towards a mill. Karamaf immediately turned his horse in that direction.
ใ ค
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
ใ ค
โThatโs a really good phrase.โ
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Johan brought up a horse, not a pack animal or a donkey, but a well-built warhorse. He finished preparing behind the mill. Now he had to escape at full speed.
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โJohan-nim?โ
ใ ค
โJoseph?โ
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Johan was surprised by this unexpected person. He knew Joseph lived in a shack far from the village, being a gamekeeper, but why was he here?
ใ ค
โI heard the commotion. . . and ran out.โ
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โDressed like that?โ
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Joseph seemed too prepared for someone who had come out in a hurry.
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โItโs never bad to be always prepared.โ
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โIs that so.โ
ใ ค
Johan realized Joseph was lying but did not press the matter. There was no time for that.
ใ ค
โJohan-nim. Whatโs happening in the fiefdom?โ
ใ ค
โItโs an attack. I have to flee too, so thereโs no time to explain.โ
ใ ค
โ. . .Johan-nim. Head for the forest.โ
ใ ค
โ?โ
ใ ค
โRun a different path. Iโve set traps on the usual forest path.โ
ใ ค
Johan understood. Joseph too had plans to escape if necessary.
ใ ค
โ๐๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ข๐ด ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ง๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐ช๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ค๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ง ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ต. . .โ
ใ ค
Otherwise, there was no reason to set traps at such a time.