The Blood Knight’s Villains

My Villains Episode 531

68. Travel to the Royal Road (4)

‘Untrier’, which is also called the first gateway on the Way to Deval, looked so similar to ‘Zirna’ that I stopped by first.

This is because the fort was originally built at the same time and for the same purpose, and the new owners also had similar tendencies and origins, so the extension and renovation were carried out in a similar style.

Whether it was Sir Ariad or Sir Filter, they were knights with rich practical experience and thorough preparation. Maybe that’s why the two castles seemed to focus on practical aspects instead of appearances.

First of all, a temporary wall made of red bricks and rocks was added to the inside of the wall to increase the thickness and mass of the wall itself. At that level, it wouldn’t collapse after pouring fireballs for a few days.

The outside of the fortress was surrounded by a double-layered wooden fence and a deep moat. Moist mud from the moat was repeatedly applied over several months, making the barriers look like earthen walls at first glance. Of course, it wouldn’t compare to a full-scale castle wall, but it would be much stronger than common wooden fences. If several summers pass and the tough weeds grow over there, it will become even stronger.

Under the slope extending from it, there was a rather bustling castle town. Like Zirna, the castle town here also boasted the size of a fairly small town, but there was still only one road leading to the castle. It is a long and cumbersome bridge that has to go through all the wooden fences, moats, drawbridges, grate doors, and trench lines.

At the time of the Blade Man War, it was possible to easily occupy it by using the power of Atalante, but now it doesn’t look so easy.

It was clear that even if he exploded the ‘Void Sphere’, which not only destroyed the gate, but also destroyed the gatehouse, it would not be able to erase the wooden fence and the trench line inside the moat gate at once. I think that maybe the ruins of the collapsed Munru could become an obstacle, filling the gap between the wooden fence and the trench.

It’s probably not a coincidence. A clever Sir Ariad would have designed the trench lines and barriers based on a meticulous plan from the start.

However, this unmatched fort had some crucial flaws, just like Zirna, who stopped by for lunch.

“…Do you really have to stay at the castle?”

“What else are you complaining about?”

“What are you complaining about?”

Ellen, who was covering her nose with the sleeve of her robe, let out an absurd laugh.

“It wouldn’t be enough to talk about it all day. First of all, this smell.”

“smell?”

“Yeah, smell. I won’t be able to breathe.”

Untrier’s roads were not wide enough for Ellen’s luxurious quadruped carriage. It was the reason he occupied the seat in front of the bicorn’s saddle.

“Yes, I can understand not being able to ride the carriage. It’s a luxury you won’t be able to enjoy if you go to the kingdom anyway, so I prepared for it in advance.”

Ellen continued to grumble and groan.

“But this rotten smell is too much. It’s like this outside, so the inside must be more severe than you can imagine. How does that old viper manage the castle?”

Filling the moat surrounding Untrier was a small stream of water from a nearby valley. Since it was still winter, only dry traces remained, but since the water source is located deep in the mountains, the usual water quality should not be bad.

But even the water in the moat was not clean. Basically, it looked hazy because it was mixed with mud, and all kinds of filth that I couldn’t guess what it was was floating around. When the gusts of wind hit the water, they rippled and spread the stench that made Ellen sick.

“All forts are like this. Can you say Sir Ariad? I know you’re lucky to come when it’s cold. It would have been really terrifying if it had come in the summer.”

“It’s still awful enough.”

“If you don’t like it, wait at the inn. Why are you following me and whimpering?”

“Who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one

“Who is it? Are you the only one frowning here?” Like most castles built with only military purposes in mind, Unt Lear was far from words like ‘comfort’ or ‘cozy’.

As the design minimized the defense surface, the living space was narrow, and there were no windows except for the long vertical pierced eyes, and there was no chimney, so there was no fireplace or fireplace, so when the day got cold, you fell into the cold. I had to

Perhaps a simple inn in the castle town was a hundred times better place to stay than the tall and majestic keep where Lord Ariad stayed. It was obvious that the stronghold would be small, so the subordinates, except for the main party and a few bodyguards, stayed at the inn, which made them a little envious.

Yes, I also want to sleep in a warm inn instead of a cold and dull castle. But if I really did, I think I would feel a sense of guilt.

While my old comrades are stuck in the rugged mountain valley, I feel like I am the only one living in a comfortable mansion in the middle of a wealthy city. Of course, it was Prince Ulkar who bestowed the fortress on the outskirts, not me.

After arguing with Ellen, I arrived at the castle gate before I knew it.

“Are you here, Countess!”

The old knight—no, the old lord, Ariad Barin—was out to meet Acer, who had been aiding him for a long time, and some of his retainers.

I got off the bicorn with Ellen and held his hand.

“What are you saying? Why are you acting like this?”

“Hehe, are you still not used to it?”

“It’s not a matter of adaptation- grunt, anyway, just do it as Sir Phoenix. Just like before.”

“I don’t. If you really want.”

Sir Ariad nodded with a smile and exchanged greetings with the rest of the party.

“It’s been a while, Princess. Have you been well?”

“How can I not be strong because I am a body that has received undeserved grace. How is Kyung? I feel like I have become younger again.”

Unlike Theodora, who exchanged good wishes in moderation, Ellen studied Sir Ariad carefully and then stuck her tongue out in admiration.

“The rumors were true. I really put a crystal ball in your eye.”

It was as the guy said.

During the War of Blades, Sir Ariad, who plucked out both of his eyeballs to deceive the Duke of Abillambus, had a pair of sparkling crystal balls implanted in place of his eyes. When he looked away, his iris, like a checkerboard, swayed and slid along the turbid yellow surface of the crystal ball.

Since the appearance wasn’t usually grotesque, Mungchi had his hand on the hilt of the sword with an openly uneasy expression. Iofya, who met their eyes belatedly, took a deep breath and took a step back, while Ellen was observing the prosthetic eye with interest.

“Forget about it, Ellen. That’s rude. Ranun Iopi, you too.”

When Theodora scolded him lowly, Sir Ariad waved his hand saying it was all right.

“There is no such thing, Princess. Even today, when I look in the mirror, I am shocked, but I wonder if I am seeing it for the first time. To be honest, isn’t it a strange look?”

“It’s not bizarre. Just like a golem.”

“Ellen!”

Whether Theodora stopped it or not, Ellen was examining the crystal eye with concentrated eyes.

“Still, the magic circuit looks usable… No, to be honest- I’ve never seen anything so sophisticated among modern magic tools. Madaz Rao, isn’t that the lunatic’s skill?”

“Yes, Miss Ellen, heir to La Palais. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, but you’re still the same.”

“Surely a genius from a famous family… But even he couldn’t have guaranteed the safety of the transplant process. What were you thinking when you did this?”

As Sir Ariad smiled, his wrinkled eyelids lowered to cover the inside of the crystal. However, even the abnormal light in his eyes was not covered, and the smile looked very eerie.

“The lowly old man has gone blind, so he has no fear or use. Since I was in charge of a heavy duty, I felt like I had to find something useful, so I asked for help from Grandmaster Madaz.”

“Good to know. I’ll have to talk to him. I have something I want to ask you.”

“Unfortunately, he is not here.”

“what? Why?”

“I left for Baden after receiving a letter from my family a couple of months ago.”

Ellen just clicked her tongue in disappointment, but I opened my mouth in amazement.

“You put a crystal ball in someone’s eye and left? Wouldn’t that bill also need maintenance or something? Like the arm of a prince.”

“One of the wizards under his command has learned the trick. They said it would be okay to be away for a few months…

Maybe I didn’t understand, but Sir Ariad clapped his hands to divert attention.

“ruler. I’m not going to stay here, so I’ll take you inside. Although it is a shabby castle, there is nothing else to see, but I will treat you wholeheartedly.”

Contrary to the secluded fortress itself, the interior of the Untrier was quite cozy, and the furnishings also showed their own care.

The stone walls enclosing the narrow passageway let the light glide across the polished surface, and somehow warmth seemed to rise from the floor.

Turns out, it wasn’t an illusion. According to Acer, Lord Ariad’s long-time squire and his first knight, Untrier is quite warm even in the dead of winter because it is a fortress built on a hot spring. There is also a well on the basement floor from which you can directly draw hot spring water.

The only drawback was that the indoor air was a bit stuffy, but it got better thanks to Ellen summoning the dancing spirits to ventilate the room. The synagogue and banquet hall, which occupied the entire first floor of the keep, was a banquet hall and was smaller than my office. The table in the center is shaped like a donut with a hole in the middle, with a coal brazier in the middle.

Mungchi and Iofya especially liked it, so the two of them played with their feet over the fire in the middle and burned the bottoms of their trousers side by side and ate them. Seeing that as an unbecoming guest, Theodora yelled in a stern manner unlike usual.

As they sent their eyes asking for help, I calmly turned my head away. Mungchi and Iofya, who had been scolded without a countermeasure, were very depressed, but it did not seem that that attitude would be maintained until tomorrow.

The citadel’s servants – hired, but mostly soldiers who came to help – filled the table with carefully prepared dishes.

Garlic soup, made with shredded duck meat and boiled, was truly a menu for winter travelers. The black flat oat bread was rough but savory and made my taste buds turn, and the pie with eel was a delicacy with an impressive chewy texture. Particularly excellent was the dish of venison grilled over charcoal with roasted whole potatoes.

It was a hearty, hearty, and hot meal. It had a bit of a rough feel to it, so it looked more like a table for a warrior than a nobleman, so I liked it more. Lord Ariad, who became a lord at the age of sixty, seems to be living as a warrior even now.

At the end of the meal, Mungchi and Iofya, who were interested in the story of the hot spring, asked Sir Ariad’s understanding and ventured downstairs. Princess Theodora was invited by the priest accompanying her and decided to visit the church in the castle town. Ellen, who had been eating dried fruit throughout the meal, said she was tired and went up to the prepared room.

The vassals of the Barin family and the bodyguards I accompanied—Fritz Steedman Col Goleman and others—retired. Only then did the banquet hall regain its calm.

“Would you like another drink?”

“Oh, of course. The beer tastes good.”

Sir Ariad smiled, poured beer into a tin glass, and chinned Acer, who was sitting next to him.

“This is a drink brewed by his father-in-law. The artist, who is not even a master of sake, is quite good at it.”

“……master?”

I belatedly recalled the news I had heard in the past and snapped my fingers.

“Right, are you married?”

Acer, who is impressively tall with a curved nose and sharp eyes, answered with a smile.

“Why are you pretending not to know? I hope you sent me a word under your clothes.”

“You sent a horse? who?”

“Your Excellency. A Western Highland Warhorse. Don’t you remember?”

“ah. Oh right.”

I don’t remember at all… I guess Heyla sent it.

“Because I live so hecticly, I blink. Who was your opponent? Is the child still alive?”

Acer scratched his cheek as if he was embarrassed, but gave an answer every time. His wife, the daughter of the owner of the manor of Untrier, was, so to speak, a native minor nobleman.

“I am due to give birth in April. His energy is not normal, he is like a boy.”

“Aigo- I wish I wish. The baron is growing old alone, and I just got married and went away by myself.”

The young knight who boasted with a red face hardened his face at the joke I twirled around. At the same time, subtly looking at Lord Ariad was somewhat of a guilty look.

The old lord burst out laughing.

“You are still mischievous, Sir Phoenix. Do you joke that it is nothing special for an old man to grow old alone?”

“Kyung is not just an old man, but a ‘precious’ old man. Now that you have become the lord, you should take a decent woman to the cage.”

“It is atrocious sir Phoenix. A woman who is going to marry an old man will not have any side effects.”

The answer was so resolute that I slightly tilted my head.

“You really have no idea? Still, shouldn’t the family be ?”

“It’s just a castle picked up randomly. It’s embarrassing to even call it family. Of course, since the castle was granted by the prince, I don’t have the heart to continue it while dishonoring it.”

“Q……”

Chi”…….

“And if I ever go out on the road, it’s more comfortable to be single.”

I put down my glass and met Lord Ariad’s gaze. The amendment bill flashed.

“I heard that you are heading to Proshafen… It must be about time.”

“Because it’s already been close to two years.”

“You must be planning to save Princess Yuril first, right

?”

As soon as he quietly nodded, the old lord continued talking enthusiastically.

“I am ready. The same goes for Lord Hilter. We can go out right now.”

“Not yet. The message will come in due time.”

“From whom?”

“It would be Heila. maybe.”

“I see… I hope we don’t have to wait too long.” I furrowed my eyebrows at the stain on his words.

“…Did something happen?”

Sir Ariad moistened his dry lips and nodded slightly.

“Sir Gisela visited me a couple of months ago.”

“Sir Gisella?”

Gisela Winged. Also known as ‘New Magister’.

She is a descendant of a prestigious knight family and became the sixth knight of Prince Eun.

“You met her? Where?”

“Here. He came looking for me.”

“What did you say?”

“They said they found clues.”

“proviso?”

Shortly after Prince Ulkar went missing, Sir Gisela acted like a distraught man and left the last traces of the Silver Prince in the village.

Then, at some point, he disappeared, leaving only a short letter to his fellow knights saying that he would leave to find his master.

“It was a bit gibberish, so I couldn’t figure out the exact story, but… It seems that Marva’s family got some support or something.”

“What if it’s an achievement?”

“I haven’t heard all the details. However, he said that he had found the way and said ‘Ji-jeo’.”

“Jeezer.”

I touched my forehead in a feeling that somehow I was in pain.

I don’t know what kind of achievement Sir Gisela has achieved, but I think that there may be some overlap with my plan.

That would be the case, and the first time you could encounter the Dark World in the game

was in Chapter 8 Underground.

I don’t know how Sir Gisella is trying to get into the basement, but I’m worried that the process might affect my plan.

The night of Untrier deepened with unexpected worries.