“It’s scary these days.”
“Yeah.”
“New heads are hung every day!”
“They deserve it. How dare they attack the count when he feeds them?”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Red Moon was evil.”
“Oh, I heard their families have been routed out too.”
“Yeah, I heard. I heard anyone who helped them are being taken away too.”
“The Ainos is up to the task, they don’t miss anything.”
“I hope I don’t get involved.”
“You won’t. Lord Joonbum doesn’t accuse the innocent.”
“Right.”
“They were suspicious from the start. They were nothing like real merchants.”
All the assassin groups, including Red Moon, were being routed and executed from within the land. There were too many enemies. The nobles from neighboring countries approached with friendly faces but they used assassins to attack from behind. Because of this, there were countless assassins or groups with foul intentions disguised as commoners or merchants. It took quite some time to find out who was hiding. With the help of citizens’ report, the Ainos were able to pinpoint them.
“Let’s stop talking about that.”
“Oh yeah, did you hear about that? The mines?”
“Oh. Yeah, I heard the area around the waterway is littered with iron.”
“That doesn’t bode well.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Iron means weapons. What will you do if you hear there’s an iron mine nearby?”
“There might be a war.”
There was nothing definite, but their life long experience told them that a possible war was coming. It was also what the count was most afraid of.
“They increased taxes again.”
“Marquis? Shouldn’t we be allowed a duke? And what is this request? This is preposterous.”
“This is outrageous. We have been sending more crops than before. They are ‘BORROWING’ it, but we all know that they will not pay back any! And the tax on the iron?”
“They are insisting on sending people to work on the iron, but we already have the Magnos!”
“I think they are waiting for us to refuse.”
“Yes, they want us to refuse so they can come after us.”
The old advisors of Count Brant Khalodian voiced their thoughts. He glanced at all their faces.
‘They are old… and less energetic.’
These were people that had stayed with him for a long time. They fought against the monsters of the Khalodian Mountain Range to protect their land, but they were now old. Some had even been with the count’s family when his grandfather was the count.
Brant shook his head and turned to his stepson.
‘Now, he’s young.’
Unlike his old advisors, Joonbum had young people next to him. Jackson and other young, powerful knights that sat next to him.
‘I’m envious.’
Brant grew envious at the sight. His advisors were busy talking among themselves while these young, powerful men kept silent.
‘He is so capable. I wish I could just give him my position right now.’
He loved his stepson very much. He was so proud to have such a son by his side that it made him instantly smile every time he looked at Joonbum.
Joonbum blushed as he noticed the count smiling at him.
‘Ugh, Father please.’
His stepfather was very loving. Too much, in fact.
“What do you think?”
Count Brant spoke in a low voice. His advisors instantly stopped talking and turned to Joonbum. Their reactions varied; some looked uncomfortable and others anticipatingly of what Joonbum would say.
‘They have not changed.’
Joonbum sighed at the sight of those people. They were mostly blood-related to the count, and most of them did not approve of Joonbum being the rightful heir to the count especially when there were the twins.
‘I don’t want it, but we have matters to attend to first.’
The problem was imminent. There were enemies everywhere, and even their own kingdom was now turning their back on them.
“We have two ways.”
Joonbum spoke out.
“Oh? Go on! Go on!” Brant answered, intrigued by what Joonbum would say. Joonbum then glanced at all of the people around and continued, “It’s easy. Either we agree to their request or fight.”
“That’s it? Then, what’s your choice on that?”
The count asked again instead of his advisors who were trying to speak. Silence fell in the room for a moment, which Joonbum broke in a firm voice, “We will fight. To the end.”
“Hmm…”
All of the count’s advisors couldn’t even open their mouths to object as Joonbum glared at them. Brant, however, was astounded.
‘We have a monster!’
He looked at Joonbum again and made up his mind.