The Blood Knight’s Villains

My Villains Chapter 356

60. Winter’s End (7)

“Where do you think the cause of ruling comes from?”

After a brief silence, Ulkar posed an out-of-the-box question.

“The justification for ruling…?” “The cause that the first king of Milanol and the six kings who inherited the lineage from him ruled the kingdom.”

“O”

I thought for a while and replied.

“I heard that most of the kings of the past were known for being thugs—no, bravery.”

“okay. The King of Conquest, the King of Dogan, the King of Baekmyeon, the King of Knights, the King of Juneom. But bravery cannot be the cause of a rule.”

“Since we were able to protect the territory and the people that well, wouldn’t there be a justification there?”

The prince smiled and nodded.

“As expected, you are smart. It is very close to the answer I thought.”

I scratched my eyebrows at his answer before asking a question.

“Do you want to be king?”

Before Ulkar could answer, his men raised their voices in surprise.

“Sir Phoenix!”

“How cruel is that—be careful with your words!” the damn ones. Anyone who sees it will know that this is Joseon. Whether the opponent is the king or the lord of Daeyoung, there are people who will humiliate you if you make a mistake. What are you making a fuss about?

Contrary to the knights and friendly soldiers making a fuss, the prince was still calm.

After tapping the round table with his prosthetic arm and drawing attention from the audience, Ulkar opened his mouth.

“quiet.”

As if it were a silence spell, the prince’s men all shut up.

“You asked if you wanted to be king?”

“…yes.”

“no.”

His voice was unmistakable.

“I swear by the Lord of Light that I will never sit on the throne.”

“…Then why do you talk about the justification for ruling? Isn’t that something a king or would-be king would say?”

“I don’t think so.”

“How are they different?”

“Before that, I will explain what I think is the cause of the rule.”

Ulkar, his mouth wet with beer, leaned forward.

“Two hundred years ago the land of ‘Brist’ was a pit of confusion.”

…Brist? I think I’ve heard of it sometime.

“Greenskins founded nations, evil sorcerers sported forbidden spells, and devil worshipers hunted children. Other than that, there were only groups of refugees and groups of bandits.”

“My ancestors came down from the North and settled in the crucible of evil in Brist. We exterminated the greenskin nation, captured and subjugated the mages, established orthodoxy, and gathered the people.”

It is the story of the legendary man, Zeot of Zeore, who is the builder of the kingdom and is often called the King of Conquerors. He is a rare gangster who defeated even Ireland across the Narrow Sea by bringing enemies on all sides to their knees.

“And today there are over two million people living in Brist.”

yeah i just remembered Brist is the old name for the Royal Territory.

“This is the cause of government.”

“Until now, the king and the royal family have cut off the chaos and suffering that have spread throughout the land and have spread peace and prosperity.”

In the room, only Ulkar’s voice rang low, and not a single breath could be heard.

“Yes, peace and prosperity. I’ve only walked along that road. I have fallen and stopped, but I have not lost my direction.”

Not only me who asked the question, but also the other knights and friendly soldiers were listening to the master’s story without blinking an eye.

“Could that have been possible only with the will and ability of the king?”

He shook his head resolutely.

“you’re welcome. If it had not been for the gracious guidance of the Lord and the efforts of the many servants who assist the king, this country would have collapsed sooner or later.”

“Then, Your Highness is acting on behalf of the King.” “To be precise, I am representing my eldest brother, not my father.”

Uncharacteristically, Ulkar hesitated for a moment. And words mixed with sighs followed.

“…My father looked after state affairs with the determination to stand proudly in front of great kings. The course wasn’t perfect, but at least he wasn’t lost. But my brother…

Crown Prince Zacharis.

He is the prime minister of the kingdom and the successor to the king, but he is nicknamed ‘the lion pulling out his tail’ or ‘the golden pig’.

Unlike his faithful father or brave half-brother, he is known for his arrogance and greed.

Ulkar, who was speechless at last, changed the topic again.

“As his brother, as a member of the royal family, I must uphold the right to rule. As in the past, in the future, you have an obligation to work hard for this kingdom to be peaceful and prosperous.”

“…If the justification for ruling is so important, why else did you swear not to bring out Zacharys who doesn’t keep it?” He talked about usurpation again, but this time none of the knights and friendly soldiers gave a damn. They only looked at Ulkar with eyes filled with curiosity, anxiety, or strange heat.

On the other hand, the prince had a cold face.

“Because the moment I covet the throne, the cause of ruling will disappear.”

“Why?”

“The country will split in two and a terrible disaster will happen. A royal family whose raison d’être is peace and prosperity cannot bring about disaster.”

“Is that a problem? There must have been more than one writer on this earth who was willing to make even a small sacrifice for the cause.” “Do you think I, descendant of the man who settled the chaos and sat on the throne, will wear a crown stained with the blood of the people?”

His expressionless face and careless tone, but it was not difficult to sense his determination. It seemed that his restrained emotions were pounding on his chest more clearly.

Ulkar’s blue eyes were clear and distinct. Unknowingly, I was relieved to see the shadow of the King of Slaughter in those eyes.

The anxiety didn’t completely go away. How long will that noble resolution last? As a mere petit bourgeois, I cannot raise my suspicions.

I quietly looked at Ulkar and smiled bitterly.

“I hope that your heart won’t change.”

“Of course. I hope you understand my meaning.”

“I sincerely respect and like you, Your Highness, but it seems a bit difficult.”

“…I would like to hear the reason.”

Momentarily wet your lips. It’s because I was hesitant to say this.

Apart from the concern and fear of the King of Slaughter, the unknown sympathy for Ulkar finally made him open his mouth.

“Because I hate rights without duties and duties without rights.”

“Rights without obligations and duties without rights”?

“yes. And”

those who bear the latter of the two we call slaves.

“and?” “…No, no.”

I swallowed the back words and shook my head with an awkward expression.

The next morning, Ulkar began planning to turn the surrounding farmland into a gauntlet. Thanks to the recruiting of the scribe from Keibor, it seemed that the work would proceed quickly and easily because he had roughly figured out which land belonged to whom.

Fortunately, I had nothing to do.

It’s not like they’re going to fight against the settlement, and it doesn’t matter if I don’t have them.

Of course, it was a bit ambiguous to leave it out at all. Right now, there was a rather sensitive conversation yesterday, so if I keep my hands behind my back, the atmosphere could get weird for no reason.

So, among the prince’s personal soldiers, I entrusted my men to Uncle Randel, who was one of the most senior. Well, there are eight Janghans—among them, the heavy soldier Dervish is a lady, but how is it that the title Janghan isn’t awkward— so it must be useful somewhere.

I was also a man with a conscience, so I couldn’t play alone leaving the work to my subordinates. It was for that reason that I wandered here and there, wondering if there was anything I could do.

Du-du-du-du-

The sound of horses hooves was light while the cold wind whistled around the ears. The bicorn shot down the wide road through the rye fields like an arrow.

“Hueup.”

My chest swelled in the cold air. From head to toe, it seemed like a refreshing energy was rising.

After running for a while with my posture lowered, I looked back and raised my voice.

“Princess! You can’t see it soon!”

Theodora, who was riding a white horse from behind, gnashed her teeth and hit the reins, saying ‘profit’ as if the medicine had risen.

Her brightmere was also a great horse, but it was no match for the bicorn. First of all, since the weight class is so different, it is impossible to win.

The reason I brought her out like this was because of the gaze of the people of Keibor.

Perhaps because the priests who pastored this place were exceptionally strong, the residents openly treated the Calandari Order as a heresy.

Of course, there was no madman who would show hostility to the prince’s nephew, but he couldn’t help the scorn in his eyes, and Theodora, who had no tolerance for such stares, seldom left the room.

Taking care of the group’s morale was also a serious task, so I tried to calm her down by talking and typing.

Of course, horseback riding has been something I’ve been fed up with lately, but riding a horse heavily armed with iron bars and riding a horse in light clothes feels completely different.

Sunshine is nice too. The wind was still cold, but thanks to the ground warming up, it felt a little cool.

Theodora arrived tens of seconds after the bicorn and I passed the big willow tree, the finish line.

“This is not fair!”

When the princess patted the back of the white horse’s neck and expressed her heartache, I replied with a serious expression.

“A bicorn is not a horse, but a beast, so you can’t compete in horsemanship?”

“…exactly.”

It was the same repertoire as when I was running in Antrum before, so I burst out laughing.

“So, didn’t I just say that we should go for a walk instead of going for a race or something?”

“…okay. I did something wrong.”

She pursed her lips and got off her horse.

Unlike Theodora who had let Brightmere loose near the rye field, I had the bicorn’s reins well tied to the willow tree. I couldn’t hold him down like this, but I couldn’t release the demon anywhere.

I recently reached level 33, and thanks to investing 1 point in strength, I can defeat the bicorn more easily. Along with that, the bicorn has also become quite docile, but he still needs to be careful because he often creates a mess in the stable.

“Come on, don’t be nice.”

Actually, I don’t think he’s a very nice guy. Yesterday, too, he killed a dog hiding in the stable.

I stroked its snout and let the blood flow through the scaled cuffs. Thanks to the bicorn licking my palm, the short snacking time was over before the fishy smell spread.

S

—TW

After stroking the trolling guy a couple more times as if he was satisfied, he turned around and found Theodora sitting on a bench on a low, sunny hill.

“Why are you sitting on the bare floor?”

When I took off my cloak, she quickly waved her hand.

“No, there is nothing to be particularly nervous about.”

“Still, you have a precious ass or body.”

“I am not a lady or a young lady, but a paladin, so I don’t need such treatment.”

“What if?”

Even as she said that, Theodora narrowed her eyes as she folded her thick cloak and laid it on the floor.

“Sir, I’m fine-”

“Can I sit down?”

(( 99)

Seeing me sitting on top of the cloak, the princess shut her mouth in embarrassment. It was also funny, so she giggled, then spread the cloak and tapped the seat next to her. “The cloak is soft and comfortable. Please come here

. ”

…I’m done.”

“They told me to stop talking and come. We only have one water bag anyway, so we have to share it, right?” “Drink

first, then hand

it over .” “Princess.”

Soon after, she moved to her seat next to me, grumbling, ‘You really are a persistent person.’

Theodora drank in the water and let out an exclamation or something

. Is that what you were holding in your arms?”

“yes. It’s because I’m a bit cold.”

“You’re cold?”

“It’s a joke and it’s because of these things.”

She nodded as I tapped on a pair of short and long swords that had been mounted on swords.

“It’s the ‘Dalmais’ given to me by a foreigner. The other one…

“It’s called ‘Black Ice.’”

Both Dalmais and Black Ice had unusually cold air, so just tying a water bag nearby made the water as cold as ice.

I was handed a water bag to quench my thirst, but I felt a little empty.

“The wine here is very cheap, so I brought only water, but it’s a bit flat. I should have brought a cherry brandy.”

“Oh, don’t even mention that drink. My head hurt so much.”

“Ah, did you have a hangover?”

I tilted my head and asked.

“Isn’t that solved by just praying once?”

“…So you’re asking the Lord for power because of a hangover?”

“Isn’t it okay?”

“Sounds natural. If you carelessly use your strength in personal matters, you will pay a fair price someday.”

“okay.”

Unlike usual, when she wore a surcoat over her armor, she was wearing a light outfit without a single piece of metal.

no no no Wearing a thick quilted jacket over cloth pants and a baggy shirt, and a cape that came down to the waist, it was comfortable, but it was a light outfit.

It’s a bird that doesn’t reveal her beautiful curves at all except for the calves that are contoured thanks to the tight tie of the trousers and the chest with an overwhelming presence… but it’s been a long time since I’ve been wearing such a comfortable outfit outdoors

. It is a luxury that can be enjoyed thanks to the confirmation that the area east of Kaybor is safe.

Of course, even in the midst of this, it was possible to tell at a glance that he was a paladin, as the purple quilted velvet jacket had a diamond pattern engraved on it, and the short cloak had a ring cross embroidered on it.

I stared at the outfit and suddenly opened my mouth.

“Don’t you want to take it off sometimes?”

“…what do you mean?”

“That sign. It’s like a cross. It reveals your identity.”

” ah.”

Theodora looked down at her clothes and shook her head.

“I never thought of that. Isn’t it natural to reveal one’s identity with one’s clothes?”

“Yeah, but isn’t there such a thing as a priest?”

“Something like that?”

“Something I’m more concerned about with my eyes or that I need to behave properly.”

She smiled lightly and nodded.

“That’s right. It has no choice but to be. But if you know that the Lord’s gaze is everywhere in the world, whether you are wearing this garment or not, you will have no reason to feel uncomfortable.”

“…The Lord is looking the same anyway, are you saying you have to do well regardless of your clothes?”

“So to speak.”

Various miracles and powers, including divine power, exist in this world. In this context, it would be ridiculous to regard the words of the Lord’s eyes as absurd.

“It is difficult. Even priests have their private lives.”

“The priests of Huhu are those who dedicate themselves entirely to the Lord. In my private life, it is natural that I also belong to the Lord.”

Sometimes there are priests who lose their divine power due to privacy issues, so it seems that the god of this world is quite strict. Well, it could have been because it was a case of having a ‘special’ private life.

The gongnyeo had a very bright face, as if she had suffered a heartache at some point.

“It’s much better than when I was in the convent, though.”

“Well, I heard that you were almost in a state of confinement at the time.”

“By the way, I hate skirts.”

“A skirt… Oh, a nun’s uniform?”

“okay. It’s difficult to run because of the obstacles, and you can’t even dream of horseback riding. When I was called by Bishop Se Hong, I responded right away because I was fed up with wearing a nun’s uniform.”

Princess Theodora continued their chatter with trivial matters. It seems that my mood has improved considerably thanks to running in the open field.

It was new to me to see her innocently shining eyes and chirping like a mountain bird. I fell in love with her breath and gestures before I knew it, and it was lunchtime before I knew it.