Chapter 10: End of part 1

Carlton's army was able to simply enter the duke's castle, rendering the two days of battle futile. With the owner of the castle, Luisen, standing at the front, the ga, te which had not opened despite all the imminent danger there began to creep ajar. The people stationed at the outskirts had no idea why Luisen appeared from outside the walls, nor why he was with the enemies. However, they had no choice but to open the gates for their lord. As soon as Carlton stepped foot inside, he skillfully disarmed most of the still-resisting soldiers and seized the castle. Many of the soldiers were peasants in the first place. When the gate unlatched, many were shocked and preoccupied with running away. The retainers, who had heard the news from a messenger from the outer walls, gathered in front of the inner door. Rather than welcome Carlton, they were practically salivating to catch Luisen and figure things out. I'll give you a moment to have a conversation. At Carlton's kind offer, Luisen's complexion became pale. The brazen, pretentious image of a noble disappeared, and it was replaced by an expression befitting a pig being dragged to a slaughterhouse. He gulped back a cry of denial. Carlton observed his demeanor, pleased. Ah, come oIt'sIts common sense to separate the lord from his advisors so tcan'tcant do anything foolish! However, he was too afraid of Carlton to complain and couldn't utter a single protest. Instead, he was pushed into the conference room with the rest of his retainers. Luisen turned around hesitantly. The conference room was filled with terrible silence. As if to ask each other what had happened, the retainers simply stared at one another. Luisen felt as if their gazes were choking him. He sweated profusely. Unable to stand the silence, he began talking. I surrendered. Are you out of your head? The normally soft-spoken treasurer shouted. Though the others in the room did not raise their voices, they all agreed silently with him. Is he sane? Is he crazy? What on earth has our lord done?! Even if they didn't voice their thoughts, Luisen could see their questions written plainly on their faces. So what will we do now? You'll be seen as a traitor! This mattewon'tnt just blow overDon'tont you know why that barbarian was sent here? He was tasked with razing the whole kingdom, leaving no survivors! What the hell were you thinking? Surrendering?! The knight commander clenched his fist and hit his chest, trying to chase away his frustration. Swords and armor were confiscated from the pitiful-lookknights knights. They stared at Luisen with a despondent expression. The tender-hearted servants around them wept as they imagined a terrible future. There's nothing to worry about. Wel,l alwill l be fine, Luisen said. How so? the treasurer asked. What the first prince wants is not the fall of our dukedom. Luisen once again told the others what he had told Carlton. All his theories, his knowledge of why Carlton was sent here, and the first prince's test for both of them. And so Sir Carlton agreed. There will be no pillaging in our lands, nor will he harass our people. Is that true? The treasurer was surprised to hear that the enemy would not be looting them. Maintaining the army required a great deal of wealth. Without the backing of a wealthy family, supplies would run thin, so looting recouped losses. In particular, mercenaries like Carlton were famous for their lack of compassion and were no different from bandits. Carlton is following the prince's orders to gather the allegiances of the southern lords who were not originally on Prince Ellison's side. A peaceful transition would be impossible without our help, so the enemy is being cautious. It was hard to find fault with Luisen's claims. His uncharacteristic cleverness impressed the butler, who had already unconditionally favored him. However, most of the others doubted Luisen. They may have listened if these same words came from another's mouth. But from Luis, n.it was an is. sue I The lcan'tcant possibly say something intelligent. Can we believe those aren't? Isn't he just spouting drivel from that mouth? All of the advisors in theid not trust Luisen at all. He was a lord who had never stayed in the territory for longer than a month within a year. Perhaps they could have trusted him if he had stayed still, but he was the type of trash to get into scandal after scandal. He was the one to throw his quiet family into the whirlwind of civil war. Instead of listening to Luisen, who squandered the respected position as the Duke of Anies, the retainers looked towards the general, who had effectively led the estate on Luisen's behalf. What did he think of these claims? Bearing the weight of confused gazes, the general opened his mouth calmly. Whether judgment was logical or not, the gates have already been opened. Carlton's soldiers have already taken control of the castle. All we can do now is wait. But commander, even so. Do you have a better idea? The general neither affirmed nor denied Luisen's words. Luisen felt even more anxious, waiting for some kind of judgment. BuI'mIm disappointed, my lord. Luisen's heart dropped. To him, the general was more than just a retainer. He was his teacher, a replacement for his father. On one hand, he was sick of being under his control; on the other hand, he was afraid to disappoint him. Even now, the general's statement tormented his heart. Once, you've arbitrarily run off without properly consulting anyone. I apologize Even if you were to surmise that procedures suit the status of a duke. You ignored all that and went to the enemy camp alone, kneeling to another. What would the people of the kingdom think of this? They'd probably say that I was terrified and begged for my life. That I threw away all dignity. And why did you knowingly make that mistake? The general took a deep breath, trying to constrain his rising anger. His tone was as calm as always, but there was unmistakable fury hidden within his voice. I've taught you time and time again. Whatever you do, think of the honor of the Anies Duchy, the general continued. I'd, id, Luisen mumbled. He always felt like a 10-year-old child when standing in front of the general. The general had given up on past Luisen's indifference and laziness, but he would not concede on maintaining anoble'ss honor. The dukedom was the royal family's granary. Without the wheat produced from this territory, the kingdom could not survive. The Anies family had ruled this land longer than the royal family without ever being invaded. The general loved this land, and he was proud of dedicating his life to the duke's family. Knowing how much he had pledged to the duchy, Luicouldn't raise his head in front of him. But Luisen did not have any regrets. This decision was perhaps the best choice he had made in his time as a lord. It was regrettable thatgeneral'serals pride and heart were inevitably hurt. Honor and pride do not save lives, he said. And does someone who idled their life away as a delinquent have the right to say that? Just be honest and say that you wanted to livehaven'thavent stayed at the estate for longer than a month since you were six, don't make the excuse that you somehow care for the territory. Didn't you say you had no desire to waste time in a rural village and instead wanted to be in the capital with your friends? Luisengovernor's long-standing resentment over his words. Did I say things like that? Luisen was speechless. To be honest, he had no memory of any of this. No matter how hard he tried, his delinquency was a dim, hazy memory of many years ago. He only knew how he chased pleasure, like water chasinLet'ster. Let's stop this argument. As the general said, we have no choice but to sit still and wait. The treasurer stepped up. To mediate, Lehope's judgment was correct. Tch. How did we become people who would wait around for instructions?s. The general left without hiding a single ounce of his disappointment. The knight commander quickly followed as well. The treasurer hesitated, noting the tension between Luisen and the general, but ultimately followed the two out of the room. As each minister and the heads of each organization filed out of the conference room, everyone else also made themselves scarce. They gave Luisen pointed and hostile glares. Some even sighed or cursed quietly. According to the mood, if Luisen were not the lord, he would have been stoned as a traitor by now. Are you all right, my lord? The butler remained to console Luisen. Everyone is just very proud of the duchy and this estate. It's the first time in history that these southern lands have been conquered, so everyone's pride is smartingThey'rere searching for avenues to lash ouThey'llyll understyou graduallyally. .Thank you, Luisen sighed. The consoling butler also did not seem to trust judgment. He just had more compassion for Luisen than anger for his actions. My past truly is a shackle on my ankIt's all my fauThat'sThats right, who told him to act like trash? This was why people said that it was best to live a sincere, kind, and faithful life. Though the fact that no one understood his true feelings made him sad, Luisen accepted his fate calmly. He had known it would be this, actually; it was more heartbreaking than he had prepared himself for, but this hurt was inevitable. The past could not be erased. But that was okay. The horrid night he had regretted had already passed, and a new morning, a new hope, had arrived. The unhappy future had already shifted. He would no longer wander around miserably and suffer the harassment from the spirits of those he had indirectly killed. He had made a new future for himself. When Luisen looked out the window, he saw the panorama of the dukedom under the soft glow of the morning sun. The endless fields of wheat sported a deeper golden color, more so than any other harvest season. Since the day the duchy was seized, a blue lion flag hung next to the golden wheat flag that symbolized the Anies family. News of the duke's defeat spread throughout the entirety of the southern region. No one was predicting the Duke's victory. The general public rather laughed at the absurdity of the duke's choice to fight back. However, the blue flag hanging at the castle still came as a shock. How did the duke feel when he knelt to Carlton, who, despite being the prince's agent, was still a mercenary from the common people? What would happen now to the duchy and the citizens of the south? Many people desperately observed the castle, but no further news arrived. Carlton and his men took control with remarkable skill, neutralizing all enemy forces. They locked the gates to the castle and simultaneously banned all access. As the days passed, uncertainty hung thick in the air. The citizens whispered among themselves, torn between fear and hope. Would Carlton's leadership bring stability, or would it plunge them deeper into chaos? The blue flag fluttered defiantly, a symbol of change, but its meaning was yet to unfold. The duchy's fate now rested on the shoulders of a mercenary, and only time would reveal the consequences of this unexpected alliance. I bet something terrible is happening there. As expected of Carltodon't know if anyone in that castle will be left alive. What will happen to the duke? The common people expected hell to unleash, as Carlton and his troops were just too notorious. He might have bet his life on this, but the pride of a great lord would be living without truly being alive. Everyone thought the same. People sympathized with Luisen's situation. Though they thought him foolish and may have cursed his name, they didn't believe he deserved the horrors Carlton would inflict upon him. Either way, the people agreed that his future looked extremely bleak and miserable. Whispers of rebellion began to circulate among the townsfolk, fueled by a mix of fear and defiance. They knew that if Carlton's reign continued unchecked, no one would be safe, not even the duke himself. As tensions simmered, the fate of the duchy hung in the balance, with uncertainty looming over their lives like a dark cloud. The people could only wait and hope for a glimmer of light in the encroaching darkness.