Circumstances of a Fallen Lord - Chapter 146
Chapter 146
The buzz of the banquet hall grew louder as Carlton strode into the hall. Dressed in a meticulously crafted uniform, blending black and white and adorned with golden embellishments, he exuded a strong presence. Still, a subtle sense of nervousness eased his sharpness, making him seem more human. Even as he stood alone in the middle of this splendid, luxurious banquet hall, Carlton seemed flawless. Perfect.
Carlton approached, making eye contact with Luisen. He smiled as if to say, ‘Keep your eyes on me.’
‘What’s this? What happened?’ Luisen wanted to immediately spring forward and ask Carlton these questions, but the young lord endured. He knew that this was a pivotal moment in the mercenary’s life.
Carlton knelt on one knee before the king. The king greeted him with a chuckle. “This man helped me to this position and helped Duke Anies to save me from falling into heresy’s corruption. I wish to acknowledge his contributions and bestow an honor upon him… Carlton.”
“Yes, your Highness.”
“I would like to knight you. I also grant you a surname–Antos–named after Saint Anitos. With that surname, I grant you the title of a count and provide you Count Doubless’s fiefdom.”
A count?
Doubless County?!
The proclamation caused quite a commotion among the nobles.
“How impressive–he skipped over the baron rank and went straight to being a count. There were multiple people seeking Count Doubless’s territory–did you know that?” the Eastern Great Lord whispered.
The words slipped in through one of Luisen’s ears. His hands were clenched–almost subconsciously–as he stared at Carlton and the king.
The king informed Carlton of his feudal and tax rights and duties as a lord and then asked, “As a noble, will you pledge your loyalty to me and the kingdom?”
Carlton bowed his head deeply and looked back up at the king. As he did so, his gaze seemed to glance at Luisen. “I pledge my loyalty to you.”
The king tapped each side of Carlton’s shoulder with his sword; then, the king had a servant hand over the deed. “Let us all congratulate the birth of a new count.”
The king personally raised Carlton to his feet. Carlton stood and glanced back at the gathered nobles. The throng of nobles were stunned silent, but soon the Eastern Great Lord stood up and clapped. “God has chosen this warrior, and he will surely serve this kingdom well.”
As the Eastern Great Lord spoke, the other nobles also began to applaud. Regardless of their inner thoughts, Carlton’s achievements were unmatched, and the title had already been given. No one could express dissatisfaction with the king’s decision.
Carlton looked around at the nobles’ jealous gazes and then turned to Luisen. When their eyes met, Carlton finally grinned. It was a self-assured and somewhat arrogant smile–very characteristic of Carlton.
When the king declared that everyone should enjoy the banquet, Carlton approached Luisen immediately. Luisen continued to sit, dumbfounded.
“You said that I wouldn’t need to worry about you?”
“That’s what I said. I’ve taken care of everything.”
“How did this happen?” Luisen asked, eyes narrowed. Then, Carlton revealed why he had been so relaxed all this while.
In fact, ever since he had entered the capital and identified the leaders of the cult, he had been planning to occupy and take control of the Doubless county.
After the final fight, Count Doubless would die. Because he had meddled with heresy, there was a high probability that his estate and property would be posthumously confiscated by the state. However, since the kingdom currently lacked the capacity to manage the county, they would likely try to pass the territory on to someone suitable.
If Carlton’s mercenary group occupied the county and maintained public order, the kingdom would leave things at status quo to avoid unnecessary complications. By the time the first prince ascended the throne, Carlton would be recognized for his deeds–for this and eliminating demon worshipers–and would receive a title. The king would have no choice but to hand him the county.
Although the territory’s agricultural production was low for the Southern Region, the Doubless County was located along a river, and the land had potential for trade. So, many nobles coveted this territory. In any other situation, this fiefdom would never be granted to Carlton.
The count’s retainers and vassals would all be executed for colluding with heresy, so Carlton could conveniently divide their duties among his men and help them settle down.
Above all, the land was close to the duke’s. The count’s mansion and Luisen’s mansion were on either side of one forest; he wouldn’t have to be far from the duke.
Luisen, his dream of success, and his subordinates… Carlton planned to accomplish everything without leaving any of them behind.
In this way, Carlton had been steadily envisioning a future with Luisen.
“I didn’t even know…” Even today, Luisen had planned to ask the king for a favor, but he had merely comforted the man and returned empty-handed!
Feeling unjustly treated, Luisen whined to Carlton, “You could have told me in advance!”
“I didn’t want to spoil the surprise, and I didn’t want to raise false hopes. Besides, don’t I look cooler like this?”
“T-That’s t-true, but still!”
“So, you don’t like it?” Even though Carlton knew that Luisen hadn’t taken his eyes off the mercenary since Carlton entered the ballroom, Carlton still asked the obvious.
Luisen, however, fell right into Carlton’s little game. “Of course not!” Luisen shook his head enthusiastically. He looked up at Carlton with flushed cheeks and trembling pupils–anyone could see the young lord was smitten. “…I fell for you all over again. You’re always surprising me.”
Luisen’s heart skipped a beat when he considered how the man was meticulous and skilled enough to take care of his own ambitions despite his hectic schedule. He had never known someone so capable and amazing in his life.
“Then, will you dance with me?”
“Of course!” Luisen immediately grabbed Carlton’s hand and stood up. Carlton laughed out loud and impulsively kissed the young lord. Luisen was also delighted and readily accepted the kiss.
Once again, the banquet hall was shocked; the flowing music had even paused. However, the two lovers did not pay that any attention.
In the palace’s highest room, where only the most blue-blooded nobles gathered, nothing else mattered except being able to hold each other’s hands and be together.
The two danced as best they could. As he hadn’t danced much before, Carlton’s steps were a total mess, and Luisen kept stepping on Carlton’s feet. However, none of that mattered.
He was merely delighted–he felt like he was the happiest lovebird in the world.
***
A few days after the coronation:
Luisen and Carlton secretly embarked on a journey together at dawn, without anyone knowing. If their departure was discovered, Luisen’s attendants and vassals would surely be scandalized and shocked. But, this time, the two wanted to enjoy a luxurious journey by themselves with ample funds in their pockets.
When the two men had climbed aboard Zephys to leave the capitol, an unexpected man was waiting for them.
It was Morrison. And next to Morrison, there was a carriage.
“What are you doing here?” The two asked.
“I’m here to say goodbye before you leave. I’m also considering leaving the capital.”
“Already?” Luisen was surprised.
“Yes. The priests will take care of the remaining affairs.” Morrison said he would return to his original role as a heretic inquisitor. His mission was to wander the world to find signs of heresy and punish heretics.
“Then, we won’t have a reason to see you anymore?”
“Yes. Probably not.”
Luisen was a little disappointed by the firm, sure answer. After all, they had built up some mutual affection during their adventure.
“It wouldn’t be so good to meet someone like me,” Morrison smiled and soothed Luisen. The man seemed accustomed to this sort of separation. “You probably won’t recognize me next time we meet. I’ll abandon this name and face, adopting a new identity.”
“…I see.”
“Actually, I wasn’t even planning to say goodbye, but… I wanted to let *him* meet you.” Morrison pointed towards a shadowed portion of the palace wall. Then, the Death Knight materialized. When he looked at Luisen, it looked as if he was squirming a little.
“Ruger! I was wondering where you went. You were with Morrison?” Luisen approached the knight, a welcoming tone in his voice.
“How come the two of you are together?” Carlton asked.
“He chose to stay with me. Though he should be confined to a dungeon to repent for his wrongdoings for the rest of his life….He’s useful to me.”
“You’re planning to keep him under your thumb forever, right? Is that mercy or cruelty?” Carlton clicked his tongue and stared silently at Luisen and the Death Knight.
“If you’re following Morrison, then I won’t have a chance to meet you either, right?”
[……]
The Death Knight nodded.
“…It’s a shame, but it can’t be helped.”
[……]
The Death Knight stared at Luisen, as if to engrave the image of the young lord into his eyes.
Feeling bashful, Luisen said, “But since it’s the last time we’ll meet… Would you say something?”
[……]
The Death Knight hesitated, taking a few steps back and forth as if he was uncertain, before, with great difficulty, spitting out a few words.
[…To be honest, I’ve been wanting to say this since a while ago…]
“What is it?”
The Death Knight hesitated for a long time again. Luisen waited patiently because he knew that this would be their last meeting.
[…I’m sorry.]
“Ah… Why are you apologizing again? It’s alright–it’s fine. I’ve already forgiven you.” Luisen’s nose scrunched up. That apology tugged at his heartstrings. “Follow Morrison well…And…may you find peace in death and be released from suffering” 1 성불 — It’s both to find enlightenment and to also to die (peacefully)
Carlton frowned.
Only Carlton recognized, uneasily, that Ruger had not been able to confess his love until the bitter end. However, the mercenary didn’t want to inform Luisen on Ruger’s behalf. Luisen didn’t need to know anything about another man’s feelings besides Carlton’s own.
When the Death Knight and Luisen’s conversation ended, Morrison boarded the wagon as if his business had concluded. “Well then, I wish you both a bright future–I hope light will illuminate your path forward.”
“Likewise. I’ll pray for your safety.”
“Yes. Then, I shall be off.” Morrison didn’t waste any time, and moved according to his words. The carriage quickly set off. The Death Knight saluted Luisen before disappearing, melting into Morrison’s quickly vanishing shadow. The clean break left the observers feeling empty.
However, watching their distant backs, they started to feel that everything was truly over. Perhaps this feeling had exacerbated their hollowness.
Luisen embraced Carlton to soothe the emptiness he felt. And, after a while, the two resumed their journey. Their steps were filled with anticipation, as if they had never been melancholy.
Footnotes Section
- 1: 성불 — It’s both to find enlightenment and to also to die (peacefully)
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moubonidutta
When will side story 2 will come?