My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 191

191. Territory War? (3)

Lemington was completely tied up.

“Ugh, eugh!!”

A gag was stuffed in his mouth, preventing him from speaking properly.

A blindfold covered his eyes, making it hard to even tell if he was a person from a distance.

Honestly, at first, I thought it was a wriggling fish.

“…What is this, seriously?”

That’s why Cian was utterly dumbfounded.

No, dumbfounded to the point where his absurdity was reaching new heights.

Because.

“Why is he here?”

Why was Lemington here in Ruben, instead of Crowd County?

Moreover, completely tied up and wriggling.

Of course, he had heard the circumstances from Jackson, who had escorted Amelia on her business trip.

So.

“We captured him.”

They captured him.

“So, how?”

Cian slowly turned his gaze to Jackson.

But Jackson tilted his head once and then started demonstrating actions, explaining how they captured Lemington.

Cian couldn’t quite grasp the absurdity of it all.

And perhaps because of Jackson’s explanation.

I don’t know if I should say this about a person, but… wriggling Lemington looked very fresh, like a live fish out of water, enough to fillet him right now.

“Well, you see, Lord…”

Eventually, Amelia, unable to watch any longer, stepped forward and explained the situation.

Only then did Cian understand why Lemington was here.

So, in the end.

“You captured him.”

He had been captured.

“W-Well… I guess so…?”

Amelia nodded with a look that seemed to say, ‘Is this right?’

Cian turned his gaze back to the bound Lemington.

Lemington was not only tied up but also blindfolded.

Perhaps it was because he was so frustrated.

“Ugh, eugh!!”

He was struggling more than a fish would.

“Why did you cover his eyes?”

“He kept glaring so much on the way here. I couldn’t hit him, so I just covered them.”

“Just punch him a few times.”

“Still, hitting a noble is a bit…”

Jackson scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile.

Cian nodded as if he understood.

Although they were in a hostile relationship, Lemington was a noble.

On the other hand, Jackson was a resident of Ruben.

In terms of status, he was a commoner.

It was a bit much for a commoner to touch an imperial noble.

“You could have said I hit him.”

Of course, that didn’t apply to Cian.

To be exact, Cian didn’t care about it at all.

“Should I release him now?”

“No, it’s okay. I was going to praise you. It’s a bit difficult to show him the current state of Ruben. Good job.”

Cian strode towards Lemington.

“Hey.”

“Eugh!! Eugh, eugh!!”

Then Lemington wriggled even more and shouted.

“What is he saying? Speak properly.”

“Eugh, eugh!!”

Lemington’s behavior was now beyond tantrums.

It seemed to be because of Cian’s words just now.

Because he told him to speak properly…

“Ah, sorry. He had a gag in his mouth.”

Only then did Cian realize the gag in Lemington’s mouth.

Cian removed the gag from Lemington’s mouth, but he didn’t remove the blindfold.

“Puh-ha! You, you bastard…! Take this blindfold off right now…!”

“You’re something else. Even after getting beaten like that, you still haven’t come to your senses.”

Cian shook his head.

Well, that’s why he was acting like that.

“I am the second son of the Crowd County [a large administrative division]…! You can’t treat me like this…! If this fact spreads, you will be ostracized by the nobles…!”

Well, this was common knowledge that Cian also knew.

Territory wars between families.

In those territory wars, harming nobles was strictly prohibited.

Committing such an act was a heinous deed that could lead to being ostracized from noble society.

That’s why it was absolutely forbidden.

But.

“So what.”

Well, what are you going to do about it?

“W-What did you say…?”

“Whether other nobles say something or not, why would I care?”

Honestly, Cian didn’t care at all.

Because what are you going to do about it?

In the first place, he didn’t really care about the reputation of noble society.

Since it was located in the Dark Forest, there couldn’t be any exchanges.

Above all, if he had cared about such things, he wouldn’t have antagonized Elandur from the start.

Besides, putting everything else aside, what’s the big deal if other nobles gossip a little?

“And who would know?”

“What do you mean—”

“If you die here, who would know that you were captured here?”

At Cian’s words, Lemington shut his mouth tightly.

If Lemington died, the fact would be buried as it is.

How could they find a body abandoned in the Dark Forest?

It would be food for the monsters.

Of course, there would be suspicions.

But there was no concrete evidence.

So, there was no clear evidence.

To put it bluntly, he captured him but then felt sorry for him and released him.

Then there would be nothing to say.

Of course, anyone could tell it was a lie.

But what are you going to do about it?

The evidence to prove that action has already become food for the monsters.

Above all, the territory war is currently in progress.

Even under imperial law, the crime of murdering a noble could not be applied.

That’s why Lemington tried to kidnap Amelia using this excuse, didn’t he?

“······”

Lemington couldn’t say anything.

“Stop being scared. So stop acting like a lunatic and answer the questions I ask.”

“······”

Lemington couldn’t, couldn’t answer.

At Lemington’s appearance, Cian burst into a smirk.

And Cian’s voice was heard.

“You. How much are you worth?”

“······?”

For a moment, Lemington wondered what that meant.

#

The Crowd County, located in the southern part of the empire, is a super-giant family that owns the empire’s largest granary and is responsible for 15% of the grain distribution in the empire.

Befitting such a family, the Crowd County’s mansion was incredibly magnificent, a large and splendid mansion that could not be thought of as a county.

“Lemington… was captured as a prisoner?”

There was an unexpected commotion in the mansion.

The Crowd Count’s office, located in the mansion.

The Crowd Count’s eyes widened at the butler’s report.

“H-How could…! How could Lemington be captured as a prisoner!!”

The Crowd asked the butler with an unbelievable expression.

“W-Well, that is…”

But the Crowd’s butler couldn’t continue speaking.

Because he couldn’t explain it.

Of course, he knew why Lemington was captured as a prisoner.

Testimony from the Crowd soldiers who went with Lemington.

They were soldiers who had become disabled, but they only needed to be alive to open their mouths.

And the testimony was truly absurd.

An act that made one wonder if he was a noble or a madman.

That’s why the butler couldn’t bring himself to tell the Crowd Count about this act.

He tried to threaten a woman but was captured instead?

He abandoned the dignity of a noble and was 역관광 [yeokgwangwang – a Korean slang term for ‘reverse tourism’ or ‘getting played’] after committing a heinous act?

Or he could have just stayed still, but he was caught as a hostage after acting up for no reason?

How on earth could he explain it!

Clearly, no matter how he said it, he would be furious, saying that his son would never do that.

He would be furious, saying, “Where are you making a false report?”

And he might find the soldiers who testified to the truth and kill them all.

That’s why the butler rolled his eyes and looked at the count.

And perhaps because of the butler’s appearance.

“How dare these guys… how dare they…!”

Bang!!

“They can’t be a match in a head-on fight, so they use such shallow tricks?!”

The Crowd Count began to think as he pleased.

The Crowd County, which owns the empire’s largest granary.

On the other hand, Ruben was a remote territory located in the Dark Forest.

Anyone could see that they were no match in terms of power.

The victory or defeat was virtually determined.

Isn’t noble society buzzing with this story right now?

So, it’s a story that Ruben will soon be destroyed.

So, it was clear that they kidnapped Lemington and took him hostage.

It was clear that they were trying to make it difficult to attack easily.

A despicable method.

It was said to be a territory located in the outskirts, but as expected, the method was also despicable.

He couldn’t think of it any other way.

But Cian seemed to not know one thing and not think about two things.

“How dare you touch my son…!!”

The Crowd Count’s eyes were blazing with anger.

He knew the intention of taking Lemington hostage.

Honestly, Lemington’s safety was not a big problem.

Even in a territory war, harming nobles is taboo.

If they committed such an act, other nobles would not stand still.

So, he didn’t have to worry about Lemington’s safety.

He was uneasy, but he could still get him back by giving him some gold.

That was the custom of the territory war.

So, this was no different from giving another justification.

None other than.

“Prepare to dispatch troops right now!! I will head to Ruben immediately!”

A justification that would not be strange to start a war with Ruben right now.

#

“W-What did you say…?”

Lemington shouted without realizing it because of Cian’s words: “How much are you worth?”

He couldn’t understand what that meant.

What is this out-of-the-blue sound?

“How much is your ransom?”

But at Cian’s continued words, Lemington could understand the intention.

Even in a territory war, where no means or methods are spared.

Harming nobles was a taboo.

But war is war, after all.

Capturing the opponent’s leader and taking them as a prisoner was not taboo.

That’s why it was common for nobles to be captured by the enemy like this.

And there was a set procedure in such cases.

That was negotiation.

In other words, paying a ransom to release the noble.

“How much do you need?”

Lemington smiled inwardly.

Earlier, Cian acted cool, pretending it didn’t matter.

He was a little frightened when he threatened to kill him if he didn’t like it.

But it was just a bluff.

“Were you also aiming for a preemptive strike? You must have a lot of money?”

“Ha! Do you even know what kind of family we are to say such a thing?”

Crowd, possessing the largest granary in the empire.

No matter how much Cian asked for, they had more than enough to pay.

And.

‘By now, my father must be leading the troops here.’

The news of his capture must have reached the family by now.

And by now, they must have finished dispatching troops.

Perhaps they were already close by.

So, if he could just be released like this, it would be over.

Then Crowd’s troops would push Ruben away in an instant.

If they had used him as a hostage, the story would have been different.

Then Crowd’s troops wouldn’t be able to move so easily.

But even if they were blinded by money, there was a limit.

Cian was thinking of getting Lemington’s ransom.

‘You stupid bastard.’

He was no different from a complete idiot.

Whether he knew that or not.

“Amelia. How much did you earn this time?”

Cian’s voice was quite excited.

Because his eyes were covered, he couldn’t see Amelia’s face.

But Amelia, whom he had seen in a long time, had become even more beautiful.

‘When the territory war is over…’

Lemington smiled bitterly inwardly.

“About 8.3 million gold. To be exact, it’s 8,299,320 gold.”

And Amelia’s voice was heard.

“W-What?”

Lemington blurted out without realizing it.

8.3 million gold? Not 830,000 gold?

Did they just earn 8.3 million gold in one business trip?

No, even 830,000 gold was a big problem.

There weren’t many merchant groups that earned 830,000 gold in one business trip.

Even merchant groups under Crowd’s jurisdiction had a hard time.

Of course, if you combined all the income, about 830,000 gold was a drop in the bucket.

But if the condition of one business trip was attached, it was not.

Even Crowd had a hard time earning 830,000 gold at once.

Especially this year, with the famine, it was even more so.

But what now?

8. 3 million gold?

“Oh. You earned a lot? I heard it was 7.7 million gold?”

“The goods sold better than expected. I didn’t expect them to sell out completely.”

“Amelia-nim [Miss Amelia] planned the trade route amazingly.”

But they didn’t seem that surprised.

So they weren’t reacting with shock.

They were just reacting as if they were facing something obvious.

“Let’s see…”

Soon, Cian’s voice was heard, lost in thought.

Again, because his eyes were covered, he couldn’t see his face.

How much time had passed like that.

“Because of the famine, you guys must be having a hard time these days. This is a favor. I’ll take exactly as much as Megingjörð.”

“Megingjör… what?”

Lemington tilted his head at Cian’s words, which he couldn’t understand.

And Cian continued.

“50 million gold. How about it?”

“You crazy bastard!!!”

Lemington shouted without realizing it.

There was a limit to even nonsensical talk!

“Why? Can’t you?”

“Of course not!!!”

This was nonsense that couldn’t be tolerated!

The ransom for territory wars was usually set by custom.

It varied depending on the situation and circumstances.

Usually, a baron was 100,000 gold.

A viscount was 200,000 gold.

An earl was 500,000 gold.

A marquis was 1 million gold.

A duke was an exceptional noble and was not measured.

The duke, the owner of the duchy, was virtually the king of a country.

If a dispute arose, it was not a territory war but a war between countries.

Anyway, the appropriate ransom for nobles was as above.

And their children were usually half price.

So, Lemington, the son of an ‘Earl’ family, was half of 500,000 gold.

250,000 gold could be said to be the appropriate level.

But Lemington was willing to pay up to 500,000 gold.

He was willing to give a little more, up to 1 million gold.

He was very willing to give up to 2 million gold with great generosity.

But what, what?

50 million gold?

“Are you out of your mind!!”

What noble in the world would ask for 50 million gold as ransom!

This was no different from saying they had no intention of letting him go!

“Your family has a lot of money, right? There’s a famine, and there’s compensation to be extorted from the territory war. I originally wanted to ask for 100 million gold, but I’m giving you a discount?”

“W-What? 100 million gold? You crazy bastard!!”

Of course, it was possible if he brought in the assets of the Crowd Earl family.

But there was no way they would give it all!

“Hey, what’s wrong? I heard you’re the family with the largest granary in the empire. You’re nothing special.”

“You bastard…!”

Lemington gritted his teeth.

Did that guy know how much 50 million gold was when he said that?

He probably didn’t know.

No, he couldn’t know.

It was an amount that he couldn’t dare to come into contact with in a small territory located in the Dark Forest.

He probably hadn’t even seen 500,000 gold, let alone 50 million gold.

He would definitely tremble even if he saw 50,000 gold.

It was an amount he couldn’t even dream of.

So that was just teasing.

“You bastard…!!”

Lemington shook his body violently, grinding his teeth.

But because his whole body was tied up, he was just floundering like a live fish on land.

But was it because of the violent struggle?

Or was it because the blindfold that was tied together with the gag became loose as the gag was released?

The blindfold that covered Lemington’s eyes slipped slightly.

Thanks to that, Lemington was able to see a little of the obscured view.

What Lemington saw was Cian and Amelia talking.

The two were talking about something without paying attention to Lemington.

Because of that, they didn’t realize that Lemington’s blindfold had slipped slightly.

And the scenery of Ruben that was reflected around them.

Ruben… Ruben…?

This is Ruben’s… scenery…?

“Uh…?”

Lemington’s movements froze.

At the same time, his eyes widened.

That’s because the scenery of Ruben that was slightly visible in Lemington’s vision now.

“This is… Ruben…?”

The sight… was strange.

Rather than strange, it was too different from Lemington’s imagination.

Because he saw it with a slightly slipped vision, he couldn’t capture the whole picture.

But the ramparts that firmly surrounded Ruben.

The impregnable… no, just the impregnable ramparts were so magnificent that they wouldn’t even allow a rat to pass.

Would that even be뚫리기는 할까 [Would that even be pierced]? A question naturally arose.

It was far beyond the extraordinary level, it was at a crazy level.

In addition, there was not only a moat of unknown depth around it.

Even the guard towers, where there were no blind spots.

And not only that.

Each building inside Ruben, each building that was randomly lined up.

It was almost on par with Crowd’s mansion.

In addition, soldiers and knights patrolling the streets of Ruben that were glimpsed from time to time.

The unusual armor and weapons they were wearing.

Dwarves moving unknown giant weapons.

The sound of clanging hammers heard from somewhere.

“T-This is…?”

It was a completely different image of Ruben than he had imagined.

No, it was a landscape of Ruben that completely overturned his thoughts.

This is… a mere territory located in the outskirts?

Even in the Dark Forest, which was no different from ruins?

“N-No way…”

Lemington couldn’t believe the scene in front of him.

Crowd Earl Territory?

Don’t make me laugh!

This was not only the capital of the empire, Darkhan.

No territory on the continent could compare!

So one thought came to mind.

‘C-Can’t win… this… can’t win.’

Can’t win.

They can’t win this.

From the beginning, the weight class itself didn’t match.

It wasn’t a difference of one or two levels.

10,000 troops? Don’t make me laugh.

This was just a level that didn’t match.

A fight of weight classes that couldn’t be overcome!

So he had to let them know.

He had to stop his father, Crowd Earl, who had dispatched troops right now!

Pride, shmide [never mind], whatever!

To live, he had to cancel the territory war right now!

He had to kneel down and beg!

But Lemington was captured right now.

“I-I’ll give it to you!”

Lemington shouted loudly.

50 million gold or whatever, he had to get out of here first.

He had to go out and stop the territory war itself.

In the process, he could give about 50 million gold.

It was a big expense, but he could give it.

If they continued the territory war like this, 50 million gold was nothing.

The entire Crowd would be ruined!

Lemington turned his head and looked at Cian.

But why was that?

Cian’s expression that was slightly visible was not good at all.

It was like looking at some kind of saboteur.

Like facing a thief trying to steal treasure.

Like meeting some kind of obstructionist trying to steal a precious honey pot.

Like some absolute being who saw a mere creation finally facing an uncomfortable truth.

“You…”

Cian’s voice that was heard.

“You saw it…?”

Sounded too eerie.