"T, Lloyd Frontera, the son of Arcos Frontera, have something to say as the rightful heir to this estate."
Lloyd's voice rang loudly in the hall. Everyone was staring hard at him. A farmer gulped nervously. A woodcutter found himself clenching his fist. A winemaker chewed on his lips. Nobody saw this coming. The defeat of the senior knight.
His opponent wasn't even a proper knight. He was the baron's son—a notoriously lazy drunken rogue—and yet he made mincemeat of the knight. That alone was shocking enough. But that wasn't quite all of it. Lloyd kept assaulting the senior knight even after the duel ended.
The baron grew impatient at last and lashed out at his son to stop the cruelty.
Lloyd boldly responded to his father, announcing to everyone that this knight had betrayed the baron. Everyone was doubtful at first. But they saw how the baron's face turned pale after he read the letters presented to him as evidence of the knight's deceit. He slumped down on his chair as if his knees had buckled. Then he glared at Sir Neumann. His eyes welled with disappointment. That gave everyone a hint of the severity of what had happened.
Really? Is what the young master said true? They thought to themselves as they read the baron's expression. Everyone waited in silence, wondering what would happen to Sir Neumann. All eyes were on Lloyd. They waited for him to speak.
Lloyd felt their stares. Here comes the important part. Before getting here, he had run several scenarios through his head. He organized all the details of the novel as much as his memory allowed. Afterward, he considered the status quo of the fiefdom and the relationships and emotions of the people. He predicted how the story could be changed by his actions. In short, he reached this point after carefully planning every detail. And surely, among the many deliberations he had made, one of them included the baron's reaction. It's going to backfire if I propose something too drastic.
The baron was a good man with a soft heart. Even after tasting the bitter medicine of betrayal, he couldn't cut Sir Neumann out and punish him as he deserved. So, Lloyd thought that suggesting a harsh punishment for the traitor would only work in the scoundrel's favor.
In time he will take the bait. He understood his limits in this situation. He could only offer counsel and support, and that was it. The ball was in the baron's court. So, he needed to prime the baron to make sure that he would agree to whatever was suggested.
Lloyd cleared his throat. "I'm sure you are in a difficult spot. I am too. Sir Neumann holds a long history with our family, and he has done great things that he should be duly credited for."
"Hmm… Continue talking." The baron tilted his head in confusion, perhaps surprised to see his son cover for Sir Neumann instead of lashing out at him.
Lloyd continued to speak. "Surely, the actions revealed by today's duel are nothing short of shocking. He has turned his back on you and done great harm to the fiefdom."
"Are you suggesting that he has done good things we should be appreciative of and bad things that require our attention?" the baron asked.
"Yes," Lloyd answered. Thankfully, the conversation was going well. The baron was not a fool. He was simply a good man.
"So, do you mean that I must deal with him, considering everything he has done for us in the past?"
"Yes, that's right," replied Lloyd.
"Hmm… I am sensing that you have a punishment in mind."
"I sure do." Lloyd let out a chuckle. And without a second of hesitation, he announced the punishment to the baron. "I am thinking of dropping a rat on his head," Lloyd said calmly.
"A rat…?" the baron asked in confusion.
"Yes," Lloyd answered and continued to explain. "I'm going to drop a rat on Sir Neumann's head, and if he's free from harm, let us spare him and give him a chance to atone for his mistakes."
"A chance to atone… What do you mean?" the baron inquired.
"I believe it would be fitting to demote him to an ordinary soldier."
"Are you suggesting that he prove his repentance and loyalty by serving as an ordinary soldier?"
"Yes," Lloyd answered.
The baron remained silent. The baroness found herself clutching her hands. Some of the audience started to turn to the side and chat among themselves. The sound of their indistinct murmurs and chattering was audible.
"Hey, what is he talking about?" a farmer asked a woodcutter beside him.
"I think he's going to drop a rat," the woodcutter replied.
"Right? You heard that too, right?"
"Yeah. Master Lloyd will drop a mouse on Sir Neumann's head."
"Could that be the punishment? That's it?" the farmer asked.
"Uhm… I don't know why, but maybe?" the woodcutter answered. The farmer shrugged his shoulders, and the woodcutter shook his head. They were baffled by the situation.
This time, one of the women spoke. "Who in the world would get hurt having a rat dropped on their head?"
"Uhm, I would," another woman confessed.
"How?"
"I'm afraid of rats. It's possible he would jump and scream and trip over something on the ground, getting hurt in the process," she explained.
"But… it's Sir Neumann we're talking about."
"So, he won't be surprised," the woman concluded.
The peasants chattered to themselves. They came up with several theories and racked their brains to imagine what could happen. But in the end, they concluded that dropping a rat on Sir Neumann's head wouldn't hurt him.
Therefore, everyone interpreted Lloyd's suggestion the following way. "Master Lloyd is suggesting forgiving Sir Neumann. Don't you think so, Javier?" Sir Bayern asked.
Javier, who was standing beside him, replied, "I think so too. It appears that the young master judges that such punishment is the most appropriate one."
"Master Lloyd thinks so?"
"Yes, that's right," replied Javier. He paused for a second before continuing. "Sir Neumann has already been humiliated enough in front of everyone. And even if he is forgiven, that wouldn't be the end of his disgrace."
"You're right," Sir Bayern agreed. "He'll be stripped of his knightly status and serve as an ordinary soldier."
"Indeed. Nothing would be more disgraceful than that," Javier said. "However…"
"What is it?" Sir Bayern asked.
"Something feels wrong here."
"What do you mean?"
"What Master Lloyd suggested. Personally, I believe it's a bit odd."
Sir Bayern looked at Javier in confusion.
Javier searched for the best way to explain this. "It's much too tame," Javier finally said. "It's exceedingly merciful of Master Lloyd—so much so, that it doesn't sound like him. In my opinion, that kid, no… the young master isn't the type of person to be merciful and mild."
Javier was telling the truth. He had been protecting Lloyd Frontera, and he observed what a man he was and how he held grudges against people. He's cunning, extraordinarily so. Not to mention, he's also meticulous, tenacious, and manipulative. Javier didn't consider Lloyd a bad person. But he didn't consider him a good person either.
The man has a petty heart. He never did anything that would result in a loss for him. He was nothing but an unscrupulous manipulator. That was Javier's recent assessment of Lloyd's character. How else could I judge him?
The man had drastically changed out of the blue. His daily drunken tantrums had stopped. But they were replaced by extreme pettiness. He meticulously tracked the construction payments from the villagers, and if he discovered that someone paid less, he would rush out—even in the middle of dinner—to get it. What's more, he's keeping a tight rein on me with that peculiar lullaby service of his.
Every night, Javier was serenaded with incomprehensible words that put him soundly to sleep. At first, he was happy as a clam. It felt like he owned the world because he could sleep well. But he soon realized that he was wrong. He realized the service came at a high cost.
That man threatened him several times a day. "Teach me how to use the sword, or else no more lullaby service. You do know that you and I share the copyright for the Asrahan Core Technique, right? Say yes if you want to keep sleeping well at night. I'm a bit thirsty. You know what to do. Bring me a glass of water, and I'll extend the service by a day."
Words fell short of describing Lloyd's pettiness. Javier was in the palm of his hand. There was no way to escape. No, he didn't even have the courage to cut the snare by himself because the lullabies that man provided were much too sweet.
Whew… I feel so pathetic every time I think about it. Anyway, there is simply no way that such a devious person would easily forgive Sir Neumann for betraying the fiefdom and challenging his authority. No way. That was possible when he was a drunk. But now? Not in a million years would he forgive the knight like that.
Javier was certain that Lloyd had something up his sleeve. The young master was hiding a vicious scheme. Javier narrowed his eyes and glared at Lloyd. He was the only person in the hall to doubt him. The others were utterly surprised by the unexpected magnanimity and benevolence Lloyd was showing to his enemy. Among them, Baron Frontera was the most astounded.
Yes. You've come up with a rather mild judgment, Lloyd. The baron nodded in approval. He didn't see this coming. He was pleased. I thought my son would die a hooligan without any fear of the heavens. But that wasn't the case. Looking back, he realized that he was wrong. His son was already a grown, mature man.
This is absolutely amazing. Now I get it. My dear son, you had it all figured out before the fight with Sir Neumann. You knew about his betrayal. That's why you picked a fight with Sir Neumann and challenged him to a duel. Everything Lloyd did was by design, and he wanted to punish Sir Neumann publicly and severely for a reason.
Yes. Your plan was to punish him and make it clear to everyone what fate awaited traitors. And by manifesting your generosity at a crucial moment such as now and shattering everyone's expectations, you will wisely win the hearts of the people. The baron's heart swelled with pride as he thought this.
Sir Neumann may have betrayed the fiefdom, but there was no denying that he was a valuable asset. A knight of such caliber is hard to come by. The baron knew that his lands sat in a remote area of the kingdom. Knights usually avoided coming down here. That was even more true for knights who were experts with a sword.
My son is setting the order right in the fiefdom by teaching a lesson to Sir Neumann. At the same time, he's also exhibiting generosity by giving the traitor a chance to repent and correct his faults. As such, the fiefdom is still able to keep the traitor's talent for its own use. Brilliant. Sir Neumann must have learned something from this, Baron Frontera told himself.
The baron was certain that the senior knight would be moved by the decision to forgive him. He would repent for his wrongdoings with genuine remorse, thus prompting him to be more loyal. The baron was overwhelmed. I cannot believe my son came up with this plan. How thorough and wise. The baron almost choked up in pride.
Suppressing the joy that surged in his heart, he nodded. "Okay, Lloyd. You may do as you please. Sir Neumann, what do you say to the offer Lloyd has suggested?"
"It's good…!" Sir Neumann, who was sprawled on the ground, immediately nodded several times. Though almost all his bodily functions were damaged because of the merciless beatings and thrashings, Sir Neumann's hearing was intact. And so, he was able to hear everything Lloyd proposed to the baron. Inside, Sir Neumann was throwing a party in joy.
He's just going to drop one rat over my head and forgive me if I am not hurt? Why would I say no!? He would be forgiven, and the situation would be overlooked. Sir Neumann planned what he should do next. Repentance, my ass! I won't let myself be demoted to a simple soldier. Not a chance. Every fiber of his being rejected the idea.
I'm going to leave this sickening backwater right away. And then I shall exact my revenge.
Crack! He gritted his teeth, but not too loud for others to notice. He put on the most remorseful and contrite expression he could come up with. With an intentionally shaky voice, he said, "I shall prove it to you right now. I ask your baron to grant me the chance to accept the young master's wise proposal."
"Indeed." The baron nodded. "Lloyd, do you have the rat you will drop on his head?"
"Yes," Lloyd replied. "I came here with it."
"Good. Do proceed," the baron announced.
"Yes."
Finally, the baron approved. The corners of Sir Neumann's lips rose.
Lloyd had a vicious smile on his face.
"Hey, Sir Neumann. In a good mood? You're smiling," Lloyd pointed out.
"Pardon?" Sir Neumann asked.
"Well, fine. Congratulations. You think that you got the easy way out, right?"
"I am not… sure what you mean," Sir Neumann said as he tilted his head. Now something felt wrong. Sir Neumann wondered why the young master was flashing such a happy smile. It also looked menacing.
"Oh, let me explain it to you." Lloyd's smile became even more vicious.
Just then, Sir Neumann noticed a small hamster in Lloyd's hand. Lloyd was holding a red sunflower seed with his other hand.
No one except Sir Neumann saw this, as the others were all far away.
"There's no easy way to beg for forgiveness."
Sir Neumann replied bewilderingly, "Excuse me…?"
Crunch! The hamster chomped down on the red sunflower seed. A second later, Lloyd threw the animal high in the air and stepped well back.
And… Leap!
"Ppodong! Jump on him!!"
"Ppodong!"
A ginormous thirty-foot-tall hamster landed a belly flop right on top of Sir Neumann.
Translator: https://bettertranslation9.wordpress.com