Outside the castle, all preparations for Ronin's departure were complete.
In addition to grain, the six cargo carriages were loaded with books, bedding, and more. The weight was distributed perfectly so as not to overburden any single horse.
If not for the limited capacity of the carriages, Ronin would have even packed up the murals from his room. 'After all, they belong to Wushan Castle,' he thought. 'They'd have to be worth something if I sold them, right?'
"Lord Baron, the Marquis asks that you come back and visit when you have the time."
Lurans's servant, the old castle steward Mosite, was seeing him off on behalf of the Old Marquis. Standing beside him was Holwart, though Holwart was not representing Wiggin, but Dianey.
"I will."
Ronin looked up at the magnificent castle. 'I wonder what things will be like when I return?'
He waved to the two stewards, then had Chahar drive the carriage forward. Under the escort of nine Guards, his journey to Mountain Forest Town began.
Wushan Castle was not built within Wushan City, but on a hillside to the southwest. Wushan Avenue connected the castle to the city.
Lining both sides of the avenue were several manors (somewhat similar to villages).
Some of these manors belonged directly to the castle and were managed by servants, while others had been bestowed upon Knights (the lowest rank of nobility) who had rendered meritorious service.
About five or six li down Wushan Avenue to the northeast was Wushan City.
It was a large city with a population of nearly one hundred thousand. If you included the subjects living in the surrounding manors, Wushan City's population definitely exceeded one hundred thousand.
Because his predecessor had rarely ventured into the city, Ronin was eager to see a city in this Otherworld with his own eyes.
However, as they drew closer to Wushan City, the stench in the air grew stronger.
'What's going on? Is there a pig farm nearby?' Ronin wondered instinctively.
Soon, the sight before him left him stunned.
The end of Wushan Avenue connected to a long, wide, but winding street. Mismatched houses in varying styles were scattered along both sides, most of them single-story buildings; two-story structures were rare.
If that were all, it would just be a bit backward and dilapidated. But what Ronin found most unbearable was the sanitation!
All over the dirt road were various kinds of feces—runny, hard, yellow, black, small clumps, and large piles. Every variety was present.
Ronin had the pleasure of watching an old horse step on a pile of dung, instantly flattening it and smearing it into the dirt.
The scene practically made Ronin's eyes want to explode!
'Is this a place for humans to live?'
Although some of the buildings in Wushan Castle were damp and dilapidated, the sanitation was at least decent. At a minimum, there wasn't feces everywhere. But this place... it was truly beyond words.
'Could the reason the castle was built five or six li outside the city be to escape this stench?'
Pinching his nose, Ronin averted his gaze. "Chahar, why is it so filthy here? Doesn't the castle do anything about it?"
Chahar, who was driving the carriage, found the question strange. "My lord, why would the castle manage the sanitation here?"
Chahar's sagely retort left Ronin at a loss for words for a moment.
'That's right, why would the castle manage the sanitation here?'
'Is there any benefit to be gained?'
Nobles only cared about their own lives, and Lords only cared about their taxes.
Commoners and Peasant Slaves were merely tools for the nobility. As long as they didn't die, it didn't matter if they lived well or poorly, or if their environment was filthy or clean. The nobles didn't care.
It was like a pig farmer not caring if his pigs were living in their own filth.
For a moment, he felt a wave of nausea.
If a large city like Wushan City was like this, what would his little Mountain Forest Town be like?
Ronin didn't dare to even imagine it.
"Get us out of Wushan City, quickly! I can't stand this smell for another second!"
"As you wish, my lord!"
Chahar cracked his whip, and the carriage picked up speed.
From Ronin's perspective as someone from Earth, how could a city with a population of just over a hundred thousand be considered large? It didn't even have the population of a county back home.
However, Wushan City covered a large area. The convoy, with all its stops and starts, took over three hours to completely leave the city's territory.
The farther they got from the city, the more uneven the road became.
Ronin lifted the window flap and saw that both sides of the road were now dense forest, unlike before when they could still see manors and fields. They had now reached a mountain path in the wilderness.
Considering the horses had been walking for another hour straight, Ronin ordered, "Chahar, let's stop and rest. The horses are tired, and we need to prepare lunch."
"Yes, my lord!"
Chahar called out, relaying Ronin's command.
One after another, the six carriages came to a halt.
Ronin stepped out of the carriage, taking deep gulps of the fresh air outside. It was so much more refreshing than being in Wushan City.
He looked at the distant mountains and commanded, "Have six of the Guards go into the forest and gather some fodder for the horses. The rest of you, prepare lunch. We'll get back on the road after everyone has eaten their fill."
"Yes, my lord!"
Chahar walked over to the carriage loaded with miscellaneous goods, preparing to take down their only iron pot to cook some meat soup.
Having given his orders, Ronin strode into the mountain forest.
He planned to use this opportunity to claim his Day 1 reward from the seven-day login.
By doing so, he would add a Knight to his retinue, which would better ensure the safety of his party.
But before he had taken two steps, he heard Chahar's startled cry from behind him.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
This was followed by the CLANG of the iron pot hitting the ground.
'What's going on?'
Startled, Ronin spun around to see Chahar fallen on the ground, the iron pot lying to the side. The Guards, who should have been busy with their tasks, had drawn their swords and were walking toward him.
'Is this... a mutiny?'
As someone who had seen his fair share of dramatic scenes in TV shows, Ronin immediately realized what these men were up to.
Nevertheless, he instinctively demanded, "What do you think you're doing?"
"What are we doing?"
The man in the lead had a mocking expression, completely lacking the respectful attitude he should have had toward his master.
"My lord, Mountain Forest Town is too remote and barren. We don't want to go there with you, so we'd like to 'borrow' some money from you to leave."
"This is betrayal! Betrayal!" Chahar understood now, and his anger flared.
"You're not just betraying the Lord Baron, you're betraying the Wushan Clan! Aren't you afraid of death?"
It wasn't just Chahar; even Ronin hadn't expected these nine "Elite Soldiers" to betray him.
In this world, serving the nobles in the castle was something many people could only dream of. Betraying a noble was something that usually only happened among people with power or status.
'What do these guys have?'
Ronin narrowed his eyes. "You're going to kill me?"
Those words shocked Chahar so much he forgot his accusations. Kill a noble? They actually wanted to kill a noble?
'How is that possible! How dare they?'
"Heh heh, everyone says the Lord Baron is a complete idiot, but it seems you're not that stupid after all."
The leading Guard flashed a cruel smile. "If you want to blame someone, blame your father for looking down on you. He gave you so much money but didn't bother to pick a loyal Professional Knight to protect you."
Hearing this, Ronin actually started to laugh. "Well, that's a relief."
Ronin was naturally relieved.
When he first saw the Guards trying to kill him, he had instinctively assumed it was Wiggin's doing. A Count dead set on taking his life was a terrifying thought.
However, judging by what these men were saying, they were just acting out of greed. They weren't under orders from Wiggin.
The cliché soap-opera plot of a father determined to kill his own son hadn't come to pass.
That was why he said he was relieved.
But his words completely baffled the betrayers. In their eyes, Ronin was about to die. What was there to be relieved about?
"I think you've been scared stupid and are just spouting nonsense."
The backstabber raised his Longsword. "Brothers, kill him! The supplies and Gold Coins on the carriages will all be ours!"
With that cry of encouragement, the hesitant and the timid, trembling Guards all hardened their treacherous hearts. They roared and charged at Ronin.
"My lord, look out!"
Chahar, with a sudden burst of courage from who-knows-where, drew the dagger he carried and tried to rush forward to help. But he stumbled and fell to the ground after just two steps. He tried to get up, but his legs refused to obey him.
He was just too nervous.
Ronin was nervous too. He had never experienced a scene like this in his entire life.
But as a dual-class Transcendent, he wasn't about to be paralyzed by an adrenaline rush.
He gave a cold laugh, turned, and ran into the forest. He moved so quickly that all nine Guards were caught completely off guard.
"How can he run so fast?"
The Guards were bewildered. Weren't they told that the Marquis's eldest grandson from the main line was a frail weakling, his body ravaged by wine and women?
The burst of speed he had just shown was far beyond what they could match.
At that moment, a sense of foreboding crept into the lead guard's heart.
But now that they had shown their hand, there was no turning back. Ronin had to die today!
"Kill him! Kill Ronin!"
The betrayers summoned all their strength and, roaring, charged into the mountain forest.
Suddenly, a flash of light erupted from within the forest, and a steady, resonant voice rang out:
"Macken Saliton greets you, my master!"