Chapter 31: 31 Unexpected Faction

Chapter 31: An Unexpected Power

The sudden warning drew Ronin's attention to the bearded professional knight kneeling beside Printz.

The man's strength was not formidable, and his combat instincts seemed poorly honed; otherwise, he would not have fallen to a single blow.

Yet, this very man now dared to open his mouth to caution Printz, a mid-tier knight, with an edge of warning in his voice.

In a world beneath the nobility where might alone dictated status, how could a low-tier knight presume to threaten a mid-tier one?

This filled Ronin with a profound curiosity.

"Who are you?"

The man tossed his head back with utter disdain, his expression mirroring that of a rooster eager for a brawl. "Baron Ronin, I advise you to release me. It would be for your own good. Otherwise..."

"My dear captive, it seems you have yet to grasp the reality of your situation."

Ronin drew the longsword from his waist and thrust it downward. The sharp tip pierced clean through the palm the man used to prop himself against the earth, pinning it deep into the soil. A violent agony erupted, forcing a wretched howl from the man's throat.

"As a defeated traitor, you possess no right to hold your head high before me."

Ronin spoke with a chilling detachment, his gaze shifting toward the other knight he had intercepted, now laced with murderous intent. "Speak!"

Perhaps the malice in those words was too potent, or perhaps Ronin's ruthless demeanor drove the knight to utter despair; with a pathetic groan, the man fainted dead away onto the ground, a dark puddle pooling beneath his crotch.

This left Ronin somewhat speechless. He had spoken so reasonably—was he truly that terrifying?

To think a professional knight could possess such fragile psychological fortitude.

As the pungent stench wafted over, Ronin could not help but pinch his nose and step back, moving upwind.

"You, speak!"

Ronin pointed to the final knight, the one who had clashed with David and chosen to surrender.

"My patience is fleeting. If you intend to play dead and faint as well, I assure you that you will never have the chance to wake again."

"No, my Lord! I am perfectly awake!"

Evidently, this professional knight who had surrendered to David had already resolved to confess. The moment Ronin questioned him, he prostrated himself entirely upon the ground.

This display caused Printz's countenance to darken further; he knew his secrets could no longer be kept.

A smile graced Ronin's lips. Men who understood the tides of fortune were always a pleasure to deal with.

"Very well. What is your name?"

The knight flat on the earth replied, "My Lord, my name is Marte Ray."

Ronin felt a touch of surprise. "Raise your head. Are you of noble descent?"

Marte lifted his gaze, revealing a square-jawed face. His skin was coarse, and his brown hair appeared tangled and somewhat disheveled.

"Yes, my Lord. My father was once a knight knighted under your father, Count Wiggins. Regrettably, he fell in battle years ago after driving the rebels into the Northern Crow Woodlands. My mother gave birth to me shortly after, and we have lived here ever since."

"Bah!" Printz scoffed derisively. "A bastard child, yet you dare claim noble lineage!"

Ronin glanced at Printz; the man clearly held no affection for Marte.

"Your father was a loyal and valiant knight."

He first acknowledged the man's heritage, before his tone shifted sharply. "However, were he to know that his son turned to betray his own rightful lord, he would scarce be pleased."

"I am deeply sorry, my Lord!" Marte bowed his head, his voice choking with emotion. "But please believe me, I had no choice."

There was likely truth in those words.

In such an environment, had Marte refused to bend to Printz's will, his life would have undoubtedly been made miserable.

Ronin decided not to press the matter for the time being. "Enough. I shall permit you to redeem your transgression. Disclose their affairs to me—completely, without reservation!"

"It is my honor, my Lord!"

Marte began to answer Ronin's inquiries, offering a startling revelation from the very outset.

"My Lord, that man's name is Dissen. He is the defense commander of Mountain Woods Town, but he is also a knight of the Thain Fief."

Ronin wondered if his ears deceived him. "What? Did you say the Thain Fief?"

The Thain Fief was the territory nearest to Mountain Woods Town, ruled by Baron Leeson Thain.

Before venturing into the mountains, Ronin had intended to find time to visit this neighbor, never imagining that the knights of his own domain were already entangled with the Thain Fief.

"Yes, my Lord!"

Marte pressed on, "Aside from Dissen, the unconscious Keith and the professional knight Vatro, whom you just slew, all hail from the Thain Fief, swearing fealty to Baron Leeson."

"Leeson's men not only appear in Mountain Woods Town but even hold the position of defense commander. How fascinating."

Ronin stared intently at Printz, his gaze heavy with meaning. "Chief Officer, care to offer an explanation?"

"There is nothing to explain."

Printz endured the pain, gritting his teeth. "Without external aid, how could I alone contend with the barbarian tribes? Baron Leeson merely stationed a few men to guarantee my safety and assist me in holding off the enemy."

Ronin offered a cold, mocking chuckle. Nobility was never so altruistic; if Leeson chose to assist, he surely exacted a price, and a handsome one at that.

"Forget it. Marte, you speak. Tell me everything you know."

Thereafter, through Marte's narration, the image of Mountain Woods Town was utterly transformed in Ronin's mind.

Rulance had claimed the population of Mountain Woods Town was under a thousand; Marte revealed there were at least over a thousand souls.

Printz had claimed that delivering ten gold coins in annual taxes to Crow Mountain Castle was his absolute limit; Marte revealed that every year, the Thain Fief dispatched men to cart away several wagons laden with grain and various goods.

Printz had claimed he needed to combat the barbarian tribes; Marte revealed that in recent years, there had been little conflict between the barbarians and the town, save for a few isolated incidents.

Marte further disclosed that Printz served not only as the Chief Officer of Mountain Woods Town but also as a knight pledged to Baron Leeson.

"Baron Leeson needed only to spend ten gold coins a year to effectively bring Mountain Woods Town under the banner of his Thain family."

Ronin gave Printz a slow thumbs-up. "A masterfully played hand."

Every so often, Mountain Woods Town would report to Crow Mountain Castle how many lives had been claimed by magical beasts or slaughtered by barbarians, painting the town as a treacherous wasteland that no pioneering knight dared encroach upon.

With Crow Mountain Castle neglecting the territory, they would eventually forget its very existence. Over time, Leeson would become the uncrowned king, the true master of Mountain Woods Town.

The land, the populace, and the wealth here would all flow directly into the pockets of the Thain family.

Ronin also came to realize how news from the distant heart of Crow Mountain Castle could reach this remote border town so swiftly.

Undoubtedly, it was Baron Leeson who had relayed the messages and issued instructions to Printz.

"Baron Leeson possesses no shortage of audacity. To secure Mountain Woods Town, he would even dare to murder a member of the Crow Mountain family."

Ronin admired Leeson's boldness on one hand, while lamenting on the other that the deterrent power of Crow Mountain Castle over its vassal houses was waning by the day.

When the disease-ridden old Lord Rulance finally passed, these restless lords would surely seek to redraw the boundaries of their domains.

"I underestimated the threat of Mountain Woods Town, but Leeson likewise miscalculated my strength."

Ronin had anticipated obstacles upon becoming the Lord of Mountain Woods Town, but he had not expected to face a mid-tier knight, let alone the minions of another noble.

Leeson had made arrangements, yet he had vastly undervalued Ronin's capabilities.

Fortunately, Ronin proved the stronger.

"The Thain family of Marsh Town... since you have set your sights upon me, do not blame me when I come for you in the days to follow."

Who said expanding the population can only be achieved by absorbing people from wild tribes?

The territory of Saen is also a viable option.