The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 53 Noble Deeds

"Grab my hand!"

Even as Melard fell, the sound of horses' hooves did not stop.

The wolf galloped over the tripwire and tried to reach out his arm to Merad so that he could use it to flip himself onto the horse.

But Merad, a pampered nobleman, was also rather overweight. Even with his hand in hand, he couldn't straighten up and could only be dragged along the ground for a short distance.

"Let go! Let go!"

Seeing Melard crying out in pain, the wolf, fearing that the fat man's arm would be torn off, had no choice but to stop and rest.

"Master!"

Huss, who was trying to maintain order, rushed over and helped the tearful Merad to his feet.

His call confirmed his identity to the townspeople.

Old David, who had planned to leave early in the morning but was stopped at the exit, held a pitchfork and tapped it on the ground, speaking in a humble tone:

"Sir, since you already know that this town is about to be threatened, why have you trapped us all here?!"

"I……"

Just as Merard was about to stammer an explanation, Huss stepped in front of him and spoke first:

"Who are you questioning!?"

"I don't--"

Even though he was resentful, the rigid sense of hierarchy that had formed over many years made old David hesitant to speak.

“I’m sorry, sir. I just wanted to know why you’re stopping us from leaving…”

Huss snorted and quietly urged Merad to mount his horse quickly.

Just as Merard was about to use the wolf's arm strength to mount his horse, the horse suddenly stumbled and he fell to the ground with a thud.

Perhaps he should urge the young master to exercise more and eat less.

The back of a farm horse simply could not support a fully armored adult warrior carrying a greatsword, and a nobleman who was no less powerful than the warrior.

Huss had no choice but to approach the stumbled farm horse, first looking at the tripwire firmly tied to the fence on both sides:

"Who gave you permission to do this?"

The guards on rotation had no way to express their grievances:

"No, wasn't this your order?"

"When did I give such an order?!"

"Just recently, you sent a mercenary. He said he was afraid someone would ride out on horseback and disrupt order, so he asked us to set a trap in advance..."

Huss didn't remember that order.

Someone is deliberately causing trouble.

Who is it, which mercenary?
"What does he look like?"

"Wearing a full suit of plate armor, all dirty, with his head completely covered—he's definitely not from our town."

Huss turned to look at the wolf: "Your men?"

Explosive Wolf snorted coldly:
"If I had given the order, would I have almost tripped over myself?"

Huss suppressed his doubts and, after confirming that the horse's foreleg was broken, quickly shouted:
"Have someone bring another one!"

Then, as he memorized the farmer's face before him, he subconsciously pushed up his glasses:
"You ask me why I won't let you leave? That's to protect you, of course!"
The young master specifically instructed that if you were allowed to venture deep into the forest and get lost in the mist, who would be responsible for your safety?

His breathing was even, so much so that he easily overwhelmed old David with his imposing presence, and he spoke with great conviction.

"On the contrary, why did you disobey the young master's order and leave the house without permission?"

You may not cherish your own lives, but you should cherish the young master's love and care for you!

His words seemed to make some sense.

If David hadn't seen Merad escape with his own eyes...

So even though his tone remained cautious and careful, he couldn't help but refute:
"Then why did you leave the town, sir? Wasn't it to escape back to Dragon Gold City—"

"Shut up! Who gave you the audacity to slander the young master? Guards, take him away and lock him in the dungeon to sober him up!"

"dad……"

George, on the oxcart, wanted to say something for his father, but his mother tightly covered his mouth:
“No, George. Don’t say anything…”

She was just a woman.

I can't bear to see my son and husband end up in the same situation.

Everyone knew that remaining silent was the best way to survive in front of the nobility. The more they argued and resisted, the less likely they were to succeed.

The more you do that, the more severe the punishment will be.

Just as the guards restrained old David's hands, he shouted:
"How could I be slandering you?! The facts are right in front of us, are you going to send us all to jail?"

Huss frowned.

He knew perfectly well that he couldn't do that.

Silencing is a common tactic used by nobles.

But just like a spring, if it is stretched to its limit, it will lose its elasticity.

The entrances and exits are already surrounded by townspeople; he can't possibly punish half the town—

Xingmei Town is a remote and isolated village.

The fact that no one dared to cross the Dusk Forest allowed the nobles to exploit their labor as much as possible without worrying about them fleeing the town.

However, precisely because of its isolation, it is difficult for new residents to move in and generate revenue for the town.

If half of the townspeople are easily killed or punished, forcing them into a corner, the entire territory will become a mere shell of its former self.

If no one plants the Star Plum, how will Lord Mel continue his business in Dragon Gold City?
Clearly, he's going to change his strategy.

So Huss tried his best to appear gracious and spoke in a gentle tone:

"First, I need to ask you, who exactly fabricated these rumors to make you believe that the young master rode away with the intention of escaping?"

“Father Lynn said that ‘the orcs can discern the direction of the fog and are heading towards the town,’ which is clearly true!”

Father Lynn?

Huss narrowed his eyes slightly.

According to Catherine's account, Father Lynn, who was in charge of treating the wounded, was also present and should have heard the news brought by the black snake.

So, while Catherine was informing him, he also spread the news throughout the entire town?
That annoying old man.

"It's true that orcs roam the forest, otherwise we wouldn't have returned to town and built fortifications—"

But there is no evidence that they were able to find their way in the fog.

This doesn't mean we intend to abandon this town!

Starplum Town is Lord Mel Barry's territory. As his most loyal servant, everything I do is to protect this territory, including you all!

Huss spoke loudly,
"Upon realizing that the territory might be in danger, it was Young Master Merard who immediately used that expensive communication stone to send a distress call to the distant Dragon Gold City!"
But not long ago, the young master received a message that the reinforcements from Longjin City could not cross the Dawn and Dusk Forest, so he resolutely decided to cross the forest to meet the reinforcements and bring them more hope.

Think about it carefully. If we really intended to abandon Xingmei Town and you, why would I lead a group of guards to strengthen the defenses and stay behind to garrison it?
But such a courageous and noble act has become a symbol of 'cowardice' and 'running away' in the eyes of you fools!

You fools, you've let down everything the young master has done for you!

Huss's statement was well-reasoned and his tone was filled with sorrow.

Old David, who had been somewhat indignant and resentful, was suddenly rendered speechless.

He certainly couldn't believe that these nobles would be so kind as to treat them, their subjects, as human beings—

If they truly had that intention, their taxes wouldn't be so high, and their crops wouldn't be so cheap.

However, the loss of territory is of no benefit to the nobles.

He gritted his teeth and retorted:

"If that's the case, why did that damned scoundrel rob us in the first place?"

"Isn't it precisely because they saw the adults were planning to escape, and then they wanted to take advantage of the chaos to make a quick buck?"

"Which villain?"

Huss had to admit that he had far too many villains under his command.

"It's that dwarf!"

David's family was not the only one robbed.

The others present also began to express their pent-up anger in an instant:

"That scoundrel broke into my house, demanding money all the time, and threatening to beat us if we didn't give it to him—he even said that the noble lords were already planning to flee and had no time to deal with these things!"

"What? You were robbed too?"

"That damned villain not only emptied my pockets, but also stole my homemade Star Plum Wine!"

Huss then remembered that of the three mercenaries the master had hired, there was still a dwarf whose whereabouts were unknown.

So, is the current situation caused by this short-legged guy stirring up trouble behind the scenes?

(End of this chapter)