I Alone Regress in a Hero Party That Was Annihilated - Chapter 67
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#67. Declaration of War (1)
Featherback opened his mouth with an expressionless face.
“How modest, probably from living only inside the forest. I’ll give you 100 times that amount.”
The amount Quinbits had requested was 1 million gold.
100 times that would be a whopping 100 million gold.
100 million gold was enough money to buy an entire city outright.
With a little exaggeration, it was enough to establish a small country and play king.
Rorschach’s mouth fell wide open.
Quinbits also wore a dazed expression since she wasn’t completely ignorant of the ways of the human world.
“…Is that amount even possible?”
“I wouldn’t say it if it weren’t possible.”
“You’re quite the capable man.”
“In return, hurry up with the research. Since I’m providing this much support, you should be able to move up the deadline, right?”
Quinbits nodded at Featherback’s words.
Just then, Rorschach interjected.
“Um, Young Lord? While the Family House has become much wealthier recently, it’s not quite wealthy enough to casually donate 100 million gold as research funding for one department.”
“I know that too. I’ll cover it with my personal funds, so don’t worry.”
“You must have quite a lot of personal wealth?”
“I discovered a few treasure vaults.”
“Well I’ll be, really? I suppose there must have been some ancestral treasure vaults in that Training Hall where you’re always staying?”
At Rorschach’s words, Featherback nodded as if it were no big deal.
Even taking just a tiny portion of the mountain of treasures he had found in Mörsolt’s Secret Archive would make 100 million gold seem like nothing.
Moreover, with the gold and jewels mined from Beauvoir Mines, plus the mithril, research funding is no problem at all.
Quinbits perched herself on a chair with her chin resting on it.
“If research materials are abundant, I can significantly accelerate the completion. The reason experiments have been delayed so far is because I had to craft expensive materials myself due to lack of funds to purchase them. If I can just buy them with money, there’s no reason for any delays.”
“Good news. I’ll ensure research funding is provided without interruption. I’ll pay in the form of gold ingots or gemstones rather than cash, so handle the currency exchange through General Manager Rorschach here.”
Featherback gestured with his chin toward Rorschach beside him.
Rorschach covered her face with her hand.
“One more troublesome task has been added. And one that devours enormous amounts of money at that.”
“Hey, human woman. Troublesome? You should take pride in being able to assist in this glorious great work. If this research succeeds, human history will need to be rewritten.”
“There would be advantages to the research failing as well. We wouldn’t need to go through the trouble of rewriting human history.”
“Don’t wag your tongue so impudently. I’m a mage. I could turn someone like you into a frog in an instant.”
“If I became a frog, you wouldn’t be able to receive research funding, would you? Living peacefully by a well for the rest of my life, catching bugs without worrying about giving research funds to anyone sounds pretty good actually. Why don’t you try it?”
“….”
“….”
Rorschach, who was born and raised in Narok, wasn’t intimidated by Quinbits’ glare in the slightest.
Just then.
Thump thump thump thump thump!
Loud footsteps could be heard from outside the door.
Soon after, the door burst open without even a knock.
“Young Master!”
The one who came to Featherback’s room at this late hour was none other than Sir Hounded.
Before Featherback could even ask what was wrong, he immediately got to the point.
“The trading companies that went out on their commercial expedition have returned! But, but…!”
Even at a glance, the atmosphere was far from ordinary.
Featherback rose from his seat.
“Were you attacked?”
“Uh… Y-yes, that’s right!”
Hounded started to say something more but quickly gave his answer instead.
Featherback turned his head.
“Let’s end the meeting here. Both of you can return to your duties.”
An extremely cold voice.
A completely different look in his eyes from when he was discussing research just moments ago.
Featherback seemed to transform into a different person, radiating a cold and alien atmosphere.
“Yes…”
Rorschach and Quinbits couldn’t even make a peep and had to nod their heads.
* * *
Featherback went straight to the front of the Castle Gate.
The merchants who had finished their trading and the forces that had escorted them were returning.
“Executor!”
The captain leading the knights immediately saluted upon seeing Featherback.
Featherback asked.
“I heard you were attacked.”
“Yes. We were on our way back after finishing the trading. While passing through the forest, we were ambushed by assassins wearing black robes. I remember there being about 50 of them. There was a brief skirmish and we succeeded in driving them off, but we couldn’t kill or capture any of them.”
“Were they after money?”
“I’m not sure about that. However, they were well-trained.”
“What are our casualties?”
“One soldier has died.”
The knight turned his head.
A white cloth was covering something on the wagon behind them.
He continued speaking in a heavy tone.
“They withdrew without leaving a single trace, so we couldn’t identify them. I considered pursuing them, but thinking there might be an ambush, we returned for now.”
“There probably was an ambush waiting in the forest outskirts. You did well.”
To suffer only one soldier’s death after being attacked by 50 well-trained enemies was quite a good result.
However.
“…”
Featherback looked down at the white cloth covering the wagon.
The cloth had red stains scattered across it.
Flutter—
As he pulled back the cloth, the corpse of the fallen warrior lay inside.
The soldier appeared to have just entered his late teens.
A youthful face that still hadn’t lost its baby fat.
Deep sword wounds were visible on his chest and sides below.
Featherback asked the knight standing beside him.
“I don’t remember conscripting any boy soldiers under 19. How old is this friend?”
“…15 years old.”
“Why is a fifteen-year-old among my forces?”
“I heard he forged his dead brother’s documents to volunteer for enlistment. His mother was seriously ill and needed medicine, but they had no money.”
“Why did your brother die?”
“Three years ago, during the castle wall repair work, a poorly constructed wall collapsed, killing or injuring several workers. He was one of the casualties from that incident.”
“I see.”
Featherback stroked his chin in thought.
The knight stood there, watching Featherback’s expression.
Eventually, Featherback spoke.
“Soldiers who die during operations receive consolation money.”
“That’s correct.”
“But in this case, we cannot give consolation money. This soldier forged documents.”
“…That’s also correct.”
The knight bowed his head.
Not only had a soldier under his command died, but now the family wouldn’t receive a single penny in consolation money—it must be devastating.
However, Featherback’s next words were somewhat unexpected.
“But the dead soldier’s mother is a different case. Her two sons died while working for Mörsolt. Therefore, Mörsolt should rightfully show her more filial devotion than both sons combined.”
Featherback commanded the knight.
“Treat this man’s mother as you would treat my own mother. Not only medical expenses, but all future living costs will be covered by Mörsolt. Does she have any other children?”
“Yes. I heard she has one daughter of marriageable age and one youngest son who is about five or six years old.”
“We will support the daughter’s wedding expenses in full. Even the child-rearing costs when she marries and has children. Also, tell her that the youngest son will be exempt from all taxes until he grows up and becomes an adult. And…”
Toward the knight whose expression was growing brighter, Featherback added a cold remark.
“Mörsolt will fully support not only their future livelihood but also their revenge. As soon as we identify the beasts, war will break out, so prepare accordingly.”
“Yes!”
The knight’s expression became resolute once again.
The other knights who had gathered around him were the same.
* * *
The soldier’s funeral was held as a state ceremony.
Mourning flags were raised throughout the Red Lily Plaza, and flames that seemed to reach the ends of the sky rose from the altar piled high.
A mother who had lost her son first gazed at the altar and wept sorrowfully.
Her grown daughter and still young son were supporting their mother’s shoulders.
Crackle crackle crackle crackle crackle crackle…
The final dance steps of the dead unfolded over the mountain of firewood.
Every time the flames flickered red, all the Northerners bowed their heads in condolence.
The first funeral, and the first sacrifice.
This was the first blood drop that would open the path of Iron Blood where countless others would be sacrificed.
“….”
Featherback was serving as the chief mourner in the midst of the grandly held funeral.
Soon, Featherback raised his head.
Dazzlingly white hair and blood-red pupils shining beneath it.
Featherback turned around, his black mourning clothes that signified the chief mourner fluttering.
Behind him stood the Mörsolt Knights.
They too wore heavy armor beneath their black mourning clothes, as if ready to rush to the battlefield at any moment.
“This boy soldier’s death is our death.”
At Featherback’s words, the knights’ eyes changed sharply.
“Will you just leave alone the one who killed you?”
“No!”
One hairy knight spat saliva.
Featherback nodded his head.
“All last night I performed an autopsy on this boy. And I was able to find numerous significant pieces of evidence on the boy’s body.”
Everyone in the funeral hall focused their attention on Featherback.
Featherback spoke.
“A sword wound that penetrated the right waist and went up to cut through the left collarbone. Lowering the stance and holding a short sword in reverse grip, then thrusting diagonally upward leaves such a mark. There is only one swordsmanship in the Northern Region that includes such a peculiar stance.”
The knights trembled with rage.
An atmosphere ready to explode at any moment.
Featherback continued speaking.
“The Furosange Family. Those bastards who were once retainers of Mörsolt. The swordsmanship they use is exactly like that.”
The knights, soldiers, and even the bereaved family opened their bloodshot eyes.
Featherback’s voice became even colder.
“The murderer hacked at the corpse repeatedly to erase the distinctive sword wound they had left.”
“Tear those bastards to death!”
Someone from the crowd shouted.
Featherback responded to this.
“Can those who randomly slash at the dead with their swords to hide their swordsmanship be called people of the Northern Region?”
“No! Those bastards are beasts!”
Someone else shouted.
Featherback nodded his head.
“A true swordsman should be proud of their blade. But these bastards did terrible things to the tender body of an innocent fifteen-year-old boy to hide their swordsmanship. When I find and kill the culprits, is it murder or butchering?”
“Butchering!”
The Knights shouted in unison.
At those words, Featherback nodded his head.
“From today, I am no longer a Knight. You too must set aside Chivalry for a while.”
Featherback drew his Sword.
A Sword made by carving an Ice Dragon’s Fang, this Sword bore the name of its original owner.
Featherback threw the Famous Sword Adara onto the dirt Floor.
An action that a Knight could never originally perform.
“Until I catch the beast, I will become a Hunter. After catching the beast, I will become a Butcher. What will you do?”
“We will follow!”
However, all the Knights gathered here followed Featherback and threw their Blades onto the dirt Floor.
Featherback took out the Hand Axe that had been hanging at his waist.
“The Boy Soldier we sent away today on the River of Flames was my Friend, Younger Brother, older brother, and nephew. I will never let the beast that harmed my Family live.”
“Woo-ooooooo!”
The Knights took out the Weapons that had been hanging at their waists.
They were not Blades but Curved Blades, Hand Axes, Saws, Sickles, and Hammers.
Weapons that Hunters would carry shot up into Midair.
Featherback nodded his head.
“From now on, we go to hunt Purosange.”
The time had come to normalize one of the five Fingers.
If it was too rotten to rehabilitate, it would have to be cut off.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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