Chapter 23: If We Could Start Over
Although the greatsword could also be wielded with two hands like a bastard sword, its dominance in a courtyard where not all combatants even wore light armor was terrifying.
When the last soldier fell, the courtyard floor was completely soaked.
Arthur leaned on the greatsword, panting for a long while before walking toward Florian.
It wasn't that the young Lord was particularly skilled in battle; he had been paralyzed on the ground and unable to move the moment the portcullis dropped. Arthur had deliberately saved him for last.
Such a pure-blooded animal should not be allowed to die too comfortably.
"Don't kill me! I'm a noble! I can buy my life with a ransom!"
"Don't kill me! I'll give you anything you want! Everything can be negotiated!"
Florian scrambled backward on his hands and feet. But Arthur kept approaching, completely unresponsive to his pleas. Seeing Arthur relentlessly closing in, Florian's sanity completely broke. He lunged forward like a mad dog, arms wide open:
"You bastard! I admitted my mistake! What more do you want? Why won't you let me go!"
"Come on! Swing your sword at me! The Vyrillis family has no cowards!"
"You are not worthy to die by this sword." Arthur jammed the greatsword into the ground and delivered a vicious kick, sending the mad dog flying back.
"Letting you go is easy. Who will let the villagers of Hoffer go?"
Florian bent over like a shrimp, desperately trying to justify himself: "They brought it on themselves! They complained that my father's taxes were too heavy, and they even went to the royal court to file a complaint, making me lose face in front of Roza…"
He spat out a mouthful of blood, staring at Arthur: "My father originally advised me to let it go, but these people built a village and weren't satisfied. They seized every opportunity to collude with outsiders like you, trying to completely break free from us!"
Arthur's blood boiled with rage. He raised his fists and began punching Florian's face, cursing him: "You dog! They just wanted to live a decent life! What crime did they commit? Burning the village wasn't enough? You wouldn't even spare the people!"
By the time Arthur finally stopped, all of Florian's teeth were knocked out, and his face was sunken in, like a Japanese car that had been rear-ended.
Florian opened his bare mouth and shrieked sharply: "Hit me! Kill me! And you'll be buried with me!" Seeing that he still dared to threaten him, Arthur's anger flared even hotter.
He balled his fist and landed another punch on Florian's shoulder. The sound of the collarbone snapping was no different from breaking a twist pretzel:
"Idiot! My crest was conferred by the King! Hitting you with my bare hands is a simple brawl you think you're worthy of having me buried with you?!"
Arthur's punches became heavier and heavier. The pampered noble heir could no longer endure it and begged for his life repeatedly:
"I was wrong! I know I was wrong! I truly know I was wrong! Have mercy!"
Arthur was already lost in the heat of the fight and didn't listen. He raised both fists and simultaneously delivered a blow to the sides of Florian's head:
"Mercy is easy for me to give! First, let the villagers of Hoffer come back to life!"
With a sickening thud, Florian's eyes rolled back. Pink liquid oozed from his ears. Like a fish thrown onto dry land, he thrashed around for a bit, then finally fell still.
Having finally finished the grim task, Arthur turned back to see Kolgrim holding two blueprints and looking at him. Behind Kolgrim, a line of people huddled together, trembling. They were all wearing servants' clothing, mostly farmers from nearby villages. When Arthur looked at them, one of the more timid ones rolled his eyes and fainted.
"Am I that scary? Why didn't you hide inside? What are you doing out here?"
Seeing that Arthur had no intention of harming them, they pushed forward a maid, who looked about fourteen or fifteen, to explain the situation:
When the chaos in the courtyard first broke out, they did hide indoors. But seeing the soldiers fall one by one, and even the portcullis drop, everyone assumed they were certainly going to die today. Fortunately, many of them privately enjoyed gossip, and in a few words, they pieced together the whole story. They then worked together to find the Witcher's blueprints, hoping to trade them for their lives.
"You are overthinking things. I'm not some kind of devil. As long as you didn't cause trouble, I would have let you leave after I found the blueprints anyway." Arthur reached out, intending to pat the little maid on the head. But halfway up, he heard a tiny whimper a suppressed scream deep in the girl's throat.
Arthur awkwardly withdrew his hand, scratched the back of his head, and turned to walk toward the gatehouse.
He had knocked the portcullis down with a spear and a sword, and half of the iron spikes at the bottom were buried in the ground. But Arthur simply gripped the bars with his hands, using the strength of his back and waist to leverage the gate upward.
"Go on, go home. I told you I wouldn't harm you." Arthur kicked a log beneath the portcullis to hold it up and called out over his shoulder.
This time, the servants under the eaves finally believed they were free to leave.
"Thank you, Lord Knight."
"You must be sent by the Heavens, my Lord."
"May the gods bless you, my Lord."
They carried their meager belongings, bent low as they passed under the portcullis, not forgetting to offer Arthur their blessings. The little maid who was initially scared even mustered the courage to plant a kiss on his cheek before running off.
It was easy to imagine that within half a month, the events at Amavet Fortress would spread throughout all of Temeria.
"Let's leave too." Arthur was beckoning to Kolgrim when he suddenly felt something gripping his foot.
It was the veteran.
Arthur pulled his ankle free, crouched down in front of the veteran, intending to hear his last words. The veteran, who had been crushed at the waist by the portcullis, had surprisingly not died instantly. In a flash of lucidity, he managed to lift his head and ask:
"Why… why let… go…"
Was he asking why I let those servants go?
Arthur shook his head, finding the question ridiculously foolish: "I'm not some kind of devil. Why would I trouble the working people?"
An unnatural flush rushed to the veteran's face, and his voice gained a little strength: "I was just… following orders… doing a job for the money. Why… why…"
"Are you asking me why I let the servants go, but didn't let you go?" Seeing him struggling to speak, Arthur completed the question for him.
The veteran nodded heavily, laboriously pulling a piece of paper from his tunic. His eyes had begun to glaze over: "I also have… a home, also have… family. A letter came… a few days ago… birthed… two sons."
Arthur took the letter and quickly scanned it. The letter was from the veteran's wife, saying the birth was smooth, and both mother and sons were well. She asked when he could come home.
When Arthur put the letter down, the veteran could no longer speak, but only crooked his hand toward his waist. He had been crushed at the waist by the portcullis, and the iron spike had left a bowl-sized hole in his lower back; everything was sticky and slick.
Arthur didn't flinch, taking the money pouch from the veteran's waist. He checked the address on the back of the letter and said:
"Once I get to a city, I will entrust someone to send this money to your family."
The veteran's face was already covered in a deathly white pallor. Hearing Arthur's promise, he finally found peace and breathed his last: "Th-thank you…"
Arthur only realized he had been frozen for a long time when Kolgrim's voice spoke beside him.
"How does it feel to kill a man?"
Arthur squeezed the sticky money pouch in his hand, looked down, and pondered for a moment before saying:
"If I could do it over again, I would still kill him."
.............
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