Chapter 334: Act 102 – Duke Toniger and the Young Lord (Part 2)
“what do you all think?” Brendel suddenly asked.
The young man was addressing Vurn and Crenshia, who were standing not far away in the mist, rubbing their hands and whispering to each other. After Juliette left, the two commanders, who were already acquainted, appeared to be getting closer than before.
However, it must be said that before meeting this young lord, Vurn and Crenshia actually didn’t think much of each other. The distance between people is indeed a very subtle thing.
Upon hearing the young lord’s question, the scene fell silent for a moment.
But the first to speak up was Merchant Miss Romaine, who had already changed into a thick winter coat and was wearing deer leather gloves. Yet, despite this, her little face was still cold and red—her nose slightly pink as well.
“Romaine thinks it’s great, what do you think, Brendel?” The maiden exhaled a puff of white mist, speaking without any guile. She turned to look back at Brendel, her eyes wide as if trying to see if the young man agreed with her words.
Immediately, the various little mercenary commanders chimed in agreement.
“Exactly,” Crenshia added: “Unexpectedly good. Although it’s a bit late, I must candidly say—I was also involved in the mid-stage work, and honestly, everyone is not very familiar with it. Miss Antinna has done remarkably well; I wouldn’t say perfectly, but at least it’s unexpected—”
It must be said that everyone loves flattering words, and even the noble lady couldn’t help but glance at the silver-haired beautiful uncle. Although she pretended to be unimpressed by the other party’s compliments, she couldn’t help but acknowledge internally—Antinna certainly faced numerous challenges over the past month, with nearly every minor decision encountering unforeseen complications.
However, it was precisely in handling these emergencies that she grew more adept.
“Indeed, unexpectedly so,” Vurn said, speaking little but concisely.
Yet the noble lady was still quietly observing her lord; in her heart, the young man’s opinion was sufficient to outweigh all others present. For the first time, she felt her heart pounding, fearing she might see even the slightest dissatisfaction on Brendel’s face.
But she saw Brendel looking at her with undisguised appreciation in his eyes, making her momentarily stunned, unsure why her nose suddenly felt a pang of discomfort. It was as if the hardships of the past few months were finally being rewarded at that moment.
She sniffed and turned her head, wanting to avoid crying in front of so many people, drawing unnecessary attention. At least this noble lady still remembered that she was Brendel’s chief aide—the vice and actual host of territorial affairs—she believed she couldn’t embarrass him.
However, when she turned aside, she noticed Medisa discreetly handing over a handkerchief. The silver elf maiden’s movement was subtle—almost imperceptible—and the noble lady was slightly taken aback, looking gratefully at her before accepting the handkerchief.
Brendel naturally noticed the little action of his aide; he couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head.
“Before coming here,” he said, “I’m talking about that night.”
His words caused the scene to fall silent; almost everyone recalled that thrilling night, as if it was only after a long time that they realized what they had done.
They had killed a legitimate lord of Erluin under the impetus of a young man.
Such a thing was something no one had ever thought of before, nor dared to imagine. But what they couldn’t believe was that they had truly done it, be it provocation, encouragement, or even threat.
In any case, there was no turning back.
Since then, it seemed that in the blink of an eye, a month had passed. Yet, they didn’t collapse as they had feared; now, the completion of this wall appeared to symbolize something.
Perhaps under the leadership of this young man, they truly were different from ordinary rabble.
As for the final outcome, since this young lord was so confident, what else could they possibly doubt?
“You all know, I haven’t really thought much about what to do,” Brendel continued: “Perhaps to you, I am a noble, high above, but I don’t think so—”
He spoke sincerely, though how many believed this ‘truthful statement’ is another matter.
“I came here to the south to inherit a territory that belongs to me, inherited from my ancestors,” Brendel spoke partly truthfully: “I have no plans to kill anyone or occupy his land—”
“But the education I received has at least conveyed this message to me: the purpose of nobility is to lead the people out of hardship, because they are superior, have received more education, and also because of their responsibilities. Rights and responsibilities are equal—”
“I believe you are familiar with this statement.”
Brendel said.
He nodded: “Exactly, this is what the late King Eke spoke—” he pointed to each person: “Nobility is about responsibility; strength is about responsibility; power is about responsibility!”
“Before this,” Brendel continued, the surroundings fell silent. Everyone looked at him, not understanding why this young lord would say such things at this moment.
Antinna also looked at him, her eyes reflecting a peculiar light.
That pursuit of the late king’s spirit, the lost glory of Erluin, was precisely what attracted this noble lady most about the young lord.
It seemed to have a fatal allure, shining and glowing in the eyes of the maiden.
Snow began to fall from the sky.
At first, the snowflakes were faint, almost imperceptible, like cold raindrops landing on people’s faces. Eventually, it turned into fluffy snowflakes, not large, as Toniger rarely had heavy snow throughout the year.
Everyone looked up.
“Before this,” Brendel too looked at the pale gray sky, the dark clouds ominously symbolizing the impending war: “I’ve never been a lord, nor do I have experience governing a land.”
“Antinna is the same.”
“You all are the same.”
“I have said,” he spread his hands, allowing the snowflakes to land on his shoulders: “We are no different. Each of us is here learning how to face it all—”
“All of this,” Brendel said: “Everything that is unfamiliar to us, and all that we share, as well as our enemies.”
“Perhaps we won’t—we are novices, stumbling, struggling,” the young man waved his hand: “But that is not the issue.”
“The problem is—”
His voice rose slightly, scanning each person’s face: “Do you have the courage to stay and face all that is to come—realizing that what we do may seem trivial—”
“But it is the glory that shines upon a new era. Do you see? That is Erluin’s wings.”
“The late King Eke has long validated this—ignore the darkness, and let your actions bear no shame—hold onto that dream!”
“Whether it is honor or promise, whether it is the responsibility of a man or the obligation of a lord towards all his subjects,” Brendel replied: “Just like I stand here.”
“This is how I answer your question.”
“How long will we continue to evade—”
He extended his finger, pointing at each familiar face—Crenshia, Vurn, Charles, even the numerous mercenary commanders:
“I ask you,” Brendel declared loudly, his breath creating a mist that melted into the snow, making his face appear both sacred and mysterious.
“If one day, you too become the reborn nobility of Erluin, will you remember this day, everything I tell you here—”
“Will you be willing to remember that nobility is responsibility?”
The young man’s words were firm and powerful, penetrating the early winter chill, nearly resounding.
But what followed was a profound silence.
Vurn could hardly believe what he heard; he dared not and would not dwell on the implications of the young man’s words.
The former cavalry captain of Karasu turned stiffly to look at his companion beside him. But Crenshia was equally oblivious to everything around him; rather, it should be said that his heart was pounding.
He certainly understood what Brendel’s words meant.
This young man was essentially announcing to them—
From this day forward, you are my people.
You are my vassals.
Gathered under my banner.
Sharing glory and disgrace, facing challenges together.
You are my knights.
Wielding the sword in my hand,
To expand my territory—
At that moment, Crenshia, who had been crawling through the mercenary industry for decades, felt a surge of power within his heart for the first time—a force he could only call passionate fervor.
He felt that the opportunity he had been waiting for all these years was finally within reach.
Not just him.
All the mercenaries present felt the same.
Perhaps only Medisa and Xi had no thoughts on this; for them, it was enough to follow this young lord.
Romaine needed not to think too much; without her aunt around—Brendel was the entire world she could rely on.
Charles smiled quietly, as if he had long known Brendel’s thoughts.
Only Antinna took a gentle breath; among so many people, she alone grasped the underlying meaning of Brendel’s words.
This young man intended to change the rules of Erluin entirely.
He aimed to inject fresh blood into this outdated aristocratic system.
Antinna didn’t know if she had misheard; she didn’t understand why such grand ideals and beliefs surged within a young noble with almost no foundation—perhaps it had already turned into a heart-shaking force.
She realized that this noble lady understood.
Just seeing the outline of this plan for the first time had already drawn her deep into this dream. She slightly parted her lips, took a gentle breath, but for a moment, didn’t know how to respond.
Antinna stood there in a daze.
(TO BE CONTINUED. If you want to know what happens next, please log in for more chapters and support the author by reading the genuine publication!)
