The Count's Gun-Shooting Scoundrel-Chapter 75

House Julius, which had fallen into a crucible of chaos.
As the sun rose, people began to regain their composure.
Arthur went to Madeline, briefly explained the commotion that had occurred at dawn, and then returned to his office.
Millerf was waiting for him.
“Is My Lady all right? She must have been very startled.”
“She’s fine now.”
“What a relief.”
Millerf approached Arthur with a benevolent smile.
Arthur sat at his desk, reviewing Van’s construction progress that had come in that morning, and asked,
“You seem to have something to say?”
“I’m thinking of going out for about two days.”
“……?”
Arthur put down the documents he was reading and looked at Millerf with a questioning gaze.
Millerf met his eyes with a serious expression.
“I plan to investigate Marquis Valtre.”
“It doesn’t seem to be just for that reason?”
“I also intend to confirm Altaros’s relationship with the Magic Tower.”
“Hmm.”
Arthur stroked his chin.
Nothing had been decided yet, but both were individuals he needed to be wary of.
Since he was already an enemy of the Emperor, Altaros, the Emperor’s closest confidant, was also the most threatening figure.
He needed information on them, but Millerf’s strength was crucial for the current defense wall construction.
If he were absent, it could cause significant disruptions.
Millerf seemed to know Arthur’s concerns and spoke calmly.
“I asked Van, and he said it would be fine even if I were gone for about two days.”
“Really?”
“Yes, so I intend to move now.”
“Then go ahead.”
Arthur readily agreed and continued,
“If you have time, also look into the Emperor.”
“What specifically?”
Millerf’s eyes gleamed.
“Whether anything has particularly changed, or if he’s suddenly thinking differently, or showing behavior unlike his usual self.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
Millerf looked puzzled.
Arthur replied with a rather serious expression.
“Isn’t it strange that he suddenly framed us as ‘Followers of the Devil’?”
“Didn’t you say that happened due to Altaros’s advice?”
“I can’t understand how the Emperor of the Empire would try to destroy a loyal family based on a few words of advice from a subordinate. If I were the Emperor, I would have first dispatched investigation teams to each family to confirm the facts.”
“Hmm…”
Listening to him, his words made sense.
This incident had been unilateral, without any prior mention.
Even if it was about ‘Followers of the Devil,’ verifying the facts should have been the priority.
The fact that he instead dispatched an army to wipe them out suggested many suspicious aspects.
“Understood.”
“You know there’s a mountain of work ahead, right?”
“I’ll return as quickly as possible.”
“It also means to be careful.”
“Thank you.”
Millerf bowed his head and went out.
Arthur looked at the door he had exited and thought about Marquis Valtre and Altaros.
Since he only knew very basic information, there wasn’t much to ponder deeply.
The problem was the Emperor.
If his suspicions were correct…
“No.”
Arthur shook his head violently.
For now, he decided to focus on building the territory’s defense wall somehow before the Emperor launched a second attack.
***
“Once we cross that mountain, we’ll reach their stronghold.”
At Skevin’s words, Blizan nodded.
His heart pounded at the thought of finally seeing his family soon.
Skevin rose from his seat after a short rest.
Just as the squad members were about to stand up and move, one of the scouts dashed back.
“Captain, they’re on the move!”
“What did you say?”
Skevin’s eyes widened.
“They seemed to be moving to another location.”
“Enemy forces?”
“Approximately 50 men, and about 200 women and children have been identified.”
Skevin quickly mounted his horse and shouted,
“Move out!”
No sooner had he spoken than Blizan spurred his horse and galloped forward like an arrow.
At that moment.
Hazan decided to lead the remaining forces and slaves to the port.
He planned to take the ships prepared there to the Namshar Empire, sell the slaves, and then regroup his forces.
“I will definitely repay this debt I’ve incurred.”
Hazan gritted his teeth, thinking of Arthur.
The warriors of the Horkamun Tribe were like geese that laid golden eggs, and thus were invaluable to him.
Moreover, with Count Yarve also captured by that bastard, his contract with him had fallen through.
This had resulted in enormous losses.
However, there was still a chance to recover.
Women and children were just as valuable as the Horkamun Tribe’s men.
Women would serve as sex slaves, and children would grow up to be top-tier warriors and sexual playthings.
Thus, he could certainly raise enough funds to regroup.
“Hurry! We must reach the port by today!”
Hazan poked his head out of the carriage and shouted in an irritated voice.
Then, with lewd eyes, he looked at Cersei, who was in the carriage with him.
“It’s nice to travel comfortably without walking like the other women, isn’t it?”
“Shut up.”
Cersei retorted sharply.
“You wench!”
Hazan slapped her cheek hard.
Smack!
Her head snapped back, but Cersei didn’t make a single sound.
Instead, she glared at him with even fiercer eyes.
Hazan then grabbed her hair tightly and pulled her face towards his.
“I tell you every time, but you should know that the more you act like this, the more your husband suffers.”
“You…!”
Cersei gnashed her teeth.
“Lower your eyes.”
“Ugh…”
As Cersei growled in defiance, Hazan forcefully pressed her head down.
She seemed to resist for a moment, then gave up, lowering her head between his legs.
“Foolish woman.”
Hazan smirked, leaned back in his seat, and continued,
“I don’t understand why you refuse a comfortable life when I offer it to you.”
“The women of the Horkamun Tribe serve only one man from birth until death.”
“Stop with your old-fashioned talk and entertain me. That way, your husband can sleep peacefully tonight.”
“You will never… be forgiven.”
Cersei glared at Hazan as if to kill him, then unbuckled his belt and pulled down his pants.
Just as the grotesque object was slowly beginning to raise its head.
“Master!”
One of the Knights rushed over in a panic.
“What is it?”
Hazan, just about to get into a good mood, frowned in annoyance as the man threw cold water on him, and poked his head out.
“Look over there!”
The man pointed his hand towards eleven o’clock.
Dozens of horsemen were galloping towards them, kicking up a hazy dust storm.
“What are those things?”
“They don’t have flags, so I don’t know either.”
“Is ‘I don’t know’ good enough? Find out who they are quickly!”
“Ah, yes…”
The Knight made a dim-witted expression and ran towards his comrades.
Hazan shook his head, watching him.
All the proper forces had been mobilized previously, so the troops remaining at the stronghold were mere guards.
They had been selected based on their loyalty to him rather than their combat ability, as their task was to monitor the slaves at the stronghold, making them utterly unreliable.
“Let’s try to escape first!”
Hazan pushed Cersei away, hastily pulled up his pants, and shouted at the coachman.
“Run!”
“Hee-yah!”
The coachman vigorously pulled the horse’s reins.
As Hazan’s carriage sped away like an arrow, the soldiers following behind grew agitated.
“Where’s the master going?”
“Surely he didn’t abandon us and run away?”
The man who had received orders from Hazan frowned and urged loudly,
“Stop jabbering and find out who they are!”
“Are you crazy? How can we go when we don’t even know who they are?”
“Should we just stay here and get slaughtered?”
“Damn it!”
As they frowned in dismay, not knowing what to do.
One of them turned pale and stammered,
“Th-th-there…”
“What’s wrong with you?”
They all looked at him once, then looked forward.
Now, the figures of the attackers came clearly into view.
Knights in blue armor.
“……!”
Their gaze fixed on the gigantic man galloping with them.
The horse carrying him seemed pitiful, and everyone knew who he was.
Blizan, the chief of the Horkamun Tribe!
The man they had heard was dead had appeared here, leading unidentified Knights.
“Block them! No, run away!”
They shrieked in terror and scattered in all directions.
Skevin, who was leading the charge, shouted as Hazan’s subordinates fled,
“Assault Squad!”
As soon as he spoke, the Knights following him charged towards the enemies.
“Don’t let a single one live!”
Agh!
The Knights roared like thunder.
Blizan, riding abreast with Skevin, looked around and spotted a carriage fleeing in the distance.
“That one’s mine.”
He turned the reins towards the carriage, and his horse galloped powerfully.
The advance scout team approached Skevin and ed.
“No other groups are visible nearby; it seems these are all of them.”
“You, check on the condition of the people they captured.”
“Yes, sir!”
The scouts rode towards where the slaves were gathered.
Meanwhile, the Assault Squad mercilessly cut down the enemies, clearing the area.
It was close to a one-sided massacre.
“It’ll be over soon.”
Skevin nodded and turned his head towards where Blizan had ridden off.
“Zan!”
Cersei shrieked loud enough to make the surroundings tremble as soon as she spotted Blizan.
“Be quiet!”
Hazan slapped her cheek without mercy.
Thwack!
Cersei hit the wall and fainted.
Blizan, who was chasing the carriage, heard Cersei’s scream suddenly cut off, and a ominous premonition flashed through his mind.
“Cersei!”
He roared like thunder and spurred his horse even harder.
The horse carrying Blizan galloped with all its might, finally catching up to the carriage.
Blizan, with hands as large as pot lids, snatched the coachman’s head as if picking him up, threw him away, then climbed onto the carriage and stopped the horses.
“What the!”
Hazan, as the carriage suddenly stopped, poked his head out and shouted.
“Why did you stop, you bas— H-huh!”
His eyes widened as if they would tear.
His face turned deathly pale as if he had seen the god of death, and his entire body trembled.
Blizan glared at him with piercing eyes.
“Where do you think you’re running off to!”
He punched the carriage.
Bang!
The wooden carriage roof was shattered.
Blizan tore away the broken wood, grabbed Hazan’s head, and threw him to the ground.
Then, he swung both hands towards the wall as if parting a thicket.
Crraack!
The wall splintered into pieces, revealing Cersei lying on the ground.
“Cersei!”
He quickly rushed to her and embraced her.
Her clothes were half-torn and stripped, her chest fully exposed. He could guess what had happened here.
“Hazan, you son of a bitch…”
He suppressed the burning rage in his chest and first checked her condition.
Seeing bruise-like injuries on her head, she seemed to have briefly lost consciousness.
Blizan lifted her up and carried her out of the carriage.
He saw Hazan crawling away like a dog, trying to escape.
“You…!”
As he clenched his fist, Skevin approached and handed him a cloth.
“Go finish it.”
“Yes.”
Blizan carefully laid Cersei on the ground and wrapped the cloth he received from Skevin around her.
Then, he walked towards Hazan.
“N-n-no~ I-I-I have to live.”
Hazan, utterly terrified, drooled like a dog and crawled forward madly, looking straight ahead.
His hands and knees were scraped by stones, causing him pain, but it was better than being caught by that bastard and torn limb from limb.
“Hah, hah, hah.”
He had fled for a long time, but nothing happened.
It was too quiet, which felt strange, so he cautiously looked back.
“Huh?”
Blizan was nowhere to be seen.
He seemed to have been so preoccupied with Cersei that he hadn’t even thought of chasing him.
Hazan, who had been in extreme tension just moments before, let out a sigh of relief.
Then, a throbbing pain surged through his palms and knees.
“Damn it!”
He frowned in disgust, stood up, and stretched his back.
Just then, his eyes met Blizan’s, who stood like a grim reaper, exuding murderous intent.
“Hah!”
Hazan gasped in surprise and plopped down.
The man approached, emitting a terrifying murderous aura he had never felt before.
“D-don’t come…”
Hazan was too terrified to even speak properly.
Blizan stood before him, glaring silently.
His oppressive murderous intent seemed to pierce through to the very bones.
His heart pounded as if it would burst through his chest.
The sound of his heart beating echoed in his ears, engulfing him in immense fear.
“Ugh…”
Blizan looked at Hazan, who was trembling as if having a seizure, and uttered a single sentence.
“I’ve endured, waiting for this very day.”