Chapter 337 (2/2)

Who would easily kneel down before someone with such simple information? An idiot?

With all these thoughts in his mind, he couldn’t help bursting into laughter.

It was a shame that he wasn’t performing any stand-up comedy at that time. Otherwise, his partner next to him would have asked, “What are you laughing at, my lord?”

Yet he was not, so everyone was just looking at him with surprise. After all, he had still looked worried moments ago and suddenly seemed to cheer up after whispering with Bishop Miramon.

Miramon was confused as well. Though he had believed his plan was a nice one, he hadn’t expected to delight Baron Keane so much.

Seeing all the puzzled faces in the meeting room, Crick smiled and explained, “I just figured out something.”

“What?” asked Layton hurriedly.

Putting on a smile again to make people more curious, Crick said casually, “I risked my life before to serve the Duke of Thunder, and I don’t owe him anything now. I don’t have to be his man forever.”

All were shocked by his words and looked at each other with confusion.

Once, under the command of the lord, Crick had left for the battlefield with his army without a second word or concern of bloodshed. Why had he changed his mind in just a few years?

“Shouldn’t a lord be kind to his men in exchange for their loyalty?” said Crick. “Didn’t I prove my loyalty by fighting the battles with the Duke of Thunder? But look at how he’s been treating me. Do I deserve the benefits from my own land being looted?

“And imagine if you were my men and risked your lives fighting for me, but all you had in return was looting possessions, instead of glory and rewards. What would you think of that?”

“Impossible!”

“You would never do this, my lord!”

“You must be joking.”

Crick sneered and slammed the table with a dagger. “If that is ever true, I shall cut my own throat before any of you can say a word to save my reputation!”

He glanced at each face in front of him seriously. “But now, I’m being treated exactly that way by that fat gangster!”

The crowd finally understood and grew furious. The young and aggressive knight Charles Ouss even jumped up and yelled, “Rise! Rise!”

“We need a plan. Otherwise, it would just be waste of your lives.” Crick raised his hands to signal silence. “But without a doubt, from now on, we are not responding to any damn command of that *sshole! Rafael, find someone to secretly dispose of this messenger properly and make him look like he’s been attacked by magic beasts on his way… Should be easy for you, huh?”

“Very much so,” sneered Rafael, the source.

Crick nodded. He smiled but sighed again.

“Poor thing, anyway. He was just doing his job delivering messages but never expected to pay with his life…”

“Not that innocent!” Ryder, the patrol captain, said with a grim face. “He was rushing to the city on a horse when I saw him, and he nearly crashed into others and caused casualties. I was almost shocked when he argued that he was carrying urgent military orders!”

“Oh?!” Crick’s expression turned cold upon hearing this. “Doesn’t sound like a good person. Then no more guilty words from me.”

“These messengers are mostly villains living off of their lords’ power; how many good men would work like that?” Rena the scout snorted. “Even fewer than I have gold coins!”

“How many gold coins are you with now?” Crick asked curiously.

Rena took out her purse and emptied it. There were just silver and copper ones, along with a holy emblem from the Church of the Goddess of Wealth.

Obviously, she had stored all the gold elsewhere and couldn’t find any in her purse.

The crowd burst into laughter and cleared away the grave atmosphere.

A few days later, some adventurers discovered the body of the Thunder Lord’s messenger from the capital, and they reported it to Baron Keane to receive a handsome reward.

Then the baron sent the report in a letter to the capital.

But why had such a capable messenger with his guards died from a magic beast attack on the main road and lost most of his belongings? And why hadn’t the news arrived sooner? Nobody knew.

There was no clue from Crick, anyway.

Whether or not the Duke of Thunder would believe it would be determined by him alone.