“Are you a Noble?”

Mordon stepped forward.

He was a man as big as an Orc. With heavy Armor on, the Old Man flinched.

But that sign of fear quickly disappeared.

There were thirty Soldiers behind him. Even if people just gather in large numbers, a sense of Protagonist they didn’t have before can emerge.

“Who are you?”

“I am a Knight who has massacred hundreds of Orcs, wrestled with Trolls, fought and triumphed over a Salamander the size of a small Hill, and sworn an Oath of Loyalty to the Mage who commands the Golem.”

“What?”

“I ask again. Are you a Noble?”

“I am the son of a traveling Merchant.”

The Old Man shouted loudly. He struck the ground with the staff in his hand.

“I am the in-law of the Furniture Dealer Shop Owner, a friend of the Capital City Director, a relative of the oil merchant, I lead acrobats who can perform tricks, and I am the head of the association where merchants gather to claim their rightful dues.”

The Old Man was the Guild Master of the Merchant Guild.

He mimicked Mordon’s way of speaking and even said his name. It seemed to be the name of a well-known family in the City, or an Influential Figure.

The Old Man was trying to intimidate them by flaunting his connections.

Mordon listened silently. Only after the Old Man finished speaking did he open his mouth. It was the same question as before.

“Are you a Noble?”

“I am not a Noble.”

“Then why do you speak informally to the Baron, who is a Noble? Why do you, a mere commoner, look down upon a noble? Are you rebelling against the ruler whom the King himself appointed to govern this land?”

“I, I had no such intention. No, I did not.”

“Apologize for your rudeness to the Baron.”

The Old Man fell silent.

Mordon’s words were just. He made his position clear and forced the other party to back down.

When he even brought up the King, the Soldiers’ expressions changed.

Even a country bumpkin knew how great the King was. If you brought up the King, you couldn’t help but be intimidated.

“I… I apologize for my rudeness, Baron.”

The Old Man hesitated, then bowed. One hand was placed over his solar plexus.

He seemed a little disheartened.

When he arrived, his stiff neck had been quite displeasing. But as soon as Mordon spoke forcefully, he was immediately cowed. It wasn’t just simple intimidation, either.

Mordon spoke well.

He knew how to speak in a way that made others feel intimidated.

It was amazing.

It wasn’t just one or two people who had gathered.

About thirty people had gathered and were standing firm. It was not easy to speak one’s mind in front of such people.

Only those with courage could do such a thing.

The Protagonist felt that way, and the Soldiers facing him felt it even more. Their expressions were also stern. The light smiles they had worn, emboldened by their numbers when they arrived, were gone.

They also realized that the opponent was not an ordinary Knight.

As the surroundings grew quiet, he stepped forward.

The Old Man and the Soldiers looked on. Perhaps because Mordon had spoken so solemnly earlier, their gazes had changed.

It was the way one looked at a Noble.

“Are those behind you Guard Soldiers?”

“Yes, they are.”

“Where is the Lord’s army?”

“Everyone is either dead or injured. There were some survivors, but they all quit. When the former Baron died, the army under his command disappeared.”

“…”

I touched my chin.

What the Slave said earlier was true. Still, the situation wasn’t bad. All I had to do was conscript retired soldiers.

I looked at the Old Man.

More precisely, I paid close attention to the area behind him.

The Old Man had just referred to them as Guard Soldiers. Originally, they were the Noble’s Private Soldiers. But now, they were obeying the Old Man’s words.

I wanted to reclaim them, but it didn’t seem like the other party would readily hand them over.

The Old Man exhaled. It was a deep breath. He seemed to be calming his heart, which had been startled by the earlier incident. With each inhale, his expression brightened. I didn’t know what he was thinking.

He looked at me again and began to speak. Outwardly, he showed respect, but inwardly, he hid deep ambition.

“I wish to be of assistance to the Baron.”

“Assistance?”

“Who do you think protected the City in place of the absent Lord all this time? It was I. Who repaired the City Wall and stationed the Gatekeepers? It was I. Who paid them wages and provided them with bread and grain? It was I. I have performed the duties you should have, and I can continue to do so. Please, entrust it to me.”

“That’s alright.”

I refused.

If I gave up the Protagonist’s duties, I would lose even my rights. I had no intention of leaving the Old Man alone, who already seemed to have strong influence.

“I’m not asking for the Baron’s consent.”

“Are you saying you’ll do it by force?”

“Would a humble person like me dare to do such a thing? My point is simply that I will continue to perform the duties I have carried out until now.”

The Old Man sneered. Outwardly, he was polite, but his true intentions were different.

In the end, it was about power.

Even with Justification, if there was no power, even a Noble would be ignored. The other party believed I had no power.

Since I was outnumbered at the moment, it was easy to dismiss me. Battles were usually won by the side with more numbers. It was an immutable truth.

“That sounds like the same thing to me.”

“Do you know what the most useless thing for a person is? Pride. Baron, do not be so proud. You don’t seem to have many subordinates, wouldn’t it be sad if you lost them?”

The Village Chief pressured him.

The Soldiers stepped forward as if protesting.

He didn’t know about the Protagonist. The Protagonist also didn’t know about the other party. But he knew that the Golem could wipe them all out.

He could have stepped forward at first.

But Mordon stepped up, so he watched the situation. Since the other party drew a sword, the Protagonist also had to step up.

He summoned the Golem.

The Golem made of ice rose to its feet. The Soldiers were startled. They screamed that the Statue was moving.

They mistook the Golem for an unmoving Statue. It was an absurd mistake. They didn’t even suspect anything even though there was a Statue that wasn’t there just a moment ago.

Even though it was called a City, those who lived within its fences were foolish. Only those who had traveled the world and seen many things understood the truth.

The Golem walked, its feet thudding on the ground.

The ground trembled, making the Soldiers sway.

Some couldn’t keep their balance and staggered. Others, their legs giving out, fell on their bottoms.

They were mesmerized by the sight of the Golem.

The Old Man was the most startled.

He clacked his teeth together, making a sound. It was as if he was playing a musical instrument.

He gave a command to the Golem. The Golem then raised its arm and brought it down hard onto the ground.

The fiercely rising dust disappeared, and the Soldiers looked at the ground.

The ground was deeply indented.

Even if they threw a boulder with a catapult, it wouldn’t be as deeply indented as this.

Among the people, there were many serfs who cultivated the land.

They knew how hard it was to dig the ground. But with one punch from the Golem, the ground was incredibly indented. It wouldn’t be strange if a person were crushed like an insect.

Everyone was speechless.

There was no need to even kill them. Just by showing how strong the Golem was, the other party lost the will to fight.

The Old Man’s expression became servile.

“Baron, I seem to have made a slip of the tongue.”

“A slip of the tongue?”

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

“Did I commit a sin?”

“No, you did not.”

“Oh really? Your words don’t make sense. You said I made a slip of the tongue to a Noble like you, but then you say I didn’t commit a sin.”

“It seems you’re giving too much meaning to just one word.”

“You still haven’t come to your senses.”

He subtly turned his head to look at Mordon.

The Protagonist had just shown his power. He had done his part.

Everyone had a role.

Now it was Mordon’s turn.

“You scoundrel! How dare you disrespect the Baron and then deny it! Do you want your head to be displayed in the Plaza?”

“I, I never thought of such a thing!”

“Don’t lie. Everyone knows you appeared with ill intentions, trying to intimidate us. The Baron knows, I, a Knight, know. And even the lady, maid, and soldiers present here know. Your crime is so grave that even your head might not be enough, but this time, I will overlook it if you accept one condition.”

“One condition? What is it?”

“The Guard Soldiers behind you were originally the Lord’s Private Soldiers. It is right to return them to the Shop Owner, so do not even think of resisting.”

He curled his lips at Mordon’s words. It seemed Mordon had a similar idea.

The Old Man pleaded.

To the Protagonist.

It seemed he was pleading to a more approachable opponent.

“Th-that’s not right! Baron. You shouldn’t do that.”

“Are you refusing?”

“It’s not that, but it’s beyond my authority. Not all Guard Soldiers listen to me. I’m only in charge of the South of the City. Other areas have their own Influential Figures with Guard Soldiers.”

“It doesn’t matter. We’ll take in the Soldiers under them as well.”

“Such…!”

The Old Man’s face turned pale.

Shadows fell across his face.

He seemed to be contemplating whether to fight using his Soldiers. He couldn’t just hand over all his subordinates like this.

Before he could finish his thoughts, Mordon shouted at the Soldiers.

“This person is a Mage who defeated the Orcs in The North and earned a Title.”

“Mage?”

“What’s a Mage?”

The Soldiers looked at each other with dumbfounded expressions.

My head ached.

“Look at the Golem! Hundreds of Orcs were crushed to death by that Golem’s arm alone! Will you fight the Golem for a mere Old Man! Or will you follow a new Noble!”

Mordon shouted.

The surroundings fell silent. One Soldier raised his hand.

“Um… Lord Knight. I have a question, may I ask it?”

“Granted.”

“Do we get paid?”

It was a foolish question, but a natural one. They didn’t understand complex matters. Their learning was shallow, and they were simple-minded.

All they knew was that they needed money to live. Mordon sighed and shouted, “Yes!”

The Soldiers’ expressions brightened.

They said they would follow the new Noble. They didn’t know what a Mage was, but they knew the Golem standing before them. They had seen it with their own eyes.

The Golem was enormous. They couldn’t even imagine defeating it.

The Soldiers switched sides.

They stood behind the Protagonist, the Baron, not the Guild Master.

The Old Man was speechless.

All the Private Soldiers under his command were taken away.

As a Merchant, he must have used his money to attract the Guard Soldiers. All his painstaking efforts instantly became useless.

It was a huge gain for the Protagonist.

Simply by intimidating the opponent, he quickly gained thirty Soldiers. Although they were originally the Protagonist’s, it felt good.

It was plunder.

And that made him feel very good.

The Old Man frowned and turned back. When he was scolded for not saying goodbye, he broke out in a cold sweat.

Charlotte, who was standing beside him, patted his back, saying he did well. She had stood there without saying a word. He had to navigate these situations himself.

“The Battlefield where blades clash is not the only place of battle. Rather, there will be many verbal battles, just like a moment ago.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You have won one battle. You have gained experience. From now on, you must gain more experience, enough so that you don’t need a Knight by your side.”

Charlotte also praised Mordon.

Mordon bowed and only said thank you. It was a humble posture. He wasn’t excited about what the Protagonist had accomplished.

It was an example the Protagonist should follow.

Now that he was a Noble, he shouldn’t act lightly.

Amelin was excited.

She was a bit like a Castle who couldn’t speak properly. So she said it was amazing how ridiculous the Old Man’s return was.

It wasn’t very believable.

It was because she was seen muttering spells behind her. Although she couldn’t speak boldly, she knew how to shove a Fireball into the opponent’s mouth.

Lena, who was hiding behind her, had sparkling eyes.

It was as if she had witnessed something incredibly great. Her eyes showed that she realized this was a true Noble.

First, he sent the nearby Soldiers back. And he ordered them to gather every morning. It was because he felt he needed to get acquainted with them.

He had some of them guard the Lord Castle. The Guard Soldiers answered vigorously and disappeared. For now, he had gained people, but he didn’t know what the future held.

He looked at Mordon.

“Is it okay now?”

“Not yet.”

“You’ve even brought the Influential Figure under control.”

“The powerful people in the City aren’t just the Old Man. There are other Influential Figures who have Guard Soldiers, and there must be many minor ones under them.”

“Are you saying I have to subjugate all of them?”

“Even if not all of them, you should make an example of at least one place. At the very least, you would need to gather those who resist or use a Golem to turn everyone into a bloody mess, and then display them in the Plaza.”

Mordon muttered. He said something outrageous without batting an eye. It was something that should have made the Protagonist furious.

“Is it necessary to be so harsh?”

“Baron. The person who just came was also rude. But others will be even ruder.”

“…”

“Unlike the Old Man, they didn’t even come to see you, Baron. That fact alone is enough to kill them all. If you don’t do this, you will be remembered as someone easy to take advantage of. Do you want that?”

“No.”

“Then steel yourself.”

He nodded.

If you are seen as easygoing, people will pick fights with you.

Even as a Noble, I couldn’t let my guard down. As soon as our numbers seemed few, someone led Soldiers to test us.

I had to choose a scapegoat to make an example of.

I thought about who to kill.

“Should I kill the Old Man from earlier?”

“He knows his place. He understands the Golem’s dignity, so let’s kill someone else.”

I thought.

I didn’t know who to kill.

The Protagonist didn’t even know who held power in this City.

I wondered if I should ask people. I regretted not grabbing the Old Man and asking him if I had known this would happen.

“Let’s go to the Thieves’ Guild. Asking them will be the fastest way. We need to know the power structure of the City. It seems the structure has changed since the former Baron died.”

“The Thieves’ Guild?”

I frowned. The Protagonist had almost died at the hands of an Assassin. After that, it was difficult to go in that direction.

“They are the most reliable for getting information. If the Baron dislikes it, I will lead the Soldiers myself.”

“No. I’ll go too.”

I clenched my fist.

I couldn’t leave everything to the other person.

The Protagonist had to be able to do it. The Protagonist had to gain experience. Only then would I become a great Noble.

Mordon’s eyes were strange. He looked at me, then quickly told me to go. The corner of his mouth seemed to have turned up slightly.

I got into the Carriage.

I left people at the Lord’s Castle. There were many things to take care of there. Mordon and I went alone.

I left the Golem at the Lord’s Castle. I thought of using the Magic Ring if necessary. It was Armor that could even block a normal Chieftain’s Axe.

As long as I wasn’t stabbed first, I wasn’t afraid of the opponent. Mordon was also there.

I raised my head.

In front was a sign with a Hooded Man’s head drawn on it.

I entered the entrance.

Inside, men were sitting around circular tables, chatting. They turned their heads when someone entered.

I walked, ignoring their gazes. With the Knight beside me, I wasn’t afraid. Even if an Assassin tried to ambush me, the Knight would block them.

“The Baron is approaching. Everyone, kneel!”

Mordon shouted.

The Assassins were quiet.

No one stood up from their chairs or knelt. Even when he shouted again, they didn’t. Some even smirked, a sneer on their lips. In an instant, the hall was filled with laughter.

“How amusing.”

“Do you expect to be treated like a Noble, coming to a place like this?”

It was then.

“Hey, you naive young master.”

The Hooded Man looked over and said. He was openly mocking. The authority of a Noble only worked on those who would acknowledge it.

Assassins were wanderers with no fixed abode. It wouldn’t be strange if they were abandoned at any time. Perhaps that’s why they weren’t afraid of Nobles at all.

“Me?”

“Yes, you. Acting all high and mighty just because you’re a Noble might get you killed… Ah, why are you covering my mouth!”

“Shut up! You crazy bastard! Do you even know who you’re speaking to!”

Someone covered the man’s mouth while he was speaking.

It was the man at the counter who did it.

He had been frowning deeply in thought ever since the Protagonist entered the Building, as if trying to recall something, and now his face had turned pale as if he’d remembered.

The man whose mouth was covered didn’t seem to notice the change.

“Who is that young master?”

“He’s an incredibly powerful Mage.”

“A Mage? How strong can a Mage be?”

“That Mage wiped out the Noble army with a Golem, you damn bastard.”

The Assassins murmured.

“What?”

“A Golem wiped out the Noble army?”

“Isn’t that just a rumor?”