Knight: Becoming King of the World

Suddenly, the nobles who still harbored covetous thoughts and had been obsessively eyeing Henry’s possessions grew tense.

The troop movements, the CLIP-CLOP of hooves, and the RUMBLE of wheels shattered the usual peace.

On the roads, columns of soldiers in neat armor, holding sharp weapons, marched toward Ximira Castle.

"Is... Is it war again?" The shop owners of Westwood Laine watched the endless stream of troops passing by their windows, their faces etched with confusion.

’Didn’t the Lord Count just finish a war and get his rank promoted? Is he going to war again already? Why don’t you take a year off?’

Their business had been picking up recently, but this sudden military mobilization put them on edge once more.

If it really came to war, there would surely be martial law, which would severely affect foreign trade and local business.

The workers in the Workshops also stopped what they were doing and flocked to the doorways, whispering among themselves as they watched the distant army.

"Looks like we’re headed for war again," a master blacksmith said with a frown.

"I hope this war ends quickly."

Hearing this, the blacksmith kicked his apprentice and snapped, "End? What do you mean, end?! How are we supposed to make money if there’s no war? All the business our shop gets now is from repairing weaponry for the Lord Count!"

The apprentice didn’t dare to speak, standing aside to watch the troops move.

The blacksmith stroked his chin, his eyes gleaming. ’War is good. War means damaged and captured equipment. That’s all business! And Count Henry is a kind man; he’s never shorted us on our pay. Thank goodness for him!’

Everyone in the city was on edge, and rumors swirled. Even the farmers toiling in the fields could feel the tense atmosphere.

They stopped their farm work, gazing at the distant army, and couldn’t help but worry.

An old farmer sighed, "War again? All I want is to live a peaceful life and tend to my land... I hope the Lord Count is as victorious as always."

"Yeah, I hope the enemy doesn’t come raiding. Our lives were just starting to get better."

The farmers in the villages were even more nervous than the commoners in the castle, because all their wealth was currently in their fields. Any mishap would mean a whole year of labor wasted, and they might never recover.

And within the Earl’s Domain, the largest and most anxious group regarding this military movement was the serfs who had been previously contacted by agitators.

They had few sources of information and could only rely on what they saw with their own eyes.

Henry had too many serfs under his control; it was inevitable that some would be discontent.

And these discontented serfs, after being contacted by the agitators, were overjoyed. They couldn’t wait to get their hands on weapons and become bandits. They fantasized about wielding weapons, charging at the nobles and officials they despised, and overthrowing them to become masters of this land themselves.

Of course, those were the bold ones.

Most of the serfs who wanted to rebel simply planned to loot some food and money and then run as far away as possible.

However, as time went on, they waited day after day, but no new information came.

Some began to panic. ’Could it be that the people who said they’d help us rebel were actually sent by Henry to test us?’

’No way, it can’t be! Oh god, if that’s true, that’s just too evil!’ Their hearts filled with terror, unsure of what would happen next.

’If I’d known this would happen, I would have just endured it a little longer. In a few more months, I could have become a commoner, a tenant farmer!’

This thought replayed in their minds, filling them with even more regret.

They began to cautiously observe everything around them, afraid that their every move would attract attention.

They tried their best to act like the other serfs, working silently and enduring silently.

In fact, it was precisely because of their deliberate effort that they caught the attention of the manor steward.

But the steward didn’t think much of it. He had a public horse, and if the serfs made any strange moves, he could just flee. Henry himself had said so.

Amidst this anxiety, time trickled by. The would-be rebel serfs realized no one was coming to arrest them, and their anxious hearts slowly began to settle.

’It’s fine, we’re fine,’ they told themselves.

’Maybe those people are just waiting for the right moment. Maybe Henry hasn’t discovered our secret.’

They began to hope again, looking forward to that day’s arrival.

But then, while working in the fields today, they looked up and their hearts sank. Batches upon batches of troops were marching past them in a continuous stream.

The orderly pace! The gleaming armor! The grim and imposing aura! It sent a deep shock through every serf.

Their hearts pounded wildly, and cold sweat beaded on their palms. ’It’s over, it’s over, it’s really over this time!’

The hope in their hearts shattered in an instant. This had to mean Henry knew their secret; their plan had completely failed.

They were terrified, having no idea what kind of punishment they would face next.

They imagined being bound and dragged to the public square to face judgment and ridicule. They imagined being whipped, thrown into a dark cell, and never seeing the light of day again.

Or hanged, or beheaded, or perhaps thrown to a pack of wolves to be torn apart.

Some serfs couldn’t stop themselves from kneeling on the ground, praying under their breath that this was all just a nightmare.

They prayed internally that the cruel and merciless Henry would forgive them and give them a chance to turn over a new leaf.

They swore that if they were allowed to live, they would work diligently and never again entertain any thoughts of rebellion.

But other serfs descended into madness. They began to curse loudly, cursing the people who had deceived them, cursing their own foolishness and gullibility.

They angrily brandished their farm tools, as if wanting to fight against their impending fate.

The steward immediately noticed this unusual situation. Connecting it to their strange behavior from before, he immediately found the passing troops and asked for their help.

The steward never imagined that in such a stable, do-nothing job where he was just coasting, a day would come when he was forced to perform a meritorious deed!

"Sir! Sir! Look over there! Those serfs look like they’re causing trouble, and they’re cursing about something," the steward nervously reported to the officers, pointing at the hysterical serfs.

A few passing officers from the New Recruit Team heard this and their ears perked up. ’What’s this? The war hasn’t even started and there’s already something to be gained?’

’A small merit? Not worth mentioning? A merit is a merit, no matter how small! Every little bit counts! If you don’t want it, plenty of others do!’

"Alright, let’s go take a look!" a young officer immediately ordered, leading his soldiers swiftly toward the serfs.

The serfs who were loudly cursing Henry were scattered by the soldiers, who descended on them like tigers pouncing on their prey. They fled in all directions, clutching their heads, but were all forced to the ground and arrested.

They shrieked in terror, trying to break free from the soldiers’ grasp, but it was all in vain. The only response they received was the cold steel of vambraces and military boots.

The serfs who had been kneeling and praying were spared. Some of them were still murmuring prayers for Henry’s forgiveness. The soldiers assumed they were just scared and paid them no mind.

The quick-witted serfs immediately understood the crucial point. ’We haven’t been exposed at all! The Count doesn’t know anything! These soldiers weren’t here to arrest us!’

A wave of relief washed over them. It had just been a false alarm.

’Haha, what incredible luck! We escaped disaster! Hooray!’ one serf screamed inwardly, his face showing the pure joy of having survived a disaster.

The other serfs were overcome with the same feeling. They hugged one another, celebrating their narrow escape.

’Looks like it’s better to just be honest and keep our heads down, or we’ll end up like them.’ They quickly picked up their farm tools again and went back to work as usual.

As for the serfs who were taken away, they could only face their unknown fate and pray silently in their hearts, hoping Henry would give them a chance to explain.