Returning from an inspection of the fort.
A lone figure stood on the road.
I feel like I’ve seen this situation before…
“Who goes there? Show yourself.”
At Herbert’s call, the man pulled back his hood, revealing his face.
“A beastman…”
He murmured, and the beastman knelt right in the middle of the road, bowing his head.
However, he’s not wearing a collar… A runaway slave?
“My name is Wolf. I humbly request an audience with the Duke of Baltia.”
Herbert looked at me, waiting for my decision. I stepped forward slightly to a position where my voice would carry.
“What is it you wish?”
“I ask that we might join the ranks of the Duke of Baltia’s army.”
Suspicious… Asking to join the military at this timing is too convenient.
Herbert glanced at me, asking if he should take action.
“Are you aware of the current situation?”
The beastman lowered his head even further under my stern tone.
“I am, my lord. That is why I come to you now. Please, allow me to explain.”
For now, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to hear his reasoning. There’s no sign of other enemies nearby either. I exchanged glances with Herbert, signaling that we’d listen to what he had to say.
“Speak.”
“Thank you. We are descendants of runaway beastman slaves. We live in a small settlement deep within the forest.”
So, they’re descendants of escaped slaves. In such a vast duchy, it wouldn’t be strange if there were settlements I hadn’t heard of… A settlement of beastmen, no less.
“We have keen eyesight, sharp hearing, and some among us are swift on their feet, making us adept at gathering information. We believe we can be of use to the Duke of Baltia.”
“That doesn’t explain why now, though.”
If he truly intended to serve me, he should’ve reached out much earlier.
“We have, with the utmost respect, observed the Duke’s character. We realized that now is the only moment where you might recognize our worth.”
“So, you were watching me.”
In response to my words, he simply bowed his head even lower.
Considering the current situation, having people like them on our side would be valuable… That’s precisely why they came now, knowing their worth would be at its peak.
“What do you desire?”
“The liberation of beastman slaves.”
A tense silence filled the air.
That’s… A request only someone like the king could fulfill. At the very least, it’s beyond the power of a puppet duke like myself.
“I am aware it’s difficult. Thus, all we ask is the Duke’s protection and some provisions.”
“Very well. For now, I’ll ask you to gather intelligence on our enemy’s noble families. Based on your results, we can discuss it further.”
Wolf, as he introduced himself, nodded and quickly left.
“Is this alright?”
“Yes… Even if he’s some sort of spy, we have records from the Golden Sheep Trading Company to compare against his information, which can help gauge his credibility.”
Besides…
“His eyes showed true resolve.”
He truly aims to free beastman slaves, does he…?
Very well. They likely reached out to me because they believe I can be of use to them. So, I’ll make use of them in turn. Perhaps their settlement is located in the eastern part of the region.
Runaway beastman slaves are like unclaimed assets as far as most nobles are concerned.
“Shall we head back?”
“Indeed. Next time, there may be a damsel in distress lying in our path.”
“Stop it, old man. Don’t joke about things that could actually happen.”
With that, we began our journey back.
