I Became a Level -99 Vicious Lord

Chapter 79

[Marquis’ Resolve]¹

It shall be an impregnable fortress.

– A Nomadic Shaman

Description: These bricks were blessed by a nomadic shaman from the Haver Prairie when the ancestor of House Valdemar built his castle.

An ancient and very powerful spell is cast on it.

Rating : ★★

Effect :

– +500% to Wall Durability

– Increased combat power and morale of allies during defensive operations (this effect increases the more troops the enemy has!) (10-100%)

– 30% chance for enemies’ ranged attacks to miss

Special Note: This Relic is portable, making it even more valuable when used strategically.

Most Relic items have a deceptive effect.

The same goes for [Marquis’ Resolve]

Not only does it increase your wall durability by a whopping 500%, but it also increases your allies’ combat power and morale by up to 100%, so it’s undeniably a scam.

‘They don’t call it the Space Defense² Helmut for nothing.’

Helmut was one of the 100 Lords who specialized in defense.

‘Ugfh. I feel sick just thinking about it.’

Otto shuddered at the thought of Helmut holed up in a building, holding on for dear life.

To capture a fortress or castle defended by a Helmut, you’d need at least ten times as many troops.

Therefore, gamers who were skilled at using Helmut were able to draw enemy troops into a castle or fortress with <Marquis’ Resolve> and force them to lose troops.

Since there was no chance of falling through the walls or losing a defensive battle, they could take advantage of this by forcing the enemy to pile up their forces.

This is why Otto did not fight Helmut, but instead kidnapped his daughter Elise to negotiate with him.

There was no way Otto wanted to go to war against Helmut, who was trapped inside the castle.

“No one can deny that House Valdemar has not neglected to build up its military might.”

Otto said to Helmut.

“I’ll also admit that the knights and soldiers of House Valdemar are the elite of the elite, but that alone doesn’t account for their unusual, unorthodox, and mysterious winning percentage over the past two hundred and fifty years. This brick has….”

Otto explained to Helmut the effect of Marquis’ Resolve.

“That’s right. I had no idea that such a holy object was hidden within the city walls, along with the other bricks… I don’t understand why they would leave it here.”

“Perhaps it’s because the shaman didn’t want these bricks to be used for anything else?”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, sometimes defense can be a great offense, and what if we took this brick and used it to build another castle or fortress?”

“That would… make it an impregnable fortress.”

“And if you used it strategically in war?”

“……!”

“Since you’re a wise man, I’m sure you know the value of these bricks.”

“Well, yes, of course I do, I’ve been a field commander all my life….”

“So just trust this brick and hold on for now. Fifty thousand Magritte Kingdom troops, I’m sure they’ll hold out for that long. Even if 100,000 come, they’ll last a week, right?”

“All right, I’ll hold out.”

Helmut trusted Otto’s words, or more precisely, the effect of Marquis’ Resolve, and decided to hold out.

After all, he had accepted Otto’s offer, so he had no choice but to do as he was told.

“Very well.”

Otto nodded.

“I’ll make sure you meet your daughter soon.”

“Is that so?”

Helmut’s expression brightened.

It was proof that Helmut was not a cold-hearted ambitious man.

He might not be an idiot, but he was a father who loved his daughter, Elise, more than anyone.

“There’s no way Marquis Helmut is going to betray me and align himself with the Kerrates again now that the coup has failed, so I’ll give you your daughter back as a gesture of trust, so just give me a few days.”

“Understood. I will wait.”

Otto had only staged the kidnapping because he needed a pretext to approach Helmut, a reason to persuade, threaten, and intimidate him.

There was also room for sympathy, as Helmut had rebelled because of the royal family’s excessive oppression, exploitation, and pampering.

* * *

Meanwhile, Togril, chieftain of the Kerrates tribe, was on the verge of going completely mad.

Until Amukhan’s disappearance and his alliance with House Valdemar, he thought he would soon crush the Kongurat and claim supremacy of the Haver Prairie.

But when Amukhan returned, things began to go awry.

“We lost again? Again…????”

Togril’s blood pressure began to rise when he received the report that the fifth battle had been lost.

But that was only the beginning.

“What, you lost again? You incompetent bastards! What do you mean you don’t know how to win?”

The losing streak.

Every time a report came in, it was about a defeat, not a victory.

In the meantime, most of the territory occupied by the Kongurat tribe was lost, and now even the territory of the Kerrates tribe was gradually being taken away.

When word came that the horsemen he had sent to Helmut had been wiped out, Togril was dazed and nearly fainted.

To lose 2,500 cavalry in one night….

“Helmut, you incompetent bastard, what kind of men are they, to lose the elite cavalry I’ve spent my entire life training?”

Two thousand five hundred cavalry is no small number.

Moreover, the value of these warriors, who rode tame Tatar horses, a specialty of the Khabar Steppes, was immense.

The horsemen who had been slaughtered represented fifty percent of the Kerrates’s total military strength.

Togril struggled to control his emotions, barely holding back the urge to cry.

Since ancient times, a ruler must not be shaken.

If he showed weakness in front of his men, he never knew when they might betray him.

It was the law of the prairie.

Anyone who appeared weak could be preyed upon at any time.

Even if it was a chieftain…..

“Helmut… what did he say?”

“Yes, Chief. According to Helmut’s letter… This incident was the result of a tactical error. He plans to visit you soon, Chief, and apologize on his knees.”

“Damn it! A tactical miscalculation? The warriors of our tribe were annihilated by that tactical misjudgment! such a dog! Just because he knelt down and bowed his head, did you mean that our dead warriors and horses stolen by our enemies would come back!!!”

Togril’s anger was unspeakable, but he could not take revenge on Helmut.

For now, neither Helmut nor Togril would be labeled with the dirty word.³

If he tried to fight Helmut here in retaliation, both would be ruined.

Helmut to the armies of Magritte.

Togril to the Kongurat.

Each of them would only suffer individual blows.

He even got down on his knees to apologize….

“So what do you say, this is not a matter for an apology!”

“Helmut says he’s sending 2,000 reinforcements as an apology.”

“Sending reinforcements? And how does Helmut expect to hold off the onslaught of Magritte’s forces?”

“We’ll hold out as long as we can, but in the meantime, the chieftain wants us to crush the Kongurat tribe first, and then ask for help, and I think we can resolve this situation somehow.”

“Hmmm!”

“Anyway, the rebellion is as good as a failure, so after that, I will become a subordinate of the chieftain and become a margrave who protects Haver Prairie  from the Magritte Kingdom.”

“Oh ho?”

Togril’s ears perked up.

“Sure. Togril suppose he doesn’t need to look beyond the Magritte Kingdom. How can he look beyond the Magritte Kingdom when he can’t even unify the whole prairie?

In any case, Togril’s goal is not the Magritte Kingdom, but the supremacy of the Haver Prairie, and to build a kingdom by unifying them.

To do that, he needed to unify the Haver Prairie, but he also needed to defend them from the Magritte Kingdom, a foreign power.

In that sense, acquiring Helmut and his territory was a pretty good deal.

Helmut’s territory was strategically located, and could be used not only for defense, but also as an outpost to invade the Magritte Kingdom.

In other words, Helmut’s offer was a deal that would more than make up for the loss of the horsemen.

“Good. Go tell Helmut.”

“Tell him.”

“It is grievous and disheartening that my army has been so futilely lost. But the fact that he himself has come on his knees to apologize, that he has offered to become my servant, that he has offered his territory, and that he has offered to send reinforcements, is a very good thing, and I shall have special mercy on him.”

…” but Togril had no intention of forgiving Helmut.

‘Helmut, you incompetent bastard. Do you think I’ll forgive you? We’ll see. As soon as I have unified my prairies, I will surely boil you alive and take away your territory.’ 

Togril vowed to execute Helmut in a horrible way, and decided to wait for his reinforcements.

For now, it was imperative that he gain supremacy over the prairie.

* * *

Same time.

The Magritte forces, whose supply convoy had been robbed, paused in their advance to wait.

They waited for supplies and additional troops to replace those killed in the battle with the Kerrates horsemen.

“Helmut, this traitorous bastard has allied himself with these savage nomads!”

King Magritte was furious when he received the report.

It was bad enough that they had rebelled, but the fact that they had allied themselves with the nomads of the Khabar Steppes, the greatest threat to Magritte’s kingdom, infuriated him even more.

But the king’s anger didn’t last long.

“What, a great victory? Hahahahahahahahaha!!!”

The king’s ears perked up as reports came in of a great victory over the nomadic horsemen.

The annihilation of 2,500 nomadic horsemen was a revolutionary feat worthy of being recorded in the kingdom’s history books.

“Helmut, did you dare to think that you could succeed in revolting against me Magritte, even if you had allied yourself with those barbarous, filthy nomads? I will teach you very clearly what happens to a dog that bites its master, here!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Rally the whole army, leaving only a minimal defensive force, and march! We will show that traitor, Helmut, how fearsome the wrath of the King is!”

Traditionally, a rebellion is something that needs to be quelled quickly.

It was also imperative that he crush his enemies ruthlessly and brutally, and mete out terrible punishment to all involved.

He needed to set a clear example of the terrible end that awaits those who challenge his kingship.

This was the only way to prevent a second or third rebellion.

So when the king declared that he was going to gather all his troops and destroy Helmut, his subjects were in full agreement and support.

“Wise is your judgment, your Majesty!”

“Your words are right a hundred times over, Your Majesty!”

“Your words are wise, Your Majesty!”

The king’s will and the opinions of his subjects were unanimous, and the Magritte army set out to destroy Helmut, leaving only a minimal force to defend the capital.

The initially planned reinforcements of 5,000 men tripled to a whopping 15,000.

It was a show of force, and it took nearly all of their available troops.

And at the same time.

*Clink, clink* *clip, clop* *Clink, clink* 

The 15,000-strong Lota Kingdom army began to move.

They headed northwest.

It was the direction of the Magritte Kingdom and the Haver Prairie.

** ** **
TL/N:

1. Changed the Holy Relic Name of Marquis Helmut to [Marquis Resolve], when it was plucked out of the wall by Otto to show Helmut the main contributing factor why their Valdemar Family are proficient in defending in siege it went inactive. Hence its name got turned into [Marquis Resolution] and when it got placed back as a part of a wall it reverted back to [Marquis Resolve]

Resolution – a decision to do or not do something.
Resolve – firm determination to do something.

2. When players use Helmut as their character in the game [Territory Wars] they just connect and expand the walls of their new conquered territory(space) with the primary wall that has the Holy Relic, which over time the moniker “Space Defense” got tag with Helmut

3. If he called Helmut as a Delusional Bastard, it implies that he (Togril) is also one because they made an alliance for their own gain.

Helmut – To escape the grip of the Magritte King to his Family and save his daughter.

Togril – To conquer the Haver Prairie and unify the Steppes and Prairie under his rule.