The Biography of Albrecht - Chapter 46

The Biography of Albrecht - Chapter 46

Translator: Nezu

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Sigmund was an excellent commander and an experienced bandit.  The soldiers who had won the battle had become hard to control. They began to scatter as they started to pick up the spoils of war.

To plunder King Leopold’s garrison, some men made a detour in advance, blocking off the retreat of the people inside, surrounding them and raiding.

The world was filled with the most miserable sounds humans could make: mad laughter of soldiers, cries of babies, screams of women, and voices of men begging for help and mercy.

Those who fled the garrison to the forest became the prey of the knights. Instead of trampling over them with their horses, they threw ropes and dragged their bodies back like animals.

In this world, plundering was the right of soldiers and their way of gaining wealth. It was also this world’s most terrible aspect, the most cruel self-portrait of humankind.

Albrecht silently watched them as they claimed their right.

“Hey, you piece of shit! Don’t set it on fire! It’s all ours now anyway!”

An infantry captain shouted, kicking the soldier who tried to start a fire. They became robbers, bandits, rapists, and murderers. Even the ones that Albrecht considered his comrades. Albrecht no longer wanted to stay here. He mounted Schwarz, wanting to get away as soon as possible. He really wanted to run away from here.

“What are you doing?! Leave it alone! They’re just kids!”

Randolph shouted, pushing the soldiers holding the crying children, trying to sell them to slave traders. The soldiers showed him a look, as if asking him what was wrong with him.

“Master! Say something to them!”

Albrecht didn’t know how to face him. He left the garrison with his head down. From behind him, Randolph’s pleading voice could be heard.

He went into a forest and stayed there for a long time, but the miserable sounds continued, albeit faint. Albrecht dismounted from his horse, tied the reins to a tree, gathered fallen leaves and branches and set a bonfire.

He stared at the fire in silence. After staring at it for a long time, the sounds became a blur, his surroundings turned black. Nothing could be heard.

The burning fire seemed to gradually change to the shape of his face. Just like in the past, the face had a twisted expression, laughing at him.

‘What did you expect? Didn’t you know this was going to happen?’

Albrecht stared at his face on the fire.

‘What? If you don’t like it then why don’t you kill them?’

Albrecht drew his sword from his waist and tried to cut through the fire. The fire seemed to die at the moment, but it quickly blazed again as if nothing happened, the face now gone.

Albrecht wrapped his arms around his knees and fell asleep.

He woke up with someone shaking him awake.

“Master. Master.”

It was Randolph. He looked up and scanned his surroundings, it was early morning. It was still very cold in the early hours of March, and even though he slept in an uncomfortable position, it seemed that Randolph needed to shake him awake from his deep sleep.

He felt a bit uncomfortable once he got up but he quickly got better after swinging his sword a few times.

“Um, Master. They’re giving out the awards. You have to go.”

Albrecht mounted Schwarz without a word. Randolph untied the reins and walked to the garrison.

As Randolph held the reins and walked down, he suddenly spoke. “Master looks like a beast when he fights but he usually looks depressed.”

Albrecht answered, his eyes fixed ahead. “I’m not that depressed. Just thought of what happened yesterday.” 

The two men continued down without looking at each other. In the distance, they could see King Leopold’s previous garrison.

Randolph spoke again.

“Well, you have to tell me your age.”

“Sixteen.”

Randolph looked at Albrecht in surprise.

“Wow. I did think you were young but I didn’t think you were that young. It’s just like what everyone says. A real monster.”

Albrecht looked down at Randolph from his horse, grinning.

“What? Are you going to talk casually to me now?”

“Haha, why would I? Master is still my master.”

Randolph always watched Albrecht’s mood. Whenever he was obviously depressed, he always tried to make him feel better. Albrecht was grateful to him.

Probably because he had grown honestly in their village, his yesterday’s actions were even better than his. Despite having the memories of a modern person, he still acted like a mere civilian.

Or should he have killed all of them, both the enemy and ally army, just like the fire had told him? How would he have acted if he didn’t have the memories of a modern person? But hadn’t those modern people also started a war of conquest and also plundered countless times before? Were they any better from the people here now? He didn’t know the answer.

As they entered the garrison, knights and soldiers took off their helmets to pay their respect. There was awe in their eyes, a sense of admiration.

Albrecht headed to a large tent in the middle. Randolph handed the reins to a soldier and followed.

The large tent in the center was probably King Leopold’s command post. It was incomparably larger than the little king’s. It almost looked like a palace built with tents. No matter how big their army was, the tent was uselessly too big.

Once Albrecht entered the tent, the noise inside instantly quieted down, all eyes on him. Their eyes were no different from those of the soldiers and knights outside.

Inside the tent was a low platform, where the little king and his mother were, the people who were nowhere to be seen during the war, sitting side by side on what looked like throne chairs. Sigmund was standing in front of them.

There was no separate seat except for the throne. Albrecht walked into the group of nobles, standing somewhere.

“Let’s get started since our great hero is here. Let’s deal with the prisoners first.”

Sigmund nodded, and a person was suddenly dragged out. His hair was messy and his clothes were torn. 

“Is he Alois von Ethelwald, the lord of Ethelwald?”

“Yes.”

“He’ll be worth 72 gold coins. Pay and you’ll be free. Next.”

The plundering of nobles began. They started by taking ransom money from the captured nobles. Most of the payment was raised by the prisoner’s family by collecting more taxes or selling valuable items.

It was hard to imagine what the peasants of their territories would become once additional tax was collected or they were robbed under the pretext of war requisition.

Noble captives appeared one after another. Sigmund confirmed their identities and set the price according to the size of their territory. It ranged from as little as 30 gold coins to as much as 100 gold coins. Every time Sigmund spoke, the secretary next to him carefully wrote it down on parchment.

Another person appeared.

“Is he Ernfred von Lichtenberg, lord of Obobern?”

“Yes.”

“His territory will be confiscated. He’ll be worth 1 gold coin.”

“H-hold on! Confiscated?! What do you mean?! Why would you confiscate my territory? You have no right to do that! It’s my territory passed down by my ancestors! It’s a rightfully inherited land!”

Sigmund looked at him indifferently then gave the soldier holding down the man a look.  The soldier immediately began to beat Ernfred with a club. Ernfred, however, never yielded in the face of the severe beating.

“It’s my territory! My land! You have no right to take it away!”

The soldier’s beating continued for a long time. Eventually, Ernfred died. The soldier breathed hard. It was a hard task to beat a man to death without hitting the vital points.

Ernfred died a horrible death but no one showed fear except the king’s mother. She stared at Ernfred’s dead body, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

The king’s mother tried to cover the little king’s eyes and hugged him but the little king somehow managed to raise his head, his eyes opened wide, watching the scene where someone was being beaten to death, mouthing ‘Owaaa’.

“Clean it up,” Sigmund said coldly. Several soldiers came and dragged Ernfred’s body away.

“All the lords and nobles here serve as witnesses. The territory of Obobern has been confiscated. Next.”

Sigmund’s robotic way of collecting ransom and confiscating lands continued for a long time before coming to an end. The war just ended yesterday, but it was amazing how he had handled all tasks. He was indeed a person with great abilities.

After surrounding and raiding the garrison, many nobles were caught. He was indeed a very experienced bandit.

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T/N: Yes, it's still me, Nezu, who's translating TBOA because I like the story about this piece of--. Anyway  this was the latest chap (unedited as well) from my tl bank and I actually have no time to tl more but I'll try my best. And if anyone besides me is willing to pick this up heyyy go ahead I WANNA SEE THIS SERIES TRANSLATED TOO YA KNOW