Ahil and Chedron eventually caught up with Leon, and he ordered the soldiers to open the back door as if he were watching them. Chedron’s face got darker and darker. He tried to reduce the incident himself and report it, but as long as Leon heard it through another mouth, he couldn’t just cover it.
“This place is a little…”
The Grand Duke had asked to open the door, but the soldier hesitated for a moment.
Leon just took the key away from him while trying to order him one more time. The soldier stepped back restlessly.
“I didn’t think you’d ever see that, that’s it…”
As soon as he opened the door, dozens of people’s eyes poured into the open gap. With a strange odor, they crept up and gathered slowly.
“What? Isn’t it something to eat?”
“I hope there’s another girl.”
“What’s wrong with you, crazy punk? You missed the girl, you’re crazy?”
They said something loudly among themselves but were wary of each other in case something would come out in the meantime.
Leon, who had a sharp ear, heard the sound and stepped out of the door alone.
No matter how much they lived without knowing tomorrow, Leon seemed unusual to their eyes.
As Leon strutted toward them, they couldn’t take their eyes off but stepped back one step at a time.
Ahil and Chedron were restless behind him in case they were rude.
“Did you just say that a woman came out of here? After that, what did you do with the woman?”
“What are you doing? Why are you asking all of a sudden?”
“Hey, you crazy guy! Hey, don’t answer and come here.”
It was the younger brother who caught Dana at that time, and the older brother who felt a strange smell called him from behind.
“Look at this unlucky top! We caught her, but she ran away. I just missed the meat I had caught right before I ate it, so I just lost my appetite.”
“What color was her hair?”
“Why are you curious about that? What color was it? Yellow?”
Except for the brothers, the other wanderers had already slowly moved away.
“Your Grace, they are not the ones you need to talk to. I’ll interrogate them.”
Ahil ran forward excitedly. He grabbed the sword handle and stared at the person in front of him with the spirit of cutting off even the tip of his hair.
“That… Uh… I’m busy right now…”
Seeing Ahil’s attitude toward Leon, the man finally sensed the danger. While creeping back, he collapsed forward, whimpering at the strong impact on his shin.
“What…”
Leon squatted and murmured low, grabbing his back.
“No, I can’t just leave. If you caught her, you touched her with this dirty hand.”
“That, hi… ik.”
The man glanced up, and his eyes met Leon’s red eyes that flashed with murderous intent.
“Crazy, you bastard.”
Thinking that he would die, the man tried to shake Leon’s hand, but Leon grabbed his clothes on his back and threw him back at once as if he couldn’t miss the dirty cockroach.
“Catch the other one, too,” he said, looking at the man who was talking to the man from afar.
When the order fell, Ahil flew like an arrow and caught his brother.
It was only after catching the two, that Leon took his reason and looked around calmly.
Some of the wanderers were more curious and looked at this place, and the rest showed a little interest. Soon, he turned his head.
It was because it wasn’t food, and if they didn’t hurt themselves, it didn’t matter what happened.
“I think the number is much higher than before.”
“Yes, it has increased since the drought in the border area.”
Leon had known of their existence for a while. But it was only today that he found out that there were so many in this state.
This place was close to the side palace’s back gate, and the walls were surrounded by trees and mountains, so there was no reason to come. In addition, since he became a lord, he had been in the capital or battlefield longer than in the castle.
“I don’t think this is something to be left unattended.”
“Yes, but… To catch them…”
Leon also knew about Chedron’s worries. When Leon first learned of their existence, he thought about it for a while and passed it over.
These were mainly serfs who fled because they could not withstand the exploitation of their lord. In principle, it was necessary to execute or catch them and return them to the territory.
Of course, it was the same that they were executed even when they returned to the territory. That was the national law of this country.
If someone caught them but did not return them or execute them, they considered it a violation of the national law and punished the nobleman.
That’s why they were left alone without doing this or that.
Just by “leaving it alone”, it was close to a way to live for them, and the wandering people who heard the rumor gathered here to form such a large number.
“But that doesn’t mean they can live together like this at the back gate. We should move them to another area.”
“What? Where… But if we intervene directly, things will get worse.”
“You don’t have to do it yourself… I should leave this work to Daniel when he comes. Let’s go in.”
Before entering the door, Leon looked around once more and went inside again.
On the cart coming out of the back gate that day, there were much more healthy foods than usual.
Of course, this was not a fundamental solution, although it could immediately satisfy hunger. However, just by not hearing the tearing cry of a hungry child, it was peaceful that night.