"Fearmongering!" Canossa's lips pursed, and she waved a dismissive hand, clearly displeased.
The Countess had met far too many ambitious flatterers who loved to use alarmist talk to create a crisis, only to then boastfully present themselves as the solution.
Having seen it all before, Canossa's impression of Horten plummeted.
Horten was not socially inept; he could see that he had fallen in the Countess's estimation.
But he spoke frankly nonetheless. "I have no intention of simply pleasing you. My abbot, Skork, is the brother of the traitorous steward, Howard. He told me that the troops Howard led away will soon invade Bovenden village. Bovenden is directly on the road to Castle Göttingen. If Howard marches unopposed and seizes the castle, what are our options then, other than becoming fugitives? Or would you rather be his prisoner? As Howard's prisoner, your fate would be far harsher than mine."
Canossa's delicate face first turned white, then flushed a deep crimson. She was clearly terrified of the consequences, her mind likely flashing to the lewd poems about her that circulated among the common folk.
The lady gently pinched the hem of her skirt, turning away and spitting out under her breath, "You're a pervert, too."
Horten shrugged. His soul from Earth allowed him to admit it freely. "God made man and woman. I don't think I can betray the Lord by failing to admire the most beautiful of his creations."
His elegant turn of phrase instantly repaired the damage.
Canossa shot Horten a withering glare but didn't press the point. Instead, she pragmatically took the map of the County of Göttingen down from the carriage wall.
The map showed that the County of Göttingen was located on a river in the north-central part of the region. Bovenden village was situated upstream to the south, a key transportation hub. The besieged hill and the abbey were in the forest to the southwest.
Though her military knowledge was limited, Canossa could see the heart of the problem.
Betrayed by her trusted deputy, the County of Göttingen was on the brink of disaster!
"Who can I possibly borrow troops from at a time like this?" Canossa said, her voice a mixture of hatred and anger. "Don't tell me... Oh, God, I refuse to marry my cousin. If an angel were to support my army right now, I would rather marry him!"
Although Canossa had used her cunning to defeat her brothers and win the county, the consequence was that she had been ostracized by her extended family.
At this moment, no relatives would help her. Her only option was to marry her dimwitted and foolish cousin to gain the king's favor.
A slight smile touched Horten's lips.
"What if I told you... I could?"
Canossa spun around like a startled bird, bringing a gust of fragrant air with her. She stared intently at Horten. "You? On what grounds? A monk with no prestige?"
Horten nodded.
"If I couldn't find an army, how did I summon over a hundred militiamen in a single day? How did I rescue you?"
Horten's earnest expression made Canossa feel a reluctant sense of belief.
She moved closer to him, her mind rapidly calculating the potential gains and losses.
"If—and I mean if—you can find me a sufficient army, I will..." Tears welled in Canossa's green eyes, and she bit her red lip, looking as aggrieved as a pure, innocent nun.
As a transmigrator, Horten laughed internally. He could see right through Canossa's petty manipulations. It's almost a little clumsy, he thought.
Just then, the ground began to tremble violently.
Outside, Joan 'the Flash' shouted in alarm. "My Lady! The Greenskins' tunneling as they fled must have weakened the foundations of the hill!"
Before Horten or Canossa could react, the hill suddenly tilted and collapsed. Everything inside the small carriage was sent tumbling.
Horten felt his chest get impacted by a pair of wonderfully elastic mounds. The lady's fragrant, delicate body tumbled into his arms. Canossa's face, usually as composed as frost and snow, was now a mask of unexpected panic, making her look as adorable as a kitten. Her proud, voluptuous body was sprawled atop Horten, and the young monk, who had never been so near a woman, couldn't help but stand at attention out of pure reflex.
Horten felt a little awkward. His soul was barely holding on, but his body had already surrendered completely.
The shaking finally stopped. Canossa, her face as red as an apple, carefully shifted her plump hips off him. Seeing that Horten hadn't moved, she pinched his waist hard. "Unhand me at once!"
Finally snapping back to reality, Horten, suppressing a laugh, carefully bent over to help Canossa get to her feet.
Outside, chaos reigned. Canossa took a few steps, then suddenly turned back with a girlish little hop, whispering to Horten, "I hereby appoint you as the [Court Chaplain] of the County of Göttingen. Now hurry and help me rally the nearby forces. My promise still stands."
As she spoke, a strange light seemed to flash in Canossa's eyes.
Horten boldly sensed that the Countess's predicament was far more severe than he had imagined. In a moment of extreme audacity, he suddenly pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips against hers.
In all likelihood, she's just stringing me along, he reasoned. Might as well collect some interest upfront.
Her soft, warm lips were captured by his. Her supple body was held tight in his embrace. The Countess was so furious she stomped her feet, but she was helpless.
What was she going to do? Order her knights to seize and execute her only savior?
"Just collecting some interest. But I will keep my word," Horten said with sincere conviction as he released her.
Up to this point, Horten only wanted to borrow the Countess's power to save his hometown and parents, then use the troops unlocked by his new official rank to seek greater profits.
He had long heard of Canossa's cunning nature. But now, he had her right where he wanted her. It was worth the risk to bargain with a tiger—especially such a beautiful one.
Just then, Joan 'the Flash' rushed in.
Horten wore an expression of perfect righteousness. The Countess, who had just been assaulted, naturally snapped back to her proud demeanor in an instant, gesturing like a little peacock as she commanded, "Sir Horten, you are dismissed."
Horten touched his lips, a smile in his heart as he departed.
Joan was still clueless. The Countess showed no reaction on the surface, but inwardly she was seething with hatred.
Even though the kiss felt... nice, that Horten of Bovenden is utterly rotten!
And now, in front of her knights, she had to go on praising his performance and intelligence. It was just awful.
[Congratulations! You have unlocked the office: Court Chaplain (Count-rank)]
[New Unit Unlocked: Pilgrims]
Normal Unit: Pilgrims (Base size: 40 men. Monthly upkeep: 0 Gold. Pitiable and foolish fanatics. Though unarmored, they possess a crazed self-destructive aggression. Can only be recruited by a Chaplain, limit of three units.)
[New Unit Unlocked: Crusader Longbowmen]
Excellent Unit: Crusader Longbowmen (Base size: 40 men. Monthly upkeep: 6 Gold. Recruitment Cost: 30 Gold. Elite and devout marksmen. They use armor-piercing longbows and can inflict devastating damage on the enemy.)
To Horten's surprise, he had unlocked a higher tier of troops.
The progression went from Basic units to Normal and then Excellent.
The newly unlocked Pilgrims were zero-upkeep, lethal cannon fodder. The Crusader Longbowmen, with their armor-piercing longbows, were astonishingly strong but also ruinously expensive.
Amidst this, Horten's System also notified him that his loot had been credited.
The spoils from defeating a large number of Greenskins amounted to just over thirty crude gold coins and a few supplies.
It wasn't much, but it was enough to recruit one unit of Crusader Longbowmen.
Time was of the essence. Horten immediately took his men and departed, claiming he was going to recruit assistants from the nearby area.