Chapter 124 The Big Boom!
"You are king now, Signy. What do you wish to do with Kattegat?" Jan questioned Signy, and he was curious as to the kind of King Signy wished to become.
This would determine if he would ally with or dispose of him; Signy was secluded from his army, so it would be easy for Jan to carry out.
He had his hand on the hilt of his sword for this very reason, Jan wanted what would benefit his kingdom, and there was no way he would let things go if Signy threatened his way of life.
"Kattegat will come for revenge, and another war will happen, but in the end, you need power for vengeance," Signy said, and Jan waited for him to land his point as he kept quiet.
"I do not wish to conquer Kattegat, and I wish to burn it to the ground and occupy its territory," Signy said. This was a delightful response, and Jan showed his approval with a broad smile.
"I like you already, king Signy!" Jan praised the young King but was not nearly done with the conversation.
"Say… Vingulmark, I do not wish to be Earl anymore. I wish to be King." Jan said. This meant that Signy would relinquish any control of Vingulmark, giving Jan full authority.
"What do you mean, King?" Signy asked, his tone indifferent. This war had changed him, but Jan knew he was still a kid in the end, and like every kid, he should be susceptible to manipulation.
"I want Vingulmark to be mine, independent of Vestfold." Jan presented his proposal articulately.
The war was not even over, and Signy had not been King for up to 24 hours, yet Jan was already asking for the independence of Vingulmark.
"Earl Jan, why did you not ask this of my father?" Signy questioned, and Jan bit his tongue because he knew he had to think of his answer to sway Signy carefully.
"I know of your betrayal. You helped Kattegat, and your assistance resulted in the death of good men. There is no forgiveness for that." Signy blurted out. He was not biting the bait that Jan dangled in front of him.
"Hahaha! I am playing the game of politics! A game you, too, will soon play!" Jan teased, but Signy wondered where they were going.
"Where are we going?" The new King of Vestfold asked, but Jan maintained his silence.
Signy did not want to push things further. He might be King, but he owed Jan a debt.
A debt he now had an idea of how to pay back. In front of him was a small camp.
A camp he did not know about, implying that Jan had been in Vestfold for a while, but with their attention focused on Kattegat, they missed something right under their noses.
"How long have you been here?" Signy asked, and Jan chuckled right before saying.
"A week, but who can remember…." Jan said, unmounting his horse to grab an item wrapped in clothes.
"Let's head back…." Jan said, prompting Signy to question just what he came to take.
"Why did you bring me here?" Signy asked, and Jan looked him right in the eyes.
"Well, that is an easy question. I was going to kill you, King Signy, but I have changed my mind," Jan said bluntly, and Signy was shocked by how bold he was.
"Did you just admit to treason?" Signy asked Jan, taking a defensive pose on his horse.
"Hahaha! Relax, do you think you inherited the strength of your father alongside his crown? You are still just a boy. If I wanted you dead, you would be dead, my King." Jan warned him because, for some reason, Signy thought he could defeat him, and he was giving him a reality check because this was far from the case.
Signy kept his mouth shut; he understood his situation as he was still a child that knew nothing of being King. If Jan wanted to kill him, he could do nothing about it.
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"F-Fuck!" Tyr cussed out; the arrow had narrowly missed him and only grazed him under his armpit, but he had managed to accomplish his task.
"I-I did it!' He muttered to himself, watching the cloth burn, but he had more significant problems right now as he felt the hateful gaze of the enemies around him.
He was already exhausted and knew there was no way he could win, but he also gambled on this move because they had nothing to lose.
Death was certain either way, but Tyr could not win this fight. He did not plan to win it.
"What was your plan, you little shit! You killed Asmund! We should make you suffer!" A man barked at Tyr, and Tyr stuck out his tongue to mock, but this only resulted in him being hit.
The blow was exaggerated as Tyr used this opportunity to get a clear view of the barrels; the fire was still in its genesis. The material he had wrapped burned slowly due to the composition of the material.
"We are going to take our time with you, Kingslayer!" The same man threatened him but this was good news because it meant they would not kill him immediately.
This gave him a little more time because he did not know what would happen if he did this, but he knew whatever it was, it would give them a fighting chance.
Vigar was scared of the barrels for a reason; it was not a coincidence that Vigar specifically deemed him a threat in this situation, seeing as their death was all but secured.
"Kingslayer? I did not know Kings were so weak." Tyr retorted, and he was struck once more. This time he used the momentum of the force to run forward, and the conditions for his next move were met.
Tyr had only one shot at this, and he threw the sword in the direction of the barrels; a bow and arrow would have been the ideal choice of weapon, but he had to use what he had.
Tyr crossed his fingers as he was face down on the ground; he had tumbled after throwing the flaming sword. An action that seemed inconsequential.
It made contact, and the flames soon went out.
"H-Hah! It went off! The fucking flames went of-!" Vigar was interrupted as a powerful explosion tore through the battlefield, ripping through the ground and above it as they had buried barrels beneath the environment.
The explosion consumed everything and everyone in its path; it did not discriminate.