King
Chapter 101 - 101 92 The Essence of Grouping_1

101: Chapter 92, The Essence of Grouping_1 101: Chapter 92, The Essence of Grouping_1 Seeing the unfortunate man lying in a pool of blood, everyone present was dumbfounded.

The fighting parties in particular, were rendered clueless by the situation.

The young noble who had attacked was pale as death, holding his iron hammer, uncertain of what to do.

A brawl was one thing; killing a noble – that was a calamity of untold proportion.

As everyone’s eyes focused on the stricken noble lying in the pool of blood, Hudson briefly considered abandoning the situation and making a swift exit.

After all, he hadn’t instigated the fight, nor toppled the victim.

He was merely the owner of the iron hammer involved.

As long as he could evade the scene and deny any involvement, he would be clear of any responsibility.

“What are you all standing about for!

Go fetch a priest!”

Hudson rebuked the bystanders.

Reason told him he couldn’t run.

If he bolted now, he would be knee-deep in trouble later.

In the world of nobility, not just evidence, but reputation mattered.

A good reputation could ensure acceptance anywhere.

So many people had witnessed what happened.

He could shirk all responsibility, but he could not clamp down on the murmuring mouths of the onlookers.

If he were to run away without even knowing if the victim had survived, wouldn’t that suggest he had something to do with this?

Rather than incriminate himself, it was better to stay and face the situation.

As the owner of the hammer, it would indeed be troublesome if he was implicated, but it would be just that, trouble.

When Hudson called to fetch a priest, it reminded the people around him.

But it was moot.

The priesthood wouldn’t come as the rebuilding from previous wars had just started and there was no surplus yet.

As per tradition, only when an area developed a certain economic base and built a church would a priest move in.

The level of the priest depended on the strategies of the Lord of the land.

Generally speaking, the richer the territory, the more attractive it was for the priests.

Due to ongoing conflicts, there were no priests in a radius of dozens of miles from Dardiel city.

Even if one were to be summoned, it would be too late, the body would be cold by then.

Saving the stricken man was easier said than done.

Some rudimentary first aid could be done by the crowd present, but injuries to the head were challenging.

If they managed to save the man, they would benefit from the gratitude of others; but if he died during the rescue attempt, it would be embarrassing to say the least.

The last thing they wanted was to be suspected of a deliberate murder.

Human nature stands no test at all.

Being a bluff master, Hudson decisively opted to ‘rescue’ the man verbally instead.

“You there with the hammer, drop your weapon and attend to the injured!

If that young man dies, you’ll be held accountable.”

Whoever caused the disaster should bear the brunt.

Sticking to the principle of not ensnaring others, Hudson swiftly delegated the task of tending to the injured to the assaulter.

“Oh, me?”

“But, I don’t know how to save people!”

The young noble surrounded by people looked like he was on the verge of breaking down.

Thankfully, his aide, a shabbily dressed middle-aged soldier, stepped up at the critical moment.

Proving not to be totally foolish, the young noble quickly donated his clothing to be used as dressing for the wound after overcoming his panic.

There was a vast difference between murder and accidental killing.

If proven a murderer, the perpetrator was practically doomed, while in case of accidental killing, compensation could lead to being granted a package to guard the Northern Border.

Although life on the frontier was difficult and dangerous, it was still more comfortable compared to directly meeting the Lord of the Dawn.

As long as there were no large-scale Orc invasions, the mortality rate among the colonial nobles was usually not more than 5 percent per year.

Over half of these deaths occurred during slave raids.

“Baron West is coming!”

Someone shouted, and the crowd automatically made way.

With the entry of another responsible person, Hudson felt somewhat relieved.

It wasn’t too bad to have somebody else in the same boat.

“Can anyone tell me what happened here?”

The harried Baron West helplessly asked.

He had been dealing with similar scenes before, but this situation was a bit more serious.

The crowd looked at each other, and somehow their gaze fell on Hudson.

Their expectant eyes were clearly urging him to step forward.

Sure enough, it was another conflict between the natives and the Northern aristocracy.

If Baron West could represent the Northern aristocracy, someone of equal status must represent the Native nobles.

Unfortunately, of all the native nobles present, Hudson was the most prestigious.

Although he belonged to the Neutral Camp, it didn’t prevent others from pushing him into the spotlight.

After all, such matters often involved much wrangling, and a weak representative could lead to considerable losses.

“Isn’t it quite obvious?

A group of people had a duel here, and emotions got out of control.

Before they knew it, they wound up in the current predicament.”

Hudson deflected and minimized the situation.

Status influenced stance.

Even though he believed the impulsive young noble was to blame, he still had to defend him for the sake of their shared identity as native nobles.

“In such a dangerous situation, defining it as a simple duel may not suffice, my lord!”

Baron West responded coldly.

His position was indeed embarrassing.

On one hand, he had to uphold the interests of the Northern aristocracy and on the other, maintain stability within the city.