I built a manor in the Middle Ages

Chapter 248 Pagan

This is the first time since the war that Knightsburg has been so noisy at night.

Charlie's barking echoed through the forest, and several torches were lit in the darkness.

Led by a peasant woman, Luke and his entourage went straight to a shack on the west side of the south bank.

The shack was very simple. A breeze blew, and the weeds behind it swayed constantly. Ryan used his sword to push aside the weeds, and soon, several disgusting pieces of meat were exposed to everyone's view.

The firelight flickered slightly. Luke frowned and looked away, while Ryan and the others looked grim.

"Blasphemy."

Beneath the black hood, Peter's expression was even more terrifyingly gloomy.

"As you can see, if it were a simple murder case, I wouldn't have bothered you so late, but this is clearly someone bewitched by Satan, who deserves to be burned alive!"

Saint Lynn gripped the silver cross pendant on his chest, his tone cold.

It's no wonder Lynn and the others were so angry; the corpses in front of them were not simply dismembered, but arranged in a special pattern.

The outermost four limbs face the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west), the heart is located in the very center with a sharp wooden thorn stuck in it, the internal organs are scattered all over the ground, the intestines are arranged in a snake shape, the ribs with bits of flesh form a tomb mound, and the head is nowhere to be found.

Even Ryan and his men, who had experienced countless battles, felt extremely uncomfortable, let alone the crowd gathered around them because of the commotion. Some peasant women had already collapsed to the ground in fear, and even the strong men's legs were trembling. Hearing that it was a Satanic ritual, they were almost scared out of their wits; if Lynn hadn't been there, they probably would have fled on the spot.

Luke remained silent for a moment, not answering immediately, but instead taking a few steps forward to examine the dismemberment wounds.

Thanks to Luke's control over weapons, the people who came to join him handed over even their butcher knives, leaving only their farm tools in the hands of the people.

"This must have been done by that Viking!"

Just as Luc was examining the blade, a serf in the crowd suddenly screamed.

"Shut up, Luke! The master hasn't even said who it is yet!"

Ryan glared at the serfs. He didn't understand what judicial power was, but he knew perfectly well that only Luke could decide who the murderer was.

“But who among us, besides that Viking, could be a heretic?” The serf didn’t stop talking at Ryan’s words; looking at the anxious crowd, he raised his voice:

"Think about it, before he came, no one had ever sprained their ankle, but after he arrived, such a cruel thing happened. Who else could it be but him!"

"Even if it wasn't him, he's the one who brought the devil here!"

"Don't talk nonsense, Thorstein is a Christian!"

Raoul, who was also in the crowd, heard what the serf Luke said and his face immediately darkened.

"You're talking nonsense! I swear to God, I saw him praying to a god named Odin, not God, the night before last!"

"Oh my god! Is this real, Luke?"

"Damn it, that heretic!"

Luke's words were like a drop of oil splashed into water, causing a huge commotion among the crowd, and Raoul's face turned pale.

If Thorstein is convicted of murder, he will also be implicated.

Hoffman, hidden in the crowd, also frowned. He had traveled all over the country for many years and had indeed seen Vikings who outwardly believed in Christianity but in fact still worshipped polytheism.

"My lord, Thorstein is absolutely not a heretic!"

Raoul hurriedly stepped forward to explain, but was stopped by the irritable Andrew, who said, "Buddy, you'd better stay where you are."

"My lord, he and that damned Viking should be burned at the stake!"

"That's right, hang them!"

Luke's words successfully stirred up some of the serfs, who loudly echoed his sentiments.

"Shut up, all of you! I'll say it again: only the master can decide who the murderer is! Don't forget, the master is an apostle of God!"

Charlie and his five or six dogs couldn't understand what the crowd was talking about, but they started barking wildly, creating a chaotic scene.

In the Middle Ages, when religious beliefs were strong, words like Satan and heresy were always extremely taboo.

So even Lynn said with a serious expression, "If it really is him, he should indeed be burned at the stake."

The roar of the crowd echoed through the valley, and Luc, who had remained silent until now, finally raised his head.

Kohler, who was shouting along, suddenly felt someone watching him. His gaze instinctively shifted upwards, and he nervously met Luc's eyes. The next second, he immediately shut his mouth.

And so, as Luc's gaze wandered, the crowd gradually quieted down.

Hoffman stared at the scene in surprise and couldn't help but mutter, "Luc's reputation in Knightsburg is actually that high?"

After a long while, silence returned to the darkness. Luc then turned to Ryan and said:

“Then bring Thorstein up.”

Call the medieval people ignorant or stubborn, since most believed Thorstein was the murderer under Luke's instigation, they would feel they were protecting him if they didn't interrogate him.

If it's just routine privileges and protection, then of course there's no problem. It would be a joke if a lord who holds both legislative and judicial power couldn't protect a few people. But when it comes to religion, one must be extremely cautious.

When Ryan led his men to arrest Thorstein, Luke glanced at Lynn, who was also waiting for Thorstein. Judging from the way he was stroking the silver cross, it was clear that he was not at peace.

This is not surprising, after all, Lynn has always been an extremely devout believer.

Luc couldn't help but sigh; religious issues are a double-edged sword.
If one can develop one's own territory by following Cluny's reforms, then perhaps one day, one will be trapped by religion.

"Brother Lynn, do you think it could be Thorstein?"

“I don’t know for sure, but it’s probably him, if he really did worship Odin.”

Lynn, with his extensive knowledge, understood what Odin represented. Luc nodded and said nothing more.

A little while later, Thorstein was led to the south bank by Ryan. His long axe had been removed, and because he couldn't speak the language, he looked at the crowd in shock and fear, not knowing what was happening.

"Raoul, ask him for me where he has been all this time."

Luc and Lynn stood in the center, surrounded by the people who had surrounded the city. Luc's private soldiers and Miller and others formed a human cordon, creating an open space for Luc and his group.

Waving to Raoul, the bard finally came to Luc's side.

Swallowing hard, Raoul took a deep breath, realizing he couldn't avoid interrogation, and asked Thorstein about it.

"Sir, he said he has been building dragon boats at the lumberyard and has never left."

"Oh, right, he also said that if you don't have wood that has been air-dried for more than three years, it will be a bit difficult to make a dragon boat."

Upon hearing Raoul's words, Luc was taken aback for a moment, then found himself both amused and exasperated.

Indeed, to build a good ship, waterproof tar alone is not enough; the wood itself is the most important factor. Luc has already sent word to Count Macon, hoping that his caravan can bring a piece of wood that has been air-dried for three years at the next market, since Macon has a dock and has no shortage of keel material.

And bring back William the Younger's fief income.

"Alright, nobody knows whether he's actually been at the lumberyard the whole time. Now ask him if he ever worshipped Odin!"

Lynn kept a straight face; he was more concerned with religious issues.

Raoul translated the words to Thorstein, and as Lynn watched, the Viking man's expression suddenly changed drastically as Raoul's words entered his ears.

"Damn it, you really are secretly worshipping Odin!"

Upon noticing this, Lynn's eyes widened in fury. His chest heaved violently as he draped himself in a black monk's robe. Only then did he notice the hammer pendant on Thorstein's chest. He raised his arm angrily and said, "Damn it! I must have been blinded by darkness to only just realize that you're wearing heretical ornaments so openly!"

"Sir Luke, this damned heretic murderer must be destroyed!"

If Luke's words merely stirred up the crowd's anger, then Lynn's words were like a death sentence for Thorstein. The people turned their ferocity toward Thorstein, and if Miller and others hadn't shouted at them, they probably would have rushed in and hanged him.

Raoul was drenched in cold sweat without realizing it.

“Every Viking was a heretic hundreds of years ago.”

Just as Lynn was rebuking Thorstein, Luke interrupted him with a single sentence.

"What did you say? Sir Luke?"

“I said that every Viking was a heretic hundreds of years ago.”

Looking at Lynn who was turning back, Luc laughed and said, "But now, at least the dead Knut isn't anymore."

"If I remember correctly, Knut also visited Rome during his lifetime."

Knut was a Viking leader who once ruled Scandinavia and England.

Luke spoke calmly and slowly, and Lynn gradually regained his composure, saying thoughtfully, "Sir Luke, what do you want to say?"

"Believing in other religions does not warrant a death sentence. As long as he returns to God's embrace, he is still one of God's people. Brother Lynn, you are a learned man, and you should know that even we were lost sheep before the birth of Jesus. But it doesn't matter, the Lord ultimately saved us."

"At present, Thorstein is just lost and confused, but I believe that God will eventually save him."

The Vikings stopped plundering the seas for two reasons: the rise of knights and their Christianization.

But Vikings like Thorstein, caught between the old and new religions, still existed.

Thorstein hired shipbuilders himself, and once the ships were completed, he would likely travel to Constantinople again.

However, it is possible that Luke would prefer to win over this Viking who was skilled in shipbuilding and most likely adept at naval warfare.

Today is an opportunity.

"Take his hammer necklace."

Luc gave Raoul a look, and the eloquent bard understood immediately. He quickly mumbled a long string of convoluted words to Thorstein, and finally, the big man gritted his teeth and handed over the necklace.

Luke took it and threw it directly into the torch, where the raging fire destroyed Odin's token.

“He is not the murderer, he is to be sent to church to repent!” Luc declared.

"Not the murderer?!"

Lynn and Peter were pondering Luke's words when the other villagers, seeing that Lynn hadn't said anything, naturally didn't dare to make a fuss either. However, upon hearing that Thorstein wasn't the murderer, they couldn't help but exchange bewildered glances.

"That's right, he's not the murderer, and the reason is simple."

Luc pointed to the body parts on the ground and said, "Because the dismemberment wounds were inflicted by a sickle!"

Thanks to the weapons control in Knightsburg, the serfs who came to Knightsburg had even their butcher knives confiscated, and only tools such as woodcutting axes and sickles were kept.

For Luc, who had slaughtered prey, killed enemies, and harvested wheat, the differences between these roles were very clear.

“A butcher’s knife makes it easier to dismember a body, and blood won’t splatter everywhere. An axe is even more effective. An iron sword will make a smooth cut, but as you can see, these wounds are all of varying depths, and the blades are curved, so blood is splattered everywhere.”

Luke threw an arm onto the open ground, startling several villagers who retreated in fear.

"God above, there's only one answer: that damned guy killed Cathy's husband with a scythe!"

"As far as I know, not many people own their own sickles. So let's investigate now: who would have accidentally lost their most important possession, such a sickle, tonight?"

Luke glanced at the crowd with a forced smile, his gaze finally settling on the terrified Luke.

"Lane, drag Luke out here!"

(End of this chapter)