Johan listened with such an intense expression that the Baron was rather taken aback instead.
“Your excellency. The rcenaries are just babbling nonsense because they are drunk. . .”
“Ah. I’m listening while taking that into account. So you an they sent soone?”
“According to the story, it seed like that. So I thought we should confirm the facts before punishing them. . .”
The Baron hesitated. In fact, he had hesitated even as he was speaking.
It was ridiculous in itself that a nobleman was seriously talking about the drunken babbling of rcenaries. It was more likely that the rcenaries had not sent anyone rather than sending soone.
Besides, it was unlikely that the Emperor would approve of the request from such a rude group of rcenaries.
So although he spoke, he hesitated for fear of ridicule. But to his surprise, the young Count listened seriously. No, he showed a reaction that exceeded expectations.
“Baron. That was very well done. As expected, the Baron has discerning eyes. Not everyone can notice sothing like that in a caught situation.”
“Is that so?”
No one disliked being praised. The Baron was no exception. Especially when the complint ca from the renowned Johan.
‘𝘐𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮?’
The Elf King thought Johan was mocking the Baron for praising him too much. To the Elf King’s eyes, the Baron didn’t seem to have done anything particularly well. He had just been stupidly caught by the rcenaries. . .
However, Johan was sincerely praising him in his own way. Ulrike nodded along, matching Johan’s actions.
‘𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭.’
The Baron needed so encouragent. Not only because of the hardship he went through, but to genuinely gain his cooperation for future events.
People moved not only by gains and losses, but also by emotions. And Johan was clearly good at touching on this aspect. Wasn’t he getting along well with that Elf King?
“Then let’s interrogate those rcenaries.”
“Ah. Wouldn’t it be better to order my n to do it?”
“No. I will do it myself.”
Hearing that Johan would take care of it personally, the Baron felt bad and didn’t know what to do. If the rcenaries said ‘𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵? 𝘞𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘬’ to the Count, Baron would lose all face.
Of course, Johan didn’t care much. Johan didn’t care about saving face in situations like this.
‘𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.’
He didn’t have the temperant to say ‘𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶! 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬!’ just because there was so fruitless effort.
“Gerdolf. Would you help with the work?”
As Gerdolf had been busy attending to Suetlg, his opportunities to participate in combat had decreased. When an opportunity ca up to show his skills after so long, Gerdolf smiled sinisterly and nodded.
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
Johan washed his hands with water from the wooden barrel. There was no blood on them in particular. As soon as Johan and Gerdolf entered, the rcenaries tried their best to spill everything they knew.
“They really sent soone.”
“The emperor will. . .”
“Won’t he send soone?”
“Hmm.”
Suetlg could not deny Johan’s words. It was a fifty-fifty question, and any result would not be surprising. At tis like this, it seed good to believe in Count Johan’s intuition. His intuition was sotis sharper than a demon’s.
“Suppose the emperor endures all the insults he hears from others and the rumors that he is in cahoots with the gang of thieves, and sends soone. Then, wouldn’t they just not co?”
“I think they’ll bring escorts.”
Johan nodded at Iselia’s interjection. The rcenaries were not very reliable. Even if the emperor sent soone, he would not just send a re envoy.
‘𝘏𝘮𝘮. . .’
Johan fell into thought. All the things he had heard and experienced about the emperor so far. Putting all of that together and imagining himself as the emperor.
If he were the emperor, how would he have acted?
“By any chance, what do you think about killing all the rcenaries and seizing the castle?”
“. . .What? No, that’s. . .”
Suetlg was bewildered by Johan’s sudden words. It was sothing he had never imagined.
“It’s not easy to save rcenaries like them, so is there really a need to discard them? Besides, if the rumor spreads wrongly, other rcenaries may also beco afraid.”
“But if you kill the rcenaries, you don’t have to pay the back pay you owed them.”
When sending soone, the rcenaries had requested the emperor to pay their overdue wages in return for their loyalty. At first glance, it seed like an absurd demand, but the rcenaries were thorough about this kind of thing.
“And most of all, wouldn’t it look a little better to others? Subjugating the gang of thieves and occupying the castle is still a little more presentable than giving a title to a gang of thieves.”
“Would the emperor care about justification like that? If so, I think he would just take in the rcenaries.”
“Even if he doesn’t want to, the nobles below will desire it. And sweeping away these impudent rcenaries who deserted and then made outrageous demands, and occupying the castle would be sufficiently satisfying. That’s what I’m saying.”
As he listened, Suetlg was persuaded by Johan’s words. There was certainly reason in them. Killing the gang of thieves was as much an emperor-like act as accepting them.
“In any case, it wouldn’t hurt to prepare in anticipation of that kind of situation.”
If it was just an envoy party coming, they could send the centaurs to catch them, but in other cases, it was better to prepare to fight in case of an ergency.
Johan’s prediction ca true.
In less than a month, the elite of the emperor faction appeared from afar, bearing their banners.
And the one leading them was the valiant knight and executor of countless rebellious nobles, Lord Karamaf.
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“They were really trying to kill those rcenary b*stards.”
“Yeah.”
Johan and Suetlg exchanged brief words. While the rcenaries may have been fooled, they were not. There was no way honor guards would be sent for the envoy’s protection.
The sinister intentions were plain to see.
The baron looked at the banner in shock. He had hoped against hope that the emperor would not actually send n.
It was shocking enough that they accepted the rcenaries’ proposal, but to bring an army too. . .
Would the honorable emperor, outraged at the rcenaries’ outrage, send troops to defeat them and return the fiefdom to the baron?
Not a single soul in the castle thought so.
“D-Does this make any sense?? Does this make any sense??”
The baron pointed at the banner, his voice shaking with anger. No matter what, for the emperor himself to try and steal a feudal lord’s legitimate fiefdom!
Johan nodded in understanding.
“That is why the southern feudal lords rebelled.”
“But this is too much!”
“Calm yourself. See this as an opportunity in crisis. Think about what would have happened if they had co before us.”
The baron gritted his teeth indignantly. After hearing the count’s words, he had to admit the ways of the world were unpredictable.
Misfortune becos fortune, and fortune becos misfortune.
“Worry not, Baron. While Sir Karamaf made quite a na for himself in the Empire, here in our elven kingdom he is but a cowardly deserter. I have long wished to take his head myself.”
Gazing down at the n below the castle walls, the elf king spoke grimly. Karamaf’s banner seed to have stirred his fighting spirit.
The baron had been intimidated by the elf king’s arrogant manner, but with things as they were, he could ask for no better ally.
Even with Sir Karamaf as their opponent, the n gathered here were exceptional in their own right. And they had the castle walls at their back.
‘𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬!’
Thinking of the enemy leaving in anger and defeat raised the baron’s spirits.
“Count, why do you look so grave? Could it be you are debating which of us should be the first to cross swords with that despicable knight?”
“Nothing escapes your majesty’s eyes.”
“Hahahaha!”
The elf king laughed heartily, in good spirits. Of course, Johan had no such thoughts.
‘𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘶𝘺?’
Karamaf’s banner fluttered below, but few here knew what had really beco of Sir Karamaf.
Suetlg whispered quietly.
“But who is that man?”
“I’ve no idea. An imposter?”
“If so, why send him to a place like this?”
“Exactly.”
This was their quandary.
It was easy enough to dress up a knight in armor and hide his identity as a fake Karamaf.
But one’s skills could not be concealed.
If an imposter was sent only to be defeated, it would impact the emperor’s faction as a whole. While an individual’s loss, such things tended to spread through rumor and superstition.
Hence the rumors that Sir Karamaf had fallen ill, been cursed, and shut himself away. . .
Yet now this?
“Do you think they underestimated the rcenaries?”
“I doubt it. The rcenaries were caught off guard, but they were an elite force. While deception may have gotten them through the castle gate, once inside they would have to cross swords. No way around it. . .”
“You make a fair point.”
They discussed but reached no conclusion. Regardless, they agreed on one thing:
━𝐃𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧. 𝐁𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭.
Anyone sent with such fanfare must be confident in their skills.
“But looking at the current situation, it seems likely they will retreat without achieving anything. Should we not inform the elf king?”
“We shall tell him later.”
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“The rcenaries were subjugated?! Those *ssholes?! What the hell did they do?! It would have been a fort that lasted a year if they had just closed the gates and held on!”
The emperor faction’s army, after hearing the news from the surrounding villages, was at a loss for words.
The Severed Gallows rcenary Group were greedy and rough people, but not idiots. And yet, to be subjugated like that from a fort like this.
It was simply unbelievable.
“What about the baron?!”
“We hear he is safe inside.”
“This goddamn. . .!”
One of the knights seed angry as he stamped his foot. Most of the knights here were either newly noble or rcenary backgrounds. They retained more of their usual habits than preserving the honor and dignity of knighthood.
They had to kill the rcenaries and capture the fort to receive a reward from the emperor, but that had gone wrong from the very start.
“Let’s attack! How many troops could the baron possibly have?!”
“You little punk. Shut your mouth. Do you even know how solid this fort is? We couldn’t take it even if we had a hundred able warriors!”
“Then why were the rcenaries able to take it? If it was possible for them, it should be possible for us too, right?”
The young knight’s words hit the mark precisely. That was certainly true. As the knights quarreled among themselves with nothing to say, soone spoke up.
“What is Lord Karamaf doing? Shouldn’t he be giving orders?”
On paper, Lord Karamaf was the leader of this envoy party, but he did not show himself easily. He would erge from his tent occasionally and say a few words.
As a result, it was Lindemann giving orders to the envoy party. A noble serving as an administrative official and envoy of the emperor.
While his status and qualifications were sufficient, subduing these rough warriors required not just lineage but also brute force. Continued friction was inevitable.
“His lordship is resting. I will give orders in his place, so swear allegiance to !”
“We are not swearing allegiance! If you want our allegiance, give decent orders!”
“Shut that mouth! Before I report to his lordship!”
Karamaf’s na was enough to silence even the unruly knights. Satisfied with that effect, Lindemann continued.
“Since we’ve co this far, we can’t just leave empty-handed. I know that too.”
First they had to get those sturdy gates opened in order to do anything. Lindemann sent word to the baron.
To comfort him for the great loss caused by the rcenaries, and say that they had co to help but were quite embarrassed for things to end like this. His party was very tired and weary, so could they not co inside the fort to rest. . .
If they were lucky, there could be unexpected results.
However, there was sothing Lindemann did not know.
The baron was in an extrely foul mood from being backstabbed by the rcenaries.
Lindemann’s attendant returned with all his fur standing on end and his clothes stripped off. He had to recite insulting poems about the emperor’s lover before he was allowed to return.
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Translation-(COMPLETED) – How to Live as a Wandering Knight
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥《⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐》!!
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