Chapter 43: ????????????????????'???? ???????????????????????? (????)
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
Chapter 43: Johan's choice (4)
There were two ways a noble could influence those beneath them.
One was to bestow generously in a manner befitting a noble.
And the other was to walk in step with the commoners despite being of noble status, thereby impressing them.
Johan was a knight who knew how to use both methods, not that he particularly intended to. . .
“So what happened?”
“What do you mean what happened! They dropped whatever they had looted and ran. They would’ve been killed on the spot if they got caught by the feudal lord’s heavily armed troops returning.”
At the campsite, the mercenaries were fond of Johan’s solid attitude, eating the coarse food with them and joining their conversations. What surprised them most was how a knight who fought so fiercely in battle could be so unpretentious.
“How in the world are you so strong, Sir Knight?”
“Hey, don’t speak irreverently. He must have been trained from a young age, how can you even say that?”
The training of knights was rigorous. Young nobles from various places sweated from morning till night under the steward’s command in the castle, and in some areas, external talents came to assist in their training.
They learned not only swordsmanship but also archery, horseback riding, swimming, hunting, playing chess, reciting poetry━and could even advance to rhetoric, arithmetic, and astronomy━developing both externally and internally into complete knights.
Of course, this was the story of knights training under high nobles with proper fiefdoms. Johan’s case was different.
So-called accelerated warrior training!The origin of this chapter's debut can be traced to N0v3l--B1n.
“I’m thinking of trying out the fencing guild, even if I can’t become a Sir Knight.”
“Weren’t you saying it’s a waste of money before?”
“Well, it seems that the ones who learned really do fight better.”
The fencing guild was an organization established with the city’s permission, where swordsmen gathered. Officially, it was for teaching swordsmanship and self-defense to good citizens, but many mercenaries and vagrants also knocked on their doors.
If you go further down the sinister path, it becomes an assassins guild like Kaegal, lurking with assassins.
“I saw a swordsman from St. Johnson’s regiment the other day. He was just a trainee, but he fought really well. He wasn’t pushed back even in a 1:2 fight.”
“Aren’t trainees the lowest rank?”
“That’s what I’m saying. If a trainee is that good, how well does a master fight?”
Johan listened with interest as he sprinkled powder around. It was a mix of herbs he learned from hunter Joseph, used to repel insects and snakes.
“Eh, Sir Knight. Have you ever met the eastern patrolmen?”
“?”
The eastern patrolmen.
The east of the Holy Empire was a wild land beyond the reach of the Empire’s influence. The Empire’s nobles wanted to subjugate the tribes there and become new feudal lords.
Naturally, battles were inevitable, and in the process, experienced warriors emerged in the east.
One of them was the eastern patrolmen.
Composed of experienced hunters, they freely roamed the eastern wilderness, dispatching monsters and warning of enemy invasions.
“What are you talking about?”
“The powder you just used, isn’t that what the eastern patrolmen use? I once saved a life and learned how to mix it.”
“. . .!”
Johan was surprised at these words.
Was Joseph originally from the eastern patrolmen?
Hearing this, it strangely made sense. Indeed, Joseph was too skilled to be just a rural hunter.
????????????????????????
“Sir Knight, there is a problem.”
A mercenary who had returned from scouting with Karamaf said with a troubled expression.
“Why? Are more mercenaries coming?”
“No. Merchants are coming.”
Not just a few merchants with carts, but a large caravan of merchants was heading this way. There seemed to be well over two hundred of them.
A large procession mixed with merchants, mercenaries, porters, jesters, nurses, laundresses, prostitutes, minstrels, gamblers, and travelers!
“Looks like they’re going for business.”
“Yes.”
These merchants followed the army, supplying various goods and conveniences. In practice, they were the ones responsible for logistics.
“. . .What are they doing?”
“Stay put. I’ll go and find out.”
Khan, an experienced mercenary, was adept in these matters. He took a bottle of wine and walked forward, chatting with the mercenaries near the tent before returning.
“Those guys. . .”
“?”
“Seem to be planning to ambush the knight.”
“. . .?!”
Surprised by the unexpected news, Goran was shocked.
“W-Why would they do that?”
“How would I know?”
“Should we tell someone?”
“Hmm. . .”
Usually, they would have asked, ‘Why do that?’ But this time was different. They could receive a reward for helping. Besides, both owed Johan a favor.
“Maybe we could subtly inform him.”
“Would that be okay?”
“Why, would you not do it if I said no?”
“Must you say it like that now? Damn.”
Goran looked around. It was clear who the group led by Johan was. Because the mercenaries he hadn’t seen before were mingling with others. They seemed quite experienced, refusing offers of drinks, but if the knight were captured, such caution would be futile.
“What if I interject over there?”
“It’s unclear when and how to speak, and even if I do, I’m not sure it’ll be conveyed properly. If a mercenary suddenly goes to that tent, Doris might get suspicious, right?”
“Then how do we deliver the message?”
“Give a bottle of wine and a silver coin.”
“What??”
“A bottle of wine and a silver coin. Then, I’ll show you some magic.”
“Well. . . I get the wine, but the silver coin. . .”
“If you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to.”
“Ah, damn it. What if we don’t get rewarded for this?”
“Goran. If I knew you were this clever, I would have retired from being a mercenary long ago.”
Khan chuckled as he collected the wine and silver coin. Despite everything, his reason for sticking with Goran for so long was because of his personality.
????????????????????????
“Such a magnificent wolf! Its name is Karamaf, even more impressive.”
━Growl.
“Sorry about that. This creature has a bad temper.”
Karamaf growled and showed clear dislike whenever Doris came close. The wolf’s mood seemed to rub off on Johan, making him feel unnecessarily wary.
“Of course, a beast’s nature is foul! Sir Knight. Tell us how you caught the troll. I heard there were knights from the Belemen and Diore families there too! Oh, what are you doing! Sir Knight’s cup is empty!”
Doris urged the slaves beside him to refill Johan’s cup whenever it emptied. The poorly clothed slaves rubbed against each other as they poured the wine. The smell was strong, but Johan’s expression remained unchanged.
After moistening his lips with a sip, Johan discreetly poured the rest onto the ground. There was no poison, but he didn’t want to get drunk in front of this merchant.
‘Was accepting the invitation a mistake?’
Rejecting a host’s hospitality was almost like insulting them. He had accepted it, not wanting to make more enemies on a journey through hostile territory. . .
But being in the heart of the enemy’s land, if this merchant had ulterior motives, was concerning.
Yet, he couldn’t make the first move either. Karamaf’s dislike for this merchant could simply be due to the merchant’s greedy nature.
All he could do now was to stay alert while accepting the hospitality.
“Sir Knight!! Do you recognize me!!”
“??”
At that moment, an old, slightly drunk mercenary pushed through the tent flap. It was Khan.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Chapter 43: Johan's choice (4)
There were two ways a noble could influence those beneath them.
One was to bestow generously in a manner befitting a noble.
And the other was to walk in step with the commoners despite being of noble status, thereby impressing them.
Johan was a knight who knew how to use both methods, not that he particularly intended to. . .
“So what happened?”
“What do you mean what happened! They dropped whatever they had looted and ran. They would’ve been killed on the spot if they got caught by the feudal lord’s heavily armed troops returning.”
At the campsite, the mercenaries were fond of Johan’s solid attitude, eating the coarse food with them and joining their conversations. What surprised them most was how a knight who fought so fiercely in battle could be so unpretentious.
“How in the world are you so strong, Sir Knight?”
“Hey, don’t speak irreverently. He must have been trained from a young age, how can you even say that?”
The training of knights was rigorous. Young nobles from various places sweated from morning till night under the steward’s command in the castle, and in some areas, external talents came to assist in their training.
They learned not only swordsmanship but also archery, horseback riding, swimming, hunting, playing chess, reciting poetry━and could even advance to rhetoric, arithmetic, and astronomy━developing both externally and internally into complete knights.
Of course, this was the story of knights training under high nobles with proper fiefdoms. Johan’s case was different.
So-called accelerated warrior training!The origin of this chapter's debut can be traced to N0v3l--B1n.
“I’m thinking of trying out the fencing guild, even if I can’t become a Sir Knight.”
“Weren’t you saying it’s a waste of money before?”
“Well, it seems that the ones who learned really do fight better.”
The fencing guild was an organization established with the city’s permission, where swordsmen gathered. Officially, it was for teaching swordsmanship and self-defense to good citizens, but many mercenaries and vagrants also knocked on their doors.
If you go further down the sinister path, it becomes an assassins guild like Kaegal, lurking with assassins.
“I saw a swordsman from St. Johnson’s regiment the other day. He was just a trainee, but he fought really well. He wasn’t pushed back even in a 1:2 fight.”
“Aren’t trainees the lowest rank?”
“That’s what I’m saying. If a trainee is that good, how well does a master fight?”
Johan listened with interest as he sprinkled powder around. It was a mix of herbs he learned from hunter Joseph, used to repel insects and snakes.
“Eh, Sir Knight. Have you ever met the eastern patrolmen?”
“?”
The eastern patrolmen.
The east of the Holy Empire was a wild land beyond the reach of the Empire’s influence. The Empire’s nobles wanted to subjugate the tribes there and become new feudal lords.
Naturally, battles were inevitable, and in the process, experienced warriors emerged in the east.
One of them was the eastern patrolmen.
Composed of experienced hunters, they freely roamed the eastern wilderness, dispatching monsters and warning of enemy invasions.
“What are you talking about?”
“The powder you just used, isn’t that what the eastern patrolmen use? I once saved a life and learned how to mix it.”
“. . .!”
Johan was surprised at these words.
Was Joseph originally from the eastern patrolmen?
Hearing this, it strangely made sense. Indeed, Joseph was too skilled to be just a rural hunter.
????????????????????????
“Sir Knight, there is a problem.”
A mercenary who had returned from scouting with Karamaf said with a troubled expression.
“Why? Are more mercenaries coming?”
“No. Merchants are coming.”
Not just a few merchants with carts, but a large caravan of merchants was heading this way. There seemed to be well over two hundred of them.
A large procession mixed with merchants, mercenaries, porters, jesters, nurses, laundresses, prostitutes, minstrels, gamblers, and travelers!
“Looks like they’re going for business.”
“Yes.”
These merchants followed the army, supplying various goods and conveniences. In practice, they were the ones responsible for logistics.
“. . .What are they doing?”
“Stay put. I’ll go and find out.”
Khan, an experienced mercenary, was adept in these matters. He took a bottle of wine and walked forward, chatting with the mercenaries near the tent before returning.
“Those guys. . .”
“?”
“Seem to be planning to ambush the knight.”
“. . .?!”
Surprised by the unexpected news, Goran was shocked.
“W-Why would they do that?”
“How would I know?”
“Should we tell someone?”
“Hmm. . .”
Usually, they would have asked, ‘Why do that?’ But this time was different. They could receive a reward for helping. Besides, both owed Johan a favor.
“Maybe we could subtly inform him.”
“Would that be okay?”
“Why, would you not do it if I said no?”
“Must you say it like that now? Damn.”
Goran looked around. It was clear who the group led by Johan was. Because the mercenaries he hadn’t seen before were mingling with others. They seemed quite experienced, refusing offers of drinks, but if the knight were captured, such caution would be futile.
“What if I interject over there?”
“It’s unclear when and how to speak, and even if I do, I’m not sure it’ll be conveyed properly. If a mercenary suddenly goes to that tent, Doris might get suspicious, right?”
“Then how do we deliver the message?”
“Give a bottle of wine and a silver coin.”
“What??”
“A bottle of wine and a silver coin. Then, I’ll show you some magic.”
“Well. . . I get the wine, but the silver coin. . .”
“If you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to.”
“Ah, damn it. What if we don’t get rewarded for this?”
“Goran. If I knew you were this clever, I would have retired from being a mercenary long ago.”
Khan chuckled as he collected the wine and silver coin. Despite everything, his reason for sticking with Goran for so long was because of his personality.
????????????????????????
“Such a magnificent wolf! Its name is Karamaf, even more impressive.”
━Growl.
“Sorry about that. This creature has a bad temper.”
Karamaf growled and showed clear dislike whenever Doris came close. The wolf’s mood seemed to rub off on Johan, making him feel unnecessarily wary.
“Of course, a beast’s nature is foul! Sir Knight. Tell us how you caught the troll. I heard there were knights from the Belemen and Diore families there too! Oh, what are you doing! Sir Knight’s cup is empty!”
Doris urged the slaves beside him to refill Johan’s cup whenever it emptied. The poorly clothed slaves rubbed against each other as they poured the wine. The smell was strong, but Johan’s expression remained unchanged.
After moistening his lips with a sip, Johan discreetly poured the rest onto the ground. There was no poison, but he didn’t want to get drunk in front of this merchant.
‘Was accepting the invitation a mistake?’
Rejecting a host’s hospitality was almost like insulting them. He had accepted it, not wanting to make more enemies on a journey through hostile territory. . .
But being in the heart of the enemy’s land, if this merchant had ulterior motives, was concerning.
Yet, he couldn’t make the first move either. Karamaf’s dislike for this merchant could simply be due to the merchant’s greedy nature.
All he could do now was to stay alert while accepting the hospitality.
“Sir Knight!! Do you recognize me!!”
“??”
At that moment, an old, slightly drunk mercenary pushed through the tent flap. It was Khan.
Chapter 43: Johan's choice 4There were two ways a noble could influence those beneath them.One was to bestow generously in a manner befitting a noble.And the other was to walk in step with the commoners despite being of noble status, thereby impressing them.Johan was a knight who knew how to use both methods, not that he particularly intended to. . .So what happened?What do you mean what happened! They dropped whatever they had looted and ran. They would've been killed on the spot if they got caught by the feudal lord's heavily armed troops returning.At the campsite, the mercenaries were fond of Johan's solid attitude, eating the coarse food with them and joining their conversations. What surprised them most was how a knight who fought so fiercely in battle could be so unpretentious.How in the world are you so strong, Sir Knight?Hey, don't speak irreverently. He must have been trained from a young age, how can you even say that?The training of knights was rigorous. Young nobles from various places sweated from morning till night under the steward's command in the castle, and in some areas, external talents came to assist in their training.They learned not only swordsmanship but also archery, horseback riding, swimming, hunting, playing chess, reciting poetryand could even advance to rhetoric, arithmetic, and astronomydeveloping both externally and internally into complete knights.Of course, this was the story of knights training under high nobles with proper fiefdoms. Johan's case was different.So-called accelerated warrior training!The origin of this chapter's debut can be traced to N0v3l--B1n.I'm thinking of trying out the fencing guild, even if I can't become a Sir Knight.Weren't you saying it's a waste of money before?Well, it seems that the ones who learned really do fight better.The fencing guild was an organization established with the city's permission, where swordsmen gathered. Officially, it was for teaching swordsmanship and self-defense to good citizens, but many mercenaries and vagrants also knocked on their doors.If you go further down the sinister path, it becomes an assassins guild like Kaegal, lurking with assassins.I saw a swordsman from St. Johnson's regiment the other day. He was just a trainee, but he fought really well. He wasn't pushed back even in a 1:2 fight.Aren't trainees the lowest rank?That's what I'm saying. If a trainee is that good, how well does a master fight?Johan listened with interest as he sprinkled powder around. It was a mix of herbs he learned from hunter Joseph, used to repel insects and snakes.Eh, Sir Knight. Have you ever met the eastern patrolmen??The eastern patrolmen.The east of the Holy Empire was a wild land beyond the reach of the Empire's influence. The Empire's nobles wanted to subjugate the tribes there and become new feudal lords.Naturally, battles were inevitable, and in the process, experienced warriors emerged in the east.One of them was the eastern patrolmen.Composed of experienced hunters, they freely roamed the eastern wilderness, dispatching monsters and warning of enemy invasions.What are you talking about?The powder you just used, isn't that what the eastern patrolmen use? I once saved a life and learned how to mix it.. . .!Johan was surprised at these words.Was Joseph originally from the eastern patrolmen?Hearing this, it strangely made sense. Indeed, Joseph was too skilled to be just a rural hunter.????????????????????????Sir Knight, there is a problem.A mercenary who had returned from scouting with Karamaf said with a troubled expression.Why? Are more mercenaries coming?No. Merchants are coming.Not just a few merchants with carts, but a large caravan of merchants was heading this way. There seemed to be well over two hundred of them.A large procession mixed with merchants, mercenaries, porters, jesters, nurses, laundresses, prostitutes, minstrels, gamblers, and travelers!Looks like they're going for business.Yes.These merchants followed the army, supplying various goods and conveniences. In practice, they were the ones responsible for logistics.. . .What are they doing?Stay put. I'll go and find out.Khan, an experienced mercenary, was adept in these matters. He took a bottle of wine and walked forward, chatting with the mercenaries near the tent before returning.Those guys. . .?Seem to be planning to ambush the knight.. . .?!Surprised by the unexpected news, Goran was shocked.W-Why would they do that?How would I know?Should we tell someone?Hmm. . .Usually, they would have asked, Why do that?' But this time was different. They could receive a reward for helping. Besides, both owed Johan a favor.Maybe we could subtly inform him.Would that be okay?Why, would you not do it if I said no?Must you say it like that now? Damn.Goran looked around. It was clear who the group led by Johan was. Because the mercenaries he hadn't seen before were mingling with others. They seemed quite experienced, refusing offers of drinks, but if the knight were captured, such caution would be futile.What if I interject over there?It's unclear when and how to speak, and even if I do, I'm not sure it'll be conveyed properly. If a mercenary suddenly goes to that tent, Doris might get suspicious, right?Then how do we deliver the message?Give a bottle of wine and a silver coin.What??A bottle of wine and a silver coin. Then, I'll show you some magic.Well. . . I get the wine, but the silver coin. . .If you don't want to do it, you don't have to.Ah, damn it. What if we don't get rewarded for this?Goran. If I knew you were this clever, I would have retired from being a mercenary long ago.Khan chuckled as he collected the wine and silver coin. Despite everything, his reason for sticking with Goran for so long was because of his personality.????????????????????????Such a magnificent wolf! Its name is Karamaf, even more impressive.Growl.Sorry about that. This creature has a bad temper.Karamaf growled and showed clear dislike whenever Doris came close. The wolf's mood seemed to rub off on Johan, making him feel unnecessarily wary.Of course, a beast's nature is foul! Sir Knight. Tell us how you caught the troll. I heard there were knights from the Belemen and Diore families there too! Oh, what are you doing! Sir Knight's cup is empty!Doris urged the slaves beside him to refill Johan's cup whenever it emptied. The poorly clothed slaves rubbed against each other as they poured the wine. The smell was strong, but Johan's expression remained unchanged.After moistening his lips with a sip, Johan discreetly poured the rest onto the ground. There was no poison, but he didn't want to get drunk in front of this merchant.Was accepting the invitation a mistake?'Rejecting a host's hospitality was almost like insulting them. He had accepted it, not wanting to make more enemies on a journey through hostile territory. . .But being in the heart of the enemy's land, if this merchant had ulterior motives, was concerning.Yet, he couldn't make the first move either. Karamaf's dislike for this merchant could simply be due to the merchant's greedy nature.All he could do now was to stay alert while accepting the hospitality.Sir Knight!! Do you recognize me!!?? At that moment, an old, slightly drunk mercenary pushed through the tent flap. It was Khan.
