Chapter 45: ????????????????????'???? ???????????????????????????? (????)
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Chapter 45: Johan's choices (6)
While Doris was in despair, Johan moved relentlessly.
There were still things to be done to lead this caravan.
“Call them.”
“Yes.”
The veteran mercenaries and guards, still unaware of the situation.
Unlike the newly hired mercenaries, these had a direct relationship with their employer. If left alone, they might act unpredictably.
“What do you want. . .ugh.”
“I saw the call and came. . .ugh.”
Every time someone entered the tent, Johan mercilessly swung his club, knocking them out. It seemed they hadn’t imagined that a knight would notice first and take Doris hostage.
“Tie them up and lock them inside. Kill them if they try anything funny. Doris, are you ready?”
“. . .Yes. . .”
????????????????????????
The surprise attack at night ended more quietly than expected.
The only change was that the mercenaries guarding Doris were replaced by the newly arrived knights and their subordinates.The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Ñøv€lß1n.
They stuck close to Doris, leaving no room for error.
Astute merchants noticed some mercenaries were missing, but, being shrewd, kept quiet.
The brave mercenaries hired before the journey realized their employer was missing, but, true to their nature, remained silent.
And one more thing.
“This is unexpected. . .”
Johan clicked his tongue.
It turned out that Doris and Johan had the same destination.
Well, slightly different.
Johan’s destination was the fortress in Count Jarpen’s territory where the Count resided. . .
While Doris was heading to the army of Countess Abner, surrounding that fortress.
“They’re really besieging it?”
“Yes. . .”
“Sir Knight. He might be lying. We should interrogate more. . .”
“No need. Thinking about it, a convoy this size would naturally be heading to a stationed army.”
Johan had planned to comfortably lead the caravan into Count Jarpen’s territory and meet the Count, but now they were going to encounter Countess Abner’s army first.
Johan felt things getting more complicated.
‘The difficulty is increasing. . .’
To think that accepting Count Jarpen’s invitation would lead to this situation.
In truth, he could have avoided this trouble by retreating and accepting some damage to his honor. . .
But now that things had come this far, he had no intention of backing down.
He was determined to gain something from this!
“Sir. . . Sir Knight. If you stop here, I swear to God I won’t seek revenge. . .”
“You were planning to?”
“N-No, it’s not like that.”
Before Johan could say anything, the mercenaries silenced him. Doris silently screamed in frustration, his mouth gagged.
????????????????????????
Near the Boson Castle, over a thousand troops were deployed. Not all of them were well-armed soldiers, of course. If that were the case, Countess Abner would have gone bankrupt long ago.
There were about two to three hundred soldiers, the rest were a collection of mercenaries and hastily conscripted serfs, along with other non-visionary combatants.
Of course, this was still a considerable force. . .
But it was woefully insufficient to take down a prepared castle.
No, in this era, conquering a prepared castle was nearly impossible.
Stephen frowned. A knight dastard from an unknown family suddenly stepping forward was displeasing.
“So? Want to earn merits under me? I don’t accept just anyone.”
“It’s not about that. I was invited by Count Jarpen and was heading to his territory. Accepting a noble’s invitation is a knight’s honor. But this merchant tried to ambush me.”
“. . . . . .”
Stephen didn’t understand, but nearby knights and mercenary captains immediately grasped the situation.
‘That *sshole. . .’
‘If you’re going to ambush, at least do it properly. Who gave this idiot a permit?’
The idea was to take the merchant as a hostage and claim allegiance to Count Jarpen, but it backfired.
“I captured this merchant and acquired legitimate rights granted by God over what he had. So please allow me to enter Count Jarpen’s castle with this man’s belongings.”
━Absolutely not.
One of the mercenary captains signaled with his eyes. Regardless of how much Doris had, allowing these resources into a besieged castle was absurd.
“No. We’re at war. We can’t allow supplies to go to the enemy.”
“I understand. Then buy my share of goods. I’ll go to Count Jarpen empty-handed.”
This was an acceptable proposal. The siege wasn’t about a fight to the death with the Count, but rather to make him surrender and ransom him. Allowing one knight to meet him was no issue.
The problem was. . .
━No.
Their current financial situation was dire. They could hardly afford to buy the goods from Doris, let alone spare any funds.
“No. Our weakness might be exposed to Count Jarpen.”
“If that’s not possible, I’ll return with the property.”
“No. That’s not possible. I can’t believe that a merchant attacked you in the first place. Who’s to say you didn’t attack the merchant and capture him?”
As he spoke, Stephen gestured with his eyes. It was a signal for Doris to speak up. If Doris insisted it was true now, Johan would be cornered.
However, Doris said nothing.
‘Such a stupid fool?’
The fact that a merchant could be so foolish. Stephen didn’t realize that Doris was too scared and confused to think straight.
“I swear on my knightly honor and in the name of God, I have not lied. Are you now trusting a mere merchant’s word over a knight?”
“This merchant is an honorable merchant licensed by Countess Abner. Compared to him, you are an unknown knight. I cannot trust your words, so when this is over, go to Countess Abner’s domain and protest. If you want, I’ll let you stand trial in the name of a knight. Meanwhile, I’ll hold onto the property and the merchant.
You have one day to leave the camp.”
Stephen’s words were met with nods from the mercenary captains and knights.
It went surprisingly well than expected.
Having given the naive knight an escape route, the knight, frustrated and wronged, had no choice but to leave empty-handed.
Even if he goes to Countess Abner’s domain later and demands a trial, such an unknown knight had no chance of winning.
“You have insulted my honor.”
“Careful with your words, knave. Your honor is not equal to mine, and my decisions are above your honor. Be thankful that I am sparing your life out of respect for your honor.”
Johan lifted his head. This tedious dialogue was all to build a pretext.
Attacking Stephen outright at night would have made Johan no better than a rogue knight, but by asserting his rights and building a pretext this way, it was a different story.
Everyone present was probably thinking that Johan had a point. They just wouldn’t acknowledge it for practical gains.
Thud!
“Huh?”
Johan threw Doris to the left and then hoisted the nearest mercenary captain on his right, swinging him around. The giant figure whirled quickly, causing a mess around.
“W-What are you doing. . .!”
A shocked knight drew his sword. Unlike the mercenaries, knights could carry swords inside the tent. Johan didn’t hesitate to swing the mercenary captain.
Thump!
The knight couldn’t bring himself to thrust his sword and was struck instead. Johan continued to whirl the mercenary captain around like a windmill, clearing a path. Stephen, who should have been escaping, was stunned and stared at Johan with his sword drawn.
“Move! Sir!”
Realizing what Johan was up to, a knight screamed, but by then, Johan had already thrown the mercenary captain and reached Stephen. Stephen swung his sword, but Johan dodged and grabbed Stephen’s neck, twisting his hand to disarm him.
“Say it again. Sir. What about my honor?”
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Chapter 45: Johan's choices (6)
While Doris was in despair, Johan moved relentlessly.
There were still things to be done to lead this caravan.
“Call them.”
“Yes.”
The veteran mercenaries and guards, still unaware of the situation.
Unlike the newly hired mercenaries, these had a direct relationship with their employer. If left alone, they might act unpredictably.
“What do you want. . .ugh.”
“I saw the call and came. . .ugh.”
Every time someone entered the tent, Johan mercilessly swung his club, knocking them out. It seemed they hadn’t imagined that a knight would notice first and take Doris hostage.
“Tie them up and lock them inside. Kill them if they try anything funny. Doris, are you ready?”
“. . .Yes. . .”
????????????????????????
The surprise attack at night ended more quietly than expected.
The only change was that the mercenaries guarding Doris were replaced by the newly arrived knights and their subordinates.The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Ñøv€lß1n.
They stuck close to Doris, leaving no room for error.
Astute merchants noticed some mercenaries were missing, but, being shrewd, kept quiet.
The brave mercenaries hired before the journey realized their employer was missing, but, true to their nature, remained silent.
And one more thing.
“This is unexpected. . .”
Johan clicked his tongue.
It turned out that Doris and Johan had the same destination.
Well, slightly different.
Johan’s destination was the fortress in Count Jarpen’s territory where the Count resided. . .
While Doris was heading to the army of Countess Abner, surrounding that fortress.
“They’re really besieging it?”
“Yes. . .”
“Sir Knight. He might be lying. We should interrogate more. . .”
“No need. Thinking about it, a convoy this size would naturally be heading to a stationed army.”
Johan had planned to comfortably lead the caravan into Count Jarpen’s territory and meet the Count, but now they were going to encounter Countess Abner’s army first.
Johan felt things getting more complicated.
‘The difficulty is increasing. . .’
To think that accepting Count Jarpen’s invitation would lead to this situation.
In truth, he could have avoided this trouble by retreating and accepting some damage to his honor. . .
But now that things had come this far, he had no intention of backing down.
He was determined to gain something from this!
“Sir. . . Sir Knight. If you stop here, I swear to God I won’t seek revenge. . .”
“You were planning to?”
“N-No, it’s not like that.”
Before Johan could say anything, the mercenaries silenced him. Doris silently screamed in frustration, his mouth gagged.
????????????????????????
Near the Boson Castle, over a thousand troops were deployed. Not all of them were well-armed soldiers, of course. If that were the case, Countess Abner would have gone bankrupt long ago.
There were about two to three hundred soldiers, the rest were a collection of mercenaries and hastily conscripted serfs, along with other non-visionary combatants.
Of course, this was still a considerable force. . .
But it was woefully insufficient to take down a prepared castle.
No, in this era, conquering a prepared castle was nearly impossible.
Stephen frowned. A knight dastard from an unknown family suddenly stepping forward was displeasing.
“So? Want to earn merits under me? I don’t accept just anyone.”
“It’s not about that. I was invited by Count Jarpen and was heading to his territory. Accepting a noble’s invitation is a knight’s honor. But this merchant tried to ambush me.”
“. . . . . .”
Stephen didn’t understand, but nearby knights and mercenary captains immediately grasped the situation.
‘That *sshole. . .’
‘If you’re going to ambush, at least do it properly. Who gave this idiot a permit?’
The idea was to take the merchant as a hostage and claim allegiance to Count Jarpen, but it backfired.
“I captured this merchant and acquired legitimate rights granted by God over what he had. So please allow me to enter Count Jarpen’s castle with this man’s belongings.”
━Absolutely not.
One of the mercenary captains signaled with his eyes. Regardless of how much Doris had, allowing these resources into a besieged castle was absurd.
“No. We’re at war. We can’t allow supplies to go to the enemy.”
“I understand. Then buy my share of goods. I’ll go to Count Jarpen empty-handed.”
This was an acceptable proposal. The siege wasn’t about a fight to the death with the Count, but rather to make him surrender and ransom him. Allowing one knight to meet him was no issue.
The problem was. . .
━No.
Their current financial situation was dire. They could hardly afford to buy the goods from Doris, let alone spare any funds.
“No. Our weakness might be exposed to Count Jarpen.”
“If that’s not possible, I’ll return with the property.”
“No. That’s not possible. I can’t believe that a merchant attacked you in the first place. Who’s to say you didn’t attack the merchant and capture him?”
As he spoke, Stephen gestured with his eyes. It was a signal for Doris to speak up. If Doris insisted it was true now, Johan would be cornered.
However, Doris said nothing.
‘Such a stupid fool?’
The fact that a merchant could be so foolish. Stephen didn’t realize that Doris was too scared and confused to think straight.
“I swear on my knightly honor and in the name of God, I have not lied. Are you now trusting a mere merchant’s word over a knight?”
“This merchant is an honorable merchant licensed by Countess Abner. Compared to him, you are an unknown knight. I cannot trust your words, so when this is over, go to Countess Abner’s domain and protest. If you want, I’ll let you stand trial in the name of a knight. Meanwhile, I’ll hold onto the property and the merchant.
You have one day to leave the camp.”
Stephen’s words were met with nods from the mercenary captains and knights.
It went surprisingly well than expected.
Having given the naive knight an escape route, the knight, frustrated and wronged, had no choice but to leave empty-handed.
Even if he goes to Countess Abner’s domain later and demands a trial, such an unknown knight had no chance of winning.
“You have insulted my honor.”
“Careful with your words, knave. Your honor is not equal to mine, and my decisions are above your honor. Be thankful that I am sparing your life out of respect for your honor.”
Johan lifted his head. This tedious dialogue was all to build a pretext.
Attacking Stephen outright at night would have made Johan no better than a rogue knight, but by asserting his rights and building a pretext this way, it was a different story.
Everyone present was probably thinking that Johan had a point. They just wouldn’t acknowledge it for practical gains.
Thud!
“Huh?”
Johan threw Doris to the left and then hoisted the nearest mercenary captain on his right, swinging him around. The giant figure whirled quickly, causing a mess around.
“W-What are you doing. . .!”
A shocked knight drew his sword. Unlike the mercenaries, knights could carry swords inside the tent. Johan didn’t hesitate to swing the mercenary captain.
Thump!
The knight couldn’t bring himself to thrust his sword and was struck instead. Johan continued to whirl the mercenary captain around like a windmill, clearing a path. Stephen, who should have been escaping, was stunned and stared at Johan with his sword drawn.
“Move! Sir!”
Realizing what Johan was up to, a knight screamed, but by then, Johan had already thrown the mercenary captain and reached Stephen. Stephen swung his sword, but Johan dodged and grabbed Stephen’s neck, twisting his hand to disarm him.
“Say it again. Sir. What about my honor?”
Chapter 45: Johan's choices 6While Doris was in despair, Johan moved relentlessly.There were still things to be done to lead this caravan.Call them.Yes.The veteran mercenaries and guards, still unaware of the situation.Unlike the newly hired mercenaries, these had a direct relationship with their employer. If left alone, they might act unpredictably.What do you want. . .ugh.I saw the call and came. . .ugh.Every time someone entered the tent, Johan mercilessly swung his club, knocking them out. It seemed they hadn't imagined that a knight would notice first and take Doris hostage.Tie them up and lock them inside. Kill them if they try anything funny. Doris, are you ready?. . .Yes. . .????????????????????????The surprise attack at night ended more quietly than expected.The only change was that the mercenaries guarding Doris were replaced by the newly arrived knights and their subordinates.The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Nvl1n.They stuck close to Doris, leaving no room for error.Astute merchants noticed some mercenaries were missing, but, being shrewd, kept quiet.The brave mercenaries hired before the journey realized their employer was missing, but, true to their nature, remained silent.And one more thing.This is unexpected. . .Johan clicked his tongue.It turned out that Doris and Johan had the same destination.Well, slightly different.Johan's destination was the fortress in Count Jarpen's territory where the Count resided. . .While Doris was heading to the army of Countess Abner, surrounding that fortress.They're really besieging it?Yes. . .Sir Knight. He might be lying. We should interrogate more. . .No need. Thinking about it, a convoy this size would naturally be heading to a stationed army.Johan had planned to comfortably lead the caravan into Count Jarpen's territory and meet the Count, but now they were going to encounter Countess Abner's army first.Johan felt things getting more complicated.The difficulty is increasing. . .'To think that accepting Count Jarpen's invitation would lead to this situation.In truth, he could have avoided this trouble by retreating and accepting some damage to his honor. . .But now that things had come this far, he had no intention of backing down.He was determined to gain something from this!Sir. . . Sir Knight. If you stop here, I swear to God I won't seek revenge. . .You were planning to?N-No, it's not like that.Before Johan could say anything, the mercenaries silenced him. Doris silently screamed in frustration, his mouth gagged.????????????????????????Near the Boson Castle, over a thousand troops were deployed. Not all of them were well-armed soldiers, of course. If that were the case, Countess Abner would have gone bankrupt long ago.There were about two to three hundred soldiers, the rest were a collection of mercenaries and hastily conscripted serfs, along with other non-visionary combatants.Of course, this was still a considerable force. . .But it was woefully insufficient to take down a prepared castle.No, in this era, conquering a prepared castle was nearly impossible.Stephen frowned. A knight dastard from an unknown family suddenly stepping forward was displeasing.So? Want to earn merits under me? I don't accept just anyone.It's not about that. I was invited by Count Jarpen and was heading to his territory. Accepting a noble's invitation is a knight's honor. But this merchant tried to ambush me.. . . . . .Stephen didn't understand, but nearby knights and mercenary captains immediately grasped the situation.That *sshole. . .'If you're going to ambush, at least do it properly. Who gave this idiot a permit?'The idea was to take the merchant as a hostage and claim allegiance to Count Jarpen, but it backfired.I captured this merchant and acquired legitimate rights granted by God over what he had. So please allow me to enter Count Jarpen's castle with this man's belongings.Absolutely not.One of the mercenary captains signaled with his eyes. Regardless of how much Doris had, allowing these resources into a besieged castle was absurd.No. We're at war. We can't allow supplies to go to the enemy.I understand. Then buy my share of goods. I'll go to Count Jarpen empty-handed.This was an acceptable proposal. The siege wasn't about a fight to the death with the Count, but rather to make him surrender and ransom him. Allowing one knight to meet him was no issue.The problem was. . .No.Their current financial situation was dire. They could hardly afford to buy the goods from Doris, let alone spare any funds.No. Our weakness might be exposed to Count Jarpen.If that's not possible, I'll return with the property.No. That's not possible. I can't believe that a merchant attacked you in the first place. Who's to say you didn't attack the merchant and capture him?As he spoke, Stephen gestured with his eyes. It was a signal for Doris to speak up. If Doris insisted it was true now, Johan would be cornered.However, Doris said nothing.Such a stupid fool?'The fact that a merchant could be so foolish. Stephen didn't realize that Doris was too scared and confused to think straight.I swear on my knightly honor and in the name of God, I have not lied. Are you now trusting a mere merchant's word over a knight?This merchant is an honorable merchant licensed by Countess Abner. Compared to him, you are an unknown knight. I cannot trust your words, so when this is over, go to Countess Abner's domain and protest. If you want, I'll let you stand trial in the name of a knight. Meanwhile, I'll hold onto the property and the merchant. You have one day to leave the camp.Stephen's words were met with nods from the mercenary captains and knights.It went surprisingly well than expected.Having given the naive knight an escape route, the knight, frustrated and wronged, had no choice but to leave empty-handed.Even if he goes to Countess Abner's domain later and demands a trial, such an unknown knight had no chance of winning.You have insulted my honor.Careful with your words, knave. Your honor is not equal to mine, and my decisions are above your honor. Be thankful that I am sparing your life out of respect for your honor.Johan lifted his head. This tedious dialogue was all to build a pretext.Attacking Stephen outright at night would have made Johan no better than a rogue knight, but by asserting his rights and building a pretext this way, it was a different story.Everyone present was probably thinking that Johan had a point. They just wouldn't acknowledge it for practical gains.Thud!Huh?Johan threw Doris to the left and then hoisted the nearest mercenary captain on his right, swinging him around. The giant figure whirled quickly, causing a mess around.W-What are you doing. . .!A shocked knight drew his sword. Unlike the mercenaries, knights could carry swords inside the tent. Johan didn't hesitate to swing the mercenary captain.Thump!The knight couldn't bring himself to thrust his sword and was struck instead. Johan continued to whirl the mercenary captain around like a windmill, clearing a path. Stephen, who should have been escaping, was stunned and stared at Johan with his sword drawn.Move! Sir!Realizing what Johan was up to, a knight screamed, but by then, Johan had already thrown the mercenary captain and reached Stephen. Stephen swung his sword, but Johan dodged and grabbed Stephen's neck, twisting his hand to disarm him.Say it again. Sir. What about my honor?
