How to Live as a Wandering Knight – Chapter 128.1

𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬 (3)

It was an era when all kinds of superstitions and rumors were rampant. People wanted an entity they could believe in and rely on. The young count who appeared like a comet amidst the circulating curses was a perfect fit. 

The rumors started from Johan receiving the approval and blessing of the order, and grew to the point where people said he was a descendant of St. Julianius.

Considering the honorable knight St. Julianius lived and died a celibate, it was truly a ridiculous rumor. 

‘𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺.’

Though it would have been more amusing if the mercenaries actually studied theology. . .

Rumors were spreading and growing, but Johan saw no need to stop them. As silly as they were, they were also helpful.

To begin with, it was risky for an outsider to seize command from the leader of a mercenary company. 

It wasn’t about status or rank. Mercenaries would not stand by idly while an outsider took over.

Yet thanks to these rumors, there had been no problems at all. Even the sub-captains had started believing them and were oddly deferential. 

“. . .Count, are you by any chance obtaining holy water?”

The funniest moment was when a priest accompanying the mercenaries came up to Johan and asked seriously.

Johan had no choice but to bite his lip and reply.

“No, I just prepared some clean water. If there are miracles, they must be gifts from God.”

“Oh! Indeed. . .! Could that truly be holy water?”

“Well. . . I suppose you could call it that.”

“I knew it!”

As the priest walked away looking pleased, as if he had gotten the answer he wanted, Johan couldn’t help but click his tongue.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

ᴀ𝚠𝚎𝔟𝚜ṫ̇𝙤𝕣ɪ𝙚𝚜.ᴄ𝚘ᴍ

“Count, forgive me.”

“Didn’t I tell you several times that if you were not sick or cursed, there would be no reason for you to hold my hand?”

“Oh, uh, no, that’s not it.”  

The sub-captain turned red with embarrassment.

The mercenaries, who were of the rank of sub-captain or captain, used their positions to approach Johan.

Wouldn’t it be more effective to hold hands directly instead of just drinking water?

“I have something to say about the curse.”

“Oh. Go ahead.”

Johan readily agreed. Now that the soldiers were gradually recovering, he was thinking of looking into the curse anyway.

A sub-captain would have been quite involved in the big and small affairs of the mercenary corps. He might have told him if the captain was hiding something.

“While we have all recovered, there is a reason why those led by the captain have not recovered.”

“What is that?”

“It is because they have accumulated sins so great throughout their lives that they cannot be cured even with Your Excellency the Count’s prayers.”

“. . . . . .”  

Johan was at a loss for words. However, the sub-captain spoke in a very serious tone.

“In order to prevent the curse from spreading any further, the captain must be killed, burned, and then buried.”

“!”

The authority of the captain was absolute within the mercenary corps. No one challenged the authority of the captain, and the captain absolutely maintained his authority.

It was absurd in itself that sub-captains were gathered like this and talked about killing him.

However, fear of curses and superstitions sometimes made the absurd possible. Judging by the sub-captain’s expression, it seemed he had already finished talking with the other guys.

‘𝘋𝘦𝘰𝘴𝘢𝘮 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸.’

A rebellion within the mercenary corps was the ultimate disgrace for a captain.  

“If Your Excellency the Count does not want to get your hands dirty, we will step up. . .”

“Calm down. We still don’t know what the curse is. There’s no rush to kill him.”

Johan calmed down the sub-captain. It would be troublesome for Johan if the sub-captains raged here.  

It would be annoying for Johan too if a rumor spread that he accidentally killed the mercenary captain and took over the mercenary corps. It was more convenient to keep the captain alive and use him.

“. . .Yes. I’m sorry.”

‘𝘏𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺.’

Johan interrogated the sub-captain and made him tell everything that had happened. Johan’s expression became stranger and stranger as he listened to the story.

‘. . .𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘥.’

Looting temples, destroying idols, killing resisters and robbing their property. . .

To be honest, it was understandable that the mercenaries were sensitive to curses. Everything they did was just asking to be cursed.

‘𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵. 𝘞𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘺𝘴 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳?’

If the curse was due to the things they had done, the envoys could not have been cursed. Johan decided to check the envoys first.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

𝔞ᴡ𝙚𝔟𝕤𝙩𝔬𝙧𝕚𝔢𝚜.𝘤𝘰ṁ

“I’m. . . I’m sorry, Count.”

“That’s enough. Lie down.”  

The dark curse writhed on the skin of the envoys. It was only natural for the mercenaries to fear them.

𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞━

The magic square amulet vibrated madly. Even though he had not gone near the envoys.

Johan turned his head. Behind the tent where the envoys were staying, there was a golden statue he saw for the first time. It looked like an icon, but its appearance was clearly different. It was a lewd and vulgar shape.

‘𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴? 𝘈 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵’𝘴 𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘭?’

“Where did this thing come from?”

“We got it from the mercenaries. To offer to the Count. . .”

Johan sneered. He couldn’t tell if the envoys really intended to offer it or if they were trying to sneak it away. The latter seemed more likely.

It wouldn’t hurt for the mercenaries to offer bribes to the envoys either.

As he approached the statue, the amulet vibrated more violently. Even with Johan’s eyes, he could feel the curse pooling inside.

It was ready to spill out at any opportunity and contaminate people. 

“??”

Even though he reached out carefully, the curse did not come out. It seemed he had to do something to be afflicted by the curse.   

“Deosam.”

Johan went to find Deosam lying down. The pagan idol was held in his hand.

“Where did this thing come from?”

“!”

Deosam was startled with surprise. He did not expect Johan to bring that thing.

“A subordinate brought it from plunder. . .”

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