How to Live as a Wandering Knight

“Yes. Thanks to your help.”

Ahir’s sons politely greeted him. It made them dizzy to think about what would have happened without Johan. The cyclops was a violent and cunning monster, and they could not have defeated it alone with the people here.

“We swear on the names of our father and mother god that we will not forget this debt.”

“Enough. As a knight I couldn’t leave the monster be, I just did my job.”

Johan was in a very generous state, having also gained a horse and weapon. Otherwise, he would have been fierce and rough due to breaking his sword.

However, it could not but appear different to the followers.

Because their master Ahir was caught, dissatisfaction had piled up due to surrendering, but now they had no choice but to admit it.

That the count before their eyes was a knight qualified to receive their surrender.

Although he was a pagan, his skills and honor were genuine.

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Ahir was flabbergasted when he heard the news. It was natural since he almost killed the count to find his mare. He bowed his head several times.

“That’s enough. It’s already over, and you didn’t mean to do it, so why would you be held responsible?”

“Please listen to me. I wish it was at least a little repayment for Count’s honor.”

“No. The public mare should belong to the public. As a knight, it is not right to take away such a loyal horse.”

Ahir looked at Johan in surprise at his words. It was hard to believe the compassion shown by this pagan nobleman.

‘𝘈𝘯𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺.’

Now that he had gotten the bicorn, he didn’t need Ahir’s warhorse. In that case, it was better to receive it in gold. If Ahir had any sense, he would naturally repay with more gold.

In addition, he could gain the good graces of the Mulc family for free, so there was no reason to be greedy for just one horse.

“. . .Your honor will be known even to the most evil enemies.”

“It’s not a very pleasant story.”

Despite Ahir’s praise, Johan was nonchalant. He did not deny the power that honor and fame held, but Johan was not the kind of person who felt pride from it.

“I heard that you were insulted by Emir Jekyllid.”

“Yes. That count is quite petty.”

While resting after returning, Ahir contemplated.

Johan was an enemy of a different faith.

Count of Jekyllid was rude and greedy, and although his retainers had betrayed Ahir, was it okay to abandon a brother of the same faith and help a pagan?

. . .But Johan’s actions were too honorable to just let go, and the Mulc family’s bloodline owed a great debt. Not repaying it would mean he was not a knight.

“If you allow it, I will help the Northern Expedition.”

“. . .?”

Johan turned his gaze in puzzlement. Words he had never expected came flying out.

‘𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴? 𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯?’

However, Ahir did not say he would compensate with this. He really seemed to just want to help.

“Do you know what it means to aid the Northern Expedition?”

“Would I not know? Of course I know.”

“If you help, I’ll gladly accept it, but. . .”

Johan accepted it readily without any doubt. In a situation where someone else might have said ‘𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘯’, Johan’s actions in respecting his honor moved Ahir greatly, even if he did not show it outwardly.

“This, I feel like I’m burdening you with too much debt. Should I give you the heads of the Nusard brothers?”

“. . .No, it’s fine.”

Ahir was embarrassed by Johan’s grim joke. Whatever else, this count’s jokes were a bit creepy.

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𝙖ẇ̇𝚎𝚋𝔰𝕥𝚘𝘳𝙞𝙚𝔰.𝐜ᴏ𝔪

“You’ve had a lot of hard work.”

Suetlg seemed thinner. His face was full of fatigue.

Even though Johan had brought in merchants and orc scribes, it was not an easy task to overturn the system of the fiefdom and take it under his control.

Moreover, Johan had unnecessarily high standards. The simple fist-like operation of ‘𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘴𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬’ and ‘𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘢𝘹𝘦𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧’ was simply intolerable. Johan wanted at least a bureaucratic system that kept up appearances.

The result was Suetlg’s fatigue. Gerdolf assisting beside him clearly looked bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, showing he had not worked hard at all.

“It reminds me of when I studied under master. Ah. . .”

Johan personally supported Suetlg. Despite being a count, his candid attitude made Suetlg chuckle. There was nothing as joyful as when proof came that his friendship was not mistaken.

“Still, I’ve prepared various things to give to Suetlg-nim.”

“I’ve heard the rumors. Hunting evil, vicious monsters for the peasants.”

Johan clapped. Servants and slaves brought in the byproducts of the monsters. Seeing the well-tanned minotaur leather and cyclops bodies, Suetlg was moved to tears.

“Are you crying?”

“. . .Move. I might have to send some to Gulrak.”

Johan waited about an hour. Suetlg walked out with a satisfied expression, having picked out several materials he could use.

“Yes, there’s a lot to talk about after not seeing each other for a while. Let’s start simple. . . you said you got a weapon from that cyclops?”

“Yes.”

“This is something the dwarves made.”

“How do you know?”

“Dwarves engrave patterns like this to indicate they made it themselves. Your famous sword didn’t have that, so I guess it probably wasn’t made by elves.”

Johan realized Suetlg was talking about the <𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫>.

“Speaking of which, I should be able to use that sword soon, right?”

“Hmm. Well. It’s hard for me to easily answer. Of course your position is now fairly solid. . .”

‘Solid’ was a very gentle way of putting it. Every time news came in from the west, Suetlg had to doubt his ears and burst into empty laughter.

Who could have dominated this southern region in less than a year?

It would have been an impossible feat without the love of God.

“You can use it now. But that sword is so famous that questions about its origins will come up. If you don’t answer plausibly, it will lead to misunderstandings.”

Without a plausible reason, rumors of theft or dishonor may circulate. Suetlg did not want that.

“The best thing would be to declare it after fighting Karamaf. Everyone will accept that.”

“Isn’t Karamaf dead?”

“There can be an imposter.”