How to Live as a Wandering Knight – Chapter 145.1

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 (2)

“. . .What are you talking about?”

If what he was crying about was asking for tax cuts, then the name Giant Slayer might as well change to Merchant Killer.  

However, the envoys from the city were not so fearless.  

They knew that the new conqueror could make reckless decisions if he wanted to, so they wouldn’t dare provoke the conqueror who showed consideration for them.

No matter how satisfactory the city was and how much confidence it had, the envoys didn’t dare provoke the conqueror whose spirit was piercing the sky.

They had come because it was truly urgent.  

“You came to say you couldn’t catch a monster?”

Johan asked back incredulously. He found the envoys’ words hard to believe.

In this world with much more unexplored territory, monsters were a serious threat. Knights wandering to catch monsters and collect bounties were not just for fun.

However, it didn’t make sense for Gilsina City to send people just because they couldn’t catch a single monster. They had quite a few mercenaries and could also ask nearby knights for help.

“. . .?”

Fahid, the first son of Ahir next to him, was puzzled by Johan’s reaction. He carefully opened his mouth.

“Count, is it hard to believe that they request help from a hero like you because they couldn’t catch a monster? It doesn’t seem that strange to me. . .”

‘𝘏𝘮𝘮?’

Johan then realized that he was misunderstanding something.

Of course, weak monsters could be caught by vigilantes or mercenaries. But if it was at least a minotaur or cyclops level, emergency alerts went out nearby.

There were very few knights who volunteered to catch such monsters, and the success rate was not high either.

Not everyone could recklessly beat monsters like Johan. It was not that strange to ask knights with feats like Johan for help with catching monsters.  

“I see. Tell me the details.”

Gilsina was located between the peninsula and the hundred kingdoms, a transportation hub and blessed port city. 

A place where people of southern polytheism and northern monotheism come and go alternately, and people of the hundred kingdoms in the west and peninsula people in the east live together in great numbers.

Naturally, the lifeline here was the port.

That port was completely blocked by a single monster.

Its name was Noptius the Marine Dragon. With the legend that it had mixed dragon blood in its ancestry, it had a gigantic and enormous body, tough and leathery skin, evil and cunning intelligence – an evil dragon of the sea.

‘𝘈 𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘢𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳?’

Looking at the explanation and drawings brought by the flustered envoys, Johan roughly pictured it in his head. It seemed that thinking of it as a lizard-like creature going between sea and land would suffice.

After listening to the whole explanation, Johan didn’t answer and just stayed silent. As expected of envoys from the city, they were quick-witted. They promptly spoke up.

“We have brought gifts to congratulate you on your legitimate succession to the position. Please take a look at the most beautiful ship in the city and the treasures that fill it.”

“Isn’t it too late considering when my succession ceremony was?”

“We are guilty! Because of that monster beast rampaging at sea, the sailors were too afraid to prepare to set sail.”

There were land routes, and it didn’t seem like the monster had been on a rampage for that long. Also, even without the monster, it was doubtful whether they would have bowed and scraped like this.

But instead of probing, Johan decided to play along with them.  

“Indeed, it is the monster’s fault.”

“Please accept this document presented in the name of our Council.”

Instead of passing it to the scribe next to him to read, Johan just took it himself and read it. The envoys were surprised at that. They didn’t expect the new Count to be able to read without the scribe’s help.

Aside from the long rhetorical expressions, what the city of Gilsina was saying was simple. Catch this monster and we will give you everything except autonomy.

‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳.’

The autonomy of the city was the city’s life and soul. Even if the city starved to death, at least a few families would be burned at the stake if they handed that over. Johan didn’t intend to take that either. 

As long as they pay taxes properly and show obedience, he had no intention of forcibly disturbing the city as it busily went about its business.

It wasn’t like Johan had some crazy ambition. . .

“Alright. I’ll think about it.”

“We’ll be waiting. Your Excellency!”

The envoys bowed politely and withdrew. Desperation could be seen in their withdrawing figures. Though they were withdrawing now, their determination to not leave this fiefdom before hearing a response could be felt.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

𝐚𝔴ė̇ʙ𝔰𝚝𝚘𝘳𝙞𝐞𝘴.ċ̇𝐨𝘮

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