𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 (9)
‘𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘴𝘰?’
Johan wondered. Johan did not believe the honor and conscience of the knights of the St. Guntsalva Knight Order, he just thought about what they had received.
The knight order received a lot from this hunt. If Johan had not stood up, how much bigger would their damage have been, how much more embarrassing it would have been to guess.
In such a situation, if the knights are going to be jealous of Johan and try to undermine him, wouldn’t Johan respond if he’s not an a**hole?
Right before the banquet atmosphere cools down, he will yell that the knights’ help was useless.
The knights should know that well, so why are they doing that?
‘𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵?’
Johan did not ignore the emperor’s words. Although the emperor was young, wasn’t he a royal who had lived in Vynashchtym all his life? He would know much better than Johan.
‘𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴.’
Just before the conversation with the emperor ended, a knight from the knight order approached. Looking unfamiliar without armor and wearing an expensive silk tunic with jewelry on it, the knight was closer to a nobleman than a monastery knight.
“Your Excellency! There was a shameful incident on this expedition. Do you know what it is?”
“Are you claiming that I didn’t kill the first manticore alone?”
“Yes. . .? Ah, no. What do you mean?”
The knight was surprised and denied it. He wondered what Johan was talking about.
“It was really embarrassing that the knights didn’t finish off the beast properly and had to move Your Excellency twice. I want to offer you a drink for your honor.”
“. . .I see.”
Johan awkwardly accepted the drink. Only mercenaries and Johan’s subordinates participated in the first hunt, so he thought they would aim for that side, but it wasn’t at all.
The next knight came. Seeing his unfamiliar face, he was not a knight who went hunting with Johan. Come to think of it, he was the knight who was angry at Johan’s rudeness at the meeting.
“Honorable Your Excellency. You made a mistake.”
“What is it?”
Johan grabbed the glass he was holding. The emperor saw it clearly. The shape of the solid metal glass changing.
‘𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺 𝘣*𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘥. . .’
“You should have punished me for daring to intervene when you were reprimanding the other knights. Give me a punishment now!”
“. . .It’s over and it’s a pleasant occasion, how can I punish you? It seems like you’re already reflecting on your own. That’s enough. Go enjoy yourself.”
“Thank you!”
After that, the knights did not really come to quarrel. They came to thank, praise honor, offer a drink, ask to visit their fiefdom later. . .
As this happened repeatedly, the emperor became very embarrassed. When Johan looked at him with an expression of ‘𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯?’, the emperor avoided his gaze.
‘𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘣*𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴.’
The local nobles were known for their arrogance and arrogance.
Pride in Vynashchtym, power established as the local tycoon for a long time.
They were not so dignified even in front of the emperor, let alone outsiders.
‘𝘐𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘴. . .!’
If they had been kind, polite and respectful of others from the beginning, the emperor would have been very happy.
However, the guys who insulted and talked nonsense to another foreign mercenary captain in various ways a few years ago are acting like they are welcoming their first night. . .
It felt like they could have acted politely until now but didn’t, which was more irritating. I wanted to splash alcohol on their faces.
“Is this some kind of trick? Will they make tricks later when it gets a little late?”
“No. Just. . . it doesn’t seem like anything. Just drink.”
“What is it. Stingy.”
“I didn’t know those guys would act like that either!”
“Or stop it, why are you angry?”
When the emperor grumbled, the knights next to him seemed to have misunderstood his meaning. He came over and spoke politely.
“Your Majesty. I know you regret not hunting the monster directly. But isn’t hunting monsters a very dangerous thing? Let alone this manticore was a really formidable opponent. If Your Majesty had participated directly. . .”
The emperor angrily drove away the knight. The knight withdrew in a panic without knowing why.
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
After the banquet ended, Johan woke up late.
Vynashchtym’s banquets tended to go on longer, more extravagantly and more decadently than the Empire’s. Nobles who had drunk late into the night were still passed out.
After washing up with the water Geoffrey had brought, Johan wondered at the centaurs. They were grinning from ear to ear. They only acted like that when something good happened.
Like when they had plundered something good, or found someone good to plunder, or received orders that they were allowed to plunder. . .
‘𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘩?’
“Why are you looking at us like that?”
The centaurs were as sensitive as they were savage. But Johan didn’t change his expression one bit as he spoke.
“I was just thinking how reassuring it is to have such strong warriors like you all.”
“Oh, how. . .embarrassing. . .”
The centaurs turned red and avoided his gaze. It was a very innocent reaction for ones who enjoyed skinning the heads of others.
“So why have you come? To ask me to go hunting?”
“Would we ask you to go hunting again after such a big hunt? We rest when it’s time to rest too. We came to give you this.”
The centaurs grinned as they held out a coarse rope to Johan. Like little children showing off a toy.
“What’s this?”
“Try pulling on it hard once.”
“. . .?”
Johan tilted his head quizzically then said,
“Won’t the rope tear?”
The words could have sounded arrogant and cheeky, but it was acceptable between Johan and the centaurs.
Not just anyone could tear through such a thick and dense rough rope by hand after all.
But the centaurs knew of Johan’s monstrous strength. Those who had seen flying boulders would know of course.
“Teehee. Just try pulling on it anyway.”
“Alright.”
Thinking to humor the centaurs, Johan gripped the rope tightly and pulled with all his might. With a ‘thwack’ the rope cleanly tore apart.
“. . .It tore?”
“. . . . . .”
“. . . . . .”
‘𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺.’
Seeing the centaurs’ jaws drop in dismay, Johan felt a little apologetic. It seemed like the rope wasn’t supposed to tear.
Focusing his senses on it, he could feel traces of magic coming from the rope. What’s more the material was also unusual. It had a reddish tint to it. . .from a monster’s. . .?
“That wizard tricked us?!”
“Wait wait. . .”
Before Johan could even call out, the centaurs had already turned and ran off. It was clearly in the direction of Jyanina’s tent. Johan yawned and headed over to stop them.
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
The heart of the manticore emanated powerful mystification. The mystification it emanated could be felt even with eyes closed.
Jyanina carefully affixed the heart to the end of her wand before finishing up her work.
Johan was a rough noble who looked down on wizards, thinking himself rather sophisticated, but he was generous towards such spoils. Now she could understand a bit why wizards like Caenerna and Suetlg would follow him.
‘𝘊𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘺, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘺. . .’
What noble would so easily give away the corpse of a monster like this? They would usually stuff and display it, or if giving it to a wizard, impose conditions on what to make from it.
‘𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘳, 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩.’
Jyanina brandished her wand. With this, weaker monsters would be overwhelmed by fear.
Her purpose was simple. To find a sponsor in Vynashchtym.
The capital Vynashchtym was the largest and most beautiful city in the world. It’s said that everything in the world gathers there, truly lacking nothing. Naturally, there would be many excellent wizards and nobles seeking them.
Unlike Cardirian, Johan said ‘𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭, 𝘨𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘳,’ seeming to mock her a bit, and so Jyanina decided to treat this journey as that opportunity.
Come to think of it, this crisis could be a chance. Under such robust backing, when would she ever get the opportunity to go to Vynashchtym like this in her lifetime?
If she was trying to go there alone, she would have to scour the city from the underground up in the guise of a pilgrim.
“Wizard, come out you rascal!”
“What?!”
“Where’d you get this fake?!”
The centaurs of the plains were always terrifying. As soon as Euclyia entered, she nimbly grabbed Jyanina’s hair, making escape to the back of the tent difficult.
Overcome with fear, Jyanina cried out.
“Why are you doing this! Why!”
“You said an absolutely unbreakable rope made from manticore tendons!”
“It doesn’t break! You couldn’t break it!”
Jyanina shouted as if wronged. The threat to her life made her more desperate.
“We couldn’t break it, but His Excellency the Count ripped it easily by hand.”
“I can’t believe it! Bring it here!”
“I told you not to harass wizards didn’t I, Euclyia? Let her go.”
At Johan’s word, Euclyia slyly released her hand, then hid it behind her back. Anyone watching would think she hadn’t done anything.
Jyanina glared at Euclyia, aggrieved, but Euclyia’s expression didn’t change one bit.
“What did the wizard say?”
“We asked her to make something so she that, saying it’s an absolutely unbreakable rope to use capturing monsters. But it tore!”
“Hmm. . . I doubt it would tear capturing monsters. Just consider it a sturdy rope. That much is certainly impressive enough.”
Hearing Johan’s words, the centaurs calmed down with convinced expressions, nodding.
“True, even just that much is certainly usable enough.”
“Once it’s thrown and wraps something up, it probably couldn’t escape easily.”
“Monsters who use brute strength as clumsily as His Excellency are rare. . .”
“His Excellency can hear you, you know.”
“Oh dear.”
Seeing the centaurs convinced by Johan’s words, Jyanina hurriedly added:
“That’s right. His Excellency here hunted many powerful monsters, so his soul’s power must have grown tremendously strong. That’s why he can exhibit such power.”
“What?!”
Speaking wizard-like tales like Suetlg or Caenerna, Johan was a bit surprised by Jyanina.
He hadn’t thought she was anything more than a goblin shaman grunting like a warthog, but it turns out she can speak properly about magic.
As life grows to what it should be, soul power naturally strengthens. That’s why wizards try to live lives fitting of mystification, no?
It wasn’t just in folk tales and bards’ songs that knights accomplishing great feats gained transcendental abilities. Here such miracles truly existed.
‘𝘐𝘵’𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘶𝘳.’
Even capturing something like manticore, Valkalmur was already obedient enough that nothing more would come of it. If Johan were another knight, he might have used manticore to make that spirit even more subservient, gaining more power. . .
“Alright, let’s let it slide this time. But be more careful from now on, got it?”
“We’ll be watching to see if you properly use magic.”
Seeing the vulgar brutes threatening her then leaving like it’s nothing, Jyanina wanted to swear but held back. Magic was far off while the centaurs’ fists were near, after all.
Johan wondered aloud:
“That wand, you set manticore’s heart in it?”
“What?!”
Jyanina was stunned, as if fainting. Of course she didn’t just leave manticore’s heart exposed at the end of the wand. She wrapped it in silk and leather so it wouldn’t be visible from the outside, then carefully affixed it.
Yet he just guessed it like that? As if he had eyes that could see through or something, or maybe. . .
“Uh, how did you know?”
“I’ve traveled with wizards so much, don’t I have eyes for seeing magic? I can feel the power of magic from within.”
“Wow. . .!!”
Only then did Jyanina realize Johan was versed in magic.
“Can I see that wand a bit?”
“No, I absolutely can’t let it be taken away!”
“. . . . . .”
“. . .I-I’m not doubting you, Your Excellency.”