How to Live as a Wandering Knight – Chapter 204

Those on the Run (3)

If mercenaries had come to the town, they would be sprawled out drunkenly drinking beer by now.

Whether experienced or not, whether they had a lot of money or little, it would be the same. Wouldn’t those who wandered long distances all think the same?

“It would be easier to talk if you’re pleasantly drunk. Did you say you were at the ‘Drunken Giant’ inn?”

“Yes.”

“The food the master there serves is pretty good. It will make for good conversation. Follow me. I want to meet the mercenary captain.”

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“How are you going to deal with the aftermath?”

“It’s the present now, even if I get hanged later. When will I ever tell the count that I ran an errand for him?”

“What a crazy b*stard.”

The veteran mercenaries were inside, and the new recruits were outside. It was a visible custom everywhere. The first floor of the ‘Drunken Giant’ inn was bustling with newly arrived mercenaries. Some who couldn’t find seats were sitting outside in the yard, drinking.  

The local mercenaries who would have normally picked fights with these foreign newcomers didn’t dare approach them either, reluctantly leaving with frustrated expressions on their faces. There were simply too many of them.

“Indeed. They look decent.”

You didn’t need to be an outstanding mercenary yourself to recognize one. Experienced merchants were also good at identifying outstanding mercenaries.

From their conduct and atmosphere, equipment and weapons. . . they could make a comprehensive judgment at a glance.

“Shall we go in right away?”

“Oh people. You’re still so clumsy about work.” 

Hearing the words of the young employee at the trading firm, Lucchese clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“You can’t just barge in and accost the mercenary captain if you’re an outstanding merchant. Don’t rush. Watch me and learn well.”

“Yes, sir. I understand.”

Lucchese looked around at the mercenaries sitting in the yard. Among the mercenaries, those with the least experience and most junior tended to be tight on cash. 

As such, they were also easier to curry favor with. They would tear up at even a small act of goodwill.

“Hey. Here’s some silver. Go get enough drinks for all the mercenaries here.”

“Understood. Mr. Lucchese.”

As his servant went inside to fetch drinks, Lucchese slowly approached the mercenaries. 

‘𝘘𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘰.’

Lucchese took note of a mercenary sitting with his back turned. Based on how the other mercenaries were watching him, this man seemed to be their captain.  

With a physique like that, it made sense.

“Ahem. You there.”

“?”

Johan, who was eating the stew in the wooden bowl, turned his head at the sudden call. A merchant was calling him.

Judging by his clothes, he clearly had quite a status in the town. And that pattern. . .?

‘𝘈 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥?’

Johan was confused as he had not grasped the situation yet. But he was not as confused as Lucchese. No matter how he looked, the person in front of him was. . . 

‘𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘴?’

Lucchese had seen Johan riding a horse from afar when he visited Coolia County before, and he had heard about the count’s appearance several times.  

The Katana Merchant Guild had quite a close relationship with Johan. Even after Johan became a count, he gave the guild a lot of convenience. It was a consideration based on their connection.

For the guild, it was like money falling into their hands for no reason. From their perspective, they had embezzled a fortune.  

So Lucchese also respected Count Yeats. As a knight, he appreciated his abilities, but merchants tend to like people who fill their pockets anyway.

‘. . .𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦?’

Lucchese just gulped, not knowing what to say. No matter how he looked, it seemed to be Count Yeats, but Count Yeats wouldn’t be sitting here eating stew with mercenaries. Yet no matter how he looked, it really seemed to be Count Yeats. . .

It was Johan who saved the confused Lucchese. Seeing that the other person recognized his face, Johan sighed and said,  

“Sit down. It’s probably who you think it is.”

“Ah. . . B-But why would such an esteemed person be in a place like this. . .?” 

The mercenaries murmured at Lucchese’s tangled words. The merchant seemed crazy.

“There are some circumstances.”  

Johan briefly explained the situation. Hearing that, Lucchese was surprised.

He understood chasing after the fleeing enemy commanders. It was natural for knights and nobles to do. It was a better pastime than hunting.

However, even if they missed their target, nobles would chase with dignity. It was rare for people to chase at the risk of their lives. It wasn’t like they would die if they lost them. To disguise himself as a mercenary and pursue. . . 

Moreover, for a count to move together with mercenaries like this. . .

Honestly, Lucchese was touched. He had heard many say the count was easygoing, but he didn’t know he was this unabashed. It was something he could never see from other feudal lords.

“I will help you!” 

“Oh good. It must be tiring with so many outsiders coming into town, but if you notice any suspicious people, please let me know right away.”

“Yes. Don’t worry. Since I’ve been in this town for quite a while, I know it well.”

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“Go check it out and come back.”

“. . . . . .”

When the town came into view, Uterman immediately gave orders. Despite being in disguise, Uterman was thorough. First, he sent someone to check if there were any knights or nobles staying in the town. 

Since they had moved relatively slowly, it wouldn’t be strange if others had arrived first.

‘𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥, 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.’

But from the perspective of the ones doing the checking, it was maddening. To be honest, if a pursuing group led by nobles or knights had arrived in the town first, there would have already been signs. 

Wouldn’t the travelers and merchants coming and going from the town be noisy about it?

But from the shepherds nearby to everyone else, no one said such people had come, yet he was still making them go in and check again.

“There’s no one.”

“I see. Let’s go in.”

The group packed up their belongings and moved again. Even so, the escape had been successful so far. They still hadn’t encountered a pursuing group.

But the human mind is so petty – now that it had come to this, as Uterman said, was it really necessary to be so thorough? 

Shouldn’t they have just let the horses go and raced along the road? Would that have been so bad?

“We’ll rest for a night, get the things we need, then cross the mountain. Once we cross, we won’t have to worry about pursuit anymore.”

“Do we really need to go over the mountain. . .?”

“If you want to keep fretting as we travel, that’s fine too. Do you want that?”

“I understand.”

Unlike other roads leading back, if they crossed over the mountain road, from then on there would only be fiefdoms friendly to Mairene. Then they wouldn’t have to worry about pursuit.

While everyone disliked walking along the unpaved mountain paths, Uterman didn’t care about such things. More than the complaints of the men below, it was important that there were no flaws in his perfect plan.

No matter how many pursuers there were, by now they would be wandering around completely lost.

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“Why do you find it suspicious?”

“It’s just that these days it’s unusual for someone to be crossing over the mountain paths. Unless it’s really urgent. And from the looks of it, they didn’t seem to be carrying light luggage either. Isn’t that strange?”

It seemed odd that a peddler carrying heavy loads like a porter would take the mountain paths. As soon as Lucchese grew suspicious, he came running to report it.  

Johan nodded and went to investigate. The mercenaries immediately surrounded the inn.

“. . .?”

The knight, who had gone outside for some fresh air with no shirt on and no particular thoughts, was shocked to see some unfamiliar faces. If it had been Johan, he would have pretended not to know anything, but the knight was inexperienced at acting.

“What are you guys doing?!”

“He’s a knight. Get him!”

The noble accent gave the knight away. Johan immediately gave the order and drew his sword.  

“They’re pursuers! Mercenaries are chasing us!”

Johan shoved the knight in front of him and went inside. Another knight had hastily drawn his sword and came running over. It seemed he had underestimated Johan, mistaking him for a mere mercenary. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have just rushed in to cross swords.

The swords clashed. The knight used his skills to destroy Johan’s balance then tried to wound him with his blade. 

“??!”

The knight was shocked. It was as if his opponent had cast some magic – he didn’t budge an inch despite being struck. It felt like he was using his techniques against a boulder. 

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐝!

Johan used his strength to pin the knight down. The knight’s bones broke and he screamed. Hearing that scream, the other knight shouted.

“It’s Count Yeats!!! Count Yeats is here!!”

“What?! How did we not notice?!” 

“If you try to capture him so crudely, even a one-eyed man would recognize him!” 

A nearby mercenary cried out in disbelief. The knight stared at Johan in astonishment.  

“Even though you’re a Count, why are you chasing us in that state?!”

“Well. . . isn’t it shameful for you to be running away looking like that?”  

Johan’s words had hit the mark, as the knight’s face turned red.

“We had no choice!”

“Surrender. I promise you’ll be treated honorably according to tradition.”

“. . .Very well.”

With the pursuit hot on his heels, the knight had no reason to stubbornly resist. He threw down his weapon dejectedly.  

“The b*stards are getting away!”

“!”

Hearing the shout from behind, Johan turned to look. Johan asked the knight,

“Can you tell me what happened?”

“Adviko-gong and the wizard are staying elsewhere. It seems they fled when they heard the commotion.”

If Uterman had been there, he would have strangled with his own hands any knight who so openly gave away vital information. But the knight respected Johan as a fellow knight who had fairly claimed victory, and treated him with honor.   

“Damn. What a pointless hassle.”  

“Will you pursue them?”

“First let’s capture the knights here, then chase after them. Rushing into a pursuit may lead to foolish mistakes.”

Johan captured the remaining knights and squires. They looked at Johan dressed as a mercenary with bewilderment.  

What kind of vicious count is this?

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“It seems we’re being pursued. Shouldn’t we surrender?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. At most some mercenary scums might be chasing us. We were ambushed in the town but here outside we should have enough strength to win, no?”

At Uterman’s words, the knights reluctantly nodded. Though few in number, there were no knights so weak as to lose to some mercenary riffraffs.  

It was a blessing that they had stayed separately in different places. Thanks to that they were able to grab their belongings and slip out of the town when the commotion happened.

But morale was at rock bottom. As Uterman flatly rejected the proposal, the knights secretly approached Adviko. 

“Adviko-nim. What do you think about surrendering and paying ransom?”

“Hmm. . .”

It was rare among the nobles who jumped into battle to not have been captured even once. Surrender and paying ransom was common practice.  

Unless under special circumstances, there was no reason to fight to the death. It was better to surrender honorably and pay the ransom.

Originally, Adviko might have also not fled so shamefully and would have proudly fled only to be captured and simply surrendered and paid the ransom.

But now was not a good time. With the dangerous situation, even going straight back to the city to sort things out was risky. And being held hostage by the count would blow his family apart.

But as the pursuit closed in just below his chin, Adviko’s mind also began to waver.

Maybe it would be better to just surrender?

“You go check if there’s still pursuit. You go ahead and check for any possible ambush.”  

“More nonsense??”

Uterman gestured at Sir Kruger. He was the knight who was most strongly loyal among the knights, practically Uterman’s bodyguard. As Sir Kruger walked over, the squires yelled urgently.  

“We’ll go check and come back!”

The squires moved forward, cursing at the bad-tempered wizard. There was absolutely no sign of people around the narrow mountain path.

“Nothing there?”

“Nothing. But what’s this?”

The squires were puzzled to see the path blocked by some huge boulders. They wondered if some rogues had put them there but rogues wouldn’t block the path so crudely.

“Move them. If you see it, you’ll be damned.”

“Was there a rockslide or something. . .?”

“It’s too neat for that. . .”

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