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𝐊𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲, 𝐒𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐞 (𝟔)
“If you’re that kind of knight, we’d like you to stay in our town.”
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“Why so?”
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“You know, there’s been some ominous rumors going around lately.”
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The lord of the town of Rutzbeck is Count Jarpen. Naturally, after Count Jarpen lost several battles, rumors began to circulate in his fiefdom.
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With the increase in rogues and the Count unable to help, the townspeople had to form a vigilante group to fend them off. The young men of the town were enthusiastic even with just a spear in hand, but the village chief knew well. It would be difficult to fend off a proper attack with them.
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Why would nobles hire mercenaries at a high cost? It was impossible to fight well just by giving a spear to those who had never fought before. They might be full of courage in their own town, but they would collapse immediately under a real attack.
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This large town had been safe so far because it was difficult for runaway mercenaries to target, but what would happen in the future was unknown. If the number of mercenaries increased, or worse, if they settled nearby, it would be a headache. It would be difficult to subdue them with a vigilante group.
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“Haha. Atanka-nim. Of course, that would be nice, but it would be too much for Sir Knight to stay here.”
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“Why, if you get attached, anywhere can be home. We have many young women in our town.”
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‘𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘺.’
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‘𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘺. . .’
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They were laughing, but inside, they were cursing each other.
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But Atanka was at a disadvantage. He also thought that the knight would not stay here unless necessary. There were few reasons to stay.
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But if the knight stayed, it would be a great help.
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‘𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴.’
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To protect the town, they had to hire mercenaries, but the problem was whether they could trust these mercenaries. It was common for mercenaries brought into the town to betray and turn into rogues.
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They had to hire trustworthy mercenaries, but they were hard to find and expensive.
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But if it was the knight Eldans mentioned, it was a different story. A nobleman who knows the honor of a knightly family would not betray, and unlike a mercenary, he would not blatantly demand money.
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‘𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺.’
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Eldans was ridiculous. He explained to avoid misunderstanding because he was a foreigner, but he was harboring an unreasonable desire.
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The Katana Merchant Guild always wanted reliable warriors. The Catalian Peninsula had as many battles as the Empire or Kingdom above the Dwarf Mountains. Independent city-states fought each other, and they also fought with the nobles of the Holy Empire. . .
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Small trading companies avoided battles, but large trading companies actively participated in battles. There was nothing more profitable than war.
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And the most needed thing at such times was military power.
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It was a chaotic era. The only thing they could trust was military power. Even small towns had to form vigilante groups and hire mercenaries, let alone city guilds.
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Eldans intended to introduce Johan to the Katana Merchant Guild. Building a rapport with such a young knight would undoubtedly be helpful in the future.
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“Well, let’s save that discussion for later. . . I heard you brought wheat and barley. How much for a sack of wheat and a sack of barley?”
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“Oh, Atanka-nim, the hardships I’ve endured. . . One sack of wheat will be two and a half silver coins, and one sack of barley will be two silver coins. That’s my final offer.”
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“Two and a half silver coins! Are you trying to starve our town’s people?”
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“What are you talking about? Do you know how high-quality this barley is? The brewers from Rutzbeck would gladly pay several times more for it.”
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Rutzbeck’s beer was well-known in the vicinity. Perhaps they should send someone from the monastery to purchase it.
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Typically, a full sack of wheat was worth only one silver coin. However, merchants didn’t often pay the proper price.
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“If you’d consider accepting a currency other than Empire silver coins, I could buy it for two and a half sacks.”
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“Nonsense. . . Please, Atanka-nim, don’t speak such absurdities. You know how unreliable other currencies have become these days.”
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The <Empire Bank>, operated under the rules set by dwarf nobility, was quite peculiar. The contents of other currencies could change at any time. There was a reason merchants preferred Empire silver and gold coins.
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“Two sacks, Atanka. And one and a half sacks for the barley. That’s my final offer. I won’t go any lower.”
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“Stop groaning. Fine, you’ve got a deal. That’s it.”
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Atanka realized that Eldans wasn’t going to budge any further and reluctantly agreed. Eldans might be a bit shrewd, but he could let this one trade slide. After all, this wasn’t the only time they’d be dealing with each other.
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“Thank you once again, Atanka-nim.”
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Eldans smiled and extended his pouch. They both knew what was inside. Atanka returned the smile and shook hands. The townspeople would remain oblivious to these conversations, even in their wildest dreams.