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𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 (4)
It was ridiculous for the knight to boast about being a wandering knight in front of Johan.
Not all wandering knights are the same.
Judging by the way that knight was talking, he probably wandered around the Empire after his knighting ceremony, carrying the coins his family gave him.
Groups of young knights wandering with squires and servants to seek fame were common enough.
That was fine, but it was hard to put up with them talking as if they had gone through times of hardship and perseverance after lavishly spending those coins wandering around.
‘𝘈 𝘨𝘶𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. . .’
“How trustworthy. . .”
“Why make a fuss over something like that? It’s fine as long as they do the job properly.”
“That’s true.”
Suetlg agreed with Johan’s words. Although they may have wandered lavishly, the knights were not incompetent. Especially when it comes to dealing with people, they would be quite skilled. It’s not like they only learned how to swing a sword around.
“And I’m also thinking of stepping up to ask them myself, so don’t worry.”
“That’s reassuring but. . . also confusing?”
Suetlg looked at Johan with a complex expression. Who would expect the person sitting in the count’s seat to step up personally?
They usually become lazy and their butts get heavy, but Johan showed no hesitation in taking the initiative.
However, the knights responded very favorably to Johan’s offer. Before they were nobles, they were knights first. Nobles who upheld the customs of knighthood despite their status were worthy of respect.
“You really have a knack for things like this.”
“Just sitting around won’t get anything done.”
“Not many people step up for that reason. Did I ever tell you about the count I met before? He was obese with an incurable disease. No doctor could figure it out so I got called in.”
“Oh? Did you heal him with the Water of Life?”
“No, the Water of Life couldn’t heal that count either.”
“!”
“So every morning and night, I made that count walk and run. I reduced his fatty foods and alcohol. After that, not only could he sleep soundly, but breathing also became much easier, so he said.”
“. . .Um, this is supposed to be a funny story, right?”
“It really happened to me. . . Anyway, do you understand the moral of this story?”
“Eat and drink in moderation and exercise? Abstain from sexual activity?”
“No. Among nobles, especially the wealthy ones, many become uncontrollably lazy.”
“I understand. I’ll continue to be diligent.”
“Don’t overdo it. . . you’re already quite hardworking.”
Although the story was funny, when they went out into the city streets, the one who would rouse the least suspicion was Johan, who had the highest status.
Regardless of his position as count, he looked young and inexperienced, so he wasn’t easy to doubt.
Johan called Gerdolf to move together. Gerdolf, who had been guarding Suetlg, was excited by the long-awaited call and came running.
“Gerdolf. You’ll be. . . my brother.”
“Doesn’t sound bad. Should we add a setting where you’re mute to avoid verbal slip-ups? It’ll suit your intimidating looks.”
“Sounds plausible. We can say you lost your tongue after encountering a malevolent spirit.”
“. . . . . .”
Gerdolf made a grim expression. But he was a knight with an unwavering loyalty to Johan. He nodded as if accepting the idea.
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
“Did you come from the Empire? Well, I wish you had participated in subjugating the monster.”
There was a set way for the swordsmen who came to the city to find work. Asking a family they knew or going around places where there might be work and putting out feelers.
Inns were good, and so were respectable guild buildings. The guilds in the city were often intertwined, so if word spread, they would find out right away.
“Are you going to subdue the monster? If you go now, it won’t be too late I think.”
‘𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯?’
He didn’t think the nobles who came with him would interfere like this with their subjugation.
“My brother and I are more adept at dealing with people than monsters.”
“There are so many mercenaries in the city these days. . .”
The money changer murmured awkwardly. He had a basic respect for knights, but he didn’t seem particularly afraid of the two.
If the knight in front had proper family ties and connections, he wouldn’t have come to a place like this and would have gone to the nobles. So the knights standing in front of him now were not much different from mercenaries, fallen nobles.
“What’s the matter?”
“Oh. The knights here were asking if there was any work for them. Do you know anything?”
“Hmm. . .”
The foreigner who suddenly appeared looked at Johan and Gerdolf. Johan looked a bit young, so he was less trusted, but Gerdolf had a rather decent atmosphere.
“A friend of mine was recruiting multiple escorts.”
“Oh. Good. Here, Empire silver. Thank you for exchanging it.”
The money changer happily exchanged the city silver Johan handed over for Empire silver as if it were his own business. Johan was slightly disappointed by his attitude.
‘𝘐 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. . .’
If it turned out like this, it could be a very wholesome escort job. Guarding a nobleman’s villa or escorting a caravan. . .
Gerdolf seemed to think the same, blinking at Johan. It was a signal to follow along and see.
“What are your knight’s names?”
“My brother is Leon, and I am Lauren.”
Johan used the names of elf knights he had met before. The foreigner spoke as if puzzled.
“Huh? Are you not from the Empire but the Kingdom? Those sound like elven names.”
“My family is mixed with a kingdom side family.”
“I see. So that’s how it is.”
It would anger Empire knights to hear this, but people tended to esteem elf knights highly. They respected them for simply being elves before even seeing their skills.
Hearing that he had mixed blood with a kingdom side noble family, the other man’s face brightened.
“So. . . what job do you want my brother and I to take on?”
“Protecting people. You know the ominous atmosphere in the city recently, right?”
“Of cour. . . Did you take me for blind?”
‘𝘏𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸.’
The man smiled bitterly at Johan’s reaction. His loud voice felt amusing.
Even if he said he was a well-trained knight, at best he was a green boy who had only rolled around his own fief. The man reveled in the slight sense of superiority rising up.
“With the church army coming in, and the magistrate stepping in, it’s very ominous. At times like this, nothing is more reliable than the sword, right?”
“You chose very well.”
“Ha ha. That’s not for me to judge. . .”
From his words, the man seemed to hold an internal position like a steward. That level to be able to lead conspicuous mercenaries around.
‘𝘈𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺.’
It didn’t look like they were headed to the district where nobles stayed. It seemed they wanted to gather them somewhere else to protect secrets.
“Come in. It’s a bit cramped, but you’ll be helping out while the servants stay.”
“Are there other mercenaries?”
“Yes, of course. I hope you get along well.”
Gerdolf looked at Johan and spoke with his eyes. In a place like this, it was very difficult to get friendly with mercenaries. Moreover, weren’t the two of them conspicuous knights? They were bound to be checked right away.
‘𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰. 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳.’
Johan was passing through the low gate and corridors when he ran into mercenaries coming from the front. It was clear who had arrived first.
” . . .? “
Their eyes met and Johan instinctively felt like the other was staring at him peculiarly. He realized something was off. The man seemed unfamiliar yet regarded Johan as if he knew him.
They brushed past each other but Johan did not relax his guard. His muscles tensed and he gripped the longsword at his waist.
As expected, his bad premonition was spot on.
“Get him!”
” ! “
When the man shouted and charged at him, Johan had already turned his body to counterattack. The opponent wielded a single-edged, thickly curved short sword. Its speed was much faster than Johan had anticipated.
“What, what are you doing!?! Stop! I said stop!”
The attendant who had brought Johan was shocked. He had gathered the mercenaries only for these crazy b*stards to start waving their swords at each other.
“Kill that b*stard! If you don’t kill him now, you’ll never get another chance!”
The man shouted at the other mercenaries. He seemed to be their leader. Although they did not seem to know Johan, at their boss’ order, they drew their weapons.
“I’ll kill anyone who comes close!”
Gerdolf bared his teeth and pulled out his mace. Meanwhile, Johan wracked his brain but could not remember anything.
“Avenge the Lizarek family with this b*stard’s blood!”
” ! “
Only then did Johan guess the man’s identity. On his way to the Cyrandel Mountains where the Holy See was located, Johan had worked with mercenaries to subdue a band of rogues.
It was the vicious Lizarek brothers. The mercenaries had insisted on chasing them into the forest but Johan had only captured and executed the youngest brother who had come out. He hadn’t wanted to get too embroiled in the situation.
“What nonsense are you spouting? I’ve never even heard of the Lizarek family.”
” . . . . . . “
Seeing Johan feign ignorance so slickly, the Lizarek man faltered, seemingly doubting himself. Since he had never actually seen Johan up close, he wasn’t fully confident. Furthermore, why would Count Yeats be in a place like this?
‘𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦?’
Seizing the brief moment of hesitation, Johan charged like lightning. His longsword swung diagonally with a loud swoosh. A subordinate who had tried to block the attack was sliced cleanly in half.
“Kyaahhh!”
Hearing his subordinate scream, Lizarek came to his senses. Come to think of it, what a foolish thing he was trying to do. He could always confirm the man’s identity after killing him first.
“I won’t let you die easily. I’ll drown you in your own blood!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, you crazy murderer. Recklessly swinging your sword around.”
Seeing Johan standing amidst the bisected body yet pretending not to know anything, the Lizarek guy was furious. The situation was suspicious but his instincts screamed that he had identified his target correctly.
With loud thuds, the Lizarek guy began circling sideways. The helpless attendant tried to flee only to be captured by the Lizarek guy and used as a hostage. Although unclear of their relations, having a hostage could prove useful.
Hiding behind pillars and watching for an opportunity, the Lizarek guy clicked his tongue at Johan’s behavior.
“If you call yourself a warrior, come out and fight me fair and square!”
“. . . . . .”
The Lizarek guy ignored Johan’s words. Being in a position to know well what kind of monster strength the opponent has, he had no intention at all of crossing swords.
He would buy time and attack after making the b*stard tired.
However, the Lizarek guy had forgotten about his subordinates. From the subordinates’ perspective, Lizarek’s behavior could only seem bizarre.
“What are you doing? You’ve finally drawn your sword and. . . Ugh!”
The mercenary grabbed by Johan groaned. The b*stard’s strength was beyond imagination. With the sound of a cracked neckbone, the mercenary went limp. Once caught, he couldn’t do anything and died just like that.
“Don’t get close! Think of him as a monster!”
“. . . . . .”
It was an unbelievable situation, but the subordinates somehow accepted it. They hurriedly tried to widen the distance.
‘𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤?’
Reading the subordinates’ intentions and calmly chasing after them, Johan was puzzled by the magical energy emanating from the one from the Lizarek family. A unique magical energy was spewing from the b*stard’s arms.
If that earlier rapid strike borrowed the power of magic, it made sense. Johan made up his mind to be careful if he had to face it. That kind of attack could cause serious injury if you didn’t know about it.
The Lizarek guy focused all his nerves on Johan. He probably hadn’t been this focused even when he met a ferocious ogre. Everything around him faded and only Johan entered his eyes. Although the b*stard was frighteningly chasing him, he gained the confidence that he could keep escaping and oppose him.
At that moment, an arrow flying from the 2nd floor pierced the Lizarek guy’s torso.